I am praying today for my parents today, because my day fell down and he broke his hip bone. He just had surgery two nights ago. As the Lord leads you, thank you for praying for Kim and Betty as well.
Jesus said this: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words” – what? – “shall not pass away.”
Honestly, I wouldn't at all mind beating my parents Home (with a Rapture event) to welcome them both there when the Rapture happens. Here steps and some good reasons why anyone sucking air can become ready and not have to fear their future (1. repent, 2. believe, 3. come to Christ right now).
What's up, interesting terms.. beginning of birthpangs?
Christ declared with unmistakable finality, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” His authority is unchanging, eternal, and absolute. Again and again He affirmed this truth: in Luke 16:17 He taught that it would be easier for the cosmos itself to dissolve than for even the smallest stroke of God’s Law to fail; in Matthew 5:18 He proclaimed that not one jot or tittle would pass away until all is fulfilled; and in John 10:35 He sealed it plainly—Scripture cannot be broken. The Word of God stands immovable, and therefore what it declares will surely come to pass.
That certainty presses a solemn and gracious question upon every heart: Are you ready? Ready to be gathered to Christ and dwell forever in His presence, or unprepared and left to face the judgment that follows? Knowing these things, Peter asks, “What manner of persons ought you to be?” The answer is clear—lives marked by holiness and godliness, eyes lifted in expectancy, hearts growing in grace, and souls anchored in hope. We are a redeemed people, living as pilgrims in a passing world, eagerly awaiting our Savior.
Father God, we thank You for Your living and enduring Word - Jesus. Take what is eternal from Your written word and bind it deeply to our hearts. Teach us to walk close with Jesus, to obey the word, to live with heaven in view, to hold very loosely to what is temporary, and to be fruitful and faithfully in the light of eternity too. We love you, Jesus. Amen.
Sup With Jesus Using His Olivet Discourse “Birth Pangs” Metaphor?
Well, it fits huh? Increasing intensity, ever closer proximity to the last pain felt, and more pain here until the time of birth.
Core Passages (Explicit Use of Birth Pangs Language)
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Matthew 24:6–8 (NIV)
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come… All these are the beginning of birth pains.” -
Mark 13:7–8 (NIV)
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”
Parallel Expansion
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Luke 21:9–11 – Wars, revolutions, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights
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Luke 21:12–19 – Persecution precedes consummation
* Key Insight from Jesus
Birth pangs:
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Increase in frequency
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Increase in intensity
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Do not equal the end
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Guarantee an outcome — new life, not annihilation
Jesus deliberately chose a metaphor that ends in life, not death.
II. Birth Pangs Across the Whole Bible
(This is not really some New Testament invention)
A. Old Testament Foundations
1. Creation & Curse
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Genesis 3:16 – Pain in childbirth introduced after the Fall
→ Physical labor mirrors cosmic redemption struggle
2. Israel as a Woman in Labor
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Isaiah 26:17–18
“As a woman with child… writhes and cries out in her pangs…” -
Isaiah 66:7–9
“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” -
Jeremiah 30:6–7
“Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? … Alas! for that day is great… the time of Jacob’s trouble” -
Micah 4:9–10
“Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor”
* Key OT Pattern
B. New Testament Expansion
1. Cosmic Birth Pangs
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Romans 8:22
“The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
2. Sudden Onset
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1 Thessalonians 5:3
“Then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
3. Church-Age Expectation
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John 16:20–22
“A woman giving birth..has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered..she no longer remembers the anguish”
4. Apocalyptic Fulfillment
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Revelation 12:1–5 – The woman, the child, the dragon
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Revelation 6–19 – Seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments intensifying like labor contractions
III. Events Explicitly Called “Birth Pangs” by Jesus
1. Global Conflict
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Wars and rumors of wars
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Ethnic and geopolitical instability
(Matthew 24:6–7)
2. Natural Disasters
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Earthquakes “in various places”
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Famines and pestilence
(Luke 21:11)
3. Moral & Spiritual Collapse
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Lawlessness increasing
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Love growing cold
(Matthew 24:12)
4. Religious Deception
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False Christs and false prophets
(Matthew 24:24)
5. Persecution
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Betrayal, hatred, martyrdom
(Matthew 24:9–10)
IV. Israel and Birth Pangs (Biblical & Observational)
Biblical Role of Israel
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Jeremiah 30:7 – “The time of Jacob’s trouble”
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Zechariah 12–14 – Jerusalem as a trembling stone
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Romans 11:25–29 – Israel’s partial hardening until fullness of Gentiles
Observational (Non-Sensational, Real Trends)
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Israel remains even more so:
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A focal point of disproportionate global attention
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A recurring epicenter of geopolitical tension
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The only ancient people regathered to their land with preserved language and identity
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* Biblical Lens
Israel is not the cause of any birth pangs—
Israel is basically the clock God placed for us in history.
V. Christian Voices from the Early Church on Birth Pangs (Trusted & Timeless)
Augustine
“The earth is in travail, and from her pains the City of God is being born.”
Reformation
John Calvin
“God shakes the world, not to destroy His Church, but to awaken it.”
Modern Evangelical
A.W. Tozer
“God is always doing ten thousand things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”
John Walvoord
“The birth pangs are not signs of the end, but signs that the end is nearer.”
Chuck Smith Sr.
“Just as labor pains come closer together, so the events Jesus described would intensify as His return approaches.”
VI. Theology of Hope (Why Jesus Chose This Metaphor)
Aspect Meaning Pain - Real suffering Increase - Acceleration, not randomness Inevitability - God’s plan cannot be stopped Outcome - New creation, not chaos
Birth pangs are painful, but they are purposeful.
| Aspect | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pain - | Real suffering |
| Increase - | Acceleration, not randomness |
| Inevitability | - God’s plan cannot be stopped |
| Outcome - | New creation, not chaos |
Birth pangs are painful, but they are purposeful.
Birth pangs are painful, but they are purposeful.
VII. The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Restrainer
(Pre-Tribulational Summary — as you outlined)
Key Passages
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1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 – The catching away
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1 Corinthians 15:51–52 – Instant transformation
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2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 – The Restrainer removed
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Revelation 13 – Antichrist revealed mid-tribulation
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Revelation 19 – Christ returns in glory
Summary Theology
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The Church is removed before the 7 years of tribulation wrath on earth
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The Antichrist is revealed after the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit in the real Church) is removed from the earth.
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Tribulation saints (many Jewish believers) endure and overcome
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Evil has a timetable
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Christ wins visibly and finally
VIII. Closing Truths
Jesus did not give the birth pangs teaching to make His people fearful—but faithful.
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Not panic — preparedness
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Not date-setting — devotion
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Not despair — discernment
“When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
— Luke 21:28
“All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
— Jesus Christ, Matthew 24:8
Jesus did not choose His words casually. When He sat on the Mount of Olives and described wars, earthquakes, famines, deception, and persecution, He reached for one of the most profound metaphors in all of human experience—childbirth. Not collapse. Not extinction. Not chaos without meaning. But birth pangs.
Painful, yes indeed. Increasing, certainly. Yet purposeful—and leading somewhere glorious.
The world often interprets crisis as proof that everything is falling apart. Jesus tells us something far more hopeful: things are coming together, even when it feels like they are unraveling.
When the pains were really intense, and the water broke, I didn't have to guess. I just knew that Liney and I were about to firsthand see what's often called the miracle of a brand new life! Exciting times!
Why Jesus Spoke of Birth Pangs
I will one day ask Him. I think it's because birth pains are not the end of life; they are the threshold of a whole new beginning of a life. They increase in intensity and frequency, but they also signal inevitability—the birth will come. Once they begin, the outcome is no longer in doubt.
Jesus explained it plainly:
“Nation will rise against nation.. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.” — Mark 13:8
He wanted His disciples—and us—to understand three essential truths:
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Escalation is normal
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Suffering is not meaningless
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Redemption is drawing near
Groans, tears, frets, and sorrow.
A Groaning World and yet God and His Promises Remain Faithful!
Scripture teaches that this labor is not limited to human history alone.
“The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” —Paul, Romans 8:22
Creation itself longs for release, restoration, and renewal. Earthquakes, environmental upheaval, and global instability are not random; they are symptoms of a fallen world yearning for resurrection.
Charles Spurgeon captured this beautifully when he said:
“The world is not a wreck drifting toward annihilation—it is a ship being guided by a wise hand toward a destined harbor.”
Israel and the Clock of History
Throughout Scripture, Israel stands at the center of God’s redemptive timetable.
“Alas! For that day is great.. it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” — Jeremiah 30:7
From Isaiah to Zechariah to Romans 11, the Bible consistently presents Israel as both a signpost and a promise. Her preservation, regathering, and continued global focus are not accidents of history—they are reminders that God keeps covenant.
Chuck Smith Sr. reminded us believers there in Costa Mesa:
“When you see Israel back in the land, you are watching Bible prophecy move from the pages of Scripture onto the stage of history.”
Not Fear—But Readiness
Jesus never intended prophecy to produce panic. He gave these signs so His people would remain steady, sober, and hopeful.
“When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” — Luke 21:28
Billy Graham echoed this pastoral balance:
“The Bible does not tell us to be alarmists; it tells us to be alert.”
And Greg Laurie often told us there in Orange County CA:
“Prophecy is not meant to scare us—it’s meant to prepare us.”
So become a praying soul-winner for God's glory.
False Peace vs. True Hope
The world continually promises peace without repentance, unity without truth, and salvation without Christ. Scripture warns us that such assurances will collapse suddenly.
“When they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:3
D.L. Moody put it plainly:
“This world is not getting better and better—it is getting riper and riper.”
Yet ripeness is not despair. It is readiness for harvest.
The Blessed Hope of the Church
For believers in Christ, the increase of birth pangs does not mean we are appointed for wrath, but that we are nearing our blessed hope.
“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven.. and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
John MacArthur wisely notes:
“God has not destined the Church for judgment, but for glory. The tribulation is not the Church’s purifying fire—it is Israel’s refining furnace.”
This is why believers can watch world events with clarity without dread.
Pain With a Purpose
Jesus reminded His disciples:
“A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born.” — John 16:21
Billy Sunday once said:
“If you’re looking for the grave, you won’t find it empty—but if you’re looking for Christ, you’ll find the grave empty every time.”
- The pain is temporary.
- The joy is eternal.
- The King Jesus is coming here soon. He said He'd return for His own.
How Then Shall We Live?
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Not distracted, but devoted
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Not fearful, but faithful
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Not asleep, but awake
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Not angry at the darkness, but shining as light
C.H. Spurgeon summarized it best:
“Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and is coming back tomorrow.”
