Comparison of Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21 - Mom's Bible ...

In light of today and looking back on history, that is an interesting distinction to make. The wars and commotions willinclude fighting between the races as well as fighting between kingdoms, “peoples united under a commonruler/authority.”Arnold Fruchtenbaum provided some interesting insight on the Jewish origin of “nation against nation, and kingdomagainst kingdom.”“This expression, found in Jewish sources such as the Bereshit Rabbah (written shortly after Yeshua’s time) and,later, the Zohar Chadash—is a Hebrew idiom for a world war. What Jesus was saying, then, is that it would be aworld war rather than merely a local war that would mark the beginning of the end of the age.”Regarding World War I and II: “Both wars had a decisive impact on Jewish history. The first gave impetus to thegrowth of the Zionist movement, and the Second World War led to the re-establishment of the Jewish State.”Added to wars/commotions would be:1. famines (MML)2. pestilences (Matt/L) - loimos, loy´-mos; a plague (literally, the disease, or figuratively, a pest):—pestilence(-t).3. earthquakes (MM), great earthquakes (L) in divers/various places (MML)4. troubles (Mark) - tarache, tar-akh-ay´; disturbance, i.e. (of water) roiling, or (of a mob) sedition:—trouble(-ing).5. fearful sights and great signs from heaven (Luke)Matthew and Mark clarify that these signs will only be the beginnings of sorrows.“sorrows” - (odin, o-deen´; a pang or throe, especially of childbirth:—pain, sorrow, travail.)The point being made is that these signs would indicate the onset of birth pangs; the onset of signs that would culminatein His return and the end of the age—in their mind, the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. Comparing the signs tochildbirth indicates that they would eventually increase in frequency and intensity as the time for fulfillment drew near.It’s interesting to note how these verses compare to seals 1-4 in chapter six of Revelation; this emphasizes that the birthpains will find culmination in the judgment to come.Revelation 6:1–8 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beastssaying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: andhe went forth conquering, and to conquer. [My note: This is Satan coming to take control of the world eventually byindwelling the person of the final Antichrist—the final false Christ.] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard thesecond beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take