Matthew 24:6, commentary and pictures

Christ's words mean His followers will hear of wars and reports of wars that must take place, yet they are not to be troubled or alarmed because those conflicts do not mean the end has already come. Such wars stand only at the beginning of sorrows and of the events leading toward the end, joined with nation rising against nation, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, false prophets, abounding iniquity, and the preaching of the gospel in all the world before the end comes. They had a partial fulfillment in the struggles, murders, and wars before Jerusalem was destroyed, and they are fulfilled more directly now in present wars, world agitation, and rapidly multiplying calamities that place the world on the threshold of great and solemn events. These conflicts arise from human selfishness, covetousness, and ambition for power and gain, and they are stirred by a power from beneath as Satan works to incite nations, excite the worst passions, and divert minds from preparation to stand in the day of God. Because the signs show the coming is near but still future, believers must study the predictions, watch and remain ready, refuse unbelief and discouragement, and urgently warn the world and prepare a people to meet Christ.

Discourse Context and Setting

Matthew 24:6 belongs to the discourse recorded in Matthew 24 and 25, given on the Mount of Olives shortly before entering Gethsemane after a day of teaching and warning. It answers the disciples' question about the signs of Christ's coming and the end of the world. It outlines important events in the history of the world and the church between Christ's first advent and His second, including Jerusalem's destruction, persecution of the church under pagan and papal powers, the darkening of the sun and moon, the falling of the stars, and then Christ coming in His kingdom. It rehearses fearful judgments to precede the second coming, including hearing of wars near and far, for present benefit to keep faith stayed upon God because a time that will try men's souls is just before us. Between His departure and His return in glory His followers were to face hostility, humiliation, and suffering from worldly rulers.

The discourse describes the destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of Christ together, with words spoken about Jerusalem reaching beyond that event to the final judgment. It is also for people living in the last scenes of earth's history. Jerusalem's destruction serves as a type of the world's final destruction by fire, within a prophecy of events preceding the coming of the Son of man. The great prophecy covers the whole present dispensation to the complete restitution of all things, dwelling especially on the thrilling and momentous closing scenes of this world's history. It traces the church through warfare and sufferings to promised redemption and final triumph, describing the destruction of Satan and all his followers, the total and eternal extirpation of evil from the universe, and the renovation of the earth as the everlasting inheritance of the saints. It provides the prophetic outline for the history of the church through its final redemption.

The discourse portrays the second coming to the world when the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven and He comes in the clouds with power and great glory. He sends His angels with a trumpet to gather His elect from the four winds. The day and hour are known to the Father only, and the coming is sudden and unexpected as in the days of Noah before the flood. Believers must therefore watch and be ready at all times and be faithful and wise servants giving meat in due season, a message that portrays the condition of the church at Christ's coming and should arouse earnest zeal. It teaches Christians the need to consecrate themselves and be ready, and sinners the need to seek Christ before He appears, as a warning and call to prepare for the coming of the Son of man.

The signs Christ described, including signs in the heavens, show that His coming is near but still future, for God has not revealed its day or hour. They warn the world of approaching judgment, as Noah warned of the flood. They do not mean that Christ's coming occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem. That claim is examined and rejected in favor of Christ's coming as still future.

Meaning of Wars Warning

Wars and reports of wars must take place, yet they do not mean that the end has already come, and disciples are to see to it that they are not troubled or alarmed by them. Before Jerusalem fell this was fulfilled in struggles for supremacy, murdered emperors and heirs, and killings near the throne, and the same warning reaches to the last age when the scenes of Jerusalem's overthrow are repeated. These conflicts belong to a world that will not improve, occurring alongside deception, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, persecution and growing lawlessness, showing that the last days are perilous and the end is near without meaning it has arrived.

They are only the beginning of sorrows and of the events leading toward the end. Joined with them are nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in different places, then being delivered up to affliction and death and hatred by all nations for Christ's name, offense and betrayal and mutual hatred, many false prophets deceiving many, abounding iniquity with the love of many growing cold, endurance to the end unto salvation, and the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in all the world for a witness to all nations before the end comes. Christ gave this instead of satisfying curiosity about the secret time of His coming, bidding hearers to take heed, prepare for that great event, do faithfully their individual duty, give His warnings to others, and expect the time of trouble to come suddenly as a thief in the night amid confusion and conflict of armies, through which God leads His household to a safe retreat when they follow His messenger. These signs show the world approaching great and solemn events.

Rumors of war can sound without an actual conflict, as before Jerusalem's destruction when political struggles and murders and rumors did not mean the end had arrived but pointed, through failure to repent, to the coming end of the Jewish nation rather than to release from bondage or the Messiah's advent at hand. In the same way turmoil stirred when new light shines from the open door of the sanctuary does not signal that the end has come, even when Satan stirs minds, some resist the light and press down those God has made His channels, spiritual things go without spiritual discernment, watchmen fail to keep pace with opening providence, and the heaven-sent message and messengers are scorned.

Wars and rumors of wars come first in fixed order to shake the powers of the earth, meaning those who bear rule on earth and the angry nations, together with sword, famine and pestilence. This earthly shaking, as now seen in Europe, is distinct from the later shaking of the powers of heaven, meaning the sun, moon and stars, which by the voice of God will be moved out of their places without passing away, together with the shaking of this earth itself. Amid national strife and ruin the disciples would see Jerusalem made a desolation, the temple swept away with its worship forever ended, and Israel scattered to all lands like wrecks on a desert shore, in years dark with human hatred and satanic wrath rather than worldly prosperity and honor, with steps beset by perils and hearts oppressed by fear. Even then followers are not to fear that hope is lost or that God has forsaken the earth, but to look above all power and dominion of evil to the Lord their God, their Father and everlasting Friend, whose kingdom rules over all and whose great purposes move unthwarted toward consummation.

Fulfillment Then and Now

Before Jerusalem fell there were struggles for supremacy, murdered emperors and heirs, and killings of those close to the throne, with wars and reports of wars and even rumors of war without actual conflict. These had to occur, but they did not mean that the end, or Jerusalem's end, had already come; they were only the beginning of judgments. They were wrongly read as promises of release from bondage or as proof that deliverance and the Messiah's advent were at hand, and the failure to repent turned what was treated as promise into warning of the destruction of the Jewish nation. The prophecy was partly fulfilled then in Jerusalem's destruction, and applies more directly to the last age when the events surrounding Jerusalem's overthrow will be repeated.

Present wars and reports of wars, with world agitation and an intensity taking possession of every earthly element, fulfill the prophecy before our eyes and declare that great and solemn events are near. The world stands on the threshold of great and solemn events and on the verge of a stupendous crisis, a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men in trust and authority, and thinking men and women of all classes fix attention on events taking place and on relations among the nations, observing the strained, restless relations and recognizing that something great and decisive is about to take place. That coming crisis is marked by war and bloodshed following one another in quick succession together with fire, flood, and earthquakes, and strife among the nations will soon break out with an intensity not now anticipated.

Wars with famines, pestilences, earthquakes, wickedness, fires, floods, and turmoil testify that Christ's coming is approaching, the day of God is near, and the time of trouble is near, yet they do not mean the end has already arrived. Their increasing frequency is evidence that the end is near, while unrest among the nations and preparations for war point toward a coming crisis. The devastating earthquake in Italy and Sicily, with each report of disaster by land or sea, is presented as fulfillment testifying that the end of all things is near. Such calamities are becoming more common, and as crime and iniquity increase God's judgments in a world filled with iniquity will become more frequent and marked, with wars, fires, and floods announcing trouble that will increase until Jesus comes and until the final time when the earth shall no more cover her slain.

Nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom is already beginning, but there is no general engagement now because the four winds are still held until God's servants are sealed in their foreheads. The nations' anger and mustering for war take place while angels are still commanded to hold back the winds, after which the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth, with disasters following one another in quick succession though people attribute them to other causes, and with plagues and judgments already falling upon despisers of grace together with calamities by land and sea and the unsettled state of society. When God tells the angels to release the winds a scene of strife and conflict beyond description will follow. The alarms of war belong to the time of the end and are fast-fulfilling, portentous signs declaring Christ's coming near at hand and forecasting approaching events of the greatest magnitude in solemn and important days when the dead are to be judged.

The time involves widespread war and upheaval with bloodshed, famine, want, pestilence, and worldwide confusion as part of the events preceding the end. These calamities are followed by a brief interval of peace, then renewed conflict and suffering when strife, bloodshed, famine, and pestilence break out again. The world's violence, crime, and turmoil fulfill the words about signs preceding the coming, mark its nearness, and will grow increasingly fierce before He takes possession of all earthly things.

The signs foretold are fast fulfilling, taking place as predicted in the last days and the very last days and closing scenes of earth's history. They mark the last conflict of earth's history and the time just before the Lord returns, in a time of perils when the powers of darkness press more heavily than ever. Those specified signs are now so common that people scarcely consider their outcome, so God's people need to be aroused to a vivid sense of the times they mark. Their fulfillment strengthens faith and shows the end is near even though the end did not come as soon as expected, while believers are to remain ready and wait for Christ's appearing.

Why Wars Come

Wars and rumors of wars are signs of the times, yet they do not mean the end has already come. Conflicts between nations arise from selfishness, covetousness, greed and ambition, as attempts to gain power and advantage through robbery bring violence, wickedness, crime and aggression. Those who use the sword face destruction by the sword, a truth that violent men fail to grasp. These signs show that Christ's coming is near and make the warning message urgent.

They are stirred by a power from beneath with an intensity few realize, for Satan has come down with great power and is working with his army of apostate angels united with evil men to incite nations to war against one another and lay a snare for the world. He delights in war because it excites the worst passions of the soul and sweeps its victims steeped in vice and blood into eternity. His object in stirring up war is to divert minds from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God. They take place while the earth groans under its inhabitants and lies cursed because of their sins, while the Lord views the iniquity of the earth and prepares to come forth out of His place to punish, with the earth disclosing her blood and no more covering her slain.

Wars with destruction by fire and flood, earthquakes in different places, and violence connected with the rapid growth of trade unions are God's judgments in the land punishing a world filled with iniquity for its wickedness. They declare plainly that the time of trouble that will increase until the end is already in the world. Their fulfillment is seen in present calamities such as the terrible earthquake in Italy and Sicily, and each report of disaster by land or sea testifies that the end of all things is near. As crimes and iniquities increase these judgments will become more and more frequent until the final time when the earth shall no more cover her slain. Great trouble will soon arise among the nations and will not cease until Jesus comes, as the world becomes more and more lawless and the churches unite in efforts to restrict religious liberty. They call God's people to zealous repentance and to prepare to meet God, to proclaim the truth at home and in foreign lands, to purify souls by obedience, humble hearts before God and confess sins, earnestly seek God as the source of strength, claim His promises believing in pardon and forgiveness, and learn to overcome all temptation to murmur and complain. When these things require flight it must be immediate to the mountains without going down through the house for luggage or goods, with no chance to pack at all, so it does not pay to accumulate a great amount of property.

Call to Watch and Work

The predictions of Matthew 24, including wars and rumors of wars, must be studied and brought before both believers and unbelievers, for their fulfillment is taking place now and shows Christ's coming is at hand and calls the church to arouse. Ministers and teachers must present these prophecies and leave matters of lesser consequence, because they concern truths of eternal importance that decide eternal destiny. Prophecy gives these signs a definite place in a connected chain, fulfilled in the literal rise and fall of kingdoms, which makes faith tangible.

The signs were foretold to the disciples to instruct later believers and help them prepare for the great conflict. They strengthen faith and show the end is near and time is short, so believers must remain ready and wait for Christ's appearing and get ready and warn others with urgency. Wars and reports of wars stand among the signs heralding the second advent, to be recognized by watchful believers who are not troubled or caught unready but watch and wait actively rather than remain idle. Their fulfillment should rouse people from lethargy to recognize responsibility and work, using every talent now.

Stormy times lie ahead, yet the command not to be troubled means uttering no word of unbelief or discouragement, for the fast-fulfilling signs show the last days and the end of all things at hand. Wars and reports of wars will occur before the end as part of great trouble bringing distress and fear, and God's people may suffer hardship that tests faith, but God will not forsake them. Even as the Spirit's restraining influence is withdrawn and wickedness increases, those who humble themselves and keep their eyes fixed on God will be safely hidden with Christ and appear with Him in glory, keeping His return in view and preparing to meet Him in peace. God understands the situation and cares for the feeblest of His flock with everlasting love, arranging advantages for workers in various places to arouse attention, and the proper response is to increase faith, learn Christ's ministry of healing and the mercy seat, and carry healing to sin-sick souls in highways and byways, letting the light of grace shine from many places.

The perils of the last days now present in wars and troubles mean those perishing in sin must be warned and the last message of mercy proclaimed, with judgment kept before the people to awaken the world from death. The judgments foretold for Jerusalem warn wicked cities whose people reject God's messages, calling them to repentance and alerting the world that the end is near, urging turning from Satan to Christ before meeting the Judge. Those entrusted with means must act as helping hands by investing in giving that message and sustaining gospel work rather than spending for self-gratification, denying self and warring the good warfare through tribulation to enter the kingdom and secure eternal life, while books of present truth are circulated widely and householders help those for whom Christ gave His life. The third angel's warning is the last message to be proclaimed before the Son of man is revealed, and it has been sounding for nearly forty years, declaring His coming near.

Christ gave this solemn warning instead of satisfying curiosity about the secret time of His coming, bidding hearers take heed, prepare themselves, perform faithfully their individual duty, and give His warnings to others, for wars and rumors of wars must come yet the end is not yet, as the beginning of sorrows joined with nation against nation, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution and hatred, offense, betrayal, false prophets, abounding iniquity, cooling love, endurance unto salvation, and preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in all the world before the end comes. These signs testify the end is near and Christ's coming approaches, calling Christians to help make a people ready, with a great work remaining to prepare a people to receive the seal of the living God even though no definite date is given. That preparation is answered by receiving God's grace day by day, whose saving effect sustains watchfulness and prayer in faith, purifying souls by obedience, humbling hearts, confessing sins, seeking strength, claiming pardon, and overcoming murmuring. When these judgments take place flight must be immediate to the mountains without going down through the house for luggage or goods, with no chance to pack at all, so it does not pay to accumulate great property. Disasters make sinners afraid yet are not a reason to be troubled, but create an opportunity to share truth with them.

Ignoring the signs while they are being fulfilled and quieting concern is sinful indifference to the warning of His coming and the revelation of the Son of man in heaven. Christ in prophetic view foresaw the actions of both saints and sinners and grieved and wept over them. God's servants are not to fear when people dismiss their earnest message as fanaticism but are to proclaim that God has come, even in connection with powers seeking to exalt Sunday by law.