“the beginning of birth pains.” The Bible foretells a period of seven years of tribulation for the people of earth (Dan. 9:27). This period of tribulation is described in some detail in the book of Revelation. Especially for people who come to believe in Christ during this tribulation period, the first half of this tribulation period is the “beginning” of the birth pains. The really intense “birth pains” for believers and unbelievers alike but especially for believers, are the last half of the Tribulation period—the last three and a half years of it, when the Antichrist comes to full power and has authority over the believers and persecutes, tortures, and kills them (Dan 7:21, 25; Rev. 13:7).

Events that occur in this beginning-of-birth-pains time period include false Messiahs (Matt. 24:5; Mark 13:5-6; Luke 21:8), wars and group-on-group conflicts (Matt. 24:6-7; Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:9-10), “famines” (Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11), “earthquakes” (Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:1) “plagues” (Luke 21:11) and “terrors and signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11).

If we put the teaching of Jesus about the “beginnings of birth pains” together with the seal judgments in the book of Revelation, we can see that what Jesus referred to as the “beginning of birth pains” is the seal judgments of Revelation 6 and the first half of the “week” in Daniel 9:27). There are false Messiahs (Rev. 6:2; Matt. 24:5; Mark 13:5-6; Luke 21:8), wars (Rev. 6:3-4; Matt. 24:6-7; Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:9-10), “famines” (Rev. 6:5-6; Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11) all kinds of lethal things including “death,” that is, “plagues” (Rev. 6:7-8; Luke 21:11) earthquakes (Rev. 6:12; Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11), and “terrors and signs from heaven” (Rev. 6:12-14; Luke 21:11).