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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_24:4-8
4And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. 5For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,'and will mislead many. 6You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Mat_24:4 "See to it that no one misleads you" This is a present active imperative with the negative particle which meant stop an act in process. There were and continue to be many false signs or "precursor signs." This statement was repeated often (cf. Mar_13:5; Mar_13:9; Mar_13:23; Mar_13:33). There is great theological confusion in this area. The church has never had a consensus in eschatology.
Every generation of Christians has tried to force their contemporary history into biblical prophecy. To date they have all been wrong. Part of the problem is that believers are to live in a moment by moment expectation of the Second Coming yet the prophecies are all written for one end time generation of persecuted followers. Rejoice that you do not know!
Mat_24:5 "many will come in My name" This referred to false messiahs (cf. Mat_24:11; Mat_24:23-24; Mar_13:6). It could also be an allusion to the end-time (1) antichrist of 1Jn_2:18; (2) "Man of Sin" of 2 Thessalonians 2; or (3) the Sea Beast of Rev_13:1-10.
▣ "I am the Christ" "Christ" is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew term messiah, which meant "an anointed one." This shows that many messianic pretenders would come (cf. Mat_24:11; Mat_24:24; 1Jn_2:18).
▣ "and will mislead many" This shows the persuasive power of the false messiahs and the spiritual vacuum of fallen mankind (cf. Mat_24:11; Mat_24:23-26). It also shows the naivete of new believers and/or carnal Christians (cf. 1Co_3:1-3; Col_2:16-23; Heb_5:11-14).
Mat_24:6 "that you are not frightened" This is present passive imperative with the negative particle, which usually means stop an act in process.
▣ "for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end" Wars (Mat_24:6-7), famines (Mat_24:7), earthquakes (Mat_24:7), and false messiahs (Mat_24:5) are not signs of the end, but precursor signs of every age (cf. Mat_24:8). The presence of these kinds of events are not a sign of the end, but of a fallen world.
Mat_24:8
NASB, NRSV "of birth pangs"
NKJV "of sorrows"
TEV "the first pains of childbirth"
NJB "the birthpangs"
This referred to the "birth pangs" of the new age (cf. Isa_13:8; Isa_26:17; Isa_66:7; Mic_4:9-10; Mar_13:8). This reflected the Jewish belief in the intensification of evil before the new age of righteousness. The Jews believed in two ages (see Special Topic at Mat_12:31); the current evil age, characterized by sin and rebellion against God, and the "age to come." The New Age would be inaugurated by the coming of the Messiah. It would be a time of righteousness and fidelity to God. Although the Jewish view was true to a point, it did not take into account the two comings of the Messiah. We live in the over-lapping of these two ages. The "already" and "not yet" of the kingdom of God!