Mark 13:5-11
5 Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 6 because many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah. They will lead many astray. 7 And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. 8 Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, and famines. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. 9 But when these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. You will be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 10 And the Good News must first be preached to every nation. 11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Jesus gave us direction as to what would happen before His Second Coming. He told us that many would come in His name and claim to be Him. This scripture in Mark is talking about the beginning of the Tribulation period. Christ is warning us that things will only get worse during this period of time. But how does all of this relate to the time we live in now? We are not in the Tribulation period because Israel has not signed a contract with Antichrist as stated in Daniel 9:27, “27 He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven.” We are in the period of time right before the Tribulation. What we are seeing happen in the world today is nothing more than labor pains. We are right before the time of judgment. Right now we are still in the Age of Grace. It is at the end of the Tribulation that Jesus Christ will return as a conquering King to set up His earthly rule. But before that time, there will be no peace in this world, no matter what we do. There may be pockets of peace but no real peace throughout the world. In our life time, we will never see the world at peace unless we miss the Rapture and live through the Tribulation to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. What we need to do today is trust that God has all things under control and the world is moving according to His plan. We do not know what the future will hold but we do know Who holds the future. Do not fear, no matter what happens, but know that you belong to Christ Jesus and He will keep your commitment to Him safe until the end.

Have a God Day!