1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
When the Bible likens the signs of Christ’s second coming to the labor pains a woman feels just before childbirth we’re to understand and remember that those cramps and contractions take place in stages. The uterus is a muscular organ which contracts in a powerful way to push the baby out and it is these contractions which are primarily the source, and cause of labor pains.
Labor pain Typically comes on gradually, and then builds up as the various phases of labor ensue. The early labor pain experienced is often quite different to the severe contractions and pressures which will occur at later stages.
And for this reason, the passage in 1st Thessalonians pertaining to the birth pangs, which are to precede Christ’s second coming, should be understood as occurring with increasing severity and frequency for in most cases, travail in birth occurs in stages.
[1] Early Labor Pain
Early labor pain in a pregnant mother can last up to six hours or longer, and that’s because of the cervix, which dilates, and begins to thin out. These early pains will usually last about thirty to sixty seconds, and would occur approximately every five to twenty minutes, gradually becoming stronger, and taking place more frequently.
[2] Active Labor Pain
The next stage of birth pangs is what experts refer to as being active labor pain, which would typically last for about 2 to 8 hours. At this later stage, the contractions become longer, stronger, and closer together, and the cervix would dilate to about 7 centimeters.
[3] Transitional Labor Pain
Transitional labor pain tends to be strongest as the cervix is dilating to 10 centimeters. In addition to the intense, closely spaced contractions, a woman might experience nausea, and may feel pain in the back area, and thighs.
[4] Pushing Labor Pain
These can last for a few minutes, or up to about 3 hours. The intense pain is overshadowed by major pressure, as she experiences a great urge to push the baby out. This is the final and the most intense stage of birth pangs which is referred to as “Travail” in 1st Thessalonians.
The question on the table, that needs to be urgently answered is: What stage of the labor pains are we now in? The early labor pain, the active, that transitional, or the pushing labor pain?
One of the signs of childbirth is that the labor pains keep coming with increasing frequency and severity and therefore, the only thing we will have to do is to study from God’s word, what are the signs of the “Travail” that is spoken of in 1st Thessalonians, and then we need to compare them with the raw data, to see if the stated signs are indeed occurring with increasing frequency and severity. It is not rocket science!
The Bible speaks clearly about some of the signs that will characterize the last days of earth’s history and they include such statements as: Perilous times shall come, Disobedience to parents, A proliferation of miracles, Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, False Christs and false prophets, A lack of self-control, senseless violence, and the preaching of the Gospel in every inhabitable place on the globe.
But there are other important signs of the times in which we now live that should grab our attention, and because of this, the following is a list of the more prominent signs of labor pain or “Travail” given in the scriptures:
Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The signs in the sun moon and stars have occurred already, a couple hundred years ago, even though we cannot rule out increased activity from these celestial bodies as the 2nd coming of Christ draws near. The falling of the stars occurred in November of 1833, the moon turning to blood red took place on May 19, 1780, and the sun withdrew its shining around the same time. Let’s read:
These were the beginning of the birth pangs spoken of in Thessalonians, and they were given just about the time that the investigative judgement would be starting in heaven. At that time, the attention of the inhabitants of earth, was pointed to The Creator, in Revelation 14, and the seventh day Sabbath of the 4th commandment was brought prominently into view. Let’s read:
Revelation 14: 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
These events took place more than two hundred years ago, and thus, they can be associated with the early labor pains we spoke of earlier. But we should keep in mind that there are 4 stages of labor pains, so we must of necessity look for any later or current events pointing to the later stages of travail.
Luke mentions the perplexities of nations as one of the signs and no doubt, the world is becoming more and more unstable by the day. The nations of the earth cannot seem to get along anymore, and even though there have been many wars, and upheavals in former years, the very volatile nature of our day calls into question, whether we might have already entered the 2nd or 3rd stage of labor pains.
The perplexities {Plural} of nations, spoken of in the Bible by Luke does not necessarily refer only to wars and rumors of wars, it also refers to difficulties and problems that will occur, with increasing frequency and severity, the answers for which nations would not have.
Thus, because scripture must be studied line upon line and precept upon precept, we will need to find out what some of these stated perplexities are, for the Bible does not leave us guessing.
As we have studied before, God does not work a miracle if it is not needed, and thus, if we were to see Him doing something out of the ordinary, it will be because a dire need has arisen somewhere. Let’s read:
Exodus 13:21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Here in this passage, we see The Lord providing not some arbitrary miracle for no reason, but shielding the people from the extremes of heat and cold that are characteristic of desert climates.
Wild swings in temperature do take place in the desert, from well over one hundred degrees during the day to the low 30s or 40s at night, and thus, God was miraculously protecting His people from excessive heat and cold.
Isaiah 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
Here again, we observe God working a miracle to provide that which would have become necessary for His people, who refuse to bow to the beast and his image.
Because of the then existing mandate to worship the beast, or face the severest economic sanctions, the faithful would be entirely cut off from buying and selling, and thus, the miracles to provide bread and water would have become necessary.
There were other times in the Bible, when God had provided bread and water miraculously, such as the forty years of wandering, and during that severe drought which had occurred during the days of the prophet Elijah.
At that time water had become quite scarce, for the streams, rivers, and reservoirs of the day had dried up, to the point where thirst and starvation, with all of its horrors was taking a fearful toll on the people. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God lives, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
1st Kings 18: 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
But one of the provisions of God, mentioned in the Bible, pertaining to the last days of earth’s history, hints at something we are currently experiencing. And since it is occurring with increasing frequency and intensity, it must be included in the signs of the times, the labor pains we read of earlier. Let’s read:
Isaiah 4:5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.
Question: What is being defended against, that will require “A cloud of smoke by day” and “A flaming fire by night?”
It seems to suggest that extremes in temperatures would have become the norm thus requiring God to protect or “Defend” His people from the elements. There is a looming, and an ever-growing threat from the rapid increase in temperatures across the entire globe and therefore, the prophet Isaiah seemed to have understood the provision of God at this time in that context. Let’s read:
Isaiah 4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Isaiah specifically mentions “Heat” “Storms” and “Rain” as the elements which the righteous would need to be protected against, and thus, we might safely conclude that excessive and life-threatening heat, together with heavy rain, flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes, would be a part of the “travail” that would be occurring just prior to the second coming of Jesus.
Isaiah was then speaking in the context of the last days, and because of this, all we will have to do is to observe whether these things are occurring with an increasing frequency and severity just as a woman in travail with child. The following excerpts are the here and now of increasing temperatures around the world, as reported by CNN.
(CNN) New records have been set as temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across much of Spain and Portugal Wednesday amid a persistent heat wave across western Europe.
In northwest Spain, the city of Ourense set its all-time temperature record of 43.2 degrees Celsius (109.76 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET.
On Wednesday, Zamora set its own record after reaching 41.1 degrees Celsius (105.98 degrees Fahrenheit), according to climate statistician Max Herrera. Soria set a record of 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.66 degrees Fahrenheit) that same day.
The central Portuguese town of Lousã set an all-time record of 46.3 degrees Celsius (115.34 degrees Fahrenheit) and Lisbon set a July record of 41.4 degrees Celsius (106.52 degrees Fahrenheit). But the worst is yet to come.
Temperatures are set to reach around 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of western and southern Spain, according to AEMET. In its afternoon update, AEMET warned that Spain is set to experience its hottest day of the heat wave on Thursday.
(CNN) The increase in the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme heat events over recent decades is clearly linked to the observed warming of the planet and can be attributed to human activity, the Met Office wrote. The warning comes as records for high temperatures are far outpacing cool records so far this year around the world.
(CNN) In the US, 79 all-time record high temperatures had been set through July 12, compared with only five all-time record low temperatures, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Globally, 150 all-time heat records were broken.
(CNN) The kinds of extreme weather the world has experienced last summer — from the wildfires in the US and Greece to the flooding in China and Germany — will only become more severe and more frequent.
(CNN) While extreme heat events would still occur without climate change, the increasing intensity and frequency of these events in recent decades has been linked to the rise of fossil fuel emissions and observed global warming.
Raging wildfires have scorched thousands of hectares of forest in France and Spain, while Britain is set to face its hottest day on record amid a searing heat wave.
The southwestern region of Gironde in France has seen the worst of the blazes so far. A total 14,300 hectares (35,000 acres) of land have been burned as of Monday, with 24,000 people evacuated from the region, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde prefecture said on Twitter.
(CNN) Sweltering temperatures in Portugal have exacerbated a drought that started before the heat wave, according to data from the national meteorological institute. About 96% of the mainland was already suffering severe or extreme drought at the end of June.
(CNN) One of the United Kingdom's largest airports suspended flights on Monday after high temperatures damaged a runway.
(CNN) In the US, 92 all-time record high temperatures had been set through July 16, compared with only five all-time record low temperatures, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Globally, 188 all-time heat records were broken versus 18 cool records.
(CNN) Studies have showed that extreme heat will increase in frequency, intensity and duration because of the climate crisis.
(CNN) More than 40 million people are under heat alerts across the Plains and Central California today and Tuesday as temperatures surge 10 to 15 degrees above normal.
China endures summer of extreme weather as record rainfall and scorching heat wave cause havoc. Why are heat waves around the world getting more intense?
(CNN) Hong Kong: Towns and farmlands inundated by floods, homes and roads buried by landslides, crops withering under scorching heat, hazmat-suited Covid workers collapsing from heatstroke.
Since summer began, scenes of devastation and misery have been playing out across China as the world's most populous nation grapples with an unrelenting torrent of extreme weather emergencies.
(CNN) Several days of unusually warm weather in northern Greenland have triggered rapid melting, made visible by the rivers of meltwater rushing into the ocean. Temperatures have been running around 60 degrees Fahrenheit -- 10 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, scientists told CNN.
The amount of ice that melted in Greenland between July 15 and 17 alone -- 6 billion tons of water per day -- would be enough to fill 7.2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Here are some of the record highs for July 19 that were set in Texas and Oklahoma:
• Wichita Falls, Texas: 115, breaking a record of 112 set in 2018.
• Borger, Texas: 111, breaking a record of 109 set in 2018.
• Abilene, Texas: 110, breaking a record of 108 set in 1936.
• Oklahoma City: 110, breaking a record of 109 set in 1936.
• Amarillo, Texas: 108, breaking a record of 105 set in 2018.
• San Angelo, Texas: 108, tying a record set in 2018.
• El Paso, Texas: 107, breaking a record of 105 set in 1980.
• Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas: 106, breaking a record of 105 from 1914, 1923 and 1951.
• Midland International Air & Space Port in Midland, Texas: 105, tying a record from 1981 and 2018.
• Houston: 100, tying a record set in 2000.
But Isaiah mentions water as one of the necessary commodities, God will provide for His people. And in the days of Elijah, we have already observed that a severe water crisis had come upon the land, as a result of that blistering drought which had virtually brought economic activity to a standstill.
Could it then be, that there is a looming water fight on the horizon, as reservoirs, dams, rivers and lakes begin to run dangerously low, just as it was in the days of Elijah. Remember, the Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun, and the thing which has been, is the thing which shall be. Let’s read:
(CNN) More extreme water cuts are all but certain in the Southwest starting next year -- including new water cuts for California -- according to the latest government forecast for the Colorado River and Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir.
Lake Mead which provides water to roughly 25 million people in Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico, is losing water at an alarming rate amid an extraordinary, multi-year drought, made worse by the climate crisis.
Because of the reservoir's plummeting level states that rely on water from the lower Colorado River were already subject to the cuts that accompany a Tier 1 shortage beginning in January 2022, which have mainly impacted agricultural water use.
But this year did not bring much-needed precipitation to the river basin. The latest report from the US Bureau of Reclamation shows Lake Mead at just over 1,040 feet above sea level, having dropped nearly 10 feet in just two months and currently at just 27% of its maximum capacity.
There should be no doubt in our minds, after having read the above information, that the signs that are to point to the second coming of Christ, are indeed happening in the here and now, with the increasing frequency and severity, spoken of in Thessalonians, as being travail.
The question for us earthlings is: what should our appropriate response be, to knowing these things? Christ gives us the answer, for after enumerating the various signs that would precede His 2nd coming He then bids us to “Look up”. Let’s read:
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.
Looking up entails a change in perspective, outlook, priorities, and anticipation, for whereas in former years, persons would be consumed with planning for, and focusing heavily on retirement, the signs of the times taking place currently, raise the prospect that some may never need to retire, because the possibility exists that some who are now living may never pass through the portals of the tomb.
It is a mind-boggling possibility yet, according to the Scriptures, it will become a reality at some point in this earth’s history, in the not too distant, future; so let us repeat again, so that you may be certain that you are hearing correctly: The scripture raises the prospect that some Christians living today might never pass through the portals of the tomb. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 15: 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1st Thessalonians 4: 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Currently, in our world, and even with many who are called Christians, there seems to be an intense focus on survival for the here and now. Some are trying to save the planet, while others are obsessed with materialism.
And there are others who are being consumed with trying to make ends meet, in an increasingly hostile economic environment, all the while, the signs of the times are being fulfilled right before our very eyes, yet some seem to be none the wiser, in most cases.
Again, there is a complacency, and a lack of drive, as it pertains to seeking the interests of God’s kingdom and with many persons in the Christian community, missionary work, on an individual level is not even a consideration since many of us are being consumed with the here and now. Indeed, very few persons in the church are actively involved in the work of the great commission, given us by Christ.
But as Christ’s coming draws nearer each day, He cautions us against participating in the spirit of the world, by being enveloped with consumerism, and having our priorities inverted. God has given to us something much better to live for, than the mere transient, temporal things of this world, and it is our privilege and duty, to make the most opportunity to be saved, and to help save others in His kingdom.
This is why Jesus says to look up, when the signs of the times, spoken of in scripture will begin to be fulfilled with increasing frequency and severity, for as pilgrims heading to a better world, the baggage we once carried would have to be surrendered in exchange for the immortal inheritance that looms ever larger on the horizon.
Thus, we will end with a passage of scripture which calls on every believer to consider our ways, and if for some reason our priorities have become mixed up along the way, The God of heaven is calling on us to repent, believe, and be ready, for Jesus will come at a time when most of us are not expecting. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 491] The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above.
Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man's destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy's offer to guilty men. “Watch ye therefore; ... lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.” [Mark 13:35, 36.]
Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments, it may be in that hour the Judge of the earth will pronounce the sentence, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”
Luke 21: 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
God Bless!