Jesus, the greatest of all the prophets, gave us an unquestionable sign to observe concerning the end times. He was quoted as saying that in the end times, there would not only be wars and rumors of wars, but they would increase like birth pangs. This means they would increase in both frequency and intensity. This is what He said:
“You 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (Matthew 24:6-8 NASU).
History has proven that Jesus knew what He was talking about. More lives were lost to war in the twentieth century than in all the other centuries combined. This would include World War I and World War II in which some 80 million were killed. With no lessons learned, the fighting continues. Here is a list of ongoing wars that have resulted in at least 1,000 deaths in 2013/2014:
Afghanistan (5,786) Israeli/Palestinian war (1,218)
Somalia (4,004) Nigeria (6,640)
Pakistan (7,682) Mexican Drug War (11,854)
Egypt (1,079) Syrian Civil War (102,135)
Iraq (15,240) Central African Republic (2,217)
Ukraine (1,129) South Sudan Civil War (10,415)
Note: These figures compiled by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program.
In Bible prophecy, there are several wars ahead. Ezekiel 38-39 describes a battle in which Russia, with Iran and others (Ez.38:5), come against Israel The attacking armies will be totally destroyed. In Revelation six, the breaking of four seals results in four horses taking peace from the earth and bringing death to at least 25% of the world’s population.
Again in Revelation 9, a force of horsemen of at least two hundred million will gather for battle in the Valley of Armageddon. One third of the earth’s population will die as a result of this battle (Revelation 9:15). Surviving armies from this battle will eventually gather for the Battle of Jerusalem. The Lord Himself, will return to stop this battle. (See Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19). All armies that oppose him will be destroyed. He will at that point, establish His 1,000 year rule on earth. The prophet Micah says of that time, “Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war” (NASB).