In verse 6, Jesus says that the things described there must happen, but that this is not yet the end. He refers here to the disciples’ question from verse 3: what is the sign of the end of the aeon? The great tribulation over Israel does not yet concern the end of the aeon, because only then will the great day of His wrath come, in which judgments will come over the other nations (Rev. 6:17). In this chart you will find a schematic representation of the events and the great tribulation and the day of wrath are put into perspective with the other events in the period at the end of the age and thereafter.
7 For nation will be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:1-14 is a general description up to the end of the aeon. Within this period falls the time of the great tribulation, which lasts 1260 days (Rev. 11:3; 12:6). This great tribulation is a tribulation for Israel.
But this verse speaks of wars (plural) and that nation is raised against nation and kingdom against kingdom.This also spea ks of the entire period up to the end of the aeon.
passive
It is special to note that will be raised, is in a passive form here. The nations and kingdoms will undoubtedly have the idea that they themselves are the ones who rise up against other nations and kingdoms, but it is God who is in control. As we also find in Zech. 12:2-3; 14:2; Micah 4:11-12). The famines that are mentioned here, we find in the third seal.
Revelation 6
5 And when he opens the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come. And I saw, and behold a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard as it were a voice (…): A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius (…)
scarcity and inflation
A denarius is a day’s wage (Matt.20:2), so here we are talking about extremely high prices. There is a scarcity of food. The manuscript of the Textus Receptus has a slightly different reading, shown below with what is in square brackets
7 For nation will be raised against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines [and pestilences] and earthquakes in various places.
We also encounter these pestilences in Revelation 6, at the fourth seal.
Revelation 6
7 And when He opens the fourth seal, I hear the voice of the fourth beast say, Come.
8 And I looked, and behold a green horse: and his name that sat on him is Death, and Hades followed him. And authority was given unto them over the fourth part of the land, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death (>pestilences), and with the beasts of the earth.
grace time
We live in a time called the household of the grace of God (Eph. 3:2) and in which grace is “the ruling concept.” Sometimes it is hard for us to imagine that God is going to intervene in the affairs of the earth in a heavy-handed manner. And when we speak or write about these things, it can be difficult to strike the right tone and place the right emphasis. We should not detract from the judgements of God. But we should always see them in the right perspective of His all-encompassing love. The following verse sheds light on this and gives us insight from God’s point of view regarding these judgments. More about that in the next blog.