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Matthew 24:6 (AMP)
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”

Mark 13:7 (ESV)
“And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.”

Luke 21:9 (ESV)
“And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Many today are quick to point to conflicts—civil wars, international tensions, even mere rumours of unrest—as proof that we are living in the so-called “end times.” However, a careful reading of Scripture, rooted in the immediate context, shows us that Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples about events that they would witness in their own generation.

If we remove the event from its original audience and transplant it two thousand years later, we not only misinterpret the text but also make Jesus’ warnings irrelevant to those He addressed.

A Contextual Warning #

At the time of Jesus’ teaching, the Roman Empire enjoyed a period known as the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”). The Greek word for “wars” here is πόλεμος (polemos), meaning armed conflict or battles, and “rumours” is ἀκοή (akoē), meaning reports, hearsay, news being spread.

Interestingly, Jesus was warning them that such disturbances were not signs of the end (Greek τέλος (telos)—meaning not simply an end of time, but a goal or consummation).

Question:
Why would Jesus warn His disciples about events thousands of years removed from them?

Answer:
He wouldn’t. His warnings concerned their imminent future—the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Historical Fulfilment: Tumults and Wars Before AD 70 #

Despite the Roman peace during Jesus’ time, it was not long before widespread instability gripped the Empire.

Within only a few decades:

Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius—four emperors—died violent deaths in rapid succession. As a result, there was unprecedented civil unrest across the empire.

As Albert Barnes notes,

“The most violent agitations prevailed in the Roman empire before the destruction of Jerusalem. Four emperors… suffered violent deaths within the short space of eighteen months… parties were formed; and bloody and violent wars were the consequence.” [Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, n.p.]]

Thus, Jesus’ prophecy of “wars and rumours of wars” was fulfilled in their time, not ours.

Loyalty, Allegiances, and Bloodshed #

During these chaotic times, political alliances were fluid. People’s loyalties were split between rival emperors. The Roman historian Tacitus paints a vivid picture:

“The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, terrible with battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace.” [Tacitus, Histories, 1:2]

Notice that the violence was both internal (civil wars) and external (foreign wars), fulfilling Jesus’ words precisely.

Massive Deaths and Conflicts Recorded by Historians #

The wars were not only political but also ethnic and religious.

John Bray records devastating losses between 30–70 AD:

• Mesopotamia (AD 40): Over 50,000 killed.

• Jerusalem (AD 49, Passover): 10,000 to 20,000 killed.

• Caesarea: Over 20,000 Jews slaughtered.

• Syrian cities: Thousands more massacred.

• Scythopolis: 13,000 Jews killed.

• Alexandria: 50,000 Jews killed.

• Damascus: 10,000 killed in an hour. (John Bray, Matthew 24 Fulfilled, p. 28)

So, war, civil unrest, and mass bloodshed characterised the decades leading up to Jerusalem’s fall.

Even Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, said civil wars became so common he saw little need to dwell on them at length:

“I have omitted to give an exact account of them…yet for the sake of the connection of matters… I have just touched upon everything briefly.” (Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 4.9.2)

Tumults and Rumours: Echoes of Luke 21:9 #

Luke’s Gospel adds another term: “tumults” (Greek ἀκαταστασία (akatastasia), meaning disorder, upheaval, political instability. This specifically referred to the riots, rebellions, and civil uprisings which rocked the empire.

Again, these events were not signs for us two millennia later. They were clear warnings to that generation that the end of the old covenant world—the temple, the priesthood, the city of Jerusalem—was approaching.

Modern Reflection #

In our modern times, although wars and crises still occur, these should not automatically be taken as prophetic “signs” pointing to some future end. Jesus’ teaching warns us against fear-driven interpretations. The “end” He spoke of—the telos—was the end of the Mosaic age, not the collapse of the physical world.

Instead of panic, He calls His people to discernment. The real battle today is spiritual, not political. As Paul reminds us:

Ephesians 6:12 (NET)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

What was Jesus referring to? #

Jesus was not speaking of events thousands of years in the future. He was specifically warning His first-century disciples about what they would witness. The context remains firmly rooted in His earlier statement concerning the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2).

The Greek word for “hear” (ἀκούω, akouō) carries the idea of hearing and being informed — not just distant news, but news that would directly impact them.

At the time Jesus spoke these words, the Roman Empire was enjoying the famed Pax Romana — a rare period of peace across its territories. Nevertheless, within a few short years, this peace would collapse violently.

Albert Barnes confirms this historical context, writing:

“It is recorded in the history of Rome, that the most violent agitations prevailed in the Roman empire previous to the destruction of Jerusalem. Four emperors, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, suffered violent deaths, in the short space of eighteen months… bloody and violent wars were the consequence…” (Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, n.p.)

Thus, Jesus’ prophecy was already beginning to unfold within the living memory of His disciples.

Wars and Rumours: Internal and External #

The Roman Empire, once stable, descended into turmoil. Loyalties shifted as various generals and emperors vied for supremacy, resulting in widespread civil unrest across many provinces.

Tacitus, a Roman historian, described these years as follows:

“The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, terrible with battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace…” (Tacitus, Histories, 1:2)

The “wars and rumours of wars” were not distant, unrelated events—they were immediate, bloody, and fulfilled within the very generation Jesus addressed.

Josephus, the Jewish historian, further confirms this. Regarding the civil wars of Rome, he writes:

“I have omitted to give an exact account of them, because they are well known by all… yet for the sake of the connection of matters… I have just touched upon everything briefly.” (Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 4.9.2)

Why It Matters: “The End Is Not Yet” #

Jesus warned, “See that you are not frightened” (Matthew 24:6, AMP). The Greek word here for “frightened” is throeō (θροέω), meaning “to be disturbed or agitated.” He was calling His disciples to remain calm amidst the chaos. The key was not the wars themselves, but the reality that “the end is not yet.”

This statement is vital. He was urging them not to misinterpret the signs. Wars would indeed come, but they were preliminary, not final. The Greek phrase for “the end” (telos) indicates the consummation of a purpose—not the end of the world, but the end of the temple, the covenantal order, and the age of Moses.

Just as today’s wars do not necessarily indicate the end of our era, neither did the conflicts of that time immediately signal the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus was calling for discernment, not panic.

Jewish Resistance and Rebellion #

The situation in Judea was growing tenser by the day. In 66 A.D., the Jewish revolt against Rome officially broke out. As recorded:

“Gessius Florus, the last of the Roman prefects for Judea, provoked a Jewish rebellion… The Jews withstood the Romans temporarily; at that time the Christian community abandoned Jerusalem and fled to Pella.” (King, Jerusalem, n.p.)

This shows that faithful believers heeded Jesus’ warnings and escaped before Jerusalem’s siege.

The so-called “Roman Peace” was, in reality, a fragile and volatile state of affairs. Alexander Keith writes:

“Every city in Syria was then divided into armies… multitudes were slaughtered… About fifty thousand Jews fell in [Alexandria], and ten thousand in [Damascus]. The Jewish nation rebelled against the Roman…” (Alexander Keith, The Evidence of the Truth of the Christian Religion, p. 59-60)

Rumours of Wars #

In addition to the actual wars, Jesus spoke of “rumours of wars.” Josephus records several examples where wars were declared but never actually fought:

Bardanes and Vologeses threatened war against the Jews, but it never materialised (Josephus, Antiquities, 20.3, p. 417).

Vitellius, governor of Syria, prepared for war against Aretas, king of Arabia, and attempted to move his troops through Palestine, but the conflict fizzled out (Josephus, Antiquities, 18, p. 382).

These rumours—wars that were anticipated but not realised—also fit Jesus’ prediction perfectly.

Thus, we see the layered fulfilment of Jesus’ warning:

Wars – actual bloody conflicts, revolts, and civil wars.

Rumours of wars – threats of conflict that provoked fear but did not materialise.

Both were fulfilled exactly as He had said—within the lifetime of His original audience.

In Christ,
Godwin.