THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS – PART I
The Beginning of Sorrows: The Labor Pains Before the Storm
By Greg Witter | Ephraim’s Cry
Hebraic Mindset Study Series
Study • Learn • Apply • Grow • Share • Repeat
I. Watchmen and the Times
“And Yahusha went out and departed from the Temple, and His taught ones came near to show Him the buildings of the Temple. And Yahusha said to them, ‘Do you not see all these? Truly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.’” — Mattithyahu (Matthew) 24:1–2
The disciples wanted a tour of architecture. Yahusha gave them a prophecy.
They saw buildings; He saw judgment.
They admired religion; He foresaw ruin.
From that moment, He began to teach what every generation since has struggled to discern — the signs of the times, the labor pains before the birth of the Kingdom.
The end does not come suddenly; it unfolds through seasons, signs, and cycles.
The wise will understand them; the careless will ignore them until it’s too late.
II. The Birth Pains Begin
“And Yahusha answering, said to them, ‘Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many shall come in My Name, saying, “I am the Messiah,” and they shall lead many astray. And you shall begin to hear of wars and reports of wars… but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and reign against reign. And there shall be scarcities of food, and deadly diseases, and earthquakes in various places. And all these are the beginning of sorrows.’” — Mattithyahu (Matthew) 24:4–8
The Messiah listed seven opening contractions — the first tremors of global labor:
- False messiahs — counterfeit saviors, systems, and ideologies.
- Wars and rumors of wars — anxiety without peace, endless conflict.
- Nation rising against nation — geopolitical and ethnic fragmentation.
- Kingdom against kingdom — governmental collapse and rebellion.
- Famines — economic breakdown and scarcity.
- Pestilences — plagues and biotechnological judgment.
- Earthquakes — creation itself convulsing as judgment draws near.
He did not call them “tribulation.”
He called them “the beginning of sorrows” — literally, the beginning of birth pains.
Labor pains increase in frequency and intensity — until the new age is born.
III. The Prophetic Clock Starts Again
For two thousand years, the prophets have spoken and the world has ignored.
But in our generation, the contractions are no longer spaced apart — they are constant.
- False messiahs now fill pulpits, platforms, and digital screens.
- Wars are continuous and globalized.
- The earth shakes daily beneath our feet.
- Plagues sweep across nations while men call it “science.”
- Famines are engineered, economies weaponized.
- Nations rage, and kings conspire together against Yahuah and His Anointed (Tehillim 2).
We are not waiting for prophecy to begin — we are living inside it.
The birth pains are upon the earth.
IV. The Deception of False Peace
Yahusha warned that before the great tribulation comes, there would be a season of false peace — a deceptive calm before the storm.
“When they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape.” — 1 Thessaloniqim (1 Thessalonians) 5:3
The world craves peace without repentance — comfort without covenant.
They cry, “Peace!” but reject the Prince of Peace.
They build towers of Babel in politics, religion, and economics — yet each one will fall.
The “peace” of this age will not come from treaties or technology; it will come from deception.
A false unity will rise, and through it, the Beast system will be born.
V. The Call of the Watchman
“But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day.” — 1 Thessaloniqim 5:4–5
The world sleeps. The remnant must not.
We are not called to panic — but to perceive.
We are not called to fear — but to watch and warn.
Every contraction tells us the same truth:
The Kingdom is approaching.
The Bride must prepare.
The harvest is near.
This is the hour of discernment — not distraction.
The times and the seasons are revealing themselves, and the wise will recognize what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies.
VI. Documentation & Foundations
Torah – Devariym (Deuteronomy) 32:35–43; Bereshith (Genesis) 6:11–13
Prophets – Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 13:6–13; Dani’ēl 12:1–4; Yeḥezqel 7:2–8
Writings – Tehillim 2; Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 3:1–8
Apostolic – Mattithyahu 24:1–8; Marqos 13:5–8; 1 Thessaloniqim 5:1–6; Ḥazon 6:1–8
Each witness confirms: the world enters travail before redemption — judgment precedes restoration; deception precedes revelation; darkness precedes dawn.
VII. The Watchman’s Declaration
The labor pains have begun.
The contractions are tightening.
The world is entering travail — but the Bride must not faint.
These are not random crises; they are ordered contractions.
Each one shakes the nations, exposes the idols, and pushes the Kingdom closer to birth.
The question isn’t “When will it end?” but “Who will endure?”
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