Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines will precede Jesus" return, but they are not signs of the end of the age. There will be many of these things before the end comes. The messianic kingdom will appear in history similar to an infant who emerges from a very painful birth experience (cf. Isaiah 66:8; Jeremiah 22:23; Hosea 13:13; Micah 4:9-10). Jesus compared wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, and famines to the beginning of these pains. These phenomena show that the kingdom is coming, but they do not enable observers to date its arrival precisely. They are part of God"s program for the present age that includes judgment as well as salvation. They do not necessarily indicate that the Tribulation has begun. However these things will also mark the first part of the Tribulation (cf. Revelation 6). Mark 13:5-8 probably describe conditions before and during the first half of the Tribulation, and Mark 13:9-23 describe conditions during the second half. [1][source]