When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Parallel translations
- WEB “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet.
- KJV And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
- NKJV But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.
- NASB When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end.
- NLT And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Wars and rumors of wars will come, but the disciples must not be alarmed. Such turmoil is not yet the end.
Overview
Conflict and unrest, though frightening, are part of the present age and must occur within God's plan. Jesus calms his followers: these are not signs that the end has arrived, so they should not be thrown into panic. This steadies believers against the temptation to read every crisis as the immediate end, urging trust in God's sovereign timing instead.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Luke 21:9–11When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
- John 14:27Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
- Matt 24:6–7You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Ps 112:7He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
- Ps 27:3Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.
- Acts 17:3explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.
- 2 Sam 14:14For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.
- Jer 4:19–21My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.
- Isa 8:12“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
- John 14:1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
- Ps 46:1–3For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
- Matt 18:7Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
- Prov 3:25Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
- Jer 51:46Do not let your heart grow faint, and do not be afraid when the rumor is heard in the land; for a rumor will come one year—and then another the next year—of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 13:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.