Two children die from measles as England data shows 100 new infections

In Luke 21, Jesus is answering the disciples' question about the sign of His coming and the end of the age. He lists pestilences alongside earthquakes, famines, and heavenly signs as "the beginning of birth pains" (v.

8). The Greek word for pestilence (loimoi) refers to deadly epidemics or plagues.

The original hearers would have understood this as a category of catastrophic disease outbreaks that characterize the period before Christ's return.

The plain meaning is that pestilence — widespread, deadly disease — is a predicted feature of the last days. It is not a one-time event but a recurring pattern that intensifies as the age draws to a close.

The measles outbreak in England, with child fatalities, fits this prophetic category precisely. A disease that was once controlled has returned with lethal force, demonstrating that pestilence remains a present reality in the last days.

This outbreak is not an isolated medical story but a fulfillment of Christ's warning that such plagues would mark the era before His return.

Believers should see this as a call to watchfulness and prayer, not panic — for these birth pains signal that the King is near.