The birth pangs lead up to 70 AD. The sequence is, the persecution starts and continues throughout, then the birth pangs, then the birth which was the destruction of Jerusalem. Birth pangs, precedes delivery. The real pain is the delivery. Thus the real pain here is the great tribulation from Feb 70 AD to Aug 70 AD. Don't just look at the Luke account, use all 3 accounts. They all cover the same ground.
Matthew 24:4-8 EQUALS Mark 13:5-8 EQUALS Luke 21:8-11 [ALL of these being "the beginning of birth PANGS"]
But, notice dear readers, Verse 12 says, BUT BEFORE ALL THESE ^ ("BEFORE ALL" the beginning of birth pangs) the next section of happenings must occur BEFORE ALL of them! (vv.12-24a the 70ad events must come "BEFORE ALL" of the beginning of birth pangs told of in those sections ^ )...
... but which PW has verse 12 to be saying (instead) "AFTER THESE THINGS" or "AFTER SOME of these things".
This is the first MIS-STEP.
Look at Mark 13:
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: [...]
The beginning of sorrows (or birth pangs) include; wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines and troubles."
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: [...]
The beginning of sorrows (or birth pangs) include; wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines and troubles."
I've been pointing that out.
They ALSO INCLUDE the INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR]" that involves the ARRIVAL of "the DOTL" time period AND the ARRIVAL of "the man of sin" IN HIS TIME [before which, "ONE THING" must take place "FIRST" before it can "BE PRESENT"], which INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR;1Th5:2-3]" is Matt24:4 / Mk 13:5 [the FIRST BP!] "G5100 - tis - 'A CERTAIN ONE' ['a certain one' bringing deception]" (which parallels the "BEGINNING" section of a number of other RELATED passages that ALL SHOW a BEGINNING, a MIDDLE, and an END of the "IN QUICKNESS [NOUN; Rev1:1 (1:19c / 4:1 (7:3)]" time-period... etc
As I pointed out, all of this was happening during Claudius and Nero.
...so...
Part A (what comes FIRST, in this CONTEXT) = Luke 21:12-24a - the 70ad events (including "they shall be led away captive into all the nations);
Part B (these come AFTER that ^ -->) = Luke 21:8-11 / Matthew 24:4-8 / Mark 13:5-8 - [ALL of] "the beginning of birth PANGS" (including the INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR; 1Th5:2-3 / Matthew 24:4 / Mark 13:5 'G5100 - tis - 'A CERTAIN ONE']"...
[only "ONE THING" must PRECEDE these commencing to unfold upon the earth, and that one thing pertains to "the Church WHICH IS HIS BODY" (the ONE BODY / ONE [CORPORATE] BODY)])