The END of the 70th Week--the "AGE" *they* were standing in and speaking out from... (that's the SUBJECT they were asking about, aka "the END [SINGULAR] of the AGE [SINGULAR]" per v.3 and what He had PREVIOUSLY spoken to them about in Matt13:24,30,39,40,49-50).
"The END and the AGE" will CONCLUDE [END] upon His "RETURN" to the earth, and *that* is what Jesus is saying is *not yet* at the time that "the BEGINNING of birth PANGS [PLURAL]" will be existing upon the earth (at the START of the trib yrs [i.e. the SEALS]).
The truth is, Jesus did not have "the church" in this picture at all. When He said "the end is not yet, He was talking about THE ENTIRE 70th week - as proven by His jump to the midpoint abomination. Therefore "the end is not yet, must be talking about the time BEFORE the 70th week.
If you had any understanding of the seals, you would recognize that after the church was sent out - seal #1, then Satan was given permission to try and stop the church, using wars, famines, pestilences, and wild beasts. But God LIMITED Him to 1/4 of the earth. In other words, if Satan could confine the gospel to that 1/4, he would prove God a liar. Of course He failed. But what did he CAUSE?
The 5th seal martyrs of the church age.
If we just leave the book along and understand it, not try to rearrange it, John moves straight through history starting with Jesus taking the book from the Father when He ascended.
Seal 1: the church sent out
Seal 2: the devil's attempts to stop the advance of the gospel by WARS
Seal 3: the devil's attempts to stop the advance of the gospel by FAMINES
Seal 4: the devil's attempts to stop the advance of the gospel by Pestilences.
Seal 5: the martyrs of the church age. They are told they will have a long wait until the final church age martyr.
Seal 6: the start of the judgment promised to come after the final martyr.
SEal 7: the official start of the 70th week.
First 6 trumpets: God systematically starting to destroy the world and the sinners in the world.
7th trumpet: marks the midpoint abomination - proven by the fleeing begining shortly after
John sees the Beast rising Chapter 13.
Then the False Prophet rising Chapter 13.
We are told what they will do, but written as a parenthesis. Chapter 13.
Chapter 14: God sends warnings: three of them by three angels The days of GT will start soon after this warning
Chapter 15, The beheaded killed during days of GT BEGIN to arrive in heaven.
Chapter 16. The great killing machine of the Beast and False prophet is at its peak...
Chapter 16: God pours out the vials to SHORTEN those days of GT.
Chapters 17 & 18 A close up look at the destruction of Babylon, the city of Jerusalem.
Chapter 19: marriage and supper in heaven; then Jesus comes to Armageddon.
Chapter 20, into the Millennial Reign.
See how that flows straight through time.
By the way, WHERE have two world wars started?
WHERE did the black Plague hit and take out many?
Where have many of the famines taken place?
I submit ALL in the 1/4 where Satan has been allowed to work to stop the gospel.