Here's what I see regarding...
"the beginning of birth PANGS [PLURAL]" (Matt24:4-8; Mk13:5-8 [and DESCRIBED in Lk21:8-11, but not so named, there]) :
--they are
equivalent to "the SEALS" of Rev 6 (and Rev1:1 states, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, WHICH GOD GAVE UNTO HIM [Jesus], TO SHEW UNTO His servants [note 7:4] things which must come to pass [note 4:1 (future things!)]
IN QUICKNESS [NOUN]" [not things which will unfold over the past 2000 years or so, but "IN QUICKNESS [NOUN]")
--the info within the Olivet Discourse shows the SEQUENCE to be: "but BEFORE ALL THESE [
that is, BEFORE ALL THESE 'beginning of birth PANGS [PLURAL]' just described],"
before that even begins, the 70ad events must take place (vv.12-24a [though 24b follows from there, and ENDS at the END of the future trib at Christ's Second Coming
to the earth])--Matt22:7-8 also shows this very important SEQUENCE (v.7 being the 70ad events; v.8 being the info He further supplied ["
THEN SAITH HE" (AFTER the v.7 "burned up their city" events)] thus given in "The Revelation" in 95ad)
--
the INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR; 1Th5:2-3]" is the commencement of the [earthly-located] time period, "the Day of the Lord" (involving the ARRIVAL of "the man of sin" AND all he will do, over the course of 7 yrs, leading UP TO Christ's Second Coming
to the earth [FOR the promised and prophesied
earthly Millennial Kingdom, i.e. "the wedding
FEAST/SUPPER" aka "the kingdom of the heavens [
on the earth, upon His 'RETURN' there]"]). Note: "the Day of the Lord" continues on to
include the entire 1000-yr
earthly MK, minus "the man of sin" (2Th2:8 "whom the Lord shall consume...destroy...";
that is to say, 2Th2:9a,4,8 shows the BEGINNING/MIDDLE/END of the 7 yrs just as Dan9:27a[26] does)
--
Matt24:4/Mk13:5 "G1500 - tis - 'a certain one' " is the equivalent of the INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR]" which is the "FIRST SEAL" (the "
whose coming/arrival/advent//presence/parousia" [2Th2:9a] of the "man of sin" IN HIS TIME [Dan9:27a(26)]). I believe both 1 and 2 Thessalonians is supplying the SEQUENCE of where our Rapture takes place IN RELATION [time-wise] TO "the Day of the Lord [the time period commencing with the arrival of the man of sin/SEAL ONE]," and that is "FIRST" ("The Departure FIRST" [the same noun EVENT of v.1]) before the Day of the Lord with its man of sin can
"BE PRESENT" to unfold
upon the earth, over the course of some time (namely, the seven years / 70th Week)--"The Day of the Lord" only and ever transpires ON THE EARTH.
So I hope in all that you can see my bottom-line answer to the OP Q as to whether or not we "see" the beginning tip of the birth
pangs.
I'm happy to clarify anything that isn't clear (I know it's a big post, I apologize for its length
)