Luke 21:8-36
Summary for Luke 21:8-11: 21:8-11 a Jesus foretold events that are often misinterpreted as signs of the end, such as the appearance of false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famines, and severe persecution, but Jesus said that the end won’t follow immediately. 21:8 b claiming, ‘I am the Messiah’: See study note on Mark 13:5-6.21:11 c Cataclysmic events such as these are often associated with the judgment of God (1 Sam 14:15 d; Ps 18:7-8 e; Isa 2:19 f, 21 g; 5:25 h; 13:13 i; 24:18 j; 29:5-6 k; Jer 14:12 l; 21:6-7 m; Ezek 14:21 n; Amos 1:1 o) and the end of the age (Isa 24:18 p; 29:5-6 q; Ezek 38:19 r; Joel 2:10 s; Hag 2:6 t, 21 u; Zech 14:4 v; cp. Rev 6:12 w; 8:5 x; 11:13 y, 19 z; 16:18 aa).
• great miraculous signs from heaven: See study note on 21:25.
Summary for Luke 21:12-19: 21:12-19 ab a time of great persecution: Jesus described the persecution that his followers would experience (see also Matt 10:17-22 ac; Mark 13:9 ad). The Jewish literature of Jesus’ day similarly described a time of great tribulation prior to the arrival of God’s final salvation. 21:12 ae dragged into synagogues: Jesus and his early followers were Jewish, and the earliest conflicts were with fellow Jews who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus’ followers were sometimes tried in the synagogue before a Jewish tribunal (cp. 2 Cor 11:24 af).
21:15 ag I will give you the right words: God often assured his prophets that he would give them the words to say (Exod 4:12 ah, 15 ai; Deut 18:18 aj; Isa 50:4 ak; 51:16 al; Jer 1:9 am). Jesus’ disciples were to prepare themselves to be clear witnesses (see Col 4:5-6 an; 2 Tim 2:21 ao; 1 Pet 3:15 ap), knowing that the Spirit would help them to respond as powerfully as Jesus had done (Luke 20:20-44 aq).
21:16 ar Families in Jewish and Gentile communities have often been divided as some members follow Jesus and some reject him.
Summary for Luke 21:18-19: 21:18-19 as But not a hair of your head will perish! This idiom signifies full protection (1 Sam 14:45 at; 2 Sam 14:11 au; 1 Kgs 1:52 av; Dan 3:27 aw). It refers here to the disciples’ souls, because some would be martyred for their faith (Luke 21:16 ax).
Summary for Luke 21:20-24: 21:20-24 ay Jesus was describing the siege and destruction of Jerusalem that would take place in AD 70.
21:21 az Those in Jerusalem must get out: Because of this prophecy, Christians in Judea fled to the town of Pella in Decapolis before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Eusebius, Church History 3.5).
21:22 ba For those will be days of God’s vengeance: The destruction of Jerusalem was part of God’s judgment for Israel’s rejection of the Messiah.
21:24 bb until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end: Daniel predicted a period of successive Gentile empires before the coming of God’s Kingdom (Dan 2:44 bc; 7:27 bd).
21:25 be The prophets predicted that heavenly signs would precede the judgment of God at the end of the age (Isa 13:9-10 bf; 34:4 bg; Jer 4:23 bh, 28 bi; Ezek 32:7-8 bj; Joel 2:10 bk, 30-31 bl; cp. Rev 6:13-14 bm; 8:10 bn; 9:1 bo; 12:1 bp, 3 bq; 15:1 br).
21:31 bs All these things refers to the events described in 21:25-30 bt.
21:32 bu this generation will not pass from the scene: This saying is puzzling—Jesus seems to have predicted that he would come again before the first generation of his disciples died out. There are three main interpretations: (1) the reference is to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 when Jesus “came” in judgment against the nation of Israel; (2) “this generation” is not Jesus’ contemporaries, but a future generation alive when these signs begin coming to fulfillment; (3) the term generation could be translated “race,” referring to the Jewish race that will not disappear before Christ returns.
21:33 bv Heaven and earth will disappear: See study note on 16:17.
21:34 bw The central theme of the discourse is Watch out! Believers are always to be alert and ready for Christ’s return.
21:36 bx To stand before means “to pass the test” and stand approved before Jesus Christ at his second coming.
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