What does Luke 21:22 mean?
This passage describes the fall of Jerusalem, as told to Jesus' disciples. In Matthew and Mark's parallel accounts, the wording shows a double-fulfillment, culminating in the tribulation (Matthew 24:21–22; Mark 13:19–20). Luke limits his account to the first fulfillment: the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army in AD 70 (Luke 21:24).That makes this verse a little difficult. What prior prophecy does AD 70 fulfill? The Old Testament doesn't have anything specific about this destruction of Jerusalem, but it does contain general warnings. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 follow the format of the Hittite Suzerain treaty: identification of the ruler, description of the ruler's acts, obligations of the ruler and the people, promised blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience, and closure.
Included in the consequences is the promise that if the Israelites reject their God, God will destroy their cities and sanctuaries, devastate the land, send them into exile, and cause such starvation that people will eat their own children (Leviticus 26:27–33). All this happened during the war with the Romans in AD 66–70 (Josephus, Jewish War, 6.3.4).
At the time of Jesus' crucifixion, ironically, the Jews had been relatively faithful to God. The Roman government even gives them special dispensation so they aren't required to worship the Greco-Roman gods or the emperor. But, as a nation, they reject Jesus as their Messiah and the Son of God. Their Savior has come, and they crucify Him (Luke 19:41–44).
This is the story of AD 70, but it's not the end. In the end of the treaty in Leviticus 26:40–42, God says:
"But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land."When the "times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24), at the tribulation, the Jews will accept their Messiah; He will come to them and rescue them from the powers of the Antichrist. He will be their king and they will be His people (Revelation 19:11–16). We still look forward with hope to that written promise.
