What does Luke 21:30 mean?

The disciples want to know when the temple will be destroyed (Luke 21:6–7). Jesus tells them it will be after they face persecution, betrayal by their families, and even death. It will happen after they speak of Him to kings and governors. They will be hated for His sake (Luke 21:12–17). These then-future events would eventually be recorded in the book of Acts. The temple will be destroyed when armies surround Jerusalem (Luke 21:20). We know now that was in AD 70 when the Romans swept across Galilee, Samaria, and Judea to definitively squash the Jews' rebellion against their occupation.

Jesus doesn't limit His prophecies to the temple, however. He speaks of great wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence, and supernatural terrors (Luke 21:10–11). Even more importantly, He predicts His return—the coming of the Son of Man—which will bring judgment upon the world and the redemption of Jesus' followers (Luke 21:25–28).

His return is more important to Jesus than the destruction of the temple; it should be more important to His Jewish disciples. The tribulation is described in greater detail in the book of Revelation. These signs will be as clear as the leaves on trees that precede summer. They are the precursor to the victory of the Jewish Messiah. Those with the discipline to keep watch and the strength to survive will "stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

We do not know when He will come to take His church (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18); the Bible is largely silent about the events during the church age. Modern "date-setters" deceive the masses by claiming Jesus will come on a particular date. Jesus specifically tells His disciples is it not our place to know (Acts 1:6–7). When the church is taken, the Antichrist comes to power, and the world endures the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, then we can say, "The end is near."