Luke 21:20 - Printer Friendly

What does Luke 21:20 mean?

ESV: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.

NIV: When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.

NASB: But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.

CSB: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near.

NLT: And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.

KJV: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

NKJV: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

Verse Commentary:

Jesus mentions, briefly, that the grand buildings of the temple will be destroyed until no stone stands upon another (Luke 21:6). The disciples ask what signs will precede this tragedy (Luke 21:7). He responds with an overview of the false teachers, wars, and natural and supernatural disasters that will typify the time between the temple's destruction and His return (Luke 21:8–11). He then describes three events: the persecution of His followers (Luke 21:12–19), the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20–24), and the return of the Son of Man (Luke 21:25–28). Although the world will be impacted (Luke 21:35), these events are focused on the Jews.

Now, He answers their question. The sign that will precede the destruction of the temple is that armies will surround Jerusalem. But the entire city, not just the temple, will be destroyed. He has already given the reason this will happen: because the Jews as a nation rejected their Messiah (Luke 19:43–44).

Jerusalem fell in AD 70 at the end of a long chain of escalating incidents. Except for the elders and Sadducees who financially benefited, the Jews of Jesus' time did not appreciate the Roman occupation. Some, the Zealots, fought against it. Insurrections regularly popped up and the Romans used varying degrees of violence to squash them.

In AD 66, things got serious. The Romans in Jerusalem had steadily increased their disrespect of the temple. The emperors had let the Jews worship their God with relative autonomy, which was unusual in the Empire, but persecution grew—as did taxes. In AD 66, the Roman procurator Gessius Florus stole silver from the temple treasury. A large group of Jews first took over the garrison in Jerusalem and then defeated Roman reinforcements from Syria. Confidence in the Zealots' ability to rout the Romans grew.

Their confidence was misplaced. General Vespasian, aided by King Agrippa II, attacked Galilee in AD 67, and the survivors fled to Jerusalem. The fleeing Zealots killed the Jewish rulers who did not support their cause, starting a civil war inside the city. Vespasian left for Rome to become emperor but gave the war to his son Titus and his trusted official Tiberius. They put up siegeworks around Jerusalem and let the Jews fight amongst themselves. The Roman army breached the walls in AD 70 and burned the temple. Between the civil war and the Romans, Josephus recorded that over a million Jews were killed and nearly a hundred thousand were taken captive.

There's a debate as to whether Jesus' prophecy refers to AD 70 or the attack of the Antichrist in our future. Matthew 24:15–22 and Mark 13:14–20 seem to add more detail, like a repeat of the abomination of desolation, prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) and first fulfilled in 167 BC by Antiochus IV and to be repeated by the Antichrist.

It seems that Matthew and Mark record a prophecy with double fulfillment. They talk about a "great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world" (Matthew 24:21) and that "if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved" (Matthew 24:22). That obviously doesn't apply to the events in the First Century but to the tribulation. Luke, on the other hand, ends Jesus' prophecy with "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). The "times of the Gentiles" are between AD 70 and the tribulation. Luke more carefully differentiates between the fall of Jerusalem and the tribulation.

Jesus mentions the Roman armies surrounding the city. Between the civil war and the Romans, Jerusalem was not safe for anyone. Jesus warns those in Judea to flee to the mountains (Luke 21:21). Many survivors fled to Masada, a high, small plateau above Jerusalem, but the Romans took that refuge three years later.

Luke 21:20–24 answers the disciples' question regarding what signs will precede the destruction of the temple (Luke 21:6–7). Jesus reveals that all Jerusalem will be destroyed. This happened decades after Jesus' ascension, during the Roman attack in AD 70. Jesus' next prophecy skips the church age and covers His return at the end of the tribulation (Luke 21:25–28), mentioning the "times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24) but not providing specific details. Matthew 24:15–20 and Mark 13:14–18 also record Jesus' words about the destruction of Jerusalem.

Chapter Summary:

Luke 21 records the last of Jesus' teachings before the Last Supper, His arrest, and His crucifixion. Luke 21:1–4 fits well with the themes of Luke 19:28—20:47. Luke 21:5–11 describes how false messiahs, war, and natural disasters will become normal. Luke 21:12–24 prophesies challenges prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Luke 21:25–28 moves to the tribulation. Luke 21:29–36 is Jesus' instructions about the disciples' lives and ministries with respect to the delayed kingdom. Luke 21:37–38 is a note about Jesus' schedule in the days between the triumphal entry and His arrest.

Chapter Context:

Luke 21 finishes the presentation of Jesus in Jerusalem as the Messiah of the Jews. This lays a foundation for the Passion Narrative: the final days before Jesus is crucified. Luke 19:28—20:47 covered most of the discussions about His authority which are completed with His words about the widow's sacrificial offering (Luke 21:1–4). The rest of the chapter records His warnings to the disciples about the violence they, the temple, Jerusalem, and the world will face between His ascension and His return. Matthew 24 and Mark 12:41—13:37 cover the same material.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.

Accessed 4/28/2024 11:42:49 PM