Luke 21

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Jesus first commends a poor widow's sacrificial offering over the rich, then prophesies the complete destruction of the temple. He subsequently details signs of the end times, including wars, famines, and the persecution of his followers, culminating in the desolation of Jerusalem and the glorious return of the Son of Man. He concludes by urging watchfulness and prayer, comparing the signs to the budding of a fig tree indicating summer.

The Widow's Offering 1–4

And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury.

And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all:

for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had.

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold 5–7

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said,

As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass?

Signs and Persecution 8–19

And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them.

And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified: for these things must needs come to pass first; but the end is not immediately.

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven.

But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

It shall turn out unto you for a testimony.

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer:

for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay.

But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

And not a hair of your head shall perish.

In your patience ye shall win your souls.

The Siege of Jerusalem 20–24

But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand.

Then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein.

For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people.

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man 25–28

And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows;

men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.

Watchfulness and Readiness 29–36

And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig tree, and all the trees:

when they now shoot forth, ye see it and know of your own selves that the summer is now nigh.

Even so ye also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare:

for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.

But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Jesus' Final Ministry Days 37–38

And every day he was teaching in the temple; and every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet.

And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 21

Verse 2

two mites — Lepton, a very small, light coin; Mark adds 'which make a farthing' (Mark 12:42). Luke calls her 'poor' with penichros, the needy, and uses a different word, ptochos, in v.3.

Verse 3

more than they all — The reckoning is by what is kept back, not by what is given. The rule is stated in 2 Cor 8:12: 'it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.' Ptochos (v.3) is the destitute, one without means.

Verse 4

of her penury — Hysterema, a deficit or lack, set against 'abundance' (perisseuo, to overflow). 'All the living' is bios, means of livelihood, as in Luke 8:43, 'spent all her living upon physicians'. The rich gave out of surplus; she gave her support.

Verse 5

goodly stones and gifts — 'Gifts' is anathema, votive offerings dedicated to God and set up in the temple. 'Temple' is hieron, the whole sacred precinct. Mark 13:1 gives the remark: 'Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!'

Verse 6

not be left one stone upon another — Mark 13:2 has the same words; Matt 24:2 adds 'here'. 'Thrown down' is kataluo, to loosen down, to demolish. Luke 19:43 already foretold the siege: enemies 'shall cast a trench about thee'; vv.20–24 describe its coming.

Verse 7

what sign — 'Master' is didaskalos, teacher. The question asks for time and sign, as in Mark 13:4. Christ gives warnings first (vv.8–19), then the sign itself in v.20; of the times he says elsewhere, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons' (Acts 1:7).

Verse 8

Take heed that ye be not deceived — Planao, to cause to wander from the way. The deceivers come 'in my name', claiming his title, 'I am Christ', and add 'the time draweth near' (kairos, the set time). The disciples are not to go opiso, behind, after them; Matt 24:5 has the same warning of many coming 'in my name'.

Verse 9

commotions — Akatastasia, instability, disorder, tumult. 'Must' is dei, it is necessary: such things are part of the appointed course, yet 'the end is not by and by' (eutheos, immediately). Matt 24:8 calls them 'the beginning of sorrows'.

Verse 11

fearful sights — One Greek word, phobetron, a terrifying portent. 'Pestilences' is loimos, plague, and the earthquakes, famines and pestilences fall 'in divers places'. The signs 'from heaven' look forward to the signs in sun, moon and stars of v.25.

Verse 12

But before all these — The persecution comes first. 'Delivering you up' is paradidomi; the 'kings and rulers' (hegemon, governors) before whom they stand 'for my name's sake' recall the seizures of Acts, such as 'he killed James the brother of John with the sword' (Acts 12:2).

Verse 13

turn to you for a testimony — Martyrion, evidence given, the root of 'martyr'. Being brought before rulers becomes the occasion for bearing witness. Paul says the same of his bonds: 'the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel' (Phil 1:12).

Verse 14

not to meditate before — Promeletao, to premeditate; 'answer' is apologeomai, to make a defence. The disciples need not rehearse, for 'the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say' (Luke 12:12).

Verse 16

betrayed both by parents — Paradidomi, the same verb as 'delivering you up' in v.12. The four named groups, parents, brethren, 'kinsfolks' (syngenes) and friends, cover every near tie. Luke 12:53 had foretold households divided; Mic 7:6 speaks of a man's enemies in his own house.

Verse 18

not an hair of your head perish — The phrase is a strong double negative (ou me), set beside 'some of you shall they cause to be put to death' (v.16). The promise reaches beyond the body: 'even the very hairs of your head are all numbered' (Luke 12:7).

Verse 19

possess ye your souls — Hypomone, cheerful, hopeful endurance; ktaomai, to acquire, gain. Endurance is the way the life is secured: 'he that endureth to the end shall be saved' (Matt 10:22); 'ye have need of patience' (Heb 10:36).

Verse 20

compassed with armies — Kykloo, to encircle; 'armies' is stratopedon, a camp or body of troops; 'desolation' is eremosis, laying waste. Luke 19:43 had said the enemies 'compass thee round'. Matthew and Mark give the sign as 'the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet' (Matt 24:15).

Verse 21

flee to the mountains — Flight is commanded for Judaea, for those 'in the midst of it' (Jerusalem), and for those in the chora, the open country, who must not enter. Jer 6:1 gave the older warning, 'gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem'; compare Luke 17:31.

Verse 22

days of vengeance — Ekdikesis, vindication, retribution. 'All things which are written' points to the prophets: 'it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance' (Isa 34:8); 'The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come' (Hos 9:7).

Verse 24

trodden down of the Gentiles — Pateo, to trample; 'edge' is literally 'mouth' (stoma) of the sword. The treading has a limit, 'the times of the Gentiles' (kairoi, appointed seasons); compare Rev 11:2, 'the holy city shall they tread under foot', and Rom 11:25.

Verse 25

signs in the sun — The scene widens from Jerusalem to the nations: 'distress' is synoche, anguish, and 'perplexity' aporia, being at a loss. The signs recall Joel 2:31: 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.'

Verse 27

the Son of man coming in a cloud — The title and the cloud come from Dan 7:13: 'one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven'. Rev 1:7 echoes it: 'Behold, he cometh with clouds'. 'Power' is dynamis and 'glory' doxa.

Verse 28

your redemption draweth nigh — Apolytrosis, ransom in full, release. 'Look up' is anakypto, to straighten up, the opposite of the fainting hearts of v.26. Paul uses the same word for 'the day of redemption' (Eph 4:30) to which believers are sealed.

Verse 29

the fig tree, and all the trees — Parabole, a comparison drawn from nature. Matthew and Mark name only the fig tree (Matt 24:32; Mark 13:28); Luke adds 'all the trees'. As the leaves show summer near, so the signs show the kingdom near (v.31).

Verse 32

This generation — Genea. Jesus uses the word of his hearers' own age: 'All these things shall come upon this generation' (Matt 23:36; Luke 11:50–51). Many apply it to the generation that saw Jerusalem fall; others read 'generation' as the whole race, until all is fulfilled.

Verse 33

my words shall not pass away — Parerchomai, the same verb as 'pass away' in v.32, with a strong double negative (ou me). Christ claims for his words what Isa 40:8 says of God's: 'the word of our God shall stand for ever'. Matt 24:35 and Mark 13:31 repeat it.

Verse 34

overcharged — Barunao, to weigh down. 'Surfeiting' is kraipale, the headache and glut of drink; 'cares of this life' is merimna biotikos, worry over livelihood. 'Unawares' is aiphnidios, suddenly. Luke 12:45–46 shows the servant who drinks while his lord delays.

Verse 36

Watch ye therefore, and pray always — Agrypneo, to be sleepless, keep awake. 'Accounted worthy' is kataxioo, deemed deserving, to 'escape' (ekpheugo) and 'stand before the Son of man'. Mark 13:33 pairs the commands: 'Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.'

Verse 37

abode in the mount — Aulizomai, to pass the night, properly in the open air. By day he taught in the temple (hieron); at night he went out to Olivet. Luke 22:39 shows it was habitual: 'he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives'.