5 And as some spoke of the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones and consecrated offerings, he said, 6 [As to] these things which ye are beholding, days are coming in which there shall not be left stone upon stone which shall not be thrown down. 7 And they asked him saying, Teacher, when then shall these things be; and what [is] the sign when these things are going to take place? 8 And he said, See that ye be not led astray, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [he], and the time is drawn nigh: go ye not [therefore] after them. 9 And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end is not immediately. 10 Then he said to them, Nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there shall be both great earthquakes in different places, and famines and pestilences; and there shall be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things they shall lay their hands upon you and persecute you, delivering [you] up to synagogues and prisons, bringing [you] before kings and governors on account of my name; 13 but it shall turn out to you for a testimony. 14 Settle therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand [your] defence, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your opposers shall not be able to reply to or resist. 16 But ye will be delivered up even by parents and brethren and relations and friends, and they shall put to death [some] from among you, 17 and ye will be hated of all for my name's sake. 18 And a hair of your head shall in no wise perish. 19 By your patient endurance gain your souls.
20 But when ye see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that its desolation is drawn nigh. 21 Then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of it depart out, and those who are in the country not enter into it; 22 for these are days of avenging, that all the things that are written may be accomplished. 23 But woe to them that are with child and to them who give suck in those days, for there shall be great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of [the] nations until [the] times of [the] nations be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity [at] the roar of the sea and rolling waves, 26 men ready to die through fear and expectation of what is coming on the habitable earth, for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws nigh.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 21:5-28
Commentary on Luke 21:5-28
(Read Luke 21:5-28)
With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot be losers by him, in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous, trying times, to secure the safety of our own souls. It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper. We may view the prophecy before us much as those Old Testament prophecies, which, together with their great object, embrace, or glance at some nearer object of importance to the church. Having given an idea of the times for about thirty-eight years next to come, Christ shows what all those things would end in, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and figure of Christ's second coming. The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, the words of Jesus shall not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the real, nor the spiritual Jerusalem, shall any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles shall be turned to the Lord. When Christ came to destroy the Jews, he came to redeem the Christians that were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then had the churches rest. When he comes to judge the world, he will redeem all that are his from their troubles. So fully did the Divine judgements come upon the Jews, that their city is set as an example before us, to show that sins will not pass unpunished; and that the terrors of the Lord, and his threatenings against impenitent sinners, will all come to pass, even as his word was true, and his wrath great upon Jerusalem.