Jesus Foretells the Destruction of Jerusalem

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 21:1) And He looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

In the last chapter, Jesus had been teaching in the temple, where priests, scribes, elders, and Sadducees had all come to Him trying to catch Him saying something they could use against Him.  He had used everything they threw at Him as a lesson back to them.  He now witnessed the rich men throwing their monetary gifts into the treasury.

(2) And He saw also a certain poor widow casting in there two mites.

Jesus then witnessed a poor widow casting into the treasury two mites.  The mite was the smallest unit of coin used by the Jews.

(3) And He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than them all."

After seeing the widow put in her two mites, Jesus said that she had given more to the treasury than all the others who gave their gifts that day.

(4) "For all these have out of their abundance cast into the offerings for God, but she of her poverty has cast in all the living that she had."

Jesus's reason for saying that was that while the other people, especially the rich men He had witnessed, have given to the temple treasury out of their abundance, the poor widow had given all that she had.  Here is the perfect example of Jesus judging the heart.  I can't help but compare my dutifully giving my 10% tithe to this woman lovingly sacrificing all that she had, and I certainly come up wanting.

(5) And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, (6) "These things which you behold, the days will come in which there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."

In the accounts in Matthew and Mark, it was said that it was Jesus's disciples who had commented on the beautiful stones with which the temple was built.  Jesus said that there was a time coming when there would not be even one of those beautiful stones which they admired left upon another as they would all be torn down.

(7) And they asked Him, saying, "Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign when these things shall come to pass?"

The disciples asked Jesus when that time was coming that all the stones of the temple would be torn down.  They asked what sign there would be that it was about to happen.

(8) And He said, "Take heed that you be not deceived, for many shall come in My name, saying, 'I Am,' and 'The time draws near.' Do not go therefore after them."

Jesus answered that they should take care not to be deceived.  There would be many who came in His name, each saying he was the Messiah and that their time drew near.  Jesus warned them that they should not follow them.  In the similar account in Matthew, Jesus had said the deceivers would say, "I am Christ."  But here and even in the account in Mark, which I think I missed at the time, Jesus said their words would be "I Am."  "Christ" was added by the translators for better understanding.  The KJV tells us it was added and not part of the original text by using italics.  Of course, it was Christ the Messiah and God Himself they meant by saying only "I Am."  God had told Moses when he had asked for God's name that it was "Hayah," or "I Am" (Exodus 3:14).  When Jesus called Himself "I Am" in John 18:6, the soldiers who had come to seize Him fell backward to the ground.  Luke and Mark recognized that Christ was Himself the great I AM and that was all that was necessary to be said by the deceivers for people to know who they meant.

(9) "But when you shall hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified, for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by."

Jesus told them when they heard of wars and commotions or uprisings, they were not to be afraid because those things would happen first, but the end would not come immediately after.

(10) Then He said to them, "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."

Then there would actually be wars when nation rose up against nation which might mean one part of the Jewish nation rising up against another, and kingdom against kingdom might be when the Jewish nation rose up against the Romans, possibly encouraged by false Christs, as they still expected an earthly King Messiah.  This is where it starts to sound like end time prophecy.  The disciples had asked specifically about when the destruction of the temple would occur, so I am sure Jesus was answering that question.  However, as so often is the case with prophecies in the Bible, they apply to what was going on at the time as well as being prophetic about some far future event.

(11) "And great earthquakes will be in diverse places, and famines and pestilences, and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."

Jesus said there would be great earthquakes in various places, as well as famines and pestilences.  There would be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  While this sounds like end time prophecy, and might well be also, it definitely pertained to the destruction of Jerusalem.  The historian Josephus wrote in his book The Wars of the Jews about some of the signs witnessed, and some by he himself.  He wrote, "There was a comet in the form of a fiery sword, which for a year together did hang over the city...the inner gate of the temple on the east side, being of massy brass, which required at least twenty men to shut it, was seen at midnight to open of its own accord...seen in the air chariots and armies in battle array, passing along in the clouds and investing the city..."  Also witnessed was a bright light in the temple at night, a heifer to be sacrificed giving birth to a lamb in the temple, quaking and a great multitude of voices saying, "Let us remove hence," and a prophet named Yeshua Ben Ananus crying out continuously day and night for four years before the siege, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the sanctuary, a voice against the bridegroom and the bride, a voice against all the people," never ceasing, though beaten till his bones showed, never uttering a word for himself or against his torturers.  Wow!  It's hard to believe that the Jewish people didn't recognize these things as signs from God.  Josephus wrote, “Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation, but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them.”  For those of us seeking a sign of the end times, though we may observe wars, earthquakes, famines, and pestilences, we may expect powerful undeniable signs before the very end.  I hope and pray people will recognize them as from God!

(12) "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake."

Jesus told His disciples that before those things happened, they would be seized and persecuted and put in prison, and even put to death in the case of Stephen, all because they were followers and teachers of Jesus Christ.

(13) "And it shall turn to you for a testimony."

The disciples' persecution would turn out to be a testimony for Jesus Christ when they were willing to endure all for Him.

(14) "Settle therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what you will answer, (15) For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to say against or resist."

Jesus told them to settle it within themselves not to worry and think about what they would say to their persecutors when that time came.  He would give them at that time the wisdom and the words that none of their adversaries would be able to refute.

(16) "And you shall be betrayed by parents and brethren and kinfolks and friends, and some of you they shall cause to be put to death."

Jesus warned His disciples that they would be betrayed by some of their closest family and friends and some of them would be even put to death. 

(17) "And you shall be hated by all for My name's sake."

Jesus told them they would be hated by virtually all men because of His name they preached.  Isn't that the way it is these days?  Most people believe in God, some sort of God, and they may even call Him God, but it may be a god of their own making, not the only true God, the God of the Bible.  So many people may talk about God and can get along, but mention Jesus to one who is not a Christian?  That name is hated and rejected and considered prejudiced and non-inclusive among non-believers, when such the opposite is true.  Jesus gives to everyone who will accept His gift of salvation!

(18) "But there shall not a hair of your head perish."

Jesus told them that not a hair on their heads would perish.  How could that be, when they would be persecuted and some even killed?  Obviously, it could only mean in their restored bodies in the resurrection.  Nothing could separate them from their salvation.  Even if they were killed, it only meant less time in their persecution in a temporal world and more in their ultimate eternal and happy home.

(19) "In your patience possess your souls."

Jesus encouraged them to be patient through their troubles and persecutions and not to let those things distress them or rob them of their peace and joy; just know that in persevering with patience, they were possessing their eternal living souls.

(20) "And when you shall see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near."

The final sign would be when they saw the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem, then they would know that its desolation was near and inevitable.

(21) "Then let them who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let them who are in the midst of it depart out, and let not those who are in the countries enter in."

When they saw that final sign, they were to immediately drop everything and flee to the mountains as that was their only possible escape from their total destruction.  Those who were in the midst of Judea, in Jerusalem, were to quickly depart, and those in other countries should not enter in; however, they would because of the Passover and would be destroyed.

(22) "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled."

From the point when Rome surrounded Jerusalem, that would begin the days of vengeance, God's vengeance on the Jewish nation for their rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah, fulfilling the prophecies of it (Deuteronomy 28:20, Daniel 9:26-27).

(23) "But woe to them who are with child and to them who are nursing in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people."

Jesus expressed grief especially to women who were pregnant and those who were nursing.  Perhaps it was because it would be much harder for them to escape the great distress and wrath of God on His people, or maybe because they would have borne and nursed babies only to be seized and perhaps murdered by the Romans.

(24) "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

Jesus prophesied that the Jews would be killed and others led away captive to various nations and Jerusalem would be completely trampled down and destroyed by the Gentiles.  It would stay that way for them until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled, that is, as long as God had planned for the Gentiles to carry out His vengeance.  There were 1,100,000 Jews killed during the siege and 97,000 carried away captive.  Additionally, the Jews did not have their own country until two thousand years later when they were given their own state in 1948.  "Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" may also mean until all Gentiles were given the opportunity to be saved by Jesus, when the Gospel had reached the entire world.  After all, that is why they were driven out in the first place; they had rejected and crucified their Messiah and God had said He would then offer it to the Gentiles far and wide.  It had been God's plan all along that the whole world would be blessed by Abraham's offspring, namely Jesus Christ (Genesis 22:18).  In a parable in Matthew 22 Jesus told about a wedding banquet that had been prepared by a king for his son but none of the invited guests cared to go.  Some of them even killed the servants who had gone out to invite them.  The king was very angry and sent forth his armies to kill those murderers and destroy their city.  Then he sent his servants out in the highways and byways to invite everyone to the feast.  In Luke 14 Jesus told a similar parable.  These stories were symbolic of God preparing salvation for His chosen people and they rejected His invitation, even killing some of His servants, so He then offered it to everyone far and wide.

(25) "And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; (26) Men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

This is where Jesus's prophecy definitely seems to turn to the end time of the world and His second coming.  Biblical scholars differ greatly on this.  Many say it pertains to the signs from heaven and earthquakes and such that precede the destruction of Jerusalem (v. 11).  That is certainly possible, but Jesus had already spoken about that and went on to say that the Jews would be killed or carried away captive.  Perhaps the signs in the sun and moon and stars continued and such a terrible siege would certainly distress the nations around Jerusalem.  I see the destruction of Jerusalem as a picture of what will happen to the world in the end.  Indeed, all these things related to the destruction of Jerusalem, but as was so often the case with prophecies in the Old Testament, although they seemed to pertain to what was going on at the time, they were prophetic of even greater things to come.  Just as God judged Jerusalem for rejecting and killing Christ, so will He judge the world that has rejected Christianity and attempted to destroy Christ all over again.

There certainly is an unease all over the world at the time of this writing.  Wars, riots, invasions, poverty, sexual depravity, hatred of Jews and Christians, these things abound, but I believe there is still time to change our ways and seek God and accept Jesus.  There are signs that people are turning back.  I have come to believe that God, in His patient love and mercy, gives us signs and even troubles to steer us back to Him.  The end won't come immediately if He is trying to steer us back to Him.  But we had better take heed, as there will come a time when it is too late.  When we start seeing those signs like fiery swords and armies in the heavens, it will be too late; those will be pictures of what is certainly coming.  Men's hearts will certainly be failing them then for fear of the things they see coming from a powerful shaken heaven.

As I reread what I wrote here, I have to stop and say that there is no guarantee that we will see a fiery sword in the sky or armies in the clouds before the end of the world.  But I do believe that God sends lesser signs to make us turn back to Him, and that is a loving and merciful thing!  And we'd better take heed as there will definitely come a time when it is too late:

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near." - Isaiah 55:6

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

While many commentators suggest that this meant Christ coming in judgment against Jerusalem, and that it has already happened, I firmly believe it is meant to be prophetic of the end when Christ comes in final judgment of the world.  Wow!  I just had a vision of Christ in a cloud somewhat like the chariots and armies in the clouds that Jerusalem saw before her destruction.  When we see that, the end has come!

(28) "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near."

Whether it related to the signs of the coming destruction of Jerusalem or to those signs of the end of the world, in both cases, the disciples and Christians could look up to heaven with joy, knowing that their redemption drew near and they would soon be with their Lord.  While the unsaved world will be in terror, true Christian followers of Christ need not fear, but rejoice that they will soon be in their eternal home with Christ.

(29) And He spoke to them a parable, "Behold the fig tree and all the trees."

Jesus then began a parable, telling them to consider the fig tree and actually all trees.

(30) "When they now shoot forth, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near at hand."

Unlike His parables that were stories, this was more of a simple analogy.  Jesus told them that when they saw the trees begin to shoot forth buds and new limbs, they saw those signs and knew that summer was coming.

(31) "So you likewise when you see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near at hand."

Just as they judged the signs of the seasons, Jesus told them to be aware and judge the signs of the coming kingdom of God.

(32) "Verily, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled."

Jesus told them that the present generation would not completely pass away until all He had told them was fulfilled.  That, of course, had to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, which would occur during the lifetime of some who were alive at the time Jesus spoke.  

(33) "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

What Jesus had prophesied to them was most assuredly fact; the sentence was irreversible at that point.  Heaven and earth were more likely to pass away before Jesus's words to them would.  It was going to happen!  I don't believe that is to say that it was always predestined that Jerusalem had to be destroyed.  Had the people not rejected Him at the last, but had come to belief and salvation in Him, Jerusalem would have been spared, but Jesus knew their hearts and what they would do, so assuredly knew what was to befall Jerusalem.

(34) "And take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day comes upon you unaware."

Jesus warned His disciples not to let their hearts be burdened with any excessiveness and cares of life so that they missed the signs of the day of judgment that would come upon Jerusalem, and the same will come upon the world in the last days, so must we all heed His warning.

(35) "For as a snare shall it come on all them who dwell on the face of the whole earth."

Jerusalem's judgment would come upon them quickly when they were unaware as a net might come over a butterfly.  Jesus said it would come to all who dwelled on the face of the whole earth.  While the meaning could have very well been "the whole land," I can't help but think that it was also meant to be a prophecy for the whole world in the end.

(36) "Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man."

Jesus warned them to watch for the signs He had forewarned them of and to pray always that they might be counted worthy to escape all the things that would indeed come to pass.  Historians at the time actually did report that remarkably not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem.  They had heeded their Messiah's warning and had fled to a town called Pella before the siege.  Those counted worthy to escape would spiritually stand with Christ and not fall in the siege.  I think the same could be said about Christians in the end times who stand with Christ, not that they won't suffer persecution, but they will stand with Christ in eternity, and not fall into the pit of hell.

(37) And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, and at night He went out and abode in the mountain that is called the Mount of Olives.

During His time in Jerusalem since riding in on the donkey colt until the Passover, Jesus taught every day in the temple, and at night He went out to the Mount of Olives, likely to pray and recharge and perhaps to spend time with His apostles as His time with them was drawing to an end.

(38) And all the people came early in the morning to Him in the temple in order to hear Him.

All the people came out early in the mornings in order to hear Jesus teach in the temple.  This is a beautiful example of how we ought to begin our days, in communion with God, in prayer and study of His word, to prepare us for a day in the wicked world.