Luke 21
Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · AD 30 · Life of Jesus · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·
38 verses · 741 words · ~4 min read · ~5 min listen
The Poor Widowʼs Offering
1Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
Temple Destruction and Other Signs
5As some of the disciples were remarking how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus said, 6“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
7“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
Witnessing to All Nations
10Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
12But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors. 13This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses. 14So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves. 15For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. 17And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. 18Yet not even a hair of your head will perish. 19By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
20But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. 22For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
23How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Return of the Son of Man
25There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. 26Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
29Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
Be Watchful for the Day
34But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare. 35For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38And early in the morning all the people would come to hear Him at the temple.
Footnotes (2)
- a v2 Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish coin of bronze or copper worth about 1/128 of a denarius.
- b v27 See Daniel 7:13–14.
Study notes on this chapter · 2
The abomination of desolation
Jesus tells his disciples that when they see 'the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel', standing in the holy place, those in Judea should flee to the mountains. Daniel's phrase was applied to Antiochus IV's desecration of the temple in 167 BC. Interpreters disagree on whether Jesus points to events in AD 66–70, to a future event, or to both.
When: Daniel, c. 530 or c. 165 BC; Jesus' Olivet discourse, c. AD 30–33; Jerusalem fell in AD 70.
Ways people read this (4)
- Fulfilled when Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem (Luke 21:20) and the temple was destroyed in AD 70 (preterist and many other readings).
- Fulfilled in part in AD 70 and awaiting a fuller fulfillment in an end-time desecration.
- A future event: the antichrist setting up an image or claiming worship in a rebuilt temple (dispensationalist readings).
- Antiochus IV's desecration was the first fulfillment, with Jesus applying the pattern to a new desecration.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.
Not one stone left on another
Jesus foretells the temple's destruction. Roman forces under Titus destroyed Jerusalem and its temple in AD 70, as recorded by the historian Josephus. Interpreters differ on how much of Jesus' discourse concerns AD 70 and how much a future event.
When: Spoken c. AD 30–33; Jerusalem and the temple destroyed in AD 70.
Ways people read this (3)
- Preterist: nearly all of the discourse was fulfilled in AD 70.
- Futurist: AD 70 foreshadows a future tribulation and return.
- Mixed: some of the discourse is about AD 70, some about the end.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.