Luke 21 Bible Commentary

21:1  And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury¹. OBSERVING THE OFFERINGS AND WIDOW'S MITES. (In the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4
And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury. See Mark 12:41.

21:2  And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites¹.
And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. See Mark 12:42.

21:3  And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all¹:
This poor widow cast in more than they all. See Mark 12:43.

21:4  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 had¹.
But she of her want did cast in all the living that she had. See Mark 12:44.

21:5  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings¹, he said, DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM FORETOLD. Matthew 24:1-28; Mark 13:1-23; Luke 21:5-24
And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings. See Mark 13:1.

21:6  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 down¹.
There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. See Mark 13:2.

21:7  And they asked him¹, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when these things are about to come to pass?
And they asked him. See Mark 13:3.
Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when these things are about to come to pass? See Mark 13:4.

21:8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [he]¹; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [he]. See Mark 13:6.

21:9  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.
And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults . . . the end is not immediately. See Mark 13:7.

21:11  and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences¹; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven.
And there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences. See Mark 13:8.

21:12  But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you¹, delivering you up to the synagogues² and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name's sake.
They shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, etc. See Mark 13:9.
To the synagogues. See Mark 1:39.

21:15  for I will give you a mouth and wisdom¹, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay.
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom. See Mark 13:11.

21:16  But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren¹, and kinsfolk, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.
But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, etc. See Mark 13:12.

21:17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake¹.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. See Mark 13:13.

21:18  And not a hair of your head shall perish¹.
And not a hair of your head shall perish. The previous verses show that this promise is spiritual. The destruction of a saint's body would work no real injury to him.

21:19  In your patience ye shall win your souls¹.
In your patience ye shall win your souls. The Christian's battle is won by endurance and not by violence, and he that can patiently hold out unto the end can, by the grace of God, save his soul.

21:21  Then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out¹; and let not them that are in the country enter therein.
And let them that are in the midst of her depart out. Jerusalem.

21:22  For¹ these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled².
For. This word introduces the reason for such hot haste.
These are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Deuteronomy 28:49-57; Daniel 9:26,27; Daniel 12:1,11; Joel 2:2.

21:23  Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days¹! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people².
Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! See Mark 13:17.
For there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people. The city of Jerusalem was divinely sentenced to punishment for her sins.

¹21:24  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 fulfilled².
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. According to Josephus, 1,100,000 perished during the siege, and 97,000 were taken captive. Of these latter, many were tortured and slain, being crucified, as he tell us, till "room was wanted for the crosses, and crosses wanted for the bodies".
Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. By comparing this passage with Romans 11:1-36, we find that the times of the Gentiles signify that period wherein the church is made up of Gentiles to the almost exclusion of the Jews. The same chapter shows that this period is to be followed by one wherein the Jew and the Gentile unite together in proclaiming the gospel. This prophecy, therefore, declares that until this union of the Jew and the Gentile takes place, the city of Jerusalem shall not only be controlled by the Gentiles, but shall be trodden under foot--that is, opposed--by them. The history of Jerusalem, to this day, is a striking fulfillment of this prophecy.

21:25  And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars¹; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows²; THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. Matthew 24:29-51; Mark 13:24-37; Luke 21:25-37
And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars. We can conceive of nothing which would produce greater mental distress or perplexity than changes in the position or condition of the heavenly bodies.
In perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows. Such changes will be followed by corresponding commotions on our planet, as, for instance, great tidal waves and vast agitation in the ocean.

21:26  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.
For the powers of heavens shall be shaken. See Mark 13:25.

21:28  But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh¹.
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh. The preliminary death-throes of this present physical universe, which will strike terror to the souls of those who have limited themselves to material hopes, will be to the Christian a reassuring sign, since he looks for a new heaven and a new earth.

21:29  And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig tree, and all the trees¹: Luke 21:29-31
Behold the fig tree, and all the trees. See Mark 13:28.

21:32  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished¹.
This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished. See Mark 13:30.

21:35  for [so] shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth¹.
For [so] shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. The image of a snare is that of a net which suddenly encloses a covey of birds as they feed in seeming safety. The warnings here given are applicable to our appearing before Christ whether he comes to meet us, or we depart from this life to meet him. The result is the same, whether he comes and finds us unprepared or whether we go hence without preparation.

21:36  But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass¹, and to stand before the Son of man².
But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass. The revealed presence of God is represented as such an overpowering event that sinners are crushed to the earth by it.
And to stand before the Son of man. Only the godly are able to stand in his presence (Psalms 1:5; Malachi 3:2).

21:37  And every day he was teaching in the temple¹; and every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet². FINDING THE FIG-TREE WITHERED. (Road from Bethany to Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Matthew 21:20-22; Mark 11:19-25; Luke 21:37,38
And every day he was teaching in the temple. He was there Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, but he seems to have spent Wednesday and Thursday in Bethany.
And every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet. As Bethany was on the Mount of Olives, this statement leaves us free to suppose that he spent his nights there, but it is not likely that he retired to any one house or place continuously, for had he done so the rulers could easily have ascertained his whereabouts and arrested him.

21:38  And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple¹, to hear him.
And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple,
to hear him. The enthusiasm of the triumphal entry did not die out in a day. Jesus was still the center of observation.