I suggested to you in the last Gem that you attempt to divide this large segment from Luke 21 yourself. I don’t know what you came up with; no one has shared their division with me. Here is what I have come up with for the way that I will approach the Gems over the coming days.
Some of His disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”
Luke 21:5-7
- Luk 21:8 He replied,”Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.
- Luk 21:9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”
- Luk 21:10 Then He added,”Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
- Luk 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.
- Luk 21:12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are My followers.
- Luk 21:13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about Me.
- Luk 21:14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you,
- Luk 21:15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
- Luk 21:16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you.
- Luk 21:17 And everyone will hate you because you are My followers.
- Luk 21:18 But not a hair of your head will perish!
- Luk 21:19 By standing firm, you will win your souls.
- Luk 21:20 “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.
- Luk 21:21 Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city.
- Luk 21:22 For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.
- Luk 21:23 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people.
- Luk 21:24 They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.
- Luk 21:25 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.
- Luk 21:26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
- Luk 21:27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.
- Luk 21:28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
- Luk 21:29 Then He gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree.
- Luk 21:30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near.
- Luk 21:31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.
- Luk 21:32 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place.
- Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth will disappear, but My words will never disappear.
- Luk 21:34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
- Luk 21:35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
- Luk 21:36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
- Luk 21:37 Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening He returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.
- Luk 21:38 The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear Him.
I have divided the segments for Gems as I have shown you above. I would suggest you look at what makes those segments hang together. Why have I made the divisions in those places? But also bear in mind, that these divisions are only to help me work with manageable units of this chapter. It ought to be very clear to you that these verses constitute a unified package of thought, all related to future events. Note carefully, how the passage is structured and moves from one unit to the next. One of the reasons why I have divided it into segments, even though this is a single Sense Unit, is that it makes it easier for us to understand it, if we break it in to bite sized chunks.
- Luk 21:5 Some of His disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said,
- Luk 21:6 “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
- Luk 21:7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”
Let’s examine the opening few verses now:
When we contrast the accounts across the Synoptic Gospels, we can see Mark and Luke return to the use of the “stones theme”. Luke’s account makes the link . . . while this was happening Jesus makes comment about their attraction to the splendour of the Temple, with reference to the stones they are looking at.They were looking at the massive marble stones, some weighing up to 400 tons. Josephus records that some of the stones were 45 cubits long. They were impressed by the size of the stones and the ornateness of the decorations. There were some stones that were ornately carved which had been gifted by wealthy people. The disciples were captivated by the beauty of the Temple. The columns of the cloister and portico were over 45 feet high. The entrance to the Temple was adorned with a golden grapevine laden with grapes symbolizing Israel. Jesus, it seems, is not looking at the beauty of the Temple at all. He is looking at the inner beauty (spirituality) of the widow. As Mark’s version tells us, they say to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings.” The huge marble stones were remarkable, but Jesus reminds them of something He has told them before. Luke’s inclusion of, “As for these things you are looking at”, continues the contrast between what the disciples have been looking at and what Jesus has been observing with the woman’s offering. Then He makes the statement: “the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down. “We have heard this before. Jesus is repeating the same prophetic statement He has told them before.
“Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”
Luke 19:44
You can almost hear them saying, “How could that be? How could anyone destroy this Temple and leave no stone upon another? It’s impossible.” That is a shocking prophecy to the ears of those who were expecting the consummation of the Kingdom of God, with Jesus entry into Jerusalem. Remember, He makes this same statement the first time, in the midst of the Triumphal Entry. Now here it is again. This must have set them thinking for a while. Mark tells us that the question relating to when these things would happen, was asked when they were sitting on the Mount of Olives. The question has been stirring within them. Now they bring it out.
Note, there are two elements to the question:
- When will these things happen?
- What will be the signs that the event is drawing close?
Jesus ignores the first question and proceeds to answer the second question. It is like the assumption is that God will always show His hand, or telegraph what He is about to do, with signs and wonders. But hang on a moment. Hasn’t that happened already with the coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem? That was timed to perfection but the disciples didn’t click to what was happening. Clearly, they thought they would be around to see the following events unfolding. The following segments make up the answer to their question. Keep your wits about you as we work through this chapter.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Anon
Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
Anon
We cannot truly face life until we face the fact that it will be taken away from us.
Billy Graham
We will be held accountable not so much for what we do, but for what God has ASKED us to do.
Anon