Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 21:24

"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 fulfilled." — Luke 21:24 (ASV)

The destruction of Jerusalem. The reference to Jerusalem (v.20) need not be construed as a vaticinium ex eventu (a prophecy put in the mouth of Jesus after the event has occurred). If Luke were doing this, one would expect more precise details than the ones included here. The description of the siege of Jerusalem, a protracted event, contrasts with the sudden events in Luke’s earlier apocalyptic passage (17:22–37). There the one on the roof will not even have time to reenter his house. But here those out in the country are warned not to try to get back into the city during the siege (v.21). The vivid description is painful to read. Jesus’ predictions seem to incorporate two phases: (1) the events of A. D. 70 involving the temple and (2) those in the distant future, described in more apocalyptic terms. Since he has already elaborated on the latter (17:20–37), he can here concentrate on a prophetic oracle on Jerusalem. In v.24, Luke again shows his interest in the Gentiles. This verse implies that an extended period of time is needed for its fulfillment—an idea consistent with Luke’s twofold emphasis on a period of waiting along with an expectation of Christ’s imminent return. It also implies an end to the period when Gentiles are prominent in God’s plan (cf. Romans 11:11–27). 25–28 Future events. Jesus now speaks of apocalyptic signs of the end time. The “roaring... of the sea” is reminiscent of Isa 17:12; in biblical prophecy the sea often symbolizes chaos or stands for a source of fear. Daniel 7:13 is the main OT source for v.27 and the NT concept of the glorified “Son of Man.” “Power,” “coming,” and “glory” are terms appropriate to Christ as Son of Man and King (cf. Matthew 16:27–28; Mark 9:1; 2 Peter 1:16–17). This section concludes with Jesus’ words of encouragement in expectation of redemption (v.28). 29–38 Assurances concerning these events. The illustration of the fig tree is clear. “Generation” (v.32; GK 1155) can refer here to a span of time or to a class or race of people. In the former sense, it may mean the decades following Jesus’ lifetime. If this whole passage therefore refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, the heavenly portents must be understood figuratively. But “generation” as a span of time may also refer to the period of time following the initial events of the end time. In that case, it indicates that once the sequence begins, it will be brought through to conclusion without delay. The other major alternative, “generation” as a class or race of people, makes most sense if it is understood as meaning the Jewish people. The point then is that the Jewish people will be preserved throughout the ages until the consummation of history at Christ’s return. (For a different approach, see comments on Mt 24:34.) The conclusion of the discourse again emphasizes faithfulness, with warnings not only against carousing but against the “anxieties of life” (v.34; cf. 8:14; 12:22–26). Luke ends the chapter by disclosing that Jesus taught in the temple by day but spent each night outside Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives (v.37). He is also careful to tell us, just as he did in his earlier narratives of Jesus’ ministry (4:14– 15, 22, 32, 37, 42; 5:19, 26, 29), just how popular Jesus was among the “people” (GK 3295), the responsive group who came to hear his teaching “early in the morning” (v.38).