Matthew Henry Commentary Luke 21:5-28

"And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, 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 down. And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when these things are about to come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [he]; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them. 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. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name`s sake. It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name`s sake. And not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience ye shall win your souls. But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand. Then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein. For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people. 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. And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; 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. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh." — Luke 21:5-28 (ASV)

With much curiosity, those around Christ ask about the time when the great desolation would occur. He answers with clarity and fullness, to the extent necessary to teach them their duty, for all knowledge is desirable as far as it leads to practical application. Although spiritual judgments are most common in gospel times, God also uses temporal judgments. Christ tells them what hardships they would suffer for His name's sake and encourages them to endure their trials and continue in their work, despite the opposition they would encounter.

God will stand by you, acknowledge you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the outpouring of the Spirit, through whom Christ gave His disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we will not, we cannot, be losers by Him in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous and trying times, to ensure the safety of our own souls.

It is by Christian patience that we maintain possession of our own souls and keep out all those influences that would disturb our peace. We can view the prophecy before us much like those Old Testament prophecies which, along with their primary fulfillment, also encompass or allude to a more immediate event of importance to the church. After giving an idea of the times for approximately the next thirty-eight years, Christ shows how all these things would culminate: namely, in the destruction of Jerusalem and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and foreshadowing of Christ's second coming.

The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove that though heaven and earth pass away, the words of Jesus will not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the physical nor the spiritual Jerusalem will any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles will be turned to the Lord. When Christ came, bringing destructive judgment upon the Jewish people of that time, He also came to redeem the Christians who were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then the churches had rest. When He comes to judge the world, He will redeem all who are His from their troubles.

So fully did the divine judgments come upon the Jewish people that their city stands as an example before us, to show that sins do not go unpunished, and that the terrors of the Lord and His threatenings against impenitent sinners will all come to pass, just as His word proved true and His wrath was great upon Jerusalem.