Luke 21)
1 And He looked up, (The Lord was still in the Temple, showing that this prophetic discourse is not the same as that spoken later on the Mount of Olives. They are similar to v.11, when the Lord goes back and speaks of what shall happen "before all these things")
B8 C x -1. Rich men.
y 2. Poor widow.
D 3. Declaration of the Lord.
C x 4-. Rich man.
y -4. Poor widow.
and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. (See Matt. 24:1 and Mark 12:41. Cp. John 8:20)
2 And He saw a certain poor (Gr. penichros = one who works for daily bread) widow also casting in there two mites. (A mites is a copper coin worth 3/8 of a cent U.S.)
3 And He said, "Of a truth I say to you, that this poor widow has cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have out of their abundance cast in to the gifts of God:
but she of her lack has cast in all the livelihood that she had." (It is people like this widow that make it possible to spread the Word or God, for when thousands give their little bit, it adds up to a lot!)
5 And as some spoke about the temple,
B9 E -5. Remarks of some, re Temple.
F 6. The Lord's answer. Its destruction.
E 7. Question of some. "When?", "What sign?"
F 8-36. The Lord's answer.
how it was adorned with goodly stones and dedicated gifts, He said,
6 "As for these things which you are gazing at, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left stone upon stone, that shall not be thrown down." (They are inside the Temple. In Matt. 24, Mark 13, they are outside the Temple. You're going to get a side profile, a side view, you are going to get a double dimensional picture of these events, because in Matt. 24:3,&c., this is the end of this dispensation.)
7 And they (i.e. "the some" of v.5. Not any of the Apostles) asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when shall these things be? and what will the sign be when these things may be about to take place?"
F G 8. Warning.
H 9-28. Prophecy.
H 29-33. Illustration [Fig-tree].
G 34-36. Warning.
8 And he said, "Take heed that you be not misled: for many shall come in My name (this was speedily fulfilled. It was the 1st sign as to "when" [v.7]. Cp. 1 John 2:18, "the last hour.". Those claiming to be Christians, but they are false teachers), saying, 'I am Christ;' and the season has drawn near: go you not therefore after them. (You are not going anywhere, no "rapture"!)
H J¹ K¹ 9-. The first things.
L¹ -9. Time. End not yet [then].
J² K² 10,11. The last things. Tribulation.
L² 12-24. Time. Before these last. [vv.10,11.]
J³ K³ 25-27. The last things. Great Tribulation. [Details of vv.10,11.]
L³ 28. Time. Israel's redemption near.
9 But when you shall hear of wars and unrest, be not scared:
for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not immediately." (As in Matt. 24:6, "not yet", Mark 13:7. Cp. 17:7. Matt. 14:31. Mark 6:25)
10 Then said He to them, "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: (Quoted from Isa. 19:2. See Matt. 24:7,7. Mark 13:8)
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and things that fill with fear (in medical language = objects imagined by the sick) and great signs shall there be from heaven.
12 But before all these (the Lord goes back, here, instead of continuing, as in Matt. 24:8,9 and Mark 13:9), they shall lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought up to kings and rulers for My name's sake.
13 And it shall turn out to you for a testimony. (Cp. Phil. 1:28. 2 Thess. 1:5)
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate (cp. 12:11. Matt. 10:19,20) before what you shall answer: (Cp. 1 Pet. 3:15)
15 For I will give you a mouth, yes, a wise mouth and wisdom (cp. Ex. 4:11,12. Jer. 1:9. Isa. 6:7), which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. (See Acts 4:14; 6:10.)
16 And you shall be delivered up both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some from among you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And you shall be hated by all men on account of My name's sake.
18 But there shall by no means an hair of your head perish. (Cp. Matt. 10:30)
19 In your patient endurance you shall possess your lives.
20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed by armies (this is the point of the Lord's prophecy, in Luke. We should pay close attention to this area of the world. Jerusalem is the barometer as the Lord's Day approaches. There is nothing of this in Matthew or Mark), then get to know that the desolation thereof has drawn near.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the fields enter into her. (Why get out of the city? Jesus told the disciples that not one stone would be left upon another [Matt. 24:2])
22 For these be the days of vengeance, (quoted from Hos. 9:7. See Dan. 9:26,27) that all things which have been, and stand written (these and no more nor less. As in Acts 3:21) may be fulfilled. (All things prophesied will be fulfilled by the day of vengeance.)
23 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! (spiritually impregnated, doing the work of Satan. He's jealous. What does Christ expect to find at His return? He's coming as a bridegroom expecting a wife. What kind of feeling would it give you if you were expecting your wife, and you found her with a suckling child? You hadn't seen her in 2,000 years. Any time over a 9 month period, how would you feel about it? You would know someone had been very unfaithful! He expects to spiritually find a virgin bride. This is why He puts so much feelings and emotion into it, knowing He can depend on somebody, hoping He can do that with you spiritually. That He can trust you, place His faith in you. That's the person he wants waiting for Him. Not one that has fallen off into false teaching. He wants you in the field and doing the work of Almighty God. Not impregnated with the mark of the beast!) for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath upon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the mouth of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations (Josephus speaks of 1,1000,000 slain and 97,000 taken away to Egyptian mines and elsewhere): and Jerusalem shall be and remain trodden down (by a way that it had never been before. The reference is to the Mohammedan possession from 636 A.D. in succession to the "fourth" or Roman possession. See Dan. 2:40) of the nations, until the times of the nations be fulfilled. (i.e. the times of the Gentile possession of Jerusalem.)
K³ a 25. Signs. In Heaven and Earth.
b 26-. Earth.
b -26. Heaven.
a 27. Signification.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars (the Lord passes over the intervening present dispensation, and takes up the yet future time of the end, enlarged on later in Matt. 24:24-39. Mark 13:24-27); and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Cp. Ps. 46:3 Isa. 5:30. Rev. 17:15.)
26 Men's hearts fainting them from fear, and for expecting those things which are coming on the inhabited earth:
for the powers (refers to the angelic world rulers. See Dan. 10:13) of the heavens shall be shaken. (Cp. Matt. 11:7. Luke 6:38. Acts 4:31)
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then watch with outstretched neck, and lift up your heads; because your deliverance from the tribulation draws nigh."
H M 29. Sign. Fig tree and all trees.
N c 30-. Shooting forth of leaves.
d -30. Inference. Summer near.
N c 31-. Events. "These things" [vv.25-28].
d -31. Inference. Kingdom near.
M 32,33. Signification. These things" [vv.9 and 12-24].
29 And He spake to them a parable; "Look you at the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they already sprout,
seeing you get to know from [experience] your own selves that summer is now near at hand.
31 So you also [know], when you see these things coming to pass,
know you that the kingdom of God is near at hand.
32 Truly I say to you, This generation (see Matt. 11:16. The generation of the fig tree) shall not pass away, till all may possibly come to pass. (Had the nation repented at Peter's call, in Acts 2:38; 3:19-26, "all that the prophets had spoken" would have come to pass.)
33 The heaven and earth (age) shall pass away (cp. Ps. 102:26. Isa. 51:6. 2 Pet. 3:7,10): but My words shall not pass away.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts (put for the whole person) be weighed down with surfeiting (a medical word used for the nausea after drunkenness, from which is the Lat. crapula), and drunkenness, and cares (see note on Matt. 6:25, "drunkenness" of today; "cares" for tomorrow) of this life, and so that day should come upon you suddenly.
35 For as a snare (cp. Ecc. 9:12. Isa. 24:17) shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch (see Mark 13:33) you therefore, praying in every season, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are about to pass, and to stand (see Ps. 1:5. Mal. 3:2) before the Son of man."
37 By day (a parenthetical statement referring to His custom during these last 6 days) He was teaching in the temple; and at night He went out, and used to lodge into the mount (i.e. into its protecting shelter) that is called the mount of Olives.
38 And all the people came [rising] early in the morning, came to Him in the temple, for to hear Him.