Luke 21:10-19

Applebury's Comments

Sufferings at the Destruction of Jerusalem
Scripture

Luke 21:10-19 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 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. 13 It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay, 16 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. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18 And not a hair of your head shall perish. 19 In your patience ye shall win your souls.

Comments

Nation shall rise against nation.Wars, earthquakes, pestilence, terrors and great signs from heaven were to take place before the destruction of Jerusalem. These, of course, are things that occur continually in the history of the world. Just what Jesus meant by terrors and great signs from heaven may be difficult to know. But He included them in the list of catastrophic occurrences in the physical real. They do not seem to be the same as the signs in the sun and moon and stars which He associates with His coming (Luke 21:25-27). They may refer to falling meteors or other phenomena that cause men to be afraid. Storms and hurricanes often strike terror in the hearts of men as they think of the destruction that might befall them. But even these things did not indicate that the destruction of Jerusalem was to take place immediately.

But before all these things.His followers were to expect persecution before the destruction of Jerusalem. They would be brought into the courts of both Jews and civil rulers. The Book of Acts gives the history of some of these persecutions. See Acts 4:1-21; Acts 5:17-42; Acts 7:54 to Acts 8:3; Acts 21:27-36.

It shall turn out unto you for a testimony.They would have an opportunity to preach the gospel of Christ when subjected to these persecutions. Peter and John were arrested for preaching the resurrection of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit supplied the words of their defense (Acts 4:1-21). The amazing boldness of that defense caused their persecutors to take account of the fact that they had been with Jesus. Paul's defense before Agrippa is a defense of the gospel rather than of the apostle. The early church seized upon all these occasions as opportunities to tell about the Christ.

Settle it therefore in your hearts.In those days of persecution, they were not even to think beforehand what to say or how to say it. It would be given to them in the moment of need by the Holy Spirit. They, of course, had experienced the same thing when Jesus sent them on their first mission (Luke 12:11-12).

This ability to speak without previous meditation continued throughout the beginning days of the church, but when the completed revelationthe Biblecame, there was no further need for it. See Studies in First Corinthians, p. 243.

And not a hair of your head shall perish.Despite the fact that some of them would be put to death during the perilous times before the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus said that not a hair of their heads would perish. The words that follow explain what He meant. By their endurance of trials they were to save their souls, that is, they were to gain eternal life (Revelation 2:10).

The same thought is presented in Matthew 24:9-13. The disciples were to face persecution and hatred. False prophets would lead many astray, iniquity would be multiplied, and the love of many would grow cold. But Jesus said, He that endureth to the endthe end of whatever persecution he might suffer, even death, during the period that led to the destruction of Jerusalemwill be saved.