Luke
Chapter
21
Luke
21:1-4
1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts
into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two
mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more
than they all:
4 For all these have of their
abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in
all the living that she had.
Keep
in mind that the things in this chapter took place at the temple in Jerusalem!
Following
the confrontations with Jewish leaders, Jesus saw people coming into and going
from the Temple. Some wealthy men cast their gifts into the treasury baskets at
the door of the Temple. Those were offerings not tithes!
As
Jesus watched, a certain poor widow cast in two mites. That is not a great deal
of money except to the poor!
Jesus
told the others, “Truthfully, this poor widow has given
more than all the wealthy men!
Because, all of them gave offerings to God based on their wealth!
However, she gave based on her penury (Gr.
hysterēma-ὑστέρημα/lack)! She has given all she had!”
Unfortunately
that teaching has been used by the unscrupulous to squeeze more money out of
listeners!
What
is missed in most teaching concerning this issue is that the woman did not qualify
to be a tithe payer. The amount given by both the wealthy and the poor in this
parable were offerings and not mandatory tithes.
During
that period, only land owners and herd owners tithed, and then they paid it
only once a year! Fishermen paid no tithes! The tithes were food that could be
stored! The people in this parable gave money, a free will offering!
Luke
21:5-28
5 And
as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with
goodly stones and gifts, he said,
6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the
which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown
down.
7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these
things be? and what sign will there be when
these things shall come to pass?
8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I
am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye
not therefore after them.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and
commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the
end is not by and by.
10 Then said he unto them, Nation
shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines,
and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
12 But before all these, they shall
lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to
the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my
name's sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therefore in your
hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and
wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by
parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, 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 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your
souls.
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with armies, then know that the desolation
thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea
flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out;
and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be
the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe
unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon
this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of
the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall
be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in the
sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for
fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the
powers of heaven shall be shaken.
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 look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
This
section is Luke’s version of the story as also seen in Matthew 24 and Mark 13!
Those plus this one in Luke are perhaps the most studied chapters concerning
the “Last Days” prophecies in the entire Bible!
Some
with Jesus began to comment on the beauty of the Temple! But, Jesus told them,
“As for the things you now see, the days will come when not be one
of these stones will remain atop another! They shall all be torn down!”
What
Jesus told them was entirely out of the realm of human possibility! They asked,
“Master, when shall that happen, and what sign will be given as to when they shall come to happen?
Many
falsely teach that Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. During that conflict, the
temple was torn down, but Jews were allowed to remain in the City. Following
the Bar Kochba revolt in 135 A.D. the entire city was
demolished and rebuilt in Roman style of that day. And, for the next 200 years
no Jew was allowed inside Jerusalem under penalty of death! Jews could, once a
year at Passover, congregate in on the Mount of Olives to look at the Temple
Mount! That part of history has been ignored by almost all Christians and Jews!
As
Jesus spoke to those around Him, He warned, “Be careful
that you are not deceived! Because, many shall come in My
name proclaiming that I am Christ!
The time is near, but don’t follow them!”
That
warning is not being heeded today! Many get rich saying that Jesus is the
Christ and using that to drain the bank accounts of Christians!
Jesus
continued to warn his followers, “When you hear of wars
and other commotions don’t be terrified! Those things must come to pass first,
before the time of the end!”
Then,
Christ told them, “One ethnic group (Gr. ethnos-ἔθνος) shall rise against another, and
kingdom against another! Great earthquakes shall
happen in various places! There shall be famines, pestilences; and fearful
sights! In addition, there shall be great signs in the skies!
“However, prior to all, they shall lay their hands on you, and
persecute you, taking you
before religious authorities and throwing you into prison! You will also be
brought before civil authorities for My name's sake!
“That shall be an indication of the times to you!
“Be at peace with all that and do not take time to meditate
before responding to their charges! Because, I
will give you the correct words and the wisdom, which none of your adversaries
shall be able to resist!”
Do
you realize that Christ Jesus is utterly and absolutely in control of your
life?
Jesus
further warned, “You all
shall be betrayed by your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends! Some of you shall be put to death!
You all shall be hated by heathen for My name's sake! But, not a
hair of your head shall perish!”
In
Christ Jesus your destiny is secure!
“Due to your God-given endurance (Gr. hypomonē-ὑπομονή) in this matter, you will protect
your souls!
“When you all shall see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know
then that the desolation is near! At that time, let
those of you in Judaea flee to the mountains! And, let those who find
themselves in the middle of that turmoil quickly depart! But, if you are in the
nations, don’t return!
“Because those will be the days of vengeance, in order that
all things which have been prophesied may be fulfilled!”
Some
believe that the “days of vengeance” describes Armageddon! However, I believe
it to be The time of God’s wrath when He rewards those
who have rejected all that he has done up to that point to bring them to life.
That rejection has been foretold!
Jesus
continued His warning, “Extreme grief for those who are
pregnant, and to those with infant children, because at that time, there shall
be great distress in the land, and wrath upon Jews! They shall violently die, or be led away in captivity into
other nations! Jerusalem shall be trodden down by Gentiles, until the times of
the Gentiles are fulfilled!
The
end, or fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles was
also addressed by Paul.
Romans
11:25b that blindness in part is happened
to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles
be come in.
There is a fullness of the Gentiles
and that day is fast approaching! What follows is a reflection of Matthew 24!
“There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress among nations! There shall also be
international confusion! The sea and the waves roaring!
“Fear shall cause men's hearts to fail when they see those
things happening! The very powers of skies shall be shaken!
“Then, they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory! And, when these things
begin to happen, look up lift your heads, because your redemption draws near!”
All
those things shall prior to the return of Christ Jesus! He is our redemption!
Muslims believe that the Mahdi will return when the turmoil of the earth become
unsurvivable! Muhammad read the Bible and determined that chaos must happen!
Unfortunately, he trusted the fake moon god, Allah, instead of the true God, יהוה.
Many
falsely assume the יהוה is Allah under
a different name! יהוה and Allah have absolutely nothing in common!
The
time ahead of us shall be catastrophic! However, while many tell of many
deaths, the fact is that all those outside of Christ are now dead in their sins
and trespasses! And, those in Christ shall never die!
Luke 21:29-38
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see
and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these
things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33 Heaven and earth shall pass away:
but my words shall not pass away.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest
at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and
cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on
all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at
night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the
temple, for to hear him.
Again,
Christ offered a parable, “Behold the fig tree, and
indeed all trees, when they begin to sprout leaves you all know that summer is
near at hand! So likewise when you see all I
have told you come to pass, you will also know that the kingdom of God is near!
“Truthfully I tell you that this generation shall not pass
away, until all is fulfilled!
This
verse is used by Preterists to teach that all these
prophecies were fulfilled by 70 A.D.
Christ
continued, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away!
“Be careful that not to allow your hearts to be preoccupied
with the pain of drunkenness, and cares of life, and so much so such a day sneaks in on you!
“Because, it shall overtake as a snare
to all that dwell on the earth!”
Christians
do not “dwell” on the earth! Our citizenship is registered in heaven (Phil
3:20)! We are Christ’s Ambassadors living on earth temporarily until the New heaven and the New Earth are established!
Christ concluded, “Therefore,
watch and pray so that you may be considered worthy to escape all these things
that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man!”
Each
day during this time, Christ taught openly in the Temple! And, at night He
walked to the Mount of Olives and rested!
Early
each morning those in Jerusalem came to the Temple to hear Him teach!