Luke 21:7-9 7And they asked him, saying, “Teacher, when then will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8And he said, “Watch and do not be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. 9And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for it is necessary for these things to first take place, but the end will not be at once.”
The disciples were curious about Jesus’ statement that not one stone would be left to the temple. The question that would later create a challenge for the Jews was why God would allow their temple to be destroyed. One of the questions of Luke’s Gospel is when it was written. Most likely, it was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. It that was the case, then Luke could be reflecting back on these events and helping Theophilus and other readers understand that Jesus predicted all these events.
The disciples, like we today, want to know when prophecy will be fulfilled. Somehow, by knowing the calendar, we think we can be in control of our destiny. Jesus gives his prophecy of upcoming events as a warning to be ready. His first response in verse 8 to the disciples’ question shows his primary concern: he does not want his followers deceived and led away from the truth of the gospel and his teachings.
When people do not know what it happening, they can be easily deceived and tricked into following a lie. That could potentially happen to disciples who do not know the truth that is in Jesus. The first problem the disciples would encounter was false messiahs. False messiahs would rise just before the fall of Jerusalem. People were looking for a savior to help them against the Romans.
People throughout time have claimed to be a savior of one type or another. This is still true in our time. Certain preachers begin to feel self-important and claim special revelation. Political leaders claim they have the answers for the problems of our time. All these false saviors are wrong, but people listen because they do not know the truth that there is only one Savior who offers true salvation. Jesus tells his followers not to listen to such false messiahs. The Greek form of the claim of these false saviors is I am (egō eimi), the equivalent to the Hebrew “I am” of Exodus 3:14, which is God’s self-description. These people develop a “God complex” about themselves.
To overcome the potential danger of ignorance, Jesus gave more signs to his disciples that would help them identify the truth from falsehood. The prediction of wars and revolutions is timeless because of the deep human problems of selfishness and sin. The rumblings of rebellion grew stronger in the first century as the Romans oppressed conquered nations like Israel. The boiling point was reached several times, including the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the later Bar Kokhba Revolt in AD 132-136, which totally destroyed Israel as a nation.
The world often seems on the edge of destruction as rogue nations develop weapons of mass destruction, warlords commit genocide, and battles wage in every nation. These battles do not always use weapons like guns and bombs but can use politics and oppression, which can be just as destructive. We may face situations similar to the followers of Jesus in first-century Jerusalem, and so considering the words of this chapter can help us prepare for our own times of calamity.
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