Luke 21:20-24 20“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those inside it depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22because these are days of vengeance, in order to fulfill all that is written. 23Woe to women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will become captives by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
These verses suggest that in his account, Luke refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. The armies mentioned here refer to the Romans who encircled Jerusalem and laid siege to the city. When the followers of Jesus saw this happening, they should take that as a warning sign. Luke does not refer to the “abomination of desolation” found in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14, which adds further support that his focus was more on the events in the first century than a far off future apocalypse.
The early believers should take the approaching Roman armies as a warning to flee the city before it was too late. The safest place would be the mountains and countryside. Destruction and death awaited those who stayed in the city. When trouble can be avoided, it should be. The disciples had enough warning to get to safety. Jesus now answers their question from verse 7, when will these things happen?
Verse 22 implies that the destruction of Jerusalem was God’s response of judgment. The events were predicted and thus would be fulfilled. The idea of vengeance (ekdikēseōs) can also be translated as “punishment.” The statement could also be interpreted to mean that the destruction of Jerusalem was Rome’s response of punishment to the rebellious Jews. God often uses foreign powers to bring judgment upon a nation. God’s sovereignty stands in the background of this verse.
Different groups would suffer in particular and so should be prepared to seek safety. Pregnant women and nursing mothers with small infants would be especially vulnerable. It would not be easy for them to get out of the city. Others should be prepared to help them flee.
The people of Jerusalem would experience great suffering. A significant change would take place for the Jews after this event. One of the biggest changes was the destruction of the temple and the ending of the sacrificial system. The last phrase in verse 24 has been controversial. When is the times of the Gentiles? Some people mark the date of Gentile control of Jerusalem to be 1949, when Israel was granted a charter by the United Nations and the Jews gained control of Jerusalem.
Another approach is to read this along with Paul’s interpretation in Romans 11:25-27 about how unbelieving Israel will be hardened until the full number of Gentiles are grafted in. At the end of this age, the unbelieving Jews will finally recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus will come again, and a new Jerusalem will be created. But the new Jerusalem will not be earthly in nature but heavenly and spiritual (Revelation 21:9-27). Either of these perspectives is far off from the time of Jesus and Luke, and so as believers await all of this, they must remain faithful.
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