Luke 21:25-28 25“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26people fainting with fear and expectation of what is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The passage seems to make a shift with these verses from the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 to the end of this age when Jesus will come again. The siege of Jerusalem could have led some followers to think that Jesus was coming, and so they could be easily led astray by the false messianic claims of certain people. Luke records Jesus making it very clear in this passage that his second coming will be obvious. There will be obvious signs that the end has come
Nature itself will prepare for the coming of Jesus. There will be signs in the sky with the sun, moon, and stars. This idea is difficult to interpret scientifically. The combination of sun, moon, and stars is representative in the Old Testament of the heavenly realm and the sky above the earth. All that is above the earth will prepare and give witness to the coming of Jesus. What these signs might actually look like is unstated here but should be obvious enough to believers that they should heed the warning and always be prepared.
The second major area of signs is on earth. Nature will proclaim that the Son of God is coming. People will be perplexed and wonder about the oceans of the world. In our day, the oceans are being discussed much more because of global warming. People wonder, theorize, and debate about the ocean level rising and flooding coastal communities and even entire islands. Tsunami warnings have been developed in order to avoid the destroying influx of massive waves. People’s fears have not reached the level of verse 26 with the idea that the world will end, but there are enough scare mongers around to warn believers that the events we see today should give us enough warning to be ready always for Jesus’ return.
The meaning of the last phrase of verse 26 about the shaking of the powers of heaven is unclear but there is possible background in Old Testament passages like Isaiah 13:13; 34:4; Daniel 8:10; and Hagai 2:21. The powers could be spiritual in nature. Even heaven itself will tremble at the coming of Jesus.
Verse 27 marks the culmination of human existence on earth as Jesus comes again. The wording of the Son of Man coming in a cloud is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 7:13. In Acts 1:11, the angels promised the disciples that Jesus would come in the same way that he left–on the clouds. Jesus’ second coming will be obvious. The skies, earth, and heaven will all bear witness. His coming will not be a secret for only a few people who are snatched away to know but for all existence to take note of. His coming will be with power and great glory. Glory is an important thing of the gospel message. Jesus was born with glory and will come again with glory. He brings glory to those who follow him.
Jesus’ prophecy should not bring fear to believers but assurance. Those who believe, have repented, and are walking in obedience do not need to fear the cataclysmic events of the end of time because we know our eternal destiny. Even if persecution takes our earthly existence away, we have the hope of eternal life to follow. It is easy to say these words, but when we are in the midst of genuine trials and suffering, our faith will be tested at its depth. Our hope is tied up in the word redemption (apolytrōsis). This significant theological word occurs only here in Luke’s writings but is more common in Paul’s writings. It describes the release or freeing of a prisoner or slave. We are held in bondage by sin, death, and our earthly existence. We may not always realize the extent of this enslavement because we are fooled into thinking that earthly goods provide happiness and freedom, but in the end, they actually only enslave us more. The word here is not something abstract but a person–Jesus is our redemption. He is the only one who can bring eternal spiritual freedom, which also gives us hope and assurance as we await his coming again.
For older posts, click here.