Lukas 21:25-33

The Arrival of the Son of Man

21:25 “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, ¹  and on the earth nations will be in distress, ²  anxious ³  over the roaring of the sea and the surging waves. 21:26 People will be fainting from fear ⁴  and from the expectation of what is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ⁵  21:27 Then ⁶  they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud ⁷  with power and great glory. 21:28 But when these things ⁸  begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption ⁹  is drawing near.”

The Parable of the Fig Tree

21:29 Then ¹⁰  he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the other trees. ¹¹  21:30 When they sprout leaves, you see ¹²  for yourselves and know that summer is now near. 21:31 So also you, when you see these things happening, know ¹³  that the kingdom of God ¹⁴  is near. 21:32 I tell you the truth, ¹⁵  this generation ¹⁶  will not pass away until all these things take place. 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ¹⁷ 

[21:25]  ¹ sn Signs in the sun and moon and stars are cosmic signs that turn our attention to the end and the Son of Man’s return for the righteous. OT imagery is present: See Isa 13:9-10; 24:18-20; 34:4; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:1, 30-31; 3:15.

[21:25]  ² tn Grk “distress of nations.”

[21:25]  ³ tn Or “in consternation” (L&N 32.9).

[21:26]  ⁴ tn According to L&N 23.184 this could be mainly a psychological experience rather than actual loss of consciousness. It could also refer to complete discouragement because of fear, leading people to give up hope (L&N 25.293).

[21:26]  ⁵ sn An allusion to Isa 34:4. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.

[21:27]  ⁶ tn Grk “And then” (καὶ τότε, kai tote). Here καί has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:27]  ⁷ sn An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full judging authority.

[21:28]  ⁸ sn These things are all the events of vv. 8-27. Disciples represent the righteous here. The events surrounding the fall of the nation are a down payment on a fuller judgment to come on all humanity. The presence of one guarantees the other.

[21:28]  ⁹ sn With Jesus’ return comes the manifestation of judgment and final salvation (redemption).

[21:29]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[21:29]  ¹¹ tn Grk “all the trees.”

[21:30]  ¹² tn Grk “seeing for yourselves, you know.” The participle βλέποντες (bleponte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:31]  ¹³ tn The verb γινώσκετε (ginwskete, “know”) can be parsed as either present indicative or present imperative. In this context the imperative fits better, since the movement is from analogy (trees and seasons) to the future (the signs of the coming of the kingdom) and since the emphasis is on preparation for this event.

[21:31]  ¹⁴ sn The kingdom of God refers here to the kingdom in all its power. See Luke 17:20-37.

[21:32]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[21:32]  ¹⁶ sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (vv. 25-26), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.

[21:33]  ¹⁷ sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself. For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.