Day 102

Luke 21:20–24 (NIV)

²⁰ “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. ²² For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. ²³ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

What does Jesus’ predictions say about Jesus?

Why is Jerusalem being destroyed? What does it say about God’s judgment?

What does “the time of the Gentiles” mean? (see Luke 20:9-ff for help)

Notes

Jesus comes to tell what will happen to Jerusalem. Actually answering the question in vs 7. These verses deal with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Romans had answered a revolt by Zealot Jews in 66. It took years to finally conquer Jerusalem. During the rebellion the Jews even fought amongst themselves. The living conditions in Jerusalem were awful during this time. The war ended with the fall of Masada in 73 AD.

vs 20 Rome surrounded Jerusalem in siege which was the standard practice of the day.

vs 21 The city was not the place to be. The rest of Israel had already been conquered with some towns fighting and some not. At one point during the siege of Rome the Romans allowed visitors in to Jerusalem for Passover only to refuse to let them leave so the towns resources would be pushed to the limits. The best place to be during the occupation would have been in the wilderness.

Jerusalem before the first destruction in 587 BC by the Babylonians was thought to be protected by God. Nothing would happen to the city because it was God's. Perhaps some would have thought the same thing this time that God wouldn't allow Jerusalem to be destroyed.

vs 22- Fulfillment of Jerusalem's destruction would once again happen from prophecies such as Micah 3:12.

vs 23 The conditions during the siege and civil war with in the city were horrific. At one point anyone caught trying to leave the city were crucified. Up to 500 in one day were crucified. Obviously such conditions would be terrible for pregnant women. It is all about the judgment of God for not recognizing Jesus. It is interesting to note that even though they are to be judged, Jesus is warning about how to best avoid it.

vs 24- up to 1.1 million died during the siege both from Rome and the Civil War. 97,000 were carried off for deportation.

Time of the Gentiles- could mean Jewish strength in Judea would be controlled by Gentiles till God chooses to begin the events of the end of the world. Or could mean that God was now going to reveal Himself to the Gentiles to the final days. (Rom 11:25-26)

A Faith Issue- If you are one who doesn't believe in Jesus being able to predict such events then you would say the gospels writers added these words to Jesus after the events happened. Therefore the gospels would have been written after 70AD.

However, that would put the writings past when scholars believe they were written. Mark is commonly viewed as the first to be written in the 50s with Matthew and Luke being written in the early 60s. Only John is believed to be later than 70 AD by scholars who believe that Jesus really could predict future events.