There’s one thing that all Christians agree upon—that Jesus will bodily return and restore his creation, not least of all us. However, Christians do differ on their understanding about how all the details of Jesus’ return will fit together.Â
One passage that is frequently offered as a description of Jesus’ future return is Luke 21. Yet, one obviously problematic statement from Jesus in this portion of Scripture can be seen in his words, “…this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”  While I certainly recognize and look forward to his second coming, I don’t think Luke 21 has anything to do with his return or the end of the world. Rather, the chapter seems to be describing Jesus’ greatest prediction, next to his resurrection—the utter destruction of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem.
The above image comes to us from the Arch of Titus, built in Rome to honor Rome’s conquering of the Jews in A.D. 70. The stone carving shows the Menorah along with other Temple items being carried by Jewish slaves in a parade through the streets of Rome following the Roman General Titus’ destruction of Jerusalem. This image, I believe, is a picture of the fulfillment of what Jesus spoke of in Luke 21.
The question Jesus was answering
We must read Jesus’ words in Luke 21 as his response to his students’ questions. They asked their questions immediately after Jesus told them that a time was coming in which the Jewish Temple would be entirely demolished—“not one stone will be left on another” (vs 6). This was quite a fantastical claim for anyone to make. For the Temple was not only the most beautiful building one could imagine, but it’s colossal stature was the very centerpiece of national and religious life for the Jew. The disciples’ questions then amounted to wanting to know (1) when this act of destruction would take place, and (2) what would be the activities leading up to such a catastrophic event (vs 7). Â
The end of the world?
So that this post does not turn into 10 pages, let me restrict my comments to some of the more perplexing statements of Jesus (though I’d encourage you to read the entire chapter). Verse 20 pictures the great city of Jerusalem being surrounded and pounced upon by armies (Rome), and its people being killed or made into slaves (vs 24).Â
Verses 25-26 match the reality of life under Rome during the four emperors who followed in quick succession after Nero’s suicide in A.D. 68. Jesus speaks of both the heavenly bodies (sun, moon, and stars), and the earth and sea itself as convulsing in fear of what is about to happen. He then says that when it finally does happen, “they will see the Son of Man [Jesus’ favorite title for himself] coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (vs 27). Finally, he tells his listeners that absolutely everything he has just explained will take place within their own generation (vs 32).
Cosmic collapse Â
Jesus was a 1st century Palestinian Jew. His context was the Old Testament. He saw himself as the final prophet in the long tradition of Hebrew prophets (Lk 20:13-16). And when the Hebrew prophets spoke of God judging and destroying a nation, they used language like constellations and stars failing to give light, the sun and moon being darkened or being turned to blood. For instance, Isaiah uses this sort of language to speak of Babylon’s destruction (Is 13:9-10). Why this language? What the prophets were saying is that the only appropriate way to speak of the severity of destruction God was going to bring on an entire nation (remember, the ruling nation then controlled most of the known world) was to use cosmic collapse language. The kingdom’s destruction is likened to cosmic collapse because nearly the entire known world would be laid low in humility. This is because when one nation topples, a new one takes over, and this means a new language, culture, religion, and possibly death or slavery—a new world.
Jesus’ use of cosmic collapse language
Therefore, standing in this prophet tradition, Jesus is using the same sort of imagry to speak of what would happen to Jerusalem. Jerusalem—specifically the Temple—had come to stand for the perversion of Israel’s call by God. Throughout his ministry, Jesus had opposed, warned of its failure, and symbolically passed judgment on the Temple (Lk 13:34-35;19:42-46; Mk 11:12-21). In his commentary on Luke, N. T. Wright notes, “If [Jesus] was right, the present Temple was wrong; if God was to vindicate him, that would have to include the Temple’s destruction.” Therefore, it would not be until the Temple was actually destroyed that Jesus’ words and actions were vindicated and demonstrated to be supported by God the Father.Â
What does “coming on clouds” mean?
“Coming on clouds” is a reference to Daniel 7, in which the Son of Man is brought “with the clouds of heaven” into the presence of God where he resides at His right hand. Therefore, Jesus’ multiple references to Dan 7:13 must be seen as a picture not of his return to earth, but his exaltation to the Father and of his vindication in the eyes of his accusers and critics. N. T. Wright also points out that Daniel 7 was one of the most popular prophecies of Jesus’ day. “This passage was believed to speak about the time when God’s true people would be vindicated after suffering at the hands of the ‘beasts,’ the pagan nations who had oppressed them.” Jesus became what Israel could not become. And he took their place.
Jesus is not only the true Israelite, embodying the prophecy of Daniel 7, he is also the true humanity. And in his perfection as the God-man, he was able to live the perfect life in our place, allowing for a double transfer. He transferred his perfect life (merit & reward) to us, and transferred our defective lives (demerit & guilt) to himself.
Jesus’ bold and brazen condemnation of the hollow religion of the 1st century Temple was carried out when General Titus marched the Roman foot soldiers into Jerusalem in a tragic massacre of its people and a destruction of it’s Temple. Jesus wept bitterly over the avoidable approach of this soon coming event (Lk 19:41-44). Yet, in keeping with the experience of the Hebrew prophets, many of his contemporaries also refused to heed his warning. And we have a sobering reminder of this in the Arch of Titus.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Lk 13:34-35).Â
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What is the danger in failing to understand the Old Testament when reading the New Testament?
2. Read Jesus’ parable of the tenants in Luke 20:9-18. Who does Jesus have in mind with each of the characters (e.g., the vineyard owner, the farmers, the servants, the son)?
3. Why do you think Jesus chose to spend so much of his time teaching at the Temple (Lk 19:47)?
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8 Comments on “What did Jesus say would happen in “this generation?” (Luke 21)”
Thanks, Brent! I always have wondered what Jesus meant here. It was confusing as it sounded like he was saying the end of the world should come before that generation would pass away. But, after reading your explanation in your blog your interpretation made complete sense.
Why do you keep speaking of ‘this generation’ as people restricted to that time period? Is it not Jesus speaking of the Jewish ‘race’? Considering the plight of the Jewish people over the years I think that this passage especially would hold hope for those converted from Judaism in that their people will endure until Christ’s return and their extended families have some symblance of time to come to know the Lord. No matter what they did at anyplace and time in history they were/are God’s chosen people and His love for them always shines forth. Whenever I read this it always seems to me like it’s words of encouragement for the Jewish race.
Dear Brent,
Thank you for your concise and accurate explanation of Luke 21.
May I provoke another discussion? In Matthew 13: 24-30, Jesus presents a parable of the tares. If at the rapture, the saints are removed from the earth, how does this parable which explains that the tares, which are the sons of the evil one, are gathered up first?
To answer question 1, Jesus said in Matt: 5-17, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill”. The O.T. Is filled with pictures and symbols that pionted to the coming of the Anointed One and without knowing the code language, we make errors in interpretation coming at the N.T. with western thinking.
Bill Wood
Stacy,
It may be the case that God has specifically had in mind to maintain the bloodline of the Jewish people, however, this passage certainly does not speak to that issue. The phrase you mentioned from Luke 21, \”This generation,\” appears 14 times in the Gospels and always applies to Jesus\’ contemporaries (e.g., Mt 11:16 & 12:39-45 & 23:36). Without exception, this phrase refers to those present at the time of the utterance. I think we can also look to other aspects of Jesus\’ language here, like his repeated use of the pronoun \”you.\” Jesus was very clear in his grammar and really didn\’t leave any room for ambiguity. Even beyond this, as noted in the original post above, history has revealed to us that the events of A.D. 70 fulfilled this prophecy.
I think the interpretation mentioned above in my initial post is also very important for us to get a handle on since skeptics commonly use this passage to demonstrate that Jesus was a false prophet (e.g., Gerald Sigal from “Jews for Judaism�). Had the events of A.D. 70 not taken place, I’m afraid that Sigal would be right and people would have reason to write Jesus off as a false prophet. However, Jesus’ words of judgment were vindicated by the Temple’s destruction.
Bill,
I would agree. The plain reading of Mt 13:24-30 suggests that the wicked will be judged prior to the “wheat being gathered”–not the other way around. Similarly, Mt 24:36-41 communicates that the unrighteous will be “taken” in judgment while the righteous are left behind. It’s interesting that during Jesus’ earthly ministry his prayer for his followers was that the Father would NOT rapture his followers out of the world, but that God would protect them from the enemy while maintaining them IN the world (Jn 17:15). Remember, Jesus said that “a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those ho have done evil will rise to be condemned” (Jn 5:28-29; Mt 25:31-46; Lk 12:35-48). How does this allow for a secret coming in which only the righteousness will be taken up?
This is not the Rapture!
Matthew 24: 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 ” But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 “But as the days of Noah [were,] so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 “and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 “Then two [men] will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 “Two [women will be] grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
This is not second coming events but is leading up to the Destruction of Jerusalem.
Matthew 24: 42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
You be on alert
Brent: Much is said about the need of the believers to be “snatched up” out of the conflict that will come on the earth. I often look at the Children of Israel who, while in Egypt, witnessed the plagues brought on the Egyptians. My understanding is that they only experienced the first 3 plagues but were divinely protected during the last 7. If God could do that for them why cann’t He keep us protected no matter what may happen? This also happened during the time of the 70 A.D. destruction. They were given instructions on how to survive the coming destruction.
I would like to know if the Matthew 24 chapter is all about the coming destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, or is this chapter about the second coming of Jesus at the end of the age. I have heard it preached at Timberline that the first three verses are about the destruction of the Temple in A. D. 70 and the rest of the chapter is about Jesus second coming. I believe that both Luke 21 and Mathew 24 and Mark 13 are all about the same thing i.e. the destruction of the Temple 40 years after Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. What say you