Luke 21:16-20
Luke 21:16 (KJB)
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and
friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Jesus knew that betrayal was going to be part of what the Christians would
experience. Jesus knew this first hand because soon Judas was going to betray
Him. This verse also teaches that the family relationship will not override the
hatred that family members have for Jesus. Those who become Christians will face
betrayal by those in their own families. We see this today in Muslim, Hindu,
Jewish families (just to name three) that will ostracize those who have become
saved in Christ. The Muslims will kill that person, the Jews will hold a funeral
for that person, the Hindus will physically attack that person. So not even the
family relationship will protect any Christian. This is something that has not
stopped. The words “shall be betrayed” is one word in the Greek and is in the
future tense which means it will continually happen until the Lord returns.
Luke 21:17 (KJB)
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
The words “be hated” in the Greek are in the present tense which means that that
this general hatred of Christians is always present on earth. You can be of any
religion in this world and talk about “Mother Earth,” migration of the soul,
becoming god, witchcraft, etc., and that will find favor with the unsaved but
the minute you mention the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in another way than a
swear word, you will be ostracized and hated and persecuted. This world hates
the Lord Jesus Christ because He represents the fact that there is coming a day
of reckoning for the sins of man. World religions like New Age, Islam, Buddhism,
etc. do not have a way of dealing with sins so they ignore it and teach
deceptions like reincarnation, so a person feels good about dying and then
coming back for a second chance to make it better. The reality is that true
Christians will be hated by all the unbelievers in the world and that means both
the non-religious unbelievers and the religious unbelievers. You may be
tolerated by friends until the moment you mention the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ or the Bible or Judgment Day, and then you will be out.
Luke 21:18 (KJB)
But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
Since Jesus is still speaking of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, he makes a
great promise to His followers that not one hair of their head will perish.
During the siege of Judaea and Jerusalem, about one million Jews were killed but
the fact that the Christians had obeyed the Lord’s warning and fled before the
Roman army entrenched around Jerusalem, not one Christian perished in this
siege. This was confirmed by Josephus. The unsaved Jews who rejected Jesus also
rejected His warnings and they suffered and died as a result.
Luke 21:19 (KJB)
In your patience possess ye your souls.
(Mat 10:22 KJV) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he
that endureth to the end shall be saved. The principle in this verse in
Luke is akin to the one in Matthew 10:22. When the persecution comes and you are
taken to be examined, do not be anxious at that time but be patient that God
will give you what to say in the moment. Be in possession of your soul and do
not act with fear. The second principle in this verse is that when Jesus spoke
of the Christians that should leave Jerusalem before the siege, they are to wait
until the right time and are not to go any sooner than before they see the
armies approaching. Then it will be the right time to move. The Christian is to
be in charge of their spiritual life in that they are not to make any impulsive
moves but to be in full obedience to Christ.
Luke 21:20 (KJB)
And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the
desolation thereof is nigh.
(Mat 24:15 KJV) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:) Jesus now specifically tells the disciples that when you
“see” the abomination of desolation. This is speaking of physical sight and not
spiritual sight for the usage of the word “eidon” at this point. The abomination
of Desolation will be the armies of Rome because they will be seen in the holy
place. The term “holy place” is normally used in connection with the temple and
tabernacle. However, the term “holy place” is also used as a description of the
city of Jerusalem. (Psa 46:4 KJV) There is a river, the streams whereof
shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most
High. Before Jesus went to the cross, the term holy place or holy city was
a name for Jerusalem. So now Jesus is telling the disciples that when they
physically see. What will they physically see? Luke 21:20 answers that question.
(Luke 21:20 KJV) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then
know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Remember Jesus said that their
place is left unto them desolate and when the army of Rome marches into
Jerusalem and razes it, the temple will be destroyed. (Dan 11:31 KJV) And
arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength,
and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination
that maketh desolate. Along with the temple being destroyed, the Mosaic law
will also be discontinued or taken away because it is no longer needed since it
was only a shadow of Christ and since He came and went back to Heaven, it is now
pure grace for salvation.
Since the time Israel was formed through the 12 patriarchs, they have been a
rebellious, recalcitrant nation even to the point of crucifying their own
Messiah. What is happening here is God is now taking vengeance on Israel for
their rebellion. (Luke 21:22 KJV) For these be the days of vengeance, that
all things which are written may be fulfilled. The principle is given to us
in Romans 12:19. (Rom 12:19 KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but
rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord. So it is God Himself who brought the vengeance upon
rebellious Israel and since He is now dealing with all nations of the world, the
Gospel could not be sequestered in a temple in one small place but must go out
to the whole world. The holy place in this verse has absolutely nothing to do
with a local church because Jesus is describing the end of the Mosaic system and
the end of a rebellious nation. The “local church” has not even been born yet
and will come into existence under the Apostle Paul.