Luke 21:5-9

The Signs of the End of the Age

21:5 Now ¹  while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned ²  with beautiful stones and offerings, ³  Jesus ⁴  said, 21:6 “As for these things that you are gazing at, the days will come when not one stone will be left on another. ⁵  All will be torn down!” ⁶  21:7 So ⁷  they asked him, ⁸  “Teacher, when will these things ⁹  happen? And what will be the sign that ¹⁰  these things are about to take place?” 21:8 He ¹¹  said, “Watch out ¹²  that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ ¹³  and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them! 21:9 And when you hear of wars and rebellions, ¹⁴  do not be afraid. ¹⁵  For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once.” ¹⁶ 

[21:5]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[21:5]  ² sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 (15.380-425); J. W. 5.5 (5.184-227) and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.

[21:5]  ³ tn For the translation of ἀνάθημα (anaqhma) as “offering” see L&N 53.18.

[21:5]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:6]  ⁵ sn With the statement days will come when not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in a.d. 70.

[21:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

[21:7]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ comments about the temple’s future destruction.

[21:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[21:7]  ⁹ sn Both references to these things are plural, so more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.

[21:7]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “when.”

[21:8]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:8]  ¹² tn Or “Be on guard.”

[21:8]  ¹³ tn That is, “I am the Messiah.”

[21:9]  ¹⁴ tn Social and political chaos also precedes the end. This term refers to revolutions (L&N 39.34).

[21:9]  ¹⁵ tn This is not the usual term for fear, but refers to a deep sense of terror and emotional distress (Luke 24:37; BDAG 895 s.v. πτοέω).

[21:9]  ¹⁶ sn The end will not come at once. This remark about timing not only indicates that there will be events before the end, but that some time will also pass before it comes.