Luke 21: Staying Awake and Escaping

Question:

1. What did Jesus say would happen before the destruction of the Second Temple?

   1. Jerusalem will be surrounded by its enemies.

   2. All His disciples will be persecuted, and some will be killed.

   3. Wars, famines, and earthquakes will occur

   4. All of the above

      
      

Once again, starting at the end of the chapter will help us understand the theme the Holy Spirit created for this passage.

“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36 ESV)

The most unique and important instructions from the Lord come with a great promise in chapter 21. There is something that we may “have the strength to escape” if we “stay awake.”

Much of the Bible is spoken in a metaphorical style. This isn’t talking about being literally asleep. God isn’t expecting us to stay awake all night because we know something is going to happen. To be awake means to be spiritually alert, aware, and active through the connection and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We see this definition in this scripture:

And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight. (Revelation 3:1-2 ESV)

Every church in Revelation is addressed with what they need to be aware of. The Sardis church needs to recognize the Holy Spirit and God’s angels, who are the “stars” as defined in Revelation 1:20. If we are not aware of activity in the spiritual realm, like angels, if we are not spiritually active through the Holy Spirit, then we are asleep and on our way to being spiritually dead. Being “dead” is what God calls those who are not going to Heaven!

Do you want to avoid the most terrible time on Earth? Then we need to be spiritually awake. The Lord gives us some great clues about how to do that in this chapter!

The Holy Spirit leads Luke to include the prophecies from Jesus about the future of Israel and His return between two other items. Let’s take a brief look at those prophecies. After Jesus says the Temple will be destroyed, the disciples ask when it will happen.

And He said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:8-11 ESV)

These things will happen before Jerusalem is destroyed, but is that all that will happen? Let’s keep reading.

But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. (Luke 21:12-16 ESV Strong’s)

Luke adds that before these happen, many of the disciples will be killed after they give testimony before the kings and governors. When our calling requires us to give our lives for the Kingdom of Heaven, God always warns us in advance. Both Paul and Peter spoke about the time getting close for their removal from the earth, so if that is our fate for our service to the Lord, He will let us know! This prophecy also promises us that Jesus will supply us with wisdom as we need it!

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. (Luke 21:20-23 ESV)

This description sounds similar to the one in Matthew, but it isn’t exactly the same. Jesus is answering their question about when the Temple will be destroyed, which happened in 60-70 AD. We know this by what follows this description.

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will e trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24 ESV)

ANSWER: D

Every item mentioned came to pass before the Temple was destroyed. All of the disciples were persecuted, and some were killed; there were wars, famines, and earthquakes. Then, the final fall of Israel occurred as they were surrounded by their enemies. This is not referring to Jesus’ return to rule and reign. The purpose of these events is so that the Gentiles, those with no relationship to God, will have a period of time to receive salvation through Jesus.

Question:

2. Will the coming of the Lord be a surprise to everyone?

   1. Yes, it will come like a “thief in the night.”

   2. No, it will not be a surprise if you are “awake.”

The prophecies from Jesus continue from here, stating what we have already discussed at length in Matthew 24, where more details are given.

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21:25-26 ESV)

There is very little information about what happens after the fall of Jerusalem and before the return of Jesus. The one fact we have is that it will be so bad that people will be fainting with fear for what they know will happen as “the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This may refer to one of the seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation, which describes the exact effects of meteors hitting the land and an asteroid hitting the ocean. Yes, 2000 years ago, the Apostle John accurately described what science now confirms as the outcome of impacts of heavenly objects upon the earth. Our Lord continues to give us instructions:

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28 ESV)

Jesus is saying that His followers will be on the earth when these events “begin to take place!” If you have been told that all Christians will be removed before the seals of Revelation are broken and before the trumpets are sounded, you may want to look at the free classes at the Living Word: Seals and Trumpets.

There will be events that will cause the world to panic, but we should not. Yes, these fearsome circumstances will “begin to take place” while we are still on the Earth, but it also means the Second Coming is at hand! The interesting aspect of this recounting of Jesus’ prophecies about the future is what precedes and follows them, because it shows us how to escape some of the worst of it. The chapter opens with Jesus commenting on an event at the Temple:

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4 ESV)

What does giving offerings to God have to do with the destruction of the Temple and the second coming of Jesus? The Lord makes it clear that it isn’t the amount of the offering given to God, because the widow’s greater offering was the smallest amount of money. The greatest gifts to God are connected to the percentage of your income. When you give so much that it takes away some of your necessities or luxuries, well, that means more, even if it is a very small amount. Now let’s look at what follows the prophecies about the return of Jesus:

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36 ESV)

ANSWER: B

After the prophecies about what must occur before He returns, Jesus warns people to be careful lest the day come upon them like a “trap,” that is, something sudden, without warning. This means it won’t be a surprise to some! Paul confirms this answer:

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 ESV)

Paul wasn’t there when Jesus spoke about being awake, but the Holy Spirit brought him the same words. He encourages Christians to be “awake” and “sober,” so the return of the Lord will not be like a thief in the night. Three things will cause the second coming to appear like a thief in the night, catching you unaware: Drunkenness, cares of the world, and dissipation.

Drunkenness is a known and regular practice of sinning, and it is overindulging in the luxuries of this world until your senses are dulled. It isn’t getting drunk just once. Drunkenness is getting drunk regularly, like every week. When we invest our time in escaping this world or the pleasures of it and neglect the things of God…well, that is an issue!

Cares of this life are another reason. “Life happens!” There are things that happen to each one of us. How we react is what is important. Do we run to God and seek His help, His solution? Or do we get all wrapped up in problems, worries, or just everyday happenings? If we focus on what is happening in this life and put that above God, not only will we not be “awake,” but it will even snatch salvation out of our lives, according to a parable Jesus gives about seeds sown, which describes this very thing.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22 ESV)

The “word” is the gospel message through which we hear about Jesus and are saved. If our focus is on the cares of this world and money, we can be unfruitful for the kingdom of Heaven, and the gospel is “choked” out and dies. We can see a correlation to the widow and the rich people here, as the topic is how much we are focusing on riches compared to God.

Dissipation was the final behavior that can keep us from being awake, and it was the very first behavior that Luke mentioned. It connects the first and last points of this chapter firmly together. It means the squandering of money, energy, or resources. In simple terms, wasting money and resources, including our time, instead of putting them to good use.

The widow’s focus was on God. She didn’t have enough to survive on, so she gave it all she had to God. This is a passion for God above all else. The rich gave a large sum, but he still had plenty to do with what he wanted: they were known for doing what they wanted, despite what the word of God says. Look at it this way: The widow was “all in;” she held nothing back. The rich gave and made sure people knew he was giving a lot: it was about getting recognition for himself.

There is an old saying, “money doesn't lie,” which means that people may hide their true intentions or character. How they handle wealth reveals their real values, priorities, and even their true selves, showing what they value most through their spending, generosity, or greed. This is echoed through scripture:

If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? (1 Corinthians 9:11 ESV)

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:6-8 ESV)

Paul is teaching those new to God’s ways, though Jesus didn’t need to tell those he sent His disciples to. When He sent them out, they were to freely give what they had received from God, including teaching, prayer, deliverance, and healing. The Jewish people knew that if they received from God something of a spiritual value, they were expected to give back. This is one of the applications of “reaping and sowing.” When you receive something from God of spiritual value, you give back according to how much it was worth to you. The widow gave everything she had out of gratitude for being one of God’s children!

What is the state of your heart? Are you awake and ready for the return of the Lord? How can you escape some of what is coming? Do you know what signs to look for? The Living Word at RebeccaLynnHardy.com has free classes based on the Book of Revelation and Daniel, so you know the signs to look for, because our Lord is knocking on the door!