Luke 21:20-28 (ESV)

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. ²¹ 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, ²² for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ²³ 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. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ²⁵ “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, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Jesus warned his disciples about the coming fall of Jerusalem. According to Jewish history, the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD was horrific. Over one million Jews were killed. The suffering that took place was awful. Many even starved to death as a result of the siege. Sadly, these terrors were the result of the nation’s rejection of her Messiah. No wonder Jesus was so heartbroken over his people’s failure to embrace him as their Savior. Jesus didn’t want these things to catch his followers by surprise, so he exhorted them to leave the city when they saw her desolation coming near. Clearly, it would not be wise to live in Jerusalem when this judgment came. This judgment upon the city prefigured the last judgment, which is yet to come. Final relief will come with the return of Christ and in the new Jerusalem, just as relief came after the destruction of this Jerusalem. Jesus shifted his focus to the end. The created world will soon signal the final judgment of God, and those still here will feel helpless when many natural disasters strike. The prophet Daniel spoke about this time over 2500 years ago, but when Jesus referred to the Son of Man, he was speaking of himself. He will come back and bring relief to his followers. What a time of joy this will be for the disciples of Christ, yet what a time of grief for those who have rejected him.

The fall of Jerusalem was horrible, but it was only a foreshadowing of the time to come before the return of Christ. Most mind-blowing of all is that the enemies of Jesus who will witness his return won’t cry out to him in repentance and faith. They will acknowledge who he is and they will have no choice but to confess that he is Lord, but they will remain hard-hearted and still refuse to do things his way. This truth reminds us that even seeing Jesus in the clouds will not be enough for those who reject him. At the end, many will remain unwilling to line up under the authority of Christ. God gives the faith to be saved. If you are a follower of Jesus, then straighten up and raise your head! God has chosen you, and your ultimate redemption is near.