Textual notes
Abbreviations,
Bibliography
The exposition of apocalyptic literature, both in the Old and New Testament, has prompted many and varied interpretations, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. It is impossible for these notes to attempt a survey of the suggested interpretations of these oracles in Luke. The best we can say is that commentators either take the oracles as prophecy for the first century church, or primarily for our age.
What will be the signs heralding the days when the temple will be left with not one stone upon another? v5-7.
i] False Messiah's, v8. Either referring to messianic contenders leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, or false teachers/prophets in our age.
ii] "Wars and rumors of wars", v9-11. Again, either referring to pre, or post 70AD, and either the normal state of affairs, or signs before the end.
iii] Persecution, v12-19. Again, either pre, or post 70AD, or both.
iv] "The desolating sacrilege", v20-24. Either describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70AD, or Armageddon / the great tribulation in the last day before the return of Christ.
v] The shaking of the powers of heaven, v25-26. Often seen as describing the dissolution of the earth at the coming of Christ = the shout of the archangel, but possibly the proclamation of the gospel pre and/or post 70AD = the shaking of the nations, cf. Isa.13:10, 34:4, Ezk.32:7, Joel 3:3-4.
vi] The coming of Christ and the great assize, v27. Either the coming of Christ in judgment upon Jerusalem in 70AD, or the second coming of Christ in the last day, or Christ entering the throne room of the Ancient of Days following his earthly ascension, cf. Daniel 7:13.
Stand firm and read the signs and know that "this generation will not pass away until all [these things] have taken place", v28-33. Of course, v32 has prompted endless debate.
Be prepared, v34-36.
These notes proceed on the assumption that Biblical prophecy is layered. The Biblical prophets usually direct their words to a particular immediate situation, yet it is quite clear that their words often push beyond this situation. When interpreting the passage, commentators will argue over whether the words concern the immediate present, or are still to be fulfilled in the future. In truth, Biblical prophecy brings with it a depth of perspective. It will address the immediate situation, but the immediate situation is often a poor reflection of a future reality. The prophecies of Jesus are classic examples of this feature. Here in Luke, Jesus is speaking specifically about the destruction of Jerusalem, yet his words also push well beyond 70AD to the last days - the present day onward to the Great Tribulation and Armageddon.
The layered nature of prophecy can best be understood by observing how the kingdom of God has been realized throughout human history. Initially, the kingdom was revealed as a historic entity (the kingdom of Israel), then restated as a prophetic hope, then poorly represented in the restored kingdom of Israel (ending in 70AD), realized / inaugurated as a spiritual reality in Christ, and soon to be complete in the kingdom of heaven. The words of an Old Testament prophet may be fulfilled as a historic reality in the restored kingdom, but his words also apply to the spiritual kingdom "now", and the "not yet" heavenly kingdom to come.
For further reading see "Gospel and Kingdom: A Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament", Graeme Goldsworthy. See also notes on The Kingdom of God
v5
tinwn legontwn "some of his disciples were remarking" - certain people speaking. Genitive absolute participle, which usually forms a temporal clause; "when some were speaking", NRSV. The "some" are possibly the disciples (see Mat. & Mk.), as NIV, although not stated in the Gk.
peri + gen. "about" - concerning.
oJti "-" - that. Introducing indirect speech: "some said [that] it has been decorated ..." Tense of the original statement is retained in the Gk., but not translated. "Some of them were talking about the temple and the beautiful stones and votive offerings which adorned it", TNT.
v6
tauta "[as for] what [you see here]" - these things [which you see]. The temple complex. "Yes, you can gaze on all this today, but ..", Phillips.
kataluqhsetai (kataluw) fut. pas. "will be thrown down" - detached from its place. "Will be utterly demolished", Barclay.
v7
Matthew's two-part 2nd question "what will be the sign of your coming and [what will be the sign] of the end of the age", is, to say the least, very interesting. Rather than assuming "your coming" as the second "coming" of Christ, we need to remember that divine judgment is properly described as a "coming" of the Lord. Stein seeks to argue that Christ's coming in judgment on Jerusalem is for Matthew, a type of Jesus' coming at the end of the age." Type it is, but Stein may be reading too much into Matthew's intention. Anyway, for Luke, the focus is on the destruction of the temple / Jerusalem, although "these things" may have a wider meaning, see below. "What will be the sign when they [these things] are going to happen", Barclay.
didaskale (oV) voc. "teacher" - A rather general term, possibly indicating that, as far as Luke is concerned, these "certain people" were not disciples.
legonteV (legw) pres. part. "they asked" - [they questioned him] saying. Redundant attendant circumstance participle, left untranslated as NIV.
pote "when" - when [will be these things]. The "when" is an obvious question, but Jesus doesn't answer it.
to shmeion (on) "the sign" - [what (will be)] the sign. Obviously, the sign heralding "these things."
oJtan + subj. "-" - whenever [are about]. Forming an indefinite temporal clause.
tauta "they" - these things. The "these things" are still referring to the destruction of the temple / Jerusalem. Marshall argues that the destruction of the temple is properly associated with the end of the age, so "these things" rightly encompass all that is associated with the coming day of the Lord. Bock notes the plural, arguing that more than the destruction of the temple is intended, although the plural most likely refers to the dislodged stones and the votive offerings of the temple, v6. As pointed out in the notes above, Jesus, in prophetic mode, is quite able to address the issue of the destruction of the temple / Jerusalem in 70AD, and do so in the terms of "the desolating sacrilege", while at the same time see beyond an immediate fulfilment of his words to a far greater fulfilment.
ginesqai (ginomai) pres. inf. "to take place" - to become, be. Complementary infinitive, complementing the verb "about".
v8
mh planhqhte (planaw) pas. subj. "that you are not deceived" - you should not be deceived, led astray. Possibly a hortatory subjunctive expressing a negative command, "be careful, don't be fooled", NCV. Most translators treat is as forming a noun clause, as NIV, usually "look out that ...", or "look out not to be misled", Berkeley. For the subjunctive with verbs of fearing etc. see Wallace 477.
eleusontai (ercomai) fut. "will come" - "Appear on the scene", TH.
epi tw/ onomati mou "in my name" - under/upon the name of me. Not Jesus' actual name, but rather his persona. Possibly claiming to be Christ resurrected, Marshall, although better either claiming to be "the Christ / messiah", ie. claiming Jesus' office, Nolland, or claiming Jesus' authority, ie. claiming to speak/act in his name, Plummer. "Many will come claiming that they are my representatives", Barclay.
legonteV (legw) pres. part. "claiming" - saying. "Pretending", Nolland.
egw eimi "I am he" - I am. As above, options such as "I am [the Christ]", NCV, are offered, although rather than "I am he / the one", possibly "I am here" = "I'm here to reveal the secret, namely, the time ..."
hggiken (eggizw) perf. "[the time] is near" - has drawn near. Probably here in a temporal sense, "about to happen", although for Jesus, "at hand" means "is presently impacting upon."
mh poreuqhte (poreuomai) aor. subj. "do not follow" - do not go [after them]. Hortatory subjunctive. The "end is near" message, popularized by apocalyptic preaches in the name of Christ, should be ignored. Life will go on with its usual bumps and humps, and such (wars and rumors of wars, v9-11, persecution, v12-19) are not signs of the end.
v9
In verses 9-19 Jesus identifies the normal ongoing state of affairs on earth, affairs which could easily be used as signs of the end of the age by apocalyptic preachers.
oJtan + subj. "when [you hear]" - Forming a temporal clause.
akatastasiaV (a) "revolutions" - confusions, insurrections, uprisings.
mh ptohqhte (ptoew) subj. "do not be afraid" - do not fear. Hortatory subjunctive. "Do not be scared", Moffatt.
dei + the inf. "must [happen]" - [to happen, become, be] is necessary. Infinitive subject of the verb "happen", the subject of the infinitive is the acc. "these things." These events are the necessary "birth pangs" as Mark calls them, the ongoing troubles prior to the end.
alla "but" - Adversative. The end does not follow on from such events, they are not signs of the end; "but the end does not come immediately after this", Cassirer.
to teloV "the end" - Given the context, the end is the end of the temple / Jerusalem, the "desolation", v20, but as noted above, the end of the temple probably images an even greater "end".
v10
egerqhsetai (egairw) fut. pas. "[nation] will rise against [nation]" - will be raised up against. cf. 2Chron.15:6. "Nations will go to war against one another", CEV.
v11
apo ouranou (oV) "[great signs] from heaven" - Probably cosmic activity, eg. lunar eclipse. "Mighty portents from the sky", Rieu.
v12
pro + gen. "before" - before, above. Most commentators argue for a temporal sense (even though both Matthew and Mark have no temporal indicator), although primary importance, "above", is more likely, "even greater than all these troubles, they will lay hands ...."
paradidonteV (paradidwmi) pres. part. "they will deliver you" - handing over. The participle is probably modal, expressing the manner in which the action of the verb "persecute" is accomplished; "they will persecute you, [by] handing you over to the courts and dragging your before kings ..." Also possibly an attendant circumstance participle identifying action accompanying the verb "persecute"; "they will persecute you and hand you over to the courts and drag you before kings .."
apagomenouV (apagw) pres. pas. part. "you will be brought [before kings]" - being led away. A rather awkward use of the participle here, but obviously serving to align with "handing over", even though it agrees with uJmaV, "you" and not the participle "handing over."
eJneken tou onomatoV mou "and all on account of my name" - because of the name of me. Possibly "for my sake", "on my account, but probably better, "because of the confession of me which you make", Nolland, or simply "because of your connection (association) with me", Barclay.
v13
apobhsetai (apobainw) fut. "this will result" - it will turn out, result.
uJmin "in your" - for you. Dative of advantage.
eiV marturion "being witnesses to them" - toward a testimony. Possibly of the gaining of a good reputation by suffering persecution bravely as an innocent, "it will have as a result, a testimony", Hartman, or more likely, of testifying to those who persecute, "this (your sufferings) will be your chance to tell people about your faith", CEV.
v14
oun "but" - therefore. Here expressing result. "Determine therefore, not ...", TNT.
qete (tiqhmi) aor. imp. "make up [your mind not to worry beforehand]" - place, put [in the heart of you]. "Don't worry about what you will say to defend yourselves", CEV.
v15
uJmin "you" - to you. Dative of advantage, "I give for your advantage .."
stoma (a atoV) "words" - mouth. "The power of speech", Plummer.
oi antikeimenoi (antikaimai) pres. part. "adversaries" - [which] the ones being opposed [to you]. Participle as a substantive; "opponents", TNT.
antisthnai (anisthmi) aor. inf. "to resist" - [will not be able] to resist. Complementary infinitive, completing the sense of the verb "be able." So also, "to contradict." The opponents "will find no words in which to answer, and will be unable to refute what the disciple have advanced", Plummer. Obviously, being able to give testimony to Jesus in the face of persecution is not the means of evading that persecution, but rather is the means of communicating the gospel.
v16
uJpo + gen. "by" - by. Instrumental. As Jesus has pointed out, he brings division.
qanatwsousin (qanatow) fut. "they will put [some of you] to death" - they will put to death [out of you]. The agents are unidentified. Certainly, in ancient societies people had more opportunity to take the law into their own hands, but the sense here may be to hand over to the courts for the judge to "sentence to death." Possibly best not to identify the agents; "Some of you will even be killed", CEV.
v17
uJpo + gen."[all men]" - [you will be hated] by [everyone]. "Everyone", in the sense of universal, seems a bit of an exaggeration, although "everywhere" works; "you will be hated everywhere", Phillips. Nolland suggests "all sorts of people", even all sorts of human associations, eg. families, synagogues, social groups ....
esesqe misoumenoi "will hate" - you will be hated. Future periphrastic: future verb to-be + the pres. part. This construction possibly serves to express the durative (ongoing) nature of the persecution.
dia "because [of me]" - because of, on account of [my name]. For "my name" see v12. "Because of your association with me."
v18
ou mh apolhtai (apollumi) aor. subj. "not .... will perish" - may by no means perish. Subjunctive of emphatic negation, "will never ever perish." Of course, many believers have been martyred over the years, cf. v16, so what is the point of this promise? i] The promise may be literal, Luke, cf. Acts, holds to "the reality of divine protection in the midst of extreme difficulty", Nolland; ii] The promise concerns spiritual preservation, "your souls will be absolutely safe", Plummer; iii] Possibly, but unlikely, "no harm will befall you without the Father's permission", Geldenhuys; iv] The promise may refer to the safety of the Christian church as a whole, rather than of the safety of individual members. Probably a spiritual sense is intended, "although put to death not a hair will perish", Ellis, so Stein etc. Of course, some disagree, eg. Fitzmyer. "The disciple who is allied to Christ is secure (eternally secure in Christ) - despite persecution and the threat to physical life", Bock.
v19
en + dat. "by" - in. Instrumental, as NIV, although locative is possible = "in the sphere of"; "in steadfastness you will gain possession of your souls", Berkeley.
kthsasqe (kataomai) aor. imp. "you will gain" - gain, acquire, obtain. The NIV follows the variant kathsesqe fut. ind.; "you will participate in eternal life", Marshall, not "you will preserve your earthly life", Schweizer. Metzger suggests that the aor. imp. is more likely original, "save your souls by means of / in the sphere of steadfastness." Surely in the sense of "a steadfast faith", following the spiritual sense of v19, rather than "a steadfastness in the face of persecution."
v20
Luke now records his take on the "desolating sacrilege", explicitly tying it to the destruction of Jerusalem. The Roman suppression of the rebellion was severe, with some one million people losing their lives. It is recorded that the Christian community left the city and retreated to Pella, and this in fulfillment of these verses, cf. Eusebius. As outlined in the introductory notes, we are best to understand this prophecy, as with all prophecy, in the terms of layered fulfilment. As the Lord's hand was not stayed from rebellious Israel, so, in the great falling away, his hand will not be stayed from the Christian church. May the Lord spare us in the day of tribulation.
oJtan + subj. "when [you see]" - Forming an indefinite temporal clause, as NIV.
kukloumenhn (kuklow) pres. pas. part. "being surrounded" - being surrounded, encircled. As of a siege. The participle forming an adjectival clause, modifying the noun "Jerusalem"; "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies." Possibly a touch inceptive, "about to be surrounded by armies"; "on the point of being surrounded", TH.
stratopedwn (on ou) "armies" - Possibly "military camps."
oJti "that" - Here introducing a noun clause.
hJ erhmwsiV (iV ewV) "desolation" - devastation. "Abomination of desolation / desolating sacrilege", Matt. & Mk., cf. Dan.12:11.
v21
tote "then" - "At that time those who are in Judea must flee to the hills, .......", Barclay.
v22
oJti "because" - Expressing cause/reason.
hJmerai (a) "this is the time" - days [these are of vengeance]. Emphatic position.
ekdikhsewV (iV ewV) gen. "of punishment" - of vengeance, punishment. A descriptive genitive. The "time of vengeance" - doom for a city in rebellion against God, cf. Hos.9:7, (Jer.51:6, of Babylon).
tou plhsqhnai (pimplhmi) aor. pas. inf. "in fulfillment" - to be fulfilled. Articular infinitive which may form a consecutive clause, expressing result, "with the result that", or final clause, expressing purpose, "in order that"; "so that everything the scriptures say will come true", Barclay. Probably better forming a noun clause in apposition to "punishment"; "these are the day of retribution, [the days during which] / (namely when) all that stands written in the scriptures is to find its fulfilment", Cassirer.
panta adj. "of all" - all, every. Here functioning as a substantive, "everything", subject of the infinitive "to be fulfilled" and therefore, accusative; "that all may be fulfilled", Meyer.
ta gegrammena (grafw) perf. pas. part. "that has been written" - the things having been written. The participle is forming an adjectival clause, "which is written"; "that is written in the scriptures", Moffatt.
v23
ouai "how dreadful it will be" - woe. Expressing sudden danger, TH. "Alas", Rieu.
en + dat. "in [those days]" - in. Possibly "during", "it will be an awful time", CEV.
taiV en gastri ecousaiV "for pregnant women" - to the ones in the belly having. Dative of disadvantage. The participle "having" is adjectival, "for those who have a child in the womb / who are pregnant."
anagkh (h) "[great] distress [in the land]" - need = distress, calamity [on the earth / in the land]. "Great indeed will be the misery in this land", Fitzmyer.
orgh (h) "wrath" - wrath, anger [to this people]. Expressing judgment on the people of Israel, ie. divine wrath. "Great" probably also applies to the "wrath".
tw/ law/ toutw/ "against this people" - for this people. Dative of disadvantage. "God's wrath will descend on the people", Barclay; "everywhere in the land people will suffer horribly and be punished", CEV.
v24
Drawing on Old Testament imagery, judgment upon Jerusalem culminates in the people put to the sward (some one million according to Josephus, although probably an exaggeration) and many taken into exile (Roman slaves), Deut.28:64, Jer.20:4-6, Ezk.32:9, ....
pesountai (piptw) fut. "they will fall" - So, "they will die / be slain by the sword."
stomati macarhV "by the sword" - by the mouth of the sword. Instrumental dative. Probably just a literary allusion, Sir.28:18, so as NIV.
aicmalwtisqhsontai (aicmalwtizw) fut. pas. "taken as prisoners" - they will be led captive [into all the nations]. "They will be led away captive to all countries", Barclay.
estai patoumenh "will be trampled" - Verb to-be + part. = periphrastic future. The construction is probably expressing the complete nature of the action, but possibly a "permanent condition", Godet. "Jerusalem will be completely violated by the nations."
uJpo eqnwn "by the gentiles" - by the nations.
acri ou| + aor. subj. "until" - until [are fulfilled, completed]. Forming a temporal clause referring to a future event, as NIV. "And this will last until", Barclay.
kairoi eqnwn "the times of the Gentiles" - "The seasons / opportunities of the Gentiles", Plummer. "Until the nations finish what was given them to do", Peterson.
"Jerusalem will be violated by the nations; and this will last until they finish what was given them to do." Given the vague nature of this statement it is possible to suggest numerous interpretations. Plummer comes up with six. Obviously, our own view of eschatology will influence the interpretation we give this statement. Marshall notes that Luke seems to imply a limited time of Gentile domination over Jerusalem / Israel. The most popular view is that this is the period of Gentile evangelization, a time followed by the restoration of Israel, so Ellis, Bock, Stein. Of course, this view is partly responsible for the West's unquestioning support for the modern state of Israel. No other state could so easily appropriate the land of its neighbors, subjugate and/or dispossess resident peoples of a different race on the grounds of national security, and get away with it. The apostle Paul does refer to the restoration of Israel, cf. Rom.8:13-14, 12:5-11, and it is not unreasonable to argue that Luke understood his friend's views and shared the same hope. Yet, the Biblical restoration of Israel has nothing to do with the modern state of Israel. It is more likely that the conversion of Jews over the last 2,000 years represents the restoration of Israel, rather than the creation of the modern state of Israel in Palestine by the Western powers. Leaving aside my rather one-eyed political view, "the times of the Gentiles" probably refers to the period of the Roman action against Jerusalem during the years of 68-70AD, while "fulfilled" refers to the completion of the siege; "until the triumph of the Romans over Jerusalem is complete", Fitzmyer. The phrase "the times of the nations" alludes to Daniel 12:7, which refers to God's judgment upon Israel at the hand of the Gentiles and this for a determined period, "a time, two times and half a time", ie. however long the siege lasted, cf. Caird. I suspect this is the intended meaning of the passage, but Nolland's view is also worth considering. Following the pattern already established in the Old Testament, the instrument of God's chastening hand, in this case Rome, having acted with excess, has guaranteed its own judgment, this judgment being "the times of (judgment upon) the nations (Rome)."