Jesus tells believers living in the last days not to be swallowed up by the terrifying signs of the world, but to stand confidently as victors who possess eternal life, armed with "the perseverance that trusts God's promise."

Jesus tells believers living in the last days not to be swallowed up by the terrifying signs of the world, but to stand confidently as victors who possess eternal life, armed with "the perseverance that trusts God's promise."

 

 

 

 

"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 terrifying events and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you over to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.  This will result in your opportunity to bear witness.  Therefore, make up your minds not to prepare beforehand how to defend yourselves, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.  You will even be betrayed by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death.  You will be hated by everyone because of My name.  Yet not a hair of your head will perish.  By your perseverance you will gain your lives'” (Luke 21:10–19).

 

 

(1)    As I read today's passage, Luke 21:10–19, in both the Korean Bible and the Greek New Testament, I thought it would be helpful to meditate on these words concerning the "signs of tribulation (calamities)" by dividing them into three sections.

 

(a)    The first section is verses 10–11.

 

(i)      As I meditated on these two verses in the Greek text, my attention was drawn to the expressions "great earthquakes" (σεισμοί μεγάλοι, seismoi megaloi) and "great signs from heaven" (σημεῖά τε ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ μεγάλα, sēmeia te ap' ouranou megala).  The reason is that the adjective "great" (μεγάλοι / μεγάλα) appears only before these two expressions ("earthquakes" and "signs").  What is the reason for this, and what does it signify?

 

1.       Reason for the emphasis: Disasters completely beyond human control

 

The nature of famines (λιμοί) and pestilences (λοιμοί): Both in Jesus' day and today, famines and epidemics often occur in connection with human affairs—political failure, war, poor sanitation, and similar earthly factors.

 

The supernatural character of earthquakes and heavenly phenomena: By contrast, an earthquake shakes the very foundations of the earth, while heavenly signs are cosmic phenomena.  Human beings have absolutely no way to prevent or control either of these. They belong entirely to the realm of God's sovereignty.  Therefore, Jesus attached the adjective "great" (μέγας) only to these two disasters in order to magnify visually and spatially the overwhelming majesty of the end times, a majesty that encompasses all creation.

 

2.       Structural significance: A "sandwich structure" connecting earth and heaven

 

The symmetry between the first and last words: Looking at the arrangement of the words in verse 11, the sentence begins with "earthquakes" (the earth) and ends with "signs" (heaven).

 

Expansion of meaning: The verse unfolds on a cosmic scale. It begins with the greatest upheaval of the earth ("great earthquakes," σεισμοί μεγάλοι), passes through human tragedies (famines, pestilences, and terrifying events), and concludes with the greatest signs in heaven ("great signs," σημεῖα μεγάλα).  In other words, this is a rhetorical device proclaiming that the signs of the end will fill the entire universe—from the very foundations of the earth (earthquakes) to the farthest reaches of heaven (heavenly signs) (Internet).

 

·       Here I would like to think more specifically about the "famines and pestilences" and the "terrifying events," which represent the greatest upheavals upon the earth.  The reason is that even this morning I saw news reports of a major 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Japan, and we also never know when another epidemic may spread in reality.  But what did Jesus mean by "terrifying events"?

 

-          The original Greek word translated "terrifying events" is φόβητρον (phobētron).  It is an exceptionally distinctive word that appears only once in the entire New Testament, namely in this verse.  From the perspective of its original meaning and its eschatological context, the "terrifying events" Jesus spoke of carry the following two profound meanings (Internet):

 

a.    Lexical meaning: Terror that drives people into panic and flight

 

The Greek noun φόβητρον (phobētron) is derived from the verb φοβέω (phobeō), "to fear."  It refers not merely to a state of anxiety, but to a concrete object or event that overwhelms people with such intense terror and panic that they instinctively flee.

 

In ancient literature, this word was used to describe monsters or horrific spectacles—things that caused people to recoil in dread or terror.

 

b.    Concrete, real-world context: The shock of losing every place of safety

 

Just as with this morning's earthquake or reports of new infectious diseases threatening the world, these "terrifying events" refer to the fear that overwhelms humanity when the social and physical systems of security that people have built collapse in an instant.

 

Uncontrollable catastrophe: Since this word follows "famines and pestilences," it suggests that disasters erupt one after another until civilization itself becomes paralyzed.  Looting, the collapse of cities, ecological devastation, and levels of chaos beyond human ability to manage—what might be described as a collapse of civilization—will come upon the earth.

 

Psychological domination: Thus, Jesus' point is not merely the individual disasters of earthquakes, famines, or epidemics themselves.  Rather, He foretold the collective panic and existential terror that will grip all humanity as a result of these calamities—a fear so overwhelming that people lose the ability to think clearly.

 

Ultimately, by placing this word between global disasters (earthquakes, famines, pestilences) and cosmic signs, Jesus vividly portrays how earthly tragedies shake the human soul with profound fear before the heavenly signs appear. (Internet source)

 

(ii)       Then what is the meaning of the statement, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (v. 10)?

 

·         This refers to global conflict and the complete collapse of the existing world order that will characterize the last days.

 

a.   Conflict between nations (ἔθνος, ethnos): This points to internal hatred, civil wars, and conflicts centered on ethnicity, ancestry, cultural identity, and ideological divisions.

 

b.   Conflict between kingdoms (βασιλεία, basileia): This refers to formal international warfare and territorial conflicts carried out through national governments, political authority, and military power.

 

In other words, Jesus was warning that as the end draws near, the social and political boundaries created by humanity will increasingly collide with one another, and the world's systems of peace will ultimately collapse under their own weight (Internet).

 

-       Here, I cannot help but think about the actual conflicts between ethnic groups and the clashes (wars) between nations that are taking place today.  As Christians living amid these unending conflicts and wars, from what perspective should we view these conflicts and confrontations?  And how should we live our lives of faith?

 

"Christians should view these conflicts from two perspectives: 'the limitations of the world' and 'the sovereignty of God.'  We must recognize that human political and military alliances can never bring lasting peace, and we must trust that God alone is the sovereign ruler of history.  Therefore, we should live our Christian lives as follows:

 

Reject anxiety: Do not be shaken by the news, but maintain the peace of Christ.

 

Become ambassadors of peace: Reject hatred and partisan ideology, and sow peace.

 

Long for our true homeland: Place your hope not in this passing world, but in the eternal kingdom of God" (Internet).

 

n  Here, when we consider the lesson that we should "reject partisan ideology and sow peace," what does the Bible teach about Christians becoming politically divided into the political right and the political left and engaging in partisan thinking?

"The Bible teaches that no human political system can ever perfectly represent God's justice.  The ideologies of the political left and the political right are merely imperfect human constructs that arose long after the Scriptures were written. The biblical standard regarding Christians becoming absorbed in partisan politics is as follows:

 

1.     The kingdom of God belongs to neither the political left nor the political right.

 

The transcendence of Christ: When Jesus came into the world, He chose neither the power of Rome (right-wing oppression) nor the violent liberation movement of the Zealots (left-wing revolution).  Instead, the Lord declared, 'My kingdom is not of this world' (Jn. 18:36).

 

The issue of sovereignty: When the commander of the LORD's army appeared to Joshua, Joshua asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?'  He answered, 'Neither; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come' (Josh. 5:13–14).  God is not One who is enlisted to support human political camps; rather, we are the ones who must bow under His sovereign authority.

 

2.     We must guard against idolizing either political camp.

 

The Bible points out the limitations of the human values found in both the political right and the political left.

 

The blind spot of the political right: When it becomes devoted to protecting vested interests, pursuing material greed, and showing indifference toward the weak, it comes under the severe judgment of Scripture (Amos 5:11–12).

 

The blind spot of the political left: The humanistic pride that believes humanity can build a utopia through its own power, and the attempt to achieve equality through hatred, are both far removed from biblical justice (as illustrated by the Tower of Babel).

 

The moment we equate the ideology of either political camp with the Christian faith, it becomes political idolatry.

 

3.     Christians have only one standard: the justice of God.

 

Prophetic distance: Christians are not to be blind supporters of any political party.  Rather, using God's Word as the standard, they should maintain a prophetic distance that enables them to criticize the injustice of both sides while encouraging what is good.

 

Peacemakers: Paul declared that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, for all are one (Gal. 3:28).  In a world divided by ideology, the church should instead become a place of peace that tears down hostility (Eph. 2:14)" (Internet).

 

(b)    The second section is Luke 21:12–18.

 

(i)       When I read this passage in both the Korean Bible and the Greek New Testament, the first thing that caught my attention was that Jesus repeats the expression "for My name's sake" twice: "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you to synagogues and prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake" (v. 12).  "And you will be hated by all because of My name" (v. 17).  Why did Jesus repeat the phrase "for My name's sake" twice?  Jesus repeated the phrase "for My name's sake" (διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, dia to onoma mou) in order to impress upon His disciples that both the cause of their suffering and the secret of their victory are found in Him alone.

 

1.       Defining the true nature of suffering (v. 12)

 

The persecution the disciples endure is not the result of personal wrongdoing or moral failure. Rather, because the world hates Jesus, it hates His representatives—the disciples.  In other words, Jesus reveals that the disciples' suffering is the glorious mark of participating in His own sufferings, thereby transforming their fear into spiritual confidence and honor.

 

2.       Defining both the scope and the limits of suffering (v. 17)

 

Even in the seemingly hopeless situation where "you will be hated by all," Jesus once again declares, "for My name's sake."  This means that no matter how great the world's hatred becomes, it ultimately remains under the authority and control of Jesus' name (Internet).

 

-          Here, when I read the statement, "The disciples' suffering is the glorious mark of participating in Jesus' sufferings," Galatians 6:17 came to my mind: "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus."  The lesson I draw from this is that the suffering of us Christians, who are Jesus' disciples, is to bear "the marks of Jesus" in our own bodies, just as Paul did.  How, then, can "the marks of Jesus" that Paul speaks of be specifically applied to us today?

 

n    The apostle Paul refers to "the marks of Jesus" in Galatians 6:17 using the Greek word stigmata (στίγματα).  In Paul's day, this word referred to brands burned into the bodies of slaves or soldiers to indicate ownership.  The following are concrete ways this concept can be applied to the lives of Christians today (Internet):

 

a.       A confession of holy ownership (Identity)

 

Application: It means living with the clear identity that "I belong to Jesus Christ alone," rather than being swept away by the world's values, popular trends, or partisan ideologies.

 

It is an attitude that demonstrates through one's life that when the world claims ownership over us, our true Master is the Lord.

 

b.       Willingly accepting inconvenience and loss for the sake of the gospel (Sacrifice)

 

Application: Just as the physical scars Paul received while preaching the gospel were his stigmata ("marks"), so today the disadvantages and losses that we voluntarily endure because of Jesus' name become our marks.

 

Suffering financial loss because we choose honesty in our work, yielding to others first in a selfish world, and quietly enduring unjust criticism because we are Christians—these are the modern-day marks of Jesus.

 

c.       A love that willingly embraces broken relationships (Love)

 

Application: These are the wounds of the heart and the labor that come from humbling our pride and surrendering our emotions in order to continue sowing peace in a world filled with hatred and conflict.

 

When we forgive others, embrace them, and experience the pain of our self-centeredness being broken, the marks of Jesus' cross are engraved upon our souls.

 

Ultimately, the marks of Jesus do not mean that suffering itself is the goal.  Rather, they are the glorious scars left upon our lives because we loved Jesus so deeply that we walked together with Him (Internet).

 

(ii)      As I meditate on Luke 21:10–18, I am also struck by Jesus' words: "Therefore make up your minds not to prepare beforehand how to defend yourselves" [θέτε οὖν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν μὴ προμελετᾶν ἀπολογηθῆναι (thete oun en tais kardiais hymōn mē promeletan apologēthēnai)] (v. 14).  How can we keep these words of Jesus in mind and obey them in practical situations, so that the Lord may give us "words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict" [ᾗ οὐ δυνήσονται ἀντιστῆναι ἢ ἀντειπεῖν ἅπαντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι ὑμῖν (hē ou dynēsontai antistēnai ē anteipein hapantes hoi antikeimenoi hymin)] (v. 15), making "this will result in your opportunity to bear witness" [ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν εἰς μαρτύριον (apobēsetai hymin eis martyrion)] (v. 13)?

 

1.       Change the "default setting" of your heart (v. 14)

 

The Greek word translated "make up your minds" (θέτε, thete) is the imperative of τίθημι (tithēmi), meaning "to place," "to set," or "to establish."  Likewise, προμελετᾶν (promeletan), translated "to prepare beforehand," means "to rehearse in advance" or "to practice beforehand."

 

Practical application: When you are treated unjustly or persecuted, do not mentally rehearse scenarios of how you will prove your innocence or construct human defenses in advance.  Instead, train yourself to firmly establish the center of your heart [ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν (en tais kardiais hymōn)] upon trusting God's sovereignty and guidance.

 

2.       Offer your mouth as an instrument of the Holy Spirit (v. 15)

 

Jesus said, "I will give you words (mouth) and wisdom."

 

Practical application: In moments of crisis, do not speak out of your own emotions or fleshly impulses. Instead, immediately pray, "Lord, please take control of my lips."  When we surrender control of our speech to the Lord, heavenly authority comes upon us—authority that our enemies cannot dare to resist (ἀντιστῆναι, "to stand against") or contradict (ἀντειπεῖν, "to speak against").

 

3.       Believe that the outcome will ultimately glorify the Lord (v. 13)

 

The Greek word ἀποβήσεται (apobēsetai), translated "will result in," means "to end up," "to turn out," or "to result ultimately in."

 

Practical application: Even if we do not strive to defend our own righteousness, when we quietly endure by relying upon the Lord and answer with the wisdom He gives us, that very place of suffering will ultimately [ἀποβήσεται (apobēsetai)] become a powerful testimony [μαρτύριον (martyrion)] revealing that God is alive.

 

In other words, when we lay aside human self-defense and entrust the authority over our lips to the Lord, a crisis becomes instead the most powerful testimony of the gospel (Internet).

 

·         Here, while meditating on the Greek word ἀποβήσεται (apobēsetai), translated "will result in," I was reminded of Philippians 1:19: "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help supplied by the Spirit of Jesus Christ" [οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν δεήσεως καὶ ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ πνεύματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (oida gar hoti touto moi apobēsetai eis sōtērian dia tēs hymōn deēseōs kai epichorēgias tou pneumatos Iēsou Christou)].  What is the connection between these two passages, and what lesson do they teach us?

 

-       The fact that the same Greek word ἀποβήσεται (apobēsetai) appears in both passages is by no means accidental. This word expresses the powerful paradoxical faith that "the suffering before our eyes will ultimately result in God's victory and salvation."  The relationship between these two passages and the lesson they teach us may be summarized as follows (Internet):

 

a.       Structural connection: The inevitable movement from suffering to glory

 

Luke 21:13: Persecution and being brought before courts (suffering) → ἀποβήσεται ("will result in") → A testimony to the gospel (glory)

 

Philippians 1:19: Paul's imprisonment in Rome (suffering) → ἀποβήσεται ("will turn out") → Salvation and victory (glory)

 

This word does not merely mean that time passes and a result eventually appears.  Rather, it reveals a biblical principle (Gen. 50:20): through God's sovereign hand, the evil circumstances that the world intends to harm God's people are instead transformed into instruments that accomplish His good purposes.

 

b.       Practical lessons from Philippians

 

The magnificent promise Jesus proclaimed in Luke's Gospel is shown in Philippians to be fulfilled in the actual life of a believer through the example of the Apostle Paul.

 

The prayers of fellow believers and the supply of the Holy Spirit: Even while imprisoned, Paul was convinced that his suffering would ultimately [ἀποβήσεται (apobēsetai), "turn out"] result in salvation.  The driving force behind this confidence was the prayers of the saints and the abundant supply of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.

 

Practical application today: Likewise, when we face the "terrifying events" and persecution that come into our own lives, we are not called to endure by our own strength.  Rather, as we depend upon the intercessory prayers of the Christian community and receive the daily supply of heavenly wisdom and power from the Holy Spirit, our suffering ceases to be a meaningless failure and instead moves forward [ἀποβήσεται] into a glorious opportunity for testimony.

 

Ultimately, both passages plant within us the eschatological assurance that the suffering of God's people never ends in tragedy, but through the help of the Holy Spirit always concludes in victory (Internet).

 

(iii)       As I meditate on Luke 21:10–18, another verse that captures my attention is: "You will even be betrayed by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death" [παραδοθήσεσθε δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ γονέων καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν καὶ φίλων, καὶ θανατώσουσιν ἐξ ὑμῶν (paradothēsesthe de kai hypo goneōn kai adelphōn kai syngenōn kai philōn, kai thanatōsousin ex hymōn)] (v. 16).  The reason this verse draws my attention is that I believe internal persecution is ultimately more severe and threatening than external persecution.

1.       The devastating threat caused by the collapse of relationships

 

Betrayal by those closest to us: The parents (γονέων), brothers (ἀδελφῶν), relatives (συγγενῶν), and friends (φίλων) listed in this verse represent the strongest emotional and social security a person can have in this world.

 

Psychological vulnerability: We can prepare ourselves against external enemies, but when those whom we have loved and trusted most betray us and hand us over [παραδοθήσεσθε (paradothēsesthe)], the spiritual and emotional shock experienced by a believer is beyond imagination.  This is one of the loneliest and most painful forms of suffering encountered on the path of faith.

 

2.       A clash of values: The name of Jesus is thicker than blood

 

Jesus reveals beforehand that in the last days the gospel will become the dividing line even among the strongest earthly bonds—family itself.  In other words, He warns that choosing the name of Jesus (vv. 12, 17) may require us to pay the price of losing our closest family relationships and, through them, even facing death [θανατώσουσιν (thanatōsousin), "they will put to death"] (v. 16).

 

3.       The true nature of hatred: Spiritual warfare rather than merely human conflict

 

When those closest to us hate us and deliver us over to death, it is easy to become angry with them personally.  However, this passage enables us to recognize that behind such betrayal stands the power of spiritual darkness making its final desperate assault at the end of history.

 

Therefore, even in the face of such betrayal from within, believers must not respond with human hatred, but overcome only through the love and perseverance displayed by Christ on the cross (Internet).

 

·         Yet even amid the tragedy of being betrayed by those closest to us and some being put to death (v. 16), how can this be reconciled with the Lord's promise in the following verse: "Not a hair of your head will perish" [θρὶξ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ ἀπόληται (thrix ek tēs kephalēs hymōn ou mē apolētai)] (v. 18).

 

a.       The harmony between physical death and eternal life

 

The harm described in verse 16: The most the powers of this world and those who betray believers can destroy is the believer's physical life (bios).

 

The preservation promised in verse 18: The realm Jesus promises to preserve is the believer's eternal essence—his eternal life (zōē) and salvation—which no one can ever take away.  Though the body may be killed, the soul belonging to God and the heavenly reward awaiting the believer will remain perfectly preserved—not even one percent will be lost ("not even a single hair").

 

b.       Suffering under God's perfect sovereignty

 

Within the Greek context, the expression "not a hair of your head will perish" was a Jewish idiom meaning that not even the smallest harm can occur apart from God's permission.

 

Thus, the martyrdom and persecution experienced by believers are not tragedies resulting from the world's victory.  Rather, they occur only within the strictly controlled and sovereignly permitted boundaries of God's plan of salvation.

 

Ultimately, the Lord promises an eternal security that transcends physical death and thereby encourages His disciples to stand courageously even before the threat of death (Internet).

 

(c)    The third and final section is Luke 21:19: "By your perseverance you will gain your lives" [ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν (en tē hypomonē hymōn ktēsasthe tas psychas hymōn)].  I wanted to meditate on verse 19 separately because I believe it is the key verse of this passage.

 

(i)   The theme of this verse is "the final salvation of the soul through eschatological perseverance" (or "the believer's ultimate victory over tribulation").  This verse is the master key that enables believers to overcome all the cosmic disasters described in verses 10–11 and the severe external and internal persecutions described in verses 12–18.  It also serves as the grand conclusion of Jesus' discourse concerning the tribulation.  According to an AI summary based on the deeper meaning of the original Greek, there are three reasons why this verse is central.

 

1.       "Perseverance" [ὑπομονή (hypomonē)]: Not passive endurance but active steadfastness

 

Meaning in the original language: The word combines "under" (ὑπό) and "to remain" (μένω). It does not describe the silent endurance of a helpless victim.

 

Practical meaning: Because believers trust God's promise (v. 18) completely, they remain firmly in the place of faith they are called to occupy, refusing to abandon it no matter how overwhelming the waves become. It describes steadfast spiritual determination that continues moving forward.

 

2.       "Gain" [κτήσασθε (ktēsasthe)]: Taking possession of a victory already secured

 

Meaning in the original language: This is the imperative (or an imperative carrying future certainty) of κτάομαι (ktaomai), meaning "to acquire," "to obtain," or "to make one's own."

 

Practical meaning: This perseverance is not a blind gamble. Rather, it is the process of taking possession in one's own life of the victory and eternal life already secured in Jesus Christ by continuing steadfastly in faith until the end.

 

3.       "Souls" [ψυχάς (psychas)]: The eternal self that cannot be shaken

 

The world may shake and destroy our bodies and our circumstances, but the deepest inner being of the persevering believer and his eternal life are brought to perfect completion in the hands of Christ.

Ultimately, through this one verse Jesus proclaims to believers living in the last days that they must not be overwhelmed by the terrifying signs of the world, but should stand boldly as victors possessing eternal life, armed with the weapon of perseverance that trusts God's promises (Internet).