Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
- KJV Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
- NKJV Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
- NASB Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,
- NLT Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Nations and kingdoms will rise against one another in conflict.
Overview
Jesus describes the ongoing pattern of war and political upheaval that will mark history until the end. These are birth pains of a fallen world, not yet the final hour. His words steady believers to expect tribulation without losing hope in God's sovereign plan.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Mark 13:8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
- Acts 2:19–20I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
- Zech 14:2–3For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
- Zech 14:13On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other.
- Heb 12:27The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.
- 2 Chr 15:5–6In those days there was no safety for travelers, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts.
- Isa 19:2“So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
- Hag 2:21–22“Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth:
- Rev 6:2–12So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.
- Acts 11:28One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius.)
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 21:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.