But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near.
Parallel translations
- WEB “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand.
- KJV And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
- NKJV “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.
- NASB “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.
- NLT “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.
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
When Jerusalem is surrounded by armies, its coming destruction is near.
Overview
Jesus gives a concrete sign pointing especially to the city's fall in AD 70. The encircling Roman armies would signal that judgment had arrived. This grounds His prophecy in real history while also foreshadowing final judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Luke 19:43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.
- Dan 9:27And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”
- Mark 13:14So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
- Luke 21:7“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
- Matt 24:15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 21:20 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.