And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Parallel translations
- WEB “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand.
- BSB But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near.
- 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 shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
- Dan 9:27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
- Mark 13:14But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
- Luke 21:7And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
- Matt 24:15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him 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.