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Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
  • KJV Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
  • BSB So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
  • NKJV Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
  • NASB But stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

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

Believers should always be watchful and prayerful, so as to escape these things and stand before the Son of Man.

Overview

Jesus closes the discourse with a call to constant vigilance and prayer. To 'stand before the Son of Man' is to be found ready and accepted at His coming. This readiness rests on grace through faith, expressed in watchful, prayerful perseverance.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 23

  • 1 Jn 2:28Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
  • Matt 25:13Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
  • 1 Pet 5:8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
  • Matt 24:42Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
  • 1 Pet 4:7But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
  • Mark 13:33Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is.
  • 1 Cor 16:13Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!
  • Luke 18:1He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,
  • Matt 26:41Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  • Mal 3:2“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap;
  • Eph 6:13–14Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
  • Luke 12:37–40Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them.
  • Mark 13:37What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.”
  • Jude 1:24Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
  • 1 Th 5:17Pray without ceasing.
  • Col 4:2Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
  • 2 Th 1:5–6This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of God’s Kingdom, for which you also suffer.
  • 2 Tim 4:5But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
  • Ps 1:5Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
  • Acts 10:2a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.
  • Eph 6:18–19with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
  • Job 27:10Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?
  • Luke 20:35But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 21:36YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 21:36 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.