And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
Parallel translations
- WEB They asked him, “Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?”
- BSB “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
- NKJV So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”
- NASB They asked Him questions, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”
- NLT “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”
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
The disciples ask when this destruction will occur and what sign will signal it.
Overview
Their question prompts the Olivet Discourse, Jesus' teaching about coming judgment and His return. The disciples link the temple's fall with the end of the age, and Jesus answers on both levels. He aims to prepare them not for date-setting but for faithful watchfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Acts 1:6–7When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
- Mark 13:3–4And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
- 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 21:27–28And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
- Matt 24:15–16When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
- Luke 21:20–21And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
- Dan 12:8And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
- John 21:21–22Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
- Luke 21:32Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
- Matt 24:3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
- Dan 12:6And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
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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 21:7 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.