Can you please explain about the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21:20-24?
I am glad you asked about this, for as we shall see this destruction took place in the First Century, yet it foreshadows a similar event in Jerusalem that will take place during the future “Great Tribulation” recorded in Matthew chapter 24. Let’s read Luke 21:20-24, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
If you read verse 5 you will see that Jesus and His disciples were standing by the temple and the disciples were admiring its beauty which prompted the Lord to say, “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down” (verse 6). This, in turn, led to the disciples asking Him, “But when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place” (verse 7)? After giving them various signs in verses 8-19 He then spoke of Jerusalem’s destruction and those who survive being taken captive into all nations in verses 20-24). This had its literal fulfillment in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was surrounded by Romans armies under General Titus who laid siege to the city. Some people did heed the warning and fled the city to take refuge in the mountains, but many died and those who survived were led captive into all nations where they have been for 20 centuries. Jerusalem was under “Gentile rule” (which is what is meant by “the times of the Gentiles”) and have been for centuries. And even though many have returned to Israel to become a nation once again there is still a future Gentile power that will enslave them again before the Lord returns to deliver them and to establish His kingdom here on earth. In other words, Jerusalem will be “trampled by the Gentiles” yet again.
In Matthew 24:1-22 we have the same scene before us (in the temple) and though there are many similarities in verses 1-12 there are some real differences in verses 13-22 that look on to the future when Israel has another temple (which has not been the case since the First Century) and very different circumstances are mentioned by the Lord Jesus. I will mention a few of them and I believe we will see clearly that this is NOT the same event as what we saw in Luke 21:20-24.
Verse 13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” In Matthew’s account the disciples asked another question that we don’t find in Luke’s account. They asked, “And what will be the sign of YOUR COMING, and of the END OF THE AGE” (verse 3). In Luke the disciples said nothing about the Lord’s coming or the end of the age, but here they wanted to know when He would “come again to set up His kingdom at the end of the Jewish Age.” He assures them in this verse that “he who endures to the end shall be saved (delivered).” This refers to those Jews in the future who will survive what we shall see in verses 15-22.
Verse 14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” During this time the Lord will use His Jewish people to proclaim to all nations that “the King is coming!” (See Revelation chapter 7 to see the Jewish missionaries who will be used in preaching this gospel and how many Gentiles will be saved.) We read nothing of a gospel being preached in Luke’s account.
Verses 15-22: Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days. And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION, SUCH AS HAS NOT BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD UNTIL THIS TIME, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” One cannot read these verses and fail to see vastly different circumstances that what Luke was inspired to write of. In Luke the Lord told them to flee to the mountains when they saw armies surrounding the city.” In Matthew the Lord told them to flee to the mountains when they “see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Compare this with Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 and then read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 with Revelation chapter 13 where we learn that the Antichrist (the “second beast” in verses 11-16) will have an “image of the beast” (the first beast in verses 1-10) set up in the temple and demand that all people worship it (the “image” is of a man, the Roman ruler over Israel in the day). That will be the “abomination of desolation” that will herald the Great Tribulation (a time of unparalleled trouble that the world has never witnessed). In Luke’s account the “tribulation” only affected Israel, but at the end of the age the whole world will be affected as the judgments seen in Revelation chapters 6-18 fall upon a wicked and ungodly world that rejects Christ. If not for the ELECT (i.e. those chosen to be saved) “no flesh would be saved.” (DO) (647.3)