Luke 21 and Mathew 24 recounts the events of the last days. The Lord Jesus spoke to his disciples about future events that would occur until the time of his return: There would be trouble times (the tribulation) between his departure and return. During this tribulation period, the church would suffer and perilous times would come upon the earth. The end time accounts of Luke and Mathew slightly vary. To completely understand the words of Christ, both chapters should be looked at simultaneously.
Luke 21.5-7: Now while some people were talking about the Temple—how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God—he said, "As for these things that you see, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be knocked down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign that these things are about to take place?
Mathew 24.1-3: As Jesus left the Temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to point out to him the Temple buildings. But he told them, "You see all these things, don't you? I tell you with certainty, there isn't a single stone here that will be left standing on top of another. They will all be torn down." While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
The disciples wanted to know when the temple would be destroyed and what would be the signs of his second coming and the end of the world. In the subsequent verses, the Lord Jesus addresses these three questions.
Luke 21:8-19: He said, "Be careful that you are not deceived, because many will come in my name and say, 'I AM' and 'The time has come.' Don't follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, never be alarmed, because these sort of things must take place first, but the end won't come right away." Then he went on to say to them, "Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be fearful events and awful signs from heaven."
"But before all these things take place, people will arrest you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. It will give you an opportunity to testify. So purpose in your hearts not to prepare your defense ahead of time, because I will give you the ability to speak, along with wisdom, that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. "You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated continuously by everyone because of my name. And yet not a hair on your head will be lost. By your endurance you will protect your lives."
Mat 24:4-13: Jesus answered them, "See to it that no one deceives you, because many will come in my name and say, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many people. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet, because nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are only the beginning of the birth pains." "Then they will hand you over to suffer and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name. Then many people will fall away, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people, and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
The above verses foretell the signs of the end of the world and the fate of the disciples after the Lord’s departure.
False Messiahs and false teachers would appear and deceive many. The Gnostics arose strongly during the time of the early church. The Zealots also believed to usher in the coming messiah. There are wars and various calamities on the earth but the world has not ended yet. Nations are fighting other nations. There are earthquakes, famines, plagues since the departure of Christ.
Before the above signs happen, the disciples would be persecuted, judged, and imprisoned for the sake of Christ. They would be betrayed by Parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. Many of the early church saints remained faithful even in the face of death. The apostles were persecuted from 32 to 70AD by the first emperors of Roman Empire. The persecution of the entire church started with great persecution of Nero Caesar.
Luke 21:20-24: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then understand that its devastation is approaching. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in the countryside must not go into it, because these are the days of vengeance when all that is written will be fulfilled. "How terrible it will be for those women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! Because there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be carried off as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the gentiles until the times of the gentiles are fulfilled."
Mat 24:14-28: "So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader take note), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Anyone who's on the housetop must not come down to get what is in his house, and anyone who's in the field must not turn back to get his coat. "How terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter or on a Sabbath when you flee, because at that time there will be great suffering, the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again. If those days had not been limited, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be limited. "At that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look! Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!', don't believe it, because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Remember, I have told you this beforehand. So if they say to you, 'Look! He's in the wilderness,' don't go out looking for him. And if they say, 'Look! He's in the storeroom,' don't believe it, because just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there's a corpse, there the vultures will gather.
The above verses predict the destruction of Jerusalem and the perilous times of the last days.
Jerusalem would be surrounded by an army (the abomination of desolation of Mathew) and the city would be destroyed. Titus besieged Jerusalem in 67AD for 3years. The city was destroyed in 70AD. During this time, Jewish people were tortured and forced to surrender to Nero’s government.
This period was a period of God’s retribution on Israel for rejecting their messiah (Luke 11.49-51). Many were killed by the sword and several ran off to other nations.
Mathew recounts the time of trouble that would befall the whole earth. Ever since the ascension of Christ, the world is having hard times. There are wars, earthquakes, wind disasters, famine, plagues, new kind of diseases, ship wrecks, airplane crash, terrorist attacks, gun shots, poisonous gases, poisoned waters, poverty. All kinds of calamities are reported on the news every day. False teachers are deceiving many and they shall abound at the verge of Christs’ return.
Luke 21.25-27: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and there will be distress on earth among the nations that are confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint from fear and apprehension because of the things that are to come on the inhabited world, because the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.
Mat 24.29-31: "Immediately after the troubles of those days, 'The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.' Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all 'the tribes of the land will mourn' when they see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another."
After the time of trouble (tribulation), there will be signs in the heavens: the sun, moon and stars. The people of the earth will be in anguish. People will faint with fear for the forces of the universe will be shaken. Then, the Son of Man will appear in the clouds in all his glory.
Luke 21.28-31: "Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is approaching." Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they produce leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the kingdom of God is near.
Mat 24.32:"Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the Son of Man is near, right at the door.
We must watch out for all the signs that he has given us as watch the fig tree and its season. Then, we will know when he is at the door.
Luke 21.32:"I tell you with certainty, this generation will not disappear until all these things take place.
Mat 24.33: I tell you with certainty, this generation will not disappear until these things happen.
The generation of the apostles would not pass away until Jerusalem is besieged and the time of trouble comes upon the whole world.
Luke 21.33-36: Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear." "Constantly be on your guard so that your hearts will not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, or that day will take you by surprise like a trap, because it will come on everyone who lives on the face of the earth. So be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man.
Mat 24.34-43: Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear." "No one knows when that day or hour will come—not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father, because just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark. They were unaware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That's how it will be when the Son of Man comes. At that time two people will be in the field. One will be taken, and one will be left behind. Two women will be grinding grain at the mill. One will be taken, and one will be left behind. "So keep on watching, because you don't know on what day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known when during the night the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. So you, too, must be ready, because at an hour you are not expecting him the Son of Man will come.
At the end of all things, the present heaven and earth will pass away but every word which the Lord has spoken must be fulfilled. The Lord admonishes everyone not to care much for self-pleasure, drunkenness, and the problems of this life, lest they are distracted. The day of his second coming is judgement for the world just as it was in the days of Noah and Lot.