Luke 21:12, commentary and pictures

Before the other signs of false christs and wars and commotions and nation against nation and earthquakes and famines and pestilences and fearful sights from heaven, Christ's followers will for His name's sake be seized and persecuted and delivered to synagogues and councils and prisons and brought before kings and rulers, with arrest and imprisonment and threats of death and betrayal by parents and brethren and kinsfolks and friends and lying accusations, some being put to death. This was spoken near the close of His earthly ministry plainly and without false hopes to prepare the disciples to carry on without His personal presence as sheep among wolves, blending the overthrow of the temple adorned with goodly stones with His coming and the end of the world for both them and those in the last scenes of earth's history. It was fulfilled in the apostolic persecution in the mock trial of Stephen and the trial of Paul before Felix and in Peter and other Christians, whose suffering gave the Jewish people a final opportunity to repent so that to kill them was to reject Christ as crucifying the Son of God afresh. It has been fulfilled in a marked manner through history and will be fulfilled in yet more marked manner, because the carnal mind remains at enmity with God's law, with the same hatred that cried Crucify Him sending men and women in the Dark Ages to prison and exile and the stake through the Inquisition and the massacre of St. Bartholomew and the fires of Smithfield. That bringing before rulers turns to a testimony, bringing sacred truth to ears that never heard it so that seed takes root and souls are won from darkness to light, even men on the judgment seat embracing the truth and confessing Christ before kings by loyalty to all God's commandments, especially the Sabbath made the test question. In such suffering Christ gives His believing people grace and inward peace amid outward conflict and a mouth and wisdom adversaries cannot gainsay, with strength proportioned to their days so cruelty may kill the body but cannot destroy the life hidden with Christ in God, yet meeting it requires preparation made beforehand with mature faith and thorough knowledge of Bible truth to vindicate every position without anxious meditation, standing firm as a rock to principle and fleeing from place to place when persecuted rather than acting recklessly or expecting the world's commendation.

Setting and Wording

The saying was given when attention was fixed on the temple adorned with goodly stones and gifts, and it formed part of the answer that the temple would be thrown down stone by stone. That answer blended the destruction of Jerusalem with Christ's coming and the end of the world, so that its prophetic words reach beyond the fall of Jerusalem to the final events of earth's history. It was given both for the disciples then present and for those living in the last scenes of earth's history, with lessons especially applicable to the time on whom the ends of the world are come.

The words before all these place the seizure and persecution of followers for His name's sake before the other signs named in the discourse. Those other signs are false christs, wars and rumors of wars and commotions, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes in divers places, famines and pestilences, and fearful sights and great signs from heaven. The chapter is thus a representation of what to expect in the troubled times before the end, and the predicted persecution belongs to that picture of coming events.

The persecution itself means followers will be seized and laid hold on and persecuted for His name's sake. They will be delivered up to synagogues and councils and religious authorities and into prisons, and brought before kings and rulers and councils. That includes arrest, imprisonment, and threats of imprisonment and death. It includes betrayal by parents, brethren, kinsfolks and friends, with some put to death, and meeting false, absurd and lying accusations.

It was spoken near the close of the earthly ministry to encourage and prepare the disciples to carry on the work without personal supervision. What was to be was read as an open book and told plainly and definitely, without false hopes. He knew He was about to be separated from them, leaving them as sheep among wolves to suffer persecution, to be cast out of the synagogues, to be thrown into prison, and for some to suffer death for witnessing to Him as the Messiah. This was told beforehand so that in coming trial they would remember His words and be strengthened to believe in Him as the Redeemer, and with the warning were joined words of hope and courage.

Fulfillment and Witness

Many of these judgments came upon Jerusalem, yet the words were not spoken of Jerusalem alone. The discourse about the temple thrown down stone by stone blends the destruction of Jerusalem with Christ's coming at the end of the world, and its prophetic words reach past Jerusalem to the close of earth's history. The prophetic eye took in not merely the destruction of Jerusalem but the destruction of a world, given both for the disciples and for those living in the last scenes of earth's history. It looks down the ages to the great and final visitation of God's wrath upon presumptuous wrongdoers who refuse to keep His commandments and disregard His warnings, when mercy is no longer offered and not merely nations but the whole world will be destroyed and earth's architecture will lie in ruins.

The warning that followers will be seized and persecuted, handed over to religious authorities and councils and imprisoned, and brought before kings and rulers for His name's sake was fulfilled in the persecution of the apostles and is to be fulfilled again, for proclaiming the gospel brings opposition, danger, loss, and suffering yet does not remove Christ's inward peace in conflict and suffering. This was fulfilled at the mock trial of Stephen and at the trial of Paul before Felix, who trembled as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. Their trials, with those of Peter and other Christians, gave the Jewish people a final opportunity to repent, as God bore witness through apostolic suffering. The killing of Stephen, Paul, Peter, and other Christians was a rejection of Christ, as crucifying the Son of God afresh.

That prophecy has been fulfilled in a marked manner and will be fulfilled in a yet more marked manner. The reason is that the carnal, unregenerate mind remains at enmity with the law of God and will not be subject to its commands, and the world is no more in harmony with the principles of Christ than in ages past. For His name's sake followers are arrested and persecuted, delivered to synagogues and prisons, brought before kings and rulers, betrayed by parents, brethren, kinsfolks, and friends, and some are put to death. Every indignity, reproach, and cruelty that Satan could instigate has been visited upon them by the same hatred that cried Crucify Him and persecuted the disciples, sending men and women in the Dark Ages to prison, exile, and the stake, and devising the Inquisition, the massacre of St. Bartholomew, and the fires of Smithfield, still at work with malignant energy in unregenerate hearts.

That being brought before rulers turns to a testimony. Believers are to settle it not to meditate beforehand what to answer, for Christ will give a mouth and wisdom which adversaries cannot gainsay nor resist. Bold witness brings sacred truth to ears that never heard it, the seed takes root in some hearts, and God's converting power wins souls from darkness to light. Even some of the very men on the judgment seat, lawyers and jurors, will embrace the truth and in their turn confess Christ before kings and rulers by loyalty to all the commandments of God, especially the Sabbath command made the test question as it ever has been. Persecution also puts observers to decision, and those who sympathize with the wrongly condemned without turning bitter show their attachment to Christ.

Endurance and Preparation

In such suffering Christ gives His believing people grace and comfort and steadfastness to endure for Him, with inward peace remaining within His witnesses through outward conflict and suffering. He gives them a mouth and wisdom which their adversaries cannot gainsay nor resist, so they are not to be anxious beforehand about how to vindicate the truth. That promise was fulfilled at the mock trial of Stephen and at the trial of Paul, who made Felix tremble as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. They are sustained by strength proportioned to their days so that they are never tempted above what they are able to bear. Though cruelty may kill the body with threats of imprisonment and death, it cannot destroy the life hidden with Christ in God.

Meeting that trial requires preparation made beforehand, with intensity of zeal and piety and devotion, and time must not be wasted but devoted to preparing for the approaching crisis. It requires a mature faith that trusts God, believes He hears prayer, and relies on His grace. It requires an intelligent, thorough knowledge of Bible truth and not mere agreement with it, with an intelligent knowledge of His Word to contend zealously for the law, so believers can meet searching questions and trials when brought before councils and every position of truth they hold is severely criticized. Personal salvation as well as the destiny of other souls depends on the preparation now made for that trial.

In the grand work prior to the last closing conflict, when the two armies stand distinct and separate and many convinced of truth join God's side, God's commandment-keeping people standing in defense of the truth will for Christ's sake be persecuted, with many imprisoned, many fleeing for their lives from cities and towns, and many martyrs. They will be brought before kings and rulers and councils to meet false, absurd, and lying accusations against them. They must stand firm as a rock to principle and obey the express command of God, following Jesus who bore all this and far more. In all such trials they are to remember that their Master endured the same reproach and suffering, to keep the prize of eternal life in view, and to go on valiantly in the Saviour's footsteps winning souls to Christ. Opposition develops staunch character and shining virtues, and faith, patience, and trust in God blossom and mature best in the shadow of adversity.

The humble disciples must not expect the commendation of the world but scorn and persecution, even to the taking of life by those so deceived as to think they are doing God service. Yet when that persecution is expected to come soon they are not to act recklessly. When persecuted in one place they may flee to another, as Christ did when His life was endangered.