Luke 21:10-11

Luke’s interruption of Jesus’ teaching suggests a break of some kind in His thought. It seems clear from what follows, in Luke 21:11 especially, that Jesus now broadened His perspective from the wars that would precede the destruction of Jerusalem to include later wars. He was referring specifically to the wars that would precede His return to the earth. The disciples may not have understood this difference when Jesus spoke these words, but by the time Luke wrote his Gospel the difference had become clearer. Later revelation gives us much more information about the wars, earthquakes, plagues, famines, terrors, and great heavenly signs that will precede the Second Coming (Revelation 6-18). The Old Testament prophets had predicted this time of turmoil on the earth, namely, the Tribulation (cf. Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 13:13; Isaiah 34:4; Jeremiah 30:4-7; Ezekiel 14:21; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Daniel 9:26-27; Amos 8:9; Haggai 2:6; et al.). However, Jesus’ hearers did not know when it would come.