Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 21 : 20-28 "WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN, LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS..." Luke 21:28"
Day 270 – Luke 21
Text: Luke 21 : 20-28
“WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN, LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS…” Luke 21:28
Jesus must have known how hard it was for His Disciples to understand all that He had been teaching them. Everything was just so awesome in import and significance!
How could anyone imagine the destruction of the Temple? How could Jerusalem be destroyed? Nevertheless, Jesus had spoken so solemnly. Deep in the hearts of His Disciples there must have deep struggles to understand these prophetic teachings of Jesus.
Jesus understood their struggles. Daniel of old also struggled with the visions that God had given to him. He entered into deep fasting and prayer as he struggled with the vision of the end times that God had given him (Daniel 9). Jeremiah also struggled in tears as he finally understood that God would indeed destroy Jerusalem (Jeremiah 7-9).
Jesus spoke with great certainty. He had to proclaim these great and awesome truths. The blood may turn cold as the truth sank in. The heart may be distressed as comprehension sinks in! Jesus’ goal was to challenge His Disciples to look up to God.
The Return of the Son of Man was not all dismal and distressing. Those who loved Him would also look forward to His Return. When the prophetic words of Jesus came to pass, then their hearts must be deeply encouraged to look up!
“YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR…” Luke 21:28
The Return of the Son of Man is an event that all who love Him look forward to with all their hearts. His Return means “redemption”. Salvation would be made complete with the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How should the believer view the return of the Son of Man? Let us consider the following truths. Since Jesus made reference to Himself as the Son of Man, using the language of Daniel, let us turn to the book that bore his name for more details concerning His Return. Let us make the following observations:-
God had given to Daniel a special revelation of 5 powerful kingdoms that would dominate the earth. Four of these kingdoms are verifiable from world history.
1) The Babylonian kingdom.
This was symbolized by the vision of a lion with eagle’s wings. Daniel 7:4
2) The Medo-Persian kingdom
This was symbolized by the vision of a bear. Daniel 7:5
3) The Greek Empire
led by Alexander and his four generals, symbolized by the leopard with four heads and four wings. Daniel 7:6
4) The Roman Empire
This was symbolized by a creature with ten horns. Daniel 7:7-8
5) The Reign of the Antichrist.
This was described as a little horn that had “eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words”. Daniel 7:8
The four world empires have come and gone, as prophesied! There is one more world ruler who will come. That has been identified as the reign of the Antichrist.
Daniel described both the reign of the fourth beast and that of the Antichrist in the following words. Let us first look at the description of the Roman Empire.
“The fourth beast shall be
a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all
other kingdoms,
and shall devour the whole earth,
trample it and break it in pieces.”
Daniel 7:23
When Daniel was given this vision, this kingdom was not yet a reality. As we look at this prophetic word right now, we are looking at past history. However, when Jesus spoke in His time, Rome was that fourth beast, the fourth kingdom on earth!
Let us now look at the reign of the Anti-Christ, as Daniel described it.
“The ten horns are ten kings
who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall arise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
He shall speak pompous words
Against the Most High;
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.” Daniel 7:24-25
The reign of the Antichrist will also be marked by war! He will subdue other kings. His reign will also be marked by his persecution of the saints, that is believers. The reign of the Antichrist will be another reign of terror.
His reign will be ended only when a greater Conqueror appears. That Conqueror would be the eschatological Son of Man! Daniel had this to say about the Kingdom that the Son of Man would establish on the earth.
“Then to Him was given dominion and glory
and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages
Should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:14
Let’s look forward to the return of the Son of Man! Our redemption is nearer than we think!