Luke 21:20-24
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains.”
King James Version
The military encirclement of Jerusalem as the signal to flee, fulfilled in 70 AD when Titus besieged the city.
Fulfillment References
Matthew 24:16 Romans 11:25 Luke 21:24
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal'When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.' Jesus foretold the AD 70 destruction and that Jerusalem would be 'trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.' The Lord Jesus, God in flesh, read history before it happened; the present age of Gentile inclusion runs until its appointed end, when God turns again to Israel (Rom. 11:25-26).
JewishA prophecy of Jerusalem's fall and the long dispersion; the 'treading down' of Jerusalem has framed Jewish-Christian discussion of exile and restoration.
CatholicChrist's Olivet prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction and the 'times of the Gentiles' — partly fulfilled in AD 70, with an eschatological horizon.
ProtestantThe AD 70 fulfillment distinguished from the end; 'times of the Gentiles' marks the present era until Israel's future turning (Rom. 11).
AcademicLuke's version of the Olivet Discourse more explicitly describes a military siege (vs. Mark's 'abomination'), often tied to AD 70 in dating debates.
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Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.