Luke 21:33
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This statement comes in Jesus' Olivet Discourse (Luke 21), His teaching on coming upheaval and the parable of the fig tree, assuring His hearers that His words will surely be fulfilled.
What Does Luke 21:33 Mean?
Jesus is affirming that His words are more permanent than the universe itself -- even heaven and earth will pass away, but what He has spoken will stand forever. This comes within His teaching about the future, where He has just used the budding fig tree to show that His predictions can be trusted to come to pass. The verse anchors that trust in the unchanging reliability of His word.
The claim is staggering in its scope. Heaven and earth represent the most solid, lasting realities people can imagine, the very framework of creation. Yet Jesus places His own words above even these. To say "my words shall not pass away" is to claim an authority belonging to God, since in Scripture it is God's word that endures forever. This is no small boast tucked into a teaching; it asks the hearer to treat what Jesus says with the seriousness due to something more durable than the cosmos. The setting matters: amid talk of upheaval, uncertainty, and the shaking of all that seems fixed, Jesus offers something that cannot be shaken. For the reader facing a world of change and loss, the verse plants a firm foothold -- the promises and teachings of Jesus remain dependable when everything else proves temporary.
In the Original Language
"Pass away" is parerchomai, to pass by, vanish, or come to an end. "Words" is logoi, the plural of logos, sayings or utterances.
Cross References
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
- Isaiah 40:8
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
- Matthew 24:35
“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
- 1 Peter 1:25
Application
When everything around you feels unstable, build your life on the words of Jesus, which outlast the universe. His promises remain firm when nothing else does.