Luke 21:9 Meaning and Explanation
“But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Wars and upheavals must come first, Jesus says, but they are not the end, and his people are not to be terrified.
What Does Luke 21:9 Mean?
Jesus continues with a second steadying word. Reports of wars and commotions, of fighting and unrest, will reach his disciples' ears, and their instinct will be to read every convulsion as the end. He says plainly: these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by, not immediately.
Be not terrified is a command, and it rests on a promise: history's turmoil unfolds within God's knowledge, not outside it. The word must signals that nothing now raging caught God by surprise. Christians live in troubled times with steady hearts, neither denying the trouble nor despairing in it, because the One who foretold the storm rules beyond it.
Luke 21:9 in the Original Language
akatastasia (ἀκαταστασία), 'commotions' -- disorder and upheaval, a world shaken out of order.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 21:9
What does Luke 21:9 mean?
Wars and upheavals must come first, Jesus says, but they are not the end, and his people are not to be terrified.