Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Friday February 20 2026
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Luke 21:11-And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
In Matthew 24:4-35, Mark 13:1-30, and Luke 21:1-32, Jesus tells His disciples the events that will take place before the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. When Jesus spoke these words, it was about the year 30 (or 33) A.D. That He refers to those events is made clear by the time frame that He specifies:
Matthew 24:34-Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
Mark 13:30-Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
Luke 21:32-Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.
The words “this generation” are used several times in the New Testament, and each time that they are used, reference is being made to the generation of people who were then living.
““Third, the adjective this points to the contemporary nature of the generation Jesus was referencing (cf. Matt. 11:23; 27:8; 28:15). If some future generation had been in view, Jesus could have chosen the adjective that (cf. 7:22; 10:19; 24:10, 36; 26:29). The passage would then read this way: “That generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” A study of the way Matthew uses the adjective “this” will show that Jesus had the generation to whom He was speaking in mind when He described its soon destruction: “Give us this day our daily bread” (6:11). “And this news went out into all the land” (9:26). “But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next” (10:23). “This is the one about whom it was written” (11:10). “This man casts out demons only be Beelzebul the ruler of the demons” (12:24). “And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come” (12:32).” (Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession Of The Modern Church, 101-102 (IBooks Edition); Powder Springs, GA; American Vision)
Forty years after these words by Jesus were spoken, the nation of Rome descended on the city of Jerusalem in a 3 and 1/2 year siege that destroyed the city and scattered the Jewish people around the world. The prophecies of Jesus were fulfilled perfectly.
Yet what about His statement regarding the “fearful signs” from “heaven?”
The wording of the passage is very interesting.
“The original Greek word translated as “fearful sights” that Jesus used in Luke 21:11 is actually a word that was used by ancient Greeks to describe monsters. Therefore, we must ask: What would have been considered a “monster” at the time Jesus used this word and prophesied that “fearful sights” (monsters) would appear at the end of this age? PEOPLE’S APPEARANCE CAN SOMETIMES SEEM ‘MONSTROUS’ In the ancient world, there were many cultural beliefs and stories and tales about monsters. These were bizarre creatures that were frightening, strange, and unnatural. Such monsters at that time were deviant animals, creatures, or even people that in some way became distorted, hideous, outrageous, revolting, and twisted. The Latin word for a “monster” is derived from monstrum, and it likewise denotes something that is contrary to the usual course of nature. Most often ancient writers used various words for monsters to depict a being, creature, or person who departed from the normal course of nature, and this departure caused others to look upon it as abnormal and shocking. The reality is that there are many different scenarios one could imagine that would fall under the umbrella of Jesus’ warning of “fearful sights.” Any ideas will remain firmly in the realm of conjecture because Jesus purposefully kept this warning vague. However, one thing is certain: As a child of God, you do not need to fear these impending developments, and neither should you be surprised by them. Regardless of exactly what these “fearful sights” are that Jesus prophesied about in Luke 21:11, these monsters or monstrous events He is…. Along with fearful sights, Jesus also prophesied that at the very end of the last days: …Great signs shall there be from heaven.—Luke 21: 11 Here we find yet another mysterious sign for which there is no clear explanation. The word “great” in the original text depicts something that has a monumental, far-reaching, and deep impact on the earth and its citizenry. Whatever these “great signs” are, Jesus said they will appear “from heaven.” Here, the word translated as “from” in the original text means directly from, which tells us the monumental, far-reaching signs will come directly from the heavens or from the sky, and whatever they are, much of the human race will be deeply impacted by it. The fact that this word “from” is included in this verse adds great intrigue to what Jesus is saying. In the original text, the words “from heaven” implies something from above or something that will be descending from the heavens. This certainly agrees with Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24: 37, where He said the events at the end of the age and before His return will be a replication of the events that were occurring in the time frame before the Flood.” (Rick Renner, Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters and the World Before the Flood: How the Events of Noah’s Ark and the Flood Are Relevant to the End of the Age, 670-672 (Kindle Edition): Shippensburg, PA: Harrison House)
What is especially interesting here is that the Jewish historian, Josephus, gives us an account of some of the events which happened in Jerusalem before the Romans destroyed it in A.D. 70. Included in his description are what we might call “fearful sights” from Heaven!
“The Signs That Preceded The Destruction 3. Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend, nor give credit, to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation (1); but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider( 2), did not regard the denunciations that God made to them (3). Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year (4). Thus also, before the Jews’ rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eight day of the month Xanthicus, [Nisan,] and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright day-time; which light lasted for half an hour (5). This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskilful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it. … Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the one-and-twentieth day of the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armour were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities (7). Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the] temple, as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking (8), and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, “Let us remove hence.” (9) Tacitus, quoted in Calder, The Comet is Coming, pg 12 [regarding a comet in the sky and it’s interpretation] As if Nero were already dethroned, men began to ask who might be his successor.” (Brian Godawa, Matthew 24 Fulfilled: Biblical and Historical Sources (Chronicles of the Apocalypse), 512-528 (Kindle Edition): Los Angeles, CA: Embedded Pictures Publishing)
All came to pass, just as the Lord said would happen.
Thanks Lord, that Your Word is always shown to be true. Amen.