Luke 21:28 · Bible study
Luke 21:28 Commentary: Look Up, Your Redemption Is Near
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Luke 21:28 calls believers to look up when troubles begin, because redemption draws near. Two views: AD 70 deliverance or final salvation at Christ's return.
Research Summary
- Meaning: When catastrophic signs begin, believers are called to hopeful confidence because God’s redemptive rescue is imminent.
- Key words: ἀνακύπτω (straighten up from a bent posture), ἐπαίρω (lift up), ἀπολύτρωσις (ransom-based release).
- Main debate: Is this deliverance from the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, or the final redemption at Christ’s return? Or both, as a layered prophecy?
- Theological theme: The day of judgment is the day of redemption for God’s people. The same event brings terror to the wicked and joy to the righteous.
- Best use: Encouragement for believers facing persecution, disaster, or any period of waiting that feels like defeat.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and these things beginning to happen bend yourselves back, and lift up your heads, because your redemption doth draw nigh.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws nigh.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y cuando estas cosas comenzaren á hacerse, mirad, y levantad vuestras cabezas, porque vuestra redención está cerca.
Ora, quando estas coisas começarem a acontecer, olhai para cima, e levantai vossas cabeças, porque vosso resgate está perto.
Quand ces choses commenceront à arriver, redressez-vous et levez vos têtes, parce que votre délivrance approche.
Wenn aber dieses anfängt zu geschehen, so sehet auf und erhebet eure Häupter, darum daß sich eure Erlösung naht.
Als nu deze dingen beginnen te geschieden, zo ziet omhoog, en heft uw hoofden opwaarts, omdat uw verlossing nabij is.
Ma quando queste cose cominceranno ad avvenire, rialzatevi, levate il capo, perché la vostra redenzione è vicina.
A gdy się to pocznie dziać, spoglądajcież a podnoście głowy wasze, przeto iż się przybliża odkupienie wasze.
Когда же начнет это сбываться, тогда восклонитесь и поднимите головы ваши, потому что приближается избавление ваше.
一 有 這些事，你們 就當挺身 昂 首，因為 你們 得贖 的日子近了。」
But when these things come about, let your heads be lifted up, because your salvation is near.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 21:28
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse is a direct command to hope in the face of tribulation. The verbs 'look up' and 'lift up your heads' (ἀνακύψατε, ἐπάρατε) are aorist imperatives, carrying urgency and a call to action. Vincent notes the graphic force of the first verb: it implies being previously bowed down with sorrow. Calvin and Wesley both emphasize the contrast between believers and the terrified world: what brings horror to the wicked becomes joy for the righteous. The reason given, 'because your redemption draws near', ties the command to the certainty of God’s deliverance. The precise referent of 'redemption' is debated, but all traditions hear in this promise an assurance that God’s purpose is advancing, not failing.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Immediate deliverance (AD 70): The context of Jerusalem's destruction (vv. 20–24) and the phrase 'this generation' (v. 32) support a near-future fulfillment. Gill, Calvin, and Wesley take this view.
- Eschatological redemption (final coming): The cosmic signs (vv. 25–26) and the Son of Man coming in glory (v. 27) echo Old Testament end-time imagery. Poole and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize the more glorious, final redemption.
- Layered fulfillment: A growing number of readers see both meanings working together: a type (AD 70) pointing to an antitype (last day). The text itself invites this with its two horizons.
What is clear: Whatever the precise timing, believers are called to face tribulation with confident hope, because God’s redemptive purpose is already drawing near.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of redemption | The redemption is 'near', it is not distant or uncertain, but approaching. | Some see this as the immediate rescue of first-century Christians from Jerusalem’s fall (Gill, Wesley). Others read it as the final redemption of the body at Christ’s return (Poole, modern eschatological readings). |
| Nature of the 'things' that begin to happen | They include wars, earthquakes, cosmic signs, and the appearance of the Son of Man. | Are these primarily the events of AD 66, 70 (Calvin, Cambridge Bible), or unfulfilled signs before the final judgment (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)? |
| Identity of the audience | Jesus speaks directly to his disciples, who represent all believers. | Does 'your redemption' refer specifically to the apostles and early church, or to all Christians until the end? |
| Purpose of the signs | The signs are not meant to terrify believers but to orient them toward hope. | Are they warnings to flee physical danger (v.21) or promises of spiritual victory? |
| Response required | The proper response is to look up and lift heads, a posture of confidence. | Does this imply inactivity (passively waiting) or active perseverance (v.19: 'by your endurance gain your souls')? |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke 21 sits within Jesus' Olivet Discourse, a response to disciples asking about the temple's destruction. The immediate historical backdrop is the Roman-Jewish war (AD 66, 70), culminating in Jerusalem’s fall. Verses 20, 24 describe armies surrounding the city, a clear reference to that event. But verses 25, 27 shift to cosmic language, signs in sun, moon, stars, drawn from Old Testament prophetic imagery (Isaiah 13:10, Joel 2:31). This double horizon is typical of biblical prophecy: a near judgment that prefigures a final one.
Jewish listeners would have heard echoes of deliverance language from the exile: 'lift up your heads' (Psalm 24:7, 9) originally a call for gates to open for the King of Glory. The promise that 'your redemption draws near' carried overtones of Isaiah 60:1, 2, where light dawns after thick darkness. For first-century believers facing persecution from both Jewish authorities and Roman power, this command was a lifeline. It told them to see catastrophe not as abandonment but as a step in God’s rescue plan. The 'times of the Gentiles' (v. 24) marks a period after Jerusalem’s fall, extending the promise beyond the first generation.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 21:28. The verse is stable across the major manuscript traditions (א, A, B, D, W). The verb forms and word order are consistent.
Reception History
Early Christians, facing persecution under Nero and Domitian, found in this verse a promise that suffering had an expiration date. The Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century) echoes the language of 'lifting up heads' in a resurrection context. Augustine in the City of God saw both a literal fulfillment in Jerusalem’s fall and a spiritual one at the end of history. Medieval preachers used the verse to comfort those awaiting the Last Judgment. The Reformers, Calvin, Luther, the Geneva Bible, used it to encourage believers facing opposition from church and state. In modern times, the verse has been claimed by both historicists (who locate fulfillment in AD 70) and futurists (who look to a final coming). It is sung in hymns of hope (e.g., 'Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates') and quoted in times of disaster to remind the church that redemption is always nearer than it appears.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- When trouble escalates, Jesus specifies 'when these things begin to happen' (v. 28a). Not after they are over, but at the first signs of crisis. The aorist participle ἀρχομένων marks the starting point.
- Look up, not inward, The double command 'look up and lift up your heads' is a deliberate posture of hope. The Greek verb anakupsai suggests straightening after being bent low (see Luke 13:11). Faith moves the eyes from circumstances to the coming Redeemer.
- Redemption is near, ἐγγίζει (draws near) is present active indicative: already approaching. The noun apolutrōsis (‘redemption’) points to release by payment of a ransom. The great reversal: the worst day for the world is the best day for God’s people.
Five-point outline
- Context of chaos, wars, earthquakes, persecution, cosmic signs (vv. 10, 26).
- Contrast of responses, the world faints with fear; disciples stand and look up.
- Command to action, verbs of rising (stand, lift) are imperatives, not suggestions.
- Christ’s coming, the Son of Man appears in power and glory (v. 27), the ground of all hope.
- Confirmation of nearness, the fig tree parable (vv. 29, 31) reinforces that when these things appear, God’s Kingdom is at hand.
Illustration hooks
- A patient in a hospital waiting room hears the doctor’s footsteps. One person slumps lower; another sits up, knowing the doctor brings news of healing. The same footsteps, opposite responses.
- When a storm passes and the power returns, people open their curtains to see the sun. The darkness lasted only a season; the light proves it did not win.
- During a difficult school year, a student marks the last day on the calendar. The closer it gets, the more the stress lifts. The nearness of the end changes how you experience the present.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I look up when everything around me is falling apart? Doesn’t that feel like denial?
- Is Jesus coming at the end of history, or is his coming already happening in my life right now?
- What if I don’t feel hope? Does that mean my faith is weak?
Leading a Discussion
This verse challenges us to see tribulation through a different lens. Jesus does not promise an escape from trouble but a posture within it, heads lifted, eyes fixed on the One who is coming. Whether this redemption was experienced first by the early church or remains for the final day, the call is the same: do not let fear bend you down. Let the text shape how you face hard times.
Discussion questions
- Read Luke 21:28 aloud. What words or phrases catch your attention first?
- In verses 10, 27, Jesus lists specific signs and terrors. How does he expect believers to feel and act differently from the world?
- The Greek verb for 'look up' (ἀνακύπτω) appears elsewhere in Luke 13:11 for a woman bent over. What does that connection tell us about the kind of hope Jesus is offering?
- Two main interpretations of 'redemption' exist: deliverance from Jerusalem’s destruction (AD 70) or the final resurrection at Christ’s return. Which view changes how you read the command to 'look up'? Why?
- What keeps you from lifting your head when life is hard? How does this verse name that temptation without dismissing it?
- How can a small group help its members 'lift their heads' toward Jesus when they feel overwhelmed?
- Think of a time you sensed God’s rescue was approaching, a relief that changed your perspective. How does that memory shape your expectations for the future?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 98:5 | Sing praises to Yahweh with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody. |
| Psalms 98:9 | Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. |
| Isaiah 12:1 | In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me. |
| Isaiah 12:3 | Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation. |
| Isaiah 25:8 | He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken it. |
| Isaiah 25:9 | It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is Yahweh! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!” |
| Isaiah 60:1 | “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory has risen on you! |
| Isaiah 60:2 | For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that Christ's coming brings opposite experiences depending on the person: terror for the wicked, but joy and redemption for believers. The same day that brings vengeance to the reprobate brings salvation to the godly, so they should not dread it but lift their heads in hope.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights the Greek word used for “look up,” noting it means an eager, outstretched-neck watching like the “earnest expectation” in Romans. This verb occurs only elsewhere in Luke when describing a woman’s healing, so the call to look up carries that same intense anticipation.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And when these things beginne to come to passe, then looke vp, and lift vp your heades: for your redemption draweth neere.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the redemption here as a specific, near-term deliverance for the apostles and early Christians from violent Jewish persecutions. He argues this is not about soul salvation or the final resurrection, but rather the Son of Man coming in power to destroy Jerusalem and free his people within that generation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees a twofold meaning in redemption: a more limited one involving the end of Jewish legal bondage, and a far wider, more precious spiritual reality. He also connects the sign of the Son of Man with portents seen before Jerusalem's fall, suggesting something analogous will precede Christ's personal return, though he considers specific speculation pointless.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Jesus speaks of both Jerusalem's destruction and the world's end as intertwined events, not separate ones. The fall of the temple serves as a prophetic type of the final judgment, with its signs repeating in escalating measure until the last day.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry treats the destruction of Jerusalem as a small-scale preview of the final judgment—a type and figure of Christ's second coming. For those whose hearts were bound up in the city, its fall would feel as devastating as the end of the world itself.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the phrase "look up" as a vivid image of someone previously bowed down with sorrow. He connects the Greek word for "redemption" to Simeon's plea to be released, suggesting a link between physical release and spiritual deliverance.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Now when these things - Mentioned Lu 21:8 ,10, &c, begin to come to pass, look up with firm faith, and lift up your heads with joy: for your redemption out of many troubles draweth nigh, by God's destroying your implacable enemies.