June 7, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde
My mind has spent a great deal of time lately, focused upon this scripture:
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
— Luke 21:28 (KJV)
My experience has been that this “one line” of scripture continues to teach me beyond an initial reading. I wanted to research, in detail, what the Jesus was communicating to us.
So, let’s begin by exploring the opening few words:
“And when these things begin to come to pass..”
What did Jesus mean here? What were the things that He is referring to?
To understand what Jesus meant by “these things”, we need to look at the verses immediately before it. In Luke 21, Jesus is answering questions about the future and describing events that will occur before His return.
Have you paused to realize that these are the word of Christ, answering our question today of wondering when He might return again?
Luke 21:25-28 (KJV)
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
Two of these items written needed further clarification for me to understand:
- Distress of nations (global turmoil and confusion)
- Perplexity (leaders and nations not knowing what to do)
We now have some tangible items to consider in realizing the “season” of His return. Let’s now give each item a closer look to see if it has occurred yet, as Jesus stated that it would:
Signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars
Examples often cited:
- Major solar eclipses.
- Unusual lunar eclipses (“blood moons”).
- Increased public attention to comets, asteroids, and meteor events.
- Solar storms affecting Earth’s communications and power systems.
Distress of Nations
Examples:
- Ongoing conflicts involving Israel and its neighbors.
- The Russia-Ukraine war.
- Tensions involving China, Taiwan, Iran, and other regions.
- Economic instability affecting multiple nations simultaneously.
The world often appears increasingly interconnected, meaning crises in one region quickly affect others.
Perplexity
Examples:
- Governments struggling to solve debt crises.
- Conflicting responses to global health events.
- Leaders disagreeing on wars, migration, and economic policies.
- Growing uncertainty regarding emerging technologies such as AI.
Many observers note that leaders often seem unable to agree on solutions to major global problems.
The Sea and Waves Roaring
Possible interpretations:
Literal
- Hurricanes, tsunamis, coastal flooding, and extreme weather events.
Symbolic
- Nations and peoples in turmoil (the sea sometimes symbolizes masses of people in prophecy).
Some believers think both meanings may apply.
Widespread Fear
Examples:
- Anxiety about war.
- Fear of economic collapse.
- Concerns about terrorism.
- Fear related to disease outbreaks.
- Rising concerns over societal instability.
Today, news travels globally within seconds, amplifying fear worldwide.
Expectation of Terrible Things Coming
Examples:
- Concerns about nuclear conflict.
- Fears of global economic crises.
- Worries about food and water shortages.
- Predictions of catastrophic environmental events.
- Discussions about artificial intelligence and technological risks.
People increasingly speculate about what major crisis might come next. Are you one of those yourself?
Heavenly Disturbances
Many prophecy students believe this has not yet been fully fulfilled.
Future passages that may relate include:
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood…”
— Joel 2:31 (KJV)
and
“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth…”
— Revelation 6:13 (KJV)
Many expect literal cosmic disturbances during the Tribulation.
The key word that I would like to focus on today is “begin.” Jesus did not say all the events would be completed before believers could recognize the season; He said to watch when they begin to come to pass.
“So, what do you think? Have the things Jesus said would happen before His return begun to occur?
As I was writing that question, I found myself stopping halfway through and thinking, ‘How could anyone not see that these things have already begun?’ The signs Jesus described are no longer distant possibilities discussed only in prophecy studies—they are unfolding before our eyes.
Distress among nations, confusion among leaders, widespread fear, and growing uncertainty about the future have become part of daily life. Whether one agrees with every prophetic interpretation or not, it is difficult to deny that the conditions Jesus warned about are increasingly evident in our world today.”
I feel DEEPLY, that we are there… right now! These things that He said would happen before His return HAVE BEGUN!
So, let’s return to the scripture to follow what Christ stated was our next step.
…then look up, and lift up your heads… Top of Form
What did He mean by this? Are we literally to run outside and gaze into the heavens until He returns? Let’s take a moment and learn what this actually means.
“Look Up”
Jesus was telling believers not to become consumed by fear, panic, or despair. While the world would be frightened by the events unfolding around them, His followers were to focus their attention on God and the promise of His return.
Instead of looking down in discouragement, believers were to look upward in expectation.
“Lift Up Your Heads”
In Scripture, a bowed head often symbolizes sorrow, defeat, shame, or hopelessness. A lifted head symbolizes confidence, hope, and victory.
Jesus was saying that when these signs appear, believers should not be terrified like the world. They should be encouraged because God’s promises are drawing near to fulfillment. This is what He meant.
And finally, let’s discover what he meant in closing out His directive:
“…for your redemption draweth nigh.”
The Greek word translated “redemption” carries the idea of complete release or liberation. While believers are already saved, the full redemption of their bodies and entrance into Christ’s presence still lies ahead.
For most of us, we have concluded that we are in the season of the rapture, and now we have been given our next step. We will focus on Christ and know that He will return soon. We will live these few last days with confidence hope and victory, realizing that we soon will receive redemption of our physical bodies, and will actually be WITH Jesus Christ.
We will give our praise to Him, realizing that He is actually rescuing us from the terrible events which will happen on the earth for the next seven years. And, if you have made this discovery; we will give Him all of the glory knowing that we will actually be with Him in HEAVEN for eternity.
This should give us plenty to ponder as we “look up” awaiting His rescue. Let us not get caught up in waiting, but rather PRAISING Him, and letting Him know of our appreciation and love that we have for the One who is going to SAVE us. He gave His life for us, now, He’s saving us again!!
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