Luke 21:8

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Saying, I am Christ.—Literally, I am. The italics show that the word “Christ” is an interpolation. The sentence is better left in the vagueness of the original, or with only a pronoun as the predicate, I am He. The use of the words in John 1:21; John 8:58, may be referred to as showing that they had become significant even without a predicate.

The time draweth near.—Better, the season has come near.

Go ye not therefore . . .—The better MSS. omit the last words.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:5-28 With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot be losers by him, in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous, trying times, to secure the safety of our own souls. It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper. We may view the prophecy before us much as those Old Testament prophecies, which, together with their great object, embrace, or glance at some nearer object of importance to the church. Having given an idea of the times for about thirty-eight years next to come, Christ shows what all those things would end in, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and figure of Christ's second coming. The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, the words of Jesus shall not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the real, nor the spiritual Jerusalem, shall any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles shall be turned to the Lord. When Christ came to destroy the Jews, he came to redeem the Christians that were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then had the churches rest. When he comes to judge the world, he will redeem all that are his from their troubles. So fully did the Divine judgements come upon the Jews, that their city is set as an example before us, to show that sins will not pass unpunished; and that the terrors of the Lord, and his threatenings against impenitent sinners, will all come to pass, even as his word was true, and his wrath great upon Jerusalem.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The account of the destruction of Jerusalem contained in this chapter has been fully considered in the notes at Matthew 24. All that will be necessary here will be an explanation of a few words that did not occur in that chapter.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. the time—of the Kingdom, in its full glory.

go … not … after them—"I come not so very soon" (2Th 2:1, 2) [Stier].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Matthew 24:4", See Poole on "Matthew 24:5", See Poole on "Mark 13:5", and See Poole on "Mark 13:6". This happened, and was abundantly fulfilled, before the destruction of Jerusalem, and probably will receive a further fulfilling in the latter end of the world. But before the destruction of Jerusalem it was, as Josephus assures us, fulfilled in many, particularly:

1. In one Theudas, whether the same mentioned by Gamaliel, Acts 5:36, or some other of that name, is uncertain.

2. An Egyptian sorcerer, mentioned Acts 21:38.

3. One Dositheus, a Samaritan.

4. Another in the time of Festus’s government.

5. Simon Magus is also reckoned for one, Acts 8:9. He boasted he was the great power of God. Others also reckon one Menander, a disciple of Simon Magus.

It is certain there were many who arrogated to themselves the name of the Messiah, to countenance their heading of a faction. There have also been many since the destruction of Jerusalem, and probably will be many more before the end of the world, 2 Timothy 4:3 2 Peter 2:1 1Jo 2:18.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said, take heed that ye be not deceived,.... With false Christs, and false prophets:

for many shall come in my name; making use of his name, taking it to them; not that they would pretend they were sent by him, but that they were he himself:

saying, I am Christ; so the Syriac and Persic versions supply as we do:

and the time draweth near; not that such will come, but when come, they will say, that the time of the deliverance of the Jewish nation from the Roman yoke is at hand:

go ye not therefore after them; do not be their disciples, or follow them where they would lead you; for nothing but destruction will be the consequence of it.

Geneva Study Bible

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come {b} in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

(b) Using my name.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 21:8-11. Signs prelusive of the end (Matthew 24:4-8, Mark 13:5-11).—βλέπετε, etc., take heed that ye be not deceived. This the keynote—not to tell when, but to protect disciples from delusions and terrors.—ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, in my name, i.e., calling themselves Christs. Vide at Mt. on these false Messiahs.—ὁ καιρὸς ἤγγικε: the καιρὸς should naturally mean Jerusalem’s fatal day.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8-27. Signs of the End.

8. Take heed that ye be not deceived] A danger incurred even by the elect. Matthew 24:24. The moral key-notes of this great Discourse of the Last. Things (Eschatology) are Beware! Watch ! Endurel Pray!

for many shall come in my name] “Even now are there many antichrists,” 1 John 2:18. the time draweth near] Rather, the crisis has approached.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 21:8. Ὁ καιρὸς ἤγγικε, the time draweth near [hath drawn near]) viz. the time of the Messiah. The thing itself in the thesis (the general proposition) is true. Mark 1:15 [“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”]. The true Messiah has many characteristic marks, one of which is, the true time, to wit of both Advents. But false Messiahs and impostors boastingly alleged a false time for Jerusalem being ennobled by the setting up of the kingdom of God, at the very time when destruction was about immediately to assail it: Luke 21:24.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 8-19. - The apparent signs which (could show themselves, but which must not be mistaken for the true signs immediately preceding the catastrophe. Verse 8b. - Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. Many of these pretenders appeared in the lifetime of the apostles. Josephus mentions several of these impostors ('Ant.,' 20:8 §§ 6-10; 'Bell. Jud.,' 2:13. § 5). Theudas, one of these pretenders, is referred to in Acts 21:38 (see, too, Josephus, 'Ant.,' 20:05. § 1). Simon Magus announced that he was Messiah. His riyal Dositheus, his disciple Menander, advanced similar pretences. Mr. Greswell (quoted by Dean Manse], 'Speaker's Commentary,' on Matthew 24:5) has called attention to the remarkable fact that, while many of these false Messiahs appeared in the interval between the Lord's ascension and the Jewish war, there is no evidence that any one arose claiming this title before the beginning of his ministry. It was necessary, he infers, that the true Christ should first appear and be rejected by the great body of the nation, before they were judicially given over to the delusions of the false Christs. Luke 21:8

Vincent's Word Studies

Deceived

Rev., rightly, led astray. See on Matthew 24:4.

In my name

See on Matthew 18:5.