What causes "men to faint from fear" according to Luke 21:26? Men Fainting from Fear—Luke 21:26 “Men will faint from fear and anxiety about what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:26) The Immediate Cause • Terror rises from “what is coming upon the earth.” • Cosmic upheaval—“the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Details Filling in the Picture • Verse 25 sets the stage: “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging waves.” • Natural order unravels; familiar anchors vanish. Scriptural Echoes of Shaken Heavens • Isaiah 13:13—“Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His fierce anger.” • Haggai 2:6—“Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.” • Hebrews 12:26–27 affirms the same coming shaking so that only the unshakable remains. • Revelation 6:12–17 pictures the sky receding and people calling for mountains to fall on them. Why Hearts Fail • Overwhelming expectation of unstoppable judgment. • Total loss of control—human institutions and natural forces alike collapse. • Conscience testifies that the Judge is near (cf. Romans 2:15–16). Contrast for Believers • Luke 21:28—“When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” • The same events that unnerve the world signal deliverance to the redeemed. Summary Men faint from fear because they foresee earth-shaking, heaven-shaking judgment ordained by God. The dread of those imminent, universe-wide convulsions drains courage and strength from every unprepared heart. |
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