Luke 21:27
in Luke 21At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
KJV
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
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This verse in Luke 21
Commentary
21 notes on this verseYou see him in the clouds. I certainly do not think that Christ will come in the darkness of mist and the chill of rain. The clouds are visible and surely cover the heaven in foggy cold. How has he set his tabernacle in the sun if his coming brings the rain? Some clouds suitably cover the radiance of the heavenly mystery. Some clouds grow moist with the dew of spiritual grace. Consider the cloud in the Old Testament.
This site's exposition
the Son of Man coming
on Luke 21:27-28
The Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory comes from Daniel 7:13-14, and Jesus says it again at 22:69. Where men faint in verse 26, disciples are told, lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
You say that our very suffering forces us to admit that the end is at hand when there is a fulfillment of what was foretold: "men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world." You say, "It is plain that there is no country or place in our time that is not harassed or humbled according to the words 'for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world.' " If the evils that the human race now suffers are clear signs that the Lord is about to come now, what becomes of the apostle's words: "When they shall say, 'Peace and security' "? When the Gospel said, "men withering away for fear and expectation," it immediately continued, "For the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty."
So severe then will be the manifold fires of our souls, that with consciences depraved through the multitude of crimes, by reason of our fear of the coming judgment, the dew of the sacred fountain will be dried upon us.
"Then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty." As I see it, this could be taken in two ways. One way is that he will come in the church as in a cloud. He continues to come in this way according to his word, "Hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven." He comes with great power and majesty because his greater power and majesty will appear in the saints to whom he will give great power, so that persecution might not overcome them. The other way in which he will come will be in his body in which he sits at the right hand of the Father. In this body, he died, rose again, and ascended into heaven. It is written in the Acts of the Apostles: "When he had said these things, a cloud received him and he was taken up from their sight." The angels then said, "He shall so come as you have seen him going away." We have reason to believe that he will come not only in the same body but also in a cloud since he will come as he left, and a cloud received him as he went.
When also the Son of God shall come in glory, and shall crush the proud empire of the son of sin, the angels of heaven attending Him, the doors of heaven which have been shut from the foundation of the world shall be opened, that the things that are on high may be witnessed.
And when these things shall come to pass, ye shall look up, and raise your heads; for your redemption hath come near," that is, at the time of the kingdom, of which the parable itself treats. "So likewise ye, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
14 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers4 voices
Great must be understood in like manner. For His first appearance He made in our weakness and lowliness, the second He shall celebrate in all His own power.
He says that they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Christ will not come secretly or obscurely but as God and Lord in glory suitable for deity. He will transform all things for the better. He will renew creation and refashion the nature of people to what it was at the beginning. He said, "When these things come to pass, lift up your heads and look upward, for your redemption is near." The dead will rise. This earthly and infirm body will put off corruption and will clothe itself with incorruption by Christ's gift. He grants those that believe in him to be conformed to the likeness of his glorious body.
For God ever appears in a cloud, according to the Psalms, clouds and darkness are round about him. (Ps. 17:11.) Therefore shall the Son of man come in the clouds as God, and the Lord, not secretly, but in glory worthy of God. Therefore He adds, with great power and majesty.
Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increaseth, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an out-spreading in heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.
The Medieval Church6 voices
It follows, And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds. Both the believers and unbelievers shall see Him, for He Himself as well as His cross shall glisten brighter than the sun, and so shall be observed of all.
Fifth, with respect to the judge appearing, he says: And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. Revelation 1: "Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and those who pierced …
And there it is added: "And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and majesty." As if it were openly said: They shall see in power and majesty Him whom, placed in humility, they refused to hear, so that they may then feel His power all the more strictly, inasmuch as now they do not bow the neck of their heart to His patience.
(Hom. 1. in Ev.) For in power and majesty will men see Him, whom in lowly stations they refused to hear, that so much the more acutely they may feel His power, as they are now the less willing to bow the necks of their hearts to His sufferings.
"And then they will see the Son of Man." Who? All believers and unbelievers. "Coming on a cloud," that is, as God, with power and great glory. For then both He Himself and His cross will shine more brightly than the sun, and will be …
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. In power and majesty, they will see Him whom, when He was in humility, they did not wish to hear, so that they will then feel His …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then the unbelieving Jews shall be confined, when it is too late, that Jesus was the Messiah; those that would not see him coming in the power of his grace to save them shall be made to see him coming in the power of his wrath to destroy them; those that would not have him to reign over them shall have him to triumph over them. It was an earnest of his second coming.
And then shall they see the son of man,.... See Gill on Mat 24:30.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
The subject of this portion of our Lord's great prophecy, is His own second coming to judge the world. The strong expressions of the passage appear inapplicable to any event less important than this. To confine the words before us, to the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans, in an unnatural straining of Scripture language. We see, firstly, in this passage — how terrible will be the circumstances accompanying the second coming of Christ. Our Lord tells us that "there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of this portion of our Lord's great prophecy, is His own second coming to judge the world. The strong expressions of the passage appear inapplicable to any event less important than this. To confine the words before us, to the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans, in an unnatural straining of Scripture language. We see, firstly, in this passage — how terrible will be the circumstances accompanying the second coming of Christ. Our Lord tells us that "there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." This is a singularly solemn picture. It may not be easy perhaps to attach a precise meaning to every part of it. One thing however, is abundantly plain. The second coming of Christ will be attended by everything which can make it alarming to the senses and heart of man. If the giving of the law at Sinai was so terrible that even Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and tremble" — then the return of Christ when He comes to earth in power and great glory, shall be much more terrible. If the hardy Roman soldiers "became as dead men," when an angel rolled the stone away and Christ rose again — then how much greater will the terror be when Christ shall return to judge the world. No wonder that Paul said, "Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." (Hebrews 12:21; Matthew 28:4; 2 Corinthians 5:11.) The thoughtless and impenitent man may well tremble, when he hears of this second coming of Christ. What will he do when worldly business is suddenly stopped, and the precious things of the world are made worthless?
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τότε | tote | then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| ὄψονται | opsontai | will they behold | G3700 → | 54 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸν | huion | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπου | anthropou | of Man | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἐρχόμενον | erchomenon | coming | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| νεφέλῃ | nephele | a cloud | G3507 → | 25 times |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| δυνάμεως | dunameos | power | G1411 → | 119 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δόξης | doxes | glory | G1391 → | 165 times |
| πολλῆς.¶ | polles | great. | G4183 → | 367 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τότεthen
toteG5119 →160 times
ὄψονταιwill they behold
opsontaiG3700 →54 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸνSon
huionG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπουof Man
anthropouG444 →549 times
ἐρχόμενονcoming
erchomenonG2064 →628 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
νεφέλῃa cloud
nepheleG3507 →25 times
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
δυνάμεωςpower
dunameosG1411 →119 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δόξηςglory
doxesG1391 →165 times
πολλῆς.¶great.
pollesG4183 →367 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 7:13In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led…
it leads to
- Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 26:64
“You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 14:14
And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.
- Mark 14:61–62
But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
- Revelation 1:7
Through
Revelation 1:7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:30
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 7:13
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Mark 14:62
“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They…
- Matthew 24:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke

This page draws on 20 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Ambrose of Milan, EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.41-43; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 199.36; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 199; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 21; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 139; Didache, The Didache, Chapter 16; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 1; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.
