Luke 21:7-28
7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
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.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your souls. (ESV: "By your endurance you will gain your lives.")
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 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;
26 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.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
The Grace New Testament Commentary - Luke 21:19
21:19. The Lord then gives them an instruction with an inherent promise: "In your patience possess your souls." They would gain their lives by persevering faithfully through all the adverse circumstances endured for the sake of Christ. Christian virtue in the form of faithful endurance for the sake of Jesus will result in the possession of one's life as a reward. This statement pertains to believers who already possess eternal life as a guaranteed gift. Further, it deals with a future reality brought about by the believer's endurance. Although they would certainly receive God's help (see vv 13-14), they would have to show personal faithfulness in the context of persecution (cf. Luke 21:20 with Matt 24:15-28 and Mark 13:14-23).
Charles Bing - Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship - He Who Endures to the End, Matthew 24:13 (cf. Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:19)
(Salvation) Interpretation: Only someone who continues in good works and faith to the end of his life will receive salvation or prove he was saved.
(Discipleship) Interpretation: Only those of Israel in the Tribulation who are able to endure persecution until the time of Christ's return will be delivered from the hostile nations.
This saying in Matthew and Mark is used by some to teach that professing Christians must persevere in faith and good works in order to prove their salvation is genuine, which is a (Salvation) interpretation.
While those who say professing Christians must persevere in order to prove that they are genuinely saved, they would not admit that perseverance is a work that earns salvation. Of course, this is flawed reasoning, because if perseverance is necessary to prove salvation, then perseverance is necessary for salvation. This is in addition to one's initial faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Salvation would be by faith plus one's performance, which contradicts the free nature of God's grace. Some might try to avoid this charge by modifying their view to say that true saving faith is a faith that performs, but this does not avoid the error of making works necessary for salvation.
The (Salvation) interpretation understands "the end" to mean the end of one's physical life. But this ignores the unique order and events of the end times about which Jesus is speaking. The context indicates what "the end" refers to. It is clear that Matthew (and Mark) is speaking about conditions in the time of Israel's great Tribulation (which also seems to be the context of a similar saying in Matt. 10:22). In answering the disciples' question about His return (Matt. 24:3), Jesus answers the last question about the end of the age first. When Jesus refers to "the end" in verses 6, 13, and 14, it has the same meaning - the end of the age which concludes with the Tribulation period. In that time of great sorrow, the Jews will be hated and killed by all the nations (Matt. 24:9), betrayed by their own countrymen (Matt. 24:10), deceived by false prophets (Matt. 24:11), and experience lawlessness and lack of natural affection (Matt. 24:12). After verse 13, Jesus' prophecy reveals the details that actually describe His coming (Matt. 24:14-51). Though many of Israel will be killed, those who endure these perils to the end of the Tribulation (not to the end of their physical lives, which is the (Salvation) interpretation) will be delivered ("saved") from their enemies, the nations who hate them. This "last minute rescue" of Israel by Jesus Christ is a clear biblical prophecy (Zech. 12:2-9; Rom. 11:26). This is an example of the word saved referring to deliverance from a danger, not deliverance from hell. Indeed, hell is not mentioned in the passage. This is obviously (Discipleship) because enduring to the end does not relate to eternal salvation but temporal deliverance of God's people. In verse 22, Jesus says, "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved..." It appears that "no flesh" includes Gentiles among those delivered. The parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:31-46 shows that Gentiles ("nations") will be present at the end of the Tribulation.
Israel's story is a story of God's grace. They were chosen by Him to be a special people. In spite of constant sin, God preserved them throughout their history. He will preserve them in the future as well, not because they deserve it, but because He is faithful to His promise to do so. We who are saved by God's grace are kept saved by grace, and will be glorified ultimately and finally by His grace, not because we deserve it, but because that is God's promise to all who believe (John 3:16; 5:24; Rom. 8:28).