<p>21:28 <i>But when these things begin to happen, look up, lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near</i>- Ps. 24:9 clearly states that when the gatekeepers of Zion lift up their heads to God in truth, then the King of glory will come in. And the Lord here applies these words to His true people of the last days- they are to likewise lift up their heads so that their redemption will draw nigh, or be hastened.</p><p>&quot;When these things begin to come to pass, then look up (Gk. un-bend), and lift up your heads&quot; may suggest that the believers will be bowed down in bondage in some sense. Alternatively, we can read it simply as a command to stand up (as NIV), which would connect with the slumbering virgins, <i>none</i> of them standing ready to welcome their Lord as they should have been. It is evident from a close reading of the Olivet prophecy that the Lord is using his pronouns carefully. Sometimes He speaks of &quot;ye&quot;, sometimes of &quot;they&quot;. It seems that the &ldquo;ye&quot; refer to the disciples and the faithful remnant in the latter day ecclesia, and the &quot;they&quot; either to the natural Jews or to &quot;the many&quot; (majority) in the ecclesia who will fall away. &quot;<i>They</i> shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud... when these things (leading up to the Son of man coming) begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up <i>your</i> heads&quot; (Lk. 21:27,28). This may suggest that the majority, the &quot;they&quot; category, are shocked by the coming of the Lord, but the faithful minority stand up from their slumber and are expecting his coming.</p><p>&ldquo;When these things begin to come to pass, then look up (Gk. 'unbend'- as if the depression of the faithful is partly lifted by discerning the nearness of Christ's return), and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh&quot;. These are words which can only apply to the last generation; and they self-evidently imply that therefore that last generation does know for sure that Christ is about to come. Just two verses later, the Lord spoke of how in the Spring &quot;Ye see and know <i>of your own selves</i> that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh&quot; (Lk. 21:30,31). There is an instinctive sense within us concerning the change of the seasons; and this will be the same in the minds of the faithful as they sense the Lord's return approaching. There will be no need for magazine articles expounding &quot;signs of the times&quot;; we will not need any man to say unto us &quot;The time draweth near&quot; because we will know <i>of our own selves</i> that the coming of Christ is near (Lk. 21:7,8 should be read in the context of v.30,31). The relationship between Solomon and his bride in the Song of Solomon is typical of that between Christ and His church; and significantly, therefore, she senses his approach, she hears his voice telling her that he is coming, even before she sees him (Song 2:8).</p><p>We were redeemed by the blood of Jesus; and yet His return and judgment of us is also our &ldquo;day of redemption&quot; (Lk. 21:28; Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30). Yet that day was essentially the cross; but it is also in the day of judgment. Likewise, we are &ldquo;justified&quot; by the blood of Jesus. Yet the idea of justification is a declaring righteous after a judgment; as if the cross was our judgment, and through our belief in the Lord we were subsequently declared justified, as we will be in the Last Day.</p>