What does Luke 21:11 mean?

This continues Jesus' general overview of hardships the world should expect before His second coming. First is false messiahs, claiming to be Him. Next is rumors of war and insurrection. Then, war: "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Luke 21:8–10). Now He prophesies natural and supernatural disasters.

It's crucial to note that Jesus is indicating that such things are not automatic markers of the end of days: "Do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once" (Luke 21:9). Just as wars currently going on are not sure signs that the end times have begun, neither are earthquakes, famines, or even God's direct judgment on the earth.

False teachers have made millions of dollars by scaring people into believing otherwise. They claim that hurricanes are God's judgment, that pandemics are orchestrated by the Antichrist, that earthquakes are proof the end is near. They lie to their listeners, ignoring the fact that these things have always happened. Wealthy and stable nations are largely protected from the horrible repercussions of these events. Comfortable people tend to overreact when suddenly inconvenienced. But people suffer every day; it's important not to assume that the serenity of one culture is shared everywhere.

Jesus is replying to the disciples' question about when the temple will be destroyed (Luke 21:7), first giving a general overview of world events during the church age. Then Jesus lays out three prophecies that largely refer to Jews. The first is that His followers will be persecuted (Luke 21:12–19). Only after persecution is established will Jerusalem and the temple be destroyed (Luke 21:20–24). From that point, the "times of the Gentiles" begin (Luke 21:24). When that time is finished and the Jews are reconciled to God, Jesus will return, judge the world, and establish His kingdom (Luke 21:25–28).

Instead of "various," the King James Version uses "divers," an old spelling of "diverse."