20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. (Luke 17:20-37 KJV)
The Coming of the Kingdom
We have here a discourse of Christ concerning the kingdom of God, that is, the kingdom of the Messiah, which was soon to be established and of which there was great expectation.
The Pharisees asked when the kingdom of God would come, imagining it as a temporal kingdom that would elevate the Jewish nation. They were eager to know when it would begin, having heard Christ taught his disciples to pray for its coming and that it was near. “Now,” say the Pharisees, “when will that glorious view open? When shall we see this long-anticipated kingdom?”
Christ replied first to the Pharisees and then to his disciples, who were more prepared to understand him (Luke 17:22). He said to both what he says to us.
First, the kingdom of the Messiah was to be spiritual, not temporal and external. “You don’t know what you’re asking,” Christ said. “It may come and you won’t even notice it.” It does not arrive with visible signs as earthly kingdoms do. Christ corrected their misunderstanding: “It is not for you to know the times of this kingdom; but understand its nature.” When a prince travels, everyone talks about his location. But Christ’s kingdom isn’t like that—it won’t be announced in this or that place, nor confined to any country or city. Those who tie Christianity to one place or group, saying “Lo here” or “Lo there,” go against the inclusive design of Christianity.
“The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). It’s not of this world (John 18:36). It affects hearts and lives, not outward circumstances. It makes proud people humble, vain people serious, and worldly people heavenly. Therefore, look for the kingdom of God in personal transformation, not political change. “The kingdom of God is among you.” The gospel is preached, confirmed by miracles, and embraced by many. It’s present in your midst, though not in your hearts. Many look ahead for what is already among them.
Jesus also warned that the setting up of this kingdom would face opposition and interruption (Luke 17:22). The disciples expected constant success, but Christ told them, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it.” At first, they would see great progress, but it wouldn’t last. Persecution would scatter them, and preaching opportunities would diminish. People would grow indifferent. This would happen not only to the first disciples but to Christians in later times. Teachers would be silenced, and public worship limited. Christians would long for preaching and praying days as they once enjoyed. The Spirit may be withdrawn, people become dull, and godliness fade. Even then, Christ’s church is not lost just because it isn’t always visible or prevailing.
Christ also said his return would not be confined to one place, but be visible everywhere at once (Luke 17:23-24): “They’ll say to you, ‘See here’ or ‘See there.’ Don’t follow them. The Son of Man will be like lightning flashing across the sky.” The judgments that destroy the Jewish nation and deliver Christians from them will spread like lightning, unstoppable and visible everywhere. Likewise, the gospel will spread swiftly through the nations, setting up Christ’s kingdom across the earth. Its aim isn’t to make one nation great, but to make people holy from every nation.
Before Christ reigns, he must suffer (Luke 17:25): “First, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” His disciples would face the same. Though they expected a kingdom of glory, Christ said the cross comes before the crown. The gospel would triumph not through acceptance but rejection, to show that the power is from God, not man. Though Israel isn’t gathered, Christ will still be glorified to the ends of the earth.
The setting up of the kingdom would bring destruction to the Jewish nation, who would be caught off guard, immersed in sensuality like the world in Noah’s and Lot’s time (Luke 17:26-30). They were warned by Noah and Lot but ignored it. They ate, drank, married, bought, sold, planted, and built—lawful things, but done in excess and without any spiritual preparation. They stayed asleep in sin until the day judgment came. Noah entered the ark, Lot left Sodom, and then destruction came. God protected those who feared him, but the rest were suddenly and completely destroyed.
So it would be in Christ’s day. When he came to judge the Jewish nation by Roman armies, they would still ignore the warnings given by Christ and his apostles. The Christians would withdraw, and judgment would fall on the rest. Similarly, when Christ returns at the end of the world, many will be living carelessly, unaware of the judgment near them. This pattern has repeated in every age. Woe to those at ease in Zion.
Christ’s followers should distinguish themselves from the unbelieving Jews and flee when the signal is given (Luke 17:31). Like Noah entering the ark or Lot fleeing to Zoar, they must leave Jerusalem and not delay to gather possessions. “Don’t come down from the rooftop to get your stuff.” Let worldly things go and save your life.
They must not think of returning either (Luke 17:32): “Remember Lot’s wife.” She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Her example warns believers not to look back longingly at their old sinful lives. Don’t go back in heart or you might go back in practice.
There would be no way to save their lives but by separating from the Jews (Luke 17:33): “Whoever seeks to save his life” by compromising with the unbelieving Jews “will lose it.” But those who are willing to risk their lives with Christ’s people will find life—eternal life. Trusting God in obedience is the safest course.
Though all good Christians would be saved, many would escape only narrowly (Luke 17:34-36). When judgment comes, God will protect his own in remarkable ways—two in a bed, one taken and the other left. Though outward circumstances are the same, God knows who are his and will preserve them. The Judge of all the earth will do right. When judgment comes for Christ’s sake, it will not fall on those who honored his cross.
This separating work will happen everywhere Christ’s kingdom reaches (Luke 17:37). The disciples asked, “Where, Lord?” And he replied, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will gather.” This could mean two things.
First, wherever the wicked are, God’s judgments will find them—like vultures drawn to a corpse. The Jews, having become spiritually dead and offensive to God, will be overtaken by divine judgment. The Roman soldiers will hunt them down, and none will escape.
Second, wherever the godly are, they will be gathered to Christ. His kingdom is not confined to one city, like Jerusalem was. Instead, wherever the gospel is preached and ordinances are practiced, there believers will gather and find Christ. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” Many understand this also as referring to the final gathering of saints in glory, directed by Christ himself. “To him shall the gathering of the people be.”