Jesus then used the Pharisees’ question to teach His disciples about the future, visible kingdom saying, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them” (17:22-23). Jesus is warning the disciples that there will come a day when they would desire to see Him, but would not be able to (17:22); of course, Jesus is referring to the time between His ascension into heaven (Acts 1) and His second coming to establish His earthly kingdom for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-6). In Jesus’ absence, some will try to deceive others into receiving false messiahs, but Jesus promised that when He returned, no one would miss it (17:24). But before His departure and the establishment of God’s kingdom, Jesus revealed that He “must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation” (17:25). Ultimately, Jesus was teaching that His death would secure salvation for sinners who would repent and receive Him by faith.
Following this revelation, Jesus warned those who were listening about the judgment which would be associated with His return to earth to establish the kingdom of God. Jesus points out two Old Testament examples of people who ignored coming judgment by living their lives in ignorance to God: the people in Noah’s day (17:26-27) and the people in Lot’s day (17:28-29). As these two judgments caught people off guard, so will the return of Jesus also be (17:30). For those who remained ignorant toward God and His ways, the return of Jesus Christ to earth would be a sudden judgment upon them (17:31-36). It is important to note that none of the things Jesus mentioned here were utterly sinful, but their punishment lies in the fact that they chose to ignore God. When the disciples heard that some would be taken in judgment at Christ’s return, they wanted to know the location of where they would be taken. Jesus answers, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (17:37). Rather than providing a specific location, Jesus seems to be affirming the certainty of coming judgment on those who ignore Him. All those who follow Christ must willingly surrender their lives to His service and look forward to a future kingdom where Jesus will reign in righteousness. Since an earthly kingdom is still at an undisclosed time in the future, Christians must daily surrender every thought, word, and action to God so that His kingdom can be established right now by the way we live our lives.
Dear God, I long to demonstrate righteousness in my life now and look forward to a day where You will establish a righteous rule here on earth.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts. I recently wrote a commentary similar to yours that kind of echoes the same thing. I thought I would share it with you.
I find myself thinking, “where do I find the answers to the complicated issues of life?” I’ve read countless amounts of books; some good, some bad, and it’s all the same stuff. I’ve even engaged in lengthy, psychological conversations about the meaning and reasons for why we as human beings do what we do. Still, no answer. I’ve even asked God, “God, what are the answers to life’s most mysterious questions and where do I find them?” Well, God answered my question instantly with this verse. The answers to life’s most difficult questions lie within the simplicity of the Kingdom. And since the Kingdom of God is within me all I need to do is listen to His still, small voice and then and only then will the answers be revealed.
I do appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me! I’m thankful that you stopped by.