This question arose from a question asked of Jesus by the Pharisees. It was actually a cynical question because Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and in the pharisee’s mind, the Messiah was supposed to usher in God’s Eternal Kingdom. (Daniel 7:13-14; Isaiah 9:7) In essence, the Pharisees were asking, “So Jesus, when are you going to do that?”
Read carefully how this story unfolds and see if you get a clear answer of the exact timing of when Jesus will set up God’s eternal kingdom.
One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building—until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.” “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”” (Luke 17:20–37, NLT)
A careful reading of this text reveals why so many Christians disagree or are confused over end times theology and the return of the Lord. It seems that Jesus was more interested in giving us the proper attitude towards His return rather than giving us a clear chronology like we would want.
Are you ready to meet the Lord? If you found yourself standing before him today would you find yourself in bliss or horror? Prepare to meet the Lord. Because you will certainly meet Him sooner or later.
Pastor Mike