When is Kingdom Coming?
Jesus starts by expressing that he represents the Kingdom. The Pharisees are looking for the Kingdom being a physical place where they rule and are looking for signs to get there. They miss what is in front of them. Jesus is living a way of life that people should follow.
To his disciples, Jesus states that his second coming, when it comes, will be obvious with absolutely no doubt. However, he then explains about his death and rejection by his current generation. He comments on the generation at this time. He compares them to the days of Noah. His redemption through the cross is often compared to the ark enabling survival of the flood. He predicts the judgment on Jerusalem coming to that generation, the ‘on that day’, recommending fleeing and not looking back like Lot’s wife, comparing the judgment with the destruction of Sodom.
The comments seem to be about the judgment that came within that generation. The Jewish nation and Jerusalem in particular was destroyed by the Roman rulers following an uprising in AD70. The warnings such as recognising and fleeing from the coming destruction will fit within this judgment. It would be important to recognise the ‘signs of the times’, and to get away from, rather than fight against, this judgment. See study ‘Signs of the Times’.
Some commentators use this passage to suggest that it refers to the second coming of Jesus, where some people are spirited away (one taken and one left), called a ‘rapture’, but this seems far-fetched and unsupported elsewhere in scripture. The suggestion of such a rapture is nonsense. People following Jesus are not removed from the world, but are key central participants in the end times. The idea that followers of Jesus are excluded from whatever these commentators also image happens should be rejected. This heresy seems to have been dreamt up by Darby of the ‘Plymouth Brethren’ in 1828 around ideas about the ‘elect’ and resulted in exclusiveness and isolation from society.
References to ‘rapture’ can include Enoch who walked with God, but this just could refer to his death and the confidence that he was then going to be with God the Father. The passages in 1 Thessalonians do not support this rapture heresy. Being with him in the clouds is a reference to the clouds of incense in the temple used by the priests to cover sin. It refers to the redemption of those who confess Jesus as Lord.
The passages about taking one and not the other refers to the siege and attack to come that results in the randomness of killing when this judgment falls. The warning is to see it coming and get away before it happens.
This passage does not seem to suggest when Jesus will return, except that, when he does, it will be such that there will be no doubt.
The main passage where Jesus addresses the two questions, the first about the judgment on his generation and the second and his return is found in the book of Matthew. His disciples ask when will these things happen (i.e. the destruction of the temple predicted by Jesus and what will the sign of the end of the age?
Jesus answers the first question in a similar way to Luke as mentioned above, i.e. the uprising in AD70 and the destruction of Jerusalem.
He advises fleeing to the mountains. The tribulation therefore does not refer to end times but the judgment on the people at that time.
The second answer is different. Jesus refers to the ‘days of Noah’ who knew that the flood was coming and was prepared, unlike others. He states that the date is not prescribed in the future but was yet to be decided. This presumes that certain factors need to be established first. The judgment at this time refers to those who were expressing life as Jesus wishes, those who cared for others, those who expressed righteousness. He is waiting for a people who express Jesus in the world and then the end will come.
Background
Luke chapter 17 verses 20 to 37 - Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."
And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. [Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.] And answering they said to him, "Where, Lord?" And he said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered."
Jesus starts by expressing that he represents the Kingdom (Luke chapter 17 verses 20 to 21).
To his disciples, Jesus states that his second coming, when it comes, will be obvious with absolutely no doubt (verses 22 to 24). However, he then explains about his death and rejection by his current generation (verse 25). He comments on the generation at this time. He compares them to the days of Noah (verse 26; Genesis chapter 6 verses 5 to 8, 11). His redemption through the cross is often compared to the ark enabling survival of the flood. He predicts the judgment on Jerusalem coming to that generation, the ‘on that day’ (verse 31), recommending fleeing and not looking back like Lot’s wife, comparing the judgment with the destruction of Sodom (verses 31 to 37; Genesis chapter 19 verses 23 to 26).
References to ‘rapture’ can include Enoch who walked with God (Genesis chapter 5 verse 24; Hebrews chapter 11 verse 5), but this just could refer to his death and the confidence that he was then going to be with God the Father. The passages in 1 Thessalonians do not support this rapture heresy (chapter 4 verses 13 to chapter 5 verse 11). Being with him in the clouds (verse 17) is a reference to the clouds of incense in the temple used by the priests to cover sin (Revelation chapter 8 verse 4). It refers to the redemption of those who confess Jesus as Lord.
The main passage where Jesus addresses the two questions, the first about the judgment on his generation and the second and his return is found in the book of Matthew (chapters 24 and 25). His disciples ask when will these things happen (i.e. the destruction of the temple predicted by Jesus (verses 1,2) and what will the sign of the end of the age? (verse 3).
The second answer (chapter 24 verses 32 on) is different. Jesus refers to the ‘days of Noah’ who knew that the flood was coming and was prepared, unlike others. He states that the date is not prescribed in the future (verse 36) but was yet to be decided. This presumes that certain factors need to be established first. The judgment at this time (chapter verse 34 on) refers to those who were expressing life as Jesus wishes, those who cared for others, those who expressed righteousness. He is waiting for a people who express Jesus in the world and then the end will come.