In The Word
Read: Luke 17:20-37
Second Coming Foretold
20 Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
22 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. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look there,’ or, ‘Look here!’ Do not leave, and do not run after them. 24 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. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 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, and they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, the one who will be on the housetop, with his goods in the house, must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.35 There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 [Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”] 37 And responding, they *said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Yeshua taught His disciples how to prepare for His second coming. This teaching is relevant today because many people feel that we are in the last days and that Yeshua’s return can be pin pointed to an exact day. God’s Kingdom will not come in a way that people can predict it precisely; rather, it will be sudden, at a time nobody will know.
Yeshua was helping His disciples understand that the focus is not on when He is returning, but that we are to be ready no matter when it is. Just as in the days of Noah and Lot, the people were going about their daily affairs when God’s severe judgment came upon them. Though we must properly tend to our responsibilities, we must never lose sight that Yeshua’s return could come at any moment “just like the lightning” (Luke 17:24).
What is the best way to prepare for the Lord’s return? By obeying all of His commands diligently and rejecting the world’s ways and concerns. We prepare for that future day by living for Yeshua today. While we long for His coming, do not get so focused on it that we miss the work of God in front of us now. Use the time we have to tell others about His coming and how to be saved from God’s judgment.