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20 Now having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed or with a visible display; 21 nor will people say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For the kingdom of God is among you [because of My presence].”

Second Coming Foretold

22 Then He said to the disciples, “The time will come when you will long to see [even] one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will say to you, ‘Look [the Messiah is] there!’ or ‘Look [He is] here!’ Do not go away [to see Him], and do not run after them. 24 For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part [a]of the sky, gives light to the other part [b]of the sky, so [visible] will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be repudiated and rejected and considered unfit [to be the Messiah] by this [unbelieving] generation. 26 And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the [c]time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man: 27 the people were [d]eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, [they were indifferent to God] until the day that Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.(A) 28 It was the same as it was in the days of Lot. People were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building [carrying on business as usual, without regard for their sins]; 29 but on the [very] day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.(B) 31 On that day, whoever is on the housetop, with his belongings in the house, must not come down [and go inside] to take them out; and likewise whoever is in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember [what happened to] Lot’s wife [when she looked back]!(C) 33 Whoever seeks to save his [e]life will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] will keep it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].(D) 34 I tell you, on that night [when Messiah comes again] there will be two [sleeping] in one bed; the [f]one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the [g]other (the believer) will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding [at the mill] together; the [h]one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left. 36 [i][Two men will be in the field; [j]one will be taken and the other will be left.”] 37 And they asked Him, “Where, Lord?” He answered, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will be gathered.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:24 Lit under heaven.
  2. Luke 17:24 Lit under heaven.
  3. Luke 17:26 This refers to the beginning of the Millennial kingdom when Christ returns physically and rules on earth.
  4. Luke 17:27 I.e. the people of Noah’s time were living lives of ignorant bliss, without any concern or fear that their sins would bring down on them the judgment of God.
  5. Luke 17:33 Or soul.
  6. Luke 17:34 This is not the sudden catching up (or rapture) of believers as described in 1 Thess 4:13-18 when Christ returns in the air (not to earth), and gathers believers to be with Him.
  7. Luke 17:34 The believers are left and will be with Christ on the earth during the Millennium.
  8. Luke 17:35 See note v 34.
  9. Luke 17:36 This v is not found in early mss, nor in many late ones.
  10. Luke 17:36 See note v 34.

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