WHEN WILL THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME?

The Pharisees question

- WHEN WOULD THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME? -

The coming of the Kingdom of God in Luke 17 - What is Jesus talking about ?
Luke 17 verses 20 to 37
The subject matter here in Luke chapter 17 verse 20 to 37 and in Luke 21 verses 5 to 33 overlaps. Both refer to the seige of Jerusalem and the Lord's 'second coming' but the discussions are different.
In Luke 17 verse 20 the Pharisees ask the Lord Jesus when would the Kingdom of God come. Orthodox Jews earnestly desired the Messiah to appear to rid the nation of the Romans, expecting him to establish the nation as 'the kingdom of God' and be its king for ever.( Luke 24:21, Daniel 7:13,14) Also they were expecting it to happen any time then because of the predictions in Daniel 9:24-26.* These would be widely discussed issues of the day.
* [See this study in Daniel]
In Luke 21 it is the Lord's prediction of the devastation of Jerusalem which give rise to the disciples' questions. The Lord had talked about his 'second coming' and the day of judgement (John 5:27-30) so they would have difficulty imagining the temple being destroyed and Jerusalem being devastated before then.
On the one hand, the Pharisees expected a militant Messianic liberator. On the other hand, the disciples were confusing the destruction of Jerusalem with the Lord's 'second coming.' This accounts for the different ways in which the Lord answers their questions and for differences between the two events.
Chronology:
This sequence of historical events needs to be born in mind whilst studying this subject.
THE MOSAIC ERA

The Lord's ministry began about AD 27 and he was crucified about AD 30. The Mosaic law became defunct when the Lord was crucified (Colossians 2:14). So the Lord gave this teaching during the Mosaic era. The establishment of his kingdom was still in the future.

THE MESSIAH'S ERA

His kingdom began within the lifetime of many of his hearers. It was established on the day of Pentecost - 50 days after his crucifixion. This was the beginning of the present era. The era when the Lord rules over hearts - the era of his kingdom. But those who rejected him couldn't see this.
After the day of Pentecost the new church suffered increasing persecution from the Jews
The destruction of the temple in AD 70, during the siege of Jerusalem, finally brought to an end all remaining vestiges of the Mosaic era
After the devastation of Jerusalem the church was persecuted by the Roman's. They were severely persecuted under the Roman emperors Diocletian and Nero. During the time of persecution those in the church who wanted to gain control over its members kept a low profile to avoid the risk of arrest, torture and execution.
This risk significantly diminished when Constantine declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman Empire. The church developed into vying ecclesiastical institutions. So in different regions power greedy members in the churches vied with each other for supremacy. Faithful Christians who dared protest were themselves persecuted and even executed by prelates. From this developed the chaotic conglomeration of politically motivated ecclesiastical hierarchies that is called "Christendom." But there has always been a remnant who clung to the simplicity of the original faith of the apostles.

THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

At the end of this era the Lord Jesus will appear. Then he will judge all the living and all the dead. He will hand his kingdom over to the Father and the physical universe will be annihilated for good. [There will be a new heavens and a new earth whose occupants will not be physical] (1.Corinthians 15:24, 50 2.Peter 3:7-12)

WHEN WOULD THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME?
Luke 17 verses 20 to 37

Verses 20-21
THE PHARISEES QUESTION
"When will God's kingdom come"
The Pharisees demanded an answer. They really wanted to know when the Messiah would overthrow the Romans and establish Jewish nation as the everlasting kingdom of God. So the Lord disabuses them of the idea that the Kingdom of God is a secular kingdom by asserting that it is a spiritual kingdom, a kingdom of the heart.
"The kingdom of God does not come with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is inside you" (verses.20, 21).

The Lord's Kingdom is heavenly in essence
John 18:33 Then Pilate ... said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews? " ... 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom was of this world, then my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from here.

Verses 22-23
THE TIME WHEN THEY WOULD YEARN FOR THE MESSIAH TO APPEAR
After the Lord ascended to heaven political unrest progressively increased giving rise to the siege of Jerusalem. Then even the disciples would yearn for the Messiah to appear to take control of the situation but they would be disappointed.
"The days will come, when you shall desire to see one of the days* of the Son of man, and you shall not see it" (verse 22).

Then there would be bogus messiahs
During the siege there were false messiahs offering deliverance from the Roman occupation. So he warns his disciples not to follow anyone who would be masquerading as Messiah's
"And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: do not go after them, nor follow them." (verse 23).

Verse 24
THE CONTRAST OF THOSE DAYS WITH THE DAY OF THE LORD'S COMING
This is given as the reason why they must not follow the bogus messiahs.
When he does come the situation will be totally different. It will not be an obscure local event - He will be seen everywhere, at once, suddenly.
"(For as the lightning, that lights out of the one part under heaven, and shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.^%)" (verse 24).

Verse 25
FIRST – BEFORE THE DAYS WHEN THEY WOULD YEARN FOR THE MESSIAH (verse 22)
However, before any of the those things begin to happen the Lord Jesus would suffer scorn, abuse and death, being rejected by people of that generation (Luke 17:25).
[Note: The phrase "this generation" occurs 15 times in the New Testament. Every one is where the Lord is referring to the generation of people to whom he is talking. The phrase "that generation " is used to refer to folk of a different time. (Hebrews 3:10)]

Verses 26-30
THE DAYS OF THE MESSIAH'S RULE
The situation in the world during the reign of "the Son of man" over his spiritual kingdom, right up to the day of his appearance at the last day.
Lest any would think that during the reign of the Lord Jesus the whole world would automatically submit to him he reminds them of what happened before the flood and in the days of Lot.
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.^% They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." (verses 26, 27).
"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all." (verses 28-29).

Just as most folk were unprepared when devastation came upon them then so people of the world in general will be caught unaware when the Lord appears on judgement day.
"Even so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."^% (verse 30).

^% Note the difference between "the days" (of his rule) and "the day" (of him being the judge). The Pharisees were looking for the coming of the Kingdom of God - days when the Messiah would be their victorious king. That is why in Luke 17 verses 22 and 26 the phrase "the days of the Son of man" is used to refer to the days of the Lord's rule, this present era - when the kingdom of God exists "within" the children of God. The phrases, "in his day" in Luke 17 verse 24 and "the day when the Son of man is revealed." in Luke 17 verse 30, refer to his appearing at the end of this present era to judge of the alive and the dead. The Lord Jesus said:
"Verily, verily, I say to you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and those who hear shall live. For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself; And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation." John 5:27-30

Verses 31-33
"IN THAT DAY" - THE TIME OF YEARNING AND BOGUS MESSIAHS
When Jerusalem is under siege they must get away.
Now in verse 31 the word 'that' refers back to the beginning of the Lord's remarks where he warns them of there would be false Messiahs.(Luke 21:22-23) When they heard about bogus Messiahs rallying patriotic Hebrews to fight off the Roman soldiers, they were to flee without looking back because their lives would be in such danger that they would not even have time to collect their belongings.
"In that day, he who shall be on the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he who is in the field, let him likewise not return back."

They were to abandon everything. During the siege of AD 70 there was a short break in hostilities. That day Christians, heeding this advise, took that opportunity to flee Jerusalem. They were not to be like Lot's wife, reluctant to leave their belongings behind.
"Remember Lot's wife. Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." (verses 32, 33)

Verses 34-37
"IN THIS NIGHT" - THE TIME OF THE LORD'S COMING
When he comes, his saints will be go to be with him and the wicked will be rejected.
Having given them that advice, using the word 'this', the Lord Jesus redirects their attention to his most recent subject: 'the day when the Son of man is revealed.' (verse 30). "I tell you, in this^$ night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be abandoned.* Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other abandoned.* Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other abandoned.* " (verses 34 to 36)
^$ tauth this. "this night" verse 30. The day when the Son of man is revealed.
[Note: The world is a sphere suspended in space where at the same time on one side it is night and on the other it is day and folk are working, vv.34-36. cp. Isaiah 40:22. 26:7. The Bible stated these facts many centuries before Galileo. cp. Isaiah 40:22 and Job 26:7]

* afihmi abandoned. ie. not one of those who will be gathered to be with the Lord. cp. v.31 and ch.25 v.46.
[This word (afihmi)does not imply that they are left to live on the earth. It should not be interpreted so as to contradict other scripture such as: John 5:28, 29, 2.Timothy 4:1 and 1.Peter 4:5.]

Even of those claiming to be his, those who call him "Lord", the sheep and the goats will be separated. The sheep will be chosen and the goats rejected.
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats" (Matthew 25:31, 32)

Where will this event take place?
Still confused the disciples ask where it will happen.
None of the wicked, wherever they are, will escape the day of Judgement.
And they answered and said to him, "Where, Lord?" And he said to them, "Wherever the body is, there will the vultures^% be gathered together." (verse 37)

^% (aetoV eagles) This word cannot refer to the eagle on the Roman military standard because eagles do not usually gather around carrion and the illustration here is of scavengers gathering around carcasses. It probably refers to vultures. The word "body" is evidently directed at the spiritually dead - the wicked.

This proverb could also apply equally to the administration of God's justice on the nation of Israel [compare Luke 21:22 with Isaiah46:11 and Ezekiel 39:4] or to the administration of His justice when the Lord Jesus appears.
A person can be physically alive yet spiritually be a carcase.
She who lives in pleasure is dead whilst she lives (1.Timothy 5:6)

Many who are alive physically are dead spiritually. The Lord makes it clear that wherever the spiritual carcases are they will be separated and suffer judgement. One can be physically alive yet spiritually be a carcase.
Don't be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that is also what he will reap. For he who sows to his flesh* will reap corruptin from his flesh,* but he who sows to the Spirit will reap life everlasting from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)
*[Greek sarx physical desires]
... to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know not God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who will be punished with everlasting ruin away from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he comes in that day, to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all those who believe since our testimony to you was believed. (1.Thessalonians 1:7-10)