The discourse in Luke 17, although it sounds familiar as if it may be an abbreviated version of the Olivet Discourse, is, in fact, not.  It is a different time and different message.  

In this passage, Jesus is instructing His disciples as to the “Kingdom of God”.  This term may be thought of as the “Church”.  We who are born again are citizens of the Kingdom of God, thus we are part and parcel of the Church.  The term “church” is, in the Greek, “ecclesia” meaning assembly.  We are called in the New Testament the “assembly of the first born” and are also referred to as “children of God”.  The first converts to Christ were said to be of “The Way”.  It was at Antioch that followers of The Way became known as Christians.  The title stuck and has been used ever since.

The occasion of Jesus’ answer to those asking, was when demand was made by the Pharisees that He tell them when the kingdom of God would come.  He answered them in the hearing of His disciples saying “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.  Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there!  For lo, the kingdom of God is within you”. (Lk 17:20,20).

This is saying the same as Paul said when he declared that it is Christ in you, the hope of glory.   By these words, Jesus and Paul both declared that the kingdom of God is not of this world (Jesus said that to Pilate) but it is spiritual and is inside the Christian believer by application of the Holy Spirit of God.  

Jesus then told them that one day there would be the rapture.  “And he said unto His disciples, the days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man and ye shall not see it.  And they shall say to you, see here, or see there.  Go not after them, nor follow them.  For AS THE LIGHTNING, THAT LIGHTENETH OUT FROM UNDER ONE PART OF HEAVEN, SHINETH UNTO THE OTHER PART UNDER HEAVEN, SO SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE IN HIS DAY”.  This dear folks, is the rapture of the Church.  

But first there had to be Jesus suffering on the cross, and He had to be rejected by the rulers of His day, and even the common folks calling for his death.  This part occurred nearly 2,000 years ago.  But, let us go on now.

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man” (Lk 17:26).  And so it is.  Just like Noah’s day, this rotten generation has brought the end of civilization upon the rocks of destruction by it avarice and greed, coupled with many other sins so that this world system is evil to the core in God’s eyes.

Jesus then coupled Noah’s days with the days of Lot as well, and here is found the famous verse…”remember Lot’s wife”  (Lk 17:32).  In other words get out of love with the world (system) and evils that it produces.  Don’t perish like Lot’s wife did because she failed or refused to turn her back on the world.  

Jesus lastly described the rapture event by saying that two people would be in a place, and only one taken while the other is left.  

Listen, fellow Christians.  We must prepare in our lifetime to be followers of Jesus Christ.  He is aware of who we are, what we do, and how well we do and have done it.  I am prayerful that I may be accounted worthy to escape all the horrors of the great tribulation, and stand before the Son of Man.  

To do this, John the Revelator, in his first letter (1 John) said, “Love not the world (system), neither the things that are in the world (system).  If any man (or woman) love the world (system), the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world (system), the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (system).” (1 John 2:15,16).

The earth and its fullness was created by God, thus it is not the world He created that we are to avoid, but the system that keeps us away from God.  It’s the deadly sins so celebrated by the world (system) and of our flesh, enumerated in the Holy Bible that men should avoid at all cost if they would stand before the Son of Man.

It is never too late to act.  Repent, all of us, for every thing that we can identify as dishonoring God and His beloved Son, and that which grieves the Holy Spirit, quit it right now.  Live for Christ as you have light to live, and do not satisfy the lusts of the flesh.  This is acceptable unto God.  For Romans 12 tells us that to present our bodies as a living sacrifice is just normal duty for the follower of Christ.  But, this will guarantee you a part in the Bride of Christ.  This is working out your own salvation (as God planned for you to do by obedience) with fear (awe) and trembling.  

I’ll see you all up there in a few short days is my earnest prayer.

Maranatha

Gerry Almond