Luke 17:20, commentary and pictures

When the Pharisees demanded when the kingdom of God should come, Jesus answered that it does not come to be watched for outwardly or pointed to in one place or another. It does not arrive with outward show and worldly pomp or visible signs of earthly power, nor as a temporal dominion set up by human authority and legal force by overthrowing rulers and ruling over courts, governments and markets. It is a new spiritual and heavenly kingdom that begins within the heart as divine grace, righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, through the gentle influence of God's word and the inward working of the Holy Spirit in fellowship with Christ. Its greatest display of power is a human nature brought to the perfection of Christ's character in unselfish love, received by looking to Jesus and following His leadings rather than by status, wealth, imposing display or human devising. After suffering many things and rejection, His revelation will be as lightning shining across heaven, and as in the days of Noah and Lot when life went on until sudden destruction came, so the day of the Lord will come suddenly like a thief, requiring constant watching, praying, working and preparation of soul.

Kingdom Without Observation

When the Pharisees demanded when the kingdom of God should come, He answered that it comes not with observation to be watched for outwardly or pointed to in one place or another. It does not arrive with outward show or display, with worldly pomp, or with visible signs of earthly power to be pointed out.

It is a new kingdom set up among people, spiritual and heavenly rather than worldly, whose glory is spiritual. His mission and glory were already present among the people, veiled in His humanity, so that they were in danger of missing the privilege of having the Son of God among them. Even His disciples could not fully understand this while He was with them, until after His ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit revealed His character and mission as One come from God to save sinful humanity.

It is therefore no temporal earthly dominion, not established by human authority or legal force, nor by overthrowing rulers and kingdoms. It rules not over earthly courts and governments and markets, for Christ refused an earthly throne.

How the Kingdom Comes

The kingdom comes not through outward show that can be watched for, but through the gentle influence and inspiration of God's word and Christ's word, through the inward working of the Holy Spirit in the soul, and through fellowship of the soul with God and with Christ who is its life. Its greatest display and manifestation of power is a human character and human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ. The choicest productions of art possess no beauty that can compare with that beauty of character which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's working in the soul.

It begins in the heart and is within, not to be looked for here or there as a worldly kingdom, for it is a kingdom of divine grace manifested in the hearts of His people. It is made evident through the inward work of God's grace as Christlike unselfish love that brings salvation and bears fruit, and it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The kingdom of glory itself could be established only through Christ's humiliation, suffering, and death.

God's work and the coming of His kingdom cannot be mapped out in advance by human plans, nor predicted or detected by outward observation and visible signs, for God works in His own way according to His own plans in ways people do not expect and cannot fully understand or limit. Therefore people must trust Him and rely on Him instead of what they can see, walking by faith rather than by sight and not by plans of their own devising. Its light is received not by following selfish plans but by looking unto Jesus and following Christ's leadings instead of human suppositions.

Christ's humble life and the gospel's beginning without worldly rank show that God's work depends on faith and obedience rather than status, recognition, appearance of wealth or position, expensive architecture or furnishings, or achievements that win applause from men and minister to vanity. Worldly display however imposing is of no value with God, and is not essential to the advancement of His work, for His kingdom grounded in the gospel of grace and self-denial is opposed to the spirit of the world. Perfection in outward things is a duty but must never be made supreme, remaining subordinate to higher interests, because God values the unseen and eternal above the seen and transitory, and the seen is of worth only as it expresses the unseen.

Sudden Revelation and Readiness

The same answer that denies an outwardly observable coming warns against chasing reports that the Son of man is to be seen here or there. He must first suffer many things and be rejected, and then His revealing will not be local or secret but as lightning flashing across the sky from one part of heaven to the other.

That coming is joined to the days of Noah and the days of Lot, when ordinary life went on in eating and drinking and marrying and buying and selling and planting and building. Warning was given for many years, yet people did not turn, only a few responding at first while others mocked. Then sudden destruction came upon the unprepared, and so it will be in the day when He is revealed.

For those who are not watching and praying and working, the day of the Lord will come suddenly, like a thief in the night. Therefore constant readiness for the coming of Christ is required, with the soul prepared for the great day of the Lord. Those who have the light must follow Jesus in His footsteps and work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. This is a message for this time, to be earnestly lived and clearly proclaimed without loss of time.