Kingdom Phases – Luke 17:20-37

Idioms.theFreeDictionary.com describes our use of the  proverbial phrase “the calm before the storm” as describing A period of inactivity or tranquility before something chaotic begins, or even a sense of foreboding, during a particularly serene period, that violence is on its way.  Jesus describes his second coming and the judgment that ensues as a calm before the storm.

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”  (Luke 17:20-37 ESV)

There are two stages to the kingdom, whereas the Jews of Jesus’ day thought there was only one.  The Pharisees, who are obviously negative about Jesus, want him to tell them when the end stage, as we know it, will come.  When will the power of God overthrow their Roman enemies and all their enemies and make them the ruling nation on earth?  They do not understand the initial phase of the kingdom, the one where Jesus, the king, must suffer and die for the sins of the world.

So Jesus answers the Pharisees that the initial phase of the kingdom is already among them.  He means that it is here in his person, because he is the king.  But to his disciples he describes how that phase will be ended by his absence and their longing to see him again. 

The second phase of the kingdom will come like the flood and the judgment of Sodom came, suddenly and in the midst of life as usual.  It will come with a powerful demonstration of meted out justice and destruction of unbelievers.  It will be obvious to all that this judgment is selective, taking some to judgment and not others.

When asked where those “taken” in judgment will be (this is not describing the rapture), Jesus answers with a proverb, that they (their bodies) will be where you see vultures congregating to eat the dead flesh.  Though he does not say it, the implication is that those not taken in judgment, those “left,” will enter into the kingdom.