AS THE LIGHTNING

Today’s passage shows the Lord Jesus teaching that there are two aspects to the kingdom of God.

The Pharisees are challenging Him again, demanding to know when this ‘kingdom of God’ that He spoke of would come. He answered that it had not come with outward show. They could not see it and say, ‘Here it is’, for the kingdom of God was a spiritual thing and was in their midst, in the sense that He, the king, was standing before them with His subjects, the disciples. Then, the Lord turned to His disciples explaining that there will come a day when He will return as ‘Son of man’ and establish a literal, visible kingdom on earth. There will be no mistaking this return to earth. Some will falsely predict that He has come prior to His return, but, when He does come, it will be very sudden and very public. All on earth will see His coming in the same way that lightning is seen flashing across the whole sky, for ‘every eye shall see him’, Rev. 1. 7.

But, this is in the future. First, Jesus must be rejected by the Jews and die on Calvary as the Saviour of the world.

The Lord shows that His coming will not only be seen by all, but will be a surprise to all. In the days of Noah and Lot, earth’s population was occupied in its daily routine when suddenly judgement came ‘and destroyed them all’, but only after God had removed His own from the scene of judgement. He pro­vided Noah with the ark, and removed Lot from Sodom.

When the Son of Man returns it will be night time for some and day time for others on different parts of the globe. Some will be in their beds, some working at home, others in the fields. Some will be taken away in judgement, while those who are left will enjoy the blessings of the kingdom.

We rejoice today in the assurance that the Man of Calvary, last seen by hostile mankind hanging in shame upon a cross, will one day return to earth in power and great glory! And, prior to that, we who love Him will have been ‘caught up’ and the ‘dead in Christ’ will have been raised up to ‘ever be with the Lord’. In the day of His glorious return we shall be associ­ated with Him, never more to be parted. Praise His name!