20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;

The phrase Kingdom of God reflects a central theme in Jesus’ teachings. Here, Jesus clarifies that the kingdom is not coming with “observation” (παρατηρήσεως) (par-at-ay’-ray-sis), a term implying outward spectacle or visible markers. Jesus counters the common Jewish expectation of a visible, nationalistic kingdom.

N.T. Wright states, “For the Pharisees, the kingdom would come when Israel’s God defeated her enemies and vindicated his people” (Jesus and the Victory of God, p. 205).

In The Jewish War, Josephus notes that the Pharisees saw the kingdom as a coming event involving divine signs and a future Messiah who would liberate Israel from Roman rule (Josephus, Jewish War, 2.8.14)

21 nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Here Jesus uses negative conditional phrasing “nor will they say” which depends on the prior statement. They will not see conclusive material observable signs (verse 20, this is what the Pharisees expect) nor will they hear them. This clarifies that the material senses are blind to it, a possible conclusion is that revelation requires the eyes of faith.

This phrase at the end of verse 21 is often debated, as ἐντὸς ὑμῶν (entos hymon) could mean “within you” or “among you.” The latter is more plausible in context, with Jesus pointing to the kingdom as a present reality in his ministry rather than an inward spiritual state.

Craig Keener comments that this phrase indicates Jesus’ identity and presence as the Kingdom’s embodiment among the people, suggesting a profound shift from a future expectation to an immediate reality (Bible Background Commentary, p. 340).

22 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.

Now Jesus turns to his disciples. Scholars suggest he is changing the subject to discuss eschatology but this isn’t necessarily true if the incarnation, prophecy and eschatology are intimately connected but events themselves being in time could happen separately. Hēmera is the word used for days and is used typically to define an era. The era of the son of man is coming, the divine messianic figure from Daniel and although connected to the Kingdom, that is already here the era of the son of man is not here yet. So this suggests certain future events will take place at a different time. The disciples in their lack of knowledge might want to see this era but they will not see it themselves.

23 And they will say to you, ‘Lo, there!’ or ‘Lo, here!’ Do not go, do not follow them.

The warning against following signs and wonders or physical locations speaks against both false messianic claimants and the desire for visual proof. This relates to Deuteronomy 13:1-3, where followers are warned against prophets or signs that may lead them astray.

Darrell Bock emphasizes this caution against “external verification” of the kingdom’s arrival, as Jesus redirects focus to himself and his mission (Bock, Luke, p. 1402).

24 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.

The comparison to lightning highlights the sudden, unmistakable, and universal nature of the Son of Man’s coming. The use of ἀστραπὴ (lightning) conveys rapid visibility, emphasizing that although kingdom’s arrival is already here unbeknownst to them this oncoming era of the Son of man’s days will not be hidden or gradual. This aligns with Daniel 7:13-14, where the “Son of Man” arrives with authority. This link would resonate with a Jewish audience familiar with Daniel’s prophecy, reflecting Jesus’ eschatological role.

This lightning imagery to us might just appear as a reference to its visibility and instantaneousness of future signs but the old testament context which second temple judaism lived and breathed would not be able to ignore the divine threads these descriptors are woven with. These are explicitly used in theophanies.

Exodus 19:16 “On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.”

Psalm 18:12-14 “Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.”

Psalm 97:4 “His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.” Ezekiel 1:13-14 “As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.”

25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Here, δεῖ (must) denotes divine necessity, emphasizing that suffering is integral to Jesus’ messianic mission. This counters prevailing messianic expectations of a triumphant, warrior-like deliverer.

Scholars like Joachim Jeremias interpret this as Jesus redefining messiahship through suffering, consistent with the Servant songs of Isaiah (Jeremias, New Testament Theology, p. 290).

Craig A. Evans notes that Jesus’ teachings in this passage, especially his warnings about not following false messiahs or searching for signs, may have been intended to protect his followers from the violent movements that ultimately led to the Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Temple. Evans writes, “Jesus’ teachings here anticipate the coming crisis in Jerusalem, urging his followers to remain focused on his words and mission rather than being drawn into nationalistic hopes that would ultimately end in tragedy” (Luke, New Cambridge Bible Commentary, p. 264).

N.T. Wright interprets Jesus’ warnings in Luke 17 as a broader critique of Jewish expectations for a triumphant messianic age centered around the Temple and Jerusalem’s political fortunes. He suggests that Jesus was signaling that God’s kingdom would arrive in unexpected ways— through his ministry and suffering, not through a political or military revolt centered in Jerusalem. Wright states, “The destruction of the Temple would be seen as both a judgment on Israel’s misguided hopes and a redefinition of God’s kingdom as something not tied to the Temple’s physical presence” (Jesus and the Victory of God, p. 338).

Joel B. Green highlights how Jesus’ eschatological teachings prepare his disciples to avoid the fate that would befall Jerusalem. He explains that “the kingdom’s coming is not tied to the survival or destruction of the Temple but to the person and mission of Jesus himself.” Green argues that Jesus’ message reorients his followers’ focus away from the Temple as the epicenter of God’s activity and toward the revelation of the Son of Man in his return (The Gospel of Luke, p. 633).

Darrell Bock also sees an implicit connection to the Temple’s eventual destruction, interpreting Jesus’ words as a caution against associating the kingdom of God with earthly institutions or political power, like the Temple in Jerusalem. Bock writes, “Jesus’ followers are being encouraged to understand that God’s work will not hinge on the Temple or Jewish political sovereignty; instead, the kingdom would manifest through a new community centered on Jesus’ teachings and presence” (Luke, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, p. 1411).

A quick summary, the Kingdom is already here but those present cannot perceive it through their natural senses. Some period of time is coming after the Son of Man suffers where visible signs will be visible to the senses but his disciples will not see them, implying those who are not his disciples will see these signs.

Is there an event that was completely visible that the Christians did not witness?

According to Essebius’ Ecclesiastical History

“The people of the church in Jerusalem were commanded by an oracle given by revelation before the war to those in the city who were worthy of it to depart and dwell in one of the cities of Perea which they called Pella. To it those who believed on Christ migrated from Jerusalem…” (Ecclesiastical History 3.5.3).

Josephsus the Jewish historian wrote this of the events in 70 AD

“Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet that continued a whole year. … So these publicly declared that this signal foreshowed the desolation that was coming upon them. Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the one-and twentieth day of the month Artemisius, a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared … which I suppose would seem a fable, were it not related by those that saw it … before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.” Citation: Josephus, The Jewish War, 6.300-30