Luke 17:20-21
What is written? (ESV)
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, Look, here it is! or There! for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.
What does it say?
The Pharisees ask when the kingdom of God would come and he [Jesus] answered that it isn’t coming with signs that could be seen. As a result, nobody could say, “Look, here it is.” It was all around them.
What is its immediate context?
After being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus elaborates on the coming of the kingdom even further to His disciples (only recorded in Luke). He tells them that there will come a day when they long it to be like when the Son of Man was with them but it won’t be so (vs 22). He says this won’t happen between the time He is “rejected by this generation” (vs 25) and “when the Son of Man is revealed” (vs 30).
How Luke 17:20-21 is applied across Bible answers
What is the nature of the kingdom of God?
The kingdom of God is "here" but still "coming." Jesus says it would come without recognizable signs, speaking about any physical characteristics. He proves this by saying it is already in their midst (hence, they didn't know it). Jesus Himself was the kingdom of God8 or at least represented its coming.
