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The Pharisees knew of the many Old Testament prophecies and scriptures describing God’s
kingdom.
The Pharisees ignored the scriptures about Christ’s First Coming because they wanted to focus almost entirely on the many scriptures describing His Second Coming!
Obviously, the Pharisees did not believe the kingdom of God was a church. They certainly didn’t believe it was some earthly Empire — like Roman or British. And certainly they did not believe it was more emotional sentiment in men’s hearts. They fully understood that it had to do with government—RULERSHIP!
Many choose to believe that the kingdom enters into people rather than people entering into the kingdom. In Luke 17:20-21, Christ appeared to speak of the kingdom of God “within you.” We need to examine this mistranslation. If this verse actually does say that the kingdom of God is “within” people, then it contradicts all the other scriptural references related to ‘Kingdom of God’ given in the Holy Bible, especially in the New Testament as specifically mentioned by Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. If the Bible contradicts itself in such obvious ways, it cannot be the Word of God.
Let’s now examine Luke 17:20-21: “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Christ was speaking to carnal-minded, lying, hypocritical Pharisees. Even by the most vague and ethereal idea that the kingdom of God is something in men’s hearts, there is no way Christ could have been referring to it being in the hearts of these people!
The Pharisees were self-righteous and unconverted. They sought to tempt and accuse Christ at every turn. It is utterly silly and even ludicrous to say that the kingdom of God was “within” them. Pharisees were not in the Church, and the Church of God was certainly NOT in the Pharisees. Actually, the New Testament Church did not yet even exist.
Notice what Christ did NOT state in this verse. He did not say, “the kingdom of God will be set up in the hearts of men” or “in your hearts.” What He did say is, “the kingdom of God IS…” It is important that we understand Christ was not describing, in this one instance, the kingdom of God as something in the future, but rather He spoke of it in the present tense. Why?
The actual Greek words that Luke used here are much better translated “in the midst of you” or “among you.” A number of other alternate translations read this way, and most Bibles with marginal references include these phrases. Let’s ask, what—or who—could it have been that Christ was speaking of? What—or who—was it that was “in the midst” of the Pharisees? What—or who—was “among” them?
The Son of God—Jesus Christ Himself—was standing in the middle of this group of Pharisees. Think of it this way: They were in the presence of a direct representative who will “reign” in the coming kingdom of God. It was Jesus who was standing “among” them. Clearly, Christ was speaking of the kingdom of God, through Himself as its representative, being right where they were standing.
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The problem was that they did not understand WHEN the kingdom was to come or that its purpose was
not merely to sweep away the Roman legions from Palestine. Had they understood Christ’s First Coming, they would have better understood the “when” of His Second Coming—and why it had to come much later. So, they were hoping for a conquering Messiah who would aid them in their quest to reverse Roman rule by replacing the Romans with themselves, as their masters.
Jesus explained the fallacy of their thinking. He made it clear that the coming of the kingdom was not a small, local event, merely limited to ruler ship over where the Jews lived in Palestine. The Jews were looking for a physical government located in a single nation—their own! This is why Christ told them not to think of it as being “over there” or “right here.”
Remember, in John 18:37, Christ had said that He was born to be a King. He knew that He would be the ultimate King over His Kingdom. By simply continuing to read more of the context in Luke 17, we are left with no doubt as to what Christ was referring to. Read verse 24, where, like Matthew 24:27, it refers to, “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day.” Christ was describing a stunning, world-shaking event that would be as visible as lightning. But, notice the term “in His day,” which shows that it is a yet future event. Take time to read Matthew 24:26-30 and how it describes the “day when Christ will be revealed.”
By no stretch of the imagination did Christ say that the kingdom of God was in the unrighteous, carnal, hateful Pharisees—who continually plotted His death. Christ had previously indicted the Pharisees with a terrible warning. No doubt, it had made them angry, and it led them to try to catch Him saying something that was incorrect about either the kingdom of God or any other matter. In Luke 13:28-29, He warned them, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.”
Christ was plainly telling the Pharisees that they were not going to be in God’s kingdom. They would not be allowed to enter it, as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would—though these men have not yet entered it (Heb. 11:13, 39-40).
A mind without the Holy Spirit cannot comprehend spiritual things and has no hope of understanding God’s Word—the Bible. It is only through the indwelling of the Spirit that one is able to understand the mind of God. Take a moment to reread I Corinthians 2:9-16.
……………………to be continued
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| Thy Kingdom Come! |
The Pharisees ignored the scriptures about Christ’s First Coming because they wanted to focus almost entirely on the many scriptures describing His Second Coming!
Obviously, the Pharisees did not believe the kingdom of God was a church. They certainly didn’t believe it was some earthly Empire — like Roman or British. And certainly they did not believe it was more emotional sentiment in men’s hearts. They fully understood that it had to do with government—RULERSHIP!
 |
| Kingdom of God where it is ? |
Let’s now examine Luke 17:20-21: “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Christ was speaking to carnal-minded, lying, hypocritical Pharisees. Even by the most vague and ethereal idea that the kingdom of God is something in men’s hearts, there is no way Christ could have been referring to it being in the hearts of these people!
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| Jesus proclaimed God's Kingdom |
Notice what Christ did NOT state in this verse. He did not say, “the kingdom of God will be set up in the hearts of men” or “in your hearts.” What He did say is, “the kingdom of God IS…” It is important that we understand Christ was not describing, in this one instance, the kingdom of God as something in the future, but rather He spoke of it in the present tense. Why?
 |
| Are you there in God's Kingdom? |
The actual Greek words that Luke used here are much better translated “in the midst of you” or “among you.” A number of other alternate translations read this way, and most Bibles with marginal references include these phrases. Let’s ask, what—or who—could it have been that Christ was speaking of? What—or who—was it that was “in the midst” of the Pharisees? What—or who—was “among” them?
The Son of God—Jesus Christ Himself—was standing in the middle of this group of Pharisees. Think of it this way: They were in the presence of a direct representative who will “reign” in the coming kingdom of God. It was Jesus who was standing “among” them. Clearly, Christ was speaking of the kingdom of God, through Himself as its representative, being right where they were standing.
Add caption
The problem was that they did not understand WHEN the kingdom was to come or that its purpose was
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| Jesus the KING of the Kingdom |
Jesus explained the fallacy of their thinking. He made it clear that the coming of the kingdom was not a small, local event, merely limited to ruler ship over where the Jews lived in Palestine. The Jews were looking for a physical government located in a single nation—their own! This is why Christ told them not to think of it as being “over there” or “right here.”
Remember, in John 18:37, Christ had said that He was born to be a King. He knew that He would be the ultimate King over His Kingdom. By simply continuing to read more of the context in Luke 17, we are left with no doubt as to what Christ was referring to. Read verse 24, where, like Matthew 24:27, it refers to, “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day.” Christ was describing a stunning, world-shaking event that would be as visible as lightning. But, notice the term “in His day,” which shows that it is a yet future event. Take time to read Matthew 24:26-30 and how it describes the “day when Christ will be revealed.”
 |
| Kingdom of God in Believers |
By no stretch of the imagination did Christ say that the kingdom of God was in the unrighteous, carnal, hateful Pharisees—who continually plotted His death. Christ had previously indicted the Pharisees with a terrible warning. No doubt, it had made them angry, and it led them to try to catch Him saying something that was incorrect about either the kingdom of God or any other matter. In Luke 13:28-29, He warned them, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.”
Christ was plainly telling the Pharisees that they were not going to be in God’s kingdom. They would not be allowed to enter it, as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would—though these men have not yet entered it (Heb. 11:13, 39-40).
A mind without the Holy Spirit cannot comprehend spiritual things and has no hope of understanding God’s Word—the Bible. It is only through the indwelling of the Spirit that one is able to understand the mind of God. Take a moment to reread I Corinthians 2:9-16.
……………………to be continued
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