365 Days in the Gospels and Spirit of Prophecy
Heart Transformation: Where God's Kingdom Begins — July 27 [Description]
Bible discovery
Luke 17:20-37 365D 208.1
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 365D 208.2
21 nor will they say, [f] ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is [g] within you.” 365D 208.3
22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 365D 208.4
23 And they will say to you, [h] ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 365D 208.5
24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 365D 208.6
25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 365D 208.7
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 365D 208.8
27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 365D 208.9
28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 365D 208.10
29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 365D 208.11
30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 365D 208.12
31 “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his [i] goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 365D 208.13
32 Remember Lot’s wife. 365D 208.14
33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 365D 208.15
34 I tell you, in that night there will be two [j] men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 365D 208.16
35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 [k] Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” 365D 208.17
36 365D 208.18
37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” 365D 208.19
Spirit of Prophecy Reading
The Desire of Ages pp.506-510: 365D 208.20
This chapter is based on Luke 17:20-22. 365D 208.21
Some of the Pharisees had come to Jesus demanding “when the kingdom of God should come.” More than three years had passed since John the Baptist gave the message that like a trumpet call had sounded through the land, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2. And as yet these Pharisees saw no indication of the establishment of the kingdom. Many of those who rejected John, and at every step had opposed Jesus, were insinuating that His mission had failed. 365D 208.22
Jesus answered, “The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show; [margin]: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” The kingdom of God begins in the heart. Look not here or there for manifestations of earthly power to mark its coming. 365D 208.23
“The days will come,” He said, turning to His disciples, “when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.” Because it is not attended by worldly pomp, you are in danger of failing to discern the glory of My mission. You do not realize how great is your present privilege in having among you, though veiled in humanity, Him who is the life and the light of men. The days will come when you will look back with longing upon the opportunities you now enjoy to walk and talk with the Son of God. 365D 208.24
Because of their selfishness and earthliness, even the disciples of Jesus could not comprehend the spiritual glory which He sought to reveal unto them. It was not until after Christ's ascension to His Father, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers, that the disciples fully appreciated the Saviour's character and mission. After they had received the baptism of the Spirit, they began to realize that they had been in the very presence of the Lord of glory. As the sayings of Christ were brought to their remembrance, their minds were opened to comprehend the prophecies, and to understand the miracles which He had wrought. The wonders of His life passed before them, and they were as men awakened from a dream. They realized that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. Christ had actually come from God to a sinful world to save the fallen sons and daughters of Adam. The disciples now seemed, to themselves, of much less importance than before they realized this. They never wearied of rehearsing His words and works. His lessons, which they had but dimly understood, now came to them as a fresh revelation. The Scriptures became to them a new book. 365D 208.25
When the apostle Paul began his ministry in Corinth, that populous, wealthy, and wicked city, polluted by the nameless vices of heathenism, he said, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2. Writing afterward to some of those who had been corrupted by the foulest sins, he could say, “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1:4. 365D 208.26
Now, as in Christ's day, the work of God's kingdom lies not with those who are clamoring for recognition and support by earthly rulers and human laws, but with those who are declaring to the people in His name those spiritual truths that will work in the receivers the experience of Paul: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Galatians 2:20. Then they will labor as did Paul for the benefit of men. He said, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20. 365D 208.27