Section 95

Section 95
JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
TEN LEPERS
CONCERNING THE KINGDOM
(Borders of Samaria and Galilee)
LUKE 17:11-37

"All ten lepers were healed—but only the one who gave thanks was made whole. That is, he was saved spiritually as well as healed physically. Jesus notices those who come back to say, "Thank you." In fact, according to Mal_3:16, the things we say concerning what the Lord has done for us, how He has blessed us, His faithfulness to us are written in a book of remembrance. I think of the baby books parents keep in which to record their children's first words, first steps, and growth. So, too, the Lord keeps such books recording the words, walk, and growth of His children. " -Courson

"And having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God comes, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come in such a manner that one can carefully observe its approach. Neither shall they say, Look, here or there, for, see, the kingdom of God is in your midst." Luke 17:20

"They were looking for some manifestation of the sovereignty of God in the realm of the civil and the external, which would raise the Jewish nation to conspicuous supremacy, but they are told that the work of the kingdom is internal and spiritual (John 3:8; 18:36; Rom. 10:8; Col. 1:27), and that its effects are not such as can be located in space. They were seeking honors and joys, and would find contempt and sorrow (Amos 5:18-20)." -Fourfold

"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him." -Amos 5:18-19

"It seems strange that the terrors of the last day should be accompanied by any thought or concern for property, but such is the plain intimation of the text. If our hope has been centered upon earthly things, we will be found seeking them even in that hour, just as the face of Lot's wife was turned toward Sodom despite the glare of the penal fires. Our earthly characters become fixed, and great catastrophes do not change them (Rev. 22:10-12). -Fourfold

"And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:10-12

"Jesus gave a proverbial answer, the meaning of which is that sin courts and draws to itself punishment and destruction just as a carcass draws winged scavengers. Applying his words, we may say that as the corruption of the antediluvians drew upon them, the devastation of the flood, and as the crimes of the Sodomites called down upon them, the fires from heaven, and as the unbelief of the Jews of Christ's day caused the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of the nation, so the wickedness of the men of the last times will result in the ending of the world." -Fourfold

Jesus corrects several misunderstandings here regarding the coming of the Lord.  A few things to learn from the texts and commentaries above:

1) The Kingdom was not obvious and physical in his time; it's not obvious and physical in our time either.  Yet, it will be ultimately unavoidably evident.

2)  Our character is revealed by circumstances.  The Fourfold Commentary claims that "catastrophes do not change character," and this can be true with those far from God, those who have willfully rejected Him and turned away.  But I do think that catastrophe can impact soft hearts and shape character--at least up until the end.