Extreme danger ahead
Our day could rightly be called the Day of Man. From the beginning, man has gone his own way (Rom. 1:28a), glorifying himself rather than the Creator (Gen. 11:4; Ex. 5:2; Dan. 3:15). Many people proclaim, “There is no God” (Ps. 14:1; 53:1), revealing themselves to be “haters of God” (Rom. 1:30). God is light (1 Jn. 1:5), but men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (Jn. 3:19). Today is, indeed, the day of man.
But eventually, man’s day will come to an end. God will bring this age to a close with tribulation and judgment—the day of the Lord. Toward the close of this judgment, the rightful King will come in power and great glory. This will be the day of the Son of Man.
We find the phrases “day of the Son of Man” and “days of the Son of Man” only in Luke 17:20-37. The context is our Lord’s answer to a question put to Him by the Pharisees. But, before considering the passage, it would help to briefly look at the term Son of Man itself.
The Son of Man
The Son of Man, as a title, has at least three meanings in Scripture. Early in the Bible, it refers to a human, the literal offspring of a man (Jer. 49:18, 33). In this sense, it is sometimes used to highlight the frailty of man’s nature (Num. 23:19; Job 25:6; Ps. 8:4; 146:3).
Second, in Daniel 7:13, we see the term used in a unique way. We read of “one like a son of man” coming into God’s very presence, receiving an everlasting kingdom, and being served forever by the human race. While it would seem that God alone could rule such a kingdom, we are told in the vision that the future ruler was “like a son of man” (Darby). This title may provide an Old Testament preview of the two natures of Christ (see Rev. 1:13; 14:14).
Thirdly, the Son of Man was our Lord’s most common title for Himself in the Gospels. It served as a way for the Savior to refer to Himself as the Messiah of Daniel 7 without loudly trumpeting this office as His own (Isa. 42:3). After the resurrection, this title was never used by the apostles in preaching or teaching; they openly preached that Jesus was Lord and Messiah (e.g. Acts 2:36). In the Gospels, therefore, the Son of Man reminds us that Jesus is not only human but also the divine Messianic king foretold in Daniel 7.
The Days of the Son of Man
If we keep in mind the above passage, it helps us to understand that the phrase the days of the Son of Man points to more than just the Lord’s physical presence with the disciples. It refers to days when Jesus, as the King of kings, was on earth. In Him, the Kingdom of God was present.
In Luke 17:20, the Savior was asked by the Pharisees about that kingdom: “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Unfortunately, they wanted the blessings of God’s kingdom but not the rule of God’s king (see Ps. 2). As a result, the answer they received was brief and pointed. The kingdom of God, for them, would not come in obvious events which they could go out and watch (Lk. 17:20). Looking for the kingdom without recognizing its rightful King was meaningless. Rather, they were told that the kingdom was in their midst (Lk. 17:21, Darby). Recall Matthew 12:28: “If I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then indeed the kingdom of God is come upon you.” This is the first thing they needed to learn. Just as Jesus Christ is the resurrection (Jn. 11:25), so He is also the kingdom. To miss Him is to miss everything. Yes, there will be an actual resurrection event and an actual kingdom on earth; but, without bowing the knee to Jesus Christ, neither will be enjoyed (Jn. 3:3-5).
Our Lord then turned to discuss the Pharisees’ question with His own disciples. They had been experiencing what Jesus titled, “the days of the Son of Man” (Lk. 17:22). Those were days when the king of Daniel’s vision walked among them, casting out demons, healing the diseased, forgiving sins, and teaching with the authority of heaven. While the king was among them so was the kingdom. However, such days were not going to last forever (Lk. 17:25).
The Day the Son of Man
Those “days of the Son of Man”—the days when Christ was physically present with His people at His first coming—were shadows of the “day of the Son of Man”—the day when He will physically return in glory for all the world to see. But the prophets had predicted that before the Messiah could enter into His glory, He must first suffer (Lk. 24:25-27). As a result, our Lord spoke many parables to prepare His disciples for His departure and subsequent return (e.g. Mt. 25:5a, 19a; Lk. 5:35; 19:11; Jn. 13-17). Luke 17:22-37 fits within this group of teachings and it warns of three deceptions
to avoid.
1. Deception about the visibility of Christ’s return.
There have been times in history when Christ’s followers were so intensely persecuted (Mt. 24:9), or the nations were in such upheaval, that believers questioned their own understanding of things to come. Cowering in torture cells or bombed-out cities, they would “desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man” again (Lk. 17:22), but they will not. No matter what the circumstances, we must resist the temptation to believe people claiming to have special knowledge about Christ’s return (Lk. 17:23; Mt. 24:23-26).
Jesus made sure His disciples knew that there would be nothing secret about the day of the Son of Man (Lk. 17:24). Like a massive bolt of lightning illuminating the night sky, the return of Christ will be witnessed by the entire earth (Mt. 24:30). Any other appearance is a deception.
2. Deception about the fact of Christ’s return.
We must factor into our understanding of the end times the realization that there will be people going about life as usual right up until the moment that Christ returns. Jesus states this plainly in Luke 17:30. The people of Sodom’s day and of Noah’s day are held up as evidence that such people are deceived regarding the fact of Christ’s return (Lk. 17:26-30). They will not believe in His return. They will not stop their eating, drinking, planting, and building until the Son of Man physical appears and “destroys them all” (Lk. 17:27, 29).
3. Deception about what matters most.
The warning, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk. 17:32), should forever keep us from growing too attached to the things of this life. Lot’s wife loved Sodom. She revealed this by turning back to look fondly on the very thing God was destroying. In so doing, she demonstrated that she loved what God hated. The main idea of Luke 17:31 is clear: people reveal what is most important to them by risking their lives for it. In the day of the Son of Man, many people will turn back to retrieve their possessions even as they see the judgment of God falling. By attempting to hold onto a life that God is destroying, they will be lost along with it. We cannot simultaneously have a love for “the things that are in the world” (1 Jn. 2:15) and for the Son of Man, who is not of this world. The day of the Son of Man will “try the hearts of men,” revealing what is in them. Some will flee judgment to come. Others, deceived about what matters most, will not (Lk. 17:33).
Oh, to be without a Savior,
With no hope nor refuge nigh!
Can it be, O blessed Savior?
One without Thee dares to die! —F.M. Davis