Luke 17:23 kjv
And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Luke 17:23 nkjv
And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them.
Luke 17:23 niv
People will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them.
Luke 17:23 esv
And they will say to you, 'Look, there!' or 'Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them.
Luke 17:23 nlt
People will tell you, 'Look, there is the Son of Man,' or 'Here he is,' but don't go out and follow them.
Luke 17 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Luke 17:23 | "If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there!’..." | Main verse |
| Matt 24:23 | "If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Here He is!’..." | Similar warning against false christs |
| Mark 13:21 | "And if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there!’..." | Similar warning against false christs |
| 1 Thess 5:2 | "...the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." | Suddenness of the Lord's coming |
| 2 Peter 3:3 | "...scoffers will come with scoffing, living according to their own passions." | Warning about scoffers and false teaching |
| Acts 1:11 | "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way..." | Jesus’ ascension and return |
| Rev 1:7 | "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him..." | Visible and public return |
| Matt 24:27 | "For as lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." | Visual, universal nature of His coming |
| John 14:26 | "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things..." | Role of the Spirit in discernment |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God..." | Discernment of spiritual claims |
| Deut 13:1-3 | "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder..." | Old Testament warning against false prophets with signs |
| 2 Cor 11:14 | "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." | Deception and false appearances |
| Col 2:18 | "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on relevant worship and the worship of angels, and on his visions puffed up without reason..." | Warning against esoteric or misleading claims |
| Luke 21:8 | "He said, 'Take care that you be not deceived...'" | General exhortation against deception |
| John 1:41 | "...We have found the Messiah..." | Examples of people initially claiming to have found the Messiah |
| Matt 13:17 | "...many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see..." | Desire for Christ's manifestation |
| Rev 22:16 | "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you to give you this testimony for the churches." | Jesus as the sender of divine messages |
| Luke 18:8 | "...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" | Question about perseverance of faith |
| Phil 3:20 | "but our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." | Awaiting Christ from heaven |
| Rev 3:3 | "Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent." | Importance of remembering and repenting in light of His coming |
Luke 17 verses
Luke 17 23 Meaning
Jesus warns against believing sensational claims about His return, emphasizing that His arrival will be as obvious and undeniable as lightning. The focus is on a public, visible manifestation, not on people pointing to secluded or specific locations as the site of His coming.
Luke 17 23 Context
This verse is spoken by Jesus within the context of His teachings on His second coming and the signs that would precede it. In the preceding verses (Luke 17:20-21), Jesus tells the Pharisees that the kingdom of God is not observable in a way that can be pointed out by sensational sightings; it is within them. Following this, He transitions to speaking about His visible return. He addresses His disciples, preparing them for the time between His ascension and His second coming, a time that would include false Christs and false prophets. This specific instruction serves as a direct warning against believing deceptive claims that His return has already occurred or that He is in some specific, hidden location.
Luke 17 23 Word Analysis
- Ἐὰν (Ean): "If." Conditional particle.
- εἴπωσιν (eipōsin): "they say." Third-person plural, subjunctive mood, aorist tense of λέγω (legō), "to say." Introduces a hypothetical statement.
- ὑμῖν (hymin): "to you." Second-person plural, dative case, pronoun.
- ἰδοὺ (idou): "Look" or "Behold." Exclamatory particle used to draw attention.
- Χριστὸς (Christos): "Christ." Greek for Messiah, "anointed one."
- ὧδε (hōde): "here." Adverb indicating a place.
- ἢ (ē): "or." Conjunction introducing an alternative.
- ἐκεῖ (ekeī): "there." Adverb indicating a place.
Words Group Analysis:
- "Look, here is the Christ!" or "Look, there!": This group of phrases captures the essence of a false, localized, and sensational claim about Christ’s return. The repetition of "Look" (ἰδοὺ) emphasizes the expected dramatic announcement of these false claims. The specific locations "here" (ὧδε) and "there" (ἐκεῖ) highlight the narrow, restricted focus of such deceptions, contrasting sharply with the universally visible nature of Christ’s true return described immediately after.
Luke 17 23 Bonus Section
The analogy of lightning is highly significant. Lightning is instantaneous, it illuminates the entire sky from horizon to horizon, and it is undeniably seen by everyone. It requires no pointing out, no seeking in hidden places. This mirrors the manner of Christ’s second coming described elsewhere (Matthew 24:27, Revelation 1:7). The emphasis on avoiding specific locations for Christ’s return contrasts with the emphasis in other religions or movements on pilgrimage sites or hidden sanctuaries as central to their belief system. Jesus’ teaching here points to a universal, cosmic event, not a localized phenomenon. It also subtly underpins the need for the Holy Spirit's internal witness and the consistent teaching of Scripture, rather than reliance on isolated, external pronouncements or claims from specific individuals or locations. The core message is that when Jesus returns, everyone will know, everywhere, simultaneously.
Luke 17 23 Commentary
Jesus’ warning in Luke 17:23 is crucial for His followers. It directly addresses the danger of deception regarding His return. The immediate context about the Kingdom of God being "within you" shifts to a warning about His tangible, visible coming. He anticipates a time when people will point to specific locations or individuals claiming Christ has appeared, perhaps secretly or in a confined place. Such claims are to be rejected. His return will not be a localized event, a whisper in a desert, or a secret meeting. It will be as evident and as universally broadcast as lightning, which flashes from one end of the sky to the other. This passage prepares believers to discern false claims by comparing them to the actual, unmistakable, and glorious manifestation of Christ, which will be witnessed by all, like lightning from east to west. It emphasizes the need for vigilant faith that rests on divine revelation, not sensational rumors.