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 |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 24:23-27 | "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!'... | Direct parallel warning against false Christ locations. |
| Mark 13:21-23 | "And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there... | Direct parallel, includes warning about signs. |
| Lk 17:24 | "For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky... so will the Son of Man | Immediate context; explains the universal visibility of Christ's return. |
| Lk 21:8 | "And he said, 'See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name... | General warning against spiritual deception, false claims. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether... | Exhortation to discern spiritual claims and avoid error. |
| 2 Thess 2:1-12 | Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion... | Detailed warning against deception concerning the Day of the Lord. |
| Acts 1:11 | "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way... | Emphasizes Christ's physical, visible, undeniable return. |
| Rev 1:7 | "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him... | Confirms the universal, undeniable visibility of the Second Coming. |
| Deut 13:1-5 | "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign... | Old Testament warning against false prophets and their deceptive signs. |
| Matt 7:15-20 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly... | Counsel to identify false prophets by their actions and teachings. |
| Matt 24:4-5 | "And Jesus answered them, 'See that no one leads you astray. For many will... | General caution against being led astray by false messiahs. |
| Matt 24:11 | "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray." | Prediction of numerous false prophets appearing in the last days. |
| Jer 29:8 | "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets... | OT warning against trusting deceptive dreams and prophets. |
| Col 2:8 | "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit... | Warning against being captured by human traditions and deceptive philosophies. |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false... | Prediction of false teachers who will bring destructive heresies. |
| 2 Pet 3:3-4 | "knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with... | Warns against scoffers who doubt Christ's promise of return. |
| Isa 8:19-20 | "And when they say to you, 'Inquire of the mediums...should not a people... | Encouragement to consult God's revealed word for truth, not human or occult sources. |
| 1 Tim 4:1 | "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from... | Prophecy of future apostasy and deception within the faith. |
| 2 Tim 3:13 | "But evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and... | Forecast of increasing deception and moral decline by imposters. |
| Jude 1:4 | "For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated... | Warns against ungodly individuals who corrupt the grace of God. |
| Gal 1:8 | "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel... | Strict warning against accepting any gospel contrary to what was preached. |
| 1 Cor 11:19 | "for there must be factions among you, in in order that those who are... | Explains that divisions serve to reveal who is approved by God. |
| Heb 12:1-2 | "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses... | Exhorts believers to focus on Christ as the ultimate object of faith. |
| Phil 3:17 | "Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk... | Calls to follow godly examples, contrasting with false teachers. |
Luke 17 verses
Luke 17 23 Meaning
Jesus emphatically warns His followers against deceptive claims concerning the localized, visible arrival of the Kingdom of God or the Son of Man. He instructs them to completely disregard and actively avoid pursuing individuals or groups who proclaim His return or the Kingdom's manifestation at specific, geographically defined locations, because His actual coming will be undeniable and universally observable.
Luke 17 23 Context
Luke 17:23 occurs within Jesus' teaching about the Kingdom of God and the coming of the Son of Man (Lk 17:20-37). Initiated by a Pharisee's question about when the Kingdom would come, Jesus first explains that the Kingdom is not characterized by "observable signs" but is already present (Lk 17:20-21). He then shifts to addressing His disciples directly, preparing them for a future period when the Son of Man will come (Lk 17:22-37). This particular verse, Lk 17:23, functions as a specific warning within this larger eschatological discourse. It addresses a perennial problem: people claiming to know the exact time or location of the Messiah's return. Given that various messianic pretenders emerged in Judea throughout history, and the disciples themselves, along with many Jews, held expectations of a militarily and politically localized Messiah, Jesus' instruction was acutely relevant. He cautions against such sensationalist claims, framing His true return as a universally manifest, undeniable event, directly contrasting with any secret or localized proclamations.
Luke 17 23 Word analysis
- And they shall say (καὶ ἐροῦσιν, kai erousin): From legō (λέγω), meaning "to say, speak, tell." The future indicative implies that such false proclamations are not merely possible but certain to occur, indicating a persistent danger of deception.
- to you (ὑμῖν, hymin): Directly addresses the disciples, extending to all believers. It highlights that this warning is crucial for those who follow Christ to discern truth in the last days.
- See here (Ἰδοὺ ὧδε, Idou hōde): Idou (ἰδοὺ) is an interjection meaning "Behold! Look!" demanding attention. Hōde (ὧδε) means "here," specifying a concrete, localized physical place. This phrase represents a claim of an identifiable, immediate, and geographically confined presence of the Messiah or His Kingdom.
- or, see there (ἢ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ, ē idou ekei): Ē (ἢ) means "or," offering an alternative but equally specific and localized claim. Ekei (ἐκεῖ) means "there," referring to another particular geographical spot. Together, "here or there" covers the spectrum of localized, exclusive claims about Christ's hidden return.
- go not after them (μὴ ἀπέλθητε ὀπίσω αὐτῶν, mē apelthēte opisō autōn): Mē (μὴ) is a strong prohibitory particle. Apelthēte (ἀπέλθητε, from aperchomai) means "to go away, depart," conveying the sense of following or aligning oneself. Opisō autōn (ὀπίσω αὐτῶν) means "after them," referring to pursuing the persons making the claims. This is a command to avoid even initial interest or casual investigation.
- nor follow them (μηδὲ διώξητε, mēde diōxēte): Mēde (μηδὲ) strengthens the negative: "nor, not even." Diōxēte (διώξητε, from diōkō) means "to pursue, chase, persecute." This implies a more intense, urgent, and determined pursuit. The dual prohibition—"go not after" (avoid any initiation) and "nor follow" (avoid active pursuit or fervent allegiance)—underscores the absolute necessity for believers to entirely disengage from such localized and misleading announcements.
Words-group analysis
- "See here; or, see there": This phrase functions as a concise summary of the kind of deception Jesus is warning against. It epitomizes all claims that try to confine the universally significant event of Christ's return or the Kingdom's manifestation to a specific, identifiable geographic spot or a hidden, exclusive movement. Such claims often create an urgency and exclusiveness, requiring one to be "in the know" or in a particular location to witness the truth.
- "go not after them, nor follow them": This strong double negation acts as a comprehensive command to abstain from any involvement. "Go not after them" advises against being led by, or even entertaining the idea of, these false claimants. "Nor follow them" intensifies the prohibition, specifically forbidding any form of active pursuit, adherence, or identification with such movements or individuals. It conveys that these claims are entirely without merit and should receive no attention, action, or allegiance from believers. The imperative is one of protective spiritual disengagement, emphasizing that the genuine event will require no such searching.
Luke 17 23 Bonus section
This verse not only acts as a direct prohibition against following false messianic claims but also implicitly defines the nature of Christ's genuine return: it will be open, self-evident, and without need for prior human announcement of location. This understanding counters an ingrained human desire for signs, special knowledge, or a direct, localized encounter. Jesus essentially prepares His disciples for a spiritual reality where discerning true eschatological events will depend on divine revelation and global manifestation, rather than private intelligence or specific pilgrimages. The double negation reinforces the severity of the warning and the potential danger of falling into such deceptions, which are always tied to a physical manifestation in opposition to the heavenly and global truth. The emphasis here is not merely on what not to do, but it implies a deep trust in the mode of Christ's coming as described by Himself.
Luke 17 23 Commentary
Luke 17:23 is a crucial component of Jesus' eschatological instruction, providing an enduring safeguard against deception regarding His Second Coming. It warns against any human-initiated localization or secret unveiling of the Christ. The essence of the teaching is that the true arrival of the Son of Man will not be an obscure, private, or regional phenomenon necessitating specific guides, maps, or exclusive revelations. Instead, as Luke 17:24 immediately clarifies, His return will be universally visible and undeniable, much like a flash of lightning. Therefore, believers are commanded not to be swayed by or chase after those who point to a specific "here" or "there" for the Messiah's appearance. This discernment protects believers from various cultic movements, false prophets, and misdirected messianic enthusiasms that prey on eagerness and seek to substitute a human-led agenda for God's divine and transparent plan. The call is to spiritual steadfastness rooted in the clear, published truth of God's Word, rather than a frantic pursuit of sensational but false claims.
Examples:
- Avoiding internet channels or groups that claim to have pinpointed the exact date and geographic location of the Lord's return, encouraging followers to gather there.
- Disregarding leaders who demand exclusive allegiance, asserting they hold secret knowledge about the "presence" of Christ in a hidden, exclusive community.
- Rejecting teachings that compel financial investments or physical relocations to specific, 'sacred' territories as a prerequisite for experiencing the coming Kingdom.