For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse isn't just saying Jesus' return will be fast; it emphasizes the visibility and completeness of His arrival, like lightning illuminating the entire sky from one end to the other. This isn't a hidden event; it's a simultaneous, undeniable revelation across the whole earth.
For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining how His coming will be unmistakable and sudden, contrasting it with the deceptive and unsuspecting way people lived before the flood. He emphasizes that His return won't be a quiet, private event but will be as obvious and far-reaching as lightning illuminating the entire sky. This vivid imagery serves as a solemn warning against complacency and a call to be ready for His decisive intervention.
Imagine a storm where lightning cracks across the entire sky in an instant. This verse uses that vivid image to describe a future event. What does this powerful metaphor tell us about how the Son of Man will be revealed?
Jesus compares His future appearance to lightning.
Instantaneous and Far-Reaching
Just as lightning flashes across the sky, illuminating everything from one end to the other in a split second, so too will the Son of Man be revealed. This isn't a gradual dawning, but an instantaneous and universally visible event.
Irresistible Clarity
There's no mistaking lightning when it strikes. It's bright, it's sudden, and it's undeniable. This comparison suggests that the revelation of the Son of Man will be equally clear and unmistakable to all.
The verse speaks of the Son of Man being revealed 'in his day.' What specific day is Jesus referring to, and why is this timing so crucial?
Jesus refers to a specific, appointed time – 'his day.'
A Day of Revelation and Judgment
This 'day' isn't just any ordinary day; it's a day appointed by God, often understood as a time of ultimate revelation, vindication, and judgment. The lightning metaphor underscores the dramatic and decisive nature of this day.
God's Sovereign Timing
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While the arrival will be sudden and universal, it will occur precisely 'in his day' – at the time God has ordained. This assures us that God's plan is unfolding on His schedule, culminating in the glorious and unmistakable appearance of His Son.
Understand the original words
pathein · Greek Verb
To experience physical, mental, or spiritual pain or hardship. In a biblical context, it often refers to the redemptive sufferings of Christ required for the atonement of sins.
apodokimasthēnai · Greek Verb
To refuse, dismiss, or cast aside as unworthy. It implies the active turning away from God’s appointed Savior and his message.
genea · Greek Noun
A corporate group of people living at the same time, often characterized by their attitude toward God or his messengers. In this context, it refers to the contemporaries of Jesus who failed to recognize him.
This passage directly parallels the imagery of lightning, emphasizing the sudden and visible nature of the Son of Man's return, adding further detail to the comparison.
Daniel 7:13This prophetic vision describes the 'Son of Man' appearing with the clouds of heaven, receiving dominion and glory, which aligns with the glorious and universally evident arrival described in Luke 17:24.
1 Thessalonians 4:16This verse speaks of the Lord descending from heaven with a loud command, echoing the swift and unmistakable nature of the Son of Man's appearance, similar to a flash of lightning.
Revelation 1:7This passage describes Jesus coming with the clouds and every eye seeing Him, reinforcing the idea from Luke 17:24 that His arrival will be a universally observable event.
vincentLuke 17:24: "For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day."
Lighteneth (ἀστράπτουσα)Only here and Luke 24:4.
gillLuke 17:24: "For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day."
For as the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven,.... The Syriac version reads, "out of heaven", and the Arabic version, "in heaven"; which is the seat of lightning, and from whence it arises: and shineth unto the other part under heaven; enlightens the earth, which is under the heaven: though the sense o…
The verse isn't just saying Jesus' return will be fast; it emphasizes the visibility and completeness of His arrival, like lightning illuminating the entire sky from one end to the other. This isn't a hidden event; it's a simultaneous, undeniable revelation across the whole earth.
Jesus is explaining how His coming will be unmistakable and sudden, contrasting it with the deceptive and unsuspecting way people lived before the flood. He emphasizes that His return won't be a quiet, private event but will be as obvious and far-reaching as lightning illuminating the entire sky. This vivid imagery serves as a solemn warning against complacency and a call to be ready for His decisive intervention.
Jesus is explaining how His coming will be unmistakable and sudden, contrasting it with the deceptive and unsuspecting way people lived before the flood. He emphasizes that His return won't be a quiet, private event but will be as obvious and far-reaching as lightning illuminating the entire sky. This vivid imagery serves as a solemn warning against complacency and a call to be ready for His decisive intervention.
"For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation." — The verse isn't just saying Jesus' return will be fast; it emphasizes the visibility and completeness of His arrival, like lightning illuminating the entire sky from one end to the other. This is…
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Last reviewed October 2026