WHEN will the kingdom of God come? This is the central question answered in Thursday's gospel, as recorded in Luke 17:20-25. Jesus' answer was that the kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen because it is within us.

The Pharisees have asked the question because they were expecting signs of a visible kingdom on earth? With all the pomp, wealth and power. They have misunderstood the point because Jesus' kingdom is not of this world but in heaven. However, it starts in our personal lives when God begins to reign in our hearts.

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The Scriptures are clear in saying that no man knows the exact day or hour of the second coming of Christ; only the Father and the Son know. Throughout the period of waiting, we were also told that many false prophets will rise, claiming that they are the Messiah or that the Messiah had already come. The Lord, however, warns us not to believe these prophets of deceit and doom.

He said various signs will precede the end of all ages? Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and strange and terrifying things happening in the sky, among others. In the gospel, however, he asserted that his coming will not happen in secret, for as he said in Luke 17:24, "As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day."

Nevertheless, the more important concern now is not when he will come again, but how prepared we are for this second coming. Prior to the flood, Noah had warned the people of his time of the incoming peril. He asked them to repent or perish, yet only a few believed him; many in fact mocked him. The floods came and many died. So will it be in the harvest of the faithful.

Let us then welcome the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Today, in silence, as we open our hearts wide for him, and in the time to come, in jubilation as we meet him in the sky. His kingdom is what matters most; everything else pales in comparison to its beauty and splendor.

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33)."

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Dr. Jaime V. Cortez is currently the AVP for Academic Affairs of Holy Angel University, Angeles City. It is his advocacy in this column to spread the good news as a layman. He can be reached at jcortez@hau.edu.ph and/or at profcortez@yahoo.com.