Luke 17:22 Meaning: The Days You Will Long For and Not See
He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
And he said unto his disciples, `Days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and ye shall not behold it ;
And he said to the disciples, Days are coming, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and shall not see [it].
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jesus warn His disciples they will long to see 'one of the days of the Son of Man' but not see it? Discover its meaning.
Context
Jesus has just finished answering the Pharisees, who wanted to know when God's Kingdom would appear. He told them it does not come with visible signs; it is already among them. Now He turns to His disciples alone. The twelve had been following Him, expecting a glorious kingdom, perhaps soon. But Jesus gives them a sober warning. A time is coming when they will desperately wish for even one day of the kind of blessing they now enjoy, whether the comfort of His physical presence or a season of deliverance, and they will not have it. This warning sets the stage for everything that follows: false messiahs, sudden judgment like in Noah's day, and the final revelation of the Son of Man. He is preparing them for a long, hard road.
Key Words
Three words in this verse carry the weight of Jesus' warning.
The first is desire (epithumeō). This is not a mild wish. It means to set your heart on something, to ache for it. The same word is used for coveting what is forbidden. Jesus is saying the longing will be intense, the kind you feel when something irreplaceable is gone.
The second is days (hēmerai). In Jewish thinking, "the days of the Messiah" meant a whole era of blessing and deliverance. But Jesus says "one of the days", a single day of that era. The disciples will not ask for the whole kingdom. They will beg for just one day like the ones they had with Him. And they will not get it.
The third is see (idein, opsesthe). It means more than looking with your eyes. It means to experience, to be present for. They will not "see" that day, they will not live through the relief they crave. The warning is urgent: the window of opportunity is real, and it closes.
These words together paint a picture we can feel: we often realize what we had only when it is too late. Jesus wants His disciples, and us, to recognize the gift of today.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this verse in overlapping ways.
Reformed and Wesleyan interpreters (Gill, Wesley) emphasize the disciples' longing for Jesus' physical presence after He was gone. They took His company for granted and would later ache for even one day of it.
Other Protestant commentators (Barnes, Clarke) connect it to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, a time of such hardship that the disciples would long for a deliverer, but that deliverance would not come.
Anglican and Reformed scholars (Cambridge Bible, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see both a near warning about false hope and a far warning about the suddenness of Christ's final coming.
All point to the same call: do not waste the day of grace you have now.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse and think Jesus is promising that the disciples will eventually see a glorious day of the Son of Man, just not yet. In fact, Jesus says the opposite: "You will not see it." The days they will long for will not return. The mistake is to treat it as a prediction of a future event they will witness, when Jesus is actually warning them that a specific season of opportunity (whether His earthly ministry or a time of deliverance) is passing and will not come again. The point is not to wait for a day, but to hold tightly to the day you have.
Living This Out
Here is what this verse asks of you this week. You may be living in a season you do not treasure, ordinary days of work, church, family, prayer. You may be waiting for something better: a breakthrough, a revival, a change in circumstances. Jesus says a time will come when you will desperately wish for even one of these ordinary days back. So do not wait. Notice the small ways Christ is with you right now. That quiet prayer before bed, that conversation with a friend, that verse that stuck with you, these are gifts that will not always come in the same way. The day you long for may never arrive. But the day you have is full of Christ. Receive it.
Main takeaway: Do not waste the presence of Christ you have today longing for a day that may not come.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus told His friends that one day they would wish they could have a day like today again, but they would not be able to. That is why it is good to enjoy being with Jesus every day, not just wait for a special one.
For ages 9, 12
Sometimes you wish you could go back to an easier time, like a holiday or a fun day with friends. Jesus warned His disciples that after He left, they would feel that way. They would want just one more day with Him. He wants you to know that the best day to be with Him is today. Do not miss what He is giving you right now, even if it seems ordinary.
Questions People Ask
What does "one of the days of the Son of Man" mean in Luke 17:22?
The phrase likely refers to a season of blessing and deliverance associated with the Messiah. In Jewish tradition, "the days of the Messiah" was an expected era. Here Jesus says "one of the days", even a single day of that kind of relief. Commentators differ on whether it means Christ's earthly ministry (the days they had with Him), a future period of deliverance from Jerusalem's destruction, or the final coming. All agree it is something the disciples will deeply crave but not receive on their terms.
Is Jesus talking about the destruction of Jerusalem or the end of the world?
The context supports both. Verses 23-24 warn against false messiahs, and verses 26-37 describe sudden judgment like in Noah's and Lot's days, pointing to the final coming. Yet many commentators (Barnes, Clarke) connect verse 22 specifically to the Jewish war in AD 70, when the disciples would long for relief. The passage seems to have a near fulfillment (Jerusalem's fall) and a far one (the end of the age). Jesus is preparing His followers for hardship in both timeframes.
Why does Jesus say "you will not see it", does that mean the disciples won't be around for the Second Coming?
Not necessarily. Some disciples did live to see Jerusalem's destruction (John, perhaps Peter). But "see" here means more than physical sight; it means to experience the day they long for as they imagine it. They will not get the kind of deliverance they want, whether a return of Jesus' earthly ministry or a political rescue. The Second Coming is later described as unmistakable (v24), but the specific day they crave at that moment will not come. It is a warning about misplaced hopes.
How does this verse connect to the warning about false messiahs in the next verses?
Verse 22 creates a sense of longing: the disciples will desperately want a day of the Son of Man. That longing makes them vulnerable. In verses 23-24, Jesus warns that people will say "Look, here is the Christ!" or "Look, there!", false messiahs exploiting their desire. He tells them not to go after such claims. The true coming of the Son of Man will be as obvious as lightning, not hidden and not something they need to chase. So the warning is: do not let your desire for relief lead you into deception.
For pastors & researchers
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