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Luke 17:26-30 (NLT)
26 [Jesus said] “When the Son of Man returns, the world will be like the people were in Noah’s day. 27 In those days before the flood, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came to destroy them all. 28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the hour when the Son of Man returns. [1]”

[1]
Or, on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Not specified in the Bible narrative.

LIGHTING NOTES:
Jesus is the main source of light in this scene.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
Jesus (in blue outer robe).
Various people on earth.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
I drew the original rough sketch for this scene (see below) almost 10 years ago in 2014. As I have got closer to my 1,000th Bible Cartoon, I decided it would be a great picture to celebration that milestone event.

This scene shows Jesus returning to earth in his glory, tearing open the sky. The figures in the foreground have various reactions to the second coming of Jesus: some people will be delighted, some people will be afraid, whilst others might be shocked, surprised, resentful, angry, etc.
Behind these foreground figures are a number of people who represent the various activities Jesus mentions in the verses above. There is a man selling vegetables to a woman on the left, a couple eating & drinking in the middle & two farmers harvesting with scythes on the right. These figures represent Jesus’ words in verse 27-28, in that they are people “…enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings” & “…eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building”. Collectively these people represent the ‘business as usual’ attitude Jesus tells us we will have, “…right up to the hour when the Son of Man returns.”

This scene also relates to Revelation 6:14 which reads, “The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.” The visual idea of God rolling up the sky like a scroll was very powerful in my imagination, so I have decided to illustrate that idea in this scene.

I have always intentionally drawn Jesus so that he looks quite ordinary, “just” another man. As Isaiah chp 53 reminds us, “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him [the suffering servant].” [2] Although that was in his 1st incarnation; his human form in 1st century Israel, I imagine that when Jesus returns the 2nd time, it will be in all his glory, so he will be far more un-missable then! I have drawn a bright halo of light behind the Jesus figure, & lightning emanating from his hands, which represents some of his glory in this picture.

I decided to have the eyes of Jesus looking at the viewer, as if he is asking you & me “What about you? Do you believe in me? Are you ready for my return?” The question is highly relevant, as people look at this picture: our answer to these questions directly affects our eternal destination; heaven or hell, it’s up to us, here & now.

[2]
Isaiah 53:1-3 (NLT)
1 Who has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power? 2 My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.
[Text made bold for emphasis – MY]

Here’s the rough sketch I drew of this scene, from February 2014.

Luke 17 – God’s kingdom coming – Scene 04 – Business as usual