Checkpoint wrote:
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Replying to post 29 by Imprecise Interrupt]
There is no mention of a kingdom in the Transfiguration narrative. And what sense does it make for Jesus to say that not all of the disciples listening to him will be dead in the next six days? Plus considering that only three of the Apostles will see the Transfiguration, it makes even less sense.
But consider that both verses 27 (which is clearly about the judgment at the end of days) and verse 28 refer to the Son of Man and that virtually every other use of the word 'kingdom' in Matthew either explicitly or implicitly refers to the kingdom of heaven, it is very hard to see how verse 28 can be about anything other than the return of Jesus as described in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24.
There is no mention of a kingdom in verse 27 either.
There is no mention of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 24.
The kingdom is both present and future.
Failure to recognise this or allow for it, will inevitably lead to trying to put a round peg into a square hole.
If the kingdom was already present when Jesus spoke, what sense does it make to say that some of the disciples hearing Jesus will still be alive to see ‘the Son of Man coming in his kingdom’. That is clearly a future kingdom and unrelated to the Transfiguration, which mentions no kingdom.
Matthew 16
27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.�
Matthew 25
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.�
The Son of Man (Mt16 27 and 28), who is the King (Mt 16 28), will come in glory with angels (Mt 16 27). Those who acted righteously are rewarded by the King according to what they have done. Those who did not act righteously are punished by the King according to what they have done. Mt 16 27 is very clearly about the King. Kings have kingdoms as Matthew frequently mentions. Mt 16 27 (there will be a judgment) and MT 16 28 (it is coming soon) are definitely part of the same thought.
Or did Jesus really have any reason to say that not all of the disciples will be dead in the next six days before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. But still only three of them will see the Transfiguration? And no
future kingdom as Mt 16 28 clearly refers to. You skipped that part of the argument.