steve wrote:
I believe that verse 27 is about the future second coming, resurrection and judgment (as per 2 Tim.4:1).
I am glad you brought in the Timothy reference conncecting the kingdom and appearing. Many refer to Matthew 16:27 as JUST referring to His kingdom and I believe it to be in error.
steve wrote:Some, therefore, think me inconsistent in taking verse 28 as predicting AD 70.
Actually, both your statements are quite correct! I think the use of "Verily" in verse 28 is conjunctive to Jesus' thoughts just moments before in the previous verse. How would His disciples realize the change of subjects, if there were two different topics? If I were there, it would have been a natural course of conversation to believe the topic had not changed. What exactly do you believe signals the change of topic (if there were two) so that the disciples could understand? This same kind of "analysis" is purported into Matthew 24. And best of all, there is no change of subjects. Both verses point to the same event. But this thinking is not usually welcome because it interferes with our paradigms. I think it is about time that we allow Scripture to establish our paradigms and not reinterpret Scripture to match our paradigms. A harsh statement to be sure, but I think a very truthful one. My paradigms didn't match and I had to change accordingly. We are a stubborn and proud people - myself at the top of that list.
steve wrote:Both verses speak of the Son of Man "coming." Why would one be reference to the second coming at the end of time, and the other, in the same context, be speaking of AD 70?
I believe this would be quite consistent with the way the prophets of the Old Testament mixed their motifs. Very commonly, they would be talking about an action of God (say, a deliverance of His people) in the near term, and would, without warning, begin talking about the salvation of believers through the Messiah—which was to be fulfilled centuries later.
This is, I think, because the saving (and the judging) activity of God found expression in many short-term events (e.g., the exodus, the Babylonian exile and return, etc.), all of which were mere samplings or tokens of an ultimate saving (or judgment) event of the distant future.
Would you be willing to provide me with 2 definite OT examples and the references that clearly express your above thought? The reason I ask is simply because I have heard that kind of analysis for years, yet I could never seem to find the support in the Scriptures themselves. To me, and I speak concerning other's views here (nothing personal at all) is that this kind of talk merely "protects" a present paradigm. For example, in Isaiah 13, Charles Ryrie believes that the demise of Babylon is a "type" of His future coming because he can not accept the figurative language expressed in that chapter. I speak expressly of Isaiah 13:10. His own Bible notes point to Matthew 24:29 as being indicative of this "proof." But, what he and many others do not understand is the figurative language of those celestial commotions is common in judgment and is even reversed in blessing (Isaiah 30:26). Ryrie (and others) incorporate a different (physical, literal) hermeneutic into the NT than that of the OT, which I find very surprising because during Christ's personal ministry there only was the OT Scriptures. And of course, Ryries typology varies. Does he believe the demise of Egypt at the hand of the Babylonians is also a "type" of the second coming? If he does, then he has "typed" both Babylon as judge and victim. To me, that is inconsistent typology.
steve wrote:Jesus predicts, in Matthew 16:27, an ultimate event of judgment that will encompass all of humanity at the end of the age—the ultimate "coming" of the Son of Man. He then tells the disciples that a token of that ultimate phenomenon will be seen even in their own lifetimes—a short-term "coming" of the Son of Man to judge His enemies in Jerusalem. This "coming" joins with all the previous "comings" in the Old Testament, when God "came" in judgment upon nations like Canaan (Lev.18:25), Egypt (Isa.19:1), other heathen nations (Ps.59:5*), Jerusalem, in 586 BC (Jer.5:9, 29; 6:15; 9:9*), Edom (Jer.49:8*), Babylon (Jer.50:31*), etc.
Could you explain from the Scripture how it is that Jesus presents just a "token" of that judgment is to be seen by his disciples and how you would differentiate between a short-term coming and the "real" coming? Where does Jesus tell His disciples that he is now talking about a different "coming"? I was under the impression that there are only two comings - 1st advent and 2nd advent. Dispensationalists have three for sure.
steve wrote: He threatened similar short-term judgment-comings against Ephesus (Rev.2:5), Pergamos (Rev.2:16), and Sardis (Rev.3:3).
Could it be that these short-term comings was the actual coming? Is not what John said in Rev 1:1 and Rev 1:3 concerning the timing of these events of any use? Why would John again repeat those same two time statements in Rev 22:6 and Rev 22:10? I find that most people would rather prefer to ignore what John said under inspiration simply because it disagrees with their own paradigm.
steve wrote:In other words, the principle of God or Christ "coming" in judgment is seen repeatably in history, having its ultimate manifestation at the end of time. To speak of that ultimate judgment, and also of a short-term one, in the same breath, is not particularly bizarre or unprecedented.
I am not sure why you would use the phrase "end of time" because it is not something used anywhere. Daniel speak of the "time of the end" in four different places, but never the "end of time." It is a misnomer. I would agree that God's coming in judgment throughout the OT is a definite pattern for the final Parousia coming. To me, when Jesus said His coming would be "in the glory of his Father," it is indicative of the way He also would come. And God always used either men or other natural means to bring about His judgment. Can you give me a example from Scripture that speaks of "
that ultimate judgment, and also of a short-term one, in the same breath," because these are very important statements you bring up?
As for the transfiguration being representative (a glimpse) of His final coming, I couldn't agree more. The trouble is, how would his disciples know whether this example is of the final judgment or the "token" judgment? Jesus Christ never tells them which one. And the reason that is, to me, is that there is only one consistent theme all along. Other themes are brought into the equation just to protect paradigms...
Have you ever considered the transfiguration in these terms? First of all, we know the new covenant had been inaugurated at the cross. The old covenant was made old or of no efffect, but it was still in practice by all those unbelieving Jews. (Hebrews 10:9) The old covenant was going to be completely wiped out at the Parousia giving total credibility and manifestation of the one kingdom in Christ. (Hebrews 8:13) It was going to vanish away and the time that Paul wrote this was
roughly in the mid 60s. So, we are going to have an exchange of covenants once and for all. There would be no more going back to OT worship because there would be no more temple, no more genealogies, no more anything. The place got levelled. Now lets go back to the transfiguration event.
In the beginning, there was Moses and Elijah with Jesus and I believe this provides reference to Moses and the prophets as Paul and Jesus often spoke of (Luke 16:29, 31; 24:27, 44; John 1:45; Acts 26:22; 28:23) To me, this represents old covenant typology. And then at the end, it was Jesus alone. Does this not indicate the vanishing away and the manifestation of the one new covenant in Christ in very simplified terms? Does it not also blend well into the conversation about Elijah having come already in the next verses following?
But what about the two other parallel passages?
Mark 8:38-Mark 9:1 - Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
Luke 9:26-27 - For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
If there is only one kingdom of God and I would agree with that statement although dispenstionalists wouldn't, how is that there would be
SOME alive in EACH account to witness the kingdom of God in power. Obviously, MOST would be alive to witness the transfiguration account. Because only some would be alive we are talking of a later time frame but still within their generation, consistent with Matthew 24:34 and many other verses.
Notice also that Christ referred to THIS adulterous and sinful generation which is elaborated all through the NT Scriptures. It was that generation who crucify the Lord Jesus, and persecuted His apostles and His church. Who else should pay? Some unknown group of people thousands of years removed from the context? I don't think so. Just imagine that the year is now 3945. Imagine also that the German and Japanese inhabitants are now being held accountable for what transpired in World War 2. Believe it or not, but this is exactly what most theologies believe!
steve wrote:It might be a bit like a case in which deceased parents left to their son an inheritance of ten-million dollars, to be awarded in increments of ten-thousand dollars each month until his twenty-first birthday, after which he receives the whole balance. When first informing the boy of this arrangement, the attorney might say, "At the end of your childhood, you are going to receive over ten-million dollars from your parents' estate, which will guarantee your financial security permanently. In fact, even before your next birthday, you will see the benefits of the inheritance they left you."
I would have to equate this allegory more or less along the lines of Hebrews 6:5.
Hopefully this post will contribute additional thoughts of benefit and won't be considered a "preterist" post and just written off. I believe I ask some very pertinent questions that no one seems to want to answer from the Scriptural record. I glady wait for repspones. Like I said in another post, "There is no one trying to disprove my position harder than myself." Blessings to one and all...
steve wrote:
Blessings!
Steve