Bible (Archive 4)

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Bible Question: Where are they right now? Does it means they live more than 2000 years?

Mt 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Mr 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.
Lu 9:27 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.

Bible Answer: The Kingdom came on Pentacost.

Pentecost

Consider the following facts.

(1) Both the Old and New Testaments teach that Christ was to receive his kingdom after he ascended to the Father (Acts 1:9-11). Daniel foretold that “one like unto a son of man” would come “even to the Ancient of Days” [God] and there he would be given “dominion, glory, and a kingdom” (Daniel 7:13-14). Similarly, Christ himself, in the parable of the pounds, spoke of a certain “nobleman” who journeyed “into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (Luke 19:11ff). The “nobleman” was Christ, the “far country” was heaven, and the nobleman’s “return” represented the second coming. The “kingdom” was received by the Lord in heaven—before the second coming, not on earth afterward.

(2) The collection of kingdom prophecies in the Gospel accounts all point to a regime that was not realized during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. And, as emphasized earlier, the information in Acts and the Epistles (as well as Revelation – 1:6, 9) show the kingdom to have been a present reality from Pentecost onward (with the exception of a few passages that represent “heaven” as the final dimension of the “kingdom”; cf. 2 Timothy 4:18; 2 Peter 1:11).

(3) Just prior to the prophecy of the coming kingdom, as reflected in the testimony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there was the exchange between Jesus and his disciples; then more specifically between Christ and Peter. The Lord made it clear that the “church” he was to build is the equivalent of the “kingdom.” In a symbolic sense, Peter used the “keys of the kingdom” (i.e., the authority resident in the gospel message) to admit sinners into the church by means of their obedience (Acts 2; 10).

(4) The Savior announced that the kingdom would arrive with “power” (Mark 9:1). The most natural interpretation of that phrase centers on the events of Pentecost. Just before his ascension back into heaven, the apostles questioned the Lord as to when the “kingdom” would be restored (likely reflecting a misconception on their part as to the nature of the regime); Jesus provided a general answer. The “when” of the coming kingdom would be when the power of the Holy Spirit descended upon these men “not many days hence” (Acts 1:5, 8). It is beyond doubt that this was fulfilled ten days later on Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff). “The coming ‘with power’ (Mark 9:1) and ‘seeing the kingdom’ (Luke 9:27) must focus on Pentecost” McGarvey wrote:

They saw the kingdom “come with power,” because such was the power of the Holy Spirit’s demonstrations through the apostles, that three thousand men were that day turned to the Lord. And they saw the Son of man coming in his kingdom, not literally, but by manifesting his invisible presence to the eye of faith. What they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears attested his presence in his kingdom (1875, 315).

As noted by McGarvey, there is no problem in Matthew’s statement that the disciples would “see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” In his Gospel record John had quoted the Lord as indicating that by the sending of the Holy Spirit he, indirectly, would be coming (John 14:18). Thus, by “seeing” and “hearing” the effects of the Spirit’s empowerment on Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:33), the apostles were assured of the Lord’s presence. The term “see” frequently is employed of spiritual perception, rather than physical vision (cf. Matthew 24:30; John 3:3; 16:16, 19; especially see Thayer 1958, 451).

(5) As Jesus and his disciples were concluding the Passover supper, the Savior said: “I say unto you, I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). The “drinking,” of course, was not to be a literal drinking of the fruit of the vine, but a spiritual communion with Christians in the kingdom as they partake of the Lord’s supper. The language implies that Christ was not “in the kingdom” at that time. On the other hand, the disciples began partaking of “the breaking of bread” (i.e., the communion supper) on Pentecost (Acts 2:42), and continued thereafter (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16). Without a doubt, the kingdom had arrived!

Conclusion

All the evidence, therefore, indisputably points to the fact that the Lord’s prophecy regarding the coming kingdom, as set forth in Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27, came to fruition on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the death of Christ.