Preterism Refutation (Part 05) - Mat 16:28; Mar 9:1; Luk 9:27

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VII. Mat 16:28, Mar 9:1, and Luk 9:27 1. These verses are used by Preterists to support the idea that the second coming of Christ was in 70AD. 2. These verses are all parallel texts in the gospels. A. Mat 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." B. Mar 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." C. Luk 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." D. Put together, Jesus said that some of the disciples standing with Him would see Him coming in His kingdom which would come with power before their deaths. 3. About one week (6-8 days) after Jesus made this prophecy it was fulfilled. 4. The fulfillment is recorded directly after each of the verses in question in the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mat 17:1-9; Mar 9:2-10; Luk 9:28-36). A. Each of the verses that directly follow Jesus' prophecy begin with the word "and" (Mat 17:1; Mar 9:2; Luk 9:28). i. And conj. - B. conj. co-ordinate. (Introducing a word, clause, or sentence, which is to be taken side by side with, along with, or in addition to, that which precedes it.) ii. Therefore, the account of Jesus' transfiguration is to be taken side by side with and along with the prophecy of Him coming in His kingdom. B. The prophecy was given to Jesus' twelve disciples (Mat 16:24). i. Peter, James, and John witnessed the fulfillment of it on the mountain (Mat 17:1). ii. This fulfilled the part of the prophecy wherein Jesus said that "there be some standing here." iii. Not all of the disciples standing with Jesus witnessed the fulfillment, but some did. C. The prophecy said that some standing there would not taste of death until they saw the fulfillment of it. i. The fulfillment happened 6-8 days later while those who witnessed it were still alive. ii. The prophecy was spoken to "the people" as well as Jesus' disciples (Mar 8:34). iii. It's possible that some of the people that heard the prophecy died before it was fulfilled a week later. iv. But even if not, it's still true that some standing there didn't die until they saw Christ coming in His kingdom on the mount of transfiguration. D. The prophecy said that they would "see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Mat 16:28). i. Here is what Jesus Christ looks like in His glorified state in the heavenly kingdom of God. a. His face is as bright as the sun (Rev 1:14, 16; Rev 21:23). b. His garment is white (Rev 3:4). ii. Here is what Jesus Christ looked like on the mount of transfiguration. a. His face was as bright as the sun (Mat 17:2). b. His garment was white (Mat 17:2; Mar 9:3; Luk 9:29). iii. Jesus was seen in His glory on the mount of transfiguration (2Pe 1:16-18). a. Glory n. - 5. In Biblical phraseology: the glory of God: the majesty and splendour attendant upon a manifestation of God. 6. Resplendent beauty or magnificence. Now often with suggestion of sense 5 or 7: An effulgence of light such as is associated with our conceptions of heaven; fig. an unearthly beauty attributed by imagination. 8. A state of exaltation and splendour. in one's glory: in one's highest state of magnificence or prosperity; also colloq., in a state of unbounded gratification or enjoyment. b. This is exactly what the disciples saw on the mount (Luk 9:31-32). c. Jesus entered His royal estate prior to 70AD (Heb 2:6-9). d. The three disciples saw a preview of what Christ would look like glorified in His kingdom after His resurrection and ascension into heaven. iv. The disciples actually saw Jesus glorified in His kingdom on the mount with their own eyes (2Pe 1:16-18 c/w Mat 16:28 c/w Mat 17:1-2). a. When Christ was seen in His majesty (2Pe 1:16), He was seen in His kingdom (Mat 16:28). b. Majesty n. - 1. a. The dignity or greatness of a sovereign; sovereign power, sovereignty. b. spec. The greatness and glory of God. (The earliest use in Eng.) c. Sovereign n. - 1. One who has supremacy or rank above, or authority over, others; a superior; a ruler, governor, lord, or master d. Kingdom - 1. Kingly function, authority, or power; sovereignty, supreme rule; the position or rank of a king, kingship. e. Majesty and kingdom are synonyms. f. When the disciples saw Jesus in His majesty, they saw Him in His kingdom. v. Peter witnessed the "power" (2Pe 1:16) and "coming" (2Pe 1:16) of our Lord Jesus Christ when he saw Christ glorified in His "majesty" (2Pe 1:16) on the mount of Transfiguration (2Pe 1:17-18). a. This is a letter fulfillment of Jesus' words that some of the disciples would see Him "coming" (Mat 16:28) in His "kingdom" (Mat 16:28) with "power" (Mar 9:1). b. The mount of transfiguration was a preview of Jesus Christ in His heavenly kingdom. c. The disciples saw Jesus coming in His kingdom with power on the mount of transfiguration. E. The prophecy said that they would see "the kingdom of God come with power" (Mar 9:1). i. Moses and Elias (Elijah) were seen on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus (Mat 17:3). ii. Moses and Elijah were both prophets. iii. Jesus taught that the prophets would be seen in the kingdom of God (Luk 13:28-29). iv. Jesus will bring the saints with Him when He returns (1Th 3:13; 1Th 4:14; Jud 1:14). v. Along with Jesus, the righteous will "shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" in the heavenly kingdom at the second coming (Mat 13:43). vi. Moses and Elijah both appeared in glory with Christ (Luk 9:30-31). a. Moses had died and was buried; Elijah was translated alive into heaven. b. They adequately represent both the dead in Christ that shall rise first and those that are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord who will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at His second coming (1Th 4:16-17). vii. The mount of transfiguration was a preview of the kingdom of God coming with power. 5. The mount of transfiguration perfectly fulfilled Jesus' prophecy in Mat 16:28, Mar 9:1, and Luk 9:27. A. The disciples actually saw a preview of Jesus in His glory in His kingdom as He will be seen in the heavenly kingdom of God. B. There is no reason to try to wrest these verses to make them teach that Jesus came back in 70AD which there is no evidence of anyone seeing.