Luke 9:27 (ESV)
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not
taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
From “The Expositors Bible Commentary”, Vol. 8, p 924:
924]9:27}This is a
perplexing verse. “Some who are standing here” may refer to the disciples as a
group as opposed to the crowd, or some of the disciples as opposed to the rest
of the disciples. Marshall (Gospel of Luke) argues well for the former. But
both are possible. Even if the larger group from whom the “some are selected is
broader than the Twelve, that does not mean that the select group includes all
or even most of the twelve.
There have been a
number of different proposals as to what specific experience Jesus had in mind
when he said these words.
>If he meant the
future consummation of a literal kingdom, he would have been mistaken, as that
has not yet occurred.
>He may have meant
Pentecost, for the coming of the Spirit brought the dynamic of the kingdom
(mark 9:1 has the word “power”, but the imagery is not obvious.
>The resurrection of
Christ declared him “with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4), but the that
event does not seem to be understood in Scripture as an expression of the kingdom as such.
It is true that
Pentecost and the Resurrection are expressions of the same power, by which the
kingdom of God proved itself of the kingdom of Satan and his demons in Jesus
casting out demons.
There is, however,
another event, the Transfiguration (28-36) which Luke is about to describe,
that may suit the saying better. It focuses even more sharply on the kingdom.
The Transfiguration is, among other things, a preview of the Parousia, which
event is clearly connected with the reign of Christ. Moreover, the specific
reference to the brief interval of time between this saying and the
Transfiguration, which is made even more specific by Luke “about eight days
after Jesus said this” (v.28) – tightens the connection between the saying and
that event.
In 2 Peter 1:16-18…..
2 Peter 1:16-18 (ESV)
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
In 2 Peter 1:16-18,
Peter mentions in connection with the Transfiguration the elements of power and the coming of Jesus that are
associated with the kingdom. If Jesus was referring to the Transfiguration in
this saying, then the “some” who would not die before seeing the kingdom were,
Peter, James, and John, who saw Jesus transfigured. Why Jesus said they would
“not taste death” before participating in an event only days away is
perplexing. But he may have chosen those words because people despaired of
seeing the glory of the kingdom in their lifetime.
A thorough commentary will address Bible difficulties. There
are other works like “Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties” Gleason L. Archer.
Zondervan Publishing which also address challenges to our understanding of the
Word of God
Don’t immediately reject something in the Bible because you
do not understand it. But use that as motivation to seek out answers.
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