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Post by michelle on Feb 8, 2007 20:54:16 GMT -8
12/05:
18And I tell you that you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it.[e]
I'm just trying to imagine hearing these words from Jesus and later hearing that I would deny him three times. I can only imagine how it must have tormented Peter after his denials. Talk about feeling complete disappointment in yourself.
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Post by Josh on Feb 9, 2007 18:01:33 GMT -8
12/05:
Matt 16:28" I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
This verse used to be very bothersome to me. It seemed like a false prophecy, if indeed we are still waiting for the Son of Man to come into his Kingdom.
Then I noticed verse like this, where Stephen was stoned by the Pharisees for following Jesus:
Acts 7:54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
The imagery here is cosistent with the imagery from Daniel of the Son of Man receiving His kingdom from the Ancient of Days: namely, that Jesus inherited the kingdom upon his resurrection. He has not come yet to reward each person according to their deeds, but he has certainly already inherited His kingdom.
I believe I was also revealed something else about this verse. I was struggling with it A LOT, and I prayed that God would help me out with it. I was dreaming and awoke with that verse running through my head and had a realization I had never had before. It's a bit technical, hopefully I can explain it. Take a look at the verse again:
Matt 16:28" I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
If Jesus was talking about an event that was at the 'end of the world', that is, at the resurrection, he would not have said 'will not taste death before they see', because that statement implies they WILL TASTE DEATH after they see it. The verse implies that that generation WILL PASS AWAY after they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Well, the generation at the end of time (the second coming) won't die, so he must not have been talking about the second coming, but simply Christ's ascencion to his throne.
This reasoning also helps tremendously with another very troublesome verse:
Mathew 24:34 "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
Again, it is implied that that generation would indeed pass away AFTER certain things had happened. But that'll wait until Matthew 24 (oh the hours I've poured over that one!)
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