Your Interpretation of Matthew 16:28 - A Poll

[Pleroo]

Trimac, just a question: have you considered the possibility that there may be no 2nd physical coming of the man Jesus and that perhaps the "coming" of Christ isn't a one-time thing?

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by Pleroo

Trimac, just a question: have you considered the possibility that there may be no 2nd physical coming of the man Jesus and that perhaps the "coming" of Christ isn't a one-time thing?

I've not really heard of it until now. In what sense, like will he just be naturally born like a normal human being so his first incarnation?

[TimeMachine]

Kind of sounds like Jesus was desperate to get some "buy in" to the new religion by making the offer seem time sensitive to the group he was with.

[Pleroo]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

I've not really heard of it until now. In what sense, like will he just be naturally born like a normal human being so his first incarnation?

No ... in the sense that the coming of Christ it is a spiritual occurrence, experienced on an individual basis, and will happen for all.

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by Pleroo

No ... in the sense that the coming of Christ it is a spiritual occurrence, experienced on an individual basis, and will happen for all.

Oh I didn't see the 'no'. Actually i have heard this theory. It's popular with Gnostics, I think. Yeah the idea of the Parousia is interesting. I get into the details of things like this which Christians often gloss over. Like I wonder what will the Second Coming be like?

Jews at the time had a different worldview/Cosmology to us. Arguably they believed in a very different universe. The sky was a 'dome' above a flat and circular Earth where the stars.etc. hung. Now the thing is if Jesus is truly God I don't believe he could have endorsed such an inaccurate view of the Universe. Yet when he talks about stars falling, who literally thinks the stars will 'fall' to Earth? He could be talking about meteorites, but I've read the Book of Enoch and the Jews believed stars were angels! Yes, that's right. If Jesus believed their ignorant view of the Universe it would show he wasn't truly God.

So in that sense, Jesus might have appropriated Jewish myths/legends, and the language he used to describe the second coming was metaphorical. So maybe we won't actually hear trumpets (again how many believe this?). What will the angels be like? Will they be men in white tunics or wings, descending to carry off the wicked into Gehenna, perhaps a cleft opening up in the Earth, to hurl them into this fiery pit? And meteorites will fall to Earth causing massive damage?

Perhaps angels are extra-terrestrial beings...The whole second coming language, pretty strange. I'm trying to conceive of some plausible scenario for a second coming that fits in with what we know of the world. Will Jesus descend as a man in the sky? Like will we see the glorified Jesus of Nazareth, as a man dressed in a shining cloak, accompanied by other humanoid angels, perhaps magically transport themselves or come from a portal over heaven, over the airspace over Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. Then everyone who has ever lived will be raised from the dead: even those who will be cremated will be magically 'recreated'?

Am I the only one who thinks of stuff like this? lol

[Richard1965]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

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.

My pastor believes the 'Son of man coming in his kingdom' refers to the Day of Pentacost, Christ/The Spirit metaphorically 'coming' upon the Church, not the parousia/final return of Christ.

For many years the way I reconciled it was by attributing this part to the Transfiguration that follows it.

What is your personal interpretation/view?

How about looking at it from a Hebraic mindset?...coming into His Kingdom=going into His Kingdom...?