- Wasilla , Alaska
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Has the Kingdom of Christ Arrived?
Question: Does Matthew 16:28 (along with Mark 9:1 and Luke 9:27) teach that the Kingdom of Christ has arrived in some form?
Answer: These verses cannot teach that Jesus would return to establish His Kingdom during the lifetime of the disciples present on that day because this did not happen. Nor can it be that Christ established a spiritual kingdom on earth because every promise in the Word of God of a future Messianic Kingdom demonstrates that the expectation was of a literal, physical kingdom. Something else must have been intended by Christ.
It is also doubtful that Matthew 16:8 (and the parallel passages) refers to His resurrection and ascension. When speaking of His resurrection and ascension, Christ spoke of His departure, not His coming (John 16:7).
It seems most natural to understand that Jesus was predicting the preview of His coming Kingdom that He would soon give to Peter, James, and John during the Transfiguration. Several grammatical clues indicate that this should be the correct interpretation:
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The prediction of the establishment of the Kingdom in Matthew 16:27 is separated from the prediction given to the disciples in verse 28 by the expression, “Assuredly, I say to you.”[1]
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In the three Gospels that record this event, including Matthew 16:28, the transfiguration immediately follows it.
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The three Gospels that record this event all link the prediction of Jesus with the Transfiguration by use of connectives. This is clearly seen in Luke’s account where the text records, “Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28). The text naturally connects to the prediction recorded immediately before.
The future Kingdom of Christ is yet to be fulfilled. After the return of our Lord at His Second Coming at the end of Tribulation, He will establish His eternal Kingdom on earth.
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