My Journey of Faith - Part II

Well Kids, you know it was that time when I was trying to continue to understand my beliefs.  Here I was somewhat new to Fulfilled Eschatology and I was still trying to find a balance while also still trying to understand what I was learning.

So here I was continuing on in my reading and came across another interesting verse.  Jesus himself said as written in Matthew 16:27-28:

²⁷ For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

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.

Now - for those that still believe in a future return of Jesus.  Can you answer me what Jesus meant in Matthew 16:28?  How can some people standing there not taste of death until his return in his Kingdom?

Last I checked I don't know of anyone that's about 2000 years old.  But Jesus himself said that they wouldn't taste of death until His return and if He hasn't returned in His Kingdom, and all the people standing there died - well this would mean that Jesus is a liar.  So - the Jesus you believe in - the Son of God who is faithful, lied?

Again - these were questions I had while believing in a future coming of Jesus, and just couldn't be answered unless you go down a rabbit hole stating "well death is separation from God" - and people wouldn't go through that separation until His return.

Now - while that could be an interpretation - I do not believe that's what was implied.  I believe that some people standing there would not physically die until His return.

Ok then.  surely some questions are perhaps being asked.  Perhaps you want to understand when Jesus returned if all has been fulfilled/completed.  Right?

Let's see what Jesus said about his return - well perhaps let's see what his disciples asked him.

Matthew 24:1-3

1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

So - we have a reference now - on the time of Jesus' return.  The time is at the Destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.  So - we see why so many people who believe in a future return of Jesus are in support of having a Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, and it's so that it can then later be destroyed so that Jesus may return.  Trust me, I lived this.  I looked forward to this.

Now if Jesus was saying these things around 30AD.  He was telling everyone He would return in the future, and some would not taste of death until His return.  It's clear there was a Temple that existed in Jesus' day.  We know it's not there today (again, not one stone left standing upon another).  So - did Jesus say that "not one stone left of a future temple to be built won't have its stones left one upon another" or "not one stone left" of the current temple of His day?

Jesus never once said anything in His prophecies about a future Temple to be built.  He did mention the Temple of His day.  He did mention it would be destroyed.  He also mentioned that the Destruction of the Temple would be the sign of His return.

So - the question now becomes when was the destruction of the Temple?  Well, we live in a world of technology where we have tons and tons of information which we can seek out on the Internet and we can quickly use google to look up this information and will find that such a date goes back to 70 A.D.

So - let's go back a bit.  Jesus said that some people standing there would not taste of death until His return.  His disciples asked when the temple would be destroyed and his return and the end of the world?

Now - if 70 A.D. was the year of the destruction of the Temple - is it possible that some people standing there at that time, would not taste of death for about 40 years?  Totally - and absolutely.

So - then this leaves us with how can we still be here if it wasn't the end of the World?  That means Jesus lied, doesn't it?  No it doesn't - you're just looking at this from a paradigm where Jesus will return in the future.  You're looking at it from a paradigm where these events were all supposed to be for us.  Furthermore - if that's your argument to everything stated so far, can you start answering all the questions I've brought up about Jesus - because the Jesus you currently believe in from my perspective is a liar.

It's good to have questions.  The Bible even teaches to examine ourselves, test everything.  Like if this is all true - what about the judgement, what about Hell, where are we now?

While these are all valid questions - there are more important questions.  If this is true, how does this change how the world is run?  How does this change how we live our lives?

Again - this is where we end today, and will continue on next time.