Good morning to you, too.
Sigh* Do not put words in my mouth. Did you want to discuss these things, or did you want to posture? I do not believe in Christ's physically reigning from from David's throne.
I believe the Bible, instead. Don't you? (There. That is an example of me posturing. It comes across as irritating and condescending and is not conducive to productive discussion)
When you get around to actually answering my question perhaps we can get somewhere. You still have not dealt with it.
I am not going to bother any more answering your post unless you answer in a simple, meaningful way to my simple question. I just don't have the time nor desire to get into convoluted convo that never goes anywhere.
Once again - for anyone - When do you think Christ's words to His disciples were fulfilled when He said "there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power"?
BTW, I do not believe in double fulfillment here, but even if it one believed that it still wouldn't make sense. It would still mean a lame fulfilment if it happened just a few days later.
Greetings Tom,
I'll try to give a scriptural explanantion of a few things here, not exhaustive, because personally and IMO a protracted debate will just cause strife.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The word in the vulgate (an update to the various versions of the first century
Old Itala) for "caught up" is
rapiemur, Harpazo in the Greek.
This is also the root of the following passage in both the Latin and the Greek:
2 Corinthians 12
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Call it what one will (rapto, harpazo), it simply means to be taken from one place to another in a quick or sudden manner.
As to: Matthew 16:28 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.
Notice that they (some) will indeed die the mortal death but not until they see his the coming of the Son of man in His kingdom.
Personally, because it is stated that they will not die until they see His "coming" I don't believe this applies to His bodily return but the events following the signs and wonders of Acts 2 and the coming of the earthly manifestation of His kingdom, the Church.
The Book of Acts ending on that note:
Acts 28
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
More on his bodily return...
Luke 17
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed (apokalupto).
Matthew 24
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Notice that just before judgment falls in both these scenarios, an elect few are quickly removed or delivered out of the area of destruction.
In my view the time period between Acts 2 and the present is the "coming of the lord in His kingdom", the "rapture" being His sudden appearing (apokalupto) in which "every eye will see Him" just before which the elect will be either quickly removed and/or or protected from the impending doom.
Then when He does makes His apokalupto He will come suddenly and bring swift destruction with Him against all the ungodly.
And yes, the time duration and the order of the series of events surrounding what is called the Great Tribulation is debatable.
I would also disagree with you that there is a difference in methodology between the devolpment of the doctrine of the Trinity and eschatology.
It took 2-3 centuries to fully develope the doctrine of the Trinity (in it's proper place and time) and still not universally accepted in "Christendom".
IMO, Eschatology is now in its proper time and place to be developed because the end of the age is upon us. I guess we won't know all the details until the very end and even then some will get it wrong.
HankD