Grasshopper, this is a statement you made that deals with the actual context, so I am going to address this statement. The others involve a complete systematic theology of end times and, sorry, I don't have time for it.
Thats the difficulty of eschatological debates, passages don't stand alone.
"Some standing here will not taste death" is not the complete statement. It is not the point of the statement. There is a qualifier; "...till they see the kingdom of God present with power".
What is the purpose of the "will not taste death" statement. It makes no sense if what yo are saying is true. Jesus is in the prescence of numerous disciples but you boil the statement down to "3 of you won't die in the next 6 days till you see the kingdom come with power, though its not really the kingdom coming but just a glimpse".
Do you really not think it is odd to include the "some will not taste death" to an event only 6 days later?
Here is where my repeated question is relevant. On the mount of transfiguration, when Jesus face was brightened, were the disciples seeing the kingdom of God present with power? The answer to this is yes. If it is not, what were they seeing?
Peter said His majesty.
That paragraph is really all I have to say about this topic. My point in saying it is that the answer to who would not taste death is found, not by doing a systematic theology of the whole Bible on the subject of end times, but by looking in the context.
And I would say the preceding verse is the context.
If I was on a deserted island and had never seen a Bible in my whole life and Mark 8:38 - 9:12 washed up on the shore, I would know who did not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God present with glory just by reading that passage.
I don't think you want to play this game.:laugh:
Imagine if you were on the deserted Island and these passages washed up:
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified
it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed
is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:
for the time is at hand.
What would you think? or this passage:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
or this one:
Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
or this one:
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
shall I continue.....
