Please explain Matthew 16:28 where Christ says, "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."
This scripture seems to imply that Christ would return during the lifetime of some of his disciples and set up His Kingdom. Christ hasn't returned and set up His Kingdom yet — and the original disciples are now dead. How can this scripture be explained?

The answer to your question is found in Matthew 17:1-9. This is the account of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ witnessed by three of His disciples — Peter, James and John. These men had stood by Christ as He made the promise of Matthew 16:28.

Christ didn't "come into His Kingdom" during the lifetime of these disciples — that is as far as establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. But they did see Him "come in His Kingdom" in vision — in the vision of Christ's transfiguration.

The account of Christ's transfiguration recorded in Matthew 17:1-9 is rehearsed in Mark 9:2-9 and in Luke 9:28-36. In both of these accounts there is rightly no break in the story flow — no chapter division as in Matthew. Men have placed these chapter divisions; and they do not reflect the original Greek.

With a continuous story flow this scripture can now be properly understood. Six days after Christ made the statement of Matthew 16:28 he took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain to pray. He was going to keep His promise. They were to see a glimpse as it were of Christ "coming in His Kingdom" having returned to this earth at His second coming in all the power and glory of the Almighty Creator of the universe!

Christ was transfigured before them! "His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light"! So reports Matthew. And Mark — "His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow..." And Luke — "His raiment was white and glistering."

Peter, James and John saw Jesus manifested the way He is now (Rev. 1:14-16) and the way He will manifest Himself at His second coming to set up the Kingdom of God on this earth. Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ in this vision — and it was a vision, verse nine. These two will be co-rulers with Christ in His kingdom.

The vision reaches a climax as a cloud envelopes the three and out of the cloud thunders, "This IS My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him."

Peter was an eyewitness to this event. Many years later he affirms that this vision which he stood audience to depicted the "power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." He says in II Peter 1:16-18: "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, 'This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.' And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount."

We see now by the correct story stream and by the testimony of the apostle Peter that before they died, at least three of Christ's disciples — in vision — saw, "the Son of man coming in His kingdom."

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