There is no other scripture that has led more people down the crooked road to Preterism and there is no other verse more twisted to achieve the illogical conclusions of preterism than Mathew 17.27, 28.
“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming (going into) in his kingdom.”
The premiere or the first false assumption begins with “coming in His kingdom”, immediately people assume this is the second coming of Christ. To “repay each person according to what they have done” is judgment, Jesus said He was coming with judgment, and that judgment came in 70 AD upon Jerusalem with Jesus “parousia” Then they assume all judgment then happened in 70 AD.
Let’s start in Daniel 7 as it provides added context for the Great White Throne Judgment, as we know this is what verse 27 is talking about, the reading of the “Book” is what delineate it from all other Judgments, the scene is even pictured as a “courtroom trial”.
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, …..the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom”. Daniel .9, 13-14
This scripture parallels Revelation 20; 11-13
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.”
This Great white throne judgment happens after the Millennium[1], at which time Christ is ruling and reigning on earth with His saints, those who were resurrected and those who were changed[2]. Satan is released or “unchained” and goes out to deceive the nations a second time. They march across the earth and surround the “camp of the saints”, the city God loves, and in a moment it is all over. He ascends, or “goes[3]” into the presence of His father in heaven as Daniel describes Christ coming into Gods presence, where the earth and the sky are removed from view. The judgment begins. This same scenario is also presented in one other scripture.
“When the Son of Man comes (goes) in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. (Mathew 25:31-33)
This is obviously not describing the judgment of 70 AD on Jerusalem as Mathew 24. 4-28 talks about judgment on Jerusalem it is only against the unbelieving Jews, not gentiles, as the God uses gentile armies to judge Jerusalem for the blood of the prophets. (Further Revelation states it is the armies of the “beast” that are defeated, not Jerusalem). Mathew 25.31 is talking about the Great White Throne judgment.
We also know every man was not in Jerusalem (or was the rest of the dead raised) as the “second” resurrection of the rest of the dead of Revelation 20 is what the Great White Throne judgment is, it did not happen as it is judgment of ALL the dead which includes past and present and requires they “stand” before him for deeds “done” while in the body. These dead come from their graves, from the sea, and from death and hell. (Resurrection to judgment John 5.29, second resurrection, Rev 20.13-14)
In Mathew 24.3 the disciples asked three questions, he answered with three events, two of those events are not the same thing, or should I say Jesus does not repeat himself. There is judgment on Jerusalem, His return, and a judgment on all mankind; these are two different judgments, two different events. Revelation separates His return (Rev 19 a judgment on the “beast”) that comes first then a judgment (Rev 20) that comes after a thousand years and speaks nothing of an abomination of desolation.
In Mathew 17.28 we have Jesus “coming (or going) into His kingdom. Jesus said His Kingdom is not of this earth, He also said the kingdom is in the midst of you, and he said “by his casting out demons, you know the kingdom is upon you (Math 12.28). The rule of reign of Christ was among them NOW, When did Christ come into His full authority and Kingdom, His Rulership? At His ascension when He went to the father and sat at the right hand of God and assumed all authority in heaven and in earth. This is what gives him the authority to judge in the last day. “The Son of man going to His Kingdom”
“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 1For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
The son of man coming in(to) His kingdom” is at hand, in the midst of you, the rule and reign of Christ in men’s hearts, it is His kingdom which is not an earthly kingdom. The “coming of the Kingdom” among men was the birth of the church, on the day of Pentecost and its growth over the next thirty years which was seen by most but some tasted death before seeing the “gospel spread throughout the whole of the Roman Empire”.
Many of the disciples lived to see the birth of the church and its spread across Asia Minor, and there were some who was standing there who died. It is the fact that some where dead that places this time frame after Pentecost and before 70 AD as 70 AD is not the coming of the Kingdom among men. Christ promised he would never leave them or forsake them and further, In Mathew 28, after his resurrection and before His ascension he said,
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…”
It is that kingdom authority that allowed him to cast out devils that established the Kingdom was among them and they did not have to wait until 70 AD for the Kingdom to arrive. There are those who dismiss this claim as they insist the “coming of the Kingdom” is the “parousía”. As the apostles performed miracles in Jesus name and established the Church prior to 70 AD we know the “coming of the Kingdom” IS the rule and reign of Christ in the church.
In the next step these “comings” then are again lumped together with “This Generation” which is the next fatal step down the crooked road of preterism..
[1] Rev 20.3, 6
[2] Why else would they need a new body except for to dwell on the earth in a body (image) of Christ resurrected body.
[3] erchomai: to come, go Original Word: ἔρχομαι Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: erchomai Phonetic Spelling: (er’-khom-ahee) Definition: I come, go. The translator bias Interpretates the word come when it is clearly states “going” into God presence as God’s presence is not on earth but in heaven.