What is the meaning of Jesus saying some of His disciples won’t die before seeing His kingdom come, yet they died 2000 years ago? First of all, we looked at many skeptics who use Mathew 16:28, which reads, “I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” to attack Christianity calling Jesus a liar since over 2000 years elapsed without His disciples seeing the kingdom and are all dead.
Before I continue, I want to remind some of you that the coming of God’s kingdom is not only related to the end of the world. If I lie, why is the phrase “your Kingdom come” part of the Lord’s Prayer?
Let me first look at the Lord’s Prayer, where we focus on the phrase “your Kingdom come .” This phrase is found in Mathew 6:10, which reads “
Let your kingdom come.
Let your will be done on earth.
As it is done in heaven.”

What does God’s kingdom mean in this context?
God’s kingdom coming is talking about “desiring His righteous rule on earth,” as in verses 9 and 10. Consider verse 33 of Mathew 6: “But first, be concerned about his kingdom and his approval.” Then all these things will be provided for you.” If the mention of Kingdom always talks about heaven, why is the above verse saying first to seek God’s Kingdom, and then physical things will be added to you? We all know that to reach the heavenly kingdom, you must be born again or Christian, so simply, in the above context, Jesus is saying that you must first seek God, and this result is also seen in bearing fruits. 1 John 3:10 reads, “By this, it is evident who the children of God are, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”
Let’s go back to what Jesus specifically meant when He said that some disciples would not die until they saw the Kingdom come. The above brief portion of scripture proves that mentioning God’s Kingdom does not only mean the heavenly Kingdom.
Indeed, some of the disciples were privileged to witness the glory of the kingdom of God before they passed on. As recorded in Matthew 17:1, ‘After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John (the brother of James) and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.’ Jesus took the three disciples on three separate occasions that dealt with death, each experience carrying profound significance.
At the raising of Jairo’s’ daughter, the reason being showed victory over death.
At Gethsemane, there are hours to be arrested where disciples sleep; the reason is not victory over death but submission to death.
Here, he is glorified in death, where death should not be feared.
The next verse is “Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. His face became as bright as the sun, and his clothes as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.” They had to see how dead people were still alive, a brief preview of the Kingdom. Moses appeared to represent the law, and Elijah represented the Prophet! Interestingly, Peter recognizes Moses and Elijah without introduction; we can identify one another in heaven. God spoke loud, and it felt like heaven before death. Peter wanted to build a tabernacle, but God said No! “Listen to my son.” Later, Peter would say, “We are witnesses of His Glory.” This is a Kingdom experience, seeing heavenly Glory while on earth. The mention of “your kingdom come continues.
Why were these experiences meaningful to Peter, James & John?
James was the first disciple to die when he was cut in half.
John was the last to die; Nero put Him in boiling oil and banished him at 90.
Peter was the first disciple to be killed, as Jesus said earlier in John 21, verses 18 and 19, “18I can guarantee this truth: When you were young, you would get ready to go where you wanted. But when you’re old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will get you ready to take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to show what kind of death Peter would bring glory to God. After saying this, Jesus told Peter, “Follow me!”
After Jesus told Peter how Peter would die, Peter asked Jesus how about John. It was in a joking manner, but it came to pass exactly. Let me read verses 21-23.
21 When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus asked Peter, “If I want him to live until I return, how does that concern you? Follow me!” 23 So, a rumor spread among Jesus’ followers that that disciple wouldn’t die. But Jesus didn’t say that he wouldn’t die. Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, how does that concern you?”
What does the last part of verse 23 mean? Reread the B part: “If I want him to live until I come again, how does that concern you?”
We all know that Jesus is coming again after He ascended to heaven, but why did He say, What if He allows John to live until he returns?
This is what it meant; when John was thrown in the oil to die, He miraculously did not burn and was banished to Patmos Island. This all happened when Jesus went to heaven. Now, when John was alone in Patmos, Jesus appeared and gave him in Vision the last book in the bible, Revelation. If you read the book of Revelation, you will see it is full of Kingdom experience; John would say, “I saw heaven, I saw 24 elders in Heaven, I was with angels, etc.”
As Jesus told Peter, He kept John alive and even made the oil cold until He returned to give the last Book.
Of the three, John had the most profound Kingdom experience with Jesus before his death!
To qualify as the original apostle, you must have seen Jesus; Paul still saw Him even after He ascended to heaven. So you, the listener who has not given your life to Christ, can invite Jesus so that before you die, you will see Christ because he said, first seek His Kingdom before you die physically, then other things will be added to you.
Thanks