Second Coming · A debated saying; the Transfiguration

Matthew 16:28

Jesus · ~30 AD · Status: Disputed · Evidence weight: 55%
“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.”
King James Version

Jesus' debated promise that some standing there would not die before seeing the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

Fulfillment References

Matthew 17:1-8 Mark 9:1 Luke 9:27 2 Peter 1:16-18

How Traditions Read This Prophecy

Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe kingdom came in power at the resurrection and the Spirit-baptism of Acts 2; those present saw the reign of the one Lord inaugurated.
JewishCited where critics argue Jesus predicted an imminent kingdom that did not visibly arrive.
CatholicTraditionally read as fulfilled in the Transfiguration (next chapter), a preview of the Son of Man's glory; or in the resurrection/Pentecost.
ProtestantCommonly tied to the Transfiguration (16:28 → 17:1-8), or to the resurrection, Pentecost, or the AD 70 judgment — not a failed prediction.
OrthodoxClassically fulfilled at the Transfiguration, where Peter, James and John beheld the kingdom's glory (cf. 2 Pet. 1:16-18).
DispensationalOften read as the Transfiguration preview of the coming kingdom glory, given immediately after this saying.
AcademicA central text in debates over Jesus' imminent eschatology; proposed fulfillments include the Transfiguration, resurrection, Pentecost, and AD 70.
Open the full interactive entry →
Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.