“...Some Standing Here, Which Shall Not Taste of Death...”

By John L. Bray

 

 

In the new book, The End Times Controversy, edited by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, the passage of Matthew 16:28 is discussed:

 

“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.”

 

Preterists believe that this passage refers to the Son of Man coming in His kingdom in that generation at the destruction of Jerusalem. Thomas Ice, a dispensational futurist, says, “By contrast, I believe that Matthew 16:28 was fulfilled by events that took place on the Mount of Transfiguration” (p. 86).

 

 Part of Ice’s reasoning is that “A further problem with the Preterist view is that our Lord said, “some of those standing here.” It is clear that the term ‘some’ would have to include at least two or more individuals, since ‘some’ is plural and coupled with a plural verb ‘to be’ {p. 88).

 

As only John (of the twelve disciples) survived until A D. 70, Ice thinks “some” cannot refer to A.D.70 as more than one are designated by “some,” and this would mean more than just John (of the twelve disciples) would have had to be still alive at that time. Well, of course! But the twelve disciples were not the only ones listening to Jesus when He made His prediction.

 

In discussing this conversation of Jesus, Ice perhaps already has a preconceived notion that only the twelve disciples were listening to Jesus, conditioned by Ice’s knowing that only three disciples later went with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. But Mark 8:34, in the parallel reading, says, “And when he had called THE PEOPLE unto him WITH HIS DISCIPLES ALSO, he said unto them...” etc. So we have here the indisputable fact that Jesus was talking not only to His disciples, but also “the people” in this conversation during which Jesus gave the prediction as spelled out by Matthew (16:28) and Luke (9:27). Mark does  mention the “some standing here” and it is the same conversation recorded by all three writers--Matthew, Mark and Luke, all three of whom speak in that conversation of Jesus’ coming in His glory and kingdom.

 

If this can be of any interest, though possibly having no bearing on this particular passage where the word “some” in the Greek is in the plural form, the Greek word for “some” in many places in the New Testament is “tis”. According to Strong’s Concordance this word means “some or any person or object.” It is an indefinite pronoun and can mean “some” or “someone.”

 

Matthew 16:28

 

(ALT)  "Positively, I say to you*, [there] are some having stood here who will by no means taste of death until they see the Son of Humanity coming in His kingdom."

 

(ASV)  Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

 

(BBE)  Truly I say to you, There are some of those here who will not have a taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

 

(ISV)  Truly I tell you, some people standing here will not experience death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

 

(KJV+)  Verily281 I say3004 unto you,5213 There be1526 some5100 standing2476 here,5602 which3748 shall not3664 taste1089 of death,2288 till2193, 302 they see1492 the3588 Son5207 of man444 coming2064 in1722 his848 kingdom.932

 

(LITV)  Truly I say to you, There are some standing here who will not taste of death, never, until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

 

(YLT)  Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.'

 

G5100 τίς tis tis

An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object: - a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, -thing, -what), (+ that no-) thing, what (-soever), X wherewith, whom [-soever], whose ([-soever]).

 

The word “some” is used of one man in Acts 8:31, as also in I Corinthians 15:35. (See Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, p. 584).

 

Act 8:31  And1161 he3588 said,2036 (1063) How4459 can1410, 302 I, except3362 some man5100 should guide3594 me?3165 And5037 he desired3870 Philip5376 that he would come up305 and sit2523 with4862 him.846

 

1Cointhians 15:35  But235 some5100 man will say,2046 How4459 are the3588 dead3498 raised up?1453 and1161 with what4169 body4983 do they come?2064

 

 

See also The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, p.625, where it says of the word,  “a certain, a certain one; used of persons and things concerning which the writer either cannot or will not speak more particularly.” “It answers not infrequently to the indefinite one.” ”..Standing alone, or used substantively, and signifying some one, something, any one, anything.”

 

Note other verses where this is translated to words meaning “one,” etc.: Matthew 12:29, 47:

 

Matthew 12:29  Or else2228 how4459 can1410 one5100 enter1525 into1519 a strong man's2478 house,3614 and2532 spoil1283 his846

 

Matthew 12:47  Then1161 one5100 said2036 unto him,846 Behold,2400 thy4675 mother3384 and2532 thy4675 brethren80 stand2476 without,1854 desiring2212 to speak2980 with thee.4671

 

Mark 9:30 and 11:16:

 

Mark 9:30  And2532 they departed1831 thence,1564 and passed3899 through1223 Galilee;1056 and2532 he would2309 not3756 that2443 any man5100 should know1097 it.

 

Mark 11:16  And2532 would not3756 suffer863 that2443 any man5100 should carry1308 any vessel4632 through1223 the3588 temple.2411

 

 

Luke 8:46:

 

Luke 8:46  And1161 Jesus2424 said,2036 Somebody5100 hath touched680 me:3450 for1063 I1473 perceive1097 that virtue1411 is gone1831 out of575 me.1700

 

John 2:25 and 6:46:

 

John 2:25  And2532 (3754) needed2192, 5532 not3756 that2443 any5100 should testify3140 of4012 man:444 for1063 he846 knew1097 what5101 was2258 in1722 man.44

 

John 6:46  Not3756 that3754 any man5100 hath seen3708 the3588 Father,3962 save1508 he which is5607 of3844 God,2316 he3778 hath seen3708 the3588 Father.3962

 

Hebrews 3:4:

 

Hebrews 3:4  For1063 every3956 house3624 is builded2680 by5259 some5100 man; but1161 he that built2680 all things3956 is God.2316

 

James 2:16, etc.

 

James 2:16  And1161 one5100 of1537 you5216 say2036 unto them,846 Depart5217 in1722 peace,1515 be ye warmed2328 and2532 filled;5526 notwithstanding1161 ye give1325 them846 not3361 those things which are needful2006 to the3588 body;4983 what5101 doth it profit?3786

 

These examples are given just to show that the word “some” in the New Testament many times means just one person, though not in this particular passage we are discussing.

 

So John, and at least one of the people standing nearby, survived to A.D.70, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction that “there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

 

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