And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
Mark 9:1 (ESV)
This verse about seeing the coming of the kingdom of God has generated a number of possible interpretations. Some understand it to refer to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Others to Pentecost or the return of Jesus. And still others to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
But this most likely refers to the event that immediately follows Jesus’ announcement. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the next thing we find mentioned is Jesus’ transfiguration on a mountain. An event that occurred six days later and was witnessed by three of his disciples.
Peter, in 2 Peter 1:16-18, refers to Jesus’ transfiguration in words that mimic some of what Jesus says in this passage. Peter said that he was an eyewitness of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in power. And he specifically identified that coming with Jesus’ transfiguration on the sacred mountain.
Peter referred to Jesus coming with power, while Jesus referred to the coming of the kingdom of God. But those could easily be different ways of expressing the same thing. Jesus rules over the kingdom of God. And where the kingdom is, Jesus is also.
The reference to some seeing the kingdom come before they died might imply that the event was public, although distant, and within the lifetime of some of those listening to Him (Mark 8:34). This is similar to saying that some of you will still be alive to see the coming of the kingdom.
But it can just as easily refer to a private event that some of His listeners would witness. And that is what happened in Mark 9:2-8. Jesus took three of His disciples up onto a mountain and was transfigured before them. And they heard God’s voice proclaiming Jesus to be His beloved Son.
While Jesus could have been referring to something other than his transfiguration, that event seems to provide the best explanation for seeing the kingdom of God coming with power. At least to me.
