Monday, June 30, 2025

Sit Upon Twelve Thrones

 


Below is a commentary from chapter sixteen, Rapture Passages in Matthew, from my manuscript, Waiting for the Day and Hour.  

 

Matthew 19:28-29

“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel… And everyone that hath left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life” (ASV).

(Parallel passages: Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30)

 

Some believe this passage refers to the time immediately after the 7-year Tribulation Period, when Israel’s 70th week is completed. When the Lord Jesus Christ begins his millennial reign on the earth. But I disagree with this theory. I believe this passage is another of Jesus’ frequent references to the rapture of the Church.

The context: A man came to Jesus and asked him what he can do to obtain eternal life (Matt. 19:16). Luke wrote that he was a young ruler, maybe of the Sanhedrin (Lk. 18:18). He was wealthy (Matt. 19:22). Jesus told him he had to obey God, forsake this world, and follow him (Matt. 19:17-21). After the young ruler left, Jesus informed his disciples that it is hard for the rich to enter God’s kingdom and receive eternal life (Matt. 19:23-24). The disciples were puzzled, wondering who could then receive eternal life (Matt. 19:25). Jesus reassured them: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26, YLT). Peter answered Jesus: “We have left all things and have followed thee; what then shall happen to us” (Matt. 19:27, Darby)?

Jesus answered Peter’s question and prophesied about the future of his apostles (Matt. 19:28). They will sit upon twelve thrones and have the responsibility of judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus sat on his throne in heaven after his resurrected body of flesh was raptured and transformed into a heavenly body (Acts 1:9; 7:55; Matt. 26:64; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1). When the body of Christ is resurrected and raptured off the earth, we will receive the same heavenly body Jesus has (1 Cor. 15:49; Phil. 3:21; 1 Jn. 3:2). Jesus does not have a Heavenly body like the angels. His heavenly body is unique. When the body of Christ is raptured, when our salvation is complete, we will receive the same unique heavenly body as Jesus.   

The apostles will not judge the twelve tribes of Israel until they are resurrected and transformed into heavenly bodies. Matthew used the Greek word παλιγγενεσίᾳ (palingenesia) rebirth, to describe what Jesus meant. Palingenesia can be translated as regeneration and renewal. The ASV in the passage above has translated palingenesia as regeneration. It means to be transformed from one state to another. When a person is born again, their spirit is renewed or regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). It is created anew. But Jesus was not referring to his or the apostle’s spirit being renewed or born again. Jesus was not born again as some have taught. His spirit was not created by the union of a man and a woman, but by the Holy Spirit as he was recreated in Mary’s womb. Jesus “took on the form of a human embryo through the recreating power of God, coagulating with the egg cells in his mother’s ovaries.”[1] Therefore, Jesus did not need to be born again, because when he was in his earthly body, his spirit was 100% God. What Jesus was referring to was the palingenesia (rebirth) of his earthly body. The regeneration of his body, not his spirit. He also meant that when his apostles’ earthly bodies are regenerated (renewed) into heavenly bodies, they will sit upon their thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Therefore, Jesus was referring to his rapture and the rapture of the Church in Matthew 19:28.

In the following verse, Matthew 19:29, he also alludes to the rapture of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is everyone who has completely dedicated their life to serve the Son of God. They shall receive eternal life once they are raptured into heaven, their salvation is complete, and their earthly bodies are palingenesia (renewed) into heavenly bodies.

 

Picture: Pixabay (Ralphs_Fotos)

Free for use under the Pixabay Content License  

 

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