Page 64 - Yahwehs Book

have dissociated these words from that which preceded them. I have heard many spurious
explanations of these words. The most common understanding seems to be that some to whom
Christ was speaking would not experience a physical death until they saw His return in power and
glory. Yet, all of those who heard Christ speak these words died and the Lord has not returned yet.
This conundrum has led to many tortured explanations of how the words of Christ might have been
fulfilled.

Some have suggested that these words of Christ were fulfilled when Peter, James, and John saw
Christ appear in shining raiment during His transfiguration on the mount. They have been aided in
arriving at such an interpretation because the very next words of Mark’s gospel relate the
transfiguration experience. Yet, Christ’s transfiguration was not a fulfillment of His kingdom coming
with power. The kingdom of this world has not yet become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

Others have suggested that perhaps these words of Christ were fulfilled at His resurrection, but once
more we are met with the reality that the resurrection of Yahshua is not the same thing as His
kingdom coming in with power. Some have even suggested that among those who heard Christ’s
words there were some who did not die a natural death, that they were possibly taken up into heaven
like Elijah. We have no testimony of this occurring, however.

Some years ago a sister in Christ wrote to me and informed me of an online forum established by
non-Christians that used this verse as evidence that the Bible was false, and Christianity a false
religion. The forum hosts declared that since Christ spoke these words, and all those who heard His
words died, and His kingdom has not yet been established, that Christ proclaimed error and was a
false prophet. The sister did not know how to answer these charges.

Sadly, this misapprehension of the Scriptures is largely due to an arbitrary chapter and verse division.
Christ’s words can only be understood in light of what He said immediately before He uttered His
statement in Mark 9:1.

Mark 8:34-9:1
And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save
his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what
does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?... And He was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those
who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come
with power."

Yahshua defines the death He is speaking about beginning with verse 34 of chapter 8. It is death to
the soul of which He is speaking. This is the death that is figured by a man taking up the cross of
Christ, the cross being an instrument of death. Repeatedly throughout the Gospels Christ speaks of
the necessity of a man dying to the passions and desires of his soul. Christ declared that those who
seek to save their life (psuche - soul) will lose it, but those who lose their life (psuche - soul) will
save it. We must die to our own will and desires and accept the will of God for our lives if we are
to enter into aionian life in Christ.