In teaching his disciples, Christ made it an important point to dispel the idea of a temporal reign to begin immediately, and to show them that he must die and rise again, go away and come again. So he inquired of them, “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?” 26John 6:62. After charging them “that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ,” we read: “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee.” 27Matthew 16:20-22; Mark 9:31. GSAM 64.3
At the same time he told them there were some standing there who would not die until they had seen the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 28Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27. About eight days after, this prophecy was fulfilled; and the apostle Peter refers to that “vision” of Christ coming in his kingdom as proof of the actual second coming of Christ yet in the future. 292 Peter 1:16-19. GSAM 65.1
At one time when Christ and his disciples were in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men; and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.” 30Matthew 17:22, 23. And still they failed to understand, to comprehend, his meaning, for even while he was seeking to impress their minds with the solemn truth of his death and resurrection, they were debating the question among themselves as to who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 31Matthew 18:1; Mark 9:33, 34. GSAM 65.2
On another occasion Peter said to Jesus, “We have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” 32Matthew 19:27, 28; Luke 22:28-30. Still the thought of a kingdom soon to be established was uppermost in their minds, and they, human like, began to look for the highest place in the kingdom. GSAM 65.3
Then comes the ambitious mother of James and John, sons of Zebedee, asking Christ that her sons be favored with high positions—one on the right hand and the other on the left of his throne; or, perhaps, one to be Premier of the government, and the other Secretary of State. But Christ said plainly, “Ye know not what ye ask.” 33Matthew 20:20-24. GSAM 65.4