Matthew 19:28

‘And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” ’

And Jesus confirms the promise. But He is signifying a very different thing from what they are expecting. The renewal is coming, the time of blessing promised by the prophets, the time of the ‘becoming again’. For the King will shortly take the throne of His glory through resurrection (Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:34-36; Psalms 110:1 with Acts 2:34; Daniel 7:13-14; Ephesians 1:19-22; Ephesians 2:6), and then He will advance with them throughout the world making disciples of all nations and teaching them to observe all that He has commanded them (Matthew 28:18-20). And they will have a definite part to play, for they will have authority over the new congregation, and will be responsible for its maintenance and discipline (Matthew 18:15-20). Like the judges of the house of David before them they will ‘sit on thrones’, at first in Jerusalem, and then as they advance into the wider world, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, the living church of Jesus Christ (Psalms 122:5).

A moment’s thought will confirm that these words cannot be taken too literally. Jesus was speaking to the twelve. Was He then promising them twelve thrones? One of them at least would receive no throne. Thus it cannot be intended literally. Of course we try to solve the problem by debating who will be the substitute. But that is to reveal how pedantic our minds are. For there were in fact not even twelve tribes of Israel in a literal sense, nor can be for they have become too intermingled with the nations. Most of the tribes had almost completely disappeared into oblivion by the time of Jesus. Thus this is a pictorial representation of the truth, and not to be taken literally. It is indicating the authority that the Apostles will enjoy over the new congregation.

‘The throne of His glory.’ The idea that the Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory when He comes out of suffering into the presence of the Ancient of Days is found in Daniel 7:13-14, and Jesus takes up that picture in Matthew 26:64, and declares that it will be ‘from now on’. Then He will come on clouds into the presence of the Father to receive the Kingship and the glory, and His enthronement and its consequences will be made apparent to the whole Sanhedrin. Then He will receive all authority in Heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18); then He will be glorified (see John 7:39 where it is directly connected with the coming of the Spirit); see also John 12:23; then He will receive the glory that He had with His Father before the world was (John 17:5); compare also Acts 2:34-36; Acts 7:55-56. Thus He will ‘sit on the throne of His glory’ after the resurrection when He is ‘glorified’ and returns to the glory that was His before the world was. He will receive the throne of His glory after His resurrection when He comes to His Father on the clouds of Heaven to be enthroned (Psalms 110:1 with Acts 2:34; Daniel 7:13-14 with Matthew 26:64). See also Revelation 4-5 where the idea of glory is prominent with regard to His present enthronement (Revelation 4:9; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 5:12-13). And it is then that the Apostles will exercise the authority and power that He has given them (Acts 2-11).

Later He will return on His throne when He comes again to sit on the throne of His glory (Matthew 25:31), but it is noteworthy that there is no thought there of the participation of the Apostles. We can compare with this throne Ezekiel 1:0; Ezekiel 3:12-13; Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 10:0 where it is on such a transportable throne that God carries out His judgments on the earth. When He comes in glory as Judge it will be as accompanied by His holy angels (Matthew 25:31; compare Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:30-31), not by His Apostles. This is, of course, apocalyptic language describing the indescribable in vivid human terms. The reality will be far above anything that we can imagine. (That is why from another viewpoint, the viewpoint of salvation, Jesus will bring with Him all His resurrected people, and those who are alive at His coming will be transfigured, and will rise to meet Him in the air, and so ever be with the Lord - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).