In the regeneration

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

Jesus tells his disciples that in his kingdom, in the ‘regeneration’ of the people of God, ‘when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’ (Matt. 19:28; cf. Lk. 22:30). ‘Regeneration’ is palingenesia. In the background is the use of the metaphor of new creation to describes the restoration of Israel in Is. 65:7; 66:22. Josephus uses the word to refer to the ‘rebirth’ of the nation following the exile (Ant. 11.2.9 §66). The statement shows i) that the coming of the Son of man is associated with the renewal of the people of God, and ii) that Jesus expected those who had followed him on the Way of suffering would share in his vindication.

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