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THE REGENERATION AND THE THRONE OF CHRIST
A Study of Matthew 19:28
Mt 19:28 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.
SUMMARY
This study examines the relationship between the regeneration spoken of in Matthew 19:28 and the enthronement of Christ.
The Greek word translated “regeneration” (palingenesia) is formed from roots meaning “again” and “birth,” conveying the idea of rebirth or new beginning.
Scripture associates entrance into Christ’s kingdom with being born again (John 3:3-5).
This study demonstrates that the regeneration refers to the present age of spiritual renewal rather than to a future physical age.
Special attention is given to Jesus’ statement that the Son of Man sits upon His glorious throne “in the regeneration” and what this reveals about the character, timing, and nature of His throne and kingdom.
THE KEY TEXT
“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.”
Matthew 19:28
This passage connects three realities:
1. The regeneration.
2. The Son of Man sitting on the throne of His glory.
3. The disciples sitting upon twelve thrones.
AN IMPORTANT OBSERVATION
Jesus does not say:
“after the regeneration.”
Nor does He say:
“before the regeneration.”
Instead, He says:
“in or during the regeneration.”
The phrase is not incidental to the verse.
It denotes the period during which the events take place.
The preposition “in” naturally places the events described within the regeneration rather than before it or after it.
Thus Jesus locates His sitting upon the throne of His glory, not before the regeneration or after the regeneration, but within it.
Jesus places both His sitting upon the throne of His glory and the disciples’ sitting upon their thrones within the regeneration itself.
A straightforward reading of the text therefore suggests that:
• The Son of Man sits upon the throne of His glory in the regeneration.
• The disciples sit upon their thrones in the regeneration.
The language of the passage places these events within the regeneration rather than before it or after it.
THE MEANING OF “REGENERATION”
The Greek word translated regeneration is:
παλιγγενεσία (palingenesia)
The word is formed from two Greek roots:
πάλιν (palin) = again
γένεσις (genesis) = birth, generation, origin, beginning
Literally, the word carries the idea of:
• born again
• rebirth
• new birth
• new beginning
• renewal
Thus, the regeneration is not merely a change of circumstances but the bringing forth of a new life and a new order.
This is noteworthy because Jesus elsewhere connects the perception of and entrance into His kingdom with being born again:
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
And:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5
The language of regeneration and new birth is closely related.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE REGENERATION?
Jesus said:
“In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones.”
Matthew 19:28
The verse does not merely mention the regeneration.
It places specific events within it.
In the regeneration:
• The Son of Man sits upon the throne of His glory.
• The disciples sit upon twelve thrones.
• The twelve tribes of Israel are judged.
A simple reading of the passage suggests that Christ’s enthronement and His followers’ participation in His rule belong to the time of the regeneration.
THE PRESENT AGE AND THE AGE TO COME
The parallel account in Luke adds an important detail.
“Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”
Luke 18:30
Jesus describes a progression:
• Blessing in the present time.
• Life everlasting in the age to come.
This confirms that Matthew’s account places the enthronement scene “in the regeneration,” while Luke emphasizes that the rewards associated with following Christ begin “in this present time.”
Taken together, these passages show that kingdom realities associated with following Christ are not postponed entirely to a future age but are already experienced by believers in the present age while continuing into the age to come.
THE GRAMMATICAL OBSERVATION
The disciples are described as:
“ye which have followed me.”
The Greek construction refers to those who had become His followers.
The future-oriented grammar in Matthew 19:28 is attached to the enthronement. Jesus speaks of a time when the Son of Man sits upon the throne of His glory, and His followers sit upon thrones. He locates these events within the regeneration, a term whose Greek roots convey the idea of rebirth or renewal.
Thus, the regeneration sets the stage for these events.
CONCLUSION
The Greek word translated regeneration is derived from roots meaning “again” and “birth,” conveying the idea of rebirth, renewal, or a new beginning.
Jesus explicitly places both His enthronement and the enthronement of His followers “in the regeneration.”
He does not place these events before the regeneration or after the regeneration, but within it.
Because Scripture associates entrance into Christ’s kingdom with being born again (John 3:3-5), the regeneration of Matthew 19:28 refers to the present age of spiritual renewal rather than exclusively to a future physical age.
The regeneration described in Matthew 19:28 is the new birth by which men and women enter the kingdom of God.
The throne of Christ belongs to the regeneration; therefore, the time when Jesus sits upon His throne is the time when men and women are born again into His kingdom and acknowledge Him as Lord.