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.
Ver. 28. Ye which have followed me in the regeneration] As if our Saviour should have said, to forsake all is not enough, unless ye be regenerate; so some sense it. Others by regeneration understand the estate of the gospel, called elsewhere a new heaven and a new earth, 2 Peter 3:13; the world to come, Hebrews 2:5; for God plants the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, that he may say to Zion, Thou art my people. There are those who understand by regeneration, the general resurrection (of which also some think Plato had heard, and therefore held, that in the revolution of so many years men should be just in the same estate wherein they were before). These that follow this latter sense, read the text thus, by an alteration of points, "Ye which have followed me, shall, in the regeneration (when the Son of man shall sit in his glory) sit upon twelve thrones," &c.
Ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones] And so many kings. Kings they are here, but somewhat obscure ones, as Melchisedech was; but shall then appear with Christ in glory, far outshining the sun in his strength, higher than all the kings of the earth, Colossians 3:4; Psalms 89:27. When Daniel had described the greatness and glory of all the four monarchies of the world, at last he comes to speak of a kingdom which is the greatest and mightiest under the whole heaven, and that is "the kingdom of the saints of the most high,"Daniel 7:18. So glorious is their estate even here, what shall it be, then, at that great day? And if the saints (every one of them) shall judge the angels, what shall the apostles do? Surely as they absolved or condemned men in this world, so shall it fare with them at the general judgment.