Why were prophets and righteous people unable to see what Jesus' disciples saw, according to Matthew 13:17? Matthew 13:17 “For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Immediate Context Jesus has just explained the purpose of parables (Matthew 13:10-16). The parables both reveal and conceal the “mysteries of the kingdom” (v. 11). Those granted ears to hear—His followers—receive illumination; the hard-hearted remain in darkness, fulfilling Isaiah 6:9-10. Progressive Revelation and the ‘Fullness of Time’ 1 Peter 1:10-12 notes that the prophets “searched and investigated carefully” the grace to come, yet were told “they were not serving themselves, but you” . God unveils truth incrementally (Hebrews 1:1-2). Galatians 4:4 calls the Incarnation “the fullness of time.” Until that divinely fixed moment, the climactic events of redemptive history were, by design, future-tense. Old-Covenant Limitations Under the Mosaic economy the Spirit came upon select individuals, not indwelling the community (Numbers 11:29; 1 Peter 1:11). Prophets received fragmentary visions that required later fulfillment for clarity. Hebrews 11:13, 39 summarizes their condition: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised.” The Concealed ‘Mystery’ Paul labels the gospel “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints” (Colossians 1:26). Ephesians 3:3-5 affirms that “in other generations” it was “not made known…as it has now been revealed by the Spirit.” Jesus’ disciples witnessed the mystery embodied—Messiah’s life, atoning death, and resurrection—truth veiled to prior generations. Divine Sovereignty over Historical Accessibility Acts 17:26-27 teaches that God “determined their appointed times.” Prophets served in eras preceding the Incarnation; they could not hasten the timeline. Daniel was even told, “Seal the words until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4). Spiritual Illumination by the Holy Spirit Jesus promised post-resurrection illumination (John 14:26; 16:13). At Pentecost the Spirit empowered comprehension (Acts 2). Pre-Pentecost prophets, though Spirit-moved to prophesy, lacked this New-Covenant indwelling that permanently clarified Christ’s person and work. Christ’s Personal Presence and Eyewitness Privilege 1 John 1:1-3 stresses sensory verification—“what we have seen…looked upon…our hands have handled.” Disciples observed miracles (Luke 7:22), heard unparalleled teaching (John 7:46), and saw the risen Lord (Luke 24:39). These experiences were historically datable events, unavailable to earlier generations. Archaeological and Textual Confirmation of Prophetic Anticipation The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, dated c. 125 BC) includes Isaiah 53 unaltered, demonstrating pre-Christian prophecy of a suffering, atoning Messiah. The Dead Sea Scrolls verify the integrity of Daniel and other prophetic books, anchoring their anticipatory statements centuries before Christ. The Kingdom Ethic of ‘Privileged Responsibility’ “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Having received what prophets sought, disciples—and by extension today’s believers—are stewards of fuller revelation, commissioned to proclaim it (Matthew 28:18-20). Answer Summarized Prophets and righteous people could not see what the disciples saw because God, in sovereign timing, reserved the climactic disclosure of His redemptive plan for the Incarnation and Resurrection, events requiring physical presence and New-Covenant illumination. Their partial visions awaited fulfillment; the disciples’ eyes beheld that fulfillment. The preserved manuscripts, archaeological data, and ongoing Spirit-empowered witness corroborate the reliability of this privilege and its message. |
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