Is Caiaphas Still Alive Today?

Brief snip from Wiki to set the scene:

Joseph Caiaphas, known simply as Caiaphas (Hebrew: יוֹסֵף בַּר קַיָּפָא‬; Greek: Καϊάφας) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus. Caiaphas is also said to have been involved in the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.[1] The primary sources for Caiaphas' life are the New Testament and the writings of Josephus. Outside his interactions with Jesus, little else is known about his tenure as high priest.

en.wikipedia.org...

Parable of the Fig Tree:

Matthew 24:32-35

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."

Further on in Matthew 24:29-31

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Now, the context for that verse and phrase, Clouds of the sky with power and great glory comes from the Book of Daniel:

Daniel 7:9

“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.

Although the term clouds of heaven and clouds of the sky aren't exactly the same, they are similar enough I think we can agree they mean the same thing. Now Jesus also told the high priest, Caiaphus this:

Matthew 26:59-64

Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’ The high priest stood up and said to Him, Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You? But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

So here we see the same term, Clouds of Heaven. And Christ was speaking directly to Caiaphas when He said this.

Now my question is to those who may read this thread, do you think it's possible that Caiaphas and others who witnessed Christ's miracles alive today? I have asked this question before in both Bible studies and in seminary when I was attending years ago and I never got a good answer. The usual response is that He was talking about His transfiguration, which is described in Matthew Chapter 17 because He says this to His disciples in Chapter 16:

Matthew 16:28

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

But, the reference to Clouds of Power in His discourse on His return is in Chapter 24 and follows later chronologically.

So, in sum I believe that there are people alive on this earth who have been alive since Christ's ministry, and they will continue to live until His return. It may explain a lot especially the increase in technology and complexity of civilization over the past 2000 years. These people could essentially be the 'illuminati' and control vast sums of wealth and power.

What say you all? Am I crazy?

a reply to: SkeptiSchism

Is Caiaphas alive today


What say you all?

no...

Am I crazy?

maybe a little?

Well, it's made for some good science fiction over the years. The idea of an immortal person walking the earth is not new. In fact, there are several references in the Bible to a ‘wandering Jew’ named Cartaphilus. The story is in many forms, but the basic plot is that Cartaphilus offended Jesus when he was carrying the cross. Jesus became angry and said, “Thou shalt tarry until I return.” One of the manifestations of this is in "My First Two Thousand Years; the Autobiography of a Wandering Jew" by George Sylvester Viereck, published originally in 1928 and still available. A similar story is the Twilight Zone Season One episode, "Long Live Walter Jamison," though it is forced to fit into a half-hour. And, of course, we have "The Highlander." Jerome Bixby himself wrote the Star Trek episode, "Requiem for Methuselah" which deals with a man who claims to have been everyone from Alexander the Great to Leonardo da Vinci on earth. The book, "Forever," by Pete Hamill, which is actually a history of New York City seen through the lives of an immortal resident. "New Amsterdam" was a television series that dealt with an immortal New York City cop. Robert A. Heinlein’s "Time enough for love" is about Lazarus Long, born in 1916 and still going strong in 4200. My favorite is the Indie movie "The Man from Earth" about a professor named John Oldman (get it?) who was a Cro Magnon who found himself immortal and played Jesus in one of his 'incarnations.'

a reply to: schuyler

Wow how did you know all that? And thanks.

I have read some people who think John is still alive today from these verses:

John 21:19-22

Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!"

Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"

a reply to: SkeptiSchism

The idea that people lived for hundreds of years, even in the time of Noah or earlier is a little silly

Though... IF we want to keep this strictly biblical

Said "god" proclaimed... No one is allowed to live past 120 years old

Gen 6:3
And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years

Seems to be true even to this day though

a reply to: Akragon

Yes thank you for mentioning that, that is another response I got in seminary, however Christ did say this:

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Since Christ was God in the flesh, IMO, His words carry the full authority of God. He said his words will not pass away, He said they would live until He returned.

So I'm not conflicted between verses personally.

a reply to: SkeptiSchism

Perhaps there was an allegorical meaning to what he said though...

Clearly we know that generation passed away... but the words he spoke still survive apparently

maybe thats what he actually meant as opposed to anyone actually surviving past said 120 years?

a reply to: schuyler

You forgot to include the less intellectual sci-fi of Jack Chalker and his "Well World" series ... spoiler coming, heh...

the main character ends up being the Wandering Jew (and then is revealed to be an even more important Biblical figure, later on).

A... sci-fi when I was 11 ... good times!

Never seen a movie Seventh Sign? There were this priest which had been walked on the earth since he struck Jesus when he was Pilate´s gatekeeper


So your idea about ppl walking among us and being ancient is not new...intresting though

a reply to: Akragon

I don't know they passed away. There's a lot I don't know.

a reply to: dollukka

Thank you I gather from the replies that this idea isn't new.

originally posted by: Baddogma
a reply to: schuyler

You forgot to include the less intellectual sci-fi of Jack Chalker and his "Well World" series ...

I didn't forget it. I did not know it existed. Thanks for the tip. Ill check it out.

To SkepticSchism: Thanks. I've always been interested in the topic and have read or seen everything I mentioned above. A few years ago I did an extensive study/review of "The Man from Earth" where I pulled together the information. Makes me want to go read all that stuff again!

a reply to: SkeptiSchism

Caiaphas is most likely bones in the grave. your mathew 16:28 question may be answered in the next few verses beginning chapter 17, takes place roughly a week later from the time of 16:28 and speaks of him being transfigured, speaks of how his face shown and a bright cloud enveloped them. i have no real clue if this has anything to do with mathew 16:28 but i like to think it does since it follows right after and the similaritys

a reply to: luke1212

Caiaphas is most likely bones in the grave.

And then theres the Caiaphas Ossuary... apparently dated to the first century...

originally posted by: luke1212
a reply to: SkeptiSchism

Caiaphas is most likely bones in the grave. your mathew 16:28 question may be answered in the next few verses beginning chapter 17, takes place roughly a week later from the time of 16:28 and speaks of him being transfigured, speaks of how his face shown and a bright cloud enveloped them. i have no real clue if this has anything to do with mathew 16:28 but i like to think it does since it follows right after and the similaritys

From the OP:

The usual response is that He was talking about His transfiguration, which is described in Matthew Chapter 17 because He says this to His disciples in Chapter 16:

Matthew 16:28

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

But, the reference to Clouds of Power in His discourse on His return is in Chapter 24 and follows later chronologically.

originally posted by: SkeptiSchism

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Jesus Kingdom did come, on this earth now, as was back then, in the hearts of every true believer, we are in His kingdom
This Earth isnt Gods kingdom yet, but it is in those who accept Christ as Lord
Christs death set up the new kingdom, it was Jesus saying, "It is comming, death will die, religion will end, love will triumph, my people are free" when I return from the dead, from the crucifixion, not the end of days
The kingdom is inside of Christians, via the Holy Spirit, His kingdom is not in this world.

a reply to: Raggedyman

That's a good reply, but what about what He said to Caiaphas? Surely Caiaphas didn't become a believer did he? And why did He specifically use the term 'Clouds of Power'?

One of my old profs said well that means at the great white throne. But I don't think so because the context in Daniel is about His return when He comes to gather the Body of Christ before His 1,000 year reign.

a reply to: SkeptiSchism

i don't know how many times i have read John and that passage at the end has never stuck out to me like that before lol. i suppose the beloved follower could be alive today. Enoch and Elijah may not have died the traditional deaths either.

a reply to: SkeptiSchism

A teaching in the Seventh day Adventist church is called The Special Resurrection, including certain righteous people, and also notably, "those who pierced him".

In Revelation 1:7, which states “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen,”

1 (emphasis mine) it is clear that John is referring to the Second Coming of Christ, and confirming Jesus’ statements in both Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62 regarding those who tried and crucified Him . A glance at Revelation 20:5 also confirms that the wicked dead will not be resurrected again until after 1000 years has passed from Christ’s return. It would then appear that a special resurrection will take place prior to the Second Advent in which the wicked who pierce Christ are raised to fulfill His words. In connection with this is the text of Daniel 12:2in which it appears that both righteous and wicked individuals are involved in this resurrection.

Michael Stough II, THE SPECIAL RESURRECTION PRIOR TO THE SECOND ADVENT,ESPECIALLY AS FOUND IN DANIEL 12:2 AND REVELATION 1:7, AS UNDERSTOOD BY ELLEN WHITE AND THE ADVENTIST PIONEERS

So, one possibility not brought up by some Bible Studies and seminaries would be: A Special Resurrection. Unfortunate characters like Caiaphas would end up dying 3 times: 1 natural, 1 "slain by the brightness of his coming", and finally raised up again after the 1000 years to be judged and tossed into the lake of fire (Rev 20: 11-15).