Joh 7:34, 8:21 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 34. Ye shall seek me . This probably means simply, Ye shall seek the Messiah . Such will be your troubles, such the calamities that will come on the nation, that you will earnestly desire the coming of the Messiah. You will seek for a deliverer, and will look for him , that he may bring deliverance. This does not mean that they would seek for Jesus and not be able to find him, but that they would desire the aid and comfort of the Messiah , and would be disappointed. Jesus speaks of himself as the Messiah, and his own name as synonymous with the Messiah. . Shall not find me. Shall not find the Messiah. He will not come, according to your expectations, to aid you. and following. Where I am . This whole clause is to be understood as future, though the words "am" and "cannot" are both in the present tense. The meaning is, Where I shall be you will not be able to come. That is, he, the Messiah, would be in heaven; and though they would earnestly desire his presence and aid to save the city and nation from the Romans, yet they would not be able to obtain it--represented here by their not being able to come to him . This does not refer to their individual salvation, but to the deliverance of their nation. It is not true of individual sinners that they seek Christ in a proper manner and are not able to find him; but it was true of the Jewish nation that they looked for the Messiah, and sought his coming to deliver them, but he did not do it. (d) "Ye shall seek me"

John 7:34

Verse 34. Ye shall seek me. This probably means simply, Ye shall seek the Messiah. Such will be your troubles, such the calamities that will come on the nation, that you will earnestly desire the coming of the Messiah. You will seek for a deliverer, and will look for him, that he may bring deliverance. This does not mean that they would seek for Jesus and not be able to find him, but that they would desire the aid and comfort of the Messiah, and would be disappointed. Jesus speaks of himself as the Messiah, and his own name as synonymous with the Messiah. Mt 23:39.

Shall not find me. Shall not find the Messiah. He will not come, according to your expectations, to aid you. Mt 24:1 and following.

Where I am. This whole clause is to be understood as future, though the words "am" and "cannot" are both in the present tense. The meaning is, Where I shall be you will not be able to come. That is, he, the Messiah, would be in heaven; and though they would earnestly desire his presence and aid to save the city and nation from the Romans, yet they would not be able to obtain it--represented here by their not being able to come to him. This does not refer to their individual salvation, but to the deliverance of their nation. It is not true of individual sinners that they seek Christ in a proper manner and are not able to find him; but it was true of the Jewish nation that they looked for the Messiah, and sought his coming to deliver them, but he did not do it.

(d) "Ye shall seek me" Hos 5:6, Jn 8:21

John 8:21

Verse 21. I go my way. Jn 7:33.

Ye shall die in your sins. That is, you will seek the Messiah; you will desire his coming, but the Messiah that you expect will not come; and, as you have rejected me, and there is no other Saviour, you must die in your sins. You will die unpardoned, and as you did not seek me where you might find me, you cannot come where I shall be. Observe,

1st. All those who reject the Lord Jesus must die unforgiven. There is no way of pardon but by him. Acts 4:12.

2nd. There will be a time when sinners will seek for a Saviour but will find none. Often this is done too late, in a dying moment, and in the future world they may seek a deliverer, but not be able to find one.

3rd. Those who reject the Lord Jesus must perish. Where he is they cannot come. Where he is is heaven. Where he is not, with his favour and mercy, there is hell; and the sinner that has no Saviour must be wretched for ever.

(s) "ye shall seek me" Jn 7:34 (t) "and shall die" Job 20:11