34 Thomas R. Hatina * ** If we grant that aural audiences in the ancient world would have been particularly attuned to the interplay of antagonists and protagonists, then tracing their interplay is a legitimate means of reading — even if it is limited to Mark’s general categories of the in- group and the out-group. By drawing attention to the characters in the story who are expected to “see” the coming of God with power, it can be said with a measure of confidence — i.e., with more confidence than the long-standing claim — that Jesus’ prediction in Mark 9,1 is a threat of judgment aimed at the out-group (antagonists), whoever they may be. In foil-like fashion, the anticipated horrific fate of the out- group would have preserved memory and reinforced shared values and hopes of restoration for both performers and hearers of the Gospel. Furthermore, I believe that there is a significant methodological consideration which emerges from this study. When prior attention in the exegetical process shifts from pregnant mythical language, like “the kingdom of God coming with power”, to more obscure portions of the text like the nebulous audience group(s) at whom this kind of language is directed, new insights can emerge. In the present sequence, the meaning of the mythical language is determined by the identity of the audience, and thus reverses the conventional reading. Trinity Western University Thomas R. HATINA 7600 Glover Road, Langley, B.C., Canada V2Y 1Y1 SUMMARY In conventional readings of Mark 9,1, the meaning of the “kingdom of God coming with power” determines the identity of the bystanders who will supposedly experience (“see”) it. Since the prediction of the kingdom is usually regarded as a blessing, it is assumed that the bystanders are protagonists. In contrast to this conventional approach, the reading proposed in this essay begins with the group(s) which will experience (“see”) “the kingdom of God coming with power”, first in 9,1 and then in 13,26 and 14,62. When prior attention is given to these groups in the context of the narrative, Jesus’ prediction in Mark 9,1 emerges not as a blessing promised to the protagonists, but as a threat of judgment aimed at antagonists.