John 16:16 (GNV)

Passage

A litle while, and ye shall not see me: and againe a litle while, and ye shall see me: for I goe to the Father.

Nearby Context

John 16:14 He shall glorifie me: for he shall receiue of mine, and shall shewe it vnto you.

John 16:15 All thinges that the Father hath, are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shewe it vnto you.

John 16:16 A litle while, and ye shall not see me: and againe a litle while, and ye shall see me: for I goe to the Father.

John 16:17 Then said some of his disciples among them selues, What is this that he saieth vnto vs, A litle while, and ye shall not see me, and againe, a litle while, and ye shall see me, and, For I goe to the Father.

John 16:18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A litle while? we know not what he sayeth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "litle", "shall", "againe", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "litle" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "All thinges that the Father hath are..." into verse 17's "Then said some of his disciples among...", so "litle" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "litle" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.