16:16-22 What does Jesus mean here?

Here Jesus is speaking to His disciples in figurative language - proverbs - concerning His death and resurrection, and the subsequent baptism of the disciples in the Holy Spirit (CP V25). When Jesus said to the disciples in V16,

"A little while, and ye shall not see me…" it was because He was going to die the next day and be in the grave for three days and three nights afterwards, when He would not be seen by the disciples (CP Jonah 1:17; Mt 12:40).

Then, when Jesus said "…and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father", He was speaking figuratively of the resurrection, when He would rise up from the dead and be seen by the disciples for forty days before ascending to Heaven (CP Lu 24:46; Jn 20:19-29; Ac 1:1-3; 10:39-41; 1Cor 15:3-8).

In V20-22 Jesus foretells how the disciples would sorrow for a time over His death and their separation from Him, but that would soon turn to joy when they received the empowering of the Holy Spirit for service (CP Lu 24:49; Jn 16:7-15; Ac 2:44-46; 8:5-8; 13:52).

Also in V22 Jesus promised the disciples that He would see them again. Here He was speaking of when He will come again to take them all back to Heaven with Him (CP Jn 13:36; 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:19-23, 51-58; 1Th 4:13-18).

This is what is known as the First Resurrection, when the living church will be raptured to Heaven. (See also comments on Jn 14:1-3, 1Cor 15:51-58 and 1Th 4:13-18, and author's studies The Resurrection, and The Rapture in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith).

John:-