THE KING'S BUSINESS
300
Wj
6. The heavenly visitors. ^'Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus" Marvel ous indeed that sinful men of like pas- sions with us (Dt. 32: 48-52; Jas. 5. 7) should also wear such white raiment and "appear with Him in glory." Moses had said, "I beseech Thee show me Thy glory" and now he surely sees it; Elijah who went up in the "chariot of Israel" (II. Kg. 2: 11) now returns "trailing cloudls of glory," and the three Galileans too, they also "entered into the cloud." Sha'll we doubt then that all shall come again when Jesus comes? or that "them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Himi?" (I Thes. 4: 14) or that we like Peter shall be caught into the cloud with them? (I Thes. 4: 17). Or should it seem incongruous and incredible that glorified beings should walk among the happy terrestrials in millennial fellow- ship by and by? Or, again, that angels and the Lord Himself visited the earth in the past when the work of redemption needed their revelation? 7. There were six classes represented at the T. to foreshow the events of the Lord's coming. (1) Elijah, a translated saint (II Kgs. 2: 11), for "we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (I Co. 15: 51; I Thes. 4: 14-17); (2) Moses, a resurrected saint, (I Co. 15: 52; I Thes. 4: 14-17). Moses died and was buried (Dt. 34: 5), he had a resur- rection before the time (for here we see him), and perhaps for this very occasion and his resurrection related to Michael the angel of the resurrection (Dan. 12. 1, 2) explains Jude 9, for Satan would have resisted such early release from his power (Heb. 2: 14). (3) The three dis- ciples representative of believing Israel •at His coming (Dan. 12: 9, 10).. (4) The scoHers of the last time (II Pt. 3: 3, 4), these are the scribes of Mark 9: 14. (5) The faith-lacking disciples (V. 18)', representing the lapsed professors, and answering Lk. 18: 8 . (6) The indeterminate multitude, representing the "residue of men" (Ac. 15: 17). Besides we find "great tribulation" (Mt. 24: 21), and the devil "having great rage because he hath but a short time" (Rv.' 12:12). The co-incidence of so many items indicates that we can not be far wrong in our application of them. The three Galileans saw "the kingdom of God come with power," as men see a distant city in a mirage in a desert. The vision vanished, but it had disclosed reality near or far. "And suddenly they looked about and saw Jesus only." Since then He too has vanished from sight, but the vision has made His continued pres- ence real to faith, and His return again
9.2-13; Lk. 9:28-36) puts the Trans- figuration immediately after the confes- sion of the Christ and the prediction of the cross. The doubt and gloom of the latter is dissipated by the reassur- ing light of the former. While Phari- sees and elders, professed disciples of Moses and the prophets, prepare the cross, those glorious saints prepare the victim by their encouragement. 2. The link with our last lesson is the saying that some present should see the coming of Christ in glory be- fore their death (v. 1.) There can be no doubt that Jesus referred to the Transfiguration. The evangelists so rec- ord the saying and the event, and Peter in II. 1: 16-18, specifically speaks of the T. as the coming. Just as he said (Ac. 2.16) "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel," because the Pentecos- tal revival was a fulfillment in kind though not a fulfillment in fine. So the T. was the coming because it was like it, and an earnest of it. It was a "pattern shown in the mount" (46 8: 5). Mt. Tabor (?) was like Mt. Zion where they shall "need neither the light of the sun or moon, for the Lamb is the light there- of" (Rv. 22: 5). Its glory lit the path shadowed by the cross that the disciples might in the light of it tread the way thither. 3. The great hope of the Church is the coming of Christ, we ought by faith to be much on Mt. Tabor. Only three of twelve were permitted to be there. Are you elect among the select? 4. It was no wonder that Jesus was transfigured. The wonder is that He ever veiled His glory; ever laid His royal robes aside. This was but putting on for a moment what He had put off for a human life time. He became so low that He said "I am a worm and no man" (Psa. 22: 6). Yet, like the glow-worm at the impulse of His will He became ra- diant with light. This was the robe He wore when Stephen saw Him (Ac. 7 56); and Saul met Him (Ac. 22: 6-8) and when John fell at His feet (Rv. 1 17); and in which He will come again soon. 5. The earnest. The T- shows "with what body do they come" (I Co. 15: 35), in the resurrection. It will he fashioned after "His glorious body" (Phil. 3: 21) ; and though we shall not all sleep we shall all be changed (transfigured, same word). Such is evidently the "spiritual body" (I Co. 15: 21). Jesus' flesh and raiment too was shot with radiant glory through, and suggests the splendor of that new creation which will be like "transparent gold." "The Lord hasten it His time."
i • V
m . "
Made with FlippingBook Online document