Chapter 338—The Kingdom of Heaven in Miniature
Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up
into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and
his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Matthew 17:1, 2
.
Evening is drawing on as Jesus calls to His side three of His disciples,
Peter, James, and John, and leads them across the fields, and far up a rugged
path, to a lonely mountainside....
Stepping a little aside from them, the Man of Sorrows pours out His
supplications with strong crying and tears. He prays for strength to endure
the test in behalf of humanity.... And He pours out His heart longings for His
disciples, that in the hour of the power of darkness their faith may not fail....
Now the burden of His prayer is that they may be given a manifestation
of the glory He had with the Father before the world was, that His kingdom
may be revealed to human eyes, and that His disciples may be strengthened
to behold it. He pleads that they may witness a manifestation of His divinity
that will comfort them in the hour of His supreme agony with the knowledge
that He is of a surety the Son of God and that His shameful death is a part of
the plan of redemption.
His prayer is heard. While He is bowed in lowliness upon the stony
ground, suddenly the heavens open, the golden gates of the city of God are
thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the mount, enshrouding the
Saviour’s form. Divinity from within flashes through humanity, and meets
the glory coming from above. Arising from His prostrate position, Christ
stands in godlike majesty. The soul agony is gone. His countenance now
shines “as the sun,” and His garments are “white as the light.”
The disciples, awaking, behold the flood of glory that illuminates the
mount. In fear and amazement they gaze upon the radiant form of their
Master.... Beside Him are two heavenly beings, in close converse with Him.
They are Moses, who upon Sinai had talked with God; and Elijah, to whom
the high privilege was given ... never to come under the power of death....
Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature—
480