360
The Desire of Ages
the subject of their conference with Jesus. Bearing the weakness of
humanity, and burdened with its sorrow and sin, Jesus walked alone in
the midst of men. As the darkness of the coming trial pressed upon
Him, He was in loneliness of spirit, in a world that knew Him not.
Even His loved disciples, absorbed in their own doubt and sorrow and
ambitious hopes, had not comprehended the mystery of His mission.
He had dwelt amid the love and fellowship of heaven; but in the world
that He had created, He was in solitude. Now heaven had sent its
messengers to Jesus; not angels, but men who had endured suffering
and sorrow, and who could sympathize with the Saviour in the trial
of His earthly life. Moses and Elijah had been colaborers with Christ.
They had shared His longing for the salvation of men. Moses had
pleaded for Israel: “Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if
not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.”
Exodus 32:32
. Elijah had known loneliness of spirit, as for three
[423]
[424]
[425]
years and a half of famine he had borne the burden of the nation’s
hatred and its woe. Alone he had stood for God upon Mount Carmel.
Alone he had fled to the desert in anguish and despair. These men,
chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to commune
with Jesus concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him
with the assurance of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of the world,
the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their interview.
Through being overcome with sleep, the disciples heard little of
what passed between Christ and the heavenly messengers. Failing
to watch and pray, they had not received that which God desired to
give them,—a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory
that should follow. They lost the blessing that might have been theirs
through sharing His self-sacrifice. Slow of heart to believe were these
disciples, little appreciative of the treasure with which Heaven sought
to enrich them.
Yet they received great light. They were assured that all heaven
knew of the sin of the Jewish nation in rejecting Christ. They were
given a clearer insight into the work of the Redeemer. They saw
with their eyes and heard with their ears things that were beyond the
comprehension of man. They were “eyewitnesses of His majesty”
(
2 Peter 1:16
), and they realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah,
to whom patriarchs and prophets had witnessed, and that He was
recognized as such by the heavenly universe.