WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:04.679 Well, today we're going to continue our heart 00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:10.019 -to -heart talk regarding that wonderful event 00:00:10.019 --> 00:00:15.580 that happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:20.379 Next to the actual Transfiguration of the Master, 00:00:20.739 --> 00:00:24.019 perhaps the most interesting fact of these hours 00:00:24.019 --> 00:00:28.320 of glory on the Holy Mount was the presence there 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:33.820 of Moses. and Elijah, two of the most remarkable, 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:39.179 two of the most prominent figures in the Old 00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:43.600 Testament. To me personally, this is one of the 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:47.740 most thrilling things that happened during the 00:00:47.740 --> 00:00:55.979 ministry of Jesus. I have shed tears more than 00:00:55.979 --> 00:01:01.240 once as I have feasted. on this portion of the 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:07.019 Word of God. I have scarcely owned a Bible that 00:01:07.019 --> 00:01:12.780 has not had tear stains on the page where this 00:01:12.780 --> 00:01:18.439 account was written. Oh, it was thrilling. I 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:23.319 pray that it will mean as much to you as it means 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.439 to me as we have our little heart -to -heart 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:29.299 talk together concerning it. Let me read it. 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:32.390 I may please. And if you have your own Bible 00:01:32.390 --> 00:01:37.469 there, turn to it. The account is given in Matthew, 00:01:37.769 --> 00:01:42.709 the 17th chapter. But as I told you in our last 00:01:42.709 --> 00:01:45.790 heart -to -heart talk, that you cannot separate 00:01:45.790 --> 00:01:51.629 the last verse in the 16th chapter from that 00:01:51.629 --> 00:01:54.730 which follows in the 17th. So we shall read it 00:01:54.730 --> 00:02:01.349 as one. Verily I say unto you, it's Jesus speaking 00:02:01.349 --> 00:02:05.769 now, there be some standing here which shall 00:02:05.769 --> 00:02:09.789 not taste of death till they see the Son of Man 00:02:09.789 --> 00:02:15.870 coming in his kingdom. And after six days, Jesus 00:02:15.870 --> 00:02:20.050 taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and 00:02:20.050 --> 00:02:22.770 bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, 00:02:23.069 --> 00:02:32.580 and was transfigured before, And his face did 00:02:32.580 --> 00:02:37.960 shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:45.180 the light. And behold, there appeared unto them 00:02:45.180 --> 00:02:55.659 Moses and Elijah talking with him. Let's pause 00:02:55.659 --> 00:03:02.569 right there. You know, I have scores of questions 00:03:02.569 --> 00:03:06.509 that I would like answered. And one of these 00:03:06.509 --> 00:03:10.330 days when I get home to glory, I'm going to find 00:03:10.330 --> 00:03:14.069 Moses. I'm going to ask him some of these questions 00:03:14.069 --> 00:03:17.050 that I've wanted to know for so long. I have 00:03:17.050 --> 00:03:19.750 so many questions that I'm going to ask Elijah. 00:03:20.849 --> 00:03:25.659 Oh, I could spend the first... thousand years 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:30.479 with each of these two men, these marvelous saints 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:34.400 of the Old Testament, just asking them questions. 00:03:34.539 --> 00:03:38.800 If you think you have questions, questions that 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:43.740 are unanswered, believe me, I have them too. 00:03:44.740 --> 00:03:47.919 And no man, no woman can answer these questions. 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:54.000 The Bible does not answer them for us. The answer 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:57.520 is only left to our imagination. But one of these 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:01.219 days, we'll know. One of the questions that I 00:04:01.219 --> 00:04:06.259 want answered is whether or not that was the 00:04:06.259 --> 00:04:14.879 very first time that Moses had seen Jesus. Now, 00:04:15.020 --> 00:04:21.019 remember, Moses and Elijah were Old Testament 00:04:21.019 --> 00:04:30.089 saints. All that they knew about Jesus was that 00:04:30.089 --> 00:04:34.850 which the Spirit had revealed unto them. For, 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:37.629 remember, the Old Testament saints lived on the 00:04:37.629 --> 00:04:43.730 other side of Calvary. It was as Isaiah, looking 00:04:43.730 --> 00:04:47.430 down through the telescope of time, crying out 00:04:47.430 --> 00:04:51.810 only as the Holy Spirit had given him the light. 00:04:54.389 --> 00:04:57.930 it for our transgressions, bruised it for our 00:04:57.930 --> 00:05:03.790 iniquities. He knew that one was to come in the 00:05:03.790 --> 00:05:10.110 future, the very son of the living God, the lamb 00:05:10.110 --> 00:05:15.329 that was to be slain for man's redemption. Yet 00:05:15.329 --> 00:05:18.889 those Old Testament saints didn't know Jesus 00:05:18.889 --> 00:05:22.959 as we know him today. We take so many things 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:28.680 for granted. I would like to know if this was 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:33.639 the very first time that Moses had looked upon 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:38.600 Jesus. Was this the very first time that Elijah 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:46.899 had conversation with Jesus? I wonder. I do not 00:05:46.899 --> 00:05:50.160 know whether it's just a woman's curiosity or 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:56.550 not, but I pause every time that I read those 00:05:56.550 --> 00:06:04.110 words. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses 00:06:04.110 --> 00:06:12.410 and Elijah talking with him. What do you suppose 00:06:12.410 --> 00:06:16.329 they were talking about? Maybe it's just a woman's 00:06:16.329 --> 00:06:19.970 curiosity. I don't know. But I'm just curious 00:06:19.970 --> 00:06:25.300 to know. what their conversation really was. 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:36.220 I'd like to know. I wonder if maybe they were 00:06:36.220 --> 00:06:38.100 talking about some of their glorious experiences. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.779 One thing I do know, Moses must have had some 00:06:41.779 --> 00:06:46.560 memories carrying him back to the wonderful movement 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:51.759 out of Egypt. Oh, I wonder if in that moment, 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:56.740 in memory, he was carried back to the time that 00:06:56.740 --> 00:07:04.439 God so miraculously came to the rescue. Oh, sure, 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:07.220 there it is. You and I have the account of it. 00:07:08.379 --> 00:07:12.339 In that hour, it probably was a memory in the 00:07:12.339 --> 00:07:14.500 mind of Moses as he was talking to Jesus on the 00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:19.500 mount. The scripture is given in the 14th chapter 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:25.319 of Exodus. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:31.800 criest thou unto me? It's time now to stop crying. 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:36.699 It's time to stop praying. It's time for action 00:07:36.699 --> 00:07:42.339 now. Faith without works is dead. Speak unto 00:07:42.339 --> 00:07:47.500 the children of Israel that they go forth. Lift 00:07:47.500 --> 00:07:52.519 thou up thy rod, stretch out thine hand over 00:07:52.519 --> 00:07:56.100 the sea, and divide it, and the children of Israel 00:07:56.100 --> 00:07:59.000 shall go on dry ground through the midst of the 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:06.819 sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts 00:08:06.819 --> 00:08:09.680 of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them, 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:15.199 and I will set me honor upon Pharaoh. and upon 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:19.319 all his hosts, upon his chariots, and upon his 00:08:19.319 --> 00:08:23.600 horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:28.439 am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:31.920 Pharaoh, upon his chariots, upon his horsemen. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.840 Watch it now, and the angel of God which went 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:42.559 before the camp of Israel. removed and went behind 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:47.080 them, and the pillar of the cloud went from before 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:51.519 their face and stood behind them. And it came 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:56.519 between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:01.899 of Israel. It was a cloud and darkness to them. 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:09.860 But watch it. And Moses stretched out his hand 00:09:09.860 --> 00:09:13.340 over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:16.879 go back by a strong east wind all that night, 00:09:17.019 --> 00:09:22.100 and made the sea dry land, and the waters were 00:09:22.100 --> 00:09:25.299 divided. And the children of Israel went into 00:09:25.299 --> 00:09:28.559 the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:33.179 the waters were a wall unto them on their right 00:09:33.179 --> 00:09:39.830 hand. And on their left. Oh, what a victory. 00:09:40.409 --> 00:09:47.409 What a glorious victory. I am wondering as Moses 00:09:47.409 --> 00:09:52.490 stood that day on the Mount of Transfiguration, 00:09:52.669 --> 00:10:00.519 whether he was talking to Jesus. About that glorious 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:04.240 time when God so wonderfully parted the waters 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:09.399 of the Red Sea. I'm sure of one thing. Though 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:11.220 it may not have been a part of the conversation, 00:10:11.460 --> 00:10:20.500 I am convinced it was a glorious memory as he 00:10:20.500 --> 00:10:27.940 stood there in the presence of the One. to whom 00:10:27.940 --> 00:10:33.440 he had looked forward to in meeting. The very 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:39.559 son of the living God. I wonder what Elijah was 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:44.279 saying. I'd like to know, for the Bible clearly 00:10:44.279 --> 00:10:51.259 says they were talking with him. I am not sure 00:10:51.259 --> 00:10:55.240 that it was a part of the conversation, but I... 00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:01.240 M, almost positive. That Elijah, too, was standing 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:05.159 there with the glorious memory of that time when 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:08.100 he challenged the prophets of Baal. Oh, I love 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:12.960 it. I love it. It's given over there, sure you 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:18.679 know. In the 18th chapter of 1 Kings, oh, here 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:28.360 it is. Here it is. Elijah meets Ahab, and he 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:35.419 challenges him to one of the greatest feats that 00:11:35.419 --> 00:11:44.600 has ever been known to man. Watch it. And they 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.919 took the bullock which was given them, and they 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:51.580 dressed it, called to the name of Baal, from 00:11:51.580 --> 00:11:57.649 morning. even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear 00:11:57.649 --> 00:12:03.070 us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered, 00:12:03.210 --> 00:12:07.289 and they leaped upon the altar which was made, 00:12:07.389 --> 00:12:15.490 and yet nothing happened. And it came to pass, 00:12:15.750 --> 00:12:19.529 at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:26.139 that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord 00:12:26.139 --> 00:12:32.340 God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Israel, let it be 00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:37.419 known this day that thou art God in Israel, and 00:12:37.419 --> 00:12:41.879 that I am thy servant, that I have done all these 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:47.240 things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me. 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:50.779 that this people may know that thou art the Lord 00:12:50.779 --> 00:12:56.139 God, that thou hast turned their heart back again. 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:01.340 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the 00:13:01.340 --> 00:13:03.960 burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.980 the dust and licked up the water that was in 00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:10.600 the trench. And when all the people saw it, they 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:16.480 fell down on their faces and they said, The Lord. 00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:30.919 He is the God. The Lord. He is the God. I am 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:36.500 wondering if perhaps that glorious, marvelous 00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:41.299 incident was a part of that which they talked 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:45.220 about on the mount. If Elijah might have turned 00:13:45.220 --> 00:13:49.980 to Jesus and said, Oh, it was glorious. It was 00:13:49.980 --> 00:13:56.580 marvelous. I stood there amazed as the power 00:13:56.580 --> 00:14:03.840 of Jehovah God was manifested. Even though it 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:05.539 might not have been a part of the conversation, 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:14.539 I know it was a glorious moment. memory in the 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:19.460 mind of Elijah as he stood face to face with 00:14:19.460 --> 00:14:23.639 Jesus on the mount. But I want you to see something. 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:30.879 A significant statement by Luke is worth giving 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:36.600 some consideration in this connection. When they 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:41.019 were fully awake, they saw his glory. and the 00:14:41.019 --> 00:14:45.220 two men that stood with him. Now, the significance 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:49.720 of the statement is that the glory in which Moses 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:54.679 and Elijah stood upon the mount was his glory. 00:14:56.019 --> 00:15:04.419 Read it again. It was Jesus who was transfigured 00:15:04.419 --> 00:15:09.690 before them. It was his face. that did shine 00:15:09.690 --> 00:15:14.850 as the sun. It was his raiment that was white 00:15:14.850 --> 00:15:23.990 as the light. Moses and Elijah stood in his glory. 00:15:24.730 --> 00:15:30.250 There was no glory that radiated from them. It 00:15:30.250 --> 00:15:33.990 says nothing about their raiment being as white 00:15:33.990 --> 00:15:39.090 as light. It does not say that their face shone 00:15:39.090 --> 00:15:44.450 as the sun. Where was the glory? The glory was 00:15:44.450 --> 00:15:52.929 upon the Lord. The glory came forth from Jesus. 00:15:54.610 --> 00:16:02.549 And they stood in the light of his glory. Oh, 00:16:02.549 --> 00:16:08.690 to me that's glorious. His glory. Moses and Elijah 00:16:08.690 --> 00:16:13.710 stood upon the mount in his glory. They stood, 00:16:13.830 --> 00:16:17.250 these saints of the Old Testament, these saints 00:16:17.250 --> 00:16:20.809 of the Old Covenant, in the light in which they 00:16:20.809 --> 00:16:26.590 shall abide forever. There upon the mount stood 00:16:26.590 --> 00:16:28.870 these representatives of the service of the past. 00:16:30.870 --> 00:16:35.720 Moses had died with sadness in his heart. Oh, 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:43.100 sure. Methinks, the critical, the skeptic, the 00:16:43.100 --> 00:16:49.740 unbeliever in his day, looked upon him and said 00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:54.679 in his last closing hours, he died of failure. 00:16:55.559 --> 00:17:05.910 Ha! One day he stood. And as he stood, The waters 00:17:05.910 --> 00:17:10.910 of the Red Sea did parch. But look at him now, 00:17:11.130 --> 00:17:18.609 in his last hours. He lives a broken -hearted 00:17:18.609 --> 00:17:27.589 man. He dies a broken -hearted man. Moses died 00:17:27.589 --> 00:17:32.059 with sadness in his heart. People whom he had 00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:34.700 led for 40 years were still outside the promised 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:39.660 land, and yet he had to lay down his work before 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:47.259 it was completed. Elijah. One day he stood there 00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:50.380 challenging the prophets of Baal, literally. 00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:59.579 The courage that was supernatural. He stood there 00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:03.970 as the mighty... The rock of Gibraltar, all the 00:18:03.970 --> 00:18:11.150 forces of hell, could not shake him. He stood 00:18:11.150 --> 00:18:16.170 there without flinching and dared to challenge 00:18:16.170 --> 00:18:23.349 the false prophets. And the prophets of Baal 00:18:23.349 --> 00:18:33.769 were awed by the man of - And yet, it was not 00:18:33.769 --> 00:18:39.650 long after when the same man, tired in body, 00:18:39.910 --> 00:18:47.910 hungry, discouraged, sat under the juniper tree 00:18:47.910 --> 00:19:04.450 and prayed to die. Human. Soul. The greatest 00:19:04.450 --> 00:19:10.250 saint that ever has lived is living the day I 00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:18.130 will continue to live. He's very human in his 00:19:18.130 --> 00:19:22.950 off -guarded moments. You and I are only strong 00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:29.470 in the Lord. In the flesh, we're as weak. As 00:19:29.470 --> 00:19:33.990 the weakest human being that lives, our strength, 00:19:34.230 --> 00:19:40.950 our courage comes from the Lord. Our might comes 00:19:40.950 --> 00:19:46.109 from Him. That is the reason. Ours shall never 00:19:46.109 --> 00:19:53.009 be the glory. The glory is in Him. And we only 00:19:53.009 --> 00:20:01.039 share in the light of His glory. Weak. Human? 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:07.019 Oh, sure. And the skeptic, the unbeliever, might 00:20:07.019 --> 00:20:12.180 have said, look at him now. One hour. A glorious 00:20:12.180 --> 00:20:17.559 spiritual giant. One hour he stands there challenging 00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:22.259 the false prophets until even they cry out, the 00:20:22.259 --> 00:20:30.130 Lord, he is God. And in the next moment. weary 00:20:30.130 --> 00:20:38.289 in flesh, saying, I can't take more. Take me, 00:20:38.309 --> 00:20:43.990 Lord. Take me. And Elijah was translated very 00:20:43.990 --> 00:20:46.410 quickly after the terrible experience under the 00:20:46.410 --> 00:20:49.730 juniper tree. And the people were still living 00:20:49.730 --> 00:20:58.759 in idolatry. He had been called away. The skeptics 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:03.500 said he died in defeat, even as they might have 00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:08.759 said that Moses went out with a broken heart. 00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:13.019 But watch something. These men did their work, 00:21:13.059 --> 00:21:19.339 and they laid it down unfinished. But God had 00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:22.900 gathered them into the glory of his final kingdom, 00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:26.500 and now upon the mount had given them the promise 00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:32.579 that, all they had left undone would yet be perfectly 00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:41.599 accomplished. And the work of both was finally 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:46.299 accomplished, even though they did not see it 00:21:46.299 --> 00:21:53.579 accomplished in their day. Oh, to me that's glorious. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:02.400 Here's something. Through all the ages, he will 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:05.680 gather his workers. He'll gather his children. 00:22:06.539 --> 00:22:11.380 He'll gather the faithful. And at the last final 00:22:11.380 --> 00:22:16.980 victory, they will understand the meaning of 00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:20.779 their work. Every one of us will have to lay 00:22:20.779 --> 00:22:26.710 down an unfinished life's work. For nothing can 00:22:26.710 --> 00:22:30.970 be competed here, nothing. And yet, at last, 00:22:31.210 --> 00:22:36.430 no piece of work faithfully done will be lost. 00:22:37.230 --> 00:22:41.190 Know that. I promise you that upon the authority 00:22:41.190 --> 00:22:48.490 of God's word. No piece of work faithfully done 00:22:48.490 --> 00:22:57.599 will be lost. He will gather Moses and Elijah 00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:00.700 and all the company of his faithful servants 00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:05.740 and show how their work emerges into the work 00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:13.920 of Jesus. And there finds its crown and its reward. 00:23:15.539 --> 00:23:25.930 That, my friend, is how much God cares. This, 00:23:26.049 --> 00:23:33.329 my friend, is what real faithfulness means to 00:23:33.329 --> 00:23:33.630 him.