Mount of Transfiguration #2 Kathryn Kuhlman

Well, today we're going to continue our heart -to -heart talk regarding that wonderful event that happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. Next to the actual Transfiguration of the Master, perhaps the most interesting fact of these hours of glory on the Holy Mount was the presence there of Moses. and Elijah, two of the most remarkable, two of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament. To me personally, this is one of the most thrilling things that happened during the ministry of Jesus. I have shed tears more than once as I have feasted. on this portion of the Word of God. I have scarcely owned a Bible that has not had tear stains on the page where this account was written. Oh, it was thrilling. I pray that it will mean as much to you as it means to me as we have our little heart -to -heart talk together concerning it. Let me read it. I may please. And if you have your own Bible there, turn to it. The account is given in Matthew, the 17th chapter. But as I told you in our last heart -to -heart talk, that you cannot separate the last verse in the 16th chapter from that which follows in the 17th. So we shall read it as one. Verily I say unto you, it's Jesus speaking now, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. And after six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before, And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Let's pause right there. You know, I have scores of questions that I would like answered. And one of these days when I get home to glory, I'm going to find Moses. I'm going to ask him some of these questions that I've wanted to know for so long. I have so many questions that I'm going to ask Elijah. Oh, I could spend the first... thousand years with each of these two men, these marvelous saints of the Old Testament, just asking them questions. If you think you have questions, questions that are unanswered, believe me, I have them too. And no man, no woman can answer these questions. The Bible does not answer them for us. The answer is only left to our imagination. But one of these days, we'll know. One of the questions that I want answered is whether or not that was the very first time that Moses had seen Jesus. Now, remember, Moses and Elijah were Old Testament saints. All that they knew about Jesus was that which the Spirit had revealed unto them. For, remember, the Old Testament saints lived on the other side of Calvary. It was as Isaiah, looking down through the telescope of time, crying out only as the Holy Spirit had given him the light. it for our transgressions, bruised it for our iniquities. He knew that one was to come in the future, the very son of the living God, the lamb that was to be slain for man's redemption. Yet those Old Testament saints didn't know Jesus as we know him today. We take so many things for granted. I would like to know if this was the very first time that Moses had looked upon Jesus. Was this the very first time that Elijah had conversation with Jesus? I wonder. I do not know whether it's just a woman's curiosity or not, but I pause every time that I read those words. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. What do you suppose they were talking about? Maybe it's just a woman's curiosity. I don't know. But I'm just curious to know. what their conversation really was. I'd like to know. I wonder if maybe they were talking about some of their glorious experiences. One thing I do know, Moses must have had some memories carrying him back to the wonderful movement out of Egypt. Oh, I wonder if in that moment, in memory, he was carried back to the time that God so miraculously came to the rescue. Oh, sure, there it is. You and I have the account of it. In that hour, it probably was a memory in the mind of Moses as he was talking to Jesus on the mount. The scripture is given in the 14th chapter of Exodus. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? It's time now to stop crying. It's time to stop praying. It's time for action now. Faith without works is dead. Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forth. Lift thou up thy rod, stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them, and I will set me honor upon Pharaoh. and upon all his hosts, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, upon his horsemen. Watch it now, and the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel. removed and went behind them, and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. It was a cloud and darkness to them. But watch it. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand. And on their left. Oh, what a victory. What a glorious victory. I am wondering as Moses stood that day on the Mount of Transfiguration, whether he was talking to Jesus. About that glorious time when God so wonderfully parted the waters of the Red Sea. I'm sure of one thing. Though it may not have been a part of the conversation, I am convinced it was a glorious memory as he stood there in the presence of the One. to whom he had looked forward to in meeting. The very son of the living God. I wonder what Elijah was saying. I'd like to know, for the Bible clearly says they were talking with him. I am not sure that it was a part of the conversation, but I... M, almost positive. That Elijah, too, was standing there with the glorious memory of that time when he challenged the prophets of Baal. Oh, I love it. I love it. It's given over there, sure you know. In the 18th chapter of 1 Kings, oh, here it is. Here it is. Elijah meets Ahab, and he challenges him to one of the greatest feats that has ever been known to man. Watch it. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, called to the name of Baal, from morning. even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered, and they leaped upon the altar which was made, and yet nothing happened. And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me. that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell down on their faces and they said, The Lord. He is the God. The Lord. He is the God. I am wondering if perhaps that glorious, marvelous incident was a part of that which they talked about on the mount. If Elijah might have turned to Jesus and said, Oh, it was glorious. It was marvelous. I stood there amazed as the power of Jehovah God was manifested. Even though it might not have been a part of the conversation, I know it was a glorious moment. memory in the mind of Elijah as he stood face to face with Jesus on the mount. But I want you to see something. A significant statement by Luke is worth giving some consideration in this connection. When they were fully awake, they saw his glory. and the two men that stood with him. Now, the significance of the statement is that the glory in which Moses and Elijah stood upon the mount was his glory. Read it again. It was Jesus who was transfigured before them. It was his face. that did shine as the sun. It was his raiment that was white as the light. Moses and Elijah stood in his glory. There was no glory that radiated from them. It says nothing about their raiment being as white as light. It does not say that their face shone as the sun. Where was the glory? The glory was upon the Lord. The glory came forth from Jesus. And they stood in the light of his glory. Oh, to me that's glorious. His glory. Moses and Elijah stood upon the mount in his glory. They stood, these saints of the Old Testament, these saints of the Old Covenant, in the light in which they shall abide forever. There upon the mount stood these representatives of the service of the past. Moses had died with sadness in his heart. Oh, sure. Methinks, the critical, the skeptic, the unbeliever in his day, looked upon him and said in his last closing hours, he died of failure. Ha! One day he stood. And as he stood, The waters of the Red Sea did parch. But look at him now, in his last hours. He lives a broken -hearted man. He dies a broken -hearted man. Moses died with sadness in his heart. People whom he had led for 40 years were still outside the promised land, and yet he had to lay down his work before it was completed. Elijah. One day he stood there challenging the prophets of Baal, literally. The courage that was supernatural. He stood there as the mighty... The rock of Gibraltar, all the forces of hell, could not shake him. He stood there without flinching and dared to challenge the false prophets. And the prophets of Baal were awed by the man of - And yet, it was not long after when the same man, tired in body, hungry, discouraged, sat under the juniper tree and prayed to die. Human. Soul. The greatest saint that ever has lived is living the day I will continue to live. He's very human in his off -guarded moments. You and I are only strong in the Lord. In the flesh, we're as weak. As the weakest human being that lives, our strength, our courage comes from the Lord. Our might comes from Him. That is the reason. Ours shall never be the glory. The glory is in Him. And we only share in the light of His glory. Weak. Human? Oh, sure. And the skeptic, the unbeliever, might have said, look at him now. One hour. A glorious spiritual giant. One hour he stands there challenging the false prophets until even they cry out, the Lord, he is God. And in the next moment. weary in flesh, saying, I can't take more. Take me, Lord. Take me. And Elijah was translated very quickly after the terrible experience under the juniper tree. And the people were still living in idolatry. He had been called away. The skeptics said he died in defeat, even as they might have said that Moses went out with a broken heart. But watch something. These men did their work, and they laid it down unfinished. But God had gathered them into the glory of his final kingdom, and now upon the mount had given them the promise that, all they had left undone would yet be perfectly accomplished. And the work of both was finally accomplished, even though they did not see it accomplished in their day. Oh, to me that's glorious. Here's something. Through all the ages, he will gather his workers. He'll gather his children. He'll gather the faithful. And at the last final victory, they will understand the meaning of their work. Every one of us will have to lay down an unfinished life's work. For nothing can be competed here, nothing. And yet, at last, no piece of work faithfully done will be lost. Know that. I promise you that upon the authority of God's word. No piece of work faithfully done will be lost. He will gather Moses and Elijah and all the company of his faithful servants and show how their work emerges into the work of Jesus. And there finds its crown and its reward. That, my friend, is how much God cares. This, my friend, is what real faithfulness means to him.