Eyewitnesses of His Majesty
God prepared for man the eternal life before He put him in the Paradise. If man passed the test by doing God's will by obeying God's commandment and refusing the council of the enemy, he would have eaten from the tree of life and became immortal and lived forever, Genesis 3:22 "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city," Revelation 22:14.
Man was not supposed to die when God created him as the Book of Wisdom says: "Death entered the world by the envy of the devil," Wisdom 2: 24. Do you think that the immortal people would multiply until the earth is populated and be crowded? Of course, the answer is no. God prepared for man a better life when man lives with God forever: "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven," Matthew 22: 30. Enoch pleased God: " And Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him," Genesis 5:24. This was similar for what could happen if man pleased God in the Paradise of Eden: "Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up, calling future generation to repentance," Sirach 44: 16. He is calling by his short and strong biography that is in the Bible. He is calling that it is possible to please God. He is calling that man should return back to his first rank: "No one on earth was created to equal Enoch for he was taken from the earth," Sirach 49: 14. Elijah came and was similar to him as a chariot of fire took him to the heavens, 2 Kings 2:11-12. He was taken to the Paradise although "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours," James 5: 17. Another man came in the spirit and power of Elijah, Luke 1: 17. He was John the Baptist. The Lord answered the question of His disciples when they asked Him about the coming of Elijah the forerunner and He answered them saying he came: " And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come," Matthew 11: 14. All of these were an example for immortality: "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and was not found because God had taken him; for before he was taken up he had this testimony that he pleased God," Hebrews 11:5. "All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years," Genesis 5: 23. This period was a symbol to the seventh day after the creation that could be followed by the eternity. Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam as St. Jude says: "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesized about these men also saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints," Jude 1: 14. These are the shining cloud of witnesses.
Elijah did not die also: "Elijah because of his zeal for the Law was taken up into heaven," 1 Maccabees 2: 58. He raised the son of the widow of Zarephath from death, 1 Kings 17:22. This was the first incident of its kind in the Old Testament. The same happened as his disciple Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman, 2 Kings 4:35. Also the bones of Elisha raised a dead person: "So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet," 2 Kings 13: 21. Elisha is the man that asked Elijah to have double of the Spirit that was upon him, 2 Kings 2:9 and 2 Kings 2:15. Herod thought that Christ was John the Baptist whom his head was cut off in the prison, "And said to his servants: "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him," Matthew 14:2 and Mark 6: 14. The tradition tells us a story that the head of John the Baptist flied and continued to say to Herod: "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife," Mark 6:18 and Matthew 14:4.
All of these were in need of the salvation of Christ by the cross, although they pleased God and were taken up to the Paradise without seeing death. We see Elijah standing on the Mount of Tabor with Christ and talking about the salvation that He was going to complete in Jerusalem. The prophets had prophesied about Christ that they waited Him and waited for His salvation and were taken up to the Paradise. His salvation will take not only just to the Paradise but also to the eternity. Moses as a symbol of the Law crossed with the people the Red Sea. They crossed to the symbol of heaven and not to the land of promise. Because the Law is not capable to remove the trespasses: "What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator," Galatians 3:19. "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgression under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance," Hebrews 9:15. Moses entered the land of promise when he was with the Lord Jesus at the mount of transfiguration. We also, if we do all righteousness and become fiery persons and enter to the Paradise; we still need the Lord Jesus and His salvation so He will cross with us to the eternity. Even if we fulfilled all the commandments of Moses that was with Aaron, "They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them," Psalms 99:7. "So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend," Exodus 33:11, we need the Lord Jesus and His salvation that will take us to enter the eternal rest to the "Eighth Day," Luke 9:28.
The incident of the transfiguration was not only the transfiguration of the glory of the Lord as His clothes were shining and His face was brighter than the sun, Matthew 17:2, but also was the transfiguration of the wonderful work of God from the time He created man on earth and prepared for him a plan of salvation, the hidden mystery before ages. This was the reason of the transfiguration happened when the disciples were with the Lord Jesus: "Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead," Matthew 17:9. The transfiguration was rising up to a high pinnacle, a pinnacle of clear vision by which the disciples saw across the past, the present, and the future ages. They saw the wonderful plans of God and His great salvation and they were amazed. The disciples saw only once the face of the Lord Jesus was lighting as sun, when Lord Jesus was on earth. The Bible did not mention that disciples saw His face shining as the sun after His resurrection in His glorified body. John the beloved saw Him after His ascension in the island of Patmos: "His countenance was like the sun shining in the strength," Revelation 1:16. He showed him the things that are going to happen. Now, the Lord Jesus glorifies in His endless love to mankind, His salvation, and the great mystery. But, He will come in glory of the brightness, splendor, and the glory of His saints in the second coming. This glory will be fearful and trembling to the evildoers. This is the day that the Lord said about it: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord," Malachi 4:5. This eternal glory will appear in the future, and was seen by the disciples at the mount of transfiguration when they saw His glory in His humility and His love as He talked about His planned salvation that He is going to complete in Jerusalem. They saw His glory in His strength also. They crossed the ages and saw His eternal everlasting glory. They saw His glory in every place with all mankind. He was God that was with Moses and the Israelites and He was the rock that followed them: "For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ," 1 Corinthians 10:4. He was with Elijah: "Then came the prophet Elijah like a fire, his words a burning torch," Sirach 48:1. The disciples saw His glory and heard the testimony of the Father about His eternal Son: "For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," 2 Peter 1:17. Peter the apostle says also: "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty," 2 Peter 1:16.
Copyright © 2004 Saint Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, California, U.S.A. The above article may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Saint Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, California, U.S.A.
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