The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 193

is still future. The Transfiguration, then, muet be viewed as a aymbolio anticipation and pledge of the kingdom, and Peter and James and John were those referred to who Ehould not taste death until they had seen the Son of man coming in his kingdom• and they saw this when they were "eye-witnesses of his majesty on the holy mount/• We propoee to show- I. THAT THE SPIRITUAL GLORY OF TlIE KINGDOM OF CIIRIST IS BET FORTH IN THE TRANSFIGURATION. 1. It exhi"bits the signs of a new dispensation, (1) Here is humanity the shrine of Deity. This as a fact existed in the Incarnation. It is manifest in the 'l'rans6gnrntion. This is a new thin11:, Formerly the Holy Spirit was with men, now be is in them (see John xiv. 17). The indwelling of the witnessina Spirit characterizes this dispensation. (2) Moses and Elijah shine in the glory of Jesus. The Law is illustrated by the light of the gospel. Its sacrifices a.ud ablutions now become full of glorious meaning. So are the prophets illustrated, Their personal history is seen to have been typical. Their predictions of Messiah are fulfilled. (3). Christ is the source of gospel law. The "voice" rebuked Pater's mistake in pro- posmg to rnake equal tabernacles. "Hear ye him." No lonaer listen to Moses and the prophets otherwise than a.s they are heard in the accents ;f Jesus. 2. le e,a;hibita the signs of a spirit'IJ,(J,l dispensation, (1) Here is a remarkable concurrence. Moses f'asted forty days in the wilderness of Sinai. So did Elijah. Jesus likewise fasted forty days in " the wilderness "-probably the same. Of no other is this recorded. Here are a.II those together in glory. (2) The life of those forty days proclaimed that "man doth not Ii ve by bread alone, but by every word "-the precept and the promise- .. of God." This spiritual life may be studied in the history of that remarkable forty days of the life of Jesus after his resurrection. We are "risen with Christ." (3) While they fasted from natural food, they feasted on spiritual. While the Israelites fasted during their forty years in the wilderness, they feasted on the bread from heaven. (4) So the sun-clothed woman-the true Church of Christ-was nourished in the wilderness by the pure Word of God daring these "forty and two months" in which ehe fled from the face of the Jezebel of Rome. The counterpart of this was the feeding of the prophets in the caves by good Obadiah, when they fled from the persecutions of the meretricious Queen of Samaria. 3. It ezhibits the tokens of gospel grace. (1) However glorified, Jesus still remembers Calvary. The matter of the eonverea.tion in the mount of glory wa.s "the decease he should accomplish o.t Jerusalem." Alld riow he is in the height of heaven he lives there to make intercession for us. (2) Calvary is the theme of celestial rapture. It is the burden of the song of the redeemed. Holy angels take up the strain. (3) Prejudices are dissipated in the light of eternity, " Peter answered.," viz. to the conversation about the decease, "Lord. it is good for us to be here." This wa.s the same Peter who, six days earlier, had the presumption to rebuke Jesus for referring to the same decease (see eh. xvi. 22), lL TRAT THE PHYSICAL GLORY OF THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST 18 BET FORTH Jll' TBB TRANsnGUBATION. 1. Jesm will yet appear in royal state. (1) In the visions of the prophets the two advents of Messiah a.re blended; and it is only in the fulfilment of the circumstances of the first advent in humiliation that we get clear views of those of the second advent in glory. (2) Of this glory there were remarkable prophetic antici- pations in the glorious Divine forms or similitudes of Old Testament times. (3) The Transfiguration is a still clearer anticipation. For here we have not only the semblance of a beatified humall.ity; we have the true humanity of Jesus beatified by the glory of the Godhead. 2. The 'bright doud manifested the presenca of angels. (1) If we com- pare the passages in which the glorious advent of Christ is described, we shell see that those which mention the "clouds" omit the mention of accompanying angel,s; and so contra.riwiBe, those which mention the "angels" omit the mention of clO'Uds. (2) Wherever Christ's presence is promised, the presence of hie retinue of angels is underst.ood, if not expressed. They are ever present with him in the assemblies of his Mints (see Eccles. vii 6; 1 Cor. :z:i. 10), (3) qtou~ an~ an~els are ~romiscuously ~~.e chariots of God. The clouds of angels were with him 1n hlS ascension (cf. Pa. lxvm. 17, 18; Eph. iv. 8-10; see also Ps. xvili. 10; civ. 1-4). ~- Mose, re~reaeneed th6 sainted dead. (1) His appearance upon the mount was 8: kmd o~ specimen of t~e resurrection. He had a. grand death when, on the mounta.m-summ1t, God bowed his &uEUSt head out of heaven and kissed awa1 the soul of his servant. His bod1 was on. :r.VIL 1-27.] TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 107