Jesus Glorified with Moses and Elijah on the MountBible World
1:182 Peter 1:18
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
Peter and those with him personally heard with their own ears the voice that came from heaven while they were with Jesus on the holy mount where He was transfigured in divine glory before favored disciples and conversed with messengers of heaven. The voice came from the excellent glory by which God the Father gave Jesus honor and glory, declaring Him His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased and confirming His majesty, divinity, and identity as the promised Messiah. Because they saw His majesty and heard the heavenly voice, their making known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus was eyewitness testimony and not following cunningly devised fables. That eyewitness hearing stands joined to the more sure word of prophecy, to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns, since no prophecy is of private interpretation but holy men spoke as moved by the Holy Ghost. The verse belongs to a definitely presented plan of diligently adding Christian graces, partaking of the divine nature and becoming one with Christ, so that believers are kept fruitful and from falling and are prepared for entry into His everlasting kingdom, and though not physically present there they may by faith behold His majesty and be strengthened to follow Him.
The Voice on the Holy Mount
Peter and those with him personally heard with their own ears the voice that came from heaven while they were with Jesus on the holy mount. It was there that Jesus was transfigured by the glory of God before the favored disciples and talked with messengers of heaven. The witnesses were with Christ on that mount when the voice sounded, so their account is of what they themselves heard in His presence.
The voice came to Jesus from the excellent glory, by which God the Father gave Him honor and glory. The Father declared, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, identifying Jesus as God's beloved Son. That declaration confirmed His majesty and divinity and His identity as the promised Messiah.
Because they saw His majesty and heard the heavenly voice, their making known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was eyewitness testimony. It was not following cunningly devised fables or cleverly invented stories. What they had seen and heard made their testimony firsthand rather than invention.
The experience confirmed Jesus' divinity to the three disciples, including what they saw and heard and the homage paid to Jesus by Moses and Elijah. It strengthened them to endure His humiliation and crucifixion. After His resurrection their testimony about what they had seen and heard would support the truth that He is the Son of God.
The glory on the mount, where He was proclaimed the Son of God by the Father's voice issuing from the radiant glory, stood in sharp contrast to what followed in a brief space of time. Only a few short hours later after descending, Jesus met a lunatic child wallowing on the ground with distorted countenance in spasms of agony. He stooped to lift this victim of Satan, and restored him to his father freed forever from the demon's power.
Prophecy and Certain Testimony
The hearing on the holy mount does not stand alone but is joined to the more sure word of prophecy, and together eyewitness testimony and prophecy prove that making known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is not following cunningly devised fables. Peter and those with him were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty because they saw His majesty and heard with their own ears the voice that came from heaven from the excellent glory, by which God the Father gave honor and glory to Christ and declared Him His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. That prophetic word is to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in the heart, since no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation or by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as moved by the Holy Ghost. The heard voice thus encourages pressing forward when great difficulties arise, preserving health, being prepared to meet every working of Satan, and bearing plain, short, pointed testimony of the truth.
Peter wrote this knowing he must shortly put off his tabernacle as Christ had shown him. His purpose was to stir up believers established in present truth by putting them in remembrance, and to endeavor that after his decease they would have these things always in remembrance. Repeating the evidences of the Word and receiving a word of caution is needed and must not cause offense, because believers are fitting for immortality and for the glory to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ, and must be careful at every step not to give offense to Christ who bought them with the price of His own blood.
The first chapter of Second Peter is instruction for churches and schools to teach pure, Spirit-given truth and to reject fables and fanaticism. Its testimony stands behind the warning that as there were false prophets among the people so there shall be false teachers who secretly bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. Their pernicious ways many follow so that the way of truth is evil spoken of, and through covetousness they make merchandise of people with feigned words. Those united in Christ show by words and actions that they have been with Jesus and learned from Him, and their faith rests on the sure word rather than on cunningly devised fables.
Peter's eyewitness testimony of Christ's majesty supports confident preaching, so that those who proclaim God's message can speak with comparable assurance that it is true and not a cleverly invented tale. The chapter to which the verse belongs is to be read as an uplifting testimony in the churches, giving comfort and encouragement to all who have obtained like precious faith. When its truths fill heart and mind they give strength to resist every temptation to look on the dark side of circumstances and to talk discouragement.
Growth Victory and Application
The verse belongs to a definitely presented plan of addition, to be carried out day by day in practical godliness by adding grace to grace. That plan calls for receiving God's promises and diligently adding Christian graces to character, becoming one with Christ and partaking of the divine nature with character shaped like His. Those graces keep believers fruitful and keep them from falling, and prepare them for entry into Christ's everlasting kingdom. Doing that work lets the grace of Christ work out the sum, for Christ works on the plan of multiplication of grace in fulfilling the requirements set forth.
The first chapter of Second Peter is full of instruction and strikes the keynote of victory. It must be heeded with most earnest effort, studied more abundantly with its precepts practiced, and pledged to be read and practiced day by day. This applies especially to youth pursuing a course of education, so they make Christ their all in all, understand their own weakness and go to God for strength, stand nobly against contaminating influences, and do not lose all that enriches life by giving their minds up almost wholly to study. Working out God's prescribed plan through obedience to the law of God, giving the entire self to Christ, and helping others to the safe platform of Bible truth makes victors at last and secures the everlasting life that Christ gave His life to make possible for every soul.
The chapter is a call to trust in Jesus Christ as the only hope and complete dependence, coming to Him with every trial and perplexity as Helper, Strength, and sympathetic Friend. The heavenly voice heard on the mount also speaks assurance to those striving to overcome sin, giving strength against temptation. That encouragement is to press forward when great difficulties arise, to preserve health, and to be prepared to meet every working of Satan, with a call to bear plain, short, pointed testimony of the truth. This assurance applies to parents who teach their children through patient, Christlike example and hold to God by living faith, so that they and their children may overcome and enter God's kingdom.
The verse stands in a call to act at once upon light and evidence received, giving God the service of the whole mind and heart with every capability called for. When preached, that call brings a break in indecision that moves souls forward for prayer. It moves those long on the point of decision to take a decided victorious position to keep the Sabbath.
Though believers were not physically present there, by faith they can behold Christ as a living Saviour and bear witness to His majesty. In doing so they become strengthened to follow His example of obedience, purity, and self-sacrifice, and to praise His name as witnesses of His majesty. Being with Christ in the holy mount means keeping His mercy and lovingkindness always precious in mind, trusting quietly and unwaveringly in His protecting care in the path of duty, and exalting His holy name with gratitude and praise without complaining.
Peter and those with him personally heard with their own ears the voice that came from heaven while they were with Jesus on the holy mount where He was transfigured in divine glory before favored disciples and conversed with messengers of heaven. The voice came from the excellent glory by which God the Father gave Jesus honor and glory, declaring Him His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased and confirming His majesty, divinity, and identity as the promised Messiah. Because they saw His majesty and heard the heavenly voice, their making known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus was eyewitness testimony and not following cunningly devised fables. That eyewitness hearing stands joined to the more sure word of prophecy, to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns, since no prophecy is of private interpretation but holy men spoke as moved by the Holy Ghost. The verse belongs to a definitely presented plan of diligently adding Christian graces, partaking of the divine nature and becoming one with Christ, so that believers are kept fruitful and from falling and are prepared for entry into His everlasting kingdom, and though not physically present there they may by faith behold His majesty and be strengthened to follow Him.
The Voice on the Holy Mount
Peter and those with him personally heard with their own ears the voice that came from heaven while they were with Jesus on the holy mount. It was there that Jesus was transfigured by the glory of God before the favored disciples and talked with messengers of heaven. The witnesses were with Christ on that mount when the voice sounded, so their account is of what they themselves heard in His presence.
The voice came to Jesus from the excellent glory, by which God the Father gave Him honor and glory. The Father declared, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, identifying Jesus as God's beloved Son. That declaration confirmed His majesty and divinity and His identity as the promised Messiah.
Because they saw His majesty and heard the heavenly voice, their making known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was eyewitness testimony. It was not following cunningly devised fables or cleverly invented stories. What they had seen and heard made their testimony firsthand rather than invention.
The experience confirmed Jesus' divinity to the three disciples, including what they saw and heard and the homage paid to Jesus by Moses and Elijah. It strengthened them to endure His humiliation and crucifixion. After His resurrection their testimony about what they had seen and heard would support the truth that He is the Son of God.
The glory on the mount, where He was proclaimed the Son of God by the Father's voice issuing from the radiant glory, stood in sharp contrast to what followed in a brief space of time. Only a few short hours later after descending, Jesus met a lunatic child wallowing on the ground with distorted countenance in spasms of agony. He stooped to lift this victim of Satan, and restored him to his father freed forever from the demon's power.
Prophecy and Certain Testimony
The hearing on the holy mount does not stand alone but is joined to the more sure word of prophecy, and together eyewitness testimony and prophecy prove that making known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is not following cunningly devised fables. Peter and those with him were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty because they saw His majesty and heard with their own ears the voice that came from heaven from the excellent glory, by which God the Father gave honor and glory to Christ and declared Him His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. That prophetic word is to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in the heart, since no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation or by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as moved by the Holy Ghost. The heard voice thus encourages pressing forward when great difficulties arise, preserving health, being prepared to meet every working of Satan, and bearing plain, short, pointed testimony of the truth.
Peter wrote this knowing he must shortly put off his tabernacle as Christ had shown him. His purpose was to stir up believers established in present truth by putting them in remembrance, and to endeavor that after his decease they would have these things always in remembrance. Repeating the evidences of the Word and receiving a word of caution is needed and must not cause offense, because believers are fitting for immortality and for the glory to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ, and must be careful at every step not to give offense to Christ who bought them with the price of His own blood.
The first chapter of Second Peter is instruction for churches and schools to teach pure, Spirit-given truth and to reject fables and fanaticism. Its testimony stands behind the warning that as there were false prophets among the people so there shall be false teachers who secretly bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. Their pernicious ways many follow so that the way of truth is evil spoken of, and through covetousness they make merchandise of people with feigned words. Those united in Christ show by words and actions that they have been with Jesus and learned from Him, and their faith rests on the sure word rather than on cunningly devised fables.
Peter's eyewitness testimony of Christ's majesty supports confident preaching, so that those who proclaim God's message can speak with comparable assurance that it is true and not a cleverly invented tale. The chapter to which the verse belongs is to be read as an uplifting testimony in the churches, giving comfort and encouragement to all who have obtained like precious faith. When its truths fill heart and mind they give strength to resist every temptation to look on the dark side of circumstances and to talk discouragement.
Growth Victory and Application
The verse belongs to a definitely presented plan of addition, to be carried out day by day in practical godliness by adding grace to grace. That plan calls for receiving God's promises and diligently adding Christian graces to character, becoming one with Christ and partaking of the divine nature with character shaped like His. Those graces keep believers fruitful and keep them from falling, and prepare them for entry into Christ's everlasting kingdom. Doing that work lets the grace of Christ work out the sum, for Christ works on the plan of multiplication of grace in fulfilling the requirements set forth.
The first chapter of Second Peter is full of instruction and strikes the keynote of victory. It must be heeded with most earnest effort, studied more abundantly with its precepts practiced, and pledged to be read and practiced day by day. This applies especially to youth pursuing a course of education, so they make Christ their all in all, understand their own weakness and go to God for strength, stand nobly against contaminating influences, and do not lose all that enriches life by giving their minds up almost wholly to study. Working out God's prescribed plan through obedience to the law of God, giving the entire self to Christ, and helping others to the safe platform of Bible truth makes victors at last and secures the everlasting life that Christ gave His life to make possible for every soul.
The chapter is a call to trust in Jesus Christ as the only hope and complete dependence, coming to Him with every trial and perplexity as Helper, Strength, and sympathetic Friend. The heavenly voice heard on the mount also speaks assurance to those striving to overcome sin, giving strength against temptation. That encouragement is to press forward when great difficulties arise, to preserve health, and to be prepared to meet every working of Satan, with a call to bear plain, short, pointed testimony of the truth. This assurance applies to parents who teach their children through patient, Christlike example and hold to God by living faith, so that they and their children may overcome and enter God's kingdom.
The verse stands in a call to act at once upon light and evidence received, giving God the service of the whole mind and heart with every capability called for. When preached, that call brings a break in indecision that moves souls forward for prayer. It moves those long on the point of decision to take a decided victorious position to keep the Sabbath.
Though believers were not physically present there, by faith they can behold Christ as a living Saviour and bear witness to His majesty. In doing so they become strengthened to follow His example of obedience, purity, and self-sacrifice, and to praise His name as witnesses of His majesty. Being with Christ in the holy mount means keeping His mercy and lovingkindness always precious in mind, trusting quietly and unwaveringly in His protecting care in the path of duty, and exalting His holy name with gratitude and praise without complaining.