The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-28
The Sunday School.
Tessnn Series for 1883.
FIRST QUARTER.
STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
February 3, 1888.
LESSON VI.-THE TRANSITIONAL
TON.
BY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
Tessni1 Series for 1883.
THE GLORIOUS SCENE.
Matthew xvii. lib. ]


TIME AND PLACE.-The scene of the last
Lesson was in the region of C@sarea Phil
lippi. The scene described in our Lesson
TODAY occurred about a week later, but the
precise location is not indicated. No &C
count of JESUS and his disciples during the
"six days" which interviewed between the
announcement of his approaching death and
resurrection, and his TRANSPORTATION upon
ga high mountain, J" is recorded by the Evan
CYCLISTS. From the connection in the Gospels
we are led to infer that there had been no
change of location. Mark declares that they
departed from thence Ia place near the
mountain) and passed through Galilee and
came to Capernaum (ix. 30-33). But the
locality appears to have been Jewish rather
than Pagan, Jews and not Gentiles being
represented in the crowds that had assem-
bled with the disciples near the Mount OF
TRANSPORTATION III; Mark tx. IA, 10; Luke
IL. 41), We do not know the locality. 1t
NAV be some peak of Mount Hermon, near
which was Cmsarea Philippi (see map) or it
may be among the hills bordering on the
Jordan or Lake of Galilee. DR.. Robinson
and others have shown that Mt. Tabor, the
traditional site, was, at the time of CHRIST,
a military stronghold, which, probably EsUs
would not have chosen for such scene.
From Lukes account of the scene described
in the Lesson, it probably occurred In the
night when JESUS was accustomed to COCA
sionalIy engage in special prayer (ix. 28, 80,
81: see also vi. ~; Matthew xiv. 80; Mark i.
35).
THE FAv0RITE DISCIPLES. = Peter,
James and John,-the Rock man and Sons
of thunder, were chosen by JESUS to accom-
pany him to the mountain where he went to
pray and was TRANSPORTED before them, that
they might be witnesses of the glorious scene,
and deeply and favorably impressed by its
spiritual lesson. They had before been Sc
lected to witness the raising of Jairus'
daughter MARK v. 81, and afterward they
accompanied their Master in Gethsemsne
cxxvi. 20. They may have been capable OF
perceiyipp higher spiritual truth than the
rest of the twelve. They were his intimate
friends and most frequent companions.
Pster's house in CaperDaum was his home,
and the brothers James and John, sons OF
Zebedee (v. Ply, were probably his cous-
ms. Compare xvii. 5; John xix. 25). John
was the beloved disciple John xiii. 23). A
week before Peter had declared the convic-
ton of the disciples that JESUS was the son
of COP. the Messiah of Israels hope, and he
had declared his own death and glorious res
direction to power and dominion in his king
dom. which they we're unable to compre-
bend, expecting only political kingdom
whose heaven-appointed king would reign
forever, it may be. For ''six days" they had
pondered together his strange declaration
concerning the glory of dying for the truth,
and he had become more conscious OF the
approach of his own martyrdom and glorifi-
cation. He sought preparation for the COM
ing hour of his humiliation, through which
he would be exalted by communion with his
Father and heavenly Examinations and min
istrations. He took with him to his high
place of solitary prayer the most intimate
and spiritually advanced of his disciples,
that their hearts might be impressed with the
glory of the scene and qualified by the heav-
emily experience to witness with undying faith
the unspeakable humiliation of the cross,
and become the apostles of crucihed and
risen Redeemer, who would found a spiritual
kingdom of righteousness and truth. Peter
long afterward described the TRANSPORTATION
scene as warranting the apostolic proclama-
ton of "the power and coming of CHRIST"
~ Peter /. 16-19). John does not describe
the TRANSPORTATION in his gospel, but proba-
bly, alludes to it as an apostolic evidence of
the Incarnation, when he says. We beheld
his glory, a glory as of the only begotten OF
the Father, full of grace and truth" John /.
14). James was the first apostolic martyr
(Acts xii. ~, dying, according to tradition,
affirming his faith in the glorious coming of
his Lord.
THE TRANSFORMATION. -JEsUs went
into the mountain to pray. and as he prayed
his appearance was transformed (Luke *.
29), his countenance was illuminated as with
light from the sun, and his garments APP
peared exceedingly white. We do not pre-
tend to know precisely what occurred that is
described. We know that the countenance
is transformed by spiritual states. We have
seen the human -countenan0e illuminated
and radiating light as from heaven. Ex-
allied spiritual states are reflected in the
countenance. Our entire appearance and
manner reflect our moods. The state of the
sonl in earnest prayer tends to illuminate
and transform the countenance. The Di-
vinely illuminated soul of JESUS when exer-
cised in prayer, may have flashed through
the veil of the flesh with such radiance as
might be described only by the striking fig
ures of light, snow and fuller's cloth. The
whole scene may be but description of what
really occurred, in the symbolic language of
the Hebrew Scriptures (see Psalm lxxxi; civ.
2; Ezekiel i. Ala; Daniel vii. 8, 10; K. 81. A
similar transformation of countenance Is
related of Moses when he received the Law
on Mt. Sinai Exodus xxxiv. 1885; and a
heavenly radiance is described upon the face
of the martyr Stephen when he was arraign-
ed for his faithful ministry of the gospel of
the kingdom (Acts vi. 15).
The Radiance on the Face.
There were hIaments of connection be-
tween Moses and CHRIST. There were fla
ments of connection between Moses aud Or
binary men. And what then if the radiance
on the face of Moses and of our Lord him.
self bore, though in transcendentally aug
mented degree, some far off affinity to that
lambert, or more settled radiance which is
occasionally discernible in the countenance
of such as are in state of high mental and
moral exaltation, rapt, it may be, into &C.
static love or into lofty fellowship with GOD.
If in extraordinary mental and moral exalta-
ton there is often perceptible irradiation,
is it wonderful that there should have been a
very extraordinary effulgence beaming from
the countenance of Moses, and still more ex-
traordinary glory radiating from the human