Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-04-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR APRIL ~

Verses. 2-4-Commentary on the Day's
Lesson.
I. The TRANSPORTATION Tvs. 2, 81. "Af
ter six DAYS" That is, six days after the
savings OF the last lesson. Luke says,
About eight days after" There were six
full days and the fractional days'at The be-
ginning and the end, making about eight.
Edershem supposes the great confession
occurred on the Sabbath, and the trans
| 6guration on the nght after the Sabbath
one week later. There is no intimation
as to how the intervening week was spent
Peter, and James, and John" These
same apostles witnessed His agony Ill the
garden. He took these three (D because
| He needed witnesses to prove the TACT
when the time came to reveal His glory to
the world. and (2) for the purpose OF en-
couraging and establishing them in the
truths Of His kingdom. Into; mountain.
| The pace of the TRANSPORTATION scene ID
unknown, but it was probably Mount Her.
mon, not far from Caesarea Philippl. This
is the opinion of nearly all modern author
| tiles. ''Was TRANSPORTED" Matthew says;
'His tlcc did shine as the sun" 1t would
appear that the light shone out OF HIM
from within; it was one b:aze OF dazz.ing
| celestial glory; it was Himself giorhed
| The face of Moses had shone, but as the
moon.
| but Christ's shone as the sun, with an IN
nate, inherent light. May this not be a
hint as to the appearance of our resur-
rectiop bodies? 8. ''Raiment; shining,
| etc" His face shone with divine majesty,
| and all His body was so irradiated by 1t,
| that His clothes could not concea HIS
| glory, but became white and glstened as
| the very light with which He covered Him.
self as with a garment.
II. Heavenly visitants Tvs. 4-ol;; a.
elias" Inc Greek form of Elijah.
| tive of the law; he was the founder OF the
Jewish dspensation, which for centuries
| had been preparing the way for Christ;
| he was type of Christ and had foretoid
His coming Lieut.. IS: 1919; and through
| him had been instituted the sacrifices
| which Christ fulfilled and which explained
| His coming death which so troubled the
| disciples. Elijah was the representative
of the prophets. They had foreto,d the
coming and the suffering OF Christ, and
| Elijah was the one who was to prepare the
| way of the Lord by his character and
spirit reappearing in John the Baptist, the
| tells us what this conversation was ABOUT
| to which they were permitted to listen.
| They "spake of His decease which he
| would accomplish at Jerusalem" They
were talking Of Christ's departure from the
| world. including, nc doubt, His death, res
direction and ascension. This would en-
| able the disciples to see the Importance
| of the sufferings and death of their blessed
| Master, which was to them the deepest
| mystery
). "Peter; said" Eager and impulsive
as always. Peter spoke Just as the hea cav.
emily visitants were about to leave, 1t was
| for him too brief glimpse of the heavenly
| glory. Good; to be here" Peter spoke
| the truth. The apostles would be strong
| er and more useful because of the divine
manifestations. 1t is always good for us
when the Lord especially manifests HIM
self to us. Three tabernacles' or
| booths, from the bushes on the mountain;
such as were made at the feast OF IaDer-
nacles. He greatly desired to have the
| heavenly visitants remain with them: o..
"Wist not" Knew not. How many times
| do we speak unwiseiy because we DO not t
stop to consider our words. Sore AFRAID;
| They trembled in the presence OF the d.
vine manifestations.
III. The voice from the cloud Tvs. Z, 81.
7. "a cloud; overshadowed them: Mat,
thew says a "bright" cloud. A cloud had
frequently been the symbol of the divine
presence. "a voice." The voice OF God
the Father. 1t revealed nothing new, but
confirmed the old, for it was the same
voice which had been heard at Christss
BAPTISM. This would show to Peter and
| the apostles present that they did not need
to detain Moses and Elijah in order to
add to their happiness. This is My, be-
loved Son" Matthew adds, 'In whom
| / am well pleased" They had Jesus with
them. and He was more than all the hosts
of heaven would be without Him. Hear
Him" He is superior even to Moses, the
| great lawgiver. Moses himself had made
such a statement. See Deut. Is: ID. He
is superior to Elijah and the prophets,
and is the one to whom they ..,,ointed.
s. Looked round about, Matthew
ellis us that when the disciples heard the
voice they fell on their faces, and were
sore afraid; then, recovering from the
shock, they suddenly gazed all around
them and saw no person but Jesus They
feared as they entered into the cloud, but
when they heard the voice OF God, PROB
ably as loud as thunder (see John IL: 29)
and full of divine majesty such as mortal
ears were unaccustomed 20 hear, they fell
fiat to the ground on their faces, being
sore afraid In this condition, the three
disciples lay until Jesus touched them and
raised them up, dispelling their tears.
"Tell no man." The charge which Jesus
gave them would prohibit their telling
even the other apostles:
TO- Questioning, etc." How could they
properly preach crucified and risen "a,
viour, when they were resoluteiy opposed
to His death and questioned what the ris.
ing from the dead might mean? Silence
and discipline were their present duty.
Had they preached Him as a glorious Mes
siah. superior to Moses and Elias, as set
| forth in his TRANSPORTATION the Jewish
authorities would have held them guilty
| of treason.
v. A question Tvs. lib. IL. "Why say
the scribes. etc" What foundation have
the scribes for saying that Elijah must
come before the Messiah? "The scribes
and Pharisees may have urged as a CAPT.
tai objection against the Messiahship of
their Master that no Elijah went before
Him" IL. "Cometh first" Christ can
not mean here, and in Matt II: III, as
some understand these passages, that Eli
iah is to come before the second advent.
sSRestoreth all things" To restore is
strictly to bring back to lost perfection,
then to develop, raise, to introduce pur-
or nobler epoch; here specially to proclaim
the kingdom of God. "And how is it writ.
ten. etc" (R. W Elijah cometh first and
restoreth all things. But how or to. what
nurposa is it written of the Son of man
That he cometh? In order that He may
suffer not conquer like mighty prince.
Ia "Is indeed come" In the person OF
John the Baptist. "They listed" What
soeyer they chose or desired.