tprim42

The Prophecy Revealed In Matthew

Lesson Forty-Two: by Christina Farris (turtle)

Visions are one of the fatal parts of faith if there nothing solid beyond the vision itself. Meaning is vision based on fact or some proof of fact after the
vision. There needs to some proof prior or after. Prior in the since of visions from God were spoken throughout the Old Testament of coming hope.
However without the fulfilling of a vision it has no bases. Abraham had the promise of land and the promise of his son, with the promise of the coming
Messiah coming forth from his people. Without two visions being fulfilled there would be no hope. Moses also had vision beginning with the burning
bush. God spoke to Moses and Moses lacked faith to believe he could speak to Pharaoh concerning bring the people of Israel to the promise land.
Moses was a man with out hope, yet because of the vision of the bush he moved forward in obedience to God. Elijah journey different yet powerful.
Elijah at one point loosing his hope only for it to be restored to him by the site of a whirlwind, earthquake and a raven. It not unusual for men of God to
run, or to doubt, but hard for them to hold the vision even with proof before them. One might say with all the proof of the prophets had was it not
enough to have God speak face to face with some of them. No not enough. Foundation of faith must be built on truth of God’s word. The vision is only
part of the package. Visions can be drams or something spoken in a from of reality with just small cloudy image of truth. In Old Testament times
mirrors were made of brass and copper. Not like the mirrors we have today. These mirrors did not reflect the full image of a person. However the full
beauty was seen looking at the person. Today we start the Bible reading with I Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV
(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

In heaven all will see us as we truly are, but the world only sees a glimpse of us. Yet with Reality TV one sees daily more images of a person then most
truly want to see. Something about Survivor that I like, is that the host and survivors stress it is only a game and not real, however that gives people the
chance to be who they are not in front of a camera, but even so with as much footage is shot some true characteristics come out. There vision is to win
a million dollars and not all gaining the prize but some walking away with a greater lesson learned. With Christ when a vision is given it is not only seen
in a cloudy glass, but seen in full imagery in a person’s life. God’s word is read and spoken about by the Bible, by the Holy Spirit. Abraham and Moses
and Elijah had visions that were fulfilled in their life. In my life besides scripture I have read books of faith of people that inspired and strengthen my own
faith, yet leaving me with the desire to have that type of faith. With scripture we should be walking with that same hope reverberating in our hearts and
soul. Yet if it is not is it a lack of vision of who God is and what He will and can do in our life if we will follow Him. The Word of God is Christ and is
the vision of prophesy fulfill and yet to come. In Christ day when he walked the earth people saw God face to face. However what was prophecy
concerning Christ being God.

Ezekiel 20:34-37 KJV
(34) And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a
stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
(35) And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
(36) Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
(37) And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:

Deuteronomy 18:18-22 KJV
(18) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I
shall command him.
(19) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
(20) But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of
other gods, even that prophet shall die.
(21) And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
(22) When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken,
but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

God would raise up prophets like Moses according to Deuteronomy to minister to the people, but a time was coming as Ezekiel is speaking about that
people would again speak face to face with God. Israel went through several phases in rejecting and reception of God. Something we see sometimes in
our own life. However Israel was always God’s people. People of faith. In the process of studying the journey of the Jewish people as Christians we
understand our own journey of faith with God. Christ return is to speak to the people face to face as well as execute judgment, first time he came he
came to bring people to repentance. The second time is judgment. However in our lesson today the disciples have been looking at Christ more in a
futuristic type of king and leader. Not so much as one dying on a cross and that is when Jesus takes a few of His closes disciples to the mountain for a
vision of what is to come as will as the reality of present time of the fullness of who He is. Along with this vision the disciples meet dead that are alive
through faith, Moses and Elijah. A real vision and fact to come.

Matthew 17:1-13 KJV
(1) And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
(2) And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
(3) And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
(4) Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one
for Moses, and one for Elias.
(5) While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased; hear ye him.
(6) And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
(7) And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
(8) And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
(9) And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the
dead.
(10) And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
(11) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
(12) But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son
of man suffer of them.
(13) Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Christ garments is white as light and His face did shine. When Moses spoke with God and He came down from the mountain, His face shown but not
his garments. In fact when one compares other passages to this event Christ is seen in His glorify royal state and no one else is shining. Neither Moses
or Elijah. They are seen glorifying God. Without Christ death garments are still spotted and needing cleansing. Yet the prophets righteousness came by
faith. Christ sacrifice is the only way to be purified through the shedding of His blood.

1 John 1:7-9 KJV
(7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
(8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
(9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Sin caused death the punishment of death and yet the Christ death brought cleansing power of His blood and also forgiveness upon confession. The
power of the prophesy alone and believe brought cleansing power to the saints that went before the time of Christ.

The disciples were concerned by the vision and thought themselves unworthy to see Elijah and Moses with Christ standing their, yet it would be this
vision that would give them understanding in the days of head. The knowledge would allow them to preach about the crucifixion of Christ that it had to
come so the hope of heaven would be known to all. The hope of eternal life forever and ever with Christ. For both Elijah and Moses appeared as mere
men, yet it was clear to the disciples who these men were. God overshadowed them with a cloud to confirm in their hearts that Jesus was the Son of
God. They heard it firs hand from God himself testifying to truth.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ we have discussed this before, however something to remember is John the Baptist was suppose to be
like Elijah and in one regard he was he preached repentance. However they were looking for image that was different then John The Baptist. John the
Baptist in John one denies being Elijah which sounds like contradiction, but he was not the Elijah that the Pharisees looked for, neither was Jesus the
Messiah that the Pharisees looked for. They looked for king, they looked for signs and wonders from John. Yet John preached repentance and Jesus
did signs and wonders and spoke in parables, healing the lame. Jesus was more spoken about prophetically in Old Testament. The coming of Elijah
was too. If our images that are in God’s word is not lining up with our images, then something is wrong. And there was problems in the leadership
during Christ time. Is the vision we have of Christ return lining up with what God’s word says. If it is not, then is the prophets wrong, no of course not,
God’s word is always right, our image needs changing.