36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
Have you ever experienced a spiritual revelation leaving you so speechless you cannot pull up words to adequately give justice in describing the scene? Me neither – just kidding, I am sure that some of you have! Peter, John and James had had such an experience. Being privileged to gaze upon the glorified bodies of Moses, Elijah and Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, these three disciples were left figuratively mute from the whole glory of it all! Our passage today tells us that they told no one of their experience. I am reminded of the Scripture when Paul was “caught up” (the same word used for the rapture of the saints in I Thessalonians 4:17) to the “third heaven”:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. 3 And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 2 Cor 12:2-4 (NIV)
I think that we could probably put Peter, John and James into this same category. How could they ever begin to explain in human terms what their ears had heard and what their eyes had seen? Let’s face it; the average dude of that day would have had a difficult time relating to their experience. They were certainly a privileged few getting just a taste of heaven before actually taking up residence there. There would come occasion when their story could be made known, but for now it was to lay concealed in their memories. Don’t you know the three of them talked of it when they were alone together? How very sweet of Jesus to manifest His glory to companions rather than to a solo. Several other encounters with the Divine recorded in Scripture were alone. Let’s take a quick glance at two of them – Isaiah and Ezekiel. Isaiah’s revelation went as follows: 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Isaiah 6:1-5 (NIV)
Isaiah’s vision propelled him to respond to God’s call. Nothing like getting a glimpse of the great I AM to cause instant obedience in His children! Scripture goes on to say: 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)
Ezekiel’s experience is not too dissimilar. His vision was also an inauguration to his prophetic ministry. We are told:4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Ezek 1:2-9 (NIV) 1 He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them. Ezek 2:1-5 (NIV)
God’s call on these two men’s lives would be difficult at best. Like Paul, God prepared them by giving them a glimpse into Whom they were serving. I am confident these visions sustained these prophets when they encountered many of the trials that their specific calls would require. God always dispenses the grace sufficient to meet every need – always! Paul tells us in II Corinthians: 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:7-10 (NIV)