History is moving, slowly but steadily, toward a day when the glory of the Lord will be revealed and recognised. The whole earth is already filled with His glory (Psa 72.19), but the whole earth is not yet filled with the knowledge of His glory (Hab 2.14).
One day, however, it will be.
In the meantime, we must often persist through suffering and darkness in this world. We persist in hope, though, because we know that God is moving toward the day when His Son will be revealed, and every person who has ever lived will see His glory.
But wait! There’s more!
According to the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration, we will share in His glory. Moses and Elijah appeared alongside Jesus in glorious splendour, and they shared in the glory that radiated from Jesus. The sight must have been staggering for His young disciples. For almost three years, they had witnessed some of Jesus’ glory in His miracles and teaching. But this time, they were seeing something altogether new; they saw what He will look like when His kingdom comes in its fullness.
But they saw more: Moses and Elijah were humans, but when they stood in the light of Jesus’ glory, they radiated His light. Evidently, regular human beings can be transfigured into something glorious as well. As the Son gave His closest friends a glimpse into His future, He was giving them a glimpse into their own future as well.
Elijah and Moses were great men, but they were men. They had their share of failures. Moses had quite a temper; he murdered a man and was kept from entering the Promised Land as a result of his inability to control himself. Elijah saw one of the greatest miracles of the Old Testament — calling down fire on Mount Carmel — but he got so depressed when he was persecuted that he actually asked God to kill him!
They were two great men, no doubt. But they were human beings with baggage and failures and despair — just like us. But on the top of that mountain, they shared in the glory of Jesus Christ. And if they can do it, so can you.
Because you were created for eternity. Once you come into existence, you never stop existing and you never become someone else. Moses was still Moses. Elijah was still Elijah. You will still be you. Think about it: Somehow Peter recognised who these guys were. We have no idea how that happened; there weren’t any photos of them! But somehow God allowed Peter, James and John to know the identities of Jesus’ visitors. Odds are, your identity will not only remain intact in the Kingdom that is coming, but you will be known as well.
After all, God’s plan has always been to create a community of people who don’t just relate to Him but relate to each other, too. One of the great joys of the next life will be the joy of seeing the glory of God reflected in ourselves and the light of Jesus shining through people we love.
Prayer
Father, I give thanks that You foreknew me, that You chose and called me, and that You have declared me righteous in Christ. My desire is that I become fully conformed to His image in spirit, soul and body so that I will display the beauty of His light as it shines through me and blesses others. I eagerly await the fullness of my adoption as Your child through the redemption of my body. I long for the day that will come when we put off mortality and are clothed with immortality. In the resurrection of our bodies, we will enjoy the fullness of our salvation. You will do away with death, sickness, suffering and grief, and this perishable will become imperishable. We will manifest Your life and reflect Your glory through the prisms of our unique personalities, so that each of us will contribute to the whole at the great feast and in the great dance.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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