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In the Twinkling of An Eye

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A weird event is mentioned in the book of Matthew. It is known as the Transfiguration of Jesus. What most do not see is that there is a reference to Sukkot revealed in the event. And many do not realize that what happened to Jesus on that mountain was only a preview of the Resurrection of Jesus and all who would trust in His Name. In other words, the bodily transformation Jesus manifested is what awaits all who are His sons and daughters. Matthew 17:1-9 states: And six days after this, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.2 And His appearance underwent a change in their presence; and His face shone clear and bright like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light.3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, who kept talking with Him.4 Then Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good and delightful that we are here; if You approve, I will put up three booths here—one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.5 While he was still speaking, behold, a shining cloud [composed of light] overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is My Son, My Beloved, with Whom I am [and have always been] delighted. Listen to Him!6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were seized with alarm and struck with fear.7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, Get up, and do not be afraid.8 And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.9 And as they were going down the mountain, Jesus cautioned and commanded them, Do not mention to anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. AMPC

Did you catch the Sukkot reference? Then Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good and delightful that we are here; if You approve, I will put up three booths here—one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah. (Matthew 17:4) 

Peter was thinking of Sukkot or Tabernacles. But hidden in plain sight is a reference to our destiny. Romans 8:30 alludes to this event: And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being]. AMPC

This word glorified refers to a bedrock doctrine of Christianity. What is glorification? Got Questions provides an answer: The short answer is that “glorification” is God’s final removal of sin from the life of the saints (i.e., everyone who is saved) in the eternal state (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). At Christ’s coming, the glory of God (Romans 5:2)—His honor, praise, majesty, and holiness—will be realized in us; instead of being mortals burdened with sin nature, we will be changed into holy immortals with direct and unhindered access to God’s presence, and we will enjoy holy communion with Him throughout eternity….Final glorification must await the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13; 1 Timothy 6:14)….How and when will we be finally glorified? At the last trumpet, when Jesus comes, the saints will undergo a fundamental, instant transformation (“we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” – 1 Corinthians 15:51); then the “perishable” will put on the “imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:53). According to Philippians 3:20–21, our citizenship is in heaven, and when our Savior returns He will transform our lowly bodies “to be like His glorious body.” Although it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, we know that, when He returns in great glory, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). We will be perfectly conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus and be like Him in that our humanity will be free from sin and its consequences. Our blessed hope should spur us on to holiness, the Spirit enabling us. “Everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Sukkot is the time we look up to see if we are about to be glorified with Jesus. Regarding this topic of our physical bodies resurrection from the dead C.H. Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, once remarked: The body, then, is the Lord’s. Christ died not only to save my soul, but to save my body. It is said he “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” When Adam sinned he lost his body, and he lost his soul too; he was a lost man, lost altogether. And when Christ came to save his people, he came to save their bodies and their souls. …Is this body for the Lord, and shall death devour it? Is this body for the Lord, and shall winds scatter its particles far away where they never shall discover their fellows? No! the body is for the Lord, and the Lord shall have it. “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise us by his own power.” Now look at the next verse: “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ.” Not merely is the soul a part of Christ—united to Christ, but the body is also. These hands, these feet, these eyes, are members of Christ, if I be a child of God. I am one with him, not merely as to my mind, but one with him as to this outward frame. The very body is taken into union. The golden chain which binds Christ to his people goes round the body and soul too. Did not the apostle say “they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church?”—Ephesians v. 31, 32. “They are one flesh;” and Christ’s people are not only one with him in spirit, but they are “one flesh” too. The flesh of man is united with the flesh of the God-man; and our bodies are members of Jesus Christ. 

Last Day Cowards?

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Throughout the Old Testament, God the Father, repeatedly calls people to revival and repentance. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Jesus’ message to the seven churches echoes the same refrain. Why? Mt. 24:10-12 And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,… AMPC

As lawlessness, and iniquity increase the love of many grows cold. Sound familiar? Lk. 18:8 However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth? AMPC

What’s frightening about this passage is its context: Luke 17:33 Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve and quicken it. Luke 18:1 Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). AMPC The parable ends with Jesus’ summation: Lk. 18:8 However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth? AMPC

What’s the overall message? Lose your life – praying. Don’t become a coward and lose heart and give up praying. But when Jesus returns will He find people of faith – praying? What’s frightening about this passage? – We have arrived! I have been in ministry since the 80’s and have observed the attendance of corporate prayer dwindle down to a hand full of people. Why? We have lost heart because we have lost faith and hope. Losing heart is connected to this very thing. We have succumbed to a “spirit” (demon) of heaviness instead of having the Spirit of Faith and Hope!

Hosea 10:12 reminds us: Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. NKJV

Fallow ground is cold, hard ground. C.H. Spurgeon reminds us: “BREAK up your fallow ground.” Our nature at its largest is but a small farm, and we had need to get a harvest out of every acre of it, for our needs are great. Have we left any part of our small allotment uncultivated? If so, it is time to look into the matter and see if we cannot improve this wasteful state of things. What part of our small allotment have we left fallow? We should think very poorly of a farmer who for many years allowed the best and the richest part of his farm to lie altogether neglected and untilled. An occasional fallow has its benefits in the world of nature; but if the proprietor of rich and fruitful land allowed the soil to continue fallow year after year we should judge him to be out of his wits. The wasted acres ought to be taken from him and given to another husbandman who would worthily cherish the generous fields and encourage them to yield their harvests.

Jesus said, His house is to be a House of Prayer. Are churches ceasing to be Houses of God? You and I are to be God’s House. Are we ceasing to be God’s House because of a cold love, and a hard heart? Have we become cowards? The opposite of faith is fear. Faith and hope are what fuel prayer. It’s time to seek Him for rains of righteousness in the gift of tears to break up the fallow, cold, hardened soil of our heart.