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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. 

Altar of Fire

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1 Kings 18:24, 36-39 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken.

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You].38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench.39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! (1 Kings 18:24, 36-39 AMPC)

It’s no coincidence that the Lord distinguished the prayers of Elijah from those of the idol worshippers of Baal with fire. Scripture records that our God is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29); that He came down on Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:18); and that the Glory of the Lord appears to be a Devouring Fire (Exodus 24:17). Just as the Lord distinguished Elijah’s prayers from the idol worshippers of his day, so the Lord distinguished the prayers of the 120 followers of Jesus who found themselves waiting in prayer. Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place,2 When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.3 And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them.4 And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].(AMPC)

As the 120 climbed the steps to the upper room the eyes of their heart were fixed on the Promise – the Promise of the Holy Spirit and Power. John the Baptist, and Jesus spoke of this Baptism of Fire. Thus Jesus’ disciples climbed the mountain of God through their prayers as Moses ascended Mount Sinai centuries before. As bowed at the Throne of God they made that room of disappointment, and sorrow an altar of loud cries, and tears. It didn’t take long until God answered with Fire. From the Altar of God’s Holy of Holies lives were transformed into living altars of His Presence. Through their ascent the reign of Jesus’ Kingdom was ushered in by the outpouring of the Spirit. It is no coincidence that when Elijah confronted the idolatry of his day he went on the promise of rain: After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 18:1)

In our spiritual drought of plague, fear, locusts, fire and famine may the people of God be found making themselves an altar of prayer crying out for Jesus’ Reign to come with a fresh outpouring of the Water of Life – His Holy Spirit. May we cry out with Michael W. Smith, and all the other singers, musicians and levites, “Let It Rain! Open the Floodgates of Heaven!”

Confession & Declaration 27

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Revelation 5:8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

This scene occurs in Heaven’s Throne Room. What’s phenomenal to me is the last part of verse 8: golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

Think on that: Golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints. We have no idea how precious we are to God. Yet here in this passage it is so beautifully illustrated. Your prayers, and my prayers are mingled with the prayers of all the saints, from all the ages. Can you imagine? Your prayers are mingled with Noah’s, Abraham’s, Isaac’s, Jacob’s, Joseph’s, Moses’, and Joshua’s. They are mingled with the prayers of the prophets, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Crazier still? Our prayers have been mingled with the prayers of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. That should cause you to pause.

Now you might ask, What does this have to do with overcoming the enemy? The answers are varied but ultimately you should be getting a picture of what a treasure you are to God. The enemy wants to remind you of your frailties, and failures. He wants to accuse and condemn you. What you need to see is that there’s a reason why that is. Do you remember the meditation regarding being co-heirs with Christ? Do you remember that all things that belong to Jesus – belong to us? Well guess who Jesus owns? All the angels and demons. And Jesus shares that ownership with you. The devil hates you because Jesus Christ so valued mankind that He chose to share the stewardship of the entire universe with us. In comparison to angels we are frail, puny, weak men, and women. Yet God shares the stewardship of the universe with us – entrusting us – through our prayers. Prayers which move the heart and hand of God. Prayers, which are led by the Spirit of God, lifted before the Father, through Jesus. Your prayers shape world events. Your prayers move through the universe ushering in the Kingdom of God. Thus, you overcome the accuser through the prayers of the Spirit lifted before your Intercessor Jesus. And God the Father? He answers with thunder, power and wonder.

Declaration 27: Holy Father I stand amazed and awed by Your great love and the mystery of choosing man to co-labor along side of You. Thank You for including us in the stewardship of the world. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for praying through me – intermingling my intercessions with those of the Spirit, Jesus, and the saints. Thank You that I am a co-heir with Jesus, through Jesus’ conquering resurrection. Through Your Resurrection and Ascension Satan is defeated, and death has lost its sting! Thank You Jesus that Your coming back and that I will reign with You! Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to add more and more prayers to the golden bowls before Your Return. Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to pray in Your Spirit, from my spirit, as I abide in Your Word – let Your Words abide in me. Hallelujah I thank You Jesus that the Living Word of God dwells in me and that I am seated in heavenly realms with You!

Who’s Your One? Wednesday, February 5, Day 24