Page 41 - Fundamentals Ebook

went on the mountain but only Luke tells us why. Luke 9:28, “And
some eight days after these sayings, it came about that He took along
Peter and John and James, and went up to the mountain to pray.” He
went up to pray.

Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us that Elijah and Moses suddenly
appeared. Luke 9:31, “…who, appearing in glory, were speaking of
His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
They began to talk about the death that he was going to accomplish.
Matthew and Mark tell us that Peter wanted to build three
tabernacles. Mark 9:6 tells us why Peter said that. “For he did not
know what to answer; for they became terrified.” He didn’t know
what to say. When you don’t know what is going on, you want to
build something and when people are not seeing the Lord they want
to start a ministry.

Only Luke tells us, in this great scene, that the disciples fell asleep.
Luke 9:32, “Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with
sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the
two men standing with Him.” Luke also tells us that the glory cloud
came down and enveloped them; covered them.
Those are the facts. Listen as Peter interprets the facts. I’m putting
words in Peter’s mouth but here’s what he said, “I’m ready to die
but I had an experience once that I didn’t understand. Now it’s thirty
years later and I finally get it. I want to explain it to you. I want to
tell you what it meant. I didn’t know at the time but God was
teaching me how to see Jesus in the Bible.”

As he looked back at that transfiguration, God opened his heart to
what it means to see Jesus in the Bible. Peter said that He had a
prophetic word and the prophetic word was, “You are not going to
die before I come.” That was a true word. It couldn’t be any truer.
If anyone went to Peter and asked his testimony, during that week
between the prophesy and the vision, “Do you believe some people
standing here will not die before He comes?” Peter said, “Of course,
it’s a true word. It came out of the mouth of Jesus. I believe it. He