Tried, trued and transfigured
When Christ was with his disciples he told them assuredly I say to you there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. It is here that Christ was saying that some of them would see him in his kingdom in great glory and power. And again but I tell you truly there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God. And it came to pass that Jesus took Peter James and John up to a high mountain and prayed and as He prayed the appearance of his face was altered and He became glistening white. So it was here that Christ showed himself as he truly is. He explained that they would see the Son of Man coming in great power and glory, meaning that while he was in his human body they would see him transfigured, that they would taste death and see something of the afterlife. And it was here that Christ showed his transfomation while He was incarnate for us to have hope of being transfigured in our incarnation. He showed them something all Second Coming seekers desire to see. What the Second Coming seekers desire to see is something not bound by time or those who were standing there that would see it before they would die would not see it because they too would have to wait for another coming of another Jesus and circumvent the words Christ just spoke. And this is what the Second Coming seekers do they circumvent the gospel. They neutralize the gospel. But it can be said of us as it was for them that there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see Christ transfigured.
So if we can understand the Transfiguration as not being a spectacular carnal event called a second coming after the tribulation, that is if you can receive these words? Then it is true for you, that you to not only can see the Transfiguration but that you can experience it for this is what we are asked to do. BE YE TRANSFIGURED! Romans 12
You see after the departure of Judas in his betrayal there was left an empty seat. And the 11 disciples drew straws and chose Mathias. But Mathias was short lived for along came the 12th born out of due time or better rendered from the Greek born in proper time and in his due order.
For one of the qualifications to be considered an apostle is to have seen the Lord. So along came another name Paul, the wicked man doing wicked works against the called. And this man’s account was he had seen a great light from heaven and asked him who are you lord why are you kicking against the goads? It was here that Paul saw the Lord. You see he had to see the Lord to be qualified as an apostle, and because he saw Christ as he truly is, not incarnate but as he truly is invisible. And this is the testimony of every true apostle.
You see Paul was among the Jews who were expecting a coming king and a Co ming Kingdom like the 2nd coming seekers. Of which Christ represented and they rejected. But Paul experienced another King and another Kingdom, a non visual one. He saw him who is the same yesterday today and forever.
So the 11 saw Christ as a man and some saw him glorified king like the Second Coming concept even back in their day. Paul’s message was that the gospel I preach to you did not come by man nor was I taught by man but by revelation of Jesus Christ. And because he did not see the man Jesus but he saw Christ as he truly is? This is how he was qualified to be an apostle. Because he had seen the Lord but not the man Jesus
So there are some things we need to understand about the Transfiguration for if we see Christ as a man, that is what we try to become like him but if we see him as he truly is? As he is eternal immortal invisible the only wise God? Then we can be transformed into that.
The term Transfiguration only appears a few times in Scripture. Two of these times we already referenced in the man Jesus. There are two more times, one time in Romans 12. It says be ye transformed by the renewing of your min” and is rendered properly from the Greek be transfigured. And if we understand this correctly? We do not look for a carnal transformation a carnal or human Transfiguration. You see because we are instructed to be transfigured in our mind, this is the place of the Transfiguration and reasoning of our eternal parts being are circumcised heart and our soul. And from 2nd Corinthians 3:18 therefore we are being transformed or transfigured into his self same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. It is in this way that we become godly. We become godlike. And it is in this way that we become holy, that we become saints. This is our invisible part.
It is in this way, by the renewing of the mind, that we put on Christ. It is in the mind, the interaction of the heart and the soul, are invisible parts, that we are clothed with what we see in Christ, when we behold him in glory. Like it says in Corinthians “transfigured from glory to the glory as by the Spirit”. And the miraculous thing about this is that there is no human transformation visible. It is the mind. And if we cannot see him transfigured like those in the days of the man Jesus, if we cannot see him transfigured like Paul did as seeing him who is invisible, if we see Jesus as having to come back in power and glory before we can accept his transfiguration, then we cannot be transfigured either. We subject all Scripture has having a fulfillment later to be glorified later and pass up a chance of our transfiguration now. If we think the transfiguration is a carnal thing like a rapture, our soul admits it cannot see him who is invisible. And you cannot be transformed. You cannot be transfigured. You reject the testimony that God gave of His son. That His son is a chip off the old block, identical to the Father. But you see a man and you commit the same blunder as the Jews.
As it is said although they knew God they glorified him not as God but changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the corruptible man. So the Second Coming seekers do
They deny Christ and because they expect another incarnate Christ? They become enemies of the gospel. And they are enemies because they reject the voice of him who calls us from heaven to heaven. This is the place of our calling and the reason why God sent His Son into the world? Was to show to us as we are in our humanity that the Incarnation and the Transfiguration can coexist. That “we have this treasure in earthen vessels” a disposable thing “that the glory and the excellence would be a god and not of ourselves”.
So let us be about our Transfiguration. Let us renew our minds. Let’s let our minds be reformatted and fitted with the gospel. As Paul said “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation”. And if this is true as we describe, then there is no need for a second coming transformation. If there is a Second Coming transformation, or a Second Coming Transfiguration, same word in the Greek, then the gospel is weak and you do need another access point to the kingdom. But if you can reject that false gospel and reformat your brain with these truths? Then you too can have the thing that is said. It can be said of you too that “there are some standing here today who shall see the Son of Man coming in great glory and power before you die. This is the gospel Paul spoke of saying “the gospel I preach to you did not come by man but by revelation”. A new understanding. Paul experienced the revelation of Jesus Christ and he did not have to go through the seven year tribulation and a rapture to see another Jesus for this to happen.
So we encourage you to be refitted and reformatted with these truths to receive the gift of God and eternal life. BE YE TRANSFIGURED! For “today is the day of salvation” and today “the Kingdom of God is at hand” if you can receive it.