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46 - The Desire of Ages - Ellen Gould · Sacred Texts Archive

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  He was transfigured. Evening is drawing on as Jesus calls to his side three
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  of his disciples, Peter, James and John, and leads him across the
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  fields and far up a rugged path to a lonely mountain side. The Savior
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  and his disciples has spent the day in traveling and teaching, and the mountain
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  clime adds to their weariness. Christ has lifted burdens from mind and body of
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  many sufferers. He has sent the thrill of life through their enfeebled frames,
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  but He also is compassed with humanity and with his disciples. He is wearied
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  with the ascent. The light of the setting sun still lingers on the mountain
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  top and gilds with its fading glory the path they are traveling, But soon
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  the light dies out from hill as well as valley. The sun disappears behind
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  the western horizon, and the solitary travelers are wrapped in the darkness of night.
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  The gloom of their surroundings seems in harmony with their sorrowful lives, around
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  which the clouds are gathering and thickening. The disciples do not venture to ask
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  Christ whether he is going or for what purpose He has often spent entire nights
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  in the mountains and prayer. He whose hand formed mountain and valley, is
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  at home with nature and enjoys its quietude. The disciples follow where Christ leads
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  away, Yet they wonder why their masters should lead them up this toilsome ascent.
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  When they are weary, and when he too is in need of rest,
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  Presently Christ tells them that they are now to go no farther, Stepping
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  a little aside from them, the Man of sorrows pours out his supplications with
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  strong crying and tears. He prays for strength to endure the test in behalf
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  of humanity. He must himself gain a fresh hold on omnipotence, for only
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  thus can he contemplate the future. And he pours out his heart longings for
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  his disciples, that in the hour of the power of darkness, their faith
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  may not fail. The dew is heavy upon his bowed form, but he
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  heeds it not. The shadows a knight gather thickly about him, but he
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  regards not their gloom. So the hours pass slowly by. At first the
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  disciples unite their prayers with his and sincere devotion, but after a time they
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  are overcome with weariness, and even while trying to retain their interest in the
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  scene, they fall asleep. Jesus has told them of his sufferings. He
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  has taken them with him that they might unite with him in prayer. Even
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  now he is praying for them. The Savior has seen the gloom of his
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  disciples and has longed to lighten their grief by an assurance that their faith has
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  not been in vain. Not all, even of the twelve, can receive
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  the revelation he desires to give. Only the three who are to witness his
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  anguish in Gysimone have been chosen to be with him on the mount. Now.
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  The burden of his prayer is that they may be given a manifestation of
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  the glory he had with the Father before the world was, that his kingdom
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  may be revealed to human eyes, and that his disciples may be strengthened to
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  behold. He pleads that they may witness a manifestation of his divinity that will
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  comfort them in the hour of his supreme agony, with the knowledge that he
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  is of a surety, the Son of God, and that his shameful death
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  is a part of the plant of redemption. His prayers heard while he is
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  bowed in lowliness upon the stony ground. Suddenly the heavens open, the golden
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  gates of the City of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon
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  the mount, enshrouding the Saviour's form. Divinity from within flashes through humanity and
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  meets the glory coming from above. Arising from his prostrate position, Christ stands
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  in godlike majesty. The soul agony is gone. His countenance now shines as
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  the sun, and his garments are white as the light. The disciples,
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  awaking, behold the flood of glory that illuminates the mount. In fear and
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  amazement, that gaze upon the radiant form of their masters. As they become
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  able to endure the wondrous light, they see that Jesus is not alone.
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  Beside him are two heavenly beings in close converse with him. They are Moses,
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  who upon Sinee has talked with God, and Elijah, to whom the
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  high privilege was given granted to but one other of the sons of Adam,
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  never to come under the power of death. Upon Mount Pisgah, fifteen centuries
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  before, Moses had stood gazing upon the land of Promise, But because of
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  his sin at Mirabah, it was not for him to enter there. Not
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  for him was the joy of leading the host of Israel into the inheritance of
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  their fathers. His agonized entreaty, I pray THEE let me go over and
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  see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon Deuteronomy
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  three twenty five was refused. The hope that for forty years had lighted up
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  the darkness of the desert wanderings must be denied. The wilderness grave was the
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  goal of those years of toil and heart burdening care. But he who is
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  able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think Pesians three twenty
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  had, in this measure answered his servant's prayer. Moses passed under the dominion
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  of death, but he was not to remain in the tomb. Christ himself
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  called him forth to life. Satan attempted claimed the body of Moses because of
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  his sin, but Christ the Savior brought him forth from the grave. Jude
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  nine. Moses, upon the mount of Transfiguration was a witness to Christ's victory
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  over sin and death. He represented those who shall come forth from the grave
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  at the resurrection of the just. Elijah, who had been translated to heaven
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  without seeing death, represented those who will be living upon the earth at Christ's
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  second coming, and who will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of
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  an eye at the last trump, when this mortal must put on immortality and
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  this corruptible must put on incorruption one Corinthians fifteen fifty one to fifty three.
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  Jesus was clothed with the light of heaven, as he will appear when he
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  shall come the second time, without sin unto salvation, For he will come
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  in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Hebrews nine twenty eight,
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  Mark eight thirty eight. The Saviour's promise to the disciples was now fulfilled.
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  Upon the mount. The future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature Christ,
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  the King, Moses, a representative of the risen saints, and Elijah
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  of the translated ones. The disciples do not yet comprehend the scene, but
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  they rejoice at the patient teacher. The meek and lowly one who has wandered
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  to and fro a helpless stranger, is honored by the favored ones of heaven.
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  They believe that Elijah has come to announce the Messiah's reign, and that
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  the Kingdom of Christ is about to be set up on the earth. The
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  memory of their fear and disappointment, they would banish forever here where the glory
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  of God has revealed, they longed to terry. Peter exclaims, Master,
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  it is good for us to be here, and let us make three tabernacles,
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  one for thee and one for Moses, and one for Elias. The
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  disciples are confident that Moses and Elijah have been sent to protect their master and
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  to establish his authority as king. But before the crown must come the cross.
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  Not the inauguration of Christ as king, but the deceased, to be
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  accomplished at Jerusalem is the subject of their conference with Jesus. Bearing the weakness
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  of humanity and burden with its sorrow and sin, Jesus walked alone in the
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  midst of Men as the darkness of the coming trial pressed upon him. He
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  was in loneliness of spirit in a world that knew him. Not even his
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  loved disciples, absorbed in their own doubt and sorrow and ambitious hopes, had
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  not comprehended the mystery of his mission. He had dwelt amid the love and
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  fellowship of Heaven. But in the world that he had created, he was
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  in solitude. Now Heaven had sent its messengers to Jesus, not angels,
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  but men who had endured suffering and sorrow, and who could sympathize with the
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  Savior in the trial of his earthly life. Moses and Elijah had been co
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  laborers with Christ. They had shared his longing for the salvation of men.
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  Moses had pleaded for Israel. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin,
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  and if not blot me, I pray thee out of thy book which
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  thou hast written Exodus thirty two thirty two. Elijah had known loneliness of spirit,
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  as for three years and a half of famine, he had borne the
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  burden of the nation's hatred and its woe alone. He had stood for God
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  upon Mount Carmel alone, he had fled to the desert in anguish and despair.
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  These men, chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to
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  commune with Jesus concerning the scenes of his suffering and to comfort him with the
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  assurance of the sympathy of Heaven, the hope of the world, the salvation
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  of every human being was the burden of their interview. Through being overcome with
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  sleep, the disciples heard little of what passed between Christ and the heavenly messengers.
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  Failing to watch and pray, they had not received that which God desired
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  to give them, a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that
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  should follow. They lost the blessing that might have been theirs to sharing his
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  self sacrifice. Slow of heart to believe, were these disciples little appreciative of
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  the treasure with which Heaven sought to enrich them. Yet they received great light.
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  They were assured that all Heaven knew of the sin of the Jewish nation.
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  In rejecting Christ, they were given a clear insight into the work of
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  the Redeemer. They saw with their eyes and heard with their ears things that
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  were beyond the comprehension of man. They were eye witnesses of his majesty second
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  Peter one sixteen. And they realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah to whom
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  patriarchs and prophets had witnessed, and that he was recognized as such by the
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  heavenly universe. While they were still gazing on the scene upon the mount,
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  a bright cloud overshouted them, and behold a voice out of the cloud,
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  which said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.
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  Hear ye him. As they beheld the cloud of glory brighter than that
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  which went before the tribes of Israel in the wilderness. As they heard the
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  voice of God speak in awful majesty that caused the mountain to tremble, the
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  disciples fell smitten to the earth. They remained prostrate, their faces hidden,
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  till Jesus came near and touched them, dispelling their fears with his well known
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  voice. Arise and be not afraid. Venturing to lift up their eyes,
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  they saw that the heavenly glory had passed away, the forms of Moses and
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  Elijah had disappeared. They were upon the mount alone with Jesus. End of
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  Chapter forty six.