Do you see all the parallels between Ezekiel’s vision and
the revelation given to John? The
creatures around the throne, the bow in the clouds, the falling to his knees at
what he saw, the voice speaking, commanding him to rise are all recounted in
both men’s visions. Does that cause you
to doubt that John was really given a vision of his own? For some scholars, this is their
reaction. Why would the men have seen
different things? In my mind, one would
tend to validate the other. Ezekiel is
given a scroll, with writings on both sides, to eat and in his mouth it is
sweet like honey. John was also given a
little scroll to eat in the Revelation, in chapter 10 and it too was sweet like
honey in his mouth. The word of God, the
call to prophesy His word, is sweet to the taste because it is pure and
true. Ezekiel and John, however, are
given the word to speak to a rebellious people who, even in exile situations,
remain rebellious. So long as we are
accusing and blaming God for our situation, we remain in rebellion. Only when we accept the truth, that our sins
are our downfall, do we begin to have any hope of redemption.
What are the disciples doing while Jesus is praying? What they are always doing it seems,
sleeping, just like on the night of His arrest.
Men are weary from the journey and the day, Jesus perseveres in prayer,
just as He does now at the throne. When
they awaken, they see the vision of the three men, Moses, Elijah and Jesus and
as the others are parting, Peter suggests that they make booths for them, that
they might stay, capture the moment, not let it pass away, and who can blame
him? Instead, his attitude reveals that
he is still not seeing things rightly, that Jesus is supreme and that in Him
they have all they need. Moses and
Elijah were precursors, neither complete in themselves, and Jesus is the
fulfillment of the Law and the prophets together. The voice proclaims that now the time has
come, they are to listen to Jesus, not these others who saw through a glass
darkly, but the one who speaks truth because He is truth.
The main job of the high priest was to enter the Holy of
holies once a year and sprinkle blood on the ark, the mercy seat of God, as
atonement for the sins of the people.
They knew their sins were forgiven by the Lord by two things, the priest
lived to return and the goat sent into the wilderness did not return. We know the Lord has accepted Jesus’
sacrifice because He came back from the dead, He was found worthy of receiving
life. The high priest could not, with
complete confidence approach the throne of grace. He knew his own sins and the sins of the
people and he knew that the holiness of God was pure and could not abide sinful
men. He counted on one thing only, the
promise of God that if they did all things according to His plan, He would
forgive, but the high priest always had to have a question in his mind. Did we do all things correctly? In Jesus’ resurrection and ascension as our
perpetual high priest, we can have confidence that the high priest did
not. The word of God retains its
sweetness because of Jesus.
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