MOUNTAINS AROUND JERUSALEM (3)
[p. 350] MOUNTAINS AROUND JERUSALEM (3)
Matthew 16:28; Matthew 17:1 - 27
JT Some present may not be aware that our subject is the mountains with which the Lord is seen connected in the gospel of Matthew. The suggestion has been made that these mountains, beginning with chapter 5 and ending with chapter 28, may be taken to represent the mountains that are spoken of as round about Jerusalem (Psalm 125). The Lord is said to have gone up and sat down on the first mountain (chapter 5), and His disciples came to Him, and He opened His mouth and taught them. In His teaching — inclusive of chapters 5,6 and 7 — He clarifies certain subjects, so that the believer should see all things clearly.
This morning we had the mountain in chapter 14, in which the Lord is seen praying, having ascended apart. It says that He compelled His disciples to enter the ship to go to the other side, and He went up into the mountain apart, and His disciples were in the ship in the midst of the sea, the wind being contrary. It is said He was alone in the mountain. This may be called “The mount of intercession”; in it the saints learn the intercession of Christ — His priestly grace — in supporting them in the scene of contrariety; the result being that He is worshipped as the Son of God.
Then in chapter 15 there is a further mountain, in which the Lord sits down again, and the crowd comes with crippled persons, lame, blind, dumb, etc. It was suggested that this mountain indicates a general work of God, seen in the energy with which people ascended the mountain; they would be obliged to carry those crippled people up. Then the Lord calls His disciples and brings them into this work. Thus He would call us into what God is doing; further indicating that there is plenty here on earth in the Spirit to support such a work, so that [p. 351] the multitude is fed.
WHM What does this mountain indicate?
JT The first three come in before the assembly is introduced; the assembly is introduced in chapter 16, so this mountain comes in after that. It was pointed out this morning that Peter being the one who specially gained experience in chapter 14, appears in chapter 16 as characteristic material: “Thou art Peter”. It was remarked that we have “one of you” — one of the assembly — that is, one of those who form it, in Peter. In chapter 18 we have “two of you”, two of those who form it. But it is obvious that the point, before the assembly is introduced, is to bring out one; in him you have the thing in principle as regards material, not as regards the working out of the assembly — you require two or three for that; but you only require one to illustrate the material — that of which the assembly is formed or built. That one is seen in Peter. The Lord says, “thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly”; the assembly now is in prospect — not yet in actuality. What I think comes out in this mountain — one feature at least — is the principle of privilege, the outcome of sovereign selection.
SL Does the ‘one’ speak to each of us, that we should be individually right and available for the Lord?
JT That is the idea; ‘one’ representing the material, the stone; that is what the word ‘Peter’ means. It is more than simply a believer, although every true believer is a stone; if not practically, he is so potentially; according to Peter, a living stone is marked by movement (1 Peter 2:4,5). “Unto whom coming”, that is to say, Christ is the object for such an one as that. Peter had already said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee”. So that Peter represented that feature — one that would go to Christ, go in spite of the circumstances; the wind was still contrary, and strongly so, but He sought to go to Jesus, under His bidding. “Command me to come to thee upon the waters” — he recognises the waters,
[p. 352] that upon which Satan is acting. So that the material being there, the assembly is in prospect. And this chapter, among many other things, brings out the principle of sovereign selection, that is, three persons are selected out of many. Now the Lord is indicating that we are to have not only church material, but persons for church function. This brings in personality, which is another matter. The building material is one thing, but the functioning is dependent on those whom the Lord selects; and they are selected so as to be qualified in dignity. Peter later shews what he thought of this scene; he tell us of the majesty of Christ (2 Peter 1:16).
Another thing here is that the Lord refers to Himself expressly as “Son of man”, meaning that He is throwing reproach on the system that He is leaving — He is discrediting it. We do not want to leave anything that is not divinely discredited, but as soon as it is divinely discredited I must leave it. He has already left it. In chapter 16 “He left them and went away”; now He discredits what He has left. That is, He discredits it in the title He takes. The “Son of man” refers to all men, not to the Jewish system.
WHM In chapter 14 it is “Son of God”, here it is “Son of man”. Peter speaking of it says, We were “eyewitnesses of his majesty”. I was thinking of the glory of that blessed One who had been revealed to Peter, coming before his soul. Here the Lord speaks of Himself as the Son of man.
JT Yes; in chapter 14 He is worshipped as the Son of God. Then in chapter 16 He is revealed as the Son of the living God — revealed to one person, the man who represents the material for the assembly. And in this chapter He is announced from heaven as the beloved Son; that is what is in the mind of God — sonship. So that the sons are brought in at the end of this chapter; the sons are free. He is leading up now to the persons who form the assembly, from the standpoint of assembly [p. 353] function; for that you need heavenly dignity. The assembly is to represent heaven.
RWG Do you mean that these three alone were capable of going up to this mountain?
JT Well, it is what they would be capable of when they came down; what the experience involved for them.
RWG They were selected to be here.
JT The Lord says, “There are some of those standing here that shall not taste of death at all until they shall have seen the Son of man coming in his kingdom”; that is what He said. Then the passage says, He “takes with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brings them”, that is, it is not their doing; they have nothing to do with the selection. He does it; He takes them and brings them up; this is most important, for if the assembly is to be here according to the mind of God — functioning here — this must take place.
WH They were to be qualified?
JT They were to be qualified in dignity.
WH To function in the assembly?
JT Yes; shewing what the assembly is to be in the mind of God — what it is to be here; it is to be heavenly. And these three represent the kind of persons who form it. In his second epistle Peter shews how he understood later the great import of this occasion.
EG Do we get the assembly functioning in chapter 18?
JT Well, its functioning is suggested there — “tell it to the assembly”. God entrusts the assembly with certain prerogatives.
RW Does it take in what is priestly, in the functioning?
JT Well, it would, because we come out as sons in this chapter. The first thing is, I think, to see how the Lord discredits what He is leaving — He emphasises the title “Son of man”. It is not a title that necessarily enters into the assembly, but it refers to all men, as [p. 354] over against the special claims of the Jew to the Messiah.
Ques Do you mean that He stands in relation to all men as Son of man? And would you say that as Son of God He stands in relation to the assembly?
JT Yes; that is more the way it stands; He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
HH Do you mean that the assembly could not really be brought out until the link with Israel had been broken?
JT Not fully.
HH Christ had to be rejected first by them.
JT And not only that, but He leaves them. Chapter 16 4 says, “He left them and went away”, that would correspond with Paul’s ministry. He not only left them, but went away; He put a distance between Himself and them.
WH Then would you say the disciples would leave because He had left?
JT Yes. And then He discredits the system; not that He wishes to say anything against Israel, but to deliver His people out of it. The epistle to the Hebrews is on that line, so that the people of God should leave the Jewish system: “therefore let us go forth to him without the camp, bearing his reproach”, (Hebrews 13:13).
HH So that the assembly being here would mean that Judaism is discredited at the present time.
JT That is it; and so christendom today, unless believers see how the Lord has discredited the current religious systems, they will not leave them. But if He shews you that He has left them, He will discredit them, I mean spiritually; so that you can leave them with a good conscience.
HH The thought conveyed in this mountain would give you instruction, or light, for that action.
JT That is the idea. It is the transitional period here; the assembly has already come into view, and this mountain scene is to take the people of God out of a [p. 355] system that is untrue to Him; that is the setting here.
JRS Is that why it is called “a high mountain”?
JT Exactly; that is just why it is called a high mountain. There is great moral elevation. The scene is marked by supreme majesty and glory.
FI What position are the persons selected brought into, to enable them to be qualified?
JT Well, for us, the epistle to the Ephesians. That is, the Lord would introduce us to the heavenly position. I think that is it. What do you think?
FI Yes; I believe that is it.
JT We are raised up together, and made to sit down together (Ephesians 2:6). Notice that it says “together ... in the heavenlies”. Ephesians is on the principle of sovereign selection; we are chosen in Christ “before the world’s foundation, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love”.
JR What would James and John represent? You have dwelt on Peter; he was a stone.
JT The three together represent personality. Personality is distinct from material. “Thou art Peter” — that is not exactly the idea of a person, it is the idea of material. John, relating this incident, says, “Thou shalt be called Cephas”, that is the idea of a person. John brings the person in: “Jesus looking at him said ... thou shalt be called Cephas”, (John 1:42). But here, “Thou art Peter”, is based on his confession, not his appearance; the kind of material that was there. But in John it was when the Lord looked on him, that is, it is the personal appearance. So that the three together here are not suggestive of material, but of personal dignity.
JC Do you suggest that the Lord has set up a heavenly system in contrast to man’s system?
JT That is the idea; hence the display of dignity and glory in persons on this mountain; and that is what is meant in the selection of the three; these representing all who form [p. 356] the assembly.
FI If the three represent the whole, then every one is qualified to take up this function in the assembly.
JT That is the idea. Each of us is a son, a partaker of the heavenly calling. The epistle to the Hebrews is on this line, having in view their deliverance from the Jewish system.
Rem Thus christians, young and old, enter into the Ephesian position.
JT So that Ephesians really enters into 1 Corinthians, from that point of view. 1 Corinthians is that side of the assembly that touches the earth; it is “at Corinth”. But as on the earth it is something come down from heaven; Ephesians therefore qualifies properly for assembly function here.
When they came down from the mountain, “a man came to him, falling on his knees before him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic, and suffers sorely; for often he falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they were not able to heal him”. You see, they were not able to help this man. I only refer to this as shewing the discrepancy in them. The mountain implied the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; that is how Peter speaks of it. It was “the Son of man coming in his kingdom”; it meant power. It says, “he was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light”. The impotency of the disciples in the presence of this is intended to humble us.
WA “Jesus coming to them touched them”. Is that a different thought from what we had this morning — “Jesus stretched out his hand”? (Chapter 14:31).
JT Yes; there is more energy in the Lord’s action in chapter 14. Here it says, “And the disciples hearing it fell upon their faces, and were greatly terrified. And Jesus coming to them touched them, and said, Rise up,
and be not terrified”. He would bring them into accord with the scene they had witnessed; indeed His touch imparts His own feelings. Thus they were to descend with Him.
WA Is it characteristic of the position in which He touched them?
JT Quite so. As touched by Him “they saw no one but Jesus alone”.
WA Do you think we need that touch?
JT I am sure we do, because we are very little equal to the heavenly position accorded to us. The thought here is that we should see what is there. The Lord would bring us up, I am sure, as we desire this great favour.
RW Did not John get that touch on the isle of Patmos when the Lord said, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one”?
JT He did, indeed. He says, “he laid his right hand upon me”, (Revelation 1:17).
WHM You stress the fact that He brought them up; it was His power. And when they came down they were weak. Is it because they had not learnt the lesson?
JT I thought that. It is well to notice that He brought them up. As it reads, “Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart”. You feel it must represent something beyond ordinary ability in ourselves. It is a question of divine power, and I think we get that in Ephesians; He has “raised us up together, and has made us sit down together in the heavenlies”, (chapter 2:6).
WHM The Syrians of old had to learn that God was the God of the plain, as well as of the hills (1 Kings 20).
HH As you were saying a little while ago, this chapter stands in relation to Paul’s ministry; Paul’s ministry follows Stephen’s defence.
JT Exactly. So that the light comes out of [p. 358] heaven after that to Saul; and then the sheet from heaven to Peter; it is all to shew that the scene of operations is changed from Jerusalem on earth to heaven. That is, I think, the setting of this chapter.
EBG Is there a period of education between the sovereign selection of which you have spoken, and the functioning of the assembly?
JT I think there is. The chapter shews that although they were brought up thus, when they came down they were unable to help this man’s son. And then in Galilee the Lord spoke of His sufferings (verses 22,23); and in verse 24 the question of the taxes is raised, and Peter is not equal to these circumstances. Hence the need of education is evident.
EBG Surely. I was wondering whether the line of education might be indicated when the voice calls attention to the Lord in this wonderful way, and calls upon them to hear Him.
JT That was the thing. They would now be confirmed, I suppose, as to their apprehension of Him as the Son of God. We want to have things confirmed from heaven. The Father had revealed Him to one of them as the Son of the living God. But now the voice from heaven is, “Hear him”. And Peter says later, “this voice we heard uttered from heaven, being with him on the holy mountain”, (2 Peter 1:18). That is to say, something you hear up there. The Lord, I am sure, would encourage us to ascend; to increase our spiritual altitude.
FI It says, “they saw ... Jesus only”. Do you think they did not rise to the great thought of the “Beloved”? In the epistle to the Ephesians we are taken “into favour in the Beloved”, (chapter 1:6).
JT The weakness of the disciples in this scene is intended to impress us with the fact that redemption and the gift of the Spirit were essential to man’s entrance into and appreciation of the things of God. If these three men, having such advantages, could not, no one else can. The passage says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight: hear him”. It is very delightful to think of the Father calling attention to Him up there. At John’s baptism He was down here. Up there we are away from the influence of this world. Ministry is down here, but there is power against it, but on the holy mount there is liberty. What a delightful thing to hear that voice! “This voice we heard”, says Peter, “being with him on the holy mountain”.
SL Would you say that all the ministry we have and enjoy, and our consequent upbuilding, have in view the heavenly position?
JT I am sure they have. The first three mountains I think deliver us. And now you are capable of being taken up. It does not say they went up, as in chapter 5; they are brought up. He takes them, that is, out from others, “and brings them up”.
CMJ It was the voice from heaven that terrified them, not the shining of His face or the shining of His garments.
JT Luke shews that they went to sleep in the presence of the glory — before the voice was uttered. All shews how unequal they were to what was there. But when Peter refers to it later he has no terror in his heart — the very opposite, he is exulting in the glory of which he was an eyewitness.
It is marvellous to think of it — being taken up! It is a question of divine power taking us up, and what we hear up there. Paul speaks of hearing things that are not lawful for a man to utter, but he heard them. What power there would be in his soul afterwards!
RMcB When do we reach this?
JT Well, as I was saying, Ephesians shews the way of it. It is a question of seeing the position and that divine power can place us in it. First, you get the principle of affection in the sovereign counsels of God;
[p. 360] that we are to be before Him in love; He has made us accepted in the Beloved. That is to say, you are in a realm of affection that extends back before the world was. That is the position indicated in the beginning of Ephesians. Chapter 2 shews me that divine power places me there.
Ques Is that what you mean by ‘bringing’ and ‘taking’, which you referred to in this section in Matthew? Do you think of selection in regard to taking?
JT I think so; bringing up is power. And then what do I see up there? Well, I see Jesus as I never saw Him before — I never saw Him like that. He is transfigured before them; it is for their benefit. And then Moses and Elias are seen talking with Him. That is to say, heaven is a place of mutuality. You may inquire, Why was it not Jesus talking with them? It is to shew how mutual He is up there; He will let you talk with Him. Certainly I would like Him to talk with me. But even up there He lets you talk to Him. He loves to hear you talk to Him. “Moses and Elias appeared to them, talking with him”.
WW In chapter 14 He is in the mountain alone, and He is heard ‘apart’. These three are brought apart and they hear. Is it because they are apart?
JT That is it, they are entirely away from earthly links and influences. And then you see Jesus as you never saw Him before, transfigured there, His countenance like the sun. And these two are talking with Him. Well now, how are these three going to act up there? They are quite unequal to the position. But then we should be less equal; I mean, they are not singular. The Lord selected the very best, and this is the result. What education therefore is needed! The education comes in afterwards. Peter says, “let us make here three tabernacles: for thee one, and for Moses one, and one for Elias”. He has entirely missed the point in chapter 14. There we read that the Lord “went [p. 361] up into the mountain apart to pray. And when even was come, he was alone there”, nobody else there. No one else can intercede for me there. In chapter 14 the point is that He is there alone. But here Peter misses that; he talks of making three tabernacles; he would place Moses and Elias on the same level as Jesus; therefore they are withdrawn. While He was still speaking the bright cloud overshadowed them, and the voice out of it is heard, “This is my beloved Son ... hear him”. The Father resents the indignity of making even the most honoured saints equal with His Son.
RWG You were speaking of our being brought up by divine selection to a realm of affection; what a vast realm that is!
JT You get a little peep into heaven here really. This is the most interesting of all the mountains in Matthew, because it is an inlet into heaven; it indicates the conditions existing in heaven.
RWG The hymn says, ‘Bright inlet to the light of heaven above’.
JT The voice out of the cloud implies that God would bring into evidence what Christ is to Him. You want to know what He is to God.
FI Formation through ministry is that we should be available for this.
EBG Is it in the light of this that every earthly system is discredited — everything which has become in the hands of man an element of the world?
JT Well, I thought that. The assembly viewed in its heavenly origin and setting, is that in which these great things are realised now. How am I to be there? how can I fit into that? I have some little idea of fitting into an organisation here on earth, but how am I to act in relation to what is altogether heavenly? And if I do not learn how to be there, I shall not act according to God down here.
LES Would that be involved in what is said here — “After six days”? I wondered if the six days refer to what relates to the earth?
JT I think so. The six days would also suggest a period of adjustment. If we are going to be received up into the heavens, it is grace to give us six days. Normally, during those days I am questioning as to my fitness.
RMcB Does not this open the door for the Lord to come in to where two or three are gathered together, that He might get His place?
JT Well, it prepares the kind of persons who are to be gathered. This chapter is to bring out their personality; it is the personality of those who form the assembly, and I can never reach chapter 18 without going through this.
HB Would Moses and Elias represent the glorified saints?
JT I think they do. I think you get a peep into heaven, as was said already, to see the mutuality of things, and how Jesus is distinguished above all others. He is transfigured before them; and then comes Peter’s blundering, and then heaven’s voice: “This is my beloved Son”. That is to say, the Father is asserting His affection for that One, and I am to hear Him.
RW Did you say that we must know what is here before we reach chapter 18?
JT Yes. Chapter 18 is where the assembly is seen, as you might say, functioning. We are to tell things to it. You see this illustrated in Abigail; she is a type of the church, as knowing what to do, and how to do it. One of the young men, hearing about Nabal’s answer to David, tells Abigail, stressing how serious the situation was. He did not attempt to do anything save to tell her. This chapter is to qualify the assembly for taking up these things; it knows what to do. Hence the Lord says, “tell it to the assembly”. So that, as the young man tells Abigail, she sets out with two hundred loaves, wine, sheep, and raisins, etc. You see,
[p. 363] she is fully furnished, and she knows exactly what to do, and the crisis is met — met according to God. She represents the assembly as formed of persons indicated in this chapter — so that if anything happens locally that portends disaster, wisdom will tell it to the assembly, will place it where it belongs.
RW We not only know what to do, but we know how to do it?
JT Yes; you do it after a heavenly fashion.
JRS And the voice from heaven is to establish that.
JT Yes; that is, you learn everything from the Son — “hear him”.
FS Do they begin to learn in verse 19? “The disciples, coming to Jesus apart”.
JT Yes; exactly. “The disciples, coming to Jesus apart, said to him, Why were not we able to cast him out?” That is a good question.
HL Moses and Elias here know what to do. Are they the pattern in that way?
JT Yes. They are talking with Him; they recognise Him. As in heaven our education is finished. The twenty-four elders always know what to do and say.
EBG Why did you remark that that was a good question?
JT Well, it is a good question. If you have to deal with a thing that you cannot settle — that seems to be insoluble — this is the way to take. “Hard matters they brought to Moses”, (Exodus 18:26). Here we read, “The disciples, coming to Jesus apart, said to him, Why were not we able to cast him out?” The Lord answers, “Because of your unbelief”. There was a moral reason for their impotency.
EBG As they accepted His rebuke they would be prepared for help. It was not to discourage them.
JT That is right. Certainly what they saw on the mount indicated sufficient power. So that the difficulty is, “Because of your unbelief”. The Lord adds, “for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Be transported hence there, and it shall transport itself”. I suppose He alludes to the Jewish system; it would become clear later that it stood in their way.
Ques In Ephesians 2:8 it says, “by grace are ye saved through faith”. Is not that the way preservation comes in from this thought of unbelief?
JT Quite so; salvation there is more than what you get in the kingdom. Salvation in Ephesians is from the earth as a place.
RMcB What do Moses and Elias teach us in relation to this?
JT I think they represent the heavenly saints, as has been remarked. “Moses and Elias appeared to them talking with him”. The point to note is not simply that they appear, but they appear to them, talking with Him. You have therefore a heavenly scene, but a scene in which Christ appears in relations in keeping with His dignity. It is not simply two heavenly saints talking to one another, we can understand that perhaps; but the great thing is to see two heavenly saints talking with Jesus, with the Son of God. So that I get an inlet into heaven, and see something of what will go on there; that the Lord will move about amongst His own there, so that they may talk with Him. Along with this, the Father’s voice owns Him as Son.
RMcB So that we are nearer to heaven than we think we are.
JT Well, that is the question.
LM They are glorified ones talking to One that they see now glorified in their presence.
JT Yes; the Lord is not seen in His lowly estate now. He is in His heavenly condition, as we might say, in His habiliments of heavenly glory. It ought to rob us of all legality and distance. Heaven will be marked [p. 365] by the mutuality of perfect love, but the dignity and glory proper to Christ’s Person will shine everywhere.
EG Moses and Elias talked with Him after He was transfigured.
Ques I would like to know how far you limit that thought — the Son of man coming in His kingdom. Would Ephesians be a greater thought?
JT Mark presents the kingdom of God come in power, and Luke the kingdom of God simply. But here it is the Son of man coming in His kingdom; that is, the Person — the mind is directed to the Person, how He is in this great scene of glory. Ephesians shews how we are made fit for it. The thought of His movement enters into this scene — the Son of man coming in His kingdom. In Acts 1:11 we have His going up to heaven and His coming back: “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”. That is to say, they saw how He went up. The point here is how He comes in His kingdom; it is a question of His majesty. We ought all to get clearly in our souls the idea of the way He comes — the movements of Christ; how He moves in this scene of glory. And then how these heavenly saints appear and converse with Him. And then we have the Father’s voice owning Him as Son.
HH Both Moses and Elias were familiar with heaven. Moses was on the mount and learnt the pattern, and Elijah had been a good long time in that heavenly scene, having gone up without dying; it all suggests that we should find our pleasure there at the present time.
JT Yes, it does; they were both failing men, but now they know heaven’s ways. They are free to speak with the Lord of glory up there.
And then the next thing is the Father’s love. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, but if we want to see love in its fulness we want to see the Father’s relation with the Son. So that John 1:14 says, “we have [p. 366] contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only begotten with a father”. It was the relation between the Father and the Son.
Ques What would the bright cloud be?
JT The allusion is to the tabernacle in the wilderness, only that now Christ here was the tabernacle, and the cloud is bright. I think that alludes to His Person. It was to honour Him.
JC You seem to make a difference between talking with Him and talking to Him. Can we talk to Him and not talk with Him?
JT Talking with Him is more mutual.
Ques Does all this suggest what we have in the assembly today?
JT Quite so; only that you must have Ephesians. Ephesians must govern our position in the assembly. Corinthians is the earthly side of it. But how I am to be in the assembly, functioning in it, depends on Ephesians, as already said. Sonship as known in true power fits us for the assembly. So we find at the end of the chapter that the Lord associates us with Himself: “me and thee”, and “the sons are free”. Now we have the sons. On the mount we have the Son: “This is my beloved Son”, but at the end of the chapter the sons are free.
Another thing that comes out in the setting of this mountain is very solemn, that is, in chapter 16: “From that time Jesus began to shew to his disciples that he must go away to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised”, (verse 21). And then, in chapter 17, He said to them, “The Son of man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and the third day he shall be raised up”. These two statements are in the setting of this mountain, and our hearts should be touched by them. The Lord would touch us by shewing us that He must suffer; for how are we to come into all these things [p. 367] if we have not feeling in regard to the sufferings of Christ.
HH You were referring to singing. The saints are really given over in their hearts to that which is set out in the holy writings in regard to the sufferings of Christ; it is cherished in the spirits of the saints. As we speak of what is heavenly and eternal it is as having the feelings of Christ. It is important for us to be balanced in that way.
JT It gives lustre and tone, hence here, He began to shew His disciples that He must “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised”. The assembly, whilst brought by divine selection into all this heavenly glory, is to be marked by sufferings. “And fill up that which is behind”, says the apostle, “of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church”, (Colossians 1:24).
LE S. Would not Paul, in being caught up to heaven, somewhat suggest this, as having been qualified by suffering?
JT Just so; he details the sufferings he went through before he touches on the heavenly vision afforded him (2 Corinthians 11). Paul would fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ. The apostle could not bear the thought of that being behind. Whatever advance we may make we must balance it with the sufferings of Christ. The bride is the Lamb’s wife, she is the wife of the suffering One. That is a feature of this mountain.
HH The mountains round about Jerusalem are the witness of a great deal of suffering.