Vision

As Peter, James and John came down the mountain with Jesus, and Moses and Elijah had gone home, there was a conversation about three things, i.e. silence, resurrection, and Elijah. Regarding keeping quiet, Jesus commanded these men not to tell anyone until after His resurrections which was months away. Do you have any idea how hard this would be for these men? Surely they would be asked by the other apostles what happened on the mountain. If they told them they could not tell them, it would just add to the mystery. We are curious people, and we want to know people's secrets. But, commonly held secrets bind people together. Shared experiences bring people closer, normally. But, in this case it may have given rise later to the question of who is the greatest. Surely these three felt special to share such a "vision" as this.

Matthew records Jesus as saying, "Tell the vision to no one..." When I see the word "vision" I tend to want to classify it and make a distinction between a vision and a dream or a prophesy, or the like. I get the idea that a vision is something special given by God to communicate some direction to man, like painting a picture in the sky or in our minds that we are supposed to go reproduce in real life. Much in life has come about because someone has claimed that God gave them a vision. Of course if it is from God then I must work to make it real. But, in this case the vision Jesus is speaking of is not something these men are supposed to reproduce in life as in having glowing faces every day. The vision was real. It really happened, and the reason it is called a vision is because the apostles saw it. We tend to think in "vision statements" describing what we think God wants us to make happen. But, this vision was about describing what really happened and drawing out of it the truth God was revealing through the vision as Peter did later in his epistle. If you look up "vision" in a concordance you will find the places in Scripture according to the particular translation that describes something seen. In Genesis 46:2, God spoke to Jacob in visions (like seeing the ladder up to heaven). In 1 Samuel 3:1 we are told that during the days of young Samuel visions were infrequent in Israel, but God spoke to the boy during the night. Job had visions in the night (4:13). Isaiah speaks of drunk priests and prophets who see visions (28:7), perhaps like pink elephants. The people of Isaiah's day did not want the prophets seeing visions, instead they wanted them to tell them illusions (30:10). Ezekiel speaks of those who had visions of peace, and there was no peace (13:16). Daniel was a master of interpreting the visions of the mind and dreams (1:17).

Paul had a vision that he could not tell that led to his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor.12), and he warns of those who stand on their vision and inflate it to make themselves look special and important and wise (Col.2:18). Joel told us that young men in the new order would see visions (Acts 2:17). It seems to me that visions are tricky things, easily manipulated by men for their own purposes. My advice is be careful when someone says they had a vision. It is better to say my vision is such and such and quote a Scripture that clearly teaches what God has said His will is for us. This is God's vision for His people. Jesus Himself was the vision that day. When the bright light faded, and the heavenly guest went home, and the cloud lifted, and God's voice stopped echoing off the rocks, and the disciples' mouths closed, there was Jesus, the heavenly vision of what God desires all of us to become.