And behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him. Matthew 17:3
Thousands of people flooded into the Aitken Centre in Fredericton for leadership convention for the provincial Liberal Party. Most of them were spectators, and they were required to remain in the stands. But on the convention floor, several thousand delegates and officials and candidate organizers flocked to conduct the business of selecting a new party leader. As a reporter, it was my responsibility to watch the proceedings, communicate with the convention officials, and interview many of the people who were there. Of course, it was important to know who I was talking to, but that was not a problem. Every person on that convention floor, reporters included, was required to wear a large identification badge. A quick glance at each person’s badge told me who the person was, where they were from, and what their purpose was on that floor. Those badges eliminated most of the confusion that could have occurred in such a huge crowd. There won’t be any identification badges in Heaven, but there won’t be any confusion over who each person is, if our text is any indication.
On that Mount of Transfiguration, three disciples were given a little glimpse into the very atmosphere of Heaven. The shining brilliance of the three who stood before them was more than the disciples could bear to look upon. Such is the shining brilliance of those who reside in the Glory. And the identity of those who conversed with the Lord Jesus was readily apparent to the disciples. How did they know? Although it is difficult for us to appreciate, the disciples simply knew. That’s the way it is in Heaven. Knowledge such as the identity of every person there will be ours in that happy land. This is so different from our earthly environment, where in a large crowd we must search for familiar faces, or depend on name tags or personal introductions. This difference in identifying people makes the prospect of arriving in Heaven all the more fascinating.
The account of the transfiguration contains surprisingly few details. That is not because the disciples didn’t see and hear and understand much. I believe it is because what those three lads saw went beyond what their minds could understand and their words could describe. A brother-in-law suggested to me one time that perhaps God has allowed us to know so little about what Heaven is like because if we knew more we would kill ourselves so we could get there more quickly. That may be. All of us have seen loved ones die and be buried, leaving us with the hope of seeing them in the Glory someday. Our text suggests to us that we will one day be speaking with our loved ones again.
Great mysteries surround Heaven’s realities. But little hints whet our appetitites to learn more. -Jim MacIntosh