LECTION 46 - The Transfiguration & the Law
The Transfiguration on the Mount.
1. AFTER six days, when the Feast (of Tabernacles) was nigh at hand, Iesus taketh the twelve and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and as he was praying the fashion of his countenance was changed, and he was transfigured before them, and his face did shine [as] the sun, and his raiment was white [as] the light.
2. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him and spake of the Law, and of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
3.. And Moses spake, saying,
This is he of whom I foretold, saying, A prophet from the midst of thy brethren, like unto me shall the Eternal send unto you, and that which the Eternal speaketh unto him, shall he speak unto you, and unto him shall ye hearken, and whoso will not obey shall bring upon themselves their own destruction.
4. Then Peter said unto Iesus,
Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5. While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and twelve rays [as] of the sun issued from behind the cloud, and a voice came out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were sore amazed, and Iesus came and touched them and said,
Arise and be not afraid.
And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Iesus only. And the six glories were seen upon him.
7. AND Iesus said unto them,
Behold a new law I give unto you (which is not new but old). Even as Moses gave the Ten Commandments to Israel after the flesh, so also I give unto you the Twelve for the Kingdom (of Israel) after the Spirit.
8. For who are the Israel of God ? Even they of every nation and tribe who work righteousness, love mercy and keep my commandments, these are the true Israel of God.
The Giving of the Law.
And standing upon his feet, Iesus spake, saying:
9. Hear O Israel (IOVA thy God) is One; many are My seers, and My prophets. In Me all live and move, and have subsistence.
10. Ye shall not take away the life of any creature for your pleasure, nor for your profit. nor yet torment it.
11. Ye shall not steal the goods of any, nor gather lands and riches to yourselves, beyond your need or use.
12. Ye shall not eat the flesh, nor drink the blood of any slaughtered creature, nor yet any thing which bringeth disorder to your health or senses.
13. Ye shall not make impure marriages (where love and health are not) nor yet corrupt yourselves, or any creature made pure by the Holy.
14. Ye shall not bear false witness against any, nor wilfully deceive any by a lie to hurt them.
15. Ye shall not do unto others, as ye would not that others should do unto you.
16. Ye shall worship One Eternal, the Father-Mother in Heaven, of Whom are all things, and reverence the holy Name.
17. Ye shall revere your fathers and your mothers on earth (whose care is for you) and all the Teachers (of Righteousness).
18. Ye shall cherish and protect the weak, and those who are oppressed, and all creatures that suffer wrong.
19. Ye shall work with your hands the things that are good and seemly; so shalt ye eat the fruits (Of the earth) and live long in the land.
20. Ye shall purify yourselves daily and rest the Seventh Day from labour, keeping holy the Sabbaths and the Festival of your God.
21. Ye shall do unto others as ye would that others should do unto you.
22. And when the disciples heard these words, they smote upon their breasts, saying:
Wherein we have offended. O God forgive us: and may thy wisdom, love and truth within us incline our hearts to love and keen this Holy Law.
23. And Iesus said unto them,
My yoke is equal and my burden light, if ye will to bear it, to you it will be easy. Lay no other burden on those that enter into the Kingdom, but only these necessary things.
24. This is the new Law unto the Israel (of God) and the Law is within, for it is the Law of Love, and it is not new but old. Take heed that ye add nothing to this law, neither take anything from it. Verily I say unto you, they who believe and obey this law shall be saved, and they who know and obey it not, shall be lost.
25. But as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive. And the disobedient shall be purged through many fires; and they who persist shall descend and shall perish eternally.
26. And as they came down from the mountain, Iesus charged them, saying,
Tell the vision to no man, until the Son (of man) be risen again from the dead.
27. His disciples asked him, saying,
Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
And Iesus answered and said unto them,
Elias truly shall first come and restore all things.
28. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son (of man) suffer of them.
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John (the Baptist).
LECTION 46. 2-7. -The appearance of Moses, to hand over, as it were, the Law and the Dispensation to Iesus, throws a light on the reason of the Transfiguration, which is lost in the accepted version. Elias also appears, so as to make, with Moses, the "two witnesses" required by the law. They recognize Iesus, and witness to him as the great Prophet whom God should raise to succeed and take the place of Moses as the Legislator of the New Dispensation.
The "six glories" may have reference to the six precepts In each table of the law as now given, or more probably to the six attributes of each of the two aspects of the Christ, six feminine and six masculine, as inherent in the Two in One -the " Father-Mother of the age to come." They are referred to in one of the most ancient gospels.
LECTION 46. 10-12 -Compare this with the Law as given by Moses in the "Book of the Going Forth of Israel," p. 35, all chiefly negative precepts. In the law given by Christ there are six negative and six positive. The negative is the external Way, in which certain actions are forbidden. The positive the interior way, in which certain duties are enjoined. As the prohibitions are summed up in the negative form of the Golden Rule, so the commands are summed up in the positive form. Had this law been faithfully observed by all Christians, there would have been no divisions or war as now, and this earth would have been a paradise for all. The allegations brought against Christianity and Christ as the cause of strife and bloodshed, are therefore baseless. It is the spirit of selfishness, of perversity, in direct opposition to the Law of Christ, which has been the root of all the evils laid to the charge of Christianity, as he said, "Behold I come to bring peace upon earth, but what if a sword cometh?" Besides the loss of life by wars and intemperance of all kinds, the amount of material wealth wasted yearly in Christian countries, is not only needless, but injurious things, forbidden by the Laws of Christ, is simply appalling. More
v. 12. -" Slaughtered " is the truer rendering which has in former editions been wrongly translated "living."
LECTION 46. 24..-The law as given through Moses "by the ministry of angels," and as the Church of Israel (the typical nation) received it through their Interpreters and Scribes, had no precept forbidding cruelty, oppression, flesh eating, drunkenness, the worship of mammon, impure marriages for money or position, and other vices and crimes which are the cause of nearly all the misery which now afflicts men and women " called to be happy sons and daughters of God Almighty , and which are visited by the holy Law on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that despise it, shewing mercy to all who love it." Nor yet did it include that mutual consideration for each other (positively and negatively) which is summed up in the one commandment of Christ " Love ye one another," not excluding therefrom the creatures which God hath given to be our earth mates and companions. More