1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

with themselves, questioning one with another what theLord meant by the rising again from the dead." Thus,little by little, the Great Teacher impressed upon Histrue disciples great truths which they could not otherwisehave learned, seeing that they had not yet been begottenof the Holy Spirit; for the Holy Spirit was not yetgiven, the Pentecost blessing had not yet come, becauseJesus had not yet suffered nor risen from the dead, norascended into the presence of God to make Sin-Atonementon their behalf.The fact that Moses and Elijah appeared as real tothe Apostles as though they were in life does not contradictthe words of Jesus that what they saw was avision. We are to remember the many visions givenlater on to one of these Apostles, St. John, recorded inthe Book of Revelation. In those visions St. John sawangels and men, horsemen, beasts, crowns, etc., and heardvoices and singing and talking, etc., just as in this vision.THE MEANING OF THE VISIONWe have St. Peter's words (2 Pet. 1:16) in corroborationof the text here, that what they saw on the mountainrepresented the Royal Majesty of Messiah--theKingdom of Messiah. Moses represented the faithful ofNatural Israel, the "House of Servants"; "Moses as aservant, was faithful over all his House." Elijah representedThe Christ in the flesh, the House of Sons, whichhas been in process of development throughout this GospelR5121 : page 330Age. All of the consecrated, spirit-begotten peopleof God, during this Age, are represented by Elijah, who,God promised, should come before Messiah would set upHis Kingdom. In other words, the Elijah class is composedof Jesus and all of His footstep followers throughoutthis Gospel Age--in their earthly or fleshly condition,spirit-begotten, but not yet spirit-born.This Elijah company as a whole must be developedand must do a work in the world before the real Kingdomof Messiah can be established. The glorification of Jesus,following His death and resurrection, was due, but asthe glorified One He stood between the Moses class,called previously, and the Elijah class, which had justbegun to be called to be His joint-heirs in the Kingdom.He was thus in their midst, and the crucifixion atJerusalem was about to fulfil all the conditions necessaryto the bringing about of the Messianic reign.But the glorification of Jesus was not the onlything necessary; the entire Church, the Body, must sufferwith Him and be completed and then be joined with Himbeyond the veil before the Kingdom glory can be fullyestablished. This work of calling and preparing anElijah class has been in progress for more than eighteencenturies and we believe is now nearly completed. As