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The words "there are some" in Matthew 16:28 refer to Peter, James, and John. "His kingdom" refers to the kingdom of the Son of Man. (The kingdom of God lasts for eternity, while the kingdom of the Son of God refers only to the heavenly part of the millennium.) Here, it is the kingdom of the Son of Man. (See Matthew 13:41 and Psalm 8. Revelation 3:21 mentions two thrones. The throne in which we will participate is the throne of the Son of Man. See Revelation 1:13, where the Lord is the Son of Man). "In His kingdom" refers to the glory in the millennium. Why does the preceding portion call for self-denial? When will one see the realization of gaining the soul through losing it, and losing the soul through saving it? "For the Son of Man is to come" (v. 27). The preceding portion mentions death and resurrection; here, in verse 27, it mentions His coming. What does His coming mean? Verse 28 is an explanation of this. Peter, James, and John were with the Lord on three special occasions: in the house of Jairus, on the mount of transfiguration, and in Gethsemane. This chapter reveals the beauty of the kingdom of the heavens; what happened was not a type but the real kingdom of the heavens. First it was revealed and then was taken back again. In 2 Peter 1:16, Peter mentioned the "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This proves that it was the actual coming of the kingdom of the Son of Man. "Some...shall by no means taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." These three persons had indeed seen it.
Verse 1: "And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain privately." "And after six days." Works and battles have all passed away. (Luke says eight days, because the first day was also included. Matthew is a book of doctrine; hence, it was not written carelessly.) Peter, John, and James, all three, were ministers. "Privately." All great revelations are revealed in private. Only in private can one receive God's revelation and God's fellowship.
Verse 2:"And He was transfigured before them, and His face shined like the sun, and His garments became as white as the light." The Lord was transfigured in His position as the Son of Man. There is no possibility of change as the Son of God. He was not transfigured from the Son of Man to the Son of God, but from the humble, suffering, rejected Son of Man to the One receiving the kingdom, honor, and glory. With such glory in view, is it not worthwhile for one to bear the cross? This proves that Peter's word, "God be merciful to You, Lord!" in 16:22 was wrong. This encourages us to suffer and to bear the cross. "His face." Only Matthew pays attention to the glory of the King. The sun is a type of the kingdom, which also means glory.
Verse 3:"And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Him." "Moses and Elijah." The way that the three gospels record them is different: Mark says "Elijah with Moses" (Mark 9:4) because Mark speaks concerning the Slave. Moses was a servant of God and was therefore placed in a lower position. Luke says "two men" (Luke 9:30) because Luke speaks concerning man. "Moses and Elijah" — one is a representative of the law, and the other is a representative of the prophets. The two spoke with the Lord all the time, not only once. The law says that the Lord became a sacrifice for sin. The prophecies foretell how He will become the King and receive glory. The law refers to His suffering, while the prophecies speak of His glory. "Conversing with Him." They were probably talking about how the Lord fulfilled the law and the prophecies. Luke said that they "spoke of His departure, which He was about to complete in Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31).
Verse 4:"And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You are willing, I will make three tents here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah." Peter opened up his mouth the third time, and again he spoke words of ignorance. Peter could only fish. He could only do his part at Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius; he could not make tents. The latter was Paul's business, which is to build up the church. The Lord was a carpenter; therefore, He was crucified. Peter's expression here showed that he understood the joy of the glory in the kingdom of the heavens; therefore, he did not want to go down from the mountain. "Make three tents." This is wrong, because: (1) Peter thought that one could enjoy the glory of the kingdom of the heavens without suffering, losing the soul, or bearing the cross. He did not feel the need to descend from the mountain in order to suffer. (There were demons at the foot of the mountain.) Many people are like this. When God blesses them a little, they would not strive to make any more progress. They become lazy and avoid sufferings. Instead, they desire to have the blessing. (2) Many think that the kingdom is now and that the millennium is now. This is like Peter and the other disciples, who thought that they could enjoy the kingdom of the heavens right then. (3) Peter thought that Moses and Elijah could stand in the same position as the Lord. In the world, the Lord indeed had emptied Himself and had made Himself of no reputation. But in the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord is the highest One. Moses and Elijah were men among men and were respected by all. But they could not be ranked in the same position with the Lord, for the Father loves only the Son (see the following), and every knee shall bow unto the Lord (Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11). Moses resurrected from the dead, and Elijah was the first one to be raptured; yet they could not be ranked together with the Lord. The Lord would not answer Peter's question. The answer that is without an answer is the best answer. (Peter had forgotten the acknowledgement in chapter sixteen.)
Verse 5:"While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!" "While he was still speaking." God interrupted Peter's senseless speaking and did not want him to go on. Therefore, He said, "Hear Him!" "A bright cloud." This is for the Holy of Holies, which appeared when God descended on the holy mountain (Exo. 24:16). The "voice" is an experience pertaining to the ark. "My Son, the Beloved." This elevated the Lord to a position above Moses and Elijah, signifying that grace far exceeds the law and the prophecies. The same words were spoken during the Lord's baptism. Why was there the need for repetition? The Lord's baptism was an indication of His death and resurrection. The incident here indicates the Lord's determination to be crucified (by refusing Peter's intervention). Today God also delights in the obedient ones who bear the cross. God delights in the suffering ones who receive the kingdom. "Hear Him!" Do not speak rashly, but hear Him. (Many people can only talk but cannot hear.) What should they hear? They should hear all the words that the Lord speaks, especially those concerning self-denial and the bearing of the cross (Matt. 16:24-27). "Hear Him!" Now there is only He; there is no more Moses and Elijah.
Verse 6:"And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their face and were greatly frightened." "Greatly frightened." Who would not be afraid of God's descending?
Verse 7:"And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, Arise, and do not be afraid." "Do not be afraid" — because we are still in the age of grace.
Verse 8:"And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone." "They saw no one except Jesus Himself alone." The glory of the Son of Man covers everything. The law, the prophecies, the voices (visions), and the companions will all pass away. Only Jesus remains. May we have only Jesus.
Verses 1-8 reveal the kingdom of the heavens on the holy mountain. (1) Christ receives glory and becomes king; (2) Moses signifies the believers who have died and resurrected (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:13-17); (3) Elijah signifies the believers who will be raptured while still alive (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:13-17); (4) Peter, James, and John signify the untransformed Israelites as the people in the kingdom (Ezek. 37:21-28); and (5) the people at the foot of the mountain signify the nations (Isa. 11:10-12). From verse 1 through verse 8, we see that after a man dies, his body changes, but his form remains the same as before. The three disciples knew Moses and Elijah. The rich man died and he recognized Abraham.
Verse 9:"And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." "Tell...to no one." Why is this? This is because the Lord had already been rejected, and to draw the unbelievers by His glory was quite meaningless. To draw people while they are touched is meaningful, but it is useless to draw the unbelievers. The three disciples were all special ministers; therefore, they needed special strengthening.
Verse 10:"And the disciples asked Him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" The three asked this question because they had just seen Elijah. They still had a fresh image and thought that the revelation on the mountain was the fulfillment of the prophecies (Mal. 4:5).
Verse 11:"And He answered and said, Elijah indeed is coming and will restore all things." "Elijah indeed is coming." According to God's arrangement, if a man was willing to receive the testimony of John, he would know that John was Elijah (Matt. 11:14). Although he was not Elijah reincarnated, he had the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17).
Verse 12:"But I say to you that Elijah has already come; and they did not recognize him, but did with him the things they wished. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer by them." It is a pity that no one received John's testimony, and they even "did with him the things they wished." Today we cannot see Elijah, because the Son of Man was rejected. If one mistreated the forerunner, he would surely mistreat the Son of Man also. Since Elijah was rejected, the Messiah also would be rejected. Therefore, although there was the glory on the mountain, it had to remain covered because there was no need for such testimonies in this age. The Lord also said that the slave is not above his master (Matt. 10:24). The Messiah was rejected, and Elijah also was rejected. Again He said, "He who rejects you rejects Me" (Luke 10:16). Without the Messiah, what is the use of having an Elijah?
Verse 13:"Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them concerning John the Baptist." The Lord did not mention John's name, but the disciples already knew that He meant John. Although sometimes the Bible does not mention something directly, we should understand the Lord's mind.
Verses 14-15:"And when they came to the crowd, a man came to Him, falling on his knees before Him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire and often into the water." The general subject of this section (vv. 14-21) is the Lord's feelings toward man's unbelief. No other deed or achievement can reveal this kind of feeling. "A man." This one was a remnant and was obviously a sinner. When the son was possessed, he was thrown "into the water" and "into the fire." Water is cold and fire is hot. This means that when a demon takes possession of a person's body, he makes the person feel either cold or hot. In other words, the person becomes an epileptic. There are many demons of this kind.
Verse 16:"And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to heal him." The disciples thought that casting out demons was an easy thing and that they had the experience. Since they had been with the Lord for quite a long time, they assumed that they should have this ability. In spiritual matters one should never assume anything. If you do not have the real capability, you will surely fail. The disciples wanted to try; it is no wonder that they failed. The disciples could not cure the man and were instead deceived by the demon, which signifies that the Jews will be deceived by Satan's power during the great tribulation.
Verse 17:"And Jesus answered and said, O unbelieving and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." Here we can see the suffering given to the Lord through the heart of unbelief. Endurance is a suffering. The suffering of unbelief is worse than that of being scolded or beaten. "How long shall I be with you?" When the Lord was in the world, He had to endure all the time. He had no choice but to endure; therefore, He had to say this. (Because the Lord was honest, people did not like to dwell with Him; this was the Lord's heart.) "Unbelieving" is toward the Lord, while "perverted" is toward oneself. "Bring him here to Me." The father (and the mother), the child himself, and several of the disciples did not have the solution. The Lord said these words to show that only He had the solution. The child's father was comforted immediately. These words are truly precious and comforting. Why did he not go to Jesus first?
Verse 18:"And Jesus rebuked it, and the demon came out from him; and the boy was healed from that hour." "Rebuked." This is to say that the demon ought not to do that. Following the rebuke, there must be a command. In casting out demons, prayer alone is useless. There must be the rebuking and the commanding. We dare only to pray, but we dare not rebuke. Prayer is the receiving of authority and power from God. After receiving these, you still need to apply them by rebuking the demon in order to cast it out, because the demon knows the Lord Jesus. When the man sought for healing, he only said, "He has epilepsy," but when the Lord cured him, He "rebuked" the demon. This shows that whenever we pray for healing, we should have such spiritual insight that we can distinguish whether the source of the sickness is natural or supernatural. The man said that it was sickness, but the Lord said that it was a demon. When the demon was cast out, the sickness was cured. It may be said that the demon was the source of sickness. When you pray for man's sickness and have faith that God will surely heal him, but such faith does not bring any result, you must immediately discern whether or not the sickness results from a supernatural cause. (All those who believe Romans 6:10, yet still lose their temper and fall, must be bound by an evil spirit. It is not they themselves who have sinned, but the evil spirit that has compelled them to sin. Romans 6:10 deals only with sin, not with the demons.)
Verse 19:"Then the disciples, coming to Jesus privately, said, Why were we not able to cast it out?" Verses 19-21 are a textbook on casting out demons. "Privately" — because they were afraid to lose face.
Verse 20:"And He said to them, Because of your little faith; for truly I say to you, If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." "Little faith" should be translated "unbelief." This unbelief refers to the unbelief of the believers, not to disbelieving in Jesus as the Savior. "Mountain" and "mustard seed" are both figures of speech. A mountain is most stable and firm. But by faith one can remove many mountains. Many difficulties are not like meteors but are as firm and stable as mountains. For example, there may be sons and daughters in your family who are unbelieving or jobless. Faith not only can remove mountains but also can deal with anything; it can deal with all kinds of difficulties. Why did they first ask others for help?
Verse 21:"But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Faith is different from praying and fasting. Here the Lord shows us the prayer that backs up one's faith. We always say that once we have faith, we do not need to pray but only to give thanks. If we continue to pray, our faith will be shaken, especially when we are asking God for something. However, in dealing with the demons, this is not true. Once we have faith, we still need to pray unceasingly. Once we have the faith to cast out demons, we need to ask for the execution. In Luke 18 we see the widow's continual petition for the avenging of her adversary, Satan. In order to deal with Satan, we need to attack him every day (by the way of praying) until the time of death. Even when we have faith, we still need to pray and fast. These two are works indeed, and they also are an attitude. (On that specific day, the Lord Himself had not prayed and fasted.) Since the Lord could cast out the demon, we know that He must have prayed and fasted previously. The Lord had the attitude of praying and fasting, which is the attitude of relying on God and overcoming oneself, controlling oneself. Therefore, besides the works, we also need such an attitude. For this, every believer needs to be on the alert all the time for this kind of demon, which is the most fierce of all the demons. There are small demons, and there are big demons; the small demons can be overcome by the singing of hymns or the reading of the Bible. Since we are Christians, we should not consider any demon to be too great, but neither should we consider it as too small. Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis once said, "Underestimating the evil spirits is the cause of suffering loss, while uplifting the evil spirits is the cause of losing one's dignity." We need to keep 1 John 4:4 firmly in mind and acknowledge that we cannot do anything in ourselves and that, therefore, we need to pray and fast.
The necessary conditions for casting out demons are: (1) Faith — believing that the name of the Lord has been exalted by God to be "above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Phil. 2:9-10; Eph. 1:20-22; Heb. 1:4). Every demon knows Philippians 2:9. Let us believe firmly in Philippians 2:9. Sometimes it is sufficient to know only Jesus because Jesus is the sign of victory, power, and authority. We may say, "Jesus is Lord" or "Jesus is the Victor." (2) Boldness — if you are afraid, you have no faith; at least your faith is not sufficient. Since the name of the Lord is exalted, we must demonstrate our courage and power. Keep 1 John 4:4 in mind; either you will have to lose, or the demon will have to be cast out. (3) Endurance — the demon can at best delay (even ten times, to and fro). Never suppose that the name of the Lord is ineffective; instead, hold fast this determination. If the demon stays for one hundred days, I must not leave for one hundred one days. Beelzebul is the lord of flies. The demons are indeed like flies; they leave and then come back again. The demons can endure well.
Verse 22: "And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." The second time the Lord declared that He would be killed was different from the first time (Matt. 16:21). The first time indicates that the Jews — the elders, chief priests, and scribes — rejected the Lord. The second time indicates that the Gentiles rejected the Lord. "Be delivered into the hands of men" — this is to be delivered by the Jews to the Gentiles (Pilate).
Verse 23: "And they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised. And they were greatly grieved." "Greatly grieved" — because they could not see that the cross is the sign of victory. After humiliation, the glory comes; after suffering, the throne comes. With us also it is the same; we often worry about the narrow path of the cross.
The origin of the temple tax: the temple tax is the propitiation silver offered in ancient times (Exo. 30:13-15; 2 Chron. 24:6). Formerly, the half-shekel was paid during roll call; later, it was used for the expenses of the temple. During the time of Nehemiah, it was changed to one-third of a shekel (Neh. 10:32). By the time of the Lord Jesus, it had been changed again to a half-shekel. Everyone, whether rich or poor, had to pay the same temple tax. The temple tax gatherers thought that the Lord was a strange person; therefore, they asked Peter first.
Verses 24-27:"And when they came to Capernaum, those who take up the temple tax came to Peter and said, Does not your Teacher pay the temple tax? He said, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive custom or poll tax, from their sons or from strangers? And when he said, From strangers, Jesus said to him, So then the sons are free. But that we do not stumble them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you will find a stater; take that and give it to them for Me and you." Peter had said "Yes"; his old temperament came out again. The Lord is the Son of God; therefore, He does not need to pay the tax. Peter also did not need to pay because the Lord had set him free (John 8:36). Not only is the Lord Himself free, but He has also made others free. "But that we do not stumble them" means not to offend them. If a principle touches God's person, holiness, and work, we should not yield and should not be afraid of offending men. Nevertheless, concerning the other minor matters that are not related to God, we should follow the example of the Lord and should not offend others. Here the Lord was indeed wise. He was meek but not weak; He was humble but did not shrink back. In many matters we should leave some leeway for people. There is another lesson: believers today should not misuse the name of the Son of God, whether in the present life or in the kingdom. We should not persecute others; rather, we should be persecuted. If the government today gives every Christian a certain privilege, we would rather not accept it. Today is the time for paying taxes. "Go to the sea and cast a hook." On the one hand, the Lord showed meekness and grace; on the other hand, He showed power and honor. "Me and you." Why did He not say "us"? It is because the Lord can never stand in the same position as us. He is the firstborn Son, the only begotten Son; we are the many sons. On account of His glory, the Lord paid the tax. On account of His grace, the Lord paid for Peter. The Lord can supply all our needs.
