Read and pray: "When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus." (Matt. 17:8)
Before proceeding in this Life-study to another section of the book of Acts, I would like to say more about the need for the transfer of dispensation from the Old Testament economy to God’s New Testament economy.
THE PASSING OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ECONOMY
Regarding the transfer of dispensation, let us consider Peter’s case. On the mount of transfiguration, he took the lead in proposing to the Lord to build three tabernacles: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for the Lord Jesus (Matt. 17:4). “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him’” (v. 5).
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces. When they looked up, “they saw no one but Jesus only” (v. 8). Moses and Elijah had disappeared, leaving only Jesus. Peter had proposed keeping Moses and Elijah—that is, the law and the prophets—with Christ, but God removed Moses and Elijah, leaving no one “but Jesus only.” In the New Testament, no one except Jesus Himself should remain. He is today’s Moses, infusing the law of life into believers, and He is also today’s Elijah, speaking for God and infusing Him into believers. This is God’s New Testament economy.
In Matthew 17:1-8, we have a clear revelation that with Jesus’ coming, both Moses and Elijah passed away. Moses and Elijah represent the entire Old Testament: Moses represents the law, and Elijah the prophets. According to Jewish custom, the Old Testament was considered to have two main parts: the law and the prophets. Even the Psalms were regarded as part of the law. Thus, the passing of Moses and Elijah signifies that the entire Old Testament, consisting of the law and the prophets, has passed.
Peter had the vision on the mount of transfiguration, and later, in his second Epistle, he referred to what happened there (2 Pet. 1:16-18). Why, then, did he say nothing about this vision when James insisted on maintaining the Old Testament economy alongside the New Testament economy? I find this difficult to understand. Did Peter in Acts 21 have no memory of the vision he had in Matthew 17, about which he later wrote in 2 Peter 1?
Peter certainly knew about the passing of the Old Testament economy. On the mount of transfiguration, he must have been deeply impressed by this. He heard the voice from the cloud declare, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matt. 17:5). He also saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus and then saw Moses and Elijah vanish, leaving Jesus alone.
Why, after hearing this word and having this vision, did Peter remain silent in Acts 21? Why did he not rise up and say, “Brother James, let me tell you what I heard and saw on the mount of transfiguration. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, have passed. We must no longer stay in the Old Testament economy, for this is contrary to God’s move in His New Testament economy.” Yet Peter remained silent and did not speak this way to James in Acts 21. Similarly, there is no indication that John, who was with Peter on the mount of transfiguration, said anything to James about this at the time. Neither Peter nor John stood up to testify about the vision they had seen and the charge they received on the mount of transfiguration.
Enjoy more: Hymn 268
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