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“Keys”
and “Three Days:”
“. . . Jesus . . . asked his disciples . . . Whom do men say that I . .
. am?
“. . . Simon . . . answered . . . Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.
And Jesus answered . . . Blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; . . . And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
“. . . From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how
that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
(Matthew 16:13-21)
Highest
Witness of the Son of God – Center of the Chiasmas:
Note that a promise of keys and a prophecy of three days is
stated.
This Gospel account is followed by the transfiguration.
It happened six days later and, according to President Spencer W.
Kimball, occurred on Mount Tabor about sixty-five miles south of Caesarea
Philippi. There, the highest witness of Jesus as the Jehovah, Son of God, was
given.
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye
him.” (Matthew 17:1-7)
(Mark 9:2-7)
The
highest compliments rendered by the Father, “beloved” and “I am well
pleased,” are examples for us to use in place of “pride” or “I am proud
of you.”
In 1989, Prophet and President Ezra Taft Benson gave a profound talk
about removing “pride” and “proud” from our language.
He taught that there is no justifiable use of the word “proud.”
He also said, “Pride is ugly.”
Being pleased is a compliment; being proud seems selfish.
Tabernacles,
Booths – facing Jerusalem’s Temple:
Before we see the remainder of the chiasmas (three days and keys),
let’s look at the added insights of the seasonal and ritual traditions
accompanying the transfiguration, likely to have been during the very Sukkoth
season when Jews expect the Prophet Moses (and others) to return, preceding the
Messiah’s advent.
It is the custom to build small booths called tabernacles or in Hebrew,
Sukkoth.
The festival of Sukkoth is a sequel to Passover (the first full moon
after the first day of spring) when Elijah is expected.
It begins on the first full moon after the first day of fall.
Additionally, the transfiguration may have been a special temple-like
endowment for Peter, James, and John.
“The Savior took Peter, James, and John upon a high mountain and there
he, with Moses and Elias, conferred upon these apostles the keys of the
priesthood . . . The Lord consecrated and made holy the mountain top, instead
of taking the apostles to the temple in Jerusalem, because the temple had become
a "den of thieves," having fallen into the hands of apostate Jews who
did not worship the true and living God.”
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, Pg.233)
Going
to the Temple at the High Holy Days – Times of Holy Convocations:
“. . . these are Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot . . . on each of
them every male Jew was expected to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in
Jerusalem.”
“Interestingly, the rededication of the Temple and the
re-celebration of Sukkot paralleled the consecration of Solomon's Temple, which
. . . dedication ceremony (was) held on the festival of Sukkot.”
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
The following information explains one of the two holiest convocations
the Children of Israel were commanded to keep.
The spring convocation is Passover and Sukkoth is in the fall.
(Modern L.D.S. convocations called General Conference also coincide
seasonally.)
“Sukkot
(Hebrew for "huts" or "tabernacles"), a seven-day
festival beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei, which falls in
September or October.
(In the Diaspora an extra eighth day is celebrated.)
One of its main observances is living temporarily in huts, called sukkot,
resembling those in which the Children of Israel dwelt during their forty
years in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt.”
“This
autumn festival was the last of the three "pilgrim" festivals
connected with the farming year. From all corners of the Land of Israel throngs
of pilgrims used to make their way up to Jerusalem carrying the gaily decorated
baskets of fruit and grain which they brought to the Temple as a thanksgiving
offering.
At the gates of the city the townsfolk greeted them with music.
The pilgrims then ascended the broad marble staircase that led from the
City of David to the summit of the Temple Mount, where they would present their
offerings to the Priests.”
“This
holiday was also the occasion for the consecration of the Temple built by
Solomon and every seventh year on Sukkot, the Torah was read by the king before
the assembled people.
In his vision of the end of days, the prophet Zechariah foretells that
all the nations of the world will assemble for Sukkot festival in Jerusalem to
worship God.”
“The
sukkah is a structure with at least three walls, made of any material. It
must be at least ten handbreadths in height, and in area at least seven
handbreadths square.
The roof covering, or sekhakh, is usually leafy branches, and
these must be arranged so that there is more covered than open space.”
“In
present-day Israel, as in other countries, Jews construct sukkot in their
gardens, on the sidewalks, and on the roofs and balconies of their houses, just
as they did at the time of the return from the Babylonian exile, as described in
the Book of Nehemiah: "So the people went forth . . .
and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in
their courts, and in the courts of the house of God . . .
and there was very great gladness."
“When
a family performs the mitzvah of the sukkah joyfully, they are said to be
visited in the sukkah by seven "guests of the festival" (the ushpizin)
who are present in spirit.
Each day it is customary to invite and welcome one of these seven guests
--- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, (Joseph), Moses, Aaron and David --- by an
appropriate recitation.”
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Chiasmas
Completed Following The Account of the Transfiguration:
Before the account of the transfiguration Matthew quotes the Savior
promising the keys to Peter, “. . . I will give unto thee the keys of
the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Thereafter, the account includes the third day prophesy. (Matthew
16:13-21) After the account of the transfiguration the same points are
reported in reverse order.
“And
while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be
betrayed into the hands of men:
And
they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they
were exceeding sorry.”
(Matthew 17:23)
“Verily
I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:
and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 18:18)
The
prophecy of three days and the promise of keys repeated by Matthew creates a
chiasmus emphasizing the Lord’s grand role as the beloved Son of God.
It also includes an explanation of the principle of eternal keys and the
three-nights / three days atonement as part of the experience Peter, James, and
John had on the mount.
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