52 THE KEY OF MYSTERIES

to יהוה, the incommunicable name of God,1 which the Hebrews wrote but did not venture to pronounce, always using instead the word 'Lord'.

(3) When the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized, at about thirty years of age,2 higher testimony than even that of the angels was borne to His Deity; for it is written: 'Now 3 it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.'

(4) On another occasion the Lord Jesus Christ took with Him Peter, John and James 4 and went up a mountain to pray. 'And 5 as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah; who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they were parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus,


1 Cf. Phil. ii. 9.                 2 Luke iii. 23.
3 Luke iii. 21-2; cf. Matt. iii. 13-17; Mark i. 9-11; also John i. 32-4.
4 Luke ix. 28.
5 Luke ix. 29-36; cf. Matt. xvii. 1-8; Mark ix. 2-8; cf. also 2 Pet. i. 17.
PROOF OF THE DEITY OF CHRIST 53

Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said. And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him. And when the voice came, Jesus was found alone.' Besides the testimony of the divine voice, there are two other points of great importance in this passage. One is that the words 'Hear ye Him' refer to the promise in the Taurat that a prophet like Moses 1 would be sent and attached to that promise is the same command, 'Unto him ye shall hearken.' Hence we see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the prophet there promised.' The other important point is, that the 'cloud' which is mentioned is that which accompanied Israel through the Red Sea and the wilderness, and which was the sign of God's presence, being hence called the Shekinah (السّكينة‬) 3 a word which means 'dwelling, presence'. What higher authority for calling the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God could we have them[than] is contained in this passage?


1 Deut. xviii. 15-18.
2 Exod. xiii. 21-2; xiv. 19-20; Num. ix. 15-23.
3 Aramaic שְׁכִיבָה.