For a considerable number of years we have been abiding mostly in the Epistles—in Ephesians, Romans, and all the other letters written mostly by the Apostle Paul. Sometimes we have been in the Gospel of John. How we have loved all these books! But this year the Lord has opened the book of Matthew to us and we have received something new. I myself love the book of Matthew and cannot keep away from it. Oh, I do have a burden to recommend Matthew to you! We all must love Matthew.
We have seen how Matthew gives a record of Jesus as the Bridegroom with all the other items—the new cloth, which was good for making the new garment, the new wine, and the new wineskin. We cannot find all these precious items in the other books of the New Testament. I know you love the Gospel of John, but you cannot find the new garment, the new wine, or the new wineskin in John. Formerly, I loved John very much, perhaps more than you, but today I find something more in Matthew. John is rich, but John is not all-inclusive. I tell you, Matthew is all-inclusive. Matthew is so precious.
Now we come to chapter 16 and 17 of Matthew, and from these two chapters we will gather three portions: chapter 16:13-19, chapter 17:1-9, and chapter 17:24-27. If you pray-read these three portions carefully, you will see that they give you three steps of one experience. With all spiritual things, if we would experience them, we need these three steps. What are they?
In the first portion, chapter 16:13-19, the Lord used the word "revealed." "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven" (v. 17). This means that the first step to experience anything of the Lord is revelation. Revelation is more than knowledge, more than understanding; it is the realization of something deeply within. In this first portion of these two chapters Peter and the other disciples obtained a revelation. Then, in the second portion, in chapter 17:1-9, the Lord Jesus mentioned the word "vision." "Jesus commanded them, saying, tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead" (v. 9). The second step, therefore, of experiencing something of Christ is further and deeper than revelation—it is vision. What is the difference between revelation and vision? The word "revelation" in the Greek means an unveiling. When a veil is taken away from any object, you can see it—this is revelation. Nevertheless, I may take away the veil, but there may be no light. Furthermore, I may take away the veil, but you may be born blind. So we need the revelation, the unveiling, and we also need the light plus the sight. Then we have the vision. We not only need a revelation, but also a vision.
My job in all these messages is to take away the veils. One by one I am taking them away. In the last message I took away a veil; in this message I will take away another veil. I want you to see this wonderful Person; so I am taking away veil after veil. You may think that as long as the veils are removed, surely you will be able to see. But, I tell you, I can only take away the veils, I cannot shine upon you. Light comes from the heavens; light comes from the very God who commands the light to shine in darkness. I cannot do that; I am not God. Receive the mercy of God, however, and the light will immediately shine upon you. Yet you still need something more—you need sight. You need not only the light, but also the sight. These three added together give you the vision—the unveiling, the light, and the sight.
The first step to experience Christ is to obtain revelation. Then following this, we need vision. Yet, even after we have taken the second step, we do not have the real experience. Therefore, we must look into the third portion of these two chapters, in chapter 17:24-27, where we see the application. The third step is the application. After the revelation, we need the vision, and following the vision, we need the application. We must realize something. and even more we must see that very thing, but how to apply it is yet another matter. I cannot help you with this. All I can do, I say again, is take away the veils; God, then, by His mercy can shine from the heavens and give you sight to receive the vision; then after the vision. you need to apply it. You need to know how to apply what you have seen. Peter firstly obtained the revelation and secondly the vision, but thirdly he learned the application in such a hard way that it could never be forgotten. The harder it is to learn, you know, the harder it is to forget. Peter could never forget this lesson. Hallelujah, the Lord got through and Peter got through also! I do not mean that Peter was able to get through, but that the Lord was able to bring him through. The Lord brought him through the revelation, through the vision, and through the application.
Let us look into all these three steps. What was the revelation? What was the vision? And what was the application Peter learned?