Many times while we are in a vision, however, some wonderful person breaks in. I cannot explain why, but I know the fact well. When Jesus was transfigured, while Peter, James and John were beholding Him, two wonderful persons entered upon the scene—Moses and Elijah. The whereabouts of Moses after his death, you remember, was a mystery. Following his death, God hid his body. No one knew where Moses was buried (Deut. 34:5-6). Then suddenly he appeared. While Jesus was transfigured, this mysterious person was manifested. Then there was another wonderful personality—Elijah. He also, in a sense, was a mystery. He was taken away in a chariot of God, no one knew where (2 Kings 2:11-12). Two wonderful, mysterious persons suddenly appeared.
Be careful! When you see a vision, many times Moses and Elijah will also appear. Why? I cannot explain it. In any case, be careful, be on the alert. Peter in the revelation was absolutely right and crystal clear, but now Peter in the vision is utterly frustrated. He was so frustrated that he began to talk nonsense again. Firstly he said, "Lord, it is good for us to be here." That is all right—just this much. It is really good for us to be with the Lord to see the vision—let us not say anything more. But Peter continued, "If thou wilt..." Peter was so religious—he would not do anything by himself, but always by the will of God. "If thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He thought he was making a marvelous proposition. And what he was saying was certainly reasonable enough, religiously speaking. But while he was talking a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice out of the cloud shocked Peter: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." God was saying, "Do not say that you will build one tabernacle for Moses and one for Elijah—there is only One in My sight. This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him." Because Jesus had come, there was no more Moses and no more Elijah as far as what they represented was concerned. Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. There was no more law and no more prophets, only the beloved Son of God. "Hear Him, Peter. Do not talk any more." Peter was shocked and fell to the earth sore afraid. Then they saw no man, save Jesus only. No man, save Jesus only.
You may say that Peter was indeed too hasty. I do agree. However, Peter here in the vision was not just frustrated. What was more serious, he forgot two things: he forgot Christ, and he also forgot the church; he forgot the Head, and he also forgot the Body. He had already received the full revelation of Christ and the church, but now in the vision he was frustrated to such an extent that he forgot all about it. He forgot firstly about Christ as the Son of the living God. When he said, "I will make here three tabernacles: one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah," he was lowering the level of Christ and uplifting the level of the other two persons to make them all equal. That means he forgot the revelation. Do you see this? Only Jesus is the Son of God. How can we put any wonderful and mysterious person on the same level as Christ? If we do that, we have forgotten the revelation of Christ the Head.
Secondly, Peter also forgot the revelation of the church, the revelation of the building. Jesus had said to Peter in effect, "You are a stone. I will build you up with others as the church. Henceforth, you should not behave individualistically. From now on, you must always realize that you are built up with others; you cannot act on your own." If Peter had really remembered the revelation of the church, he could never have spoken as he did. On the mountain, in the vision, Peter behaved in an outrageously individualistic way, forgetting all the other members. Jesus did not bring Peter alone to the mountain top; there were two others with him. But Peter forgot all about them. Peter forgot the revelation of Christ as the Head, and he also forgot the revelation of the church, including John and James. He did not behave in the Body; he behaved in himself.
Brothers and sisters, you may say, "Hallelujah! In the conference, or by reading a certain book, I have received the revelation of the Body. I have got it!" But, I tell you, when you get home, when you lay the book down, you will forget it. You will just behave in yourself; you will not have any Body sense, any Body feeling, any Body realization. When you think a certain course is right, you will just say so; when you consider a certain action to be good, you will just do it; you will never consider James and John. The Lord has put you together with James and John, but you do not care for them. You are so individualistic, and you are so accustomed to being individualistic. In your past life you have always acted in this way. You are a real Peter. How you behave on the mountain top simply proves that you have forgotten the whole revelation of Christ as the Head and the church as the Body.
The Lord gave Peter a lesson. The Lord was saying to Peter, "You must remember that I am the Head, and that you are just a stone builded into the house. You should not be individualistic any more; you must go along with others, not forgetting John and James. Do not act on your own. Why do you have two brothers beside you and you would not consult with them? Because you are so individualistic." We need the Head and we need the Body; we need Christ and we need the church.