The Transfiguration

In the transfiguration which follows, we get the end of the pathway in a figure of the coming kingdom and glory of the Son of man in which those who are His have a share. Moses and Elias are types of the saints raised and changed. How? Moses died and was buried; Elias was taken up to heaven without passing through death. These are the heavenly saints. Paul tells us that the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain when He comes shall be changed, and all be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:13-18.)
Peter, James, and John at this scene are typical of the earthly saints in the kingdom who are looking upon the heavenly saints, raised and changed, in the same glory with Christ Himself. There is one glory of the celestial, and another glory of the terrestrial.
“But Peter and they that were with Him were heavy with sleep." This is typical of the spirit of slumber which rests upon the Jewish remnant in the latter day and who "when they were awake" saw His glory. We, too, have the flesh. It is ever the same; nothing can mend it. The disciples were asleep here in the presence of the glory, as we afterward find they were asleep in the presence of the agony in Gethsemane.
After Peter had made his mistake, "There came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud." What did the cloud signify? It was the symbol of Jehovah's presence. Why did the earthly ones fear then? Because nobody had ever entered into the cloud before! It had led the Israelites out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea. It became cloud and darkness to the Egyptians and light to Israel. It spoke to Moses face to face and rebuked, led, and fought for them. But no one had ever entered into that which was the unveiled presence of God. Yet Moses and Elias were perfectly at ease there. The earthly ones could not understand this new thing of entering into the cloud. Here we get the end of the journey—the Father's house (John 14:1-3; 17:24), for the voice that came out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son: hear Him." Who could say this but the Father?