The Law & Grace (06/25/2000)

Good morning again. I I've had an interesting week this week. I had two children Gone to college ahead of time. So I got a feeling for how it might feel Didn't like it and I'm depressed today. But I'm going to try to hide behind the Lord Jesus and preach you a good sermon anyway but we took We took Jenny to Parent-teacher orientation.

I think it's really more parent orientation than it was teacher orientation at Letourneau College and The president of the college gave a little talk to the parents and he was very kind. I enjoyed the talk and he told us that this fall.

He was going to teach a little course to us on I think he called it Parent Pouting 101 or something like that. To help us deal with what it's like for your first child to go off to college. So he said I've been there.

He said my youngest child just finished college this year. So he still I said I still remember how it feels. So I'm gonna try to give you some help next fall. So Perhaps next you know, when fall gets here, I'll feel better about it after I hear his little talk.

I don't know. He'll have to be pretty good. No, it was a good good trip and Jenny got to meet some of the freshmen. They're gonna be coming in this year and we got to look look at the dorms and all that sort of thing and Registered and she has her student card.

So she's an official student now and everything. So that was good. And while she was doing that Paul's at a At an Oregon. What did what they call it a Seminar of some kind with Joyce Jones, dr. Joyce Jones of in Waco.

She's world-famous Organist and she had several of her Like well, they're all there through college and everything former students of hers that were there helping her teach. And so they had a session a week-long session for high school students and Paul was able to go to that.

Thanks to her his grandfather and grandmother and we appreciate you arranging that and I think He had a blast and I wasn't able to miss him too much because I was at college with Jenny. So all that happened at one time, but I don't think he missed us either.

So I have to keep remembering brother Myron's message on change is good. Someday, I'll figure out if I agree with him or not. Well this morning I want to Continue our study on the law and this morning we're going to discuss specifically how the law relates to grace and we're going to be turned to Matthew chapter 17 verse 1 and also Acts chapter 15 and verse 19.

We're gonna do the Acts Passage first just as a little introduction. Now in this passage, I think we've read through this passage in Acts before. You see what's happening is that in the early portions of chapter 15 Paul had been debating with Paul and Barnabas had been debating with a group of people a group of Jewish believers who.

Well going back and look at verse 1 some of you may not have been here when we looked at it. Look at chapter 15 verse 1 of Acts. Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses.

You cannot be saved so they were trying to Create an atmosphere where people felt like they had to keep the law along with What the Apostles and New Testament prophets were teaching about the gospel well Paul's reaction and Barnabas's reaction was shown in verse 2 and Therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them.

So they did not agree with this idea. Now if we look down in verse 13, we see how they brought this to the council in Jerusalem and After they had held their peace James answered saying men and brethren hearken unto me now you have a situation here where James was the I guess you would call him the the elder elder.

He was the head pastor if you want to put it in modern terms and you had can you imagine a church where you've got? Pastors such as John and Paul and Peter and Here James the brother of Jesus. I mean that's quite a group of pastors in one church, isn't it?

How do you suppose they ever figured out who's gonna preach the next message? I don't know, but I know one thing that they had a Democracy of sorts they were all allowed to give their views, but you know what James was the tiebreaker.

And if they couldn't come to a conclusion James being the head pastor would make a decision. And so we find him making a decision after hearing everybody in verse 13 after they had held their peace. Finally, they all shut up quit arguing and James makes a decision.

He answers saying men and brethren hearken unto me. Simon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name and to this Agree the words the prophets as is written after this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down.

I will build again the ruins thereof and I will set it up that the residue of men might seek after the Lord and All the Gentiles upon whom my name is called saith the Lord who doeth all these things known known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world and so we see we have a little bit of a problem between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers and Some of the Jewish believers and you have to understand some of the Pharisees had actually been born again and we're here part of this early church and they had a zeal for the law just like Paul did when he was still Saul and Paul never lost his zeal for the law.

But Paul had perfect perspective of everything because he spent three years out in the wilderness with Jesus out out in the desert with Jesus. And was taught of him and he came back to check out the Apostles in Jerusalem and see if they had figured things out, too.

He didn't come to learn from him. He came to see if they were right and and so he we see here that he had spoken a little bit in this session and Had been allowed to tell about the Gentiles that have been saved now.

We had some Perhaps some Pharisees who had been saved who thought that they still needed to be Circumcised and to keep the law of Moses in order to be saved and that's what brought this session about.

Now this is what James came up with in verse 19. Wherefore my sentence is you see he just made a decision and he said here it is and That is the job of the pastor and he did his job well. Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them.

Which from among the Gentiles are turned to God but that we write unto them that they do some things now notice first he says he's not going to trouble them and. The implication is that had they been required to keep the laws of Moses and to keep all the feasts and the Sabbath and and to do all the things that the Judaizers were saying they needed to do it would have troubled these Gentiles.

James said I'm not going to trouble them and that is my sentence. But then he gives them some things that they do need to do. He says but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollution of idols now notice here.

That really they're really just three things. It sounds like four things, but two of them are the same so there are three things that they tell them not to do abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood.

Now, let me ask you this. Why do you think those things are the things that were mentioned? I mean there are a lot of things that could have been mentioned. Well, these were their biggest problems. These Gentiles were involved in idolatry.

Obviously and where it says pollutions of idols they were from many of them were from areas where they were involved in Diana worship and just terrible paganism and and then it says from fornication that in many cases was part of their religious rights in The pagan religions and so they had a problem with that and from things strangled and from blood.

They didn't have any understanding at all of what the Old Testament scriptures taught about How to properly kill the animals before they ate the animals so that the meat wouldn't be filled with blood.

God had told them that they were not to eat blood. And so this was one of the things that he told them to do now. Let's go on. I Want you to pay a special attention to verse 21. Because I want you to spend some time this week thinking about what it means.

I've spent some time thinking about what it means. I've I've probably Written. I don't know 20 30 pages of study notes just to myself trying to Discern what this verse means. So I want you to think about it.

Let's read it together says for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him. Being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Then pleased it the Apostles and the elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

Namely Judas their name bar Sabbaths and Silas chief men of among the brethren and they went and they told them. This finding that the church had decided about now look at verse 28 for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us To lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.

So these things that were listed were considered to be necessary by both the Holy Spirit and the church that you abstain from meats offered to idols and from blood and From strangled a thing strangled and from fornication from which if you keep yourselves you shall do well Fare you well, and then there was great joy.

Now it's interesting that those were the only things Mentioned you don't there. There's an awful lot of the law obviously that they didn't mention. But they did mention part of the law obviously when they said to abstain from things strangled and from blood.

You really don't find that anywhere in the gospel teachings other than this place. As far as I remember anyway. But it does come from the Old Testament now. What I want you to pay attention to is in verse 20, it seems to Limit what they told the people that they had to do to these three ideas.

But then verse 21 starts with the word for now that word means because He says let's Tell them about these things. Let's don't trouble them With all these other things that the Judaizers were trying to get them to do.

Let's just mention these important things and then he says for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him Being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. That's an interesting statement I want you to think about it and we're gonna preach a message that has to do with that next Sunday the Lord willing and That particular message is going to have to do specifically with how the law Fits in with the concept of grace in the New Testament.

I mean we have to ask the question Are we at a place where you don't have to keep the law and then you think about the Ten Commandments? You know name some of them in your minds and ask yourself. Do I not have to keep these anymore?

And so we have an interesting in in the Theology the theological world you have a pendulum swing all the time. Back when Lewis Barry Schaefer who was the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary. Which I suppose one of the stronger seminaries in the country even though if you really got rooted down in there and saw some of the things they taught and Some of the things that they believe about which which Bible version you should use and some of the things that they believe about.

Even the issue we're talking about today. You would wonder if they're all there. So it's really difficult to decide where you would ever send a young man to seminary nowadays or if you would at all but the point is through the years that was one of the stronger seminaries while the Southern Baptist seminaries were falling and going rankly liberal that seminary was kind of rising and Trying to stay conservative and Lewis Barry Schaefer when he came along.

He's written a wonderful systematic theology. It's eight an eight volume set. I would recommend it to anybody if you want such material if you want to really get deep into Theology and systematic study of all the doctrines of the Bible.

It's a marvelous work when he came along the Religious world in the Christian Church was tending towards legalism. They were tending to have rules lots of rules and so forth. He came along and he tried to straighten that out and he swung the pendulum back this direction Towards grace and he's one of the most powerful teachers on the doctrine of grace.

You'll read anywhere but he took it way over here all the way to this place and now what's interesting is probably the truth is somewhere in the middle as usual a balance and. So what we'll talk about next Sunday has to do with how do we relate the law to This period of grace and what we call the church age, but for this morning I want to discuss the first part that deals with This sentence is that we trouble them.

Not what did he mean by let's don't trouble them. And I want to focus on that now. This is this is the difficult thing. I Am gonna put all this in print so you can get the whole thing all at one time.

The difficult thing is it not everybody's here for every session. And this is another case today where if you come today and you miss next Sunday. It's not going to be good because you're not gonna get the whole picture and you won't even get the conclusion.

So try to be here next Sunday as well to begin. I want to Preach you a little message this morning on the message of the Transfiguration turn to Matthew chapter 17 in verse 1. Have you ever read that passage and ask yourself the question?

What is the purpose of this? Why is this even here I have It's An interesting passage and it when you every time you read it, it's interesting. But as far as trying to glean, well, what is God teaching us or what was God teaching Peter?

I Mean he was there and observed the whole thing. What was God teaching him? And I want to discuss that with you a little bit this morning before we start that let me give you some necessary Definitions.

All right when you're studying. Sometimes you can get in trouble. Get in a disagreement just over terminology. So I want to make sure we all define our terms the same way first of all, let's talk about what we mean when we use the word law and I guess even more importantly than that.

Let's talk about what does what did the New Testament writers mean when they use the term law? Well in the Old Testament times Merrill F Unger Wrote this that the law can for purposes of study can be divided into three sections.

First of all the Commandments and I'm going to give you the scriptures where you can or the the passages. Some of them are fairly vast where you can find these the Commandments starting in Exodus chapter 21 With verse 1 and going through at least verse 17 and would include the Ten Commandments and Secondly the judgments which would be found in Exodus chapter 21 and then go all the way through Verse 1 but go all the way through chapter 23 ending with about verse 33 and the judgments have to do with the social life of the Hebrew nation Laws that were given specifically for their nation to be run by and then so you have the Commandments and then you have the judgments which dealt with their social life and then you have the ordinances and that would be from Exodus 25 1 through chapter 31 in verse 18 and That has to do with the religious life and the worship as laid out by God for them.

So when the law word law is used in the New Testament, which one of those does it mean? Does it mean the Commandments which would mean the Ten Commandments? Does it mean the judgments which deal with the social life of the Hebrew nation or does it deal with the ordinances where God?

Instructed the Hebrew nation. Gave them specific Religious Underpinnings for how their religion would be operated which does it mean? Well, it's kind of interesting you can go into The New Testament and find examples where it means Anyone or more of these or sometimes it means all of them at once for example in Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 Where Jesus said think think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets.

I am NOT come to destroy but fulfill if you read that whole passage and you go all the way down through. About verse well Forty-eight. I mean that's a long passage. But in that passage you'll see that Jesus uses the word law.

To mean the commandment sometimes to mean the judgment sometimes to mean the ordinances sometimes and sometimes it just means all of it. Let let me give you some other examples you might mark down Acts chapter 13 in verse 15.

The word law is used in that verse. It says and after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogues God sent unto them saying ye men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation for the people.

Say on and in that particular context it seems to me that the law means the Pentateuch the first five books of the Bible of the Old Testament and Then it also mentions the prophets. So he talks about the law and the prophets.

Now if you go into John chapter 8 verse 5 It says now Moses and the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou? Well that passage the word law is used but it actually means the judgments it deals with the social laws of the people and Then in Luke chapter 1 in verse 6 it says and they were both righteous before God.

Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamed it blameless. Let's talk about John the Baptist parents and in that passage. It seems clear that it deals with the commandments and the ordinances.

So the law the word law there Relates to both in John chapter 15 verse 25. It says but this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause.

Well that deals with the prophets, but it's called the law and then in John chapter 10 verse 34 Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law? I said ye are gods now that comes from Psalm 82 6. So there Jesus uses the word law, but he's referring to the Psalms.

So what we see is we as we look through this is that? More more often than not the word law relates to what we would think of today is the Old Testament. It's not only the Pentateuch, it's not only the Ten Commandments.

It's not just the religious life of the Jewish nation. It's not just their social life. It may even include the Psalms. It usually just means the Old Testament now sometimes by the context you can tell that it is specifically One of the three the commandments the judgments or the ordinances, but more often than not it could relate to the entire Old Testament.

So for purposes of this study I believe in most of the verses that we're going to look at in our study that when the word law is used it relates To what I would call and I borrow this term from the theologians as I study let's call it the Old Testament economy and what that means is the Old Testament way of doing things and That's just an easy way to look at it.

And that's what I think most the time the word law means in these verses. We're about to use now. Let's look at one other definition before we move on. Let's look at the word Jew because that word can mean a lot of different things.

It could mean those that are from Judah and I'm going to give you a quote from W .E. Vine who is Pretty much agreed upon in conservative circles is one of the better Greek scholars. He says this about the use of the word Jew in the New Testament in most places.

It says the uses of usage of the word Jew in the New Testament is as a member of the Israelite nation as a race Distinct distinguished from the Gentiles and so that'll be the usage in this study. And I think you'll see in the context of most of these most of these passages.

That's exactly what it means. Now turn with me to Matthew 17 in verse 1 I want us to read this story the transfiguration and see if we can figure out what the purpose of it and what the teaching of it is and After six days Jesus taketh Peter James and John his brother and Bringeth him up into a high mountain and he was Transfigured before them and his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light and Behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.

Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus isn't it interesting nobody asked him a question and he's always answering. Giving an answer without being asked Peter doesn't know what to do. He just wants to do something.

I mean, that's his that's his personality trait of it. You know if he's standing around and you know, I got to do something. What do we do here? So then answered Peter and he said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here now he's on a mountaintop, isn't he?

Have you ever been on a spiritual mountaintop? I mean we get to the valleys sometimes don't we? But here he is on a mountaintop and he's like we are wouldn't you agree that once you get there you want to stay there?

I mean, you don't why would you want to go down in the valley again? Let's stay on the mountaintop. And he said oh, it's good for us to be here. I Think it's that has to do with the concise nature of the written word.

He had to have said some more things than that. It just wasn't all recorded, but he's excited. And I mean he wants this this moment. He wants this moment to last and I think he would disagree with brother Myron.

He does not think change is good. He does not want the scenery to change at all. He says Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt now. It is very good that he made that he inserted that statement.

Because he would have been in serious difficulty if he hadn't he's already starting to get there. He's starting to get in trouble. But he would have been in serious difficulty if he hadn't had that attitude and that little phrase if thou wilt.

Let us make here three tabernacles one for you. One for Moses and one for Elijah. So Peter is going to put Jesus right on a level playing field with Moses and Elijah. While he yet spake now listen. Jesus did not even have to answer Peter's absurd Request and that we have hindsight still in the way we'd been there had been exactly what we would have wanted to do.

Let me build three little buildings here. Three little tabernacles and one to keep us all where we're out of the weather and we can stay here longer and boy. We'll have a good time of fellowship but Jesus didn't have to answer it.

The Father answers from heaven and You can imagine try to picture Peter. Try to picture after he just put his foot in his mouth how he must feel. Right now while he yet spake. I mean Peter is still rambling on all of his plans.

Here to put Jesus on a level playing field with Moses and Elijah and right in the middle of his sentence Behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said now imagine the sound of this voice in The Bible in some places it says God's sound.

The voice sounds like the sound of many waters. Have you ever been to the to the beach and heard the surf coming in? It's loud and he hears this voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased hear ye him.

And when the disciples heard it they fell on their face and were sore afraid and Jesus came and touched them and said arise and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes They saw no man except Jesus.

Now you want I want you to picture this whole event as it exactly as it took place. Peter is right in the midst of talking about how he wants to put Jesus and Moses and Elijah together and he were gonna stay up here together and this will be wonderful.

And right in the middle of it before he even finished his idea or his sentence a Bright cloud overshadowed the entire place and God the Father spake with a voice and said no. This is my son hear ye him.

And when I looked up the other two were gone. Moses and Elijah were gone. The only one left was Jesus Christ. Now, what is the father teaching Peter? I Want you to think about that as it came down from the mountain.

As they came down from the mountain Jesus charged them saying tell this vision to no man. Until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead. Now there is significance in that Jesus said don't tell anybody whatever you learn from this experience don't share it with anybody until after I am crucified buried and resurrected and So you have to ask this question.

Why did he tell them? Why is it important that they not tell anyone about this first place? They didn't understand it yet. Anyway, they would not have been able to explain it. But he told them not to say anything about it.

Well in verse 10 they say. And his disciples asked him saying why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come. Now, don't you find that an interesting verse doesn't seem to fit? It doesn't seem to fit in and Jesus answered and said to them Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things.

But I say unto you that a Elijah is come already and that he they knew him not. But have done unto him whatsoever. They willed whatsoever. They listed they cut his head off because it was John the Baptist.

Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist now. Let's stop there a minute and let's look through this and see if we can see what the teaching is first of all.

It says that Jesus was transfigured. His face did shine. I Want to read the passage to you from Mark. There are several is recorded at least three passages. I want to read the mark chapter 9 in verse 2.

It's a little more vivid. It says and after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter James and John and leadeth them to a high mountain. Apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them and his raiment became shining.

Now in the Luke passage it says that his raiment was glistering. We don't use that word much today do that's a good word. Glistering. It says his raiment was shining. Exceeding white as snow so as no fuller on earth can white them.

Trying to use the vocabulary that he had to explain something. That's not even on the earth. Now What do you think this pictures when Jesus was? Glorified transfigured as if he were glorified. Well, I think it pictures the future Resurrected ascended Christ in his session at the right hand of the Father and It also is a time period that parallels the time of the sending of the Comforter into the church.

Now at this time Jesus was not yet really glorified. But this is a picture of it and Peter got to see this. Picking on Peter because it was his idea to build these tabernacles. He got to see this it was a picture of the glorified Jesus Christ, obviously.

And so as glorified that means the death barrel and resurrection is already completed and the Blood is taken to the heavenlies and scattered upon the mercy seat there and Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and what the theologians call his session his present session at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and so certainly this is pictured by his shining face in his glorious apparel.

It pictures the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, which would have to happen after his death barrel and resurrection. Now, what do you think it the significance of the fact that Moses? Comes and is standing there and Elijah.

Moses is a representative of the law. Elijah is a representative of the prophets. So now we have Jesus Christ and we have the law and we have the prophets. Pictured here standing together. Now, let me go into Luke chapter 9 verse 31.

I'm trying to glean some things from all the different parallel passages here. It's the same story. Gives you one more little bit of information in Luke chapter 9 verse 31. Who appeared in glory? Now this is a reference of Moses and Elijah appearing.

And speaking with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and When they appeared in glory, look what they were talking about. Look at Luke chapter 9 verse 31 and they spake of his decease. They spake of his crucifixion.

Isn't that interesting that that was the topic of discussion don't you find it interesting that here we have Jesus. Still in his earthly ministry not really glorified yet and yet in this moment he shines with the glory that he will have and All of a sudden Moses and Elijah come and they speak with him about his crucifixion and his death.

Which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But now notice this in verse 32 while they were having this discussion Peter was not listening. Look at verse 32, but Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep.

That happened on more than one occasion, didn't it? Make some of us feel a little better when we nod off during the sermon, doesn't it? Amen. Hey, he means you're as powerful as an apostle but Peter and they that were with him.

Were heavy with sleep. Does that mean I preach like Jesus? No, I don't think so. Or like Paul maybe. And when they were awake now, look at this. They saw his glory and the two men that stood with him.

Now that's when Peter started talking. Okay. Now he missed the conversation. He missed the fact that Moses and Elijah were speaking of his death. The crucifixion and who knows what all they were talking about concerning the finished work of the cross perhaps and they slept through that and then they wake up and they just see this scene and they see Jesus glorified like he will be glorified and they see Moses and Elijah and Recognize them somehow and said oh, it's good for us to be here.

Peter says I'm gonna make a tent for you. I'm gonna make a tent for Moses make a tent for Elijah. We're all gonna stay up here. This will be good. And they were speaking of his death. Now Peter comes in and suggests that the that three tabernacles be built one for the law one for the prophets and one for Jesus in Luke 9 33 and it came to pass as they Departed from him.

Peter said unto Jesus master It is good for us to be here and let us make three Tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and one for Elias and it has this interesting phrase in the Luke passage. Not knowing what he said Peter didn't know what he's talking about and So we see this vivid picture starting to take place.

Now as soon as he did he made the suggestion that we're going to put these three tabernacles here all of a sudden this cloud appears and The father speaks and Seemingly speaking straight to Peter. I mean, I know he's speaking to everyone there.

But it's as if Peter's in the middle of his sentence saying what he is going to do. And he says if it be thy will and it's like God the father said it's not my will. And you're not gonna do it. And so right in the middle of this the father comes in verse 5 and corrects Peter.

He says while he yet spake behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved son and he is in a sense pointing to Jesus and Away from Moses and away from Elijah and he's saying in whom I am.

Well pleased. That phrase carries a ton of weight. He's saying I am pleased in my son. I am NOT pleased in any other man. The only way that I can be pleased with you and this is a fore view of propitiation that would take place when Jesus Died on the cross for our sins part of the finished work of Jesus was that he propitiated God.

He satisfied God's Justice and judgment and law and he says I am pleased with him. Not with Moses typifying the law and not with Elijah typifying the Prophet that can't save you. Listen to what Jesus says and this is what the father said as he corrects Peter in this particular place now at that point fear struck them and It says in verse 6 when the disciples heard it they fell on their face and I'm sure Peter hit the ground first because he wasn't allowed to finish his sentence and his idea of the future was just dashed and they were sore afraid and You get this in all three of the parallel passages.

The mark and the Luke passage is more vivid than here in the Matthew passage that we're studying this morning. But as soon as they looked up there was no one there but Jesus. Moses which typified the law was gone.

Elijah which typified the prophets was gone. Jesus was standing and the father had just told them listen to him. Now To me. Let me read you. The mark passage is pretty vivid. 9 8 says. And suddenly when they looked around about they saw no man anymore.

Save Jesus only with themselves and then Jesus comes and he tells them do not tell a single soul. What you saw? Until after my death burial and resurrection. Why is that important? Well, I think it's important because the Old Testament economy was still in effect.

Until the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have to understand that Jesus earthly ministry. He was under the law he was still under that system under that dispensation under that economy and So he instructed them.

Don't tell anyone what you saw. Don't tell anyone what the father said about hearing me and Moses and Elijah disappearing and whatever you think that means don't tell anybody that till after the death burial and resurrection of myself.

Why would he tell him that because it doesn't apply until that point in time? It does not. Whatever is being taught does not apply until Jesus really was glorified which was going to be later this was just a picture of it or a vision of it and So he instructs them to be careful not to speak to anyone about it.