48. The Word in its glory was represented by the Lord when He was transfigured. Concerning the Lord as transfigured before Peter, James, and John, we read:
That His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as the light. That Moses and Elias appeared talking with Him. That a bright cloud overshadowed the disciples; and that a voice was heard out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him (Matt. 17:1-5).
I have been instructed that the Lord then represented the Word; "His face that did shine as the sun," His Divine good; "His garments that became as the light," His Divine truth; "Moses and Elias," the historical and the prophetical Word; "Moses," the Word that was written by him and the historical Word in general, and "Elias," the prophetical Word; and the "bright cloud that overshadowed the disciples," the Word in the sense of the letter; and therefore a voice was heard from this cloud which said, "This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him." For all utterances and answers from heaven are made exclusively by means of ultimate things such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word. For they are made in fullness, from the Lord.