And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
On the mount of transfiguration Jesus shone with divine glory through His humanity as two heavenly visitors in glory talked with Him, Moses and Elijah. Moses had died and been raised by Christ to immortal life with a glorified body, while Elijah had been taken to heaven without seeing death. The Father sent them as honored bearers of light to comfort and strengthen His Son for His last sufferings, talking with Him about the death He would suffer at Jerusalem to complete His mission. They were chosen rather than angels as the fittest from around the throne because as men they had known earthly sorrow, suffering and trial and could sympathize with Jesus in His trial. Together with Jesus in glory they portrayed in miniature the kingdom of the redeemed, Moses representing those raised from the dead at Christ's coming and Elijah those changed without seeing death, to strengthen the disciples' faith to endure His humiliation and crucifixion without casting away confidence in Him as the Son of God.
Setting and Identities
This moment belongs to the transfiguration, which came after a night Jesus spent in prayer to His Father as He prepared for important work and trial. The two men talking with Him were Moses and Elijah, heavenly visitors appearing in glory and conversing with Jesus while His divine glory shone through His humanity.
Moses was the one who had talked with God on Sinai face to face, with a revelation of glory given to no one else. He had died, but had been raised by Christ with a glorified body to immortal life, while Elijah had been translated without seeing death. His standing on the mount fulfilled his prayer uttered centuries before, as he stood upon the goodly mountain within the heritage of his people.
Elijah had been taken to heaven without experiencing death, a unique privilege shared with only one other person. Peter, James, and John were permitted to be with Jesus there, James being among the three disciples brought into the closest relationship with Christ. They were allowed to behold as much of His glory as they could bear, beholding His excellent majesty with fear and astonishment under the overshadowing cloud.
They heard the voice of God in terrible majesty proclaiming His beloved Son and commanding them to hear Him. The glory revealed there and the voice from the cloud remained in the disciples' memory, recalling the glory of God surrounding Jesus. A few followers were thus permitted to be with Jesus to behold His glory, and Peter's presence made him an eyewitness of Christ's majesty who heard the Father's voice.
Comfort for Jesus
The Father sent Moses and Elijah as honored servants and bearers of light and glory to bring heaven's glory to His Son and to comfort and strengthen Him for His last dreadful sufferings before betrayal and crucifixion. Their talk with Him was about the completion of His mission, especially the sufferings and death He would face at Jerusalem. That conversation centered on His coming suffering in Jerusalem and the finishing of the work given Him to do.
God sent these two men rather than angels, and as the fittest of all the hosts gathered around the throne to minister to the Son of God. They were favored above all others who ever lived on earth, yet they had lived on earth as men and had experienced human sorrow, suffering, and the trials of earthly life, so they could sympathize with Jesus in His earthly trial. Because both had known sorrow and suffering as human beings, they could enter into His trial in a way angels could not.
They were fit also in their earthly roles. Moses as leader of Israel had stood in Christ's place, communing with Him and following His directions in leading Israel under Christ's direction. Elijah as prophet to Israel had represented Christ, and his work was in degree similar to the Saviour's work.
Moses comforted Christ there as He shared His sadness over Jerusalem's rejection and the suffering and death awaiting Him. His face was filled with joy and glory and light from having seen Christ crucified, buried in Joseph's new tomb, risen as a majestic conqueror, ascending to heaven with a multitude of captives escorted by angels, and opening the everlasting gates. He had seen that he himself would attend Christ and open the everlasting gates to Him.
Their appearance as honored heavenly messengers commissioned to attend Him did not remove the necessity of Jesus' suffering and death. The disciples recognized them as favored ones of God, with Moses resurrected and taken to heaven and Elijah translated. They thought Elijah's appearance fulfilled prophecy and meant Christ's earthly kingdom was about to be established, and Peter supposed the two messengers would protect Jesus from the death awaiting Him in Jerusalem.
Strength for Disciples
On the mount the two men stood with Jesus in glory as heavenly beings in heavenly glory, paying Him homage while He was transfigured, and with the voice from heaven this gave the disciples proof of His divinity and Messiahship. Moses, who had spoken with God on Sinai, and Elijah, who had been taken without experiencing death, appeared and talked with Him, and their presence with the glorified Jesus revealed His divinity and kingdom. In that light Jesus was proclaimed as God's Son and Son of God, confirmed as the promised Messiah, with a visible token of His divinity and a symbol of His kingdom set before the disciples. That revelation was given to help them understand His mission and to know that His coming death at Jerusalem was part of the plan of redemption.
The glory surrounding Jesus and the presence of Moses and Elijah were to strengthen the faith of His followers for the humiliation and death ahead. They were strengthened to endure His humiliation and crucifixion, His sorrow and disappointment, without casting away confidence. The proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah and Son of God was to hold them so that bitter sorrow and disappointment at His crucifixion would not destroy their confidence. Even afterward, remembering that scene of glory and the voice they heard kept alive their faith that Jesus was the Son of God.
On the mountain the disciples saw Jesus in glory and heard Him proclaimed the Son of God, and that scene stands in contrast with His descent to rescue the boy enslaved by Satan. Together the height and the valley form one object lesson of redemption. In it the Divine One stoops from the Father's glory to save the lost.
Kingdom in Miniature
Moses stands for those who will be raised from the dead at Christ's second coming and second advent, while Elijah, who was translated to heaven without seeing death, stands for those who will be living at that return and will be changed from mortal to immortal and taken to heaven without seeing death. Elijah thus represents the two classes saved at that appearing, the living saints who will be changed to immortality and translated without dying, as Moses represents the dead who will be raised. Together with Jesus appearing in heavenly glory and proclaimed by the Father as the Son of God, they form a miniature view of Christ's kingdom and portray in miniature the kingdom of the redeemed. That scene gives the disciples a visible token of His divinity and a symbol of His kingdom, to strengthen their faith and help them understand His mission and coming death.
The transfiguration with Moses and Elijah talking with the changed Jesus fulfills His promise that some standing with Him would not taste death till they saw the kingdom of God come with power. There His countenance was changed and shone like the sun and His raiment was white and glistening as He talked with the two representatives of the saved. In that glory, with the Father's proclamation, is seen Christ's kingdom come with power.
Links to Scripture
The transfiguration was the second of three times the voice of God was heard proclaiming Christ as His Son, the first having been at His baptism and the third to come just before His betrayal. There the Father gave public testimony in Christ's favor. This stands in contrast to the cross, where heaven was silent and no testimony was heard while Christ suffered abuse and mockery alone.
What Moses and Elijah talked about with Him centered on the cross of Calvary as the great center. It was about the reconciliation for iniquity and the everlasting righteousness the Messiah brought in through His sacrifice. That is the same truth Gabriel revealed to Daniel in answer to fervent prayer. It becomes effectual when acted upon, bringing everlasting deliverance to all who walk after Him and who give positive evidence by separation from the world that they belong to Him. God makes these purposes known through His chosen agencies so that the grand work of redemption can go forward.
Peter's presence on the holy mount made him an eyewitness of Christ's majesty who heard the Father's voice. That gave him testimony about Jesus and the kingdom of God. Moses stood there with Elijah, Moses having been raised to immortal life and called to an inheritance infinitely more glorious than earthly Canaan, while Elijah had been translated without seeing death, and both had been sent as bearers of light and glory from the Father to the Son. His standing there fulfilled his prayer uttered centuries before, as he stood upon the goodly mountain within the heritage of his people, bearing witness to Christ in whom all the promises to Israel center. His presence displays together God's justice in shutting him out of earthly Canaan to teach exact obedience and to warn against taking the glory due to God, and God's love in not forgetting or forsaking His servant but remembering his suffering and every act of faithful service through long years of conflict and trial.
Call to Follow
Luke 9:26-62 is to be studied to get its meaning so that the heart is in full harmony with Christ and intelligent about His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord. That following on brings continual increase of light, even as Christ in the world reflected light upon the people when the time was nearly come for Him to be taken from them. He desired them to remember all He had said to them in preparation for the coming time of trials and persecutions everywhere. The glory seen where Moses and Elijah talked with Christ on the mount calls His disciples to carry faith and prayer to people in need below, serving them with His self-sacrificing love.
As divine glory at the transfiguration prepared and strengthened Jesus for His coming suffering before betrayal and crucifixion, declaring that the Son of man is glorified and God is glorified in Him, so the faithful people of God will likewise be strengthened and share in divine glory as they face their final time of trouble. The Mount where Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus is the ascent appointed for a life of duty, strength, endurance, toil, self-sacrifice, and spiritual growth.
On the mount of transfiguration Jesus shone with divine glory through His humanity as two heavenly visitors in glory talked with Him, Moses and Elijah. Moses had died and been raised by Christ to immortal life with a glorified body, while Elijah had been taken to heaven without seeing death. The Father sent them as honored bearers of light to comfort and strengthen His Son for His last sufferings, talking with Him about the death He would suffer at Jerusalem to complete His mission. They were chosen rather than angels as the fittest from around the throne because as men they had known earthly sorrow, suffering and trial and could sympathize with Jesus in His trial. Together with Jesus in glory they portrayed in miniature the kingdom of the redeemed, Moses representing those raised from the dead at Christ's coming and Elijah those changed without seeing death, to strengthen the disciples' faith to endure His humiliation and crucifixion without casting away confidence in Him as the Son of God.
Setting and Identities
This moment belongs to the transfiguration, which came after a night Jesus spent in prayer to His Father as He prepared for important work and trial. The two men talking with Him were Moses and Elijah, heavenly visitors appearing in glory and conversing with Jesus while His divine glory shone through His humanity.
Moses was the one who had talked with God on Sinai face to face, with a revelation of glory given to no one else. He had died, but had been raised by Christ with a glorified body to immortal life, while Elijah had been translated without seeing death. His standing on the mount fulfilled his prayer uttered centuries before, as he stood upon the goodly mountain within the heritage of his people.
Elijah had been taken to heaven without experiencing death, a unique privilege shared with only one other person. Peter, James, and John were permitted to be with Jesus there, James being among the three disciples brought into the closest relationship with Christ. They were allowed to behold as much of His glory as they could bear, beholding His excellent majesty with fear and astonishment under the overshadowing cloud.
They heard the voice of God in terrible majesty proclaiming His beloved Son and commanding them to hear Him. The glory revealed there and the voice from the cloud remained in the disciples' memory, recalling the glory of God surrounding Jesus. A few followers were thus permitted to be with Jesus to behold His glory, and Peter's presence made him an eyewitness of Christ's majesty who heard the Father's voice.
Comfort for Jesus
The Father sent Moses and Elijah as honored servants and bearers of light and glory to bring heaven's glory to His Son and to comfort and strengthen Him for His last dreadful sufferings before betrayal and crucifixion. Their talk with Him was about the completion of His mission, especially the sufferings and death He would face at Jerusalem. That conversation centered on His coming suffering in Jerusalem and the finishing of the work given Him to do.
God sent these two men rather than angels, and as the fittest of all the hosts gathered around the throne to minister to the Son of God. They were favored above all others who ever lived on earth, yet they had lived on earth as men and had experienced human sorrow, suffering, and the trials of earthly life, so they could sympathize with Jesus in His earthly trial. Because both had known sorrow and suffering as human beings, they could enter into His trial in a way angels could not.
They were fit also in their earthly roles. Moses as leader of Israel had stood in Christ's place, communing with Him and following His directions in leading Israel under Christ's direction. Elijah as prophet to Israel had represented Christ, and his work was in degree similar to the Saviour's work.
Moses comforted Christ there as He shared His sadness over Jerusalem's rejection and the suffering and death awaiting Him. His face was filled with joy and glory and light from having seen Christ crucified, buried in Joseph's new tomb, risen as a majestic conqueror, ascending to heaven with a multitude of captives escorted by angels, and opening the everlasting gates. He had seen that he himself would attend Christ and open the everlasting gates to Him.
Their appearance as honored heavenly messengers commissioned to attend Him did not remove the necessity of Jesus' suffering and death. The disciples recognized them as favored ones of God, with Moses resurrected and taken to heaven and Elijah translated. They thought Elijah's appearance fulfilled prophecy and meant Christ's earthly kingdom was about to be established, and Peter supposed the two messengers would protect Jesus from the death awaiting Him in Jerusalem.
Strength for Disciples
On the mount the two men stood with Jesus in glory as heavenly beings in heavenly glory, paying Him homage while He was transfigured, and with the voice from heaven this gave the disciples proof of His divinity and Messiahship. Moses, who had spoken with God on Sinai, and Elijah, who had been taken without experiencing death, appeared and talked with Him, and their presence with the glorified Jesus revealed His divinity and kingdom. In that light Jesus was proclaimed as God's Son and Son of God, confirmed as the promised Messiah, with a visible token of His divinity and a symbol of His kingdom set before the disciples. That revelation was given to help them understand His mission and to know that His coming death at Jerusalem was part of the plan of redemption.
The glory surrounding Jesus and the presence of Moses and Elijah were to strengthen the faith of His followers for the humiliation and death ahead. They were strengthened to endure His humiliation and crucifixion, His sorrow and disappointment, without casting away confidence. The proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah and Son of God was to hold them so that bitter sorrow and disappointment at His crucifixion would not destroy their confidence. Even afterward, remembering that scene of glory and the voice they heard kept alive their faith that Jesus was the Son of God.
On the mountain the disciples saw Jesus in glory and heard Him proclaimed the Son of God, and that scene stands in contrast with His descent to rescue the boy enslaved by Satan. Together the height and the valley form one object lesson of redemption. In it the Divine One stoops from the Father's glory to save the lost.
Kingdom in Miniature
Moses stands for those who will be raised from the dead at Christ's second coming and second advent, while Elijah, who was translated to heaven without seeing death, stands for those who will be living at that return and will be changed from mortal to immortal and taken to heaven without seeing death. Elijah thus represents the two classes saved at that appearing, the living saints who will be changed to immortality and translated without dying, as Moses represents the dead who will be raised. Together with Jesus appearing in heavenly glory and proclaimed by the Father as the Son of God, they form a miniature view of Christ's kingdom and portray in miniature the kingdom of the redeemed. That scene gives the disciples a visible token of His divinity and a symbol of His kingdom, to strengthen their faith and help them understand His mission and coming death.
The transfiguration with Moses and Elijah talking with the changed Jesus fulfills His promise that some standing with Him would not taste death till they saw the kingdom of God come with power. There His countenance was changed and shone like the sun and His raiment was white and glistening as He talked with the two representatives of the saved. In that glory, with the Father's proclamation, is seen Christ's kingdom come with power.
Links to Scripture
The transfiguration was the second of three times the voice of God was heard proclaiming Christ as His Son, the first having been at His baptism and the third to come just before His betrayal. There the Father gave public testimony in Christ's favor. This stands in contrast to the cross, where heaven was silent and no testimony was heard while Christ suffered abuse and mockery alone.
What Moses and Elijah talked about with Him centered on the cross of Calvary as the great center. It was about the reconciliation for iniquity and the everlasting righteousness the Messiah brought in through His sacrifice. That is the same truth Gabriel revealed to Daniel in answer to fervent prayer. It becomes effectual when acted upon, bringing everlasting deliverance to all who walk after Him and who give positive evidence by separation from the world that they belong to Him. God makes these purposes known through His chosen agencies so that the grand work of redemption can go forward.
Peter's presence on the holy mount made him an eyewitness of Christ's majesty who heard the Father's voice. That gave him testimony about Jesus and the kingdom of God. Moses stood there with Elijah, Moses having been raised to immortal life and called to an inheritance infinitely more glorious than earthly Canaan, while Elijah had been translated without seeing death, and both had been sent as bearers of light and glory from the Father to the Son. His standing there fulfilled his prayer uttered centuries before, as he stood upon the goodly mountain within the heritage of his people, bearing witness to Christ in whom all the promises to Israel center. His presence displays together God's justice in shutting him out of earthly Canaan to teach exact obedience and to warn against taking the glory due to God, and God's love in not forgetting or forsaking His servant but remembering his suffering and every act of faithful service through long years of conflict and trial.
Call to Follow
Luke 9:26-62 is to be studied to get its meaning so that the heart is in full harmony with Christ and intelligent about His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord. That following on brings continual increase of light, even as Christ in the world reflected light upon the people when the time was nearly come for Him to be taken from them. He desired them to remember all He had said to them in preparation for the coming time of trials and persecutions everywhere. The glory seen where Moses and Elijah talked with Christ on the mount calls His disciples to carry faith and prayer to people in need below, serving them with His self-sacrificing love.
As divine glory at the transfiguration prepared and strengthened Jesus for His coming suffering before betrayal and crucifixion, declaring that the Son of man is glorified and God is glorified in Him, so the faithful people of God will likewise be strengthened and share in divine glory as they face their final time of trouble. The Mount where Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus is the ascent appointed for a life of duty, strength, endurance, toil, self-sacrifice, and spiritual growth.