Peter Shields His Eyes at the TransfigurationBible World
9:34Luke 9:34
While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
The cloud that overshadowed them was a bright and glorious cloud of God's own presence in fearful majesty, brighter than the cloud that went before Israel in the wilderness, and the disciples were overwhelmed with awe as they entered it and fell facedown until Jesus came near, touched them and reassured them. From that cloud God declared Jesus to be His beloved Son and commanded them to hear Him, thus honoring Him and testifying to His divine character above humanity. The scene clothed Jesus in heaven's glory as a visible sign of His kingdom come with power, giving the disciples a miniature view of the kingdom of the redeemed at His second coming. Moses and Elijah were bearers of that glory to Christ to speak with Him of His sufferings and death, chosen for their experience in earth's trials, with Moses representing those who will be raised from the dead and Elijah those who will be changed without seeing death. The Father thus glorified Jesus to strengthen Him for His last dreadful sufferings, and gave the three witnesses strong proof that He was the promised Messiah and Son of God to sustain their faith through His humiliation and crucifixion.
Cloud on the Mount
While he thus spake belongs to the transfiguration, which followed a night Jesus spent in prayer seeking communion with His Father before an important work and trial. The witnesses were James, John, and Peter, who woke suddenly from profound sleep to behold Jesus glorified. He was clothed in inexpressible glory with beams of light like the sun that they could not endure without shielding their eyes with their hands, His face lighted up with divine glory and His clothing white and glistening, as much of that glory shining through His humanity as human beings could bear. They were filled with rapture and awe as they recognized Moses and Elijah as favored ones of God honoring Him.
Moses and Elijah were bearers of God's glory to God's dear Son and spoke with Him about His sufferings and death. They were chosen instead of angels because they had experience in the trials of earth. Moses had been greatly honored of God, privileged to talk with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend, and God had revealed to him His excellent glory as He had never done to any other, while Elijah had been translated.
In the first glow of amazement Peter sought to keep the vision on earth by making three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. He believed Elijah had now come according to prophecy and that Christ's kingdom was to be set up on earth. He imagined in his joy that the two messengers clothed in light and power had been sent to preserve Jesus from death at Jerusalem, to protect the Son of God and establish His kingly authority on earth, forgetting for the time Jesus' own frequent explanations that the plan of salvation could only be perfected through His suffering and death.
The cloud is a bright, glorious cloud of divine glory and God's presence in fearful majesty overshadowing them and marking heavenly glory. It was brighter than the cloud that went before Israel in the wilderness. From it God declared Jesus to be His beloved Son and commanded the disciples to hear Him.
The disciples looked on with astonishment and feared as they entered the cloud, overwhelmed by its majesty and grandeur in awe before that majesty, unable to endure it. They fell to the ground with their faces hidden and remained facedown until Jesus came near, raised them, touched them, and reassured them not to be afraid.
Voice and Coming Kingdom
From the overshadowing cloud God spoke to declare Jesus His beloved Son and to command the disciples to hear Him. That voice honored Him, testified to His divine character, recognized Him as Son, and lifted Him above humanity to commune with Him as He talked with heavenly messengers. The disciples looked on with astonishment and fear as the cloud brought the presence of God in fearful majesty. This hearing of God's voice proclaiming Christ as His Son was the second such time, the first having been at His baptism and the third to come just before His betrayal, in contrast to the crucifixion when the voice from heaven was silent and no testimony in Christ's favor was heard while He suffered abuse and mockery alone.
The transfiguration was a manifestation of Jesus' divinity, clothing Him in heaven's glory and giving a visible sign and symbol of His kingdom. It fulfilled His promise that some standing with Him would see the kingdom of God come with power, for the disciples saw the kingdom of Christ in miniature. The heavenly glory awakened them and filled them with fear and amazement, showing them that Jesus is the Son of God and strengthening them for the trials ahead.
In that miniature view of the kingdom of the redeemed at Christ's second coming, Moses represented those who will be raised from the dead and Elijah represented those then living who will be changed from mortal to immortal and taken to heaven without seeing death. The event gave the disciples a visible sign of Christ's divinity and a symbol of His kingdom to strengthen their faith. By it they were helped to understand that His death was necessary for His own glory, for the Father's glory, and for humanity's share in that glory.
Strength for Suffering and Service
At the transfiguration the Father glorified Jesus just before His betrayal and crucifixion, declaring the Son of man glorified and God glorified in Him in order to strengthen Him for His last dreadful sufferings. That glorification by the Father was given to uphold Christ as He faced what lay ahead.
The manifestation of His divinity and the heavenly testimony were given to the three disciples as strong proof that He was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. They saw His glory and heard the voice from heaven testifying to His divine character, and they were awakened with fear and amazement beneath the cloud that marked the heavenly glory and brought the presence of God in fearful majesty. This was meant to strengthen their faith for the trials ahead, so that bitter sorrow and disappointment at His humiliation and crucifixion would not destroy their confidence or cause them to cast it away. Moses and Elijah were sent to talk with Him about His sufferings and death rather than angels, because they had experience in earth's trials, and the remembered voice and glory confirmed to the disciples that He was the Son of God.
The same glory and the voice of God from the cloud later reminded them of the transfiguration, so that when they saw that glory again they no longer feared for Jesus because they knew God had taken Him in charge and an angel was protecting Him. They had feared as they entered the overshadowing cloud of divine glory, but its return became assurance instead of dread.
They witnessed His glory just before descending to the demon-possessed boy, setting divine glory against human misery as an object lesson of redemption in which the Divine One stoops from the Father's glory to save the lost. His servants must therefore carry their work beyond moments of spiritual illumination on the mount to the work waiting below, where souls enslaved by Satan need faith and prayer to be freed.
The verse stands within the teaching of Luke 9:26-62, which is to be studied for its meaning so that hearts are in full harmony with Christ and intelligent in regard to His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord, whose going forth is prepared as the morning with continual increase of light. Christ spoke these words while reflecting light upon the people when the time was nearly come for Him to be taken from them, desiring them to remember all He had said in preparation for the time when trials and persecutions will be everywhere. The Mount of Transfiguration itself serves as an image of the spiritual ascent to be made through toil, self-sacrifice, and devotion to knowledge and love.
The cloud that overshadowed them was a bright and glorious cloud of God's own presence in fearful majesty, brighter than the cloud that went before Israel in the wilderness, and the disciples were overwhelmed with awe as they entered it and fell facedown until Jesus came near, touched them and reassured them. From that cloud God declared Jesus to be His beloved Son and commanded them to hear Him, thus honoring Him and testifying to His divine character above humanity. The scene clothed Jesus in heaven's glory as a visible sign of His kingdom come with power, giving the disciples a miniature view of the kingdom of the redeemed at His second coming. Moses and Elijah were bearers of that glory to Christ to speak with Him of His sufferings and death, chosen for their experience in earth's trials, with Moses representing those who will be raised from the dead and Elijah those who will be changed without seeing death. The Father thus glorified Jesus to strengthen Him for His last dreadful sufferings, and gave the three witnesses strong proof that He was the promised Messiah and Son of God to sustain their faith through His humiliation and crucifixion.
Cloud on the Mount
While he thus spake belongs to the transfiguration, which followed a night Jesus spent in prayer seeking communion with His Father before an important work and trial.
The witnesses were James, John, and Peter, who woke suddenly from profound sleep to behold Jesus glorified. He was clothed in inexpressible glory with beams of light like the sun that they could not endure without shielding their eyes with their hands, His face lighted up with divine glory and His clothing white and glistening, as much of that glory shining through His humanity as human beings could bear. They were filled with rapture and awe as they recognized Moses and Elijah as favored ones of God honoring Him.
Moses and Elijah were bearers of God's glory to God's dear Son and spoke with Him about His sufferings and death. They were chosen instead of angels because they had experience in the trials of earth. Moses had been greatly honored of God, privileged to talk with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend, and God had revealed to him His excellent glory as He had never done to any other, while Elijah had been translated.
In the first glow of amazement Peter sought to keep the vision on earth by making three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. He believed Elijah had now come according to prophecy and that Christ's kingdom was to be set up on earth. He imagined in his joy that the two messengers clothed in light and power had been sent to preserve Jesus from death at Jerusalem, to protect the Son of God and establish His kingly authority on earth, forgetting for the time Jesus' own frequent explanations that the plan of salvation could only be perfected through His suffering and death.
The cloud is a bright, glorious cloud of divine glory and God's presence in fearful majesty overshadowing them and marking heavenly glory. It was brighter than the cloud that went before Israel in the wilderness. From it God declared Jesus to be His beloved Son and commanded the disciples to hear Him.
The disciples looked on with astonishment and feared as they entered the cloud, overwhelmed by its majesty and grandeur in awe before that majesty, unable to endure it. They fell to the ground with their faces hidden and remained facedown until Jesus came near, raised them, touched them, and reassured them not to be afraid.
Voice and Coming Kingdom
From the overshadowing cloud God spoke to declare Jesus His beloved Son and to command the disciples to hear Him. That voice honored Him, testified to His divine character, recognized Him as Son, and lifted Him above humanity to commune with Him as He talked with heavenly messengers. The disciples looked on with astonishment and fear as the cloud brought the presence of God in fearful majesty. This hearing of God's voice proclaiming Christ as His Son was the second such time, the first having been at His baptism and the third to come just before His betrayal, in contrast to the crucifixion when the voice from heaven was silent and no testimony in Christ's favor was heard while He suffered abuse and mockery alone.
The transfiguration was a manifestation of Jesus' divinity, clothing Him in heaven's glory and giving a visible sign and symbol of His kingdom. It fulfilled His promise that some standing with Him would see the kingdom of God come with power, for the disciples saw the kingdom of Christ in miniature. The heavenly glory awakened them and filled them with fear and amazement, showing them that Jesus is the Son of God and strengthening them for the trials ahead.
In that miniature view of the kingdom of the redeemed at Christ's second coming, Moses represented those who will be raised from the dead and Elijah represented those then living who will be changed from mortal to immortal and taken to heaven without seeing death. The event gave the disciples a visible sign of Christ's divinity and a symbol of His kingdom to strengthen their faith. By it they were helped to understand that His death was necessary for His own glory, for the Father's glory, and for humanity's share in that glory.
Strength for Suffering and Service
At the transfiguration the Father glorified Jesus just before His betrayal and crucifixion, declaring the Son of man glorified and God glorified in Him in order to strengthen Him for His last dreadful sufferings. That glorification by the Father was given to uphold Christ as He faced what lay ahead.
The manifestation of His divinity and the heavenly testimony were given to the three disciples as strong proof that He was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. They saw His glory and heard the voice from heaven testifying to His divine character, and they were awakened with fear and amazement beneath the cloud that marked the heavenly glory and brought the presence of God in fearful majesty. This was meant to strengthen their faith for the trials ahead, so that bitter sorrow and disappointment at His humiliation and crucifixion would not destroy their confidence or cause them to cast it away. Moses and Elijah were sent to talk with Him about His sufferings and death rather than angels, because they had experience in earth's trials, and the remembered voice and glory confirmed to the disciples that He was the Son of God.
The same glory and the voice of God from the cloud later reminded them of the transfiguration, so that when they saw that glory again they no longer feared for Jesus because they knew God had taken Him in charge and an angel was protecting Him. They had feared as they entered the overshadowing cloud of divine glory, but its return became assurance instead of dread.
They witnessed His glory just before descending to the demon-possessed boy, setting divine glory against human misery as an object lesson of redemption in which the Divine One stoops from the Father's glory to save the lost. His servants must therefore carry their work beyond moments of spiritual illumination on the mount to the work waiting below, where souls enslaved by Satan need faith and prayer to be freed.
The verse stands within the teaching of Luke 9:26-62, which is to be studied for its meaning so that hearts are in full harmony with Christ and intelligent in regard to His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord, whose going forth is prepared as the morning with continual increase of light. Christ spoke these words while reflecting light upon the people when the time was nearly come for Him to be taken from them, desiring them to remember all He had said in preparation for the time when trials and persecutions will be everywhere. The Mount of Transfiguration itself serves as an image of the spiritual ascent to be made through toil, self-sacrifice, and devotion to knowledge and love.