Peter Shields His Eyes at the TransfigurationBible World
9:35Luke 9:35
And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
From the bright cloud of glory on the transfiguration mountain the Father's voice publicly identifies Jesus as His beloved Son, confirming His divinity and authority as the promised Messiah. The command to hear Him directs the disciples to heed His teaching, including what He says about His coming death. On the mount His face shines like the sun and His clothing becomes white and glistening to reveal His veiled divine glory, while Moses and Elijah talk with Him about His coming sufferings and death as those who shared earth's trials. The scene is His kingdom in miniature, with Moses representing those raised from the dead at His second advent and Elijah representing those translated without seeing death. The glory and the voice were given to strengthen Jesus Himself for His last dreadful sufferings and to hold the disciples' faith firm through their grief and disappointment at His death.
Voice on the Mount
The voice speaks from the bright cloud of glory on the transfiguration mountain, the same kind of cloud that led Israel in the wilderness, after a night Jesus spent in prayer and communion with the Father before an important work. The night of prayer precedes the manifestation on the mount, linking communion with the Father to the glory then revealed.
The voice comes out of the overshadowing cloud in terrible and fearful majesty that overwhelms the three witnessing disciples, among them John, who were permitted to be present. Its majesty causes the mountain to tremble and the disciples to fall facedown to the ground in fear and astonishment. Jesus then comes near and tells them not to be afraid, and when they look up the cloud and the heavenly visitors are gone and they are left alone with Jesus.
On the mount the fashion of His countenance is changed and His face shines like the sun and is lighted with divine glory, while His raiment is white and glistening. This reveals His excellent majesty and His divine glory veiled by His humanity, shown as far as human beings could bear to see. He is lifted above humanity to commune with heaven and to speak with heavenly visitors, and in this heavenly testimony He is honored with glory and His majesty is witnessed to.
Moses and Elijah talk with Him there about His coming sufferings and death, sent to be bearers of God's glory to Him. They are chosen for this converse instead of angels because they had personal experience in the trials of earth. Elijah is present as one who had been translated, and Moses is present as one greatly honored of God who had been privileged to talk with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend and to whom God had revealed His excellent glory as He had never done to any other.
The proclamation on the mount is the second time God audibly proclaims Christ as His Son, after the first proclamation at the baptism and before a third witness just before the betrayal when the Father witnesses to His Son. At the crucifixion this heavenly testimony ceases, and no voice speaks in His favor while He suffers abuse and mockery alone amid darkness, rent rocks and convulsed earth.
The declaration from the radiant glory is witnessed by the disciples shortly before Jesus descends to free the suffering demon-possessed child from Satan's power and to rescue and restore him. Together the glorification on the mount and the descent to heal picture the Divine One stooping from the Father's glory to save the lost.
Son Proclaimed to Hear
The voice from the cloud publicly identifies Jesus as God's beloved Son. It acknowledges Him as the Son of God and proclaims Him to be the Son of God from radiant glory and heaven's light. It testifies to His divine character, confirms His divinity and divine identity, and identifies Him as the promised Messiah. It directs attention to His majesty and authority and confirms that majesty and authority.
The command to hear Him directs the disciples to heed Jesus' teaching and to listen to Him. It confirms His authority and His divine identity and authority during the transfiguration. It includes heeding what He says about His coming death. Its majesty overwhelms the disciples so that they fall to the ground and fall facedown in fear.
The voice answers Peter's proposal to keep Jesus at a safe distance from earthly danger. It answers his wrong imagination that the heavenly visitors would protect Jesus and establish His earthly kingdom. It corrects the forgetting that salvation must be accomplished through Jesus' suffering and death. It confirms that His approaching and shameful death is part of the plan of redemption and of God's plan of redemption.
The transfiguration was given to strengthen the disciples' faith in Jesus' Messiahship and to keep them from losing faith during His coming humiliation and death. The manifestation of His divinity was meant to establish that He is truly the Son of God. The voice from heaven, together with the homage paid to Jesus by Moses and Elijah, gave the three disciples evidence they could not doubt. That visible sign of Christ's divinity was meant to remove unbelief and lingering doubts, strengthen belief in who He was, and help understand that His death was necessary for His glory, the Father's glory, and the human race's sharing in that glory.
Kingdom Foretaste Sustains Faith
The scene fulfills the promise that some standing with Him would not taste death until seeing the kingdom of God come with power, for the transfiguration is His kingdom in miniature and a small-scale picture of the redeemed kingdom. There Jesus is clothed with the glory of heaven and proclaimed by the Father's voice to be the Son of God, while the disciples behold His countenance changed and shining like the sun and His raiment white and glistening, revealing His excellent majesty under the overshadowing cloud. They hear this testimony while seeing Jesus in heaven's light and hearing the voice of God come out of the cloud in terrible majesty declaring Him to be God's beloved Son who must be heard.
In that picture Moses is present as representing those who will be raised from the dead at the second appearing of Jesus, and Elijah is present as representing those who will be living on earth at Christ's second coming and be changed from mortal to immortal and translated to heaven without seeing death. Moses represents those raised from the dead at Christ's second advent, while Elijah represents those changed to immortality and taken to heaven without dying. Together they are seen with Jesus in heaven's light as a small-scale picture of the redeemed kingdom and His kingdom in miniature come with power.
The glory seen and the voice heard were given before the betrayal and crucifixion to strengthen Jesus Himself for His last dreadful sufferings. The same manifestation of divinity was given to strengthen the disciples' faith in His Messiahship so that in their coming grief, disappointment, humiliation and bitter sorrow over His death they would not lose faith or entirely cast away their confidence. A few followers were permitted to be present to see His face lighted with divine glory and His clothing white and glistening and to hear the voice in fearful majesty identifying Jesus as the beloved Son and commanding that He be heard, giving strong proof that He is the promised Messiah. The voice from heaven, together with the homage paid to Jesus by Moses and Elijah who talked with Him about His sufferings and death, gave the three disciples evidence they could not doubt, establishing that He was truly the Son of God and showing that His shameful death was part of God's plan of redemption, necessary for His glory and the Father's glory and humanity's sharing in that glory. Jesus prayed that they would witness this manifestation of His divinity and divine character, chosen to converse with Moses and Elijah rather than angels because they had personal experience in the trials of earth, to preserve their confidence when grief and disappointment over His crucifixion came.
That voice and glory seen with their own eyes strengthened the disciples during His trial to hold that He was the Son of God when their hopes rose and fell and they doubted and feared they had been deceived. Joined with the memory of His miracles in healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping deaf ears, casting out devils, raising the dead, and rebuking the wind until it obeyed, it made them unable to believe He would die and led them to expect Him to rise in power, deliver Himself from His enemies and punish their cruelty, disperse the bloodthirsty multitude as He had dispersed the traders from the temple, and convince all that He was the King of Israel. The remembered voice and glory later helped them recognize the heavenly presence when an angel appeared to Jesus in the garden, and they no longer feared for their Master because God had taken Him in charge.
The teaching of Luke 9:26-62 must be studied to get its meaning so hearts are in full harmony with Christ and intelligent about His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord. It is part of Christ reflecting light upon the people with continual increase like the morning going forth, given just before He was to be taken from them, and it is to be remembered because the time will come when there will be trials and persecutions everywhere. Closeness to Christ in beholding His glory on the mount leads back to the plain to work and pray for people enslaved by Satan, connecting seeing His glory with hearing and following Him in self-sacrificing service for humanity. The same scene points to the glory that will attend God's faithful people in their final conflict, when as the third angel's message swells to a loud cry the latter rain will revive and strengthen them to pass through the time of trouble, and their faces will shine with the light accompanying that message. It presents the ascent to which all are called as a life of strength, endurance, fervor, toil, self-sacrifice, and devotion to knowledge and love.
From the bright cloud of glory on the transfiguration mountain the Father's voice publicly identifies Jesus as His beloved Son, confirming His divinity and authority as the promised Messiah. The command to hear Him directs the disciples to heed His teaching, including what He says about His coming death. On the mount His face shines like the sun and His clothing becomes white and glistening to reveal His veiled divine glory, while Moses and Elijah talk with Him about His coming sufferings and death as those who shared earth's trials. The scene is His kingdom in miniature, with Moses representing those raised from the dead at His second advent and Elijah representing those translated without seeing death. The glory and the voice were given to strengthen Jesus Himself for His last dreadful sufferings and to hold the disciples' faith firm through their grief and disappointment at His death.
Voice on the Mount
The voice speaks from the bright cloud of glory on the transfiguration mountain, the same kind of cloud that led Israel in the wilderness, after a night Jesus spent in prayer and communion with the Father before an important work. The night of prayer precedes the manifestation on the mount, linking communion with the Father to the glory then revealed.
The voice comes out of the overshadowing cloud in terrible and fearful majesty that overwhelms the three witnessing disciples, among them John, who were permitted to be present. Its majesty causes the mountain to tremble and the disciples to fall facedown to the ground in fear and astonishment. Jesus then comes near and tells them not to be afraid, and when they look up the cloud and the heavenly visitors are gone and they are left alone with Jesus.
On the mount the fashion of His countenance is changed and His face shines like the sun and is lighted with divine glory, while His raiment is white and glistening. This reveals His excellent majesty and His divine glory veiled by His humanity, shown as far as human beings could bear to see. He is lifted above humanity to commune with heaven and to speak with heavenly visitors, and in this heavenly testimony He is honored with glory and His majesty is witnessed to.
Moses and Elijah talk with Him there about His coming sufferings and death, sent to be bearers of God's glory to Him. They are chosen for this converse instead of angels because they had personal experience in the trials of earth. Elijah is present as one who had been translated, and Moses is present as one greatly honored of God who had been privileged to talk with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend and to whom God had revealed His excellent glory as He had never done to any other.
The proclamation on the mount is the second time God audibly proclaims Christ as His Son, after the first proclamation at the baptism and before a third witness just before the betrayal when the Father witnesses to His Son. At the crucifixion this heavenly testimony ceases, and no voice speaks in His favor while He suffers abuse and mockery alone amid darkness, rent rocks and convulsed earth.
The declaration from the radiant glory is witnessed by the disciples shortly before Jesus descends to free the suffering demon-possessed child from Satan's power and to rescue and restore him. Together the glorification on the mount and the descent to heal picture the Divine One stooping from the Father's glory to save the lost.
Son Proclaimed to Hear
The voice from the cloud publicly identifies Jesus as God's beloved Son. It acknowledges Him as the Son of God and proclaims Him to be the Son of God from radiant glory and heaven's light. It testifies to His divine character, confirms His divinity and divine identity, and identifies Him as the promised Messiah. It directs attention to His majesty and authority and confirms that majesty and authority.
The command to hear Him directs the disciples to heed Jesus' teaching and to listen to Him. It confirms His authority and His divine identity and authority during the transfiguration. It includes heeding what He says about His coming death. Its majesty overwhelms the disciples so that they fall to the ground and fall facedown in fear.
The voice answers Peter's proposal to keep Jesus at a safe distance from earthly danger. It answers his wrong imagination that the heavenly visitors would protect Jesus and establish His earthly kingdom. It corrects the forgetting that salvation must be accomplished through Jesus' suffering and death. It confirms that His approaching and shameful death is part of the plan of redemption and of God's plan of redemption.
The transfiguration was given to strengthen the disciples' faith in Jesus' Messiahship and to keep them from losing faith during His coming humiliation and death. The manifestation of His divinity was meant to establish that He is truly the Son of God. The voice from heaven, together with the homage paid to Jesus by Moses and Elijah, gave the three disciples evidence they could not doubt. That visible sign of Christ's divinity was meant to remove unbelief and lingering doubts, strengthen belief in who He was, and help understand that His death was necessary for His glory, the Father's glory, and the human race's sharing in that glory.
Kingdom Foretaste Sustains Faith
The scene fulfills the promise that some standing with Him would not taste death until seeing the kingdom of God come with power, for the transfiguration is His kingdom in miniature and a small-scale picture of the redeemed kingdom. There Jesus is clothed with the glory of heaven and proclaimed by the Father's voice to be the Son of God, while the disciples behold His countenance changed and shining like the sun and His raiment white and glistening, revealing His excellent majesty under the overshadowing cloud. They hear this testimony while seeing Jesus in heaven's light and hearing the voice of God come out of the cloud in terrible majesty declaring Him to be God's beloved Son who must be heard.
In that picture Moses is present as representing those who will be raised from the dead at the second appearing of Jesus, and Elijah is present as representing those who will be living on earth at Christ's second coming and be changed from mortal to immortal and translated to heaven without seeing death. Moses represents those raised from the dead at Christ's second advent, while Elijah represents those changed to immortality and taken to heaven without dying. Together they are seen with Jesus in heaven's light as a small-scale picture of the redeemed kingdom and His kingdom in miniature come with power.
The glory seen and the voice heard were given before the betrayal and crucifixion to strengthen Jesus Himself for His last dreadful sufferings. The same manifestation of divinity was given to strengthen the disciples' faith in His Messiahship so that in their coming grief, disappointment, humiliation and bitter sorrow over His death they would not lose faith or entirely cast away their confidence. A few followers were permitted to be present to see His face lighted with divine glory and His clothing white and glistening and to hear the voice in fearful majesty identifying Jesus as the beloved Son and commanding that He be heard, giving strong proof that He is the promised Messiah. The voice from heaven, together with the homage paid to Jesus by Moses and Elijah who talked with Him about His sufferings and death, gave the three disciples evidence they could not doubt, establishing that He was truly the Son of God and showing that His shameful death was part of God's plan of redemption, necessary for His glory and the Father's glory and humanity's sharing in that glory. Jesus prayed that they would witness this manifestation of His divinity and divine character, chosen to converse with Moses and Elijah rather than angels because they had personal experience in the trials of earth, to preserve their confidence when grief and disappointment over His crucifixion came.
That voice and glory seen with their own eyes strengthened the disciples during His trial to hold that He was the Son of God when their hopes rose and fell and they doubted and feared they had been deceived. Joined with the memory of His miracles in healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping deaf ears, casting out devils, raising the dead, and rebuking the wind until it obeyed, it made them unable to believe He would die and led them to expect Him to rise in power, deliver Himself from His enemies and punish their cruelty, disperse the bloodthirsty multitude as He had dispersed the traders from the temple, and convince all that He was the King of Israel. The remembered voice and glory later helped them recognize the heavenly presence when an angel appeared to Jesus in the garden, and they no longer feared for their Master because God had taken Him in charge.
The teaching of Luke 9:26-62 must be studied to get its meaning so hearts are in full harmony with Christ and intelligent about His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord. It is part of Christ reflecting light upon the people with continual increase like the morning going forth, given just before He was to be taken from them, and it is to be remembered because the time will come when there will be trials and persecutions everywhere. Closeness to Christ in beholding His glory on the mount leads back to the plain to work and pray for people enslaved by Satan, connecting seeing His glory with hearing and following Him in self-sacrificing service for humanity. The same scene points to the glory that will attend God's faithful people in their final conflict, when as the third angel's message swells to a loud cry the latter rain will revive and strengthen them to pass through the time of trouble, and their faces will shine with the light accompanying that message. It presents the ascent to which all are called as a life of strength, endurance, fervor, toil, self-sacrifice, and devotion to knowledge and love.