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Jesus Transfigured
257
God heard His prayer. Suddenly the heavens opened and holy
radiance came down on the mountain, covering the Savior’s form.
Divinity from within flashed through humanity and met the glory
coming from above. Arising from His position facedown on the
ground, Christ stood in godlike majesty. His face was shining “like
the sun,” and His garments were “white as the light.”
[196]
The disciples woke up and gazed in fear and amazement on the
radiant form of their Master. As they became able to endure the su-
pernatural light, they saw two heavenly beings beside Jesus—Moses,
who on Sinai had talked with God, and Elijah, who experienced the
high privilege of never coming under the power of death.
Because of his sin at Meribah, Moses was not allowed to enter
Canaan. The joy of leading Israel into the inheritance of their fathers
was not for him. A wilderness grave was his after forty years of
toil and heart-burdening care. Moses passed under the dominion of
death, but he did not remain in the tomb. Christ Himself called him
back to life. See
Jude 9
.
On the mount of transfiguration, Moses represented those who
will come out from the grave in the resurrection of the just. Elijah,
who had been translated to heaven without seeing death, represented
people living at Christ’s second coming, who will be “changed—
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”
1
Corinthians 15:51, 52
. Jesus was clothed as He will appear when
He comes the second time “in the glory of His Father with the
holy angels.”
Mark 8:38
; see
Hebrews 9:28
. On the mountain the
disciples saw the future kingdom of glory in miniature—Christ the
King, Moses a representative of the risen redeemed, and Elijah
representing the translated ones.
Peter Seriously Misunderstands
The disciples rejoiced to see the favored ones of heaven honor
the meek and lowly One, who had wandered this earth as a helpless
stranger. They believed that Elijah had come to announce that the
kingdom was about to be set up on earth. They longed to linger here.
Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make
three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”