BEN F. VICK, JR.
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” (Matt. 17:1-9).
The gospel accounts do not tell us on which mountain our Lord was transfigured. McGarvey comments on this:
A tradition dating from the fourth century fixes upon Mt. Tabor as the site of the transfiguration, but this is unquestionably a mistake. Mt. Tabor is in Galilee, while Jesus was still the region of Caesarea Philippi (Mark 9:30). Moreover, there is little doubt that at the same time for centuries previous there was an inhabited fortress upon Mt. Tabor (Josh. xix.12; Jos. B.J. I, 8,7; Vit. 37). Moreover, Tabor is not a high mountain, its elevation above the sea level being but 1,748 feet. Hermon, on the contrary, is the highest mountain in Palestine, its elevation, according to Reclus, being 9,400 feet. It was Jesus’ custom to withdraw for prayer by night (Matt. xiv.23,24; Luke vi.12; xxi.37; xxii.39), and the transfiguration took place at night (The Fourfold Gospel, p. 418).
As Jesus prayed, “the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” Mark says, “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them” (Mark 9:3). Matthew says Jesus was “transfigured” before Peter, James, and John. The word “transfigured” (μεταμορφόω) means to change one’s form. I like what McGarvey said: “We may conceive of the body of Jesus becoming luminous and imparting its light to his garments. The Christian looks forward to beholding such a transfiguration and also to participating in it - I John iii.2” (p. 419).
McGarvey indicates this event took place at night. Following Jesus’ transfiguration, Luke tells us, “And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill [or “mountain”], much people met him” (Luke 9:37). McGarvey’s opinion that it was night might also be based on the fact that Peter, James, and John were “heavy with sleep” and were awaken to Jesus’ glory and the two men who stood with him.
Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Both were great men. They represented the Law and the prophets, the Old Testament. The Law came by Moses (John 1:17). Moses had died 1500 years before on Mount Nebo and was buried in a valley in Moab in some unknown grave. He was Israel’s great leader for forty years. The record says, “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10). He wrote by inspiration the first five books of the Bible, called the Law. He is still heralded today as the great lawgiver.
Elias, or Elijah the Tishbite, was also a great Old Testament person. “A character whose rare, sudden and brief appearance, undaunted courage, and fiery zeal – the brilliancy of whose triumphs – the paths of whose despondency – the glory of whose departure and the calm beauty of whose reappearance on the Mount of Transfiguration – throw such a halo of brightness around him as is equaled by none of the composers in the [O.T.] sacred story.” He demonstrated courage in the face of Ahab, the wicked King of Israel, and his wife Jezebel (1 Kings 17). His confrontation with the false prophets on Mount Carmel and his flight to Mount Horeb demonstrate the highs and lows in one’s life. The scene of his departure is when he is separated from Elisha by a chariot of fire and horses of fire and taken up in a whirlwind.
What were Jesus, Moses, and Elijah discussing? If you or I could only have been there, we could eavesdrop. We are there in mind, for Luke tells us: They spoke of Jesus’ “decease.” Interesting word. The word from which we get the name of the second book of the Bible: “Exodus” (ἔξοδος). It means exit, departure. It is a reference to Jesus’ death. Imagine that. Moses was never allowed to enter the land of promise but died on Mount Nebo, yet he was now with our Savior and Elijah. The latter would not have been speaking from experience because he did not die.
When the apostles were fully awake, they saw the glory of the Lord. As they departed, Peter spoke. “Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter wanted to honor all three, placing all on the same level. Mark records, “For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.” “Peter’s fears overcame his discretion, but did not silence his tongue” (McGarvey). “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid” (Matt. 17:5-6).
Our authority today is not the Law and the prophets, the Old Testament, but Jesus. He has all authority (Matt. 28:18; Col. 3:17). We are to hear him concerning the one church, salvation, approved worship, the work of the church, and Christian living. Our authority is not our “think so’s,” philosophy, psychology, schools, scholars, elders, preachers, traditions of men, or the church. We are to hear Christ (Heb. 1:1-3). Inherent in the word “hear” is to obey (Acts 3:22-23; Heb. 5:8-9).