transfiguration lesson

We may have wondered why Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and his closest disciples on the Mt. of Transfiguration?

This was a pre-glorification event, showing the closest disciples what lay ahead in the future for all of the faithful. At that time they were still under the Law, obtaining their relationship with God through sacrifices at the temple, and through obedience to the many requirements of the Law. Jesus was showing them that achieving glorification rested on Jesus' work and not on the works of Israel under the Law.

Moses represented the works of the Law, and Elijah represented how prophecy interprets the Law as fulfilled by the redemption of Jesus. It would be a new covenant. None of this is explained at that time, since they were still under the Law, and could not be told yet to transcend the Law. But later, they would know what this meant, that the New Covenant supersedes the Law.

We may have wondered, in the past, just where the Scriptures tell the Jews they can abandon the Law and start to live outside of the boundaries of the Law? Well, here it is! Don't be concerned about building a permanent place for Moses and Elijah, both of whom were prophets of the OT system. Rather, focus on Jesus as the permanent voice of God. He supersedes the Law.

Acts 13:38-39

I have the utmost respect for Abraham, and his covenant of circumcision, for Moses and his laws. But respectfully, we don't need any animal sacrifices. We don't have to eat certain kinds of foods. We don't need to bath with water for spiritual purification. We don't have to meet 3 times a year to celebrate Israel's deliverance, and the harvest year. All we need is the pleasure of God's Son, who died for us and gave us his Spirit. The best we can do for God now is just to love Him, and follow the revelation of that love every day, in every circumstance. All the work in redeeming us has been done. We can look back with gratitude, and move forward with courage.

Actually EVERYTHING that happened before Jesus resurrected and was glorified are by default "pre-glorification".

People seem to not understand that Jesus is enough. Jesus is our best. Jesus is our righteousness. God the Father recognizes this love for His Son simply and plainly.

Of course, but my intention was to show that this was a vision of glorification. Jesus was transfigured in the presence of the Disciples. This was in effect a prophecy of a future glorification, the resurrection unto immortality. We read in 2 Pet 2 that Peter saw this as a future prophecy.

He, James and John, were told to wait until after the resurrection to share this with others. That's because at the time they received this vision, Israel was still under the Law. But after Jesus' resurrection, listening to Jesus excluded the Law and the focus of the Prophets on keeping that Law. After the resurrection, atonement had been obtained, and no longer did the Law and its sacrifices have any value in righteousness.

Absolutely, It's a Finished Work, and we have no need to add to it, nor could we have ever done it by ourselves. Atonement is the exclusive domain of Christ, with respect to obtaining eternal life. Atonement in the OT Law was just a temporary reprieve, holding the fort until the troops could arrive. Christ was those "troops!"

But he was mortal, not glorified so IMO the transfiguration was not a vision of Christ glorified but transfigured. I think the full glory of God was upon him for a short time but that he remained mortal.

I agree with that. Same with the resurrection. I think Jesus rose up in his old body, completely healed. He was glorified, in my view, only after he ascended into heaven.

I believe Jesus was resurrected as immortal just as the dead in Christ shall be.

Then we disagree on that point.

Jesus Yeshua asked Thomas to put hiw hand in the wound on his side and fingers in the hoes of His hands. He was resurrected and He did appear in a closed and locked room.

Yes, that's one reason I believe Jesus rose up in his old body--he still had the scars. He had supernatural powers while still in his old body. Like Philip was translated from one place to another after helping the Ethiopian Eunuch, it did not require an immortal body to move supernaturally.

Reading on in the Word, Jesus did ask, previous to th e exchange eith Thomas, that Mary not touch Him for He had not yet been glorified. It seems it was a process which climaxed upon His ascending to the Father.........

That's not what the passage says. He didn't say anything about not being glorified. He was resurrected in a glorified body. He was the first to do that.

Where does it say that Jesus was resurrected in a glorified body? I think you're stretching certain verses to mean more than they are saying?

On the other hand, Jesus specifically said he had to go to his Father, which seems to mean he had not yet been glorified. I suppose the argument could go either way. But the fact we are caught up to be glorified seems to parallel Jesus having to go up to heaven to be glorified.

Just because I enjoy asking all the questions I actually know answers to that most don't....

Peter and Matthew both saw this happening...now how long had Moses and Elijah been dead and gone....1,000 years roughly for Elijah.... even longer for Moses (who Peter thought talked funny)

So how did those two actually recognize Moses and Elijah? It's not like they had their pictures painted somewhere. Photographs were also out of the question.

Where the OP has a fairly good reason for why this story was told there's something more to it than that.

Did he not resurrect right through his burial clothing? Didn't he walk through a wall and was thought to be a spirit? He clearly wasn't mortal anymore and we already know resurrection and being glorified are linked together.


The living will be glorified before they are raptured so that example supports that Jesus also was glorified before ascending.

So you're saying that doing something supernatural in a body requires that that body be immortal, or glorified? What about Sampson, who could slay all kinds of men alone? What about Philip who was translated away after witnessing to the Ethiopian eunuch?

For that matter, what about the cases of resurrection experienced in the ministry of Elijah, Elisha, and Jesus? They were resurrected in their old bodies! They were not glorified so that they could be resurrected!

I know a person who was sleeping at a camp site wheile he was seen bup a few dozen people many miles away going up a tril to the summit of a mountian. With only one way up some tried to find him for he was speaking of the Holy Spirit and dthe Only Son. They arrived to the top of the mount only to come to the edge of the only other way down, a drop of a thousand plus feet.

The reason I believe this is because among the folks searching for him was a well known aquaintance to whom he had been sharing the gospel for months.

So ther person was in two places at one time..............if this happens, and it did, do yo not think our Savior will dow whatever He desires? I do.