Sorry for being a little bit late...
The Transfiguration is obviously important - it's in three of the gospels (Matthew 16/17, Mark 9, Luke 9). It's some form of future event, a future vision. From 30AD - day of coming.
Jesus, Peter, James and John his brother had been around Caesarea-Philippia (north of Galilee, by Dan) and six days later Jesus led them up a high mountain by themselves. There are a few possible locations of this mountain - Mt. Hermon (north of Caesarea-Philippi), Mt. Tabor (near Nazareth) or J.Jarmuk (halfway between the two mountains i just mentioned). These are the three that my bible map tells me, but we also thought about Mt. Nebo which is near the Dead Sea.
In Deuteronomy 34, Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mt. Nebo, to the top of Pisgah and the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim & Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain (the Valley of Jericho), as far as Zoar. Moses was being shown the land but was not allowed in. (v4 - And the Lord said to him "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and to Jacob, 'I will give it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your eyes but you shall not go over there." )
In 2 Kings 2 it's the last recorded public activity of Elijah. v8 of the chapter is crossing the Jordan, v11 shows they have gone on from there and Elijah is taken from Elisha. That's the region (the land just north of the Dead Sea) where Moses & Elijah were both around at the end of their ministry - and Jesus was there at a potential end of his ministry. Jesus was looking forward, seeing when he is King. This transfiguration was to galvanise (sp?) Jesus to keep going forward - he had his crucifixion coming - to give him courage and strength, and reassurance.
We looked at references for Matt 17:2 - about Jesus' face shining, white clothes, all links with the Kingdom. Rev 1:16 'In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength')
and also Rev 10:1 - 'Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire'.
Also for the white clothes - Dan 7:9 'As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.'
2 Peter 1:16-18
'16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when we received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.'
This could be either Jesus' baptism or the transfiguration - however; at the time of his baptism Peter, Jame & John weren't disciples. Jesus was not in his Majesty during his life, as far as the people were concerned.
We should look at the two other gospel records of the transfiguration, there are some different details.
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3 comments:
Looks like that was a good study... lots of things there to look at myself.
I think it's amazing that Jesus was preparing himself to give his life. He needed to have faith that God would resurrect him. Then...
Mark 9: 4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
We don't know what was said between the three of them but what a boost this would give Jesus - these two faithful men of old before him, a glimpse of God's Kingdom on earth. What was not possible with man WAS possible with God.
who just did that comment? :)
The first comment was me - and now I learned how to change my user to 'Jon' and not 'Dundee Study Group'...
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