Do you know what the Transfiguration of Jesus is? The Holy Scriptures tell us about the Transfiguration of Jesus. Through this article, you will learn its meaning in Christianity. A profound reflection!
Transfiguration
The transfiguration refers to the transformation of our Lord Jesus Christ as he appeared with the patriarch Moses and the prophet Elijah before his disciples Peter, John, and James (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-13; Luke 9:28- 36; 2 Peter 1:16-18)
According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) transfiguration is defined as:
"Glorious state in which Jesus Christ appeared between Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor, in the presence of his disciples Peter, John and James"
This event took place six days after the Lord asked his disciples who the people said he was. To this question, some responded by saying Elijah, John the Baptist, others a prophet. During these events, the Lord told them that some of them would see him in all his Glory (Matthew 26:18).
The Word tells us that six days later Jesus prepared to go with three of his followers (Peter, James and John) to a mountain. Some indicate that this event occurred on Mount Tabor, others indicate that it was on Mount Hermon.
By now, Jesus had been completely rejected by each of the various authorities in Judaism. Arriving at the place, he begins to pray with his companions. At a certain moment, Jesus changes his appearance both in his body and in his clothes.
In this fact two figures appear next to Jesus: Moses and Elijah who spoke with the Lord. A cloud rises and you cover them. The disciples of Jesus hear the voice of God telling them to listen to his Son Jesus. Meanwhile Pedro says that it is necessary to prepare three bowers. As the cloud rises, the Lord is left alone and asks the companions not to comment on what they have seen.
At this moment, Jesus lights up like the sun and his clothes turn completely white, as described in the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 17:1-13).
If you found this article interesting, we invite you to visit our post on Psalm 103: explanation and praise to God . Click on the link to learn more about this great psalm and the spiritual growth it offers to those who read it.
Mattheww 7:7-8
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him.
4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
If we review other biblical passages we can obtain greater details of this amazing fact. For example, in Mark it is the only one that tells us that the Lord had such white clothes that no one could wash them that way. He even refers us to the change of the face of Jesus.
In Matthew, we can only appreciate that God spoke to the disciples, who prostrated themselves before the presence of God. For his part, Luke tells us that they were praying and that the conversation that took place between Jesus, Moses and Elijah was about the prompt death of Jesus on the cross.
Symbols present in the Transfiguration
When we study in a deep and concrete way the transfiguration of the Messiah, we find how the vision specifies in the Holy Scriptures the different meanings that each person and element has.
Deuteronomy 18: 15
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to him.
Moses and Elijah
Moses represents all believers who died after the resurrection of Jesus and who will be resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ, thus entering the millennium (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16; Philippians 3:20-21). The question is why Moses represents this group and the answer is because Moses died. He also represents the Law.
Elijah's presence represents all believers who will enter the millennium without seeing death. That is, they are those who will be raptured as Elijah was taken to heaven without experiencing death (1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). Likewise, he represents the prophets, so the Law and the prophets must give way to the Messiah.
Let us remember that these two men of God in the Holy Scriptures were messengers and heralds of the Coming of the Messiah for the justification of each one of our sins before the Father.
Malachi 4: 4-6
4 Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb with ordinances and laws for all Israel.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.
The apostles
They represent the faithful Jewish remnant that will enter the millennium with our Lord Jesus Christ. This remnant will be saved. The prophet Ezekiel announced this (Ezekiel 37:21-28; Romans 11:25-26)
The three bowers
When Peter refers to creating three booths for Christ, Moses and Elijah refer to the Feasts of Tabernacles, symbolizing a new era in God's reign.
Cloud
On the other hand, we find the cloud, which represents the divinity that Jesus had to be able between them and talks with Elijah and Moses.
Finally, we understand the close link that existed between the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ and Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi. It shows us that the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, was to suffer, but that at the end of days his body would be glorified.
Not only through the resurrection, but through the ascension and his Second Coming. It was necessary for the Savior to perform the transfiguration in front of these three apostles, since through this phenomenon, he showed them the security of the good things that are being promised to us throughout the Holy Scriptures.
The crowd at the foot of Mount
When Jesus went down with his disciples, the great multitude that was at the foot of the mountain represent the nations of the world that survive the Great Tribulation, will enter the millennium with unglorified bodies (Isaiah 60:11)
Now, what does it mean that Jesus was transfigured before the apostles? This validity question is answered below.
Symbolism of the transfiguration in Jesus
One of the consequences of the transfiguration of Jesus in front of his apostles is that it must be taken for granted in the Gospels that Jesus is the messiah announced by the prophets. In each of these books we can appreciate in detail the life and person of Jesus Christ, which allow us to conclude that He is the Savior that God sent for our Salvation.
Mark 9:7
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
The Glorification of Jesus
First of all, the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ indicates to us the Glory of God with the Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule in the millennium and consequently we will be glorified together with Him because we have believed him.
The glorious scene symbolizes a foretaste of God's glory in the millennium when he returns to establish his kingdom.
Lucas 9: 35
35 And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Although these statements remind us of those that Jehovah pronounced during the baptism of Jesus, the contexts are completely different. Baptism, in Jesus' life, marks the beginning of his ministry and the fulfillment of the prophecy that he would be the one to die for our sins.
For its part, this declaration before the apostles affirms in advance that Jesus would be vindicated for each of the things that would be done to his body, even if he were a sinless man.
Thanks to the mercy and grace of the Lord we find that each of us who confess Jesus as our God and Savior will be glorified with Christ.
1 Corinthians 15: 42-45
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it will be raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it will be raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
For us Christians, the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ should be a reason for joy and praise, since through it we can be sure that the promises that our Lord makes are not empty.
Likewise, through it we can see the glorification of each one of us together with Christ, since we are united to His Holiness by our Faith placed only in Him; and for the payment he made for each one of us, leaving his Holy Blood on Calvary's Cross.
Jeremiah 33: 2-4
2 Thus says the Lord, who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name:
3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
4 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which were torn down with battering rams and axes
For each of the things that are written in this article, but especially for what is found within the Holy Scriptures, we must be prepared for each of the things that are to come. We must know that the Lord prepares us for his coming kingdom and that is soon.
So from this portal we call on you to seek the face of our God and Savior and begin a constant communion with Him. Study the Word and seek to decipher the perfect Plan that God the Father has hidden for each one of us.
If you wish to see the glory of God, you must follow the path of truth and life. If you wish to know what that path is, we invite you to read the following link titled John 14:6
the adored christ
In the transfiguration are present the different groups that will worship God during his reign on Earth in the millennium. The remnant of the Jews, the resurrected dead, the raptured believers, and the survivors of the Great Tribulation were present.
The incomparable Christ
When Pedro says that he will make three bowers; one for the Lord, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. The three of them are wrapped in a cloud and then only Jesus appears who approaches the disciples and tells them not to be afraid of getting up. This means that the messiah cannot be compared to prophets or patriarchs. He is totally incomparable.
The Rejected Christ
Jesus tells his disciples to keep silent about what they have seen. This order had to be kept until his resurrection. Jesus was rejected by the Jews, even when they saw the number of miracles, resurrection of Lazarus, among others. Why throw pearls to swine?
The Christ Announced
The announced Christ was announced by the prophets. In the transfiguration it is clear that Jesus was the announced messiah (Isaiah 53). This phenomenon was like the one that occurred in the following biblical passage
Exodus 24: 15-18
15 Then Moses went up the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.
16 And the glory of the LORD rested upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.
17 And the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain, in the sight of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
We Christians know that there are no coincidences in the Holy Scriptures and that the way in which the Lord shows things in the Old Testament was the call of how things would happen in the New Testament.
This transfiguration affirms that Jesus Christ is the Messiah announced by the various prophets who were great biblical figures , who foretold the great events that would happen in the world.
If you want to know who the prophets were, we invite you to read the following link entitled The Prophets
Here is a video that explains about Mount Tabor where the Transfiguration of the Lord is presumed to have taken place.