BIBLE
DIGEST - Number 91 December
1998
THE TRANSFIGURATION
By Allon Maxwell
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This event is
often advanced as a "proof" of the "Immortality of the
Soul". The speculative claim is that if Moses and Elijah were literally
present to speak with Jesus, then they must be "alive" now (in
heaven). However, that
is faulty logic. It contradicts the great weight of Scriptural evidence that
the dead are "asleep in the dust of the earth"
(Daniel 12:2)
and without conscious existence (Ecclesiastes 9:5,
Psalm 88:10-12,
Isaiah 38:18-19).
And Paul tells us that we shall not be "with Jesus" until AFTER the
resurrection. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
It would therefore be much more logical to speculate (as some do) that Moses
and Elijah were raised from the dead temporarily for the event.
But we shall see below that this is not the case either. A further
alternative, proposed by some, is that they had never died. However, for
Elijah that suggestion is open to question, and for Moses, it is certainly
not true. In Elijah's
case, this assumption is based on the Old Testament story (2 Kings 2:1-17) in which he was taken up to
heaven by a whirlwind. A 3-day search failed to find his body. Did he die? Or
is he still alive? The evidence is not there to conclude definitely either
way. However, it does seem likely that Elijah is included (obliquely) amongst
the "prophets" mentioned in Hebrews
11:32-38. If so, then he is also amongst those others who wait for
the future resurrection of their bodies, and for their
"perfection" and inheritance at the same time as all the rest of
us. (Hebrews 11:39-40) In the case of
Moses, it is recorded in plain words, that he died, and that God buried him
in an unknown place. (Deuteronomy 34:5-8)
Moses is listed by name amongst the faithful dead who have not yet received
their inheritance. (Hebrews 11:24-28) A Summary The story is
told in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36. In all three, the story is
prefaced by Jesus referring to the future Day of Judgement, when He would return
from Heaven, in the glory(1)
of His Father, and with His angels. In the immediate context, Jesus then said
that some of His disciples would not die before they saw this future
coming, and the appearance of the Kingdom of God in power. Matthew
16:27(2) Jesus spoke of
His coming in glory, with the holy angels to judge the
world. (Implying, of course that the Resurrection will also occur at that
time.) Mark
9:1 Jesus said that
some of those listening, would "SEE" the Kingdom come WITH POWER,
before they died. Matthew
17:1-9 A few days
later, Peter, James, and John SAW (a vision of) the "KINGDOM COME WITH
POWER" Note carefully
that it was a vision. It was NOT a real event in
their own time. A vision is
something seen, which is of supernatural origin, but not actually present in
the place or time in which it is seen. The event
portrayed in the vision has not literally happened yet. Even today, the
coming of the Kingdom in power, is still a future event. 2
Peter 1:16-21 Peter says that
the vision confirmed for him, the Old Testament prophecies about the (future)
coming of the Kingdom in power, and the resurrection of the dead. They
"saw" Jesus in His (future) Kingdom! MOSES AND
ELIJAH Moses and
Elijah cannot actually appear in glory until AFTER the
return of Jesus! The vision of
the coming of the "Kingdom with power" foreshadowed a time when
Moses and Elijah would be raised from the dead to be
present with Jesus in the Kingdom, after He returns in
glory. At that time,
they will appear in the glory in which they were seen in the vision. They
will receive glorious new resurrection bodies, like that
which Jesus now has. This will be done by the power
which accompanies the coming of the Kingdom. (Philippians
3:21) THE IMPLICATION Since Matthew
tells us clearly that this event was a vision (Matthew 17:9), we understand that Moses and
Elijah were NOT literally there, either physically in the body, or as
"spirits". They were merely seen as part of the vision. Thus this
passage CANNOT be used as "proof" that Moses and Elijah have
"immortal souls" that are presently alive in Heaven. THE EVENT IS
NOT A SEANCE! The Old
Testament unequivocally forbids all attempts at communication with the dead.
It is a sin punishable by death. If the transfiguration is a real
conversation with two dead parties, then it is a sin which God calls abomination.
(Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Does God break
His own Laws? Does Jesus speak to the dead? Do Peter and John and James
receive information of any kind from the dead? NEVER! Moses and
Elijah were not present as "spirits of the dead". Instead, this is
a legitimate vision of a future time AFTER the resurrection. THE OLD TESTAMENT
PROPHETIC WORD MADE MORE SURE! Peter tells us
this in 2 Peter 1:16-21. Earlier in
this chapter he listed the things needed to confirm our call and election, so
that we can enter the eternal kingdom of Jesus. (2 Peter 1:3-10) Then he says that his message
about the power and (future) coming of Jesus (to establish the kingdom) is
NOT a myth. (2 Peter 1:16) The Gospel of
the Kingdom, he says, is securely founded in the (Old Testament) prophetic
word. It is "made more sure" (confirmed) by Peter's personal
prophetic vision of the glory in which Jesus will return
to establish the Kingdom.(1) WHAT DOES THE
VISION REALLY SAY? In addition to
confirming the certainty of the return of Jesus in glory, this vision also
says something else VERY important. Luke tells us that Peter, overwhelmed by
what they had seen, proposed the construction of three tabernacles,(3)
one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Moses and
Elijah were regarded by the Jews as the two most important persons in the
history of Israel. In his time, Moses had been God's spokesman to Israel. And
in a later time, Elijah had been the prophet who spoke for God. In making
this suggestion, Peter was elevating Jesus to equality with Moses and Elijah!
Of course, he thought he was paying Jesus a big compliment! But God had
something even bigger in view. A voice spoke from Heaven. God said, "This is my
Son, My Chosen; listen to HIM." (Luke
9:35 RSV) If you want to know what God really
says, LISTEN TO JESUS!" (not Moses ..... and not Elijah!) Especially,
don't ever attempt to use what either Moses or Elijah said, to contradict
Jesus! God was saying
that in the Kingdom Age to Come, while Moses and Elijah will certainly be
there (in glory) Jesus will rank far higher than either of them. For all
eternity, Jesus will occupy a position second only to God Himself. (See 1 Corinthians 15:27-28) WHAT WAS
DISCUSSED? Luke tells us
that in the vision Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about His "departure,
which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem".
(Luke 9:31 RSV) The actual
Greek word used here is "exodos". It is a word with more
than one meaning, and there is some degree of uncertainty about what it might
mean in the context of the vision. It appears only
three times in the New Testament Greek text. Hebrews
11:22 refers to the exodus from Egypt. Luke
9:31 translates it "decease"
or "departure", depending on which Bible version
we read. 2
Peter 1:15 also has "decease"
or "departure". In the LXX
(The Greek
Old Testament, or Septuagint) it occurs in over 70 verses,
sometimes for a way out, then for leaving, departing, exporting, and often
for the exodus from Egypt.(Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) It is of course
possible that the word does refer to the death of Jesus. However, given the
immediate context, it is also more than possible that it refers to the
"exodus" from sin and death, which Jesus has begun in Jerusalem,
and will complete in Jerusalem, when He returns to raise the dead. Whichever
meaning we assign to the word in Luke, it does not change the future time
frame of the events portrayed. It is a vision of a discussion AFTER the
Kingdom has come in glory and power. CONCLUSION The
transfiguration was a vision. As such, it cannot be used to support the
doctrine of the "Immortality of the Soul". It was a vision
of the coming of the Kingdom in power (Mark 9:1)
when Moses and Elijah will be raised to appear with Jesus, in glory. And for Peter
it reaffirmed the certainty of the Old Testament prophecies about the
Resurrection of the Dead, and the Second Coming of Jesus to Jerusalem, to
establish The Kingdom of God on Earth. It
is meant to do the same for us! Footnotes (1) Another passage which refers to
the timing of Jesus return in glory is Matthew 25:31. (2) Compare Mark 9:1 with Matthew 24:30 & Luke 21:27 (3) "Tabernacle" is from
the Greek "skene". It seems that the disciples were suggesting the
construction of three movable temples like that made by Moses in the
wilderness. |