TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS WITH ELIJAH AND MOSES, Matthew 17: Luke 9:

This work is independent of any existing religions denomination, church, organisation or group.

Jesus, while carefully following God's script, orchestrates a dynamic vision illustrating the interaction between himself and two other key persons, Elijah and Moses. Or more correctly, between his lead roll and those of Elijah and Moses.

After Passover in 32, Jesus takes three of his disciples who had been selected by God from followers of John the Baptist, Peter, James & John. They are about to witness a visual representation of things in connection with Christ's ransom sacrifice and the Kingdom of God. A virtual reality vision, involving three spectators and three participants. The vision was enacted and written up in scripture to be understood at a later time. Initially, it was preserved in the memories of the three spectator disciples "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead." Mat 17:9 (RHE).

Jesus with these three disciples, ascends a high mountain and is transformed in front of them. His face starts to shine like the sun and his clothes become dazzlingly white like light itself. Then two further light radiating figures appear, one in the form of Elijah the other, Moses. These two are seen talking to Jesus about his death, which would soon take place in Jerusalem. God then seals the importance of the vision when a cloud forms and envelopes these three figures. God's voice comes out of this cloud with the pronouncement "This is my Son the beloved who I have approved, the one that has been chosen, listen to him" Mat 17:5. The vision then abruptly ends, reverting to the normal. Jesus orders the disciples not to share this event with anyone until after he is raised from the dead. It is only at this time that these disciples first understand that the Elijah in the vision represented John the Baptist, who had by then completed his preparation assignment. Jesus confirms that at some future time, yet another Elijah type person is to come and do a further preparation work.

"There are some .. standing here that will not suffer death until they first see 27 the Kingdom of God M16:28 and the Son of a man coming to Kingdom power" m9:1
L9:28 .. eight days after Jesus said these things, L9:28c he took Peter James and John ... up into a M17:1 high mountain by themselves L9:29 And as he was praying M17:2 his form changed m9:2 in front of them. L9:29c The appearance of his face was different M17:2 shining like the sun L9:29c and his clothing became dazzlingly white, M17:2 as brilliant as light. L9:30 Also M17:3 they saw L9:30c two men talking with him, Moses and Elijah. L9:31 These appeared with radiance and began talking with him about his exit (death) which he was to carry out at Jerusalem" .
L9:32 "Now Peter and those with him .. saw his radiance and the two men standing with him. M17:5 a bright L9:34 cloud formed and enveloped them. As they entered the cloud, they (the 3 disciples) became (more) afraid. L9:35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying: "This is my Son, M17:5 my beloved that I have approved; L9:35c the one that has been chosen. Listen to him."

L9:36 "After the voice had spoken M17:6 the disciples fell upon their faces and became terrified. M17:7 So Jesus came over to them and touching them said: "Get up do not be afraid." M17:8 When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus on his own with them. M17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus joined them and ordered them to: "Tell to no one the vision (m: they saw) until the Son of a man is raised from the dead." .

M17:10 "The disciples questioned him asking: "So why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" v11 He replied: "Elijah, indeed, is coming and will restore all things. (future) v:12 But, I also tell you Elijah has already come (past) and they did not recognise him but did to him whatever they wanted m9:13 just as it was written about him. M17:12c So also the Son of a man is about to suffer at their hands." v13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist Compilation of Matthew, Mark, and Luke's accounts.

SEVEN ASPECTS OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

1. The Elijah figure,

2. The Moses figure,

3. Jesus interacts with both figures in the vision,

4. All three focused on discussing Jesus coming death,

5. A cloud wraps them all together,

6. God's voice confirms special relationship with Jesus and the importance of the vision.

7. Three spectators Peter, James and John

The three spectators, became personally involved in the meaning and application of the vision. The transfiguration was created specifically in connection with them, as its implications involved them personally. They need to witness it, remember it and later record it, " As they were coming down out of the mountain, he expressly ordered them not to relate to anybody what they saw, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead," Mark 9:9. The vision only became validated after the resurrection of Jesus.

This vision linked Elijah and Moses into Jesus' sacrificial death soon to be carried out. All three were involved in this death. All three were linked by their conversation on this all important coming sacrificial death "These appeared with radiance and began talking with him about his exit (death) which he was to carry out at Jerusalem" L9:31. The vision was focusing only on the death of Jesus, which would became the legal basis upon which God would build His new Kingdom and temple. Eight days earlier, Jesus had said "There are some standing here today that will not die until they first see the Kingdom of God come to power" Luke9:28. This Kingdom gained its power with Jesus' death (Mark 9:1). All three attending disciples later witnessed this sacrificial death of Jesus. It was this sacrifice that provided the 'power' which enabled the Kingdom of God to legally come into existence. Peter, James and John became personally involved, each becoming part of this powered up Kingdom arrangement. Its construction would be done by special power drawn from the legal value of the ransom sacrifice. These three disciples saw the Kingdom gain its power before they died by witnessing the death of Jesus in their lifetime.

The three spectators purposely overheard the figures of Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus about his scheduled death at Jerusalem. The Elijah and Moses characters were somehow directly involved and connected to Jesus' ransom sacrifice. The apostles witnessed something that John the Baptist had witnessed when he baptised and anointed Jesus, the voice of Yhwh stating "This is my Son the beloved whom I have approved (chosen) listen to him" Mat 17:5. The transfiguration vision contains all the necessary information as to understanding why it was staged, the interaction of two added characters with Jesus, his death and the Kingdom acquiring power.

Many discerning people living at the time of the vision, understood and anticipated from various bible prophecies that three special assignments from God were due to be carried out, firstly, an Elijah work, secondly, a Prophet work, and thirdly, the Messiah.

1) "However, the disciples questioned him: “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Mat 17:10.

2) Identifying Jesus as the expected prophet, like Moses "In fact, Moses said, ‘Yhwh God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to him according to all the things he speaks to you" Acts 3:22.

They anticipated a great prophet like Moses would become their King "when the men saw the signs he performed, they began to say:“This is for a certainty the prophet (like Moses) that was to come into the world. Therefore Jesus, knowing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain all alone" John 6:14-15.

3) Many at that time anticipated a Christ or Messiah would come, one whom God would anoint to be king, "The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things" John 4:25. "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ)" John 1:41 (NKJV).

People questioned John the Baptist on his scriptural identity, endeavouring to understand which prophetic role model he might play. They asked him:- "Are you 'Elijah'?" or "Are you 'The Prophet (like Moses)'?" "Why baptise if you're not 'The Christ' or 'Elijah' or 'The Prophet'?" John 1:21,25. The ones asking these questions were well educated in the Hebrew scriptures, aware that according to the prophecies, similar works of these three characters were prophesied and were anticipated in connection with the arrival of the Messiah (Christ). They understood the activity of these three prophetic characters would come. Hence the question to John "Why baptise if you are not 'The Christ' or 'Elijah' or 'The Prophet'?".

John the Baptist took on the role of Elijah, he witnessing God's vocal declaration of Jesus as His approved son when he baptised him. Following this, John identified Jesus as the Great Passover sacrifice and started handing over selected and prepared disciples to him. "The next day he beheld Jesus coming toward him, and he said: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29, "As he looked at Jesus walking along he said: “See, the Lamb of God!" John 1:36. John's Elijah preparation work ended before these three disciples were adopted as Kingdom recruits and anointed (baptised) with Spirit at Pentecost 33. John was the first link used in preparing individuals drawn from Judaism who he handed over to Jesus for the next stage in constructing Kingdom living building stones.

THE MOSES ROLE

At the time of the transfiguration, the three disciples, Peter, James and John had already transferred from John the Baptist's preparation group after he had witnessed God's vocal declaration on Jesus, "the Christ and his Son to be taken careful note of" Jesus' ministry takes on the second Moses stage. Acting as God's prophet, he carried out a "Moses" like activity between the years 29 and 33. He forms these prepared ones into a disciple group and through a teaching process, educates them for qualification as adoptive Sons of God and thereby Heirs to the Kingdom. The role model of the prophet Moses is confirmed on Jesus by John when he says "When men saw the signs Jesus performed they began to say 'This is for a certainty the prophet that was to come into the world" John 6:14. He assumed this role of the greater 'Prophet Moses' collecting specially selected individuals initially from the prepared followers of Elijah, John the Baptist.

During his three and a half year ministry, between 29 and 33, Jesus fulfils the prophetic work of the Moses figure, educating and feeding this "Moses" group with bread from heaven, spiritual food illustrated by the manna bread overseen by Moses for some 40 years.

"Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Hence, Jesus said to them:“Most truly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father does give you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Therefore they said to him: “Lord, always give us this bread" John 6:31-35. “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness and yet died. This is the bread that comes down out of heaven, in order that anyone eating of it should not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live on into the age; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world” John 6:48-51 (Westcott & Hort).

In Egypt, Moses passed on dictated instructions from God, to use the blood of a sacrificed lamb in order to save all the first born Israelite males. By marking the outside door posts of their houses, a protective flag was created causing the 'angel of death' to pass over their homes and hold back inflicting death on any first born male inhabitants inside. These preserved first born of the Israelite families were then claimed by God as His property and belonged to Him, "Set apart for me the first boy born in every family. The oldest son of every Israelite mother belongs to me" (NIRV). v13 "you must buy back every firstborn son" (NLT) Exodus 13:2,13 .

WORLD'S GREAT PASSOVER

A greater Moses, Christ at God's dictated time, provided a 'Greater Passover', Jesus' all important ransom sacrifice. A greater Passover Lamb was provided in the form of Jesus' slaughtered body and blood. He then became God's High Priest officiating over the application of this sacrifice, applying his body and blood sacrifice to save 144,000 "first born" ones from Adamic death. These, God claimed as His property belonging to Him. "If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God," (CEB) Romans 17:8. "You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things" (NLT) Hebrews 12:23. "He has caused us to be born again (first born) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (ESV) 1 Peter 1:3,23.

Jesus' death validated a New covenant, a Kingdom contract for 144,000 'first born' who are transposed into positions of priests under their High Priest, "Happy and holy are those who share in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and for Christ and will rule with him for a thousand years" (NCV) Revelation 20:6. This blood validated covenant provided the legal means for these 144,000 'first born' to be fashioned into 'living spiritual building stones' for constructing into a new spiritual temple in the heavens. In this temple they become powerful officiating priests, not just priests but King / Priests "Thou hast been offered in sacrifice, And hast purchased for God with thine own blood some out of every tribe and language and people and nation, and hast formed them into a Kingdom to be priests to our God, And they reign over the earth." (WNT) Rev 5:9. "Made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father" (NRS) Rev 1:5.

All 144,000 happily offer their "reborn lives" in sacrificial deaths, no light undertaking, "Even as it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter" (WEB) Romans 8:36. The lives of these 'first born' ones take on a far greater value after having been acquitted of their Adamic sin, by a rebirth facilitated by the power from Jesus' ransom sacrifice, "How can we who died to sin go on living in it? ... all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death,.. For whoever has died is freed from sin" (NRS) Romans 6:2-7.

Their elevated reborn lives now take on a similar value to Jesus life. All 144,000 reborn as new creations, belong to God, claimed as His 'first born' ones. In God's eyes, they now have a clean uncorrupted life value equal to Adam's original condition. When they die loyal to God, they die illegally. So their deaths acquire positive sacrificial value and can be added to the intrinsic value of Jesus' ransom sacrifice "Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;" (NRV) Mark 10:38-39.

This accredited value when added to Christ's, will eventually enable the resurrection of the entire human race, providing everyone a second opportunity to a better life. A life not subject to the effects of Adamic disease and its resultant ageing and death, a real everlasting life. They accomplish this as priests administering their sacrifices on behalf of mankind. As set by the Passover pattern under Moses, God transposes all 144,000 of His claimed 'first born' ones into priestly positions under the oversight of His Great High Priest.

As Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, Jesus leads God's spiritual nation out of symbolic Egypt, this opposing world system Rev11:8. As Moses administered the old covenant and agreement between Yhwh and His chosen Israelite nation, so Jesus performs a greater Moses role administering the New and better covenant between Yhwh and his spirit chosen holy nation of 144,000. The nation of Israel were all baptised into Moses (1 Cor 10:2), this spiritual nation are all baptised into Christ's death (Rom 6:3-4). These ones selected by God, become one body with Christ "By spirit we were all baptised into one body" (1 Cor 12:13). "God has set the members in the body (the unified Kingdom organisation), each one of them as he pleased," (1 Cor 12:18). "Many members yet one body," (1 Cor 12:20). "You are all Christ's body," (1 Cor 12:27). The spirit begotten heirs of the Kingdom are baptised into one body, one unified group by the power of Christ's death.

Those educated by Jesus as the greater Moses, were in first position to receive application of the "Ransom" benefit to become born again adopted "Sons" of God. "Sons" for transferring into this Kingdom administration by way of a following heavenly spirit resurrection. Those first living stones chosen for building into this new arrangement had this confirmed to them by the power of the spirit baptism they received. At a later generation in history, there is prophesied to be a repeat of these stages, which will be used again to recruit the final numbers in order to complete the 144,000 (Rev 6:11). At the appointed time, these living stones will be resurrected as spirit creatures and built into the Kingdom administration as co-ruling king-priests set up in the heavens.

3) The death of Jesus providing the prophetic Passover lamb, the ransom sacrifice,
powering the building of the Kingdom with living stones.

Jesus not only confirmed that John the Baptist had come and carried out an Elijah work in turning people back to Yhwh, but there would come yet another a 'third Elijah' doing a similar work in the future.

Mat 17:11 "He replied "Elijah, indeed is coming and will restore all things" (future).

Mat 17:12 "But I also tell you Elijah has already come and they did not recognise him".

When will this third Elijah appear, that Jesus prophesied would come in order to turn people back to Yhwh and identify the second presence? Will some people be ready and willing to become prepared individuals for a third Moses work?
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