Recapitulation
In our last study in Matthew we looked at Jesus’ pointed invitation
to His disciples. Their ego-centered
lives had to come to an end which required their full embrace every day as they
line up behind their Lord. We also saw
that there would be a rewarding future when He returned in glory with His
angels. It was an entirely sobering
talk.
Seeing the Coming of the Son of Man
Now we take
up Matthew’s gospel in 16:28. There
was one last intriguing comment: “Some of you standing here will not die until
they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Did this mean that His kingdom would have its final fulfillment in just
a few years’ time—that is a couple thousand years ago? The last living apostle, John, writing some
sixty-five years later would say, “No, not yet.
But come quickly, Lord Jesus!”
The key word in verse 28 is “see.”
They would “see” it. How? That’s what the very next verses are
about. (You do realize that the chapter
and verse numbers were added much later!
They are uninspired helps designed so we can all find the same place
together.)
The Vision of the Coming of the Son of Man
There is a
subtle shift in the text, however. There
is a time shift of six days and a geographical shift of some 20 miles and an
altitude shift of about 10,000 feet. There
is obviously an arduous trip involved but Matthew is more interested in
documenting the end of phase one of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Jesus took the “inner three” disciples (Peter, James, and
John) to the top of a high mountain.
This is quite likely one of the peaks associated with Mt. Hermon
situated at the conjunction of the borders of modern day Lebanon, Syria, and
Israel. Today, Israel operates a ski
resort there on the southern slopes of Mt. Hermon just a short distance from
Panias where Peter issued his famous confession, “You are the Christ, the Son
of the Living God.” Hermon soars up to
9200 feet above sea level while Galilee is about 700 feet below sea level down
at the head of the Jordan Rift Valley.
And up there on the heights overlooking nearly all of
Israel, Jesus face began to shine with a brilliance like the sun. His clothing also blazed with an unearthly
white light. This event has been called “the
transfiguration.” And then the disciple
saw two men talking to Jesus. Matthew
says they were Moses and Elijah. Luke
adds that they “appeared in glory” and discussed “His departure about to be
accomplished at Jerusalem.”
Before we can discuss their significance, we need to read a
little further. Matthew tells us that
Peter was feeling quite exuberant as he exclaimed, “It is good to be
here!” Peter then suggested that the
three disciples should build three temporary shelters for Jesus, Moses, and
Elijah. This was a familiar task done
every year by every Jewish family during the Feast of Sukkoth (also called the Feast of Booths or Ingathering) which
lasted 7 days. It celebrated two
things: God’s miraculous provision
during the forty years in the wilderness while they all lived outside in
temporary shelters and it was also a celebration of the final harvest of the
year called Ingathering. It was always
celebrated as a great feast of joy and gladness.
Passover, Firstfruits, and Final Harvest
It is quite likely that this trip up Mt Hermon coincided with
this annual feast and Peter was just following through according to the
teaching of the Law. But Jesus came to
fulfill the Law which directed that before the Ingathering came Passover when the
fields must be prepared and planted.
Then comes the Firstfruits when the very earliest results begin to be
seen before the growing season and then the final harvest. The three annual feasts seem to correspond
with three major prophetic events—prophetic in that that they were instituted
at Mount Sinai some 1475 years before!
Passover not only commemorated the death angel “passing over” the
Israelite homes where the blood of the substitute perfect lamb had been put on
the doorposts, it also prefigures Jesus who was called the ‘Lamb of God’ and
‘Christ our Passover’ which would later be fulfilled at His crucifixion on
Passover. Firstfruits dedicated the very
first early harvest to God. But it also
prefigures the first harvest of 3000 souls who believed at the feast of
Firstfruits (also called Pentecost). So
what does Ingathering (the final harvest) represent?
In Jesus’ teaching of the parables, the final harvest was at
the end of the age when His angels came to reap the harvest and the weeds were
taken away and burned while the harvest was taken into His barn. So, prophetically speaking, the first two
feasts were not yet fulfilled in Christ.
Peter was inadvertently skipping the planting and the growing and going
right for the final harvest although he soon understood that Jesus was using
this for a teaching moment.
The Approval of God
While Peter was still speaking, a bright blazing cloud
passed overhead from which a voice could be heard speaking. “This is my Beloved Son in Whom I am well
pleased. Listen to Him.” This was a repeat of the scene at Jesus’ baptism. It was also an obvious reference again to
Isaiah 42:1 where this same statement is made concerning the Messiah—the
suffering Servant. The bright cloud was
probably like that which accompanied the Israelites during the daytime on their
forty years in the wilderness—the shekinah glory or visible presence of
God. It also filled the Tabernacle and
later the Temple of Solomon. So why is
it being repeated here? It seems like this
sign was given on either end of Jesus’ prophetic ministry to Israel—the part
where He proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom.
He was the promised prophet who would be like Moses and speak to the
people directly from God.
Now this part of Jesus’ earthly ministry was coming to an
end as He shifted from His prophetic ministry to His priestly ministry. The Voice finished speaking while the three
disciples lay prostrate on the ground in fear.
Jesus, spoke and said, “Do not fear” and eventually they got up and
noticed that Moses and Elijah were gone.
They saw no man but Jesus only.
And as they turned to go down the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to
talk about the “vision” until after His resurrection.
This is another mention of His rising from the dead! Perhaps they thought it was another of His
sayings with a double meaning! But then
they asked this penetrating question, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah
must come first?” (You know, Jesus, we
just saw Elijah!) But Jesus explained
that Elijah did come and was killed and then they understood that he meant John
the Baptist who had come in the power of Elijah—just as Matthew had explained
earlier in the book (11:14).
Why Moses and Elijah?
So now we can think about this question we posed earlier
concerning “seeing” the Son of Man coming in glory. The inner three disciples had indeed “seen”
Jesus in His glory right there in Israel.
But notice that Jesus called it a “vision.” Now, why were two Old Testament people—Moses
and Elijah—seen talking with Jesus in this vision?
Here are some observations which may help.
1) Moses was the one who brought the Law to
Israel. They referred to the Law simply
as ‘Moses.’ Elijah was the one who was
revered above all the prophets. These two represent the Law and the
Prophets—the supreme authorities in Israel concerning God. Also, both of these men are noted for
climbing Mt. Sinai to converse with God in all His glory and here they are on
another mountain conversing with Jesus in all His glory.
2) Notice that both of these men left their
life’s ministry unfinished and were taken to heaven under miraculous but clouded
circumstances.
3) John’s Revelation describes two witnesses who
minister on earth for three and a half years with supernatural protection and
even turning the rivers to blood (as Moses did) and calling down fire from
heaven (as Elijah did). This is a
yet-future time before the second coming.
Many take the two witnesses to be Moses and Elijah completing their
unfinished ministry with Israel before dying and being resurrected (according
to the apostle John). Perhaps, Jesus was
clueing them in on the beginning of the prophetic clock ticking down until it
was their turn to reappear. They, too,
will be executed in Jerusalem and rise the third day and ascend into heaven.
What Does It Mean?
In any event, Jesus’ ministry to Israel as a prophet of the
Kingdom of God was winding down. Israel
had rejected John the Baptist who had come in the power of Elijah. They had rejected Jesus who had come as their
Messiah. Now, Jesus had to fulfill the
Law which said there is no redemption without the shedding of blood (Leviticus
17:11). Israel needed redemption and,
indeed, the whole world, as well.
Today, we are somewhere between Firstfruits (Pentecost) and
Final Harvest (Ingathering). No man
knows the day or the hour—only the Father in heaven. Do you see why Jesus wanted His disciples to
follow Him? What other Voice can we trust?
© 2018 Eric Thimell
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