Matthew 17
The transfiguration scene was a sample of the glory in which the Lord Jesus will yet appear and this sample is the fulfilling of the promise that some standing there should not see death before seeing the kingdom of the Son of Man. Peter’s First Epistle refers Matthew 16; his Second Epistle to this one, Matthew 17. He says (1 Pet. 1:1616Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)): “We made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Were eye witnesses of His Majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is MY beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.” This confirmed the word of prophecy it was given in view of His death to confirm the faith of His disciples.
Matthew 17:3-93And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. (Matthew 17:3‑9). “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.” Luke tells us the subject of their conversation was the Lord’s decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem; this was the great theme of heaven. Moses was the great law giver, who died and was buried by Jehovah, no man knows where, so no one could worship his burying place. Elias was the prophet, the great law restorer, and was taken to heaven without dying. These might figure the heavenly saints with Christ, the dead raised, and the living changed. Peter, James and John on earth, represent the saints in the kingdom of the Son of Man.
Peter, in his human thought, forgetful of the glory of the revelation the Father gave him of the Lord’s person, desires to make three tabernacles, to put the three persons on the one level. How slow we are to apprehend God’s thoughts of His own Son. Grace put Moses and Elias in His company, in the same glory, but how foolish to think of them as having equal authority over the heart of the believer, a place none can occupy but Christ. And if we should try to do so, the Father must vindicate the rights of His Son. Peter may and did feel it good to be there, but he is not done speaking when the bright cloud overshadowed them; it was the glory cloud of God’s presence. Peter called it “the excellent glory.” And the Father’s voice is heard proclaiming the glory of the person of His beloved Son, the object of His affection, and in whom is His delight. He is the one the disciples are to hear — “Hear Him.” Moses and Elias disappear, and the Lord is there alone, worthy of all honor, the One to teach those who hear the Father’s voice. The Father’s voice proclaims Him, the Father’s delight, and worthy of our affections. What grace! to put such a One before our hearts. What wondrous grace! Here the law, and all attempts to restore man to it, have passed away. The Lord Jesus, the glorified Son of Man, Son of the living God, abides, unfolding to us the knowledge and the mind of God. The disciples, as they heard it, fell on their faces, sore afraid. Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and be not afraid.” “And when they lifted up their eves, they saw no man save Jesus only.” How He encourages them, and sets them at ease with Himself as a man. He who was manifesting the glory of God, was their Lord and Friend, the same as before, better known now than ever. And what blessing is in seeing no man “save Jesus only.”
Matthew 17:9-139And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:9‑13). “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be risen up from (among) the dead.” He was to suffer, and God would have witness with power in His resurrection, and He would ascend up as Son of Man where He was before as Son of God.
His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come” Jesus answered, “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them.’’ Then the disciples understood that He spake of John the Baptist. John came in the spirit and power of Elias, and acknowledged that he is the forerunner of the Messiah, the rejected One (Isa. 40:33The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3); Mal. 3:11Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)), but not the Elias of Malachi 4:5-65Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5‑6) who is still to come before the Lord appears in power and glory to restore Israel. But to His disciples He could say, for they had received Him, I say unto you he has come already (Matt. 11:1414And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. (Matthew 11:14)). They belonged to the rejected Messiah, whom men would cause to suffer as John did.
The Scriptures had foretold of the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that were to follow but the natural man looked for the glories, and forgot that the suffering came first. Jesus, the Son of Man, the Father’s well-beloved Son, is now rejected by man, and is going on to suffer death on the cross; this was needful for the glory of God and for the cleansing of the kingdom. Atonement must be accomplished, if redemption, eternal glory and God revealed in grace to man in righteousness, was to be known. The work of the cross secured it all, “Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him” (John 13:3131Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. (John 13:31)). The kingdom on earth would be part of the fruit of it, in resurrection glory of Christ. God would restore all things. When He brings again His Firstborn Son into the world ( Acts 3:1919Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19); Heb. 1:66And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (Hebrews 1:6)), then all His promises for Israel would be fulfilled.