A Canonical Journey through the Bible – Reading 10

Genesis 50:22-26; Deut. 34:1-12; Malachi 4:4-6; Psalm 21; Matthew 17:1-13

One of the last major encounters with his disciples before Jesus enters into Jerusalem for the Holy Week is called the Transfiguration on the Mount. It is found in Matthew 17. Significantly, it happens six days after Peter, the spokesperson for the disciples, declares Jesus to be the Divine Messiah (Matthew 16:16). In this text, Jesus leads Peter, James, and his brother John to a high mountain. There Jesus is “transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him” (Matt. 17:2-3).  Why Moses and Elijah? What is the relationship between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah?
 
It is significant to observe that reference to Moses and Elijah is found as the grand finale of three sections of the Hebrew Bible¾the Torah, the Pentateuch; the Prophets; and the Writings. Moses, the great Law Giver, is the one who spoke with God “face to face;” thus he was given the Torah. The ending of the Torah declares, “there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do” (Deut. 34:10-11). The rest of the Hebrew Bible—the Historical prophets and the Classical Prophets—is a quest for this “Mosaic Prophet.” Many prophets come and go. Yet, there is none like this special Prophet. The ending of the Prophets therefore declares, “Remember, the Torah of Moses . . . Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” (Malachi 4:5). Elijah, the prophet par excellence of this second section of the Hebrew Bible, it is anticipated, will come to prepare the way of this special Prophet.
 
Interestingly, the ending of Genesis, the last part of the Joseph narrative which we have been studying, also declares the same thing. Joseph declares, “God will visit (Hebrew, paqad) you.” (Genesis 50:25). God, indeed, does “visit” the people during special times, during the course of the history of God’s people. One of those dramatic points of visitation is depicted in the last part of the Hebrew Writings, the last chapter of 2 Chronicles. (We must note that Chronicles is the last book of the Hebrew Bible). In this, a pagan king, Cyrus king of Persia, declares, “the LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and has charged (literally, visited me, Hebrew, paqad) to build him a house in Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 36:23). God did indeed “visit” his people after Genesis, in the Exodus narrative. God also did “visit” his people during the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. However, these “visitations” of God were nothing compared to this final visitation. In the light of these climactic texts, the Jewish people were anticipating a climactic “visitation, paqad” of God.
 
The Matthew account of transfiguration must be seen in the light of these crucial climactic passages of the Hebrew Bible. Significantly, while Peter was saying, “Let us build three shrines, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for you,” the other two—Moses and Elijah—disappeared. The narrative says, “They saw no one but Jesus only,” (Matt. 17:7), “and a voice from the cloud said, ‘this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him’” (Matt. 17:5). This is the final “visitation” of God, which both the Torah and the Prophets anticipated.
 
The final and complete “visitation” of God, the human face of God, the Messiah, in the following days, goes to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He celebrates Passover with his disciples, and declares himself to be the Passover Lamb. Then on Good Friday, this Passover Lamb was sacrificed on the Cross. This is not the end of the story, thankfully. On the Day of Firstfruits, or Day of Resurrection, he rises from the dead. He forever becomes the Transfigured One, the glorious “Visitation of God.”
 
May we have a visitation of God during this Holy Week.
 
Dr. R. Boaz Johnson, Professor and Chair, Department of Biblical and Theological Studies; Director, Division of Christian Life and Thought

Comments

[Cory Shumate]

The Transfiguration of Jesus is a very interesting passage that I have never studied in depth. This year in the Pentateuch I am learning how to search for themes and repetition of events, as God works to show his people that although a new age is being ushered in, God continues to work among his people through signs that he showed them in the Old Testament. To me, passages like this strongly demonstrate that God’s action in the Old Testament were not arbitrary, but were rather setting up for a climax of fulfillment and recollection when Jesus came to earth.

[Erik Gustafson]

I have just been reminded that God is always watching, which is a idea that I believe most people have forgotten. This blog entry coincides ideally with that. God is not a far off God. He is personal and reveals himself to people and watches over them. I think this is an idea that we as humans need to remember to live our lives serving God and to be a blessing so that when we do meet God face to face, as Peter got the gift to, we can face Him knowing we did our part for Him.

[Allison Gilbert]

As Holy Week has now passed we still need to have him in our lives and obey him. Talking about God visiting us, and with all the talk about that lately it was interesting to read this. One thing that we as Christians know for sure is that one day he will come again and visit us, but we do not know the exact day or time and for now we just need to acknowledge his presence in our lives and listen to him because like Erik said above it reminds us that he is always with us and watching over us. If we follow him and listen to him and know that he is watching over us and protecting us we will be better prepared for the day when he comes again, but as for now we just need to put our lives and faith in him and know that he is there. I hope that all experience the presence of God everyday not just during the different holidays.