Day 17

Luke 7-9

The transfiguration is one of the most unique and perplexing pieces of scripture in all the Bible. It takes place right after Jesus feeds the five thousand. Jesus multiplies the loaves and fish, reminding us of the Israelites being fed with manna while being led by Moses. In addition, Exodus tells us that when Moses came down with the Ten Commandments “his face was radiant,” Moses's presence at the transfiguration seems clear. It was symbolic of Jesus being the fulfillment of the law (which came through Moses). The question now is, “What about Elijah?”

Luke’s account of the transfiguration adds a small detail that we haven’t seen up to this point. In verse 31 we see that Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were speaking about Jesus’s departure. The Greek word for “departure” here is “exodos.” Wow, that sounds awfully familiar. This is again another parallel to "Moses’s exodus,” leading his people out of Egypt. The question still remains, “What about Elijah?”

Traditionally, the presence of Elijah has been explained as representing the “Prophets,” making Jesus the final fulfillment of that role. Many have questioned this theory asking, “Why Elijah and not Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc?” 

“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” 2 Kings 2:11

This verse is known as “Elijah’s departure,” and foreshadows Jesus’s own ascension into Heaven after His resurrection. Perhaps a more complete answer would be that Moses represented a life of leading the people of God through a temporary season, much like Jesus’s ministry on earth. However, the presence of Elijah and the open-ended manner of his departure represent the eternal and never ending reign of Jesus.