They could never forget, even amidst His humiliation, that they had heard a heavenly voice declaring Him to be the beloved Son, a voice that came directly from the Almighty; nor could they doubt who they should follow, seeing Moses and Elijah, the embodiments of the law and the prophets, standing respectfully before Him and hearing Him proclaimed from the radiant cloud as superior to them. At that moment, God clearly revealed that the one they regularly beheld in His earthly humility was the same beloved Son who resided in the embrace of the Father, in whom the Father’s delight rests. This made it evident that they must receive teachings solely from His words. Consequently, the apostles became fully convinced that humanity's salvation hinges entirely on obedience to their Master—this living embodiment of the unseen God.
As dawn arrived, they began their descent from the mountain. At the base, the other disciples awaited the return of their Master and His intimate companions. It remains unclear what dialogue transpired between Christ and His closest followers during their descent. Seeing their Master as they had before, they had ample opportunity to converse with Him, though surely with utmost reverence, scarcely daring to speak of the extraordinary events they had witnessed. They also felt unable to share the wonders they had experienced with others, for those around them were not yet prepared for such profound revelations. The Saviour commanded them to refrain from speaking of the vision until after His resurrection. The revelation was meant solely for them; they were to safeguard it deep within their hearts, for disclosing it to the other disciples might only provoke envy and bolster their own pride. Until the resurrection, revealing such knowledge would not enhance the faith of others and could obscure their understanding of His true mission on earth.
The challenge Christ faced in imparting new spiritual truths to even those under His guidance can be illustrated by the fact that the three disciples, despite frequently hearing about the resurrection of the dead directly or indirectly from Him (John 2:19, Mark 8:31), still did not comprehend the true meaning of His words and pondered among themselves. He had told the Jews that if they destroyed the temple of His body, He would resurrect it on the third day, and just a week before the transfiguration, during Peter's notable confession, He had used nearly the same phrasing that now perplexed them. Despite hearing these statements multiple times, their meaning remained enigmatic. While the concept of resurrection was indeed part of Jewish theology, the rabbinical teachings often complicated the disciples' ability to reconcile their previous beliefs with Christ's current declarations. They may have heard in synagogues that solely Israel would be resurrected; others taught that righteous Gentiles adhering to the seven commands given to the children of Noah would also share in the resurrection; some believed non-Israelites outside the holy land would be resurrected just to face disgrace and rejection; while others claimed that neither Samaritans nor the majority of their own people, who did not follow the rabbinical rules, would partake in resurrection. Such uncertainties about who would rise were compounded by the myriad contradictions they had encountered regarding the conditions and timing of the resurrection, in tension with Jesus’ instructions.
They had grown up believing that upon the Messiah’s arrival, all of Israel would be gathered from across the world and the dead would rise without delay. Furthermore, it was traditionally accepted that before this resurrection, Elijah would return, a thought they clung to despite the explanations provided by Christ (Matt. 11:14). They had often heard synagogue preachers assert that the righteous dead would partake in the Messiah's kingdom in Jerusalem, becoming rejoined with the living. Thus, when Christ spoke to them about His resurrection, they were bewildered: how could He claim that He alone would rise on the third day when there seemed to be a disconnect between His words and their long-held beliefs? To resolve their confusion, they questioned Him concerning the rabbinical assertion that Elijah must appear prior to the resurrection of the dead, which was viewed as a precursor to the Messiah's kingdom. Nevertheless, Christ focused solely on His resurrection on the third day without mentioning Elijah's anticipated appearance, according to rabbinic tradition, which was supposed to occur three days prior to the Messiah's arrival.
Faced with these teachings, can we trust that the rabbis are correct in asserting that Elijah will rise, lament over desolate Israel, and proclaim blessings and salvation to all earth? Rabbi doctrine claimed Elijah would lead the scattered children of Jacob back to restoration in Israel, turning Israel's hearts towards the joyous acceptance of the Messiah. How, then, could these ideas be reconciled with the teaching that the Messiah must suffer greatly at the hands of the chief priests and elders, to be rejected and put to death? In response to their quandaries, Christ affirmed their assertion that Elijah must indeed come before the Messiah's arrival. This was aligned with God’s will, as foretold by ancient prophecy. However, just as the Son of Man had come to undergo suffering, rejection, and humiliation, as the prophets had foretold, the figure they awaited, Elijah, had already come to prepare the way for the Messiah. The anticipated Elijah had arrived; yet, the Jews recognized him no more than they acknowledged Christ Himself, treating both as they wished. Elijah suffered for righteousness even unto death, just as the Messiah was prophesied to endure. These explanations clarified their confusion, leading the disciples to understand He was referring to John the Baptist.
THEOSIS