How did disciples recognize Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration?

Answer 1

A:Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to two strangers. Somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. In spite of this life-changing event, and its absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. If the Transfiguration ever happened, it must be that the disciples were less sure of who the strangers were than is suggested in the gospel story. Why they even thought the men were Moses and Elijah is not stated.

Answer 2

AnswerLuke's Gospel says the two disciples on the road to Emmaus did not know who Jesus was - even though they had lived and preached with him for such a long time, and even though he must have had wounds and signs of the trauma he had been through. It was only later, at dinner when he blessed the bread, that they realised he was Jesus.

Luke 24

30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Answer 3

In the gospel account of the Transfiguration, Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to Moses and Elijah. Afterwards he solemnly told them not to say anything about what they saw, to anyone.

Scholars now know that the author of Luke's Gospel relied on Mark's Gospel for his knowledge of the life and mission of Jesus. Since the story of the Transfiguration is in Mark's Gospel, we can say that Luke knew about the Transfiguration from Mark's Gospel, as did Matthew and, indirectly, John. So, the mystery is how the author of Mark knew about the transfiguration, and the answer to this mystery is found in the chiastic structure of Mark. The author of Mark wanted to associate Jesus as closely as possible with Elijah and Moses, two of the most revered men in the Hebrew scriptures. He achieved this by linking the baptism of Jesus and his forty days in the wilderness with the Transfiguration and the appearance of Elijah and Moses on the mountain. By examining the chiastic structure of Mark we can establish that even the story of Jesus surviving forty days in the wilderness was an allusion to Elijah and Moses, each fasting for forty days.

Answer 4

A:Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed. They saw him talking to two strangers, who the disciples knew without question were Moses and Elijah, and heard the voice of God.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. If the disciples really heard the voice of God, it was absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, yet Peter went on to deny Jesus.

Answer 5

A:Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to two strangers and heard the voice of God. Somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. In spite of this life-changing event, and its absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. If the Transfiguration ever happened, this shows that the disciples still did not understand that Jesus was the Messiah.

Answer 6

Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed - the Transfiguration - and they saw him talking to Moses and Elijah. Somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah (Mark 9:4-5: "And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias"). There was simply no way they could really have known so quickly and with so much certainty that the strangers were Moses and Elijah.

Matthew agrees with Mark, but the author of Luke's Gospel seems to have recognised the problem, and so says (Luke 9:30-31): "And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory..." This at least makes the two strangers in some way supernatural, but still does not identify them as Moses and Elijah.

Perhaps an insight can be gained by returning to Mark's Gospel, where the Transfiguration story first appeared. When we look at the framework structure of Mark's Gospel, we see that the baptism of Jesus and the forty days in the wilderness (events B,C and D) form a pairing with the Transfiguration (events B',C' and D'):

A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

In Mark 1:13, the story of Jesus going into the wilderness, where he was ministered by angels is an allusion to Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-7) who was ministered by an angel and in the wilderness forty days. There is no actual suggestion that Jesus fasted for this time, but those familiar with the story of Elijah are likely to have assumed he did do so, and this is made explicit in Matthew and Luke. This brings into play another allusion, to Moses when (Exodus 34:28) he fasted for 40 days while he wrote the words of the Ten Commandments on tablets. This easily overlooked allusion neatly mirrors the Transfiguration in the second set. So there are good grounds for looking at the Transfiguration as an allusion, rather than a literal account. The disciples recognised Moses and Elijah because the author portrayed this.

Answer 7

The disciples recognized Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration because they appeared in conversation with Jesus, and their identities were likely confirmed through divine revelation or possibly by Jesus himself informing them. Additionally, Moses and Elijah are significant figures in Jewish history and prophecy, so their presence would have been recognizable to the disciples.