By Ted Clarkson

One of the most remarkable features of the three accounts of the Transfiguration is the abundance of Old Testament allusions, themes, and references. The story of the Transfiguration is found in the gospel of Mark, which is believed to be the earliest gospel, and is picked up in both Matthew and Luke. (There is no account of the Transfiguration in John, but some Johannine scholars would argue that the entire gospel is a Transfiguration narrative.)

Many of the first generations of followers of Jesus were Jews who would have seen Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as a fulfillment of God’s promises to the people of Israel. By understanding all of the references to the Old Testament in the story of the Transfiguration, we can better understand what it meant to the earliest Christians.

The most obvious Old Testament references are to Moses and Elijah, two of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament. Moses is the one who gave the law and delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, and Elijah was one of the greatest prophets of Israel. Their presence at this event would have signaled to some that Jesus was the Messiah and to others that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

The next common theme is location: the mountain top. While the gospel writers do not mention the name of the mountain where the Transfiguration took place, Christians for centuries have said that it occurred on either Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon. Mountains were significant for Moses and Elijah as well. Mount Sinai was where Moses encountered God and received the law. His encounter with God on Sinai also caused the skin of his face to shine. Elijah had his own mountain top experiences and Sinai and Carmel. Mountains were places where God revealed Godself and gave instructions to his chosen messengers.

While Jesus’ shiny appearance is reminiscent of Moses’ face on Sinai, it could also be an allusion to an eschatological prophecy in the book of Daniel, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3, NRSV) This would connect the past deliverance from Egypt to the future deliverance from all worldly powers and principalities.

In other references to the deliverance from Egypt:

  • The word that we translate as “departure” in verse 31 of Luke’s account is translated literally as “exodus.”
  • The reference to “dwellings” alludes to the tent/tabernacle, the dwelling place of God, that the people of Israel moved through the desert.
  • The cloud from which God speaks is reminiscent of the cloud that led the Israelites through the desert. It is also referenced in Psalm 99: “He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.”

Finally, identifying Jesus as God’s chosen one would have been very poignant for Jewish believers in Jesus. God chose Israel as God’s favored people. Jesus is presented, not as a replacement for God’s people but rather, as a fulfillment of all God’s promises.  In the story of the Transfiguration, Jesus is presented as something entirely new: a messiah, a divine son, a deliverer of Israel, a prophet of the reign of God. The authors of Matthew, Mark, and Luke knew their readers and gave them a vision of Jesus that was both familiar and compelling. As you worship with us on Sunday, I hope you will keep an ear out for these themes

PS: If you find this sort of thing interesting, I would suggest purchasing a copy of The Jewish Annotated New Testament, Second Edition, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, Oxford University Press, 2011. It is a New Revised Standard Version New Testament with extensive annotations and scholarly essays. “★★★★★: Would definitely recommend.”