Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up alone into a high mountain privately. And He was transfigured before them, 3 And His garments became sparkling, exceedingly white, such as no fuller on earth could whiten them. 4 And Elijah with Moses appeared to them, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tents, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah. 6 For he did not know what to answer, for they had become extremely frightened. 7 And a cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud: This is My Son, the Beloved. Hear Him! 8 And suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone, but Jesus only with them.
Moses represented the law, and Elijah the prophets. The law and the prophets were the constituents of the Old Testament as a full testimony of Christ (John 5:39). Peter was very excited, and said to the Lord Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. And let us make three tents, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (v. 5). Peter's absurd proposal was to put Moses and Elijah on the same level with Christ, which means to make the law and the prophets equal to Christ. This was absolutely against God's economy. In God's economy the law and the prophets were only a testimony to Christ; they should not be put on the same level with Him. In verse 7 God charges us to hear His Son. In God's economy, now that Christ has come, we should "hear Him," no longer the law or the prophets, because the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Christ and by Him. Verse 8 continues, "And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them, except Jesus only." Peter proposed to keep Moses and Elijah, that is, the law and the prophets, with Christ. But God took Moses and Elijah away, leaving no one "except Jesus only." The law and the prophets were shadows and prophecies, not the reality; the reality is Christ. Now that Christ, the reality, is here, the shadows and the prophecies are no longer needed. No one except Jesus Himself alone should remain in the New Testament. Jesus is today's Moses, imparting the law of life into His believers. Jesus is also today's Elijah, speaking for God and speaking forth God within His believers. This is God's New Testament economy. The New Testament age is a matter of Jesus only. We should hear Him, not the law represented by Moses or the prophets represented by Elijah. Christ Himself is the New Testament. (c) Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Mark, pp. 227-229. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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