Mar 9:3 | KingComments | STEP | After the Lord Jesus spoke in the previous verse of “the glory of His Father”, He now speaks of the coming of that glory. He speaks of it when He speaks of the coming of the kingdom of God with power. Then His majesty will be seen and acknowledged all over the earth. Some of His disciples will not have to wait until after their death when they will participate in it in the resurrection. They may already taste some of it in the next scene. To encourage them, for a moment, they are lifted over suffering and the cross ( ) into glory. Peter speaks about it in his second letter as a scene that speaks of the power and majesty of the Lord Jesus ( ). This is an encouragement for servants, because they get to see the reward that awaits them after having served. The emphasis is on the coming of the kingdom with power. Power is what servants need. That power is found in the dependence on God. If we forget that we are dependent on God, we become powerless. Mark speaks of “six days later” because he describes Christ as the true Servant. The number ‘six’ speaks of the period of man’s works that precedes rest. Thus, God worked six days before He rested from His works on the seventh day ( ). The Lord “took” three disciples on a high mountain. He is the Lord. In order to participate in the glory of the kingdom, He must take us there and we must be alone with Him. At the same time, today the revelation of that glory is still a heavenly matter. That is why He takes His disciples with Him on a “high mountain”, away from the earthly. He takes precisely these three disciples with Him because of the service they will later perform to confirm and strengthen their faith. They will be pillars of the kingdom ( ). The Lord is transformed before their eyes. They see Him Who had no “form or majesty” ( ) in outer glory, as He will have in the realm of peace. In the Gospel according to Matthew He shines like the sun ( ). That fits in the Gospel that describes Him as the King. But here we have the Servant in perfect purity. His garments, which become “radiant and exceedingly white”, speak of His outward manifestation, of His service and the testimony He gives in the world. The description of the whiteness of His garments is more extensive in this Gospel and therefore more emphatic because Mark describes Him as the perfect Servant. With Him there is no stain to be found by anyone who, like a launderer, has the sharpest eye for cleanness. It is a cleanness that the most competent earthly cleanser cannot work. It is the cleanness of heaven. People could spit on the Lord Jesus during His days in the flesh and smear His garments with the blood they had brought forth from the scourges. If He reigns, that will be impossible, but the immaculate white will be the hallmark of His reign, a hallmark that no ruler has had before Him. It is the reign of heaven. The transfiguration is a prophecy. Christ will be the radiant center of the glory of the kingdom of peace, as He is here. The saints will then be with Him under heavenly circumstances, like Moses and Elijah. In this glory, Elijah and Moses do not appear to the Lord Jesus, but to the three disciples. For the Lord they are always present. Together, Elijah and Moses are a picture of all believers who will reign with Christ. In Elijah we see a picture of believers who will go to heaven without dying ( ) and then reign with Christ. In Moses we see a picture of the dead and buried believers ( ) who will rise up and go to heaven to reign with Christ. Moses is also the lawgiver and Elijah the law restorer. Both have placed the people on the foundation of the law as the only right foundation for God. They “were talking” with Him, that is to say, they spoke with Him in complete confidentiality. Mark mentions Elijah first, for he has revealed spiritual power, a power that will also be revealed in the future ( ). It is also he who will restore the connection between fathers and children ( ), a picture of which we see in the following history ( ). Elijah is the special encouragement here for the servant who needs this power for his service in the present time. Peter is impressed by what he sees. He wants to hold on to this scene. That is why he proposes to make three tents for the three persons for whom he has great admiration. He makes the mistake of thinking that this scene can be permanent and can be held in tents. With the sight of the glory that is revealed to him, he forgets that the cross has yet to come, for without the cross this glory can never become reality. Peter also makes the mistake of thinking that the Lord Jesus is the First among the greatest people. He and also the others don’t know what they see and how to deal with it. Besides admiration there is also fear. Against the immaculate cleanliness of heaven stands the sinfulness of man. Peter may – impressed by what he sees – put the Lord on a par with the great men of the Old Testament, but heaven does not share this impression. On the contrary, heaven declares the exaltation of Christ above these great men. This explanation is made both by a visible sign, a cloud, and by an audible voice. The cloud that overshadows them represents the holy abode of God, which was also above the tabernacle. Peter and the other disciples are not allowed to make tents, but they may experience something much greater. They may enter the abode of God Himself. The voice that sounds is the voice of the Father Who declares that the Lord Jesus is His beloved Son. He alone must be listened to. Everything that Moses and Elijah have said is the truth, is God’s Word. Through them we learn God’s thoughts. But they give testimony concerning Him and not together with Him. Everything they have said relates to Him and not to themselves. Moses and Elijah only express His voice. Christendom is: Hear Him. He who does not listen to Him will perish. After this impressive testimony they see no one with them anymore than Jesus alone. In the light of the Gospel according to Mark, nothing else is important in the service we may do for Him but to see Him as the true Servant. “With them” is said only in this Gospel. He, whom we have just seen in strength, is with His own, with us.

‏ Mark 9:3

The Transfiguration

After the Lord Jesus spoke in the previous verse of “the glory of His Father”, He now speaks of the coming of that glory. He speaks of it when He speaks of the coming of the kingdom of God with power. Then His majesty will be seen and acknowledged all over the earth. Some of His disciples will not have to wait until after their death when they will participate in it in the resurrection. They may already taste some of it in the next scene. To encourage them, for a moment, they are lifted over suffering and the cross (Mk 8:31-38) into glory. Peter speaks about it in his second letter as a scene that speaks of the power and majesty of the Lord Jesus (2Pet 1:16).

This is an encouragement for servants, because they get to see the reward that awaits them after having served. The emphasis is on the coming of the kingdom with power. Power is what servants need. That power is found in the dependence on God. If we forget that we are dependent on God, we become powerless.

Mark speaks of “six days later” because he describes Christ as the true Servant. The number ‘six’ speaks of the period of man’s works that precedes rest. Thus, God worked six days before He rested from His works on the seventh day (Gen 1:31 ; Gen 2:1-2).

The Lord “took” three disciples on a high mountain. He is the Lord. In order to participate in the glory of the kingdom, He must take us there and we must be alone with Him. At the same time, today the revelation of that glory is still a heavenly matter. That is why He takes His disciples with Him on a “high mountain”, away from the earthly. He takes precisely these three disciples with Him because of the service they will later perform to confirm and strengthen their faith. They will be pillars of the kingdom (Gal 2:9).

The Lord is transformed before their eyes. They see Him Who had no “form or majesty” (Isa 53:2) in outer glory, as He will have in the realm of peace. In the Gospel according to Matthew He shines like the sun (Mt 17:2). That fits in the Gospel that describes Him as the King. But here we have the Servant in perfect purity. His garments, which become “radiant and exceedingly white”, speak of His outward manifestation, of His service and the testimony He gives in the world. The description of the whiteness of His garments is more extensive in this Gospel and therefore more emphatic because Mark describes Him as the perfect Servant. With Him there is no stain to be found by anyone who, like a launderer, has the sharpest eye for cleanness. It is a cleanness that the most competent earthly cleanser cannot work. It is the cleanness of heaven.

People could spit on the Lord Jesus during His days in the flesh and smear His garments with the blood they had brought forth from the scourges. If He reigns, that will be impossible, but the immaculate white will be the hallmark of His reign, a hallmark that no ruler has had before Him. It is the reign of heaven. The transfiguration is a prophecy. Christ will be the radiant center of the glory of the kingdom of peace, as He is here. The saints will then be with Him under heavenly circumstances, like Moses and Elijah.

In this glory, Elijah and Moses do not appear to the Lord Jesus, but to the three disciples. For the Lord they are always present. Together, Elijah and Moses are a picture of all believers who will reign with Christ. In Elijah we see a picture of believers who will go to heaven without dying (2Kgs 2:1 ; 11) and then reign with Christ. In Moses we see a picture of the dead and buried believers (Deu 34:5-6) who will rise up and go to heaven to reign with Christ. Moses is also the lawgiver and Elijah the law restorer. Both have placed the people on the foundation of the law as the only right foundation for God.

They “were talking” with Him, that is to say, they spoke with Him in complete confidentiality. Mark mentions Elijah first, for he has revealed spiritual power, a power that will also be revealed in the future (Rev 11:5). It is also he who will restore the connection between fathers and children (Mal 4:5-6), a picture of which we see in the following history (Mk 9:14-29). Elijah is the special encouragement here for the servant who needs this power for his service in the present time.

Peter is impressed by what he sees. He wants to hold on to this scene. That is why he proposes to make three tents for the three persons for whom he has great admiration. He makes the mistake of thinking that this scene can be permanent and can be held in tents. With the sight of the glory that is revealed to him, he forgets that the cross has yet to come, for without the cross this glory can never become reality. Peter also makes the mistake of thinking that the Lord Jesus is the First among the greatest people.

He and also the others don’t know what they see and how to deal with it. Besides admiration there is also fear. Against the immaculate cleanliness of heaven stands the sinfulness of man.

Peter may – impressed by what he sees – put the Lord on a par with the great men of the Old Testament, but heaven does not share this impression. On the contrary, heaven declares the exaltation of Christ above these great men. This explanation is made both by a visible sign, a cloud, and by an audible voice. The cloud that overshadows them represents the holy abode of God, which was also above the tabernacle. Peter and the other disciples are not allowed to make tents, but they may experience something much greater. They may enter the abode of God Himself.

The voice that sounds is the voice of the Father Who declares that the Lord Jesus is His beloved Son. He alone must be listened to. Everything that Moses and Elijah have said is the truth, is God’s Word. Through them we learn God’s thoughts. But they give testimony concerning Him and not together with Him. Everything they have said relates to Him and not to themselves. Moses and Elijah only express His voice. Christendom is: Hear Him. He who does not listen to Him will perish.

After this impressive testimony they see no one with them anymore than Jesus alone. In the light of the Gospel according to Mark, nothing else is important in the service we may do for Him but to see Him as the true Servant. “With them” is said only in this Gospel. He, whom we have just seen in strength, is with His own, with us.