Moses had it, Elijah may have (in heaven) and so did Jesus! Their essential nature reflected “shekhinah”! This is a word, not in the Bible, but it appears in the Jewish Talmud. It describes the presence of God appearing in the world and is the radiant glowing heavenly light . The “Shekhinah” is the light of God and words cannot describe it. If we look at Moses as he descended Mount Moriah, we get a glimpse of God's presence on earth:
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(All KJV)
Exodus 34:32 “And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”
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In covenant theology the “”economy” God has with his people isn't a replacement one for another, but they are additive in nature. This is demonstrated by Jesus' recognition of the Davidic Covenant and that he didn't come to “replace the law, but to fulfill it.”As the Abrahamic covenant of faith was supplemented by the Mosaic Covenant of the law, it created a picture of the the Covenant of the Law as prophesied by the Davidic Covenant being consummated in the Covenant of Grace; the “New Covenant”! To rephrase this in simple terms, as God gave Moses the Law such that the Jews could demonstrate their faith by actions, Jesus gave us “grace” because of our faith, and the law was revealed as a way to have assurance that you're saved. Both covenants were accompanied by the presence of God!
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Moses was a changed man. He had been in the presence of God and he “glowed” with God's heavenly light. He was transformed. God's Holy Light, the fulness of God, showed forth right through the human nature of God. He had stood on Holy Ground and although God shielded his view (his glory) Moses was honored by becoming a picture of the coming Savior!
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Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
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Elijah was a “picture” of John the Baptist. Elijah's mission was to restore the people to their God. John represented Elijah and introduced the person who was restore mankind (Jesus), bringing in the New Covenant. The New Covenant is “the restoration” which was started by Elijah. He had a hand in it! God honored Elijah as we shall see!
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2 Kings 2:1 “And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.”
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Elijah never died. He physically went to be with the Lord. As Elijah had been in the presence of God for a thousand years, he likely had “Shekhinah”. This brings us to the transfiguration of Jesus:
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Matthew 17:1And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. “
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Moses and Elias (Elijah) had already been transfigured (I'm guessing that Elijah had been since he had been in the presence of the Lord). Now we have Jesus transfigured. The transfiguration is THE event when Jesus the Man was manifested Jesus the God. This is not to say that Moses (or maybe even Elijah) had become God's before, because God was manifested for only a short time from their being. With Jesus the transfiguration was permanent! This IS the event where Jesus' divinity was revealed to the apostles. It was done by God's divine light, what the Jews called His Shekhinah!
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At the transfiguration we have two church fathers with Jesus. Moses with Jesus at his revealing shows the importance of God's law in the plan of salvation and Elijah was there to see the final restoration of mankind. This event melds the Old Covenant with the New! The entire Old Testament is dedicated to preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah. As the law supplements grace, the Old Covenant supplements the New Covenant. The transfiguration is the event which reveals the fulfillment of the law to the disciples. Moses and Elijah personally endorsed the concept of “grace” by their presence with Jesus as His Godhood is revealed. Imagine the magnificence of the event! The apostles had been in the presence of God, but it was by faith. Now their faith was turned into concrete evidence! God revealed!
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Some say that Jesus was endowed with the nature of God at the transformation. I believe His divine nature was always there, but it was revealed at the transfiguration. God fully man... God fully divine!
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