Transfiguration Question

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timrevis

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We studied the Transfiguration this morning and the question arose in the part about all this not happening until the propehcies concerning Elisha are fulfilled or Elisha has returned. I get very confused on this (using I Kings or II Kings for reference to Elisha) because in I Kings you have Elijah passing his mantel to Elisha and then in II Kings, where the story is repeated, Elisha is clearly Elijah of I Kings!!!

Forgetting all of this: can anyone tell me where to read the prophecies concerning Elijah (Elishah?) in Old Testament that are referred to in Mark in the transfiguration story?

Thank you,

Tim
 
I wish I could help ya on that but I never understood the Transfiguration completely and what happened there. Elijah is like one of the biggest mysteries to me that I just cannot explain yet.
 
I've been trying to look on my own but so far all I've found are the last two verses of Malachi, which is not much. I'll keep looking.

We had a pretty throrough and clear discussion of the Transfiguration itself, but veered off into the verses about the Elijah prophecies - and the "was it John the Baptist" question - which led to the "well, that would be reincarnation" and of course the time was up and everything was left dangling.

Tim
 
Here is a short study on it that pulls some of together.

http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/enoch.html

I don't think they got it all yet, but it is a start.
Then like you say the spirit of Elijah there with John the baptist is another thing to consider. It is one of those things that I always find dangling also.:)

I am thinking it would take a year of consecrated study and devotion where there would be a revealing from God himself, not to say others have not had it revealed to them in its fulness.
But finding the right person to help is where it gets tough because otherwise we just go around in circles with all different ideas that don't seem to add up. AND then we can get stuck in only seeing it one way.
It is a mystery and a very tricky one, that is for sure.:cool:
 
Im going to have to find my research on this topic.. but the theory is in some circles that the two witnesses will be Elijah and Enoch.

Elijah

'See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.' [Malachi 4:5]

Some claim that this prophecy was fullfilled with the life of John the Baptist. This is based on what Jesus said about John in Matthew's account:

'And if you [Jews] are willing to accept it, he [John] is the Elijah who was to come.'
[Matthew 11:14]

and

'The disciples asked him [Jesus], "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recodnise him, but have done to him everything they wished...'
[Matthew 17:10-12]

From this it seems that John did fullfill Malachi's prophecy, but read carefully what Jesus said, 'If you are willing to accept it' The Jews did not accept that John was the fullfillment, in fact they failed to recodnise that he was sent to fullfill the prophecy [Matthew 17:12]. So therefore John is ruled out from the fullfillment of Malachi.

Also, the angel said to John's father, Zechariah;

'And will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah...'
[Luke 1:17]

This does not mean that John would be a literal Elijah, rather he would be like Elijah, a prophet speaking repentance, goind before the Lord. John himself said he was not Eljiah [John 1:21]
In fact if you examine Elijah and Elisha in 1 and 2 Kings we can see that Elijah's is somewhat like Johns, preaching judgment and repentance, whereas Elisha's is somewhat like Christs, preaching God's acceptance and healing.

Malachi must then be taken literally, a literal return of Elijah, which mist likely fits the role of one of the two witnessess, 'the great and dreadful day of the Lord' what else is Malachi speaking about rather than God's judgment?


Why Enoch?

Enoch was a judgment prophet. He prophesied the coming of God's judgment upon the wicked [Jude 14-15]

We do not know much about Enoch except these two facts, the fact that he was a prophet of judgment, and the fact that he did not die. [Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5]


In conclusion

From these three men we can say that Elijah is probably one of the two, but who is the other?

I have reason to believe Elijah and Enoch because both these men share one common fact. Neither has experienced death, and that creates a problem with the following verse:

'Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...'
[Hebrews 9:27]

The bible says every man is destined to die then to face judgment, surely this is a contridiction! Elijah and Enoch didn't die, so the bible lies! Well, if Elijah and Enoch are the two witnessess then the bible has not lied, and the bible, after all, cannot lie.

Enoch and Elijah have been destined to die, so God has preserved them from death so that they can be brought back during the tribulation to be prophets and to testify before God. Their mission will end with their deaths, and then their resurrection, so Elijah and Enoch will return, die and then resurrect and go to heaven, they will have fullfilled what Hebrews says.




I got this from a Christianity thread that pretty much sums up my research on Elijah and Enoch So I didnt have to go searching.

Heres the thread

http://www.christianforums.com/t734244-of-enoch-and-elijah.html&page=2
 
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What​
was foreshadowed by the appearance of Moses and Elijah in the transfiguration vision?


​



In the context of the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were fitting symbols of Jesus’ anointed brothers. That they, as well as Jesus, "appeared with glory" symbolized that faithful anointed Christians would be "glorified together" with Jesus in the heavenly Kingdom arrangement. (Luke 9:30, 31; Romans 8:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:10)

 
scripture tells us that Enoch "was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24) and "was translated that he should not see death" (Hebrews 11:5). It also tells us that "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2Kings 2:11). God clearly gave them a special privilege and portion. Just like miracles, they were allowed to break the rules, so to speak.

Moses however did die and was buried.
 
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