The great majority of Hebrew Scripture prophecies concerning judgments and wars end with a word of encouragement, just like prophecies concerning the Lord’s coming. We see this same pattern in Mark.
Yeshua presents high demands on believers. If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:34,35, 38
After all these tough and uninviting demands, Yeshua then serves the best wine and makes it all so worth it. He comes up with a great pledge, promising power, and a great eternal future.
Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power. Mark 9:1.
Here, He was addressing the overcomers who were among the crowd. He was speaking to those who would persevere, telling them that before they taste death, or before they experience death, they will, and very soon, see the kingdom of God after it has come with power. When would that be? He was referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit which He promised would come as a helper even a pledge, after His resurrection and ascension. He also promised in Acts 1:8: …but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
Indeed, they did receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
This promise even extends further past the time of Pentecost, even 2,000 years later. Ever since the Spirit’s anointing of the birth of the church, this Pentecost promise is a reality for every believer at the moment when he or she confesses Yeshua as Savior. At that moment, they are empowered with new abilities, attributed only to the Rouach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) who has come to live in them. So when Yeshua speaks of the power of the Kingdom of God, we see it fulfilled every day in the lives of so many of His servants who now abide in His kingdom.
A New Era for Each Believer
To further confirm this promise, Yeshua gives us a great demonstration. He chooses only three men, those who would be in leadership in the new Kingdom of God and He transfigures Himself before them. This is an important moment since soon they will see Him suffering and dying on the tav (cross). So this example was not only to confirm His resurrection, but their soon suffering coupled with the reality and hope of their own future resurrection as well. Let us see this is brought to us in Mark 9:2-4 – a mind-blowing experience for those who were there.
Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; And His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.
There is so much in these three short verses. First, we are brought to something very new, like the introduction of a new era in the history of Israel. It begins with Six days later meaning it happened on a seventh day. Right away these numbers lead us to think of the creation of the world. There were six days of creation and on the seventh day, the Lord rested. Likewise, it reflects the previous difficult history of Israel which was about to enter a new phase.
The Lord of the Sabbath had arrived. Just like the old days of Israel were past, a new era has come upon anyone receiving the Messiah in their lives.
Mt. Sinai and the Transfiguration
There were other indications that something new was about to begin. In these six days we are reminded of the birth of the nation of Israel. The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai just before giving the covenant of the Law.
Now the Glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Exodus 24:16
See the correlation with the Transfiguration?
Moses had waited six days as well. On the seventh day, the Lord called him, and he went up Mount Sinai. This echoes how the disciples were brought up to a high mountain to see the glory of the Lord at Yeshua’s transfiguration.
As we read further, we see even more correlations. In Exodus 24 we read of the cloud symbolizing the presence of God, but we see this same cloud over the mountain in Mark 9:7 also indicating the presence of God.
Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him! Furthermore, as we see the cloud, we also hear the voice of God. In Exodus 24:16, the Lord called Moses from the midst of the cloud. In Mark 9:7 it is the voice of God which came from the cloud.
In Mark 9:6 we are given information about the disciples’ reaction. For he [Peter] did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. They were terrified at the sight and sound of the presence of God in the same way that the Israelites were also terrified when they experienced a similar divine theophany. So terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling. Hebrews 12:21
Look at the similarities
The Glory of the Lord
The sixth day
A high mountain,
The cloud
The voice
The fearful experience
Our Present Pledge and Future Hope
All of these signal that a new era had begun. However, now it is different. The author of Hebrews tells us in 12:18 & 22: For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind. He was referring to the experience on Mount Sinai. But see what he says: But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels.
The Transfiguration then brings us right into eternity. It is like a pledge of the great experience which awaits all believers up in heaven. This is our future, along with the physical Kingdom of God. But right now we can experience the joy and the Sabbath rest of knowing that we are heading to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. And that makes all the difficulties of life worth going through. That is how far in time the Transfiguration carries us.