17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Malachi 4:1-6
Judgement and Covenant Renewal
1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Jesus shows Peter, James, and John the Transfiguration...And during this Transfiguration, His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light...And then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus...
It seems stunned by this, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here...If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”...While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, whom I LOVE; with Him I AM well pleased...Listen to Him!”...When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified...But Jesus came and touched them...“Get up,” He said...“Don’t be afraid.”...When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus...As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”...The disciples asked Him, “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 recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished...In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”...Then the disciples understood that He was talking to them about John the Baptist...
Jesus told them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”...He is telling them about His death and His resurrection...But they do not understand...And the next thing they ask, and there minds were surely boggled by all the things they just saw was, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”...They seem to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah, because Elijah must come before Him, as the Prophet Malachi had written...They did not ask Jesus about His death and resurrection...The resurrection is very difficult to grasp and understand...As is the Transfiguration...And to make all this more difficult to understand, Jesus tells them that Elijah has came, and was the messenger, John the Baptist...With our limited understanding, and all what they have just seen and heard, it does not appear that the disciples have their minds around these things, as their thoughts maybe are scattered...So the resurrection and being Jesus being raised from His death is one sentence to them, and they have moved on, apparently wondering what just happened on the sacred mountain...