The Two and Three Witnesses of Christ’s Transfiguration:
Upon the mount was represented the future kingdom of glory.
The witness of the three disciples: Peter, James, and John at Christ’s transfiguration. See Matt. 17: 1-8; Mark 9: 2-8; Luke 9: 28-36. :
“Not all, even of the twelve, can receive the revelation He desired to give. Only the three who are to witness His anguish in Gethsemane have been chosen to be with Him on the mount. Now the burden of His prayer is that they may be given a manifestation of the glory that He had with the Father before the world was, that His kingdom may be revealed to human eyes, and that His disciples might be strengthened to behold it. He pleads that they may witness a manifestation of His divinity that will comfort them in the hour of His supreme agony with a knowledge that He is of a surety the Son of God and that His shameful death is a part of the plan of redemption.” – Desire of Ages, pp. 420-1.
The witness of Elijah and Moses: “The disciples, awaking, behold the flood of glory that illuminates the mount. In fear and amazement they gaze upon the radiant form of their Master. As they become able to endure the wondrous light, they see that Jesus is not alone. Beside Him are two heavenly beings, in close converse with Him. They are Moses, who upon Sinai had talked with God; and Elijah, to whom the high privilege was given— granted to but one other of the sons of Adam [Enoch]—never to come under the power of death. . . .
Moses passed under the dominion of death, but he was not to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself called him forth from the grave, Jude 9.
Moses upon the mount of transfiguration was a wit ness to Christ’s victory over sin and death. He represented those who shall come forth from the grave at the resurrection of the just. Elijah, who had been translated to heaven without seeing death, represented those who will be living upon the earth at Christ’s second coming, and who will be ‘changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump;’ when’ this mortal must put on immortality’ and ‘this corruption must put on incorruption.’ 1 Cor, 15-51-53. Jesus was clothed with the light of heaven, as He will appear when He shall come ‘the second time without sin unto salvation.’ For He will come ‘in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. Heb. 9:28; Mark 8: 38. The Savior’s promise to the disciples was now fulfilled. Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature,—Christ the King, Moses a representative of the risen saints, and Elijah of the translated ones.” – Desire of Ages, pp. 421, 422.
The truth that the kingdom of glory is yet future—not at death as the majority believe as a result of the teaching of the erroneous doctrine that the soul is immortal—-is attested to by no less than Jesus Himself, three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John here on earth, and by two of His saints already in heaven, Moses who died and was resurrected and Elijah who was translated without tasting the first death. This truth was with a certainty established at the mount transfiguration by at least “two or three witnesses,” in addition to the testimony of Christ Himself who is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and in the Revelation is the “true and faithful Witness” of God.
Thus the requirement of Scriptures that any truth must be established (to make stable or firm; to fix immovably or firmly; settle; to found institute for permanence) has been met. For anyone to persist in teaching this first of lies of Satan “with a all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thess 2: 10, 11, N.K.J.V. -#