And Elijah appeared to them, in company with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.
spotlight brilliance
is a light engineer’s art
distance bulb aperture power
change mood and messageturn on “Elijah” in cave darkness
side-lighting a whisper of re-engagement
shine “Moses” in desert glare
revealing waiting reviving water rocksin cloudy days listen for your cue
to add color to the main spots
signaling a story shift
in need of “Your Name” now
Swanson131 suggests, “Moses and Elijah can enter this scene because they never died.” He goes on to add Enoch to the list of those who hadn’t died (Genesis 5:24).
These three are in a special category different from, “Characters who had died were beyond human experience, out of reach until whatever came along in the way of a general resurrection.”
Swanson continues to connect Enoch in as the “origin of revelatory oracles” by comparing him to the Sibylline Oracles.” Finally comes a question: “And you might want to ask why Enoch is not in this scene. Or is Jesus Enoch?” (Swanson132) Ready; Discuss.
Swanson132 then raises a question of recognition. Unlike our overly visual culture, “ancient Jewish culture avoided representational painting and sculpting so there would not be a standard ‘Moses look,’ no visual code.” He goes on to talk about playing this scene:
Maybe Moses and Elijah would look ordinary. If so, the first reaction by the disciples would be to count their own party to make sure that these two other guys are not just some of the usual bunch. The next reaction will be one of surprise to find two extraneous tourists trespassing on the most stunning event of their time with Jesus up to this point. And the next reaction will take place when they find out the names of each of the random tourists. There were other people named Moses and other Elijahs, but somewhere in the sorting out, someone will have realized that the two intruders were not just named Moses and Elijah, they were THE Moses and THE Elijah.
Sabin-279, talks of a “trio of great figures matched by a trio of disciples.” She describes Moses and Elijah in their traditional representation of the Law and the Prophets, and says Mark “perceives Jesus to be a continuation of the wisdom of Israel”. The TANAKH is complete. The quest can now continue.