Jesus asks three of His Disciples (Peter, James & John) to go with Him to the top of a mountain. While they were on this hike Jesus was transformed by brilliant white light and is suddenly flanked by Moses and Elijah. You may have heard about Moses (think Cecil B. DeMille's Ten Commandments) but Elijah isn't as well known.
Elijah was a 9th century BCE Old Testament prophet who defended the worship of God over that of the more popular pagan god Baal. It was prophesied that Elijah would return and welcome the Messiah. In Jewish tradition a chair is set aside at circumcision ceremonies for Elijah who is said to be a witness at all circumcisions when the sign of the covenant is placed upon the body of the child. He is also symbolically present at Jewish Seder meals when as a part of the ritual a door of the house is opened and Elijah is invited in, in addition he has a place reserved at the Seder table and a cup of wine is placed there. Elijah is also one of two people in the bible who did not die. God came for him and whisk him away in a chariot pulled by a fiery horse. (The other person is the Prophet Enoch as described in Genesis 5:24)
In the transfiguration Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the Prophets.
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