The transfiguration:The Watchtower Society's commentary.

TRANSFIGURATION

A miraculous event witnessed by Peter, James, and John, in which Jesus’ “face shone as the sun, and his outer garments became brilliant as the light.” (Mt 17:1-9; Mr 9:2-10; Lu 9:28-36) Mark says that on this occasion Jesus’ outer garments became “far whiter than any clothes cleaner on earth could whiten them,” and Luke states that “the appearance of his face became different.” The transfiguration occurred on a mountain sometime after Passover of 32 C.E., quite a while before Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem.

Just before the transfiguration, Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, the present-day village of Banyas. (Mr 8:27) It is unlikely that Christ and the apostles departed from this vicinity or region when going to the “lofty mountain.” (Mr 9:2) Mount Tabor has been viewed as the traditional site from about the fourth century C.E., but lying about 70 km (40 mi) SSW of Caesarea Philippi, it seems an improbable location.—⁠See TABOR No. 1.

Mount Hermon, on the other hand, is only about 25 km (15 mi) NE of Caesarea Philippi. It rises to a height of 2,814 m (9,232 ft) above sea level and would therefore be “a lofty mountain.” (Mt 17:1) Hence, the transfiguration may have taken place on some spur of Mount Hermon. This is the view of many modern scholars, though the Bible’s silence on the matter leaves the exact location uncertain.

The transfiguration probably took place at night, for the apostles “were weighed down with sleep.” (Lu 9:32) At night the event would be more vivid, and they did spend the night on the mountain, for it was not until the next day that they descended. (Lu 9:37) Just how long the transfiguration lasted, however, the Bible does not say.

Prior to ascending the mountain, Christ had asked all of his disciples: “Who are men saying that I am?” whereupon Peter replied: “You are the Christ.” At that Jesus told them that he would die and be resurrected (Mr 8:27-31), though he also promised that some of his disciples would “not taste death at all” until they had first seen “the Son of man coming in his kingdom,” or “the kingdom of God already come in power.” (Mt 16:28; Mr 9:1) This promise was fulfilled “six days later” (or “eight” according to Luke, who apparently includes the day of the promise and that of the fulfillment) when Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus into “a lofty mountain” (Mt 17:1; Mr 9:2; Lu 9:28) where, while praying, Jesus was transfigured before them.

During Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses and Elijah also appeared “with glory.” (Lu 9:30, 31; Mt 17:3; Mr 9:4) They talked about Christ’s “departure [a form of the Greek word eʹxo·dos] that he was destined to fulfill at Jerusalem.” (Lu 9:31) This eʹxo·dos, exodus or departure, evidently involved both Christ’s death and his subsequent resurrection to spirit life.

Some critics have endeavored to class the transfiguration as simply a dream. However, Peter, James, and John would not logically all have had exactly the same dream. Jesus himself called what took place a “vision” (Mt 17:9), but not a mere illusion. Christ was actually there, though Moses and Elijah, who were dead, were not literally present. They were represented in vision. The Greek word used for “vision” at Matthew 17:9 is hoʹra·ma, also rendered “sight.” (Ac 7:31) It does not imply unreality, as though the observers were laboring under a delusion. Nor were they insensible to what occurred, for they were fully awake when witnessing the transfiguration. With their literal eyes and ears they actually saw and heard what took place at that time.—Lu 9:32.

As Moses and Elijah were being separated from Jesus, Peter, “not realizing what he was saying,” suggested the erecting of three tents, one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. (Lu 9:33) But as the apostle spoke, a cloud formed (Lu 9:34), evidently (as at the tent of meeting in the wilderness) symbolizing Jehovah’s presence there on the mountain of the transfiguration. (Ex 40:34-38) From out of the cloud there came Jehovah’s voice, saying: “This is my Son, the one that has been chosen. Listen to him.” (Lu 9:35) Years later, with reference to the transfiguration, Peter identified the heavenly voice as that of “God the Father.” (2Pe 1:17, 18) Whereas in the past God had spoken through prophets, he now indicated that he would do so through his Son.—Ga 3:24; Heb 1:1-3.

The apostle Peter viewed the transfiguration as a marvelous confirmation of the prophetic word, and by having been an eyewitness of Christ’s magnificence, he was able to acquaint his readers “with the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Pe 1:16, 19) The apostle had experienced the fulfillment of Christ’s promise that some of his followers would “not taste death at all until first they see the kingdom of God already come in power.” (Mr 9:1) The apostle John may also have alluded to the transfiguration at John 1:14.

Jesus told his three apostles: “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of man is raised up from the dead.” (Mt 17:9) They did refrain from then reporting what they saw to anyone, apparently even to the other apostles. (Lu 9:36) While descending the mountain, the three apostles discussed among themselves what Jesus meant by “this rising from the dead.” (Mr 9:10) One current Jewish religious teaching was that Elijah must appear before the resurrection of the dead that would inaugurate the Messiah’s reign. So, the apostles inquired: “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus assured them that Elijah had come, and they perceived that he spoke of John the Baptizer.—Mt 17:10-13.


The transfiguration, it seems, served to fortify Christ for his sufferings and death, while it also comforted his followers and strengthened their faith. It showed that Jesus had God’s approval, and it was a foreview of his future glory and Kingdom power. It presaged the presence of Christ, when his kingly authority would be complete.

Reading list for the committed iconoclast.

Best Books of the Year — Discovery Institute Takes Honors in World Magazine’s “Origins” Category
David Klinghoffer | @d_klinghoffer

It’s hard to argue with World Magazine editor-in-chief Marvin Olasky’s assessment that debates about life’s origins form the “most significant worldview clash of our time outside those concerning theology itself.”

Yes, the science behind the design controversy clearly poses an ultimate question, from which — it’s surprising to say — many otherwise thoughtful people turn away, assuming that the experts have got it all figured out so intelligent laypeople can give their attention to other matters. Wrong!

Against that backdrop, it’s satisfying to see Discovery Institute-related books and authors nearly sweeping  World’s assessment of the best books of 2017  in the category of “Origins.” The top “best” book is Tom Bethell’s  Darwin’s House of Cards (Discovery Institute Press), while the “short list” also includes the beautiful monster, Theistic Evolution, with numerous Discovery contributors and editors;  Purpose & Desire, by our friend J. Scott Turner;  Zombie Science, by Jonathan Wells; and Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design,in which Stephen Meyer goes (graciously) head-to-head with prominent representatives of other perspectives on origins.



On Tom Bethell’s book, which is also the subject of the short video Iconoclast (watch it above):

Darwin’s House of Cards (Discovery) by Tom Bethell is not the hurricane that will collapse the evolution empire, but it’s a gusty and gutsy look at a dogma edging beyond its sell-by date — and that makes it our Book of the Year for exploring the origins of the world and of life. Today’s progressives aren’t progressive: They are defending mid-19th-century scientific understanding. As Bethell writes: “Darwin and his contemporaries had no way of knowing just how complex a cell is. Today it is sometimes compared to a high-tech factory. But a cell is far more complex than that. For one thing, factories can’t replicate themselves.”

More:

This “science of the gaps” attempt to bulwark a crumbling structure gives Bethell plenty of opportunity to point out inanities. In chapter after chapter he reports the disappointments of those who put their trust in material things changing human nature or transcending it, as proselytizers for artificial intelligence (AI) propose. Bethell shows how Darwinists offer bait-and-switches — moths in England changing color, finches developing larger beaks — that depend on listeners not understanding the difference between microevolution (changes within kinds that happen all the time) and macroevolution, where a creature truly new and different emerges.


The overarching bait-and-switch may be the distinction some scientists make between methodological naturalism (MN) and philosophical naturalism (PN).

On Theistic Evolution, which is out this week:

This 962-page book edited by J.P. Moreland, Stephen Meyer, Christopher Shaw, Ann Gauger, and Wayne Grudem is a tremendous achievement. Its bulk and $60 list price will overawe typical readers, but it’s a must-read for pastors and professors taken in by the well-funded BioLogos campaign to sell macroevolution to Christians.

Correction: Theistic Evolution is still available on Amazon at a 24 percent discount, or $45.57, which is of course welcome and better than $60.


On Purpose & Desire:

Darwin’s House of Cards is a good gift for someone who already sees the weaknesses of macroevolution. Purpose & Desire is perfect for a Darwinist just starting to wonder whether he’s pledged allegiance to the modern version of the geocentric solar system: Hmm, the new data undermine it, but add an epicycle here, a few fixes there, and some tweaks on the fixes, maybe that will work. J. Scott Turner explains homeostasis, the incredible resiliency of living things seeking equilibrium, and raises questions about our essence with a measured tone that will entice scientific materialists to look in the mirror and wonder what they’re missing.

On Zombie Science:

Jonathan Wells has fun zinging Darwinists in Zombie Science. If you’ve fallen for tree-of-life charts, embryo drawings that make us start off looking like little animals, or lectures on how eyes slowly evolved and how “god” (if there was one) botched the job, you’ve fallen for zombie science. The same goes if you applauded science illuminati who waxed on about “junk DNA” and thought “vestigial organs” had no purpose.

On Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design:

The format works, and the result is a lively discussion that shows the sharp differences among the various positions. Editor J.B. Stump works for BioLogos but played fair and hopes the book will be “a first step that leads to some in-person interaction” down the road.

Congratulations to our friends and colleagues! What I take away from this is that in the most significant intellectual battle going on in our culture at the moment (leaving religious questions aside, as Olasky notes), Discovery Institute and the intelligent design movement are leading the way and posing the most important challenges to the stale orthodoxy that still reigns in the media and academia. I knew that to be true already, but it’s good to hear it confirmed by an objective source.


It’s also a timely reminder to check out the new Discovery Institute Bookstore, where all these books and many more are conveniently gathered.  Find it here.

Water v. Darwin.

Water — One of the Oldest Design Arguments
Evolution News | @DiscoveryCSC

Today scientists marvel at the many associations among water chemistry, the environment, and life. The multiple anomalous properties of water conspire to make Earth exceptionally fit for life. (See, for example, here, as well as here, here, here, here,and more.)

The anomalies of water are not a recent revelation to science. They were already described in detail in 1913 by the Harvard chemist Lawrence J. Henderson in his classic work The Fitness of the Environment: An Inquiry into the Biological Significance of the Properties of Matter. By then, chemists had amassed sufficient data on the chemical elements and their compounds to show that water really does stand out from the crowd.

It was about a century prior to Henderson’s work that chemists first measured the thermal properties of water (specific and latent heats). While water’s anomalous expansion on freezing had been known for some time, it was only in 1806 that the Scottish chemist Thomas C. Hope first measured the temperature of its highest density to be 4 degrees C. In that era of rapid discoveries in chemistry, water’s weirdness was quickly being established.

It didn’t take long for mathematician and philosopher (and, later, opponent of Darwin’s theory of evolution) William Whewell to develop an argument for design based on these findings. He published his work in 1834 as part of the Bridgewater Treatise series on natural theology; it was titled Astronomy and General Physics Considered with Reference to Natural Theology. He listed multiple “offices” or functions of water, which convinced him of its design. Only three of these could be said to be true anomalies of water; the others are shared by liquids in general. Although this and earlier attempts to build a design argument on the properties of water were clumsy, the argument now had a solid core to build upon.

In 1853 Whewell developed an implication of the importance of water to life in his book Of the Plurality of Worlds: An Essay. In it he introduced a concept he termed the “temperate zone,” which is equivalent to the modern concept of the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ). An Earth-like planet within the CHZ can maintain liquid water on its surface for lengthy periods of time. Today, the CHZ concept is central to astrobiology research.

Alfred Russel Wallace (of biological evolution fame) also recognized the centrality of liquid water for life. He took Whewell’s concept and refined and expanded it in his 1903 book, Man’s Place in the Universe: A Study of the Results of Scientific Research in Relation to the Unity or Plurality of Worlds. This work is significant both for its early presentation of anthropic arguments in addition to being a treatise on astrobiology. Although some of the science in his book is badly dated, many of his discussions sound remarkably modern. He would agree with NASA’s search-for-life maxim: follow the water.

The intervening century has only strengthened Henderson’s, Whewell’s and Wallace’s arguments regarding the remarkable connections between life and water. Evidence of Henderson’s continuing influence is the fact that the John Templeton Foundation sponsored a conference in October 2003 to mark the 90th anniversary of his work. It was titled, “Fitness of the Cosmos for Life: Biochemistry and Fine-Tuning.” Participants included astronomer Owen Gingerich, physicist Paul Davies, and biologist Harold Morowitz. Whether or not they agree with Henderson’s conclusions (and many do), many scientists still feel compelled to comment on them.

Not satisfied with the Templeton book, several scholars worked together to publish, in 2010, Water and Life: The Unique Properties of H2O; it is based on a meeting held in 2005. They include such notables in the science and faith dialogs as John Barrow and Simon Conway Morris. Michael Denton adds his name to this list of luminaries to ponder water in his latest book,  The Wonder of Water: Water’s Profound Fitness for Life in Earth and Mankind.