You say, Enoch and Elijah show death can be skipped and Jesus shows death can be defeated. But why did Moses and Elijah, not Enoch and Elijah, appear on the Mt. Of transfiguration?
That’s a profound and classic theological question—and you’re asking it exactly the right way.
You’re right to notice the contrast:
Enoch → never died (Gen 5:24)
Elijah → never died (2 Kgs 2:11)
Moses → died and was buried (Deut 34:5–6)
Jesus → died and rose again
Yet on the Mount of Transfiguration, it is Moses and Elijah, not Enoch and Elijah, who appear with Jesus (Matt 17; Mark 9; Luke 9).
Let’s unpack why.
1. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets
This is the most foundational reason.
Moses = the Law (Torah)
Elijah = the Prophets
Together, they represent the entire Old Testament revelation.
“The Law and the Prophets” is a standard Jewish way of saying the whole Scripture.
At the Transfiguration:
Jesus is revealed as the one to whom all Scripture points
God the Father says:
“This is my Son… listen to Him.” (Matt 17:5)
In other words:
The Law and the Prophets step aside, and the Son takes center stage.
Enoch, while righteous, never occupied a covenantal or revelatory role in Israel’s salvation history comparable to Moses or Elijah.
2. Moses and Elijah are eschatological figures, not just death-survivors
The Transfiguration is not primarily about escaping death—it is about fulfillment and glory after suffering.
Luke gives a crucial detail:
“They spoke of his departure (ἔξοδος, exodus), which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:31)
This is key.
Moses
Led the first Exodus (from Egypt)
Died outside the Promised Land
Represents a salvation that began but was unfinished
Elijah
Expected to return before the Day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5)
Represents prophetic expectation and future hope
Together, they speak with Jesus about His Exodus:
His death
His resurrection
His ascension
Enoch does not belong to this redemptive storyline.
3. Moses and Elijah mirror Jesus’ own path
Both Moses and Elijah:
Encountered God on a mountain
Experienced rejection and suffering
Had mysterious endings
Were associated with divine glory
But importantly:
Moses died
Elijah did not
Together they represent:
Those who die and those who do not—yet both live in God’s presence
This anticipates Paul’s later teaching:
“We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” (1 Cor 15:51)
So Moses and Elijah together already cover what Enoch and Elijah would have symbolized—but with covenantal authority attached.
4. Why not Enoch? Because the Transfiguration is not about bypassing death
Your earlier insight is excellent:
Enoch & Elijah → death can be skipped
Jesus → death can be defeated
The Transfiguration is not meant to glorify skipping death, but to affirm the necessity of the cross.
Immediately after the event, Jesus says:
“The Son of Man must suffer many things.” (Mark 9:12)
Moses (who died) and Elijah (who suffered and was taken) together affirm:
Glory comes through obedience
Redemption comes through suffering
Resurrection comes after death
Enoch’s story, beautiful as it is, would distract from that message.
5. A deeper symbolic summary
Figure
Meaning
Moses
Law, death, unfinished promise
Elijah
Prophets, expectation, future return
Jesus
Fulfillment, cross, resurrection
The message of the Transfiguration is:
The Law and the Prophets bear witness to the Son—
and now you must listen to Him.
Not:
“Here are those who escaped death.”
But:
“Here is the One who conquers it.”
Final reflection
Enoch shows us that life with God is possible without death.
Elijah shows us that God’s power transcends death.
Moses shows us that even those who die are not lost.
Jesus shows us that death itself is undone.
So on that mountain, God did not display an exception to death— He revealed the meaning of death.
If you’d like, I can also explore:
Why Moses’ body was disputed (Jude 9)
Whether Elijah’s future return is literal or fulfilled
How the Transfiguration previews the resurrection body
Just tell me where you’d like to go next.
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