The record from 13:53—17:8 portrays the way to follow the heavenly King, from His rejection to the entering of the manifestation of the kingdom. His followers not only shared His being rejected by the Jews (Matt. 13:53-58) but also were persecuted and even martyred by Gentile politics (Matt. 14:1-12). They were in a deserted place with Him in a situation of poverty, yet they were richly cared for by Him (Matt. 14:13-21). When they were on the stormy sea under the contrary wind, He walked on the sea, calmed the storm, and brought them through (Matt. 14:22-34). At that point many sick ones were healed by touching Him (Matt. 14:35-36), but the hypocritical worshippers of God came to heckle Him because His followers transgressed their tradition (Matt. 15:1-20). Then His disciples followed Him to a Gentile region, where a demon possessed Gentile was healed (Matt. 15:21-28). After that, they followed Him along the sea of Galilee and up the mountain, where all kinds of sick people were healed and the need of His followers and the crowd was again richly provided for in a barren wilderness (Matt. 15:29-39). After that, both the fundamentalists and the modernists of that day came to tempt Him, and He indicated that He would die to be a unique sign to them (Matt. 16:1-4). Then He charged His followers to beware of the leaven of both the fundamentalists and the modernists (Matt. 16:5-12). After all that, He brought His followers to the border of the Holy Land, close to a Gentile land, that they might have a revelation of Him, of the church, and of the cross as the way for them to enter into the kingdom (Matt. 16:13-28). Finally, He brought them into glory in the manifestation of the kingdom (vv. 1-8).

Since the Lord's transfiguration occurred six days after the revelations (given at the foot of Mount Hermon) in ch. 16 concerning Christ and the church, the high mountain here must be Mount Hermon. To receive the revelation concerning Christ and the church, we must be far away from the religious environment; but to see the vision of the transfigured Christ, we need to be on a high mountain, far above the earthly level.

Lit., transformed.

Moses died and God hid his body (Deut. 34:5-6); Elijah was taken by God into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). God purposely did these two things that Moses and Elijah might appear with Christ on the mount of His transfiguration. They were preserved by God so that they could be the two witnesses in the great tribulation (Rev. 11:3-4). Moses represented the law, and Elijah, the prophets; and the law and the prophets were the constituents of the Old Testament as a full testimony of Christ (John 5:39). Now Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with Christ concerning His death (Luke 9:31), which had been spoken of in the Old Testament (Luke 24:25-27, 44; 1 Cor. 15:3).

In his absurd proposal, Peter put Moses and Elijah on the same level as Christ; i.e., he made the law and the prophets equal with Christ. This was absolutely against God's economy. In God's economy the law and the prophets are only a testimony of Christ; they should not be put on the same level with Him.

This declaration of the Father, given to vindicate the Son, was first spoken after Christ's rising from baptism, which signified His resurrection from the dead. This was the second time the Father made this declaration, this time to vindicate the Son in His transfiguration, which prefigures the coming kingdom.

In God's economy, after Christ came, we should hear Him; we should no longer hear the law or the prophets, since the law and the prophets were fulfilled in and by Christ.

Peter proposed to keep Moses and Elijah, i.e., the law and the prophets, with Christ, but God took Moses and Elijah away, leaving no one except Jesus Himself. The law and the prophets were shadows and prophecies, not the reality; the reality is Christ. Now that Christ, the reality, is here, the shadows and prophecies are no longer needed. No one except Jesus Himself should remain in the New Testament. Jesus is today's Moses; as such, He imparts the law of life into His believers. Jesus is also today's Elijah; as such, He speaks for God and speaks forth God within His believers. This is God's New Testament economy.

The vision of the transfigured, glorified Jesus can be seen clearly only in the resurrection of Christ.

This was according to Mal. 4:5-6.

This will be fulfilled at the time of the great tribulation, when Elijah will be one of the two witnesses (Rev. 11:3-4), as prophesied in Mal. 4:5-6.

This refers to John the Baptist (v. 13), who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:13-17) and was rejected (Matt. 11:18) and beheaded (Matt. 14:3-12).

Lit., is moonstruck. Epilepsy indicates the true nature of the disease.

Most ancient authorities omit this verse.

Some ancient authorities read, abode.

A Jewish poll tax for the temple, equal to a half-shekel (Exo. 30:12-16; 38:26).

A Jewish poll tax for the temple, equal to a half-shekel (Exo. 30:12-16; 38:26).

On the Mount of Transfiguration Peter heard the voice from heaven, which charged him to hear Christ (Matt. 17:5). If he had still remembered that word, he would have referred the poll tax gatherers' question to Christ to hear what He would say. But he answered instead of listening to what Christ would say.

Peter had spoken presumptuously. Hence, the Lord stopped him and corrected him before he began to speak to Him.

The sons of kings are always free from paying custom or poll tax. The half-shekel was paid by God's people for His temple. Since Christ was the Son of God, He was free from paying it. This was contrary to Peter's answer concerning this matter.

Peter had received the revelation concerning Christ's being the Son of God (Matt. 16:16-17) and had seen the vision of the Son of God (v. 5). Now, in application of what he had seen, he was put to the test by the poll tax gatherers' question. He failed in his answer because he forgot the revelation that he had received and the vision that he had seen. He forgot that the Lord was the Son of God, who, as such, did not need to pay the poll tax for His Father's house.

After shutting Peter's mouth, the Lord, as the New Testament Prophet, today's Elijah, told him to go fishing and that in so doing he would find a stater. This prophecy was fulfilled. Peter was no doubt troubled that he had to go fishing and wait for a fish to appear with a stater.

Equal to one shekel.

After convincing Peter that He did not need to pay the half-shekel, the Lord, as the New Testament Lawgiver, today's Moses, commanded Peter to pay it for Him. The Lord did this purposely to teach Peter that in God's New Testament economy He is the unique One; neither Moses nor Elijah nor Peter nor anyone else has the position to speak or to give the command.

While the Lord was correcting and teaching Peter, He took care of his need. This is always the Lord's way in dealing with us.