His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light

 His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light

Matthew 17:1-5 『Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him."』

The resurrection mentioned here does not refer to the physical body received from parents, but to the spiritual body received from God. Therefore, the physical body disappeared. After Jesus died on the cross, Nicodemus, who had talked with Jesus, went to the Roman governor and asked for Jesus' body for a funeral. After the governor gave permission, Jesus' body was placed in a tomb. The governor ordered the tomb to be sealed. The reason was that the priests had heard that Jesus would be resurrected, so they were worried that the disciples would steal Jesus' body, so they asked the governor to seal the tomb.

And on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other woman went to the tomb and found it open and empty. Matthew 28:5-7 『But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid. I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead; and behold, he is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him.'

Most church members believe that dead bodies have come back to life. The verse that explains this is John 3:5: “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.’” Water signifies the death of the flesh through baptism with water. The Holy Spirit signifies being born from heaven as a spiritual body through baptism with the Holy Spirit.

In John 6:63, it is said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing." In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, the Apostle Paul said, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised (en aphtarsia) in imperishability. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised (egeiretai) in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (soma pneumaticon). There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."

En aphtharsia (ἐν φθορᾷ) means in eternal life, and egeiretai (ἐγείρεται) means to arise. The spirit arises in eternal life. The Korean Revised Version translates it as “to rise again,” which misleads people into thinking that the dead body is resurrected. Soma pneumatikon, which is translated as “spiritual body,” is the body of the spirit. The resurrection tells us that it is not a physical body but a spiritual body.

Second, the story of Moses. Jude 1:9 "But Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with the devil and disputing about Moses' body, did not dare to bring a railing accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'"

The devil (Satan) is referred to as the king of the world. It means that the corpse is his territory. However, God destroyed the corpse and made it so that people could not see it. It means that Satan, who was appointed by God, slandered Moses' corpse, is the same as slandering God. Does it make sense for the devil to slander God? The judgment of slander belongs only to God. Satan became the king of this world because God allowed it for a certain period of time. Therefore, even the highest archangel does not slander Satan recklessly. It is because God does it.

Some people sometimes say that Moses did not die but ascended to heaven. The reason God removed the body was to prevent it from becoming an object of idolatry. Even today, there are people who try to find physical traces of Jesus.

The third story of Elijah. 2 Kings 2:11-15 『As the two men were walking along the road, talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them from each other, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. When Elisha saw it, he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" But he saw him no more. Then Elisha took hold of his own garment and tore it in two. He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and returned, and stood on the bank of the Jordan, and struck the waters with the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him. And he said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And he struck the waters also, and the waters were divided hither and thither, and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho on the other side saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha." And they went and fell down to the ground before him and worshiped him.』

“A chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven.” If we translate this again, it becomes, “A chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven.” Shamayim, translated as heaven, means heaven. That is, the kingdom of God in the soul.

This image shows a type of the resurrected Jesus Christ and his disciples. The chariot and horses of fire symbolize the Holy Spirit. Since the disciples did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they are still in their flesh. “Elijah’s outer garment that fell from his body” The outer garment represents the fleshly body that must die, and Elijah’s transformed body symbolizes the spiritual body. Elisha, Elijah’s disciple, also tore his garment in two. This is a scene where those who were united with Jesus who died on the cross are united with the resurrected Christ. Then Elijah struck the water with his outer garment, and Elisha struck the water with his torn garment (water baptism), and the water was divided (baptism of the Holy Spirit), and Elisha was able to cross the river.

Believers say that Elijah suddenly transformed physically and ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire. However, what God wants to say through this story is that it foreshadows the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story of Elijah's ascension shows Christ, who transformed his body (spiritual body) and ascended to heaven like Elijah, through symbolic expression.

『He said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.'" Jesus' disciples see a mysterious vision and speak with their fleshly minds. They are to build three tents. Their bodies are still precious to them. What Jesus tells his disciples is that he will die on the cross and be resurrected. He is telling them to think about the meaning of Jesus' resurrection through Moses and Elijah. Resurrection is not the resurrection of a dead body. It is telling them not to focus on the body that must die.