Mark 9.1-50 will tell us about what is called the “Transfiguration” and another healing, a teaching about the “return” of Elijah, humility, and temptation.
v 1…And he was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of these who are standing here who will not taste death (experience it) until they see the kingdom of God after it has come in power (a manifestation of it-Matt 17.1-8; Luke 9.28-36; Acts 2.1-13 was the start).”
v 2…And six days later (a picture of the Olam Ha Zeh, or after the 6000 years of this present world the kingdom comes) Yeshua took with him Peter and James and John and brought them up to a high mountain (possibly Mount Hermon which was the place of the Covenant between the Halves in Gen 15.1-21 according to scholars-mountains symbolize kingdoms) by themselves. And he was transfigured before them (a type of the coming of the Messianic Kingdom);
v 3…and his garments became radiant and exceedingly white (a picture of the future glory) as no launderer on earth can whiten them (Matt 17.2 says his face shone like the sun and this alludes to what happened to Moses in Exo 34.29-35).
v 4…And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses (a picture of the two witnesses of the Torah and the Prophets-Rom 3.21; Luke 16.31), and they were conversing with Yeshua (Yeshua taught the Torah and the Prophets).
v 5…And Peter answered and said to Yeshua, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three sukkot (tabernacles), one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah (the festival of Sukkot is being alluded to here; it teaches the coming of the Messianic Kingdom, and it has themes such as light, radiance, glory, sukkahs, etc.).”
v 6…For he did not know what to answer, for they became terrified.
v 7…Then a cloud (a type of the presence of God, the Shekinah) formed, overshadowing them (like in the wilderness-Exo 33.22), and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved son, listen to him (Deut 18.15-19)!”
v 8…And all at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Yeshua only.
v 9…And as they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the son of man should rise from the dead.
v 10…And they seized upon that statement (kept it to themselves), discussing with one another what rising from the dead might mean (“Is that literal?” “Is he going to die?” “How does that fit in with our perception of the Messiah?” etc).
v 11…And they began questioning him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that first (before the kingdom) that Elijah must come (Mal 4.5-6 is the basis)?”
v 12…And he said to them, “Elijah does come first and restore everything. And how is it written of the son of man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt (one of the things “Elijah” sets right is how the Scriptures tell of the abuse, sufferings and rejection of the Messiah, especially as the “voice” of Isa 40.3-5, and his message goes from Isa 40.6 to Isa 66.24).
v 13…But I say to you, that Elijah has indeed come (in the person of Yochanon ha Matvil; he came in the spirit and power of Elijah as seen in Luke 1.17, which means he was “cut out of the same cloth”), and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him (to make the people ready for Yehovah-Mal 3.1, 4.5-6; Luke 1.17; Matt 11.7-14).”
v 14…And when they came (back) to his talmidim, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them (debating).
v 15…And immediately, when the entire crowd saw him, they were amazed (his face still had a trace of his transfiguration, like Moses did-Exo 34.29-30), and running to greet him.
v 16…And he asked them, “What are you discussing with them (he knew anyway)?”
v 17…And one of the crowd answered him (a father steps in to answer the question), “Teacher, (messianic title based on Joel 2.23; Isa 30.20-21; John 11.28), I brought you my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute;
v 18…and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him (to the ground) and he foams (at the mouth), and grinds his teeth (in pain), and stiffens out. And I told your talmidim to cast it out, and they could not do it (perhaps the discussion with the scribes was about this fact, and the scribes were taunting them and questioning their understanding about the “shedim” or demons).”
v 19…And he answered them (the people who took the side of the scribes in the debate against the talmidim, the unbelieving talmidim, and the father of the boy) and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you (a rebuke)? How long shall I put up with you (endure your unbelief)? Bring him to me!”
v 20…And they brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion (the spirit knew what was coming), and falling to the ground, he began rolling about and foaming at the mouth (with intent to hurt him one last time-Rev 2.12).
v 21…And he asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him (Yeshua knew but this is for the benefit of those there and for our benefit)? And he said, “From childhood (Ha Satan has affected man since his “childhood”; Yeshua does nothing but keeps conversing with the father and ignores these manifestations).
v 22…And it has often thrown him into the fire (to scare him) and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us (the whole family).”
v 23…And Yeshua said to him, “If you can (have faith; the problem is not Yeshua’s power so he uses an “if” in reference to the faith of the father)! All things are possible to him who believes.”
v 24…Immediately the boy’s father cried out and saying with tears (a sign of his inner turmoil), “I do believe (trust to a certain point); help my unbelief (his belief needs strengthening; we’ve all been there with imperfect, defective, weak faith).”
v 25…And when Yeshua saw that the crowd was rapidly gathering (and confusion could erupt), he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and dumb spirit (not that the spirit was deaf and dumb, but has caused it in the boy), I command you (ordered it based on his authority), come out of him and do not enter him again (he said this to help the father so he wouldn’t worry about its return).”
v 26…And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions (being filled with rage and anger, having to relinquish his hold), it came out; and (the boy) became so much like a corpse that most said, “He is dead (they thought there was no life in him)!”
v 27…But Yeshua took him by the hand and raised him (from the ground); and he got up.
v 28…And when he had come into the house, his talmidim questioned him privately, “Why is it that we could not cast it out?”
v 29…And he said to them, “This kind (some spirits are more powerful or obstinate and resistant to being cast out) cannot come out by anything but prayer and fasting (they didn’t separate themselves to hear from Yehovah on what to do, like Ezra did in Ezra 8.21-23; there will be times we need to do this).”
v 30…And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and he was unwilling for anyone to know (he needed some private time with his talmidim so he could teach and inform them of important issues).
v 31…For he was teaching his talmidim and telling them, “The son of man (an eschatological title based on Dan 7.13-“Bar Enosh”) is to be delivered up into the hands of men (said as if it was already determined and agreed upon, which it was since before the foundation of the world-Luke 24.7), and they will kill him, and when he has been killed, he will rise again three days later (he makes sure he mentions the resurrection to comfort them).”
v 32…But they did not understand this statement (how could it be that he should be killed; they had seen that he did nothing but good, so who would want to kill him, he didn’t deserve that), and they were afraid to ask him (lest he rebuke them of their ignorance, stupidity, and unbelief; they already saw and heard what happened to Peter in 8.33).
v 33…And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house (a residence away from the crowd), he questioned them, “What were you discussing on the way (he already knew but he was showing them that man will account for every idle word)?”
v 34…But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which (of them was) the greatest (who would have the most prestige in the kingdom).
v 35…And sitting down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first (have preeminence, have the chief position), he shall be last of all, and servant of all (he must have his ambition checked in at the door, and let him subject himself to everyone, even when they neglect you and treat you with contempt; be willing to perform the lowest tasks and services).”
v 36…And taking a child, he stood him in the midst of them (so all could see); and taking him in his arms (in an embrace), he said to them,
v 37…”Whoever receives one child like this (a believer with child-like faith and trust) in my name (in his authority) is receiving me (embraces me); and whoever receives me is not receiving me (only), but him who sent me (Yehovah/Father).”
v 38…And John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name (possibly a talmid of John, who had not begun to follow Yeshua-Acts 19.1-7), and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us (but he was doing it for the same reasons they were-the kingdom was being offered).”
v 39…But Yeshua said, “Do not hinder him (for you know not what manner of spirit you are of; Yeshua came to save people, not destroy them), for there is no one who shall perform a miracle in my name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of me (this is an actual miracle, not fake ones like the seven sons of Sceva tried to do in Acts 19.13-18).
v 40…For he who is not against us is for us (working on our behalf, promoting the same teaching and interests).
v 41…For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are of Messiah, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward (in the kingdom; rewards, like salvation, cannot be forfeited).
v 42…And whoever causes one of these little ones that believe in me to stumble (be offended, scandalized), it would be better for him a millstone be laid about his neck and he be cast into the sea (a severe punishment awaits anyone who hinders a weaker believer in Yeshua and causes him to quit, or raises doubts in him, or scandalizes him).
v 43…And if your hand (actions) causes you to stumble; cut it off (his sense is actions are to be given up if they draw us into evil; it is better to part with anything that is detrimental to us in doing the right thing, including people)., it is better for you to enter life crippled (eternal) than having two hands (enjoying persons and things that will ruin us), to go into hell (Gehenna-this word comes from “Gei Hinnom” or the valley of Hinnom-Isa 66.24), into unquenchable fire,
v 44…where their worm (consciences) does not die (filling them with anguish, misery, remorse, and remembrances of what could have been if they had only believed when told), and the fire (of their memories) is not quenched (it will never cease to torment them).
v 45…And if your foot (where you walk or those who support us) causes you to stumble (scandalized), cut it off (give it up if you have to); it is better for you to enter life (eternal) lame, than having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna-this word comes from the valley of Hinnom-Isa 66.24),
v 46…where their worm (conscience) does not die (eating away at you), and the fire (of their remembrances and remorse) is not quenched (it will never cease to torment them; they will wish they had taken the path of a true believer-Isa 66.24).
v 47…And if your eye (what we look at; the eye is dear to us, like an intimate friend-Deut 32.10) causes you to stumble (scandalizes us), cast it out (stop looking at it, get rid of it); it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye (with some rewards), than having two eyes, to be cast into hell (Gehenna-Isa 66.24),
v 48…where their worm (conscience) does not die (eating away at you), and the fire (of their remembrances and remorse) is not quenched (it will never cease to torment them-Isa 66.24).
v 49… For everyone (who believes) will be salted with fire (preserved by affliction; giving up personal liberties for others; to influence others for the kingdom; an acceptable offering and a well-pleasing aroma to God must have salt, it speaks of eternal preservation-Lev 2.13; Matt 5.13; 1 Pet 1.17, 3.15-16; Col 4.6).
v 50…Salt is good (it preserves, a seasoning), but if the salt becomes unsalty (loses its influence), with what will you make it salty again (to restore its strength)? Have salt in yourselves (preserve the strength of your testimony, and walk in the Torah), and have peace with one another (the result of the good salt-the covenant of salt is also the covenant of peace-Num 18.19; 25.12-13).”
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