Matthew 17:5

A voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. I am manifested through his preaching. I am glorified through his humility. So listen to him without hesitation. He is the truth and the life. He is my strength and wisdom. "Listen to him" whom the mysteries of the law foreshadowed, of whom the mouths of the prophets sang. "Listen to him" who by his blood redeemed the world, who binds the devil and seizes his vessels, who breaks the debt of sin and the bondage of iniquity. "Listen to him" who opens the way to heaven and by the pain of the cross prepares for you the steps of ascent into his kingdom.

(Verse 5) While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice from the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. Because he had asked foolishly, he does not deserve an answer from the Lord, but the Father speaks for the Son, so that the word of the Lord may be fulfilled: I do not testify of myself, but the Father who sent me, he testifies of me (John 5:37 and 8:18). But the cloud is seen as both bright and shadowed: like those who sought the tabernacle from the fleshly leaves or tents, they would be covered by the shadow of the bright cloud. Moreover, the voice of the Father speaking from heaven is heard, which also testifies to the Son; and through Peter, with error removed, teaches the truth: even through Peter to the other apostles. This is, he says, my beloved Son: to him the tabernacle must be affixed, to him obedience must be given. Here is the son, those slaves are: Moses and Elias themselves must prepare a tabernacle for the Lord with you in the innermost depths of their heart.

because Peter considered Moses and Elias to be equal in honour to the Lord, seeing that with reference to their equality he reckoned the number of the tabernacles, assigning one to each, the evangelist Luke notes this and in these terms: Not knowing what he …

What then? He Himself speaks nothing, nor Moses, nor Elias, but He that is greater than all, and more worthy of belief, the Father, uttereth a voice out of the cloud. Wherefore out of the cloud? Thus doth God ever appear. "For a cloud and darkness are round about Him;" and, "He sitteth on a light cloud;" and again, "Who maketh clouds His chariot;" and, "A cloud received Him out of their sight;" and, "As the Son of Man coming in the clouds." In order then that they might believe that the voice proceeds from God, it comes from thence. And the cloud was bright. For "while he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and, behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." For as, when He threatens, He shows a dark cloud; as on Mount Sinai; for "Moses," it is said, "entered into the cloud, and into the thick darkness; and as a vapor, so went up the smoke;" and the prophet said, when speaking of His threatening, "Dark water in clouds of the air;" so here, because it was His desire not to alarm, but to teach, it is a bright cloud. And whereas Peter had said "Let us make three tabernacles," He showed a tabernacle not made with hands. Wherefore in that case it was smoke, and vapor of a furnace; but in this, light unspeakable and a voice. Then, to signify that not merely concerning some one of the three was it spoken, but concerning Christ only; when the voice was uttered, they were taken away. For by no means, had it been spoken merely concerning any one of them, would this man have remained alone, the two being severed from Him. Why then did not the cloud likewise receive Christ alone, but all of them together? If it had received Christ alone, He would have been thought to have Himself uttered the voice. […]

Then follows the testimony: and while he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, etc. Peter was speaking foolishly, therefore he was unworthy of an answer. He wanted a material testimony; therefore the Lord willed to show that the saints do not need …

(ap. Anselm.) It is to be observed, that the mystery of the second regeneration, that, to wit, which shall be in the resurrection, when the flesh shall be raised again, agrees well with the mystery of the first which is in baptism, when the soul is raised again. For in the baptism of Christ is shown the working of the whole Trinity; there was the Son incarnate, the Holy Ghost appealing in the figure of a dove, and the Father made known by the voice. In like manner in the transfiguration, which is the sacrament of the second regeneration, the whole Trinity appeared; the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, and the Holy Spirit in the cloud. It is made a question how the Holy Spirit was shown there in the dove, here in the cloud. Because it is His manner to mark His gifts by specific outward forms. And the gift of baptism is innocence, which is denoted by the bird of purity. But as in the resurrection, He is to give splendour and refreshment, therefore in the cloud are denoted both the refreshment and the brightness of the rising bodies. It follows, And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and feared greatly.

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him. You, Peter, desire tabernacles made with hands, but the Father has …

While he yet spake,....

A bright cloud overshadowed them - The word “overshadow” here means, rather, to “be diffused” or “spread” over them. It does not mean that it made a shade. A cloud was the symbol of the divine presence. Thus, God went before the Israelites in a cloudy pillar - dark by day and bright by night Exo 14:19-20; he appeared on Mount Sinai in a cloud bright by fire Exo 24:15-17; and a cloud, the symbol of the divine presence - called the Shechinah - dwelt continually in the most holy place in the temple, 1Ki 8:10-11; Eze 1:4; Eze 10:

These verses contain one of the most remarkable events in our Lord’s earthly ministry, the event commonly called the transfiguration. The order in which it is recorded is beautiful and instructive. The latter part of the last chapter showed us the cross; here we are graciously allowed to see something of the coming reward. The hearts which have just been saddened by a plain statement of Christ’s sufferings are at once gladdened by a vision of Christ’s glory. Let us mark this. We often lose much by not tracing the connection between chapter and chapter in the Word of God.

WHEN our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured, there came a Voice from the bright, overshadowing cloud, which said, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear you Him." It was the Voice of the Father concerning His Son—a testimony to His Person, a notification of His office, an announcement of His authority to teach and to legislate. You can understand how imperative it then was for those who heard it to heed Him. But now He is gone up from us.

These verses contain one of the most remarkable events in our Lord’s earthly ministry, the event commonly called the transfiguration. The order in which it is recorded is beautiful and instructive. The latter part of the last chapter showed us the cross; here we are graciously allowed to see something of the coming reward. The hearts which have just been saddened by a plain statement of Christ’s sufferings are at once gladdened by a vision of Christ’s glory. Let us mark this. We often lose much by not tracing the connection between chapter and chapter in the Word of God. There are some mysterious things, no doubt, in the vision here described. It must needs be so. We are yet in the body. Our senses are conversant with gross and material things; our ideas and perceptions about glorified bodies and dead saints must necessarily be vague and imperfect. Let us content ourselves with endeavoring to mark out the practical lessons which the transfiguration is meant to teach us. In the first place we have in these verses a striking pattern of the glory in which Christ and his people will appear when he comes the second time. There can be little question that this was one main object of this wonderful vision. It was meant to encourage the disciples by giving them a glimpse of good things yet to come. That face “shining as the sun” and that raiment “white as the light” were intended to give the disciples some idea of the majesty in which Jesus will appear to the world when he comes the second time, and all his saints with him. The corner of the veil was lifted up to show them their Master’s true dignity. They were taught that if he did not yet appear to the world in the guise of a King, it was only because the time for putting on his royal apparel was not yet come. It is impossible to draw any other conclusion from St. Peter’s language when writing on the subject.

IT is exceedingly important to have clear evidences of the truth of our holy religion. Sometimes, I dare say, you have wished that God would speak out of Heaven in your hearing, or that He would work some extraordinary marvel before your eyes, that you might know beyond all question the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. This desire for signs and wonders is no new thing.

IT is exceedingly important to have clear evidences of the truth of our holy religion. Sometimes, I dare say, you have wished that God would speak out of Heaven in your hearing, or that He would work some extraordinary marvel before your eyes, that you might know beyond all question the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. This desire for signs and wonders is no new thing. Ah, my dear Friends, we know not what we ask, nor what we desire, for if such a voice were to come to us out of a bright cloud—we are made of the same flesh and blood as Peter, James and John, and it would, therefore, produce the same effect upon us as upon them—we would fall on our faces and be sorely afraid. Spirituals must grow out of spirituals—saving faith can never be produced by carnal sight and hearing. The Holy Spirit can work faith in us apart from any form of miracle and, miracle, alone, can never create a spiritual faith. Do we wish to receive a sign in order to confirm our belief in God? Suppose that we had it—we would soon need to have it repeated, for unbelief dies hard. I cannot tell how often we should need to hear the voice out of the cloud, but certainly life would soon become a misery to us, for we should be so frequently lying on our faces, so often cast into a swoon of fear, that we should be shattered, nervous and incapable of the ordinary duties of life! Like Israel at Sinai, we would begin to entreat that the Lord would not speak to us any more! The fact is that the voice of God, as absolute God, is too awful, too majestic for mortal ears—and the sight of overwhelming miracles would put such a strain upon the human mind that it is better for us to be without them.

WHEN our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured, there came a Voice from the bright, overshadowing cloud, which said, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear you Him." It was the Voice of the Father concerning His Son—a testimony to His Person, a notification of His office, an announcement of His authority to teach and to legislate. You can understand how imperative it then was for those who heard it to heed Him. But now He is gone up from us. He has entered into the excellent Glory—He no more teaches in our streets, yet still, as though present with us, He speaks to us. By the written Word, His sayings are handed down to us Infallibly. Often times, when the Holy Spirit rests upon God's servants, they become as the voice of Christ to us, and when that same blessed Spirit, as the Comforter, brings to our remembrance the things of Christ, does it not seem as though Jesus, Himself, spoke to our souls? The admonition is not out of date—it has not lost its telling point or its vital force. Still does the Father say to us concerning His well-beloved Son, "Hear you Him." Let us proceed to meditate on this sacred charge. The three little words may give rise to four short questions. Why? What? How? When? I. WHY SHOULD WE HEAR HIM? It might serve for a sufficient answer, had we no other reply, because God, Himself, commands us! This injunction comes of the Father, "Hear you Him." Over and over again are we enjoined to listen to the voice of Christ. Every messenger from God ought to have our respectful attention—how much more the greatest of all messengers—that Messenger of the Covenant, the Messiah, the Sent One, the Apostle and High Priest of our profession? Did not Jehovah, Himself, say, "This is My Son"? It seemed reasonable that the Son should receive more reverence than any of the servants.

A bright cloud overshadowed them - Or as six MSS. and Ephraim read it, a cloud of light, νεφελη φωτος; which reading Griesbach has admitted into the text. As a bright cloud, or a cloud of light could not overshadow, or cast any kind of shade, the word επεσκιασεν should be translated, surrounded them. A cloud was frequently the symbol of the Divine presence; but such a cloud had always something very remarkable in its appearance. Ezekiel, Eze 1:4, represents it as a great cloud, and a fire unfolding itself, and a brightness about it, and out of the midst thereof, as the color of amber out of the midst of the fire; and in Eze 1:28, he tells us that this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. See also Exo 16:10; Exo 40:33, etc.; Eze 43:2, and 1Ch 5:14. But it was generally in a thick, dark cloud, that God manifested himself under the law; see Exo 19:9; Exo 20:21. This might be designed as emblematical of the old covenant, which was but the shadow of the good things which were to come, Heb 10:1; and the cloud of light mentioned here, the emblem of that glorious display of God, in his Gospel, by which life and immortality were brought to light, 2Ti 1:10. This is my beloved Son - Ουτος εϚιν ο υιος μου ο αγαπητος, εν ω ευδοκησα, This is my Son, the beloved one, in who I have delighted, or, been well pleased. […]