In Matthew 17, Jesus goes up a mountain with several of his disciples:
"After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
"Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
"When the disciples hear this, they fell down terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
"As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." (Matt. 17:1-9)
According to Peter Leithart, we see Jesus as a new Moses, a new high priest, and a new Adam in this scene. (Jesus as Israel, vol. 2, 69)
The mount of Transfiguration is like the mount of Sinai, where Moses went up and met with God in a cloud. Jesus shines as Moses face shined upon returning from meeting with God. Those present are exhorted to "listen," suggesting that Jesus, like Moses, brings a law and a teaching. Also, the disciples want to build tabernacles, just like Israel built a tabernacle at the foot of Sinai.
Jesus is a new high priest. Although Israel's priests wore clothes of great glory and beauty, sparkling with precious stones and golden thread, on the Day of Atonement, the great high priest wore a simple white garment, which is how Jesus' clothes are described here. Jesus as high priest enters into the holy of holies, into the Father's glory, which as we've discussed, means entering into Eden.
Just before they go up the mountain, Jesus tells his disciples that some of them will see "the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. 16:28) And they do! They see the new Adam. Just as Adam was created on the sixth day, Jesus is glorified in this place on the sixth day. Just as the Spirit overshadowed the creation in the beginning of Genesis, a cloud overshadows Jesus and the disciples on the mountain. When the disciples see Jesus alone again after the cloud leaves, they talk about resurrection, or new creation.
All the echoes of mountains in the Bible go back to the mountain of Eden. In the same way, this mountain signifies a new Eden, a new garden, a place where a new Adam will bask in God's glory. Instead of the old Adam's failure and his spreading death to all, the new Adam will spread glory to other Adams and Eves. In the scene of the transfiguration, Jesus shows his disciples what has been true all along. Being with Jesus is to have re-entered Eden.
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