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2 Baruch

Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch

About this book
Chapter 51

1 And it shall come to pass, when that appointed day has gone by, that then shall the appearance of those who are condemned be afterwards changed, and the glory of those who are justified. 2 For the appearance of those who now act wickedly shall become worse than it is, as they shall suffer torment. 3 Also as for the glory of those who have now been justified in My law, who have had understanding in their life, and who have planted in their heart the root of wisdom, then their splendour shall be glorified in changes, and the form of their face shall be turned into the light of their beauty, that they may be able to acquire and receive the world which does not die, which is then promised to them.⁠ 4 For over this above all shall those who come then lament, that they rejected My law, and stopped their ears that they might not hear wisdom or receive understanding. 5 When therefore they see those, over whom they are now exalted, but who shall then be exalted and glorified more than they, they shall respectively be transformed, the latter into the splendour of angels, and the former shall yet more waste away in wonder at the visions and in the beholding of the forms.⁠ 6 For they shall first behold and afterwards depart to be tormented. 7 But those who have been saved by their works. And to whom the law has been now a hope, And understanding an expectation, And wisdom a confidence, Shall wonders appear in their time. 8 For they shall behold the world which is now invisible to them, And they shall behold the time which is now hidden from them: 9 And time shall no longer age them. 10 For in the heights of that world shall they dwell,⁠ And they shall be made like the angels, And be made equal to the stars, And they shall be changed into every form they desire, From beauty into loveliness, And from light into the splendour of glory. 11 For there shall be spread before them the extents of Paradise, and there shall be shown to them the beauty of the majesty of the living creatures which are beneath the throne, and all the armies of the angels, who are now held fast by My word, so that they do not appear, and are held fast by a command, that they may stand in their places until their time comes. 12 Moreover, there shall then be excellence in the righteous surpassing that in the angels. 13 For the first shall receive the last, those whom they were expecting, and the last those of whom they used to hear that they had passed away. 14 For they have been delivered from this world of tribulation, And laid down the burden of anguish. 15 For what then have men lost their life, And for what have those who were on the earth exchanged their soul?⁠ 16 For then they did not choose for themselves this time, Which, beyond the reach of anguish, could not pass away: But they chose for themselves that time, Whose outcomes are full of lamentations and evils, And they denied the world which does not age those who come to it, And they rejected the time of glory, So that they shall not come to the honour of which I told you before.’

Texts in conversation

Compare Matthew 17:2 and 2 Baruch 51:3

New Testament · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

Matthew 17 describes Jesus shining with radiant light at the transfiguration. 2 Baruch 51 uses similar language to describe the righteous as luminous, both drawing from Jewish traditions based on texts such as Daniel and ancient Near Eastern traditions.

Passages

Matthew 17:2

New Testament
1 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. 2 And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. 4 So Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

2 Baruch 51:3

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch
1 And it shall come to pass, when that appointed day has gone by, that then shall the appearance of those who are condemned be afterwards changed, and the glory of those who are justified. 2 For the appearance of those who now act wickedly shall become worse than it is, as they shall suffer torment. 3 Also as for the glory of those who have now been justified in My law, who have had understanding in their life, and who have planted in their heart the root of wisdom, then their splendour shall be glorified in changes, and the form of their face shall be turned into the light of their beauty, that they may be able to acquire and receive the world which does not die, which is then promised to them. 4 For over this above all shall those who come then lament, that they rejected My law, and stopped their ears that they might not hear wisdom or receive understanding. 5 When therefore they see those, over whom they are now exalted, but who shall then be exalted and glorified more than they, they shall respectively be transformed, the latter into the splendour of angels, and the former shall yet more waste away in wonder at the visions and in the beholding of the forms.
70–135 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 2 Baruch

References

"... Matthew 17:2 ... Moses' face shone because it reflected something of God's glory (Exodus 34:29–30). But as for Jesus, he himself was transfigured. The verb metamorphoo ('transfigure,' 'transform,' 'change in form') suggests a change of inmost nature that may be outwardly visible (as here; compare Exodus 34:29; 2 Baruch 51:3-5) or quite invisible (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). That Jesus was transfigured 'before them' implies that it was largely for their sakes: whatever confirmation the experience may have given Jesus, for the disciples it was revelatory. As they would come to realize, they were being privileged to glimpse something of his preincarnate glory (John 1:14; 17:5; Philippians 2:6-7) and anticipate his coming exaltation (2 Peter 1:16-18; Revelation 1:16). Their confession of Jesus as Messiah and his insistence that he would be a suffering Messiah (16:13-21; 17:9) were confirmed. Therefore they had reason to hope that they would yet see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom (16:28). The contrast between what Jesus had just predicted would be his fate (16:21) and this glorious sight would one day prompt Jesus' disciples to marvel at the self-humiliation that brought him to the cross and to glimpse a little of the height to which he had been raised by his vindicating resurrection and ascension ..."
Frank Ely Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Pickering & Inglis, 1984), 385.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Matthew 17:2 and 2 Baruch 51:3

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