A Theological and Typological Commentary on Luke 24:4
In Luke 24:4, we are told that as the women arrived at the tomb on Easter morning, they encountered “two men in dazzling apparel” standing beside them. This description, on its own, may not immediately provoke questions. The traditional interpretation identifies these two as angelic beings, a reading reinforced by parallel accounts in the other Gospels. For example, Matthew 28:2–3 describes “an angel of the Lord” with an appearance “like lightning,” and John 20:12 mentions “two angels in white” seated where Jesus’ body had lain. However, Luke does something unique. He does not use the Greek word for “angel” (angelos), which he uses elsewhere when clearly referring to heavenly messengers (e.g., Luke 1:11, 2:9). Instead, he uses the word “men” (andres), describing them as clothed in astrapto—a word denoting radiance or lightning-bright glory. This deliberate linguistic choice opens the door to a richer typological and theological reading, suggesting that these are not simply angels in the conventional sense, but rather glorified human figures, perhaps even Moses and Elijah.
This possibility is not without precedent in Luke’s Gospel. Earlier, in Luke 9:28–36, at the Transfiguration, two men, identified clearly as Moses and Elijah, appear with Jesus in glory and speak of his coming “exodus”—his death and resurrection to be accomplished in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). Moreover, the term exodus evokes Israel’s deliverance under Moses, a redemptive act that Jesus now fulfills in ultimate form.
The parallels are striking: in both scenes, there are two men, appearing in radiant glory, connected to the climactic events of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. Moses and Elijah thronged to the foretelling of Jesus’ exodus, and now they return at its fulfillment as covenantal witnesses on behalf of all the law and the prophets—testifying before God and man to the fulfillment of God’s promises (Deuteronomy 19:15).
But why wouldn’t Luke name these two witnesses? At the Transfiguration, the men are named while the disciples are left confused and silent. At the tomb, however, the women are named: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James (Luke 24:10). In other words, the emphasis of identity shifts. Luke may be signaling a transfer of witness.
While Moses and Elijah have served as the consistent covenantal witnesses throughout redemptive history—bearing testimony to the Law, the Prophets, the coming death, and possibly now the resurrection—they are now joined by a new class of witnesses: the women. If Moses and Elijah stand at the tomb, they serve as the climactic witness of the old order, passing the torch to those who will now carry the gospel into the world. Luke subtly reinforces this transition from prophetic witness to apostolic testimony—one that embraces the overlooked and unexpected, yet faithful, bearers of the truth.
From a typological standpoint, the idea that Moses and Elijah appear in resurrection glory is underscored by the mysterious nature of their deaths. Moses dies alone on Mount Nebo, and Scripture tells us that he was buried by God Himself, yet “no one knows the place of his burial to this day” (Deut. 34:6). Elijah, by contrast, never dies in an ordinary sense—he is swept up into heaven in a whirlwind, witnessed by Elisha (2 Kings 2:11). Interestingly, Jesus’ body also becomes unaccounted for—not because it was stolen, but because he rose.
No one can locate Moses’, Elijah’s, or Jesus’ bodies after their departure from this world. Moses and Elijah’s reappearance as “two men in dazzling apparel” at the empty tomb would resolve something of their character arcs, and their glorified appearance would be a visible sign of what Jesus now inaugurates as the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18)—the resurrection life that transforms death not into absence but into glory.
The Emmaus road episode in the same chapter of Luke confirms this resolution of Moses and Elijah, Lawyer and Prophet. As the risen Jesus walks with two of his disciples, he opens the Scriptures to them, and Luke records that “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (24:27). Here again, Moses and the Prophets are not merely historical figures or categories—they are the interpretive lens for the resurrection. This narrative sequence in Luke—first the tomb with two men in glory, then the Scriptures with Moses and the Prophets—suggests a revelatory unity. Moses and Elijah not only participate in past revelation but also as present, active messengers of resurrection hope. Their witness moves from mountain, to tomb, to table.
This has implications for the women at the tomb as well. Luke says they were perplexed—a word that means to be confused, aimless, staggering without direction (Greek: aporeō). They had come expecting death and found an empty tomb. In place of death, they see two glorified men—a preview of the risen Christ himself. In this sense, Moses and Elijah not only witness Jesus’ resurrection—they embody it, displaying the transformation Jesus has undergone and the hope that awaits all who are in him. Their silent but radiant presence serves as a theological icon—an image of glorified humanity greeting a new creation, passing the prophetic baton to the first evangelists of the resurrection.
In the interest of harmonizing the Gospel accounts, consider the language of “angels” in the other Gospel accounts. The Greek word angelos means messenger, and throughout the Bible it refers not only to heavenly spirits but also to human beings sent by God. Malachi 3:1 calls John the Baptist God’s angelos. James 2:25 uses angeloi to describe the human spies sent into Jericho. Even in Luke 7:24, John’s disciples are called angeloi as they are sent to Jesus. Therefore, when Matthew and John describe “angels” at the tomb, they could be emphasizing the function of the figures—divine messengers—while Luke emphasizes their form—two men in glory. If Moses and Elijah were in fact present at the tomb, then both designations are true: they are glorified men, and they are also God’s messengers.
Luke’s narrative, when read typologically and canonically, does more than recount a resurrection event. It continues the biblical motif of faithful witnesses. The Law and the Prophets testify to Jesus before his death, and they remain to testify after his resurrection. Their witness is persistent, glorified, and trustworthy. But now, that witness is passed on—not to kings or scribes or prophets—but to faithful women, whose testimony becomes the cornerstone of the apostolic message. Resurrection faith is carried forward not by the powerful, but by the willing. Moses and Elijah fade from the scene; Mary Magdalene and Joanna enter it. The new exodus has begun, and its first heralds are standing in the garden.
Rev. Bruce Grimmet holds a B.A from the University of Carson Newman, an M.A. in Christian Education from Wesley Biblical Seminary, and is currently enrolled in the D.Min program at Knox Theological Seminary pursuing a dissertation in the field of Theological Exegesis.