Oh, people recognize Christ, but some choose to reject Him.
As for Mount Tabor, I always wondered how did Moses and Elijah get there if they were in Hades until Christ rescued them.
Now THAT is an excellent question. The timing element does seem to be all wrong, doesn't it? I've got one I also can't answer. If John the Baptist was, by Christ's account, in essence, the finest human to ever live, and if JTB is actually Elijah, then what were either or both of them doing in Hades at all? BTW, what is the Orthodox take on whether John the Baptist was Elijah?