Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G080 The Transfiguration
of the Physical Body of the Lord Jesus
Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 17:1-13

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5 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.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

13 Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Mark 9:2-13

2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them.

3 And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11 And they asked Him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

12 And He answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

Luke 9:28-36

28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering.

30 And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw His glory, and the two men that stood with Him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from Him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

In this lesson, we will examine the moment when the Lord Jesus gloriously transfigured His physical body in front of His three apostles, revealing to them His glory in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 17:1-2

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.

Mark 9:2-3

2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them.

3 And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

Luke 9:28-29

28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering.

Perhaps the first question that comes to mind for us is the difference in the timelines noted by Matthew and Mark, who clearly state “after six days,” while Luke records “about eight days later.”

As we know, Matthew was a direct witness to most of what is recorded in his Gospel. Mark, though not a direct witness, heard much from the Apostle Peter, who was a direct witness. Luke was also not a direct witness, and it is likely that he wrote based on the accounts of witnesses. Regarding the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, all three recorded it based on the accounts of Peter, John, and James. As for Luke, it is very possible that he recorded it according to the testimonies of those who had heard from the three apostles.

Matthew and Mark accurately note that the transfiguration of the physical body of the Lord Jesus occurred six days after He spoke the words recorded in Matthew 16:21-28 and Mark 8:31-9:1. This means that, assuming the Lord Jesus spoke these words on the Sabbath, the transfiguration occurred on the Sabbath of the following week. The two events were separated by a full six days.

Luke does not assert “after eight days” but instead offers an approximation: “about eight days after these sayings.” Many biblical scholars believe that Luke counted both the day when the Lord Jesus spoke these words and the day when the transfiguration occurred. The day He spoke the words is counted as the first day, and the day of the transfiguration as the eighth. Between these two days is a span of exactly six full days.

Peter, John, and James were the three apostles closest to the Lord Jesus. These three were often allowed by the Lord Jesus to accompany Him in special instances, like this time, when He healed Peter’s mother-in-law, when He raised Jairus’ daughter, and when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before being arrested. We do not know why the Lord Jesus only took Peter, John, and James near Him in these situations instead of all twelve apostles. It’s possible that the Lord Jesus was specially preparing these three for the ministry of overseeing the Church He would establish, which is why He always kept them close to Him. In fact, the book of Acts records the works of Peter, John, and James in the newly established Church but does not mention the works of the other apostles. Notably, James was the first apostle to die for the name of the Lord (Acts 12:2).

Both Matthew and Mark record that the Lord Jesus took the three men up to a high mountain. Luke uses a definite article before the word “mountain,” implying that it was a well-known mountain. There are two mountains that biblical scholars believe could be the ones chosen by the Lord Jesus as the place for His transfiguration. These are Mount Tabor, south of the Sea of Galilee, and Mount Hermon, north of the Sea of Galilee. However, Mount Hermon is more likely to be the Mount of Transfiguration, as it is 2,814 meters high, while Mount Tabor is only about 575 meters high. Both Matthew and Mark specifically mention a “high mountain.” Mount Hermon is only about 25 kilometers from the city of Caesarea Philippi, while Mount Tabor is about 70 kilometers away from Caesarea Philippi.

The Greek verb “μεταμορφόω” (metamorphoō) /met-am-or-fo’-o/ (G3339) literally means to change form into another form, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly; figuratively, it means to change one’s nature or thinking, as used in Romans 12:2.

The transfiguration of the physical body of the Lord Jesus was a transformation, like when it was resurrected after death, but it radiated the glory of God the Word, as humanity will see Him in the Eternal Kingdom. Therefore, the transfiguration of the physical body of the Lord Jesus, before His three apostles, was also a revelation to them of His coming in the Kingdom of Heaven, as He had foretold six days earlier:

“Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)

We understand that the resurrected and transfigured bodies of the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s people may appear normal, clothed in physical garments, without radiating glory when they appear before mankind during the time of the Millennial Kingdom. However, when they appear in the heavens or in the Eternal Kingdom, they will be seen in their radiant glory.

Luke adds a detail not found in the accounts of Matthew and Mark. He mentions that the Lord Jesus took the three apostles up to the high mountain to pray. It was while the Lord Jesus was praying that His appearance and form were gloriously transfigured. It seems that the descriptions of the Lord Jesus’ transfiguration recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the differing accounts of Peter, John, and James:

• “His face shone like the sun. His clothes became white as light.”

• “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”

• “His appearance and face became different. His clothes became a brilliant white.”

The face shining like the sun refers to the radiant, glorious appearance of God the Word, seen through His resurrected and transfigured physical body. That is why Luke records it as “different.” This detail helps us understand that God transcends the limitations of time. *God enabled the Lord Jesus to appear in the present with His future form.

For us, time consists of the past, present, and future. In reality, we can only live and act in the present. But God always exists in the past, present, and future because He is the Omnipresent God, present in all places and times.

The term “garment” mentioned here does not refer to garments made of material substances but to the radiant glory of a super-material body. We understand that this light is the radiance of a supermaterial body. We also understand that the resurrected or transfigured bodies of God’s people will have different degrees of radiance, depending on their righteous deeds, as confirmed in Revelation 19:8. However, this does not mean that those who perform more righteous deeds will shine more; rather, it depends on the heart of the person when they carry out those righteous deeds.

The radiance of the super-material body of each of God’s people depends on their love for the Lord and for others as they perform righteous deeds. Righteous deeds are those that align with God’s Word and reflect His love and holiness. A person who wholeheartedly loves and obeys the Lord, living according to His Word, will find that every thought, word, and deed is righteous and for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and all flow from love. Everything they do is done as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23), from taking care of their own bodies to caring for and teaching their children, from cleaning their homes to earning a living, from offering constructive advice to helping and supporting brothers and sisters in the Church, and including all behaviors and actions toward those in the world.

Matthew 17:3-4

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Mark 9:4-6

4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

Luke 9:30-33

30 And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw His glory, and the two men that stood with Him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from Him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

Moses was the one whom *God used to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and to give them His law. Moses died and was buried by *God, who sent the archangel Gabriel to bury his physical body. We understand that at the time of the Lord Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses’ soul was in Paradise within Hades. You can read and listen to the sermon “Ten Reflections on the Final Judgment” on the website preachingfromthebible.net for more details about Paradise in Hades [1].

Elijah was a great prophet who did not experience death, as his physical body was taken by *God out of this world, perhaps in a manner similar to Enoch (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5). We understand that at the time of the Lord Jesus’ transfiguration, the soul, spirit, and physical body of Elijah, as well as of Enoch, were residing in Paradise within Hades.

We think that Enoch’s being taken from the world without experiencing death symbolizes the rapture of those in the Church who are still alive when Christ comes to take the Church out of the world. The salvation of Noah’s family of eight from the Great Flood symbolizes those who believe in the Lord during the End Times being saved from *God’s judgment. Elijah’s being taken from the world without experiencing death during the time of the kingdom of Israel symbolizes the rapture of those who belong to the Lord at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, before *God destroys the heavens and the earth.

According to the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in Luke 16:19-31, we understand that those who belong to the Lord before the Old Testament period, starting from Adam, along with those who belong to the Lord during the Old Testament period up until John the Baptist, after their death, their bodies return to the dust, and their souls enter into rest in Paradise within Hades. As for Enoch and Elijah, the two who did not experience death, their souls in their physical bodies and spirits also rested in Paradise within Hades. After the Lord Jesus completed His atoning death and rose from the dead, He brought those who belonged to the Lord in Paradise within Hades into heaven, as prophesied in Psalm 68:18 and confirmed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:8.

Moses represents the law of *God given to mankind. Elijah represents the prophecies of the coming of Christ and the salvation that *God offers to mankind. The Lord Jesus represents the saving grace of *God granted to humanity. The appearance of Moses and Elijah in their glorified physical bodies, along with the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus’ physical body, was a revelation to the three apostles of the glory of the Lord Jesus and of God’s people in the Kingdom of Heaven. It also represented the glory of the law, the prophecies, and the saving grace of *God. This is the meaning behind the words of the Lord Jesus, as recorded by Mark and Luke:

“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of *God come with power.” (Mark 9:1)

“But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of *God.” (Luke 9:27)

We understand that the full statement of the Lord Jesus may be:

“Truly, I tell you of a truth: some of those standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom, until they have seen the Kingdom of *God come with power.”

Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded it according to the accounts given to them, with each person recounting a part of the Lord’s statement. This means there is no contradiction in the Scriptures, but rather, the Scriptures complement each other with details so that God’s people may have a complete record.

Some interpreters believe that the phrase “the Kingdom of *God come with power” refers to the establishment of the Church after the Lord Jesus’ ascension. It is true that the Church was established by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, the Lord Jesus did not appear on that day, and it can be said that most of His disciples, about 120 people, witnessed the event, not just a few.

We believe that the Lord Jesus’ words, as recorded in Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27, were a prophecy about Moses and Elijah appearing in their glorified physical bodies, along with the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus’ physical body.

Moses and Elijah conversed with the Lord Jesus, and Luke recorded that they spoke about His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. This event proves that Moses’ soul was not “asleep,” as the false doctrine of “Soul Sleep” taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Seventh-day Adventist Church suggests. The Lord Jesus’ teaching, as recorded in Luke 16:19-31, shows that the souls of the dead, whether they belong to the Lord or not, have awareness and emotions and can converse. In Philippians 1:23, the Apostle Paul wrote that to depart from the current physical body is “to be with Christ.” Revelation 6:9-11 tells us that the souls of the saints killed by the Antichrist during the End Times cry out to the Lord for justice. They are given glory and comforted.

Luke includes a detail that Matthew and Mark did not: Peter, along with John and James, had fallen asleep. Perhaps, after a day of walking and climbing the mountain, they were exhausted and fell into a deep sleep while the Lord Jesus, as was His custom, prayed alone to *God. As the Lord Jesus prayed, the transfiguration occurred, and Moses and Elijah appeared. It is possible that the radiant glory of the Lord Jesus, along with Moses and Elijah, caused the three apostles to wake up. At that moment, they saw this glory, and they might have heard the conversation between Moses, Elijah, and the Lord. After Moses and Elijah had departed, Peter spoke to the Lord, addressing Him both as “Lord” and “Rabbi,” meaning “Teacher,” and suggested building three tents for the Lord, Moses, and Elijah.

The Apostle Peter, known for his straightforwardness, spoke whatever came to his mind. Perhaps seeing the glory of the Lord, Moses, and Elijah made Peter desire to remain in that moment, which is why he said, “It is good for us to be here,” and proposed setting up tents. Notably, Peter only mentioned building tents for the Lord, Moses, and Elijah; he did not suggest building tents for himself, John, or James. This might have been because his heart was solely focused on serving.

Mark and Luke recorded that “he did not know what he was saying,” which was likely based on Peter’s own reflection when he later recounted the event. It means that Peter did not realize he was making an unreasonable suggestion. The purpose of Christ coming into the world was not to live with Moses, Elijah, and His three apostles on that mountain.

Mark added that all three apostles were terrified when they witnessed the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah in glory. This was a fear mixed with reverence for the glory and power of God, not a fear from guilt or danger.

Matthew 17:5-6

5 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.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Mark 9:7-8

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

Luke 9:34-35

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.

While Peter was speaking to the Lord, a bright cloud appeared, covering them and enveloping them so that they were in the cloud. The three apostles of the Lord were frightened as they were overshadowed by the bright cloud because they did not know what was happening to them.

From the cloud, the voice of *God came, speaking to them. *God acknowledged the Lord Jesus as His beloved Son, expressing His delight in Him and commanding them to listen to the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus is the beloved Son of *God because His physical body was conceived by *God in the womb of the virgin Mary, and He is loved by *God.

In the Lord Jesus, *God is pleased because He perfectly fulfilled *God’s will, as He affirmed in John 6:38 and John 14:31.

The Lord Jesus came into the world as the Christ to reveal *God and His love, as well as the salvation He offers to humanity. He is also the One who gave His life as a ransom for humanity. *God has granted Him authority to rule over all creation. Therefore, all creation must obey the Lord Jesus. The verb “to hear” (G191) used in *God’s statement means not only to hear with the ear but also to understand what is heard and to obey and act upon what has been heard. Those who hear and obey the words of the Lord Jesus are called wise, like the person who builds their house on the rock (Matthew 7:24).

When the three apostles heard the voice of *God, they were even more afraid and fell on their faces to the ground in worship. Afterward, when they looked around, they saw only the Lord Jesus and themselves.

Matthew 17:7-8

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

In the face of the three apostles’ fear, the Lord Jesus came near, touched them, and said, “Arise, and be not afraid.”

We can see the compassion and tenderness of the Lord Jesus toward the three apostles in their moment of fear. He did not need to come close and touch them; He could have simply stood and spoken to them. But He approached them and touched them. At that moment, perhaps the bright cloud also dissipated. When the three apostles looked up to observe, they saw only the Lord Jesus standing there with them. Moses and Elijah had departed. *God did not appear to them in any visible form, nor did any angels appear. Everything returned to normal as before, except that the spirits of the three apostles had gained new awareness of the true glory of the Lord Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 17:9

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Mark 9:9-10

9 And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

Luke 9:36

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

The Lord Jesus and the three apostles went down from the mountain. The Lord Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone what had happened on the mountain until after He had risen from the dead. This was the second time the Lord Jesus spoke to them about His resurrection from the dead. At that time, they had also witnessed Him raise the dead twice. The first time was the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue in the town of Capernaum (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56). The second time was the young boy, the son of a widow in the town of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). Yet they still questioned one another about what the rising from the dead should mean.

Luke did not record the event of the Lord Jesus instructing the apostles not to tell anyone about what they had seen on the Mount of Transfiguration, but he noted that they remained silent and did not tell anyone about what they had seen regarding the transfiguration during the days before the Lord Jesus suffered and rose again.

Matthew 17:10-13

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

13 Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Mark 9:11-13

11 And they asked Him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

12 And He answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

Due to the appearance of Elijah, Peter, John, and James questioned the Lord Jesus about the prophecy stating that Elijah must come before Christ. They had heard the scribes read the book of Malachi and explain it in this way. But now they saw that Christ had come before Elijah. However, Malachi 4:5 does not say that Elijah will come before Christ, but rather that Elijah will come before the day of *God’s judgment on the people of Israel and the whole world, during the End Times.

Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus affirmed that Elijah had come. Not long before this, He had told His disciples and the crowds that if they were willing, they should accept that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come (Matthew 11:14). John the Baptist was the one *God used to prepare the way for Christ. John the Baptist called on the people of Israel to repent and reconcile with *God, preparing to receive His salvation. Luke 1:17 recorded the angel’s prophecy about John the Baptist, saying that he would go before Christ “in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The people of Israel, especially those from the Pharisees and Sadducees, including the priests, scribes, and elders, did not recognize that John the Baptist was indeed the Elijah who was to come. Most of them did not accept the teaching of John the Baptist, as he called them a brood of vipers.

The prophet Elijah was persecuted by the rulers King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who sought to kill him. John the Baptist was also persecuted by the rulers like Elijah, and King Herod Antipas had him killed. When speaking of the persecution that John the Baptist endured, the Lord Jesus also mentioned that He too would suffer much persecution.

Through the words of the Lord Jesus, Peter, John, and James clearly understood that the Elijah who was to come was indeed John the Baptist.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
09/21/2024

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/ten-reflections-on-the-final-judgment/

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.