The Gospel narrator tells us in Mark 9:2 that Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, apart from the others and led them up a high mountain and was transfigured (G3339) before them. The Greek word is metamorphoo, from which we derive our word metamorphosis. Besides in Mark the word is used only three other times in the Bible. It is used in Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2), but not in Luke’s. Rather Luke tells us that “the fashion of his countenance was altered…” (Luke 9:29). The remaining two occurrences are found in Paul’s epistles. First, Paul tells us to “be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2). Then he wrote to the Corinthians, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory…” (2Corinthians 3:18).
Paul’s point seems to be that we need to be changed inwardly, while the Synoptic narrators tell us Jesus was changed outwardly. He was already inwardly the “express image of God” in human form (Hebrews 1:3), so it was only the human form that had to be changed to reflect what he already was inwardly. We, on the other hand were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) but changed our hearts by rebelling against the Lord. Therefore, we need to be changed (G3339) back into that image of the Lord (Romans 12:2; 2Corinthians 3:18), and this is our salvation, namely to become what we were intended to be from the beginning (Genesis 1:27). So, this miracle isn’t a magic trick that was performed for the three Apostles’ entertainment. It had a deeper meaning, which is contrasted in the miracle that followed, namely, the healing of the young boy with an unclean spirit (Mark 9:37-42).
What I find interesting at this point is that the text says both Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus (Mark 9:3-4). How was that known, since the Apostles couldn’t have ever met with Moses or Elijah? How would they have known them? The text doesn’t say, but recognition must have come by some means; perhaps it was in their words, which they spoke (Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30) that attested to the ministry of Christ, for both Moses and Elijah foreshadowed Christ (Exodus 24:12-18; 2Kings 2:11-12; cp. Acts 1:9).
The three Apostles were very much afraid of what was occurring before them, and Peter, reacting out of fear and ignorance to the whole event, wanted to build three tabernacles, one for each of them: Jesus, Moses and Elijah (Mark 9:5-6). The vision, remember,[1] occurred at the beginning of the final holy day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the word for tabernacle (G4633) is often used for a temporary dwelling place (cp. Hebrews 11:9). Indeed, the same Greek word is used at Leviticus 23:42-43 in the Septuagint for the temporary dwellings used during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Luke informs us that Peter didn’t speak up until he saw Moses and Elijah fading away (Luke 9:33), so, it would seem that he assumed it would be good for Moses and Elijah to stay longer. However, if we consider the meaning of the vision, this wouldn’t be proper at all. While Moses and Elijah anticipated and foreshadowed Jesus, they would have been the schoolmasters that brought us to Christ or the shadows of the Reality (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1), but Christ is the true Image of God (Hebrews 1:3) into which we need to be transformed (2Corinthians 1:18).
Indeed, as the vision faded a cloud overshadowed the Apostles, and they heard a voice saying: “This is my beloved Son: hear him!” (Mark 9:7), thus, underscoring the need to listen to Jesus. The shadows, while important as schoolmasters (Galatians 3:24-25) to bring us to Christ, are not themselves the Reality that will transform our minds and hearts into the Image of God. Only Jesus can do that (Romans 12:2; 2Corinthians 1:18).
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[1] See my previous study: Where Was the Mount of Transfiguration?
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