Transfiguration

Good observation.

I agree.

Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them.

I believe Jesus was showing Peter, James, and John how it will be at His Second Coming, at the 7th trump.

Jesus’ physical body was transformed into his spiritual body. So why would Jesus say, "after six days"? Peter gives us a clue in:

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Millennium will start at the end of the sixth trump; there will be no more physical bodies after that because we will all be changed (transformed):

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Heb 2v9: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

Luke 9v27: "Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."

Eph 4v8-10: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)"

Acts 2v27: "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."

Luke 22v44: "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Heb 5v7: "For Jesus during his earthly life offered up prayers and entreaties, crying aloud and weeping as He pleaded with Him who was able to bring Him in safety out of death, and He was delivered from the terror from which He shrank."

@selahsays …. Great observation of what a master teacher Jesus was! Mark 9:2 is like the synopsis of a field trip, where Jesus showed His disciples what His second coming would be like. We have only to read a little of the previous chapter in Mark to see that they didn’t understand even the basics. Peter could not wrap his head around the fact that the flesh and bone body of Jesus would be killed, and He had to chastise Peter. Lest there be future misunderstanding about His resurrection, Jesus did a “show and tell.” Awesome!!!

Mark 8: 31-38 KJV

31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Elisha had to deal with a similar skepticism right after Elijah was taken to heaven. The Bible does not say Elijah died.
23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. KJV — 2Kings 2:23-KJV

That's interesting too... I, however, don't see anyone mocking anyone/anything... just different points of view.

The point is, immediately after Elijah was taken to heaven there were doubters, including the sons of the prophets who wanted to search for him. When something is clear in the Bible why run with a different opinion? In every doctrine we have that is derived from the Bible there can only be one correct interpretation, 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It's in the passage:

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

The answer to the question about Peter is: Peter was going to Peter. It was on-brand for him. God even had to correct him saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” It seems the vision was primarily for the disciples' benefit: a clear line of distinction between the Law and the Prophets and the Son who was in their midst.

I appreciate you response!

So, you're saying that your belief is that this was a vision the disciple's had that did not literally happen?
And that in this vision, God felt it necessary to include Peter saying "dumb stuff"?

I haven't looked at the Greek... are we sure that the word "vision" refers to a "supernatural" visual event and not meant as "what you saw/witnessed"?

the same word is used in Acts 7:31 -

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight [G3705]: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,



When G1161 Moses G3475 saw G1492 it, he wondered G2296 at the sight: G3705 and G1161 as he G846 drew near G4334 to behold G2657 it, the voice G5456 of the Lord G2962 came G1096 unto G4314 him, G846

____________

As to the OP question, I see the Transfiguration as a "snapshot" (so to speak) of His Second Coming glory (His Second Coming to the earth, FOR the earthly MK age--which is what the phrase "the throne of his glory" speaks to [Matt19:28/Lk22:30]).


Just prior to this scene, Jesus had said, "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." Matt16:28 (the scene in Matt17:1 follows.)





In Lk22:30 [/Matt19:28], Jesus had told the 12 (re: "in My kingdom") that they will "sit on 12 thrones, judgING the 12 tribes of Israel" (speaking of the MK age; corresponding to the TIME-FRAME also spoken of in Matt25:31-34 "when the Son of man SHALL COME in his glory..."; ALL "Son of man cometh / shall come / coming of / etc" passages are speaking of His Second Coming to the earth, to judge and to reign, FOR the MK age--see also Isa24:23b [not to "our Rapture" time-slot])

The following passage also pertains:

2Pe 1:16
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Visions literally happen. They typically show a reality of things in the spiritual realm. Whether Jesus spoke with Moses or Elijah at that moment is not as important as the axiom God was establishing: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Peter wanted to build something to dedicate this Vision he saw.
kind of like Nebuchadnezzar dreamed his Statue and then had it built.

Visions, can be the same thing as seeing it first hand.

Again, I appreciate your patience with me as I try to learn a new perspective.

I get that you would think that the visions literally occurred... what I was trying to determine was if you/others were actually saying that what occurred on that mountain was a "supernatural vision" as opposed to a literal transfiguration and a physical appearance of the two prophets. (and when I say physical, I mean physical in a spiritual form, lol.... the language is getting dicey).

Again, I don't understand why, if you are saying that it was a supernatural vision, God would include Peter saying "foolish" things? What would be the spiritual lesson in that?

Well, the fact that the Transformation vision actually came to pass, in my opinion, is what makes it so important. Jesus was instructing His disciples about the Resurrection and, on a deeper level, about His Second Coming.

I might be behind the curve in this... but I don't see anything in this "happening" that relates to the second coming or resurrection.

I see, more or less, a torch being passed. The Old Covenant becoming "obsolete" even at that early date.
Moses and Elijah, representing the "old" giving assent to Jesus and the "new" and recognizing Jesus for who He was/is... the Christ. God speaking from heaven to listen to Him (Jesus)... virtually saying, where we were to have listened to Moses and the prophets in the past, we were now to focus solely on Jesus.

IDK...?

i agree about the not relating to the Resurrection.
but, if the Vision shows Jesus, as He was, before coming to Earth emptied of Himself, seems it makes more sense, those Disciples were allowed to see Jesus as He truly is...as the WORD!

the Transfiguration, might be why the Gospel of John is not like the other 3, but, more like this VISION....knowing that John was there witnessing this Vision.

I'll break it down...

Visions are not fictional mini-movies the Lord plays to a select crowd. They are displays of reality that insert larger truths into the earth; essentially bringing the reality of heaven to the earth.

What was seen in the transfiguration vision was that Jesus was greater than the prophets and Law. This was punctuated by God's pronouncement from heaven. Peter was there as the representative of everyone but Jesus. His intent to build three memorials and God's subsequent correction was for all of mankind to heed.