Transfiguration

1. Matthew 17:1-9 (NIV):

• • “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.”
  • Peter offers to build shelters, suggesting he perceives this as a real event happening in front of him.
  • Verse 5: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’”
  • Verse 9: “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’”
  • Jesus calls it something “seen,” which could imply a physical event, though the term could also apply to a vision.

2. Mark 9:2-10 (NIV):

• • “There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.”
  • Similar to Matthew, Peter’s reaction and the voice from the cloud are described as immediate experiences.
  • Verse 9: “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”
  • Again, “what they had seen” suggests a tangible occurrence.

3. Luke 9:28-36 (NIV):

• • “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.”
  • Verse 32: “Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.”
  • This note about sleepiness and waking up could hint at a vision-like experience, but their full awareness and observation of the event lean toward it being real.
  • Verse 36: “When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.” The sudden disappearance of Moses and Elijah might suggest a supernatural event rather than a sustained physical presence.

In Matthew 17:9, the word translated as “seen” comes from the Greek text, and understanding its meaning can shed light on how the Transfiguration is presented.

The Verse:

Matthew 17:9 (NIV): “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’“

In some translations, like the King James Version (KJV), it reads: “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” The difference between “what you have seen” and “the vision” hinges on the Greek word used.

The Greek word in Matthew 17:9 is ὅραμα (horama), which is a noun derived from the verb ὁράω (horaō), meaning “to see” or “to perceive with the eyes.” In this verse, Jesus says, “Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα” (“Tell no one the horama”), which is literally “the thing seen” or “that which was seen.”

In the New Testament, horama generally refers to something that is seen, whether a physical sight, a supernatural appearance, or a vision. It appears 12 times across the New Testament, and its meaning can vary slightly depending on context.

Usage of Horama in the New Testament:

1. Acts 7:31 (NIV):

“When he [Moses] saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord’s voice.”

• • Here, horama refers to the burning bush, a physical phenomenon with a divine encounter. It’s a real event Moses physically observed, not a dream or internal vision.

2. Acts 9:10-12 (NIV):

• • “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision [horama], ‘Ananias!’ … ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision [horama] he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’”
  • In this case, horama clearly means a vision—a supernatural revelation given to Ananias and Saul, likely while awake but distinct from a physical event everyone could see.

3. Acts 10:3 (NIV):

• • “One day at about three in the afternoon he [Cornelius] had a vision [horama]. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’”
  • Again, horama denotes a vision, a divine revelation seen by Cornelius alone, not a public event.

4. Acts 12:9 (NIV):

• • “Peter followed him [the angel] out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision [horama].”
  • Here, Peter assumes his experience is a vision (horama), but the text clarifies it was a real event (the angel physically led him out). This shows horama can be used for something perceived as a vision, even if it’s real.

In Matthew 17:9, Jesus uses horama to describe what Peter, James, and John witnessed during the Transfiguration. The question is whether it implies a vision (like a private, internal revelation) or a real event they physically observed. Here’s what the context suggests:

• Group Experience: All three disciples—Peter, James, and John—saw the same thing: Jesus transfigured, Moses and Elijah appearing, and the cloud with the voice (Matthew 17:1-5). This differs from visions like Ananias’ or Cornelius’, which were individual experiences.
• Physical Details: The description of Jesus’ face shining like the sun and His clothes becoming white (Matthew 17:2) suggests a tangible change they observed with their eyes, not a mental image.
• Peter’s Reaction: Peter’s offer to build shelters (Matthew 17:4) implies he perceived this as a real-time event, not a dream or trance.
• Jesus’ Instruction: By saying, “Don’t tell anyone the horama until the Son of Man has been raised,” Jesus treats it as something they witnessed that carries significance, without qualifying it as a dream or symbolic vision.

The New Testament uses other words for visions:

• ὄψις (opsis): Appearance or sight (e.g., John 7:24), more general.
• ὀπτασία (optasia): A supernatural vision (e.g., Luke 1:22, Zacharias’ encounter with the angel).

Horama is less specific than optasia, which is explicitly tied to visionary experiences, suggesting horama in Matthew 17:9 may not strictly mean a “vision” in the trance-like sense.