The Narrative Meaning and Function of the Transfiguration of Jesus 1

John Paul Heil  - Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

Central to a proper understanding of the transfiguration narrative is the recognition that in all three of its Gospel versions it has the literary genre of an "epiphany" rather than of a "theophany" or "vision." Understood as a technical designation for a biblical literary genre, "theophany" refers to a disposition of literary motifs which describes a coming of God recognized by the terrifying circumstances that accompany it, such as earthquakes or storm phenomena, rather than by seeing the actual figure of God. A "vision" is a disposition of literary motifs which narrates the seeing by a privileged individual or group of supernatural phenomena located mainly in the heavenly realm. A vision employs a verb of seeing or its equivalent and centers upon a seeing of heavenly realities reserved to the viewer. An "epiphany" as a modern, technical designation for an ancient literary genre is a disposition of literary motifs which narrates a sudden and unexpected manifestation of a divine or heavenly being experienced by certain selected persons as an event independent of their seeing, in which the divine being reveals a divine attribute, action, or message.

Like the literary genre of theophany, an epiphany narrates a coming of a divine being. In a theophany the divine being remains invisible and his coming is recognized only by its effects on nature, such as earthquakes or storm phenomena. But in an epiphany the divine being assumes visible form and appears before the eyes of human beings. Like the literary genre of vision, an epiphany narrates the viewing of heavenly realities. In a vision the viewing is of heavenly realities or phenomena seen only through the eyes of a selected viewer mainly within a heavenly location or context. But in an epiphany the heavenly phenomena take place on earth as an event visible to anyone privileged to witness it.

Although the transfiguration epiphany centers upon the recognition of the transfigured Jesus’ true identity, the climactic accent of the divine voice from the epiphanic cloud falls on the command: "Listen to him!" This command creates the final dramatic tension of the epiphany and leaves the Gospel audiences in suspense as to whether the disciples will listen to Jesus as God’s beloved Son. Since the entire transfiguration epiphany is oriented to and issues in this climactic, authoritative command or mandate from the epiphanic voice, we may label it as a "mandatory epiphany."

The mandatory epiphanies to Balaam in Num 22:31-35, to Joshua in Josh 5:13-15, and to Heliodorus in 2 Macc 3:22-34 provide literary precedents for the Gospel audiences to recognize and understand the literary genre of the transfiguration narrative as that of a similar "pivotal mandatory epiphany," in which the climactic mandate serves as a pivotal focus. These are all examples of a special kind of mandatory epiphany. The climactic commands that represent the whole point and purpose of the epiphanies closely relate to and clarify the meaning of the epiphanic appearances. The climactic commands also enunciate and refer the audience to key recurring themes that play pivotal roles in the broader narrative contexts in which these mandatory epiphanies are located.

In the case of the transfiguration mandatory epiphany the pivotal mandate not only points out that Jesus, rather than Moses or Elijah, is God’s beloved Son, but also directs the disciples and the audience to listen to Jesus in order to understand the significance of the epiphanic appearance of the transfigured Jesus in conversation with Moses and Elijah. The words of Jesus that the disciples and the audience are to heed are the words predicting his passion, death and resurrection, a recurring theme of pivotal significance in each of the Gospel narratives in which the transfiguration occurs.

Jesus’ Transfiguration as an Epiphanic Motif

We now turn our attention to the meaning and significance of the remarkable external change in Jesus’ face and clothing, the actual transformation or "transfiguration" of Jesus as an epiphanic motif. Our investigation of the meaning and background of the literary motif of the "transfiguration" of Jesus leads us to conclude that it describes his external, proleptic, and temporary transformation by God into a heavenly being while still on earth. It points the Gospel audiences to Jesus’ future and permanent attainment of glory in heaven as promised to the righteous after their death.

This result rules out several other suggested interpretations. Jesus’ transfiguration is not an internal self-transformation, but an external transformation effected by God. It is not a "revelation" or "disclosure" of his otherwise hidden eternal glory, but a temporary "transfiguration" or "transformation" of his external appearance. Although Jesus ascends a mountain, which is close to the heavenly realm, to be transfigured, he does not ascend into heaven itself but remains on earth.

Jesus’ transfiguration does not mean that he is a new, second, or greater Moses. The "glorification" of Moses on Mount Sinai did not occur in an epiphany; it involved only his face; and it followed his speaking with God. Jesus’ transfiguration, on the other hand, occurred as an epiphanic appearance; it involved not only his face but his clothing; and it6preceded his conversation with the heavenly figures of Moses and Elijah.

Although the literary background to Jesus’ transfiguration involves similarities to the heavenly figures of God and angels, his transfiguration does not mean that he has become an actual angel or God, only that his appearance has become temporarily angel-like or God-like. Nor does his white clothing mean he has become a heavenly priestly figure. Rather, the background most relevant for the Gospel audiences to understand the motif of the transfigured Jesus, a human being still on earth, is that involving the heavenly glory promised to the righteous in general after their death.

The Epiphanic Appearance of Moses and Elijah with Jesus

Perhaps the most popular interpretation of Moses and Elijah in the transfiguration account has been that together they represent the Jewish scriptures, the Law and the Prophets, now fulfilled and surpassed by Jesus. Although "Moses" can and often does stand for the Jewish Torah, Elijah by himself does not normally represent all of the prophets to complement Moses in this way. Indeed, the scriptures consider both Moses and Elijah to be notable prophets, who together can represent the entire prophetic tradition.

The prophets Moses and Elijah appear from heaven in conversation with the transfigured Jesus to contrast the way that he will ultimately attain the same heavenly glory they enjoy. According to the biblical account and later Jewish traditions familiar to the Gospel audiences Elijah, although he suffered persecution as a prophet, attained heavenly glory by ascending directly into heaven without dying the death of a rejected prophet.

According to the biblical account Moses, although he suffered rebellion and opposition from his people, was never put to death as a rejected prophet. He died and was buried in a very extraordinary way, honored and revered by his people. Later Jewish traditions indicate that the great prophet Moses attained heavenly glory either at the time of his mysterious death and burial or, like the prophet Elijah, without dying at all.

The Gospel audiences know that Jesus, unlike Moses and Elijah, will suffer the destiny of the disgraceful death of a rejected prophet. The Gospel audiences know that Jesus, unlike Moses and Elijah, will attain heavenly glory only after being unjustly put to death by his people and raised from the dead by his heavenly Father.

The Three Tents

Since Peter himself appears rather uncertain as to the appropriateness of making a tent for each of the three heavenly visitors, the audiences of the transfiguration narratives cannot be sure what exactly Peter has in mind for the tents. After all, "tents" and "dwelling places" play various and yet very important roles in the biblical traditions. From their knowledge and familiarity with these various "tent" traditions the audience may think that Peter wants to make three tents as temporary dwelling places (1) to honor each individual heavenly figure and commemorate what God has done in bringing about this marvelous manifestation of each of the three heavenly figures, analogous to the commemorative role of the tents at the Feast of Tabernacles; (2) to provide fitting locations for each of the heavenly, prophetic figures to continue his glorious appearance and communicate divine instructions to the disciples on earth, analogous to the role of the tent as a place for divine communication in the Tent of Meeting; (3) to furnish on earth appropriate hospitable habitations for their sojourn similar to the habitations that Abraham, the patriarchs, and all the righteous enjoy in heaven.

But the audience soon realizes that whatever Peter meant by the making of three tents, his offer was inappropriate for two main reasons. First, although Peter mentions Jesus in the most important first position in his offer to make three tents, he nevertheless places Jesus on the same level and in the same category as Moses and Elijah. That this is wrong becomes evident as God’s voice from the overshadowing cloud directs the disciples and the audience to listen only to Jesus, God’s own Son.

Secondly, although tents are temporary dwellings, the epiphanic manifestation of the three heavenly figures turns out to be an extremely ephemeral event, negating any need for even the temporary dwelling of a tent. The appearance of the transfigured Jesus is but a momentary anticipation of the permanent heavenly glory he will attain only after the suffering, death and resurrection that he has predicted for himself. It is this prophetic prediction by God’s own beloved Son that the heavenly voice from the cloud commands the disciples and audience to heed. We now turn to the significance and background of the divine voice from the overshadowing cloud, as a second epiphanic action which interrupts Peter’s offer to make three tents.

The Epiphanic Appearance of the Overshadowing Cloud

By the end of each transfiguration narrative the audience realizes that the epiphanic cloud has overshadowed only Moses and Elijah. The cloud, representative of God’s presence, has not only concealed Moses and Elijah from the eyes of the disciples but has also separated them from Jesus, so that the disciples no longer see Moses and Elijah, but only Jesus. This is confirmed by the oracular function of the cloud, in which the voice of God speaks "from the cloud" to the disciples, who are thus outside the cloud, and directs them to listen to Jesus, the only one left standing there, who is also thus outside of the cloud.

Although a cloud is not necessary as a medium for the voice of God, the overshadowing cloud and the voice work together as an ironic interruption of Peter’s uncertain offer to make a tent each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. By way of analogy with the Tent of Meeting, Peter plausibly wants to make a tent in honor of each heavenly figure at which each can continue to deliver divine communication, thus prolonging and extending to the disciples the conversation they see but do not hear taking place among the three heavenly figures. By making a tent for each, Peter would thus place each on the same level, honoring each with an equal opportunity to speak and thus prolong the epiphanic event. But the overshadowing cloud ironically interrupts Peter’s offer to make a "tent," "dwelling place," or "covering" for each as it "covers over" or "tents over" Moses and Elijah. Then, adding to the irony, the voice of God himself utters a dramatic divine communication to the disciples, the mandate of this pivotal mandatory epiphany, directing them and the audiences to listen not to Moses and Elijah at tents but to Jesus left standing there alone, authorized as God’s Son.

The vehicular function of the overshadowing cloud complements its oracular function. Since the disciples see only Jesus after the voice of God speaks from the overshadowing cloud, the audience, from their knowledge of the vehicular function of clouds, is naturally to deduce that the overshadowing cloud has not only concealed Moses and Elijah but is in the process of or has already transported these figures back to heaven from which they appeared in conversation with the transfigured Jesus. By enveloping and transporting Moses and Elijah back to heaven, the epiphanic overshadowing cloud has brought this entire epiphanic event to an abrupt conclusion, as the disciples see Jesus left there alone, restored to his pre-transfigured, earthly state.

The Matthean Transfiguration and the Antecedent Narrative

In Matt 17:1 when the audience hears that "Jesus took along Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up to a high mountain privately," they are prepared for the possibility of some sort of a dramatic revelatory encounter with God. The initial epiphanic action of this pivotal mandatory epiphany occurs as Jesus was suddenly and unexpectedly "transfigured" by God into a heavenly figure before the three disciples. That "his face shone as the sun, while his clothes became white as the light" (17:2) confirms for the audience the heavenly nature of Jesus’ transformed face and clothing. Jesus’ metamorphosis, his external, proleptic, and temporary transformation by God into a heavenly being while still on earth, indicates to the audience his future and permanent attainment of glory in heaven as promised to the righteous after their death.

The epiphanic transfiguration of Jesus is immediately followed by an additional epiphanic appearance of the heavenly figures of Moses and Elijah in conversation with Jesus before the eyes of the three disciples (17:3). The audience knows that although Moses and Elijah were great prophets who experienced opposition and rejection, they were never put to death by their own people. Does the appearance of the heavenly Moses and Elijah in close association with the transfigured Jesus mean that he also will attain heavenly glory like them, without dying the death of a rejected prophet?

Peter would place each heavenly figure in the same category by offering to make a tent for each to prolong his glorious epiphanic appearance and to continue the divine communication for the benefit of the disciples (17:4). But Peter is interrupted by yet another sudden and unexpected epiphanic appearance as a bright cloud overshadowed the heavenly Moses and Elijah, implicitly taking them back to heaven. God’s voice from the cloud not only confirms the disciples’ and Peter’s previous confessions of Jesus’ divine sonship (14:33; 16:16), it also reinforces God’s declaration from the heavens at Jesus’ baptism in 3:17 and God’s voice from a fulfillment quote in 12:17-18 that Jesus, now on his way to suffering and death (16:21), is still "my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (17:5).

God’s voice from the cloud (17:5) serves as the pivotal mandate that distinguishes Jesus from Moses and Elijah as God’s beloved, favored Son and commands the disciples and the audience to listen to Jesus. The mandate thus "pivots" them back to Jesus’ previous teaching about the kingdom of heaven, especially his teaching about the necessity for him and his followers to suffer and be put to death in 16:21-27 before entering into the glory of the kingdom of heaven anticipated by Jesus’ transfiguration.

Upon hearing God’s voice from the bright, overshadowing cloud, the disciples react in a way typical in epiphanies. They fell upon their face and were greatly frightened, overwhelmed into a fearful submission (17:6). After Jesus, restored to his pre-transfiguration, earthly status, approached the disciples and compassionately touched them, he strengthened and reassured them with a formula common to epiphanies, "Arise and do not be afraid" (17:7). Only in Matthew does Jesus utter words that complement the voice of God from the cloud by encouraging the disciples and the audience to heed the divine mandate.

The pivotal mandatory epiphany concludes with the earthly Jesus as the only one of the epiphanic figures remaining with the disciples (17:8). A dramatic suspense has been established for the remainder of the narrative: Will the disciples and the audience heed the pivotal epiphanic mandate and listen to Jesus in order to understand the way that he and they will attain the heavenly glory anticipated by his transfiguration?

The Matthean Transfiguration and the Subsequent Narrative

The transfiguration’s mandate in Matthew, "Listen to him!" (17:5), has pivoted the disciples and the audience back to Jesus’ previous pronouncements for them to follow him on his way to suffering and death before being raised to heavenly glory (10:38-39; 16:21-27). It has also pivoted them forward to the subsequent predictions of the necessity for him (17:12, 22-23; 20:18-19; 21:33-46; 26:2, 12, 26-29, 31-35, 36-46) as well as them (20:20-28) to spend their lives in selfless, suffering service for others with the assurance of being raised from the dead (17:9; 22:23-33; 27:50-53) and seeing his final coming in the heavenly glory (24:30; 25:31; 26:64) prefigured by his transfiguration.

In the person of John the Baptist Elijah has already come (17:13), yet they put him to death (14:5; 17:12), as Jesus will be put to death. The audience realizes then that Elijah has not "come first" (17:10) as the heavenly figure the disciples witnessed in the transfiguration epiphany (17:3). Furthermore, Elijah will not come to save Jesus from death on the cross (27:46-49), because unlike the Elijah in the transfiguration epiphany, who attained heavenly glory without being put to death, Jesus must suffer death before attaining the heavenly glory foreshadowed by his transfiguration.

The disciples’ great sadness at Jesus’ prediction of his death and resurrection in 17:23 further illustrates their "little faith" (17:20), their failure to share the firm faith of Jesus himself in God’s power to heal the possessed boy (17:14-20) and to raise Jesus from the dead to the heavenly glory indicated by his transfiguration.

The dramatic Gethsemane prayer of Jesus in 26:36-46 empowers the audience to play their role in God’s plan by watching and praying. By praying in imitation and on the strength of Jesus’ prayer, they can submit their wills to God’s will (26:39, 42) and follow Jesus’ way of suffering and death, as they await Jesus’ final coming in the glory prefigured by his transfiguration (16:27; 24:30; 25:31; 26:64).

The triumphant appearing of the "holy ones," who were raised from the dead when Jesus died in 27:50-52, to the many in the holy city of Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection (27:53) encourages the audience that they also will share in the resurrection of Jesus prefigured by his transfiguration, if they are willing to take up the cross and lose their lives for the sake of Jesus (10:38-39; 16:24-27).

The gentile soldiers’ climactic confession at the death of Jesus, "Truly this was the Son of God!" in 27:54, confirms not only that of Jesus himself before the high priest in 26:63-64, that of Peter in 16:16 and the disciples in 14:33, but also that of God himself at the baptism and transfiguration of Jesus--"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased!" (3:17; 17:5). The trustful submission to God’s will (26:39, 42) that Jesus demonstrates in dying on the cross provides the audience with a model for their own obedient submission to God’s will that they take up the cross and follow Jesus. The transfiguration’s pivotal mandate has been urging the disciples and the audience to heed the challenge of Jesus’ passion predictions in order to understand that Jesus is truly God’s beloved and favored Son by dying on the cross (unlike Moses and Elijah) with faith that God will vindicate him by raising him from death to the heavenly glory foreshadowed by his transfiguration.

The angel’s message that Jesus, the crucified one, has been raised from the dead "just as he said" in 28:6 emphatically confirms the fulfillment of Jesus’ predictions that he would indeed be raised from the dead (16:21; 17:9, 22; 20:19; 26:32), which the transfiguration’s pivotal mandate has urged the disciples and audience to heed (17:5). The disciples and audience can now tell others of the transfiguration (17:9), because Jesus’ resurrection from the dead makes clear that his transfiguration was a temporary anticipation of the heavenly glory he would attain only after suffering death at the hands of his people--unlike Moses and Elijah--and being raised by God. Now that Jesus has become the glorified, heavenly figure that was prefigured by his temporary transfiguration while on earth, he is able to remain permanently with his disciples and the audience, so that they can fulfill the risen Jesus’ mandate that they make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and teaching all that Jesus commanded (28:19-20).

1.  The above is taken from: John Paul Heil, The Transfiguration of Jesus: Narrative Meaning and Function of Mark 9:2-8, Matt 17:1-8 and Luke 9:28-36. Analecta Biblica 144. Rome: Biblical Institute, 2000.  Information about publications of the Pontifical Biblical Institute may be found on the web at http://www.pib.urbe.it/PUBLICATIONS.htm.