What is the Mount of Transfiguration?

Answer

The Mount of Transfiguration is the mountain where Jesus was transfigured (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9). The exact location of the mountain remains unknown.

In Matthew 16, Jesus informs the disciples that He will be killed and then raised to life (verse 21). Peter rebukes Him, saying, “Never, Lord!” (verse 22). He adds, “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus has to correct Peter and further explains that anyone who wants to be His disciple must be willing to “take up his cross,” meaning be ready to die as well. In the closing verse of chapter 16, Jesus makes a somewhat mysterious statement: “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (also see Luke 9:27).

In the subsequent event described in Matthew and Luke, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with Him up to a “high mountain.” This mountain, not named, is now known as the Mount of Transfiguration due to the following events: “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” (Matthew 17:2-3).

The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain holds great significance as it provided those three disciples a glimpse of the glory that Jesus possessed before His Incarnation and would have again. It may have also fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy that some of the disciples would witness Him coming in the kingdom before their deaths «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).

The events on the Mount of Transfiguration bear similarities to those on Sinai. Moses ascended a mountain to meet the Lord.And came back with his face shining (Exodus 34). In the New Testament, Jesus goes up a mountain and meets with Moses; however, a voice from heaven makes it clear that Jesus is the primary character, not Moses: “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!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus” (Matthew 17:5-8). Just as the meeting on Sinai between Moses and the Lord signified a new era in God’s dealing with His people, this meeting between the Lord and Moses signifies a new era in redemption history.

The “high mountain” that we call the Mount of Transfiguration is never clearly identified in Scripture. Both Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon have been identified as the Mount of Transfiguration by various traditions. Mount Tabor is a little less than 2,000 feet, but it stands alone in the area. The earliest tradition identifies Mount Tabor as the Mount of Transfiguration, and it is the location of the Church of the Transfiguration, which is built on the ruins of a fourth-century church. Mount Hermon is a much higher mountain, almost 10,000 feet, and it is closer to Caesarea Philippi where the previous events in Matthew 16 took place. For these reasons, some scholars feel that Mount Hermon is a more likely candidate to be the Mount of Transfiguration.

In the final analysis, we simply do not know what mountain is the Mount of Transfiguration. It could be Tabor or Hermon or another mountain that no one has suggested. The fact that the transfiguration happened on a mountain is an important point in the recapitulation of Moses’ meeting on Mount Sinai. However, the importance of the transfiguration is not bound to what mountain it occurred on.

Years later

Here, Peter refers to this event: “For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice from the Majestic Glory came to Him, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18).

Unfortunately, there are too many “cleverly devised fables” that attempt to pinpoint specific locations in the Holy Land, such as the site of the Mount of Transfiguration, while losing sight of the more crucial issues.