Page 85 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook w videos

Jezreel Valley, 11 miles (17 km) west of the Sea of Galilee. Its elevation at the summit is 1,843 feet (575
m) high. Early Church fathers believed that the Transfiguration took place on Mt. Tabor, including Cyril
of Jerusalem (in 348), Epiphanius, and Jerome.

However, Mt. Tabor is probably not the location for the
Transfiguration for the following reasons: (1) Jesus and
his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi just
prior to the Transfiguration, far north of the location of
Mt. Tabor. (2) The general location of Mt. Tabor is not
isolated. Much traffic passed by through the Jezreel
Valley below. (3) A military fort was located on top of
Mt. Tabor and was clearly in use during the Hasmonean
period and the time of the Jewish Revolt, and likely
would have been in Jesus’ day as well. It is evident that
this event took place in an isolated location.

The second site suggested by scholars is Mount
Hermon. Jesus and the disciples were already in
Caesarea-Philippi located at the foot of this mountain.
Also, the Gospel writers say that Jesus took them to the
a “high mountain”. Mount Hermon is the highest
mountain in the area whose summit reaches 9,232 feet.
While we cannot definitely say it took place on this
mountain, the facts strongly suggest this.

The transfiguration was a visionary
revelation of the divine glory that
the Son possessed from His
incarnation. Jesus appeared in
glorious splendor as a radiant light,
accompanied by Moses and Elijah.
Luke adds that the three spoke of
Jesus’ imminent departure
(“decrease”) in Jerusalem. The
Greek word translated “decrease”
or “departure” is exodus which
refers in literary Greek to the
process of “death”. It also recalls View of Mount Hermon from the Sea of Tiberius
the “Exodus” from Egypt as an
earlier process of divine redemption. Peter, James and John were witnesses of the divine relation of not
only Christ’s glory, but His imminent departure and completion of a plan to redeem man from their sin.

The word "transfigured" is a very interesting word. The Greek word is "metamorpho" and it means to
transform, literally or figuratively to metamorphose, or to change. The word is a verb that means to
change into another form. It also means to change the outside to match the inside. The prefix "meta"
means to change and the "morphe" means form. In the case of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ it
means to match the outside with the reality of the inside. To change the outward so that it matches the
inward reality. Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" (Hebrews 10:20) in human form and the transfiguration

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