The Transfiguration 

Jesus traveled to Mount Hermon with his twelve apostles on August 12, 29 CE. They sojourned at the base of the mountain for two days in spiritual preparation for the events soon to follow.

Jesus chose to bring only Peter, James, and John with him as he ascended Mount Hermon. They arrived before noon on Monday, August 15, and around three o'clock, Jesus left the three apostles, telling them that he was going to go off by himself to commune with the heavenly Father and his messengers. When he returned, they ate a small supper together and the three apostles fell asleep, only to be awoken by a strange sound. They then saw Jesus talking with two beings who were glowing with celestial light. They spoke in a strange language. Peter had the idea that the two beings were Moses and Elijah. But in truth, these beings were Gabrial and Father Melchizedek.

When the vision faded, Peter told Jesus that he would like for them all to stay and that they could put up tents for Jesus and his associates. But even as he spoke, a silvery cloud came and surrounded them all. And then they heard a voice saying: “This is my beloved Son; give heed to him.” The cloud vanished, and Jesus and the three apostles were alone again on the mountain. Jesus reached down and touched the three and told them not to be afraid. And soon after midnight, they started down the mountain together. On the way down, Jesus told them that they were not to tell anyone about their experience on the mountain until after he had risen from the dead.

Jesus could have ended his earthly mission that day and could have returned to his heavenly home. But he sought the will of the Father and decided that it was the Father’s will that he play out the entire succession of events that would lead to his death on the cross. And with that determination, Jesus submitted himself to returning to his earthly life and allowing those sorrowful events to proceed.

Jesus planned to initiate the fourth phase of his earthly ministry as the Son of God on Mount Hermon, having been summoned to go there. So, on the morning of Friday, August 12, Jesus informed his twelve disciples to gather provisions and get ready for a journey to the mountain. He explained that the spirit had called him there to receive the necessary spiritual empowerment to complete his work on earth. Jesus also wanted his brethren to join him so that they could be strengthened for the challenging times ahead during this experience.

Near sundown on Friday afternoon, August 12, 29 CE, Jesus and his companions arrived at the base of Mount Hermon. This location was near the place where a young boy named Tiglath had once waited while Jesus ascended the mountain alone to officially conclude the Lucifer rebellion, the site of what is sometimes called “the great temptation.” They stayed there for two days, engaging in spiritual preparations for the forthcoming events.

Jesus knew what was going to happen on the mountain, and he strongly desired that all his apostles could partake in this significant experience. However, none of them had attained the necessary spiritual levels that would justify their full exposure to the celestial beings who would soon appear on the mountain. Jesus made the decision to only take Peter, James, and John, who regularly accompanied him during special vigils. Thus, only these three disciples had the opportunity to share in a portion of this extraordinary experience with their Master.

Jesus ascended Mount Hermon to ready himself for the concluding stages of his bestowed mission. In truth, he could have chosen to conclude his mission after the events of that day. However, he decided to fulfill the divine will of his heavenly Father. He opted to return to his earthly life and carry out the final acts of his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Once the events of this day were concluded, he was left alone to fulfill the remainder of his earthly existence as both the Son of Man and the Son of God.

In the early morning of Monday, August 15, Jesus and the three apostles began climbing Mount Hermon; this was six days after Peter's confession that he believed Jesus was the Deliverer and the Son of the living God.

Jesus had been summoned to go up the mountain alone to attend to important matters related to his incarnation as a human being and its significance in the larger universe he created. It is noteworthy that this remarkable event took place while Jesus and the apostles were in gentile territories, and it occurred on a mountain that belonged to the gentiles.

They reached a point about halfway up the mountain shortly before noon. While having lunch, Jesus shared with the three apostles some of his experiences in the hills to the east of the Jordan River after his baptism, as well as his previous visit to Mount Hermon and the insights that he gained.

In the afternoon, around three o'clock, Jesus bid farewell to the three apostles. He told them that he needed to spend time alone in communion with the Father and some celestial messengers. He asked them to stay and pray, seeking the Father's will in their experiences related to the ongoing mission of the Son of Man. Then Jesus left the three apostles and attended an extended conference with Gabrial and Father Melchizedek, returning around six o'clock. When Jesus noticed their anxiety about his prolonged absence, he reassured them, saying: “Why were you afraid? You well know I must be about my Father’s business; wherefore do you doubt when I am not with you? I now declare that the Son of Man has chosen to go through his full life in your midst and as one of you. Be of good cheer; I will not leave you until my work is finished.”

Later, as they had a modest evening meal, Peter asked how long they would stay on the mountain away from their fellow disciples. Jesus replied that they would remain until they witnessed the glory of the Son of Man and knew the truth of his teachings. They conversed about the Lucifer rebellion while they gathered around the warmth of their fire until darkness fell and the apostles grew tired, having started their journey early that morning.

After about half an hour of sleep, the three apostles were suddenly awakened by a nearby crackling sound. To their astonishment and confusion, they saw Jesus engaged in an intimate conversation with two radiant beings dressed in celestial light. Jesus himself shone with a heavenly luminosity. Although the conversation was in an unfamiliar language, Peter mistakenly surmised that the beings with Jesus were Moses and Elijah. In reality, they were Gabriel and Father Melchizedek. Celestial beings had arranged for the apostles to witness this scene at Jesus' request.

The three apostles were very frightened and took some time to compose themselves. Peter, being the first to regain his composure, expressed his joy at being there and witnessing such glory. He suggested building three tents: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. However, Peter's words were born out of confusion; he really didn’t know what else to say.

While Peter was still speaking, a silvery cloud approached and overshadowed the four of them. The apostles became greatly frightened and prostrated themselves to worship. They heard a voice, the same one that spoke during Jesus' baptism, saying, "This is my beloved Son; give heed to him." When the cloud disappeared, Jesus was once again alone with the three apostles. He touched them and reassured them, saying: “Arise and be not afraid; you shall see greater things than this.” However, the apostles remained truly afraid, and in silence and deep thought, they prepared to descend the mountain shortly before midnight.

As they descended about halfway down the mountain, Jesus broke the silence by saying, “Make certain that you tell no man, not even your brethren, what you have seen and heard on this mountain until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” The three apostles were shocked and confused by Jesus' words about rising from the dead. They had recently reaffirmed their faith in him as the Deliverer, the Son of God, and they had just witnessed his glorious transfiguration. Now, he was talking about his death and resurrection, which was difficult for them to comprehend.

Jesus instructed them to keep their observation a secret because he didn't want to encourage the misconception that, as the Messiah, he would fulfill their mistaken expectations of a sensational miracle worker. Although Peter, James, and John contemplated these words in their minds, they did refrain from discussing it with anyone until after the Master's resurrection.

What Peter, James, and John witnessed during the transfiguration on Mount Hermon was a brief glimpse of a celestial spectacle that occurred on that momentous day. During this event, Jesus received messages on behalf of two members of the Trinity: the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit:

Gabrial conveyed to Jesus the assurance that his mission had been fully accepted by the Eternal Son, and the requirements of his bestowal had been accomplished.

The Infinite Spirit spoke through Father Melchizedek, affirming that Jesus' bestowal in the likeness of mortal flesh had been completed.

Jesus welcomed this testimony, confirming the success of his earthly mission as presented by the messengers of the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit. However, he noted that his Father did not indicate that his mission on earth was finished yet, although the unseen presence of the Father bore witness proclaiming, "This is my beloved Son; give heed to him." These words were audible to the three apostles as well.

After this celestial visitation, Jesus sought to understand his Father's will and decided to continue his mortal bestowal until its natural conclusion. This was the significance of the transfiguration for Jesus. To the three apostles, it marked the beginning of the final phase of Jesus' earthly journey as the Son of God and the Son of Man.