Luke 9:28

On the other hand, he whose "heart" was habitually found "lifted up" rather than fattened up, who in forty days and as many nights maintained a fast above the power of human nature, while spiritual faith subministered strength (to his body), both saw with his eyes God's glory, and heard with his ears God's voice, and understood with his heart God's law: while He taught him even then (by experience) that man liveth not upon bread alone, but upon every word of God; in that the People, though fatter than he, could not constantly contemplate even Moses himself, fed as he had been upon God, nor his leanness, sated as it had been with His glory! Deservedly, therefore, even while in the flesh, did the Lord show Himself to him, the colleague of His own fasts, no less than to Elijah. For Elijah withal had, by this fact primarily, that he had imprecated a famine, already sufficiently devoted himself to fasts: "The Lord liveth," he said, "before whom I am standing in His sight, if there shall be dew in these years, and rain-shower."

"I say to you, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste of death until they have seen the kingdom of God." … By the "kingdom of God" he means the sight of the glory in which he will appear at his revelation to the inhabitants of earth. He will come in the glory of God the Father and not in a humble condition like ours. How did he make those who received the promise spectators of a thing so wonderful? He goes up into the mountain taking three chosen disciples with him. He is transformed to such a surpassing and godlike brightness that his garments even glittered with rays of fire and seemed to flash like lightning.

Not as though His body changed its human form, but a certain glistening glory overspread it.

You may know that Peter, James and John did not taste death and were worthy to see the glory of the resurrection. It says "about eight days after these words, he took those three alone and led them onto the mountain." Why is it that he says "eight days after these words"? He that hears the words of Christ and believes will see the glory of Christ at the time of the resurrection. The resurrection happened on the eighth day, and most of the psalms were written "For the eighth." It shows us that he said that he who because of the Word of God shall lose his own soul will save it, since he renews his promises at the resurrection. But Matthew and Mark say that they were taken after six days. We may say this means after six thousand years, because a thousand years in God's sight are as one day. We counted more than six thousand years. We prefer to understand six days as a symbol, because God created the works of the world in six days, so that we understand works through the time and the world through the works.

Now it came to pass after these words. After the exhortation to the harshness of the way, the Evangelist subjoins the showing of the sweetness of glory. He proceeds in this order. For first he describes the revelation of the promised glory; second, the consideration …

And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took Peter and James and John. On the eighth day, the Lord manifests to the disciples the glory of the promised future blessedness, so that, with the sweetness of heavenly life shown, …

And he went up into the mountain to pray. He indeed went up into the mountain to pray, and thus to be transfigured, to show that those who expect the fruit of the resurrection, who desire to see the king in his beauty, ought to …

For as He rose from the dead after the seventh day of the Sabbath, during which He lay in the tomb, we also after the six ages of this world, and the seventh of the rest of souls, which meanwhile is passed in another life, shall rise again as it were in the eighth age. Hence He ascends the mountain to pray and be transfigured, to show that those who expect the fruit of the resurrection, and desire to see the King in His glory, ought to have the dwelling place of their hearts on high, and be ever on their knees in prayer.

(ut sup. 10.) Servants however pray in one way; our Lord prayed in another. For the prayer of the servant is offered up by the lifting up of the mind to God, but the holy mind of Christ, (who was hypostatically [ὑπόστασιν] united to God,) prayed, that He might lead us by the hand to the ascent, whereby we mount up in prayer to God, and teach us that He is not opposed to God, but reverences the Father as His beginning; (ὡς ἀρχὴν ἑαυτὸν) nay, even tempting the tyrant, who sought from Him whether He were God, (which the power of His miracles declared,) He concealed as it were under the bait a hook; that he who had deceived man with the hope of divinity might fitly himself be caught with the clothing of humanity. Prayer is the revelation of Divine glory; as it follows, And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered.

(Orat. de Trans fig. §. 8.) Matthew and Mark indeed say that the transfiguration took place on the sixth day after the promise made to the disciples, but Luke on the eighth. But there is no disagreement in these testimonies, but they who make the number six, taking off a day at each end, that is, the first and the last, the day on which He makes the promise, and that on which He fulfilled it, have reckoned only the intervening ones, but He who makes the number eight, has counted in each of the two days above mentioned. But why were not all called, but only some, to behold the sight? There was only one indeed who was unworthy to see the divinity, namely Judas, according to the word of Isaiah, Let the wicked be taken away, that he should not behold the glory of God. (Isai. 26:10 LXX.) If then he alone had been sent away, he might have, as it were from envy, been provoked to greater wickedness. Henceforward He takes away from the traitor every pretext for his treachery, seeing that He left below the rest of the company of the Apostles. But He took with Him three, that in the mouths of two or three witnesses every word should be established. He took Peter, indeed, because He wished to show him that the witness he had borne to Him was confirmed by the witness of the Father, and that he was as it were to preside over the whole Church. He took with Him James, who was to be the first of all the disciples to die for Christ; but He took John as the clearest singer of the sacred doctrine, that having seen the glory of the Son, which submits not to time, he might sound forth, In the beginning was the Word. (John 1:1.)

Or, He takes these with Him as men who were able to conceal this thing, and reveal it to no one else. But going up into a mountain to pray, He teaches us to pray solitary, and going up, into stooping to earthly things.

It was said in Matthew and Mark that Moses and Elias appeared to them; here it is said that they appeared in glory, to teach us that saints departed are in glory, are in a glorious state; they shine in glory.

And it came to pass, about an eight days after those sayings,.... About a week after he had declared the above things, at, or near to Caesarea Philippi.

See an account of the transfiguration in Mat 17:1-13, and Mar 9:2-13. Luk 9:29 The fashion - The “appearance.” Glistering - Shining like lightning - of a bright, dazzling whiteness. As Mark says, “more white than any fuller could make it.” Luk 9:31 In glory - Of a glorious appearance. Of an appearance like that which the saints have in heaven. His decease - literally, his “exit” or “departure.” The word translated here “decease” - that is, exit, or “going out” - is elsewhere used to denote death. See 2Pe 1:

Matthew and Mark say (Mt 17:1; Mr 9:2) "after six days," excluding these two days. As the "sayings" so definitely connected with the transfiguration scene are those announcing His death--at which Peter and all the Twelve were so startled and scandalized--so this scene was designed to show to the eyes as well as the heart how glorious that death was in the view of Heaven.

The event described in these verses, commonly called "the transfiguration" — is one of the most remarkable events in the history of our Lord's earthly ministry. It is one of those passages which we should always read with particular thankfulness. It lifts a corner of the veil which hangs over the world to come — and throws light on some of the deepest truths of our religion. In the first place — this passage shows us something of the glory which Christ will have at His second coming.

The event described in these verses, commonly called "the transfiguration" — is one of the most remarkable events in the history of our Lord's earthly ministry. It is one of those passages which we should always read with particular thankfulness. It lifts a corner of the veil which hangs over the world to come — and throws light on some of the deepest truths of our religion. In the first place — this passage shows us something of the glory which Christ will have at His second coming. We read that, "As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white!" — and that the disciples who were with Him "saw His glory." We need not doubt that this marvelous vision was meant to encourage and strengthen our Lord's disciples. They had just been hearing of His cross and death — and the self-denial and sufferings to which they must submit themselves, if they would be saved. They were now cheered by a glimpse of the "glory that would follow," and the reward which all faithful servants of their Master would one day receive. They had seen their Master's day of weakness. They now saw, for a few minutes — a pattern and specimen of His future power and glory. Let us take comfort in the thought, that there are good things laid up in store for all true Christians — which shall make ample amends for the afflictions of this present time. Now is the season for carrying the cross, and sharing in our Savior's humiliation. The crown, the kingdom, the glory — are all yet to come! Christ and His people are now, like David in the cave of Adullam — despised, and lightly esteemed by the world. There seems no form or loveliness in Him, or in His service. But the hour is coming, and will soon be here — when Christ shall take to Himself His great power and reign, and put down every enemy under His feet!

About an eight days after - See the whole of this important transaction explained at large on Mat 17:1-13 (note).