What does Matthew 17:8 mean?
We're not told how long the transfiguration of Jesus lasted. Was it five minutes or five hours? After being addressed by the voice of God from a bright cloud, the three disciples fell on their faces in terror. By the time Jesus told them to rise, everything has returned to normal. Only Jesus remains and He has returned to His fully human appearance as the Son of Man (Matthew 17:1–7).Still, Peter, James, and John know what they saw. They never forgot the image of Jesus radiating the glory of heaven, clothed in dazzling white with His face shining like the sun as He spoke with the long-dead Moses and Elijah. They certainly never forgot the voice of God the Father declaring that Jesus is His beloved Son and commanding them to listen to Him.
As convincing as the experience was, the following chapters will show that their faith in Jesus still had plenty of room to grow. They still did not understand what Jesus must do next.