“For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:17-18).
The Gospel of Mark records the event mentioned here in 2 Peter 1:17-18…
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them, and his clothes became dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’— because he did not know what to say, since they were terrified.
A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him!’ Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead” (Mark 9:2-9 CSB).
This experience revealed a dimension of Jesus’ nature that Peter and his fellow disciples had never encountered before, for it was then that “…His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (NIV).
In ancient times, people sometimes brought their clothes to a professional launderer known as a “fuller.” These fullers blended lye, an alkaline mineral, with oil to form a type of detergent. After a thorough cleaning with this solution, the fuller would treat the clothing with vinegar to neutralize the alkalinic properties of the lye. The freshly laundered clothes then received a final rinse and were ready to be worn again.
While this method was effective, it was also very harsh. For example, we commonly use lye to clear blockages in modern-day plumbing systems. The point is that Jesus’ clothes were whiter than even that process could make them.
In addition, the word that describes what took place in this passage is a form of the word “metamorphosis.” This word conveys the idea of a transformation and not a simple change in appearance. Unlike a spotlight that illuminated Jesus from afar, this overwhelming brilliance proceeded from Him. Thus, Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses to the glorious countenance that Jesus ordinarily kept hidden from view during His earthly ministry.