The Transfiguration Witnesses Were Told to Be Silent
After the transfiguration, Jesus commanded the three witnesses to tell no one — until after the resurrection.
Matthew 17:9: 'And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.' Mark 9:9 gives the same charge. The three who witnessed the transfiguration — Peter, James, and John — were explicitly commanded to silence. The silence has a defined endpoint: 'until the Son of man be risen.' Mark 9:10 adds: 'And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.' They obeyed the silence while not comprehending the reason for it.
Red Letter Sources
Matthew 17:9
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Evidence Notes
Both Matthew 17:9 and Mark 9:9 record the silence command with the resurrection endpoint. Mark 9:10 records their compliance and confusion.
