@daq I have a problem with the assumption that this must be in the fall. For instance, in the Spring, the prevailing wind is from the North and East bringing the last vestiges of cool fronts to the area. At night it can become very cool and it is not uncommon to built booths around a shared fire pit. This is basic bushcraft that anyone would know. Just saying. I'm a - p a s h a t - kinda guy...
Hmmm, well, I didn't quote Luke 9:34-35, Nahum 1:3, Zechariah 14:3-4, or 2 Peter 1:17-18, so how is my reading of Luke 9:12-33 not pashat?
The scripture I cited locks me in on this.
Matthew 16:13-28 ASV
13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? [Luke 9:18]
14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. [Luke 9:19]
15 He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? [Luke 9:20]
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. [Luke 9:20]
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.[Luke 9:21]
21 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. [Luke 9:22]
22 And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [Luke 9:23]
25 For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. [Luke 9:24]
26 For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? [Luke 9:25]
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. [Luke 9:26]
28 Verily I say unto you, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. [Luke 9:27]
The context exactly follows the Luke companion passage except that Luke omits the keys of the kingdom portion, Mathew 16:17-19, and the episode of rebuke concerning Peter, Matthew 16:22-23. The Matthew passage, as plainly seen above, ends with the segue statement, Matthew 16:27, leading into the transfiguration event, Matthew 17:1. And what does the very next statement in the Luke companion passage say?
Luke 9:28 ASV
28 And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray.
According to the pashat reading of Luke 9 the transfiguration event is a mere eight days after the discourse at Caesarea Philippi. Whether one wants to believe that is in the fall or not, or whether it is right around Sukkot or not, is a different story altogether: but my readings of the verses cited above herein regarding this are also pashat, the plain and simple reading of those texts.
For example Zechariah 14:3-4 says the feet of the Most High will stand upon/over, (
על), the mount of Olives, and that passage also makes mention of Sukkot later toward the end of the passage. Nahum 1:3 plainly states that the clouds are the dust of His feet, and that isn't my interpretation or a sod reading: that is simply what the Prophet says.
The Luke passage continues with the cloud enveloping them, and the voice from the cloud, which is clearly intended to be the voice of the Father.
Luke 9:34-35 ASV
34 And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him.
And the clouds are the dust of His feet, (Nahum 1:3).
That's not a sod reading: perhaps it may be considered a sod understanding, but it derives from a simple pashat reading of those texts.