Trance (Hastings' Dictionary)

While in class. Greek iKaraaii has the meaning of frenzj', in Bib. Greek it is not found in this strong sense, but means either distraction of mind due to fear or astonish- ment (Ps 16" LXX, Ac 3'"), or religious rapture (Ac 10'" 11°).

In the strict sense, religious ecstasy denotes a state in which the mind is so dominate<l by emotional excitement that sensibility to external impressions, the free activity of the intellect, and the initiative and control of the will, are for the moment in abeyance. Its signilicaiico as a medium of revelations was found precisely in this suppres- sion of the ordinary mental functions, the mind being regarded as under the control of the Deity, and therefore as His instrument.

Ecstasy has been, and is, a more or less familiar phenomcinm in almost all religions, more especially in times of religious excitement. While occurring spontane- ously, recourse has often been had to arfilici.al means, such as the concentration of the iiiitul on an abstract idea or significant word, fasting, lixing of the look, seclusion, whirling and bodily contor- tion— above all, music and dancing. In the early davs of Heb. prophecy such stimulants were not unknown (1 S 10', 2 Iv 3").

When, however, we come to the canonical prophets, there can no longer be any question of ecstasy in the sense of a morbid state. What is indicated by such expres- sions as ' the hand of the Loni> was upon me ' is rather a religious exaltation of spirit, in which the free activity of the mind is not suppressed but heightened. Such a state lies behind vision as its psychological condition. See V'isioM.

The prophets never appeal to the abnormal character of their experience as authenticating their message. In the Apostolic Church we find a revival of ecstasy in the stricter sense, as an accompaniment of the fresh and often violent religious awakening (1 Co \i-"-, Ac 2'^). It found expression in rapt utter- ances. While yielding a certain recognition to this gift of tongues St. Paul indicates that it was apt to breed confusion (1 Co 14^-^), and he places it under strict rule.

He himself had also the gift of tongues, but he does not set great store I'y it (1 Co W] • and while he relates a marvel- lous ecstatic experience of his own (2 Co 12-"'-), he nowhere traces his doctrines to such a source. His allusion to this experience is too vague to admit of its character being precisely defined. See, further, the articles on PROPHET. W. Morgan. TRANSFIGURATION, THE The word comes from tnnix/ii/iinitii.i e.<it, the Vulg. tr.

oi inrcfioptpiiBri in the narratives of Matt, and Mark. Elsewhere this verb is rendered either reforinari (Ro I2-) or transformari (2 Co 3'). The event which it desig- nates is recorded thrice (Mt 17'", Mk 9-"", Lk9^*') and alluded to once (2 P l'«-i») in NT. The narra- tives of Matt, and M.ark agree closely in wording. But Matt, alone records that when the disciples heard the voice they fell on their faces ; and that Jesus came and touched them and said, ' Arise, and be not afraid.'

Mark alone has the words, ' so as no fuller on earth can whiten them.' Luke is more independent. Excepting as regards Peter's ex- clamation and the voice from heaven, his wording is mainly his own ; and even in Peter's words he renders 'liabbi' by his favourite 'ETnarara, where Matt, has Ki'/pie. Luke alone tells us that Jesus went up the mount to pra;/, and that He was pray- ing when He was transfigured.

In exjiressing the Transfiguration he avoids iierefiopipwOii (which might have suggested to Gentile readers the meta- morphoses of heathen deities), and substitutes the chaiacteristio iytviTo Irepov. And he alone tells us that Moses and Elijah were talking of Christ's lioSoi at Jerusalem, and that the disciples were heavy with sleep. The main questions respecting this unique inci- dent in the life of Christ are those as to the place, the nature, and the signilicance of it.

(1) As to the 'high mountain' (Matt., Mark), which when 2 Pet. was written had become ' the holy mountain,' there are two traditions, which cjin be traced to the 4th century, (a) That it was the Mt. of Olircs. This is incredible. Both before and after the Transliguration Christ is in Galilee. And the Mt. of Olives would not have been called liiptjXdv. (;3) That it was .Mt. Julmr. This is near enough to Ca^sarea Philippi to be possible ; an<l, although it is only about 1700 ft.

above the sea, it appears to be III lull higher, and commamis a very extensiva view. But it is not probable. Just a week (' six days,' Matt., Mark; 'about eight days,' Luke) belore this event Christ was at Ciesarea Philippi. After it He went through Galilee toCapemaum(Mk 808 TRAVAIL TREASURE, TREASURER, TREASURY 9»- ^, Mt 17"- ^) on His way to Jenisalem. Would He have gone from Coesarea Pliilippi past Cajier- naura to Tabor, and then back to Capernaum ?

A much more serious objection is that at this time there ■was a vilhige or town on Tabor, wluch Josephus fortilied against Vespasian (BJvf. i. 8, II. xx. G ; of. Ant. XIV. vi. 3) ; so that the necessary solitude (/tar' ISlav, Matt., Mark) could hardly be found there. Yet Cyril of Jerusalem (Catcch. xii. 16) regards it as certain ; and through the great influence of Jerome this tradition became widely accepted. In the Greek Church the Feast of the Transhguration (Aug. 6) is called t6 Qafiuptov.

l!ut (7) the best modern \\Titers prefer Jft. Ucrmon (Keim, Lichten- stein. Porter, Schatf, Stanley, Kitter, Robinson, Trench, Tristram). It is over 9000 ft. high, and could easily be reached ia much less than a week from C:esarea Philippi. (2) Christ calls the event a 'vision,' <pa/ia (Mt 17"), which does not mean that it was unreal. It was not one person's optical delusion, but a vision granted to three persons at once. It was a Divine revelation, the manner of which is unknown to us.

We can neither athrm nor deny that Moses and Elijah, who had both been taken from the earth in a s\ipernatural way, were there in the body, or only in the spirit, or not at all, except by representation. That the event is historical is shown by the three harmonious accounts, by tiie intelligible connexion with what precedes and follows, and by the im- probability that an inventor would have invented the prohibition to speak of it.

Matt, gives Christ's prohibition j Luke states that the disciples kept silence ; Mark records both the prohibition and their obedience. There is no suspicious similarity be- tween this event and the Transliguration of Moses, ! although Strauss and Keira maintain that there is. And the silence of John is no ditliculty, for he would readily omit what liad been so often told before. The allusion in 2 Pet. is evidence of what was com- monly believed when that letter was written.

That a fact corresponding to all this e\-idence took place is the most reasonable explanation of the evidence. (3) The meaning of the event is more within our comprehension than the manner of it. Whether it is correct to call it ' the culminating point in Christ's public ministry ' or ' the great dividing line in the life ' is not certain. That in consequence of it a ' sense of urgency and of the immediateness of a great crisis weighs upon the Lord ' is more than we know.

It was a foretaste of Christ's glory both in earth and in heaven. As such it served to strengthen the disciples, who had been greatly disturbed by the prediction of Christ's suilbrings and death ; and to this end they were allowed to listen to Moses and Elijah talking with Him about His death, and to hear the heavenly voice, which had proclaimed His Divine Sonship previous to His ministry, proclaim the same previous to His Passion. It snowed them the supernatural char- acter of His kingdom.

It helped them to see that the OT being fulfilled by Christ is done away Ln Christ. Mosesand Elijah vanish, and ' Jesusalone' (Matt., Mark, Luke) remains. To Christ Himself it may have had signilicance also. Whether or not it conveyed to Him any larger knowledge of His Father's will, this foretaste of His glory may have helped Him to bear the prospect of His approaching suHerings.

He accepted the strengthening of an angel in Gethsemane, and may have accepted some analogous strengthening on the mount. LiTRRATURB. — See Comm. and Lives of Christ ; also the Diet, and Kiicyc. articlee on 'Transtlgunition ' and * Verlilarung.' See also 'The Sl^'nificance o( the Transfiguration,' by W. J. Moulton, la Bihl. and Sem. Studiet (Yale Univ.), 1901, pp. 157-210. A. Plummer.