彼得后书写于教会堕落且背道的时候。教会建立大约三十年以后，背道开始偷着进来，人就偏离基本信仰的路。有些人教导异端。其中一个异端是，关于主耶稣在荣耀里回来的传讲是虚构无稽之事，是不可信或不可靠的传说。我们来到彼后三章，就会看见有些好讥诮的人说，“主来临的应许在那里？”
在一章十六节，使徒传讲并教导主耶稣基督的大能和祂的来临（原文意同在）。对不信者而言，关于主来临的传讲，听起来很像虚构无稽之事或迷信的传说。但彼得说，使徒曾将主耶稣基督的大能和祂的来临告诉人，并不是随从乖巧捏造的虚构无稽之事。
关于“亲眼见证人”这辞，达秘解释说，“得进入眼前荣耀的景象。这辞用以指完全引进奥秘里。”彼得晓得在主变化形像时，他和雅各、约翰乃是得许可极其完全的进入其中，观看祂的威荣。他认为主的变化形像乃是祂再来的豫像，就如主在路加九章二十六至三十六节所认为的。主在荣耀里变化形像是个事实，彼得曾在其中。主在荣耀里再来也要成为事实，和祂变化形像一样真实，彼得也要在其中。使徒不是向信徒陈述乖巧捏造的虚构无稽之事。
彼得说，使徒作主威荣的亲眼见证人。这威荣指显赫，在辉煌、尊贵、荣耀、甚至显赫荣耀里的伟大（彼后一17），正如主变化形像时，彼得和其他两位门徒所亲眼看见的（太十七1-2，路九32）。在这里，彼得似乎说，“我们曾告诉你们，主耶稣要在荣耀里回来。这不是传说或虚构无稽之事。甚至祂在地上时，荣耀就从祂出来，祂就变化形像。我们同祂在山上时，看见祂的威荣。我们是亲眼见证人；我们被引进祂荣耀的景象。”在本节里彼得将主的变化形像与祂的回来相题并论。这就是说，基督的变化形像是祂来临的豫像。
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Lord’s Coming and His Power – 2 Pet. 16-17
The Epistle of Second Peter was written in the time of the church’s degradation and apostasy. Approximately thirty years after the church had been established, apostasy began to creep in. There was a deviation from the track of fundamental belief and certain ones were teaching heresy. One of these heresies was that the preaching concerning the coming back of the Lord Jesus in glory is a myth, a tale that is not believable or trustworthy. As we shall see when we come to chapter three, certain mockers said, “Where is the promise of his coming?”
In verse 16 the apostles preached and taught concerning the power and coming (Gk. parousia, presence) of the Lord Jesus Christ. To unbelievers, the preaching concerning the Lord’s coming sounded very much like a myth or superstitious tale. But here Peter says that the apostles did not follow cleverly devised myths when they made known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Concerning the word “eyewitnesses”, Darby comments, “‘Admitted into immediate vision of the glory,’ a word used for full initiation into the mysteries.” Peter realizes that he, James and John were admitted to the highest degree of initiation at the Lord’s transfiguration, and admitted to be the initiated spectators of his majesty. Peter considers the Lord’s transfiguration as a figure of his second coming, even as the Lord did in Luke 9:26-36. The Lord’s transfiguration in glory was a fact, and Peter was in it. The Lord’s coming back in glory will also be a fact as real as his transfiguration, and Peter will also be in it. This is not a cleverly devised myth passed on to the believers by the apostles.
Peter says that the apostles became eyewitnesses of the Lord’s majesty. This majesty denotes magnificence, greatness in splendor, honor and glory, even magnificent glory (2 Pet. 1:17), as appeared to the eyes of Peter and the other two disciples in the Lord’s transfiguration (Matt. 17:2; Luke 9:32). Here Peter seems to be saying, “We have told you that the Lord Jesus will come back in glory. This is not a tale or a myth. Even when he was on earth, the glory came out of him and he was transfigured. We saw his majesty when we were with him on the mountain. We were eyewitnesses and initiated into a vision of his glory.” In this verse Peter combines the Lord’s transfiguration with his coming back. This means that Christ’s transfiguration is a prefigure of his coming.