Sunday: The Resurrection of Moses
Some Greek Church Fathers from Alexandria argued that, when Moses died, two Moseses were seen: one alive in the spirit, another dead in the body; one Moses ascending to heaven with angels, the other buried in the earth. (See Origen, Homilies on Joshua 2.1; Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 6.15.)
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This distinction between the assumption of the soul and the burial of the body might make sense to those who believe in the Greek concept of the immortal soul, but the idea is not in the Bible. Jude 9 confirms the biblical teaching of the resurrection of Moses’ body, because the dispute was “about the body of Moses” and not about any supposed surviving soul.
Deuteronomy 34:5-7 tells us that Moses died at 120 years of age, and the Lord buried him in a hidden place in a valley in the land of Moab. But Moses did not remain for very long in the grave. “Christ Himself, with the angels who had buried Moses, came down from heaven to call forth the sleeping saint. … For the first time Christ was about to give life to the dead. As the Prince of life and the shining ones approached the grave, Satan was alarmed for his supremacy. … Christ did not stoop to enter into controversy with Satan. … But Christ referred all to His Father, saying, ‘The Lord rebuke thee.’ Jude 9. … The resurrection was forever made certain. Satan was despoiled of his prey; the righteous dead would live again.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, Pages 478, 479.
A clear evidence of Moses’ resurrection is found at the Transfiguration. There Moses appeared with the prophet Elijah, who had been translated without seeing death (2 Kings 2:1-11). Moses and Elijah even dialogued with Jesus (see Luke 9:28-36). “And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30-31, , NKJV). Moses’ appearance, proof of Christ’s coming victory over sin and death, is depicted here in unmistakable terms. It was Moses and Elijah, not their “spirits” (after all, Elijah hadn’t died), who had appeared to Jesus there.
| Moses was not allowed to enter the earthly Canaan (Deuteronomy 34:1-4) but was taken into the heavenly Canaan. What does this teach about how God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV)? |
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I love how clear it is that Jesus was conversing with Moses and Elijah, there is no hint that this was just a vision, the wording clearly shows that these figures were literally, and physically,Elijah and Moses. That Elijah had not seen death is clear from the Bible. That Moses had died is also recorded, and God knowing some would eventually had used this text to push the view that he had gone to Heaven immediately after dying, Jude 9 mentions the rationale on which he had appeared on the Transfiguration, ie at some point, Jesus had come down and retrieved his body (from the grave). Here and little, and there a little!
They can recreate a whole person from DNA. How do you think the resurrection could happen otherwise? The saints are buried in memorial graves. The big question is, will we have all our memories? I say yes, I don't know the physics of it but the next thing to happen after the resurrection is the judgement. Maybe there are filters, who knows? How to pass under the rod and not be drafted out? The only way is if the Messiah vouches for you, otherwise its back to the dust.
It was a unique act of God to actually bury Moses Himself and no Israelite knew where the gravesite was, which gives us a clue that God intended something special for Moses.
At Moses' death, Satan was defying God by triumphing over Moses' being worthy of death just like everyone else. But thanks be to God, who is able to resurrect His people. In this case, with the resurrection of Moses, Satan was checkmated.
The transfiguration story has a theological significance.
So, the way I see it, Elijah and Moses represent 2 classes of God's people at Christ’s second coming.
Moses represents the dead in Christ who rise to a new life and Elijah represents those who are alive and remain who will be translated to heaven without experiencing death.
This helps us understand Christ‘s promise in Luke 9:27.
"Some standing here shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.“
I tend to think that God did not reveal the burial place of Moses to prevent the Israelites from making a shrine out of it and committing idolatry.
It clearly shows that at the end of time when Jesus comes again there is hope for the dead in Christ and the living who fear God and keep his commandments. In these last days we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and convict us. We shouldn't always be looking for miracles and wonders because that is how Satan will trap us. My prayer is that we walk and talk with God so that we may all be saved.
I just talked about the answer to the above question with our youth pastor. God is so wonderful, that He is able to accomplish much more than we can even think or ask! That's why we need to practice patience! Because He will always answer in a better way than we can think of! His ways are so much higher than ours... it's even a flaw to compare our abilities to God's!
About the matter of death and life? Thank God He is powerful and dominates it all! We have no power or knowledge to add even a second to our lives. We may be able to choose to end it, but not to restore it from death.
Jesus died for you and me to demonstrate to the whole Universe that His love is incomparable!
The power that works in us is God's love; which is rooted in our union with Christ, and faith in Him. Christ is the initiator of God's eternal purpose. Therefore, God is teaching us here that walking with Jesus Christ inspires us with confidence to overcome the sufferings and hardships of this world of sin. Thus, we can stand before God with hope. This has been sympathized by Moses when he stood before God, Jesus Christ; Elijah who walked with God and who is also the symbol of a man of faith; and the Satan who represents the defeated world of hardships, sufferings, and sins. Therefore, as we have seen that God has saved the body of Moses from Satan and resurrected it into life through Christ Jesus, God is more willing to do the same for us who believe in Jesus Christ.
Why the resurrection of Moses before the major resurrection where Christ is the first fruit? Which one should take precedence?
Good question, Simeon. The resurrection of Moses was contingent on the resurrection of Christ. Isaiah 29:16 and I Thessalonians 4:14 imply this, as well as I Corinthians 15:20 to which you have alluded.
As I see it, Moses could be raised sooner in time than Jesus, just because God knows the future perfectly (Isaiah 46:9-10), including the fact that Christ would be victor in the conflict with the forces of evil, and that He would rise from the dead.
Have a blessed day!
The resurrection of Moses was God's second answer to Satan's challenge that mankind was his along with this earth. Love (as expressed in Genesis 3:15) never cedes to deception and force. God has put us like a seal over his heart. His love for us is stronger than death—his jealousy for us breaks the power of the grave. Nothing can quench his love for us. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7.)
The resurrection of Moses was where God picked up the gauntlet that Satan had thrown down. Michael's answer to Satan's railing was emphatic, "The Lord rebuke you!" Amen.
I have been raising similar arguments
Remember Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8. I imagine that is why Satan was arguing over the body of Moses, claiming that Jesus had not died yet, but Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, so He was already the Savior of the world, and He was already Moses' Savior.
The lesson says that Moses was taken to the "heavenly Canaan." EGW supports this saying that he saw the land as it will appear when it becomes the saints'. Can anyone help me with Scriptures that make this case?
Hi, Jennifer. Thank you for your contribution.
Jude 9 strongly suggests that Moses was resurrected, and presumably taken to heaven. Matthew 17:1-8 shows Moses alive, and in company with Elijah, who we know was taken to heaven. (See 2 Kings 2:1-17)
Deuteronomy 34:1-4 tells of God supernaturally showing Moses all the land of Canaan, from the top of Pisgah. As you have pointed out, Ellen White wrote:
This appears to be an extrabiblical insight for the benefit of those readers who are confident in the evidence that she was writing with the benefit of prophetic visions.
Have a blessed day!
Beautiful contribution Amen
Thank you for all that take a few minutes to share important comments; enjoy reading. Blessings...
"14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." (Romans 5:14 KJV)
This verse speaks volumes to me.
Why did Jesus say in John 3:13 that no one has ascended up to heaven?
John I have wondered the same thing. Then I understood Jesus was referring to those still on earth who he was speaking to. The NLT makes it plain.
“No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.” John 3:13 NLT
I think Moses went back to the dust, to sleep, after administering to Jesus, just as Lazarus did. Back to the hidden valley where he rests in peace.
Remember the Prophet, Samuel being woken when Saul was dabbling in witchcraft. He was not pleased that Saul had disturbed his peace.
Violet Jude 9 teaches us that Moses was resurrected in a special resurection. Samuuel was not raised at all as you can see in my other comment.
Hi, John. You ask an excellent question. To answer it, my thoughts come from another angle. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah all went to heaven "in Jesus." That is, it was their faith in His future sacrifice that got them there. I believe that Jesus is pointing out the futility of trying to get to heaven without Him, as the Jewish leaders were attempting. No one had ever succeeded at that, and no one ever would.
So, I'm guessing Jesus wasn't the 1st person to be resurrected? I'm having trouble with this.
Hi, Edward. We understand that God knows the future. So, as I see it, He could raise anyone He pleased, from the dead, contingent on the death and resurrection of Christ, regardless of the timing.
I hope this helps.
He was the first fruits, which means a bit more than just your average resurrection. But, no he wasnt the first. Samuel got raised by a witch.
Then Jesus before his death, raised Lasarus from the grave to show them it can be done. He said he wasnt dead, only sleeping. Many were disturbed because he was losing credibility. He sounded like a mad man.
There is no way of knowing, but resurrections may happen all the time unknown to us. How do you know when you have met an angel? or a resurrected person? We all just assume we would know. But unless it is announced to you, how would you know? It is on a need to know basis.
Hi Vioet the Bible does not teach that Samuel was raised by a witch. It says Saul "perceived" it was Samuel or thought it was Samuel.
In 1 Samuel 28:1-25, even though Saul has outlawed mediums he goes to consult one. He wants to talk to Samuel, who is dead. Ironically, he never wanted to talk to Samuel while he was living, but now he does. Saul’s visit with the medium goes like this.
Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!” And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.” So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down. 1 Samuel 28:11-14 NKJV
At a careless glance it sure looks like Saul is talking to Samuel after he has died. Right? However, the Bible never says it was Samuel. Verse 14 says, “Saul perceived that it was Samuel.” What we perceived that we saw is not always what we actually saw. One synonym for “perceive” is “think.” So, Saul thought it was Samuel, but it wasn’t Samuel. Samuel was dead. At a careless glance it may look like Samuel actually appeared to Saul, but there is a big difference between perception and fact! I saw a documentary a few years ago about the first trip to the moon. One thing the astronauts had to be careful about was depth perception. Since the entire moon all looks the same, without any scenery or landscape, there is no depth perception. An astronaut may look at what he thinks is a little chughole, but in reality it is a canyon! You may think, oh well, there is not much weight on the moon, so no big deal if they fall into a canyon. They won’t get hurt. True, but they would also be stuck in that canyon with no way to get back to the spaceship. So, an inaccurate perception could be a fatal mistake. We are warned in the last days that Satan, through spiritualism, will be deceiving people to make inaccurate, fatal misperceptions.
The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the belief that spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as taught by popular theologians, spirits of the dead are hovering about their friends on earth, why should they not be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against evil, or to comfort them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man’s consciousness in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated by glorified spirits? Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds. He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of heaven, and without suspicion of danger, they give ear “to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven and even to occupy exalted positions there, and thus the error is widely taught that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest in the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. -Ellen White, Great Controversy, Pages 551-552.
I knew an elderly Adventist woman, who lived in a small Adventist community. Her husband died and was buried in a cemetery just a block or so form her house. About every day, she would visit his grave and “talk” to him. One day she looked out her front window and perceived to see him walking up the sidewalk. He stopped at the window and stared at her through the glass. Being an Adventist and knowing the state of the dead, she knew it was not her husband but a demon. This scared her into realizing she had been putting herself on the devil’s playground by her excessive visits, talking to her dead husband at his grave. After this experience she never returned to his grave. After all, she did not need to talk to her dead husband. She needed to be talking to Jesus, who could hear what she was saying, just like Saul did not need to be talking to dead Samuel. He should have been talking to God.
I don’t know if a demon really personified itself as this woman’s husband or if it was just her imagination. She claimed it was real and not just her imagination. Either way, it was a direct result of spiritualism, acting like she was talking to the dead.
Likewise, Saul put himself on the devil’s playground by talking to dead Samuel, and allowing demons to personify themselves, making Saul think he was seeing and communicating with a dead man. The Bible does not say it was Samuel. It says Saul perceived it was Samuel. It was a deception. The Bible is clear that the dead know nothing. Meanwhile, we are free to talk to God who is all-knowing.
I love how Christ upgraded Moses' request from seeing the promised land (since he was not allowed to enter) to entering the heavenly Promised Land (the Blessed Hope). Jude 9 tells us how the Lord personally resurrected Moses to take him home to His Kingdom (where He dwells). Like Moses, we can be there too if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The bible verse in, Epheisians 3:20, is a beautiful promise for all of us. The verse uplifts my hope in Christ because my prayer request only provides a human forecast of how I think my request will turnout or happen for me. Miraculously, my prayer request will turn out to be much better (and more) than I can imagine when I place my trust in God ( Philippians 4:13). Christ’s work is done by the Holy Spirit's power within us, rather than by our human strength (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38). There are three assurances I can take away from this verse in Ephesians 3:20: (1) prayer works, (2) God is in control, and (3) the resurrection is guaranteed. Assurance (1) places my faith in God when I pray to Him. Prayer works because my connection with Christ strengthens over time whether my prayers are not answered, delayed, or fulfilled. Assurance (2) puts my hope in Christ in providing me better promises in either this lifetime or the next because I know He is in control. God is in control because He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit. When we go through hardships in life and personal crucibles do not bring us completely down since a supernatural power is working in providing strength for us to move forward and overcome obstacles, sins, and the wiles of the devil. And, assurance (3) guarantees the resurrection power of Christ. The resurrection stories in the Old Testament times are examples that Christ alone has the power of life and to bring life itself. The Old Testament resurrection stories guarantee God’s people looking forward for Christ to be victorious over death as the promised Seed and sacrificial Lamb. Since I know from the gospel stories that Christ is risen from the grave does not make me afraid of death when my time comes. Christ resurrecting Moses teaches me that there is a better way of life than what this sinful world offers today.
In the entire Bible there is not even a trace of the text of Mosheh's resurrection. That Jude 1:9 does not mention the risen Moses, but his dead body.
It seems that in your reading of the "entire Bible," you may have missed Matt 17:3 and Luke 9:30. When you put those texts of Moses appearing to Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration together with Jude 9, where we read that "Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses," we have evidence of the resurrection of Moses.
The Bible explains itself when we compare Scripture with Scripture.
I have a question, were Moses and Elijah taken to heaven where God dwell or to another place awaiting the new Jerusalem at the second coming of Jesus?
Hebrews 11 after listing all the faith champions stated in verse 39 and 40
“All these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:39–40).