WAS MOSES RESURRECTED? by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 12, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 31.

WAS MOSES RESURRECTED?

By Editor

A CORRESPONDENT quotes the following from the "Spirit of Prophecy," Vol. 1, p. 342: "Michael or Christ, with the angels that buried Moses, came down from Heaven, after he had remained in the grave a short time, and resurrected him, and took him to Heaven;" and asks us to harmonize this with John 3:13, which reads thus: "And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even the Son of man which is in Heaven."

There is no lack of harmony between the above quotations. We cannot harmonize what is not in harmony. We will try, however, to show our querist the harmony existing between them.

His first objection to the raising of Moses is that "no man hath ascended to Heaven." But we reply that Enoch was translated and did not see death. God took him to the heavenly mansions. Gen. 6:24; Heb. 11:5. Elijah, the type of the forerunner of Christ at both his first and second advents, was also translated without seeing death. "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven." 2 Kings 2:11.

This is positive Bible testimony therefore that two men at least were taken up into Heaven, and if two could be taken to Heaven, three could as well; and three being taken there would no more contradict John 3:13 than would one. Therefore any objection against the raising of Moses and the "Spirit of Prophecy" stands equally strong against the cases of Enoch and Elijah and the Scriptures noted above.

But none of these conflict with John 3:13 when rightly understood. Nicodemus asks concerning the new birth, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered, "Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things?" They have been manifested often in Israel, and yet Nicodemus is incredulous. Jesus continues: "We speak that we do know and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you of earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" Then follows the passage in question, before quoted.

What did our Lord mean by this? He meant this: 1. The message which he brought to earth came direct from God. His communion with the Father was so uninterrupted that he could be said to be in Heaven. Verse 13. 2. If this testimony of Christ could be rejected, what hope could there be for him who rejected it. Jesus gave what he knew and had seen. If Nicodemus would not accept of what he had said of the earthly change, how could he believe if Christ told him of the heavenly? 3. And then our Lord positively states that his message is the only hope. "No man hath ascended up to Heaven [to learn this message and bear it to the world] but he that came down from Heaven." Belief in him and his mission alone would avail aught for the proud Pharisee. Verses 16, 17. This interpretation is in harmony with the context, does no violation to the text, and is in accord with all the Scriptures. Christ is the only one who received the message of life from God for the world; in no one else could any hope.

No one had ascended for the purpose of receiving such a message, no one had come from Heaven with such a message but Christ. See John 5:33, 38, 57, 62; Eph. 4:9, 10.

That Moses was raised from the dead is clearly evident from the Scriptures. 1. Jude tells us that Michael the Archangel disputed with the devil about the body of Moses. Verse 9. The Archangel is Christ. Compare 1 Thess. 4:16 and John 5:28, 29. The voice of the Head over all the angels, and the voice of the Son of God are the same. Satan caused death through sin. James 1:15; Heb. 2:14. He claimed Moses as his lawful captive. Christ is the life-giver; he takes from the captor his prey. In such a contention, we know that Jehovah would rebuke the enemy, and the body of Moses would be given life.

2. In confirmation of the above position is the appearance of Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration fifteen hundred years after his death. Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ. The one was as really and truly Moses as the other was Elijah, and both were as real as Jesus and the disciples. Matt. 17:1-9. As Moses died he must have had a resurrection from the dead, in order to appear at this time. In further proof of this, take Peter's reference to this experience in his second epistle, chapter first. He had not "followed cunningly devised fables" in making known the power and coming of Christ. He had been an eye-witness of his majesty on the glorious mount. The transfiguration was a miniature representation of the coming kingdom of Christ. In that kingdom the subjects will be made up of two classes: those who have been raised from the dead, and those who are translated without seeing death. Moses was the type of the former class, Elijah of the latter.

The above scriptures are certainly sufficient to prove to a candid believer in the resurrection that Moses was raised from the dead. In fact the presence of Moses on the mount proves this, and the purpose for which he was there, as shown by Peter, confirms that view, and both scriptures explain and are strengthened by the testimony of Jude.

But as objections to the resurrection of Moses, our correspondent brings Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; and 1 Cor. 15:23. The first text says, "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." The second text refers to Christ as "the first-born from the dead;" and the third reads, "Christ the first-fruits."

The above texts cannot mean that the resurrection of Christ was first in point of time; for Elijah raised from death the widow's son (1 Kings 17:17-23), Elisha raised to life the Shunammite's son, long before the raising of Christ (2 Kings 4:32-37); and Jesus raised from the dead the son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus. It may be said that these resurrections were not to immortality, and this is true; but the power of death was broken by them just as veritably as though they had been resurrections to eternal life. Paul knew of all these cases. He certainly did not contradict what Inspiration had before recorded.

The true idea of Acts 26:23 is that Christ was the first to rise from the dead and show light, by his resurrection, unto the people. Others had risen, but they had no more light to give to the people afterward than before. Christ was the first to rise and give light. The Revised Version reads, "How that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles." Other translations give the same idea. His resurrection proclaimed to the world that Satan and death were conquered, and that life and immortality were assured to the race.

First-born and first-fruits do not always refer to priority of time, but to preeminence, or position. So it is said of Christ prophetically, as the seed of David, "I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth." Ps. 89:27. That is, he would have the preeminence. Ephraim is said to be the first-born (Jer. 31:9), though Manasseh was older. Israel is said to be the first-born (Ex. 4:22), though Esau was older. So Christ is the first-born and the first-fruits in importance and preeminence. In fact, it was by virtue of his resurrection that all were raised from the dead, or will be raised. In the great scheme of redemption, in the promise of God, Christ was both first and preeminent.

That the dead are taken to Heaven at the coming of Christ, is shown in the article on the "Day of the Lord," in the SIGNS of August 5, of the present volume. That they receive their great and final reward upon the earth is also evident from many scriptures. The promise which God made to the fathers was that they should be heirs of the world (Rom. 4:13), which will be the earth made new. Of this the land of Canaan, the promised land of Israel according to the flesh, was the type. Moses saw the type. He has not, nor have others, entered upon their eternal reign; nor will they till the faithful of all ages ascend with Christ to the new Jerusalem, the capital city of the regenerated earth. In this glorified state they will abide forever; for abiding refers not to place, but to continued existence. And all this knowledge comes through Him who revealed it to us from Heaven. All of the power to do God's will comes from the power of his resurrection. M. C. W.