MOSES AND ELIAS by John G. Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 2, 1880

MOSES AND ELIAS.

By John G. Matteson

BY ELD. J. G. MATTESON.

LUKE 9:27-36, tells us how the kingdom of glory was seen in miniature by three of the apostles. Jesus was glorified and the light of Heaven shone round about him. Two men from the mansions of glory visited him, and talked with him of his departure from this world. When Peter and those that were with him awoke out of their sleep they saw the glory of the Lord and the two men that stood with him. Then their hearts were filled with joy, and they felt so happy that they desired to remain in this beautiful place and make it their home.

Many have thought that at least one of the persons here spoken of, Moses, must have been a departed, immortal spirit, but this conjecture is not founded in truth. Elias, or Elijah, was translated bodily to Heaven. 2 Kings 2:11. When it is stated that Elias talked with Jesus, reference is made to that selfsame Elijah who once lived on the earth among the children of men. It does not denote merely his spirit or soul, but his whole spirit, soul, and body. No one can misunderstand this. “There talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias.” Verse 30. Elias is here spoken of as a man—not a disembodied spirit or soul. Peter did not see an invisible spirit, but he saw

“the two men that stood with” Jesus. Verse 32. Neither did he see one man and one spirit, but two men. If Elias was there bodily, then Moses was also there bodily. If one of them was a man, the other was also a man. If Elias on the mount of transfiguration was the same person—the same Elias—who proclaimed the word of God among the children of Israel in the days of king Ahab, then Moses, who was seen with him, was also the same person who led the Israelites out of Egypt.

How could these two men be with Christ on Mt. Tabor? Whence came they?

If Elias came from Heaven, whither he had been translated, then Moses no doubt came from the same place. But Moses died and was buried. How, then, could he come from Heaven?

The Lord could raise him up and take him home to himself. There are twenty and four elders around the throne of God in Heaven. They have been redeemed unto God from every kindred and people by the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 5:9. They have been made kings and priests unto our God, and shall reign on the earth. Verse 10. They are representatives of the people of God before his throne until the great day of redemption, when all the elect shall be gathered. Moses may be one of these elders.

Is there any reference in the Bible to the fact that Moses was raised from the dead? Yes, Michael, the archangel, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses. Jude 9. Michael is the great prince of the people of God who shall raise them up at the last day. Dan. 12:1, 2; John 6:39. The Life-giver would raise up Moses, but he that has the power of death would not let him go. Which one of the two came off victorious is seen on the mount of transfiguration. Jesus conquered the enemy. Moses came out from the tomb as really as Lazarus came out when he heard the voice of the Son of God. And Moses did not only receive life again, but he was glorified, and was seen in glory on the mount of transfiguration with Peter, James, and John. Luke 9:31.

Would the Lord then suffer Moses to return to hades? Certainly not! No more than he would suffer Elias to return to his earthly, mortal condition after he had been clothed with immortality.

Does not this contradict those texts which testify that Jesus was “the first-born from the dead,” Col. 1:18; “and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead?” Acts 26:23. Certainly not! The word “first” does not only mean first in point of time, but also first in dignity. The original word protos is thus defined by Greenfield: “First in time, order; first in dignity, importance, i.e., chief, principal, most important.” This is also seen by two parallel texts:—


“But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” Mark 10:31.	“And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Matt. 20:27.

These two words, “first” and “chief” are translated from protos, and all can see that they mean one and the same thing.

None can deny that Jesus was the first of the resurrected dead in dignity and importance. He is the chief among the resurrected dead ones. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of all other resurrections both before and after the time when he himself arose. But Jesus did not rise first in point of time. Some were raised by the prophets. “Women received their dead raised to life again.” Heb. 11:35. Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, and the widow’s son, of Nain, were all raised from the dead before Christ.

To avoid this plain truth, some have said that Christ was the first who was raised unto glory, and that this is what the Bible means when it says that Christ should be the first that should rise from the dead.

We cannot shape the meaning of the Bible according to the desire of this or that person. All we can do and all we wish to do, is to read what is there, and shape our ideas accordingly. The Bible does nowhere state that Christ should be the first that should rise from the dead unto glory. The words “unto glory” are added by men. In all other places in the Bible where the resurrection is spoken of in general, it denotes simply that the dead are raised unto life from the grave. Therefore it has also the same meaning here, since it is the same word used in the same manner.

Thus we see a beautiful harmony in the Bible, when we believe simply what it says, and leave out all human additions. Moses and Elias were really with our Saviour on the mount of transfiguration. One was raised from the dead and clothed with immortality; the other had been changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from mortality to immortality. Moses was a representative of the dead in Christ who shall be raised at the last day. Elias represented those who live on the earth and remain unto the coming of the Lord. These are all the subjects in the kingdom of glory. Christ, the King, was also there in glory. And a part of his kingdom shone with the light of Heaven, and was surrounded by the wall of salvation. Thus the kingdom of God—in miniature—was seen by three of the apostles before they died. And by this they were very much strengthened in their Christian faith. 2 Pet. 1:16-20.