Moses and Elijah: Alive in the Heavenly Kingdom

Matthew 17

1 And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, and brings them up into an high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

3 And, behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.

4 Then answered Peter, and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5 While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear you him.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said to them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say to you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done to him whatever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist.

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for often he falls into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him here to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.

21 However, this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.

22 And while they stayed in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Does not your master pay tribute?

25 He says, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What think you, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

26 Peter says to him, Of strangers. Jesus says to him, Then are the children free.

27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go you to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money: that take, and give to them for me and you.

Mark 9

1 And he said to them, Truly I say to you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

2 And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4 And there appeared to them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he knew not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

12 And he answered and told them, Elias truly comes first, and restores all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nothing.

13 But I say to you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they listed, as it is written of him.

14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

16 And he asked the scribes, What question you with them?

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought to you my son, which has a dumb spirit;

18 And wherever he takes him, he tears him: and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away: and I spoke to your disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answers him, and says, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me.

20 And they brought him to him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came to him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And often it has cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if you can do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help you my unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying to him, You dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; so that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said to them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

30 And they departed there, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

31 For he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and says to them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the middle of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them,

37 Whoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me: and whoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and he follows not us: and we forbade him, because he follows not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

41 For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

43 And if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if your foot offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46 Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.

47 And if your eye offend you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48 Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.

49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, with which will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Luke 9

1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

3 And he said to them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor money, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

4 And whatever house you enter into, there abide, and there depart.

5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;

8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said to him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

13 But he said to them, Give you them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.

16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and broke, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?

19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

20 He said to them, But whom say you that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

21 And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whoever will save his life shall lose it: but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

26 For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31 Who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

34 While he thus spoke, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech you, look on my son: for he is my only child.

39 And, see, a spirit takes him, and he suddenly cries out; and it tears him that he foams again, and bruising him hardly departs from him.

40 And I sought your disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring your son here.

42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

48 And said to them, Whoever shall receive this child in my name receives me: and whoever shall receive me receives him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name; and we forbade him, because he follows not with us.

50 And Jesus said to him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, will you that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You know not what manner of spirit you are of.

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said to him, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.

58 And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has not where to lay his head.

59 And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go you and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow you; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said to him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Yes, Moses and Elijah are indeed alive in heaven, having been placed there as representatives of the two classes of people who will inhabit the future kingdom of gloryHvn 44.1+1.

The Nature of the Transfiguration

The scene on the mount was a miniature representation of the coming kingdom of ChristFUMP 12.4+1. In this divine demonstration, Jesus appeared in His glorified state, just as He will appear when He returns in the majesty of His Father with the holy angels Matthew 17:2+1HLv 285.4. Moses and Elijah were sent from the heavenly courts to comfort and strengthen the Savior for His upcoming sacrifice in Jerusalem Luke 9:30-314BC 1172.6+1.

Elijah: The Representative of the Living

Elijah is in heaven because he was translated from the earth without ever experiencing deathMBSG 3.1+1.

• His Departure: He was carried up by a whirlwind into heaven in a chariot of fire 2 Kings 2:11SITI March 1, 1883, page 98.11.

• His Role: On the mount, he represented the righteous who will be living on the earth at the second advent of ChristHvn 102.3+1. These individuals will not taste death but will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from mortal to immortal at the last trump 1 Corinthians 15:51-53Hvn 102.3.

Moses: The Representative of the Risen Dead

Moses is also alive in heaven, having been raised from the grave by the Son of GodSITI July 23, 1885, page 439.6.

• His Death and Resurrection: Although Moses died and was buried by God in the land of Moab, he was later resurrectedARSH October 28, 1858, page 181.5+1. This is evident because he appeared bodily on the mount, and the Scriptures show that Michael the Archangel (Christ) disputed with the devil over the body of Moses Jude 1:9MOSP 54.1.

• His Role: Moses stood on the mount as a witness to Christ’s victory over sin and death, representing the vast multitude of righteous dead who will be called forth from their graves at the resurrection of the justHvn 44.1+1.

The Testimony of the Eye-Witnesses

The disciples Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses of this majesty and heard the voice of God the Father acknowledging Jesus as His beloved Son Matthew 17:5+1RH February 25, 1896, par. 10. This event was not a mere phantom appearance; it was a real and literal transaction involving actual persons in their glorified bodiesARSH May 28, 1861, page 12.1+1. The presence of these two men proves that God’s plan for reaching the next world is through either translation or resurrection from the deadSITI August 27, 1885, page 519.2+1. 🌟