Moses and Elijah - The transfiguration

[JCISGD]

So just to be clear, not only did we see that in the presence of Christ is life, but also life in a resurrected body?

Would it have even been possible for them to appear with their resurrected bodies before the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? He's the firstborn Son of God, and I personally believe He is the first.

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Jesus wouldn't have been first if Moses and Elijah had already received their glorified bodies.

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I have never seen that before but think its a very good point, which i am inclined to agree with.

[nebula]

It could be that Moses and Elijah were able to be seen the same way the angels at the tomb were able to be seen.

[~candice~]

It could be that Moses and Elijah were able to be seen the same way the angels at the tomb were able to be seen.

Could be I guess. I thought we got our incorruptable glorified bodies much later. Col 1:8 was a real surprise to me.

[RebekahDavid]

Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

I am thinking this is a vision given to Peter and the Sons of Thunder so they would be able to give witness of the new incorruptible bodies believers will inherit after resurrection.A proof?

My thoughts only.

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

blesssings,

this is also my understanding as well that it was a vision of the future much like the visions of the future that David and others had.

love your sister in Christ,

Rebekah David

[Openly Curious]

Hi All

I have been doing a bible study on the body / soul / spirit and what happens to each part when we die (differentiating of course between the saved and the unsaved).

Moses and Elijah then turn out to be very interesting cases to look at. It was my understanding that as OT Saints, they would be in paradise awaiting the victorious preaching of Christ when He descended during His 3 days between the crucifixion and the resurrection. It was at this point in time that the OT saints in paradise went to heaven to be with Christ after His ascention. Is this correct?

It is also my current understanding that Moses and Elijah returned to earth with resurrected bodies and their spirit. Kinda confusing to me because I thought that we got our resurrected bodies at the rapture / second coming. I don't know greek well enough to pull the transfiguration verses apart and demonstrate that they did return bodily, but most commentators seem to suggest that this is the case.

Gets even more interesting if you believe they are the two witnesses at the end .

Moses and Elijah are throwing out my "timeline" of what happens to us after death, can I take this as a special exemption, or is there an error in my understanding?

Blessings

Andy

"Body" ",soul,"and "Spirit"

Our "bodies" return to dust when we die

Genesis 27a--And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground,

Genesis 3:19--In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Our "soul" returns back to the Lord for it is the very breath of God that he gave us.

Genesis 2:7--And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;" and man became a "living soul."

Our "spirits" are who we really are and our character that resides in this temple of clay and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8 --We are confident, I say and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

[Openly Curious]

I'm sorry but I didn't get to finish my previous post. I had something that took me away.

My thoughts are probably much different than most on the transfiguration with Moses and Elijah. In my opinion I think that Moses and Elijah came to encourage Jesus before he went to the cross.

If you think of Moses he didn't get to go into the promise land and Moses did die in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 34:5-7) it was the Lord who buried the body of Moses and no man to this day knows where the sepulchre of Moses is as it is secret. Moses was 120 years old when he died.

There seemed to be some kind of contention going on over the body of Moses look at...........

Jude vs. 9--Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

The archangel Michael was fighting with the devil over the body of Moses but Michael did not bring an accusation against the devil. But instead Michael turned to the Lord and said, The Lord rebuke thee. For it was the Lord who had the authority over the body of Moses and this was not without reason that God hid the body of Moses and Michael rebuked the devil for fighting over it.

Now we come to Elijah...........

2 Kings 2:11--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.

You can clearly see that Elijah did not die a physical death, and was not buried but was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind.

As far as the body, soul, and spirit of Moses was concerned, he died a physical death and was buried in the earth by the Lord. Obviously, the Lord had a purpose for the body of Moses. Moses lived and died and was buried and resurrected. Within my thoughts, this was a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of the body of Jesus. I also believe that Moses appeared at the transfiguration in spirit.

Now we look at Elijah he lived on this earth but instead of going by way of the grave he was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. You ask yourself why? Again within my thoughts I believe Elijah was a symbol of the resurrection. So at the transfiguration you have the death, burial and resurrection portrayed. It is my opinion that both Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus to encourage him as his body would have to go to the cross and suffer agony that I'll never know or experience. Jesus was buried after taken from the cross.

Colossians 2:13-15 tells us what Jesus did while in the grave those three days. Jesus triumped and spoiled principalites and powers, he made a show of them openly. Satan and all his power was defeated and the body of Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave resurrected on the third day.

I believe that Elijah once again is a picture of the resurrection and he was there to encourage Jesus that he would be resurrected on the third day and taken back up to heaven. Jesus in the garden agonized and prayed to the Father, to let this cup pass from me. So, Jesus also was resurrected and I'm sure when the Lord saw these on the mountain of transfiguration that he too would be transformed from death to life where the grave could no longer hold him. From a man to our risen Lord.

Elijah was different from Moses as I thought he appeared in spirit. Elijah's body was never buried in an earthly grave. So you can say, the body of Elijah did not return to dust from which he came.

The body of Elijah still contained the spirit and the soul so it makes it kind of hard to see what form he appeared in at the tranfiguration. When you look at transfiguration in and of itself it is an obvious change in form like in appearance. A change that glorifies or exalts, so it is a change in form or in appearance. So in light of this Elijah could have been transformed so I may be wrong but I think he appeared in body.

Moses in spirit

Elijah in body

[nebula]

As far as the body, soul, and spirit of Moses was concerned, he died a physical death and was buried in the earth by the Lord. Obviously, the Lord had a purpose for the body of Moses. Moses lived and died and was buried and resurrected.

Resurrected? Aren't you stretching your imagination a bit there?

If his body was resurrected, what did he do afterward? And why?

Most scholars believe that the Lord kept Moses' body hidden (what the fight with Satan was over) because if the Israelites had it, they would make an idol out of it/him. (Just like they did with the bronze serpent.)

[Openly Curious]

name='nebula' date='Jan 30 2010, 08:21 AM' post='1497642'

name='Openly Curious' post='1497640' date='Jan 30 2010, 08:10 AM']As far as the body, soul, and spirit of Moses was concerned, he died a physical death and was buried in the earth by the Lord. Obviously, the Lord had a purpose for the body of Moses. Moses lived and died and was buried and resurrected.

Aren't you stretching your imagination a bit there?

If his body was resurrected, what did he do afterward? And why?

My train of thought is that when Jesus resurrected all those who were held captive by Satan came up with Jesus as he released all those captive. Many of those who were resurrected were seen and their were witness. I believe Moses was one of those that were resurrected along with Abraham and Lazuras and along with so many others when Jesus came up out of that tomb as death could not hold him. But this is where I speak from when I say, resurrected. Moses after being resurrected went or ascended up to heaven with so many of the other saints. After this I do not even claim to know what Moses is doing right now.

Maybe you could give some of your thoughts about Moses and what he is doing right now.

I would be interested in what your thoughts are.

[mizzdy]

name='nebula' date='Jan 30 2010, 08:21 AM' post='1497642'

name='Openly Curious' post='1497640' date='Jan 30 2010, 08:10 AM']As far as the body, soul, and spirit of Moses was concerned, he died a physical death and was buried in the earth by the Lord. Obviously, the Lord had a purpose for the body of Moses. Moses lived and died and was buried and resurrected.

Aren't you stretching your imagination a bit there?

If his body was resurrected, what did he do afterward? And why?

My train of thought is that when Jesus resurrected all those who were held captive by Satan came up with Jesus as he released all those captive. Many of those who were resurrected were seen and their were witness. I believe Moses was one of those that were resurrected along with Abraham and Lazuras and along with so many others when Jesus came up out of that tomb as death could not hold him. But this is where I speak from when I say, resurrected. Moses after being resurrected went or ascended up to heaven with so many of the other saints. After this I do not even claim to know what Moses is doing right now.

Maybe you could give some of your thoughts about Moses and what he is doing right now.

I would be interested in what your thoughts are.

Yeshua would have to already been crucified for Moses to have been resurrected right? When we read of the transfiguration it was before He was crucified so Moses nor anyone else could have been resurrected correct? So that could not have been Moses in his resurrected body.

[nebula]

Maybe you could give some of your thoughts about Moses and what he is doing right now.

I would be interested in what your thoughts are.

I am thinking that it is not for us to worry about what the saints who have gone before are doing.