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Moses at the transfiguration

rjones

Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
314
I have a question about Moses being present at the transfiguration. I read in Numbers 20:12 and Deuteronomy 1:37 that God told Moses He could not enter in to the promised land yet at the mount of transfiguration, he was there. Please help me to understand this.
 
The promised land and where He was at the transfiguration are entirely two different things. The promised land is literally the land that GOD promised to give the Israelites. At the transfiguration, it was a divine event that glorified GOD in Jesus Christ and the fact that Moses was there is an obvious sign that he was in Heaven with GOD as well. GOD never told Moses he would not enter Heaven.

Deuteronomy 27:2-4

2 And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. 3 You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the LORD your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the LORD God of your fathers promised you. 4 Therefore it shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, and you shall whitewash them with lime.

Numbers 20:23-29

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying: 24 “Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” 27 So Moses did just as the LORD commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

The people come to Zin, They murmur for water, Moses directed to smite the rock, The infirmity of Moses and Aaron.

After thirty-eight years' tedious abode in the wilderness, the armies of Israel advanced towards Canaan again. There was no water for the congregation. We live in a wanting world, and wherever we are, must expect to meet with something to put us out. It is a great mercy to have plenty of water, a mercy which, if we found the want of, we should more own the worth of. Hereupon they murmured against Moses and Aaron. They spake the same absurd and brutish language their fathers had done.

It made their crime the worse, that they had smarted so long for the discontent and distrusts of their fathers, yet they venture in the same steps. Moses must again, in God's name, command water out of a rock for them; God is as able as ever to supply his people with what is needful for them. But Moses and Aaron acted wrong. They took much of the glory of this work of wonder to themselves; as if it were done by some power or worthiness of their own. They were to speak to the rock, but they smote it.

Therefore it is charged upon them, that they did not sanctify God, that is, they did not give to him alone that glory of this miracle which was due unto his name. And being provoked by the people, Moses spake unadvisedly with his lips. The same pride of man would still usurp the office of the appointed Mediator; and become to ourselves wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Such a state of sinful independence, such a rebellion of the soul
against its Saviour, the voice of God condemns in every page of the gospel. (Nu 20:14-21)
 
Thanks Chad. I was confused. I thought that the area where the transfiguration took place was in the promised land that the Israelites went in to possess. And Luke 9:30 says Jesus talked with 2 men. Moses and Elijah.
 
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Interesting....Moses did make it into the promised land finally (albeit very briefly.) I never thought of it that way.

You are technically correct rjones, in that the supernatural transfiguration of Jesus, where He spoke with Moses and Elijah, (Mat 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-35) did occur in the promised land, the land of Israel.
It was thousands of years previously that Moses was forbidden to take the Israelites the final step of their journey into the promised land.

"You shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." Numbers 20:12

The two events are quite dissimilar, occurring with thousands of years in between. Interesting though...

:love:
evangeline
 
Moses did not enter the Promised Land during his lifetime. Therefore, Nu 20:12 and Dt 1:37 were not negated by the Transfiguration.

SLE
 
I believe that Gods Word is infallable and perfect and that there are no contradictions. I believe that the old testament is Jesus consealed and the new testament is Jesus revealed. With that being said, I believe that the appearance of Moses at the transfiguration does not negate what God told Moses many years before. Maybe, and I'm just asking, this could be another old testament example of the grace of God. Or maybe Moses being there represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. I'm just trying to have a better understanding of our Lords Word so I can rightly divide it as the Word teaches.
 
"lost" in translation

If it helps, a more complete way to say in English the Hebrew phrase that t the Lord told Moses back in the OT would be "While you live, you will not enter the Promised Land."

Moses died and was buried on Mt. Nebo.
For him to appear after his physical death would not violate the mandate given above.
 
Thanks Janette...that makes things very clear.

Personally I find that the two "events" are completely unrelated, with God's earlier prohibition having no bearing on Moses after his death.

I think God's ban on Moses taking God's people into the promised land is plain and clear, and it is obvious that Moses never did enter the land during his lifetime. I think to extrapolate anything more is unfounded.

:love:
evangeline
 
The story of Elijah being taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kgs 2:11) is familiar to all of us, but there's a verse tucked away in Jude that indicates that Moses might be there in bodily form, too:

"But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him..." (Jude 9)

SLE
 
I was reading this today while studying adout this. I find this most facinating SpiritledEd. Why would Satan dispute Michael about the body of Moses?
 
RJJones:

This is only an uneducated guess on my part and my study Bible notes say that the statement in Jude 9 probably originated in a non-canonical first century book called "The Testament of Moses". But, I think that Satan could have been frantically trying to forestall or prevent Moses being recognized by the Jews as a follower of Jesus.

Think what a impact that could have on the Jewish people; how it could hasten their coming to Christ (see Romans 11: 25-27)!

SLE
 
Thank you for sharing your insight with me SpiritledEd. How amazing and perfect and powerful is Gods Word. This has been an awesome study for me. Thanks for all the responses to this thread. I speak blessings over all that read this. In Jesus name.
 
Hi I'm sorry to have a stupid question, but what is the transfiguration?

I probably know what it is, but not familiar with the terminology. Brief explanation please if you don't mind
 
<dl><dt>Transfiguration</dt><dd>
</dd></dl> of our Lord on a "high mountain apart," is described by each of the three evangelists (Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36). The fullest account is given by Luke, who, no doubt, was informed by Peter, who was present on the occasion. What these evangelists record was an absolute historical reality, and not a mere vision. The concurrence between them in all the circumstances of the incident is exact. John seems to allude to it also (John 1:14). Forty years after the event Peter distinctly makes mention of it (2 Pet. 1:16-18). In describing the sanctification of believers, Paul also seems to allude to this majestic and glorious appearance of our Lord on the "holy mount" (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18).

The place of the transfiguration was probably Mount Hermon (q.v.), and not Mount Tabor, as is commonly supposed.
 
Another word for Transfiguration would be - metamorphosis (a complete interior and exterior bodily change).

SLE
 
The Transfiguration, in which Moses and Elijah featured in supporting roles as witnesses to Jesus, was not a one-off event but a prophetic sign of the kind of death Jesus was going to suffer in order to give eternal life to many more who believe.
 
Just want to say what a blessing for me to come across this discussion.
Excellent question and equally Scriptural answers.

Have a blessed Lord's day.
 
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