The Moses And Elijah Vision

Moses observed the Christian Feast of Tabernacles (see also Calendar of Christ's Holy Days), after the Exodus, when the LORD (see Who Is The LORD?) first gave it to the "church in the wilderness" (see The First Christian Church).

"^23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses [see Israel In History and Prophecy: Moses] , saying, ^23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ^23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. ^23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein." (Leviticus 23:33-36 KJV)

The Messiah instructed the Israelites to live in "tabernacles" during "feast unto the LORD seven days."

"^23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. ^23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. ^23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ^23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ^23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 23:39-43 KJV)

The prophet Elijah (see The Prophets: Elijah), as a true man of God, also observed all of the genuine Holy Days of the LORD. Elijah was primarily a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel after the division of Israel into "Israel" and "Judah" (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel and Judah). He warned them of the wrath to come from the LORD if they did not repent of the corruption that had marked the founding of the northern kingdom by Jeroboam - which included the perversion of the manner, the time and the place in which the Feast of Tabernacles was to be observed.

"^12:26 And Jeroboam [see Jeroboam Of Israel; also Kings of Israel and Judah] said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: ^12:27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

^12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. ^12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. ^12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

^12:31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi [see No Levites In The Lost Ten Tribes?]. ^12:32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. ^12:33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense." (1 Kings 12:26-33 KJV)

"His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him"

Mount Hermon, from the Hebrew word pronounced ker-mone, meaning abrupt, is the eastern extension of the Lebanon mountain range. Consisting of a ridge about 32 kilometers / 20 miles long, with three peaks rising up to 2,800 meters / 9,200 feet above the Mediterranean Sea, it marked the early northern boundary of Israel (see also Dan's Galilee Panhandle). Mount Hermon's majestic snow-covered peaks (Mount Hermon was a source of ice for the Israelites, as indicated by another name that it is known by - ice mountain - where people also go skiing on its slopes) can be seen from far south into Israel, to the west in Lebanon, and to the east in Syria. It would have been a well-known sight for Jesus Christ all of His life in Galilee.

From His Galilee Ministry (see The Prophet Of Galilee), many believe that the area of Mount Hermon was where the famous "transfiguration" prophetic vision of the Kingdom of God occurred. Consider the context of what led to the vision i.e. "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."

"^16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

^16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

^16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

^16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ^16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. ^16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ^16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. ^16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:21-28 KJV)

The vision occurred, from Galilee, up on a "high mountain."

"^17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, ^17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. ^17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." (Matthew 17:1-3 KJV)

Peter made a very interesting, and profoundly accurate and appropriate statement: "let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

"^17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." (Matthew 17:4 KJV)

Then, just as He had done at the Baptism of the Messiah, God Spoke.

"^17:5 While he yet spake, 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 ye him." (Matthew 17:5 KJV)

The Messiah then stated emphatically that it was a prophetic vision, of what He had already stated i.e." the Son of man coming in his kingdom."

"^17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. ^17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. ^17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

^17:9 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." (Matthew 17:6-9 KJV)

Fact Finder: What will Moses and Elijah be doing at the time of that vision?
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This Day In History, October 5

456: Visigoths under King Theodoric II invaded Spain with an army of Burgundians, Franks and Goths, led by the Kings Chilperic I and Gondioc. They defeated the Suebi under King Rechiar on the River Urbicus near Astorga.

610: The coronation of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius.

869: The 8th Church of Rome Ecumenical Council opened in Constantinople (listen to our Sermon Constantine's Papacy). The East-West conference was held between Pope Adrian II and Basil I to condemn iconoclasm (the destruction of religious images and idols).

1285: King Philip III of France died of the plague that was then ravaging Europe.

1502: Christopher Columbus discovered what is today called Costa Rica (the people who were already in Costa Rica knew that it was there, centuries before Europeans "discovered" it; see also No 'Flat Earth' In The Bible to see how people who believed in the Scriptures already knew things that the "explorers" didn't).

1511: Pope Julius II formed the Holy League between Aragon, Venice and the papacy. Its purpose was to defend the unity of the Roman Catholic church and to drive the French out of Italy (see also The Holy Roman Empire).

1762: The British fleet captured Spanish-held Manila in the Philippines.

1795: The Hudson Bay Company began construction on a fortified fur-trading post on the future site of the city of Edmonton.

1796: During the Napoleonic Wars, Spain declared war on Britain.

1813: The Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812 (1812-1814). British troops and Canadian militia under Maj. Gen. Henry Proctor halted the U.S. invasion forces near Moraviantown, northeast of present day Chatham, Ontario. Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, who, like the Canadians, was defending his homeland, was killed in the battle.

1877: Nez Perce Chief Joseph surrendered to the U.S. Army in Montana, only 40 miles short of their over 1,600 mile journey to reach freedom in the Canadian prairies. He and his people were shipped back south in cattle cars to prison camps during and after which hundreds died of disease and squalor.

1908: Bulgaria declared independence from the Ottoman empire (listen to our Sermon The Ottoman Empire).

1910: Portugal was declared a republic after a successful revolt against King Manuel II.

1944: During the Second World War, Royal Canadian Air Force pilots shot down the first German jet fighter.

1964: 57 people from East Germany reached West Berlin by digging a tunnel under the Berlin Wall - the largest single escape from the communist country up to that date (see also Ein Volk! Ein Reich! Ein Euro!).

1970: Anwar Sadat was nominated to succeed Gamal Nasser as President of Egypt.

1983: Polish Solidarity union leader Lech Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (back then, Nobel Peace Prize winners actually did something to earn it).

1984: Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space, aboard the U.S. space shuttle Challenger (the Challenger was lost due to an explosion shortly after launch in 1986).

1986: Israel's secret nuclear weapons were verified. The British newspaper The Sunday Times ran Mordechai Vanunu's story on its front page under the headline: "Revealed - the secrets of Israel's nuclear arsenal."

1990: Meir Kahane, founder of the Jewish Defense League, was assassinated in New York at age 58.