Steven Carr

When Moses appeared at the Transfiguration, was he physically resurrected?

In his book 'Matthew for Everyone - Part 2', NT Wright avoids this hot potato like the plague, confining himself to saying that there were Jewish legends that Moses never died.

But the Bible says Moses did die, so Wright's dodge hardly holds water.

So how can Wright hold that Jesus was the first resurrected person, and that all other people who were physically raised from the grave before Jesus died again (because they were resuscitated , not resurrected)?

Surely Moses must have been physically resurrected before Jesus was?

kciredor reprah

This is a most interesting thread. I had no idea that moses was suppose to have been resurrected as well, assuming you are correct in your assessment. In all cases, I will hang around to see what the other posters will come up with.


peace

Paradox

This does raise some interesting questions.
Christians would say that Jesus is the only truly resurrected man so far. As you suggested, the claim is that all of the others were merely resuscitated - they will die again physically at a later date. Lazarus would be another example of that (and there are plenty of others).

As for Moses and Elijah appearing as glorified humans before the disciples, technically this could be explained as a sort of future vision. Jesus also appeared glorified at that moment, but he actually hadn't been yet. Therefore Moses and Elijah needn't be thought of as glorified at that point either.

One of the interesting things is the fundamentalist views on Eschatology that often teaches that a literal Moses and a literal Elijah (the 2 witnesses forun in Revelation 13 I believe) will return to the world scene during the time of judgement on the Earth.
The letter to the Hebrews says that "man is appointed once to die" but the book of Revelation says that the beast kills the 2 witnesses. Ooops. Moses dies twice! (Elijah didn't die originally, he was whoosed away in a Holy UFO!)

Another interesting point is, how did the disciples know that it was Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration anyway?! Perhaps Jesus provided them with a neat little PDA each.

Al Kafirun

LOL They had little name-tags.

'Hello, my name is MO$E$'

sashang

From the NKJV
So I reckon Moses and Elijah just appeared. There's no need for them to be physically resurected - God can make them appear.

Steven Carr

The word for 'appeared' is the same as the word for 'appeared' in 1 Corinthians 15, when Jesus kept appearing to people.

So presumably there was no need for Jesus to be physically resurrected when he 'appeared'?!?

Zeda

Enoch also never died. Gen. 5:24

sashang

I suppose - I can't invent an excuse around this one. Maybe someone with the Holy Spirit blindfold could help.