OneInFundieville

20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." ~ Exodus 33:20

11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. ~ Exodus 33:11

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. ~ John 3:13

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ~ 2 Kings 2:11

Is this special exemption status for Moses and Elijah somehow tied to their presence at the transfiguration?

GakuseiDon

Personally, I think that it is because both Moses and Elijah both ascended to heaven. The story is there to point to Jesus's own ascension, and to show the mantle of New Covenant maker and intermediary to God being passed on to Jesus.

Tigers!

Christ as came the fulfilment of scripture and God's plan.
Moses represented the Law while Elijah represented the Prophets.
The Transfiguartion showed that there was no conflict between the Law and Prophets on the one hand and Christ as God's Son. He is the Logos, the word of God.

Regarding Moses' end, he did die as noted in Deut. 34:5-8 while Elijah ascended to heaven via the chariot of fire.

FatherMithras

No they didn't. Moses very clearly died on earth in the story. It's Enoch and Elijah who didn't die. XD

Steven Carr

And why did Paul think Jesus was the 'first-fruits' when Moses clearly returned from the grave to Earth and never died again?

Surely Moses was the first person resurrected?

GakuseiDon

Sure, Moses died, but he also ascended to heaven, much like Jesus, at least according to Philo. In fact, IMHO that's how Paul viewed Jesus's death, burial and resurrection. From here:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book25.html
And some time afterwards, when he [Moses] was about to depart from hence to heaven, to take up his abode there, and leaving this mortal life to become immortal, having been summoned by the Father, who now changed him, having previously been a double being, composed of soul and body, into the nature of a single body...

IMO Paul believed that Jesus, the initiator of the New Covenant, also was resurrected as a single body. I used to believe that Paul was referring to a spiritual resurrection only, but now I think that Paul referred to a physical resurrection -- thus Paul believed in the empty tomb.

Steven Carr

So Moses was resurrected at the Transfiguration, being in his new body?

OneInFundieville

8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9But 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, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. ~ Jude 1

And all along I had thought for some reason Satan wanted his body.

Maybe they were just having a good intellectual dispute about which body and what type of body it was?

Elijah

Mosses went against the Pharaoh
Elijah went against the King
Jesus went against the Emperor

All were the sons of men taking a stand against the rulers of man in the name of the lord. Taking a stand against the man.

The transfiguration Mathew 17:5 And a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”

douglas

According to Malachi, Elijah had to be there...

So Elijah appears, and Jesus is "transfigured" into the Lord.

Regarding the transfiguration scene, this phrase in Mark has always puzzled me:

Is there some significance to this "three shelters" business? Mark obviously discredits the statement, but why would he do this?