Moshe Was Both Dead and Buried
Now coming back to the matter of where both Moshe and Eliyah came from, to appear in glory and talk to the glorified Yah'shuah, before Yah'shuah's death at Yerushalayim.
It is clearly evident that Moshe died and was buried. Devarim (Deuteronomy) 34: 5-6 reads, "34:5So Moshe the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Mo'av, according to the word of Yahweh. 34:6He buried him in the valley in the land of Mo'av over against Beit-Pe`or: but no man knows of his tomb to this day." It is also evident, from our examination above, that Eliyah did not ascend up to the heaven that is Yahweh's throne, but was on earth several years after his being taken up into the heaven he was. Eliyah, as is common with other men, also died when his appointed days were complete.
Moshe and Eliyah Rose from the Dead to Speak with Yah'shuah
Seeing that both Moshe and Eliyah were dead, and seeing that both Moshe and Eliyah appeared in glory and talked with Yah'shuah before he died at Yerushalayim, it appears that both Moshe and Eliyah came from the dead to appear in glory and talk with Yah'shuah! Also, noting that they talked about what Yah'shuah was to accomplish by his impending death at Yerushalayim, it should indeed be clear that they came from the dead to have this conversation that they had with Yah'shuah, a conversation pertaining to an event that was shortly to take place. In other words, what the disciples saw WAS NOT a vision of the future kingdom of the resurrected Yah'shuah, but an event that was taking place right before their eyes!
Can human beings rise from the dead, and appear in glory? Did human beings rise from the dead and appear in glory before Yah'shuah's death? And seeing that they were not in heaven, for no human being had ascended to heaven, Father Yahweh's throne, by the time Yah'shuah was here on earth, where did Moshe and Eliyah come from?
Shemuel the Seer Rose from the Dead
1 Shemuel (Samuel) 28: 1-25 reads, "28:1It happened in those days, that the Pelishtim gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Yisra'el. Akhish said to David, 'Know you assuredly, that you shall go out with me in the host, you and your men.' 28:2David said to Akhish, 'Therefore you shall know what your servant will do.' Akhish said to David, 'Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.' 28:3Now Shemu'el was dead, and all Yisra'el had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Sha'ul had put away those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. 28:4The Pelishtim gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem. And Sha'ul gathered all Yisra'el together, and they encamped in Gilboa. 28:5When Sha'ul saw the host of the Pelishtim, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 28:6When Sha'ul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn't answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 28:7Then said Sha'ul to his servants, 'Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.' His servants said to him, 'Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at En-dor.' 28:8Sha'ul disguised himself, and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, 'Please divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whoever I shall name to you.' 28:9The woman said to him, 'Behold, you know what Sha'ul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then lay you a snare for my life, to cause me to die?' 28:10Sha'ul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, 'As Yahweh lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.' 28:11Then said the woman, 'Whom shall I bring up to you?' He said, 'Bring me up Shemu'el.' 28:12When the woman saw Shemu'el, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Sha'ul, saying, 'Why have you deceived me?' For you are Sha'ul. 28:13The king said to her, 'Don't be afraid: for what do you see?' The woman said to Sha'ul, 'I see a mighty one coming up out of the earth.' 28:14He said to her, 'What form is he of?' She said, 'An old man comes up; and he is covered with a robe.' Sha'ul perceived that it was Shemu'el, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. 28:15Shemu'el said to Sha'ul, 'Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up?' Sha'ul answered, 'I am sore distressed; for the Pelishtim make war against me, and the Mighty One is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.' 28:16Shemu'el said, 'Why then do you ask of me, seeing Yahweh is departed from you, and is become your adversary? 28:17Yahweh has done to you, as he spoke by me. And Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David. 28:18Because you didn't obey the voice of Yahweh, and didn't execute his fierce wrath on `Amalek, therefore has Yahweh done this thing to you this day. 28:19Moreover Yahweh will deliver Yisra'el also with you into the hand of the Pelishtim; and tomorrow shall you and your sons be with me. Yahweh will deliver the host of Yisra'el also into the hand of the Pelishtim.' 28:20Then Sha'ul fell immediately his full length on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Shemu'el. And there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. 28:21The woman came to Sha'ul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said to him, 'Behold, your handmaid has listened to your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.' 28:22Now therefore, please listen also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way. 28:23But he refused, and said, 'I will not eat.' But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed. 28:24The woman had a fattened calf in the house; and she hurried, and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake matzah of it. 28:25And she brought it before Sha'ul, and before his servants; and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night."
It should be clear from 1 Shemuel 28 that Shemuel had been long dead and buried at the time the woman with a familiar spirit brought him up out of the earth. His form was distinctly human, that of an old man covered with a robe, but also different, for he came up as a "mighty one"! It should also be noted that the Scripture clearly calls this old man, this mighty one, Shemuel! In other words, this was indeed Shemuel, and NOT some other person. If it was some other person Yahweh would have seen to it that he was so described. But since he was called Shemuel, and all references, even to his speech, show that he was indeed Shemuel, it should be clear that this indeed was Shemuel, and not some other person. Therefore Shemuel came up from the dead, out of the earth! And his appearance was as the form of a "mighty one"!
That his appearance was as that of a "mighty one" suggests that he was indeed in some form of glory!
The Habitation of the Dead is Under the Earth
It should also be noted that Shemuel told Shaul that both he and his sons would the following day join Shemuel wherever he was under the earth. In other words, Shemuel was telling Shaul that the habitation of the dead is under the earth! And it made no difference whether those dead had been righteous or not. For Shemuel was righteous, yet he was under the earth. And Shaul was evil, yet even he, once dead, was joining Shemuel under the earth. Therefore the habitation of the dead is under the earth!
It should also be remembered, from our examination of the death of the Tzarfat widow's son, and how Yahweh gave him life again, that what gives life to human beings, flesh, is the spirit in them, otherwise called soul. When this spirit is in man, in flesh, man lives, the flesh lives. When this spirit departs from man, departs from flesh, man dies, the flesh dies. Therefore it is the spirit in man that gives him life.
Also, the spirit in man can depart from flesh, and come back into it again. For that is what happened in the case of the widow's son. To come again into flesh implies that it was in some locality from which it came. With our knowledge gleaned from 1 Shemuel 28 it is evident that the spirits of the dead are somewhere under the earth.
Are the Dead Aware of Events on Earth?
In 1 Shemuel 28: 15 Shemuel asked Shaul why Shaul had disquieted or disturbed Shemuel in bringing him up from the dead. This would suggest that Shemuel was not expected to have known of the reason why Shaul had disturbed him in bringing him up from the dead. If so, why was he not expected to have so known the reason? Is it the case that the dead are indeed unaware of the events here on earth when they are dead? For had Shemuel known why Shaul had disturbed him from his dead state, he would not have needed to ask him why he was disturbed from his dead state, unless he was only doing so rhetorically.
In 1 Shemuel 28: 16-19 it should be noted that Shemuel spoke about events that had occurred while he was still alive, and also about an event that would occur in the future from the time that he was speaking to Shaul. He did not comment about events that had occurred between the time of his death and the time that he was then speaking to Shaul.
Why was there a gap of time in Shemuel's comments? Why did he speak about the future, and about the past when he was alive, and not about the past when he was dead? Might it have been the case that he was not aware of events that had been occurring on earth during the time that he was dead? And how did he come to be aware of an event that was to occur in the future?
With respect to Shemuel being aware of events that were to occur in future it appears that he obtained revelation from Yahweh even as when he was still alive. For when he was alive the word of Yahweh used to come to him to reveal to him events to take place in future. Therefore, concerning this prophecy he gave to Shaul, it appears that the word of Yahweh did indeed come to him to have enabled him to prophesy of the future. But why did he not speak about the past between the time of his death and the time that he was communicating with Shaul?
Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 9: 3-5b reads, " 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 9:4For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 9:5For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything."
Kohelet 9: 3 shows that there is indeed a place that houses the dead. For it says that once the sons of men have completed their living, their days of life on this earth, they go to the dead. Implying that there is a particular location where the dead are indeed located.
Kohelet 9: 5 shows that the dead DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING! They do not even know that they are dead! They do not even know that they will live! They know nothing! Therefore, in the habitation of the dead, where the dead are, they know nothing!
It therefore appears that Shemuel, when he was indeed dead, when his spirit had departed from his body, his flesh, knew nothing! He did not know of any event taking place from the time that he died. He therefore did not know of events that took place between the time of his death, and the time that Shaul disturbed him from his habitation with the dead. This would explain why there was a time gap in his comments to Shaul. In that he spoke about events before he died, and also spoke about an event to take place in the future, but did not speak about events that took place between his death and his being disturbed from his dead state.
It should therefore be clear that the dead are NOT aware of events taking place on earth while they are in a dead state. It therefore appears that the spirits of the dead are not aware of events taking place on earth once they depart from the human body, once they depart from flesh.
Where Moshe and Eliyah Came From When they Appeared to Yah'shuah
Therefore, coming back to Moshe and Eliyah appearing in glory and talking with Yah'shuah about the things Yah'shuah was to accomplish by his impending death at Yerushalayim, it should be clear what happened. It appears that what the disciples saw were the spirits of Moshe and Eliyah, with a glorious appearance, talking with Yah'shuah, also in a glorious appearance. And seeing that Shemuel spoke about the future when he appeared and communicated to Shaul, so also did Moshe and Eliyah speak about the future when they appeared in glory and spoke with Yah'shuah. It therefore appears that both Moshe and Eliyah came up out of the earth to communicate with Yah'shuah about Yah'shuah's impending death at Yerushalayim.
It should also be noted that Moshe and Eliyah are not stated in the scriptures as having spoken about events that took place in the periods between their respective deaths, and the time they rose from the dead to speak with Yah'shuah about Yah'shuah's impending death at Yerushalayim. For, noting Yahweh's words in Kohelet 9: 5, they indeed knew nothing while they were in a dead state. It therefore appears that they were indeed risen from the dead, and in glory, for the purpose of fulfilling Yah'shuah's words to his disciples, that some of Yah'shuah's disciples would not die before they saw the kingdom of the Mighty One.
It should also be noted that Scripture does not discount the possibility of a spirit appearing to men, even the spirit of a dead person.
Luke 24: 36-43 reads, " 24:36As they said these things, Yah'shuah himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, 'Shalom be to you.'
24:37
But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they saw a spirit.24:38
He said to them, 'Why are you troubled? Why do questionings arise in your hearts? 24:39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.' 24:40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 24:41While they still didn't believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, 'Do you have anything here to eat?'24:42
They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 24:43He took it, and ate in front of them."It should be noted from Luke 24: 37 that the disciples thought that the resurrected Yah'shuah who appeared and stood in the midst of them was a spirit. In other words, they thought that a spirit could indeed suddenly appear to human beings, and look like a human being.
In his comments to them Yah'shuah informed them that he had not appeared to them in spirit format, but in "flesh and bone" format, and encouraged them to touch and feel him. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones. He further reassured them by eating of the food they gave him, showing that he appeared to them in "flesh and bone" format, and not in spirit format.
But in the case of Moshe and Eliyah appearing in glory and talking with Yah'shuah, there is no record that the disciples touched them and felt them. There is no record that they appeared in flesh and bone format. There is no record that they ate anything such as flesh eats. It therefore appears that they appeared in glorified spirit format, and not in flesh format.
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