Moses
While most Christians might consider Moses just one of many godly men of the Bible, although certainly one of the most prominent, he is viewed very differently by the Jews, both ancient and modern. Abraham is, without question, considered the father of the nation and a superlative example of faith in action. Other remarkable men like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were prophets of the Lord who denounced sin and predicted future events. Men like Daniel and Joseph were known for their exemplary character and godly ways. However, Moses was the person chosen by God to liberate the Jews from slavery in Egypt. He not only worked great miracles in Egypt, but led the Jews through forty years of wandering in the wilderness, finally leading them to the edge of the promised land. Perhaps, most importantly, it was Moses who received the law from God on Mt. Sinai and was the only person we know of that God spoke to "face to face". Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. (Exodus 33:11 NASB) The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, (Deuteronomy 5:4 NASB)
In other words, Moses was considered not only the greatest leader and teacher that Judaism has ever known, but the Scriptures tell us that he was also the greatest prophet of all time... Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NASB) Also See Has Anyone Ever Seen God?
Moses' Great Messianic Prophecy
In a very specific prediction, Moses told the Jews that God would, in the future, raise up another prophet who would in some way be "like" him, and those that did not listen to this prophet would be held accountable by the Lord Himself.
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him... 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 'It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15. 18-19 NASB)
Not only do Christians recognize this prophecy as pointing to the Messiah, but the Jews did so as well. Based on a prophecy made in the book of Malachi, the Jews expected the Old Testament Prophet Elijah to literally and physically return to announce the appearance of the Messiah. This is clearly seen in the questions the priests and Levites from Jerusalem put to John the Baptist. They asked wanted to know whether John was Elijah come to announce the advent of the Messiah, or whether he was the Christ Himself. They used the words "the Prophet" in a clear reference to Deuteronomy 18.. This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he *said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." (John 1:19-23 NASB) See Details Below
When the multitudes witnessed Jesus' miracle of feeding five thousand people with a mere five loaves of bread and two small fish, they immediately assumed that He was the Prophet that Moses said would come into the world. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. (John 6:14-15 NASB)
Similarly, when Jesus spoke to the people at the Feast of Booths, many of them were astonished at His teachings and once again thought He had to be either the Messiah Himself, or the Prophet whom they expected would precede the coming of the Messiah Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet." Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? (John 7:40-41 NASB)
How Jesus and The Disciples Understood Moses' Prophecy
The disciples understood that Deuteronomy 18 was speaking about Jesus . When He asked them who the people thought He was, they replied
"Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:14-16 NASB)
Jesus certainly applied Moses' words to Himself... Moses told the Jews that whoever did not listen to the words of the Lord spoken through the coming prophet, would answer to the Father Himself. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him... 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 'It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15. 18-19 NASB)
In John 5:46, Jesus told the Jews that Moses had written about Him, and, if they did not listen to Him as Moses had instructed, it would be Moses who would accuse them before the Father. (Although there are several verses in the Pentateuch that spoke of the Messiah, the most obvious one that Jesus could have been referring to was Deuteronomy 18). "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (John 5:45-47 NASB)
Philip: After Phillip became a disciple of Jesus, he told Nathanael that they had found the one of whom Moses wrote The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:43-45 NASB)
Peter: In Acts 3 Peter healed a lame beggar who sat at the gate of the temple. When the crowd gathered in amazement, Peter delivered a powerful evangelistic message, telling them that the cripple had been healed by Jesus, the "Holy and Righteous One" whom they had disowned. He instructed them to "repent and return", so that their sins might be wiped away (Vs. 19) and quoted the Lord's words in Deuteronomy, warning them that those that did not heed the prophet would be "utterly destroyed". "Moses said, 'the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' (Acts 3:22-23 NASB)
Was Jesus The Prophet "Like" Moses?
When Moses, the most revered man in Judaism, said that the coming prophet would be like him, it seems that the background, life and works of anyone who claimed to be the Messiah would be carefully compared to the background, life and works of Moses. And, that this comparison would be an important factor in determining whether the claimant was indeed the prophet spoken of by Moses, or a mere pretender to the throne.
If the Jews had done this, perhaps many more of them would have paid heed to everything Jesus said, simply because there were numerous parallels in the lives of Moses and Jesus, most of which were well beyond human control. The evidence is actually very compelling. One of the factors they entirely missed (or attributed to coincidence) was that there were approximately 400 years between the time God made the covenant with Abraham and the time He sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. There were approximately 400 years between Malachi's prophecy that God was going to send Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6) and Jesus arrival. See Approximate Timeline 1) Both Moses and Jesus were born under an oppressive foreign rule, their very lives threatened by corrupt and brutal kings who would stop at nothing to stay in power. In Moses time, Pharaoh, fearing the numbers of the Hebrew slaves, ordered the death of all new born male babies. Similarly, just after Jesus was born Herod, fearing the rise of another king, ordered the death of all male children under the age of two. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birth-stool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. (Exodus 1:15-17 NASB) Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "a voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more." (Matthew 2:16-18 NASB)
2) Both Moses and Jesus spent their early years in Egypt, miraculously protected from those who sought their lives. Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2:1-10 NASB) Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "out of Egypt i called my Son." (Matthew 2:13-15 NASB)
3) Both Moses and Jesus rejected the possibility of becoming earthly kings. Moses was raised as a son in Pharaoh's court which meant he could have lived very lavishly... possibly as a ruler of Egypt. Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would bow down and worship him. Moses refused to enjoy the passing pleasures of this world and went on to deliver his people from slavery and lead them to the promised land. Jesus rejected Satan's offer, choosing instead to fulfill the mission He was sent to earth for ... deliver His people from the consequences of their sins, and lead them to the promised land. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. (Hebrews 11:24-27 NASB) Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'you shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:8-10 NASB)
4) Both Moses and Jesus lived during a time Israel was suffering under foreign domination. In Moses time the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and during Jesus time the nation was under Roman rule. 5) Moses rescued Israel from the dead religion of pagan Egypt, Jesus rescued Israel from dead 'letter of the law' traditions. 6) Both Moses and Jesus authenticated their mission and teachings with signs and miracles 7) Both Moses and Jesus were mediators of a blood covenant: Moses was the mediator of the first covenant while Jesus was the mediator of the new covenant. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:11-15 NASB. Also see Matthew 26:26-28)
8) On the fourteenth day of Nisan, Moses instituted the Passover when the angel of death "passed over" the houses of the Jews that were covered by the lamb's blood, but caused the death of the first-born of all families in the houses that were not. On the feast of the Passover Jesus offered himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. God will "pass over" (not execute judgment) every Christian who is protected by the blood of the lamb Jesus. 'For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the Lord. 'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13 NASB) The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NASB)
9) Moses stretched his hand over the Red Sea causing it to part, Jesus calmed a storm by rebuking the winds and the sea (possibly the Sea of Tiberias). Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (Exodus 14:21-22 NASB) They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" (Luke 8:24-25 NASB)
10) Both Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days and faced spiritual crises on mountain tops. Jesus before beginning His ministry and Moses while he was writing down the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28; Matthew 4:1-2) So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28 NASB) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. (Matthew 4:1-2 NASB)
11) Both Moses and Jesus' faces shone with the glory of heaven. Moses on Mount Sinai, and Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. (Exodus 34:29-30 NASB) Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. (Matthew 17:1-2 NASB)
12) Moses sent 12 spies to spy on the land of Canaan that was to be given to Israel, Jesus sent His 12 disciples to preach the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them." (Numbers 13:2 NASB) When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. (Matthew 11:1 NASB. Read Matthew chapter 10 for context)
13) In Numbers 21 we are told that the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people in punishment for their endless whining and complaining. Many of them died and the remaining people, fearful for their lives, asked Moses to intercede with the Lord on their behalf. On God's instructions Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole, that the people might look on it and be healed. As the serpent was lifted up on the pole, Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross. Just as there was no remedy for the wounded Israelites to be cured and live, other than looking to the serpent on the pole, there is no way, other than looking in faith to Jesus and the cross, for anyone to be forgiven of sin and live... Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9 NASB) "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (John 12:32 NASB)
14) Similarly, when the Israelites under Joshua were fighting a battle with the Amalekites, it went their way as long as Moses held his arms up. Moses also had two people on either side of him during this battle. This was symbolic of Jesus conquering death, our ultimate enemy, by his upraised arms on the cross, with two thieves crucified alongside Him. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (Exodus 17:11-13 NASB) There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. (John 19:18 NASB)
15) Moses appointed 70 elders to help him deal with the people. Jesus appointed 70 disciples to go into the villages and towns, and prepare the way for His coming. The Lord therefore said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. "Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone. (Numbers 11:16-17 NASB) Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. (Luke 10:1 NASB)
16) Moses' brother Aaron became the first high priest of the temple. Jesus' brother James, was prominent among the elders of the church at Jerusalem, if not actually the head of the Jerusalem church. "Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me--Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. (Exodus 28:1 NASB) After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me. (Acts 15:13 NASB) After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. (Acts 21:17-18 NASB)
17) Moses promised that another Prophet would come; Jesus promised believers that His Father would send them the Holy Spirit. 18) Neither Moses' not Jesus' body remained where it was buried. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. (Deuteronomy 34:6 NASB) The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. (Matthew 28:5-6 NASB)
Although there is some dispute about verse 9 in the book of Jude, it seems that Moses' body was claimed by Michael... But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9 NASB)
Footnote I... Elijah Would Return - Not Once But Twice
1) Some 400 years before John the Baptist was born, Malachi made the following prophecy (Emphasis Added)\
"Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1 NASB)
Based on Malachi's words, the Jews expected (and continue to expect) the Old Testament Prophet Elijah to literally and physically return to announce the appearance of the Messiah, who would free them from Roman domination and exalt Israel over all the nations of the earth. Jews around the world still set out a cup of wine for Elijah at Passover while the smallest boy in the family is delegated to open a door to invite Elijah to join the Passover Seder. Since the prophecy explicitly said that Elijah himself was going to return they concluded that anyone who claimed to be the Messiah before Elijah visibly returned from heaven had to be an impostor, which was one of the reasons the Jews largely rejected Jesus' claim to be the Messiah. Note: According to the Old Testament book of II Kings, the Prophet Elijah was whisked off to 'heaven' in a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire carried along by a whirlwind, a spectacular event that was witnessed by his protégé Elisha. Quite obviously, since Jesus Himself said " No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man". (John 3:13 NASB) it is impossible that Elijah was actually taken into God's dwelling place, which the Bible often refers to as "the highest heaven". So what does the Bible mean when it says "Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven". (2 Kings 2:11) (DETAILS)
The whole Elijah subject even confused the disciples who took their question to Jesus. In His reply, our Lord first affirmed the prophecy was true and that Elijah did have to precede the Savior. However, His next words... that Elijah had already come unrecognized must have surprised the disciples, especially since they were probably expecting Elijah to return in as impressive a fashion as he left And His disciples asked Him, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:10-13 NASB)
There were certainly some very distinct similarities between Elijah and John the Baptist. Both appeared on the scene very abruptly, dressed alike (garments of camel hair and a leather belt - 2 Kings 1:8 and Mark 1:6 NASB) and both sought to turn people back to God. This was not lost on the priests and Levites from Jerusalem who were sent to ask John whether he was the promised figure of Elijah the Prophet. (John 1:20-21). They, apparently expecting a real life Elijah, did not seem to understand that Malachi did not necessarily mean the literal, historical Elijah, but simply someone who would come in the spirit and power of the ancient prophet. In other words, Elijah himself would not physically return, but the same spirit and power that God had given the ancient prophet, would be given to a completely different prophet. Malachi's words began to come to life on the day an angel told Zacharias (a righteous, elderly, and childless first century priest) that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son who would be filled with the Holy Spirit and have a great role to play. They were to name him John. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:16-17 NASB)
Jesus also verified that Malachi 3:1 was speaking about John the Baptist, "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. "This is the one about whom it is written, 'behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.' (Matthew 11:9-10 NASB)
2) However, Malachi's prophecy did not just predict Elijah being sent to prepare the way for Jesus' first advent. In chapter 4, he also foretold that Elijah' would once again be sent before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
"For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the Lord of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. "You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the Lord of hosts. "Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. (Malachi 4:1-5 NASB)
In this very short chapter, Malachi clearly stated that the arrogant and evildoer would become like chaff that would be set ablaze, and all the Messiah's enemies would be ashes under the soles of His feet. John the Baptist almost echoed Malachi, when he said "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12 NASB)
Since Christ did not burn anyone up during the time He spent on earth, the words of both the prophets leave little room for doubt that they were both looking forward into the distant future when Christ would return to destroy His enemies and set up His kingdom. Kingdom? What Kingdom? (See What and Where is Heaven? It is entirely possible that, as many commentators believe, one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3 might be 'Elijah'. Again, this does not necessarily mean the literal, historical Elijah, but simply someone who comes in the spirit and power of Elijah and performs a similar function. See The Two Witnesses of Revelation Note this is similar to the situation when one of Joel's prophecies was quoted by Peter on Pentecost. This has led many to erroneously assume that Joel's entire prophecy was fulfilled that day. However, a simple reading of the original prophecy makes it clear that not everything Joel foretold came to pass on Pentecost. No prophecies were made, no one dreamed dreams or saw visions. The awesome displays of celestial phenomena were conspicuous by their absence - there was no blood, fire, or pillars of smoke - the sun did not turn to darkness nor the moon to blood. The day of Pentecost was quite simply not the day of the Lord that Joel predicted. (DETAILS) (PLACE IN TEXT) Footnote II... 430 Years From Abraham to the Exodus
Abraham left his home for Canaan when he was 74 years old (Genesis 12:4). He and his sons were nomads in the land of Canaan until Jacob's family moved to Egypt during the famine.. a period of exactly 215 years. Note the time line... Sarah gave birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100 ... some 25 years after they left Haran Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born.. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. (Genesis 25:26 NASB)
Jacob was 130 when the family moved to Egypt... So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning." (Genesis 47:9 NASB)
In other words, the 430 years covered the entire period between the covenant God made with Abraham and the Exodus, which is when they were given the law, which is verified by Galatians Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. (Galatians 3:16-17 NASB). (PLACE IN TEXT)
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