DEATH AND THE
PASSING OF CHRISTIANITY

CONT., page 3 

 

MOSES AND ELIJAH

This issue of the death of the sons of the Most High, the death of the inhabitants of the kingdom of God, and cutting short this death from 3,000 years to 2,000 years, brings a far greater understanding and meaning to the awaited arrival and purpose of Elijah.  As the promised forerunner of the return of Yahshua as reigning king over the whole earth, Elijah serves a far greater and exceptionally more important purpose than what has yet been perceived.  When one brings into focus the issue of death in the kingdom of God, the possibility of one coming who would ascend alive into heaven and not die is highly important!

The question that must be raised here is  - Who is this Elijah?  Yahshua declared that “if you care to accept it,” John the Baptist was Elijah (Matthew 11:14).  The angel of God declared to Zechariah, the father of John, that his son would be a forerunner going before Yahshua “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).  But John died, Yahshua was crucified as the lamb of God, He ascended to the Father, and He will return to earth to set up His kingdom.  Before He comes, the awaited Elijah will precede Him; and as stated by Yahshua, he “will restore all things” (Matthew 17:11).

The most critical part of Elijah restoring all things is specifically related to the subject of this writing.  As the original preluding figure testified, this forerunning Elijah preceding the return of Yahshua will not die but will ascend alive unto the Father, making his work a critical departure from the curse that has been on this earth for 6,000 years.  This most important act will be the linchpin that finally releases all humanity from the power of death.  Thus, as we can see, the coming of Elijah before the return of Yahshua is far more than just the sole appearance of a man on the order of John the Baptist; the coming of Elijah will mark the pivotal beginning of the putting away of the enemy death!

Now, to answer the important question of who this Elijah will be, let us look at the testimony provided to us in the gospels.  Yahshua declared that He will “come in the glory of His Father with His angels” (Matthew 16:27).  Where do we see this glorious return of Yahshua pictured?  In the sole occasion in which Yahshua was glorified.  If you want to see in picture form what it will be like when He returns in the glory of His Father, then look at the preluding occasion when He was glorified on the mountain.  Further evidence as to the validity of this testimony is the fact that when Yahshua returns, we know that He will cast Satan out of the earth and throw him into the abyss (Revelation 20:1-3).  So, when Yahshua came off of the mountain after being glorified, likewise He next cast the demon out of the boy who had been afflicted from childhood (Mark 9:21).  This act of casting out the demon immediately following His glorification and return from the mountain, is an attesting picture of Yahshua’s glorification in heaven (on THE mountain) and His return to this earth to cast out Satan, who has afflicted man since his childhood.

Noting the clear prophetic importance of these foretelling events, let us back up and look more carefully at the glorification of Yahshua on the mountain.  Here we find standing with Him two men, one being Moses and the other the one who is the present focus of this writing - Elijah.  Since this glorification of Yahshua on the mountain and casting the demon out of the young man are undoubtedly a foreshadowing picture of His glorification and return to earth to bind Satan, one should ask who these two were that were with Him and were glorified with Him.  Oh yes, we know they were Moses and Elijah; but who will they be when Yahshua returns in the glory of His Father?  This question is most important when one considers that this same Elijah will precede His return and restore all things.

Moses and Elijah will not literally return with Yahshua.  This is now the period of the kingdom of God, restored and instituted by Him, before which anyone up to and including John the Baptist remain separate (Matthew 11:11).  So the important question remains - Who will be this Moses and this Elijah who will be glorified with Yahshua on the mountain?

The most interesting and significant comparative point about these two men is that the former Moses, though possessing the promise, died without receiving the promise.  Elijah, on the other hand, possessed the land and ascended alive without dying.  

Uniquely tying these two men together in another important way, we find that both men ended their lives upon this earth at precisely the same place - Moses being called to “Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho,” there to die (Deuteronomy 34:1-5), while Elijah was led on a journey taking him across the Jordan at Jericho to the place of Moses’ death (2 Kings 2:1-6).  One man’s body was buried there east of the Jordan at Jericho, later to be retrieved by Michael the archangel following a dispute with him who has the power of death (Jude 9), and the other man ascended alive there, not suffering the pains of death.  No, these two prekingdom men per se will not be glorified with Yahshua just before His return; but rather, these two men prophetically represent two groups of people who will be united as one, and will reign with Yahshua at His return.

For space reasons, it is not feasible to elaborate on who these two Moses and Elijah kingdom-occupying groups of people will be.  But by discerning who they are will, however, answer the question as to who this Elijah who defeats death will in fact be.

Throughout the Scriptures two important forthcoming witnesses are testified to.  Here at the transfiguration on the mountain we see these two as Moses and Elijah.  But relative to the important kingdom of God period, the fulfillment of these two witnesses must be limited to those who are after John the Baptist.  According to the Scriptures, there is one two-part work or promise that could produce these two witnesses - the former and the latter rains.

The church has already received the former rain on the day of Pentecost when the 120 were gathered in the upper room.  This provided a very unique Jerusalem-based work, extending up to the stoning of Stephen, during which all things were held in common (Acts 2-6).  But, it must be recognized that this outpouring was only the former portion of rain which must be followed by a promised latter portion; the latter having not yet occurred at this writing.  And  even as a unique work was accomplished under the former rain (Acts 2-6), so once again the latter rain will produce an equally unique and outstanding work.

These two works of the Holy Spirit are prophesied in the book of Zechariah.  The Holy Spirit is frequently identified with the anointing of oil.  In Zechariah 4 we see the two-part testimony of these two outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the descriptive phrase - “two sons of fresh oil” (4:14).  This most unique phrase described what Zechariah saw in his vision as being two olive trees, one on each side of a lampstand of gold with seven spouts.  What we have identified here are two separate works of the Holy Spirit taking place at the former and the latter periods of the seven-branch lampstand church (or, Christianity).  These two olive tree works, separate from the central lampstand, are identified as the “two sons of fresh oil” because of their formation by the two outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the former and latter rains.  Once again, the church has experienced the former rain, and it awaits the coming latter rain.  When this rain comes, it will produce a completing work identified here in Zechariah 4 as the concluding son of fresh oil.

Herein lies the identity of these equally paired witnesses Moses and Elijah.  The first son of fresh oil we see is the Moses witness.  The first believers under the former rain received the promise of the reign of Yahshua in His kingdom, fully expecting and proclaiming His return; but as with Moses, the promise was not fulfilled.  These former believers under the first Pentecost outpouring had to die without receiving this promise, even as did Moses.  These believers are the Moses witness testified to on the mount of transfiguration, and were the first sons of fresh oil.

But of course there were two witnesses on the mountain with Yahshua who were glorified with Him, and there were two sons of fresh oil.  The second son of fresh oil is the Elijah witness that will not die but ascend alive into heaven, gloriously and victoriously overcoming the power of death.  This Elijah witness will be the second son of fresh oil, being the recipient of the latter rain.

Thus we see that Elijah is not and cannot be a solitary man entering the kingdom of God from a preluding and thus far removed 2,000 year period; but Elijah will be a host of people who are the product of a second outpouring of the Holy Spirit just before the return of Yahshua - the latter rain - and will ascend alive into heaven, defeating death!  Let us look at another foreshadowing and highly confirming testimony of these two witnesses.

Continue to page 4 of Death... for CLEANSING THE LEPER

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