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