Question:
I would like to request information about the death and resurrection of Moses.
Answer:
The account of Moses’ death is found in Deuteronomy 34:5-6, which describes a death attended only by spiritual beings. The old warrior lay down and went to sleep. Those who are in a state of death are considered prisoners of Satan, as death is the consequence of sin. Regarding Satan, or Lucifer, it is stated that he “let not loose his prisoners to their home” (Isaiah 14:17). In Jude 9, we read about a dispute between Michael the Archangel and the devil over Moses’ body.
Michael, whose name means “Who is like God,” is identified as the Archangel, or “Chief of all the angels.” This designation connects him to the Son of God. We see this by comparing Daniel 10:13, 21 with Jude 9, and John 5:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:16. From these texts, we understand that it is the voice of the Son of God that awakens the dead, which is also the voice of the Archangel. Therefore, the Archangel Michael, the great Prince who stands for the children of God’s people, must be Christ, the Son of God [for more in-depth information on Michael the Archangel, see “JESUS CHRIST WAS AN ANGEL?!“].
It is difficult to conceive of a dispute over Moses’ body unless it was concerning its resurrection from the dead. Satan’s ambition is to keep forever dead those who belong to God, while God’s gracious promise is that they shall live again. We can also understand that in the dispute between the devil and Michael, Michael emerged victorious, which means that Moses’ body was raised from the dead.
As evidence of this, we can refer to Mark 9:4: “And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.” Elijah was translated without experiencing death. On the Mount of Transfiguration, he represented those who will be raised from the dead at Christ’s coming, while Moses represents those who will be translated without seeing death when Christ returns. Therefore, Moses was raised from the dead—a pledge of resurrection for all time.
Our correspondent has rightly concluded that Moses was taken to heaven. There is absolutely no proof that God gave his body to the devil, as some have suggested. All such claims are mere speculation.
