Those not intimately acquainted with the scriptures, knowing only bits and pieces of scripture, are certain that godly folks, saved individuals, most certainly do go to heaven when they die. Just their bodies die. The real “you” lives on either in heaven or hell. That is the popular concept of many. This belief is embraced by them due to the fact that they have in their minds a scripture here and a scripture there that SEEMINGLY supports such a view. One such text upon which they rely to “prove” their belief is the account given in Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9 of the “Mount of Transfiguration” experience where Jesus takes Peter, James and John with Him up into a high mountain and “was transfigured before them (they saw it with their own eyes), and His face did shine as the sun and His raiment was white as the light” (See Matthew 17:1-2). The very next verse in that text in Matthew says: “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with Him” (verse 3).
So, there you have it. Moses and Elijah are not dead, awaiting a resurrection to restore them to life. They are very much alive. Right? Not so fast. Keep reading Matthew’s account and you will read these words in the 9th verse: “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, ‘Tell THE VISION to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead.'”
Note well, what they saw was only a vision – NOT REALITY. And it was a vision of a FUTURE EVENT! Also note that one of the people taken up on the mountain with Jesus was Peter. Let’s allow Peter – one who was there that day – to explain to us what this VISION portrayed: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you THE POWER AND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty (His majestic SECOND COMING), for He received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory (during the “Mount of Transfiguration experience”), ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And this voice which came from heaven we (Peter, James and John) heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.” (See 2 Peter 1:16-18).
God the Father gave Peter, James and John a glimpse into the future with this vision. They saw Jesus Christ returning to earth in glory with Moses and Elijah beside Him as Paul says the dead in Christ are resurrected first! They saw a FUTURE event in this VISION. They saw what was to come thousands of years later – NOT what was then a reality.
Moses is dead, folks. So is Elijah. So are grandma and grandpa. Preachers had better start reading their Bibles a little bit more thoroughly and allowing scripture to interpret scripture. Elijah’s chariot ride did not take him to the third heaven, trillions of light years from earth. It didn’t even take him to the second heaven, that great expanse of space wherein are billions of galaxies. It took him up into the first heaven, the sky in which we now fly in aircraft. And it brought him back to earth, or are you, too, ignorant of the Bible books of 1st and 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles?
Jesus knew what He was talking about when He said, “No man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man…” (See John 3:13). He spoke these words to the Pharisee rabbi Nicodemus. Had Nicodemus corrected Jesus, telling Him, “Wait a minute, rabbi. Elijah ascended to heaven. So did Enoch,” Jesus would have corrected Nicodemus, telling him, “No they didn’t. I said NO MAN has ascended up to heaven. You had better read those Bible texts a bit more closely if you think they say otherwise!”
God have mercy on those ignorant of His inspired Word as they are ripe for Satan’s clever deceptions. I assure you many anointed teachers of God’s Word see clearly the truths given above. But huge numbers of well-meaning “preachers” do not. They, therefore, become the blind leading the blind. They may see clearly some basic Bible truths, yet remain blinded in many all-important areas. Someday God will sort them out. Those truly converted children of God so deceived will suffer the loss of many rewards, though. And that is truly tragic.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley