MR No. 807—The Vision of Moses
After Moses had given final instructions and lessons to the children of Israel he ascended Mount Nebo. From Pisgah's summit was revealed to him in panoramic view the land that he was not allowed to enter. Angels of God pointed out every part of the land as it was spread out before his vision. They told him of the fertility of the soil and that it was well watered. He saw the grain fields and the fruit-laden trees just as they appeared in the Promised Land. The whole land, in all its richness and beauty, was spread out before him, and he saw that it was a goodly land. The heavenly angels told him that from the beginning to the end of the year God's watchful care was over the land.10MR 151.1
The attention of Moses was called to the various portions of the country where the tribes of Israel would be located. In the midst of the goodly land he saw established the people that through the providence of God he had been leading to the borders of their promised inheritance.10MR 151.2
The angels also revealed to Moses that although he mourned because he had sinned and could not enter the promised land, and although he felt that he had caused the children of Israel to sin, yet it was their own sin, their murmuring and complaining spirit that had led him to deviate from the right and commit a sin that kept him out of the Promised Land. The angels told him that he was not the greatest sufferer, that he did not feel in his heart the fullest depth of their sin, but that Christ, their invisible leader, was the one against whom they had transgressed. Christ was the one who would bear their iniquities. He it was whom they had offended, not Moses; He it was who suffered the most intensely.10MR 151.3
The heavenly messengers also referred to the sacrificial offerings typifying the crucifixion of Christ and opened before Moses’ mind the events that should take place in the future. To him was revealed the advent of the Saviour, His birthplace, and the manner in which He should come. He was shown that the Jewish nation, the favored people of God, to whom the Saviour would come to give life and to deliver from a heavy yoke of oppression, would insult Him, deride Him, mock Him, heap every indignity upon Him, and at last take the life of Him who came to impart life to them.10MR 152.1
While in bondage to other nations, the Jews had boasted that although they were then in oppression, their Messiah was coming as a mighty King to deliver them. To the heathen nations surrounding them they declared that Christ would come in glory, break their yoke of bondage, fulfill His promises to them, and place them on thrones to reign with Him as kings and priests over the whole world. Such were the boasts they made. Their mistake lay in applying to His first appearing the prophecies that refer to His second coming and to the earth as it will be when made new and occupied by the redeemed.10MR 152.2
When, instead of coming in the pomp and splendor of the mighty kings of the earth, Christ came as a humble man, possessing human nature, how great was their chagrin and disappointment! Surely this was not the man who would deliver them. They would not own Him as their King. He came not among the most honorable, or to receive homage as kings of the earth receive homage from their subjects. He came among the poor and the needy. He was found among the oppressed. He relieved the wants of the destitute and stood by the side of the most humble. Thinking that this man could not be the Messiah for whom they looked, they refused to acknowledge Him.10MR 152.3
As a nation the Jews had been growing prouder and prouder. They had made great boasts of their righteousness. They made broad their phylacteries, uttered long prayers in the market places, and gave alms to be seen of men. Their religion was formal, consisting of ordinances and purifications, rites and ceremonies. It was not heartfelt. Although they made their religious profession so very prominent, yet they did not scruple to grind the faces of the poor and to take advantage of them in every way possible.10MR 153.1
This proud people could not think of acknowledging the lowly Nazarene as their Messiah. They knew that if they should take their position by the side of this humble man, all the surrounding nations would deride them and scoff at them. After having so loudly boasted of how they would be exalted when the Messiah should come, they could not think of recognizing the carpenter's Son as the Messiah. Satan had blinded their eyes so they knew not what was for their good.10MR 153.2
The condition of the Jewish nation at the first advent of Christ was presented to Moses. He had thought that he had a hard time in leading Israel through the wilderness, but he forgot his own sufferings when he caught a glimpse of the life of Christ and saw the suffering that He would endure and the great sacrifice He would make for the salvation of His people.10MR 153.3
Moses had made sacrifices. He had been willing to give his own life for the salvation of others, and had even prayed to the Lord to blot his name out of the book of life rather than destroy the children of Israel, the people whom God had so wonderfully and miraculously delivered. But the Lord would not blot His servant's name out of His book. “Whosoever hath sinned against Me,” He said, “him will I blot out of My book” (Exodus 32:33). Time and again, through the intercession of Moses, the Lord had spared His disobedient people.10MR 153.4
To Moses was revealed the blindness of the Jewish nation. Their continual plea was, “The law! the law! the Father! the Father!” Appealing to the law and to the Father, they rejected their Saviour. “As for this Christ,” they said, “we will have nothing to do with Him. Away with Him.” The One who came to give them life they put to death.10MR 154.1
When the view of the crucifixion was presented before Moses, what a scene there must have been on Pisgah's summit! I have often thought that if I were an artist, I should like to portray the countenance of Moses as he viewed the panoramic scenes passing before him, in which he saw the sufferings of the Angel who had led the Israelites through the wilderness, guiding them in their wandering journey from Egypt to Canaan. []....10MR 154.2
As Christ stood upon the mount and looked over the holy city, with weeping He exclaimed, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:37, 38).10MR 154.3
Moses saw the sin of the Jewish nation for whose salvation he had been willing to have his own name blotted out of the book of life. He saw the Son of God bid adieu to the nation, and it seemed now that their destiny was certain, for they had rejected Christ. Surely their house was left unto them desolate. As the angel repeated the words of Christ to Moses, an expression of distress and anguish spread over his countenance. Bitter tears fell from his eyes. He shared the sadness that Christ felt.10MR 154.4
That nation which God had declared was a royal nation, a peculiar people, a holy priesthood, Moses heard crying for the blood of Christ. He saw them crucify his Saviour. To him was revealed Christ's agony as He hung upon the cross. He saw the Saviour lying in Joseph's new tomb, and looking farther on, he saw Him come forth a majestic conqueror and ascend to heaven with a multitude of captives, the angelic hosts escorting Him on His way.10MR 155.1
When he beheld the Saviour's ascension and saw that he himself would be one of those who should attend the Saviour and open to Him the everlasting gates, what a change took place in the expression on his face! The joy, the glory, the light that shone from his countenance no language can describe, no pen can picture. Moses was one of those who comforted Christ on the mount of transfiguration.10MR 155.2
Then was presented to him a view of the multitude of captives who rose at the time Jesus was raised from the dead and who went into the city and revealed themselves unto many. Notwithstanding the fact that a lie had been put into the mouths of the Roman guard that watched the sepulcher lest the disciples should come at night and steal away the body of Christ, the raising of these captives to life established the certainty of Christ Himself having risen from the dead. Christ had thus given incontrovertible proof that He was the Son of God. Satan failed in his efforts to conceal the fact that Christ had risen. From that time men have believed that it was the Son of God who was crucified.10MR 155.3
Since then it has been Satan's special effort to separate the Father and the Son. He led the Jews to cry, “The law, the law! the Father, the Father! Away with the Son! We will not acknowledge the Son or have anything to do with Him. We will not recognize the power of God in the mighty miracles He performs, for it is through Satan that He does these works.”10MR 155.4
But when multitudes began to believe on the Son and to receive divine truth from the lips of the disciples of Jesus, Satan saw that he must do something else to counter the work that the disciples were doing. So he determined to lead men to reject the Father and His law, as the Jews had rejected Christ. As he had blinded the eyes of the Jewish nation so they were unable to recognize and acknowledge Jesus, the only one who had power to give them life, so he would blind the eyes of the Christian world to the claims of the law, making professed Christians cry, “Christ, Christ! Away with the law!” Because of his deceptions men would fail of glorifying God by obeying His law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth.10MR 156.1
The Old Testament, containing the prophecies of the coming of Christ, is now made of small account. The cry now is, “The Christ, the Christ! The gospel, the gospel!” But the gospel is taught all the way through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The gospel is revealed in all the prophecies of the first advent of Christ as the Saviour of men. Every act of the old dispensation to turn men away from sin or to bring them forgiveness was done with reference to the Saviour who was to come. He was the steppingstone by which man was to be exalted.10MR 156.2
As Moses saw this steppingstone despised, and beheld the Jews, blinded by Satan, turning away from their only hope of salvation, and crying, “Away with Christ!” and as he heard the Christian world in the new dispensation crying, “Away with the Father! Away with the law!” he was filled with astonishment. Do men honor God by despising His law?10MR 156.3
As the special work of Satan has been to separate the Father and the Son, he has so blinded the eyes of the Christian world that they now turn from the Father and from His law and dwell wholly upon Christ.10MR 156.4
Christ came to die because not a precept of His Father's law could be altered to excuse man in his fallen condition. As this picture was presented before Moses, again an expression of grief and sadness came over his countenance.10MR 157.1
Then he was carried down to the period of time when a view of the heavenly sanctuary should be given to God's people, when the veil would be parted, and by faith they would enter within the holy of holies. Moses knew something about the sanctuary in heaven; he understood the sacred ministrations connected with the holy place and the Most Holy. The significance of the typical service in the earthly sanctuary was made light and clear by the reflection of the Sun of Righteousness upon the types and symbols.10MR 157.2
When Christ, the Mediator, burst the bands of the tomb, and ascended on high to minister for man, He first entered the holy place where, by virtue of His own sacrifice, He made an offering for the sins of men. With intercession and pleadings He presented before God the prayers and repentance and faith of His people, purified by the incense of His own merits. He next entered the Most Holy Place, to make an atonement for the sins of the people, and to cleanse the sanctuary. His work as high priest completes the divine plan of redemption by making the final atonement for sin. []....10MR 157.3
With joy Moses saw the law of God still honored and exalted by a faithful few. He saw the last great struggle of earthly powers to destroy those who keep God's law. He looked forward to the time when God shall arise to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and those who have feared His name shall be covered and hid in the day of His anger. These acknowledge the relation existing between the Father and His law. Only by the merits of Jesus Christ is man exalted and enabled to keep God's law acceptably.10MR 157.4
Again Moses looked and saw the covenant of peace made with God's commandment-keeping people when He spoke from His holy habitation, shaking the heavens and the earth by His voice. Moses saw that God is the hope of His people, while the despisers of the law, those who had crucified Jesus Christ afresh, bowed ... at the feet of the saints in fear of God's voice. He saw the countenances of the saints lighted up with glory and beaming upon those around them, as the faces of himself and those who were with him shone when the law was given on Mount Sinai. The commandment-keepers, those who had honored the law, were glorified. At the appearing of Christ in splendor and glory they were translated to heaven without seeing death, rising with songs of triumph to enter through the gates into the city, into the land of Eden.10MR 158.1
After man's fall Eden had been caught up from the earth, for God would not suffer it to feel the marks of the curse. He preserved it as a specimen of His handiwork at the beginning. As Moses beheld that lovely garden, an expression of joy came over his countenance.10MR 158.2
But the servant of God was carried still farther. He saw the earth purified by fire and cleansed from every vestige of sin, every mark of the curse, and renovated and given to the saints to possess forever and ever. He saw the kingdoms of the earth given to the saints of the Most High. No impurity, nothing to mar their peace and happiness, was in the earth made new.10MR 158.3
In the new earth the prophecies which the Jews applied to the first advent of Christ will be fulfilled. The saints will then be redeemed and made immortal. Upon their heads will be crowns of immortality, and joy and glory will be pictured on their countenances, which will reflect the image of their Redeemer.10MR 158.4
Moses saw the land of Canaan as it will appear when it becomes the home of the saints. John the Revelator was given a view of this same land, of which he writes: [Revelation 21:1-5 quoted].10MR 159.1
As Moses beheld this scene, joy and triumph were expressed in his countenance. He could understand the force of all the angels revealed to him. He took in the whole scene as it was presented before him. His mind was firm, his intellect clear. His strength was unabated, his eye was undimmed.10MR 159.2
Then he closed his eyes in death and the angels of God buried him in the mount. And there he slept.10MR 159.3
But it was not long before Christ came to raise Moses to life. As He stood by the grave and bade him come forth, Satan stood by His side, saying, “I have control over him. I tempted him and he yielded. Even Moses was not able to keep God's law. He has transgressed and has placed himself on my side of the controversy. He appropriated to himself the glory which belonged to God. He is my property, for by his sin he has placed himself in my dominion and in my power.”10MR 159.4
Satan contended earnestly for the body of Moses. Again he sought to enter into controversy with Christ in regard to the injustice of God's law, and with deceiving power reiterated his false statements about not being fairly treated. His accusations were such that Christ did not bring against him the record of the cruel work he had done in heaven by deceptive misrepresentation, the falsehoods he had told in Eden that led to Adam's transgression, and the stirring up of the worst passions of the hosts of Israel to incite them to murmur and rebel until Moses lost command of himself.10MR 159.5
The sin of Moses was not premeditated. He was surprised into it. He took to himself the murmuring of the people when they were really murmuring against God.10MR 159.6
Christ did not retaliate in answer to Satan. He brought no railing accusation against him, but raised Moses from the dead and took him to heaven. Here for the first time the power of Christ was exercised to break the power of Satan and give life to the dead. Here began His work of making alive that which was dead. Thus He testified that He was indeed the Resurrection and the Life, that He had power to ransom those whom Satan had made his captives, that although men die they will live again. The question had been asked, “if a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:4). The question was now answered.10MR 160.1
This act was a great victory over the powers of darkness. This display of power was an incontrovertible testimony to the supremacy of the Son of God. Satan had not expected that the body would be raised to life after death. He had concluded that the sentence, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” gave him undisputed possession of the bodies of the dead. Now he saw that he would be despoiled of his prey, that man would live again after death.10MR 160.2
After Moses was raised to life, the heavenly gates of Paradise were opened, and Jesus passed in with His captive. No longer was Moses the captive of Satan. In consequence of his sin Moses merited the penalty of transgression and became subject to death. When he was raised to life he held his title in another name—the name of Jesus his Head.10MR 160.3
The day of exile is nearly ended. The time is at hand when all who are sleeping in their graves will hear His voice and come forth, some to everlasting life, and some to final destruction. Christ will raise all His saints, glorify them with an immortal body and open to them the gates of the city of God.—Manuscript 69, 1912, pp. 6-17.10MR 160.4
White Estate
Washington, D. C.,
July 24, 1980.