Thoughts on Christian Living Book #2 by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

APPRECIATION OF CHRISTIAN SHOW AND TELL

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” Jude 1:9

This verse is often used, and rightly so, to teach the wisdom of refraining from railing accusations. But mention is made of something else that is quite intriguing. A suggestion of possibility is herewith offered.

When Jesus appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration with selected apostles, three personages appeared there in glorified bodies. They were Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Moses represented the Old Testament Law, Elijah represented the prophets, and Jesus represented the New Covenant of Grace. The work of Jesus is the culmination of the law and prophets as He said in Luke 24:44, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

So, just how does this appearance in transfiguration connect with Michael’s debate with the devil? Before the experiential death, burial and resurrection of our Lord, in which He gained the sure victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, Lucifer had some sort of claim over the world of the dead. Hades (the world of the departed ones) was composed of two separate compartments: hell and paradise with an impassable gulf between them. Luke 16.

When Jesus arose from the dead, He had the keys of death and hell swinging at his side, Rev. 1:18. He carried captivity captive with him, and the departed were seen of many in Jerusalem. Since His glorious resurrection, departing saints have the blessed privilege of entering heaven where paradise of the Old Testament has been relocated. But the transfiguration was before the experiential death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Also, one must remember that Elijah was translated that he did not see death. Moses on the other hand died on Mt. Nebo and the Lord buried him there. So, there was a need for Moses' body to reappear from the world of the departed which the devil had no intentions of releasing; hence, the debate between Michael and the devil. Certainly the power and authority of God were more than sufficient to prevail in the matter, and that God did prevail is evident in that Moses did appear with Elijah and Jesus in the transfiguration.

O, the wonders of the Word of endless knowledge. As much as the apostle Paul knew, he said he was counting all things in this world nothing more than a dung pile that he might know Him and understand more about the amazing power that brought Jesus from the dead, and will also resurrect us all who believe in Him. Let doubters revisit the ramifications of Jude 1:9. Show and tell will be the joyous story of true believers during the ages to come.

FOR THOUGHT: Do you realize that what the apostle saw on the Mount of

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