To properly roll up nearly three months of work I need to tie a lot of stuff together. This post will be a doozy. I will also space stuff apart for clarity and continuity. This will not be a short post but hopefully it will edify, clarify and make you think. Well, here it goes.
Moses is mentioned in association with the Law given at Horeb (Mt Sinai). The whole point of the Law was to make people holy or able to approach God. It is more or less the underlying principle in the Old Testament. From the Fall in Genesis 3 man spends the rest of the Bible trying to get back to that state, a state where man walked with God in harmony. Why the Law and holiness? So that God could look upon us without sin. Why? So that He could have the relationship He had with us before The Fall in Genesis 3. Why? It is because if we were not without sin He would have to judge us in His perfect justice and the wages of sin is death. But man could not fulfill the Law, it was as a curse to man. So what then? "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Galatians 3:13
We now we cross over to the New Testament or more specifically we come to the centrality of the Bible and the tipping point in God’s creation and the “fullness of time”. The Old Testament converges on this God-man and the New Testament diverges from this God man. He is Jesus Christ. Christ becomes sin for us. He becomes the once-and-for-all propitiatory/atoning sacrifice for our sin. So that we are free to approach the Father! We can boldly approach the Father with our praise and petition. We can take them right before the throne with Jesus as our high priest, our intercessor. The veil of the temple has been torn in two."You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
Jesus Christ abrogated the ceremonial law and put away the need to continue to offer sacrifices for sin in the manner and method of the Old Testament Levitical system. How? Through His blood. Why Jesus Christ's blood? The absolute clearest and distinct statement in the Bible of why blood sacrifices of the Old Testament had a substitutionary significance and was indispensable to atonement for sin is found in Leviticus 17.
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Leviticus 17:11
More specifically, blood is a "word-symbol" for the death of said life or the price paid for it. Blood shed is a removal of life from the flesh. By draining the blood we remove the life from the flesh. Physical death not spiritual. So...to drink Christ's blood at the Last Supper/Communion is to take part in His death and the benefits of the life he laid down for all of humanity's sin. By sharing in His death we also share in His life, eternal life that is. Why? Because God said so! God is sovereign and all-powerful, who are we to question Him? This is what He has revealed as the acceptable and satisfactory atonement or covering for our sins. So be it! A life for a life. What do I mean? Our lives are demanded of us in return for our sin. How so?
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned" Romans 5:12.
We were/are all guilty of sin and worthy of death. Period. PERIOD! No exceptions. Blood was given by God for this specific purpose. i.e.: "I have given it to you..." in Leviticus 17:11. "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Hebrews 9:22
"For since the law was but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:1-4
Impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins?!?! Say what? Then why did they do all those sacrifices in the Old Testament and kill all those animals?
"the law was but a shadow of the good things to come"
What things came? Not what, WHO. Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament sacrifices were but shadows of the only sacrifice worthy and suitable for human redemption. Jesus.
"Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.’”First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:5-10
More importantly we now arrive at a parallel in Christ's work that also directly relates back to the ceremonial Levitical system for priests. Not only did Christ pay the ransom to redeem us He also acted as the priest that entered the most holy place (Heaven/the Father's right hand) when he died offering His blood. All previously symbolically carried out by the priests in the Old Testament now carried out for real by Jesus in a once-and-for-all sacrifice that truly removed the sins of men.
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16
As for Elijah...in Malachi 4:5 This appears to be one final double entendre or sorts of metonymy. The Elijah referred to here is not the Elijah of the past (but it could) but the Elijah of the future, John the Baptist. The herald or messenger sent directly by God to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. In a historical context he is the forerunner of Jesus at the spiritual level. He comes to pave the way for our Messiah. If Malachi is the last word of the Old Testament then one of the last things it mentions is one of the first things we will see in the New Testament.
If we make comparisons of Moses and Elijah (older version in the Book of Kings, not John the Baptist) simultaneously we see an interesting parallel in that both of their exact departure methods from life/earth are sort of a mystery or anomaly. Elijah’s departure is anything but ordinary due to the flaming chariot in front of Elisha. Moses departure is nearly as interesting since he leaves life as a robust mountaineer taken while his health and eyesight was still good. It appears both of these men were taken by God directly into his arms. This is a direct parallel to the way the NT ends also with a rapture or God taking people directly. Taken up…not unlike the ascension of the Jesus in His resurrection body…I could go on for days with these comparisons but I feel like my eyes are starting to bleed. I’m done. Jeez, so much God, so little time on earth. Where to begin, where to begin!?!?!?
I suppose it is no suprise then that these two men who departed earth under what should be considered dubious circumstances would make and appearance with Jesus' at His Transfiguration which was a visible sign in the presence of reliable witnesses from both the Old & New Testament of the reality of the power of God and the glory, which is Christ Jesus. Symbolically, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament. Also, in His glorified form they saw a preview of His coming glorification and enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords.
One more thing...what we see in the very last verse in Malachi 4:6 is mention of a/the curse. It is the very curse that will be overturned by Jesus Christ whose birth initiates the New Testament.
...here He comes. Can you see Him? He comes to save the world and to glorify the Father. Holy Holy Holy. Blessed be the name of the Lord...Jesus Christ. Name above all names.
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12
Some of the Art above by ~eikonik
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