What does EGW write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "How is Jesus the firstborn from the dead when Moses had already received an immortal body and was taken up into heaven beforehand?"
Answer
Jesus is called the firstborn from the dead because He is the central figure and the author of every resurrection; without His work and His later victory over the grave, no one could have been raised before Him. Although Moses was indeed resurrected chronologically earlier and taken up into heaven, this occurred solely by the merits of Christ and in view of His future triumph. In God's counsel, Christ is the first in significance and rank, because He broke the power of death under which Moses was rightfully captive because of sin.
The Meaning of “Firstborn from the Dead”
»This expression [...] does not necessarily mean that He was the first chronologically to be raised from the dead; for others were raised before Him. That would be a very insignificant point: but He was the principal figure and central person of all who emerged from the grave, because it happened by the coming, work, and resurrection of Christ that anyone could be raised before His time. In God's counsel He was the first, both in terms of time and significance; for only after the plan of Christ’s triumph over the grave was formed in the spirit of God [...], was anyone freed from the power of death.«
The Resurrection of Moses through Christ
»Because of sin, Moses had fallen under Satan’s power. By his own merits he was a rightful prisoner of death; but he was raised to immortal life and possessed his right to it in the name of the Redeemer. Moses came gloriously out of the grave and ascended with his Deliverer to the city of God.«
Moses as Representative of the Resurrected Righteous
»On the Mount of Transfiguration Moses was a witness to Christ’s victory over sin and death. He represented those who will emerge from the grave at the resurrection of the righteous. [...] On the mountain the future kingdom of glory was displayed in miniature – Christ the King, Moses as the representative of the resurrected saints, and Elijah for the taken up.«
The Dispute over Moses’ Body
»Moses passed through death, but Michael came down and gave him life before his body saw decay. Satan tried to hold onto the body and claimed it as his property; but Michael raised Moses and took him into heaven.«
- Resurrection of Moses
- Christ Firstborn from the Dead
- Transfiguration Christ Representative
Original Sources (English)
