Moses and Elijah at the Ascension?

Moses and Elijah at the Ascension?

Is it possible that the two men in white apparel standing beside the apostles at the ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9-11) were Moses and Elijah?

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’ “ Acts‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭NASB

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Luke, in his account of Christ’s life shows that “two men” named Moses and Elijah, were there on the Mount of Transfiguration. They were said to have appeared “in glory” and were speaking to Christ of “his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30).

Isn’t that “departure” his ascension?

The same writer, Luke, also records that on the morning of the resurrection of Christ, “while [the women] were perplexed about this [the stone being rolled away and body of Jesus gone], behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground” (Luke 24:4-5). These men said, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:5-7).

Could these two men “in dazzling clothes” be Moses and Elijah?

In other words, were the “two men” at the transfiguration, the resurrection and the ascension of Christ, Moses and Elijah?

Though the mystery is difficult to understand, we may also ask if the two men, called two witnesses in Revelation 11, are also Moses and Elijah? After all, they “have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying [similar to Elijah]; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire [like Moses did to the Egyptians] (Revelation 11:1-13). Add to this Zechariah 4: 1-14 where similar designations are used as in Revelation 11, such as the two men being called “olive trees.” In this passage it is said that they are “the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Are these anointed ones Moses and Elijah? What is the special relationship they have to Christ?

Matthew attributes the words, “He is not here, but He has risen” to an angel with an appearance like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow” (Matthew 28:1-7). But Mark attributes them to a “young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe” (Mark 16:5). And John describes them as “two angels in white” (John 20:12). What should we make of this?

We know that often an angel appeared as a man in Scripture. The writer of Hebrews says to be careful to entertain strangers for you may be entertaining angels without your knowledge (Hebrews 13:2). But, there are also scores of times in the Bible that humans are called angels. The word means “messenger.” Could Moses and Elijah, both of whom had unique experiences at death, been sent as messengers or angels to attend to the ascension of Christ?

I will let you decide whether the two men at the ascension are supernatural beings called angels, or Moses and Elijah in a glorified state sent on an amazing mission as messengers from God. But I choose the latter.