The Glorious Ones and The Body of Moses: Jude 1:8-9, 2 Peter 2:10-11, and Zechariah 3:1-10

The Glorious Ones

One of the most interesting biblical mysteries is the Body of Moses and the glorious ones. At one point, I believed that the glorious ones were the apostles and the Body of Moses was talking about his physical body. However, recently, I’ve took another look at the text and came to a different interpretation.

It’s easy to come to the conclusion that the glorified ones are Moses and/or the apostles. Moses had close fellowship with God on Mt Sinai. This resulted in his face glowing in 2 Corinthians 3:12. Similarly, the Apostles witnessed Christ’s transfiguration in Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2-3, and Luke 9:28-36. It wouldn’t be farfetched if they had the same outcome as Moses. However, based on the context, it wouldn’t fit correctly to read Moses or the Apostles into the text of 2 Peter and Jude. If one interprets authority as church authority and the glorious ones as Moses/Apostles, it sounds redundant. Furthermore, it doesn’t fit the context of 2 Peter 2:11 and Jude 1:9. It fits better to acknowledge the glorious ones as spiritual forces of the heavenly realms who are mentioned in Ephesians 6:12.

In 2 Peter 2:10, we see that the Angels of Heaven, who are stronger and more powerful than mankind,  do not call down curses upon the false teachers under THEIR OWN AUTHORITY, but rebuke them under the Lord’s name.  We see this also in the parallel passage of Jude 1:8-9.

 Michael, the archangel, did not feel that he had the authority to call down a curse upon Satan. Michael and Satan would appear to be spiritual beings with similar high rank while the false teachers (lower in rank compared to spiritual beings) did so in a flippant manner. The false teachers claimed to have authority that they arrogantly did not have.

****************************************************************************

The Body of Moses

The Body of Moses has had unusual connections to apocryphal literature. Nevertheless, I believe that the Body of Moses is talking about the Old Covenant body of believers figuratively; similar to the Body of Christ in the New Covenant. See 1 Corinthians 10:2 and Hebrews 3:1-6. This passage is often connected to Zechariah 3:1-10. However, I believe they are two different passages with similar principles.

In Zechariah 3:1-10, we have a pre-carnate Jesus as the Angel of the Lord, Satan, and Joshua as a high priest with tarnished garments-physical and spiritual, noticed in the text that the Angel of the Lord did not say anything. The Angel of the Lord stood there in Zechariah 3:2. God the Father rebuked Satan.  It is safe to say that the Angel of Lord could only rebuke Satan under another’s authority (God the Father’s authority), which is in lined with Jesus’ character in the Gospels of Matthew 17:18 and John 5:19, 5:30, 6:38, 8:16, 12:49-50, and 14:10.

At this time, Satan was not sentenced to eternal condemnation, so it makes sense that he would only be rebuked at that moment. Likewise in Jude, we see a similar principle, Michael (who is not Jesus) who intercedes for the Old Covenant elect’s spiritual garments under another’s authority (Christ’s authority). In contrast, the false teachers claimed to exercise authority (their own authority or to use Jesus’ name as a talisman to blaspheme spiritual beings/forces such as in exorcisms and/or eternal sentencing-see Acts 19:11-20) that even Jesus did not exercised under his pre-carnate state and in his times of ministry before the cross (at the ascension, it would make sense for Jesus to then choose to exercise his power to sentence one to eternal condemnation) as well as Michael, a higher ranked angel. When Jesus exorcised demons under the Father’s authority, he did not send them to the abyss for eternal condemnation at that time. See Matthew 8:28-34 and Luke 8:31-33. It appears that when a demon’s host dies (pigs), the demon ceases to exist.  To them, it was preferable to non-exist than to be sentenced to the abyss for eternity.

Jude 8-9 English Standard Version 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

2 Peter 2:10 English Standard Version 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,

Zechariah 3:1-10 English Standard Version 3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. 6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ezekiel 38-39 has been fulfilled in the book of Esther-Quick Reference

Ezekiel 38-39 has been fulfilled in the book of Esther-Quick Reference ***The Jews’ victory caused 75,310 people (Esther 9:10, 15, 16). This corresponds with the enemy deaths in Ezekiel 38-39. ·          Esther 9:10 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder . ·          Esther 9:15-16 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men , but they did not lay their hands on the plunder . 16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies . They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. ·          Ezekiel 39:11 11 “‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes w
Read more

13 Reasons Why a Spiritual Resurrection in 70 AD Should Be Considered Over a Physical Resurrection

13 Reasons Why a Spiritual Resurrection in 70 AD Should Be Considered Over a Physical Resurrection 1. When did the Old Testament (OT) Saints leave Sheol/Hades to go to Heaven? Surprisingly, many believe that the OT Saints went to Heaven at the Cross. This is not true. In Acts 2, we see that Christ the Greater David was the ONLY person granted a physical resurrection AND ascension. The physical resurrection and ascension of Christ in 30AD pointed as well as confirmed the spiritual resurrection of the OT saints in 70 AD. King David was still in his grave, not Christ. See Acts 2:22-34. When Christ ascended to Heaven in Acts 1:9-11, He ascended ALONE. Later, in Acts 7:60, when Stephen was stoned to death, it says he fell ASLEEP . It says NOTHING about his spirit going up to Heaven with the Lord.  This is especially confirmed if you read Psalm 31 in its full context. Otherwise, you are imposing something foreign into the text. In Matthew 27:51-53, there were a number of dead saints w
Read more

From Grave to Glory (G2G)-A Preterist Postmillennial Commentary-Revelation 12-22

Image
Revelation 12 V1-2: We see the same imagery of Joseph’s dream here in Genesis 37:9-11. Israel (representing Jerusalem as well in Matthew 2:18) is described as the Daughter of Zion-a dying mother; specifically, Rachel who died tragically during pregnancy. See Isaiah 50:1, 54:1-6, 66:7; Jeremiah 4:31; Micah 4:9-10; Galatians 4:27; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18. Although Jerusalem will be destroyed, the remnant will represent a glimmer of hope similar to Benjamin and Christ's respective births. The woman clothed with the sun represents the exalted status of Israel among all nations. However, the moon is under her feet, which represents the waning status of the Old Covenant. The moon reflects light from the sun. The twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The dying Daughter of Zion was about to give birth to Christ and the Church. V3: The Dragon’s seven heads have crowns at this time, which means the Roman Empire was in control. This represents Satan’s authority over the Rom
Read more