Hmm. True. Which brings us back to Moses and his promise that the Almighty would send the people a prophet like him.
Deuteronomy 18:15
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
There have been many prophets, but how many were like Moses?
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Here are a few more interesting elements that may help explain this riddle:
1) Moses asked to see the Almighty's glory. He agreed but told Moses he couldn't see the Almighty's face and live, so He would pass by Moses...
Exodus 33:22
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
^ Did the portion in bold ever happen to Moses? I'm currently reading through the book looking for whether it happened but I haven't found it yet. Exodus 34:6 says the Almighty passed by Moses but no word about being placed in the clift of the rock. Meanwhile, fast-forward to Elijah when he was fleeing from Jezebel. He hid in a cave ON THE SAME MOUNTAIN...
1 Kings 19:9
And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
The Almighty then proceeded to pass by Elijah...
1 Kings 19:11-13
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
^ So here we have the Almighty performing the same act for Elijah that he promised to do for Moses, and yet Elijah didn't ask for it to happen. Is the Almighty confirming that Elijah is linked to Moses using this scene?
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2) Next, strangely enough, I think Elijah ascended in a chariot in the same location that Moses died.
In 2 Kings 2, we're told that Elijah was about to be taken up. Elijah and his servant travel from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho, and then crossing the Jordan by smiting the waters so they part...just like the Almighty did for Joshua to go in the reverse.
Moses died on the side of the river that Elijah and Elisha were now on. Moses wasn't allowed to cross over the Jordan into the promised land. And it was there that the whirlwind snatched Elijah away.
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3) Then, recall the ark of the testimony's lid (i.e. the mercy seat). It was to be two cherubim beaten out of a single piece of gold, (Exodus 37:7) and the Almighty's glory would appear "between the cherubim". So one lid with two figures made out of the same stuff.
Cherubim | Living God | Cherubim
...And then at the transfiguration, we have Moses, the Messiah, and Elijah all appearing...the Messiah is the "glory" of the Father.
Moses | God in the Flesh | Elijah
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4) This is rather weaker than the previous elements, but the Almighty said He would make Moses "like god" to Pharaoh, with Aaron as Moses's prophet. Elijah's name means "[Our] God is Yah" and he ascends to heaven like the Messiah, who says "no one ascends to heaven except the 'son of man' who came from heaven".
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It would seem Elijah was the other half of Moses (not literally or like in a blasphemous reincarnation way, but spiritually), and together they may have represented the earthly throne or full council of the Living God on earth, prior to Messiah's appearance? So the Almighty's Glory (i.e. the Messiah) had to appear between the two men in the vision.
Mark 10:37-40
They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.