Although Messianic Judaism and Christianity acknowledge that Jesus Christ is identified by his likeness to Moses, any others’ likeness is downplayed as being nothing more than “types” of Christ.
Yes, Deuteronomy 34:10-12 documents “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses…” but that is time-stamped to the historical era during which it was written –
The full biblical – not Jewish or Christian – criteria for recognizing the Melchizedekian successors to Moses include the essentials of the same attributes. We are discarding our own identity in Christ if don’t recognize Moses’ successors’ relationship to the Promised Redeemer: “whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders…in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror…in the sight of all Israel.”
1. The LORD Knew /Was Intimately Acquainted With Face To Face / Unveiling His Hyperdimensional Power
Moses
“Moses alone shall come near the LORD…And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel…forty days and forty nights.” (Exodus 24)
Yeshua 1
“the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister…as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee…when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand…as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship…And the captain of the LORD‘s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.” (Joshua 5:13-15)
Elijah
“Elijah…went a day’s journey into the wilderness…an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat…and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb / Desolate AKA Sinai / dirt, i.e. no vegetation so also desolate, uninhabitable [consistent with prior provision before going there], the mount of God…the word [in the sense of calling a business meeting] of the LORD came to him…And the LORD said unto him…” (I Kings 19)
Yeshua 2
“Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias / Elijah talking with him [recognizable by their translation into the higher dimension]…behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them.” (Matthew 17:1-5)
Paul
“Saul…journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?…I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” (Acts 9:1-16)
2. Signs and Wonders
Moses
“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet…And I will multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 7:1-2)
Yeshua 1
“Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim…when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed…And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi
the LORD is my [war]banner” (Exodus 17:8-15)
Elijah
“said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD…call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken…And Elijah…made a trench about the altar…and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood…the second time…the third time…and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word…Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench…And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD / YHVH, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.” (I Kings 18)
Yeshua 2
“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
- The blind receive their sight,
- the lame walk,
- the lepers are cleansed,
- the deaf hear,
- THE DEAD ARE RAISED UP [in a taste of the ultimate victory],
- the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Matthew 11:1-6)
Did you catch that last one? The poor having the gospel preached in their neighborhood is as much a wonder as raising the dead! Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. These neighborhoods are strongholds of the devil with crime, drugs, oppression and high death rates. It takes great spiritual power to resist the devil to do any work there, which explains as much as the profit motive why tepid churches can’t maintain a foothold.
Paul
“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19:11-12)
3. Mighty Hand
Moses
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.” (Exodus 9:13-16)
Yeshua 1
“Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour…when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city…So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.” (Joshua 6)
Elijah
“And Elijah said unto them, Take the 450 prophets of [of a particular Baal / lord [and 400 prophets of the groves / other Baalim / Baals]; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew…all the prophets with the sword…And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees [praying]…And it came to pass…there was a great rain. And Ahab rode [in his chariot] And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he…ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” (I Kings 18:40-19:1)]
Yeshua 2
“The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified / experience a great victory…for this cause came I unto this hour...Then came there a voice from heaven, saying…Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (John 12:23-33)
Paul
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:6)
4. Great Terror
Moses
“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD…Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power.” (Exodus 15)
Yeshua 1
“And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view…Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there…And the woman took the two men, and hid them…And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD / YHVH the personal name of the God of Israel hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.” (Joshua 2:1-9)
Elijah
“[King Ahaziah] sent unto [Ahab] a captain of fifty with his fifty…And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered…If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. Again also [the king] sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty…And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him…And he arose, and went down with him unto the king…And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.” (II KIngs 1)
Yeshua 2
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice…yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:45-53)
Paul
“a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying…followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation…many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they…brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city…and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and…when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely…thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison…drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here…And when it was day, the magistrates feared, when they heard that they were Romans.” (Acts 16)
5. Shewed In The Sight Of All Israel
Idioms can be easily misunderstood. What exactly does this phrase mean? That every individual saw what was happening? Hardly. A good comparison is found with Abraham.
“And the LORD appeared unto [Abraham] in the plains of Mamre: and he…bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:” (Genesis 18:1-3)
Likewise, we can understand that all that “Moses’ shewed / brought to pass were discerned” to be favorably by all Israel, or there would have been a revolt.
Moses
“And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house[hold, including other nationalities] of Jacob, and tell the [biological] children of Israel…
- IF ye will…keep my covenant – this is conditional!
- THEN ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine – a clear reference to the Melchizedekian Covenant of Dominion
- And YE shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation – leadership of the Hebrew Commonwealth of Nations under the existing Melchizedekian Covenant.” (Exodus 19:3-6)
No mistaking the legal verbiage – this is not a different – Mosaic vs Melchizedekian – Covenant.
“to Abraham and his seed [seed, Melchizedekian heirs, Christs] were the [Melchizedekian] promises made…And this I say, that
- the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ / the Promised Seed of the Woman Savior carried at that time through Isaac,
- the law [given through Moses], which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect…(Galatians 3:14-17)
Yeshua 1
“And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God…
- IF ye forsake the LORD…
- THEN he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD to serve him…
Joshua made a covenant with the people that day…wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD…“this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.” (Joshua 24)
This validates the deductions made in the paragraph above that Moses’ covenant was the existing Covenant of Dominion – not a different “Mosaic” covenant. Does anyone claim that there is a “Joshuaic Covenant”? This was the same covenant, new generation. Each individual is responsible for a personal decision to accept YHVH’s authority and power over their life.
However, some leaders, not YHVHists, took actions contrary to the Mosaic Covenant.
“Observe thou that which I command thee this day…lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest” (Exodus 34) And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they [made covenants that] put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.” (Judges 1:28)
Elijah
“the word of the LORD came to [Elijah in hiding], and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away…And the LORD said unto him, [in essence, “I hear you! Shift change.] Go…
- anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
- Jehu the son of Nimshi anoint king over Israel:
- Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah anoint to be prophet in thy room / place.
him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (I Kings 19)
Yeshua 2
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake…
This is not an entirely new covenant, but a new clause following covenantal rules requiring the stronger party to support the weaker party.
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel…I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more…saying, Know / acknowledge the LORD: for they shall all know / be intimately united with me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31)
As you read the next lines, lay them in the context of the scriptures and ancient ceremonies they echo, like the first readers did. How much more sense they make!
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets…For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’ (Matthew 5:17-18)And he / Jesus took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”(Matthew 5:17-18, 26:28)
Paul
- “Circumcised the eighth day,
- of the stock of Israel,
- of the tribe of Benjamin,
- an Hebrew of the Hebrews;
- as touching the law, a Pharisee [obsessive compulsive]
- touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:5-10)
It was Paul’s humility in lowering his identity from that of a privileged nationally favored relationship with YHVH to a universal average Joe that qualified him to be the rare apostle to the Gentiles. I’ve rearranged the order of the phrases to demonstrate the parallels.
From Moses gloriously on Mount Sinai:
- “Ye are the children of the LORD your God
- thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God
- the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2)
From Paul ignominiously in prison, “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God [vs Matthias’ election by the majority 11 disciples, never to be heard from again]
- to the saints / Upright Ones [which are at Ephesus] adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself…
- holy and without blame before him in love / merged identities:
- chosen before the foundation of the world ergo, trumping the choice of the nation of Israel on Mount Sinai. (Ephesians 1:1-5)
Based on “by their fruits ye shall know them“, Paul is a Melchizedek like Moses, just like YHVH’s Savior.
All the rest of believers in Christ:
“ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God” (I Peter 2:8-10)
