Did Moses and Elijah go directly to heaven when they died?

Caller: Hi Doug.

Pastor Doug: Hi - how are you doing?

Caller: Good. It's a pleasure listening to you. I cross the state every fourth weekend, back and forth in Washington, and listen to you. Your show is a real blessing. My question is inaudible as I was listening to the other fellow regarding are the dead really dead - that there was one instance where Christ was with a couple of His disciples and uh, He was with Moses and Elijah. I understand Moses died and Elijah didn't actually - he was inaudible into Heaven the way I understand it but uh, I was wondering how you would respond to that. Were they resurrected?

Pastor Doug: Well that's a good question. First of all I think it's interesting. The last thing it says in the Old Testament is remember the Law of Moses. Behold I send you Elijah the Prophet. Then you turn into the New Testament in the book of Mark chapter 9 verse 1 Moses and Elijah appear to Jesus, Peter, James and John. Well we know about Elijah. He received an angelic escort. He never did die. So we know how he got to Heaven. If you go to the book of Jude, it tells us that Michael the Archangel resurrected Moses. Moses received a special resurrection. Now this is not in the Bible, but it is in Jewish tradition that three days after Moses died, the Lord came and resurrected him.

We have reason to believe that that's true because we do have this passage of Scripture in Jude that Moses received a special resurrection and they Moses and Elijah are not the only exceptions. Incidentally that's Jude chapter 1 verse 9. You've got the example where Enoch walked with God - and he doesn't appear in the New Testament anywhere but we know that he didn't die God took him. There was a special resurrection when Jesus died on the Cross. The Bible says many of those who slept rose and appeared to others in the city and they ascended to Heaven with Jesus but that was not a universal resurrection. So there are some Christians and some saved people from this life who are in Glory now - but generally speaking, the mass exodus is going to be when the Lord descends from Heaven.

Caller: Are the implications then that those people that are received, those that are from special dispensations - have they already been judged?

Pastor Doug: Well evidently they're being saved not retroactively proactively on the grace of Jesus. The great judgment day has not occurred yet. That's very clear. Christ says three times in John chapter 6, 'the judgment of the last day' so it's still future.

Caller: Okay. Well thanks a lot Doug. God bless you.

Pastor Doug: Good question. Glad you called.

Co-Host: Thanks for the call Andy.