Death of Moses
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the mighty Angel who had gone before their fathers. He heard Christ’s
agonizing cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
Mark 15:34
. He saw Him lying in Joseph’s new tomb. The darkness of
hopeless despair seemed to enshroud the world. But he looked again,
and beheld Him coming forth a conqueror, and ascending to heaven
escorted by adoring angels and leading a multitude of captives. He
saw the shining gates open to receive Him, and the host of heaven
with songs of triumph welcoming their Commander. And it was there
revealed to him that he himself would be one who should attend the
Saviour, and open to Him the everlasting gates. As he looked upon
the scene, his countenance shone with a holy radiance. How small
appeared the trials and sacrifices of his life when compared with those
of the Son of God! how light in contrast with the “far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory”!
2 Corinthians 4:17
. He rejoiced that he
had been permitted, even in a small measure, to be a partaker in the
sufferings of Christ.
Moses beheld the disciples of Jesus as they went forth to carry His
gospel to the world. He saw that though the people of Israel “according
to the flesh” had failed of the high destiny to which God had called
them, in their unbelief had failed to become the light of the world,
though they had despised God’s mercy and forfeited their blessings as
His chosen people—yet God had not cast off the seed of Abraham; the
glorious purposes which He had undertaken to accomplish through
Israel were to be fulfilled. All who through Christ should become the
children of faith were to be counted as Abraham’s seed; they were
inheritors of the covenant promises; like Abraham, they were called to
guard and to make known to the world the law of God and the gospel
of His Son. Moses saw the light of the gospel shining out through the
disciples of Jesus to them “which sat in darkness” (
Matthew 4:16
),
and thousands from the lands of the Gentiles flocking to the brightness
of its rising. And beholding, he rejoiced in the increase and prosperity
of Israel.
And now another scene passed before him. He had been shown the
work of Satan in leading the Jews to reject Christ, while they professed
to honor His Father’s law. He now saw the Christian world under a
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similar deception in professing to accept Christ while they rejected
God’s law. He had heard from the priests and elders the frenzied cry,
“Away with Him!” “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” and now he heard