I, like many Christians, had been taught that Moses was resurrected and taken to heaven. I looked long and hard (unsuccessfully) for proof of this. Instead I found the words of Yahushua, the Messiah who said Moses isn't in heaven:
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. John 3:13
Either this is true or it isn't. Following is all we are told about Moses death:
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth–peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. Deuteronomy 34:5-8
If the children of Israel saw Moses taken in a cloud to heaven would they have mourned for him for 30 days? They didn't see him taken, the Bible doesn't say he was and Yahshua said he didn't go to heaven.
Hebrews 11, the faith chapter gives a long narrative about many of the faithful, including Moses.
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Hebrews 11:24
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: Hebrews 11:39
Then why are we taught this?
It came from an ancient Jewish traditon - recorded in the Talmud
Moses ascended in the cloud, was hidden by the cloud, and was sanctified by the cloud. (Babylonian Talmud Yoma 4a)
When Moses was to ascend, a cloud descended and lay before him... And the cloud covered Moses and carried him up. (Pesikta Rabbati 20:4)
Apparently, this tradition goes back to the first century A.D., at least as far as the time of Josephus, who describes the end of Moses’ life as follows:
Now as soon as they [Moses, Joshua, Eleazar the high priest, and the seventy elders] were come to the mountain called Abarim, he dismissed the senate; and as he was going to embrace Eleazar and Joshua, and was still discoursing with them, a cloud stood over him on the sudden, and he disappeared in a certain valley, although he wrote in the holy books that he died [cf. Deut 34:6-7], which was done out of fear, lest they should venture to say that, because of his extraordinary virtue, he went to God (Josephus, Antiquities 4.325-26).
It seems that the Jews needed someone as powerful as Yahushua who was resurrected, so they manufactured the resurrection of Moses.
Further "proof" is given in the story of the transfiguration. But Yahushua plainly stated that was a vision (not reality).
And as they came down from the mountain, Yahushua charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Yahushua answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Matthew 17:9-12
The "vision" and the substitution of John the Baptist for Elijah (Elias) show that this was not literal reality, but was a figurative vision. A figurative vision cannot overcome the direct, plain words of our master.
