12 The Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was.”
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord appoint someone over this community 17 to lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 21 At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
DEUTERONOMY 3
27 “Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”
DEUTERONOMY 31
1 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
. .
by JAMES TISSOT
“Moses Blesses Joshua Before the High Priest”
. .
. .
“Consecration of Joshua”
. .
Illustration from Henry Davenport Northrop’s 1894 Treasures of the Bible
“Moses Appoints Joshua”
. .
. .
. .
by MARC CHAGALL
“Moses Blesses Joshua”
. .
. .
. .
. .
THE PROMISED LAND
. .
DEUTERONOMY 34
1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”
. .
. .
. .
. .
by JAMES TISSOT
“Moses Sees the Promised Land from Afar”
. .
. .
“Moses Looking Across the Jordan at the Promised Land”
. .
"Moses Viewing the Promised Land"
. .
by WALTER RANE
“Moses Overlooking the Promised Land”
. .
Moses "Viewing the Promised Land from Pisgah"
. .
. .
. .
by BENJAMIN WEST
“Moses Shown the Promised Land”
. .
by JULIUS SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD
“Moses Views The Promised Land”
. .
by ROBERT WALTER WEIR
“An Angel Showing Moses the Promised Land”
. .
from "The Story of the Bible" by Charles Foster,
Drawings by F.B. Schell and others, 1873
“Moses views the Promised Land”
. .
. .
“Moses Viewing the Promised Land”
. .
“Moses Looking at the Promised Land”
. .
“Moses Looking Over Canaan”
. .
by House of Jollain
“Moses Views the Promised Land”
. .
“Moses on Mount Nebo”
. .
. .
. .
by FREDERIC, LORD LEIGHTON
“Moses Views the Promised Land”
. .
by LESSER URY
“Moses on Mount Nebo Looking at the Promised Land”
. .
. .
. .
. .
THE REAL LAND
. .
. . 5 And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
. .
By MATTEO PEREZ
“ Discussion Over the Body of Moses”
. .
by ALEXANDRE CABANEL
“Death of Moses”
. .
by JULIUS SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD
“Death of Moses”
. .
by JAMES TISSOT
“The Death of Moses”
. .
“The Death of Moses”
. .
by LUCA SIGNORELLI and BARTOLOMEO DELLA GATTA
“Testament and Death of Moses” -- Fresco, Sistine Chapel, Rome, Italy
. .
. .
5th Century Mosaic, Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy
. .
Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich, Norfolk, England
. .
by MARC CHAGALL
“The Death of Moses”
. .
. .
. .
. .
R E A L L Y.... D I E ?
. .
. .
The text says Moses died, but immediately comes a cryptic statement casting doubt:
“And Moses died there, as the Lord had said. He buried him,
but to this day no one knows where his grave is.”
The writer was inspired by the Spirit, so we should take it literally unless the text itself indicates otherwise. But why else instantly add ignorance about the grave’s location unless it’s indicating a “tongue-in-cheek” burial? No one knows where Moses' grave is because Moses was never actually buried.
That is, like Enoch (Gen.5:24, Heb.11:5) and Elijah, is the text really suggesting Moses was translated directly to heaven without actually dying? Moses’ faith appears to measure favorably against theirs—on their spiritual level. As a giant of the faith, He certainly qualifies to be translated, like they were.
We know Moses’ current whereabouts, heaven, from his presence on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus and Elijah—Moses representing the Law and Elijah the Prophets. But that’s the clue that may solve this.
Moses got paired with Elijah. Why did God translate them both (assuming Moses was)? Because, I suggest, they will be the famous Two Witnesses described in Revelation 11:1-12. The text itself reveals they will be Elijah and Moses, all but naming them:
“6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.”
“They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain”:
exactly what Elijah did so famously for 3½ years (1 Kings 17-18; cf James 5:17).
“[T]hey have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague”:
exactly what Moses did so famously before Pharaoh, 10 plagues (Exodus 7-11).
One couldn’t possibly describe Elijah and Moses more precisely without actually naming them. But the Two Witnesses cannot have died previously, because they will both finally die here. Angels don't die--clearly, these are humans, and God will resurrect them.
I’ll just say: I will be mightily surprised if The Two Witnesses don't turn out to be Elijah and Moses, once again representing the Prophets and the Law.
Now, all that's left is deciphering what God is planning for Enoch....
. .
. .
THE TWO SPIES
. .
. .
. .
which yielded most of the works above, here are the links:
the artist's name is unknown
. .
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours
180 watercolors depicting Bible scenes
. .
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE
. .
PREVIOUS 55 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
with descriptive titles, to assist you in finding those which interest you
. .
. .
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!
. .
. .
Quality
The Bible is my focus, not the art. This is The Bible in Paintings, not “Great Paintings” nor even “Good Paintings.” So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don’t need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby’s. They only need to successfully illustrate some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm asking the Holy Spirit to guide. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.
Pacing
The pace may seem glacial to those eager to see their favorite events. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence; if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic. But where there is no art, that Bible passage goes untold here. The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing. Always remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!
Thank you for your understanding.
. .