Two Great Prophets

Moses prophesied of another prophet who would arise: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren, Him you shall hear" (Deuteronomy 18:15).

That Prophet was to be Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 3:22; 7:37).

Moses was the type, or forerunner, of this great Prophet to come. The apostle Paul compared the two prophets, the type and the antitype: "Therefore, holy brethren, who share in the heavenly call, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. He was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all his house. Yet Jesus has been counted worthy of as much more glory than Moses as the builder of a house has more honour than the house . . . Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later" (Hebrews 3:1-3, 5, Revised English Bible, emphasis added).

Both Jesus and Moses were faithful to their tasks and their callings. They accomplished the work God had for them in their respective ages. As the apostle John put it, "the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

Sweeping back the curtain of history, we can read God's revelation through both prophets. Christ told us we are to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). Christ said that if we believe Moses we will also believe Him, "but if you do not believe what he wrote, how are you to believe what I say?" (John 5:46-47, REB). GN