Ascending and Descending the Mount of God

At the time the Covenant was made with Israel at Mount Sinai, God asked Moses to place a boundary around the mountain to sanctify it, any who came near were to be put to death Ex 19:12, 23. Moses was given instructions to make the covenant with Israel and bring the elders of Israel on the mount. Moses questioned how this could be, if God has already said any who touch the mountain should be put to death. Moses followed God instructions, first he read the words of the covenant to the people then animals were sacrificed, the blood was sprinkled on the book of the Covenant and the people. Exodus 24:4-11 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. 6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. 9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. 11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Let us consider likenesses between this passage in Exodus and events which took place at Pentecost in the days of the early church. Jesus, like Moses, spoke the words of the Covenant to Israel completing his work at Jerusalem where his own blood was shed. Mathew 26:28, 29 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. There we find the first parallel we will consider. Moses and Jesus as men conveyed the words of a covenant to Israel before it was ratified by blood. The mountain which Moses was asked to place a boundary around might be viewed as being like the Tabernacle, the base of the mountain where the animals where slain being like the court, the area where the 70 elders of Israel ascended to, like the Holy, and the top of Mount where Moses ascended would be like the Most Holy. This idea is outlined in the JPS Torah Commentary on Exodus page 105 on Ex 19:12-25. Moses ascended the Mount where he received the Law, this we would compare to Moses entering the Most Holy of the tabernacle to receive instructions from God. Ex 25:22 And there (in the Most Holy) I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

As God descended on the mount, it was covered with smoke and fire, the tabernacle was also filled with smoke as God descended on the tabernacle in Ex 40:33-34. And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Ex 24:15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai. . .
Moses showed concern when God asked him to bring the elders of Israel on the mount, because God prohibited any from touching the mount. God insisted that Moses should ascend the mount with this small group, which he did. The account makes it clear God did not lay his hand on any. This small group may have prefigured the disciples of Jesus who gathered in the upper room at Pentecost. If we look back Israel left Egypt the morning after the Passover and we read in Exodus 19 they come to the mount in the third month which would place Israel at Mountain Sinai near the time of Pentecost. What also helps established this as the time of Pentecost is what takes place at Mount Sinai. This is not only the time the covenant is inaugurated, but it is the time when God came down with the intent to dwell among this newly formed nation. This also happened at Pentecost which took place in the upper room, God created a dwelling for himself in the hearts of his people by giving them the Holy Spirit, pitching a tent within their hearts. The 70 elders ascending the mount might signify that they in there minds were elevated or caught up to see heavenly things. In Exodus we read they ate and drank and upon the nobles of Israel God laid not his hand. The 70 elders being part way up on the mount might suggest the disciples in the upper room may have been pictured as being in the holy of the Tabernacle. This event may also have been portrayed by the high priest who on the day of Pentecost lifted two new loves baked with leaven and waved before the Lord, waving the loaves picturing the elevation of the disciples in spirit Lev 23:16, 17.

After these events Moses then ascends to the top of the Mount, where he receives instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and two tables which represented the covenant. Moses departure to the top of the mountain may be foreshadowing Jesus ascension to the father. While Moses tarried on the mountain, we read of a rebellion among the Israelites. Ex 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Here we see another passage that may fit our Lord’s experience. We read in Mathew 24 of an abomination which would stand in the holy place being a sign of Jesus’ near return, the golden calf which Aaron made prior to Moses’ return fits this well. Exodus 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me… (Aaron did this and made a gold calf) ...and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Moses returns during this feast to find the people drinking and making marry.

In Mathew 24 we have several references to Jesus coming unexpectedly as a thief and that some would be caught unaware. This also happened to Israel with Moses’ return from the mount. Each of the parables that precede the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matt. 25:31 speak of a situation which involves those waiting for a return. The parable of the 10 virgins who eagerly wait the bride, the servants who are given pounds are told to occupy until the master’s returns, there is the householder who is caught unaware by the thief and there is the prudent and slothful servants who the master expected to be engaged in distributing meat at his return. The thread which connects these parables is an unexpected return. The parable of Mt 25:31 is different from the previous parables in that we see Jesus coming not as a thief, but in glory and not with the purpose of judging his own, here we see the nations gathered before him. Mat 25:31, 32 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations… These two differing characterizations of Jesus’ return may also be seen in the Exodus account. Where we learn Moses twice descended from the mount, the first time catching many unaware who depart from the faith and a second return from the mount in glory, Moses coming down from the Mountain with his face transfigured before the people. Ex 34:29,30 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

The events we have considered in Exodus take place on a small scale and involve Israel at a very early stage. There is what seems to be a repeat of these events but on a larger scale and does not involve the tabernacle, but the temple. In Ezekiel we see the Lord coming to his temple twice the first in Ezekiel chapters 9 -12 the second time in Ezekiel 43. One point the section with the first return has in common with Mount Sinai, when the Lord comes to the temple it is filled with Idols, those men who have charge over the city are asked to go in and slay the idol worshipers. This is similar to Exodus when Moses returns from the mountain the first time and finds many worshiping a gold calf, Moses calls out all who are for the Lord and sends them back to slay the idol worshipers. Ex32:27… Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. Ezek 9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women…

In the second coming in Ezekiel we see the glory of God enter the temple in Ezekiel 43 this might relate Moses coming down from the mount with his face shining. After this Ezekiel is shown the river of water which proceeds from under the temple. This description is much like the New Jerusalem in Revelation and the water which comes from under the throne that goes to the nations this would follow Mathew 25 where we see Jesus on the throne in his glory before the nations.

There is one point that long puzzled me about the Ezekiel 9-12 account. Why in Ezekiel the Lord would even come to this temple which was then filled with Idols? When we compare Moses’ first return from the mount, we see he comes to a people he had promised to return to. Once Moses found the people worshiping the idol, Moses proceeds with what amounts to a cleansing of the sanctuary. Then he ascends the mountain a second time to rededicate the covenant. This seems to be true in Ezekiel the Lord returns, cleanses the temple, and leaves, rededicates the covenant and returns again to a holy temple ready to receive him in chapter 43.

Other passages that may be of interest are in Rev 18:1-8 the angel in these verses may be our Lord returning as a thief. The call “come out of her my people” may be like Moses who said “Who is for the Lord” then the Levites departed from the camp. The destruction of Babylon may relate to the grinding up of the Golden calf by Moses. Rev 18:8 ...she shall be utterly burned with fire…

The thoughts presented in this study are based upon the idea that the events which took place at Mount Sinai were prophetic; Moses’ activities foreshadowing those of Jesus. Moses went up and down the mountain many times, but the Exodus account singles out these two times which involve the dedication of the covenant. In each 40 day period, Moses is given detailed instructions, after the first we find many are caught unexpectedly worshiping an idol. Then after a cleansing of the sanctuary Moses ascends the mount to rededicate the covenant then descends again to the people in glory, at this time the dwelling for God is constructed among his people.