Introduction
Moses, who talked to God face to face, was, and is still today, highly regarded in both Judaism and Christianity – and for good reason.
When it comes to Moses and his writing of the Pentateuch, Jesus had this to say:
“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.” – John 5:45-46
The name of Moses, or Moshe in Hebrew, means to “to draw out” as Pharaoh’s daughter drew him out of the Nile (Exodus 2:10). Yeshua’s Name means “Yahweh saves” or “the LORD saves,” as Jesus, also in parallel, draws out of the world a people for Himself known as the church or the bride of Christ.
Moses’ Prophecy of Yeshua
God, through Moses, prophesied of Jesus:
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” – Deuteronomy 18:18-19
When Christ met the Samaritan woman at the well, He confirmed that He was the Messiah in fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy.
“The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet… The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.” – John 4:19, 25-26
In Greek, “am He” is 1510 εἰμί “eimi” meaning “I exist” or “I AM,” which is the Name that God gave of Himself to Moses at the burning bush:
“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.” – Exodus 3:14
When it came to the Messiah being not only the Prophet that God, through Moses, said would come, Yeshua used this same Name to confirm His deity to the Pharisees:
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58
Using the same method as we did in Elisha and Yeshua: Parallels – Part 1 and Elisha and Yeshua: Parallels – Part 2, we will be looking into the parallels of the lives and ministries of Moses and Yeshua with additional commentary and supporting Scriptures, and in some cases offering extended applications.
For Part 1, please see Moses and Yeshua: Parallels – Part 1.
Parallel #14
The fourteenth parallel is Moses and Yeshua leading God’s people into the Promised Land.
Moses: Through the leadership of Moses and the divine direction and leading of God, Moses would lead Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
“And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…” – Exodus 3:7-8
“And I will bring you [Israel] in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.” – Exodus 6:8
Though Moses himself would be unable to enter the Promised Land for misrepresenting the Lord at the water of Meribah (Numbers 20:10-13), Moses did fulfill his mission of taking the Promised Land east of the Jordan and had the privilege to overlook the western portion of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, over against Jericho, before his death (Deuteronomy 34:1-8).
Yeshua: The entire mission of Jesus at His First Coming was to prepare a people unto Himself, that those who would put their faith and trust in Him would obtain eternal life and rule and reign with Him in the Millennial and Eternal Kingdoms.
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” – Hebrews 9:15
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” – 2 Timothy 2:11-12b
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” – Revelation 1:5-6
“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” – Revelation 2:26-27
Our true Promised Land destiny of the Salvation Kingdom, though, is in the Eternal Kingdom.
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God… He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” – Revelation 21:2-3, 7
“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” – Revelation 22:4-5
Parallel #15
The fifteenth parallel is that both Moses and Yeshua were willing to sacrifice themselves for their people.
Moses: In the golden calf rebellion, while Moses was interceding for Israel, Moses said the following:
“… Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” – Exodus 32:31-32
God, of course, reassured Moses that man is responsible for his own sin and will be held accountable individually.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” – Exodus 32:33
Yeshua: Jesus was the ultimate example in His willingness to sacrifice Himself for His people. For without the shedding of His precious blood and sacrifice on the cross, our sins could never be forgiven, and our just punishment would have to be paid for by us – which is eternal separation from God.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…
“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” – Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12
For more information on the depths of what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross, please see The Lake of Fire and Salvation.
Parallel #16
The sixteenth parallel is blood sacrifices.
Moses: Moses, by the instructions of the Lord, commanded the people to offer sacrifices of innocent animals for the temporary covering – or atonement – of God’s people for their sins.
Many of these blood sacrifices are outlined in the book of Leviticus.
Yeshua: Jesus, as the culmination of the prophetic pictures of Israel’s animal sacrifices for sins, paid the price for every human being’s sins and procured for those who would believe in Him salvation from His perfect blood sacrifice on the cross.
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins… Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God… Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God… For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” – Hebrews 10:4, 7, 9-10, 12, 14
Parallel #17
The seventeenth parallel is the numbers 12 and 70.
Moses: There were 12 tribes of Israel that were freed from bondage in the land of Egypt that made their way by the hand of Moses and the leading of the Lord into the Promised Land.
Once Israel approached the Promised Land, Moses chose, by the commandment of the Lord, 12 men – one each from the 12 tribes of Israel to explore Canaan.
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.” – Numbers 13:1-3
Yeshua: Just as Moses chose 12 men, so, too, did Messiah Jesus choose 12 men to be His disciples.
“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
“And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.” – Luke 6:12-16
Moses: After the people of Israel complained of the Manna from heaven – as they lusted for meat – Moses was extremely overwhelmed, so the Lord had Moses appoint 70 elders over Israel to help carry the burden of the people.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
“And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.” – Numbers 11:16-17
“And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.” – Numbers 11:24-25
Yeshua: Messiah Jesus commissioned 70 disciples to preach the kingdom of God.
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” – Luke 10:1-3
Parallel #18
The eighteenth parallel is that of the faces of both did shine.
Moses: Moses’ face, after communing with the Lord on Mount Sinai and receiving the 10 Commandments, shone brightly.
“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. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face…
“But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
“And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” – Exodus 34:29-30, 34-35
Yeshua: The entire body of Jesus, at the “Mount of Transfiguration,” also shone brightly!
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” – Matthew 17:1-2
Parallel #19
The nineteenth parallel is that of Pentecost.
Moses: According to oral tradition, 50 days after Israel left Egypt, Moshe received the Torah on Mount Sinai on Pentecost.
Though Scripture cannot confirm this oral tradition of an exact date, we do know that the law was given in the general timeframe of Pentecost within the month of Sivan.
Yeshua: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on His disciples to give them unique supernatural power to carry the gospel into the world on Pentecost!
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” – Acts 2:1-4
From this day forward, the Apostles of Jesus Christ turned the world upside down for our Lord and Savior!
Extended Application: After Israel sinned with the Golden Calf, while Moses was receiving the law, in general, and the 10 Commandments, in particular, 3,000 Israelites and the foreigners that were among them were slain.
“And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.” – Exodus 32:28
Conversely, when Peter and the disciples had the unique Holy Spirit experience on Pentecost, 3,000 Israelites and the foreigners that were among them were saved!
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” – Acts 2:41
Parallel #20
The twentieth parallel is that of Israel’s little ones.
Moses: When Israel rebelled against the Lord after the wicked report of the 12 spies (excluding Caleb and Joshua), God, through Moses, declared that that generation should not go into the Promised Land, but rather their little ones would.
“Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.” – Deuteronomy 1:39
Yeshua: Jesus was a little more than displeased when His disciples discouraged the people from bringing their little ones unto Him.
In fact, He declared that no one would be able to enter the Salvation Kingdom unless they were to “receive the kingdom of God as a little child.”
“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” – Mark 10:13-16
Parallel #21
The twenty-first parallel is that both fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
Moses: Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights when he received the 10 Commandments.
“And he [Moses] was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” – Exodus 34:28
After Israel’s rebellion with the Golden Calf, Moses interceded for Israel with fasting for 40 days and 40 nights.
“Thus I fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the Lord had said he would destroy you.” – Deuteronomy 9:25
Yeshua: After Christ’s baptism, we are told that just before Jesus began His earthly ministry, He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights “to be tempted of the devil.”
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.” – Matthew 4:1-2
Parallel #22
The twenty-second parallel is that both delivered their people from bondage.
Moses: The book of Exodus describes in detail how Moses, through God, delivered God’s people from the bondage of Egypt.
“And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” – Exodus 6:5-7
Yeshua: Messiah Jesus, through His loving sacrifice on the cross, delivers His people from the bondage of sin.
John the Baptist testified of Christ:
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” – John 1:29
Paul declared:
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God… For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace… Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness… But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” – Romans 6:9-10, 14, 18, 22
Extended Parallel: Jesus will one day soon deliver Israel from the bondage of the Tribulation.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” – Revelation 19:11-14
Parallel #23
The twenty-third parallel is that of a tree.
Moses: Moses cast wood from a tree into the bitter waters of Marah to give Israel life-sustaining water to drink.
“And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
“And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.” – Exodus 15:23-25a
Yeshua: Yeshua, in payment for the sins of the world in His own body, willingly and lovingly gave Himself in sacrifice upon the wood of a tree.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” – 1 Peter 2:21-24
Parallel #24
The twenty-fourth parallel is the Law in the Word of God.
Moses: God gave Moses the Law (Torah) to give to Israel on Mount Sinai and throughout Israel’s wilderness wanderings. In fact, the first five books of the Bible were written by Moses and are considered by Israel to be the entirety of the Torah, or Law.
Yeshua: Jesus is the Word of God and lived a life that fulfilled the Law (Torah) so that He could be that innocent sacrificial substitute for the sins of the world.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” – John 1:1-4
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17
Parallel #25
The twenty-fifth parallel is the Bronze Serpent.
Moses: When the Israelites were attacked by fiery serpents because of their rebellion and complaint against the Manna God had sent down from heaven for them, Moses made a Bronze Serpent that, when anyone looked upon it after they had been bitten by the fiery serpents, they would live.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” – Numbers 21:8-9
Yeshua: When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about the Salvation Kingdom, He brought up the Bronze Serpent in the wilderness and how this would apply to Himself.
“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:13-15
This analogy of the Bronze Serpent, of course, led to one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” – John 3:16-18
Parallel #26
The twenty-sixth parallel is the form of a cross.
Moses: In Numbers 2, we see that the 12 tribes of Israel were divided into four groups of three tribes, extended out from the tabernacle in the center, with each three-tribe grouping extending toward the north, east, south, and west, respectively, and, thus, formed a cross.
Yeshua: Jesus Christ was obviously crucified on a cross in payment for the sins of the world.
“Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
“And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
“And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.” – John 19:16-20
Parallel #27
The twenty-seventh parallel is the Passover Lamb and the cross.
Moses: In Exodus 12, God gives Moses the regulations that the children of Israel were to follow when it came to the newly instituted Passover.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
“And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.” – Exodus 12:5-7
The blood on the two side posts and on the upper door post of each Israelite’s house – with blood inevitably dripping onto the base of the doorstep – constituted the shape of a cross.
Yeshua: Jesus Christ, in payment for the sin of the world, fulfilled the Passover in every way.
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7
There are many remarkably well-researched articles and books on the parallels between the Passover of Israel in Egypt with Messiah Yeshua’s prophetic fulfillment of the Passover in payment for mankind’s sins.
Parallel #28
The twenty-eighth parallel was that of the meekness of both Moses and Yeshua.
Moses: Moses, by his own hand, was inspired by the Lord to write of his own God-given meekness.
“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” – Numbers 12:3
Yeshua: Jesus testified of Himself of His own meekness.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
Conclusion
Though Moses was not allowed to take Israel fully into the Promised Land, Joshua ended up taking Israel into the Promised Land just as his namesake, Yeshua, will ultimately bring all men and women who put their faith and trust in Him into the Promised Land of the Eternal Kingdom.
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
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