Jude 1:9

Jude 1:9: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

This is a strange passage. Why was Michael contending with the devil about the body of Moses? No one knows where Moses is buried, because God buried him personally (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). Is his body important in some way?

Some have speculated that Moses and Elijah will be the two witnesses that are discussed in Revelation 11. We know that Elijah will be resurrected before the Tribulation begins (Malachi 4:5-6); whether he will be a witness, I do not know. The Bible does not explain what this conflict was about. It is a bit odd.

I have researched this verse and I have read commentaries and articles about it, and after all is said and done the truth is that nobody has any idea what Jude is talking about. There are a couple competing theories, but they are weak, they lack supporting evidence, and they aren’t very compelling. This is one of those areas where theologians throw up their hands and say “I have absolutely no idea”.

In my opinion, issues like this make Heaven all the more exciting. People have been living in Heaven for thousands of years; it is full of prophets, apostles, and people with tremendous wisdom – and on top of that, God Himself dwells there! I am sure that people in Heaven have been busy studying, learning, and writing over the centuries. I strongly suspect that Heaven contains a vast treasure trove of theological knowledge. In Heaven questions concerning predestination and eschatology (the study of end times) have surely been settled long ago. The greatest theological resources that we have here on Earth surely pale in comparison to what we will have access to when the Lord comes for us. (I have a feeling that, when we arrive there, we will find ourselves in need of some serious education – both to learn what is true, and to unlearn what is not true.) Here we see through a glass darkly, but one day we will see face to face.