Mountaintop Experiences

Moses

(Exo 24:12-18 NNAS) Now the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction."

{13} So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. {14} But to the elders he said, "Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them."

{15} Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. {16} The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. {17} And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. {18} Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Moses' final mountaintop experience

(Deu 34 NNAS) Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, {2} and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, {3} and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. {4} Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there."

{5} So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. {6} And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. {7} Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. {8} So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.

{9} Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. {10} Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, {11} for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, {12} and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Elijah

(1 Ki 19 NNAS) Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. {2} Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."

{3} And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. {4} But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

{5} He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." {6} Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.

{7} The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you." {8} So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

{9} Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" {10} He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

{11} So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. {12} After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. {13} When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

{14} Then he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." {15} The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; {16} and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. {17} "It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. {18} "Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him."

{19} So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. {20} He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?"

{21} So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

The Transfiguration

(Mat 16:28 NNAS) "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

(Mat 17:1-21 NNAS) Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. {2} And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. {3} And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

{4} Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." {5} While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" {6} When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. {7} And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid."

{8} And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. {9} As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

{10} And His disciples asked Him, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" {11} And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; {12} but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." {13} Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

{14} When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, {15} "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. {16} "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." {17} And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." {18} And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. {19} Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" {20} And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. {21} "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."