No one has ascended
into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. (John 3:13)
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According
to the Talmud Moses ascended to heaven. What's interesting about this is, John
was not aware of the oral law within the Jewish faith. Orthodox Jews believe Moses ascended to
heaven where God gave him the law and the angels were present around him.
Christians who have a problem with the oral law have no round to stand upon,
since the gospels were also oral which were later written down.
R.
Joshua b. Levi said also : "When Moses ascended to heaven, the ministering
angels said unto the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, what
has one born of a woman to do among us?' 'He has come to receive the Torah,'
was the Divine answer. 'What !' said they unto Him. 'Art Thou about to bestow
upon frail man that cherished treasure which has been with Thee for nine
hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created? ( MIDRASH
Ein Yaakov Shabbat, Chapter 9)
This
is also reiterated by Rashi and renowned Torah/Talmud scholar.
When Moses ascended to Heaven to receive the Law he found the Holy One,
blessed be He, engaged in writing: “The Lord is long-suffering”. He asked,
“Surely only to the righteous?” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “To
the wicked also!” Whereupon Moses said: “The wicked — let them perish!” (COMMENTARY Rashi on Numbers
Chapter 14:18:1)
The Talmud in Shabbat 88b, portrays G–d as
saying to Moses when he ascended toHeaven to
receive the Torah and was challenged by the angels: "Hold on to My
"Throne." (Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vayeshev,
Miketz, Vayigash, Torah Ohr 91)
