As Moses and Elias were only mortal men, wouldn't they have suffered the same fate as all those who came before Christ, includin

As Moses and Elias were only mortal men, wouldn't they have suffered the same fate as all those who came before Christ, including Adam and Eve, who were only freed from Hades when Christ descended there?  If that is true, how then could they have been present at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13 and Mark 9: 2-13)?  (Sep. ’01)

Let's deal with the easy one first.  The glorious Prophet Elias (or Elijah) did not die, therefore his soul was never in Hades!  Yep. You can read the story of his ascent into heaven via a "chariot of fire" in II Kings (2:1-12).  He will descend from heaven to earth to prophesy again before the Second Coming of Christ and will be killed at that time.  The Prophet Elias is one of the "two witnesses" St. John the Theologian writes of in the eleventh chapter of Revelation.  (By the way, the other witness" who will return to earth and be killed is Enoch, the only other human that did not yet die.  Read the entire fifth chapter of Genesis and you will discover that while all others are noted as having "died," Enoch is described as having "walked with God.")

Now to the holy God-seer Moses.  We can read of Moses' death and burial (by none other than God Himself!) in the book of Deuteronomy (34:1-12).  He Who buried him is He Who has the power to call his spirit to Tabor for a very special purpose. You see, Moses is symbolic of the Law  which was given to him by God on Mount Sinai, while Elias is symbolic of all the Prophets.  Together they represent the entire Old Testament, and thus together represent the fullness of the revelation of God to Israel. There on Mount Tabor in Galilee, Jesus, Who is the Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, meets with those who in their persons stand for the Law and the Prophets.  The two who met God on Mount Sinai now meet Him again on Mount Tabor.  Elias the Prophet is temporarily sent from heaven since it was prophesied that his return would precede the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5 & 6), and Moses is temporarily called from Hades to confirm that those held captive there shall be freed by Christ and that the dead shall rise in Him.  The appearance of the one tells the holy Apostles Peter, James and John that Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ), while the appearance of the other tells these three chosen disciples that He will defeat death and raise the dead.