Did the bronze serpent typify Christ?

[jerusalem]

‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness’ … (John 3:14, NKJ). - Does this passage allude to our Saviour on the cross as the serpent?

We read in the book of Revelation: 'So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world' (Rev.12:9, NKJ). The devil is called a serpent. His spiritual poison kills. As the 'father of lies' (John 8:44), it was he who, in the beginning, tempted mankind to doubt God's word, coming to Eve in the guise of one bringing enlightenment. His tactics were no different in Paul's day: 'Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light,' he wrote (2 Cor.11:14, NIV). He expressed his fear that the Corinthians, just as Eve, might be deceived by 'the serpent's cunning' (2 Cor.11:3). The association is clear, the Bible speaks of Satan as a snake, whose subtle use of camouflage and stealth hides his evil and poisonous intent. This is important as we consider the related passages of Scripture from John 3:14-16 and Numbers 21:4-9:

In the wilderness wanderings under Moses, as the Israelites journeyed to go around Edom, the people started to speak against Moses and against God. Complaining against Moses was bad enough, after they had witnessed so many miracles, signs and wonders, but speaking against God was blasphemy. People despised the manna that God had given them for bread, calling it worthless, and they questioned God's wisdom in leading them through a barren land, not having the faith that He would provide. So God sent venomous serpents among the people and many started to die from the poison (Num.21:6). Then the Israelites began to confess their sins of rebellion and asked Moses to pray that God would save them from the snakes. In response, God told Moses to make a bronze image of a snake and to set it on a pole so that whoever was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze image and live. The people had to believe in the word of God and obey His command in order to be healed. However, notice from the passage—they were not commanded to worship the snake. They were not told to put their faith in the snake. They were not told to bow down before that bronze image of a snake on a pole. They were told to believe the promise of God. They were told to 'look' and the moment they looked, the serpent's venom was taken away—the effect of the serpent's poison was destroyed.

When you look to Jesus—when you believe and in your mind's eye look to Jesus on the cross—the devil's poison in you is taken away—the devil's work in you is destroyed. You have to believe and you have to obey. (To be continued)

 

[jerusalem]

What do you have to believe? That when you look to Jesus, the works of the devil in your life and the hold he has on you will be destroyed. This is faith in Christ. This is the effect of the cross for all who put their faith in the word of the living God and look to Christ.

Jesus said: 'Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life' (John 3:14-15, NIV). The image of the serpent lifted up was a symbol to the people of their deliverance through God from the poison of the snake. The mental image of Christ on the cross carries a like significance. It is through Jesus that we are saved from the spiritual poison of the devil. Both images signify God's power over the serpent and His power to deliver from evil. This symbol of the bronze serpent lifted up and removed from the earth also prefigures God's judgment on Satan at the time of the crucifixion: 'Now is the time for judgment on this world;' Jesus declared, 'now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself ' (John 12:31-32, NIV). It is not that the bronze serpent typifies Christ, but that the significance of this symbolic image at the time of Moses typifies the deliverance of man from the power of the devil through the cross of Christ.

'The serpent', as we have seen, is a term the Bible uses for the devil, not Christ. To allude to Jesus as the serpent, therefore, as some commentators do, is to ignore the testimony of Scripture and to apply the attributes of a snake to Christ (which is, frankly, a blasphemy—although not one against the Holy Spirit). In the symbolic imagery of these passages, therefore, we have revealed the resulting triumph of Christ and the utter defeat of that serpent of old and all his works. When you believe and look to Christ, the devil's power over you will be destroyed. This is the effect of putting your faith in the offering Christ made of His life.

 

[DeaconDean]

‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness’ … (John 3:14, NKJ). - Does this passage allude to our Saviour on the cross as the serpent?

No, it is the other way around.



[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]John Gill's Exposition of the Bible[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica][FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]John 3:14[/FONT] [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]The history referred to is in (Numbers 21:8) . There is, in many things, an agreement between this serpent, and Jesus Christ: as in the matter of it, it was a brazen serpent; it was made not of gold, nor of silver, but of brass, the meaner metal, and was a very unlikely means, of itself, to heal the Israelites; and might be despised by many: this may denote the meanness of Christ in his human nature, in his birth and parentage, and place of education and converse; and especially in his crucifixion and death; and which, to an eye of carnal sense and reason, seemed a very improbable means of saving sinners; and therefore were to some a stumbling block, and to others foolishness: though on the other hand, as brass is a shining metal, and might be chose for the serpent in the wilderness to be made of, that by the lustre of it the eyes of the Israelites might be attracted and directed to it, who were at the greatest distance in the camp; so it may be expressive of the glory of Christ, as the only begotten of the Father, and who is the brightness of his Father's glory; and which is the great attractive, motive, and inducement to engage souls to look unto him, and believe in him, (Isaiah 45:22) ; and whereas brass is both a strong and durable metal, it may signify the strength of Christ, who is the mighty God, and mighty to save; and his duration, as a Saviour, being the same today, yesterday, and for ever: likewise, the comparison between the serpent Moses lifted up, and Christ, may be observed in the form of it. The brazen serpent had the form of a serpent, but not the poison and venomous nature of one; so Christ was sent, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was found in fashion as a man, as a sinful man, but was without sin, and was perfectly holy; and yet being in this form, was made both sin and a curse, that he might redeem his people both from sin, and from the curse of the law, by dying a death which denominated him accursed, of which the serpent was, an emblem: besides, this serpent was a fiery one; at least it looked like one of the fiery serpents, being of brass, which shone as though it burned in a furnace; and may be an emblem both of Christ's Father's wrath, which was poured out like fire upon him, and of his love to his people, which was like burning fire, the coals whereof gave a most vehement flame. Moreover, this serpent Moses made, and was ordered to make, was but "one", though the fiery serpents, with which the Israelites were bitten, were many; so there is but one Mediator between God and man; but one Saviour, in whom alone is salvation, and in no other, even Jesus Christ. To which may be added the "situation" in which this serpent was put: it was set by Moses on a pole; it was lifted up on high, that every one in the camp of Israel might see it; and may point out the ascension of Christ into heaven, and his exaltation at God's right hand there, as some think; or his being set up in the ministry of the word, and held forth and exalted there as the only Saviour of lost sinners; or rather his crucifixion, which is sometimes expressed by a lifting up, (John 8:28) (12:32) . Once more, there is an agreement in the effect that followed upon the lifting up of the serpent; and which was the design of it, viz. the healing of such Israelites as were bitten by the fiery serpents, who looked to this: for as the Israelites were bitten by fiery serpents, with the poison of which they were infected, and were in danger of death, and to many of them their bitings were mortal; so men are poisoned with the venom of the old serpent the devil, by which they are subjected to a corporeal death, and are brought under a spiritual, or moral death, and are liable to an eternal one: and as these bitings were such as Moses could not cure; so the wounds of sin, through the old serpent, are such as cannot be healed by the law, moral or ceremonial, or by obedience to either; and as they were the Israelites who were convinced of their sin, and acknowledged it, and had a cure by looking to the brazen serpent; so such whom the Spirit of God convinces of sin, and to whom he gives the seeing eye of faith, these, through seeing, the Son, and looking to Jesus, as crucified and slain, receive healing by his stripes and wounds: and as those, who were ever so much bit and poisoned by the fiery serpents, or were at ever so great a distance from the pole, or had the weakest eye, yet if they could but discern the serpent on the pole, though it only appeared as a shining piece of brass, had a cure; so the greatest of sinners, and who are afar off from God, and all that is good, and who have faith but as a grain of mustard seed, or but glimmering view of Christ, of his glory, fulness, and suitableness, shall be saved by him. To add no more, this was done "in the wilderness": which may signify this world, Christ's coming into it, his crucifixion in it, and his going without the camp, bearing our reproach, or suffering without the gates of Jerusalem. It is certain, that the Jews had a notion that the brazen serpent was symbolical and figurative: Philo the Jew makes it to be a symbol of fortitude and temperance; and the author of the apocryphal book of Wisdom, calls it "a sign of salvation". They thought there was something mysterious in it: hence they say,

``in four places it is said, "make thee"? In three places it is explained, viz. (Genesis 6:14) (Numbers 10:2) (Joshua 5:2) , and one is not explained, (Numbers 21:8) , "make thee a fiery serpent", (vryp al) , is not explained.''​

And elsewhere they ask,

``and could the serpent kill, or make alive? But at the time that Israel looked up, and served with their hearts their Father which is in heaven, they were healed; but if not, they were brought low.''​

So that the look was not merely to the brazen serpent, but to God in heaven; yea, to the word of God, his essential Logos, as say the Targumists on (Numbers 21:9) . The Jerusalem Targum paraphrases the words thus:

``and Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a high place, and whoever was bitten by the serpents, and lift up his face, in prayer, to his Father which is in heaven, and looked upon the serpent of brass, lived.''​

And Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases them thus:

``and Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a high place; and it was, when a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked to the serpent of brass, "and directed his heart", (yyd armym Mwvl) , "to the name of the word of the Lord", he lived.''​

And this healing they understand not only of bodily healing, but of the healing of the soul: for they observe, that

``as soon as they said, "we have sinned", immediately their iniquity was expiated; and they had the good news brought them "of the healing of the soul", as it is written, "make thee a seraph"; and he does not say a serpent; and this is it: "and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live", (vpnh tawpr) , "through the healing of the soul":''​

yea, they compare the Messiah to a serpent; for so the Targum on (Isaiah 14:29) paraphrases that passage:

``the Messiah shall come forth from Jesse's children's children; and his works shall be among you as a "flying serpent".''​

And who else can be designed by the "other serpent of life", and the "holy serpent" they speak of, in opposition to the evil serpent that seduced Eve? And it is well known, that (vxn) , "a serpent", and (xyvm) , "Messiah", are numerically, or by gematry, the same; a way of interpretation, and explanation, often in use with the Jews. Now, as this serpent was lifted up on a pole on high, that every one that was bitten with the fiery serpent might look to it, and be healed;

even so must the son of man be lifted up;
upon the cross, and die: the crucifixion and death of Christ were necessary, and must be, because of the decrees and purposes of God, by which he was foreordained thereunto, and by which determinate counsel he was delivered, taken, crucified, and slain; and because of his own engagements as a surety, laying himself under obligations in the council and covenant of peace, to suffer, and die, in the room of his people; and because of the prophecies in the Old Testament, and his own predictions, that so it should be; as also, that the antitype might answer the type; and particularly, that he might be a suitable object of faith for wounded sinners, sensible of sin, to look unto."

http://bible1.crosswalk.com/Comment...ftheBible/gil.cgi?book=joh&chapter=3&verse=14

The brazen serpent pointed to what Christ was to do.

It was a fore-shadow of what was to be fulfilled in Christ.

God Bless

Till all are one.
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[Easystreet]

Numbers 21: 4. Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea* to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient along the way, 5. and they began to murmur against God and Moses. "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?" they complained. "There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this wretched manna!" 6. So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them, and many of them were bitten and died. 7. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, "We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes." So Moses prayed for the people. 8. Then the Lord told him, "Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to the top of a pole. Those who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!" 9. So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Whenever those who were bitten looked at the bronze snake, they recovered!

Whatever the specific materials mean we will let the many commentators ramble on, as they so often do - some not enough and some to much. It makes for interesting reading and intrigues the mind, non-the-less.

Face on facts:

They sinned (murmured against God and Moses)
The substance of the murmuring was their complaint of nothing to eat and drink and they were tired of the “wretched manna” - their term as written above.
They sinned and we know the nature of the sin

They were judged: “So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them and many of them were bitten and died.”

They acknowledged their sin following judgment: “We have sinned and ask Moses to pray for them, intercede.

God answered their prayer conditionally: If - they had to freely obey the condition - “will live if they simply look at it!” To look is to exercise their faith in God’s word. Unbelief resulted in murmuring. The serpent did not save them but the looking did, because it was at that moment their faith in God’s word saved them.

The Gospel, if I may, is the word from God that if they believe him and look they will live. The essence of this is trusting in what God says. The commentators have to write something so they ramble on and on about possible symbols of this and that.

So what does the Bible say about this historical event in the life of the camp of Israel?

14. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole,*

We know the historical facts on the bronze snake. (1) a bronze snake; (2) on a pole; (3) lifted up ; (4) a condition “if they look they will live” whosoever looks lives.
We know the historical facts on the crucifixion of Christ, (1) His body; (2) on a pole; (3) lifted up; (4) condition “15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

So what do we have grammatically?

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
sim·i·le (sĭm'ə-l&#275 Pronunciation Key
n. A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in "How like the winter hath my absence been" or "So are you to my thoughts as food to life" (Shakespeare).




The emphasis is to the disobedient to accept the “Word of God” and trust in God’s word which equals salvation. Believing faith, a condition upon which man must simply trust God’s word - God said it, I believe it - That settles it.