I have a question about the serpent in the garden of Eden. Was it a real serpent.
No. The fallen angel (Satan) transformed into a human being and was able to talk with Eve.
Heb. 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Genesis 19:1 The two angels entered Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground,
And, yes, angels can look like us, talk like us, eat food like us, and etc. You wouldn't know that they are angels unless they tell you and show you their powers.
Satan was nicknamed the serpent because of the animal's cunning characteristics and was later cursed to look like a serpent permanently because of what he did.
Then why was did Jesus draw a parallel between him and the snake that raised on the pole, and why raise a serpent on a pole for healing.
In ancient Sumeria, the cross was a pagan symbol for Devil/Serpent worship during ancient times and made it's way to the Americas and Asia.
Below is an image on how the ancient people carried out their devotion by sacrificing a human being. The priest removes their heart with a knife to offer to their serpent god, Quetzalcoatl. The Mayan civilization dates around 1000-2000 B.C.
I've provided two images -- one vertical and one horizontal to better assess the images. You can see a cross with a serpent hanging on it. This is their serpent god Quetzalcoatl or Kukulkan. In front of this crucifix is a man apparently tied up, lying on a short table. The short table, I believe was designed to be that way in order to stretch the chest cavity so that it would be easier for the priest to remove the heart to offer to the serpent on the cross. You can see blood oozing out from the table as depicted in the image. Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god was also depicted as a man sitting on his throne in the pyramid shaped temple. It's the same with the fallen angel in the garden of Eden when he appeared as a man to Eve.
This human sacrifice had many variations among the pagans and crucifying a criminal on the cross was a subtle way to sacrifice a human being to the serpent. Crucifixion was practiced in ancient Rome all the way to Japan. In Asia, the serpent is depicted as a dragon.
Jesus drew a parallel between him and the snake on a pole because it was a shadow of things to come. It was symbolic of him defeating the serpent hanging on the cross. The serpent had the power of death and when Christ was finally crucified on the serpent's cross and offered himself as a sacrifice to the Devil, that power was shattered because death can't hold a perfect sinless man. It was impossible. The Devil no longer holds this power and authority over mankind and whoever believes in Christ will be saved.
The first man Adam sinned because he ate of the tree. When sin entered him, he lost his immortality and he dies. The second Adam did not sin, but died on that same tree. However, he was sinless and death cough him up from the grave on the 3rd day and he became immortal. The second Adam was different from the first because He came from heaven and not from the dust of the ground. He became glorified with divine super powers.
Ref: Just do a Google. I'm too lazy to search for the references as I did this research many years ago.
then there is the general snakes in the wilderness, do we have enmity with them?
I don't think it's enmity. It's more of a disgust and fear mixed together when we see a snake. It's more like seeing a huge slimy worm and a mouse running towards you. Lol
