Doesn't identifying "the brazen serpent" as a type for Christ negate Christianity as a false "idolatry"?
I was just reminded by an answer on Y!A that "the brazen serpent" made by Moses is seen as a type of Christ based on John 3:14, 15.
This seems to me self contradictory -- the Old Testament scripture teaches that, when at the time of Hezekiah the serpent came to be worshiped, this was an idolatry and both the serpent statue and the altars raised to the serpent had to be destroyed. (the Israel Museum in Jerusalem has one of these broken altars on display BTW - very cool!)
Thus, if we accept the analogy -- doesn't that teach that as soon as Jesus came to be worshipped, then his followers became idolatrous??
And, ab-initio, mustn't the asserted quotation from Jesus in John be in error? because John is saying that Jesus said that "the son of man must be lifted up" for worship ("that whoever believes in him...") -- while as soon as the serpent was used for worship it thereby became an idol?
J H2015-07-18T01:01:39Z
Truth is very precious in a dry and thirsty land . In order to have Truth , we must worship Truth . When people deviate from the Holy Word , they are inadvertently going into darkness. No where does the Good Message picture Jesus as the brazen serpent. John 3,14: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness , even so must the son of man be lifted up .Jesus was making an analogy .
The Brazen Serpent wasn't really supposed to be a type of Christ I don't think; It was more that God met them where they were at because God knew that they needed to LOOK UPON SOMETHING that would heal them as that would give them faith and the confidence TO LIVE AND NOT DIE (as a bite from that sort of snake which bit them, would kill them very quickly)
I believe that because every human being born into this world is born ALREADY DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS (through the Adamic sin nature) AND ONLY CHRIST CAN MAKE US ALIVE (Ephesians 2: 1 & 5) we are born having ALREADY BEEN BITTEN BY THE SERPENT SATAN - through Adam's sin; we are born spiritually DEAD into Satan's kingdom of darkness and we need deliverance and healing.
Therefore we are ALL BORN IN NEED OF HEALING FROM OUR SIN SICKNESS.
So I think when Christ is lifted up crucified on the Cross, we SEE His sacrifice for us and we then have the confidence and faith to believe that we can, if we do what God has told us to do to receive salvation, LIVE AND NOT DIE - no matter what our past sins have been or how wicked.
We can have full salvation through Christ which is referring to healing from our sin sickness which ultimately causes disease - lack of ease - dis-ease - in our bodies and spiritual death if it's not dealt with.
Therefore Moses was only a 'type of' Christ who delivered the Israelites. He was their deliverer as a shadow of Christ to come who is our Deliverer.
The brazen serpent was NEVER WORSHIPPED. Only to be looked upon - and when obeyed for confidence to be healed.
We look upon Jesus on the Cross and when we obey Him we have the confidence that we can be healed from our sin sickness and receive salvation.
That's when God delivers us out of Satan's kingdom of darkness and translates us INTO the kingdom of the Son of God's love.
since when people looked on the serpent which Moses lifted up they were healed of the plague. So also when we look to Christ suffering for us and we believe and acknowledge His great suffering to deliver us from the wrath of G-d. we are healed and the Love of G-d is poured into our hearts. Christ defeated the serpent at Calvary and triumphed over the grave, Therefore by looking to Him, to keep us and guide us, the serpent has no power over us, as the Lord keeps us in His care. As The Lord G-d of Israel and Christ are One.
The problem is that people make the mistake of worshipping the wrong things, they were supposed to look to the serpent on the pole in the name of YHWH God and be set free. Numb21:7-9 The people are supposed to pray to YHWH God not a serpent. John 3:13-18 show that people must believe in the only begotten Son of YHWH not worship Him, because in John 4:20-26 it shows that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Y'shua himself told the woman to worship YHWH God and further told her that He is the Messiah sent from YHWH. Where the church has gone wrong is that they worship jesus and should worship Father God. The brass serpent seems to represent the bloodied, battered body of Messiah on the beam attached to the upright pole in the ground in Jerusalem. By the blood of Messiah we are set free from sin and from the original sin of Adam and Chava in the garden. Heb 10:1-39. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Heb 9:22 and Messiah shed His blood of the New Covenant vs 11-28. The first Covenant was also dedicated with blood, Numbers 28-29, so the New Covenant was too Heb 10:1-25. The offering has been made and therefore no further blood is required just recognition of what the Son of YHWH has done for salvation from sin. The first time He appeared He was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin for salvation. Heb 10:28 Christianity has unfortunately turned Y'shua into an idol called jesus whom they worship instead of YHWH God.
Kaganate, your very observant, but you missed a most important revelation. The God of Moses commanded Moses to make the image of the "fiery serpent"
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. Num 21:8 (KJV) ---------- It was men and the churches who taught you that Moses putting the serpent on a pole was a foreshadow of Jesus being hung on a cross ---------- AND YOU BELIEVED THEM. ---------- USE YOUR COMMON SENSE -----------
Why would the God of Moses command Moses to make an image of anything when this same God commanded Moses not to make an image of "anything"?
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Ex 20:4 (KJV)
UNLESS: the image of the "fiery serpnt" was an image of the God of Moses?
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Ex 20:3 (KJV)
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, Ex 20:5 (KJV)
EXAMINE THESE NEXT VERSES very carefully looking at each word.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. ---------- Was Jacob the father that gave the Samraritan woman the well, was Moses the first to worship in that mountain? ---------- 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ---------- What were the people that worshiped in that mountain and in Jerusalem worshiping, that they did not know? ---------- 22 Ye worship ye know not what: John 4:20-22 (KJV)
JESUS TOLD YOU WHAT YOU WORSHIPED IN THAT MOUNTAIN AND IN THE TEMPLE
As Moses (worshiped) the serpent, in the wilderness so must the Son of man be (Worshiped)
WHO IS THE SERPENT?
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Rev 12:9 (KJV)
IT IS NOT A CONTRADICTION --- THE SERPENT IS THE FALSE GOD AND MOSES WAS THE FALSE CHRIST. .