Why does Moses lift up the serpent on the pole in the wilderness? A discussion on the serpent and Christ who both are within us.
Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
It says God formed “man, the dust of the ground”. The word “of” is added here in the King James Version. So if it is read without the “of” it says that man IS the “dust of the ground”
Genesis 3:19 “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Here it says that we are return unto the ground, spiritually interpreted and not to say this is when we physically die, dust is what we are meant to be and this is to where we shall return, when we die metaphorically speaking. We are intended to be the “dust” of the ground. We ARE the earth from which the “fruit” spoken of so many times in the Bible is grown and produced.
Numbers 21:8-9 “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. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
The people were to “look” and “behold” the serpent. These words represent our ability to see something, understand it, and become consciously aware of it.
Moses lifted up the serpent so that the people could behold and come to know that which was killing them. It was on a sign that could not be ignored once understood. Once the people understood and saw the serpent that was that biting them, they could then understand and recognizes its power. However, they were not able to see it until it was “lifted up” on the pole.
John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”
John 3 says that AS Moses lifted up the serpent so shall the Son of man be lifted up. This does not necessarily imply that the serpent and Son of man are one in the same. It simply says that they both are lifted up. Remember the serpent is more subtle than any beast, in us.
And why do we say the serpent is in us as Christ is in us. Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” The field=dust=man. See also the parable of the sower in Luke 8 which also tells us the ground (dust also) is us. The animals in Genesis represent energy or characteristics within us. The serpent can be compared to our ego or our pride within us (ie. we are lifted up with pride or we have a haughty spirit).
See 1Timothy 3:6 “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”, and Job 41:15&34 “His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
1 Corinthians 3:16&18 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”
2 Thessalonians says to let no man deceive you and 1 Corinthians says let no man deceive HIMSELF. 1 Corinthians says we ARE the temple of God and 2 Thessalonians says the son of perdition wants to sit in the temple of God in place of God (within us).
2 Thessalonians goes on to say; except there come a falling away first, and the man of sin be REVEALED, the son of perdition (son of God vs son of perdition) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he AS God sitteth in the temple of God (us), shewing himself that he is God. The serpent or son of perdition has to be revealed first. Moses made the serpent of brass on the pole, as God directed him, so that the people being bit by the serpent [we as dust being eaten or devoured by the serpent] could look at the serpent and behold it. Putting the serpent on the pole gave the people the ability to look at, see, and understand what it was that was killing them, and the serpent was then REVEALED unto them (i.e. the man of sin is revealed). Once they were able to understand what it was that was killing them, it no longer had the power to kill them. Our pride/ego (serpent) is lifted up in us, it lives in us, and wants to sit on the seat or thrown of our mind (some say the pituitary gland is the seat or thrown of the mind), where rather Christ should sit.
Revelation 12 says that there is war in heaven (remember heaven is within us) to cast out that old serpent. But first it must be lifted up so that we can see who it really is and come to know it. Then we are able to see the difference between the two and lift Christ up who keeps that old serpent (our pride and ego) under his heel. As we recognize the serpent, we can also recognize the Son of man. Once we see and understand what kills, we can see and understand what saves, in the same manner. In the wilderness the serpent is exalted, in the promised land the Son of man is exalted (lifted up). But the process of casting the serpent off the throne [seat of the mind if you will] is tedious in the wilderness.
Job 42:5-6 “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job repented and returned to the dust now understanding his pride or ego. And then his life was changed.
Now more about the son of perdition needing to be revealed; the parable of the tares also discusses this topic. In Matthew 13 is the parable of the tares. Read this chapter to hear this parable. The parable says that the tares are sown with the wheat. But the tares have to grow together with the wheat and only after the wheat is ready can the tares be bound. This parable is synergistic with what it says in John 3:14 concerning the serpent AND the Son of man both being lifted up. Both rise or grow together. When Christ rises so do the tares (pride or serpent). And you know they are there because they have been revealed. When we first see Christ arise in us, we also get to see the tares. But in due time the harvest will come….at his coming. 1Corinthians 15:23 “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom of God…” Remember the Kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:21). There is an initial rising of Christ which is the firstfruits of the Spirit. When we understand that Christ is in us and not outside of us, then the work begins to see the “second” coming [in us] i.e. harvest (see Hebrews 9:27-28). Again all of this takes place within us. A kind of internal alchemy. There is a special process to Christ arising in us and then conquering our ego. For more information on the Christ within us, see previous post.
Additional Comments:
The post does not say that the serpent is Christ. It says quite the contrary. To summarize:
1 Co 3:16-17 ”Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Co 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
Temple of God is you.
Romans 8:10 “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” 1Co 1:27 ” To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
Christ is also in you.
Luke 17:21 “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
The Kingdom of God is also within you.
2 Th 2:3-4&9 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God…..Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
The son of perdition who opposeth himself above all that is called God and whose has lying wonders sitteth in the TEMPLE OF GOD which is you [and all of us individually].
Son of perdition whose coming is the works of Satan, or he is the son of Satan.
Revelation 12:9 “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.”
Satan is the serpent, and the son of perdition is the son of Satan or seed of the serpent.
Therefore the serpent sits in the temple who is us, as does Christ who is in us. They are not the same thing but are both there, in us.