The Symbolism Of The Bronze Serpent and Jesus Christ
Numbers 21:4–9 , Fiery serpent . The fiery serpents were a
righteous judgment Elohim brought upon Israel for
murmuring and unbelief. Israel had “sharpened their tongues
like a serpent” (Ps 140:3 ) and “their throat [was] an open
sepulcher; with their tongues have … used deceit;
the poison
of asps [was] under their lips” (Rom 3:13 ). All this was
directed at Elohim and Moses. They reaped what they had
sown. Elohim loosed fiery serpents upon the Israelites to
bite and sting to death the unbelieving murmurers.
The wilderness Elohim led them through was full of fiery
serpents and scorpions ( Deut 8:15 ), yet this is the only
account in the Torah of these creatures ever attacking
Israel. YHVH had protected them to this point and just this
once he pulled back his hand of providential protection and
grace allowing them to experience the due recompense of
their sinful actions. How often has our merciful Father
withheld the just desserts of our faithless, rebellious and
abominable action against him and gracefully protected us
from the full consequences of our sin? If we fail to hear his
soft voice of correction he will deal more harshly with us
until our attention is gained ( Ps 32:8–9 ). All he has to do is
withdraw his hand of protection that restrains the judgments
we all deserve and the “fiery serpents” will likewise attack
us. What happened to Ananias and Sapphira in the book of
Acts is an example of this (Acts 5:1–11 ). Job experienced
a similar situation as well. Israel’s Murmuring. Israel
complained for lack of food and water. In unbelief they
concluded and confessed (literally prophesied upon
themselves a curse) that they would die in the wilderness.
Elohim gave them the fulfillment of their faithless delusions
—serpents to sting them and leave them physiologically in a
parched and burning condition. (The poison of these snakes
actually leaves the victim burning with a fiery pain in his
body and a desperately dry and thirsty condition [See Adam
Clarke’s Commentary , vol. 1, p. 684]). This occurred with the
quail also. They complained with their mouths and lusted
for meat and Elohim gave them so much quail that it “came
out of their nostrils” (Num 11:20 ). Many were struck dead in
judgment. What is the lesson of this story? That for which
we lust or that which we fear will come upon us, for Elohim
allows those very things to rise up, attack us and judge us.
Why? So that the false gods of our hearts will be exposed
and we will, as a result, see the error of our ways, repent
and turn back to obedient faith to the one true Elohim. Few
understand this method of operation of Elohim, but the
Scriptures reveals this as one of the ways he deals with his
people to help them to grow up spiritually. Salvation. Israel
repented and received salvation from the sting of death by
looking upward toward the brass or bronze (bronze
representing judgment) serpent on the pole. Of course, no
less than Yeshua himself reveals to us that this serpent is a
pictures himself dying on the tree as a sin offering and
source of our salvation ( John 3:14 and 12:32 ). Even the
Jewish sages admit that the serpent did not heal the
afflicted Israelites, but looking upward unto heaven granted
them salvation and healing. (See Wisdom 16:4–12)
Parallels between the bronze serpent and Yeshua:
Both the serpent and Messiah were lifted up on a
pole.
Israel was to look up to the brass serpent to be
healed physically; sinners are to look up to Messiah to
be saved.
YHVH provided salvation from the sting of death from
no other source but the serpent. Similarly, there is
salvation in no other name but Yeshua ( Acts 4:12 ).
If the Israelites looked at bronze serpent they were
healed and lived; if sinful man looks at Messiah he
will live.
Both the serpent and the cross are merely symbols of
Elohim’s grace and mercy. They simply point one to
YHVH in heaven who heals those who believe him
and have faith in him.
A Type of the Devil. The Bible calls the devil a great red
dragon or serpent (Rev 12:3 ) whose venom inflames men’s
sinful passions through his fiery darts aimed at humans (Eph
6:16 ). Fiery serpent is the Hebrew word saraph the plural of
which is seraphim, which is a type of an angelic, flaming
spirit (Heb 1:7 ). Though physical snakes bit the Israelites,
this is nevertheless a picture of Satan, the fallen angelic
being who is now the serpent and enemy of both YHVH and
man. For Our Example. Israel experienced these things for
our examples ( 1 Cor 10:1–12 ). What they went through and
how they reacted to various situations is literally a mirror
held up for our benefit for us to see ourselves as we really
are, so that we will not repeat their mistakes. We owe them
a debt of gratitude, for we are able to gain spiritually by their
experience if we will lean from their mistakes by not
repeating them.
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