How does the Snake in the Desert foreshadow the coming of Jesus?

score:13

Accepted answer

Numbers 21:6-9 (NIV)

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

I believe the key here is the type of action that was taken "raising up" and the result of that action "healing". If you recall the people of Israel were struck with a plague of snakes. To alleviate the plague Moses was instructed to raise up a bronze snake and all who looked at the snake were healed.

Jon 3:14-15(NIV)

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

We are bitten with a plague of sin, Christ was raised up on the Cross. Those who look to Christ are healed. I also don't think its a coincidence that the plague was snakes. This goes back to more snake imagery involving Jesus from Genesis:

Genesis 3:15(NIV)

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Jesus' coming was foreshadowed with snakes as far back as Genesis, this is a continuation of that theme.

Upvote:-1

In the Old Testament the people were healed of sickness and death. In Jesus we are healed of sickness and death. As long as people keep believing that we are healed from sin alone Gods people are going to continue to die of sicknesses. My people perish from a lack of Knowledge, God says. When we look at a cross section of the Church we see that there is just as much sickness as the world, just as much cancer, obesity, diabetes, you mane it. It is time we allow ourselves to profit from Jesus in this life not just the next.

Upvote:-1

John 3:14 do not foreshadow jesus as the author would wish (probably the author is not Jewish to begin with?) Please read 2 Kings 18:4 (any Jewish can read Hebrew and is the only holy scripture is the OT during jesus time/period)

He destroyed the pagan places of worship, broke the stone pillars, and cut down the images of the goddess Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made, which was called Nehushtan. Up to that time the people of Israel had burned incense in its honor. 2 Kings 18:4 GNT

If King Hezekiah did what God see is right (religious reform aka against Idolatry):

Following the example of his ancestor King David, he did what was pleasing to the Lord. 2 Kings 18:3 GNT

then we have to be careful of the sins of Idolatry associated with jesus!

Upvote:0

When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. The pole represents the cross and bronze speaks of judgment. Those who beheld the serpent on the pole lived because they saw their problem — the deadly serpent — nailed and put to death on the cross. (Numbers 21:6–9)

Upvote:1

The snake was killed and hung up on a wooden pole. Jesus was killed and hung on a wooden cross. People looked to the snake to be cured from a physical plague. People looked to Jesus to be cured of the plague of sin.

Perhaps one could draw further analogies, but I think that's the essence of what Jesus was pointing out.

I made a comment on another question that I think Christians find too many parallels to Christ in the Old Testament. But this was is clearly spelled out by Jesus himself.

Upvote:3

The snake being lifted up in the wilderness is a symbol of Christ 'becoming sin' and being 'lifted up' on the cross. Those who looked upon it lived even if they had the poison of the serpent in them, and in like fashion, those that look upon Christ crucified are saved from the venom of death. To understand what 'looking' means in this case you must consider that to accept the Gospel one must accept 'The Crucified God' - a big deal for pagans (and later, Muslims) who reject the idea of a God who would permit himself to be killed by men and actually die.

More post

Search Posts

Related post