Plague of snakes

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Moses led the Exodus out of Egypt towards Israel. But it was a difficult journey over harsh terrain.

NUMBERS 21:4   “ And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.”

The Israelites complained over the lack of bread and water. They detested the manna that God supernaturally provided each day.

Egypt symbolizes the world. Christians are in an exodus to get out of worldliness.

But Christians moan and complain, They want to dress in worldly fashions.

The church that wants to be worldly is symbolized by a woman. So Christian women want to “make up” their own rules of dress and makeup. They smear makeup on their faces, wear pants so they can have authority over men, wear clothes with slits and low-cut necklines but have high hemlines that cannot properly cover the knees. Their high heels simply mean they are walking downhill. Their earrings act as stirrups for the demon that rides on their heads.

Smartphones open the door to Christians whereby they waste hours on social media and mindless scrolling. Bible reading is no longer desired. Why struggle to understand a Scripture? That is too much like hard work. We just want 10-second sound bites. Superficial answers that are quick and easy. No pain. No effort. Church people have become increasingly Bible-illiterate.

NUMBERS 21:5   “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”

God replies with poisonous snakes. If you complain about my Plan for you, then die. Great Tribulation is fast approaching. That is where the complainers will end up.

NUMBERS 21:6   “And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.”

The serpent in Genesis 3 was not a snake. He was the most subtle of the beasts, the mammals. He was closer to man than the ape. He could speak and reason. When he deceived Eve into sinning, God cursed the serpent and turned him into a snake. Since then, the snake has been the symbol of sin.

Brass is a symbol of judgement.

DEUTERONOMY 28:23   “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass,”

One way of sending judgement on sinful people is by way of a harsh drought. A blazing sun shining out of a cloudless sky that looks like brass in the pitiless heat.

Thus, a brass serpent was a symbol of sin already judged.

This symbolizes that Christ took on our sins and paid the price for them.

NUMBERS 21:7   “Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.”

Hardship and death drove the Israelites to repentance. They wanted the serpents or snakes removed. They needed an antidote to the snake poison.

This was a medical emergency out in the wilderness.

NUMBERS 21:8    “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.”

A fiery serpent is a serpent made of shiny brass that brightly reflects the sunlight.

Paramedics have copied this symbol as they have to travel to wherever the medical emergency is. They have to cope with all sorts of injuries and sicknesses.

They have to be brave and very competent and extremely up to date with modern medical techniques. They certainly are heros.

But the brass serpent of Moses was one step better. The dying person just had to look at it to be cured.

What does that mean for us today?

NUMBERS 21:9   “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.”

There was one condition. The brass serpent had to be lifted up on a pole. Why?

This represented Jesus on the cross.

JOHN 12:32   “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

When Jesus hung on the cross then He accepted all our sins and sicknesses and cleansed them in His blood.

A cross-over effect occurs.

When I look at the cross by faith and repent, then my sin and shame flows onto Jesus and His righteousness flows onto me.

The cross becomes my source of salvation from sin and my healing from sickness and disease.

I CORINTHIANS 12:9   “To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;”

“Gifts of healing” is plural.

God heals in many ways.

Prayer. The recovery may take time as healing is a process.

God uses surgeons who operate. The blessings of anesthetics so that we can sleep like Adam when our flesh and bones are cut.

Specialists and Doctors with medicines. Vaccines. Herbal remedies.

Nurses. Physiotherapy. Radiation, X-rays, and sonar. Hospital care, Intensive Care, and Stepdown care.

Prompt paramedics who stabilize patients. Ambulance drivers to transport patients.

Dentists, etc.

In addition, the body naturally heals itself from many ailments if given time.

I CORINTHIANS 12:10  “To another the working of miracles;”

Jesus can also perform miracles where the healing is very quick.

William Branham from America had the most dramatic ministry in terms of healings and miracles in our seventh or last church age that started with the 1906 Pentecostal revival in Azusa Street, Los Angeles.

His ministry inspired a revival of Pentecostal faith healers.

Unfortunately, few people who benefited from his healing ministry went on to follow his spectacular ministry of revealing the Bible mysteries. Only when the mysteries (plural) of God are known can we hope to return to the original faith and beliefs of the first church age that was established by the apostles in the New Testament.

The voice of the eagle-beast of Revelation Chapter 4 that restores us to the Lion-beast of Paul and the apostles.

The first church age was the seed that was planted. Truth died and was buried in the dirt of the Dark Ages and germinated in Martin Luther’s Reformation of salvation by grace through faith. The holy King James Bible was translated.  The pollen of John Wesley’s evangelical outreach and holiness blew across the world in the great missionary age. Pentecost restored the gifts of the Spirit. Brother Branham restored the understanding of the Bible mysteries. When we finally return to the beliefs of the first church age at the end-time, that will be the harvest that will be reaped in the last church age.

Remember, Jesus is the First and the Last.

The harvest is when the seed is pulled off the dead plant. When the Bride is caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

When the last church age Christians finally turn back and are restored to the first church age beliefs, that will finish the mystery of God (singular). That is the mystery of the church which is that the Body of Christ only has one Head, Jesus the Word, because He is Almighty God.

REVELATION 15:3  “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

The Lamb is Lord God Almighty.

REVELATION 15:4   “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy:”

Only the Lamb is holy. So, there cannot be a Trinity.

This is the message that Moses preaches to the 144000 Jews in great Tribulation.