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.”
King James Version
More of Numbers 21 on this siteNumbers 21:8-9
The brass serpent lifted on a pole that the bitten might look and live — the type Jesus applies to his own crucifixion (John 3:14).
Fulfillment References
John 3:14-15 John 12:32-33 Galatians 3:13
Archaeological & Historical Evidence
The Nehushtan was preserved in the Temple until Hezekiah destroyed it (2 Kings 18:4). Similar pole-serpent symbols found in ANE medicine traditions.
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalLooking in faith to the crucified Christ for salvation perfectly mirrors the typology.
JewishA historical incident demonstrating faith-healing in the wilderness; not Messianic.
CatholicJesus explicitly cites this as a type of his crucifixion (John 3:14).
ProtestantThe typology is authoritative because Jesus himself draws it.
AcademicAn aetiological narrative explaining the Nehushtan artifact; John applies it Christologically.
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Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.