被高举的基督

作者埃德温·雷诺兹，博士，美国南方复临大学宗教学院新约研究的退休教授，现居美国 田纳西州 科利奇代尔。

《新约圣经》中有一段广为人知的经文，记在约3:14,15。耶稣与尼哥底母谈论救赎的过程。祂指着自己说：“摩西在旷野怎样举蛇，人子也必照样被举起来，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。” （新雅各王版直译）虽是众所周知，但由于人们对这段经文理解欠佳，无法明白耶稣想要传达的旨意。

耶稣使用了一个尼哥底母所熟知的旧约中的类比。当我们疏于理解事件最初的本质，以及它如何彰显基督为我们所做之拯救大工时，自会对此疑云满腹。许多人不解一条蛇何以揭示基督救赎之法的奥秘。对此，尼哥底母的理解无疑比我们更为透彻。

旧约事记

这一事件的起源与上帝子民的悖逆有关。从十个探子所报的恶信（民13:31;14:10），到各支派无视警告妄图擅闯迦南的败局 （40–45节），以及可拉及其一党之人的反叛（民16:1-35），再到对摩西和亚伦所发的怨言（41–49节）与上帝使亚伦的杖发芽结束了他们之间的争论。（民17:1–11），但以色列人又继续悖逆上帝。

他们向耶和华发愿，说上帝若将迦南人交在他们手上，他们就毁灭迦南人的城邑，于是上帝帮助以色列民打败迦南人，且毁灭了他们的城（民21:1–3）。但他们再次启程后不久，就因绕行以东心中烦躁。（第4节；参民20:14–21）民21:5说：“他们就怨渎上帝和摩西说：‘你们为什么把我们从埃及领出来、使我们死在旷野呢？这里没有粮，没有水，我们的心厌恶这淡薄的食物。’” ¹ 显然，他们所指的是那预表基督的吗哪（约6:32,33）。 他们轻看吗哪及其效用，转面不认随着他们的磐石之水，这磐石也预表基督（林前10:4）。他们厌弃天赐之粮，偏爱埃及的饮食，他们想要回到埃及。（民11:4–6；14:3, 4）他们发怨言，好像上帝无法在旷野养活和保护他们。

在为百姓成就这一切后，上帝因百姓的悖逆十分不悦，便使咬人的毒蛇进入他们中间，以色列人中死了许多人（民21:6）。“百姓到摩西那里，说：‘我们怨渎耶和华和你，有罪了。求你祷告耶和华，叫这些蛇离开我们。’于是摩西为百姓祷告。”（第7节）耶和华对摩西说：“你制造一条火蛇，挂在杆子上；凡被咬的，一望这蛇，就必得活。” （第8节）摩西便制造一条铜蛇，挂在杆子上；凡被蛇咬的，一望这铜蛇就活了。（第9节）

揭开奥秘

许多人对这看似奇异的情景大惑不解。蛇是致人死亡的元凶，上帝却让摩西预备一个蛇形的象征物，在他们面前举起。当他们仰望它时，就可得活。而这蛇本身并无医治之能。上帝为何要用一条挂在杆子上的“蛇”医治他们的死伤呢？当然，他们不应该敬拜这“蛇”（参王下18:4）。致使他们险些灭亡的元凶能否在某些方面预表他们的救主呢？破解这谜题的关键在乎杆子的功用。

艺术家通常将铜蛇描绘得像一条活蛇盘在杆子甚至十字架上。然而，这却是对其预表之意义不当的曲解。仔细研究经文的用词就会发现，这根杆子其实是一根削尖了的木桩，那蛇被钉在木桩的末端，已经死了。这是符合当时习俗的。在创40:19中，约瑟向膳长预言道：三天之内，“法老必斩断你的头，把你挂在木头上。”第22节说，法老“但把膳长挂起来、正如约瑟向他们所解的话。”在民21:8中使用的希伯来词语，常被译作 “杆子”，可指梁、木板、杆子或木桩。

异教国家有公开暴尸以羞辱其名誉的惯例。通常尸体会被举得很高，使所有人都能看见，其尸身或头部常被钉在一根很高的木桩或杆子上。我们可以从以斯拉记6:11所记居鲁士王的命令中看到这样的做法：“我再降旨，无论谁更改这命令，必从他房屋中拆出一根梁来，把他举起，悬在其上。”哈曼的妻子细利斯也想对末底改如此行：“不如立一个五丈高的木架，求王明早将末底改挂在其上”。（斯5:14） 新美国版圣经这样写道：“要立一个五丈高的木桩，明早求王将末底改挂在其上。” 最终哈曼被其自制的75英尺（约22.86米）高的木桩刺透。这是波斯人惯用的做法（参斯2:23），正如埃及人和以色列人所做的一样。（书8:29）非利士人将扫罗和他三个儿子的尸身钉在伯珊的城墙上示众，使他们受辱，直到基列雅比人来将他们的尸身取下来（撒上31:10–12）。这就是高举以表羞辱的本意。

在申21:22,23中，上帝说道：“人若犯该死的罪，被治死了，你将他挂在木头上， 他的尸首不可留在木头上过夜，必要当日将他葬埋，免得玷污了耶和华——你上帝所赐你为业之地。因为被挂的人是在上帝面前受咒诅的。”这种公开暴露羞辱的做法上帝并未许可，一旦发生，被暴露的人将受到诅咒，且不可留在木头上过夜，因为土地将受玷污（第23节）。

（二者）是否存在相似之处？ 

可以看出，把蛇钉在木桩上和将耶稣钉在罗马的木桩——十字架上存在相似之处。十字架的字面意思 （xylon，音：西隆，意为木头）是一根木头（徒5:30；10:39）。它的用途与木桩并无二致；只是十字架会延长犯人的痛苦，使民众聚集对他们施行虐待。为加增他们的羞耻感，罗马人还使他们赤身。

使徒保罗在加3:13中写道：“基督既为我们受了咒诅，就赎出我们脱离律法的咒诅；因为经上记着：‘凡挂在木头上都是被咒诅的。’”基督被钉十架，祂本无罪，却被定罪，替我们蒙羞受辱，因我们的缘故受了诅咒。保罗在林后5:21中写道：“上帝使那无罪的，替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为上帝的义。”这就是代赎的含义。

回到木桩上的铜蛇，我们可以看出蛇代表致人死亡的元凶。起初，蛇代表撒但（创3:1–5,15；罗16:20；启12:9），它在最初被造之时，是美丽、智慧且有才能的，但它借其诡诈行欺骗与毁坏，成为被摔在地，浑身充满致命毒素的活物（创3:14,15；参启12:9）。若不是上帝的拯救，寻的旷野的毒蛇就要将以色列营中所有的人除灭净尽了。当百姓认识到是他们的罪导致蛇灾，并且向耶和华和摩西认罪时，摩西就为百姓祷告。

上帝让摩西做一条铜蛇，用木桩举着，为使众人看见，“凡被咬的，一望这蛇，就必得活”。（民21:8）他们凭着信心所见的并非一条威胁毒害他们的活蛇形象。而是一条死蛇，这蛇被钉在木桩上作为战利品，他们看了就大声喊着说：“这蛇死了！”这痛苦与死亡的根源不再是威胁。而是预表罪恶的终结和撒但的灭亡，这乃是他们认罪离罪的结果。藉着信心，他们被引向耶稣在十字架上除灭罪恶之刑罚并为撒但敲响丧钟的伟大牺牲。

始祖堕落后，上帝诅咒了蛇，并且应许为罪人设立救赎：女人的后裔要伤蛇的头，蛇要伤他们的脚跟（参创3:15）。保罗在罗马书中对信徒写道：“赐平安的上帝快要将撒但践踏在你们脚下。”撒但已在十字架上一败涂地。（约12:31-33；16:11；启12:10–12）

预表基督的蛇？  

希伯来书2章14和15节写道，耶稣以血肉之体降世，“特要藉着死败坏那掌死权的，就是魔鬼，并要释放那些一生因怕死而为奴仆的人。”然而，约3:14中耶稣指着自己所说的话，木桩上的铜蛇预表耶稣的牺牲，而不是撒但的灭亡。那么蛇为何能预表耶稣呢？

蛇预表耶稣，因它象征着撒但在伊甸园引诱始祖犯罪时带入世界的罪恶与死亡。蛇也代表以色列人在旷野悖逆上帝时，引发营中百姓死亡的元凶。耶稣必须背负这罪和诅咒，因着替罪人受死，为我们的罪孽偿付最终的赎价，祂被举起钉在十字架上，像那铜蛇一样。凡凭着信心仰望耶稣的人，都可看见毒蛇与罪恶一同灭亡，进而得见各人永恒生命的盼望。

证据与信心

上帝已为我们成就万事，我们却仍是悖逆的子民。但藉着祂爱子在十架上的牺牲，“上帝在基督里，叫世人与自己和好”（林后5:19）。耶稣指着自己的死说道：“我若从地上被举起来，就要吸引万人来归我。”（约12:32）

对此，怀爱伦评论道：“人人都受感动，无一人不确信。基督已为各人预备了证据，但并非所有人都愿领受。” ²我们有权选择跟随基督，祂因我们的罪被高举，钉上罗马的十架，替我们成为罪，好叫我们在祂里面成为上帝的义（林后5:21）。罪恶的权势已被打破，耶稣呼召我们凭着信心仰望祂，祂曾被高举在十架上，就像摩西举起铜蛇一样。

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1.除非另有说明，英文原版经文均来自现新国际版。

2.怀爱伦，“行在光中”，《复临评阅与安息日宣报》，1900年11月13日，第1页。

The Uplifted Christ

By Edwin Reynolds, PhD, retired professor of New Testament studies, a research professor for Southern Adventist University, School of Religion, Collegedale, Tennessee, United States.

One of the well-known passages in the New Testament is John 3:14, 15. Jesus was talking with Nicodemus about the process of salvation. He said, referring to Himself, “ ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’ ” (NKJV). While it’s well-known, this text is poorly understood, and the result is a failure to understand what Jesus was trying to communicate.

Jesus was using an analogy from the Old Testament with which Nicodemus would have been familiar. The analogy is confusing when we fail to understand the nature of the original event and how it functioned as a type of Christ’s work for our salvation. Many wonder how a serpent could function as a type of Christ that would reveal the way of salvation. Nicodemus, no doubt, understood better than we do.

THE OLD TESTAMENT EVENT

The original event involved a rebellion on the part of God’s people. From the discouraging report of the ten spies and the results (Num. 13:31; 14:10) to the attempt of the tribes to enter Canaan despite warnings that they would fail (vv. 40–45) to the rebellion by Korah and company (Num. 16:1–35) and the murmuring that ensued against Moses and Aaron (vv. 41–49), with God ending the controversy through the budding of Aaron’s rod (Num. 17:1–11), Israel continued to rebel against God.

After they made a vow to the Lord to destroy the Canaanite cities if He would deliver them into their hand, God helped Israel defeat the Canaanites and destroy their cities (Num. 21:1–3). But no sooner had they begun to move again than they became impatient with having to travel around Edom (v. 4; cf. Num. 20:14–21). Numbers 21:5 says that “they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’ ”¹ They were referring, of course, to the manna, which typified Christ (John 6:32, 33). They despised it and its efficacy. They also denied that the water from the rock followed them in their journey, which also represented Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). They preferred the food and drink of Egypt to that which Heaven provided, and they wished to return to Egypt (Num. 11:4–6; 14:3, 4). They spoke as though God was not able to provide for their sustenance and protection in the wilderness.

After all He had done for them, God was very displeased. He sent poisonous snakes among them, which bit them, and many died (Num. 21:6). Then “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’ ” (v. 7). So Moses prayed for the people. Then God said to Moses, “ ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live’ ” (v. 8). So Moses cast a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. When anyone who had been bitten by a snake looked in faith at the bronze snake, that person was restored (v. 9).

UNRAVELING THE MEANING

Many have wondered about this seemingly strange situation. Snakes were the cause of the people’s death, yet God had Moses prepare a representation of the sake to be held up before them. When they looked at it, they would be restored. There was no restorative power in the snake. Why did God use a snake on a pole to heal their deadly wounds? Surely they were not expected to worship the snake (cf. 2 Kings 18:4). Was the means of their impending death also supposed to represent their Savior somehow? The key to this apparent puzzle lies in the function of the pole.

Artists have usually portrayed the bronze snake made to look like a live snake wound around a pole or even a cross. This, however, is an unfortunate misrepresentation of the symbol. A careful study of the language of Scripture reveals that the pole was actually a sharpened stake, and the snake was portrayed as impaled on the end of the stake—dead. This was in harmony with the custom of the time. In Genesis 40:19, Joseph prophesied to the chief baker that in three days, “ ‘Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole.’ ” Verse 22 says that the pharaoh “impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them.” The Hebrew word used in Numbers 21:8, frequently translated as “pole,” may refer to a beam, plank, pole, or stake.

The practice among the heathen nations was to shame a person’s reputation by exposing the corpse in public. This was generally done by raising the corpse up high to be seen by all, often by impaling the body or the head on a tall stake or pole. The practice is seen in the edict of King Cyrus recorded in Ezra 6:11: “I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it.” This is also what Haman’s wife, Zeresh, had in mind for Mordecai: “ ‘Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it’ ” (Esther 5:14). The NAB renders it, “ ‘Have a stake set up, fifty cubits in height, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on it.’ ” Haman ended up being impaled on his own 75-foot stake. This was common Persian practice (cf. Esther 2:23), just as it was practiced in Egypt and by the Israelites themselves (Josh. 8:29). The Philistines fastened the bodies of Saul and his three sons up on the wall of Beth Shan to expose them to public humiliation until the men of Jabesh Gilead came and removed them (1 Sam. 31:10–12). This is what was meant by lifting them up to shame them.

In Deuteronomy 21:22, 23, God declares, “If anyone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.” This public exposure and humiliation was not a practice that God approved of but, if it happened, the exposed person was under a curse and should not be left up overnight because that would defile the land (v. 23).

A PARALLELISM?

We can see the parallels between the impaling of the snake on the stake and the nailing of Jesus on the cross, the Roman form of impaling on a stake. The cross was literally a xylon, a wooden beam (Acts 5:30; 10:39). It was no different from the stake in its purpose; only the cross was intended to prolong the agony of the criminals while the public gathered to abuse them. To increase their shame, the Romans exposed them naked.

The apostle Paul records in Galatians 3:13 that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’ ” In His crucifixion, Christ became a curse for us by being exposed to shame in our place as a condemned sinner, although He was innocent. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is the language of substitutionary atonement.

Returning to the story of the bronze snake on the stake, we see that the snake represented the cause of the peoples’ death. From the very beginning, the snake represented Satan (Gen. 3:1–5, 15; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 12:9), a beautiful creature in its original creation, intelligent and talented, but using its cunning to deceive and destroy, becoming cast down to the earth and full of deadly poison (Gen. 3:14, 15; cf. Rev. 12:9). The poisonous snakes in the wilderness of Zin could have destroyed every person in the camp of Israel had God not intervened to provide a remedy. When the people realized that it was their sin that had brought about the plague of snakes and confessed their sin against the Lord and against Moses, Moses prayed for the people.

Then God told him to make a bronze snake and lift it up on a stake for all to see, and “anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” (Num. 21:8). They were not looking in faith at a representation of a live snake threatening to harm them. They were looking at a portrayal of a dead snake impaled on a stake and held up as a trophy for them to gaze at and exclaim, “The snake is dead!” The source of their misery and death was no longer a threat. It represented the end of sin and the death of Satan as a result of their confession of sin and turning away from it. By faith, they were pointed forward to the death of Jesus on the cross as putting an end to the penalty of sin and signaling the death knell for Satan.

At the time of the Fall, God placed a curse upon the serpent and promised a remedy for sinners: the Offspring of the woman would one day crush the head of the serpent, although His “heel” would be wounded in the process (Gen. 3:15). Paul told the Roman believers in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” At the cross, Satan became a defeated foe (John 12:31–33; 16:11; Rev. 12:10–12).

A SNAKE REPRESENTING CHRIST?

Hebrews 2:14, 15 says that Jesus came in human flesh “so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” However, according to Jesus’ own words in John 3:14, the snake on the stake represents the death of Jesus, not of Satan. In what sense does the snake represent Jesus?

The snake represented Jesus because it symbolized the sin and death that Satan brought into the world when he tempted our first parents to sin in the Garden of Eden. It also represented the cause of death in the camp of Israel when they rebelled against God in the wilderness. Jesus had to take that sin upon Himself, with its curse, and pay the ultimate penalty for our sin by dying the death of the sinner, being lifted up, impaled on the cross much like the bronze snake on the stake. All who look to Jesus in faith can see the death of the serpent and sin and, thus, the hope of our own eternal life.

EVIDENCE AND FAITH

We are the rebellious people of God, despite all that God has done for us. Yet “God was in Christ reconciling [us] to Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19, NKJV) by the sacrifice of His own Son, uplifted on the cross. Jesus said, referring to His own death, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

Commenting on this statement, author Ellen White observes, “All are drawn. Not one is left without conviction. Christ gives everyone evidence. But not all accept the evidence.”² It is our privilege to choose to be drawn by the uplifted Christ, impaled on a Roman stake for our sins, becoming sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus calls us to look by faith to Him uplifted on the cross just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent as a trophy that the power of sin has been broken.

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1. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is from Today’s New International Version. 
2. 2. Ellen G. White, “Walk in the Light,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 13, 1900, 1. 

原文链接：https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2021/09/The-uplifted-Christ