The ABC's of the Rapture of the Church

Between many well meaning Christians there has been a disagreement about whether we will have a Pre-Tribulation or Post-Tribulation Rapture. While not knowing this doctrine will not keep a Christian from going to Heaven, every Christian ought to know this doctrine correctly. The problem today is a general ignorance in the modern church. For the most part churches just don't want to talk about this subject.

I firmly believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture and after reading this you will know why (and hopefully you will believe the same). The doctrine of the Rapture is not confusing. No Bible doctrine is really all that confusing when you know how to interpret and understand the Bible. The Bible always interprets itself. We are not to interpret the Bible against our own intellect or another writing. A Pre-Tribulation Rapture just makes sense and I will present an "A B C" approach to it.

First the "A" standing for "Apostolic Sense". What do I mean by that? I am going at this from an Apostle standpoint. The greatest of the Apostles was the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul in his writing to the church in Thessalonica gives a clear picture of the events that will happen beginning with the Rapture and then leading into the Great Tribulation. The people in Thessalonica were concerned because they thought they had missed the Rapture. Someone had sent a forged letter (pretending to be Paul) to them saying the Rapture had already taken place. Paul's 2nd Epistle of Thessalonians was written primarily to correct the error.

Let's look at the outline as Paul presents it. First, the Great Tribulation can not begin until the Holy Spirit is removed. 2 Thess 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." The falling away spoken of is speaking of apostasy. The English word "apostasy" is a transliteration of the Greek word apostasia. By definition an apostasy is a departure, an abandoning of a position formerly
held. Let's continue to verse 7 "For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now hinders will hinder, until He be taken out of the way."

The He being referred to is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells the earth by living inside of each and every believer in Christ. The church body as a whole is currently restraining the evil in this world. However, one day when the Church is suddenly no longer here (through being caught up in the air to meet Christ), Hell will have a holiday. There will be no restraint on the evil that will be unleashed in the Great Tribulation. Since the Anti-Christ can not be revealed until the Holy Spirit has departed and since the Great Tribulation can not begin until the Anti-Christ is revealed, it follows as night follows day that the Rapture of the Church must occur BEFORE the Great Tribulation begins.

In his writing to the Thessalonians Paul mentions several times to "comfort others with his words". If all the believers had to look forward to was going through The Great Tribulation, how could they comfort anyone else?



Ok, now the "B" which I call "Biblical Sense". Not only did The Apostle Paul talk about this but the Bible talks about the Rapture also. Jesus Himself said He did not know when He would return. This has to refer to the Rapture because we know that the 2nd coming will be exactly 7 years after the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Also, in the book of Revelation the church is mentioned in the first 3 chapters but beginning with the start of chapter 4 when John is told to "come up here" (which is a representation of the rapture) the church is never mentioned again until the final chapter of the book. The reason is the church has been taken up.

Two examples come to mind of people who were rescued from impending doom, albeit on a smaller scale. When Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be destroyed, the angel told Lot to hurry because the city could not be destroyed until Lot left. This is found in Genesis 19:16-22

"16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" 18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."

21 He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it."

The second example is of course Noah. Before God flooded the world He took Noah away by preserving him in the ark. The rain did not come until Noah and his family (along with a lot of animals) were safely tucked away in the ark.

It would seem logical that if the church was going to be made to go through the Great Tribulation that the scriptures would be full of things like "warning all you who follow Christ, brace yourself to be tortured!!!" or Could you imagine adding another few verses to the end of 2 Thessalonians chapter 4 that go something like this:

"Brethren, we have all fought the good fight, we have been obedient to our Lord and Savior and one day soon we will be with the Lord. However we must first suffer at the hands of the Anti-Christ for a short while and then we will be rescued." Not exactly words you could share with others to comfort them now are they.

Finally, "C" and that stands for "Common Sense". The Church is Christ's bride and the individual believers are God's children. Common sense says that Jesus will not let His bride and God will not let His children have to suffer through the Great Tribulation. Matthew 7:9-11 "9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

If we had the power, we would not willingly let our children or spouse go through the Great Tribulation. What makes anyone think the God would allow His children and Christ's bride to have to go through it.

I found a great blog article by Kent Crockett on 16 proofs that the Rapture will take place prior to the Great Tribulation. It is so good I felt compelled to share it. Enjoy.

16 Proofs of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
by Kent Crockett

Proof #1: Revelation 19:11-21 doesn't mention a resurrection.

The rapture is a resurrection of those "in Christ" (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Isn't it a little bit odd that in Rev. 19:11-21, which is the clearest picture of the second coming of Christ, there is no mention of a resurrection? The rapture will be the biggest event since the resurrection of Jesus where hundreds of millions of Christians will be resurrected and translated, yet there isn't any mention here. Don't you think it deserves at least one verse? The rapture isn't mentioned because it doesn't happen at the second coming.

Proof #2: Zechariah 14:1-15 doesn't mention a resurrection.

This is an Old Testament picture of Jesus returning to earth at the second coming. Again, no mention of a resurrection.

Proof #3: Two different pictures are painted.

In the Old Testament, there were two different pictures painted of the Messiah—one suffering (Isa. 53:2-10, Ps. 22:6-8, 11-18) and one reigning as King (Ps. 2:6-12, Zech. 14:9,16). As we look back on these scriptures, we see they predicted two separate comings of the Messiah—the 1st coming as a suffering Messiah and the 2nd coming (still future) as a reigning King.

In the New Testament, we have another picture added. Again, we have two pictures painted which don’t look the same. These two different descriptions of Jesus’ coming point to two separate events we call "the rapture" and "the second coming."

Proof #4: The Known Day and the Unknown Day

Concerning the return of Jesus, the Bible presents a day we can't know and a day we can know. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 says the Jews will have to wait 1,260 days for the Lord to return. The 1,260 days begins when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God (Matt. 24:15-21, 2 Thess. 2:4) This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven year Tribulation (Dan 9:27). The Antichrist has authority to rule for 42 months, which is 1,260 days (Rev. 13:4) and will be destroyed by Jesus at His second coming (Rev. 19:20, 2 Thess. 2:8). The known and unknown days must happen at different times, meaning they are two separate events.

Proof #5: A door open in heaven (Revelation 4:1)

The door in heaven is opened to let John into heaven. We believe John's call into heaven is prophetic of the church being caught up at the rapture (see proof #6). In Revelation 19:11, heaven is opened again, this time to let the armies which are already in heaven out. This is the Church, which has been raptured at a previous time, following Jesus out of heaven at the second coming.

Proof #6: "Come up here." (Revelation 4:1)

A voice called for the apostle John to "Come up here," and immediately he was in heaven. This could be a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church. The words "Come up here" are spoken to the two witnesses who are killed in the middle of the Tribulation, who are resurrected and ascend into heaven (Rev. 11:12). Therefore, the phrase "Come up here" could mean the church is raptured in Rev. 4:1. The word "church" is mentioned 22 times in Rev. 1-3, but is not mentioned again until Rev. 22:17.

Proof #7: The 24 elders have their crowns.

After John is called up into heaven, he sees the 24 elders with their crowns (Rev. 4:4-10). We know that Christians will receive their rewards (crowns) at the rapture (2 Tim. 4:8, 1 Pet. 5:4). We will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:14). The elders couldn't receive their crowns unless the resurrection (rapture) has taken place.

Proof #8 Holy ones are already with Jesus in heaven (Zech. 14:5, Rev. 19:14)

The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, follow Jesus out of heaven at His second coming (Rev. 19:14, Zech. 14:5, Col. 3:4). These are not angels because Rev. 19:8 tells us the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. In order to come out of heaven we first have to go in, indicating a previous rapture.

Proof #9: Kept from the hour of testing (Rev. 3:10)

Revelation 3:10 says we will be kept out of the hour of testing which will come upon the whole earth (the Tribulation). Some have wrongly believed "keep" means to keep through, or protect through the Tribulation. Suppose you approach a high voltage area with a sign that says, "Keep Out." Does that mean you can enter and be protected? No, it means you are forbidden from entering the area. But this verse also says He will keep us from the hour of testing. It is not just the testing, but the time period. If a student is excused from a test, he still may have to sit in the class while others take the test. But if he is excused from the hour of testing, he can go home. The Church will be called home before the hour of testing.

Proof #10: Angels don't resurrect people when they gather them for judgment.

When the angels are sent forth to gather the elect at the second coming (Matt. 24:29-31), some have wrongly interpreted this as the rapture. There is one huge problem with this interpretation. If we are resurrected at this time, why would we need angels to gather us? In the resurrection, we will be like the angels (Matt. 22:30), able to travel in the air at will. Obviously, these people who are gathered are not resurrected, therefore it can't be the rapture. No one would claim the wicked are raptured at this time, yet Matthew 13:39-41, 49 says the angels will not only gather the elect, but also the wicked. This gathering is not a resurrection.

Proof #11: Both the wicked and the righteous can't be taken first.

First Thessalonians 4:13-17 says the righteous are taken and the wicked are left behind. Matthew 13:30, 49 says the wicked are taken first and righteous are left behind. This points to two separate events, the rapture and the second coming.

Proof #12: Jesus returns from the wedding.

When Jesus returns to earth at the second coming, He will return from a wedding (Luke 12:36). At the rapture, Jesus is married to His bride, the Church. After the wedding, He will return to earth.

Proof #13: Jesus will receive us to Himself, not us to receive Him (John 14:2-3).

Jesus said He would prepare a place for the Church in heaven, then He would come again to receive us to Himself. Why would Jesus prepare a place for us in heaven and then not take us there? At the rapture, He will come to receive us to Himself, "that where I am (heaven), there you may be also." If the rapture occurred at the same time as the second coming, we would go up to the clouds and then immediately come back to earth. That would contradict John 14:2-3.

Proof #14: The one who restrains is taken out of the way.

In 2 Thess. 2:6-7, Paul says "the one who restrains will be taken out of the way" before the Antichrist can be revealed. We believe this refers to the rapture because the Church is clearly the biggest obstacle to the Antichrist becoming a world ruler.

Proof #15: The separation of the sheep and goats (Matt. 25:31-46)

If the rapture occurred at the second coming, why would the sheep and the goats need to be separated immediately after the second coming? A rapture at the second coming would have already separated the sheep and the goats. With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture will need to be separated after the second coming.

Proof #16: Who will populate the Millennium?

If the rapture occurs at the second coming and the wicked are cast into hell at that time, who will be left to populate the millennium? Only people in their natural (non-resurrected) bodies will be able to have children (Matt. 22:30). With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture who are alive at the second coming will populate the earth during the Millennium.


----------------
CONTRASTS
----------------

RAPTURE

1. Rapture of all believers
I Corinthians 15:51

2. Believers Only
I Thessalonians 4:14

3. Raptured Saints go to heaven
I Thessalonians 4:16-17

4. Believers Raptured to heaven
I Thessalonians 4:13-18

5. Unbelievers left to enter tribulation
I Thessalonians 5:2-5

6. Earth not judged

7. Imminent
I Thessalonians 4:17

8. Invisible
I Thessalonians 4:17

9. Not in the Old Testament

10. Before the day of wrath
I Thessalonians 5:3-4,9

11. No reference to Satan

----------------------------------

SECOND COMING

1. No Rapture at all
Matthew 25:31

2. Affects All men
Matthew 24:30

3. Raptured Saints return to earth
Jude 14

4. Unbelievers killed
II Thessalonians 1:8-9

5. Believers left to enter millennium
Matthew 24

6. Earth judged and righteousness established
Revelation 19:11-15

7. Follows definite predicted signs including the tribulation
Matthew 24:3

8. Visible
Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30

9. Predicted often in the Old Testament
Zechariah 14:1-5; Daniel 7:13; Malachi 4:1-4

10. Concluding the day of wrath
Matthew 24:29-30; Isaiah 13:9

11. Satan bound at second coming
Revelation 20:3

Getting Motivated

I'd like to discuss the 6 Motivations for being a soul winner. Making an effort to win souls to Christ is work, make no mistake about it. Well, when you go to your job and put in time working don't you expect to be paid? Of course you do or else it would be called volunteering. It is the same in soul winning. It is a work we can, and should, do to earn rewards in Heaven (much like being paid at work). Many people get the idea that Heaven will be the same for everybody. This is not so. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If Heaven is the same for everyone, then Jesus' statement makes absolutely no sense at all. Question, what is the only thing from this earth that is going to be in Heaven? .... Answer: people.

With this in mind, let's think about 6 motivations for Soul Winning. The primary scripture reference is from 2 Corinthians 5:9-20 which states,

"9 Therefore, we labor, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
11 Therefore, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
14 For the love of Christ constrains us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

To make these a little easier to remember I will make each point start with the letter "C".

1) "Compulsion."
Look again at the scripture in verse 9. We labor to win souls so that we may be pleasing to Him. We are compelled to win souls so that when we stand before God to give an account of how we lived, we will be pleasing to Him.

2) "Compensation"
Look in verse 10. Much like the first point, we must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. This is where we will earn compensation or crowns for work done. There is no negative here. The judgement is to see whether you have earned rewards or not and, if so, what kind and how many.

3) "Conviction"
Look in verse 11. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. There has been some half truths taught about God in recent years. All I ever hear is "God is Love." While this is true, God is also a God of Judgement and He will require payment for all sins. And if we talk about the Love of God without talking about the wrath of God, we are only giving half of the truth and when a half truth becomes the whole truth, it becomes an untruth. The good news is that when we get saved through Jesus, the payment is made on our behalf, but for the lost souls, they will have to stand at the Great White Throne Judgement and God will be judge, jury and executioner for the lost. As children of God, we have already settled out of court. It is the terrorizing thought that potentially one of our loved ones will be sent to eternal torment in Hell that should motivate us to witness to them.

4) "Compassion"
Look at verse 14. For the love of Christ constrains us. As a child of God, we know, appreciate and are so grateful for what Jesus did for us we can't help but want to tell others about it. Sadly, a person is more likely to go tell someone how they saved $2 on a sale at Kohl's then they are to go tell someone how they were saved by Christ.
Remember the conversation between Christ and Peter not long after Peter denied Christ? It is in John 21:15 "So when they had dined, Jesus said to Peter, Peter, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these? He said unto him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love thee more. He said unto him, Feed my lambs." Well, if we say we love Jesus, we should "feed the lambs".

5) "Commission"
Look at verses 18-20. We are given the ministry of reconciliation. Another popular scripture for this is in Matthew 28:18-19 " 19 Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." This, of course, is the Great Commission.

6) "Count Down"
One of the sneakiest thing Satan can do to people is to get them to procrastinate and let them be ok with putting things off for another day. The problem with this is that we don't know if we will have another day on this earth. All the soul winning we will ever do, will be done on this earth. Once we get to heaven, it's too late. The Bible has several verses which speak of the urgency in winning the lost to Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:2 "behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation".

James 4:14 "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth."

Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is still called 'Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Unbelieveably, even Pharoah had the "tomorrow syndrome". When God was bringing the plagues to Egypt to let the Israelites go, one of the plagues was frogs. There must have been millions of them because the Bible says they covered the land of Egypt. Pharoah then told Moses he would let the people go if he would take the frogs away. When Moses asked him when he wanted this done, Pharoah said "tomorrow". Incredibly, he wanted one more night with the frogs.

Exodus 8:9-10 "9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?" 10 Then he said, "Tomorrow."

Sadly, many lost people intend to get saved........ tomorrow. Most want at least "one more night with the frogs". Almost as sadly, many Christians intend to witness to a lost person............. tomorrow.

I think perhaps this factor of count down is the most important motivation. We never know when
a) a person we need to witness to will die and
b) when we will die. No one is ever promised tomorrow.

Psalms 118:24 says "This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

We only get one "Today" each day, let's try to make the most of it. Let's be thankful we are given each day and live like it could be our last... because it just might be.

Cheerios That Make God Want To Vomit

I woke up last Saturday Morning with a mild headache. As the morning wore on, the headache intensified. I mistakenly thought that if I ate something, I might feel better (even though I was not hungry). Since it was morning, I opted for a bowl of Rice Krispies (The generic Food Lion brand version) and I ate that down with no problem but I felt no better also. In fact, I started to feel worse. Finally, it all came to an end when I deposited the once eaten cereal back into the same bowl from which it came. I disposed of the vomit and went into the bedroom for a nap. Four hours later I woke up and felt good as new. It ended up being something that seems to afflict me at random every so often... a migraine.. or a milder version of a migraine. These hit me about once every 3 months or so and there is no rhyme or reason as to when I get them and no real warning that I am getting one.

I say all the above to say that once that happened, the scripture came to mind from Revelation Chapter 3. God is addressing the church at Laodicea about their apathy. I normally do not like the Message paraphrase at all but it had the word vomit in it so I went with that. Look at verses 15-20 "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.
Here's what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that's been through the refiner's fire. Then you'll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.
The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!
Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you"


I'll touch back on these verses in a second but I was watching TV the other day and I saw a commercial about Frosted Mini Wheats. A Frosted Mini Wheat was being compared in size and significance to one piece of Cheerios. In the commercial, this Frosted Mini Wheat is in a boxing match with the Cheerio piece. The Mini Wheat towered over the Cheerio for an easy knock out as the Cheerio piece basically fainted.

As I look at some who call themselves Christians, I can't help but think that most are like the little Cheerios. The trial of a little milk (spilt or not) makes them soggy, weak and not fit for consumption; insignificant when it comes to making a difference in the lives of others. Much like those in Laodicea where God tells them they are stale and make him want to vomit. As Christians, we need to be like that Frosted Mini Wheat, bold in our testimony, someone others are drawn to, able to stand firm in the trials of having milk poured on us and people that God can look at us and be pleased.

Notice in the later verses God says "The people I love, I call into account." The King James version says in verse 19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

This is similar to the passage in Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives."


Friends, we can not live life in a shell thinking only of ourselves. We will have to give an account of how we lived our life once we become children of God. There is a vast difference between hearing "well done thou good and faithful servant" than hearing "get out of my sight. You make me want to vomit."

I believe we can learn a lesson from that square of Mini Wheat... be bold in the Lord, strong in your christian beliefs, and don't compromise them for anyone or anything.

Jesus is saying in verse 20 that He stands at the door and knocks and wants to sup or eat with us. In other words, He wants to fellowship with us like family. If Jesus was going to come eat with you in fellowship, would he be eating a big bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats or a big bowl of soggy Cheerios?

Perhaps had I been eating a bowl of Mini Wheats instead of Rice Krispies, I may have been spared the vomiting, but then again probably not. I know I will never look at a Frosted Mini Wheat the same again.

Bi Polar or Minding Their Manna

I myself am guilty of not reading the Old Testament enough. A few posts back I wrote about seeing Jesus in Noah's Ark. Now I would like to talk about seeing Jesus in the Old Testament again.. this time in the wilderness. The primary scripure text is in the Book of Numbers 21:5-9, Amplified Version.

"5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna.
6 Then the Lord sent fiery (burning) serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and many Israelites died.
7 And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that He may take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent of brass and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it on a pole, and if a serpent had bitten any one, when they looked to the serpent of brass [attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze], they lived."

The Israelites were whining, sniveling ingrates. God had rescued them out of bondage and was prepared to lead them into the Promised Land. God was providing their nourishment with the Manna that fell from Heaven each day, but that wasn't good enough for them. (I guess they wanted more quail). When they spoke out against God and Moses, God decided to take action so He sent serpents among them. Let me rephrase that, God didn't send the serpents. It was their disobedience to God that brought the serpents upon them. Remember, these were God's people that He loved and whom the Lord loves, He chastens. The sending of the snakes was their chastening, but within the chastening God provided an escape.
In verse 6, when the people repented (very important) God instructed Moses to place a bronze serpent on a pole and erect it in which anyone looking upon it would live.
One important thing to notice here. When the people repented and prayed to God, God did something interesting. Instead of taking away the serpents, He provided a remedy in the form of a serpent. This parallels what happened when Adam sinned and was forgiven. Just as God did not take away the penalty of sin (which is death) when Adam sinned, God provided a remedy in Jesus Christ who died in our place to pay for our sins on the cross.

Three questions...
1)Why did God use a serpent? A serpent was a reminder of the curse. It was through the serpent that Adam and Eve were seduced and brought under the curse of sin. On the cross, Jesus was made a curse for us. (see Galatians 3:13)
2) Why Brass (or bronze in some translations)? In the Bible, Brass is a symbol of Divine judgment. In Revelation 1:15 Jesus is described as having "feet like fine brass" and again in Deuteronomy 28:23 when the Israelites were disobedient this verse says ""And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron."
3) Why a pole? The pole represents the cross. In John 12:32-33 Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me This he said, signifying what death he should die."

So look at the scenario.. God told Moses to make a fiery serpent of brass, fix it on a pole and invite the bitten Israelites to look upon it so they could live. This is Moses teaching them the Gospel of Grace. Notice what Moses did NOT instruct the Israelites to do.

1) They were NOT told to go find some herbs and make a serum. Religion (the Law) would offer the serum of good works, church membership, keeping the commandments, etc.

2) They were NOT told to go help others who were bitten so that they might be healed. Religion (the Law) would tell us to engage in works of charity with the expectation that relieving others would take away the deadly poison of sin which is in our souls. This is also known as the Mother Teresa philosophy.

3) They were NOT told to make an offering to the serpent on the pole. God does not ask us to pay anything for our salvation, it is a free gift. If anything is required to be paid, then grace is no longer grace. The common modern christian term counterfeit I hear a lot relating to this is "give your life to Christ." We give our lives to Christ to follow Him or be a disciple, but not for salvation.

4) They were NOT told to pray to the serpent on the pole. Religion would have the bitten person pleading with God for forgiveness and mercy which has already been freely given to those who believe. Remember when the Israelites prayed to God, He did not destroy the serpents. He provided a remedy.

5) They were NOT told to look at Moses. God instructed them (through Moses) to look upon the serpent on the pole (picture of Christ). Moses was the Law giver. Here we have a picture of the Law not saving anyone, but showing them the way to be saved. Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." However, some are still looking to Moses (The Law) and trying to be religious with their own works to get them to Heaven instead of looking to Christ.

6) They were NOT told to look at their wounds after they were bit. Some think that they need to be more occupied with the work of examining their own wicked hearts in order to promote a religiousness that they deem necessary to qualify them for heaven. Religion can't save. Only Christ can save!

To look at the serpent on the pole is the same as looking to (trusting) Christ's death on the cross for salvation.

Going back to the scripture in Numbers 21, look at verse 9.
"And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it on a pole, and if a serpent had bitten any one, when they looked to the serpent of bronze [attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze], they lived." This is similar to the passage in James 1:23-24 "23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."

In this passage James is talking about people who only make a casual glance at God's Word and don't "Look Upon it". The same way with the Israelites. It wasn't just a casual glance at the serpent on the pole that would save them, it was an attentive look, a steadfast look, and absorbing gaze. Not only do we need to read the Bible, we need to meditate on it and the only way to do that is to be steadfast and absorb what it is saying in us as a sponge absorbs water. God gave us the Bible as "living water" and we need to "soak it up".