约三14~15　摩西在旷野怎样举蛇，人子也必照样被举起来，叫一切信入祂的都得永远的生命。

　　不是以色列人自愿犯罪，乃是在他们里面的蛇叫他们犯罪。神审判以色列人，实际上是审判这蛇；所以，挂在杆子上的，实际上是那蛇。犯罪的是人，但受审判的却是蛇。这给我们看见，实际上犯罪的乃是那在人里面的蛇，就是魔鬼。在神眼中，蛇和以色列人乃是一。所以，神审判杆子上的蛇，也就是祂审判以色列人。

　　我们还要看见，至终不是以色列人本身受神审判，乃是一个代替受了神的审判。这代替—基督—乃是借着与祂所代替的人联合为一而受审判。基督的十字架指明两个联合：第一，基督所救赎的人与撒但联合；第二，基督与祂所救赎的人联合（民数记概论下册，八七页）。

　　John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes into Him may have eternal life.

　　It was not that the children of Israel wanted to sin, but rather, the serpent in them caused them to sin. In judging the children of Israel, God actually was judging the serpent; therefore, the one hung on the pole was actually the serpent. Man sinned, but the serpent received the judgment. This shows that the one who sinned was actually the serpent in man, that is, the devil. In God's eyes the serpent and the children of Israel were one. Therefore, God's judging the serpent on the pole was also His judging of the children of Israel.

　　We also need to see that ultimately a Substitute, not the children of Israel themselves, was judged by God. This Substitute, Christ, was judged by being identified with the people for whom He was substituted. The cross of Christ indicates two identifications: the people redeemed by Christ were identified with Satan, and Christ was identified with His redeemed people. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1,”Synopsis of Numbers,” p. 312)

　　我们……必须领悟我们乃是蛇性的人。我们也必须领悟，基督替我们成为罪，并且成为一条铜蛇在十字架上死了，使我们里面蛇的性情受到审判。如果我们领悟自己是罪恶的人，是蛇性的人，并且承认这一点，这位成为肉体、亲爱的一位，立刻就要成为我们的赎罪祭，并且进到我们里面。然后我们就得着祂作永远的生命。这就是我们有分于成为肉体的神作我们享受的路。我们一承认自己是蛇性的，就有资格经历永远的生命，并享受祂。

　　施浸者约翰传讲悔改，而在启示录二至三章写给七个召会的七封书信里，主耶稣一再地吩咐我们要悔改。这表明在我们基督徒的一生中，我们都需要悔改。我们每天都必须说，“主，我是蛇性的，但是主，我感谢你，你成为铜蛇被举起来，代替我受了审判。主，我承认我是罪恶的；但你是不知罪的，却替我成为罪，并且在十字架上死了，定罪了罪。主，如今我接受你作我的赎罪祭。”每当我们这么作，祂就再一次成了我们的享受（CWWL一九八二年第二册，一六一至一六二页）。

　　“悔改”原文是心思改变，生出懊悔，转移目标。所以圣经所说的悔改，乃是心思转变，不像人所以为的，是改过自新、弃恶向善。……人的悔改也从一切事物中转向神自己（徒二六20，十四15下，帖前一9下）。原来人的心思所向着的，都是神之外的东西，因此它支配人所行所作的，也就都是背着神的。堕落的人在心思的支配之下，一切都是背着神的。……真实的悔改，必须是向神悔改（徒二十21），从一切事物中，实际地转向神自己（真理课程一级卷三，五八至六○页）。

　　主耶稣〔在约翰三章十四节〕对尼哥底母说〔到铜蛇〕的时候，尼哥底母不太可能明白这事。尼哥底母必定没有看自己是一条蛇，他看自己是一个合乎道德的正人君子，到主耶稣这里来为了得改良行为的教训。然而，主耶稣论到铜蛇的话，似乎是对尼哥底母说，“你不该看自己是正人君子，反而要晓得你是一条蛇。……我要顶替你，就需要在蛇的形状里被举起来。”我们若知道基督是铜蛇这预表的应验，在罪之肉体的样式里而来，在十字架上受死，顶替并代替我们，这对我们乃是极大的祝福（民数记生命读经，二五九至二六○页）。

　　参读：民数记概论，第二十六篇；真理课程一级卷三，第二十九课；约翰著作中帐幕和祭物的应验，第八篇。

　　We must realize that we are such serpentine beings. We must also realize that Christ was made sin for us and died on the cross as a bronze serpent so that the serpentine nature within us might be judged. If we realize that we are sinful people, serpentine beings, and confess this, immediately this dear, incarnated One will become our sin offering and enter into us. Then we will have Him as eternal life. This is the way for us to partake of the incarnated God for our enjoyment. It is when we admit that we are serpentine that we are qualified to experience eternal life and enjoy Him.

　　John the Baptist preached repentance, and in the seven epistles to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 the Lord Jesus again and again tells us to repent. This indicates that throughout our entire Christian life we need to repent. Daily we need to say,”Lord, I am serpentine. But I thank You, Lord, that You became the bronze serpent lifted up to be judged in my place. Lord, I confess that I am sinful. Even though You did not know sin, You were made sin for me, and You died on the cross to condemn sin. Now, Lord, I take You as my sin offering.” Whenever we do this, He once again becomes our enjoyment. (CWWL, 1982, vol. 2,”The Fulfillment of the Tabernacle and the Offerings in the Writings of John,” p. 125)

　　The Greek word for repentance means to have a change of mind issuing in regret, to have a turn in purpose. Therefore, to repent, as taught in the Bible, is to have a change of mind. It is not to improve or reform oneself nor to forsake the evil and turn to the good, as people generally believe. Man's repentance is also his turning from all things to God Himself (Acts 26:20; 14:15b; 1 Thes. 1:9b). Originally man's mind was toward all things outside of God; hence, under its direction, all of man's behavior and actions were also against God. Real repentance should be a repentance unto God (Acts 20:21), a turning in reality from all things to God. (Truth Lessons—Level One, vol. 3, pp. 45-47)

　　At the time the Lord Jesus spoke this word [in John 3:14] to Nicodemus, it is not likely that he understood it. Nicodemus surely did not regard himself as a serpent but as an ethical gentleman who came to the Lord Jesus for the purpose of receiving teachings about his behavior. However, in His word concerning the bronze serpent, the Lord Jesus appeared to be saying to Nicodemus,”You should not consider yourself a gentleman but realize instead that you are a serpent…. As your replacement, I will be lifted up in the form of a serpent.” It is a great blessing for us to know that, as the fulfillment of the type of the bronze serpent, Christ came in the likeness of the flesh of sin to die on the cross as our replacement and substitute. (Life-study of Numbers, p. 232)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1960, vol. 1,”Synopsis of Numbers,” ch. 26; Truth Lessons—Level One, vol. 3, lsn. 29; CWWL, 1982, vol. 2,”The Fulfillment of the Tabernacle and the Offerings in the Writings of John,” ch. 8