The Serpent On The Pole: The Story of our Great Redemption- #20

Pronto viene en nuestro idioma: This is one of 34 short messages taught by using my book "The Story of Our Great Redemption" as my preaching notes! Everybody in the Church at large has heard of John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.(John 3:16 NKJV) Have you heard this next verse before? And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. (John 3:14 NKJV) That was John 3:14, a rarely quoted verse in the same teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus. Yes, that is only two verses before John 3:16, yet it is seldom used or quoted. Mostly, in Holy Spirit-baptized (tongues- talking), healing-believing circles, this verse is used to refer to divine healing. The connection to healing should be obvious, but there is much more. Notice the emphasis of Jesus on using the serpent on a pole as referring to His death on the cross. Why would He use the serpent as a symbol of His sacrifice, and not refer to Himself as the spotless Lamb of God on the cross? No question that He was the spotless Lamb of God offered up for us as a sacrifice (1 Peter 1:19), but then something evil and sinister happened to Jesus on the cross that merited identification with the serpent. We study this powerful truth as it relates to His sacrifice for us. Be mightily blessed! Freely download my books below on this subject of Jesus going to hell for us and read the following FURTHER proofs of the decent of Jesus for us into hell itself. _______________________ Download the free book that was the basis for most of this study, “The Story of our Great Redemption: Beyond Human Imagination!” That's the link to get the free 194-page book. I've published five different versions on this subject since 1977. The latest 2013 version in Spanish,“Tres Días y Tres Noches en el Corazón de la Tierra” is 290 pages long. Obviously, the Lord taught me a few more things from His Word. That is the most complete version I have published. In its pages are many of the extra things I brought out in these podcasts that were not in previous versions. Get the free "Tres Días..." PDF here. Glory to God! __________________ Did the Soul Of Jesus Descend to Hades After His Death on the Cross? Scripture, 2 partial articles, and the Early Church Fathers on this mighty Subject Most of what follows was generated with Google AI, though it is also accesible in The Ante Nicene Fathers 10 volume set of books. Using AI it was extremely easy to find. AI also generated some interesting articles. I didn't add these patristic references in my books on this subject published in 1977, 1978, 2010, 2011, and 2014, both in English and in Spanish. I've published 5 books on the subject. Thankfully, my printed books on the subject have found their way to Bible schools, Bible studies, pastors, ministers, and other believers around the world. I've based myself in my books on Scripture references as the Lord has taught me over the years. It is important to note that I am certainly not alone in teaching this subject from the Old and New Testament. The earliest scriptural reference goes back to the prophetic Word in Psalms 16:10 and in other references I quote from the book of Psalms. Peter taught on Jesus descending into Hades in the first recorded message after the Holy Spirit fell in Acts 2:24-31. Many of the early Ante-Nicene Fathers, such as Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Irenaeus of Lyons, believed that Christ descended to the realm of the dead, which they often equated with Hades or Sheol. It is important to note that the interpretation of Christ's descent to the dead varied among early Christian writers, with different understandings of the precise nature and purpose of this descent. However, the concept of a descent to the realm of the dead was widely accepted, and passages like Acts 2:24-31 played a role in shaping this understanding. References to Jesus in Hades (or the underworld/realm of the dead) in the second century AD can be found in a number of Christian writings: Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130 - c. 202 AD): In his work Against Heresies, Irenaeus mentions Jesus' descent into the regions beneath the earth (commonly understood as Hades), noting that Jesus preached there and declared remission of sins to believers. Melito of Sardis (c. 180s AD): In his sermon On Pascha, a liturgical work for Christian Passover, Melito of Sardis proclaimed that Jesus appeared to the dead in Hades. He describes Christ's victory over death and Hades, including the imagery of Christ binding "the strong man," which could refer to exorcism and deliverance from demonic forces. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 - c. 215 AD): In The Stromata, Clement writes about the Lord preaching the Gospel to those in Hades, specifically mentioning those who perished in the flood, and connecting it to 1 Peter 3:18-20. The Gospel of ...