Nehustan Idolatry, Abominable to God yet Prevalent in Christianity
By: Noel Corpuz
Tags: Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Life, Faith

Unto Us, a Child is Born and Unto Us, a Son is Given

Another 700 years and Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus the Christ was born unto us and dwelt among us for thirty-three and a half years. He lived a life that was fully obedient to God’s will, undefiled and without sin so that He may be qualified to be the propitiation for us. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so Christ was lifted up, crucified on the cross as the lamb of God to take away the sins of mankind. There in Golgotha, He died so that whoever believes in Him may live.

After His death, He was taken down from the cross and was buried. But death was not the place for Him so on the third day early morning, God resurrected Him. He ascended and presented Himself to the Father, holy, and unblemished. That very evening He was sent back in His glorified spiritual body and appeared to His disciples. As John the disciple testified in his gospel narrative, John 20:19–20:

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Jesus Christ Becoming the Life-giving Spirit

As God, the Father is a Spirit (John 4:24), so is the Son after His ascension became the life-giving Spirit. As the Spirit, He can now be received by whoever believes in Him. John 20:21–22 reads:

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, HE BREATHED ON THEM, and said to them, “RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, affirms that the last Adam referring to Christ, became the life-giving Spirit.

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)

From the above testimonies, we know that the Son of Man who was lifted up on the cross is now the Spirit. He is no longer on the cross but dwelling in every believer as the Spirit who gives life fulfilling His own prophecy in John 7:37–39.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Since Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was fulfilled and redemption has been obtained. Moreover, God the Father has accepted His sacrifice once for all by raising Him from death. He is no longer on the cross but seated at the right hand of God and His Spirit dwelling in all genuine believers.

Hebrews 10:9–14 read:

…He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Now that His work on the cross has been fully accomplished, and His sacrifice for our sins He offered once for all, then the cross where He was lifted up no longer serves any purpose. What then becomes of it?

Hezekiah called the bronze serpent after it fulfilled its purpose, a Nehustan, just “a piece of bronze,” for by then, that was all its value. Then he broke it into pieces to save his people from idolatry.

What then happened to that wooden cross where Jesus Christ was crucified?

How Israel turned Moses’ bronze serpent into an idol in Hezekiah’s days, even so, Christianity turned Jesus’ cross into an idol. We do not know what became of that wooden cross of Jesus, but we see replicas of it almost in every place where Christians live and gather.

Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash

Led by Roman Catholicism, Christianity gullibly reproduced replicas of it for their idolatrous worship to this day. Prominently displayed in Christian places of worship, enshrined in Christian homes, dangling over Christian cars’ dashboards, worn by Christians on their necks, even tattooed on their bodies, what has become of it?

Nehustan Idolatry

Yes, NEHUSTAN IDOLATRY, that is what Christianity turned the cross into. It may be a piece of wood, a piece of stone, a piece of metal, a piece of plastic, painted on walls, on canvass, on paper, or any other material made by man's hands.

It is NEHUSTAN IDOLATRY subtly deceiving naive Christians away from God. They kneel before it, bow down to it, offered incense, flowers, candles before it, they pray before it, even kiss it. They use it as amulets thinking that it can save them. They even bring it to their grave.

Indeed, NEHUSTAN IDOLATRY. Most Christians do not know this because even their Pastors and the so-called Theologians and Bible teachers do not even realize this is abominable idolatry. It has been so deeply ingrained into the Christian culture that no one seems to see the folly of it. It is just a symbol, they say, part of Christian heritage and tradition.

This is what Jesus said about their tradition (Mark 7:6–9):

He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men — the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

Tradition? Yes, and it has become one great CHRISTIAN IDOLATRY.

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” “You shall have no other gods before Me.” “You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:1–6)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev. 2:29)

May the love of God, and the grace of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.