THE MYSTERY OF “LIFTING UP”

“So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” — Numbers 21:9 (NKJV)

“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.” — John 3:14–15 (NKJV)

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” — John 12:32 (NKJV)

From the Word of God, we discover a profound mystery: whatever is lifted up publicly and consistently generates a powerful spiritual attraction. The kingdom of darkness understands this principle and exploits it daily to corrupt, deceive, and destroy humanity.

Consider how cigarettes are advertised using the most prominent billboards. Even when every advertisement is legally required to warn: “Smokers are liable to die young,” people still smoke. Why? Because whatever is exalted before the eyes of men eventually gains influence over their hearts.

The children of this world apply this mystery more aggressively than the children of the Kingdom. As a teenager, the only toothpaste I used was Macleans—not because it enhanced success in life, but because of the famous radio jingle that declared, “Be successful, be important, use Macleans toothpaste.” Repetition lifted that product in my mind until I believed it.

Whenever falsehood is exalted, people are either deceived or corrupted. Alcohol is not the source of joy, and no brand of cigarette gives peace as advertised. These are instruments the enemy uses to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). The world keeps lifting lies—and men keep believing them.

Now, let us return to Numbers 21:9 for a deeper understanding.

Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it upon a pole. Without doubt, he must have used the tallest pole available so that three million Israelites scattered in the wilderness could see it from every direction. The bronze serpent itself would also have been large enough to be visible from afar. Only then could an afflicted person look and live.

Jesus connected this mystery to salvation:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…” (John 3:14–15)

This statement is not merely a reference to the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus hung on the cross for only a few hours, but Moses kept the bronze serpent lifted for as long as the plague remained. The message here is that Jesus must be lifted up—publicly, continually, and visibly—until faith for salvation is established in the hearts of men, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Faith, Scripture teaches, comes by hearing and hearing (Romans 10:17). In life generally, what is consistently seen or heard is eventually believed—especially among those whose philosophy is “seeing is believing.”

If the Church catches this revelation and begins to lift the name of Jesus on every conceivable platform, we will shut down the operations of the devil in record time. Hallelujah.

That simple chorus we often sing inattentively is, in truth, the master key to global evangelism:

Lift Jesus higher, lift Jesus higher, Lift Him high for the world to see; He said, “If I be lifted up from the earth,” I will draw all men unto Me.

Now imagine—what if 100 giant billboards were installed across Lagos in one day, all boldly proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus, declaring His finished work at Calvary, and announcing the blessings of redemption to anyone who believes?

Here is what will happen:

Satan will be embarrassed; His demons will be confounded; His human agents will gnash their teeth in frustration;  Jesus will move into action; The Holy Spirit will convict and draw souls; Heaven will erupt in celebration; and  God will lavish His reward on those who do His pleasure.

And this will not stop in Lagos. It will happen in Abuja, in Sokoto, in Port Harcourt, and across the cities of Nigeria.