Sorry that was an unplanned slip of the tongue on my part. I meant to say 'Cherabim' not 'Seraphim'. Let me attempt to explain better: The Cherabim blocks the way to the Tree of Life with its fiery sword, somewhat like the fiery bite of the fiery serpents in the wild.
The Cherubs (Heb "
keruwb)" were the guardians in Eden and the sword was not in their hand as far as I can tell....There was apparently more than one Cherub, but only one sword, and they were to guard the way to the "tree of life", which ensured that the death penalty would eventually be carried out.....
"With that Jehovah God expelled him from the garden of Eʹden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. 24 So he drove the man out, and he posted at the east of the garden of Eʹden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning continuously to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:23-24)
Satan was a "covering cherub" who was stationed in Eden by God. (Ezekiel 28:13-15) He abused his position and underhandedly misled the human race away from their Creator, but faithful cherubs were used to deal with the consequences. The blade of the sword was what was fiery, according to that scripture, and it turned every which way on its own.
Fiery for the serpent translates to poison, but the term use the same I think. They bite the people, and the people begin to die unless they look upon the brazen serpent.
I think you are reading more into these scriptures than what is actually there....that can be confusing IMO.
What does the copper serpent have to do with Eden?
This representation of a serpent was made by Moses during Israel’s trek in the wilderness. When the people showed a rebellious spirit, (complaining about the miraculously provided manna and the water supply) Jehovah punished them by sending poisonous serpents among them, and many of them died from serpent bites. After the people showed repentance and Moses interceded for them, Jehovah told him to make a figure in the form of a serpent and to place it upon a signal pole. Moses complied, and
“it did occur that if a serpent had bitten a man and he gazed at the copper serpent, he then kept alive.” (Numbers 21:4-9; 1 Corinthians 10:9)
The story is very strange but not more strange than the cherabim. When John the baptists calls them vipers in his sermons about high and low being made equal, he is accusing them of blocking the gate. They are too choosy for John B. They are like the brazen serpent and like the cherabim to John.
I don't read it like that at all......Calling the Pharisees "offspring of vipers" is in line with what Jesus said at Matthew 12:33-34...
"Either you make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for by its fruit the tree is known. 34 Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are wicked"
John 8:44...
"Jesus said to them: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.”
I believe that this is describing who their father was.....Not Jehovah, but the original viper, the serpent, satan the devil.
John B then passes his ministry on to a Greater than himself. This fulfills (or demonstrates) his point. It is a prophetic sign, just as if he had been wearing a yolk or lying upon his side or something like that. His student is greater than he himself. This of monumental moment for Christianity. The greater may come from the lesser, however its not a new lesson. John and Jesus are simply hammering it home.
Jesus was not a student of John. John was a prophet. He was actually a relative, 6 months older than his cousin, Jesus. When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John hesitated because he knew who Jesus was, since their mothers had both been given miraculous pregnancies. "Filled with holy spirit even before his birth" (Luke 1:15) John knew that he was the one sent to "prepare the way of the Lord". He baptized the repentant Jews in symbol of their desire to obtain a clean standing with God in preparation for the Messiah's arrival.....the Jews were expecting him at that time because of Daniel's prophesy.
The Pharisees hated him because he did not have a good word to say about them, and the people knew that he was a prophet, which prevented them doing away with him, (like the Jewish leaders had done with other prophets who spoke badly of them in the past). (Luke 20:1-8; Matthew 23:37)
That is an alternative explanation, however a lot of these were not humble men. Leaven puffs up bread, makes it rise. We know today that it is due to the actions of gas bubbles expanding in the dough. It is like fat, representative of pride, that which much be removed from offerings and that which much not be consumed at the Passover. A tiny amount in a house will cause dough to become infected and to puff up. The Jews are not permitted to let this happen and must cleanse their homes just in case any yeast exists. Jesus accuses these pharisees of being proud, too proud to accept lesser people. The pharisees actually think of it differently and that they are doing their best to preserve the tradition, but Jesus asserts that it is pride to be so choosy. How does that sound to you?
Ummm, not what I have studied...."leaven" was a corrupting agent representing sin....which is why they cleansed their houses of it, and this is pictured by Jesus' flesh being represented by unleavened bread....he was sinless.
You ask where does this come from. John B preaches the message of Isaiah and we are told is the voice in the wild calling "Make the high places low and the low places high to prepare the way..." Thus he annoys those who are wealthy, educated and potentially righteous and encourages those who are poor, ignorant and ineligible for righteousness. Rather than direct quotations and copies of John B's sermons we have just a reference to the passage in Isaiah
Matthew 11:7-13..
." Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:. . . .This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look! I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way ahead of you!’ 11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not been raised up anyone greater than John the Baptist, but a lesser person in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is. . . .For all, the Prophets and the Law, prophesied until John; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is ‘E·liʹjah who is to come.’ 15 Let the one who has ears listen."
Jesus clearly identified John as the one whom God sent as "Elijah" was to the people.
John was under no illusions as to what God thought of the Pharisees....
." he said to them: “You offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, produce fruit that befits repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 The ax is already lying at the root of the trees. Every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:7-11)
Just being "a son of Abraham" wasn't going to cut it....they were not producing the fruits. The ax was already poised to cut those unproductive trees, down....at their roots.
And John acknowledged that he was sent first and that another 'stronger than he' was to follow.....
11 I, for my part, baptize you with water because of your repentance, but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to take off. That one will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire."
His baptism was not just with water....