The children of Israel were anciently commanded to make an offering for the entire congregation to purify them from ceremonial defilement. This sacrifice was a red heifer and represented the more perfect offering that should redeem from the pollution of sin. This was an occasional sacrifice for the purification of all those who had necessarily or accidentally touched the dead. All who came in contact with death in any way were considered ceremonially unclean. This was to forcibly impress the minds of the Hebrews with the fact that death came in consequence of sin and therefore is a representative of sin. The one heifer, the one ark, the one brazen serpent, impressively point to the one great offering, the sacrifice of Christ. {4T 120.2}

[Israels børn fik fordum pålæg om at bringe et offer for hele forsamlingen for at rense den for ceremoniel urenhed. Slagtofret var en rød kvie, som repræsenterede det mere fuldkomne offer, der skulle forløse fra syndens besmittelse. Dette var et lejlighedsoffer til renselse for alle, som af nødvendighed eller tilfældigvis havde rørt ved en død. Alle, der på nogen måde kom i berøring med døden, betragtedes som ceremonielt urene. Dette var for eftertrykkeligt at indskærpe hebræerne den kendsgerning, at døden kom som følge af synd og derfor er syndens repræsentant. Den ene kvie, den ene ark og den ene kobberslange peger på en indtryksfuld måde hen til det ene store offer, Kristi offer.