Jesus (Yeshua) is a Worm and a Snake too....Among Other Things

By Kendall T. Shoulders

Of the many claims that Jesus made, one stands out as being the most obscure but intriguing characteristics in scripture. Jesus called himself a ‘worm’. How can a man who claims to be equal with God also make himself equivalent to a ‘worm’. If this is true, What does it mean for all of those who believe in him? What does it mean for all of those who do not?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483549668

Kendall T. Shoulders

Kendall T. Shoulders received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mathematics from Athens State University. His interest in theology and prophecy began to deepen in the mid 1990s. He began teaching Biblical studies in January 2003 at Antioch C.P.Church of America in Athens, Alabama under the leadership of his pastor Robert L. Rice. He is often called upon to teach vacation Bible school and Bible study at other churches. He continues to perform various Biblical studies and assists in preparing in-depth studies for his current church and friends who are looking to enrich their relationship with the Lord.

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FOREWORD

Standing at the foot of Mount Herman at the altar of Zeus, Jesus asked a rather profound question of his disciples. He wanted to know from their perspective how they defined him. Before that time, there had been many angel-like gods over the centuries that were purported to be God, and were presented in dramatic and powerfully deceptive ways. As a result many people worshipped these entities as gods. However, one of the litmus tests of a godhood must include the ability to know all things, do all things and predict all things with absolute accuracy. Most religions throughout the ages have continued to look for a coming messiah. In Islamic eschatology, they are looking for Mahdi ‘the Guided One’, their prophesied redeemer, to return along with Isa (Jesus as the prophet only) and restore the world to order. Buddhists look for Maitreya, while Taoists look for Li Hong. In Hinduism they look for Kalki. In Zoroastrianism, they are looking for Saoshyant.

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

Buddhism: Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śākyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna) and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an actual event that will take place in the distant future.

Taoism: Around the 3rd century CA religious Taoism developed eschatological ideas. A number of scriptures predict the end of the world cycle, the deluge, epidemics, and coming of the saviour Li Hong (not to be confused with the Tang personalities).

Hinduism: In Hinduism, Kalki (Devanagari:also rendered by some as Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatara (great incarnation) of Vishnu who will come to end the present age of darkness and destruction known as Kali Yuga. The name Kalki is often a metaphor for eternity or time. The origins of the name probably lie in the Sanskrit word kalka which refers to dirt, filth, or foulness and hence denotes the destroyer of foulness, destroyer of confusion, destroyer of darkness, or annihilator of ignorance.

Zoroastrianism: According to Zoroastrian philosophy, redacted in the Zand-i Vohuman Yasht, at the end of thy tenth hundredth winter […] the sun is more unseen and more spotted; the year, month, and day are shorter; and the earth is more barren; and the crop will not yield the seed; and men […] become more deceitful and more given to vile practices. They have no gratitude.

Honorable wealth will all proceed to those of perverted faith […] and a dark cloud makes the whole sky night […] and it will rain more noxious creatures than winter."

Saoshyant, the Man of Peace, battles the forces of evil.[citation needed] The events of the final renovation are described in the Bundahishn (30.1ff): In the final battle with evil, the yazatas Airyaman and Atar will melt the metal in the hills and mountains, and it will be upon the earth like a river" (Bundahishn 34.18), but the righteous (ashavan) will not be harmed.

Eventually, Ahura Mazda will triumph, and his agent Saoshyant will resurrect the dead, whose bodies will be restored to eternal perfection, and whose souls will be cleansed and reunited with God. Time will then end, and truth/righteousness (asha) and immortality will thereafter be everlasting.

It would seem that if there was a perfect, all-knowing and all-powerful God who was willing to redeem us, then He would have to leave absolute, verifiable proofs in order to establish Himself as the one true and infallible God. Otherwise, each of these messianic want-to-be types could lay claim to title of Messiah without providing much evidence at all. After this study, we will once again ask the question that Jesus asked his disciples at the foot of Mount Herman. (See Matt. 15:16.) Who do you say I AM? In Revelation, Jesus announces that his testimony is the spirit of prophecy. He claims that he is the very Word of God. Considering that the whole Bible is considered to be the Word of God, Jesus is making a rather tall claim here. Does the entire Bible point to him? In order to support this claim there would have to be hidden pictures and specific messages in the biblical text that are yet undiscovered. For this possibility to have any validity whatsoever, it would prove to be mathematically impossible for one mere man to fulfill all the things written. It would mean that other possible messianic figures would also have to do the impossible in order to be in the same messianic class Jesus claims for himself.

Jesus predicted that in the last days a false messiah would rise up in his own name and fool many. (See Luke 21:8) The Scripture indicates that the false messiah’s signs and wonders will be so convincing that most people will be deceived. In light of such persuasive signs, how could anyone distinguish between truth and fiction? The easy answer is prophecy. If the one, true God declared everything in advance through prophecy, and then went on to fulfill it all to the letter, that would be verifiable proof of its truth, despite its mathematical impossibility. What if the true Messiah recorded everything thousands, perhaps millions of years before he came to earth? What if this record was sealed and had witnesses to testify to its veracity? What if this same record was revealed to mankind hundreds of years before the true messiah came? Would that be a sign? Would you be convinced?

The title of this book might seem disrespectful to some but pique the interest of others. How could anyone imply that Jesus is a worm or a snake? In many societies, that level of disrespect toward one believed to be deity could lead to execution. But what if it’s true? What if the author of this book is not the one who made the claim but is simply repeating what the deity himself said? Is it then blasphemy to repeat it? If so, why would he say it, and what would be gained from it? You be the judge.

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 22:1-7 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

² O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

³ But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

⁴ Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

⁵ They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and

despised of the people.

⁷ All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

In Psalms 22, a prophetic psalm detailing the events surrounding the crucifixion, Jesus prophetically calls himself a worm. In normal everyday reading of Scripture, the word ‘worm’ appears to be quite insignificant. However, in the light of prophecy every word is important. But before we go on to discuss the worm, let’s take a quick look at some of the more obvious prophecies fulfilled in Psalm 22.

PSALM 22

The Prophecy #1

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

The Fulfillment #1

Matthew 27:46 ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

The Prophecy #2

Psalm 22:7-8⁷ All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,⁸ He trusted on the LORD THAT HE WOULD DELIVER HIM: LET HIM DELIVER HIM, SEEING HE DELIGHTED IN HIM.

The Fulfillment #2

Matthew 27:39-44³⁹ And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

⁴⁰ And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

⁴¹ Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

⁴² He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

⁴³ He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

⁴⁴ The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

The Prophecy #3

Psalm 22:15 ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

The Fulfillment #3

John 19:28 ²⁸ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

The Prophecy #4

Psalm 22:17 ¹⁷ I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

The Fulfillment #4

John 19:36 ³⁶ For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

The Prophecy #5

Psalm 22:18¹⁸ They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

The Fulfillment #5

John 19:24 ²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

The Prophecy #6

Psalm 22:16 ¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

The Fulfillment #6

John 19:36-38 ³⁶ For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

³⁷ And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Ignoring other amazing but not so obvious prophecies in this psalm, we will concentrate on just one main element. That element is the tola worm.

The Worm Prophecy

Psalm 22:66 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

The English word for ‘worm’ yields no insight into the depth of this prophecy, written about a thousand years before Christ was born. However, we make an amazing discovery when we go back to the original Hebrew language in which it was written. Throughout the entire Old Testament, we see a pattern repeated, which we will explore in this study. There are two main words used to describe a ‘worm’ in the Hebrew language— ‘rimmah’ and ‘tola’. As we will prove, when the Hebrew word ‘tola’ is translated into the English word ‘worm’, it prophetically speaks of Christ. When the other Hebrew word ‘rimmah’ is translated to the English word ‘worm’, it inevitably points to the remainder of humanity and its ultimate decay.

In verse 6 of Psalm 22, it prophetically speaks of Jesus as a tola worm. Could this be true? While Psalm 22 appears to be pointing to Jesus, how can we say for certain that a psalm specifically refers to him when it doesn’t mention him by name? What if Jesus told us so? Isn’t he the one making the bold claim of being ‘The Word’? Let’s take a closer look at why someone who claimed to be equal with God would make such an inference. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the frightened, cloistered disciples, revealed his wounds and ate with them in order to prove his identity, resurrected in the flesh. Jesus then opened their understanding of Scripture. (See Luke 24:36-49) In the process, he made the following statement:

Luke 24:44 ⁴⁴ And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

In this text, Jesus teaches that the Law of Moses (The first five books of the Bible), the prophetic books of Scripture, and the Psalms are pointing directly to him. This combination just happens to be the entirety of the Old Testament! Let’s take a look at the obvious patterns of the tola worm that point to Jesus.

JESUS THE TOLA WORM

The tola worm first appears in Scripture in the Book of Genesis during the lifetime of Judah. (See Gen. 38:28) This worm was peculiar because of the unique preparation it made in order to give birth. First the tola worm would permanently attach itself to a tree. In fact, it was secured so well that no one could remove it from the tree without killing it. The tola then deposited eggs beneath its own body, then began to die, leaving its carcass to protect and feed them until the larvae matured. It’s stunning to realize that as the larvae matured, they ate of its parent’s body until mature enough to depart. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did for us, even foretelling it one thousand years before he was actually born on earth? Didn’t he allow himself to be attached to a tree like the tola worm? Didn’t people try to get Jesus to come down from the cross but like the tola, he refused to oblige? Was it not Jesus who died in the process of giving birth to the church just as the tola died in the process of giving birth to its young?

As mentioned, the tola worm allowed its body to be consumed to feed its young. Before his death Jesus instructed his followers to use his body for their benefit as well. He gave us wine to drink in remembrance of the blood that he shed, and bread to commemorate his body which was broken for us. (See Luke 22:19) Jesus gave himself to us so that we could survive the valleys and mountains of life until he returns. Like the prophetic tola worm, Jesus gave his body for us. After the carcass of the tola worm had served its purpose, it fell off or was eventually harvested from the tree. Because the tola worm secreted blood as it died, a scarlet spot was left on the tree. Amazingly, on the third day after staining the tree, the scarlet spot turned white. This is exactly what Jesus did for us. Though our sins be as scarlet, Scripture says they shall be white as snow!

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

By the time Jesus rose from the dead, he had completely paid the price for all our sins. As a result, whoever accepts him as Savior will be saved regardless of past, present or future transgressions. Christ has taken our sins as far away as the east is from the west.

Psalm 103:12: As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

In order to make the scarlet color for garments during the time of the Old Testament patriarchs, the tola worm was harvested from the trees. Then it was crushed, and its blood was used to dye white linen to make beautiful scarlet garments. The only way to receive the benefits of the blood was through the crushing of the worm. In that era anyone who could afford it, could enjoy and appreciate the beauty of such a remarkable garment. Although many wealthy people took advantage of such bloodstained garments, few if any appreciated the sacrifice made by the tola worm, in order to make it happen. Only the tola truly understood the terrible price required so that such creations could be available to others.

In the same way, though I did nothing to earn it, I have been blessed with eternal life. (See Eph. 2:8) Even though I enjoy by faith the benefits of the grace of Christ, the truth is that I haven’t yet fully come to appreciate His incredible gift. My gratitude is seldom in line with the depth of his sacrifice. My words sometimes reflect apathy, as if his great gift is old news. At times my actions are far out of sync with my beliefs. However, as I mature in my faith, I can more deeply appreciate the awful sacrifice he made, dying in my place. With that said, only Jesus, the great Tola worm, truly knows the immense price he paid to bring joy, peace and love to an undeserving creature like me. Like the actual tola worm, Jesus shed his precious blood and