Manly P. Hall

 The serpent is true to the principle of wisdom, for it tempts man to the knowledge of himself. The serpent is the symbol of prototype of the Universal Savior, who redeems the worlds by giving creation the knowledge of itself and the realization of good and evil. If this be not so, why did Moses raise a brazen serpent upon a cross in the wilderness that all who looked upon it might be saved from the sting of lesser snakes? Was not the brazen serpent a prophecy of the crucified Man to come: If the serpent be only a thing of evil, why did Christ instruct His disciples to be as wise as serpents?

 — Manly P. Hall “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.“ Matthew 10:16