[LearsFool]

The reference you gave to Numbers 21 is an excellent one. Here's Jesus' reference to it:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" - John 3:14

You've spotted the "figure" aspect of both cases. (The Greek word, by the way, is antitupos, from which we get our English word "anti-type", and is variously translated as "a true likeness", "the like figure", "is like that", "which corresponds to this", etc. Take a look here.)

So was Jesus lifted up? Or was He just speaking symbolically?

[BlackAdderess]

Jesus was lifted up on the cross and was subsequently lifted up from the grave, the serpent on a stick was symbolic foreshadowing (for want of a better word).