IRON

Christ Rules with a Rod of Iron

In the scriptures there is a very strong correlation between the subject of bondage and the biblical use of the metal, iron. At least four times in the scriptures the term "rod of iron" is used:

1. Ps. 2:9 "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
2. Rev. 2:27 "And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."
3. Rev. 12:5 "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne."
4. Rev. 19:15 "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

The rod is used in the scriptures as a symbol of God's authority, laws, and commandments. Therefore, the term, "rod of iron," speaks to us about being bound to God's authority, laws, and commandments.

Reference 2 above is a direct quote from Reference 1 and should be interpreted based on the passage found in Ps. 2:7-9: I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Therefore, we conclude that both Ps. 2:9 and Rev. 2:27 have reference to Christ, the Son of God. The heathen or nations in these two passages are the children of God among the Gentiles or nations of the world.

The way the children of God are broken in pieces by the "rod of iron" is as follows. When someone is born of God, he has the laws of God written in his heart and in his mind (Heb. 8:10; 10:16, 2 Cor. 3:3, Rom. 2:15, etc.). Furthermore, God sets up a courtroom in the heart and mind of the born-again children of God. He gives them the witness of the pure conscience of their heart that has been sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22). Their thoughts serve as both the prosecutor and defense attorney in this courtroom (Rom. 2:15). Their heart is set up as the judge (1 John 3:20). With the laws of God written in their heart and the conscience testifying unto them of their sinful nature based on those laws, their mind begins to accuse them and their heart condemns them. Thus, they are convicted in the courtroom of their heart and mind. This conviction in their experiences brings them into bondage to the law of sin and death. They see themselves bound because of sin unto an eternal death.

An example of the above is found both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The first example is found in the experiences of the Prophet Isaiah: Is. 6:1-5, "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

A New Testament example is presented in Luke 18:10-14: "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

When a child of God is convicted of sin in the courtroom of his heart and mind, he has his pride and self-righteousness dashed in pieces as a potter's vessel. He is humbled and brought low to see his own sinfulness and wretchedness. Thanks be to God that he also binds up where he breaks concerning his people:

1. Job 5:18 "For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
2. Ps. 147:3 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."
3. Is. 30:26 "Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." 4. Is. 61:1 "The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;"
5. Ez. 34:16 "I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment."

Through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the children of God who before have seen themselves as broken and bound by the laws of God now are enabled to see that Christ hath redeemed them from the curse of the law and that they have been made righteous through his redeeming blood. Whereas before they saw themselves bound to the law of sin and death, they now can say as Paul said in Rom. 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." There hearts that were broken because of sin are now healed by the knowledge of the covenant work of Jesus Christ on their behalf.

Not only is God the judge of his people, but he is the judge of all the earth. All nations of people are under the authority, laws, and commandments of God and are bound to those laws and commandments. As stated in Rev. 12:5 "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Nations are measured by where they stand in relation to the adherence to the laws of God. Ultimately they will be judged by the actions of the governments and actions of their citizens. Ps. 9:17 "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Numerous nations have ceased to exist that turned their backs on God. God's fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that his seed would possess the land of Canaan waited till the time that those nations which were occupying the land were to the point that God's judgment on them would be executed: Gen 15:16 "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."

God promised Abraham that he would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if he found as many as ten righteous within the cities: Gen. 18:26 "And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake."

Likewise, Jerusalem was spared at one time from judgment because of a very small remnant: Is. 1:9 "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." These things should be a warning to any nation that God means business.

There are many examples of where judgment has come upon nations and cities because of the wickedness contained therein. When those nations or cities forget God, then God brings about judgment upon them as stated in Rev. 19:15 "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Examples, include the world before the flood; Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain; the nations that occupied the land of Canaan before the children of Israel; Babylon; Ninevah, etc. The oldest continual government on the face of the earth today is less than 300 years old. That government is the United States. Notice I did not say the oldest continual nation, but the oldest continual government. Governments have been overthrown as well as nations and cities. God does indeed rule the nations with a rod of iron!

Goliath and Iron

There is a strong correlation in the scriptures between the subject of bondage and the biblical use of the metal, iron. This correlation is illustrated in the story of the Philistine named Goliath of Gath. The armor of Goliath is described to us in detail in 1 Samuel chapter 17. The following description is given of the weight and makeup of Goliath's spear: v. 7 "And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him."

Goliath was a champion of the Philistines, the enemy of Israel. There was a war between the Philistines and the Israelites. Goliath defied the armies of Israel by saying: "And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." (1 Sam. 17:8-11) It is plain that Goliath wanted to enslave the people of Israel. He was a giant and thought that no one could take him in a battle. The people of Israel were greatly afraid of Goliath. They did not think anyone could stand up to the giant.

While Goliath was a real man who defied the armies of Israel, yet he also was a type of Satan. Satan is a giant in the eyes of the children of God. They generally are afraid of him. They cannot defeat him in battle, when they battle in their own might. Yet like Goliath lost his battle with David, so Satan lost the battle with Christ. Goliath was slain by David with his own sword. Similarly, we see Satan losing the battle against Christ on the cross of Calvary, which was Satan's sword against Him.

Goliath hoped to enslave the children of Israel. Likewise, Satan hoped to enslave forever, the elect family of God. With David's victory over Goliath, the children of Israel were freed from the fear and bondage of Goliath. Likewise, we read in the book of Hebrews concerning Christ and his battle against Satan the following: Heb. 2:14-15 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

At the cross, Christ died to deliver the elect family of God from the bondage of sin. In His death, he destroyed the work of Satan, thus destroying him who had the power of death. Also, through his death, he delivered the children of God from the fear of death. It is through the fear of death that children of God are held in bondage all their lifetime. However, now that we know that Christ has delivered us from the power of the devil, we also know that at death our soul and spirit shall return unto God and then at the resurrection of the dead our bodies will be changed and fashioned like the glorious body of Christ, reunited with our soul and spirit, and then taken home to glory to be forever with the Lord. Therefore, we have no reason to be in bondage to the fear of death all of our lifetime.

Therefore, as David defeated the erstwhile enslaver Goliath, so Christ defeated the enslaver of the elect family of God, Satan, and delivered His people from their sins.