What Is Being Ruled With A Rod of Iron?
What exactly is being ruled by a rod of iron? I’ve never really understood it.
Thanks, N____
Hi N____
It’s a rulership by the Saints under Christ to rigidly enforce the word of God on all mankind during the one thousand years, hence a “rod of iron”. Anyone who steps out of line and wants to argue the point of doctrinal truth will be dealt with similarly to Korah and his Levite friends who represent us all (in our own order), who are Beasts sitting on the throne of God where we don’t belong. I’d imagine that in keeping with mercy, after two or maybe three corrections of ALL the wayward people in the one thousand years, if they refuse the truth, then the earth opens up, and they are swallowed up. Of course, they ALL WILL refuse the truth, it would seem, since not one of them is an overcomer.
Getting there by ‘here a little, there a little’,
Grant
Thank you, Grant,
Yes, that is the rod of iron in principle. Here is what ‘iron’ does:
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Christ ruled Israel with a rod of iron for forty years in the wilderness. That is an example of Christ ruling an unconverted people, and it will be “the Lord and His Christ” ruling the unconverted nations of this earth during the thousand years.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
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.
All the sermons of Babylon to the contrary, there is no scripture indicating “a time of great revival” during the millennium. There are many verses of scripture indicating the exact opposite. For example:
Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
In this case, a drought will be “a rod of iron”. But as the book of Numbers graphically demonstrates, ‘a rod of iron’ can be leprosy on Miriam, the earth opening up on Korah and company, fire going out from Christ killing “two hundred and fifty men of renown” who had sided with Korah:
Num 16:31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Num 16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Num 16:34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Num 16:35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
Did the “rod of iron” convert anyone in Israel? No, this was the effect the rod of iron had on “all the congregation” the very next day:
Num 16:41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
Num 16:42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
Num 16:43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 16:44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Num 16:47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
Num 16:48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Num 16:49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
Num 16:50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
This is but a couple of the rebellions against the rule of Christ which demonstrate a life lived under a rod of iron. At other times “fiery serpents were sent by the Lord to deal with His own carnal people (Num 21:4-9).
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this thread, Grant, and thank you for this question, N____.
Your “fellow servant”,
Mike
[Questions or comments may be directed to vinsmike@gmail.com]