The Sword

David Hill "The Sword" Email :jesterbr549@yahoo.com

Originally Posted June 19th, 2002

He that kills with the Sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints...

My comments after quote.

George Peters, The Theocratic Kingdom :

In the nature of the case, if at any time God intends to re-establish such a Theocratic - David Kingdom, which is designed to extend its sway over the world, all, or nearly all, earthly kingdoms will oppose it. This is precisely what the prophets, one and all, uniformly predict. This is a terrible subject, and the writer was under strong temptation to suppress, in a great part, this proposition, lest to some it would prove "a dead fly in the ointment" (Ec 10:1), causing a rejection of the whole [Premillenial faith]. But consideration urged that, as God proclaimed it, and frequently adverted to it, duty and faithfulness demanded its insertion as a testimony and warning to others.

This war, etc., in the future as expressly asserted, is not carried on because God delights in it, but because it will be waged against Him, His people and His purpose by wicked and ambitious men, and the Almighty condescends to meet them in the same way to give them, through appointed agencies, a signal and deserved punishment and overthrow. The rise, progress, aims, slaughter, etc., of the confederation of wickedness arrayed against Him, will fully vindicate the propriety and consistency of the means used in its downfall; which, as prophecy declares, will be freely and universally acknowledge the world over after its occurance.

The writer must add, in order to avoid a misapprehension of his position, the he has no sympathy [with those who believe] that saints or believers now, under the present ordering, are to take the sword to advance the truth for the church, or the cause of Christ. This is positively forbidden, and, therefore, we must await the time and the ordering appointed by God Himself.

The Theocratic Kingdom when first instituted was introduced by war and violence, vanquishing its enemies, and this only teaches us that when again set up, because of the opposition excited and the resistance audaciously exhibited, it will again fight its way over its enemies, but under a leader immeasurably greater then Joshua. It is simply impossible - if believers in the word are willing to receive its contents - to ignore the Scripture relating to the subject.

Now, during the gathering out of the elect [Church Age], vengence is God's and we are forbidden to exercise it; but God's forebearance with Gentiles will also end as it did with Jerusalem, as it now does with individuals, and then He employs what agencies He pleases to cause their destruction.

This future overthrow of the nations is the Key to the warlike spirit noticed in many of the psalms, and which has been the fruitful subject of derision to unbelievers. Even many believers, not recognizing the period and design God has in view, turn with unbelief from Ps 58:10;68:23, etc., as if it were inconsistant for the righteous to see and engage in the specific, appointed work of Jesus, the Divine Master.

Rejecting this prophetic war-spirit, commentators are greatly perplexed over the statement of Luke 22:36-38 and render corresponding singular interpretations. Jesus exhorts the purchase of a sword, and when "they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, it is enough." And in vs 49 the question was asked, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Jesus permitted, vs 50, so that "one of them smote the servant of the highpriest and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far."

It is simply indicative that he can and will resort to arms and violence when (as all analogy proves) the proper time has arrived, but not then at that crises (the time of obedience and humiliation, and suffering to perfect Himself as Redeemer), for to carry out the Divine will, the resistance then offered - a sign that the sword also belonged to Him - was amply sufficient.

The truth is, that it [Imprecatory Psalms] needs no apology, but it is precisely the language that we aught reasonably to anticipate, provided it is true that, after the long extended mercy and love of God in Christ Jesus, the nations and the kings of the earth will be arrayed against the truth; that they will exalt a monster of iniquity over them as their chief ruler; that they will proceed to martyr all true believers; and that they will even dare to oppose the Lord Jesus Himself. These Psalms are Prophetical. The spirit, by anticipation, speaks for the believer, and puts forth the prayers that time will prove are precisely those that true piety, oppressed by a terribly vindictive power, can consistently utter.

God, in deference to His own rights, His own inheritence, His own Kingdom, His own saints, His own Honor and Glory, is compelled in consistency to arise and take vengence on that humanity which is so impious, merciless, and cruel.

To intensify this, against the ridicule of unbelief that laughs at all such threats as idle, it compresses it all into the astonishing phrase, "The Wrath of the Lamb;" thus showing how the same saviour, who loved us even to a shameful and cruel death, will ultimately at His coming manifest His anger against those who willfully and malignantly reject Him.

In the face of all this array of Scripture, it will not answer for the objecter to quote the language (John 18:36) of Jesus : "If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from hence." Will the saviour contradict the predictions of the prophets? No, for He qualifies His language, guarding it, by the "but now," i.e. at the present time, my kingdom is not of this world and my servants do not fight, leaving the plain inference that at some future time, just as prophesied, His servants would fight. The time of wrath on the nations and of the Kingdom will also come, Rev 11:15-18.

And hence, just as it is said of Jesus (Is 49:2), "In the shadow of His hand hath He hid me and made me a polished shaft," etc., so saints, the brethren of Christ, those who inherit with Him, are employed (Ps 149:9) "To execute the judgement written," thus exhibiting the irresistable power of God.

The hand that was pierced holds this power.

"He stood and measured the earth; He beheld and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow; His ways are everlasting."

This gives a vivid representation of the supremacy, dominion and power exercised by King Jesus, that all things, including the whole earth and its nations, are under His control and submit to His commands.

This is a subject that is much mis-understood and I included Peters' wisdom on this which I will now comment on.

He correctly points out that the timing is everything on this. There will come a time to pick up the sword and regarding this very time Paul says, "And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." When our obedience has been fulfilled, and this is the key. And for the Christian this has to be some time after the Rapture of the Church and this explains Y'shua's words to "sell your [wedding] garment and buy a sword". For those who are left behind at the Rapture and end of the Church age and who live through those events, the time will come when they will be able to pick up the sword. And it is to this time that the verse at the top of the post refers to. He who kills by the sword (the Antichrist) will also be killed by the sword (specifically Y'shua's), and they are commanded to have patience until that time, paralleling Paul's words of the same.

To understand the timing involved we have merely to look at Peters' hint above and in the Revelation for the time when God says, 'Now is My Kingdom of the World' and now my servants will fight. The phrase occurs twice.

The first in Rev 12:10, when the male child is caught up to heaven and the woman flees to the wilderness. This is the midpoint of the tribulation. However, this verse is applying to Ephraim and not to Judah, pictured by the male child himself - the thirteenth star and tribe. The first half of the tribulation the Antichrist will be the Assyrian to the nation of Ephraim (America) and this will be America's just chastisement from the Lord and if you fight against the Antichrist in the first half of the tribulation, you will lose and possibly die in the process. I believe that Jerimiah's admonition to the Judah at the judgement by Babylon also applies in this case.

However, at the mid point of the tribulation, when the Antichrist rebels and proclaims himself God, then Ephraim's chastisment is over and he can then pick up the sword and fight. It is at this point in time that Washington's vision shows Angelic assistance helping America. The Antichrist then becomes the Babylonian to Judah and turns his focus from America to Israel. This is also when his kingdom starts falling apart.

Then Judah's chastisement begins and he should not at this time pick up the sword or he will be found fighting against God's just chastisement (which is why Y'shua tells them to flee into the mountains). But, the phrase is repeated again in Rev 11:15 under the seventh trumpet (last month of the tribulation - see my post on the Jubilee Chronology) and then he also can pick up the sword and fight.

Both Judah and Ephraim are stated to fight at the end of the trib against the Antichrist's army (this is the "body" that the eagles gather over - the body of the opposing army). There are so many references that I can't include all of them but Peters lists some of them above.

So, that is my advice to those who may find themselves experiencing these events, for what it is worth.