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Shepherding the Nations With the 'Iron Rod' of Christ's Mouth
By Steven Merten
Copyright 1990
Note: Jesus' words are in red
Through Christ's obedience to death on the cross, 'the blood of the Lamb', the Father gave Jesus the authority to sit at His right hand and rule (JOH 17:4-5)(MAT 28:18)(REV 11:15-17). Through the blood of the Son, our Savior, Jesus, God has the power to hold a man's sins loost so he can go to heaven. Through the power of God's Word, the commandments of God, God has the power to hold sins bound, damning a soul to hell (JOH 12:47-50). After Jesus was crucified, died, and rose again, 'the blood of the Lamb' the Father bestowed Jesus with the power to hold sins loost or hold sins bound. If Jesus holds a man bound to his sin, the man is damned to hell. If Jesus holds a man's sins loost, the man can go to heaven. Jesus desires to use His power of binding and loosting sins, also known as the 'keys to the Kingdom', to shepherd and rule the nations. (PSA 2:8)
Scripture describes Jesus as having a 'sword' or an 'iron rod' coming forth from His mouth. If Jesus proclaims with His lips that a man's sins are held bound, that man goes to hell. Jesus proclaiming a man bound to his sins is therefore a spiritually deadly weapon.
A sharp, two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone like the sun at its brightest. When I caught sight of him I fell down at his feet as though dead, he touched me with his right hand and said: "There is nothing to fear. I am the First and the Last and the One who lives. Once I was dead but not I live-- forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the nether world."
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Scripture tells us that Jesus will rule the nations with the iron rod of His mouth. The iron rod of His mouth which is the power to bind and loost sin also known as the 'keys to the Kingdom'.
Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possessions. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
She gave birth to a son--a boy destined to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod.
He shall rule them with a rod of iron and shatter them like crockery; and I will give him the morning star.
Out of his mouth came a sharp sword for striking down the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron rod; it is he who will tread out in the winepress the blazing wrath of God the Almighty. A name was written on the part of the cloak that covered his thigh: "King of kings and Lord of lords."
How does Jesus rule the nations with the iron rod of His mouth? The sword of Christ's mouth is wielded by spoken words binding men to their sins. Jesus tells us that upon His Second Coming it will be Judgement Day. St. Peter tells us that upon the coming of the Lord, "the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt away in a blaze." After Judgement Day the chosen are permanantly separated out in heaven and the hellgoers are permanantly separated out in hell. What effect could the sword of Christ's mouth, the power to bind and loost sins, have, in regard to ruling and shepherding, upon the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
The coming of the Son of Man will repeat what happened in Noah's time. In the days before the flood people were eating and drinking, marrying and being married right up to the day Noah entered the ark. They were totally unconcerned until the flood came and destroyed them. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal; one will be taken and on will be left. Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day your Lord is coming.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and 'all the clans of earth will strike their breasts' as they see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. He will dispatch his angels 'with a mighty trumpet blast, and they will assemble his chosen from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.'
The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and on that day the heavens will vansih with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and all its deeds will be made manifest.Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, what sort of men must you not be! How holy in your conduct and devotion, looking for the coming of the day of God and trying to hasten it! Because of it, the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt away in a blaze. What we await are new heavens and a new earth where, according to his promise, the justice of God will reside.
Upon the Second Coming of Christ, all the ruling and shepherding of the nations on earth will be over and done. After Judgment Day, the saints will forever be in heaven and the hell goers will forever be in hell. In Luke 16:19, Jesus tells the rich man that there is no loosting of sin of one of the damned existing in hell so he can go to heaven and their is no way for a saint in heaven to cross over into hell. After Judgement Day, which happens upon Christ's Second Coming, all the binding and loosting of sin will be over.
If Jesus is to rule the nations with the iron rod of His mouth, otherwise known as the 'Keys to the Kingdom' or binding and loosting of sins, it will have to be before His Second Coming on Judgement Day. The sword of Christ's mouth is wielded by the spoken word. So how does Jesus fulfill scriptures which tell us He will rule and shepherd the nations with the rod of His mouth, "a boy destined to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod", "He shall rule them with a rod of iron", "You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish"?
The Father bestowed Jesus with the power to hold sins bound or hold sins loost. Then Jesus empowered St. Peter and the other Apostles with the power to hold sins bound or hold sins loost. Jesus swears to the Apostles that anyone they hold bound to their sin on earth, Jesus will hold bound to their sin in heaven. Jesus does not go back on His Word. St. Peter, our succession of Popes, does not need any earthly king, dictator or president's help to enforce Jesus' law on earth. St. Peter, our Apostolic Successors, have Jesus backing them up from heaven with the deadliest weapon on earth or in heaven. It is through Jesus' chain of command that Jesus wills His Church and 'the nations' to be ruled and shepherded with the iron rod of His mouth. Jesus hands the iron rod of His mouth, which is the 'keys to the Kingdom', over to Apostolic Successors and wills them to use it to rule, shepherd and protect His Church on earth.
Jesus replied, "Blest are you, Simon son of John! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I for my part declare to you, you are 'Rock,' and on this rock I will build my church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it. I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. "Peace be with you," he said again. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Then he breathed on them and said: "Recieve the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound."
What I say to you is: everyone who grows angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement; any man who uses abusive language toward his brother shall be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and if he holds him in contempt he risks the fires of Gehenna.Jesus goes into great detail on how He wills the 'iron rod' of His mouth to be used by the Church. Jesus wills that even individual victimized Christians, in individual injustices, if unresolved through repentance of the perpetrator, have the right to be protected by having their case backed up, through the Church, by the "iron rod" of His mouth.
"If your brother should commit some wrong against you, go and point out his fault, but keep it between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. If he does not listen, summon another, so that every case may stand on the word of two or three witnesses. If he ignores them, refer it to the church . If he ignores even the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. I assure you, whatever you declare bound on earth shall be held bound in heaven, and whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be held loosed in heaven."
Jesus has given His sworn oath, an oath that He cannot go back on, that He will not forgive anyone bound to sin by Apostolic Successors. Even if St. Peter, and Apostolic Successors, themselves are not standing at the pearly gates, their binding and loosting of sins on earth, the 'the keys to the Kingdom', will be at the pearly gates allowing in or locking out.
In Revelations 2, Jesus warns the early Christian church that if the evil doers among them do not repent, He will fight them with the sword of His mouth. Satan's home and Satan's throne are mentioned giving the sense that Jesus would be fighting Satan with the sword of His mouth.
To Pergamum. "To the presiding spirit of the church in Pergamum, write this: "'The One with the sharp, two-edged sword has this to say: I know you live in the very place where Satan's throne is erected; and I know you hold fast to my name and have not denied the faith you have in me, not even at the time when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred in your city where Satan has his home. Nevertheless I hold a few matters against you: there are some among you who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instruct Balak to throw a stumbling block in the way of the Israelites by tempting them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice fornication. Yes, you too have those among you who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent! If you do not, I will come to you soon and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Jesus, as Commander and Chief of His Church, has His army, the Apostles and their Successors, on earth and He has armed them with, and authorized them to use, the sword of His mouth. If Jesus decides to deploy the weapon of His mouth and engage Satan in battle at Pergamum, He does not have to appear there in the Second Coming. Jesus simply has to send the Holy Spirit to guide His army, the Apostles and their Successors, who are already on earth and armed with the sword of His mouth, to engage Satan in battle at Pergamum. Protecting the Church of Pergamum from idol worship and fornication by 'cutting off' violators or spiritually putting them to death with the sword of Christ's mouth is a text book application as to why Jesus armed the Apostles with the sword of His mouth, the power to hold sins bound, Anathema , in the first place. Jesus wills the shepherds of His Church on earth to cut off and throw into hell those evildoers who sins lead others into temptation. Jesus does this to protect the whole body of His Church from being temped into sins like fornication and the worship of false gods. Please visit Throwing Stones which takes a look at Christ's instructions to the Apostles on the use of the sword of His mouth.
The beauty of the sword of Christ's mouth is that, when wielded on earth, it is totally reversible. On earth, any sinner struck down by an Apostolic Successor's use of the sword of Christ mouth, holding sins bound, still has the option to repent and go to Apostolic Successors to receive healing from an Apostolic Successor binding. Apostolic Successors have the Christ given power to hold sins loost which heals those who repent of their sins. It is in this way that the 'iron rod' of Christ's mouth is used to shepherd Christ's Flock and, hopefully, in the near future, 'the nations', to fulfill scriptures.
Archangel Michael is the Church's great guardian and protector. Scripture tells us that Archangel Michael casts Satan out of heaven and into damnation by the power of the 'blood of the Lamb' (REV 12). We know that Archangel Michael, on his own, without the power of the 'blood of the Lamb', does not have the power to cast anyone into hell. It is Archangel Michael's weapon that does have the power to cast someone like Satan into hell. We know that it is through Christ's death on the cross, 'the blood of the Lamb' that He receives the power to rule heaven and earth through 'holding sins bound' or 'holding sins loost'. We know that anyone held bound to their sins by Jesus cannot go to heaven and is cast into hell. We know that Jesus transfers to others His power to bind sin in heaven and on earth. We can safely hypothesis that there is not another weapon in heaven or earth like or even close to the power of the sword of Christ's mouth which slays beings to hell. No doubt the weapon that Archangel Michael, the great guardian and protector of the Church, uses to cast Satan into hell is the sword of Christ's mouth, the power to hold sins bound.
The weapon that Archangel Michael, the great protector and guardian of the Church, uses to cast Satan into hell seems to be the same weapon that Jesus gave to Peter, His succession of Popes, to guard and protect His Church with. Interesting!
She gave birth to a son--a boy destined to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert, where a special place had been prepared for her by God; there she was taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days......Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. Although the dragon and his angels fought back, they were overpowered and lost their place in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent known as the devil or Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out; he was hurled down to earth and his minions with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, the reign of our God and the authority of his Anointed One. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who night and day accused them before our God. They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. So rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, earth and sea, for the devil has come down upon you! His fury knows no limits, for he knows his time is short."
The Biblical book of Revelations talks about an angel coming to earth to chain the dragon, Satan, up in hell so he will not 'lead the nations astray'. It is no doubt the sword of Christ's mouth, the 'keys to the Kingdom', which the angel uses to hurl the dragon into hell and chain the dragon up in hell. Jesus gave Church leaders instructions to 'cut off' and hurl into hell the evil portion of the body of the Church that leads the body of the Church astray. Please visit Throwing Stones. If a dragon shows up on earth, and he has a sin, which the dragon has many sins, then Apostolic Successors have the Christ given power, to hurl the dragon into hell, chain the dragon up in hell, and even release the dragon from hell. The power and capabilities of the angels of Revelation are similar if not identical to the power and capabilities of our present human Apostolic Successors here on earth today.
Thousand Year Reign. Then I saw an angel come down from heaven, holding the key to the abyss and a huge chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil or Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. The angel hurled him into the abyss, which he closed and sealed over him. He did this so that the dragon might not lead the nations astray until the thousand years are over. After this, the dragon is to be released for a short time.
The Old Testament book of Daniel tells us that, the great guardian and protector of the Church, Archangel Michael, will come to earth at the end of time. It is no doubt Archangel Michael who does combat with Satan on earth and chains the dragon up in hell.
"At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; Some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace. But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, And those who lead the many to Justice shall be like the stars forever."As for you, Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the book until the end time; many shall fall away and evil shall increase."
Angels are spiritual but they can not possess eternal life, if they do possess eternal life, until after God's first born, Jesus Christ, is eternally begotten of God (PSA 2:4)(ACT 13:32)(HEB 1:5)(ACT 2:33). Jesus assures us that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are begotten of God (JOH 3:3). Satan is never begotten of God. Scripture tells us that angels, including archangel Michael and fallen angel Satan, are in 'heaven' before Christ's death and resurrection. Whatever scripture is referring to as 'heaven' before Christ's resurrection is not God's eternal kingdom that is born into heaven through the 'blood of the Lamb'. Satan is cast out of 'heaven' by the power of the 'blood of the Lamb' (REV 12:7-12). Satan dies in the 'second death'(REV 20). Saints born into eternal life as a part of God's eternal kingdom, cannot be harmed by the second death (REV 2:11)(REV 20:6). Fallen angel Satan is never part of God's eternal kingdom that is born into in heaven through the 'blood of the Lamb'.
We know that where Archangel Michael did battle with the devil was not the Kingdom of God where nothing vile can enter into and no one can be cast out of. We know that the 'iron rod' of Christ's mouth, the 'Keys to the Kingdom', wielded on earth, casts beings out of 'heaven' and into eternal damnation. Revelations 20 tells us of an angel coming to earth and using the Keys to the Kingdom to cast Satan into hell. The book of Revelations is symbolic. Just exactly where and how Archangel Michael does combat with Satan is open to interpretation.
Why would Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit, need Archangel Michael to combat Satan in heaven? It would seem to me that Jesus Himself would be fully capable of the total annihilation of Satan in any battle fought in heaven, if such a battle could even occur in heaven. Before the 'blood of the lamb', in physical time, Jesus teaches us to pray, "Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". If evildoer Satan is in heaven awaiting the 'blood of the lamb', and his war with Archangel Michael, at the time Jesus gives us the Lord's Prayer, then this would put a whole different light on what Jesus meant by 'as it is in heaven' (Mathew 6:9).
It is on free willed earth where Jesus and His 'armies of heaven' must do combat against Christ's enemy Satan and Satan's forces of evil. It is more likely that both the scriptural event of Michael's war with the Satan in 'heaven', and the event of an angel coming to earth to chain Satan up in hell, are symbolically revealing to us the same prophetic event. That prophecy being the time which Daniel speaks of when Archangel Michael will come to earth at the end of time (Daniel 12:1). The sword of Christ's mouth, wielded on earth, by the 'armies of heaven', has repercussions in heaven. "Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Mathew 16:19)
In regard to Archangel Michael's appearance on earth, God tells Daniel to 'keep secret the message and seal the book until the end time'. If we are now in 'end time', relatively speaking, now may be a good time to pray to God and ask Him to have the seal broken and reveal to us the correct understanding of His symbolic mysteries of the books of Daniel and Revelations. Especially in regard to our great protector Archangel Michael who, it seems, will be on a combat mission, sent by Jesus, to rescue and protect His Church from Satan at the end of time.
Today, the Church, billions of Christians, is in the grip of the devil likely more so than any other time in our Christian Church's history. Massive numbers of Christians are having abortions, fornicating, divorcing, adulterous, failing to tithe to keep the poor from death, failing to keep holy the Sabbath, and the list goes on to a great multitude of sin. Let us pray to Jesus and ask Him to send us His great soldier Archangel Michael to earth in our time. Let us pray that Archangel Michael comes to us, to draw Christ's sword, which is already here on earth, to protect the Church from the grasp of the devil. Protect us Archangel Michael! Protect Christ's Church in our war with the devil on earth. We alone are loosing the battle. Help us Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus, send us your great guardian and protector Michael, and the 'armies of heaven', to earth, to protect We, Your Church, in our time of great evil!
Revelations 20 talks of an angel hurling Satan from earth and into hell. Revelations 20 says that the angel will chain Satan up in hell so that he will no longer 'lead the nations astray'. Revelations 20 tells us we will have a 'thousand year' reprieve from the devil. What ever a 'thousand years' without the devil 'leading the nations astray' symbolically means, it sounds good to me.
Upon the end of time, maybe we will see an angel come to earth and chain a dragon or a red tailed demon up in hell. Taking into regard the symbolic nature of the book of Revelations, I believe we will more likely see an angel, in the human form of an Apostolic Successor, rise to do battle with Satan upon the end of time. I do not think we will see a white winged being doing combat with a red tailed, horned demon at the end of time. Instead I think we will see an Apostolic Successor, with the spirit of Christ's great combat angel Michael, draw Christ's sword and protect Christ's Flock from the forces of Satan on earth. No doubt, it is the weapon of Christ's mouth, which, in either case, will be used to combat Satan on earth at the end of time. Both Apostolic Successors, present here on earth today, and the angel of the Apocalypse, hold the 'key to the abyss' with which to lock up the dragon who is Satan (Revelation 20:1).
It is interesting to note that, in the book of Revelation, Jesus refers to the Bishops of the seven churches as 'angels'. Jesus reveals a relationship between Apostolic Successors and angels.
Who is Satan anyway? Has anyone seen the red tailed demon with his pitch fork in hand? We see Satan's work of 'leading the nations astray' all around us. We see Satan's destruction and temptation, however, has anyone seen the horned red demon? If someone has the GPS coordinates of Satan, America can dispatch a squadron of F-15 fighter jets and slay him to hell with a barrage of of hellfire missiles. If America can target Satan, a red tailed demon, why bother the Pope or Apocalypse Angels to draw the sword of Christ's mouth, the 'Keys to the Kingdom', to do combat Satan? Satan is a bit more elusive than what America can target her weapons on. Satan preforms his destruction and temptation through the evil, imoral actions of free willed humans on earth. It is the evil actions of people in society which do the work of Satan in tempting people into hell and 'leading the nations astray'.
NAB REV 19:11 The King of Kings.
The heavens were opened, and as I looked on, a white horse appeared; its rider was called "The Faithful and True." Justice is his standard in passing judgment and in waging war. His eyes blazed like fire, and on his head were many diadems. Inscribed on his person was a name known to no one but himself. He wore a cloak that had been dipped in blood, and his name was the Word of God. The armies of heaven were behind him riding white horses and dressed in fine linen, pure and white. Out of his mouth came a sharp sword for striking down the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron rod; it is he who will tread out in the winepress the blazing wrath of God the Almighty. A name was written on the part of the cloak that covered his thigh: "King of kings and Lord of lords."
NIV REV 2:1
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:..."
NIV REV 2:8
"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:... "
NIV REV 2:18
"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:..."
NAB MAT 16:21
From then on Jesus (the Messiah) started to indicate to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly there at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and to be put to death, and raised up on the third day. At this Peter took him aside and began to remonstrate with him. "May you be spared, Master! God forbid that any such thing ever happen to you!" "Jesus turned on Peter and said, "Get out of my sight, you Satan! you are trying to make me trip and fall.
NAB JOH 6:70
Jesus replied, "Did I not choose the Twelve of you myself? Yet one of you is a devil. " (He was talking about Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, who, though on of the Twelve, was going to hand Jesus over.)
Judas does the work of the devil and Jesus holds Judas' sins bound. Jesus washes the feet of the Apostles and loosts the sins of eleven of them. Jesus holds Judas Iscariot, who does the work of the devil, bound to his sins.
NAB JOH 13:2
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to hand him over; and so, during the supper, Jesus --fully aware that he had come from God and was going to God, the Father who had handed everything over to him-- rose from the meal and took off his cloak. He picked up a towel and tied it around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet and dry them with the towel he had around him.../break/...MAT 13:10 "The man who has bathed has no need to wash (except for his feet); he is entirely cleansed, just as you are; though not all." (The reason he said, "Not all are washed clean," was that he knew his betrayer.)
NAB JOH 8:44
The father you spring from is the devil, and willingly you carry out his wishes. He brought death to man from the beginning, and has never based himself on truth; the truth is not in him.
NAB ACT 13:8
But Elymas-"the magician," for that is what his name means--opposed them and sought to turn the govenor away from the faith. Saul(also known as Paul) was filled with the Holy Spirit; he stared at him and exclaimed: "You are an imposter and thoroughgoing fraud, you son of Satan and enemy of all that is right! Will you never stop trying to make crooked the straight paths of the Lord!"
NAB MAT 13:38
The weeds are the followers of the evil one and the enemy who sowed them them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, while the harvesters are the angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned, so will it be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will dispatch his angels to collect from his kingdom all who draw others to apostasy, and all evildoers. The angels will hurl them into the fiery furnace where they will wail and grind their teeth. Then the saints will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom.
Jesus commands His Church that if Her hand, foot or eye is Her undoing, She is to cut it off and throw it into Gehenna (hell). Jesus commands His Church that She is not to allow the scandalous conduct of the individual limbs of Her body to pull Her whole body into damnation. The reason Jesus left Apostolic Successors with the sword of His mouth was to empower His Church to 'cut off' and throw into hell those limbs of Her body which pull the whole body of the Church into hell. As Jesus commands His Angels of the Apocalypse to hurl into hell those who 'draw others to apostacy' (MAT 13:38, quoted above) so does He command His Church to hurl into hell those who draw others to apostacy. NAB MAT 18:5
"Whoever welcomes one such child for my sake welcomes me. On the other hand, it would be better for anyone who leads astray one of these little ones who believes in me, to be drown by a millstone around his neck, in the depths of the sea. What terrible things will come on the world through scandal! It is inevitable that scandal should occur. Nonetheless, woe to that man through whom scandal comes! If your hand or foot is your undoing, cut it off and throw it from you! Better to enter life maimed or crippled than be thrown with two hands or feet into endless fire. If your eye is your downfall, gouge it out and cast it from you! Better to enter life with one eye than be thrown with both into fiery Gehenna.
If we see the whole body of the Church being pulled into hell by Her scandalous limbs and we do not hear the big gun, the sword of Christ's mouth, going off, through the spoken word of a Successor, in defense of the Church, then we have to consider the consequence of the whole body of the Church being pulled into damnation by Her limbs.
Consider the scenario where a shepherd shows up before Jesus without Christ's flock behind him. Jesus will say, "Hello Pope so and so, where is My flock which I left in your care?" The Pope will no doubt say, "Lord I told Mr. Obama, Stalin, Hitler, and all the dictators, presidents and kings of the earth to enforce Your laws on earth but they did not do it." Jesus will likely say, "When I was on earth I did not even talk to Herod when he wanted to see Me (Luke 23:8), nor did I talk to Caesar. I left world leaders with no instructions on how to rule, shepherd, and enforce My laws on earth. I left you, Peter, my Apostolic Successors, with all the Power, Authority and Shepherding Responsibility, all wrapped up in the sword of My mouth, to enforce My laws on earth and to protect My Bride, the Church. So Peter, My Apostolic Successors, the shepherds of My flock, Where Is My Flock!"
Mr. Obama has let us know that he will not be enforcing Jesus will on earth in regard to abortion. Many Christians are very upset about this. My question is, "What is the man with the big gun going to do about abortion?" Will Pope Benedict XVI step up and use the sword of Christ's mouth to allow Jesus Himself to enforce His law on abortion in America and the world? Scripture indicates that Jesus, at some point in time, will rule the nations with the iron rod of His mouth. It seems to me that abortion in our time is a good enough time for Apostolic Successors to draw Christ's sword and wield it upon the foe, Satan. It is a good time for Apostolic Successors to stand and defend the unborn and Christ's Bride, the Church, on earth. Let Jesus rule the world with the iron rod of His mouth, through the spoken words of the Pope, binding, in heaven and on earth, those procuring abortion to their sin.
"Dear Lord Jesus, send us Your great combat angel Michael. Lord Jesus, send to earth Your great protector and the guardian of Your Church to protect us in our time of great evil. We hope and pray that Daniel is speaking in a relative time of the 'end of time' and not at a time when there is no hope for Archangel Michael to change the course of Your Church on earth. Before the world is ended, possibly Archangel Michael can hoe the garden of free will and make it abundant with the fruit of obedient love for God once again. We pray to You Lord Jesus, send us Your great combat Angel Michael! May he protect us in our battle with Satan here on earth today. Amen!"
Jesus spoke this parable: "A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he came out looking for fruit on it but did not find any. He said to the vinedresser, Look here! For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree and found none. Cut it down. Why should it clutter up the ground? In answer, the man said, Sir, leave it another year, while I hoe around it another year and manure it; then perhaps it will bear fruit. If not, it shall be cut down."
NAB LUK 17:23
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They ate and drank, they took husbands and wives, right up to the day Noah entered the ark--and when the flood came, it destroyed them all. It was much the same in the days of Lot: they ate and drank, they bought and sold, they built and planted. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
Anathema is the Church's use of the "iron rod" of Christ's mouth.
