It talks in Revelation 19:15 about Him ruling the nations/heathen with a rod of iron in conjunction with Him smiting them and treading them in the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God. How can you not see that as relating His rod of iron to destruction just as Psalm 2:9 does? Don't you agree with me that He will physically destroy all unbelievers when He returns? I thought for sure you agreed with me about that.
I understand that you are saying that He will not
shepherd the nations
of believers with a rod of iron following His return because He smote the nations
of unbelievers with a rod of iron at the time of His return.
It's a pity you weren't there to tell John not to use the word poimaino (shepherd) in Revelation 2, 12 & 19. John evidently needed your insight.
Revelation 2
26 And
he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And
he shall rule [poimaino - shepherd] 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.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 12
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule [poimaino - shepherd] all nations with a rod of iron:
and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Aaah. Sheperding the nations with a rod of iron after Christ had been caught up to God and to His throne. Why would John even have written such a thing? He really needed you there.
Revelation 19
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it (with the sharp sword proceeding from His mouth) he should smite the nations: AND [G2532 kai] he shall rule [poimaino - shepherd] them with a rod of iron: AND [G2532 kai] he (is the one who) treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
John really needed you there. If you were there he certainly wouldn't have written:
Revelation 3
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me
in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
.. but John did not have you there. He only had Jesus there - who had once told His apostles:
Matthew 19:28-29
28 Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me,
in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold,
and shall inherit everlasting life.
It's only the nations that are saved that Revelation 21 says will be entering New Jerusalem - but you say they will have no shepherd because the rod of iron He might have shepherded them with was used by Him to smite the unbelieving nations.
I understand what you are saying. I just don't agree with it. IMO there is a reason why John used the word "sword", speaking of it as coming out of the mouth of Christ when he wrote about Christ smiting the nations, but did not use the word "break" as in Psalm 2:9 when He spoke of Christ
ruling the nations - instead he spoke of Christ
shepherding the nations with a rod of iron, unlike the Psalmist.
But John did not have you there to correct his Greek, so it's understandable.
