ROD OF GOD COMES TO BEING PEACE – Part 7
Rejected Son Returns as Judgment Rod to Bring Peace to Us!
February 19, 2009
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Psalm 2:7-9 – I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. [8] Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
[9] Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Revelation 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.
He was sent to be the judge of Israel but, in the city of Jerusalem, the city of three sets of troops on the day he was arrested, he was smitten with a rod
on his cheek, and then crucified. The man who was sent to be the judge and ruler of Israel was rejected and crucified.
Micah 5:1,2 – Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. [2] But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
“NOW GATHER THYSELF IN TROOPS, O DAUGHTER OF TROOPS:”
There are few cities on this planet that can compare with Israel on the number of times she has been conquered over and over again in history, many times being retaken by those troops once driven out. Truly, Jerusalem has earned the title of “Daughter of troops.” This Scripture speaks of a particular time in her long history, a day during the Feast of Passover, a day when three sets of troops were in the city.
The Roman Governor, who ruled from Caesarea (Pontius Pilate) had, in order to put down any rebellion that might arise at this feast, brought his Roman troops to Jerusalem, and quartered them in the Fortress Antonia, which was attached to the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount, and from which troops could overlook all the Temple courtyards from its highest level. The King of Israel, Herod, had brought his troops with him for Passover, and they were quartered in Herod’s Fortress Palace on the western side of Jerusalem, where some of its base may be seen today. The High Priest was also allowed to maintain a small contingency of Jewish troops to protect him from harm, and they could be sent to arrest religious offenders. They were found around him at public assemblies.
“THEY SHALL SMITE THE JUDGE OF ISRAEL WITH A ROD UPON THE CHEEK.”
This prophecy of Micah was fulfilled during the last Passover Jesus attended. It was fulfilled from the time the first troops arrested him to take him to the High Priest until he was placed on the cross. During this time Jesus was exchanged back and forth between the High Priest, Herod, and Pontius Pilate.
On these occasions he was beaten on the head above his neck many times with rods (reeds), and struck over and over again by the hands of the troops.
You will find all this recorded in the latter chapters of the four Gospels. Jesus was sent by His Father to be the judge of Israel, but they rejected him as their judge, and judged him instead, finding him guilty of the false charge of blasphemy again God. The middle portion of this verse gives God the Father’s reaction to their rejection of His only begotten Son.
“HE HATH LAID SIEGE AGAINST US:”
Micah was an Israelite.
So the “us” refers primarily to Israel. God has laid “siege” (judgment) against Israel for almost 2000 years because they rejected the one He sent to judge them. There has never been a race descended from one man (Jacob) that has ever passed through such persecution, unbelievable horror, and terrifying torture, as
has been experienced by the nation of Israel, the most horrifying of all being experienced at the hands of the Nazi SS during WW2. The current siege is the constant threat of terrorism by Hizbollah, the Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and Fatah splinter groups. Israel still has a final siege of terror to endure for rejecting her judge. After experiencing what appears to be an end of her suffering when what seems to be peace comes to her land, she will suddenly be viciously attacked from the north in a lightning Jihad involving 10 Arab nations. This will be her final travail before her Messiah, Jesus Christ returns to reign over her.
I Thessalonians 5:3,4 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Zechariah 12:2 – Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when
they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
But after Israel’s final travail, this will be the fate of those who laid siege against her.
Zechariah 14:12 – And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
Micah 5:2 – But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This is one of the most beloved verses in Scripture concerning the birth of Israel’ s Me
ssiah, Jesus Christ. It has been put on display Christmas after Christmas, and preached vividly during that season from millions of pulpits. By the time it was fulfilled by Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, traditional teachings concerning the Messiah’s birth had replaced God’s account, and it is truly sad that Herod had to ask where he would be born, and perhaps even sadder that the scribes had to look it up. Some traditional teachings, by the time that Christ arrived, taught that Messiah the Prince would be born of royalty, or perhaps by the wife of the High Priest, or at least of wealthy parents who had great influence.
Traditional teachings had completely departed from those verses found in the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah. He was not expected to be a suffering servant, but rather a great conqueror that would fight and destroy Israel’s enemies in battle after battle until Israel reigned supreme. Some traditional teaching suggested he might be born in the great city of Jerusalem.
But when he came only a handful knew who he was, a man child whose Father was God, born of a virgin from the dirty little town of Nazareth, laying in a manger outside the inn in a cave in the small city of Bethlehem. Many “traditional” teachings of today will also cause most of the world to receive the man of sin, the antichrist, as the true Christ.
He was sent by His Father “to be ruler in Israel,” but Israel rejected him as both judge (Micah 5:1) and ruler, and they were without excuse, for all the prophets from Moses to Malachi had foretold of His “goings forth,” which had been from of old, from everlasting. His characteristics, His goings forth, His life, His purpose, and His death had been clearly revealed by God’s word before His Living Word arrived in sinless flesh. The following Scriptures reveal this truth. Had they studied His word and believed it, they could have recognized Him.
Deuteronomy 18:18,19 – I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. [19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Isaiah 53:6 – All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Malachi 3:1 – Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
John the Baptist was the messenger God sent before Christ the Messiah, and Jesus was the messenger of the covenant made to the seed of Abraham and David.
He came quickly to the temple after His temptation in the wilderness to cleanse it to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. And, at the final Passover, when He came again to cleanse it, He found the same den of spiritual and physical thieves saturating it with ungodliness. That is why He cried from the Mount of Olives before His arrest: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
[39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
(Matthew 23:37-39)
Judging from the rapid fulfillment of prophecy in Israel at the present time, I am convinced that Israel will finally be calling Him blessed in the near future.