The “Rod of Iron” Jesus uses is not what you thought
Have you ever heard that when Jesus returns, he’ll rule the nations with a rod of iron?
It comes from Revelation 2:26, which is a direct translation of Psalm 2:9, in the rusty King James language. The NIV translates the Revelation verse as “iron scepter” but keeps “rod of iron” in the Psalm (with a footnote suggesting “iron scepter”). But let’s address how people tend to use this verse, or at least the type of domineering, dictatorial rule that seems to be suggested by the phrase, “rod of iron.”
What image comes to mind? If you’re like me, a picture of muscly Rambo-Jesus crushing rebellion with a heavy fist is somehow the first picture that pops up.
Funny. But not so funny. Because it’s not true. I’ll explain in a minute.
Sometimes, sorting through images we’ve picked up along the way, of God or Jesus or whatever, even if they were images we got from reading the Bible, are kind of like the old box in our closet that is full of our kids’ refrigerator artwork. They were cute approximations when we conceived them, but they can become bad habits if we don’t keep progressing in our drawing skills. (I still draw human…