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 GOD'S CONQUERING SWORD  

         "For by fire and BY HIS SWORD will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many." [Isaiah 66:16].
           Moffatt translated the verse this way, "On the whole j world the Eternal will pass sentence with His fire and sword."

           Young's Literal translation, "For by fire and by His sword, doth Jehovah do judgment with all flesh."

           All of these translations bring out a certain facet of truth contained in the Hebrew text. The Lord will PLEAD, PASS SENTENCE, DO JUDGMENT─ as is meant by the Hebrew word "shaphat", and speaking of that correctional process whereby all is brought into alignment with God's purpose and plan for His creation.
          "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." [Ecclesiastes 8:11].
          But, "He hath prepared His throne for judgment. And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness." [Psalm 9:7 -8].
          God has permitted man his own selfhood course, within the bounds of His great restraining power, WHILE HE PREPARES HIS REMNANT COMPANY. But when God has a people fully prepared, then He shall work through them, and with them deal with all nations, as the prophet hath foretold, saying, "Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come." [Haggai 2:6-7]. God has not forgotten His creation, even though betimes it seems to us that He allows it to run its own way; but HE has set laws in motion which govern men, and He restrains their actions to a set boundary, while He carefully works to bring forth a remnant people for His name, and then will HE begin to PLEAD WITH ALL FLESH. All flesh shall come under the operation of the Lord as He brings back into alignment to His will that which has become so perverted through rebellion and selfhood. Yes, He will correct, discipline, train, and thoroughly purge all flesh until He is glorified, yes, that HE might be ALL IN ALL, or as one translation gives, that He might become "everything in everybody."
          How is He going to do this pleading ? BY FIRE, and by His sword. We shall not expand at length on the "fire" aspects now, suffice it to just point out a few facts.

          1) FIRE IS REMEDIAL IN ITS PURPOSE. The fire shall purge out all the filth and corruption, bring an end to self-will, bring mankind into submission to the perfect will of God, and burning out the chaff, bring all mankind into the purity of the truth.

          2) FIRE IS THREEFOLD, "Our God IS a consuming fire." [Hebrews 12:29]. "Is not MY WORD like as a fire? saith the Lord." [Jeremiah 23:29]. "Who maketh ... His ministers a flaming fire." [Psalm 104:4]. The ministry of this threefold fire, His ministers, with His Word in their mouth, and become one in His energy-force, shall bring forth correction and purification, to bring forth righteousness in the earth.

          While there is much that could be said concerning the fire, and those who become apart of the LIVING FLAME of divine holiness, there is also this aspect of the tremendous and glorious ministry to be accomplished by THE SWORD OF THE LORD, and we shall now focus our attention on the preparations of this sword, and its coming operation.
            "When I have...raised up thy sons, O Zion,.. AND MADE THEE AS THE SWORD OF A MIGHTY MAN." [Zachariah 9:13].
            We read of the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," and we realize that we are "being born again, by the word of God" so that we shall become a part of that two-edged sword sent forth out of His mouth. But we especially like this particular thought of being the LORD'S SWORD, because it emphasizes His sovereign lordship over this instrument in His hand. How little do we yet know of His truly being LORD OF ALL in our life. We know Him as Jesus, for He is our SAVIOUR. We know Him as Christ, for He is our ANOINTER, AND ANOINTING. But do we know Him as Lord, the complete Master of our Life? God grant us an experiential knowledge of this depth in Him.
          There are many symbols and types used to describe God's "son-company-in-the-making," but this one of the "SWORD" holds some exceptionally good applications. These various allegories and parables which are applied to our lives help explain some of the testings and processes through which we all are passing, and we do trust that the Holy Spirit shall continue to clarify to each of us more of the depth of these truths.
          "Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, Prophesy, and say, A SWORD, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter; should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, every tree.  (Margin, it is the rod of my Son, it despiseth every tree.") [Ezekiel 21;8-10] .
          What is the ROD of the Son? It is this sword now being prepared, sharpened and furbished. Moffatt give this phrase about being furbished, as "polished to flash like lightning." I like that! To be sharpened and polished requires quite a process, as well as the very shaping and forging of the sword out of the metal that is used, nevertheless WE ARE BECOMING HIS SWORD.
          Now, humility is a wonderful virtue, and much needed in our lives, but let us also say that condemnation is quite another thing. And we say it for this reason, God knows His metals, and right now He knows just who to apprehend, and what type of metal we are, and He is not going to !waste time on those who will have to be discarded half way through the process because they cannot take it. We know full well that we are what we are BY THE GRACE OF GOD. But that does not take away from the fact that GOD  knows His vessels, His servants, and the work of His hands. When HE chooses you to go through a certain process, He knows that by His grace you are able to go through. Perhaps one of the greatest words of encouragement we might give to another, in the midst of some dark and troublesome experience, is to remind them that God knew that by the very enablement of His grace they could come through this thing, or He would never of asked it of them. Yes, the Lord knows our metal. True, it is raw material, and might have ever so much dross mixed up in it, but He has a way of purging out the dross and bringing forth metal that He can forge and temper aright.
          In order to fashion a sword out of a bar of metal, it first must be thoroughly heated in a very hot fire, that it might become pliable in the hand of the workman. And thus we read, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." [Isaiah 48:10]. Oh, it seems the fires have burned on unendingly, but it must burn on until the fire has penetrated into our inmost core. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you..." [1 Peter 4:12].
            It is to be noted that THE FLAWS ARE DISCOVERED IN THE FIRE, for there is a transparency caused by the light in the fire. As a child we used to watch the blacksmith, and especially when he would lift the metal out of the coals─ it would be red hot, having lost its own color and taken on the color of the fire, THE LIGHT OF THE FIRE WAS IN IT. Then as it cooled, that light went out, and the metal returned to its dark color again. I am sure it doesn't take much thinking to know how the fires reveal the flaws in our life. One might be ever so serene, having well hidden the inner condition of their life, until the fires begin to illumine─ and then sometimes people see what we wish they couldn't see. But these revelations are needed, for then these inner conditions can also be dealt with, then they are acknowledged, and taken out by the hand of God. God is bringing to light every hidden thing in His "sword company," bringing each flaw to the surface and working them out, lest when the pressure is applied later, it won't be revealed as a weak spot and break in the time of battle.
          Now the metal is carefully watched while in the fire, that at just the right moment it might be taken out of the fire and placed upon the anvil, and then the hammer is applied, pressure upon pressure, blow upon blow. David once said, "Thy hand presseth me sore." [Psalm 38:2].  Ah, when the pressures begin their work upon us, can we believe that THIS IS IN THE HAND OF THE LORD? We have blamed the devil, and heaped all kinds of glory upon him for causing circumstances, but never did we think that perchance THE LORD has control of these things. Now at last the truth is taking hold within, and we are beginning to SEE THE HAND OF GOD IN EVERYTHING. It is amazing the attitudes which we have held in the past, but it was what we were taught, and how thankful we ought to be as God looses us from the traditions of men. When you find that the pressures are increased, then just look up, and say, "Lord, this, too, is of You. Thy will be done."
          Yes, we are learning to yield to the pressures and enter into rest, but to resist them only makes it more unbearable for the flesh. As we submit, when His hand presses us sore, we also find there is comfort in the shape of His hand. Some people get so busy defending the glory of the Lord, and they pray on, day and night, "Lord, you must come through this situation as the Victor. Lord, raise us up out of this circumstance." etc. For they feel that if others see them in these pressures that they will never believe their message any more. Listen, Beloved frIend, God IS far more able to take care of HIS glory, than  we are able to defend it. And we need make no apologies for the way HE works things out, or the process which He uses. Rather, we need to lean hard upon Him, and know that THROUGH OUR SUBMISSION HE IS GLORIFIED.
          Amos spoke of being pressed ''as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." [Amos 2:13]. That would be a heavy load. There are many burdens which the scripture admonishes us not to carry in ourselves, but that we are to "cast all your care upon the Lord," rolling every burden upon Him, that He might sustain us. But there is one scriptural burden that is spoken of that we need to be pressed under until it has accomplished its full work within us, and that is "THE BURDEN OF THE WORD OF THE LORD."  [Malachi 1:1].  And "The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see" [Habakkuk 1:1], which is the burden of spiritual vision as it relates to the Word of the Lord.
          Yes, coming into the proper shape and form which God desires for us  requires much pressure of the burden of the Word of the Lord upon us. In fact, it is the vision, the revelation of that which God shall do, but which temporarily isn't being fulfilled, that is causing us to endure much pressure in this hour. We are pressed sore under the full load of the vision that is still just vision, and which we desire so earnestly would become a living reality. But once God has used this "PRESSURE OF WAITING" to hammer us down into position, then we shall see the fulfillment of that truth which the Spirit has imparted to us. Thank God for the HAMMER OF THE WORD, it is being used to forge us into the proper image of His glorious sword.
          Now the Anvil is so built that by laying the metal upon it, and hammering it with skill, you can bring forth just the right bends and curves to fit the correct pattern. OUR ANVIL IS CHRIST. He is our great PATTERN, lover which we are being molded and shapened, that we might be fashioned into His image. This is indeed a losing of our carnal identity and becoming a vessel that reveals ONLY CHRIST.
          For a moment let us use the metaphor of a signet or stamp. It has been that whenever we were placed into a situation, we left the imprint of our own self-life there, and others recognized the work as belonging to us. But when we are fully shapened to His image, then when God stamps us upon any given situation, it will leave only HIS IMAGE there, the divine imprint of Christ. And all glory shall redound to Him, praise His name.
          Ah, pressed in the spirit, and pressed in the soul─ but a change is taking place. Now it is a fact that while the hot metal is hammered on the anvil, it not only changes its form, but also its structural quality, and in some degree it compresses until the crystal structure is much finer. GOD IS CHANGING THE VERY STRUCTURE OF OUR BEING, refining us according to His specifications. It requires many alternating cycles of heating and hammering to forge the correct image, but our DIVINE Worker has long patience, and works with utmost care.
          Once the sword has been brought into proper shape, then comes the "tempering" process, for it must be hardened to be able to stand the rigors of the battle. Back into the fire goes the sword- again and again this is repeated, until, yes, the sword is in the fire so much that it literally takes on THE NATURE OF THE FIRE, for "Our God is a consuming Fire," and we become ONE IN HIM. He maketh His ministers a flame of fire, or literally, a flashing fire. It is the same word that is used in Genesis 3:24, of the "flaming sword," the flashing sword that guarded the way of the tree of life.
          But it isn't the fire alone that tempers─ it depends how it is cooled, so it is plunged from the heat to the cold. In fact it is the cooling process that largely determines the quality of the temper. Thus from the hot coals to the cool water bath the sword is placed. Thank God for the REFRESHING TIMES WHICH GOD SO GRACIOUSLY MINISTERS unto us. The cool waters of the Spirit, and the washing of the water of the Word, for the Word isn't always as a fire, or as a hammer, but, thank God, some days the Word is cool water to a thirsty soul. He knows our frame, and just how much we can take of any phase of the process at one time and cycle, and He synchronizes the heat and the cool water to bring forth just the perfect temper that shall redound to His glory. How great is that work of the Spirit that when He quickens a truth to you, you not only feel refreshed, but it is as if the Lord reinforced your backbone with it, giving added stability and stedfastness.
          Then we also find that cooling too rapidly is not good, for it will cause an internal strain. Sometimes our spirit would seem to get ahead of our minds, and it produces a strain─ we need to keep a good balance. Sometimes our minds try to rush ahead and figure out a truth before the Holy Spirit has revealed it, and we again find ourselves in a strain. So the Lord has to constantly watch over us to see that the process is kept on an even keel, else the metal cracks and is ruined by the process. This inner strain is relieved by heating again, and then cooling slower in the air; this is called "time quenching."
          TIME QUENCHING─ surely we are familiar with that process. Hung in a loft, as it were, to wait and wait some more, while the soft breezes impregnate us with His divine nature. There are experiences when we are suddenly taken from the fire and plunged right into refreshing cool waters, but that is not always the best, so sometimes HE just takes us out of the severest heat, and then hangs us up in a loft while the fire within will gradually diminish, as the breeze softly blows upon us. Yes, many of our fires seem to die slowly, but that is needful to obtain the right temper.
          AIR COOLED─ "He breathed on (Greek, into) them..." [John 20:22]. He didn't "BLOW" on them, no forceful blast, but He just breathed into them, tenderly and gently the Spirit of the Lord begins to permeate the being while we lose that consciousness of the burning fire. And then "time" loses its significance as breeze after breeze moves upon us, and we know that "the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." [Job 33:4].
          A definite change is wrought in the metal as it goes from hot to cool, and we find there is also a danger of cooling too slowly, for then it will revert back to its former state, and no temper is obtained. But our wise Master Craftsman is carefully regulating every part of the process. "My times are in Thy hand..." [Psalm 31:15].
          Some metals are only case-hardened. That means they have a very hard surface, but underneath the metal is softer. Such a condition might make it possible to sharpen to a very keen edge, but it is also brittle and breaks betimes under certain kinds of blows. God needs a people who are tempered clear through, not those who are only case-hardened, with just a surface hardness.
          A sword is furbished─ polished. As metal is repeatedly heated and cooled, it forms a scale or slag that needs to be peeled or chipped off. Sometimes it is ground off with a grindstone. Betimes, through the various processes we seem to accumulate a little surface slag, and so God uses the little "nitty-gritty" things of life to rub against us and wear off the scales, and polish us to a clear shine. Here again we find that it is our resistance to the grindstone that causes the heat of friction. Relinquish your hold on these petty things and the work of polishing is hastened, and easier on us in the meantime.
          A sword is sharpened─ how ? "Iron sharpeneth iron." [Proverbs 27:17]. With the whetting of our spirit to His Spirit, we become KEEN to discern and divide as we should. The more we WALK IN THE SPIRIT the sharper we become. A keen edge is a necessity, for there is so much less fuss and ado when the sword is sharp. How we have suffered in trying to discern and divide between many of these things simply because we were so dull of spirit. This can produce some very challenging ponderings.
          When this SWORD OF THE LORD has been fully formed, fashioned, forged, and then tempered, polished and sharpened until it glitters, then the greater Son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ, shall wield it to plead with all flesh. And like as David went to the priest at Nob, and asked for a sword, and they said unto him, "there is none here but the sword of Goliath." He answered, "There is none like that; give it to me." [1 Sam. 21:9]. So also shall our Lord say, of this His prepared sword, THERE IS NONE LIKE IT: GIVE IT ME. And in His hand, with His love controlling every action, Christ shall use this sword to accomplish all His will. The sword does not divide as "it" pleases, but it responds entirely to the win of the hand that wields it. This is not a random slashing, nor is it a hasty act, as when Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of a man, but this will be an operation according to the perfect design and purpose of our sovereign Lord.
          "For MY SWORD shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness." [Isaiah 34:5-6].
          This sword shall be bathed in heaven. "Bathed"─ from the Hebrew word "ravah," and meaning, abundantly satisfied, satiated. Bathed in spiritual realities, made fat in the things of God, this sword is not just for destruction, but rather to divide the profane from the holy, and to bring the people back into alignment with the truth. It is a sword that shall heal as it cuts, and in wrath remember mercy. This sword will not move in darkness, nor go out in confusion, for it is being bathed in the light of the Lord, and "in Thy light shall we see light," for this sword is taking on the illumination of the fire. Yes, THE LIFE AND THE LIGHT of the Son of God are within the form of this sword.
          It shall come down upon Idumea (territory of Edom, REALM OF THE FLESH). Long has flesh worked contrary to the Spirit, but the sword shall deal heavily with the realm of the flesh. "The sword of the Lord shall devour, the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: NO FLESH SHALL HAVE PEACE." [Jeremiah 12:12]. God is going to plead with all flesh by His sword, and no one shall have peace- until fully dealt with by that sword. "I came not to send peace, but a sword." [Matthew 10:34]. Yes, HE IS OUR PEACE, but only after flesh has been dealt with. There is no peace in the flesh, for it lusteth against the Spirit, "and these are contrary the one to the other." [Galatians 5:17].
          The austerness of this thought, however, is over-shadowed by HIS LOVE, for there is a LOVING PURPOSE in the sending forth of the sword. He would but separate His creation from the evil, that they might be joined unto the good. And thus the promise also rings out with triumphant tones, "and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." [Luke 3:6].
          "0 thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet ? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. HOW CAN IT BE QUIET, SEEING THE LORD HATH GIVEN IT A CHARGE against Ashkelton, and against the seashore? There hath He appointed it." [Jeremiah 47:6-7].
          "When I begin, I will also make an end." [1 Samuel 3:12]. This sword will not stop until it hath made an end of all confusion and chaos. Many would cry out against it─ and even now, it seems, there is a beginning of its work as the Spirit brings forth message after message against the flesh. Many shall squirm beneath its cutting edge, but victory is assured. The sword of the Lord shall triumph, and the Kingdom shall come, and God's will shall be done, ON EARTH as it is in heaven. Don't despair, beloved friend, when God sends you into a place, and it seems that instead of bringing peace, you bring a sword for "the end of all flesh is come," and things shall not remain the same anymore. God is beginning to plead with all flesh, that He might bring back into alignment with righteousness the whole of His creation. To all this we can but say─ AMEN! So be it, Lord !

 
 
THE SWORD OF THE LORD
 
Press the battle to the gate,
Righteousness shall not be late,
But the King of kings shall reign
Over all earth's vast domain.
He shall triumph with His sword
Over evil's blackened horde,
'Turn the enemy to flight
With the entrance of His light.
Faithful sword He hath prepared
'Mid the testings He hath shared,
That in Him all might be one,
Glor'ous image of the Son.
Formed and fashioned by His grace,
Chosen seed of Israel's race,
Purged and tempered by His love,
Bathed in blessings from above.
He reserves thee for this day
When He deigns to take the prey,
Overturning creeds of men─
Vaunted words of pride and pen.
Now to make His glory known,
Mysteries to yet be shown,
Cancel out the world's acclaim,
Turn its gloss to utter shame.
Christ alone shall be supreme,
 And His life a quick'ning stream
That shall rescue every man,
 Full redemption is His plan.
 Press the battle to the gate,
Conquer all the fear and hate,
This, O sword, He charges thee,
Usher in reality.
 

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(1)  Prinzing, Ray and Doris. THE TRIUMPHANT WAY!. (now out of print), Boise, Idaho 83705}

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