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."
Revelation 12:5


This scripture is interesting to me mainly because of the "rod of iron" reference.  If you think about Lehi's dream, you will remember the "iron rod" which represented the word of God which led to the Tree of Life and to the Love of God, represented by the fruit of the tree.  So, what if these rods are the same?  It makes me think. Usually when I think about someone ruling with a rod, I think of it raised in anger... used to beat people into submission, that sort of thing.  But this rod of iron wouldn't be like that.  It would be the same word of God that we saw in Lehi's dream... solidity and consistency in the middle of a world filled with darkness and mist.  The same thing prayer and the scriptures are to us now.  Something that we look to when things are confusing and shadowed, for the truth and the light.  Instead of looking at the rod of leadership as unbending and therefore cruel and inflexible... perhaps the rod represents the unchanging, consistent nature of God... reliability, undeviating commitment to his work... which is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.  Maybe this stuff doesn't worry you... but sometimes my personal problem with authority reaches even into gospel areas, and I think that it is cool that the rod of iron could be the same as the iron rod... food for thought, if nothing else. :)