the `Anointed' here must be someone else!  The same argument would risk the

same disastrous results if applied to Psalm 110.  In the first place Acts

4:25 -27 makes it clear that Peter accepted the Messianic import of Psalm 2,

and there is no need to labour the Messianic character of verse 7 of Psalm 2,

with its reference in Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5 and 5:5.  The LXX reads Psalm

2:2 tou Christou autou and identical language is found in Revelation 11:15.

If the principle of interpretation eliminates Christ from Psalm 2:2, it would

eliminate Christ from the prophecy which reads:

`The kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ' tou Christou autou (Rev.

Psalm 2:8,9 where again `The Lord' and His `Christ' come together, is

quoted in Revelation 2:26,27 as of Christ and it is in a context of

The Lord's action is revealed to be drastic.  `Thou shalt break them with a

rod of iron'.

The Companion Bible has the following note here on Psalm 2:9.

`Break them = rule, or govern them.

So Sept., Syr., and Vulg.'

That is certainly interesting, but Psalm 2 was written in Hebrew, and

written centuries before the Septuagint, the Syriac or the Vulgate were

thought of.  If Ginsberg's Massoretic text be accepted, and the word

translated `break' in Psalm 2:9 be rendered `rule' or `shepherd' as it is in

Revelation 2:26,27; 12:5 and 19:15, is it a true inference that this

`shepherding' of the nations is a gentle treatment by a shepherd of his

flock?  Surely there is a

case here for Right Division!  A shepherd has a twofold obligation: (1) to

look after his flock and (2) to defend it against the attack of robber or

wild beast, as David knew only too well.  For this the Eastern shepherd was

provided with two instruments: (1) the rod for the enemy, (2) the staff for

the flock.  What sort of shepherding would it be that used a Rod of Iron to

guide or even to correct sheep! This word `rod' occurs in the A.V. Old

Testament thirty -four times, and is associated with `smiting' (Exod. 21:20;

Isa. 10:24), `beating' (Prov. 23:13), with `oppression' (Isa. 9:4), `the

fool's back' (Prov. 26:3) and the like.  The references to sheep are

exceedingly few.  Leviticus 27:32 and Ezekiel 20:37 referring to the use of

the rod in counting, and Micah 7:14, `the flock of Thine inheritance', and

Psalm 23:4, `Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me'.

It will be seen that out of thirty -four references, four only refer to

sheep, and even so, we are now dealing with a `rod of Iron', and so with

something different and special.

The context in Revelation 19 and the usage of the term will not allow

us to take the verb `to shepherd' as of one phase only of the Shepherd's

work.  He acts as Shepherd equally when he fends off the robber with his

`club of iron' as when he guides a wandering sheep with his `staff'.  Ask

Paul and Silas what rhabdizo (from which rhabdos `rod') means in Acts

16:22,23 or ask the Corinthians what they expected by the threat of 1

Corinthians 4:21.  It is impossible to read into the rod of iron of

Revelation 19:15 anything other than that which is associated with smiting