TEXT: MARK 14: 42- 49 42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

43 And immediately, while he yet spake, ccometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

44 And he that betrayeth him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead away safely.

45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.

46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?

49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. (KJV)

Today I would like to deliver a message entitled “JESUS SURROUNDED WITH SWORDS.”

It is written on the Gospel that the Lord Jesus was surrounded with swords before the crucifixion. We would like to learn about this parable.

Let’s look at the text.

42 “Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.”

If we think about the days of Jesus, that days are the same fourteenth generation as Babylonian captivity. They correspond to the time of Babylonian captivity, the end time and Harlot Babylon. That is to say, they are the type of the end time.

Well, the Lord said in those days Judah who betrayed Him approached after the prayer at Gethsemane.

Let’s think about this betrayal. He of course betrayed the Lord Jesus as a man on one aspect. But it has another aspect. It is concerning the word on John, “the word was God.” That is to say, this betrayal refers not only simply to a Person but more also to the Person who is the Word. What does that liken to? It is the sign for that the God’s people who are named Judah who was most love of God would betray the Person of the Word.

43 “And immediately, while he yet spake, ccometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.”

Do pay attention to how this man of betrayal, Judah, appeared. He appeared with “a great multitude with swords and staves.” The sword is the metaphor of the Word, as is written, “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This multitude brought swords to harm Jesus at that time.

Therefore, swords, that is, theologies or interpretations of the Bible, would publicly harm and oppose the Person of the Word in the end time. And, it is also symbolic, “a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.” In short, these swords are all “from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.” The chief priests correspond to leaders of the churches now, the scribes theologians, pastors and teachers. To out regret, these people would attack the Person of the Word with swords.

This is surely so. Those who fling up such partial rapture theory to teach twice of His second coming which is not of the Bible, deny the clear saying, “Not all those who say, Lord, Lord, may enter the Kingdom,” and say, “those who are named Christians will never be judged,” are flinging up swords against the Person of the Word.

47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”

Well, Jesus was surrounded by the swords, but not only that, it is written that “one of them that stood by drew a sword” and defended them.

There may be some people who think it not suitable for Christians to defend with swords, but the Lord commanded His disciples to buy sword for the end time as below.

LUKE 22: 35- 38 35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. (KJV)

At that time two swords were prepared, and the Lord said, “It is enough.” Therefore, we must prepare a sword. We must prepare a sword for the battle against such people who do false interpretation saying such as, “Genesis is a myth,” which should be thought only blaspheming the Person who is the Word of God.

48 “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?”

The word “a thief” here is the same as the following.

MATTHEW 21: 13 And he said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (KJV)

When the Lord sanctified the Temple and said to this Temple, “A den of thieves,” He blamed the people for stealing the Word. The Church has become a den of thieves. They steal the word, “God is love,” and say such as, “Buddhists and Hindus can also be saved as they are without converting to Christians, for God is love.” Such people are the stealers whom Jesus wanted to drive out when he sanctified the Temple.

And now, their swords surround Jesus and they come to Jesus as against a thief. Those who steal the Word are “the chief priests and the scribes and the elders,” but they fling up swords against the Person who is the Word of God, which shows they are really stealers.

This is such a blasphemy, but is a fact happened in the history. And, it will happen in the end time in the same way, too. That is to say, the Person who is the Word of God will be surrounded with swords in the end time. Not only that, those who surround with swords will come to the Word as against a thief. In short, the false teaching will deal with the truth as heresy.

The church kept firm the Word of truth concerning the end time for a long time, but at around 1830, when the medium, Margaret Macdonald of England, saw the vision, “Christ who is coming again before the tribulation age.” Since then, the teaching, “Pre-tribulation Rapture, or Partial Rapture,” has entered into the Church.

This false teaching which is exactly against the word of Jesus, “Prepare for the tribulation,” has spread among the Christian Church too soon and become even the orthodox one. Surely it is the fact that there are now many betrayers to join in this lie, but we should know that it is like flinging up swords as against a thief to swallow such a lie not written in the Bible, and to persecute and expel the people who rightly remain in the Word.

49 “I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.”

It is written that Jesus “was daily with you in the temple teaching,” that is, He was teaching the Word of God. It is also written here the thing concerning the Word. Therefore, we must understand that the main theme here is to follow the Word or to fling up sword against it.

We should know that the false swords now, even now, surround the Person of the Word. Those who do not see that are, I am sorry to say, blind and they should ask the Lord for eyesalve.

In this end time we should have some day by faith in the Lord decided to join in the false sword or to take the sword following the Person of the Word.

Let’s do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.