And he shall rule them with a rod of iron
Either with the Gospel, which is the rod of Christ's strength,
and is the power of God unto salvation, and by which the kingdom
of Christ is enlarged, and the power of the church of Christ over
the antichristian party is increased; or it may design great
strictness and severity, with which the man of sin will be used
by the saints of the most High, when they shall take away his
dominion from him:
as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to
shivers;
which may be expressive either of the breaking of rocky hearts in
pieces at conversion, and of making souls humble and contrite; or
of the irreparable ruin and destruction of antichrist, when the
saints shall consume and destroy him:
even as I received of my Father;
Christ, as God, has an underived power and government; but, as
Mediator, his rule and power over the nations are asked by him,
given to him, and received by him, ( Psalms 2:8 Psalms 2:9 ) . This "as"
does not intend equality, but similitude; and denotes the
participation the saints will have with Christ in the judgment
and destruction of antichrist, and in his kingdom and power.