The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 2:4b, “And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.”

Joel 3:10, “Beat your plowshares into swords, And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak

say, ‘I am a mighty man.’”

Have you ever encountered someone who argued that salvation was by works, and not by faith? He probably quoted from James who wrote, “…faith, if it has no works, is dead…” (2:17) or “…faith without works is useless?” (2:20) or “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?” (2:21). All of these verses are valid, but often they are neither applicable nor relevant to the “works vs. faith alone” argument. In other words, using Scripture that means something different to argue for a meaning foreign to that Scripture, is in itself a misuse of Scripture. It’s called “proof-texting.”

Our two verses above are both true, but they apply to two different eras of time. The Isaiah Scripture that hammers “swords into plowshares” relates to a different time than the Scripture in Joel. The “Day of the LORD” in Scripture comes after the Rapture (catching away) of the Church. In that day, Great Tribulation will come upon all the Earth. It will be spearheaded by Antichrist for seven deceptive and devastating years. It is known in the Old Testament as “the time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jer. 30:7). The Prophet Joel says that Israel will need swords for her defence in that day; hence, the beating of “plowshares into swords.”

After the Great Tribulation, Satan will be bound, and peace will pervade the whole Earth for a thousand years. At that time, the swords can be made into plowshares, as peace will prevail everywhere. All of this is to say that what sometimes looks like a contradiction is actually not. The emphasis of James is

not that works are necessary for one to be saved; rather, it is that when one is saved, good works will be the ongoing result. We are saved by faith alone! But the result of that salvation will be good works. It is all of Him, and all for His glory! God bless you! May you glorify His Name!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”