828. 'That by means of it He should smite the nations, and He Himself shall lead them to pasture with an iron rod' signifies that by means of the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word and by rational things He will convince all who are in a dead faith. That these things are signified is established from the similar things above (n. 544). It may be seen there and also n. 148, 485 that by the 'iron rod with which the nations should be smitten are signified truths out of the sense of the letter of the Word confirmed by rational things out of the natural man. That faith alone without works is dead is clearly evident in [the epistle of] James (ii 17, 20), who also says:-
Be doers of the Word, not just hearers; how you deceive yourselves James i 22 Seq.
Paul says in like manner:-
Not the hearers of the law will be justified by God, but the doers of the law will be justified Rom. ii 13.
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