The Axe Is Laid Unto the Root of the Trees
What does this mean? It is one of the most alarming statements made by John the Baptist in his call to repentance, as it obviously contains threat of imminent danger. But beyond that general message that repentance is required by God now in order to avert disaster, what precisely is meant by this saying?
For a long time I had this vague sense of the meaning of the saying but only this morning did the refined question arise in my heart, and with the correct question, the answer almost instantly. I had always asked, Who is wielding this axe? Since we know that the call is repentance unto God, surely it is God who will punish the refusal. Ultimately, He is the One who wields the axe. As when the king of Assyria (the antichrist) shall glory in himself but God's rebuke is that he is simply a tool commanded by God.
"Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."
But this answer always returned me to the same vagueness that I was seeking to escape. Many interpret John the Baptist's saying from a Christian perspective. To them, he is simply warning men that if they do not repent and believe the One to whom he testified, they will be cast into the lake of fire. While it is true that we must repent and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved, John is not speaking to Christians but to Jews who had a homeland, a city, and a Temple; in short, a national life as the people of God.
So the question must be sharpened in order to see John's precise warning to the Jews. And we should note also that this warning comes as a response to seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, and indeed it is spoken to them particularly (Matt 3:7). It reminds us of the parable of the tenants, which the chief priests and scribes recognized had been spoken against them as the leaders of the nation. Before the parable of the tenants, Jesus makes reference to John the Baptist, asking these chief priests and scribes whether his baptism was from heaven, or of men. In this way He connects those who rejected the baptism of John with those men due to be killed and replaced with others who will give the fruits of the vineyard in their season to the owner. And they used Pharisees as spies (Luke 20:20, Mark 12:13). It is probable that their eyes and ears at the baptism of John were those very Pharisees to whom John made his dire warning. John's warning and Jesus' parable speak the same thing: if you will not repent and believe on Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, then you will be killed and your place of leadership and authority given to others.
John's warning is more broadly applicable however, because Luke records it as spoken "to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him" (Luke 3:7). While Luke's account is almost identical to its parallel in Matthew, Luke omits specific mention of the Pharisees and Sadducees among this multitude, making Luke's warning more general. But in both Gospels, we are warned that "every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." The warning is applicable to all but has special meaning to the leadership of Israel, and it is that special meaning that we are trying to explore here.
The question that occurred to me this morning, and that gives us the crucial answer is this: Who, or what, is the axe that is being swung against the trees? Who is to be the agent of God's wrath against the rulers of His people?
Two answers that agree came to mind. The first is more curious but I find it compelling. When Joshua led the people into the Promised Land, they encountered a delegation from Gibeon claiming to be from a country far away, even though in fact their cities were only three days' journey away. But the Israelites did not know this and Joshua did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them and promised to let them live. Three days later, they learned that these men of Gibeon were their neighbours, but because they had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel, they let them live rather than that the wrath of the LORD should be upon them. "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose." Josh 9:27
To choose out of that what I would emphasize: these Gentiles became hewers of wood for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which the LORD should choose.
The axe is laid unto the root of the trees...
There is another Biblical reference that came to mind as part of this former answer. In 1 Kings 5, after the death of King David, his son Solomon sends to Hiram king of Tyre and his message includes the following: "Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians." (v. 6)
Again, this Gentile nation has special talent to hew timber above that of the Israelites.
And we can add to these Isaiah 10:15, quoted earlier in this post, in a new light. The king of Assyria is referred to as an axe, so we have a third witness for the claim that the hewing axe in the Bible refers to a Gentile nation.
I conclude that the axe that is laid unto the root of the trees is a Gentile nation that God has prepared to punish the nation of Israel.
This may be confirmed by the second answer, which comes from a knowledge of God's ways concerning His punishment of His people, as written in the scriptures before.
Leading up to the period of Babylonian Exile, God's people transgressed and departed from Him so He prepared and drew the Babylonians to come from their far country to conquer and destroy Judah and Jerusalem and to take the people captive into exile (Jer 5:14-19). The Babylonians were God's agents. That this would happen if the people did not repent and return to their God is written throughout the Book of Jeremiah.
But later, God would punish the Babylonians for their role in this destruction. Jeremiah 50 and 51 speak of this, both historically and especially in reference to the coming destruction of Mystery Babylon spoken of in the Book of Revelation (cf. Jer 51:63-64, Rev 18:21). Babylon's punishment is due to their violence against Israel and Judah during both the siege and destruction, which included the Temple of God, and their subsequent oppression of the children of Israel and Judah during their time in exile. The iniquity of Babylon is also a factor, from which Israel and Judah were warned to depart (Jer 51:6), just as Christians are warned in Rev 18:4-5 and 2 Cor 6:17.
As I said, Jeremiah 50 and 51 make clear the coming punishment of Babylon. Jeremiah wrote these words and gave them to Seraiah the prince when he was going with Zedekiah into captivity in Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. This one verse might stand as representative of what God has said concerning what he would do to Babylon, and why:
"Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple." Jer 51:11
But I've gotten somewhat far afield from our question. The issue is not what God would do to those nations who committed violence and oppression against Israel, but the fact that God uses Gentile nations to punish Israel in measure. The Book of Judges also reflects this pattern of subjugation and oppression by foreign nations when the people declined from God's law.
Speaking of axes, consider from Psalm 74:5-8, those who destroy the sanctuary of God.
"A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land."
Those who are hewing axes also hew with axes. Just like how Asshur is a rod of God's anger, and the staff in their hand is His indignation (Isaiah 10:10)! So we can understand what John the Baptist is warning the people of Israel: Repent now or the Gentiles (at that time, the Romans with their mercenaries) will come and destroy your nation, city, and Temple, and you will lose your own lives. This is what happened in A.D. 70.
This is consistent with what Jesus taught in Luke 13:1-5:
"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
I find it furthermore very interesting that in these two examples, the first is at the hand of a Roman governor but the second is akin to a natural disaster, that is, without human agency or intention. The blood spilled by Pilate speaks of the swinging axe itself but the disaster seems to speak of the invisible hewer who works at the command of God.
Jesus is saying, Repent ye, or ye shall all likewise perish. John the Baptist was saying the same thing using the metaphor of the axe being laid unto the root of the trees. And it is amazing that immediately after speaking these words, Jesus tells the parable of fig tree, which is about an unfruitful fig tree that is uselessly encumbering the ground and so is in danger of being cut down. But the vinedresser answered the owner of the vineyard in which the fig tree was planted, and said unto him, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." (Luke 13:8-9) This parable primarily refers to the nation and people of the Jews.
Now look at the last half of the verse we are studying, John the Baptist's warning: "therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." This confirms the linkage between what Jesus taught in Luke 13:1-9 and John the Baptist's call to repentance here, confirming that what is being warned about, from a historical standpoint, is physical death due to God's coming wrath against the reprobate nation and how individuals might escape.
I wish to make a few more observations before finishing this post. First, in both John's warning and Jesus', it is made clear that every tree that does not bring forth good fruit will be hewn down. Even in the first part of John's warning, "the axe is laid unto the root of the trees", notice that trees is plural. Root, however, is singular. This is also true in the original Greek. Why? I consider that the root is the patriarchs, for whose sakes their descendants are beloved (Rom 11:28). Immediately before John says these words, he warns them not to trust in their ancestry, however, "for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (Matt 3:9, Luke 3:8)
The axe is laid unto the root, everything above the root shall be cut off. And each tree is a man. Coming from a healthy root, the tree can be made healthy and so bring forth good fruit with repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah "to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Mal 4:6, see also Luke 1:17)
This brings us very close to the illustration Paul uses in Romans 11, except he speaks of a good olive tree and branches broken off of it and others from a wild olive tree grafted in. The fig tree Jesus spoke of along with the trees to which John referred, and the olive tree of Romans 11 may certainly be looked at together and many parallels drawn. Paul is speaking after the gift of God is extended to the Gentiles whereas John is speaking to the Jews, before the Gentiles received repentance unto life. And Jesus is speaking against the religious and intellectual leadership of the nation of Israel.
Continuing with this observation that every tree must bring forth good fruit or be cut down, and that each tree is a man, we see that not only must the leadership and nation repent but each man must repent or he shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." I see the Lord and John both preaching this. If the leadership repents then the nation as a whole and as a collection of individual members will be led on the path to repentance and salvation. Individuals must still repent on a personal basis but it is easier when the leadership and the entire nation are setting the example. But even if the leadership does not repent, Israel is still being called to repentance as individuals. The message is simultaneously both collective and individual. We have not been speaking primarily about eternal judgment here but about national destruction with great loss of life. If we interpret the axe to be a Gentile nation chopping down the trees as punishment from God, which has been the main conclusion of the entire post, then John the Baptist is warning of impending violent physical death and the importance of repentance to God in order to avoid it. When Jesus says something similar in Luke 13:1-5, as we have read, he speaks of repentance to avoid perishing but also in the context of physical death.
This is one reason why I believe the tradition recorded in several ancient sources that before the war which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the deaths of those Jews who remained in the city, the faithful in Christ received warning and fled that city.
"The people of the Church in Jerusalem were commanded by an oracle given by revelation before the war to those in the city who were worthy of it to depart and dwell in one of the cities of Perea which they called Pella. To it those who believed on Christ traveled from Jerusalem, so that when holy men had altogether deserted the royal capital of the Jews and the whole land of Judaea..."
-- Eusebius, Church History 3, 5, 3
Let's go back to Jesus and see the other side of the Gibeonites' service to Israel: "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose." Josh 9:27
Hewers of wood for the altar of the LORD? This refers to the Cross, for Christ is the true Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and the Sacrifice is offered upon the altar. Was not the Cross a Roman/Gentile invention? And the sentence of crucifixion Jesus received was also by the Roman governor and not the Jews (John 18:31-32). And drawers of water for the congregation? It was a Roman soldier who drew the water forth with the blood when he pierced the side of the Son of God, as it was written (John 19:34, Zech 12:10). So those who repent and believe the Gospel, instead of dying at the hands of Gentile soldiers and the disasters the war would bring with it, would receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit because of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.
Thus the warning of John and the Lord Jesus appears to have been fulfilled. I say 'appears' because I suspect there might be a greater fulfillment during the Tribulation. Matthew 17:11-12, which say that John the Baptist came in the power and spirit of Elijah, nonetheless also seems to hint at a future coming of Elijah at which time he shall restore all things.
Lastly, a final discovery about 'axes'. Although the axe as a tool refers to Gentile nations, there is a distinct but related mention that God makes not in reference to Gentile nations but to His own people, Israel. And this is not to an axe that is a tool used for hewing wood but to a battle axe, a weapon of war!
"The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name. Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;" Jer 51:19-20
And this must refer to a future Israel beyond the greater fulfillment of John's warning, when they have returned to the LORD their God in faith. Once Christ saves the remnant kol Yisrael, they will not be a wood-chopping axe like the Gentile nations around them but a mighty battle axe in the hand of their God!
For a long time I had this vague sense of the meaning of the saying but only this morning did the refined question arise in my heart, and with the correct question, the answer almost instantly. I had always asked, Who is wielding this axe? Since we know that the call is repentance unto God, surely it is God who will punish the refusal. Ultimately, He is the One who wields the axe. As when the king of Assyria (the antichrist) shall glory in himself but God's rebuke is that he is simply a tool commanded by God.
"Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."
So the question must be sharpened in order to see John's precise warning to the Jews. And we should note also that this warning comes as a response to seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, and indeed it is spoken to them particularly (Matt 3:7). It reminds us of the parable of the tenants, which the chief priests and scribes recognized had been spoken against them as the leaders of the nation. Before the parable of the tenants, Jesus makes reference to John the Baptist, asking these chief priests and scribes whether his baptism was from heaven, or of men. In this way He connects those who rejected the baptism of John with those men due to be killed and replaced with others who will give the fruits of the vineyard in their season to the owner. And they used Pharisees as spies (Luke 20:20, Mark 12:13). It is probable that their eyes and ears at the baptism of John were those very Pharisees to whom John made his dire warning. John's warning and Jesus' parable speak the same thing: if you will not repent and believe on Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, then you will be killed and your place of leadership and authority given to others.
John's warning is more broadly applicable however, because Luke records it as spoken "to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him" (Luke 3:7). While Luke's account is almost identical to its parallel in Matthew, Luke omits specific mention of the Pharisees and Sadducees among this multitude, making Luke's warning more general. But in both Gospels, we are warned that "every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." The warning is applicable to all but has special meaning to the leadership of Israel, and it is that special meaning that we are trying to explore here.
The question that occurred to me this morning, and that gives us the crucial answer is this: Who, or what, is the axe that is being swung against the trees? Who is to be the agent of God's wrath against the rulers of His people?
Two answers that agree came to mind. The first is more curious but I find it compelling. When Joshua led the people into the Promised Land, they encountered a delegation from Gibeon claiming to be from a country far away, even though in fact their cities were only three days' journey away. But the Israelites did not know this and Joshua did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them and promised to let them live. Three days later, they learned that these men of Gibeon were their neighbours, but because they had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel, they let them live rather than that the wrath of the LORD should be upon them. "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose." Josh 9:27
To choose out of that what I would emphasize: these Gentiles became hewers of wood for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which the LORD should choose.
The axe is laid unto the root of the trees...
There is another Biblical reference that came to mind as part of this former answer. In 1 Kings 5, after the death of King David, his son Solomon sends to Hiram king of Tyre and his message includes the following: "Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians." (v. 6)
And we can add to these Isaiah 10:15, quoted earlier in this post, in a new light. The king of Assyria is referred to as an axe, so we have a third witness for the claim that the hewing axe in the Bible refers to a Gentile nation.
I conclude that the axe that is laid unto the root of the trees is a Gentile nation that God has prepared to punish the nation of Israel.
This may be confirmed by the second answer, which comes from a knowledge of God's ways concerning His punishment of His people, as written in the scriptures before.
Leading up to the period of Babylonian Exile, God's people transgressed and departed from Him so He prepared and drew the Babylonians to come from their far country to conquer and destroy Judah and Jerusalem and to take the people captive into exile (Jer 5:14-19). The Babylonians were God's agents. That this would happen if the people did not repent and return to their God is written throughout the Book of Jeremiah.
But later, God would punish the Babylonians for their role in this destruction. Jeremiah 50 and 51 speak of this, both historically and especially in reference to the coming destruction of Mystery Babylon spoken of in the Book of Revelation (cf. Jer 51:63-64, Rev 18:21). Babylon's punishment is due to their violence against Israel and Judah during both the siege and destruction, which included the Temple of God, and their subsequent oppression of the children of Israel and Judah during their time in exile. The iniquity of Babylon is also a factor, from which Israel and Judah were warned to depart (Jer 51:6), just as Christians are warned in Rev 18:4-5 and 2 Cor 6:17.
As I said, Jeremiah 50 and 51 make clear the coming punishment of Babylon. Jeremiah wrote these words and gave them to Seraiah the prince when he was going with Zedekiah into captivity in Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. This one verse might stand as representative of what God has said concerning what he would do to Babylon, and why:
"Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple." Jer 51:11
But I've gotten somewhat far afield from our question. The issue is not what God would do to those nations who committed violence and oppression against Israel, but the fact that God uses Gentile nations to punish Israel in measure. The Book of Judges also reflects this pattern of subjugation and oppression by foreign nations when the people declined from God's law.
Speaking of axes, consider from Psalm 74:5-8, those who destroy the sanctuary of God.
"A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land."
Those who are hewing axes also hew with axes. Just like how Asshur is a rod of God's anger, and the staff in their hand is His indignation (Isaiah 10:10)! So we can understand what John the Baptist is warning the people of Israel: Repent now or the Gentiles (at that time, the Romans with their mercenaries) will come and destroy your nation, city, and Temple, and you will lose your own lives. This is what happened in A.D. 70.
This is consistent with what Jesus taught in Luke 13:1-5:
"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
I find it furthermore very interesting that in these two examples, the first is at the hand of a Roman governor but the second is akin to a natural disaster, that is, without human agency or intention. The blood spilled by Pilate speaks of the swinging axe itself but the disaster seems to speak of the invisible hewer who works at the command of God.
Jesus is saying, Repent ye, or ye shall all likewise perish. John the Baptist was saying the same thing using the metaphor of the axe being laid unto the root of the trees. And it is amazing that immediately after speaking these words, Jesus tells the parable of fig tree, which is about an unfruitful fig tree that is uselessly encumbering the ground and so is in danger of being cut down. But the vinedresser answered the owner of the vineyard in which the fig tree was planted, and said unto him, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." (Luke 13:8-9) This parable primarily refers to the nation and people of the Jews.
Now look at the last half of the verse we are studying, John the Baptist's warning: "therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." This confirms the linkage between what Jesus taught in Luke 13:1-9 and John the Baptist's call to repentance here, confirming that what is being warned about, from a historical standpoint, is physical death due to God's coming wrath against the reprobate nation and how individuals might escape.
I wish to make a few more observations before finishing this post. First, in both John's warning and Jesus', it is made clear that every tree that does not bring forth good fruit will be hewn down. Even in the first part of John's warning, "the axe is laid unto the root of the trees", notice that trees is plural. Root, however, is singular. This is also true in the original Greek. Why? I consider that the root is the patriarchs, for whose sakes their descendants are beloved (Rom 11:28). Immediately before John says these words, he warns them not to trust in their ancestry, however, "for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (Matt 3:9, Luke 3:8)
The axe is laid unto the root, everything above the root shall be cut off. And each tree is a man. Coming from a healthy root, the tree can be made healthy and so bring forth good fruit with repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah "to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Mal 4:6, see also Luke 1:17)
This brings us very close to the illustration Paul uses in Romans 11, except he speaks of a good olive tree and branches broken off of it and others from a wild olive tree grafted in. The fig tree Jesus spoke of along with the trees to which John referred, and the olive tree of Romans 11 may certainly be looked at together and many parallels drawn. Paul is speaking after the gift of God is extended to the Gentiles whereas John is speaking to the Jews, before the Gentiles received repentance unto life. And Jesus is speaking against the religious and intellectual leadership of the nation of Israel.
Continuing with this observation that every tree must bring forth good fruit or be cut down, and that each tree is a man, we see that not only must the leadership and nation repent but each man must repent or he shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." I see the Lord and John both preaching this. If the leadership repents then the nation as a whole and as a collection of individual members will be led on the path to repentance and salvation. Individuals must still repent on a personal basis but it is easier when the leadership and the entire nation are setting the example. But even if the leadership does not repent, Israel is still being called to repentance as individuals. The message is simultaneously both collective and individual. We have not been speaking primarily about eternal judgment here but about national destruction with great loss of life. If we interpret the axe to be a Gentile nation chopping down the trees as punishment from God, which has been the main conclusion of the entire post, then John the Baptist is warning of impending violent physical death and the importance of repentance to God in order to avoid it. When Jesus says something similar in Luke 13:1-5, as we have read, he speaks of repentance to avoid perishing but also in the context of physical death.
This is one reason why I believe the tradition recorded in several ancient sources that before the war which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the deaths of those Jews who remained in the city, the faithful in Christ received warning and fled that city.
"The people of the Church in Jerusalem were commanded by an oracle given by revelation before the war to those in the city who were worthy of it to depart and dwell in one of the cities of Perea which they called Pella. To it those who believed on Christ traveled from Jerusalem, so that when holy men had altogether deserted the royal capital of the Jews and the whole land of Judaea..."
-- Eusebius, Church History 3, 5, 3
Let's go back to Jesus and see the other side of the Gibeonites' service to Israel: "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose." Josh 9:27
Hewers of wood for the altar of the LORD? This refers to the Cross, for Christ is the true Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and the Sacrifice is offered upon the altar. Was not the Cross a Roman/Gentile invention? And the sentence of crucifixion Jesus received was also by the Roman governor and not the Jews (John 18:31-32). And drawers of water for the congregation? It was a Roman soldier who drew the water forth with the blood when he pierced the side of the Son of God, as it was written (John 19:34, Zech 12:10). So those who repent and believe the Gospel, instead of dying at the hands of Gentile soldiers and the disasters the war would bring with it, would receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit because of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.
Thus the warning of John and the Lord Jesus appears to have been fulfilled. I say 'appears' because I suspect there might be a greater fulfillment during the Tribulation. Matthew 17:11-12, which say that John the Baptist came in the power and spirit of Elijah, nonetheless also seems to hint at a future coming of Elijah at which time he shall restore all things.
Lastly, a final discovery about 'axes'. Although the axe as a tool refers to Gentile nations, there is a distinct but related mention that God makes not in reference to Gentile nations but to His own people, Israel. And this is not to an axe that is a tool used for hewing wood but to a battle axe, a weapon of war!
"The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name. Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;" Jer 51:19-20
And this must refer to a future Israel beyond the greater fulfillment of John's warning, when they have returned to the LORD their God in faith. Once Christ saves the remnant kol Yisrael, they will not be a wood-chopping axe like the Gentile nations around them but a mighty battle axe in the hand of their God!
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