The parable of the blacksmiths, By Ayo Akerele

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Abraham Lincoln once remarked, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” This timeless wisdom captures the indispensable labor of preparation. Across centuries, blacksmiths have been known as the custodians of this preparatory work, sharpening tools, forging weapons, and shaping raw material in the furnace of fire. A sharpened axe is an instrument of precision and power; a dull axe is a symbol of struggle and inefficiency. Scripture affirms this reality: “If the axe is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success” (Ecclesiastes 10:10).

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In this context, I liken spiritual leaders, fathers in the faith, and guardians of doctrines to the heavenly blacksmiths of God’s kingdom. They are the interpreters of divine truth, the custodians of sound doctrine, and the spiritual architects of every generation. They are anointed with unique graces to labor in prayer, to travail until “Christ be formed” in the souls of the flock (Galatians 4:19). Through their teachings, intercession, discipline, and example, they bake the souls of men in the oven of truth, righteousness, and holiness.

Yet tragically, blacksmiths are thinning out in our generation, just like Israel in ancient times, when the day of battle arrived, there were no blacksmiths in the land to sharpen the swords of the soldiers.

The Scripture records: “So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan” (1 Samuel 13:22). What a disastrous indictment. A nation went to war unarmed, not because iron was scarce, but because blacksmiths were absent.

Today, a similar crisis confronts the Body of Christ. True blacksmiths, leaders whose passions are anchored in the defense of the sacred name of Christ and the advancement of His kingdom, are gradually fading. Many have been replaced by empire‑builders, career‑clergymen, and entertainers on the pulpit. The few genuine ones remaining are aging, their numbers diminishing as the years pass.

Evangelist Perry Stone, in a recent documentary, released a sobering statistic, more than four hundred pastors in the United States passed away during the peak of the Covid‑19 pandemic. Many of these were seasoned generals of the faith, men who had built their ministries upon prayer, holiness, and the uncompromised word of God. They were prophetic voices who carried the burden of the Lord and understood the times, much like the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Perry Stone further warned that God may be intentionally withdrawing certain righteous leaders from the earth, signaling the acceleration of prophetic events soon to unfold.

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Where, then, are the blacksmiths this generation desperately needs? Where are those who will bake the souls of men in the fiery furnace of undiluted truth, without fear of man or favor of culture? Where are the pastors and leaders whose ministries will birth genuine revival, revival that melts hardened hearts, breaks sin’s chains, and transforms churches into sanctuaries of repentance and restoration?

The clouds of battle are gathering. The spiritual atmosphere testifies that a global shaking is imminent (Hebrews 12:26–27). The prophetic clock continues its steady march: tick‑tock, tick‑tock. Every fulfilled prophecy reminds us that the end of the age draws near. Yet the question grows louder: Where are the blacksmiths?

History shows that when God desires to renew a nation, He raises a blacksmith. In the 18th century, amidst spiritual decline in America, God raised Jonathan Edwards, a spiritual blacksmith of exceptional depth. His sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” sparked the First Great Awakening and remains one of the most potent evangelistic messages ever preached. Reflecting on today’s diluted Christianity, Dr. David Jeremiah lamented that our generation would likely rewrite Edwards’ message not as “Sinners in the hands of an angry God,” but as “God in the hands of angry sinners.”

In Israel’s day, the Philistines deliberately ensured there were no blacksmiths in the land, forcing the Jews to travel into enemy territory just to sharpen their weapons (1 Samuel 13:19–20). What an irony, seeking spiritual sharpening from the enemy’s forge! Yet today, many ministers have done exactly this. They go to the Philistines, occultic associations, demonic alliances, and worldly systems, to sharpen their influence, seek power, attract crowds, or pursue wealth. Mammon has subdued many, and our nations suffer for it.

1. Where are the blacksmiths who will sharpen the swords of this generation and the next?
2. Where are the fathers who will restore holiness and purity to the church (Hebrews 12:14)?
3. Where are the leaders who will confront greed, slay covetousness, and reestablish the dignity of the priesthood?
4. Where are those who will replant love, true agape love, in the church, birthing compassion, empathy, unity, and doctrinal soundness (John 13:34–35; Ephesians 4:3–5)?

Where are the blacksmiths May God raise them again in our time.

Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected]