Jesus said, ‘Buy an assault rifle’ and other pro-gun Bible verses

Last fall, Family Research Council’s Gen. Jerry Boykin told the ProFamily Legislators Conference that Jesus was going to return with an AR-15 assault rifle in hand. Citing Revelation 19, Boykin said that Jesus would return as a blood-stained warrior with sword in hand. “I’ve checked this out,” Boykin said, “I believe that sword he’ll be […]

Shirt sold by Liberty Shirt Market eBay Store.

Last fall, Family Research Council’s Gen. Jerry Boykin told the ProFamily Legislators Conference that Jesus was going to return with an AR-15 assault rifle in hand. Citing Revelation 19, Boykin said that Jesus would return as a blood-stained warrior with sword in hand.

“I’ve checked this out,” Boykin said, “I believe that sword he’ll be carrying when he comes back is an AR-15.”

The audience laughed, though isn’t clear if was because was joking or kidding on the square.


Boykin didn’t stop with his novel interpretation of Revelation. Jesus, it turns out, is the originator of the Second Amendment. In Luke’s account of the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples, “if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

Boykin emphasized that this was not metaphorical. It was a warning that Christians would need to defend themselves.

“The sword today is an AR-15, so if you don’t have one, go get one. You’re supposed to have one. It’s biblical,” Boykin said. “If you don’t have an AR-15 sell your cloak and for some of you guys sell your big screen TV with the clicker and go get you an AR-15. Ok?”

Even if Boykin’s interpretation is on point, it skips over some important details.  The warrior in Revelation 19 doesn’t have a sword in his hand — it’s protruding from his mouth. And in Luke, the disciples told Jesus that they had two swords to share between all of them. Jesus replied that two swords was enough to share between all of them.

Shirt sold by Liberty Shirt Market eBay Store

Shirt sold by Liberty Shirt Market eBay Store.

Boykin isn’t the only one who is reading the Bible through night-vision scopes.

You can buy a t-shirt that proudly states, “And Jesus said, if you don’t have an AR-15, sell your coat and buy one” (hat tip to David Yamane for finding this)

In my neck of the woods, we have a new gun range that provides training for Illinoisans who want to get a concealed carry gun permit (Illinois was the last state to allow concealed carry permits; 2014 is the first year of the new policy). The Tombstone Gun Range advertises on the radio that it is a place for “Faith. Family. Firearms.” Its website includes a reference to Psalms 144:1:


Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle

You can get this Psalm on a shirt, or, even better, engraved on your rifle.

The Tombstone Gun Range’s rifle area is currently shut-down because a stray bullet hit a woman a half mile away in February.

That’s one really, really long sword.

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