Matthew Matthew 25:31-46 The Second Coming ~ Part 4 I t shouldn t come as a surprise, but one thing that drives me crazy is sloppy teaching. And sometimes I can be guilty of it. Actually anyone who teaches the Bible can be sloppy. And when we re sloppy we may not even be teaching something wrong, but it can come out that way. I ran across this Sunday School lesson on the Sheep and Goat judgment. I don t know if the author is wrong on their understanding of scripture or just sloppy because they re teaching children. But, this approach is certainly consistent with the view that all I have to do is be a good person, by God s definition and I ll get into heaven. Jesus Separates the Sheep from the Goats To Remember: we will be judged on our behavior Vocabulary - judgment: When Jesus separates those going to heaven and those going to hell Lesson - Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus uses the picture of a shepherd separating his sheep from his goats to explain what judgment will be like. On the last day, there will be a separation of people. Those who have pleased God will join him in heaven. Those who have not pleased him will be sent to a place of eternal punishment. In this passage, Jesus shows how these people will be judged. Jesus does not judge them on their apparent religiousness, he judges them on how they treated each other. Interestingly, both groups are surprised by Jesus' judgment. Those whom he rejects object, because they did many works they thought would please him. But Jesus says he never knew them. Apparently these people did not know Jesus well enough to know what really pleases him. They thought they were doing great works, but they ignored the things that pleased Jesus (helping others.) It was not that they did evil things, but they did not do the good things that showed love. On the other hand, those that did please Jesus were surprised when he said they had helped him. They didn't know that Jesus saw their good works toward their brethren as done to him. Discussion: Why sheep and goats? God often describes his people as sheep in scripture. Sheep listen to their shepherd, and follow him. They look to him for all their needs and will suffer without him. What are goats like? Goats are stubborn. They resist being told what to do. They'll eat (take in) almost anything, even garbage. People who please God do what he says and look to him for guidance. People who resist God and want to do their own thing are stubborn, and end up accepting the lies and garbage of this world. The goats in the lesson thought they were doing God's work, but they were obviously not listening to how he wanted it done, or they were doing it for their own goals, not his. He didn't even know them. 1 This has so many problems I wouldn t even want to get into them. I sure hope it is simply sloppy, but somehow I doubt it X The Coming of the Kingdom 19:1-25:46 1 www.ebibleteacher.com/children/lessons/sheepgoats.htm
C. Fifth Discourse: The Coming of the End of the Age 24:1-25:46 8. Entrance to the Kingdom Verses 31-46 a. Welcome In Verses 31-40 b. Locked Out Verses 41-46 Introduction: This morning we are going to finish up the Olivet Discourse. From here we will study the crucifixion and the resurrection. So, first let s look at the judgment which decides who is going to enter the kingdom and who isn t. The section we re looking at this morning is frequently described as the sheep and goat judgment for obvious reasons. As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats (Ezekiel 34:17). In the ancient Near East, as in much of that land still today, sheep and goats are frequently herded together. But sheep are docile, gentle creatures, whereas goats are unruly and rambunctious and can easily upset the sheep. Because they do not feed or rest well together, the shepherd often separates them for grazing and for sleeping at night. 2 a. Welcome In: In this section Christ describes the judgment of the nations, that is the Gentiles. This occurs at the Second Coming when Christ judges individuals, identifying who will be allowed to enter into the Millennial kingdom and who will immediately be cast out. Here we see Christ returning with His angels, and though He doesn t speak to it here, we know He will be returning with His bride the Church. the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Pentecost s break down 3 of the of the details of this judgment is pretty straight forward and so I thought I d use it for this section. i. The Time: As we ve already noted this takes place right after the Battle of Armageddon, and before the formal establishment of the kingdom. Joel points out: In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land (Joel 3:1-2). All of this occurs simultaneously with Israel having her kingdom restored to her, as God has promised would always be the case. 2 MacArthur, John, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Matthew 24-28, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1985, p. 121. 3 Pentecost, J. Dwight, Things to Come, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1974, p. 415 ff. ) 726 (
ii. The Place: Clearly, because of the timing, this judgment must occur on earth. Joel names a location, the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The Holman Dictionary notes: JEHOSHAPHAT, VALLEY OF Place-name meaning valley where Yahweh judged. Place to which the Lord summons the nations for judgment (Joel 3:2). No evidence exists that any valley actually bore this name in Joel s time. Since the fourth century A.D. the Kidron Valley has been known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat; but there is no reason for believing Joel was referring to the Kidron Valley. The reference in Joel probably is meant to be symbolic. Through Joel, God promised all nations would ultimately be called to God s place of judgment. 4 Of course we may not know where this is because it may not yet exist. Consider the words of the prophet Zechariah. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south (Zechariah 14:4). iii. The Subjects of the Judgment: At this point in time it is the Gentiles who are being judged. Jesus says this when He talks of gathering the nations According to Strong s Concordance the word nation (ethnos) is translated as people twice, heathen five times, nation sixty-four times, and Gentiles ninety-three times. 5 There are two reason we reject the interpretation that says this group includes both Jew and Gentile. First we ve already seen the word nation isn t applied to the Jew. And second we ll see in as we look at iv. The Basis of the Judgment: Verses 35-40 tell the basis for getting through this judgment. It is how one treated those Jesus identifies as my brethren. Who are His brethren? Obviously the Jews. We ve already seen this is the case from the verses in Joel. But it isn t just the treatment of the Jews in general that is the issue. It is who one treated those who were following their Messiah. These are the believing and witnessing Jews. I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels, says the LORD. They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels (Isaiah 66:19-20). So those who were caring for the Jews, protecting them from the efforts of Satan to destroy them, will be the ones who will be allowed to enter the kingdom. Now keep in mind the con- 4 Brand, Chad, gen. ed., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2003. 5 Pentecost, J. Dwight, Things to Come, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1974, p. 417. ) 727 (
ditions of the tribulation. The world will be against Israel. The world will have sold out to the anti-christ because it will be too dangerous not to. Yes, there were Gentiles who protected Jews during World War II. And while many were Christians, some weren t. But in the tribulation it is unlikely that any would protect the Jew unless they had been convicted by the Holy Spirit and were believers. Even here it isn t the works that save. Works are a testimony to an inward spiritually. The very fact these people are called righteous must refer to a heart condition, not works. Arno Gaebelein speaks to this when he said: Some of the nations will receive their testimony (that of the brethren GK). They believe the Gospel of the Kingdom, this last great witness. They manifest the genuineness of their faith by works. The preachers who are going about are prosecuted and hated by others, suffering, hungry, and some cast into prison. These nations who believe their testimony show their faith by giving them to eat, clothing them, visiting them in prison, and by showing love to them. The case of Rahab may be looked at as a typical foreshadowing. She believed. It was at a time when the judgment was gathering over Jericho (the type of the world). By faith the harlot Rehab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And again it is written of her, Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? She had faith and manifested it by works. And so these nations believe the messengers and treat them in kindness. Grace thus covers them because they believed. 6 b. Locked Out: So those who are persecutors of believing Jews, and probably believing Gentiles as well, become those who will go into immediate judgment. But there is sill another question here. It relates to the fact this is a national judgment. Does this mean whole nations are going to enter into the Millennium or individuals within the nations? Most understand this judgment as separating individuals into two groups, believers and unbelievers. This is consistent with scripture as a whole. It is called a national judgment because this is a gathering of the peoples from the entire world. The righteous, believers will be separated from the unrighteous in order to enter into the kingdom. The unrighteous will immediately be judged. This is a unique judgment because those being judged will be alive. On the other hand some believe this really is a national judgment, that those nations which helped Israel will be allowed to enter the Millennium. This is why the world can rise up against Christ at the end of the thousand years. They were necessarily saved. Dr. McGee holds this position. The problem with this, if one takes it to a logical conclusion then the nations that are judged would probably include some righteous. This is the same principle we seen when talking about Israel s salvation. It will be a national salvation. But the nation that survives will be one were the individuals have recognized that Jesus is the Messiah, and have accepted Him as their savior. In both situations the judgment is national, but the judgment is individual. There is another point, while those of us returning with Christ will have glorified bodies, those who enter the kingdom will be unchanged physically. We know this because the children being born during this period aren t necessarily saved themselves. So even if all who 6 Ibid., p. 419-420. ) 728 (
enter the kingdom are saved, this doesn t mean all born during this period will be saved. In fact living in perfect conditions, it sees that very few if any are saved during the thousand years. By the end of the Millennium people again rebel against God. When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them (Revelation 20:7-9). Finally, the unrighteous will immediately be put to death and sent to judgment. And Christ makes it very clear, this is an eternal judgment. Regardless of the fact some try to teach an annihilation theory that the wicked will be judged and hell is an end to existence. But all people are eternal beings and will either spend it in God s presence or separated for it. Summary: Criswell summarizes the passage this way. The sheep and goat judgment should not be confused with other judgments (cf. Rev 20:11-15), e.g., the judgment seat of Christ ( bema, Gk.) for believers only, which occurs immediately following the departure of the church at the revelation of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:13); or the Great White Throne judgment for unbelievers, which occurs at the conclusion of the millennial age (Rev 20:11-15 ). This judgment of sheep and goats is at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation to determine who may enter the millennial or kingdom age. The basis of the judgment is the relationship of men to Christ, as demonstrated by their treatment of Israel during the Great Tribulation (vv. 34-46 ). Those who are saved (the sheep ) enter the kingdom prepared for them (v. 34 ), while the lost (the goats ) are turned away into eternal punishment (v. 46 ). The kingdom consists only of the saved at the outset of that final age. 7 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man s work (1 Corinthians 3:13). Once again the direct application is a warning for the nations, a reminder that to enter the kingdom they must accept Christ and protect and care for His brethren the saved remnant of Israel. 7 Criswell, Ph.D., W. A., Managing Editor, The Believer s Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN, 1991. ) 729 (
But in Christ s words to the nations there is a principle of compassion for us. While we will probably never have an opportunity to care for the persecuted at risk to ourselves, we are called to care for those around us holistically. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. (Matthew 25:35-36). To often, with a legitimate concern over individual s need for salvation, we forget they have others as well. We are to be concerned for all needs. This is what Christ modeled and this is what we are to demonstrate. Our works are the testimony of our faith. James said it when he wrote: What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder (James 2:14-19). We need to be open to looking around us and seeing who is in need of our care and support. Can you think of any examples? Lately we have been reminded of how we are to comport ourselves to be able to remain distinct from the world while being in the world. But of equal importance is how we model Christ s love for the world holistically. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34). And this same love we are to have for one another should also be manifested to those around us, both believers and non-believers. How can we do any less that love the world because of how greatly God loves us, because, God so loved the world ) 730 (
Matthew Matthew 25:31-46 The Second Coming ~ Part 4 X The Coming of the Kingdom 19:1-25:46 C. Fifth Discourse: The Coming of the End of the Age 24:1-25:46 8. Entrance to the Kingdom Verses 31-46 a. Welcome In Verses 31-40 b. Locked Out Verses 41-46 Introduction: (Ezekiel 34:17) a. Welcome In: (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; ) i. The Time: (Joel 3:1-2) ii. The Place: (Zechariah 14:4)
iii. The Subjects of the Judgment: iv. The Basis of the Judgment: (Isaiah 66:19-20) b. Locked Out: (Revelation 20:7-9) Summary: (Revelation 20:11-15; 1 Corinthians 3:13; Matthew 25:35-36; James 2:14-19; John 13:34) Personal Application: Meditate on the truth that God so loved the world. Consider how you can love the world in a practical way this week. Prayer for the Week: Lord, thank You for loving me, help me love others with Your love. In Jesus name, amen.