MATTHEW 25:31-4631When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31‑46).
Verse 31. "But when the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.”
THE word "but," though it occurs in the original, has been omitted in the translation; it is, however, important to notice it, because it distinguishes and contrasts the following scene from those which preceded it. We have not here the coming of the Bridegroom to receive His Bride, as in verses 5-53, nor the coming of the Lord to take account of His servants before His judgment seat, as in verses 14-30; neither is He here seen as Jehovah calling to the heaven above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people Israel (Psalm 1.); far less is He here seen as sitting upon the great white throne, with the dead, small and great, standing before Him after that the heavens and the earth had fled away (Rev. 20.). It is as the Son of Man coming in glory, and sitting upon the throne of His glory, that He here appears. Hitherto He had been sitting on the right hand of the Majesty on high, expecting, till His enemies be made His footstool (Ps. 110.). But here He comes as the Root and Offspring of David, the Heir of David's throne, the true Solomon in all His glory, to take and establish His millennial reign in righteousness and peace.
He will probably be accompanied by the glorified redeemed of every age, and by His blood-bought Bride, for they share with Him His kingdom; but they are not introduced into the parable. The prominence is given to the holy angels of His power, who are here present as witnesses of His righteous judgment, and are the administrators of His just decrees. As Son of Man He is not only the Messiah of Israel, He is King of kings and Lord of lords; the nations will be given to Him for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession.
“The government is upon His shoulder." In parabolic language, all the living nations of the earth are seen as present before His omniscient eye; not, indeed, as gathered together into one place, but the secrets of all hearts naked and opened beneath His searching glance, and every conscience and heart within the reach of His all-penetrating and powerful voice, whether for conviction or approval.
Verses 32, 33. "And before Him shall be gathered all the nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set indeed the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”
There are many points of similarity between sheep and goats—in many respects they are much alike. But the shepherd's eye can easily distinguish the one from the other. Man, looking on the outward appearance, may easily mistake the form of godliness for its reality and the profession of subjection for true loyalty; but the Lord looketh on the heart.
There is an essential distinction between the spiritual and the carnal, between those who are quickened by the Spirit of God and those dead in trespasses and sins. The Son of Man knows how to separate them, placing the one on His right hand—the place of approval, acceptance, and favor—and the other on the left hand, the place of disapproval, rejection, and shame.
Verse 34. “Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'
This is the language of the Son of Man come in His glory, and seated on the throne of His millennial kingdom. He invites the just to inherit with Him the kingdom prepared for them FROM the foundation of the world—that is, the earthly kingdom, in distinction from the heavenly and eternal kingdom which the saints in resurrection will enjoy in accomplishment of the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus BEFORE the world began.
They are pronounced by Him as the blessed of His Father according to the word in Psalm 37:2222For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:22): "For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off.”
Verses 35-40. "For I was a hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, ' Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee!' And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'”
We must remember that this judgment of the living nations of the earth by the Messiah King follows immediately upon the great tribulation spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Matt. 24:29, 3029Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:29‑30)), the details of which are fully given in the Book of the Revelation, extending over a period of three years and a half. At the commencement of this period those who openly resist the claims of antichrist are slain, and afterward those who refuse to receive his mark; others of the faithful are, as we should say, "boycotted"-that is, they are not permitted to buy or sell; others are scattered among the nations wherever they can find a refuge from the tyranny of the beast. Like those scattered abroad at the persecution which arose about Stephen, they will carry the gospel of the kingdom with them.
These are they whom the King recognizes as His "brethren." Thus we are enabled to understand the meaning of the King's words when He says, "I was a hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye clothed Me. I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me," acknowledging what was done to these persecuted ones as done to Himself.
This time of the great tribulation will be the final test of man previous to the millennial reign. On the one hand is God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit; on the other hand, Satan, antichrist, and the false prophet.
The question is, Which side will a man take? Under which banner will he be enrolled in this great conflict? His eternal destiny depends upon his choice. On this battlefield no neutrality is allowed; here it is either death, persecution, or banishment for those who take the part of God, of Christ, and of the Holy Ghost, with the prospect of everlasting life; or, to those who take the part of Satan, present immunity under his patronage, and to share with him his everlasting doom.
The same test is applied to the living nations on the earth whithersoever the persecuted followers of the Lamb are scattered. The Lord here acts upon His own principle: "He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth Me, and whosoever receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.”
Verses 41-45. "Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was a hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.' Then shall THEY also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?' Then shall He answer them, saying, 'Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me'.”
Those who among the nations of the earth will take part with the dragon, antichrist, and the false prophet in this decisive conflict between God and Satan will show neither sympathy nor fellowship with the followers of the Lamb who by persecution will be scattered among them; and this neglect of His brethren the Lord will regard as the rejection of Himself and of His Father, and will judge and reward it accordingly.
Compare with this Matthew 10:14, 1514And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Matthew 10:14‑15): "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city." Thus the Son of Man will thoroughly purge His floor, and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Thus He will take out of His kingdom all things which offend, and them which do iniquity; and thus, like Solomon's, His throne will be established in righteousness.
Verse 46. "These shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Fellowship with Satan in time involves fellowship with him in eternity; the rejection of God in time is to be rejected of Him in eternity.
The echo of that word, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways," will be then, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." On the other hand, the reception of God's testimony of His Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, is to receive the Father's blessing, participation with the Son in His kingdom, and the reception of eternal life from the Father and the Son, communicated by the quickening Spirit.
Those amongst the nations of the earth who will take part with God, and manifest the same by the reception of Christ's brethren, will, by the eternal Spirit, be made partakers of everlasting life, and in possession of it will share with the Messiah the blessings of His millennial reign.