SECTION 11: THE PROPHECIES OF THE KING’S RETURN
cHAPTER 59
THE JUDGMENT
OR
A GREAT ETERNAL INHERITANCE
Scripture To Consider:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'”
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'”
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they will also answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25.31-46
Something To Consider:
The New Testament contains no scene of more impressive majesty than this which is sketched by the pen of Matthew alone. It is peculiarly in harmony with the purpose of the gospel. He was writing the story of the King, and here alone is the picture of the Son of Man seated on the throne of His glory and determining who among all the nations of the world can enter and who is excluded from His heavenly kingdom. It is undoubtedly a difficult scene to interpret.
If one attempts to press too far the possible suggestions of each minor detail, if one forgets that there are other passages of Scripture with which any seeming teaching must be compared, and further, if one neglects to notice that Jesus is still dealing in parables and imagery rich with Mid-Eastern color, one may find himself or herself confronted by problems difficult to solve and may reach conclusions contrary to the plainest teachings of the bible. Thus, it is absurd to conclude that our Savior here teaches that eternal life can be secured by being kind to the poor regardless of any relationship to Him, and in spite of lack of moral character or true faith in Christ.
On the other hand, it is unwise to reason as though this were the only passage which deals with the matter of coming judgment, or which throws light upon the events which belong to the end of this present age. What we do have here are great foundational realities painted for us with surprising impressiveness and grandeur. For example, here is the picture in which Jesus declared for the only time in the gospel that He is Himself the King; elsewhere it is implied, but here it is plainly stated. Jesus claimed that He was and is the royal Judge, who someday, will say to the righteous, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Something Else To Consider:
It is thus first of all a picture which sketches for us the kingly dignity of our Lord. It also suggests that the time is coming when there will be a great separation among men, women, and young people. Trust Jesus when He declared that judgment is a reality. In the parables that immediately precede our Scripture to consider we are reminded not only that the followers of Christ must be watching for His return, but that the time of His coming will be a time of separation, and of division. Here, that later teaching is emphasized as possibly in no other portion of the gospels. It declares that there is such a thing as a final separation. There is reality in eternal punishment and in eternal life.
The third great truth is just as obvious. Jesus surely intended to teach that the judgment of mankind will be determined by their moral character and that this character is indicated by their deeds. Charity to the poor, if neglected, is one example of the many forms in which we may reveal our actual attitude toward the King, His teachings, and the brethren. The real attitude of the heart and mind toward Christ, expressed in outward acts, is the test by which life is to be judged.
Those who are ready for the coming of the King must possess the spiritual grace suggested in the parable of the ten virgins. They must wisely use their opportunities as set forth in the parable of the talents. And they must possess the character depicted by the righteous in this scene of judgment set forth in our Scripture to consider. The spiritual goal of each is that many may share a place in the glorious kingdom of our Lord and escape eternal judgment.
Something More To Consider:
Undoubtedly, one of the most awesome and solemn events in all of human history, is yet futuristic. According to Jesus, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He [Jesus] will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.”
At that time, in the history of humankind, the hearts and minds of every individual will either be overcome with fear of pending judgment or overwhelmed with the joy of their promised salvation. To one group of utterly ecstatic individuals likened to sheep, Jesus will instruct, as mentioned earlier, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Just imagine the emotional and spiritual relief that millions of faithful followers of Jesus will instantly and ultimately be overcome with at that moment. For many, this world has remained a harsh reality of both humanistic greed and lawlessness. For many, simply existing in an earthly environment where the strong and wealthy survive best when the least among them are oppressed.
And yet, even if little financially is ever obtained in this life by the true born-again enduring to the end believer in Jesus, the day of true eternal reality is fast approaching. Therefore, our decision for Christ and our allegiance to Christ must be established before these end time events are upon us. We must also maintain a faithful relationship to Jesus no matter what life on earth brings in our direction.
A Few Final Words:
According to Jesus, as true believers whether we have little or nothing materialistically to show for a life lived for Jesus, we will hear Him proclaim, “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” In other words, no amount of injustice or lack of equality will vanquish the desire of Almighty God to right every wrong and to give as an eternal inheritance that which has been prepared for us from the foundation of the world.
The old saying, “You can’t take it with you when you die,” remains so true; but what God has already established concerning our eternal inheritance cannot be ignored. All the money and earthly possessions a person could accumulate in a single life can vanish overnight with the crash of a nation’s economy. The inheritance of the kingdom of God can never be relinquished by clever thieves or tyrannical dictators or the infamous Internal Revenue Service.
In Closing:
If we abide in Christ and abide in His conditional commands, we will never be in danger of losing our kingdom inheritance. The word of Jesus is a sure spiritual investment well worth the dividends. The decision as always, depends on what we are more willing to hear at the end of our lives, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” or “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Let’s Pray:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for revealing the truth concerning the coming final judgment that will right every wrong ever done upon planet earth. Thank You for Your written and preserved explanation concerning true believers great eternal inheritance. Keep us watchful and prayerful as it relates to the things of God. May we be found looking unto Jesus as we fast approach end time events. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 