Appendix: Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31‑46
 
The Sheep and the Goats
OUR Lord’s Olivet prophecy, given to the disciples two days before His crucifixion in answer to the inquiries of some, has a very solemn finish in Matthew’s Gospel (25:31-46). The Lord describes in simple but graphic terms a sessional judgment which will take place at His return to earth. “When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations (or Gentiles).” He had already definitely told His disciples that the “Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels” (Matt. 16:2727For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)), and He had promised them that “when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:2828And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)). The judgment of the sheep and the goats is the opening incident in that great administration.
Earlier in the Olivet prophecy the Lord had spoken of His coming in the clouds of heaven with angels attending. He followed this with a parenthetical series of six parables, three with a definite message to the Jewish people, and three with a message to religious professors in Christendom (ch. 24:32; 25:30). Then the Lord picked up the thread again and spoke of the tribunal before which shall be gathered all nations. We must carefully distinguish between this judgment and that of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15)). The contrasts are important. The one takes place before the Millennial Kingdom begins, the other at its close, when both heaven and earth flee away. The Great White Throne deals with the dead; at the throne of His glory death and resurrection are not mentioned. It is living men who stand before Him into whose hands the Father has committed all judgment (John 5:2222For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)).
The notion of a general judgment at the end of time finds no sanction in Matthew 25. nor in any other Scripture. The Great White Throne will indeed be set up at the end of time, but only the lost dead will be there, “the first resurrection” (of all the blessed and holy) will be completed a thousand years earlier. The judgment of Matthew 25. will take place at “the end of the age.” Please read “age,” not “world” in Matthew 24:33And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3) and elsewhere in the first Gospel.
It is a Man who will sit upon the throne of glory, but mark His perfect discrimination between sheep and goats. That Man is “God manifested in flesh” (1 Tim. 3:1515But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)) who knows the secrets of all hearts. Note the quiet assertion of His dignity in “the Sermon on the Mount”: “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord... then will I profess unto you, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:22-2322Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22‑23)). The Man who moved up and down amongst men so graciously and familiarly is the final Judge of all created beings.
What are we to understand by “all nations?” It is certain that there will be terrific slaughter of armed hosts at the Lord’s appearing (Rev. 19:17-2117And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:17‑21); Zech. 14:33Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:3); Isa. 63:1-61Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. (Isaiah 63:1‑6); Ezek. 38, 39. etc.); this being so, who will remain to be judged at “the throne of His glory”? The populations in general, after all their military forces have been destroyed. One point only appears to be discussed: how have these people treated those whom the King is pleased to call “My brethren?” This passage corresponds to Mic. 5:33Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Micah 5:3), not to Rom. 8:2929For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29); i.e., the “brethren” referred to in Matt. 25:4040And 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. (Matthew 25:40) are not Christians but the believing remnant of Israel who will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom “for a witness to all nations” during the last dread crisis (Matt. 24:1414And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)). The treatment accorded to these witnesses is the index to the attitude of their hearts towards Him Who sends them forth. “What think ye of Christ?” is ever God’s test question. Those who appreciate Him will shelter and feed His messengers; those who hate Him will treat them with contempt. The graciousness of the Lord’s words, “inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of My brethren ye have done it unto Me” should appeal powerfully to our hearts to-day, and should make us lovers of hospitality to those who for the sake of His name go forth “taking nothing of the Gentiles” (3 John 77Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. (3 John 7))
In the blessing promised to the sheep nothing is said about Heaven. Their portion will be the Kingdom prepared for them by the Father from the foundation of the world. Our portion is in the Heavens, and was settled for us in the Father’s love “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:3-43Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:3‑4)). It is the King who addresses the sheep in Matthew 25. Christians know the same blessed Person more intimately as Lord and Head. It will be good to be subjects of such a King; it will be better still to be in union with Him as Body and Bride.
The awful future of the ungodly could scarcely be expressed more clearly than in the Scripture before us: “These shall go away into everlasting (eternal) punishment.” For both “punishment” and “life” the same word is used; the duration of the one is the duration of the other. Yet eternal fire was not prepared for men, but for the Devil and his angels, but those who while on earth prefer the voice of the Devil to the voice of God must share his doom forever.
Let us not miss the sequel to the Lord’s revelation on the Mount of Olives. “It came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said unto His disciples: Ye know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (Matt. 26:1-21And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. (Matthew 26:1‑2)). With calm dignity He steps down, as it were, from “the throne of His glory” and proceeds to Gethsemane and Golgotha, there to finish the work which the Father had given Him at that time to do. Why was He willing to turn His back upon the glory and majesty described on the Mount of Olives, and accept instead anguish and shame? It was for you, beloved reader, and for me. “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”