The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 25 Part 5 The Parable Of Final Judgment

Jesus began answering questions posed by His disciples about the end of the world.

They wanted to know what signs would they look for at the coming of Jesus.

They wanted to know when the end of the world would happen and what it would be like in the last days.

Jesus addressed those questions and we noted the two aspects of Jesus second coming.

1 Thessalonians 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

This is the first part of Jesus' return that His apostles described.

Notice Paul's Spirit guided words.

Jesus will return to the air or earth's atmosphere with all those saints from Old or New Testament times.

These are those who "sleep" in Christ, who died as believers and followers of the Lord.

Jesus reminds us that though our body goes to the grave, our soul and spirit will live in the presence of Jesus until the resurrection of the dead (See John 5:24-29).

A "saint" is not someone that a church declares to be a saint. 

Rather, a saint is the term most commonly applied to believers in Christ, those who have been born again into the kingdom of God.

He is bringing their soul and spirit to be reunited with their bodies, which will be transformed into resurrection bodies fit for heaven (See 1 Corinthians 15:35-49).

Jesus will descend from heaven with a mighty shout, with the mighty archangel and the trumpet of God will give a loud blast that will be heard around the world.

At that moment, the bodies of the dead saints will rise from the grave in a new, glorified form, and be reunited with their soul and spirit.

Then, the rapture of the church will happen where all living Christians will be "caught up" in the air to Christ, and all will be brought home to heaven by Jesus.

Matthew 27:51-53  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 

God gave us a preview of the resurrection after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Graves were opened and many saints rose from the dead and appeared to their families in Jerusalem, after Jesus' resurrection.

This is the first part of Jesus' return.

The second aspect of Christ's return is the day of the LORD, a day of final judgment.

This is when the sun, moon and stars will be darkened and the whole earth will quake an tremble in the presence of its Creator.

This is when Jesus will touch the earth, and every eye will see Him.

Jewish people will know that they are guilty of crucifying their Messiah and they will cry out with deep emotion and repentance.

Unbelievers (Both Jew and Gentile) will be terrified by the coming of Christ with flaming fire to measure out divine justice upon all who refused to believe the gospel (See 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

The last parable Jesus gave in Matthew 25 is the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

It speaks to Christ's return with flaming fire to judge all the wicked nations and people.

Primarily, the Jewish people are in view in this parable, along with any Gentiles who joined with the Jewish religion.

Matthew 25:31-33  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: 32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Notice the distinction between the two aspects of Jesus' return. 

At the resurrection of life and rapture of Christ's church, Jesus stops in the air. 

He does not physically set foot on earth. All deceased saints bodies will rise from the grave, and then all living saints will be caught up with Christ.

Jesus will bring all the saints home to heaven.

In this part of Jesus' second coming, He is coming with all His glory on display.

This will not be the babe of Bethlehem who was born in the most humble of conditions.

This will not be the young boy who lingered in the temple talking with learned men about the scriptures.

This will not be the man who suffered cruelly and was ingloriously nailed to a cross of shame, for our sins.

This will be the Son of God in all His glory that He share with His Father.

He will return in great power and majesty and all His enemies will be undone by His Word.

Sinners will quake with fear and beg the mountains to fall on them, so that they might be hidden from Christ's piercing gaze and flaming fires of judgment 

Zechariah 12:9-10  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 

The Jewish people will come face to face with the truth that they murdered their Messiah, and that they stand guilty before God.

We will see that the antichrist will pass himself off as a man of peace, by getting all nations to sign a seven year peace agreement, that includes Israel.

This seven year span will happen during the seven year tribulation period prophesied by Daniel and spoken of by Jesus.

We will learn that after 3 1/2 years pass, the antichrist will nullify the peace treaty and begin seeking to exterminate the Jewish people and any Gentiles who believe the scriptures..

As we previously noted, this is when God will provide protection and provision for the safety of His people.

This is when Jesus will judge all nations and destroy all His enemies.

All nations will gather for  battle at Jerusalem and after Jesus destroys them all, the Jewish believers will look on their Messiah.

They will feel immense national grief and guilt because they will see the wounds in Jesus' hands and side.

Yet, this is when the Jewish people shall be fully converted to Christ and His marvelous salvation.

Revelation 6:12-17  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. :15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? 

All the wicked people and corrupt nations will see Christ return at this time and they will experience fear that shakes their innermost being.

Signs like the sun, moon and stars being darkened and the heavens being rolled back like a scroll, followed by an immense earthquake, will announce Jesus has returned.

All wicked men will attempt to hide by running to caves and mountainous areas because they cannot stand before the holy wrath of Christ, the Lamb of God.

Matthew 25:31-33  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: 32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left

Jesus also said He will return with all His holy angels.

We do not know how many angels are in heaven, but it is a mighty host of God's faithful ministers and fiery warriors. 

The full force of God's omnipotence will be unleashed at the final judgment of the wicked.

The battle will end swiftly and Christ will be seated on His throne of Judgment, what John called the "Great white throne" (See Revelation  20:11-15).

At this point all nations will be gathered and shall be separated like sheep from goats.

The sheep will stand on the right hand of Christ while the goats will stand to His left side.

This will be a national judgment and we shall see that nations will be judged based upon how they treated Israel and the Jewish people, during the seven years of tribulation.

Remember, that the rapture of the church and resurrection of life took place seven years prior to this judgment.

Therefore, this is not a judgement of the church because it is already with Christ in heaven.

We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for our lives.

Believers will stand before Jesus with the potential to receive or lose rewards for our service, based upon our attitude and motivation.

Our sin is not in view at this judgment because we trusted Christ for salvation.

Unbelievers will stand to be condemned for their sins and rejecting the gospel of Christ.

Two judgment seats. Two eternal destinations.

You and I will stand before Christ to be judged.

Will you be judged as a child of God who served Him to the best of your ability?

Or will you stand as an unbeliever to be condemned to the flaming fires of Hell?

The choice is yours to make. 

Hear and heed the gospel, repent and call on Jesus to save you.

Remain in unbelief and suffer the dire eternal consequences.

I hope and pray that every single person reading this blog will hear and heed the gospel, and be wonderfully born again by the power of God.

Bob