JUDGMENT #5- THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS- 8-23-08 MATT. 25:31-46
Today we’ll continue with the study of the 7 judgments that we find in the Bible, let me say that there were many judgments, especially in the book of "JUDGES", but we’re thinking primarily on 7.
Today we’ll be talking about judgment # 5, and that is the "judgment of the nations". Let me say right here that this is not a judgment of selected nations as some might have the misconception, but this is a judgment of ’individual people from all nations" as how they receive and treat the "True Jehovah Witnesses" that’s to say, the 144000 Jewish Missionaries that we’ll read about in the 7th chapter of the Revelation.
Before we begin let me name the 7 Judgments again.
#1-{the judgment of sin,} this took place on the cross of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
#2- {self-judgment of our daily sins} after we were saved.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
The other 5 judgments are after the rapture of the Church.
#3- {the judgment seat of Christ}, this is where all that are saved will be judged for our stewardship, our works after we were saved and thus rewarded accordingly.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
And #4-{-the judgment of Israel, Jacobs Trouble, Jer. 30:7, “name-Gen.32:28--35:10” and this has to do with the Tribulation period. The Tribulation is “Jacobs trouble”. But it will affect all the earth.
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it--
That is the 1/3 that is not destroyed.
-#5-{the judgment of the nations}, this takes place after Christ returns and has defeated His enemies at Armageddon, at the end of the 7 year Tribulation, “Rev.19:” but just prier of Him setting up His Kingdom, the 1000 year reign of Christ. MATT. 25:31-46
#6-the judgment of the fallen angels}- 1 Corinthians 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels?
And #7 is of coarse, {the White Throne judgment}, this is when all the lost souls are brought out of hell and judged according to their wickedness, and according to the degree of their wickedness be tormented in the lake of fire, there are not any saved people judged at this judgment, these are all lost.
Revelation 20:11 And 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.
We’ll try and talk more about these as we get to them.
Listen as I read today’s text found in Matt. 25:31-46. Judgment #5
As we read this passage we’ll see that there are 3 different gropes of people here, there is the "sheep, the goats and the brethren" the sheep are the saved individuals from among the various nations, the goats are individuals from the various nations that did not receive and believe the message of the 144000 Jewish Missionaries, their not saved, they did not aid these distressed Jews, their called "goats", and then the "brethren" are the Jewish Missionaries, the Lord Jesus refers to them as His brethren.
31 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.
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:
35 For 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: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?"
40 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.
Let me say that these " my brethren" in verse 40 is talking about some of the Jews, "the 144000" Jewish Missionaries that we read about in the 7th chapter of the Rev. there will evidently be some of them persecuted and put in jail and will be visited and aided by believers that have heard their message of the ’GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND".
These "sheep" these believers that come to the aid of these Jewish Missionaries are saved, they have believed and received their message about Jesus and His Kingdom that’s soon to be.
Remember there will be people that will be saved in the Tribulation that had never heard the truth before the rapture, and these SHEEP are these people.
Evidently they must have some type of seal on them or they’d be persecuted and locked up themselves, it may be that they visit the Jews that are in prison just after Christ returns, we’re not sure exactly when or how their visited, but we are sure that they are because that is what we read here. We that are now saved have the seal of the Holy Spirit on us at this present time. Ephesians 4: 30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
We know that the devil can’t do any thing to a child of God unless God allows it.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, {not hell} prepared for the devil and his angels:
Let me say here that the devil is not in hell, he never has been in hell, we’re told in REV.20: 10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Antichrist and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire alive back in Revelation 19: 20 And 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.
And the King continues to talk to the "goats"
42 For 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."
44 Then 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?"
45 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."
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Let me say that we must place these judgments in their rightful order & place or we’ll be totally confused. Let’s realize that this judgment #5 is at the end of the 7-year tribulation but just before He sets up His Kingdom.
AMOS 9: 11-12 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
AT THIS TIME Jesus has returned to the earth and has defeated His enemies at the battle of Armageddon. Rev. 19:11-26
Let’s not confuse the rapture of the Church, which takes place before the Tribulation begins as we meet the Lord in the air and we are with Him in the air during the 7-year Tribulation. We that are saved will not go through one minute of the Tribulation. 1st Thess. 1: 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered** us from the wrath to come.
While the Tribulation is under way back down on earth, we that are saved are praising God and being judged for our stewardship, our works, Judgment #3.
The rapture & the 2nd coming are about 7 years apart.
Let me remind us that Israel is not judged at this judgment; this is the judgment of the Gentile nations, that is the individual people who befriended the Jews from among the Gentile nations during the Tribulation.
Num. 23:9 --- the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Israel was judged in the Tribulation, and 2/3s of Israel was destroyed. #4
Zec. 13: 8-9 8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
This 1/3 will be safe for the last half of the 7-year Tribulation, in a place called Petra there in Jordan. We’ll not stay long on this subject as we’ve already talked about that fact last broadcast.
His return to the earth with His Church is found in: REV. 19:11-21
Remember, this is at the close of the 7-year Tribulation.
All down thru the years there have been people that belittled the Lord Jesus, that’s made fun of His Saints and persecuted His Church, but now its pay back time, Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart,
He’ll never be scoffed at again, He is returning in unspeakable Majesty and glory, and you and I that are saved will be returning with Him, we will have a ring side seat so to speak and witness all these events that’s about to take place. What a time that’s going to be, and I don’t believe it’s very far away, the rapture of His Church could happen now at any time.
