Matthew 25: 31 – 46
None Fight at the OK Corral
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
For all my friends amongst the nations this chapter is for you. Our Precious Holy Lord and Savior delivers an impactive prophecy is this portion of Matthew’s Gospel.
In the wild west days of America, a famous shootout occurred and was listed for perpetuity as the Gunfight at the OK Corral. An interesting fact is that this battle only lasted for about 30 seconds. It involved a gun shootout between lawmen and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cowboys. It took place at about 3 Pm on Wednesday, October 26, 1881 in Tombstone in the Arizona territory.
It is generally regarded as the most famous shootout in the history of the American Wild West. The gunfight was the result of a long simmering feud, with Cowboys Billy Claiborne, Ike and Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury on one side and town Marshal Cirgil Earp, Special policemen Morgan and Wyatt Earp, and temporary policeman Doc Holliday on the other side.
Billy Clanton and both McLaury brothers were killed. Ike Clanton, Billy Claiborne, and wes Fuller ran from the fight. Virgil and Morgan Earp along with Doc Holliday were wounded.
Wyatt Earp was unharmed and not only became the central figure in the shootout but gained additional fame in later years after he moved to California where he became an advisor for Hollywood Western movies. One such notably American Actor who was his understudy was John Wayne.
Today we are going to review a different OK Corral. None will fight at this OK Corral. It will not involve any fighting, but it will involve a judgement. It will be known to those who receive the favorable decision as ‘Okay’ or better yet, ‘Thank you my Good Shepherd Jesus Christ.’
That this passage describes the final judgment comes out in that its verdict determines the eternal destiny of men (verse 46). It should be noted that it is not said to take place on earth, but the question is ‘when’?
Is it at the end of time as we know it that receives the Judgment at what is known at the Great White Throne Judgment or is it sooner.
I believe that our Great and Holy Master Jesus Christ Is talking about the time when He returns to earth referred to as His Second Coming. This judgment is right before His Thousand Year Reign which is called the Millennium.
It includes everyone that is ‘all the nations’, living for all the dead will await a 2nd resurrection a thousand years in the future.
Here in Matthew 25.31-46 the emphasis is to be on the grounds of judgment, a judgment which applies to individuals, and is based on both the Law and the Sermon on the Mount. It examines men’s willingness to show consideration and mercy. It can be paralleled with Revelation 20.12-13, where the question is again the manner of life, and there also the result is eternal life for those in the book of life, and eternal punishment for the remainder (Revelation 20.15, Matthew 25.46). The reason that the righteous are spared is not because they are seen as ‘not guilty’ on the basis of their own merits but rather because the quality of their lives will reveal that they are those who have been blessed by God (5.3-9) who have been ransomed (20.28) and forgiven (18.27), who have been filled with righteousness by the Righteous One (5.6), and have thus begun to walk in the way of righteousness (21.32) with their light shining clearly before men. They are those who from the beginning have been chosen by Him (verse 34). They are judged by their changed lives, because they have become new creations (2 Corinthians 5.17) and are living out the effects of the blessing of God (5.3-9).
It is significant how much that is in the verdict given here relates to the Law, the Sermon on the Mount, and the remainder of Matthew’s Gospel:
. “For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat.” (5.42)
. “I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.” (5.42
. “I was a stranger, and you took me in.” (5.43-47)
. “Naked, and you clothed me.” (5.40)
. “I was sick, and you visited me.” (10.8)
• “I was in prison, and you came to me.” (10.18)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
Significantly here the Son of Man is paralleled with the King (verse 32). In Daniel 7.13-14 the son of man came into the presence of the Ancient of Days and was given kingship and glory and dominion. In the case of our Lord Jesus Christ this was fulfilled by His enthronement after the resurrection (Acts 2.36) when He received His eternal kingdom (Daniel 7.14). And now that glory is to be openly revealed to the world.
As He will have been given kingship, and glory and dominion (Daniel 7.14), He will clearly have received His throne. This is thus that very throne where He received His glory. But regularly it is also His Father’s throne (Revelation 5.6) where He sits at His right hand (Psalm 110.1), and from which the covenant is confirmed and made sure (Jeremiah 14.21). Isaiah had seen it in vision (Isaiah 6.1). It was the place from which judgments were made. Here our Master Jesus Is making clear that He Is, as the Son of Man, the Judge of all the earth.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
From His throne He judges people from ‘all nations’. These include the ‘all nations’ who have hated His disciples and followers throughout the age (24.9), and the ‘all nations’ who have been evangelized prior to His 2nd coming (24.14.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Now we need to stop and think about this for a moment. It is a lot deeper in significance then at first glance. It is not just black and white in observation. We are talking about three animals here. There are the sheep and the goats and the wolves in sheep clothing.
The wolves are the first to be able to be picked out of the flock. They are the larger ones with the sharp teeth.
On the other hand, goats and sheep are indistinguishable from a distance in the same way that wheat and tares are indistinguishable. Notice that wheat and tares are part of agriculture. There is also a third one and that is corn stalks. Have you ever gone past a farm which had wheat growing? What do you see in the field standing out. In some parts you see a lone corn stalk from a former planting that grew. These are easy to recognize and pull out.
Sheep and goats are both ‘kosher ’animals which makes them similar. Thus, this judgement is not between the righteous (believers) and obvious unbelievers. In other words, the scope of this judgment is for the declared followers of the shepherd, who are ostensible apparent believers
Now we understand the words our Great King says to individuals who have been living their lives with believers who were in fact not disciples of our Lord and Savior at all. As I have mentioned time and time over these verses are the scariest verses for me in the bible.
Matthew 7, “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Now we can go on in our passage and understand more fully what is happening.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The idea here is that those ‘believers’ who love other ‘believers’ through both their words and deeds are indeed the sheep. Whereas the remainder - goats) are those whose spiritual gifts (prophesying, healing, miracles) were of no use or benefit to the sheep (hunger, thirst, nakedness, sickness, and their loneliness in incarceration) and therefore the goats were never ‘known’ by the Lord.
The judgment will be between the righteous (the believers – sheep) and the apparent righteous ( the unbelievers, - goats)
The believers (sheep) will be found as doers of the Word (to have love for one another) at do something to help the Lord’s disciples.
The goats will have a well-known name but will not have the fruit to show it. They will not be showing brotherly love to the servants of the Lord sent by Him to speak His words to the world. They will not be hospitable who need shelter and protection. They will think that the works that they did to be known of man will not count. Our Lord Jesus will say, ‘Who are you?’
Now is the time while we all still breathe to take our own inventory. Check to see if all that you do is because it is for the glory of Jesus.
It is my heart’s desire to do this and I hope that you do this also. John the Baptist said regarding our Lord Jesus that he must decrease and our Lord Jesus increase’. I say Lord Jesus please let me receive 0% of any recognition and You receive 100% for You deserve all praise and honor now and forever.
