31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:31–34 ESV)
Returning to our study of the Gospel of Matthew, today’s text continues the theme of the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord does not present His return as a possibility (if), or even a probability, but rather a certainty (when). The Son of Man, Jesus’ most frequent reference of Himself, will come in His glory, splendor and majesty. This will be a fulfillment of Daniel 7:1-14.
Jesus will not return to earth alone. His angels will accompany Him. He will then reign in absolute and consummate glory, power and authority.
“What follows is not really a parable, though it does contain parabolic elements. It is a very dramatic, frequently symbolic, description of the last judgment,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“In both cases the glorious coming of the Son of man, accompanied by angels, is described. The Son of man is here represented as seated upon “the throne of his glory.” The symbol indicates a most glorious throne, that is, a throne characterized by external splendor, brightness, brilliance, or radiance, corresponding with the internal and essential splendor of its Occupant’s attributes.”
Jesus does not tell us where His throne is located. Will it be in heaven? Will it be on earth? We do not know.
“One thing is certain. It will be a very glorious throne. God, through the Mediator Jesus Christ, will be Judge. Of course, in the outgoing divine works (such as creation, providence, redemption, and judgment) all three persons of the Holy Trinity co-operate. Nevertheless, from our present passage it is clear that the honor of judging was conferred on Jesus Christ as Mediator, that is, as a reward for his accomplished mediatorial work,” states Dr. Hendrikson. (See also Dan. 7:13; Joel 3:2 (Heb. 4:2); Matt. 13:41; 16:27; 26:64; 28:18; John 5:22, 27; Phil. 2:9, 10.)
The Lord’s judgment from His position of authority will also feature the angelic host. They are mentioned not only because they enhance His glory, but also because they assist the Lord in this great task. They will gather the wicked before the judgment throne and cast them into the furnace of fire (13:41, 42; 24:31; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8; Rev. 14:17–20). The angel’s involvement is stated in Matt. 24:31.
The metaphorical comparison of the Lord separating believers from the unbelievers is of a shepherd separating sheep from the goats. The Lord’s sheep (Ezekiel 34; John 10) will be on His right while the goats will be on His left. The Lord explains the positional distinction. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” Conversely, those on the left are those who are judged by God the Father who will are consigned for eternal judgment from the foundation of the world.
“According to Matthew’s gospel, only two kinds of people walk this earth: those who love Jesus and those who do not. There is no middle ground — either we are for the Savior or against Him (12:30). On one hand, Herod’s evil plans showed him to be one of the Lord’s enemies (2:16–18), and on the other, Matthew’s leaving all to follow Christ indicated what side he was on (9:9). Then there was the rich young ruler, whose seeming love of money placed him on the wrong side (19:16–22),” comments Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“The picture of final judgment in today’s passage is further evidence that all people will be grouped into two categories at the end of this age.”
The Lord’s judgment is coming. Are you ready?
Soli deo Gloria!
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