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2000-05-11 - Judgment of the Nations
The Judgment Series, Part 2
Matt 25:31-34 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory,
and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32 "And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and
He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right,
and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to
those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (NAS)
The scene is after the second coming of Jesus Christ. Zech 14 describes the
scene as the glorified Christ returns to fight for Israel in their darkest
hour. When all seems lost, and the remaining inhabitants of Jerusalem are
trapped, Jesus will touch down on the Mount of Olives splitting it in two
from east to west. The newly formed valley will save the remnant allowing
them to escape probably to the ancient city of Petra.
The nations, or the gentiles, who are alive as Jesus draws human history
to a close will stand before the Lord to be judged. The location will be
the valley of Jehoshaphat. Those gathered will be divided into two groups.
The sheep, those who have accepted Jesus as Savior on the right and the goats,
those who have refused His salvation on the left.
The statement is that judgment will be based on how the individual has treated
God's chosen people, Israel. The implication is that Christians will respect
the instruction of God regarding Israel. Most believers will recognize Israel
as a special people. We are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We are
warned that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed and whoever curses Israel
will be cursed. This should be a stern note to any government or people today
as they turn their backs one by one against the Jewish state and her people.
Those who know Jesus as Savior should recognize God's instruction. It appears
that the treatment of the Jews will be enough to condemn those who have not
accepted the Lord.
Joel 3:1-3 "For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will
gather all the nations, And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and
My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they
have divided up My land. 3 "They have also cast lots for
My people, Traded a boy for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine that they
may drink. (NAS)
There is one paramount point that rings out. While the love of God is limitless
and free, there is a time when the offer will be withdrawn. When someone
says they need more time to think about accepting Jesus there is
a danger. It is appropriate to remind them that by not making any
decision they are making their decision against accepting, at least for the
time being. None of us know when we will be called away from this life
to eternity. At that moment, the decision is made - for good or for ill,
it is done. While few of us expect death to come soon, for some
it could be imminent without their knowing.
Matt 25:41-43 "Then He will also say to those on His left,
'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been 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; naked, and
you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
(NAS)
If there is anything that should give a Christian urgency regarding the salvation
of those who God leads into our path it is this passage. There is a time
when there will be no more time to consider or put off this uncomfortable
decision and talk of death and eternity. All that will be left will
be a certain, terrifying punishment for those who do not know Jesus as Savior.
There will be no blameshifting or excuses. No one will claim that there is
any unfairness in the judgment. Eternal separation from the love of God will
be Hell without the flames and pain. Knowing that God extended every
opportunity and each one was put off or otherwise refused until the
offer could no longer be continued. Everything imaginable was offered for
the price of our soul, which we can not keep, and the offer was left
on the table in our pride. Time's up. Game over.
We are promised that one day all tears will be wiped away in Heaven. The
language there, leaves room for a delay where there will be tears and possibly
great mourning and sadness. It should pain us all greatly as believers
to imagine friends or family walking into eternal punishment - never
to be seen again. The only way I can imagine never having any tears after
that would be for God to miraculously erase those people from our memories.
Far worse than being punished would be to be forgotten by those we love.
Lord Jesus - Night is coming and the day is far spent.
People live today like they will live forever and eternity is something
they will never have to deal with. Help us rattle them from their complacent
daydream. Give us courage to seize opportunities You give us - seasoned
with grace and mercy. If we live the love You have shown us before, they
may come to us when their world starts to shake and their hearts know fear
or uncertainty. Then the love and mercy will have already worked on their
hearts and the way will be prepared for us to share Your salvation with
them. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Mike
jmhoskins@gmail.com
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