"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 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; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left." Matthew 25:31-33

The Judgment of the Gentiles, Page 2 Matthew 25:31-46

B. The King will invite the Sheep into the Kingdom because of their Treatment of the King's Brothers as unto Him. Matt. 25:34-40

• "Inherit" is the Aorist Imperative Plural of the verb klēronoméō (2816). Literally, this verb signifies "receiving a possession or gift from someone who has died, inherit, be an heir (Gal. 4:30); figuratively, as receiving God's salvation, gifts, and benefits obtain, gain possession of, receive (Luke 10:25; Heb. 12:17)" (Friberg). In this particular instance Jesus spelled out clearly what the inheritance is – it is a particular kingdom – the one which He would momentarily define.

• "the kingdom" (Matt. 25:34). We must remember that it is the King who will be speaking. He is talking here to Gentiles (not Jewish people). The Kingdom He is describing must inevitably be the Kingdom of which He is the King!
  

• We know that Jesus, when He returns, will be first and foremost the King of Israel. This Jesus made transparently clear when He told Peter and presumably the rest of the Twelve, who had left everything and followed" Him what they would receive for having done so (Matt. 19:27). He replied, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28).

2. The King's Explanation to Those on the Right as to Why They Are Being Admitted into the Kingdom (Matt. 25:35-36).

• "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat;" (Matt. 25:35).
  


• This set of statements by Jesus, predicting what He Himself as King will say in admitting people into His Kingdom, have been taken by many Christians as proof of salvation by works. This simplistic explanation is at the heart of what has been called the "Social Gospel." We are saved by being good and doing good things. Christ's death on the cross to pay for our sins is almost irrelevant, in the understanding of many. To me, this simplistic explanation completely ignores the context and the details of the Olivet Discourse.
  


• These Gentiles whom the King will designate as "sheep" will have survived the event which Jesus described as, "then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will" (Matt. 24:21). It will be the event punctuated by the appearance of the "Abomination of Desolation" standing in the Jewish temple, yet to be rebuilt (Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-4). It will be a time of intense persecution against Jewish people (Matt. 24:15-20). It will be a time when a fearsome world ruler will wage war against the saints and will conquer them (Rev. 13:7). All who will not worship this ruler will be put to death (Rev. 13:15). This controlling government will require people around the world to receive an identifying mark representing this beastly ruler. Without the mark no one can buy or sell (Rev. 13:16-18)


• So it would seem that to which Jesus is here referring is to those who, despite all government strictures, risked their lives to help feed someone who was a follower of Jesus. This was not a friendly "meals on wheels" foray. It was taking one's life into one's hands by feeding an enemy of the world state. The point is that only a committed believer in Jesus Christ would risk his own life to feed these persecuted outcasts who were designated enemies of the state. So the feeding another is not a cause of salvation, but an evidence of salvation.
  


• "I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink;" (Matt. 25:35).
  


• The same thing that was said in the previous section can be repeated here. Only a committed believer in Jesus Christ would risk his life to provide some water or other beverage to an enemy of the state who was also a Christian. This person would be in great need because he refused to take the "mark of the beast" and worship him (Rev. 13:15-18)
  


• "I was a stranger, and  you invited Me in;" (Matt. 25:35).


• The King will award entrance into His Kingdom to someone who was willing to risk his life by giving lodging to a "stranger," xénos (3581), an alien, or foreigner. In the context of the latter half of the Tribulation this will probably mean harboring someone who is an enemy of the Global State, run by the "Beast" of Rev. 13, also known as the "Antichrist" (1 John 2:18), and "Man of Lawlessness" (2 Thess. 2:3, 8). In other terms, the Gentile who is one of the sheep will be one who was willing to provide lodging for someone who refused to take the "mark of the Beast" (Rev. 13:17-18).
  


• Only a believer in Christ would risk his life to harbor an enemy of the State in that context. Once again, this attribute is not seen as a means of obtaining salvation, but an evidence of salvation already possessed.
  


• "naked, and you clothed Me;" (Matt. 25:36).

• "Naked," gumnós (1131) indicates someone extremely destitute. He is unable to afford sufficient clothing to be appropriately attired in public. This fits in well with the scenario described in Rev. 13:16-18, wherein a person who is unwilling to be identified with the "mark of the beast" can neither buy nor sell. This word is used only four times in Matthew, all in this context (Matt. 25:36, 38, 43, 44). Passages that help define the condition of nakedness include Mark 14:51, 52; John 21:7; Rev. 16:15. James, the Lord's brother, envisioned a person who is both naked ("without clothing") "and in need of daily food" (James 2:15). Only a person so committed to Christ he is willing to risk death will provide clothing for someone else who also will not succumb to the identifying "mark of the beast." Rev. 20:4 reveals the almost inevitable consequence of death for those who will not take the regime's identifying mark. The majority will be executed. But as this passage in Matthew 25:31-46 reveals, some will survive, but only with help from others like-minded in their opposition to the godless dictator and in their allegiance to the true Messiah.
  


• "I was sick, and you visited Me;" (Matt. 25:36)
  


• "I was sick" is the Aorist Indicative of the verb asthenéō (770), "be weak, be powerless;" probably here speaking of a bodily ailment "be sick, be ill, be diseased" (Luke 4:40) (adapted from Friberg). Considering the horrors of the Tribulation period and the attending economic hardships, it might even refer to someone who was extremely depressed.
  


• "and you visited Me" is the Aorist Indicative of the verb episképtomai (1980), literally, "to examine with one's eyes" for the purpose of rendering appropriate aid. In Matthew this verb is used only here and in Matt. 25:43. The idea of rendering appropriate help is seen in Luke 1:68, 78; 7:16; Acts 7:23; 15:14, 36. Once again, to render aid to a sick person who has resisted the totalitarian regime of the Tribulation would only be performed by someone dedicated to serving Christ. This is not a means of gaining salvation, but an evidence of salvation already granted through faith in the Messiah.
  


• "I was in prison and you came to Me." (Matt. 25:36).
  


• The King stated that He was in prison, phulakē´ (5438). As we shall learn, He was speaking of His followers being in prison. I would imagine that there will be many people during the oppressive regime of the latter part of the Tribulation who will be imprisoned for not having the "mark of the beast" and thus standing in opposition to the evil ruler. They will be awaiting trial and execution. To come and visit them in prison and show sympathy and perhaps take food or other necessities along will be taking one's own life into one's hands. Only a committed believer in Christ will do this.
  

3. The Incredulity of the Righteous (Matt. 25:37-39). Then the righteous will answer Him,

• "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You,
• or thirsty, and give you something to drink?" (Matt. 25:37).
  
• "And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in,
• or naked, and clothe You?" (Matt. 25:38).
• "When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to You?" (Matt. 25:39).

• The word "righteous" (díkaios, 1342) is a plural adjective used as a substantive. This is the first time the "sheep" among the nations are identified as "the righteous" in the Olivet Discourse. This term will again be used in Matt. 25:46. It is used here of people who are "morally and ethically" ... "righteous, just, upright" (adapted from Friberg). This is Christ's designation of these individuals.

• Almost verbatim, in Matt. 25:37-39, "the righteous" go through every one of the accolades the King heaped upon them (in Matt. 25:35-36). The only real difference is that they lumped the last two items together into one statement, and used the second verb, the Aorist of érchomai (2064), "come," to cover both traits.
  


• Another observation is that "the righteous" were oblivious of the fact that they had rendered aid to the King. They did not dispute that they had done these good deeds, but they were unaware that they had done them to the King.

4. The Answer of the King. Matt. 25:40

• The question of the righteous as to when they had ministered to the needs of the King is answered in this verse by the King Himself. Here is His response: "The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’" (Matt. 25:40)

• It becomes immediately apparent that the identification of the King's "brothers" is critical to understanding this entire judgment. Who are the King's brothers? Are there any clues?

• One clue surfaces immediately in a careful reading of the Greek text. The King did not speak merely of "my brothers." He spoke of these brothers of Mine. The word "these" is the plural of the near demonstrative pronoun hoûtos (3778). The point of the near demonstrative pronoun in this context is that these brothers of Jesus were situated nearby in the vicinity. Perhaps they were witnessing this judgment. We are not told. But evidently they were close enough so that the "righteous" Gentiles could at least look across the way and see them. Perhaps the King even gestured toward them. We are not told explicitly who they are. But we can make some deductions.

• Were they Jesus' physical brothers? That seems highly unlikely. Certainly Jesus had brothers (Matt. 12:46; Luke 8:19; Mark 3:31). Four of His brothers are mentioned by name, and people knew He had sisters (Matt. 13:55, 56). Matthew recorded this interchange nearly 2000 years ago, and Jesus' brothers have long ago passed from the scene. It is virtually impossible for the Gentle believers in Jesus alive at this judgment to have benefitted Jesus' blood brothers in any meaningful way two millennia earlier. How could that even happen?
  

• Were they believing Gentiles? That also seems highly unlikely. It is the righteous Gentiles who are being admitted into the Kingdom on the basis of their having favorably treated Jesus' "brothers." If the King had mean "righteous Gentiles," he would have stated that they had helped "one another." He did not say that. He said they had aided "one of these of the brothers of me, of the least ones."
  

• So who is left? In the immediate context of Matthew 25:31-46, there is one group of people who might properly be designated Jesus' brothers. These are the righteous Jewish people who have survived Jesus' judgment of Israel (Matt. 25:1-30). They have already been admitted into the Kingdom. I think they are standing nearby, solemnly watching the judment of all of the Gentiles who have survived the horrible Tribulation period. According to several OT passages, the Jewish people as a whole will be objects of a world-wide pogrom seeking virtually to destroy the nation of Israel. Under the fierce anti-Christian, anti-Jewish regime of the evil Man of Lawlessness, the Jewish race will come close to being extinguished. Jewish people themselves will become the objects of hatred and extermination. Those Jewish people who align themselves with Jesus, their Messiah, will be doubly objects of hatred and extermination. Any Gentile who dares help and support a Messianic Jew will be taking his life into his own hands.

• I believe the "near at hand" brothers of whom Jesus speaks are Messianic Jewish survivors of the Tribulation. To help them will not gain a Gentile salvation. It will show that one is already saved. He is such a committed believer in Jesus the Messiah that he will risk his life to protect and save believing Jewish people. I believe these "brothers" of Jesus are "brothers" on two counts – (1) they are Jewish, and genetically related to Him. They are all of the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In a sense they are the King's physical brothers. (2) They are believers in the King as their Messiah, and thus are the King's spiritual brothers.
  

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(Scripture quotation taken from the NASB.)

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