MATTHEW 25

Survey of the chapter
We come now to the section that ends at 25:46, which is the answer to the first question of the disciples, “When shall these things be”, 24:3, “these things” in particular being the destruction of the temple. So it is that scattered throughout the section we have adverbs of time, such as “when his branch is yet tender…when ye shall see all these things...then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins…when the Son of man shall come in His glory”, verses 32,33; 25:1,31.

The passage consists of the last two illustrations which give help with regard to the time of the coming of the Son of man, which is His coming to earth, and this is followed by the seventh illustration, in which the Son of man is likened to a shepherd. For the sake of completeness, the seven illustrations, beginning in Matthew 24, are as follows:

(i)	Verses 32-35	The fig tree	The need for awareness
(ii)	Verses 36-41	The flood	The need for readiness
(iii)	Verses 42-44	The thief	The need for watchfulness
(iv)	Verses 45-51	The householder	The need for faithfulness
(v)	Verses 1-13	The virgins	The need for alertness
(vi)	Verses 14-30	The talents	The need for busyness
(vii)	Verses 31-46	The shepherd	The hope of blessedness

(v) Verses 1-13
The virgins: The need for alertness

25:1
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins- as we have noted several times, the kingdom of heaven is the sphere of profession, consisting of the position taken up by those who claim to be subject to God’s kingdom-rule. So both sets of virgins claim to acknowledge God’s rule.

Another thing we have already noticed in connection with the parables of the kingdom is that it is the whole parable that is likened to the kingdom, not the people or things that feature in the parable. So all the things that happen in these thirteen verses build up a picture of what the sphere of profession is like.

The parable uses the circumstances of a Jewish wedding to illustrate one central point, that readiness for the coming of the bridegroom is vital. We should not be distracted by discussions about the church being the bride of Christ, and such things. The parable bears no relation to that truth.

Notice the word that begins the chapter. It is “then”, and this invites the question “when?” The answer is just prior to the coming of the Son of Man to earth, for that is the common setting for all the seven parables that follow the description of that event in 24:29-31.

Which took their lamps- clearly their task is to welcome the bridegroom upon his arrival, and to do so in a joyful way. It was customary in Israel to do this, and the lamps would be suspended on poles, and held aloft.

And went forth to meet the bridegroom- immediately after the rapture of the church saints, it will surely be that many, having heard the gospel, will be aroused from their apathy, and will realise that the Messiah is due to come after the last seven years of Daniel’s seventy weeks have run their course. In that sense they will go forth to meet Him in profession of faith, and they all will appear to bear testimony, (their lamps), to the fact that He is coming.

25:2
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish- this reinforces the fact that there is a mixture in the kingdom of heaven. Here, the difference is shown by wisdom on the part of some, and foolishness on the part of others. The fact that there was an equal number of each shows that the matter is not to be decided by who is in the majority.

25:3
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them- in this verse and the next one we learn what distinguishes the wise from the unwise. Both groups have lamps, but the foolish have taken no oil with them. This does not mean they have no oil at all, but that they have no separate vessel to carry a supply of oil should it be needed. We see this when we read the next verse.

25:4
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps- so all ten virgins had vessels to top up their lamps, but the foolish have not put oil in those vessels. They have enough oil for a certain time, but not enough to last until the bridegroom comes, especially if his coming is delayed, as in fact it was.

We need to consider at this point what the oil and the lamps represent. We learn from one of Zechariah’s visions, the one about the lampstand and the olive trees next to it, that the oil that fuels the lamps is the Holy Spirit, Zechariah 4:1-6. Olive oil is consistently a figure of the Holy Spirit in scripture. The Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism. There was no material oil used, as would normally be the case. This time the anointing was by the use of the Holy Spirit Himself.

So in what sense did both groups have the oil, representing the Holy Spirit? To answer that question we must put the parable in the context of the time just prior to the coming of the Son of Man to earth to set up His kingdom. There will be many in Israel who, influenced by the preaching of the 144,000 preachers of the gospel of the kingdom that will be sent forth, will be expecting the Messiah to come shortly. The ministry of these preachers will be empowered by the Holy Spirit Himself in all His fulness, and many will profess to embrace what they have to say. These preachers will no doubt draw heavily on the Old Testament scriptures as they tell of the coming Messiah. Sadly, however, there will be some who have the oil of Messianic testimony for the wrong reason. Like many in Christ’s day, they thought of the Messiah only as a conquering hero, and not as one, who, in the first instance, will suffer and die for sins. The expectation of the foolish virgins is an unintelligent one. There are many in Israel today who are expecting the Messiah to come, and they are filled with nationalistic pride at the prospect. But they do not recognise Him as the one who died to redeem and to save from sin.

Now what distinguishes the wise from the unwise is that the former have enough supply of oil to last until the bridegroom comes. They will be enabled to “endure to the end”, and as such show themselves to be the saved of the Lord, Matthew 24:13.

25:5
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept- the last seven years of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks is divided equally into two parts. During the first part, the Antichrist will be present, for he will have had a “coming”, as he begins to gain influence. In the subsequent three and a half years he will attract the allegiance of men by the way in which he can right wrongs, and bring in the “peace and safety” that men long for, see 1 Thessalonians 5:3. In this way he will lull men into a false sense of security, thinking that he is the answer to their problems. In this way he will present himself as the alternative to Christ, who also for three and a half years offered men rest for their souls.

As the Lord Jesus said, in connection with these future events, “The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it”, Luke 17:22. So those who long for the coming of the Son of man will find that they have to wait a comparatively long time. This is why the Lord also said, “In your patience possess ye your souls”, Luke 21:19. In other words, they were not to let their souls be agitated and out of control because of events all around them, but let patient waiting for Christ steady them.

25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

And at midnight there was a cry made- the apostle Paul likened the Tribulation Period to night, and darkness, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, assuring believers of this church age that they were not involved in that, for they were “not of the night, nor of darkness”, verse 5. Is it not logical to think that midnight, in the context of the Tribulation period, is the half-way point? This is the critical moment that divides “the beginning of sorrows”, from “great tribulation”, Matthew 24:8,21. The event which marks this moment is the setting up of the image of the Antichrist in the rebuilt temple at Jerusalem, and this will be the signal for the godly to flee, Matthew 24:15,16.

Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him- at this point it becomes evident that the antichrist is not the true Messiah, and therefore He must be awaited still. This is the equivalent to the midnight cry. The test is whether the virgins are equipped to go and meet Him.

25:7
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps- at this point all ten virgins profess to genuinely await the true Messiah. They realise that their slumbering has resulted in their lamp of testimony and rejoicing burning low, and that the wick needs to be trimmed so that the lamp may burn brightly again. All ten trim their lamps, the five wise ones with a sense of duty, the five foolish for the sake of appearances.

25:8
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out- the critical point is now reached, for the lack of oil with which to replenish their lamps and so keep them going until they met the bridegroom was now obvious. Mere national pride in being the nation from which the Messiah would come was not enough to sustain their testimony until He came.

25:9
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you- the foolish virgins did not realise two things. First, that the wise ones were very determined to be able to have a burning lamp right up until the time of the bridegroom’s arrival, even though he might possibly tarry again, as he had done before, verse 5.

But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves- the second thing the foolish did not realise was that the oil the wise had was not of the same sort as that had by the foolish. They must go to where they got their oil in the first place. The foolish wanted the wise to give, but the wise said “Go and buy”. This highlights the difference between the two sets of oil. One was the Spirit of God, which cannot be bought, but is freely given to those who believe. The other was the spirit of nationalism, furnished to them by those who taught the standard Jewish line that being of Israel was enough.

25:10
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came- their lack of preparedness cost them entry into the joy of the wedding feast, symbolic of the joy of Messiah’s kingdom. Clearly there were still those willing to “sell” them error about the relationship between Messiah and Israel. There will be many false prophets in those times, as the King has already warned them in the previous chapter, verse 24

And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage- so their true testimony continued until the end, and by this they showed that they were truly saved; their profession was real. By marriage is meant the marriage feast; obviously the virgins did not marry the bridegroom.

And the door was shut- this underlines the seriousness of having the right oil, and enough of it. The foolish virgins are foolish for this reason.

25:11
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us- they still persist in their expectation that they qualify to enjoy the wedding feast. They also still persist in their profession of knowing the bridegroom and respecting Him. But as He Himself said elsewhere, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. Matthew 7:21-23. The whole of chapter seven is a commentary on what it means to be a wise man, who builds his house upon the rock, verses 24,25. The foolish man built on the sand, verses 26,27. To do this is to work iniquity, for it is to disregard the word of the King.

25:12
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not- it is not that the King knew them not because He had forgotten about them, or that they had once believed on Him but now did not. In the language of Matthew 7:23, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. To work iniquity is to be shown up as a sinner, for we read, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God”, 1 John 3:10. Despite seeming to have an interest in the coming of the Messiah, the fact was that they had no personal relationship with Him, as was shown by the fact that the oil they had in their vessels could be bought, and was not given by grace.

25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh- this highlights the main point of the parable, namely the need for alertness. The Lord Jesus instructed His disciples to watch in Gethsemane, but they fell asleep. So sleeping is the opposite of watching. So if verses 11 and 12 are a warning to the foolish virgins, this is a warning to the wise, for they also fell asleep, verse 5. Unlike the foolish ones, the wise ones had oil enough to keep their testimony bright until the bridegroom came, but still they must keep alert.

Note that the coming of the bridegroom is the coming of the Son of man in the explanation. This expression always refers to Christ coming to earth, either at His first coming, (“the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”, Luke 19:10), or His second coming to earth, (“When the Son of man shall come in his glory”, Matthew 25:31). So the parable has not to do with Christ’s coming into the air to take His church saints to the Father’s house, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

(vi) Verses 14-30
The talents
The need for busyness

25:14
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country- whilst we are not specifically told that the man in question is the Lord Jesus, from verse 30 we learn that this person has control over the eternal destiny of men, and so must be the Lord Himself. This being the case, the parable spans the time when he left the disciples from the Mount of Olives, and returned to the “far country”, meaning heaven, and then, after a long time, returned. This takes account of the present age being a long one, but given the context, has not to do with the present age. There will be many serving the Lord during the tribulation period, and their time is limited. They will need to be busy in the work of the Lord, and this parable encourages them in that. Of course, we may make the application to this present age as well.

Who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods- they are hereby placed in a position of great trust, (for he gave them his goods), and that trust deserved to be valued. How much they valued it depended on the individual servants.

25:15
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one- the man obviously had turned his goods into money, and allotted some to each of three servants. We have become used to the idea of a talent as a natural ability. So people speak of a talented pianist and so on. It is important to notice that the talent here is a piece of money, and represents the lord’s goods turned into cash. It would be a mistake to insert here teaching about gifts given to members of the church in order to serve the Lord’s interests during this age.

To every man according to his several ability- because they were his own servants, verse 14, the man knew how they had performed in the past, and so entrusted them with the number of talents that he knew from experience they could handle. It is not relevant to the subject of the parable to ask what they did before. The main point is, what will they do in the absence of their lord?

And straightway took his journey- the servants were to immediately begin their activity, since the man went on his way without delay.

25:16
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

25:17
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

So both of these servants worked with the same diligence and skill as they had when the lord was present. This was what the lord could reasonably expect, and what he would eventually reward.

25:18
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money- when his lord was present, this man had shown a certain level of ability, as represented by the one talent entrusted to him. Now, however, he chooses to take the easy way out, and not bother to try to multiply what his lord has given him. He shows a lack of courage and initiative, and also a lack of diligence. Digging a hole in the ground is no substitute for working hard for his lord. In any case, what if someone saw him hide the talent, and went to the place afterwards and stole it?

25:19
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them- the servants had plenty of time to increase what their lord gave them. Being a parable, the “long time” need not be taken literally. In fact, the period will be seven years; much can be done in that period of time.

25:20
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents- the servant had a due regard for the responsibility resting on him from the beginning of his lord’s absence. Note that he brought the five talents he had gained, whereas the one-talent servant could not even be bothered to do that, as is later revealed.

Behold, I have gained beside them five talents more- so the five-talent servant maintained his level of diligence, and showed himself to be loyal to his lord during his absence. In the parable of the pounds, Luke 19:11-27, the money was traded with, such is the sense of the word “occupy”. Here we are simply told that the servant gained other five talents, with no hint as to how he did it. The point is his diligence, not his success.

25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant- the word used for good here means “good because useful”, whereas another word is “good because virtuous”. So the emphasis is on the profitability of the servant, not his virtue. He was also faithful, for he served as well with his master absent as he did with his master present.

Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things- having had his reliability tested, this servant is rewarded with a far greater responsibility, for he has earned the trust of his lord.

Enter thou into the joy of thy lord- in order to gain five extra talents, the man may have had to endure hardship and difficulty, but it is now fully, (in fact one might say, more than fully), compensated by his reward. In the context of the parable, the joy of the lord is the blessedness of being in Messiah’s kingdom when He comes to reign.

25:22
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

25:23
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

The two-talent servant is treated exactly the same, and also enters into his lord’s joy. The fact that he did not gain five talents is beside the point here. The question is whether he was faithful and diligent with what was given him at the start. He is as much in the enjoyment of his lord’s joy as the other.

25:24
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

We gain insights into his thoughts about his lord by what this man says. He thinks him to be a hard or severe man. The reason he gives for this opinion is that he reaped where he did not sow. In other words, he expected a harvest without doing any work. In this way the servant justifies his lack of work. The word “strawed” was often used in connection with the process of winnowing corn. So the servant accuses his lord of expecting a harvest without sowing any seed, and expecting to gather corn into his barn without making the effort to winnow on the threshingfloor.

25:25
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

And I was afraid- instead of love for his lord he had fear, but he had no rational reason for his fear. It was not that his lord ill-treated him; sadly he expected to gain without labour. Perhaps there is resentment showing through here, and the servant begrudges the fact that he was expected to work while the lord went on his journey.

And went and hid thy talent in the earth- this is reckless and irresponsible. The man acknowledges that the talent is his lord’s talent still. That being the case, he should have taken great care of it, and not buried it in the ground where it might be discovered and stolen.

Lo, there thou hast that is thine- the man cannot even be bothered to dig the talent up and clean it up, ready to give back to his lord. he simply tells him it is where he hid it, and he must retrieve it for himself. This servant is idle, and does not merit the title servant.

25:26
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

25:27
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

By his words to his returning lord, the servant shows that he has a hostile, wicked mind towards him, and by his lack of action in regard to the talent, he is rightly called slothful.

His lord will not answer to the description “hard man”, but he does agree that he would not shrink from putting money in a savings account in order to gain interest. In this way it would be the banker that would do the work, and he would reap at least some of the harvest. But the servant could not even be bothered to do this.

25:28
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents- by this action the man is stripped of his role as servant, having shown himself untrustworthy and lacking in discernment and diligence.

And give it unto him which hath ten talents- this would indicate that even after the return of the lord, the work is still to continue, so to enter into the joy of the lord is not an invitation to idleness. “His servants shall serve him” is said of the holy city, heavenly Jerusalem, so we may think it would be so in the earthly kingdom of Christ as well. So the man who showed the most amount of diligence prior to the going away of the lord, (as is seen by the fact that he was entrusted with five talents and not two), is rewarded. It took greater diligence to maintain the five talents and turn them into ten, that to maintain two talents and turn them into four.

25:29
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance- the giving of the talent to the five-talent servant, and the taking of it away from the one-talent servant, establishes certain principles in connection with service. The first is that energetic service will be rewarded over and above what the apparent results are. And also, those who are rewarded with the extra “one talent”, are to think of that as an abundance. After all, the Lord Jesus taught His disciples that “when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do”, Luke 17:10. Any reward is to be thought of as undeserved, and purely of God’s grace.

But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath- the taking away of the talent from the man was a sign that he was not a true servant, and justifies the judgement pronounced on him in the next verse. He was not in sympathy with his lord, he did not hold him in esteem, (even though he called him lord, he reckoned him to be a hard man), nor did he show any inclination to benefit his lord by his actions, being lazy.

25:30
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness- we should remember that the parable is about the kingdom of heaven, the sphere of professed allegiance to God. This man shows he has no relationship to God, and in this he is like the foolish virgins. There is no possibility of a true believer being cast into outer darkness, but the certainty for the unbeliever is that he will be banished there. By outer darkness is meant the Lake of fire, Revelation 20:5.

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth- in that place there will be eternal regret for squandering the opportunity of repenting, believing, and serving.

Special note on three judgement days
1. The Judgement Seat of Christ, sometimes referred to as The Bema, for that is the Greek word used for seat. This will take place in heaven after the rapture of the church saints when the Lord descends from heaven to escort them to the Father’s house. This is not a judicial session, for sins as deserving the wrath of God will not be in view at that time. Only believers will be present. The matters under review will be the believer’s service in relation to the local assembly; his service in relation to the world, and his attitude to fellow-believers. The result of the Lord’s assessment of His people at this time will determine the level of reward they receive for what they have done for Him. Some Scriptures referring to this are Romans 14:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 John 2:28; Rev. 22:12,13.

2. The Judgement of the Living Nations, as described by the Lord Himself in the passage we are considering. This is not to be confused with the judgement at the end of time. Rather, it takes place immediately after the Lord has come in glory to set up His kingdom on earth, and those alive after the Tribulation Period will be assessed as to their attitude to the Jewish remnant who have passed through that period. What they did will show whether they themselves are believers are not, for as the apostle John writes, “he that doeth righteousness is righteous”, 1 John 3:7. That does not mean that righteousness may be gained by doing righteous acts, for that is contrary to the gospel, and in any case, sinners are not able to do righteous acts. The apostle is saying that a righteous nature will invariably manifest itself in righteous deeds. And this is what those do who are blessed at this judgement, for they will have shown real faith by their attitude to suffering believers. All such will be allowed into the kingdom, those who are not such go to the lake of fire. Some relevant scriptures are: Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 17:30,31; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Hebrews 10:26,27; Jude 14,15.

4. The Great White Throne Judgement, spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15. This is the final judgement, at which the unsaved dead of all the ages will stand before God to hear His sentence on their sins, and to be banished to the lake of fire for ever. Other references are Acts 17:30,31; Romans 2:5-16; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:7.

Special note on the differences between the judgement of the living nations of Matthew 25, and the great white throne judgement of Revelation 20

1. The timing is different.

The living nations will be judged just after the Son of man has come to earth to set up His kingdom. The great white throne occurs after the end of the one thousand years of that kingdom, as Revelation 20 makes clear.

2. The throne is different.

In the one judgement, the King will sit on His own throne on earth, which He Himself calls the throne of His glory. The other throne is the throne of God in heaven, where God has always been seated.

3. Those judged are different.

In the one, it is those who survive the Great Tribulation, whereas the other company is the total number of those who have rejected God from the beginning of time.

4. The test is different.

At the one, the test will be what their reaction was to those who were true to God. At the other, the test is the record of the books of works.

5. The outcome is different for some.

In the one, those that showed they were believers were allowed to enter Christ’s kingdom. Those who were shown to not be believers were cast into the lake of fire. In the other, there are no believers present, and all are consigned to the lake of fire.

6. The response is different.

In the one, the righteous and the unrighteous both have things to say. In the other, there is total silence.

(vii) Verses 31-46
The shepherd
The hope of blessedness

25:31
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:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory- the personal glory of Christ shall shine forth in the day He reveals Himself to men. The last time they saw Him was when He was taken down from a cross, perhaps covered in blood; in a day to come He will be covered in glory.

In Mark 8:38 we learn that not only will the Son of man come in His own glory, but that of His Father also. So not only will His acquired glory shine forth, (the glory given to Him as the reward for the cross), but the glory He shares equally with the Father shall be seen, that which has ever been His.

He had given a foretaste of this to three of His disciples on the mount of transfiguration. On that occasion the glory that is mentioned here shone forth, and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light, Matthew 17:2. So the glory that will manifest itself when He comes to set up His kingdom has already been previewed. The apostle Peter was one of those who were there, and he wrote later on that by the events on the top of the mountain, the word of prophecy which told of Messiah’s kingdom, was shown to be sure, 2 Peter 1:16-19.

And all the holy angels with him- Enoch had foretold this before the Flood, for he said, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him”, Jude 14,15.

It is also true that His people of this age shall be with Him when He comes, for the apostle Paul wrote, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory”, Colossians 3:4. No doubt the Lord does not mention this because the church age was a mystery until the apostle Paul was entrusted with the task of revealing it, Ephesians 3.

Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory- as the Lord said to the church of the Laodiceans, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne”, Revelation 3:21.

When announcing His birth, the angel said to Mary, “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David”, Luke 1:31,32. God Himself will say to Him, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom”, Hebrews 1:8. We read “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father”, 1 Chronicles 29:23. So the throne of David was reckoned to be the throne of the Lord. One day the Lord Jesus will sit on that throne, and no-one else will ever sit on it again. Currently He is seated on the right hand of His Father’s throne in heaven, but soon He will sit on His own throne on earth, and His enemies will be made His footstool, Hebrews 1:13.

25:32
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:

And before him shall be gathered all nations- the Lord Jesus has been entrusted with the task of judging all men, for two reasons. First, because His Father is determined to ensure that all men honour His Son as they honour Him, John 5:23. In other words, in recognition of His Deity. Second, He has been given all judgement because He is Son of man, John 5:27. Because He came into manhood, and lived amongst men on earth, and also because the record of that life is found in the Four Gospels, men have had ample opportunity to react to Him and believe on Him. If they do not do so, they may expect certain judgement, and one aspect of that judgement is before us in Matthew 25.

As Son of David the Lord Jesus stands in relation to the nation of Israel, and will rule over them from Zion. But He also stands in relation, as Son of man, to all men, of whatever nation. This gives Him authority over the nations, and we see the beginning of that here.

And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats- at this point the account becomes a sort of parable, with the figure of a shepherd and his flocks used to depict the Son of man and the people of the world. We are reminded that God’s ideal king is a shepherd king. The prophet Micah wrote of Christ that He would be ruler in Israel, Micah 5:2, and when those words are quoted in the New Testament the word for rule means to shepherd.

25:33
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left- the different natures of sheep and goat justify them being separated in real life, for they have different feeding habits, and different attitudes, amongst other things. The right hand is associated with blessing in Scripture, as is seen in that Jacob gave Ephraim a superior blessing with his right hand upon his head, Genesis 48:8-20.

25:34
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:

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand- the account now reverts back to simple account, the metaphor of the shepherd and his sheep and goats having served its purpose. It is now the King who is speaking.

Come, ye blessed of my Father- we are reminded that Christ’s kingdom is a mediatorial kingdom, and He will act throughout as one acting in His Father’s interests, as is seen in that He gives up the kingdom to His Father at the end of the thousand years, 1 Corinthians 15:24. The blessing He pronounces on these people is the blessing His Father is graciously giving because they have sided with His Son during the Tribulation Period.

Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world- as James stated, “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world”, Acts 15:18. And the writer to the Hebrews links the finishing of the work of creation with the kingdom rest of Christ, Hebrews 4:3-5. Whilst these people do not come into the good of a heavenly place, they do have the privilege of living in Messiah’s earthly kingdom. Perhaps Isaiah 60 is a description of the coming of the Gentiles into association with Israel and Jerusalem in that day.

Special note on salvation by works
The following words of the Lord Jesus are often badly misunderstood. Many take this passage to mean that if they do good works they will have a place in Christ’s kingdom. This is directly contrary to the truth of God, for the simple reason that it does not take account of reality. The apostle John was very clear that “he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous”, 1 John 3:7. So only those whose righteousness is of the sort Christ has, (namely, not apparent righteousness but real righteousness), can do righteous things. This is the order of things. Not “works to become righteous”, but “be reckoned righteous by God in order to be able to do righteous deeds”. Salvation is not, never has been and never will be by works. As the apostle Paul points out, “if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory”, Romans 4:2. God will never allow a system of things which deprives Him of glory.

25:35
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:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink- conditions will be very difficult for believers during the Tribulation Period. Not only will there be famine, brought on by God as judgement, Revelation 6:5,6, but those who refuse to worship the antichrist will not be able to buy or sell, and so will be in danger of starving, Revelation 13:17. No wonder the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”, Matthew 6:11.

I was a stranger, and ye took me in- persecuted from one place to another, believers will have no certain dwelling place. If, when they present themselves at the door of someone they think may be sympathetic, and they are given hospitality, those who do this show that they are believers.

25:36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Naked, and ye clothed me- this need not mean that the person has no clothes on his back, but simply that he is either lightly clad, or poorly clad. Either way, the sympathetic believer, (for such he is proved to be), supplies the need.

I was sick, and ye visited me- in the days to which this relates, the 144,000 preachers of the gospel of the kingdom who shall be raised up at that time, will be able to heal, as we learn from Matthew 10:8. (That this chapter does not just relate to the twelve apostles at the time is seen in the fact that the Lord envisages a work which will be unfinished when He comes as Son of man, for He said, “Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Judah, till the Son of man be come”, Matthew 10:23. This suggests that their successors, the sealed servants of Revelation 7, will begin their preaching in the uttermost parts of the earth, and work their way back to the land of Israel). Even though they will be able to heal the sick in those days, it will not be their main task, so many of their converts may fall sick and not be reached. The people spoken to here take the trouble to visit them in their affliction, to offer some sympathy and consolation, and even, perhaps to give them medication.

I was in prison, and ye came unto me- many will be imprisoned for their faith in those days. Even today there are many believers in prison for their faith, their only “crime” being that they own the name of Christ. This is a sure sign that the enemy of God has lost the battle, for if he had truth on his side he would not need to shut away those who believe in God. It will be a dangerous thing to visit someone in prison under the circumstances prevailing during the Tribulation Period, and will immediately arouse the suspicions of evil men, who will conclude that the visitors sympathise with the prisoner’s beliefs.

25:37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

25:38
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

25:39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Then shall the righteous answer him- notice that Matthew does not hesitate to call these people righteous, so they were righteous by imputation.

Saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? They did not appreciate the implications of what they were doing when they did them. They were simply expressing a righteous concern for those of like mind to themselves.

25:40
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.

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- the King is closely associated with those that have been helped, and reckons what was done to these He calls His bethren was in fact done to Him. Saul of Tarsus discovered this principle on the Damascus Road, for the question the Lord asked him was “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9 4.

The Lord made clear that those who do the will of God and who obey the word of God are His brethren, as is seen from Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21. In particular, they are those who serve Him in an age to come when the Antichrist is dominating the affairs of the world, and he is seeking to overcome the saints.

25:41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels- this is the sad destiny of those who, in the Tribulation Period, will show no interest in the things of God.

Note that the everlasting fire is prepared for the devil and his angels, but those who side with them will share their doom. The fire was not specifically prepared for these men, but they fit themselves for destruction by their unbelief, as Romans 9:22 makes clear.

25:42
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

25:43
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

It was not that they did not know about these conditions, but that when presented with the opportunity, they showed no empathy with those who were in great need because of their stand for God. It is not that they were simply uncharitable, for many are like that today, but that they expressed their hostility to God by deliberately not helping these believers in their hour of need.

25:44
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?

25:45
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.

Not realising that their lack of concern would have such results, they deliberately ignored the needs of those who named the name of Christ, and in this way showed their indifference to the work of God. They are not like the foolish virgins, who made a pretence at being genuine and then were exposed; these had no intention of siding with the things of God at all.

25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment- note that the King, who is equal with God, gives His word here that the everlasting fire of which he speaks is a punishment; it is not remedial, with those punished released after a time. Once they have entered the fire they shall never come out. If it be asked why these are punished when Christ died for sins on the cross, the answer is that on the cross he was undertaking to suffer the penalty for sins. He should not be said to have been punished for sins, for strictly speaking punishment can only be borne by the one who has sinned. It is perfectly possible for sins that Christ paid the penalty for at Calvary can be punished in everlasting fire. Christ’s death had the character of propitiation, and was primarily concerned with defending and maintaining the honour of God in regard to the matter of sins. He satisfied every demand of God in regard to sins, and laid the foundation for the blessing of men on the cross in the three hours of darkness. That work having been completely and finally done, men enter into the blessing of it through faith. The benefit is not automatic. Only when a person believes does he escape the punishment of his sins, for his representative and mediator has given God the just basis on which his sins may all be forgiven. This happens when he believes the gospel, not when Christ died.

But the righteous into life eternal- in the Old Testament eternal life was thought of in terms of being in Messiah’s kingdom when it was set up. Here is the realisation of this, and these go straight into the kingdom. It is an interesting question as to whether they have changed bodies as they do so. This is probably not the case, for there are going to be children born during Christ’s reign, and those who have resurrection bodies will not be able to produce children.

At the present time, the Lord Jesus assures those who believe that the moment they pass from death unto life they have everlasting life, and do not have to wait for the resurrection day to possess eternal life, which is the very life of the Eternal God.