Signs of Christ's Return

The Judgment of the Nations--Part 1
by
John MacArthur
All Rights Reserved

(A copy of this message on cassette tape may be obtained by calling 1-800-55-GRACE)
Matthew 25:31-32a    Tape GC 2378

Introduction

The text we will be studying in the next few lessons is Matthew 25:31- 46, which talks about judgment. In this lesson we'll be looking specifically at verses 31-32, which say, "When the Son of man shall come in glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats."

A. The Truth About Judgment

1. The inevitability of judgment

Numbers 32:23 says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." There is no way to escape sin. It must be punished. Holy God stands in the place of a judge who must execute punishment. Psalm 90:8 says, "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." What might appear secret to us is in full view of God's eyes. In Proverbs we read, "Evil pursueth sinners" (13:21). The consequence of sin is like one's shadow; it cannot be removed. Isaiah 3:11 says, "Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him."

Judgment for sin is inevitable. Romans 1:18 says "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (emphasis added). Romans 2:9 adds, "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil."

2. The indemnity from judgment

Will Christians face the judgment of God? No! They have the marvelous privilege of having their substitute--Jesus Christ-- take their punishment. By God's grace, when you put your faith in Christ, your sins are judged in Christ. That's why Christ died on the cross. He paid the penalty for all the sin in this world. Those who receive Christ have the debt of sin paid for. However, those who do not accept Christ's lordship and His atonement for sin will bear the punishment for their own sin.

3. The impartation of judgment

Adam sinned, the world fell under a curse. One sin committed by one man devastated the entire human race. That shows how God feels about sin! In Genesis 6, when God saw the utter wickedness of the people on the earth, He drowned every man with the exception of eight righteous souls. Throughout the Bible we read of various cities and individuals that have been destroyed in judgment. Those are warnings that God judges sin. Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Anyone who believes that good works or God's kindness--apart from salvation through Christ--will make God overlook sin is wrong.

Judgment is imminent. And in Matthew 25:31-46, we will be taking a close look at the judgment that will take place at Christ's second coming.

B. The Truth About Jesus

1. The revealing of the King

Matthew presents Christ as King. In chapter 1 he traces Jesus' royal lineage. In chapter 2 He shows that the current ruler, Herod, felt threatened by the birth of Christ. It was Matthew who spoke of the wise men--the oriental kingmakers--who offered Jesus homage and presented Him royal gifts. In chapter 3 He writes of Christ's herald, John the Baptist, who was appointed to announce His coming. In chapter 4 he notes that when Satan offered Christ all the kingdoms of the world, Christ rejected the offer because He knew He was entitled to rule the world. Christ's kingship is revealed again in the Sermon on the Mount, which presents the standards of Christ's kingdom. Then Matthew writes about Christ's miracles to show His absolute sovereignty and power. In Matthew 28:18 he concludes his gospel with Christ's saying, "All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

2. The rejection of the King

Sadly enough, Matthew also speaks of the rejection of Christ. Not long after the angelic host heralded Christ's birth, many mothers were weeping because Herod slaughtered their babies in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus (Matt. 2:16-18). Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt to protect their baby's life. When they returned to their homeland, they lived in obscurity in the nondescript village of Nazareth. He grew up there as a prophet without honor (Matt. 13:57). In fact, some people in Nazareth even tried to throw Him off a cliff to kill Him (Luke 4:28-30).

It was Matthew who said Christ's herald (John the Baptist) had his head chopped off (Matt. 14:10). The religious leaders accused Jesus of being a glutton and drunkard (Matt. 11:19), and said He was of Satan (Matt. 12:24). In a parable in chapter 22, Christ spoke of the rejection He faced and said the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him just as they had killed all the other prophets of God. When Christ died, He said to the Father, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46).

3. The return of the King

Matthew went into greatest detail about Christ's second coming in Matthew 24--25. There are other references to the Lord's return in Matthew as well: Matthew 16:27-28 says, "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Matthew 19:28 speaks of the regeneration, which is when Christ will sit on the throne of His glory and the disciples sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 25:31 says that when the Son of Man comes, He will sit on His throne. Immediately after that (v. 34) He begins the judgment process (see pp. xx-xx). It is uncertain when the judgment will take place in relation to the end of the tribulation. The second half of the tribulation will last for three and one-half years (1,260 days; Rev. 11:3). But Daniel said that 1,335 days will pass before the kingdom is completely established, which gives us seventy-five days after the end of the tribulation. What will happen during those seventy-five days? We don't know; but it is certain that Christ will come in judgment during that time. If judgment takes place right at the beginning of the seventy-five days, it could be that the remaining days are a period of cleaning up after judgment. It may be that the dead bodies from the terrible battle of Armageddon will be buried during that time (Ezek. 39:12-13).

Regardless of exactly what will happen, we know that once Christ returns, there will be no time for unsaved people to suddenly receive Christ. It will be too late. Judgment will take place immediately, just as it does the moment a person dies. The minute you die, the decision you made regarding Christ is crystallized for eternity. There will be no further opportunity for unregenerate people to make a choice.

Lesson

I. THE JUDGE

A. The Word from the Son of Man

John 5:22 says, "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." In Matthew 28 Christ says, "All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (v. 18). So the Father has delegated judgment to the Son. Matthew 25:31-32 says, "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. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another." "The Son of man" in Matthew 25 is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why Did Christ Call Himself "the Son of Man"?

The title Jesus used most often for Himself is "the Son of Man." I believe there are several reasons for that.

1. It confirms His humiliation

By calling Himself the Son of Man, Jesus affirmed He was God incarnate--God become man. It was an affirmation of the servant spirit He had. Matthew 20:28 says, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The phrase "Son of Man" emphasizes Christ's condescension and His identification with us.

2. It is less offensive to His enemies

If Christ had called Himself "the Son of God" and not "the Son of Man," He might have generated a lot of hostility. The Jewish religious leaders would have been especially resentful of that. Even with the circumstances as they were, the Jewish leaders took His life after three years of ministry. God had already preordained the time of Christ's death, and He controlled that circumstances that led up to it. That Christ didn't call Himself "Son of God" in Matthew 25:31 to keep from being offensive is only conjecture, but it may explain to us why He didn't.

3. It is more subtle

Had Christ called Himself "Son of God" or even "King" all the time, His friends would have probably put greater pressure on Him to establish His rule immediately. They would have wanted Him to end the Roman rule over Israel. Jesus wanted to keep a low profile in line with the purpose of His first coming.

4. It provides a contrast with His future role

In Matthew 25:31 Christ calls Himself the Son of Man, but then in verses 34 and 40 He calls Himself the King because He will establish His rule when He returns. He uses both titles for Himself in Matthew 25 to show that the Son of Man and the King are the same. When He speaks of future judgment, He calls Himself King to show the transition from His humiliation to His glorification.

Christ didn't flaunt His kingship at His first coming. In Matthew 24--25, He was speaking privately to the disciples, not publicly before a crowd. Later on when Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king, Jesus responded indirectly (John 18:37). Even though Jesus didn't aggressively assert that He was King, the people knew He claimed to be so. The sign posted on His cross said, "Jesus, of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John 19:19). So Christ downplayed His kingship at His first coming and called Himself "the Son of Man."

B. The Wait for the Son of Man

When Christ returns, He will judge the world. The unbelievers of the world are like partygoers on a descending jet with a dead pilot. There may be a party going on now, but there's a tremendous crash coming. The world is rapidly accelerating toward its doom.

The promise of Christ's returning to judge the world is not isolated in Matthew. Jude 14-15 says, "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied ... saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly." Enoch probably declared the first prophecy of Christ's second coming, and that was back in the earliest period of the Old Testament era.

C. The Work of the Son of Man

1. At His first coming

What's remarkable about Christ is not that He will return, but that He came at all the first time to make forgiveness possible for man. God, being infinitely holy, could have come to earth the first time to judge man for his sinfulness. Instead, He came to redeem us. He showed love to us when we were unlovely. He wanted to offer us salvation. He became a servant and died on a cross so that we might live. He has yet to judge man. He will do that later. But when He does, it will be a terrible judgment that will surely be beyond anything we can envision or communicate.

2. At His second coming

a) With the angels

Matthew 25:31 says that when Christ returns, angels will be with Him. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1:7, "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." Imagine what the scene will be like to those on the earth at that time. Matthew 24:29-30 says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

After the heavens become dark, Christ will return in full blazing glory. The light will be so blinding that the unregenerate people of the world will cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the coming wrath. They won't be able to stand Christ's unveiled glory. Those who do not know God will be punished with everlasting destruction, and those who are believers will glorify Christ.

b) With the saints

Colossians 3:4 says, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." The saints who were raptured at the beginning of the tribulation as well as the spirits of the Old Testament saints will return with Christ to establish His kingdom.

Revelation 19 describes that scene for us in great detail. In verse 11 John says, "I saw heaven opened and, behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." That's the second time John saw heaven open up. The first time was in Revelation 4:1. I believe the first time he saw it opened up was to bring in the raptured church, and the second time was to let Christ return with the saints.

Christ will come as a conquering King on a white horse. The white horse symbolizes His holiness. Verses 12-14 say, "His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." The angels and the saints comprise the army that will return with Christ.

Verses 15-16 continue, "Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords." When Christ returns, judgment will be immediate. There will be no time to change your mind about Him.

II. THE TIME OF JUDGMENT

Matthew 25:31-32 says judgment will take place when the Son of Man returns. Yet we don't know exactly when He will return once the tribulation ends. What we do know is that when Christ returns, He will come with all the holy angels and His saints. He will come in full glory and will "sit upon the throne of his glory" (v. 31). Then comes judgment. Verse 32 says, "Before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." So men will either be judged at the moment of their death or at the moment of Christ's return.

III. THE PLACE OF JUDGMENT

Matthew 25:31 says Christ will "sit upon the throne of his glory." Where is that throne? The answer is in Isaiah 9:6-7, a prophecy about the coming King: "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever." Christ will judge from the throne of David, which is on Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22). An angel says this about Jesus in Luke 1:32-33: "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. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Christ will rule on the throne of Jacob in Jerusalem. That will become a historical reality in an actual geographical location.

Zechariah 14:4 says that when Christ returns, "His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in its midst toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." When Mount Zion is split to create the new valley, the topography of Jerusalem as we know it now will be destroyed. Why will that valley be created? The prophet Joel says this: "Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye nations, and gather yourselves together round about; there cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe; come, get down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision" (Joel 3:11-14).

The valley created at Christ's return will be the valley of decision--the place where God determines the eternal destiny of those on earth at the time. Verses 15-17 continue, "The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more." The Lord will instantly sanctify the city. And He will soon return bodily to reign there.

IV. THE SUBJECTS OF JUDGMENT

Matthew 25:32 says that when Christ returns, all the nations will be gathered before Him. The word translated "nations" is the Greek word ethna, which means "all the people"--everyone alive at the time of the second coming. They will be gathered before the Lord and "He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" (v. 32).

Who will be alive at the second coming of Christ? We know they weren't redeemed at the time the tribulation began because they didn't go with the church at the rapture. But during the tribulation, 144,000 Jewish believers (Rev. 7:4-8) and two special witnesses (Rev. 11:3-12) will preach the gospel all over the world. There will also be an angel preaching the gospel message "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev. 14:6). Many people will become saved as a result. Revelation 7:9 says a great multitude of Gentiles will be saved and Romans 11:26 says "all Israel shall be saved."

There will also be many unsaved people alive at the time of Christ's return. Many unsaved people will be killed during the tribulation as God pours out His wrath, but those who survive will face Christ in judgment. By that time, it will be too late for them to make a decision to receive Christ. Matthew 25:46 says that when Christ returns, He shall send the ungodly into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into eternal life. There will be no second chance.

Focusing on the Facts

1. What does God say about man's sin? Support your answer (see p. 1).

2.Will Christians face judgment? Explain (see p. 1).

3.What do John 5:22 and Matthew 28:18 confirm for us (see p. 4)?

4.What are some likely reasons that Christ called Himself the Son of Man (see pp. 4-5)?

5.What remarkable truth should we appreciate about Christ in relation to His first and second comings (see p. 5)?

6.With whom will Christ return, according to 2 Thessalonians 1:7? Describe the scene from the perspective of those alive on the earth at that time (see p. 6).

7.How does Revelation 19:11-16 describe Christ's return? Who will be with Him when He returns (see p. 6)?

8.Where will Christ sit when He comes in judgment (Matt. 25:31; Heb. 12:22; see p. 7)?

9.How do Zechariah 14:4 and Joel 3:11-17 describe Christ's return (see pp. 7-8)?

10.Who will be alive at the second coming of Christ (see p. 8)?

Pondering the Principles

1.Reread the section entitled Why Did Christ Call Himself the Son of Man? Imagine the transition Christ made in leaving His glorious place in heaven to become a servant on earth. What did He have to give up when He did that? If an earthly king did the same thing, how long do you think he could tolerate it? What does the fact that Christ was willing to humiliate Himself tell you about Him? Spend some time now thanking Him for all that He went through to make your salvation possible.

2.Read Revelation 19:11-16 and Joel 3:11-17, considering the power, majesty, and glory that will be displayed when Christ returns. Our God is a mighty God, and we will witness the fullness of all that He is when we enter into His eternal kingdom. Meditate on Psalm 96, and let your heart respond in praise to God as you reflect on His majesty.

Added to the John MacArthur "Study Guide" Collection by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
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