The final two segment of this discussion has been and is dealing with a series of judgments that must take place before the Kingdom of God is established on the new earth. Judgment one and two was discussed in the previous segment. Now lets began with;
JUDGMENT NO. 3
1. Subjects-- The JEWS.
2. Time-- "The Great Tribulation."
3. Place-- Jerusalem and Vicinity.
4. Basis of Judgment-- Rejection of the Godhead.
5.Result-- Their Conversion and Reception of Christ as Their
Messiah.
This judgment is FUTURE.
This Judgment is controversial because it denies the church the
right to lay claim to the promise God made to Abraham and his seeds. The
acceptance of that statement will allow a hidden Bible truth to emerge.
Understanding this Judgment will also provide an important key to a
deeper understanding of the Bible. This is a part of
the prophecies that many ruler, nations and churches have tried to
eradicate.
In a church Bible Study I was hastily chastened for making reference
to the rebuilding of the Jewish temple before the time of the end. A
scripture out of context was read stating the we are no longer Jews or Gentiles
and since the coming of Christ there has been no need for a temple
to be built.
Jesus also foretold the building of the Third
Temple, after the destruction by the Romans in A.D. 70. In Matthew 24:2,
Jesus told the disciples after they commented about the beauty of the
Temple, that not one stone would be left upon another. This was fulfilled
in A.D. 70, by the Romans under Titus. Matthew
24:14-15, Later Jesus refers to
the time of the end, when the Third Temple would be defiled, causing the
abomination of desolation. 14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will
be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and
then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of
desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, STANDING in the holy
place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
The abomination of desolation is referred to
three times in the book of Daniel, (Daniel 9:27,11;31, 12:11). Each mention
refers to the Temple being defiled. Paul also notes the need for a Third Temple and
the role the Temple will play. The anti-Christ will enter the
Temple and proclaim himself to be God. This is consistent with the
words of Jesus and Daniel about the role this Temple will play.
"Let no man deceive you by
any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, shewing himself that he is God." (2nd Thessalonians
2:3-4)
The long absence of a
Temple and Israel's gathering are also foretold by Hosea. The many
days refers to our own day. The only other time, since Hosea
day there was no Temple was for the 70-year period, between
586 B.C. and 516 B.C. Seventy years does not
qualify as a long absence when when the only other time is over 1900
years.
"For thou art an holy people
unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar
people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the
earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2)
God’s relationship to Israel, is based on his word,
to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The special
relationship between Israel and God is holy, Israel has a specific
purpose in the Earth. They are unique among the nations. From these
verses in Deuteronomy we can conclude the following points about God’s
relationship with Israel.
• God chose
Israel
• Israel as a
nation is distinct from all the other nations.
• The Lord loves
Israel
• God will keep
his word he made to the fathers
A point to
remember the church and the Jews are two different groups and the
promises made to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were promises
made to the Jews not the Church. The Children of Isreal are referred to
as the bride of God the Father The Church is referred to as the
bride of Jesus.
While the Church is being judged at the Judgment Seat
of Christ in the air, the Jews will be judged under Antichrist on the
earth. The Jews are an "earthly" people; and as all the
promises to them are "earthly," it follows that their judgment must
be of an "earthly" character. The basis of
their judgment is their "rejection of the Godhead." In the
days of Samuel they rejected God the Father. "And
the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people
in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but
they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." (1st Samuel 8:7)
In the days
of Christ they rejected God the Son. "And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and
release unto us Barabbas." (Luke 23:18)
In the days of Stephen they rejected God the Holy Spirit. "For their sin they have been scattered among the nations until the "Times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled." (Acts 7:51,54-60)
When the "Times of the Gentiles" are about to end the Jews will be gathered back to the Holy Land "unconverted," and caused to "pass under the rod." Ezekiel 20:34-38. They will be cast into God's "Melting Pot" (Ezekiel 22:19-22), and pass through an experience spoken of by Jeremiah and Daniel as the "TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE." Jeremiah 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1. Christ calls it "The Great Tribulation," and He and Zechariah the Prophet associate it with the "Return of the Lord." Matthew 24:21-31; Zechariah 14:1-11. The human agent the Lord will use will be the Antichrist, the awfulness of whose rule will be supplemented by the pouring out of the "Vials of God's wrath" upon the earth. Revelation 15:1,5-8; 16:1-21.
The result of these terrible judgments will be that the Jews will call in their misery upon the Lord. Zechariah 12:10. Then Christ will come back to the Mt. of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) and the Jews will look upon Him whom they "pierced" (Zechariah 12:10), and a nation, the Jewish Nation, shall be "born (converted) in a day." Isaiah 66:8. This will complete the judgment of the Jews.
JUDGMENT NO. 4
1. Subjects-- The NATIONS (Gentiles).
2. Time-- The "Revelation of Christ."
3. Place-- The "Throne of His Glory." On the Earth-- "Valley of Jehoshaphat."
4. The basis of judgment-- Their Treatment of Christ's Brethren-- The Jews.
5. The result-- Some Nations "SAVED," Others "DESTROYED."
This judgment is FUTURE.
The account of this judgment is given in Matthew 25:31-46. The description of this judgment, and of the one given in
Matthew 25:31-46
1. No Resurrection.
2. Living Nations Judged.
3. On the Earth. Joel 3:2.
4. No Books Mentioned.
5. Three Classes Named. "Sheep," "Goats," "Brethren."
6. Time-- Before the Millennium.
Revelation 20:11-15
1. A Resurrection.
2. Dead judged.
3. Heaven and Earth Gone.
4. Books Opened.
5. One Class Named. "The Dead."
6. Time-- After the Millennium.
This comparison reveals the fact that one of these judgments is "on the earth," the other in the "heavens," and that they are separated by 1000 years.
(Many World leaders and ethnic groups have attempted to destroy the Jews as a nation and a people, claiming their birthright for themselves. If this was allowed to happen, the written Bible prophecies would fail and it is the thinking of the Devil (Antichrist) that if this happen then Jesus Christ would not have a reason to return to this earth. Even religious organizations have unwittingly participated in this Unholy scheme. Many still wonder, what was Hitler’s real reason for trying to destroy the Jews. Understanding the Bible prophecies will help us understand what has been and still is going on in the Middle East.)
The Greek word "ethnos" here translated "Nations" occurs 158 times in the New Testament. It is translated "Gentiles" 92 times, "Nation" or "Nations" 61 times, and "The Heathen" 5 times, but it is never in any instance (unless it is this) applied either to the "dead" or the "resurrected."
As this is a judgment of nations only, the Jews cannot be in it, for they are not reckoned among the nations. Numbers 23:9. And as the Church will be associated with Christ in this judgment, for the "Saints" (the Church) shall judge the "World" (the Nations) (1st Corinthians 6:2), the Church cannot be in this judgment either. As we have seen the Church and the Jews have been already judged, so the "Judgment of the Nations" cannot be a general judgment. Who then, is asked, are meant by the Sheep? Do they not represent the Righteous, and all the Righteous from the beginning of the world to the end of Time? And do not the Goats in like manner represent all the Wicked?
If the Sheep are the Righteous, and the Goats the Wicked, then who are the Brethren? If they are the "followers of Christ," as some claim, they should be classed with the Sheep. The Scriptures teach that the Righteous are saved by "faith," and the Wicked are lost because they "reject Christ," but in this judgment scene the Sheep inherit a "Kingdom" and the Goats are commanded to "depart," because of their treatment of the Brethren.
All the confusion is caused by trying to make a judgment of "nations" mean a judgment of "individuals." The Sheep represent one class of Nations, and the Goats another class, while the Brethren represent the Jews (Christ's brethren). We must bear in mind the time and place of this judgment. The time is the "Revelation of Christ" when He comes to set up His "Millennial Kingdom" on the earth. The place is the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the `Valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for MY PEOPLE and for my heritage ISRAEL, whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land." Joel 3:1-2.
This prophecy clearly states that there is to be a "Judgment of Nations" on the earth in the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" at the time of the restoration of the Jews to their own land, and that the basis of judgment is the treatment by the nations of Christ's brethren-- The Jews.
During the "Tribulation Period" the Nations that treat the Jewish People kindly, feeding and clothing them, and visiting them in prison, will be the "Sheep Nations," while those who neglect to do so will be the "Goat Nations." At the "Judgment of Nations" the King (Christ) will say to the "Sheep Nations," inasmuch as ye have been kind to My brethren (the Jews), "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." This Kingdom is the "Millennial Kingdom" that the "Sheep Nations" as Nations will "inherit" and possess during the Millennium. And as they are to be among the "saved nations" of the New Earth (Revelation 21:24) it can be said of them that they, or at least the righteous individuals of them, shall enter into life eternal. Matthew 25:46.
Christ's sentence upon the "Goat Nations" will be-- "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels," and "these shall go away into everlasting punishment." The "Goat Nations" will at once be destroyed as Nations, not one of them shall get into the Millennium, and the wicked individuals that compose them will perish and be eternally lost.
Next the final judgment
