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Readings in the Book of
Matthew
After showing us the state of the church in the last days, and the works expected from it, Christ passed on to the time when those works will be publicly exposed.
The presence of God’s people (the righteous) is not required at the first judgment. The presence of the rebels at the second judgment is also not required. But at the last judgment, the third one, both accepters and rejecters are brought together to hear the result of their choice. It is that time that the Son of God is referring to in this story – not His second advent, but His third. That time He will touch the earth. In fact, He will sit on His throne on the earth as its rightful King.
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Matthew 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: 32 and before Him shall be gathered all nations [who have ever lived on earth].
[It is at this time that the rejecters of His mercy will be resurrected.]
And He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: 33 and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
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Sheep are the symbols used of the righteous, and goats are used for the unregenerate, because the LAMB of God is the Saviour, and the scapegoat is the ultimate sinner. These two animals, although in many respects outwardly similar, are indeed quite different in character, and the LORD uses them to show us that difference. A sheep is a team player, one that likes to be led, while a goat is of an independent nature and likes to do its own thing. The Son of God wants us to see that when we sin we are responsible for it – doing our own thing – walking apart from Him.
From my library:
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At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in terrific majesty He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection!
The righteous [the sheep] were clothed with immortal youth and beauty.
The wicked [the goats] bear the traces of disease and death . . .
Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the promise of His return. [Acts 1:11.] Says the prophet: “The LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with You”. [Zechariah 14:5.]
“And 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 the midst thereof, . . . and there shall be a very great valley”. Verse 4.
“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one”. Verse 9.
As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven [Revelation 21:10], it rests upon the place purified and made ready to receive it [Zechariah 14:10], and Christ, with His people and the angels, enters the Holy City.
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Lateral thought:
That’s why whenever the ordinary person came to the sanctuary courtyard to confess and be cleansed of an action of sin he brought a FEMALE GOAT to represent him. [Leaders, priests and congregations used other animals.]
A lamb was used in the Passover ceremony to show the exchange of the sinful NATURE (the “birth” of a Christian), and a goat was used in the daily services to show the exchange of the guilt and power of ACTIONS of sin. (In that picture a sinning Christian became a temporary “goat”.) God wants us to stop the custom of saying, “I couldn’t help it”, and face up to the fact that to commit a sin we have to ignore His saving power for a time.
Real Christians do not FALL into sin, they choose to do so.
For more on this subject click
http://4dw.net/nonconformer/Bible_Readings/genesis/genesis_03a.html#.
It is written, “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it”. 1 Corinthians 10:13. It may require every ounce of our faith to believe this when under temptation, but believe it we must if we would honour His word.
The exchange of natures:
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Exodus 12:
11 And thus shall you [a circumcised person, Exodus 12:48] eat it [the lamb]; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand [in your house, ready to travel]; and you shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
[Something has been removed, and something put in, to illustrate rebirth.]
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast [the goats]; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood [on the doorposts of your house], I will pass over [protect] you [the “firstborn” of God], and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you [the sheep], when I smite the land of Egypt [the unbelievers].
[Although the LORD blames Himself for the deaths of the firstborn,
it is obvious that He is protecting His own against the destroyer.
“ … the LORD will pass [stand] over the door,
and will not suffer the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you”. Verse 23.]
14 And this day shall be to you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast [a holy time] to the LORD throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance [ritual] for ever.
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The forgiveness of sins:
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Leviticus 4:
27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he does somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; 28 or if his sin, which he has sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering [to the sanctuary courtyard], a kid of the goats, a FEMALE without blemish [representing himself as the “bride” of Christ, Isaiah 54:5], for his sin which he has sinned [in his independent time].
29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering [transferring the guilt of the sin to it], and slay the sin offering in the [same] place of the burnt offering [thus linking it to the Son of God’s sacrifice]. 30 And the priest shall take of the blood [the evidence of the wages of sin] thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering [in the courtyard], and shall pour out all the [rest of the] blood thereof at the bottom of the altar . . . and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
[The priest then ritually ate some of the body, taking the effect of the sin (death),
upon himself. Leviticus 6:25-26.]
32 And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering [through ignorance of the difference], he shall bring it a FEMALE without blemish . . . and the priest shall [still] make an atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
[The LORD will accept an inferior sacrifice,
but He prefers it when we know what we have done, and admit it.
The sin is not just in the action, but in the walking apart from Him.]
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The judgment is described in another place;
“I saw a great white throne [of justice], and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great [rebels and acceptors], stand before God; and the books [of death] were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works”. Revelation 20:11-12.
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Matthew 25:
34 Then shall the King say to them on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was a hungry man, and you gave Me meat [food]: I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and you took Me in: 36 naked, and you clothed Me: I was sick, and you visited Me: I was in prison, and you came to Me”.
37 Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, “LORD, when saw we You a hungry person , and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink? 38 When saw we You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You? 39 Or when saw we You sick, or in prison, and came to You?”
40 And the King shall answer and say to them, “Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these My brothers [and sisters], you have done it to Me”.
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Although it appears that the reward is based on deeds, it is actually given according to the character of the creature, sheep or goat as per the separation. The deeds are simply the evidence of the different natures. It is written, “He that is unjust [a goat], let [allow] him [to] be unjust still: and he which is filthy [selfish], let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous [a sheep], let him be righteous still: and he that is holy [unselfish], let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be”. Revelation 22:11-12.
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Matthew 25:
41 Then shall He say also to them on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was a hungry person, and you gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and you took Me not in: naked, and you clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited Me not”.
44 Then shall they also answer Him, saying, “LORD, when saw we You a hungry person, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?
45 Then shall He answer them, saying, “Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me”.
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Again, the reward is based on the character of the rejecters, and that is one of force, deceit and independence. That this is true had been demonstrated by their attack upon Christ and the city. (Revelation 20:9.) The Son of God had often said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not [let Me]! Behold, your house is left to you desolate”. Matthew 23:37-38. Every time He had offered He had been rejected. Now the fruit of that rejection would fall on the rebels.
“And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against [new] Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour”. Zechariah 14:12-13.
Just as the reward of the righteous comes as a RESULT of their characters, so the payment of the rebels follows suit. God does not arbitrarily cause their destruction. As they totally reject His universal grace there is nothing to hold their molecules together. Their DNA strips will slowly unwind while they take out their frustration on each other. The great energy which has been used to give them life will now ensure their deaths, for the “wages of sin [separation from God] is death [separation from life]”. Romans 6:23.
“Every [normal] battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this [battle] shall be with burning and fuel of fire”. Isaiah 9:5.
“The indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter” [there is nothing more He can do]. Isaiah 34:2.
“Upon the wicked He shall rain quick [living] burning coals, fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup”. Psalm 11:6, margin.
Fire will come down from God out of heaven. (Revelation 20:9.) God’s energy, which normally is life-giving, is being used by minds which are totally full of hatred towards Him and each other, and He cannot stop it. He must allow the rebels their full choice. The earth will be broken up as the weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames will burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks will be on fire like a lava flow. The day will have come that shall “burn as an oven”. Malachi 4:1. “The elements will melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein will be burned up”. 2 Peter 3:10. The earth's surface will seem one molten mass – a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men – “the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion”. Isaiah 34:8.
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2 Peter 3:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation”.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth [was] standing out of the water and in the water:
6 whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water [in the Flood], perished.
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men . . .
10 But the day of the LORD will come as a thief in the night [unexpected by the majority of rejecters right up to the last, for they think they are fighting a false Christ]; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation [conduct] and godliness, 12 looking for and hasting to [hastening] the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells [only] righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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Matthew 25:
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment [not punishment which is continuous, but which is final]: but the righteous into life eternal.
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“Who shall not fear You, O LORD, and glorify Your name? For You only are holy: for all [the survivors of the] nations shall come and worship before You; for Your judgments are made manifest”. Revelation 15:4.
From my library:
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Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him. God's wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all His dealings in the great controversy have been conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He has created. “All Your works shall praise You, O LORD; and Your saints shall bless You”. Psalm 145:10.
The history of sin will stand to all eternity as a witness that with the existence of God's law is bound up the happiness of all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: “Just and true are Your ways, You King of saints”. Revelation 15:3.
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Now we are ready to move on to The Revelation!
Till next week, bye for now,
Ron
P. S. “The kingdom of heaven is like to a certain King, which made a marriage for His Son, And sent forth His servants to call them that were [already] bidden to the wedding [a second call]: and they would not come. Again, He sent forth other servants [in the final call], saying, ‘Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared My dinner: My oxen and My fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage’.” Matthew 22:2-4.
“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”. Matthew 25:10.
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he [an angel guide] says to me, ‘Write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb’. And he says to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God’.” Revelation 19:7-9.
Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library. No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.
Some of these readings are available at http://www.oocities.org/weprotest.geo/BibleReadings/books_index.html
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