Concerning Matthew 25: A section of scripture we call “The Judgement of Nations”
Those verses in Matt 25 are compelling and give an unparalleled look into the judgement of nations, as we call it. When I look at this (quoted below) there are a couple of questions, for me. I began to wonder about the way this is typically taught or interpreted.
Mat 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:
The Lord sits upon the throne with angels before all nations (vs 32)
Mat 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:
There is a separation “one from another”. Does the one or another refer to individuals or nations? Typically it is said to be whole nations which are divided. Does the pronoun refer to members of those nations, or the whole sum of the nations, by nationality?
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Thus, again those who stand on the right divided from all nations. After the division, the goats are on the left, and sheep on the right? It reads this way, but we often hear from would be prophecy teachers of “goat nations” and “sheep nations”.
Mat 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:
Mat 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:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 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?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 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.
So the charitable (or the charitable nation) survives.
Mat 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:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 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.
Mat 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?
Mat 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.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
And the uncharitable (or uncharitable nation) does not.
Is it consistent with scripture, in entering a Millennial reign, that a selection of those who would dwell in a Kingdom where the Lord is the highest authority, whose acts and deeds are less significant than the location they were born?
My inclination is to not conflate scripture (as I see it) by asserting that “he shall separate them one from another”, refers only to nations when, in fact, the whole doctrine of the scripture regarding the judgements of God is that an individual is not judged by generations, or race, or other earthly distinctions, but by matters of the heart.
Just taking the moment to cruise by this doctrine again for a closer look.
We do not have a clear sense of how the national boundaries will be shaped, or reformed given the greatest upheaval of the world’s population ever, apart from Israel being uniquely distinguished.
Perhaps we should question as to why we view this “nations” (or peoples, and the term ‘ethnos’ really means “tribes” in the original) term as referring to specific nations, rather than the collective total of all the populations of all the nations who remain alive at the time of this judgment.
It is more consistent with our knowledge and understanding of the righteous judgement of God that individuals are not grouped for judgement but have individual access to the mercies of God.
Their leaders will bear their own judgment, but to be trapped in an uncharitable nation for life is not visited as sin upon the individual.
Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered – Proverbs11:21