THE KING COMES IN JUDGMENT
MATTHEW 25:31-46
Introduction:
The Second Coming of the Lord to this earth will mean that the Gospel will have been preached to every nation on the earth, Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
In this passage the Lord causes us to think only of the final coming of Christ, Matthew 24:3, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
I. WHEN THE SON OF MAN SHALL COME TO THE EARTH IN HIS GLORY
A. He will come AS HE LEFT, Acts 1:11, “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
1. The Resurrection and Rapture of the Saints precedes His coming to the earth, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
2. The VISABLE Second Coming to the earth, Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen”
B. His Advent will NOT be a GREAT DELIGHT to the WORLD, Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
1. He will come in the CLOUDS with a SHOUT, Psalms 47:5, “God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.”
2. His coming will be SEEN by EVERYONE on earth, Zechariah 12:10, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and THEY SHALL LOOK upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall MOURN for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in BITTERNESS FOR HIM, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
a. The Jews will RECOGNIZE WHO IT IS that is coming BY THE TESTIMONY of God’s WORD, Isaiah 19:1, “The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.”
b. Daniel SAW A VISION of the coming to the Lord thus, Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN came with the CLOUDS of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”
c. Those that “PIERCED HIM,” THE ROMANS, will SEE Him, John 19:34, 37, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.”
3. His coming will CAUSE GREAT FEAR, Revelation 6:15-17, “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, HID THEMSELVES in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, FALL ON US, and HIDE US from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and FROM THE WRATH of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
II. THE KING COMES TO GETHER HIS ELECT
A. The FIG TREE represents ISRAEL, Matthew 24:32-34.
1. Summer IS NEAR, the kingdom of God is nigh at hand, Luke 21:30-31, “When they now shoot forth, ye see and KNOW of your own selves that summer is now NIGH AT HAND. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, KNOW YE that the KINGDOM of God IS NIGH AT HAND.”
2. His Coming is AT THE DOOR, James 5:9, “Judge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: BEHOLD, the judge standeth before the door.”
B. My WORDS SHALL NOT pass away, Matthew 24:35; Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall NOT RETURN UNTO ME VOID, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall PROSPER in the thing whereto I sent it.”
1. God’s Word will PROSPER in that which the Lord intended, Isaiah 45:23, “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
2. The Lord’s COUNSEL will be REALIZED, Isaiah 46:10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, and I will do all my pleasure:”
C. The Lord had indicated GREAT CHANGES were coming, Luke 21:25-26, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”