(Ready)
See Matthew 24:44 above.
~
(Re: Does Matthew 25:10 mean that "midnight" cannot be mid-tribulation, but must be right at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming?)
No, for Matthew 25:10 does not require that the virgins without extra oil had no time to buy more. Jesus Christ is very merciful. He could give the foolish virgins enough time to repent (cf. Revelation 2:21a) from their laziness, regardless of whether or not any of them will employ that time profitably (cf. Revelation 2:21b).
--
*Matthew 25:12 / *Mt. 25:12 -
Here, "I know you not" brings to mind Matthew 7:23a, which in its context (Matthew 7:21-23) shows that...
(See Matthew 7:21 above)
--
*Matthew 25:13 / *Mt. 25:13 -
See Matthew 24:36 above.
--
*Matthew 25:14-30 / *Mt. 25:14 -
(*Talents)
(See Mark 13:34 below)
The talents parable (Matthew 25:14-30) is about the judgment of Christians (of all times) by their individual works, at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Matthew 25:19-30, Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 2:6-8, Luke 12:45-48), which Jesus had just finished saying will not occur until immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31). So Matthew 25:21,23 refers to obedient Christians entering the joy of ruling on the earth with the Lord Jesus during the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29), which will not begin until after the Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Zechariah 14:3-21). Matthew 25:30 refers to disobedient Christians losing their salvation at Jesus' Second Coming (Matthew 24:48-51, Luke 12:45-46), and them wandering through "the blackness of darkness for ever" (Jude 1:13b), "to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever" (2 Peter 2:17), which could be a fate of them having to drift through, or remain in some place, in the darkness of outer space.
--
*Matthew 25:15 / *Mt. 25:15 -
The original Greek word (talanton: G5007) translated as "talents" refers to the "talent" unit of weight (about 82 pounds) which was also employed as a measure of money (Matthew 25:18), like how, for example, the English word "pound" is a unit of weight which is also employed as a measure of money, such as in the U.K.
Even just one talent was worth 6,000 drachmas, each drachma being worth a day's wages. So even the servant who was given only one talent was given a lot of money by his lord. For if a person worked six days a week, and about fifty weeks a year, he could not earn 6,000 drachmas by his own labor unless he worked for twenty years.
--
*Matthew 25:21,23 / *Mt. 25:21 -
(Well done)
See Luke 17:10 below.
~
(Re: Is not there no such thing as an "obedient part of the Church"?)
There is an obedient part of the Church, which part will be ultimately saved (Hebrews 5:9, Matthew 25:21,23), while the disobedient part will ultimately lose its salvation (Matthew 25:26,30, Hebrews 10:26-29).
(See 1 John 5:3 below)
--
*Matthew 25:26,30 / *Mt. 25:26 -
This shows that even someone who was a servant of Jesus Christ can ultimately lose his salvation because of unrepentant laziness. One way that a Christian could desire to become lazy without repentance would be if he finds a particular sin to be very pleasurable, so pleasurable and so fulfilling (in the short term), that he continues in it over time until his love for God grows cold because of the abundance of iniquity (Matthew 24:12). Love for God means choosing to do what God says to do (1 John 5:3). So if one's love for God grows cold (Matthew 24:12), one will no longer choose to do what God says to do (John 14:24), meaning that one will become lazy in God's eyes (Matthew 25:26,30).
(See also John 15:2a below)
~
(Re: Are not those who cannot do good works not condemned, such as babies, the insane, and paraplegics?
Anyone who has faith can do good works, such as praying and the giving of alms (Acts 10:4).
But note that babies do not have faith.
And if someone is too insane to do good works, then he is too insane to have faith.
Also, paraplegics can do good works. For how many works require the use of one's legs? And how many of those works which do require the use of one's legs cannot be done instead through the use of a wheelchair?
That is, if paraplegics can even race each other and play basketball in wheelchairs, then how many works cannot they do?
And even quadriplegics can do good works, such as praying, preaching, and giving alms.
~
(Re: The man's characterization of the master in Matthew 25:24 as reaping and gathering what he had no right to claim as his own does not represent a genuine Christian. For it is obvious that this man had no true knowledge of the Lord)
Note that the man did have true knowledge, for the Lord agrees with him in Matthew 25:26b-27. But the man was so lazy that he did nothing with his knowledge, and so ultimately lost his salvation.
Also, the point was not that the Lord reaps "what he had no right to claim", but that He benefits from our personal labor for His Kingdom, just as we as Christians benefit from the personal labor of others for His Kingdom (John 4:38).
~
The original Greek word (diaskorpizo: G1287) translated as "strawed" can mean "winnowed" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). To "winnow" means "to separate chaff from grain by fanning" (Webster's).
--
*Matthew 25:27 / *Mt. 25:27 -
The original Greek word (trapezites: G5133) translated as "exchangers" can mean "bankers" (Strong's Greek Dictionary), so that "usury" would mean interest earned on a bank account. The English word "usury" could simply mean "interest" (Webster's) at the time that the KJV was translated in the early seventeenth century AD. Today, "usury" means exorbitant interest charged on a loan. The original Greek word (tokos: G5110) translated as "usury" can simply mean "interest", with no negative connotation required.
--
*Matthew 25:31-46 / *Mt. 25:31 -
(*Goats)
Regarding the sheep and goat judgment, Matthew 25:31 does not mean that Matthew 25:32-46 (just as 2 Peter 3:10a does not mean that 2 Peter 3:10b) will happen immediately at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, only that it will happen sometime subsequent to His Second Coming, at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), which will not occur until after the future Millennium and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7-15).
Matthew 25:32-46 refers to when the nations will be finally-judged by their works at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:12-13), whereas at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, which will occur before the Millennium, He will finally-judge only those in the Church (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27; Matthew 25:19-30). Also, Matthew 25:41,46 refers to when non-Christians of all times, whether Jews or Gentiles, will be sent, at the Great White Throne Judgment, into the everlasting suffering of the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:15), whereas at the Second Coming only the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") and his False Prophet will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). The saved "sheep" at the sheep/goat judgment will include those people, whether Jews or Gentiles, who will become Christians during the future Millennium (Isaiah 66:19-21). Matthew 25:34 refers to obedient Christians inheriting the Kingdom of God the Father in New Jerusalem, the Father's house, on the future, New Earth (Revelation 21:1-7, John 14:2), as in a new surface for the earth.
(See also the "After the Second Coming" section of Revelation 20:4 below)
~
(Re: But Matthew 25:31 says that "when" Jesus returns, He will sit on the throne of His glory, not 1,000 years later)
Note that that does not require that Jesus Christ will perform the Great White Throne Judgment immediately at His future, Second Coming. For the Great White Throne Judgment will not occur until over 1,000 years after His Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:15). Instead, Matthew 25:31 can refer to the throne of King David on which Jesus will sit on the earth at His Second Coming, then during the future Millennium, and then forever on the New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth.
[Luke 1:32-33, Isaiah 9:7]
(See also paragraphs 4-5 of Acts 1:6 below)
~
(The King / His brethren)
In Matthew 25:34 the King is Jesus Christ, who is the King of everyone (Revelation 19:16), including all Christians (Revelation 15:3c), whether Jews or Gentiles. In Matthew 25:40, "my brethren", and in Matthew 25:45, "these", refer to obedient Christians (Matthew 12:50), whether Jews or Gentiles (Hebrews 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
--
*Matthew 25:37-39 / *Mt. 25:37 -
Here the key word is "thee". That is, the people quoted were not asking Jesus Christ when they had helped Christians in need, but when they had helped Jesus Himself ("thee") in need.
--
*Matthew 25:41-46 / *Mt. 25:41 -
(Re: *Hell)
There are two literal hells, one temporal and one eternal. The temporal hell, called "Hades" in Greek (Luke 16:23, G0086), and "Sheol" in Hebrew (Psalms 86:13, H7585), is where the souls of non-Christians go when they die, and where they are tormented by flame (Luke 16:23-24). Before Jesus Christ's first coming, Hades was also where the souls of saved people went when they died. But the part of Hades for the saved was a place of comfort (Luke 16:25).
After Jesus Christ fulfilled the Gospel by suffering and dying on the Cross for our sins, and rising physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), He went down into Hades and preached the fulfillment of the Gospel to the souls there (1 Peter 3:19; 1 Peter 4:6), and then drew the souls of obedient believers there who had died in faith (Hebrews 11:13) up with Him when He ascended into heaven (Ephesians 4:8-9, Hebrews 12:22-24). Since then, the souls of obedient Christians go directly into heaven to be with Jesus when they die (Philippians 1:21,23; 2 Corinthians 5:8, Revelation 6:9-11).
At Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, He will bring with Him from heaven the souls of all obedient Christians who have ever died (1 Thessalonians 4:14), and their bodies will be physically resurrected into immortality at that time (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,52-53). They will then reign on the earth with Jesus for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29). After the 1,000 years and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7-10), all non-Christians of all times will be physically resurrected out of Hades and judged (Revelation 20:12-13) and then cast into the eternal hell, called the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21:8), where they will be tormented along with Satan and his fallen angels forever (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11). This eternal hell is also called "Gehenna" in Greek (Luke 12:5, Mark 9:45-46, G1067), and "Tophet" in Hebrew (Isaiah 30:33, H8613).
Tophet was also the name of a place in ancient times called the valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10), just outside the southern wall of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:8). "Gehenna" literally means "the valley (ge) of Hinnom". Just as the ancient Tophet/Gehenna was outside one wall of ancient Jerusalem, so the eternal Gehenna, the lake of fire, will be outside one wall of New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:15, Revelation 21:8) on a future, New Earth (Revelation 21:1-8), as in a new surface for the earth. Christians will go forth from New Jerusalem on the New Earth to witness the eternal torment of non-Christians in the lake of fire (Isaiah 66:24, Mark 9:46, Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11).
(See also Mark 9:45 below, and the "Soul Sleep?" section of 1 Corinthians 15:51 below. Also, see Job 33:22 and Joshua 15:8 above)
~
(Re: How could Christians be happy in eternity with those they love in hell?)
It will be possible for Christians to be happy, because in the presence of God is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). Christians' love for God outweighs everything else (Philippians 3:8, Luke 14:26). Christians have to love God more than they love other people (Matthew 10:37). They must never make sinful, infinitesimal humans more important than the infinite, perfectly holy God (Isaiah 40:17, Isaiah 2:22).
~
(Re: What about a second chance?)
God draws the line at death (1 John 5:16). Also, those who were never granted a saving faith in Jesus Christ in this life will not be granted it in the next, for they were created by God, and never granted a saving faith in this life, precisely so that they would end up in hell for their sins, so that through them God would have the opportunity to eternally show His holy wrath against evil and to make His power known (Romans 9:21-22).
(See also the "Vessels of wrath" section of Romans 9:11 below)
~
(*Everlasting punishment / *Aionios)
In Matthew 25:46, in the original Greek, the same word (aionios: G0166) is used to refer to the "everlasting" punishment of non-Christians as is used to refer to the "eternal" life of Christians. So to claim that the everlasting punishment of non-Christians cannot be everlasting, but must be only temporary, would suggest that the eternal life of Christians cannot be everlasting either, but must also be temporary. So trying to give everyone the assurance that they will eventually obtain eternal life only ends up removing from everyone, even Christians, the assurance that eternal life is truly eternal.
Also, it is by the fear of God that people depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 14:27). So claiming that the everlasting punishment of non-Christians (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:46, Revelation 14:10-11, Revelation 20:10,15) cannot be everlasting, but must only be temporary, is dangerous. For it could lead some Christians to lose their fear of God and His ability to ultimately cast them into the eternal hell (Luke 12:5, Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-44), if they disobey God to the point where they ultimately lose their salvation (Hebrews 10:26-29, Luke 12:45-46). For they could decide that they can handle an only-temporary punishment, and are willing to handle it, if it means that they can go ahead and live it up and enjoy all of the pleasures of sin without repentance for the rest of their lives.
So claiming that the everlasting punishment of the unsaved cannot be everlasting, could cause some Christians to suffer everlasting punishment, whereas they would have repented from their sins, and not ultimately lost their salvation, had they continued to believe that the loss of their salvation would mean their everlasting punishment.
(See also Mark 9:45 below)
~
(Re: Does one realm, hell, exist in time, which will pass away, and the other realm exist outside of time in a spiritual dimension?)
Both realms (New Jerusalem's eternal life, and the lake of fire's eternal suffering) will exist in time, and in physical dimensions, on a future, New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth. And both New Jerusalem and the lake of fire will never pass away (Revelation 21:1 to 22:5, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:45-46).
~
(Re: But if the lake of fire is physical, on the earth, then will it not pass away along with the earth?)
The planet earth itself will never pass away (Ecclesiastes 1:4, Psalms 104:5, Psalms 78:69b), just as the suffering in the lake of fire on the future, New Earth (Revelation 21:1,8), as in a new surface for the earth, will never pass away, but will continue forever (Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:45-46).
~
(Re: Would eternal suffering be an excessive punishment for only a finite lifetime's worth of sin?)
No, for just as it is not how long it took someone to commit a murder which makes him deserving of life in prison, so it is not how long people sin which makes them deserving of eternal suffering (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11). Instead, it is the infinite importance of God (Isaiah 40:17), whom they sin against (Psalms 51:4), so that their sin is of infinite magnitude. An analogy would be a mother speaking rudely to her little child. The world is not going to punish the mother for that. But if that same mother speaks rudely to a judge in a court of law, she could get locked up in jail for contempt of court. For the world considers not speaking rudely to a judge (and all that he represents) of much more importance than not speaking rudely to a little child.
~
(Re: Does an eternal hell show that God is evil?)
No, for as the Creator, God has the right to do with His creatures whatever He wants (Romans 9:21-22). And the eternal suffering which He will mete out to non-Christians (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11) will not be some evil, capricious act of cruelty, but rather an eternal expression of that aspect of God's perfect holiness/goodness which is His righteous judgment and wrath against evil (Romans 2:5, Romans 9:22, Hebrews 12:28b-29, Revelation 14:10-11).
~
(Re: Then does an eternal hell, combined with double predestination, show that God is evil?)
No, and as mere humans, we must be careful not to condemn the way that God Himself has chosen to reveal all that He is (Romans 9:20-24): both a loving being (1 John 4:8, John 15:13, Matthew 26:28) and a vengeful being (Hebrews 12:29, Luke 12:49; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). We must not say that it is evil for God not to elect and save everyone, and to send the nonelect and unsaved into eternal suffering (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 14:10-11). For by saying this we would be making humans more important than God and His wishes. And this is something which Satan causes people to do, just as Jesus Christ at one point "said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:23).
No matter how it may irk the Satanic pride of us humans, wanting to be important like God (Isaiah 14:12-14), so important that He would never even think of not saving all of us, and casting some of us into hell forever (Isaiah 14:15, Revelation 20:10,15), we must always remember that it is God's right to do with His creatures whatever He wants (Romans 9:21-23), and that even all of humanity together is infinitesimal and worth "less than nothing" compared with God (Isaiah 40:17-18, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 2:22). We must resist our Satanic, human pride (which we can unconsciously disguise with good-sounding words about God's love for us), and completely humble ourselves before God (James 4:7-10; 1 Peter 5:6-8), pleading that He might have mercy on us sinners (Luke 18:13-14).
Satan would love nothing more than to get us humans in our sinful pride to wrongly reject YHWH God of the Bible as evil, so that we will end up in the lake of fire and brimstone forever with Satan and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:43-44). The future Antichrist, who will be empowered by Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9, Revelation 13:4), will utterly revile YHWH (Revelation 13:6, Daniel 11:36). And no doubt one of his chief blasphemies against YHWH will be that YHWH is an evil god. (This is one of the ancient blasphemies of Gnosticism, another being the antichrist lie that Christ is not in the flesh: 2 John 1:7.) During the future Antichrist's literal 3.5-year worldwide reign, the world will be deceived into rejecting YHWH, and worshipping Lucifer (Satan, the dragon) and the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") instead (Revelation 13:4-18, Revelation 12:9).
It is the ultimate proof of the humility of Christians (James 4:10, Acts 20:19a, Matthew 23:12) for them to accept the facts of double predestination (Romans 9:11-24) and an eternal hell (Matthew 25:41,46), without rejecting YHWH as being evil for these things. For it means that Christians have humbly accepted the fact that the wholly-good YHWH God (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 John 1:5) is infinitely more important than even all of humanity together (Isaiah 40:17, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 2:22).
~
(Re: Are the eternal suffering of most humans, and the limited love of God, the most important parts of your worldview?)
The eternal suffering (Matthew 25:41,46, Mark 9:46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11) of most humans (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14), and the limited love of God (Romans 9:13-22), should be important parts of every Christian's worldview. For these doctrines are taught by God's own Word the Holy Bible. And it is vital for Christians to stick with what God's Word teaches (2 Timothy 3:16 to 4:4; 1 Timothy 4:1, John 8:31b, Mark 8:35-38). One of Satan's prime aims is to get people to reject all or parts of God's Word, and start believing something else which sounds better to them as humans, in order to deceive them into rejecting God's will (Genesis 3:1-6, Matthew 16:21-23; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:1).
(See also 2 John 1:9 below)
~
(Re: *Universal salvation?)
Not everyone will be saved from hell (Matthew 25:41,46, Matthew 13:38-42), but only a relatively few people (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14), compared with all of humanity.
~
(Re: OSAS?)
Matthew 25:41-46 means that a Christian can ultimately lose his salvation if he wrongly employs his free will to not help a Christian in need, without repentance.
Also, it should be noted that Jesus Christ is concerned not only with any physical hunger and nakedness of Christians, His brethren (Matthew 25:37-40, Luke 12:23, Acts 6:2). For even those Christians who are physically well-fed and clothed can still be in great need of His spiritual food and clothing (Revelation 3:17-19, John 6:27, Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 4:2-4).
-
Next entry / Prior / Table of Contents
Dec 3, 2018
See Matthew 24:44 above.
~
(Re: Does Matthew 25:10 mean that "midnight" cannot be mid-tribulation, but must be right at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming?)
No, for Matthew 25:10 does not require that the virgins without extra oil had no time to buy more. Jesus Christ is very merciful. He could give the foolish virgins enough time to repent (cf. Revelation 2:21a) from their laziness, regardless of whether or not any of them will employ that time profitably (cf. Revelation 2:21b).
--
*Matthew 25:12 / *Mt. 25:12 -
Here, "I know you not" brings to mind Matthew 7:23a, which in its context (Matthew 7:21-23) shows that...
(See Matthew 7:21 above)
--
*Matthew 25:13 / *Mt. 25:13 -
See Matthew 24:36 above.
--
*Matthew 25:14-30 / *Mt. 25:14 -
(*Talents)
(See Mark 13:34 below)
The talents parable (Matthew 25:14-30) is about the judgment of Christians (of all times) by their individual works, at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Matthew 25:19-30, Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 2:6-8, Luke 12:45-48), which Jesus had just finished saying will not occur until immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31). So Matthew 25:21,23 refers to obedient Christians entering the joy of ruling on the earth with the Lord Jesus during the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29), which will not begin until after the Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Zechariah 14:3-21). Matthew 25:30 refers to disobedient Christians losing their salvation at Jesus' Second Coming (Matthew 24:48-51, Luke 12:45-46), and them wandering through "the blackness of darkness for ever" (Jude 1:13b), "to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever" (2 Peter 2:17), which could be a fate of them having to drift through, or remain in some place, in the darkness of outer space.
--
*Matthew 25:15 / *Mt. 25:15 -
The original Greek word (talanton: G5007) translated as "talents" refers to the "talent" unit of weight (about 82 pounds) which was also employed as a measure of money (Matthew 25:18), like how, for example, the English word "pound" is a unit of weight which is also employed as a measure of money, such as in the U.K.
Even just one talent was worth 6,000 drachmas, each drachma being worth a day's wages. So even the servant who was given only one talent was given a lot of money by his lord. For if a person worked six days a week, and about fifty weeks a year, he could not earn 6,000 drachmas by his own labor unless he worked for twenty years.
--
*Matthew 25:21,23 / *Mt. 25:21 -
(Well done)
See Luke 17:10 below.
~
(Re: Is not there no such thing as an "obedient part of the Church"?)
There is an obedient part of the Church, which part will be ultimately saved (Hebrews 5:9, Matthew 25:21,23), while the disobedient part will ultimately lose its salvation (Matthew 25:26,30, Hebrews 10:26-29).
(See 1 John 5:3 below)
--
*Matthew 25:26,30 / *Mt. 25:26 -
This shows that even someone who was a servant of Jesus Christ can ultimately lose his salvation because of unrepentant laziness. One way that a Christian could desire to become lazy without repentance would be if he finds a particular sin to be very pleasurable, so pleasurable and so fulfilling (in the short term), that he continues in it over time until his love for God grows cold because of the abundance of iniquity (Matthew 24:12). Love for God means choosing to do what God says to do (1 John 5:3). So if one's love for God grows cold (Matthew 24:12), one will no longer choose to do what God says to do (John 14:24), meaning that one will become lazy in God's eyes (Matthew 25:26,30).
(See also John 15:2a below)
~
(Re: Are not those who cannot do good works not condemned, such as babies, the insane, and paraplegics?
Anyone who has faith can do good works, such as praying and the giving of alms (Acts 10:4).
But note that babies do not have faith.
And if someone is too insane to do good works, then he is too insane to have faith.
Also, paraplegics can do good works. For how many works require the use of one's legs? And how many of those works which do require the use of one's legs cannot be done instead through the use of a wheelchair?
That is, if paraplegics can even race each other and play basketball in wheelchairs, then how many works cannot they do?
And even quadriplegics can do good works, such as praying, preaching, and giving alms.
~
(Re: The man's characterization of the master in Matthew 25:24 as reaping and gathering what he had no right to claim as his own does not represent a genuine Christian. For it is obvious that this man had no true knowledge of the Lord)
Note that the man did have true knowledge, for the Lord agrees with him in Matthew 25:26b-27. But the man was so lazy that he did nothing with his knowledge, and so ultimately lost his salvation.
Also, the point was not that the Lord reaps "what he had no right to claim", but that He benefits from our personal labor for His Kingdom, just as we as Christians benefit from the personal labor of others for His Kingdom (John 4:38).
~
The original Greek word (diaskorpizo: G1287) translated as "strawed" can mean "winnowed" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). To "winnow" means "to separate chaff from grain by fanning" (Webster's).
--
*Matthew 25:27 / *Mt. 25:27 -
The original Greek word (trapezites: G5133) translated as "exchangers" can mean "bankers" (Strong's Greek Dictionary), so that "usury" would mean interest earned on a bank account. The English word "usury" could simply mean "interest" (Webster's) at the time that the KJV was translated in the early seventeenth century AD. Today, "usury" means exorbitant interest charged on a loan. The original Greek word (tokos: G5110) translated as "usury" can simply mean "interest", with no negative connotation required.
--
*Matthew 25:31-46 / *Mt. 25:31 -
(*Goats)
Regarding the sheep and goat judgment, Matthew 25:31 does not mean that Matthew 25:32-46 (just as 2 Peter 3:10a does not mean that 2 Peter 3:10b) will happen immediately at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, only that it will happen sometime subsequent to His Second Coming, at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), which will not occur until after the future Millennium and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7-15).
Matthew 25:32-46 refers to when the nations will be finally-judged by their works at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:12-13), whereas at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, which will occur before the Millennium, He will finally-judge only those in the Church (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27; Matthew 25:19-30). Also, Matthew 25:41,46 refers to when non-Christians of all times, whether Jews or Gentiles, will be sent, at the Great White Throne Judgment, into the everlasting suffering of the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:15), whereas at the Second Coming only the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") and his False Prophet will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). The saved "sheep" at the sheep/goat judgment will include those people, whether Jews or Gentiles, who will become Christians during the future Millennium (Isaiah 66:19-21). Matthew 25:34 refers to obedient Christians inheriting the Kingdom of God the Father in New Jerusalem, the Father's house, on the future, New Earth (Revelation 21:1-7, John 14:2), as in a new surface for the earth.
(See also the "After the Second Coming" section of Revelation 20:4 below)
~
(Re: But Matthew 25:31 says that "when" Jesus returns, He will sit on the throne of His glory, not 1,000 years later)
Note that that does not require that Jesus Christ will perform the Great White Throne Judgment immediately at His future, Second Coming. For the Great White Throne Judgment will not occur until over 1,000 years after His Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:15). Instead, Matthew 25:31 can refer to the throne of King David on which Jesus will sit on the earth at His Second Coming, then during the future Millennium, and then forever on the New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth.
[Luke 1:32-33, Isaiah 9:7]
(See also paragraphs 4-5 of Acts 1:6 below)
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(The King / His brethren)
In Matthew 25:34 the King is Jesus Christ, who is the King of everyone (Revelation 19:16), including all Christians (Revelation 15:3c), whether Jews or Gentiles. In Matthew 25:40, "my brethren", and in Matthew 25:45, "these", refer to obedient Christians (Matthew 12:50), whether Jews or Gentiles (Hebrews 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
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*Matthew 25:37-39 / *Mt. 25:37 -
Here the key word is "thee". That is, the people quoted were not asking Jesus Christ when they had helped Christians in need, but when they had helped Jesus Himself ("thee") in need.
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*Matthew 25:41-46 / *Mt. 25:41 -
(Re: *Hell)
There are two literal hells, one temporal and one eternal. The temporal hell, called "Hades" in Greek (Luke 16:23, G0086), and "Sheol" in Hebrew (Psalms 86:13, H7585), is where the souls of non-Christians go when they die, and where they are tormented by flame (Luke 16:23-24). Before Jesus Christ's first coming, Hades was also where the souls of saved people went when they died. But the part of Hades for the saved was a place of comfort (Luke 16:25).
After Jesus Christ fulfilled the Gospel by suffering and dying on the Cross for our sins, and rising physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), He went down into Hades and preached the fulfillment of the Gospel to the souls there (1 Peter 3:19; 1 Peter 4:6), and then drew the souls of obedient believers there who had died in faith (Hebrews 11:13) up with Him when He ascended into heaven (Ephesians 4:8-9, Hebrews 12:22-24). Since then, the souls of obedient Christians go directly into heaven to be with Jesus when they die (Philippians 1:21,23; 2 Corinthians 5:8, Revelation 6:9-11).
At Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, He will bring with Him from heaven the souls of all obedient Christians who have ever died (1 Thessalonians 4:14), and their bodies will be physically resurrected into immortality at that time (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,52-53). They will then reign on the earth with Jesus for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29). After the 1,000 years and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7-10), all non-Christians of all times will be physically resurrected out of Hades and judged (Revelation 20:12-13) and then cast into the eternal hell, called the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21:8), where they will be tormented along with Satan and his fallen angels forever (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11). This eternal hell is also called "Gehenna" in Greek (Luke 12:5, Mark 9:45-46, G1067), and "Tophet" in Hebrew (Isaiah 30:33, H8613).
Tophet was also the name of a place in ancient times called the valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10), just outside the southern wall of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:8). "Gehenna" literally means "the valley (ge) of Hinnom". Just as the ancient Tophet/Gehenna was outside one wall of ancient Jerusalem, so the eternal Gehenna, the lake of fire, will be outside one wall of New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:15, Revelation 21:8) on a future, New Earth (Revelation 21:1-8), as in a new surface for the earth. Christians will go forth from New Jerusalem on the New Earth to witness the eternal torment of non-Christians in the lake of fire (Isaiah 66:24, Mark 9:46, Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11).
(See also Mark 9:45 below, and the "Soul Sleep?" section of 1 Corinthians 15:51 below. Also, see Job 33:22 and Joshua 15:8 above)
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(Re: How could Christians be happy in eternity with those they love in hell?)
It will be possible for Christians to be happy, because in the presence of God is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). Christians' love for God outweighs everything else (Philippians 3:8, Luke 14:26). Christians have to love God more than they love other people (Matthew 10:37). They must never make sinful, infinitesimal humans more important than the infinite, perfectly holy God (Isaiah 40:17, Isaiah 2:22).
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(Re: What about a second chance?)
God draws the line at death (1 John 5:16). Also, those who were never granted a saving faith in Jesus Christ in this life will not be granted it in the next, for they were created by God, and never granted a saving faith in this life, precisely so that they would end up in hell for their sins, so that through them God would have the opportunity to eternally show His holy wrath against evil and to make His power known (Romans 9:21-22).
(See also the "Vessels of wrath" section of Romans 9:11 below)
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(*Everlasting punishment / *Aionios)
In Matthew 25:46, in the original Greek, the same word (aionios: G0166) is used to refer to the "everlasting" punishment of non-Christians as is used to refer to the "eternal" life of Christians. So to claim that the everlasting punishment of non-Christians cannot be everlasting, but must be only temporary, would suggest that the eternal life of Christians cannot be everlasting either, but must also be temporary. So trying to give everyone the assurance that they will eventually obtain eternal life only ends up removing from everyone, even Christians, the assurance that eternal life is truly eternal.
Also, it is by the fear of God that people depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 14:27). So claiming that the everlasting punishment of non-Christians (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:46, Revelation 14:10-11, Revelation 20:10,15) cannot be everlasting, but must only be temporary, is dangerous. For it could lead some Christians to lose their fear of God and His ability to ultimately cast them into the eternal hell (Luke 12:5, Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-44), if they disobey God to the point where they ultimately lose their salvation (Hebrews 10:26-29, Luke 12:45-46). For they could decide that they can handle an only-temporary punishment, and are willing to handle it, if it means that they can go ahead and live it up and enjoy all of the pleasures of sin without repentance for the rest of their lives.
So claiming that the everlasting punishment of the unsaved cannot be everlasting, could cause some Christians to suffer everlasting punishment, whereas they would have repented from their sins, and not ultimately lost their salvation, had they continued to believe that the loss of their salvation would mean their everlasting punishment.
(See also Mark 9:45 below)
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(Re: Does one realm, hell, exist in time, which will pass away, and the other realm exist outside of time in a spiritual dimension?)
Both realms (New Jerusalem's eternal life, and the lake of fire's eternal suffering) will exist in time, and in physical dimensions, on a future, New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth. And both New Jerusalem and the lake of fire will never pass away (Revelation 21:1 to 22:5, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:45-46).
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(Re: But if the lake of fire is physical, on the earth, then will it not pass away along with the earth?)
The planet earth itself will never pass away (Ecclesiastes 1:4, Psalms 104:5, Psalms 78:69b), just as the suffering in the lake of fire on the future, New Earth (Revelation 21:1,8), as in a new surface for the earth, will never pass away, but will continue forever (Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:45-46).
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(Re: Would eternal suffering be an excessive punishment for only a finite lifetime's worth of sin?)
No, for just as it is not how long it took someone to commit a murder which makes him deserving of life in prison, so it is not how long people sin which makes them deserving of eternal suffering (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11). Instead, it is the infinite importance of God (Isaiah 40:17), whom they sin against (Psalms 51:4), so that their sin is of infinite magnitude. An analogy would be a mother speaking rudely to her little child. The world is not going to punish the mother for that. But if that same mother speaks rudely to a judge in a court of law, she could get locked up in jail for contempt of court. For the world considers not speaking rudely to a judge (and all that he represents) of much more importance than not speaking rudely to a little child.
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(Re: Does an eternal hell show that God is evil?)
No, for as the Creator, God has the right to do with His creatures whatever He wants (Romans 9:21-22). And the eternal suffering which He will mete out to non-Christians (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11) will not be some evil, capricious act of cruelty, but rather an eternal expression of that aspect of God's perfect holiness/goodness which is His righteous judgment and wrath against evil (Romans 2:5, Romans 9:22, Hebrews 12:28b-29, Revelation 14:10-11).
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(Re: Then does an eternal hell, combined with double predestination, show that God is evil?)
No, and as mere humans, we must be careful not to condemn the way that God Himself has chosen to reveal all that He is (Romans 9:20-24): both a loving being (1 John 4:8, John 15:13, Matthew 26:28) and a vengeful being (Hebrews 12:29, Luke 12:49; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). We must not say that it is evil for God not to elect and save everyone, and to send the nonelect and unsaved into eternal suffering (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 14:10-11). For by saying this we would be making humans more important than God and His wishes. And this is something which Satan causes people to do, just as Jesus Christ at one point "said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:23).
No matter how it may irk the Satanic pride of us humans, wanting to be important like God (Isaiah 14:12-14), so important that He would never even think of not saving all of us, and casting some of us into hell forever (Isaiah 14:15, Revelation 20:10,15), we must always remember that it is God's right to do with His creatures whatever He wants (Romans 9:21-23), and that even all of humanity together is infinitesimal and worth "less than nothing" compared with God (Isaiah 40:17-18, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 2:22). We must resist our Satanic, human pride (which we can unconsciously disguise with good-sounding words about God's love for us), and completely humble ourselves before God (James 4:7-10; 1 Peter 5:6-8), pleading that He might have mercy on us sinners (Luke 18:13-14).
Satan would love nothing more than to get us humans in our sinful pride to wrongly reject YHWH God of the Bible as evil, so that we will end up in the lake of fire and brimstone forever with Satan and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41,46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:43-44). The future Antichrist, who will be empowered by Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9, Revelation 13:4), will utterly revile YHWH (Revelation 13:6, Daniel 11:36). And no doubt one of his chief blasphemies against YHWH will be that YHWH is an evil god. (This is one of the ancient blasphemies of Gnosticism, another being the antichrist lie that Christ is not in the flesh: 2 John 1:7.) During the future Antichrist's literal 3.5-year worldwide reign, the world will be deceived into rejecting YHWH, and worshipping Lucifer (Satan, the dragon) and the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") instead (Revelation 13:4-18, Revelation 12:9).
It is the ultimate proof of the humility of Christians (James 4:10, Acts 20:19a, Matthew 23:12) for them to accept the facts of double predestination (Romans 9:11-24) and an eternal hell (Matthew 25:41,46), without rejecting YHWH as being evil for these things. For it means that Christians have humbly accepted the fact that the wholly-good YHWH God (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 John 1:5) is infinitely more important than even all of humanity together (Isaiah 40:17, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 2:22).
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(Re: Are the eternal suffering of most humans, and the limited love of God, the most important parts of your worldview?)
The eternal suffering (Matthew 25:41,46, Mark 9:46, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11) of most humans (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14), and the limited love of God (Romans 9:13-22), should be important parts of every Christian's worldview. For these doctrines are taught by God's own Word the Holy Bible. And it is vital for Christians to stick with what God's Word teaches (2 Timothy 3:16 to 4:4; 1 Timothy 4:1, John 8:31b, Mark 8:35-38). One of Satan's prime aims is to get people to reject all or parts of God's Word, and start believing something else which sounds better to them as humans, in order to deceive them into rejecting God's will (Genesis 3:1-6, Matthew 16:21-23; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:1).
(See also 2 John 1:9 below)
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(Re: *Universal salvation?)
Not everyone will be saved from hell (Matthew 25:41,46, Matthew 13:38-42), but only a relatively few people (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14), compared with all of humanity.
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(Re: OSAS?)
Matthew 25:41-46 means that a Christian can ultimately lose his salvation if he wrongly employs his free will to not help a Christian in need, without repentance.
Also, it should be noted that Jesus Christ is concerned not only with any physical hunger and nakedness of Christians, His brethren (Matthew 25:37-40, Luke 12:23, Acts 6:2). For even those Christians who are physically well-fed and clothed can still be in great need of His spiritual food and clothing (Revelation 3:17-19, John 6:27, Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 4:2-4).
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