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0THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD Felonyuk O.P.1, Kazakov V.N.2, Massalitinov K.S.3, Kavinsky V.V.4, Volodchenkov M.I.5
1Felonyuk Oleg Petrovich — Independent Researcher;
2Kazakov Vladimir Nikolaevich — Independent Researcher;
3Massalitinov Konstantin Stepanovich — Independent Researcher;
4Kavinsky Veniamin Vitalievich — Independent Researcher;
5Volodchenkov Mikhail Ivanovich — Independent Researcher.
VORONEZH
Abstract: The article explores the theological theme—" The Judgments of God", and also provides an analysis of the verses of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament—the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 25:1-46) and the book of Revelation (Rev. 20:11-15). The study is based on an analysis of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the New King James Version of the Bible (NKJV). The main conclusion has been proven: the church of God will not be condemned. This study was conducted by the biblical method—"proof by the Scriptures'".
Keywords: Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the New King James Version (NKJV); Bible Commentaries of Dallas Theological Seminary.
UDC 226.2, 228
Special Abbreviations
f., ff. — following verse, following verses.
Quotes
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible (NKJV).
Introduction
The purpose of the work is to study the theological theme—"The Judgments of God". In addition, an analysis of the verses of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament—the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 25:1-46) and the book of Revelation (Rev. 20:11-15) is presented. The study is based on the commentary of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the New King James Version of the Bible (NKJV). It has been proven that the context of the verses from Matthew 25:1-46 refers only to Israel and the Gentiles, and not to the Church of God. The context of the verses of Rev. 20:11-15 also applies only to sinners. The main conclusion has been proven: the Church of God will not be condemned, because its members are the children of Jesus Christ. This study was conducted by the biblical method and is based on a convincing argument of the verses of the Bible—"proof by the Scriptures..." (Acts 18:28f) [5].
The presented work is thematically related to the authors'previous research [1-4, 6-9].
God knows His children—those who believe in Jesus Christ and always do His will. He knows them perfectly and constantly takes care of them, which is convincingly proven in works [1-2].
God always has a reward for serving the Lord—salvation and eternal life, which is proved by the content of the works [3-4].
For obedience to the will of God (humility), the Lord also has a reward—healing and blessing, which is proved in the works [6-7].
The children of God are obedient to the voice of the Lord—the Holy Spirit (the word of God)—which is proven by the content of the works [8-9].
THE BIBLE (NKJV STUDY BIBLE)
From the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) we know that God will judge all people on earth through the Lord Jesus Christ:
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead...." (Acts 17:30-31ff).
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, will judge the nations:
"For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." (John 5:2223).
The verses from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 (Matthew 25:1-46, or, later, briefly—Matt. 25:1-46) and the book of Revelation Chapter 20 (briefly—Rev. 20:11-15), about the future judgments of God on Israel, Gentiles and sinners, are studied.
1 THE COMING JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL
The coming judgment of God on Israel (Matt. 25:1-30) was foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament.
1) This was predicted by the prophet Ezekiel:
" 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,' says the Lord God. ..." (Ezek. 20:33-36ff).
The prophet Zechariah also predicted this judgment:
"In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." (Zech. 13:1).
Before the second coming of the Lord in glory there will be a "great tribulation," as He predicted (Matt. 24:21), so the Jews who survived this tribulation will come to God's judgment.
2) Parable of the Ten Virgins
In Israel, everyone understood the words of Jesus Christ, because He told them about their lives and customs (here is a wedding custom during the life of Jesus Christ)—Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13).
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matt. 25:1-13).
3) Professors of Dallas Biblical Seminary John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck in their book "Commentary on Biblical Knowledge: The New Testament" [10], commenting on the verses (Matt. 25: 1-13), write about it this way:
"Israel therefore is pictured as 10 virgins who are awaiting the return of the bridegroom. In wedding customs in Jesus' day, the bridegroom would return from the house of the bride in a procession leading to his own home where a wedding banquet would be enjoyed. In Jesus' parable, He as King will return from heaven with His bride, the church, in order to enter into the Millennium. The Jews in the Tribulation will be some of the invited guests privileged to share in the feast. But preparation is necessary. In the parable, five of the virgins had made adequate preparation for they possessed the necessary lamps and extra oil in jars (Matt. 25:4). Five others had lamps but no extra oil. At midnight . . . the bridegroom arrived. The lamps of the five virgins without extra oil were going out. So they had to go searching for oil and missed the arrival of the bridegroom. When they returned and found the wedding feast in progress, they sought admission but were denied (vv. 10-12)." [10, 80].
4) Why were the foolish virgins unable to enter the wedding feast?
Commentators of the Dallas Biblical Seminary also answer this question:
"Israel in the Tribulation will know that Jesus' coming is near, but not all will be spiritually prepared for it. His coming will be sudden, when it is not expected {24:27, 39, 50). Though this passage does not specifically interpret the meaning of the oil, many commentators see it as representing the Holy Spirit and His work in salvation. Salvation is more than mere profession for it involves regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Those who will merely profess to be saved, and do not actually possess the Spirit, will be excluded from the feast, that is, the kingdom. Those who fail to be ready when the King comes, cannot enter His kingdom. Since the day and hour of His return are unknown, believers in the Tribulation should keep watch (ypnyopsizs — grigoreite), that is, be alert and prepared (cf. 24:42)." [10, 80].
Indeed, being born again—faith in Jesus Christ—is a necessary condition for the salvation of every person. The Lord spoke about this in a night conversation with Nicodemus:
"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God:." (John 3:3ff).
Conclusion: Israel was God's chosen people, but when it came time to enter the wedding feast with Jesus Christ, they were unprepared. The foolish are those who did not believe the Lord Jesus Christ and did not accept Him—they remained outside salvation (outside the door).
5) Parable of the Talents
In the following verses (Matt. 25:14-30) the parable of the talents is presented. It says figuratively that one person (the master) goes to another country and entrusts his estate to slaves. The master gives each slave a talent (the weight of silver) by its strength: one—five talents, the other—two, the other—one. Upon [his] return, the
master receives double the profits from the first two slaves. But the third slave did not want to work for his master at all and returned his own talent to him. He thought that this would be the end of it, but he heard terrible words: crafty slave and lazy. As a result, he was not blessed, but "thrown out" (into the outer darkness, i.e. separated from the Lord in eternity).
Israel, as God's chosen people, was given a lot, but they did not show the glory of God, and therefore lost what they had.
Conclusion: The Lord expects from everyone who believes in Him a fruit for the Kingdom of God—benefits for God and people.
2 THE COMING JUDGMENT ON GENTILES
The coming judgment of God on the Gentiles (Matt. 25:31-46) was also foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament. The Prophet Joel writes:
1) "I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land." (Joel 3:2);
"Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations." (Joel 3:12).
God's judgment on the Gentiles has the goal of separating from them those who will enter with Christ into the 1000-year Kingdom (i.e., the sheep from the goats).
2) Consider the verses of the Bible (Matt. 25:31-46).
Among these people, as it is written, there will be sheep and goats:
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom cprepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'' " (Matt. 25:31-36).
To the question (of the sheep): when did we see this, do it and serve You? (Matt. 25:37-39), the Lord will answer:
"... 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me: " (Matt. 25:40). [see works 2-4].
It will also be said to those on the left side (goats):
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:..., " (Matt. 25:41f-44).
To the question (of goats) about this (v. 44) he will answer with the following words:
"Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' " (Matt. 25:45).
3) Indeed, during the time of great tribulation, the ministry of a Jewish believer will involve great risk to his life.
The Dallas Biblical Seminary commentators mentioned above write about this event as follows:
"In view of the distress in the Tribulation period, it is dear that any believing Jew will have a difficult time surviving (cf. 24:15-21). The forces of the world dictator will be doing everything possible to exterminate all Jews (cf. Rev. 12:17). A Gentile going out of his way to assist a Jew in the Tribulation will mean that Gentile has become a believer in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation. By such a stand and action, a believing Gentile will put his life in jeopardy. His works will not save him; but his works will reveal that he is redeemed." [10, 81].
The goats are those people who will side with the world dictator during the Great Tribulation. They will not be merciful to the suffering of believers and for this they will go into eternal torment (v. 46).
Conclusion: God will judge the Gentiles in relation to the needs of the believers. The Lord knows those who show mercy to Him. [see 1-4].
3 THE COMING JUDGMENT ON SINNERS
After the 1,000-year-old Kingdom all dead sinners will be resurrected and will also be judged by the Lord (Rev. 20:11-15).
1) The Great White Throne Judgment
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who 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, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake offire." (Rev. 20:11-15).
2) The dead sinners did not come to life on the first resurrection (before the 1,000-year-old Kingdom) (Rev. 20:5), but only after the 1,000-year-old Kingdom (this is the second resurrection). They will be resurrected for just retribution.
Conclusion: For a person, his choice here on earth is very important: to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ or to remain in unbelief and then go to judgment.
4 THE CHURCH OF GOD WILL NOT BE CONDEMNED
A natural question arises: what about the Church of God? Will she be judged by the Lord or not?
1) The Apostles' Reward
The answer to this question is given to us by the Holy Scriptures—the Bible:
"Then Peter answered and said to Him, ' See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have? ' So Jesus said to them, ' Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.'' " (Matt. 19:27-29).
2) The Judgment Seat of Christ
Jesus Christ also gave a direct answer to the question asked:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24). The Judgment Seat of Christ also pointed to this:
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10).
Thus, we see that The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judgment, but the receiving of rewards for labors in God's field.
From this follows an important conclusion:
The Church of God will not be judged. Its members are the children of Jesus Christ (His sons and daughters). They do not come to judgment, but they have passed from death into life—eternal life! (John 5:24).
God desires that every person believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with a sincere heart, experience His forgiveness, love, and mercy, and through faith in Him, have a personal relationship with the Lord (as with the Father)—eternal life in Christ Jesus. CONCLUSION
Summarizing the results of this study, the following important conclusions can be drawn. In the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the New King James Version of the Bible (NKJV), the judgments of God are shown:
1) The coming judgment of God on Israel (Matt. 25:1-30).
2) The coming judgment of God on the Gentiles (Matt. 25:31-46).
3) The coming judgment of God on sinners (Rev. 20:11-15).
4) It is proven by the Scriptures that the Church of God will not be judged (John 5:24).
References
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