The Nations Of Earth Mourn

by Trevor Sands, Barrow-in-Furness, U.K. | Category: Christ's Return - Approaching World Crisis | Aug 1984

Introduction

The Lord's great victory at Armageddon will leave the military and political systems of the world in total disarray. There will, however, be a period of time between this event and the setting up of Christ's one thousand years of righteous rule. This article offers some thoughts on worldwide developments in that era.

All nations gathered - The Purpose

Our Lord's parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) illustrates to us that, until the time of "the harvest", there are "the sons of the kingdom" and "the sons of the evil one" living alongside one another in the world. (Please note that the Lord speaks of "the field" as "the world" - a church composed of believers and unbelievers is never contemplated in Scripture). Sometimes these two classes of people are, to outward appearances, very similar. However, "the Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim. 2:19).

During the Millennium unrighteousness will be repressed. Joel tells us: "then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more" (3:17). The great separation of "the wheat" from "the tares" will be the purpose of what is often known as "the judgement of the living nations".

All nations gathered - The Power and the Place

A graphic description of the inescapable drawing power to the place of judgement is given in the Lord's parable of the drag-net. As powerless to resist as vast shoals of fish taken in a strong net and flung on to the deck of a ship, individuals will find themselves in the presence of Christ the Judge in order to learn their final destiny. What an awe-inspiring scene it will be as those "of every kind" face the Master's gaze in the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:12). While some have suggested that this may be the Kidron valley, clear evidence for such a viewpoint is hard to find. What we can note, however, is that "Jehoshaphat" means "the Lord judges". The One who, in the time of His rejection knew the perverted justice of Pilate's tribunal, will mete out absolute justice - without error, without malice, without partiality.

All nations gathered - Eternal punishment or Eternal Life

The Lord introduces His account of this scene by narrating two parables (Matthew 25). In the parable of the ten virgins, we see that the five foolish ones had no fuel in their lamps when the Bridegroom arrived. There are many ways of enlightenment presented today but, when the Bridegroom returns, those not truly indwelt by the Spirit of God will be shown to have been groping in darkness. Those ten virgins who had lived alongside each other for so long will be eternally separated - to eternal happiness in the presence of the Bridegroom or eternal misery outside the closed door.

In the parable of the talents, these lessons are reinforced and extended. The foolish servant has never known the divine quickening which alone leads to effective service. He is pictured as earthbound, totally unable to produce worthwhile eternal fruit. The conclusion of this parable shows that, for the profitable servants there is even more than the wonderful joy of the Master's presence. Magnificent rewards are given for humble service faithfully rendered. Conversely, the fate of the "unprofitable servant" is shown to be not merely absence from the Master's presence, terrible though this will be. Who can read of "the outer darkness" with its "weeping and gnashing of teeth" without a deep sense of horror at the hopeless scene these few words so vividly convey?

All nations gathered - The Basis of the Separation

Because of the fallen nature of man, it is impossible in any age of history for even those whose lives are beyond reproach, as far as their fellows are concerned, to be acceptable to God on that basis. "By grace have ye been saved through faith... not of works, that no man should glory" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

With this thought before us, we may find the basis of the separation of the sheep and the goats by the King (Matthew 25:31-46) a little difficult to understand. Are "the sheep" saved because of their commendable behaviour to God's persecuted people?

A helpful first step in our comprehension of this matter, may be, I suggest, Abraham's words to God as he pleaded for Sodom: - "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). God's principles do not change to meet the differing circumstances of each dispensation.

The commendation for the selfless service of those classed as "sheep" is for the manifestation, by works, of the reality of their faith: "I by my works will show thee my faith" (James 2:18). The converse applies to those described as the "goats".

Conclusion

Clearly, the removal of evil men and women from the earth could not, in itself, ensure a Millennium free from falsehood and intrigue if the great mastermind of wickedness, the Devil himself, were allowed to roam unhindered.

The one who boasted to the Lord Himself that all the kingdoms of the world had been delivered to him and that he could give them to whomever he wished will be imprisoned in the abyss. The haughty adversary of God and man will be stripped of every vestige of power by the One at whose throne "every knee shall bow" (See Revelation 20:1-3).

Kingdom of Christ! For its coming we pray,

Hasten, 0 Father, the dawn of the day,

When this new song Thy creation shall sing,

"Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King".

Trevor Sands, Barrow-in-Furness, U.K. | Aug 1984
Christ's Return - Approaching World Crisis