Matthew 25:33

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. AND HE SHALL SET THE SHEEP ON HIS RIGHT HAND - the side of honour (; ; , etc.) -- BUT THE GOATS ON THE LEFT - the side consequently of dishonour....

31-46 This is a description of the last judgment. It is as an explanation of the former parables. There is a judgment to come, in which every man shall be sentenced to a state of everlasting happiness, or misery. Christ shall come, not only in the glory of his Father, but in his own glory, as Mediator. The wicked and godly here dwell together, in the same cities, churches, families, and are not always to be known the one from the other; such are the weaknesses of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners; and death takes both: but in that day they will be parted for ever. Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd; he will shortly distinguish between those that are his, and those that are not. All other distinctions will be done away; but the great one between saints and sinners, holy and unholy, will remain for ever. The happiness the saints shall possess is very great. It is a kingdom; the most...

Verse 33. _HE SHALL SET THE SHEEP_, c.] The _right hand_ signifies, among the rabbins, _approbation_ and _eminence_: the _left_ _hand, rejection_, and _disapprobation_. Hence in _Sohar Chadash_ it is said, "The _right_ hand is given, the _left_ also is given - to the _Israelites_ and the _Gentiles_ are given _paradise_ and _hell _- this _world_, and the _world to come_." The right and left were emblematical of endless beatitude and endless misery among the Romans. Hence Virgil:- Hic _locus est, partes ubi se via findit_ in _ambas,_ Dextera, _quae Ditis magni sub moenia tendit:_ Hac _iter_ Elysium _nobis at_ laeva _malorum_ _Exercet poenas, et ad impia_ Tartara _mittit._...

SHALL SET THE SHEEP ... - By “the sheep” are denoted, here, the righteous. The name is given to them because the sheep is an emblem of innocence and harmlessness. See John 10:7, John 10:14, John 10:27; Psalms 100:3; Psalms 74:1; Psalms 23:1. ON THE RIGHT HAND - The right hand is the place of honor, and denotes the situation of those who are honored, or those who are virtuous. See...

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 25:1 _Parable of the ten virgins. _(Peculiar to St. Matthew.) This parable, as a continuation of the teaching of the last chapter, sets forth the necessity of having and retaining grace unto the end, in order to be able to welcome the advent of Christ. The duty of watchfulness and preparation for the great day is, of course, implied and set forth (Matthew 25:13); but the point is that the oil of God's grace alone enables the soul to meet the bridegroom joyfully, without dismay. The usual marriage customs of the Jews are well known. On the appointed day, the bridegroom, accompanied by his friends, proceeded to the bride's house, and thence escorted her, with her attendant maidens and friends, to his own or his parents' home. In the parable,

AND HE SHALL SET THE SHEEP ON HIS RIGHT HAND,.... That is, the elect of God, and true believers, such as have the grace of God truly implanted in them; the sheep the Father gave unto Christ, and made his care and charge, whom he, as the good shepherd, laid down his life for; and who know his voice in effectual calling, and follow him in the way of his ordinances and appointments; and are comparable to sheep for their meekness and innocence, their simplicity and usefulness, and their harmless and inoffensive lives, and conversations: these Christ will set on his right hand, as a token of his affection for them, and a mark of respect and honour shown them, and as a pledge of that exaltation and glory he will be about to raise them to. BUT THE GOATS ON THE LEFT; that is, the foolish virgins, wicked, and slothful servants, graceless professors, who, because of the impurity of their hearts,...

CHAPTER 25 _ 1. The Parable of the Ten Virgins. (Matthew 25:1 .) 2. The Parable of the Servants and the Talents. (Matthew 25:14 .) 3. The Judgment of Nations. (Matthew 25:31 .)_ The second parable is the parable of the ten virgins. It is one which is interpreted by students of the prophetic Word in different ways; we are therefore obliged to give it our closest attention. “Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened to ten virgins that, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were prudent and five foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and did not take oil with them; but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now the br

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT (Mt. only). Though the nations are gathered before the Son of Man as judge, they pass into the background in the trial which is really that of the Christian Church, unless indeed the assumption is that all the nations have become Christian ere the Judgment. For the sheep and the goats _cf._ Ezekiel 34:17 ff. Note the sudden transition to the title King (Matthew 25:34). Have we here another adaptation to the Parousia of a parable in which originally the King was the central figure, or simply the development of a passage like Enoch 62f.? For the test _cf. Matthew 10:40_ ff., Matthew 18:5; it even goes beyo

THE FATE OF THE UNPREPARED (Matthew 25:1-13)...

The Day of Judgment 32. _all nations_ Either (1) all the nations of the world, including the Jews; or (2) all the Gentiles. The almost invariable use of τὰ ἔθνη to signify the Gentiles; the unconsciousness of service to Christ shewn by just and unjust alike; the simplicity of the standard proposed by the Judge, favour the second interpretation. On the other hand the special warning to the Apostles, and to the Jewish race, in the previous parts of the discourse render it probable that Jews and Christians are not excluded from this picture of the judgment. The unconsciousness of the judged may be referred not to ignorance of Christ, but to unconsciousness that in relieving the distressed they were actually relieving Christ. The simplicity of the standard may be intended to include what is called "natural" religion, as well as revealed religion. The nations are judged by a standard of justi...