It started out as the Lord's passover. A layman's commentary on John chapter two, verses 11-13.

 A layman's commentary on John 2:6 through ??

Having covered the wedding at Cana, I do not want to go into all the details again, but John 2:10 offers an incredible opening statement.

Why choose the words, an astounding opening statement?

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”
John 2:11 BSB

Just toying with ideas, but I could read this passage one of two ways.

1. This, we are told, is the first sign He performed.

   If that is the case, how did his mother come to believe that He was capable of doing other things, like raising a human from the grave?

   The miracle that He performed at the wedding may have communicated, to those paying attention, on so many levels.

2. It may be that the statement we see in verse 11 was speaking exclusively to any miracles that He performed in Cana.

Signs seem like such a simplistic word, so let's look at it for a moment.

It is the Greek word sēmeion, and has meanings, given to us by [Thayer's Greek definitions], such as: (1) that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known. Well, Jesus was soon to be known more for the remarkable events, such as healing a crippled man who was lowered through the roof.

“And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they *came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.” Mark 2:2-4 NASB)

(2. An unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature. Certainly, reattaching Malchus' ear was unusual.

“Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.”
John 18:10 BSB

The narrative about Malchus does not end there.

“Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
Luke 22:49-51 BSB

Most of these retellings of Jesus's actions are sterile and devoid of background information; it does not seem to matter since the combination of passages, from the Apostle John, and Dr. Luke, who did not come into view until the Apostle Paul describes his actions in his letters to Timothy, Philemon, and the church in Colossae; leaving us to fill in blanks, with information such as: who saw this happen?

The answer to the question above was Peter, Andrew, James, John, and John Mark. John's recollection details that it was Malchus, the servant of the high priest.

Here is an interesting thought. Is it possible that Malchus came to be a follower of Jesus?
Moving on.

“After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.”
John 2:12 BSB

“After this?”

After the wedding at Cana.

“His mother and brothers and His disciples?”

We seem to forget, or ignore, that He had other brothers and sisters; remember, they were the

offspring of Joseph and Mary, not Mary carrying God's embryo, placed by the Holy Spirit.

“When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”
John 2:13 BSB

I cannot explain why this grabs my attention.

“Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

Here is a piece of information that should help you understand biblical eschatology. Your point of reference when considering Israel and prophecy is to remember that the heart of Israel is Jerusalem.

Dake's notes indicate that this was and still should be the Lord's Passover.

It was the Passover.

“It started out to be "the Lord’s Passover."

• Exodus 12:11,

  'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.” NASB

• Leviticus 23:4-5;

  'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.

• Numbers 28:16 NASB,

  'Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD'S Passover.”

But it had degenerated to be "the Jews’ Passover." Passover was one of the six yearly feasts dedicated to the Lord.

I want you to consider something before we move on to a commentary by E.W. Bullinger. As part of the wrath/signs that God poured out upon Egypt, as part of an extensive effort meant to motivate Pharaoh to release God's people, Israel.

The Passover, while meant to bring about the release of Israel, would also bring about a quick death to the firstborn of "anyone" in Egypt that did not protect themselves by having their door lintels covered by the blood.

The majority of Israel was effectively atheist.

How could I say that?

Well, seeing that many of us had been taught, in Sunday school, to assume that Israel followed, wholeheartedly, after God. Sorry, but that was not the case. To prove my point, after gaining their “freedom” from Egypt, several years passed, and this “prophet for hire,” Balaam, was brought in by Balak, the King of Moab, to curse Israel. The end result of that chapter of Israel's history was that Balaam conveyed to Balak how introducing the good-looking “foreign” women into the camp of Israel would corrupt and destroy Israel from the inside out. That is exactly what happened.

How many generations does it take to effectively strip the understanding and love of God out of your heart and mentality?

In some cases, one generation is about 20 to 30 years. Let's speculate that 20 years is the standard. Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert, so we might be able to say, Israel, just based upon time spent in the desert wanderings, is looking at two generations. We have watched this very thing within our own family, as our oldest grandchild is now 23. Israel, before leaving Egypt, spent 400+ years in captivity. I like to describe what we call Israel as effectively Egyptians. This is why I can say, in a sense, Israel had to be taught rather quickly to obey.

Obey what?

A rather difficult set of instructions. No, it was not difficult to splash some paint on your door lintels, but it was difficult to bring a young lamb into your home, love it, and then slaughter “what had, in a sense, effectively become a family member”.

Understand that Israel had been living for over 400 years, with a mere trickle of the descendants of Judah following after God, and that these descendants now attempted to comprehend.

Did Moses have a strong grasp of God?

Moses was born into a Jewish family (If you know the narrative surrounding Moses, then you also know that the origins of this relationship, which led back to the God of Abraham, a relationship that had NO religion tied to it.)

How do I know that?

Because we see Moses, though raised in Pharaoh's courts, had some education in the ways and understanding of “his” people.

What does the book of Hebrews tell us?

“It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27 NLT

Pharaoh had given orders to kill off ALL the male children born to the people of Judah, “God's people.” Fortunately, Moses' mother chose to disobey that order and eventually put their baby boy in a reed basket, made waterproof with pitch. Who should find that basket? A servant girl, who then took the baby to the daughter of Pharaoh. Moses' sister had watched this and then offered the services of an Israelite who could nurse the baby. How convenient. I believe Pharaoh and his daughter both knew that this was the mother of the baby.

Now comes an extraordinary event. Moses came to understand who his family and relatives were, and what they believed – that there was a God in the heavens who was willing to make a covenant with a long-dead ancestor named Abraham.

How did that happen?

To answer that question, you have to assume and project a logical understanding into the scenario. That mother nursed that boy long enough, with probable visits from Pharaoh's daughter, to the point that Moses was familiar with both “parents.” He learned the language of his people as well as the Egyptian language, and seemed to understand the plight of the “Jews” and why they were here in Egypt.

This next verse, though vague, will help to explain Hebrews 11:24-27.

“Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” Exodus 2:10 NLT

“Later, when the boy was older,” How old is older?

Honestly, I have seen a “documentary” that may have been made to show the ridiculousness of women breastfeeding children as old as 12 years of age.

Is that absurd?

It seems so, and my wife agrees, and yet the documentary indicates that the women were willing to do this for the sake of the child's emotional health. A rational answer will have to go unanswered, lacking an understanding of the culture of that time. If the Pharaoh's daughter had not been given access to the child throughout this time of nursing, she may have become bored with the idea of raising the child, and perhaps Moses would have been killed. Again, we don't know the answer short of speculation. You cannot walk through this narrative without seeing the hand of God in all of it.

Take this familiar scene one step further.

Over 40 years later, Moses will tell the people of Israel to take a lamb into their homes, love on it, and then on a specific day (the first day of the first month), a day which was as yet foreign to many of them, and slaughter that lamb. They then had to place the blood of that lamb upon the doorposts, in the sign of a cross, to “secure” the salvation of the firstborn, as the angel that was to bring death would pass over their home on that night. This angel did not merely kill newborn babies; it went after all ages. Surprise, I was the firstborn among my siblings, and Caleb (not a Jew) was the firstborn among his siblings. Interesting, yes.

The Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger makes a point of telling us that Noah came out of the ark on “the first month, on the first day. Bullinger further indicates that there are six additional important events that occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Bible:

1. The drying up of the flood waters from the earth. (Gen_8:13)

   “In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.” Genesis 8:13 BSB

   Noah, after a year in the ark, is now six hundred and one years old.

2. The setting up of the Tabernacle by Moses. (Exo_40:2)

   “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.” Exodus 40:2 BSB

   You should have enough of a grasp to understand that this ornate and heavy tent, Moses set up in the desert, was designed and purposed by God. This structure was for many years the temple of God, where the Mercy seat was.

3. The sanctification of the restored and cleaned-up Temple by Hezekiah (2Ch_29:17);

   They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month, they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days, they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. 2 Chronicles 29:17 BSB.

4. The going up of Ezra. (Ezra 7:6-10)

   This introduction is peculiar at best. Immediately, we see that Ezra was, too, a captive of Babylon.

   E. W. Bullinger established that Ezra was of the lineage of Aaron, and goes on to say,

   “This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:6-10 BSB

5. The giving up of strange wives (Ezra_10:17);

   By the first day of the first month, they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives.” Ezra 10:17 NKJV

   The KJV version used the term strange. Some can hear this, and at best, think it means ugly. I do not think so. Strange, in Hebrew, the word is nokrı̂y. It carries meanings of: stranger, foreigner. It refers to someone who was not part of the family. Under the Law, strangers were not allowed to rule in Israel (Deu_17:15). Strangers were regarded as unholy (Deu_14:21). More emphasis was placed on avoiding the defilement of foreign women (1Ki_11:1; Ezr_10:2, Ezr_10:10-11, Ezr_10:14, Ezr_10:17-18, Ezr_10:44; Pro_6:24); and foreign ways (Isa_2:6; Jer_2:21; Zep_1:8). Definitions from Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions.

   So, lacking the willpower to say NO, Israel was ordered, by ordinance of scripture, to get rid of the foreign wives they had taken.

6. The offering up of a bullock in Ezekiel’s future Temple (Ezk_45:18).

   “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary. And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple. On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten. On that day the prince shall provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.” Ezekiel 45:18-22 BSB

Ezekiel 45:18-22 is a forerunner of Jesus, who, as the high priest, offered His own body as the sacrifice, and His own blood for the cleansing of the sanctuary, a pattern of which was already in the heavens.

Continuing on with John 2.

John 2:13-22 NASB The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14) And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15) And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16) and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." 17) His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." 18) The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19) Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20) The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22) So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Matthew 21:12-17 NASB And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13) And He *said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." 14) And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant 16) and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus *said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" 17) And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Mark 11:15-18 NASB Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16) and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17) And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." 18) The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

Luke is giving us second or third-hand information.

Luke 19:45-47 NASB Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, 46) saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." 47) And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him,

• All three, Matthew, Mark, and John, have Him entering the Temple.

  A prime assumption, but a good one, is that He went straightway to the Temple. He was on a mission.

• Both Matthew and Mark show Him using the sentence, "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER." Mark added, "FOR ALL NATIONS."

• While John and Mark both spell out that there were sellers and money changers in the temple, only John tells us that He intentionally made a scourge of cords.

Because, if I am going to be honest, the varied Sunday School inputs got me confused. I assumed that the clearing of the temple happened only once shortly after He rode into town on the young colt. Mark's gospel is a good example.

“Mark 11:15-16 NASB Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16) and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

The reason I grabbed this as an example is that it has verses that are comparable to Matthew's gospel and clearly show Him clearing the outer courts. Let's look at what Matthew tells us.

Matthew 21:2-12 NASB saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3) "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4) This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5) "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'" 6) The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7) and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8) Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9) The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" 10) When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11) And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." 12) And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

So I am always trying to build a clean chronology in my mind. If I could do this, then I would be able to say, without doubt, that Jesus entered the temple twice and raised a bit of a ruckus twice.

Perhaps this point is useless without a definition of ruckus, because while the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to destroy Him, the crowd was astonished by His teachings.

Mark 11:18 NASB “The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.”

I, too, am astonished by Him, in a good way. I stand in awe of Him, and He lives in me.

Does He live in you?

A controversy about the sheep and the goats. Matthew 25.

This controversy about what Jesus said regarding the sheep and goats will not go away; it keeps popping up its contorted little head. I first published this post about 10 years ago. It is now May 2025, and I have, for the last several weeks, been looking at what I wrote and updating it, because the topic came up once again. A considerable amount of time has passed since this particular occurrence took place. 

On a Monday several years ago, at the men's morning bible study, this was the leader's opening statement,

"..if I am wrong with any of my statements, then you men stop me and correct me."

He then proceeded to say,

"As we have been talking about, for weeks now, based on Dake's notes (Finis Jennings Dake, a man who began his ministerial career writing about eschatology at age 19), concerning the Millennium, said,

"the sheep we see in Matthew 25 are those who have helped Israel."

Our church-approved Bible study teacher was sporadically a mathematics teacher at a local community college. Before that, he taught high school math in a tough neighborhood (his words), so you might assume that he is adept at quelling loud and rebellious talk. Therefore, anything we men, as a group, said or did was often reacted to as rebellion. He slapped the table on several occasions and stated, "That is my opinion, and I don't care what you say."

What is that brash statement supposed to mean?

If it is not merely some arrogant mindset, then it is meant to intimidate those endeavoring to renounce the incorrect support scriptures and declarations that the "teacher" was using to prove his point.

Later that same week, I ran into one of the men who did not make the morning study. I told him the primary topic that morning, and he immediately began agreeing with the leader's thesis and got rather protective of it. I tried to make him understand how and why this understanding was incorrect, but he refused to hear what I perceived to be the truth. The thing that saddens me most is that there are many more people just like this "Bible" teacher, espousing doctrines of demons, creating confusion, and preventing people from finding the truth in God's word.

How do I know that he created confusion?

My Father was an avid follower of this teacher, and when my mother died, my Father, with tears in his eyes, asked us if Mom was in heaven. 

How do you feel comfortable teaching grown men to doubt their relationship with the Father? 

If this premise bothers you, consider how few of us open our Bibles and study God's word for ourselves. 

If I can get you to trust that what I am saying is true, knowing full well that you will NOT check for yourselves, then I can preach most anything and pass it off as valid. This attempt at leadership domination is especially effective if I can intimidate you by slamming the table with my hand and suppressing those willing to challenge me by raising my voice.

Here is a clue to help you lead a Bible study:

You are a false teacher if you preach opinion and conjecture and genuinely do not know the answer, or cannot find at least two scripture passages to validate your assertion. Your opinion may have a logical path, but it needs to be presented as such and not verbalized as though it is the word of God and, therefore, church doctrine. Since it is your opinion, you need to allow for rebuttal because you are going to get plenty of it, and deservedly so.

Back to the presumptive statement in question:

"the sheep we see in Matthew 25 are those who have helped Israel."

• I have looked intently, and there is nothing specific in scripture to back this man's statement up.

• The leader feigned as though he was basing his understanding on Francis Jennings Dake's Bible comments.

  I own a Dake's commentary Bible, and I do not see a clear statement that backs this teacher's assertion anywhere. (The one about Gentiles, suffering through the seven years of God's wrath, and how they will be those that Jesus described in Matthew 25 when He elaborated on the sheep and goat judgment.)

  
  

  Matthew 25:31 BSB:  “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.”

  
  

  If the mere fact that Jesus is sitting upon His glorious throne were to be the defining moment for my thesis of judgment, based upon an understanding of glory (Gk -doxa), then I would have failed, as doxa means to look for a sense of His reputation, praise, honor, splendor, perfection, and even rewards. If you have pitched your case for an angry Jesus, that is NOT what we see here.

  
  

  The prophet Jeremiah gives us another defining moment when he tells us that Jerusalem will be called   “The throne of the Lord.”

  
  

  Jeremiah 3:17 BSB:  “At that time Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”

  
  

  Jeremiah defines when that time will transpire; however, it does not support your argument about judging the nations harshly, nor does it reinforce the idea of those from the nations helping Israel. The passage clearly states that the nations will be gathered to honor the name of the Lord.

  
  

  Look at Jeremiah 3:14.

  Jeremiah 3:14 BSB  “Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion.

  
  

  This time period has more to do with bringing what is left of Israel to Zion, the Holy City from which Jesus reigns during the 1000-years.

  
  

  Psalms 47:7-9 BSB  For God is King of all the earth; sing profound praises to Him.  (8)  God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.  (9)  The nobles of the nations have assembled as the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

  
  

  Clearly, Jesus, during this time, will be seated on His holy throne.

  
  

• The most foolish aspect is that the leader tries to force a twisted teaching upon us. I believe this is what the evil of this world consider to be brainwashing. Conjecture, which is speculation mixed with a touch of truth, is easily resolved if you are willing to pay attention to the context, and Matthew 25 has a framework that starts in Matthew 24.

Since I directed us to consider the context, let us do that.

After a series of very hostile confrontations with the Pharisees, the disciples were clearly shaken. Not knowing what to say, they tried to direct Jesus' attention to the obvious: the Temple, which was intact when they walked by that day.

Jesus responded with:

"Do you see all these things?" He replied. "Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
(Matthew 24:2 BSB)

As most of the disciples expected Jesus to be the warring messiah they longed for, the next logical question for Jesus to answer is, when will that happen?

Since He had just informed them that the Temple will be torn down, they have little else on their minds.

"While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?"
(Matthew 24:3 BSB)

The question is a two-part question, and they knew it. Jesus' response to this challenge lasted 47 verses. The most important thing on His mind was deception, and not one time did He mention sheep. It was not until Matthew 25, in the midst of these parables, that Jesus elaborated about the sheep and goat judgment.

Matthew 25:32 CJB: "All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from goats."

I recognize that it is the nations that are assembled before him. If I consider that there are only three people groups in the world right now – the Jews, the nations, and the church, then I also have to consider that historically, the nations were nothing less than harmful to the nation of Israel.

Why, then, would I assume that the sheep, a product of the mid-East, (Let me remind you that the focus of this Jewish centric book we are reading, called the Bible, is that it, in its entirety, is focused on the nation of Israel and the Jews.) would support anyone associated with the nation of Israel? 

Just so you know, Ishmael is one of the beginnings of the nations.

Genesis 16:11-12 BSB  The angel of the LORD proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction.  (12)  He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

The assertion that the sheep are those that helped Israel during the time of God's wrath makes no sense, unless I am trying to base my argument on that one Samaritan (a man that Israel deemed a gentile), who took care of the Jew that had been beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road.

Lacking a strong Biblical backing, should I exclude the possibility that the sheep, a subset of the nations, are supportive of Israel? No, but since we find nothing to validate this assertion, it is not wise to push it off on people as Biblical truth.

I also find it ludicrous to think that all these people are air breathers/alive.

Matthew's gospel, which says this: 

Matthew 25:31-32 NKJV  "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.  (32)  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, therefore, makes no distinction about whether they are breathing or not because scripture substantiates that life is centered on the spirit, which is made in the image of God, the creator, and cannot be killed. 

As you can see from James, the brother of Jesus, the body, lacking the spirit, is deemed to be dead, NOT the other way around.

James 2:26 NASB: "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

The spirit of a human being cannot be killed, but it can, for some people, be separated, permanently, from the creator, which is what the final judgment and the lake of fire are all about.

However, we have a problem in that we are imposing a judgment before the final judgment.

Along the vein of the nations allegedly standing before some questionable, pre-judgment throne, which we have created, we find some interesting references to wrath and judgment in Psalms 110. The problem is that Psalms 110 does not mention the venue and method of judgment or how this happens.

Psalms 110:5-6 NASB: "The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. (6) He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country."

The statement, "He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath," lends itself to what I see in Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:11 NASB “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.”

We know this is Jesus in our "Revelation" reference for several reasons.

1. The entirety of the Revelation is a revealing of Jesus.

2. And  the rider is titled by names identifying Jesus.

   Jeremiah 42:5 NASB: "Then they said to Jeremiah, 'May the LORD be a true and faithful witness ..."

   Revelation 3:14 NASB: "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

So, the titles of faithful and true are validated to be Jesus.

"...and in righteousness He judges and wages war."

Psalm 110 shows Him, in the day of His wrath, judging the nations, and shattering kings.

Shatter is the Hebrew word mâchats, and, according to Strong's concordance, it is only used 14 times. The Word Study Dictionary says it is "a verb meaning to wound severely, to pierce through, and to shatter. This word describes bodily destruction and is best illustrated in Judges 5:26, where Jael pierced through Sisera's head, from Temple to Temple, with a tent peg."

So I can make a logical assumption, based upon scripture and educated definition, that all those who choose to fight against Jesus, as He rides in upon His white horse, will be shattered, wounded severely, and pierced through.

Consider what Jesus did, and we are told He never sinned.

John 2:15 ISV: "After making a whip out of cords, he drove all of them out of the Temple, including the sheep and the cattle. He scattered the coins of the money changers and knocked over their tables."

Did you happen to notice that Jesus came across as angry in John 2:15?

I cannot read John 2:15 without seeing an intentional act, which, to me, equals sin. This tells me that Jesus, and by extension, God, can exhibit anger and wrath. This might seem like an unnecessary transition but I have been accosted by religious zealots who refuse to accept that God can and will get angry.

A little bit of background. Many years ago, after several weeks of giving "prophetic words" to the church body I belonged to, I was met at the door by the pastor, who informed me that some people in church decided that I had made God sound angry. (Yes, that was a bit of a crushing blow as I could see the spiritual growth going on in me; and, yes, it seriously impaired my attitude toward that pastor.)

So it is feasible that God can and does get angry; and, all of this, despite passages in which God tells Moses to convey to the people that His character is love, mercy, and grace.

The Monday morning Bible teacher, along with his eager followers, appeared to relish the idea that harsh judgment is coming upon the non-Christians here on earth as they migrate into the 1000-year reign. (Although the morning teacher falsely taught that NO ONE other than Christians would go into the millennial kingdom. That means that any of the nations that Jesus brings before Him, in this alleged judgment, will all be sent to a permanent, painful time of torture.) I am not sure what the motivation is behind their desire for permanent and painful justice, but I think most of us want to see justice finally served, especially if we were the ones harmed by some abuser.

If you hope to witness God dishing out justice, you have a problem, for Jesus, on the cross, brought forgiveness for everyone who accepts it.

As followers of Christ, we will NEVER see what happens during God's wrath, for we will be rejoicing with the Father in heaven. Consider that Jesus paid the debt owed for sin and took the punishment for all sin on Himself when He went to the cross. This alone should subdue your questions about people standing in judgment for anything, especially for NOT helping the Jews during the time of wrath.

So, let us assume that you maintain that there will be a throne, other than the "great white throne," at which the nations will be forced to come and stand in judgment; and, this is, according to most, the narrative that we see in Matthew 25, where we see the sheep and the goats. 

This time of judgment, which we mistakenly call the tribulation, comes to a crashing halt with Jesus' arrival upon a white horse, as seen in Revelation 19. 

With the entrance of Revelation 19, we see terminology, in the past tense, pointing to the judgment of the great harlot/the prostitute.

Revelation 19:2 BSB: "For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand."

So the time of wrath has ended; or has it?

The passage tells us that the time of wrath has shown us is that it was judgment, and it tells us against whom it was directed.

1. The great prostitute, who corrupted the earth with her immorality.

2. And, He/Jesus, has avenged the blood of His servants.

Who does God include in this crowd of servants?

Israel, and all those who, after the rapture, have come into the family of God. The passage indicates that the time of wrath has (past tense) avenged the deaths and harm to those who have come to Him.

He rules with a rod of iron, and yet, there is no elaboration upon an explicit throne of judgment with Jesus sitting on it.

Revelation 19:11-15 ISV: "Then I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is named Faithful and True. He administers justice and wages war righteously. (12)  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that nobody knows except himself.  (13)  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. (14)  The armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, follow him on white horses.  (15)  A sharp sword comes out of his mouth to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod and tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."

Well, there it is, "He administers justice and wages war righteously"; yet, NOT once do we see Jesus seated at a throne of judgment.

Since he comes with a sword and fights against anyone choosing to withstand Him, this, too, is judgment. However, that is not what you were looking for, is it?

Revelation 19:15 tells us that the sword that comes out of His mouth strikes down the nations. Do you see a decisive statement that spells out anything close to a total annihilation of all those among the nations?  

It is NOT there.

Revelation 19:19 NASB: "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army."

What is peculiar is the amount of time it might take for ALL the armies to assemble to make war with Jesus, and why would Jesus "waste" that much time merely to kill everyone on earth.

Remember, the original premise seems to have been for a vast slaughter of the nations, called before some "throne", where only a handful of people who helped the Jews through the time of wrath, obtain mercy and entrance into the 1000-year reign.

Does any of that sound like a throne of judgment being set up so that He can drag the nations before Him, where He supposedly sends them off to an eternal hell?

After this moment, we are told He will rule them with an iron rod. Ruling with a rod of iron sounds like an ongoing affair, not a solitary moment of permanent torture and punishment.

Just recently, a brother in Christ and a Jew, who has a YouTube site called Nehemiah's Wall, spoke of having a discussion with a Theologian, who wholeheartedly believes that many souls, which the Bible calls righteous men, and includes Old Testament saints, such as King David, are already in hell. The premise, I suppose, is that David had Uriah, the Hittite, killed to alleviate some of David's guilt over having an adulterous relationship with Uriah's wife. This is an provocative line of thought, especially when God calls men, like David, a man after His own heart, and someone like Lot is deemed righteous. (You can read the scandalous story surrounding Lot in Genesis 19.)

As far as people go, who get punished with everlasting judgment, we are only told of two humans who precede all others in going to hell, and we see them in Revelation 19:20.

Revelation 19:20 ISV:  "The beast was captured, along with the false prophet who had performed signs on its behalf. By these signs the false prophet had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur."

So, the only two "humans" that receive eternal punishment are the beast (the antichrist) and the false prophet (FYI: The Muslims have prophecies about "the false prophet." For them he is our Jesus, but he is described as one having all the legal qualities of a Jewish high priest.)

 Furthermore, these two men are thrown there immediately after the seven-years.

I am painfully aware that there is a significant argument, which will try to convince you that there are people in hell already. This argument is enforced by the narrative that concerns the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar. 

Here is the pertinent portion of scripture.

Luke 16:22-31 NASB: "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. (23) "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. (24) "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' (25) "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. (26) 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' (27) "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- (28) for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' (29) "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' (30) "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' (31) "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Chasm, or fixed space, the Greek word is chasma. It is from a form of an obsolete primary “chao” (to “gape” or “yawn”); a “chasm” or vacancy (impassable interval.)

I find it interesting that ('Doctor') Luke, is passing along what he believes to be accurate information. Do you ever find yourself thinking, this is second hand information and subject to miscommunication? I am not trying to say that the Bible is corrupted and not to be trusted; I am merely making a strong recommendation to study the Bible for yourselves.

Sadly lacking knowledge and a desire to learn, we merely take the words offered by translators, in this case, the NASB, or someone that the title Doctorate in front of their name, as the final piece of information necessary for our understanding. Do not ever assume that to be the case. Merely assuming prohibits you from being able to answer questions as I have posed below.

1. How did the rich man know that it was Abraham comforting Lazarus?

2. Did you assume that the rich man was aware of the fixed gulf?

3. If so, why would he think Lazarus could cross it?

4. Why was Lazarus in comfort, not bothered by the heat?

5. Did it occur to you that the rich man was attempting to use the same arrogance against Lazarus that he used in life?

The NASB appropriately uses the Greek word hades, whereas the KJV calls it hell. The  New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance tells us that hádēs is merely the abode of departed spirits. The Word Study Dictionary conveys the idea that it is also an obscure and dark place.

With this added information, it is presumptuous to assert that Hades is the place of punishment, or that anyone is there as their punishment. It is merely the abode of the dead.

Question? Prior to the cross, where did the righteous dead go?

Since the narrative about the beggar Lazarus informs us that he was a righteous man, we know that he was merely resting with Abraham in the place of departed spirits. There is a fixed gulf and, especially for some, discomfort. However, lacking a final white throne of judgment, there is nothing to cause us to inappropriately elaborate on whether people are perpetually sent to an early, torment.

The rich man was clearly in torment. (a conundrum for the Jews as they associated riches with righteousness, implying that the rich man should not have been in discomfort.) If it was dark, he could at least see Abraham comforting the beggar. It is NOT a world in which you cannot see.

Torments is Greek word básanos. The NASEC gives us a surprising definition: "a touchstone (a dark stone used in testing metals)". The first thing that comes to mind is the great black stone in Mecca, which is the goal of Muslims everywhere as they go on pilgrimage. Strong's tells us it is through the notion of going to the bottom, by analogy, torture.

Torture is NOT Hades' original focus.

Is the discomfort meant to adjust the attitude?

Because of the cross, Jesus was able to say this:

Revelation 1:18 NASB “and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

So, apparently, those who went to Hades were held there until they were released. Because of Jesus' actions, the apostle Paul was able to say of the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Amen! No more Hades for the believer.

Look at this clarity.

Revelation 19:19-21 NASB: (19) “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

This concludes chapter 19. You do realize that the origins of scripture had NO chapters and verses. Consider what happens next.

Revelation 20:1-3 NASB: "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; (3) and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time."

Still, no judgment by Jesus on a great throne.

However, Revelation 20:4, speaks about thrones; perhaps there is one specifically for Jesus, and He might judge from there.

Rev 20:4: "Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Who are the "they" referenced here?

They are the martyred saints from the time of God's wrath. There is no accusatory tone, berating, or judgment, yet they are simply installed upon these thrones so that they can reign with Jesus.

How do I know that?

The passage tells us that "they" came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

The fact that they reigned for a thousand years indicates that this all started after the seven years and lasts through the thousand years. 

It is a logical assumption, but a good one, because the passage tells us that they reigned with Christ, and we know that Jesus reigns over the millennial kingdom for the thousand years.  

How swiftly will the previously martyred be set upon these thrones?

It could occur in the blink of an eye or as long as He deems necessary; I say this because the astute can see gaps in the timing of eschatological events. 

No matter how long it takes, there is no doubt in my mind that this, too, is judgment and it is ongoing upto the great white throne.

Consider this input from the prophet Daniel.

Daniel 7:9-10 BSB: "As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.  (10)  A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened."

Daniel's words say nothing of who is brought before Him, and there is nothing to indicate the result of these books being opened.

Consider a few pieces of information.

Revelation 20:12 BSB  “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.”

These are very similar words to what we can see in Daniel's prophetic vision.

Daniel 7:11 BSB  “Then I kept watching because of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued to watch, the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.”

John, the beloved, continues.

Revelation 20:15 BSB  “And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

So it is possible to have your name in one or several of “the books”, and yet, NOT have your name in the Book of Life. 

This also tells me that both, the bad and the good things are written down. 

Suddenly, I am extremely grateful that Jesus paid the price for (all) sin, otherwise I would be doomed based upon my ugly judgments alone.

Daniel proceeds.

Daniel 7:11-12 BSB: "Then I kept watching because of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued to watch, the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.  (12) As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but they were granted an extension of life for a season and a time."

Note what Daniel had said earlier.

Daniel 7:7-8 BSB  After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, and it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.  (8)  While I was contemplating the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like those of a man and a mouth that spoke words of arrogance.

This idea of ten horns, although we don't call them horns, is kingdoms and global powers, many of which are part of the World Economic Forum/New World Order. Remember, Jesus only fights and kills those who actively stand in battle against Him. Much of this NWO group gladly let others mindlessly fight for them, while they collect the spoils of their wars.

The horn, referenced above, is the antichrist; however, it only tells us that the "beast" was slain, its body destroyed, and thrown into the blazing fire. 

Note verse 12: "...As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but they were granted an extension of life for a season and a time." When it comes to additional beasts this appears to be referring to allies and followers of the Beast/antichrist.

Some will try to make the distinction that the judgment comes from Jesus in Matthew's account, while it is God in the book of Revelation.

I beg to differ, as the entire book of Revelation is about Jesus, and you see that in Revelation chapter 1, verse 1. Therefore, this is Jesus pouring out the wrath and judgment upon the people still left upon the earth. This is laid out in scripture.

By the way, none of the people standing before the glorious throne for the final judgment enjoyed the benefit of being caught up in the snatching away of the church, which included dead (non-breathing) believers. When dead believers get caught up, they are, for some reason, reattached to their former bodies. Moments later, we find them in heaven, before God, and they are recognized as tribulation saints.

Another point to reckon when considering the context.

Matthew 25:31 CJB: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, accompanied by all the angels, he will sit on his glorious throne."

Revelation 20:4 clearly lays out how the martyred saints rule and reign with Christ for the thousand-years, but verse four NEVER specifically states that Jesus sits on a throne; again it is a logical assumption. 

Nor do we see Jesus ruling in judgment over anybody during this time. 

If, as many long to project, Jesus stands in judgment over the nations prior to 1000 years, but that is NEVER spelled out for us.

While the idea of Jesus coming in his glory is spread across multiple sources, there is only one place where he will sit on his glorious throne, the final throne of judgment, which Revelation 20 calls the great white throne. 

Either way, this is the only place where people are judged and sent to eternal punishment. So, when I put the phrase, "..the Son of Man comes in his glory," together with the final judgment, it is easy to see that Matthew 25 and Revelation 20 are the same events.

What kind of problems does this understanding cause us?

In Matthew, Jesus is represented as the loving shepherd, while Revelation reveals Him as the angry God who brings final justice.

Can we see Jesus as angry and bringing wrath?

Certainly.

Matthew 25:41 CJB: "Then he will also speak to those on his left, saying, 'Get away from me, you who are cursed! Go off into the fire prepared for the Adversary and his angels!"

Since the sheep, who obtain mercy, are on the right, then these are the goats and are destined for what the Amplified Bible calls "the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!"

What is the contrast comparison of Revelation 20?

Revelation 20:12 CJB: "And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done."

It happens everywhere you go, whether in Bible study or church; the assumption is made that everyone we see in Matthew's account is alive, and we disassociate these dead from the nations when we read Revelation. 

Maybe we can quell our arguments if we consider that just a few verses prior, Satan deceives the nations and then God kills them.

Revelation 20:8 CJB: "and will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for the battle. Their number is countless as the sand on the seashore;"

So the nations, which, only a short time ago were alive, are now dead, standing in judgment.

Revelation 20:9 CJB: "and they came up over the breadth of the Land and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them."

If I wanted to make the statement that someone from the nations showed Israel some practical help, as the Bible study leader asserts, I do not see that here; we see them surrounding the city and God's people for harm.

Revelation 20 and Matthew 25 show the judgment and finality of God's decision, adding to the evidence that they were the same incident.

Revelation 20:10 CJB: "The Adversary (the devil) who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Even at this point we only see three entities: Satan, the beast and the false prophet.

Matthew 25:41 CJB: "Then he will also speak to those on his left, saying, 'Get away from me, you who are cursed! Go off into the fire prepared for the Adversary and his angels!"

Matthew 25:46 CJB: "They will go off to eternal punishment, but those who have done what God wants will go to eternal life."

A third and final comment on context.

When you dig deeper Dake's notes direct the reader to Matthew 13:24-43. Here many translations titled that section of scripture The Parable of the Weeds. So, let us examine how the parable compares with Matthew 25 and Revelation 20.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Matthew 13:24-43 CJB

Jesus is speaking, and He is the same person in our parallel passages from Revelation 20.

Why is that important?

We are looking for prophetic validation and similarity. 

The context is the kingdom of heaven, which is found in every instance. 

While I have not defined the field, I can logically assume that it is the nations. 

Unquestionably, Matthew 25 says that he calls the nations to him, but can we say that about Revelation 20? The answer is yes, and we know this from the context, which initiates around Revelation 20:8, where Satan draws the nations to surround the city of God—the New Jerusalem.

"and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. "
(Revelation 20:8 NASB)

In God's timing, justice has been served, and a tremendous amount of time is spent telling us all that God is doing to the earth's inhabitants during this time of wrath and judgment.

I understand how Matthew 25 can throw your religious teachings and traditions concerning faith and works right out the window. At the least, it challenges our thinking, and no, I do not have the strongest handle on it yet. However, I have come to understand that God is in control, not me. Therefore, he gets the final word, and my judgments have to step aside. This control is precisely what Jesus was talking about when he told the parable of the man who hired people for the vineyard at the beginning of the day, and some were employed at the last minutes of the day. It did not matter to the owner, for they all got paid the same. These, we see in Matthew 25, did nothing religious, as many of us have, and therefore did not pay the price we paid, like perhaps Jim Elliot (The missionary that flew into South America, to preach Jesus to a tribe that had never seen a white man. On short notice they threw a a spear through him, and he died.) did, with his life, and yet, they still gained entrance based upon giving someone a drink of water or feeding another. It boils down to their lack of selfishness in those moments.

I have never been good at gambling, so placing my hope in a good deed seems like too large a gamble for me. No, life is not a gamble; it is all about faith and trust; therefore, I put my trust and faith in Jesus Christ. He proved himself trustworthy and gave himself for me. Because I love him, I give myself to him, and that gives me hope. There is no gamble to it; it is merely trust.

One last thing. Take note of the terminology.

Matthew 25:32-33 NKJV  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.  (33)  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

The nations are gathered before HIm. 

He, like a shepherd divides all those people, as He would sheep and goats. 

He does not call them sheep and goats, these are the nations. 

The nations, as I pointed in the beginning, are what Israel considers the godless. 

Seeing as it becomes obvious that He knows knows who is deserving and who is not, it appears that He still gives each one a chance at obtaining mercy by scouring those books to see if there is a reason to grant a pardon.