Following these answers, is a series of lessons that deal with the

question of readiness and of entry into, or exclusion from, the earthly

'The Ten Virgins' (Matt. 25:1 -13).

Key thought -- 'Watch therefore'.

'The Three Servants and the Talents' (Matt. 25:14 -30).

Key thought --

'Enter', 'Cast out'.

'The Nations' (Matt. 25:31 -46).

Key thought -- 'Come', 'Depart'.

These three sections of Matthew 25 are connected with the Second Coming

of the Lord.  The first has reference to entry into the Marriage Supper; the

second, to reward or forfeiture in connection with service; the third to

entry into, or exclusion from, the kingdom of living nations who are on the

earth at the time when the Lord comes and sits upon the throne of His glory.

Let us, however, see it from the Scriptures themselves:

'When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels

with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before

Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from

another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats' (Matt.

This gathering of the nations is spoken of in Joel 3.  It takes place

at the commencement of the Millennium, and must not be confused with the

judgment of the great white throne that is set up when the thousand years are

finished, which is a judgment of the 'rest of the dead'.  The issues

of this judgment are expressed in Matthew 25:46: 'These shall go away into

everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal'.

Let us now see how these attained unto righteousness.  If they come

under the stewardship of the apostle Paul we know full well that neither 'by

works of righteousness that they have done', nor 'by the deeds of the law'

can they be made righteous, but only through faith 'in His (Christ's) blood'.

When we examine the grounds of judgment in Matthew 25, there is not a single

word about faith.  Indeed these righteous nations confess that they had not

consciously done anything as unto the Lord (cf. 'When saw we Thee a

stranger?').  They enter the kingdom on the ground of works, such as visiting

prisoners, or clothing the naked.  That it was done to the Lord's brethren

was noted in their favour, but they themselves did not connect that fact with

the Lord.  It is clear that eternal life is granted here in a way totally

foreign to the dispensation under which we live.

Now we are continually reminded by the upholders of the traditional

hell that 'eternal' life and 'everlasting' punishment are of equal duration.

This we readily accept, and press it upon those who fly to Matthew 25 for

their great key text.  It will be granted that eternal life is here given

upon terms very different from those of the gospel of grace.  Now what we ask

is this: Would our orthodox friends consider that they had preached the

gospel to sinners, acceptably, if they adhered closely to the terms of

Matthew 25?  Would they preach something like this:

The glad tidings that we bring unto sinners is that they exercise

themselves in deeds of charity, being careful to include the Jew, and