The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-28
Mag 8, 1883.

Matthew XIV. 31-46.I
THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN
THE EvENT.-The Lesson is continue
ton of JESUS discourse on the Mount OF
Olives in reply to the disciples question;
"When will these things be, and what will
be the sign of my coming Lpresencel and the
consummation of the age?" ixxiv. 81. Hav-
ing answered this question, and encouraged
them to watch and wait for the coming OF
their Master to reward their faithfulness (see
previous Lessons), he proceeds to describe
in dramatic imagery what would occur when
the Son of Man should come in his kingdom
to rule the nations of the earth with truth
and ELECTROMAGNETIC transform the king
doms of the world into the kingdom of COP.
The imagery by which JESUS describes the
coming of the Son of Man (xxiv. ~ and
here), is evidently adopted from the vision
of the prophet Daniel: Behold, then came
with the clouds of heaven one like unto
son of man. And there was given him
dominion and glory, and kingdom, that all
the peoples, nations and languages should
serve him" Daniel vii. 13). The Messlanic
hopes of the Jews in the time of JESUS was
described by this striking imagery. JESUS
personally appears to proclaim the coming
of the kingdom of GoD and to prepare peo-
ple for it's inauguration and advancement IN
the world. He reiterated the declaration IN
substance, that the kingdom of heaven which
he proclaimed would be manifested by tne
power and glory of COP after his death ana
resurrection, which he repeatedly declared
xvi. 81; xvi. %; Xxx. Is, 1917. This predlcteo
manifestation of divine power IN the proVl-
Dental affairs of the world is called the pres
ence. or coming of the Son of Man. JESUS
appears to connect it with the DESTRUCTION OF
the Temple, as did the disciples (xxiv. 2, -.
The coming of the kingdom of heaven, wnich
JESUS proclaimed, and which Christianity
represents and seeks to promote, was mani
tested in the overthrow of the Jewish nation,
the influence of whose religious institutions
and teachers was the chief obstacle to the
successful introduction of Christianity into
the world. See Study, April 10.
THE TIME.-When the Son of Man should
come in the glory of the manifest power OF
his kingdom, was declared by JESUS to be
during the period of the generation in which
he lived and taught. Some of the disciples
whom he addressed should live to "see the
Son of Man coming in his Kingdom" ABOUT
forty years after this discourse was spoken,
A, d. 70, Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Roman army, which ended the national ex-
istence of Israel, the ancient people OF GOD,
and the new spiritual kingdom of the Mes
siah became influential in the religious histo-
ry of mankind. The apostle John Is known
to have lived, and is supposed to have writ
ten his Gospel after the destruction OF Jeru-
salem, and what in the New Testament is
denominated the coming or presence OF the
Son of Man.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS.
A PARABLE.-At the period of history IN
dicated in the Lesson and context, the Son
of Man is represented as the ruler OF nations
"His reign on earth begun"
The scene is that of Daniels vision (see
above). The King will occupy his throne,
and before him will be gathered all nations,
and he will separate them CAUTIOUS, maseu-
inc, of which the neuter, ethne, nations, is
not the antecedent), not the nations, but ap-
parently the people of the nations, as the
shepherd divides his flock. The picture ap-
pears to be that of gathering people for the
new kingdom of GoD from among the peo-
pies of all nations, in harmony with the pre-
yious declarations: "He shall send forth his
angels with great sound of trumpet, and
they shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other" (xxiv. 81. Angels are messengers.
The apostles were CHRIsT's messengers, sent
forth " to make disciples of all the nations"
(xxviii. 19). Among the signs of the ap-
proach of the contamination of the age"
JESUS declared to the inquiring disciples:
"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preach
ed in the whole world for a testimony unto
all the nations" (xxiv. 14). The community of
disciples would constitute the Messiah's king
dom. The formation of his heavenly king
dom, and the spiritual community of Chris
tianity, including the people of all nations,
and the administration of the Divine govern
ment, the reign of GoD proclaimed by JESUS
and which the Christian Church seeks to pro-
mote in the world, are represented by the
parable of the Sheep and Goats, describing
a familiar scene in Palestine. In interpret
ing the imagery of the Lesson it should be
borne continually in mind that scene at
the end of the Jewish age and the beginning
of the Christian dispensation, and, it may be,
during its progress, but not at its close, is
described by the parable and its application
by JESUS. The end of the Christian kingdom
is described by st. Paul in Corinthians XIV.
24-2S.
A Shepherd Dividing his Flock: : The
morning after reaching Palestine, when set.
ting out from Ramleh, across the plain OF
Sharon, we saw a shepherd leading forth 9
flock. of white sheep and black goats, all
mingled as they followed him. Presently he
turned aside in a little green valley, and
stood facing the flock. When sheep came
up he tapped it with his long staff on the
right side of the head, and it quickly moved
off to his right; a goat he tapped on the other
side, and it went to his left. Thus the Saw
iour's image presented itself exactly before
our eyes.-John A. Broadus, ID. D., LID,
Commentary on Matthew"
THE ROYAL APPROvAL.-The shepherd
is represented as dividing his flock by send
ing the sheep away to the right and the goats
tn the left in the nasturA n he sat on THE