Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-09-12
IMPROVED ONIFoRM INTERNATIONAL
SUNINISC[LDOL
LESSON
C8y REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. D.,
Teacher of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.)
Copyright 1919, Western Newspaper UnionS
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER IA
THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS.
LESSON TEXT-Matt. 25:31-46.
GOLDEN TEXT-For we must all ap-
pear before the judgment seat of Christ
II Cor. $40
The subject selected by the lesson
committee is "The Future Life" but
at best such a statement would be
the use of the term in an accommo-
dated sense. According to legitimate
teXtual and contextual signification it
is the Judgment of the living nations
which lies still in the future ". 32).
The idea of a general judgment
which is of such frequent occurrence
In religious literature and teaching is
fundamental error. 1t is not once
found in the Bible, neither the idea
which it is intended to convey. Doc
tor Pentecost most distinctively says,
ut is mischievOus habit that has led
the Christian world to speak Of the
judgment as being one great event
taking place at the end of the world,
when all human beings, saints, sim
ners, Jews and Gentiles, the living
and the dead, shall stand up before
the great white throne and there be
judged. Nothing can be more wide of
the Scriptures" The Bible speaks of
different judgments, differing in re-
spect to the subjects to be judged, the
place of judgment, the time of judg-
ment and the result of the judgment.
This is not the judgment set forth
in Revelation 20:11-14 but precedes
that one at least one thousand years.
|. The Judge ". 31.).
1t is the Son of Man, the one who
came and died to redeem the human
race, and who now being clothed with
majesty and power will act as judge.
Those who accept him now shall not
come into the judgment John 5:24).
II. The Time ". 81.
This will be when the Lord comes
in his glory, accompanied by a retinue
Of glorious angels. This will take
place after he has gathered the elect
remnant of Israel. There will be no
resurrection in connection with this
| judgment.
Ill. The Place ". G1).
1t will be on his glorious throne
This throne will be most surely in the
land of Israel. The Prophecy of Joel
third chapter, and Zechariah IA :1-5
make it to be in or near Jerusalem
The angel said to Mary, ''Thou shalt
call his name Jesus; he shall be great
and shall be called the son Of the high
est; and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David
and he shall reign over the house Of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom
there shall be no end.'' Ouke 1 :31-33)
Just as there was literal place and
literal king there shall be litera
throne.
Nv. The People Judged wv. 32-45)
These will be the living nations up
on the earth after the church has beer
translated Il Thess. 4 :16, I'D. Thes,
are the nations to whom the gospel O
the kingdom shall be preached, JUS
prior to the coming of the end. "Ant
this gospel of the kingdom shall b,
preached in all the world for a wit
ness unto all nations and then shall
the end come" (Matt. "a :14). Thi
gospel is distinguished from the gos
pei Of the grace of God which is nov
being preached. The preachers of thi
gospel will be Jews (Rev. z and Rom
11). These are the brethren in tn
flesh, Of the Lord, they that NOV
among the nations of the world wit
the startling message Of the news o
the Lords approaching kingdom
Some of the nations will gladly re
ceive the message and most kindly re
ceive the kings messengers, givin
, them clothing, food, shelter, etc. Ott
, ers will persecute them, thrustin
them into prison, etc. Here the fol
mer will visit these messengers of th
king and provide for their wants. A
! this time the judge will separate th
, nations, placing the sheep on the rigt
! and the goats on the left. The "sheep
2 are those who have given proper trea
q ment to Christ's brethren. The goat
q are those who rejected and ill-treate
: his brethren. If these three classes
: the "sheep," "goats," 'brethren," b
q kept separate all confusion will b
avoided.
v. The Issue of the Judgment. ". A
CT. 34-41).
1. The sheep enter upon the inner
tance Of a prepared kingdom ". "a
2. The goats go into an everlastin
Q fire prepared for the devil and h
angels ". 46). This judgment sha
= determine their destiny.