Law of the Stranger

Exodus 22:21-23; Deuteronomy 24:14, 15; Matthew 25:34-41

GOLDEN TEXT: “The King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”—Matthew 25:40

THE Law given by Moses carefully provided for the welfare of the strangers who sojourned with, the Israelites. The same statutes and penalties were to govern both; and the same ordinances for strangers who desired to join with the Israelites in the worship of the true God and in the passover and other offerings. Note Lev. 24:22; 19:33,34; Deut. 10:19; Num. 9:14; 15:14-16

Many of us in the past have read our Bibles too carelessly. For instance, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats was at one time applied to the church. We failed to notice that it is not speaking of the church, but of the world—the nations, the heathen. Israelites, being of the chosen nation, were accustomed to speak of the rest of mankind as “the nations,” “the Gentiles.” And in the prophecies, as well as in this parable, they are spoken of from this standpoint.

In line with this, our Lord tells what is to befall after his kingdom shall have been set up—after the selection of the true church class to be his bride, the Lamb’s wife and joint-heir in his kingdom. This is clearly indicated in the opening statement, “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.”—Matt. 25:31

Then follows a description of the work of the millennial age; “Before him shall be gathered all nations.” All except the church will be before his great white throne of justice, mercy and love—that will be their judgment time. Six thousand years ago Adam and his entire race were judged in Eden, and the sentence was death. In due time God sent his Son to die for Adam’s sin. Hence, “Since by man came death [of the entire race], by man [Jesus] also [will come] the resurrection of the dead”—the entire race.—I Cor. 15:21

Those in the parable represent all nations who will be on trial for judgment as to their worthiness of everlasting life. This will include all in their graves, who, the Master tells us, will come forth, not all at once, but gradually—“every man in his own order.” (John 5:28,29; I Cor. 15:22,23) The knowledge of God and his righteousness will then pervade the earth, encouraging and uplifting to human perfection all the willing and obedient.

It will be the work of the entire millennial age to bring this about. Righteousness will reign then, as sin reigns now. Righteousness will be in control, in the ascendancy; and those who sin then will suffer chastisement promptly. Then the earth will be a grand place, where “nothing shall hurt nor destroy”; where “the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick”; where the curse shall be gradually rolled away, and there shall be no more crying, no more sighing, no more dying; and where the blessing of God, bringing perfection, will prevail. (Isa. 11:9; 33:24; Rev. 22:1-5) “O happy day!” we exclaim. And surely it will be such; for all who live through those thousand years will have received great blessing.

But what about their heart condition? If conformity to the divine law in an outward way will bring blessings to all, will there not still be a difference between the people—some coming heartily into accord with the Father and his representative government, and others merely outwardly into harmony, because this outward harmony will be the way to restitution, physical perfection?

Undoubtedly this is correct reasoning. It is along this line that the parable of our lesson teaches; namely, that outwardly the “sheep” and the “goats” will have much the same appearance and demean except to the Judge, the King, who will read the heart and ultimately will manifest to all that there has been a real heart-difference between the two classes, all of whom will have been on trial for a thousand years, receiving the kingdom blessings.

Not until the conclusion of the millennial age will the decision of the Judge be manifested. Then great surprise will be shown at his decision—by both parties. To the “sheep” the King will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father [the kind that my Father is pleased to bless and grant everlasting life] inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

This is not the same as the messianic kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. Rather, it is the kingdom which God gave to Adam, which he lost through disobedience and which Christ redeemed by the sacrifice of himself. It will be given only to those who will have developed the godlike character—those who will have become the Lord’s “sheep” during the Millennium.

Then to the other class, the “goats” of the parable, come those words of condemnation to death, destruction, “everlasting punishment,” from which no resurrection has been provided. Granted all the privileges and experiences of a thousand years of contact with righteousness, truth, and the spirit of God, these latter have not come into heart harmony with God, regardless of outward obedience. Eternal life is provided in God’s plan only for those who gain God’s likeness and manifest his spirit.

QUESTIONS:

How did the Mosaic Law typify the kingdom of Christ in its provision for strangers who dwelt with the Israelites?

What is the setting of the parable of our lesson, and what does it teach?

How does the parable indicate the distinction between the sheep and the goats will be manifest to the King?

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