As
argued previously, it is those among the nations who choose to bless Christ's (Jewish) brethren during the time of "great affliction" (even when
it may put their own lives at risk) who constitute the “sheep” of Matthew
25. To
the surprise of these gentiles, their compassionate acts toward faithful Israel during
this time are said by Christ to have been done to him.
Their reward for blessing Christ’s brethren during this time is then described
by Christ as follows: “Hither, blessed of My Father!
Enjoy the allotment of the kingdom
made ready for you from the disruption of the world” (v. 34). To better understand this future allotment of the
“sheep,” we need to understand the nature of the “kingdom” that is in view in
v. 34.
Many assume that the territory of
the kingdom of God on earth during the eon to come will be worldwide in scope.
Although it’s true that Christ’s dominion
during the eon to come will, in fact, be worldwide, the kingdom over which
Christ will be king will not. Rather, the territory of the kingdom – a kingdom
which is going to be restored to Israel (Acts 1:6)[1] - will be the
land of Israel. Although some may consider it splitting hairs to make such
a distinction between a king’s kingdom and his dominion, I think scripture
supports this distinction.
Consider, for example, the four
kingdoms that were figuratively represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan.
2:31-35). The first kingdom that was represented in the statue was the
kingdom of Babylon (over which Nebuchadnezzar was the king). Although the
kingdom of Babylon had certain geographical boundaries, the dominion of
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, extended far beyond the
actual territory and citizens of the Babylonian kingdom (Dan.
2:36-38). In Jer. 27:8 God declared, “But if any nation or kingdom will not serve
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and
put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that
nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares Yahweh,
until I have consumed it by his hand.”
Notice that the kingdom of Babylon
was not the only kingdom in the world
during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. There were other kings and other kingdoms
in existence during this time; Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom simply had
dominion over these kings and
kingdoms (it is for this reason that Daniel referred to Nebuchadnezzar as the
“king of kings,” Dan. 2:37). Consider especially Jer. 34:1, where we read, “The word that came to
Jeremiah from Yahweh, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his
army and all the kingdoms of the
earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against
Jerusalem and all of its cities…”
Similarly, we read that, like the
kingdom of Babylon, the succeeding kingdoms of Medo-Persia and Greece ruled
over all the earth as well (Dan. 2:39). And the same can be said of the last kingdom
represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (i.e., that which is represented by the “iron
and clay feet” of the statue). Although this kingdom will be confined to a
specific geographical territory (Rev. 16:10), the king of this fourth
kingdom (the “wild beast”) will be given authority “over every tribe and people
and language and nation,” and “all who are dwelling on the earth will be
worshipping it” (Rev. 13:7-8). Here, again, we find a distinction being made
between the territory of a king’s kingdom (which will have certain geographical
boundaries) and his dominion (which will be worldwide).
Like the four kingdoms represented
in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the millennial kingdom of Christ will
have a specific territory (i.e., the land of Israel). However, Christ’s dominion will be worldwide (this is
represented by the image of the “stone” striking the statue and then becoming a
“vast mountain range” that covers the earth; see Dan. 2:34-35). Christ will be
“King of kings,” and all other kingdoms of the earth will be under his dominion
during the eon to come. His dominion will be “from sea to sea” and extend to
the ends of the earth (Ps. 72:8). But again, the actual territory of his
kingdom on earth – the kingdom of Israel - will be the land of Israel. And this
means that those who will be enjoying “the allotment of the kingdom” will be dwelling
in the land of Israel.
In
Psalm 37:22, we read that “…those blessed [by
Yahweh] shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him
shall be cut off.” Significantly,
the first time Christ referred to the blessing of the enjoyment of an allotment
for the righteous in Matthew’s account is in 5:5. There, Christ declared, “Happy are the meek, for
they shall be enjoying the allotment of the land.” The “land” being
referred to here (as well as in Psalm 37:22) is not a reference to the entire
surface of the earth (no Israelite dreamed of living anywhere outside the land
of Israel during the eon to come). Rather, it refers to the land that God
promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 15:18; Josh. 1:4; cf. Amos 9:15). It
is in this land that the nation of Israel will dwell in the eon to come
(Ezekiel 37:21-28; 39:25-29), once the kingdom has been restored to Israel.
In
v. 46 this “allotment of the kingdom” is referred to as “life eonian” (cf. Matt. 19:29). That this “allotment of the
kingdom” and “life eonian” involves being alive during the eon to come is
obvious. But simply being alive on the earth during this future time is not, by
itself, the extent of the blessing of “life eonian” that Christ had in view
here. In the eon to come, “life eonian” – at least, for those on the earth -
will involve “enjoying the allotment of the land.” It is those who will be
blessed to enjoy “the allotment of the land” that can be said to be “in the
kingdom of God” and to have “life eonian” during the eon to come. Since Israel
will enjoy preeminence over all the nations of the earth and will be the center
of blessing on the earth at this time, those having an allotment in the land of
Israel will be the most blessed of all who will be dwelling on the earth during
the future eon.
We
read in Ezekiel 47-48 of how the land of Israel will be divided up among the
twelve tribes so that each tribe will get their own allotment of land to dwell
in and enjoy during the eon to come. Significantly, we read in Ezekiel 47:21-23
that the “sojourners” or “foreigners” (lit. “guests”) who are residing among
the twelve tribes at this time must be treated as “native-born among the people of Israel”: “This is how you will
divide this land for yourselves among the tribes of Israel. You must allot
it as an inheritance among yourselves and for the foreigners who reside among
you, who have had children among you. You must treat them as native-born among
the people of Israel; they will be allotted an inheritance with you among the
tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there you will
give him his inheritance,” declares the Lord Yahweh.
In
this passage I believe we find a clear picture of what, exactly, the “allotment
of the kingdom” is that Christ said would be the reward of the “sheep” among
the nations. Those gentiles who bless Christ’s brethren during the time of
great affliction will get to live alongside Israelites and enjoy their own
allotment of land within the territory promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (and
it’s quite possible that the location of their allotment will be based on the
tribe of those Israelites that they aided during the time of great affliction).
Despite their non-Israelite status (which makes them “foreigners”), these
gentiles will be treated “as native-born among the people of Israel.”
Part six:
Part six:
[1] The subject of
the restoration of the kingdom to Israel after the coming of the Messiah is the
subject of numerous prophecies throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. The following
is a non-exhaustive sampling of such prophecies from the book of Isaiah alone:
Isaiah 1:26-27; 2:1-4; 11:11, 12, 15; 19:24-25;
33:5-6, 17-24; 55:8; 59:20; 60:5, 10, 12, 14, 18, 21; 62:6-7.
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