By: Scott Adkins, Sling ‘n Stone Ministry
Carter County Times
We continue our multi-part series, “Who Is Jesus Christ,” to learn more about the One Who calls us to “be thou faithful unto death.” (Rev. 2:10). But, given the current conflict in Israel, we pause this series – sort of – to talk about The Lord Jesus Christ, Who will bring peace and justice when He returns to set-up His kingdom here on earth, as described in Revelation 19:19 through 20:6, and in Matthew 25:31 through 25:46.
The Lord Jesus warned us that about today’s troubles and travails:
Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come
in My Name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye
be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but
the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation and
kingdom against kingdom[.] (Matt. 24:4-7).
But He is coming; He will, as He promised, return. (See John 14:2-3) (“I go to prepare a place for you; And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”). Most theologians believe John 14:1-3 refers to the Lord’s rapturing the church, as promised in I Thessalonians 4:16-17. When the Lord will do so remains a matter of debate, e.g. before, during, or after, the Great Tribulation. But the immutable truth is this: He is coming. And when He returns or comes to set-up His earthly kingdom at the Great Tribulation’s end, see Revelation 19:19 through 20:6, the angels will gather the nations of the world before Him; and He will judge the nations of the world, see Matthew 25:31-46.
The Lord Jesus Christ will judge the world’s nations based upon how those nations treated “the least of these [His] brethren.” (Matt. 25:40; 25:45). Exactly who are “the least of these [His] brethren?” Answer: the Jewish people. In short, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom, He will judge the world’s nations (and here, “nations” means “people groups,” not political entities like countries). What does that mean?
That means people groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will account to the Lord Jesus Christ for their barbaric atrocities against the Jews. The Lord’s holding them to account for those atrocities means He will cast them into eternal hell fire. See (Matt. 25:41). In so doing, the Lord Jesus will bring eternal peace and justice to humankind because He is forever “the Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6), Who will one day ensure “neither shall they [the world’s nations] learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4).
That blessed hope He promises: His return and establishing eternal peace and justice should indeed suffice to cause us to rejoice “be thou faithful unto death,” (Rev. 2:10), when persecuted for His Name’s sake.
