Matthew 25:41-46: “Depart from Me!”

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life,” Jesus in Matthew 25:46.

Science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov: “For whatever the tortures of hell, I think the boredom of heaven would be even worse.”  (As quoted by Randy Alcorn in Heaven, p. 409)

“God did not ordain the cross of Christ and the lake of fire to communicate the insignificance of belittling his glory.”  (John Piper on facebook, May 3, 2012)

This is the second half of the parable of the sheep and the goats “when the Son of Man comes in his glory…and he separates people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,” (25:31-32).  The context of this parable is the Olivet Discourse, where the Lord is answering questions about His return (see 24:3), and how He identifies with the least of these (v. 45), His brethren, who will be “hated by all nations” (24:9) during the Tribulation.

The judgment pronounced on the goats, those on His left, is swift, terrible and permanent.  “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” (v. 41).   Hell is not a place where people go to party with their friends.   It is a terrible place of eternal fire, darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth, void of any accessibility to God and His common graces (Matthew 13:42,50; 22:13; 25:30; Mark 9:48). 

A question asked by both the skeptic and the sincere Bible student is:  “Why must hell be eternal?  Even the vilest human commits a finite amount of sin.”  Hell is not where man is merely punished for his moral failures; it is not a man-centered place.  Hell is a God-centered place for those who have transgressed God’s infinite holiness and glory without receiving the free gift of God’s infinite forgiveness.   Hell is eternal because God’s glory is eternal.  Also, many reject God because they ignorantly want nothing to do with God; God has prepared a place for them and grants them their wish.  

“For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” (vv. 42-45).

At first glance it may seem otherwise but this parable is consistent with salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) where justification is separate from good works (Romans 3:24, 28).   However, the fruit of a saved life is good works.  James 2:17 teaches that faith without works is dead; Jesus also teaches a tree is known by its fruit (see Matthew 7:20).

At the heart of this teaching about the goats is the importance of the condition of the heart of man.   Jesus taught us that “on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not … do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me…,’” (Matthew 7:22-23).    Their mere good works, void of reconciliation with God, did not save them.

Musician Keith Green, in a great song about the sheep and the goats, declared wrongly in the song that “the only different between the sheep and the goats is what they did and didn’t do.” Scripture, however, teaches “man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart,” (1 Samuel 16:7). 

The righteous will go into eternal life (v. 46) because they have a personal faith in God, evidenced by (but not because of) their good works.   However the lost will be judged based on their good works, none of which will rise to the height of God’s infinite holiness and glory (see Revelation 20:12); therefore they will go away into eternal punishment (v. 46). 

The good news is that Christ died for our sins and took the penalty of our sins upon Himself and offers us His free gift of righteousness.   2 Corinthians 5: 21 says: “For our sake He made Him who knew no sin to be sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”  May we contemplate the holiness of God and examine our hearts accordingly. 

This Christ-centered painting by Michelangelo Buonarroti, is called "The Last Judgment."  It was painted from 1537 to 1541 in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome.