The gradual work of separating sheep and goats will require all of the Millennial Age for its accomplishment. During that age, each individual as he comes gradually to knowledge of God and his will, by conforming or not conforming thereto takes his place at the right hand of favor, or the left hand of disfavor according as he improves or fails to improve the opportunities of that golden age. By the end of that age, all the world of mankind (not the present Church) will have arranged themselves, as shown in the parable, into two classes. As in nature, sheep are far more numerous than goats, so we doubt not that with the perfect knowledge then possessed, the sheep company will far outnumber the goats.
With the end of that age is the end of the world's trial, or judgment, and final disposition is made of the two classes. The goats who have not developed the element of love--the law of God's being and kingdom--are not counted worthy of life, and must be destroyed, while the sheep who have developed, and by deeds (works) exhibited God-likeness (love) are to be installed as the rulers of earth for future ages.
The work of restitution will not be quite complete until the great mass of mankind, having been restored to the perfect condition, is re-invested with the dominion of earth as possessed by Adam before sin entered, as God had said, "After our likeness let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, over the cattle and over all the earth,...and over every living thing that moves upon the earth"--a ruler over earth, like as God is ruler over all things. And the Psalmist expresses the same idea, saying, Thou hast made man a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor; thou made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. (Psa 8:5-8) The dominion is not to be over each other, for when the law of love controls human hearts, there will be no necessity for dominion over one another, though by mutual consent, prompted by love, regulations may be made among themselves for the common good and blessing of all.
This, then, is the kingdom that has been preparing for MANKIND from the foundation of the world. It was expedient that man should suffer six thousand years under the dominion of evil, to learn its inevitable results, misery and death, and in order by contrast to prove the justice, wisdom and goodness of God's law--love. Then it requires the seventh thousandth year under the reign of Christ, to restore him from ruin and death, to the perfect condition, thereby fitting him to inherit the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world.
This kingdom in which all are kings, will really be a GRAND REPUBLIC, whose stability and blessed influence will be assured, by the perfection of every member, which result now so much desired is an impossibility. The kingdom of the saints is on the contrary a Theocracy, which will rule the world (during the period of its imperfection and restoration) without regard to their consent or approval.
But the righteous will inquire why they are crowned with such glory, honor and dominion. And the Lord replies: "I was hungry, and you fed me; thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; in prison, and you came unto me." "Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?" "And 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."
Let us notice who these are that Jesus calls his brethren, and in what sense the deeds here named may be true of them. We observe, first, that Jesus is addressing all the sheep or the righteous class, in the end of the millennial age. By then all of that class will have had opportunity to minister to the necessities of the Lord's brethren.
Jesus calls the Church of the Gospel age his brethren (Matt 12:49, 50) but all of the sheep class then addressed, will not have had opportunity to minister to those brethren. Millions of the sheep class will be of those who lived before the Gospel Church had an existence; and others will have been born during the millennial age, after the Gospel Church has been exalted and no longer needs their ministry.
The brethren of the Gospel Church then are not the only brethren of Christ, all who at that time will have been restored to perfection, will be recognized as sons of God; sons in the same sense that Adam was a son of God (Luke 3:38) --human sons. And all of God's sons whether on the human, the angelic, or the divine planes, are BRETHREN. Jesus' love for these, his brethren, is here expressed. As the world now has opportunity to minister to those who are shortly to be the divine sons of God, and brethren of Christ, so they will have abundant opportunity during the age to come to minister to (each other) their human brethren.
Continued with next post.
