The foremost contingent (Matt 13:49-50)

WHAT IS FOREMOST?
The Foremost Contingent (Matt 13:49-50)
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)

Any confrontation between opposing military forces comes with a host of challenges, from determining an efficient deployment to developing an effective strategy. One of those challenges can be dealing with equipment shortages.

A young soldier, just before battle, told his sergeant that he didn't have a rifle. "That's no problem, son," said the sergeant. "Just take this broom, point it at the enemy, and say, 'Bangety Bang Bang." ..."Sarge, what about a bayonet?" the young (and gullible) recruit asked. The sergeant pulled a piece of straw from the bristles of the broom and attached it to the handle end. "Use this and just say, 'Stabity Stab Stab."

Later, the young recruit ends up alone on the battlefield, holding just his broom. Suddenly, an enemy soldier charges at him. The recruit points the broom and says, "Bangety Bang Bang!" ...The enemy soldier falls over. More soldiers appear. The recruit, amazed at his good luck, says, "Bangety Bang Bang! Stabity Stab Stab!" Dozens succumb to this unconventional defense, until the battlefield is littered with fallen enemy troops... except for one soldier walking slowly toward him. "Bangety Bang Bang!" shouts the recruit. The enemy keeps coming. "Bangety Bang Bang!" repeats the recruit, to no effect. In desperation, the young recruit employs his entire arsenal. "Bangety Bang Banc,! Stabity Stab Stab!" But the enemy just keeps coming.... As the enemy stomps the recruit into the ground, the young soldier hears him say... "Tankety Tank Tank."

Any confrontation between opposing military forces comes with a host of challenges, from efficient deployment to effective strategy, even dealing with equipment shortages. None of those issues will be a concern for The Foremost Contingent of God's forces when, in the end, they confront the wicked.

The passage for the message today is from "The Fishermen's Net," one in a series of parables Jesus tells his disciples to illustrate "the kingdom of heaven."

Please turn to...

Matt 13:47 ...the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them [the wicked] into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus here is describing an event that he indicates will take place at "the end of the age" (v. 49), after his messianic reign.¹

Most references in the gospels to future angelic activity relate their role in Jesus' return, just before his messianic reign.² For example, we read in...

Matt 24:31 ...he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

While that will doubtless be an impressive undertaking, collecting so many of the saved from around the globe, both living and dead, it is uncertain how obvious the angels' role will be to the general public.³ Will the unsaved see these supernatural gatherers? ...Perhaps, but they will more likely be occupied by the messiah's prominent and sudden appearance, when "every eye will see him" (Rev 1:7; n. 25).

The separation Jesus describes in Matt 13 will take place much later, "at the end of the [messianic] age" (v. 49),⁴ after the final stage of the resurrection when, as Paul says, "in Christ all will be made alive [but] each in his own turn" (1 Cor 15:22b-23a). That is, not everyone will rise at the same time. It will occur in stages:

• The resurrection will commence with the righteous (both living and dead⁵) when Jesus returns, "and they will reign on the earth" with him (Rev 5:10b),⁶

• The resurrection will continue with those (living) who join the righteous by coming to faith during Jesus' rule (e.g., Israel),⁷ and

• The resurrection will conclude with the unrighteous (both living and dead) after his reign, all those who refused to repent.

Following the final resurrection will come the final judgment. That decision will be something of a formality, as the majority in both groups will already have begun to experience their eternal fate before their resurrection:

• The righteous dead will have begun their experience in the bliss of Paradise.

• The unrighteous dead will have begun their experience in the torment of Gehenna.

For both groups, final judgment means their postmortem state (whether it was pleasant or unpleasant) will continue, but with their recompense intensified in their final destination:

• The righteous will enjoy eternal satisfaction in the New Jerusalem.

• The unrighteous will endure eternal suffering in the lake of fire.⁸

Using the parable in Matt 10, Jesus describes how the final separation of these two groups will employ...

* XXV. The Foremost Contingent⁹

...an angelic deployment that is part of...

• The panoply of God (Matt 13:49-50)

Look again at...

Matt 13:49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw [the wicked] into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

As I have mentioned before, the window of opportunity for salvation is open only in this life. The author of Hebrews states...

Heb 9:27 ...man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Following death, that opportunity for salvation is forever closed. Contrary to what Universalists claim, there is no second chance after death, no occasion for people to change their mind.

We do not know how many angels are in God's army. The biblical authors use terms (NAS) like "hosts" and "myriads," both of which designate innumerable troops.¹⁰ Perhaps the prophet Joel says it best...

Joel 2:11 The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number.

However many "legions of angels" (Matt 26:53)¹¹ accompany Jesus' return and, later, take part in the final judgment, it will be an impressive show of force.

While angels have been involved with God's plan since the beginning,¹² their role is often behind the scenes, in the spiritual realm. Rarely do they enter the physical realm and, even then, just one or two at a time.¹³ Only public events that relate to Jesus involve multiple angels, such as...¹⁴

• His birth,
• His temptation,
• His resurrection,
• His return (at the beginning of the Messianic Age),¹⁵ and
• His judgment (at the end of the Messianic Age).¹⁶

As Jesus says in Matt 13, that last event, judgment, will involve numerous angels.

With any kind of grand, sweeping arrest operation, there is the possibility, even the probability, that innocent individuals will be caught up in it and carried away with the guilty—not so here.

1. Your savior will preserve the righteous with the host of heaven (Matt 13:49).

...because "[t]he angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous" v. 49b). Therefore, you can rest assured that you will not be carried away accidentally with the wrong group.

However public the gathering of the elect before the Messianic Age may or may not be—that is, whether or not those who remain will notice—the gathering of the wicked after the Messianic Age will be obvious to all, especially to them. Moreover, because the number of the wicked is much larger than the number of the righteous,¹⁷ the task will likely involve a larger angelic complement, when....

2. Your savior will purge the unrighteous with the host of heaven (Matt 13:50).

...and will "throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." You, of course, will not suffer the same fate as this other group.

Some Christians, primarily those who elevate the Lord's mercy above all other divine attributes, think the fate of the wicked could not be eternal, because a loving God would not consign anyone to everlasting suffering¹⁸.... It is an assumption that fails on at least two counts.

• First, this assumption fails to recognize the essence of God's character. The most important value in God's economy, the divine attribute that supersedes and subsumes all others, is the one the seraphim cry out day and night in the heavenly court.¹⁹

Isa 6:3b Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty....

More important than the mercy of God is the holiness of God, His perfect standard, and to violate that standard is to violate the very essence of God's character. Hence, the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.

• Second, this assumption fails to recognize the clarity of God's word. Jesus states unequivocally that the duration of retribution for the wicked is equal to the duration of reward for the righteous.²⁰ He says in...

Matt 25:46 [The wicked] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

To suggest that the fate of the unrighteous, which Jesus calls "eternal," is actually temporary not only strains the meaning of language, it requires the same limitation for the righteous, that life for them is also temporary, an assumption that contradicts the clear teaching of other biblical passages.²¹ Again, the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.

The righteous and the unrighteous will have the same amount of time to contemplate their respective situations, forever to enjoy their reward or forever to endure their retribution.

In your efforts to live righteously, especially as you encounter opposing elements of unrighteousness, remember that you are not alone. Others are waging the struggle with you, fellow Christians in the physical realm and angels in the spiritual realm. At times, those others may provide support for you. Usually, support comes from human sources. Occasionally, though, support may come from angelic forces.²² God does not necessarily assign every believer a guardian angel, but He may, as the need arises, appoint an angel to act on your behalf. Just do not assume that you have one on permanent loan.

Common artistic depictions of angels as beautiful women with long, flowing hair or as chubby cherubs shooting love-potion tipped arrows could not be further from the truth. All angels in the Bible are imposing and formidable males, creatures whose supernatural power has little need of weapons.²³ Consider how people in the past have reacted to the appearance of just one angel.²⁴

Luke 1:12 When Zechariah saw him, he...was gripped with fear.

Luke 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to the [shepherds]...and they were terrified.

Matt 28:4 The guards [at the tomb] were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

Jesus' return, which starts the Messianic Age, will be attended by an unspecified number of these beings, and it will be an impressive event.²⁵ Jesus' judgment, which ends the Messianic Age, will be accomplished by an even greater number of these beings, and it will be an even more impressive event. It will employ The Foremost Contingent, part of the panoply of God, and you will profit from their part in God's plan, for you will be among the righteous they will gather.

Having considered The Foremost Contingent, we will look next at The Foremost Contentment, which is relying on the provision of God, in Phil 4:11b-13.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.

(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)