OLIVIER MELNICK AND TOM HUGHES' UNDERSTANDING OF MATTHEW 25

Olivier Melnick and Tom Hughes unpack the obscure prophecy of Zephaniah 2:4

In the above video Tom Hughes and Olivier Melnick discuss Zephaniah 2:4 as it relates to Gaza.

For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. (Zephaniah 2:4 cf. Isaiah 11).

The connecting word "for" appears to refer to the exhortation to "seek the Lord" in Zephaniah 2:3 ..perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. This prophecy is identified by many expositors as concerning the day of the Lord, i.e. God's eschatological wrath which will begin after the 3.5 year tribulation (cut short) and the rapture of the church. (Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 6:12-17). I have discussed the timing of the rapture extensively in previous posts and I will not repeat the prewrath argument here. How far current events play into the eschatological picture is unclear. 

Below I will elucidate why Hughes' and Melnick's understanding of the sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25 is unfeasible. 

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
And they too will reply, ‘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 the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-46).

Melnick: "It splits into two halves; those who helped the Jews during the tribulation and those who did not. And those who did not go into the lake of fire and brimstone; and those who did enter into the millennial kingdom.. It's the group of people who get saved during the tribulation and they help the Jews out of the kindness of their heart because they know it's the right thing to do as believers, as Christians, as followers of the Messiah..  We apply it today to make a difference in Israel.."

Only the beast (the Antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire before the millennium. (Revelation 19:20). Unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the millennium. (Revelation 20:11-15).

Hughes' and Melnick's application of the sheep and goat judgement in Matthew 25 specifically to believers who help the Jewish people during the great tribulation is perplexing. Jeremiah 30:7 describes "Jacob's trouble" or "Jacob's distress" i.e. the persecution of the Jews by the Antichrist after he takes his seat in the Jerusalem temple. (2 Thessalonians 2:4). It seems highly unlikely that many Gentiles will be saved after the abomination of desolation event due to the extreme consequences of refusing the mark of the beast. i.e. no one can buy or sell etc. (Revelation 13:7-8). Extreme persecution will come upon both unsaved Jews and Gentile believers at this time. (Revelation 12:17,13:7). This scenario indicates that it will not be possible for Gentile believers to help Israel during the great tribulation. The scriptures indicate that the Jewish people will be isolated during the siege of Jerusalem and that God alone will defend them. (Zechariah 12:1-4). And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10 cf. Romans 11:26). These events follow Israel’s acceptance of the evil shepherd predicted in Zechariah 11:15-17.

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:13-17).

In the Olivet discourse, Jesus addresses His followers, i.e. Christians; He warns specifically that worldwide persecution will overtake them.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:9-22; cf. Daniel 12:1).

When Jesus refers to "the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the prisoner", He refers to suffering believers, i.e. members of His body. (1 Corinthians 12:2; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 1:18 etc.) When we serve one another we are actually serving Him. ..I was hungry etc. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. See also James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:17.

Bengel's Gnomen: "Matthew 25:35. Ἐδώκατέ, κ.τ.λ., ye have given, etc.[1100]) Of all good and bad actions, those will be especially mentioned which have been performed to the saints, which presuppose faith and love towards Jesus Christ and His brethren, and involve confession of His name, which are most frequent, and remarkable, and conspicuous; and then, from the manifest glory of the Lord, the dignity of His brethren, and the character of good and evil actions towards them, will be manifest; cf. ch. Matthew 10:40-41."1 

Barnes: "I was an hungered - The union between Christ and his people is the most tender and endearing of all connections. It is represented by the closest unions of which we have knowledge, John 15:4-6; Ephesians 5:23-32; 1 Corinthians 6:15. This is a union - not physical, but moral; a union of feelings, interests, plans, destiny; or, in other words, he and his people have similar feelings, love the same objects, share the same trials, and inherit the same blessedness, John 14:19; Revelation 3:5, Revelation 3:21; Romans 8:17. Hence, he considers favors shown to his people as shown to himself, and will reward them accordingly, Matthew 10:40, Matthew 10:42. They show attachment to him, and love to his cause. By showing kindness to the poor, the needy, and the sick, they show that they possess his spirit, for he did it when on earth; they evince attachment to him, for he was poor and needy; and they show that they have the proper spirit to outfit them for heaven, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 3:17; James 2:1-5; Mark 9:41."2 

Typically pretrib teachers do not respond to exegetical problems associated with their view. However, it would be interesting to see a response from Hughes and Melnick on this occasion?

1. Matthew 25 Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament
2. Matthew 25 Barnes' Notes