1950 This Means Everlasting Life - A2Z.org

242 "THIS MEANS EVERLASTING LIFE"
which they inherit is styled a "kingdom" because
inheriting it means that the sheep become the
King's children, his earthly children . This relationship
to the King as "The Everlasting Father"
will be something new and royal for earth's inhabitants,
because back in Eden Adam and Eve
were not the children of the "covering cherub"
whom God appointed as their invisible guardian,
The earth upon which the "other sheep" are to
live forever is the visible realm of the kingdom
of heaven, and it will have visible princely representatives
on earth .
11 The King extends this invitation to the "other
sheep" at the time that the present judgment
of the nations is finished, when the time for executing
judgment is at hand at Armageddon . He
speaks of these sheep as righteous. Not that they
are at present justified by God for their faith to
be acceptable for sacrifice with Christ in his death ;
but that they, in faith, have taken the right attitude
toward Jehovah's King and have acted right
toward the King's brothers and have joined with
them in keeping God's righteous commandments.
In the same way the Scriptures speak of men of
faith before Christ as "righteous" . "Then the
righteous ones will answer him with the words :
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 receive you hospitably,
or naked, and clothe you? When did we see
t i . a Why does he speak of them as "righteous"?
b What does their question and his reply indicate
about his presence?