Not every (one) laying forth to me, Ruler, Ruler, will enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens, but the (one) doing the determination of my Father the (One) in Heaven (Ou pas ho legon moi, Kurie, Kurie, eiseleusetai eis ten basileian ton ouranon, all’ ho poien to thelema tou patros mou tou en ouranois - Matt 7:21)
Speaking to His disciples with general reference to the throngs and to their national leaders, the words, Not every one laying forth to me, Ruler, Ruler, will enter into the Kingdom of the Heaven, are intended to assault complacency and presumption. At this juncture in the sermon, as a caveat toward believers who are obstinate, He also said directly to the throngs; Indeed why call me, "Ruler! Ruler!", and not do all which I lay forth? (Ti de me kaleite, Kurie, Kurie, kai ou poieite ha lego - Luke 6:46) While the title, Ruler, calls attention to Jesus’ role as Supreme Potentate; the doubled salutation, "Ruler, Ruler", indicates the hypocrites’ ostentatious display of zeal and loyalty, vainly calculated to conceal the avarice and larceny in their hearts. Judas Iscariot would similarly betray Jesus with the doubled salutation, Rabbi, Rabbi! (Matthew 26:49). The future tense expression used concerning the Kingdom of the Heaven reveals that He is speaking here of the fulfilled Kingdom in eternity, rather than the developing Kingdom in the cosmos. With the words, but the one doing the determination of my Father the One in Heaven, Jesus excludes every one from ultimate entrance into the fulfilled Kingdom, except for genuine believers.
Since the meaning of the term, the determination (to thelema), is here a commanded action which cannot fail; no human being can possibly execute the atonement that Jesus has in mind here: As the Substitute for His people, in their stead, He must be the one doing the determination (John 6:39 & 40). With the appellation, My Father (instead of your Father), Jesus therefore identifies Jehovah in exclusive terms here to the mixed audience of His disciples and of all the unregenerate souls among the throngs. With the appellation, the One in Heaven, Jesus speaks of the Monarch’s eternal perspective, presiding over every single aspect of space and time (all objects and life forms and all events within the natural realm); being as actively present in the past and future as He is in the present, untainted by the sinfulness which permeates the affairs of men. Who indeed could possibly do the determination of One who radiates with such purity, but Jesus alone and who can be accounted as doing the determination, if not true believers only? In this vein, Jesus would later be recorded as saying, not one recognizes the Son, if not the Father, neither recognizes someone the Father, if not the Son, and to whom in the case that the Son would be resolving to disclose (Matt 11:27).
Many will utter to me in that day, Ruler, Ruler, had we not prophesied by your name, and threw out demons by your name, and had performed many abilities by your name? (Polloi erousi moi en ekeine te hemera, Kurie, Kurie, ou to so onomati proepheteusamen, kai to so onomati daimonia exebalomen, kai to so onomati dunameis pollas epoiesamen - Matt 7:22)
With the words, many will utter to me in that day, Ruler, Ruler, Jesus speaks of the multitudes of hypocrites who shall appear before Him at the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11), in an ostentatious display of zeal and loyalty, vainly calculated to conceal the avarice and larceny in their hearts (preceding verse); vainly seeking to justify their admittance into Sacred Jerusalem, rather than to face their consignment to the Pond of the fire (Rev 20:15). The term, in that day, unmistakably refers to the day... the great (one) of His violent abhorrence (he hemera he megale tes orges autou - Rev 6:17), in which everyone will travel forth from their graves, their spirits reunited with reassembled bodies; the ones having done the beneficial matters, into a resurrection of life; indeed the ones having practiced the foul matters, into a resurrection of justice (John 5:29). Having risen into a resurrection of justice, religious reprobates are thus portrayed by Jesus to be calling attention to all their religious deeds, imagining to present themselves as those who have sacrificed in His service. The rhetorical question, had we not prophesied by your name, calls attention to the irrefutable proof that they had prophesied (explained the meaning of Holy Scripture), by the fact that they had prophesied under color of His authority and cause (by His name).
The rhetorical question emanating from the words, threw out demons by your name, calls attention to the irrefutable proof that they threw out demons, by the fact that they exorcised under color of His authority and cause. The rhetorical question emanating from the words, had performed many abilities by your name, calls attention to the irrefutable proof that they performed many abilities (did the deeds of compassion, prayer and fasting as hypocrites), by the fact that they performed their religious exercises under color of His authority and cause. Since the word, abilities (dunameis), conveys the meaning of deeds which require empowerment, it is often misunderstood as "miraculous power". While, dependent upon the context, the word may call attention to feats which are miraculous; it is expressive of no more than actions which are exemplary or outstanding (Matt 7:22, 25:15, Mark 6:2, 13:25, Luke 10:13, Acts 8:13, Rom 1:4, Gal 3:5, Eph 3:16, Col 1:11, Heb 11:11). Since the religious reprobates certainly do prophesy, cast out demons and do many abilities by His name (albeit, with self-serving ulterior motives), Jesus does not deny any of their claims. The fact that religious reprobates are able to do so much in the name of Jesus definitely does not mean that they have ever enjoyed an intimate association with Jesus. Like Judas Iscariot, they will take their sociopathic deceit and hypocrisy to the very face of the Judge, as though they were able to deceive even Him!
And at that time I will confess to them that "I knew you on no occasion. Withdraw from me, the (ones) working the illegality" (Kai tote homologeso autois, hoti Oudepote egnon humas, apochoreite ape emou, hoi ergazomenoi ten anomian - Matt 7:23)
With the words, at that time (tote), allusion is made to that day (preceding verse), during which reprobates shall appear before the Great White Throne to be condemned and sentenced. Saying, I will confess to them that "I knew you on no occasion", Jesus does not prophesy that He will indicate ignorance, but that He had never (on no occasion ) enjoyed affectionate intimacy with any of them. While it is true that they prophesied, cast out demons and did many abilities by His name, having not done the determination of the Father and consequently unable to do all which He had laid forth (verse 21), the religious reprobates never knew Jesus and were never known by Him. The intended meaning of this profound statement cannot be fully understood, without knowing what is meant by the words, confess and known. The words, I will confess (homologeso ), are translated from the first person singular future tense expression of the verb, homologeo , which is a compound of homo ("the same as") and logeo ("to express"); conveying the idea of reciprocal sentiment. Although these reprobates were meticulous in the outward performance of religious duty, they had no intimate acquaintance with the sufferings of the Christ. As a grave matter of consequence, despite their ostentatious performance, Jesus has no such familiarity with any of them (Rom 8:16-17). The word, knew (egnon), is translated from the past tense of ginosko ("to know"), which in this context, not only refers to one who is approved and cared for, but also to one with whom affectionate familiarity is enjoyed (Matt 7:23, John 10:14, 27, I Cor 8:3, Gal 4:9 & I Tim 2:18).
With the words, Withdraw from me, the ones working the illegality, Jesus prophesies of the eternal severance which shall be exacted upon those who actually worship a different Jesus (allon Iesoun) and promulgate another good message (euaggelion heteron - II Cor 11:4). The boasting of these; that they prophesied, cast out demons and did many abilities by His name; therefore cannot stand. Indeed, neither abide constantly (ones) outside of law, directly opposite of your eyes: You have hated all the (ones) working the illegality (oude diamenousi paranomoi katenanti ton ophthalmon sou. Emisesas Kurie pantes tous ergazomenous ten anomian - Psalm 5:5 - LXX). The term, "the illegality" (ten anomian), has reference to religious exercise and morality which is destitute of genuine persuasion and repentance. Against such religious people, Jesus would inform the disciples, The Son of man will set off His messengers, and they will collect together out of His Kingdom all the trap-sticks and the ones having done the illegality, and they will throw them into the Furnace of the Fire; the lamentation and the grating of the teeth will be there (Matt 13:41-42). The "illegality" is therefore an apt description of the form of religion practiced by the legalists who imagine that they are jealously protective of "the moral Law" (Luke 18:11-12). Referring to the facility by which the legalists condemn others of moral turpitude (imagining themselves to exist in a state of moral rectitude), Jesus would advise them, learn what it is, "I determine compassion, and not sacrifice", for I came not to call ones of equity, but ones of sinfulness into repentance (Matt 9:13). Make no mistake about the fact that the effectual call... into repentance is nothing short of a Divine gift (II Tim 2:25): Indeed, the "illegality" includes the high-handed exercise of merciless self-righteousness.
The Apostle Paul differentiated between godless morality and the process of sanctification, when he wrote, I lay forth humanly through the feebleness of your flesh, for very much in the manner that you stood your parts (as) slaves to the impurity and to the illegality into the illegality, in this way now you will stand beside your parts (as) slaves to the righteousness into sanctification (Anthropinon lego dia ten astheneian tes sarkos humon, hosper gar parestesate ta mele humon doula te akatharsia kai te anomia eis ten anomian, houto nun parastesate ta mele humon doula te dikaiosune eis hagiasmon - Rom 6:19). The distinguishing feature of those who are slaves to the righteousness into sanctification (as opposed to the slaves... to the illegality into the illegality) is humility. Indeed, "the secret of the illegality" is disclosed as a spirit of usurping Pharasaic religiosity which masquerades as true persuasion and insidiously supplants the sanctification (the workings and maturation of repentance). Indeed, the "illegality" is the vital fuel of the great apostasy over which the lawless one presides: And now you fully know the (one) holding down, into the (matter of) him to be disclosed in the occasion of himself. For the secret of the illegality is activated even now, only the (one) holding down just now, until he would be coming to be out of the midst. And at that time the lawless (one) will be disclosed, whom the Supreme Authority will diminish by the spirit of His mouth, and will render entirely idle by the brilliance of His nearness (Kai nun to katechon oidate, eis to apokaluphthenai auton en to heautou kairo To gar mustrrion ede energeitai tes anomias, monon ho katechon arti, heos ek mesou genetai. Kai tote apokaluphthesetai ho anomos, hon ho Kurios aneosei to pneumati tou stomatos autou, kai katargesei te epiphaneia tes parousias autou - II Thes 2:6-8). The "illegality" is firmly established wherever people define salvation as rote obedience to rules and regulations.
