Jesus does not mention the Church in Matthew 25 because the Church was a secret kept in God's mind, and at that point He deliberately did not reveal it.
Matthew 25:31 shows the Son of Man coming in His glory with all the holy angels, but it says nothing about the Church. Les Feldick explains that Jesus was speaking from the pre-church situation and would not betray the secret that was being held in the mind of God. Even though He knew the Church would come, He did not include it in this teaching.
Matthew 25:31 — This is the key verse in question: the Son of Man returns with all the holy angels, yet no Church is named.
Revelation 19:14 — This later verse shows armies in heaven at Christ's return wearing white linen, which Les identifies as the saints.
In Matthew 25:31, Jesus says, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." The verse names the attendants at His coming—the holy angels—and it does not name the Church. In Matthew 24:31, speaking of the gathering of His elect, Jesus says, "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Again, the agents are angels. The Bible later shows the return of Christ in Revelation 19:14: "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."
Les teaches that Matthew 25 is Jesus speaking from the pre-church situation, and Jesus was not going to betray the secret that was being held in the mind of God. According to Les, Jesus was so meticulously careful that He never dropped a single hint that God would turn to the Gentiles and call out a people for His name. He knew the end from the beginning, but God reveals things according to His time frame. Les notes that in Matthew's account of the coming, only the holy angels are mentioned; there is no mention of saints wearing linen, white and clean—because it was not time to reveal that. He also points out that the Greek word ekklesia, often translated 'church,' can mean just a called-out assembly, as when Stephen calls Israel 'the church in the wilderness' and when a mob in Ephesus is called an ecclesia. So a phrase like 'my church' does not automatically mean the Body of Christ. Finally, Les shows from Revelation 19 that the armies of heaven at the Second Coming are clothed in fine linen, white and clean, and it is the saints who wear white linen—so believers will be with Christ, even though Matthew 25 omits them.
Matthew 25:31 says the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, and then He shall sit upon the throne of His glory. Les identifies this as the Second Coming and notes that the verse mentions the holy angels but does not include the Church. He draws attention to the exact wording: Jesus does not say 'the saints, clothed in fine linen,' but only the angels.
Les says Jesus was speaking from the pre-church situation and was not going to betray the secret kept in the mind of God. Even in the Gospels there is never a single hint that God would turn to the Gentiles and call out a people for His name. Jesus was so meticulously careful that He didn't betray it. He knew everything, of course, but God reveals things according to His time frame. There is not a word of Church language in Matthew's end-time teaching.
In Matthew, the ones attending Jesus at His coming are the angels. In Revelation 19:14, the armies which were in heaven follow Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Les points out that throughout Scripture it is the saints who wear white linen, not the angels. So the Church is present at the Second Coming, but Jesus did not disclose that in Matthew 25 because the secret was not yet to be revealed.
Les explains that the Greek word ekklesia, from which 'church' is translated, is used in different ways. Stephen referred to Israel in the wilderness as 'the church in the wilderness'—not the Body of Christ, but the called-out assembly of Israel. Les also mentions that a riotous mob in Ephesus was called an ekklesia. So the word 'church' can refer to an assembly without being the Body of Christ.
'Church' in the Greek can mean a called-out assembly
Les shows from Stephen's mention of 'the church in the wilderness' that the word ekklesia does not always mean the Body of Christ.
Jesus omitted the saints from Matthew 25
Les points out that Matthew lists only angels attending Jesus at His coming, and Jesus avoided saying the saints in fine linen because it would betray the secret.
Matthew 25 is pre-Church and does not betray the secret
Les explains that in Matthew 25, Jesus is speaking from the pre-Church situation and does not betray the secret held in God's mind.
Matthew 25:31 describes the Second Coming in Jerusalem
Les places Matthew 25:31 at the Second Coming, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory in Jerusalem.
No hint in the Gospels that God would call out a people for His name
Les says Jesus was so careful that even in the Gospels there is never a hint about God turning to the Gentiles to call out a people for His name.
No Church language in Matthew's end-time teaching
Les stresses that there is not a word of Church language in Matthew's gathering of the elect, because that part was kept secret.
The Rapture is a secret revealed through Paul
Les uses Matthew 24 as an example that Gospel references to Christ's coming are the Second Coming, not the Rapture, which was revealed only through Paul.
Revelation 19: saints wear the white linen
Les notes that in Revelation 19 the armies of heaven are clothed in fine linen white and clean, and it is the saints, not angels, who wear white linen.
Matthew 25:31: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
This is the key verse where Jesus names only the angels attending Him, with no mention of the Church.
Matthew 24:31: And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Les points to this verse to show that even the gathering of Israel's elect is done by angels, not by a Rapture of the Church.
Revelation 19:14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
This later verse shows the armies in heaven at the Second Coming wearing fine linen, which Les identifies as the saints.
Acts 7:38: This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Les uses this verse to show that 'church' in Scripture can refer to the called-out assembly of Israel, not the Body of Christ.
Matthew 16:18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus' statement about building His church is one place the word 'church' appears in the Gospels, but Les says it is not necessarily the Body of Christ.
Because the Church was a secret kept in the mind of God. Les says Jesus was speaking from the pre-church situation and would not betray that secret, so He spoke only of the holy angels attending His coming. It was not yet the time to reveal the Church.
Yes. Les is clear that Jesus knew everything, but He never revealed what God had kept hidden. Even in the Gospels there is never a single hint that God would call out a people for His name, because Jesus was meticulously careful not to betray that secret.
No. Les points out that the Greek word ekklesia is translated 'church' and can simply mean a called-out assembly. Stephen called Israel the 'church in the wilderness,' and even a riotous mob in Ephesus was called an ekklesia.
Yes. Revelation 19:14 shows the armies in heaven following Christ, clothed in fine linen white and clean. Les explains that the saints are the ones who wear white linen, so the Church is present, but Jesus did not disclose that in Matthew 25.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Gospels Aren't for the Church — 2 Corinthians 5