I never knew you !

Matt 7:23

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This statement means that He never knew them as His Sheep, remember what He says of them here Jn 10:14

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Now the word know in Jn 10:14 and the word knew in Matt 7:23 are the very same greek word ginōskō and denotes a knowing in intimacy !

This denotes He never Loved them affectionately as a Husband Loves His Wife !

Now it also means that Christ never knew them to be part of His Wife, the Bride of Christ, for instance in Revelation we read Rev 19:7

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Rev 21:9

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

The Lamb is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Jn 1:29, and remember John the baptist said of this very same Lamb Jn 3:29

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

Note: John represents the OT Hope and so this statement evidences the OT Saints and the NT Saints belonging to the same Bride/Wife of the Lamb !

The Bride and the Wife are one and the same Rev 21:9

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

And the Bridegroom/Husband must know His Wife, like it says of Adam the type of Christ Gen 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

This is vitally important because Adam and Eve are a Type, a picture of Christ and the Church Eph 5:30-32

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Christ knew and Loved the Church as His Wife and gave Himself for it Eph 5:25

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

The Church here is being indicated as the Wife of Christ, the Lamb or the analogy would be useless for Paul to use !

So for Christ to say I never knew you, means He never knew them to be part of His Wife, His Bride of which Hes the Bridegroom of Jn 3:29, whom He gave Himself for !

 

Why Jesus said to them, I never knew you !

Matt 7:23

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Jesus could never say that of one of His Sheep He died for ! Jn 10:14-15

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

If any of that crowd in Matt 7:23 was one of Christ's Sheep that He layed down His Life for, then Jesus is a liar, to say He never them ! And I dont believe Jesus ever lied !

I never knew you, ye worker of iniquity ! The never knew you means that He never Justified them from their iniquities, because He never bear their iniquities as Per Isa 53:11

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

The word Knowledge here is the OT version of the word knew in Matt 7:23

So by His Knowledge or knowing He Justified many, by bearing their iniquities, however those in Matt 7:23, He says to them, I never knew you, then He says "depart from me ye that work iniquity" which does indicate that He never bore their iniquities as He did for those He knew, the Sheep. Their iniquities were obviously still in view of God's Law and Justice. Jesus shed the Blood of the Covenant Matt 26:28 and one of the Blessings thereof for those it was shed for, the Many, is stated here Heb 8:12

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

But surely thats not the case with them in Matt 7:23, their iniquities are being remembered; and to top it off, their main iniquities being remembered are those things articulated by them in the preceding verse 22 Matt 7:22

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

They are religious iniquities, things done in Christ's Name, but yet if Christ declared He never knew them, then He is saying : I never bare thy Iniquities !