11:31-32 How are we to understand what Jesus says here?
11:31-32 How are we to understand what Jesus says here?
The Queen of the South is the Queen of Sheba (cp 1Ki 10:1; 2Chr 9:1). Some bible commentators place Sheba as the home of the Sabeans in south west Arabia, now modern day Yemen.
Others place it as Ethiopia. Regardless of its location, it was a great distance form Jerusalem "… the utmost parts of the earth". Yet the Queen of Sheba journeyed there to find out for herself if what she had heard of the fame of Solomon was true. When she met Solomon she was overwhelmed by his wisdom and the splendour of his kingdom. She recognized that it was God who was the source of Solomon's blessings and she glorified Him (cp 1Ki 10:2-9; 2Chr 9:2-8).
As a result of seeing and hearing Solomon, the Queen believed in God. It is in this sense that she will rise up in judgement against the Jews who were privileged to see Jesus - a greater one than Solomon - work miracles, but nonetheless rejected Him. It should be noted here that although the Queen of Sheba acknowledged our Lord as the God of Israel, there is nothing in scripture to indicate that she accepted Him as her God also, to the exclusion of all others. So we do not know if she was saved.