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

(d) By name here is meant mighty working power of God, which every man witnesses that calls upon him.

(e) Properly, powers: Now these excellent works which are done are called powers because of those things which they bring to pass, for by them we understand how mighty the power of God is.

People's New Testament

7:22 Many will say to me in that day. The great day of the Lord.

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? The Lord chooses out of the greatest class of non-doers to show that all such will fail of entrance. They have omitted the one thing needful, a faithful obedience.

Wesley's Notes

7:22 We have prophesied - We have declared the mysteries of thy kingdom, wrote books; preached excellent sermons: In thy name done many wonderful works - So that even the working of miracles is no proof that a man has saving faith.

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] Devils

Devils, lit demons. To the reality and personality of demons the N.T. scriptures bear abundant testimony. As to their origin nothing is clearly revealed, but they are not to be confounded with the angels mentioned in 2Pet 2:4 Jude 1:6.

Summary: Demons are spirits Mt 12:43,45 are Satan's emissaries Mt 12:26,27 25:41 and Song numerous as to make Satan's power practically ubiquitous. Mk 5:9. They are capable of entering and controlling both men and beasts Mk 5:8,11-13 and earnestly seek embodiment, without which, apparently, they are powerless for evil. Mt 12:43,44 Mk 5:10-12. Demon influence and demon possession are discriminated in the N. T. Instances of the latter are Mt 4:24 Mt 8:16,28,33 9:32 12:22 Mk 1:32 5:15,16,18 Lk 8:35 Acts 8:7 16:16. They are unclean, sullen, violent, and malicious Mt 8:28 9:23 10:1 Mt 12:43 Mk 1:23 5:3-5 9:17,20 Lk 6:18 9:39. They know Jesus Christ as Most High God, and recognize His supreme authority Mt 8:31,32 Mk 1:24 Acts 19:15 Jas 2:19. They know their eternal fate to be one of torment Mt 8:29 Lk 8:31. They inflict physical maladies Mt 12:22 17:15-18 Lk 13:16 but mental disease is to be distinguished from the disorder of mind due to demonical control. Demon influence may manifest itself in religion asceticism and formalism 1Tim 4:1-3 degenerating into uncleanness 2Pet 2:10-12. The sign of demon influence in religion is departing from the faith, i.e. the body of revealed truth in the Scriptures. 1Tim 4:1. The demons maintain especially a conflict with believers who would be spiritual. Eph 6:12 1Tim 4:1-3. All unbelievers are open to demon possession Eph 2:2. The believer's resources, prayer and bodily control Mt 17:21 "the whole armour of God" Eph 6:13-18. Exorcism in the name of Jesus Christ Acts 16:18 was practised for demon possession. One of the awful features of the apocalyptic judgments in which this age will end is an irruption of demons out the abyss. Rev 9:1-11.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22. Many will say to me in that day-What day? It is emphatically unnamed. But it is the day to which He had just referred, when men shall "enter" or not enter "into the kingdom of heaven." (See a similar way of speaking of "that day" in 2Ti 1:12; 4:8).

Lord, Lord-The reiteration denotes surprise. "What, Lord? How is this? Are we to be disowned?"

have we not prophesied-or, "publicly taught." As one of the special gifts of the Spirit in the early Church, it has the sense of "inspired and authoritative teaching," and is ranked next to the apostleship. (See 1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11). In this sense it is used here, as appears from what follows.

in thy name-or, "to thy name," and so in the two following clauses-"having reference to Thy name as the sole power in which we did it."

and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works-or, miracles. These are selected as three examples of the highest services rendered to the Christian cause, and through the power of Christ's own name, invoked for that purpose; He Himself, too, responding to the call. And the threefold repetition of the question, each time in the same form, expresses in the liveliest manner the astonishment of the speakers at the view now taken of them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:21-29 Christ here shows that it will not be enough to own him for our Master, only in word and tongue. It is necessary to our happiness that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is his will, even our sanctification. Let us take heed of resting in outward privileges and doings, lest we deceive ourselves, and perish eternally, as multitudes do, with a lie in our right hand. Let every one that names the name of Christ, depart from all sin. There are others, whose religion rests in bare hearing, and it goes no further; their heads are filled with empty notions. These two sorts of hearers are represented as two builders. This parable teaches us to hear and do the sayings of the Lord Jesus: some may seem hard to flesh and blood, but they must be done. Christ is laid for a foundation, and every thing besides Christ is sand. Some build their hopes upon worldly prosperity; others upon an outward profession of religion. Upon these they venture; but they are all sand, too weak to bear such a fabric as our hopes of heaven. There is a storm coming that will try every man's work. When God takes away the soul, where is the hope of the hypocrite? The house fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another. May the Lord make us wise builders for eternity. Then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. The multitudes were astonished at the wisdom and power of Christ's doctrine. And this sermon, ever so often read over, is always new. Every word proves its Author to be Divine. Let us be more and more decided and earnest, making some one or other of these blessednesses and Christian graces the main subject of our thoughts, even for weeks together. Let us not rest in general and confused desires after them, whereby we grasp at all, but catch nothing.