13.

Judgment of the Sheep and Goats

Judgment at Jerusalem

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

The judgment of the sheep and the goats has long been a source of intrigue to theologians and Bible students. Misappropriation of this important passage of Scripture leads to doctrinal fantasies that affect the quality of one's eschatological views concerning the end of this age. On the other hand, a clear understanding of Matthew 24:31-46 has a most salutatory effect on our appreciation of our position in Christ as well as giving us answers to some of the most intriguing questions presented to our minds as we approach the time of the Lord's Coming.

Some of the things that we will try to answer in this essay are:

1.     When does the judgment take place in relation to other prophetic events?

2.     Who are the nations: the sheep and the goats?

3.     What does the outcome of this judgment show us?

4.     Who are the Shepherd-King's (Christ's) brethren (the recipients of good deeds)?

5.     Is this a parable or a prophecy?

6.     What comes after this event?

The Revelation of the Son of Man

"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" (Matthew 24:31).

This passage does not describe the Rapture of the Church nor does it describe the great White Throne Judgment. It refers to the visible second coming of Jesus Christ which takes place at the end of the 70th week, designated as the Tribulation. The judgment of the sheep and goats takes place at the end of the Tribulation to determine who of earth's natural folk will be allowed to enter the Millennium to rebuild the earth after the calamitous ruin of the wars and plagues of the Great Tribulation. The sheep are the people who will repopulate the planet during the visibly manifested kingdom of God of 1,000 years duration.

The Nations

"And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" (Matthew 24:32).

It is singularly important at this juncture that we identify what is meant by “nations” (Gr. ethnos). In general, the term "nations" is commonly used to describe the human race.

One can only conclude that it is individual people and not whole nations that are being judged.

Blessed Sheep

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:33, 34).

One thing is sure: No one will inherit the kingdom and everlasting life because he is a Norwegian, a Scot or an African. By the same token, no one will be sent to Hell because of a national identity. God does not have two ways of salvation.

People are saved not by works, but by the grace of God through the redeeming work of Calvary.

The sheep on His right hand are those individuals who are saved as a result of the witness of the 144,000, and comprise a company of people so vast that no man can number them. See the seventh chapter of Revelation.

These new believers are the sheep in this future judgment. The sheep receive salvation, not because of their national identity, but because they will receive Christ as their personal Savior. Their good deeds are a product of their transformed hearts. Salvation is not a reward for good deeds.

Christ's Distressed Brethren - Hungry, Thirsty, Naked, Sick, in Jail

“For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:35-40).

In the traditional mode of interpretation in this fascinating passage, the sheep and goat nations are generally identified as literal nations. We think that seeing the sheep and goats not as national entities but as the individuals who comprise the nations is much more reasonable and in line with the context of the entire Bible. Thus, the sheep are those people who treated Christ's brethren with mercy and true Christian charity.

Tribulation Brethren of Our Lord, the King

Christ's "brethren" refers to the 144,000 Israelites, 12,000 from every tribe of Israel, a mighty company of Tribulation witnesses for the Lord. The post-Rapture converts from all the Gentile nations will react with goodwill and kindness to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. This is a natural reaction, amplified by the Holy Spirit's anointing and guidance upon the new believers.

The reason we identify Christ's brethren primarily as Jews will be apparent. The only recognizable human groups on earth during the Tribulation are:

1. Israelites, including 144,000 Jewish preachers of the Gospel. Scripture regards all of Israel to be Christ's brethren according to the flesh. (See Romans 9:3-5)

2. The Tribulation-time Gentile converts. Saint Paul describes born-again people as former Gentiles. (See 1 Corinthians 12:2, Ephesians 2:11-12)

The goyim, or unsaved, pagan Gentiles. Only people in categories one and two could ever qualify as Jesus' brethren. Never, in any age, would unbelieving pagan goyim be thought of as Christ's brethren.

Doomed Goats

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:41-45).

Entire Nations In Hell?

At this juncture we note again that one is not damned because of his nationality, so it is individuals and not entire nations that are being judged. If the traditional mode of interpretation were followed, we would have entire nations being cast into Hell with individuals having no opportunity to accept or reject Christ.

Serious Consequences

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:46).

This is no parable. It is a prophecy of definite future events! Verse 46 powerfully drives home the fact that this passage is set in a post-Tribulation scenario in which Jesus judges the people of planet earth. Every living person on earth at the end of the Tribulation is sent into Hell, or is granted entry into the Millennial Kingdom, saved forever.

The subjects of the judgment are twofold. First of all, there are the goats that are damned for eternity. This damnation results from a rejection of God's plan of salvation. They are incorrigible rebels who have slavishly followed the beast, have received his mark and worshiped his image. Their neglect of good deeds is a testimony of their hatred for the chosen people, the Jewish nation, and it reflects the unredeemed condition of their souls. No one is damned because of his or her national identity.

The second group is the sheep, representing those who will be saved in the Tribulation and who survive the wrath of the Antichrist. These survivors stand as redeemed individuals before the Judge and are rewarded with entrance to the kingdom because they accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Their good deeds are displayed as evidence that they truly know Jesus as their Savior.

Millennium after the Judgment

The Tribulation-redeemed people (who survive martyrdom) will be subjects of Christ's kingdom during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

The Millennium, however, is an idyllic age, not a perfect age. There will be occurrences of sin, rebellion, death and punishment (Zechariah 10).

You may wonder how saved people, living in the Millennium under the reign of Jesus Himself could possibly become rebels? After all, was not their reward eternal life (verse 46)? The answer is very simple.

The original earthlings who are allowed entrance into the Millennial Kingdom are all saved people. They are saved after the Rapture of the Church. They hid from the Antichrist and are not beheaded by the henchmen of the beast. They stand in the judgment when everyone living on earth at the end of the Tribulation will be called before the judgment throne.

How Can It Be?

The sheep people who enter the Millennium may be few in number.

Having passed the test in the Matthew 25 judgment, they have eternal life and cannot and will not rebel against Jesus but they will have children and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Ideal living conditions characterize the earthly kingdom. Poverty and hunger are a thing of the past. There will be no wars. Under this umbrella of physical grace, the population could easily reach 20 billion in 1,000 years.

Those born in the Millennium will hear the preaching of the Gospel and must decide whether or not to accept Jesus as Savior. Even under the wonderful conditions on planet earth when no one will be hungry and there will be more than adequate housing for everyone, when wild animals will be tame and peace prevails everywhere, Jesus has to rule with an iron scepter to keep order (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 12:5; 19:15).

"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed" (Isaiah 65:20 NIV).

A thousand years' worth of generations will build the greatest civilization earth has ever known. However, the offspring of the early pioneer millennialists will not be coerced to except Christ as Savior. The purpose of the millennial age is to finally prove that the fallen human heart inclines toward evil, unless the individual calls upon God for salvation. Even with Satan bound up during the 1,000 years and Jesus ruling the earth, there is rebellion, especially at the very end of the Millennium. See Revelation 20.

Except a Man Be Born Again

God has no grandchildren. He only has sons and daughters. Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus as recorded in John's Gospel expresses it this way, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). (Also see John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:23)

Only One Plan of Salvation

Let us emphasize one more time that, God does not have two or more plans of salvation. The only salvation is provided for us by the death of Jesus on the cross and empowered by His victorious resurrection from the dead. This provision applies to pre-Christian, Old-Covenant believers as well as all who are saved in the Church Age and further to all who will be saved in the Tribulation and in the Millennium. Isaiah points out that the kingdom age will be the greatest time of bliss for humanity since the fall from Eden.

A curious fact is that the Hebrew prophets, with their Near East mind-set did not, in many cases, manifest a high regard for chronological arrangement of ideas. This challenges our Western mode of straight-line thinking. We seem to be fanatics for chronology. Isaiah 65 is a good example of Oriental construction and expression of ideas:

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:17-19).

This portion of Isaiah's prophecy refers to the eternal state of the redeemed. In verse 20 he reverts to predicting millennial conditions, many of which are temporary:

“Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD (Isaiah 65:20-25).

Verse 25 beautifully describes the taming of all wild beasts and indicates the fact that peace will prevail on God's earth. While it is not specifically mentioned that this is the 1,000 year phase of the eternal kingdom, premillennialists will agree that this is the case.

We know that many unredeemed people born in the Millennium will be deluded when Satan is loosed from the abyss and goes abroad throughout the world deceiving vulnerable, unsaved people who have already begun to question the person and authority of Jesus. This, not Armageddon, is absolutely the final conflict of the ages.

After Ten Centuries of Peace

The judgment of the sheep and goats takes place. The Millennium begins. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan is loosed for a season. He deceives many, builds an army, attacks Christ at Jerusalem, and is defeated, nevermore to have access to planet earth. The Second Resurrection of all the wicked dead takes place.

The good works mentioned in the parable are not the cause of salvation but the effect of salvation. As Christians we become like Christ (see Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; and Colossians 2:6-7).Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Good works in a Christian’s life are the direct overflow of these traits, and are only acceptable to God because of the relationship that exists between servant and Master, the saved and their Savior, the sheep and their Shepherd (see Ephesians 2:10).

The core message of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats is that God’s people will love others. Good works will result from our relationship to the Shepherd. Followers of Christ will treat others with kindness, serving them as if they were serving Christ Himself. The unregenerate live in the opposite manner. While “goats” can indeed perform acts of kindness and charity, their hearts are not right with God, and their actions are not for the right purpose – to honor and worship God.