Sheep and Goat Judgment

Created Date: 15-Apr-2020
 

Last updated: 11-Apr-2021
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This is an excerpt of the Dispensations and Judgment Seat of Christ Topics.

Sheep and Goat Judgment

There is a scriptural passage, Matthew 25:31-46, that is given as a parable on how Jesus Christ will judge when He comes back to Earth, which is known as the "Sheep and Goat Judgment" at the Second Coming. 

The Second Coming event occurs at the end of the Tribulation Period.  In order for Jesus Christ to come back then Israel would have had to recognize Jesus Christ as their Savior whom they pierced (killed), Zechariah 12:10, where many Biblical Scholars state that the primary purpose of the Tribulation Period is for Israel to recognize their Messiah.

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
Matthew 25:31 But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

Note that Jesus Christ will be ruling during the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom of Christ so He will have already returned, which confirms the passage is dealing with the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation Period.

This passage in the Sheep and Goat Judgment Parable informs us that those who took care of others were also thus doing it unto Jesus Christ.

Matthew 25:40 “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.’

This passage in the Sheep and Goat Judgment Parable informs us that those who did not take care of others were not taking care of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 25:45 “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.’

There are some Biblical Commentaries that state incorrectly that the Sheep and Goat Judgment means that Jesus Christ is judging differently during the Tribulation Period based on a person's works in life that were good or bad towards Israel.  This cannot be the correct interpretation because it would contradict other scriptures.  A person has to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior to receive the inheritance mentioned in the passage.  Additionally no one is good according to Romans 3:10.  Throughout the history of the classic Dispensations, Jesus Christ has always been the requirement for Salvation.

Romans 3:10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.

The naming in Biblical Commentaries of this passage as the Sheep and Goat Judgment is because of Matthew 25:31 reference of sheep and goats.  The passage in this author's opinion is conveying these important truths:

  1. Jesus Christ will divide the good and bad people into two groups based on Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior.  This is evident by many scriptural passages concerning judgment.
  2. Jesus Christ is telling the listener that if the person (the sheep) has Faith in Him then their works will manifest itself by doing goods unto others as read in James 2:14-17
  3. When we all accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us, 1 Corinthians 3:16.  All human beings are created by God and He in a moment basis knows everyone's thoughts including animals, see Matthew 6:26.  When anyone mistreats others then it grieves God.
  4. Before the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom of Christ begins, the people still alive from the Tribulation Period that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior in the different nations of the Earth, will be divided up correctly for the 1000-years period, where additionally Israel will finally have the borders that God promised Abraham in Genesis 15:18-19.
James 2:14-17 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Matthew 25:26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

People who are alive at the end of the Tribulation Period or die during the Tribulation Period will fall into one these four categories:

  1. For those who died, are still required to have Jesus Christ as their Savior or under the Age of Accountability for entrance to Heaven with God   This group are the sheep. 
  2. Those who took the Mark of the Beast are automatically condemned to Sheol and will await the Great White Throne of Judgment.  They are the goats.
  3. If someone, dead or alive, did not take the Mark of the Beast and also did not ask Jesus Christ to be their Savior, then there is additional area of punitive consequences if they persecuted the people and nation of Israel during that period of time.  They are goats.
  4. Those who are still alive at the end of the Tribulation Period and have Jesus Christ as their Savior or under the Age of Accountability, then they are in the sheep group.  They will be part of the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom of Christ people where they will repopulate the earth.
  5. The "And all the nations" reference means everyone that is alive at the end of the Tribulation Period from every location will be at the event.  Those who have died during the Tribulation Period will already be in either Heaven or Lower Sheol.

The Antichrist and the False Prophet are the exception of how they are handled, where they will be thrown alive into the Lake of Fire.  Many Biblical Scholars state that they are the first two humans to be cast there.  There is a debate between Biblical Scholars if these two men will be brought out of the Lake of Fire to have their Judgment by Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne of Judgment.  This author believes that will happen to the two of them.

As mentioned, there are some differences of opinions in some scriptural commentaries regarding Mathew 25:31, that somehow the "sheep" can be righteous without Faith in Jesus Christ because they helped or protected Israel during the Tribulation Period.  During the Tribulation Period there will be many Jewish people saved, and if they are being helped by Gentiles, then the Gentiles will be told about Jesus Christ so that they can make a decision to believe on Jesus Christ or not.  Jewish people alive at the end of the Tribulation Period, will have been told about Jesus Christ which is why they made to the end of the Tribulation Period alive.

Scriptures do not contradict scriptures.  Based on the entirety of scriptures, regarding righteousness, the sheep group has to be those who have Faith in Jesus Christ or those who are under the Age of Accountability.  Those who have Faith in Jesus Christ will be made up those in Israel along with many Gentiles on the Earth. 

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?