The Sheep/Goat Judgment

Monday, September 12, 2011: Matthew 25:31 – 33 (NKJV)

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Background: This Sheep-Goat Judgment is only found in Matthew’s gospel. This is an analogy, not a parable.

Who will be separated? The nations (ethnos) will be divided into sheep on Christ’s right and goats on His left.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 and Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Matthew 25:34 (NKJV)

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Matthew 25:41 (NKJV)

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Who speaks to the sheep and the goats? The King addresses the sheep: ‘He’ addresses the goats. To the sheep, Jesus Christ is Lord and King.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

What is the outcome? The sheep are invited into the kingdom of heaven, the goats are told to depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil.

Thursday, September 15, 2011: Matthew 25:35 – 36 (NKJV)

for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

What is the reason given? Sharing food, drink, shelter and clothing is the inward service and visiting the sick and imprisoned the outward ministry.

Friday, September 16, 2011: Matthew 25:40 (NKJV)

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

What is the implication? Implied in this is love for fellow man and love for God. Such love comes only as a result of being born again and having the new creation inside.