Who do you think the sheep nations are that are gathered in Matt 25:32?
I do not have to guess about that. The context tells me plainly. My duty is to believe the words I read.
Matt 25:31 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:
32 And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them (
all nations) one from another, as (a metaphor) a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
The answer to your question is in the text. The sheep nations are those nations who are saved with the evidence that they had assisted the Jewish people who were persecuted during the tribulation by the Anti Christ and his forces. The text clearly says it. It does not have anything to do with election or predestination but it does have to do with an action motivated by kindness and pity. The goat nations are the opposite and empowered the persecution. The timing is when Jesus Christ is ready to inaugurate his kingdom on the earth after he returns and destroys the anti-Christ and his armies. Remember he said to Nicodemus that a man must be born again to enter his kingdom. The church is not a nation and is not the recipient of the wrath of God on guilty sinners who refuse to repent and believe his gospel.
Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16
After this I will return, (after he has taken out from the gentiles a people for his name)
and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, a
nd I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Learn how to know when prophesy is fulfilled. Matt 25 is after his return and his church has been taken out. There is a King and a throne involved on earth, as well as a theocratic kingdom with citizens that must be judged for the right to be citizens.
Where is the church in relation to this verse?
When Matthew 25 takes place, the church will be on the earth because we will return with him, having been translated before the beginning of the tribulation of Israel.
Re 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
When Christ said in Mt 16:18...upon this rock I will build my church (gather my people together) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," he included not only the northern tribes of Samaria but also the coming gentile nations as the other sheep. The other sheep which are not of this flock (John 10:16) is also a picture of the same purpose in the gathering, building and unifying of the kingdom of God as a church people. His teachings to the Jewish audience was necessary because the first church was a Jewish church that he was bringing forth during his ministry. Christ's teachings were always in the context of seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) in accordance to his new covenant. This is the kingdom, not only proclaimed by the prophets by the spirit of Christ in them (1 Peter 1:11) but also by Christ who proclaimed "the kingdom of God is within (in the midst) of you. A new spiritual covenant nation in the midst of a carnal covenant nation. A kingdom within a kingdom. A calling out within a calling out. The old would pass away and new would proceed from out of their midst.
This is the church nation to whom the keys of the kingdom are given.
This is very wrong surmising. Nothing in this paragraph is true. John 10 has nothing to do with the church of Jesus Christ. Paul says the things concerning the church were hidden in time past. Jesus lived in time past and ministered to Israel only.