Dividing Of Sheep And Goats

[Dan Edwin]

This passage is a parable of the Son of man coming with all the holy angels to divide the “sheep” (those who are righteous) from the “goats”. The sheep are the righteous, born again believers seated at the right hand of God together with Christ and blessed by God the Father as heirs of the Kingdom, whereas the “goats” are cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

"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. He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left (Matthew 25:31-33).

Who are the sheep set on the right hand of God? Verse 37 shows the sheep are those who are righteous. They have been saved, born again by being made alive together with Christ. Just as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20), those who are made alive together with Jesus Christ (born again) when forgiven of all trespasses, are raised up together with Jesus Christ and made in His image to be seated at the right hand of God. We are saved and righteous when we are born again by the Spirit of Christ (the Righteous one) being the life within us. When we were dead in trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6). God worked in Christ when He raised Him (Christ) from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20).

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: 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.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)?

The righteous (saved) seated at the right hand of God together with Christ did good works (righteous works), such as giving food, giving food, giving drink, giving room, clothing the needy, and visiting the sick and those in prison. Believers are not saved by doing any type of “works”, but we do good works when we are born again (saved) by the Spirit of Christ being the life within us. The works mentioned give testimony that we are born again and saved by our walking with the Spirit. This verse reveals the character of the righteous, those born of the Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ.

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' (Matthew 25:37-39)

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’ (Matthew 25:40). Whatever we do for those who are born of the Spirit, we do for Christ also, because the Spirit of Christ is the life within them.

"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: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ (Matthew 25:41-43)

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' (Matthew 25:44)

Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:45-46).

Whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother having need, and shuts up his bowels from him, how does the love of God dwell in him? My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17-18).

So speak and do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty. For he who has shown no mercy shall have judgment without mercy, and mercy exults over judgment. My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and if one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them those things which are needful to the body, what good is it? Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself (James 2:12-17). Faith without works is a dead faith, because when we truly are born again, we do good works of love and righteousness as the Spirit of Christ lives in and through us.

But by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works (James 2:17-18). We are not saved by works, but without works, our faith is a “dead” faith. Why the contradiction, how do we reconcile these verses? We are saved by the grace of God for our faith by trusting in Jesus Christ to have our sins forgiven, not by the works we do; but the good works we do are evidence that we are born again as the Spirit of Christ lives in and through us.

As we repent and confess our sins, they are forgiven by the grace of God for our faith in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. As we confess our sins and repent by turning from sin in our life (Romans 10:10, 1 John 1:9), God forgives us and cleanses (purifies) us of all unrighteousness. When forgiven of all trespasses (Colossians 2:13) we are reconciled to God and saved by being made alive together with Christ, raised up and seated at the right hand of God (Ephesians 2:5-6). We pass from death unto life and are righteous by the Spirit of Jesus Christ (the righteous One) being the life within us.

God bless

 

[antiaging]

This passage is a parable of the Son of man coming with all the holy angels to divide the “sheep” (those who are righteous) from the “goats”. The sheep are the righteous, born again believers seated at the right hand of God together with Christ and blessed by God the Father as heirs of the Kingdom, whereas the “goats” are cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

"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. He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left (Matthew 25:31-33).

Who are the sheep set on the right hand of God? Verse 37 shows the sheep are those who are righteous. They have been saved, born again by being made alive together with Christ. Just as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20), those who are made alive together with Jesus Christ (born again) when forgiven of all trespasses, are raised up together with Jesus Christ and made in His image to be seated at the right hand of God. We are saved and righteous when we are born again by the Spirit of Christ (the Righteous one) being the life within us. When we were dead in trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6). God worked in Christ when He raised Him (Christ) from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20).

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: 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.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)?

The righteous (saved) seated at the right hand of God together with Christ did good works (righteous works), such as giving food, giving food, giving drink, giving room, clothing the needy, and visiting the sick and those in prison. Believers are not saved by doing any type of “works”, but we do good works when we are born again (saved) by the Spirit of Christ being the life within us. The works mentioned give testimony that we are born again and saved by our walking with the Spirit. This verse reveals the character of the righteous, those born of the Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ.

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' (Matthew 25:37-39)

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’ (Matthew 25:40). Whatever we do for those who are born of the Spirit, we do for Christ also, because the Spirit of Christ is the life within them.

"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: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ (Matthew 25:41-43)

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' (Matthew 25:44)

Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:45-46).

Whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother having need, and shuts up his bowels from him, how does the love of God dwell in him? My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17-18).

So speak and do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty. For he who has shown no mercy shall have judgment without mercy, and mercy exults over judgment. My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and if one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them those things which are needful to the body, what good is it? Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself (James 2:12-17). Faith without works is a dead faith, because when we truly are born again, we do good works of love and righteousness as the Spirit of Christ lives in and through us.

But by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works (James 2:17-18). We are not saved by works, but without works, our faith is a “dead” faith. Why the contradiction, how do we reconcile these verses? We are saved by the grace of God for our faith by trusting in Jesus Christ to have our sins forgiven, not by the works we do; but the good works we do are evidence that we are born again as the Spirit of Christ lives in and through us.

As we repent and confess our sins, they are forgiven by the grace of God for our faith in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. As we confess our sins and repent by turning from sin in our life (Romans 10:10, 1 John 1:9), God forgives us and cleanses (purifies) us of all unrighteousness. When forgiven of all trespasses (Colossians 2:13) we are reconciled to God and saved by being made alive together with Christ, raised up and seated at the right hand of God (Ephesians 2:5-6). We pass from death unto life and are righteous by the Spirit of Jesus Christ (the righteous One) being the life within us.

God bless

No contradiction. I think you are misinterpreting the sheep and goats, as well as the James verses.
The sheep helped the brethren of Jesus, the christians, by giving them food or drink or clothing or visiting them in priston. For doing that, they will be allowed to enter into the millenial reign.
At the end of the millenial reign, Satan will be loosed to test them, and all that are deceived will go into the fire.
My understanding is that people that never heard of Jesus, [there are many millions of them] and are alive at His return, and they helped Christians in their life, will be allowed to enter the millenial reign. They will be tested at the end of the millenial reign [like it says in revelation] to see if they are really saved or will be deceived.
Those that never heard of Jesus and refused to help Christians will perish as unsaved sinners, at His return. {Like it shows in romans, God has put some knowlege of right and wrong in the heart of the heathen, so when he did what he knew to be wrong, he sinned. The only way for sins to be forgiven is by belief in Jesus and repentance. They will be beaten with few stripes, (like it says in the verses about the stripes) or have less of a hell than someone that knew the gospel and rejected Jesus.}
The verses in James about faith without works is dead, is not about the faith for salvation. You can see from the context of all the discourse that it is referring to showing your Christian faith to the world. You show your Christian faith to the world by doing Christian works.
There is no contradiction in any part of the KJV bible when you understand it correctly. [Some of the corrupted modern versions may have contradictions due to the words being changed, added or deleted.]

 

[Revmitchell]

No contradiction. I think you are misinterpreting the sheep and goats, as well as the James verses.
The sheep helped the brethren of Jesus, the christians, by giving them food or drink or clothing or visiting them in priston. For doing that, they will be allowed to enter into the millenial reign.
At the end of the millenial reign, Satan will be loosed to test them, and all that are deceived will go into the fire.
My understanding is that people that never heard of Jesus, [there are many millions of them] and are alive at His return, and they helped Christians in their life, will be allowed to enter the millenial reign. They will be tested at the end of the millenial reign [like it says in revelation] to see if they are really saved or will be deceived.
Those that never heard of Jesus and refused to help Christians will perish as unsaved sinners, at His return. {Like it shows in romans, God has put some knowlege of right and wrong in the heart of the heathen, so when he did what he knew to be wrong, he sinned. The only way for sins to be forgiven is by belief in Jesus and repentance. They will be beaten with few stripes, (like it says in the verses about the stripes) or have less of a hell than someone that knew the gospel and rejected Jesus.}
The verses in James about faith without works is dead, is not about the faith for salvation. You can see from the context of all the discourse that it is referring to showing your Christian faith to the world. You show your Christian faith to the world by doing Christian works.
There is no contradiction in any part of the KJV bible when you understand it correctly. [Some of the corrupted modern versions may have contradictions due to the words being changed, added or deleted.]

This is another gospel.

 

[antiaging]

This is another gospel.

You are incorrect. This is not another gospel. I can back up everything I said with King James version scripture.--that is the gospel
The use of the word nations; it is nations that are gathered at his coming.
It is nations that are deceived at the end of the mellenial reign; same word used, Satan goes out to deceive the nations.
Jesus and His saints rule during the millenial reign. Who do they rule over?
You don't get saved by visiting people in prison.
nor by giving them food or drink
Salvation is by faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and repentance of sin.
[If He is your Lord, you must follow His teachings in the New Testament.]
You don't lose salvation by not giving someone food or drink. [Might lose some of rewards, but not salvation.]
The verses about the sheep and the goats can't be referring to salvation.
That would contradict Ephesians where it says, by grace you are saved through faith, it is not of works:
To avoid contradiction, Jesus is not referring to saved and unsaved.
The fact that He said they helped His brethren, the Christians, it shows that they were not Christians that He was talking to.
They did not understand that they helped Him by helping Christians. You might think that Christians would have understood that.
Unsaved people, that never heard of Jesus (there are many millions of them) as a reward for feeding, clothing, or visiting His brethren the Christians in prison will be allowed to enter the millenial reign. They will be tested for salvation to see who will be deceived, at the end of the millenial reign like it says in revelation.
This is the only interpretation that makes sense from the context of what is said, without contradicting the verses about what it takes to get saved.

 

[steaver]

They will be tested for salvation to see who will be deceived, at the end of the millenial reign like it says in revelation.
This is the only interpretation that makes sense from the context of what is said, without contradicting the verses about what it takes to get saved.

So you believe that these people, who were very kind hearted to other suffering people, who seen the glory of Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, who seen Jesus destroy HIs enemies with His very words, who enjoyed Jesus' peaceful reign for 1000 years, wait a minute! These people will live to be over a thousand years old with their mortal sin ridden bodies? These people will now be tested by satan to see if they are truly saved?? What is satan going to tell them, "you don't really want all that joy and peace do you?"

 

[DHK]

So you believe that these people, who were very kind hearted to other suffering people, who seen the glory of Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, who seen Jesus destroy HIs enemies with His very words, who enjoyed Jesus' peaceful reign for 1000 years, wait a minute! These people will live to be over a thousand years old with their mortal sin ridden bodies? These people will now be tested by satan to see if they are truly saved?? What is satan going to tell them, "you don't really want all that joy and peace do you?"

Revelation 20:7-9 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

After the MK Satan is loosed. He is able to gather an army that the Bible describes will be in number "as the sand of the sea"--a great army. This will show the great depravity of the heart of man that in spite of the actual rule of Christ there will be many that will reject him in the end and follow Satan instead. Many if not most of these will undoubtedly be the progeny of those that escaped from the Tribulation and were able to enter into the MK. Satan will have one final uprising, will be able to muster up one final army, but in the end will be devoured up by the fire of God.

 

[steaver]

After the MK Satan is loosed. He is able to gather an army that the Bible describes will be in number "as the sand of the sea"--a great army. This will show the great depravity of the heart of man that in spite of the actual rule of Christ there will be many that will reject him in the end and follow Satan instead. Many if not most of these will undoubtedly be the progeny of those that escaped from the Tribulation and were able to enter into the MK. Satan will have one final uprising, will be able to muster up one final army, but in the end will be devoured up by the fire of God.

I agree. Progeny of those escaped yes. A thousand years is alot of generations to forget wence one has came from.

 

[antiaging]

So you believe that these people, who were very kind hearted to other suffering people, who seen the glory of Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, who seen Jesus destroy HIs enemies with His very words, who enjoyed Jesus' peaceful reign for 1000 years, wait a minute! These people will live to be over a thousand years old with their mortal sin ridden bodies? These people will now be tested by satan to see if they are truly saved?? What is satan going to tell them, "you don't really want all that joy and peace do you?"

Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Revelation 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Revelation 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

I go by what the real bible the KJV says.
You see where it says the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
People will be living here for a thousand years, know for certain Jesus is Lord and will be under the rule of the saints. Yet when Satan is let loose to deceive, the number of them deceived will be as the sand of the sea. They will no longer believe in Jesus after Satan is let loose to test them. Satan and his devils have telepathic contact to the minds of men and their powers of deception are very strong.
Now, whether or not they will live for the thousand years I am not certain. If they are given access to the fruit of the tree of life, during the millenial reign then they will live the whole thousand years and not get old either. [In genesis Adam lived over 900 years, Methuselah 969 years, Noah over 600 years.]
It says in Revelation that the fruit of the tree of life will be available to the saints in the new Jerusalem city after the millenial reign.
Satan will be bound during those thousand years, so there should be very little sin then. It is after Satan is let loose that the sin and deception begins again.
I repeat. Satan and his devils can put thoughts in people's minds. Their powers of deception are very strong.
See parable of sower and seed. The seed that fell by the wayside. Immediately satan takes the word out of their heart. They can't even know or understand what was just preached to them.

 

[steaver]

I go by what the real bible the KJV says.
You see where it says the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
People will be living here for a thousand years, know for certain Jesus is Lord and will be under the rule of the saints. Yet when Satan is let loose to deceive, the number of them deceived will be as the sand of the sea. They will no longer believe in Jesus after Satan is let loose to test them.

You are adding your own thoughts. The text does not say those who believe in Jesus will be decieved and become lost. It does say millions of people will be decieved. When Jesus was here the first time, people seen His miracles and still believed not. You are simply adding your own thought when you declare the sheep will turn into goats after a thousand years.

Now, whether or not they will live for the thousand years I am not certain. If they are given access to the fruit of the tree of life, during the millenial reign then they will live the whole thousand years and not get old either. [In genesis Adam lived over 900 years, Methuselah 969 years, Noah over 600 years.]

If one eats of the tree of life they are eternally fixed in their current condition. Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Adam never ate of the tree of life, nor did Methuselah, nor Noah. Their many years had nothing to do with eating of the tree of life.

I repeat. Satan and his devils can put thoughts in people's minds. Their powers of deception are very strong.
See parable of sower and seed. The seed that fell by the wayside. Immediately satan takes the word out of their heart. They can't even know or understand what was just preached to them.

Only if the person is willing to let it happen. All people are given a choice.

 

[BobRyan]

At the Rapture of 1Thess 4 we see the "Dead in Christ rise first" as John points out in Rev 20:4-5 the "FIRST resurrection" takes place at the start of the 1000 years -- in fact that is "The event" that MARKS the start of the 1000 years.

The saints are taken to heaven at that Rev 19-20 second coming event - just as 1Thess 4 states and as Rev 19 states. As Matt 24 states "AFTER the Tribulation of those days... he will gather His elect from the 4 corners of the earth". AS Jesus said in John 14 "I will come again and RECEIVE you to Myself" we will be caught up the air to meet the Lord together with the dead-in-christ who are "raised FIRST" in what John calls the FIRST RESURRECTION. Thus the "sheep are separated from the goats" at the moment Christ returns.


The "rest are killed" as Rev 19 points out -- so that all you have on earth is the "feast of the birds" as Rev 19 points out.

Then after the 1000 years the Holy city comes down -- the wicked are raised in the SECOND resurrection and they surround the camp of the saints. This is where the Great White Throne judgment happens and this is where all who are in the 2nd resurrection are "judged by their deeds" and cast into the lake of fire -- called "the SECOND DEATH".

in Christ,

Bob