The Sheep and Goats
Judgment
Have you ever listened to the defense
offered by one of your kids as they tried to explain
what they did and drew your conclusion too fast? What
parent has not done this at least occasionally? And
the result is often having to eat our words along with
a large slice of humble pie. Unfortunately, we too
often do the same with scripture. We read or hear one
word, it triggers a pre-conceived and well-entrenched
thought and a conclusion is drawn without further study.
Such is often the case with this text about Jesus judging
the sheep and goats.
For the overwhelming part of Christendom
the judgment of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 represents
the great and final judgment at the end of time. They
believe the sheep go to heaven, the goats go to hell,
the world is destroyed and that ends it all. Many connect
it with the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation
20:11. And some even believe they will not know if
they are saved or lost until then.
At least one reason this happens is
people often hear only one word, judgment, and
their listening stops right there. At that moment they
believe they know what Jesus is saying based upon their
limited understanding of the word judgment. If the
time, place, reasons and participants in this text can
be clearly identified the entire Olivet Discourse will
come alive with its intended meaning. This famous teaching
session Jesus had with His disciples is found primarily
in Matthew 24 and 25, and constitutes Jesus’ answer
to their questions recorded in Matthew 24:3.
The time-frame is when Jesus comes
in His glory. That is not at the rapture, for then
He comes not to the earth to assume His throne, but
in the air to take His church out. Jesus is not presently
on His throne, but is at the right hand of the Father’s
throne (Matthew 22:44; Mark 16:19). His work there
is not that of an earthly sovereign, but as an intercessor
(1 Timothy 2:5).
But, Jesus will indeed come in His
glory when He will inherit the kingdom His Father has
prepared for Him (vs# 34). This is what Gabriel meant
when he told Mary her Son would have the throne of His
father David (Luke 1:32). This is also the glorious
coming of which Zechariah spoke in chapter 14 when he
described Messiah as returning to the Mt. of Olives,
bringing His holy ones with Him, and being King of all
the earth. Further, this is what John saw in Revelation
19:11ff.
Jesus will accomplish a number of things
at His second coming. Among those things is the destruction
of His enemies as seen in Zechariah 14 and Revelation
19. But, He will also have some judging to do. Who
will He judge? Those who survive the tribulation period,
both righteous and unrighteous. And that is where the
sheep/goats judgment comes into play.
It is very important to note the place
of this judgment, for that tells us a lot about the
participants. It will take place on earth, not in heaven
or some ethereal place about which we know nothing.
The nations will be gathered before Him and He, at that
time, will be on earth at the beginning of His 1000
year reign from the throne of David. It will not be
a judgment of the dead, but of those still alive on
earth at the time of His 2nd coming.
Joel refers to this place specifically
when he prophesied the judgment will occur in the Valley
of Jeshoshaphat (Joel 3:2,12). So, where is this valley?
Nobody knows for sure. Since the 4th century the Kidron
Valley between the Eastern Gate and the Mt. of Olives
has been called the Valley of Jeshoshaphat, but that
is only tradition. Many scholars believe Joel simply
meant an ideal place for judgment. The exact place,
however, is not of consequence, for the point is that
it is on earth, in Israel and quite probably in the
vicinity of Jerusalem since that is the place of David’s
throne.
The sheep nations will be on Jesus’
right and the goats on His left. Once the division
has been made He will make a pronouncement regarding
their eternal destinies and the reasons for those destinies.
At the conclusion of the legal proceedings the sheep
will be given eternal life and the goats will have earned
eternal punishment.
In the Matthew 25 text we are given
several reasons for what will happen. The sheep will
take care of Jesus’ brethren by providing them with
food, drink, protection, clothing, friendship and encouragement.
The goats quite simply will do nothing for them. In
answer to a question both groups will ask on that day,
Jesus will say that whatever was done or not done to
His brethren was done or not done to Him. In essence
all the goats will have to do to earn condemnation is
stand by and do nothing. Sins of omission will carry
responsibility just as those of commission. No overt
persecution necessary. Just do nothing. Interesting.
But, who are the brethren? The church
is in heaven during the tribulation and thus could not
possibly be the “brethren”. Further, the church comes
with Jesus at His 2nd coming and will witness these
proceedings. The fact of the matter is that His brethren
are the Jews who will be hunted down, persecuted and
killed by anti-Christ during the tribulation. The Jews
will be desperate for any kind of protection they will
be able to find, but only certain people will afford
them help, and those people and nations are here called
the sheep. Those who gave provision and protection
to the Jews during the Nazi era would be akin to the
sheep nations of the tribulation.
So, Jesus considers those Jews as His
brethren? Yes, in the same way Paul referred to the
Jews of his day as his brethren (Romans 9:3-5). Though
many in the church (generic term, of course) are hard-pressed
to even think about it, yet the truth is that Jesus
is not only a Jew, but in a manner of speaking He is
the Chief Jew. That means Jews everywhere in every
dispensation are His brethren humanly speaking. That
does not mean any Jew will be saved on that basis, but
it does emphasize the physical, blood-relationship between
Jesus the Jew and every other Jew. That is a bitter
pill to swallow for anti-Semites, but it is the truth
nonetheless.
Joel gives us more criteria that will
be used in that judgment (3:1-3). Look carefully at
that text and see how American political leadership
had better sit up and take note! God will pronounce
horrific judgment upon those nations that forced Israel
into the horrible injustice of the so-called “land for
peace” deals. One of the often-missed yet very real
aspects of this event is Jesus’ personal involvement
on “behalf of My people and My inheritance Israel”.
God takes it very personal when nations and individuals
practice hatred toward His people and take away their
land.
There is something else we must not
miss in all this. Not only will national policy be
judged, but so will personal actions. Just as the old,
“I was only taking orders” defense at Nuremburg was
soundly rejected by the best legal minds of the world
at that time, so, too, will that same excuse fall flat
in the face of Jesus Christ, the Judge from whom no
motive or deed can ever be hidden.
The time frame of these events regarding
the treatment of the Jews, good or bad, is the seven
year tribulation that will come upon the earth very
soon after the rapture. There will be multitudes left
behind. Some will know what has happened, others will
not. Many will not care one way or the other, and will
just be glad to be rid of the Christians. Those who
know the truth, or who will come to know the truth,
will have decisions to make that are life-and-death
in consequence. To take the mark of the beast and thus
become an enemy of God and His people will be to sign
one’s own certificate of judgment to eternal punishment.
To accept Christ in those days, to refuse the mark,
to make provision for all who might come for help is
to sign one’s own certificate of physical death at the
hands of the anti-Christ and his minions. One thing
that will make this decision so difficult is the fact
that it will impact a person’s entire family. Excruciating
cannot possibly describe the emotional and mental anguish
for some during those dark days.
The reason for this judgment is both
ancient and clear. Its roots go all the way back to
God’s foreign policy statement given in Genesis 12:3,
And I will bless those who bless you, And the one
who curses you I will curse (NASB). This has never
been revoked or voided by God.
That does not mean, however, that everything
the Jewish people have done is right, good, godly, etc.
As a nation they are in rebellion toward God this very
moment, and this side of Zechariah 14 they will not
accept Jesus as their Messiah as a people. Yet, God
will bring them around. Though 66% of them will die
in the process, yet that remnant will one day recognize
Jesus as their Messiah. And, it is this that God is
working toward with steadiness of hand and purpose of
heart because, like us, He loves them and will not renege
on even a single promise He has made regarding their
final redemption.
For fear of being misunderstood, it
must be said that God loves all people to the same degree.
The mostly Gentile church, the Lord’s bride, is His
beloved and is in no way any less loved than Israel.
The church has a very special place in God’s plan and
will enjoy the place of honor at Jesus’ side for all
eternity. However, regarding Israel and the Jews, for
anyone to cause them suffering, to deliver them up to
their enemies, to take away their land, to refuse aid
and comfort to them is totally, absolutely and completely
an act of full-blown rebellion against God Himself and
He will not stand for it. Just as their redemption
is His business alone, so is their punishment. In short,
God has warned the Gentile world, in context of the
nations, “do not touch the apple (pupil) of His eye”
(Zechariah 2:8).
The sheep/goats judgment makes clear
this truth that is not only foreign to unbelievers,
but is often ignored by most in Christianity. Though
the cross of Jesus is far different from the judgment
of Jesus, yet they share something in common, and that
is passion. The only thing that equals in passion to
God’s love, grace and mercy toward all who come to Him
is His fury, wrath and judgment toward all who hate
His people Israel. The vast majority of pew-sitters
have never heard this because it is this very message
that is overwhelmingly missing from pulpits every Sunday.
It is not a politically and socially correct text, especially
in churches that believe the church has taken the place
of Israel in God’s plan.
As unbiblical as it is, yet the avoidance
and/or mishandling of this text does make the preaching
business a lot easier, you see. Feel-good, prosperity-preaching,
social justice championing, emergent preachers only
need to keep dishing out their standard three-steps-to-whatever
kinds of sermons and everything will remain OK. What
God thinks and says about Israel and the Jews is never
mentioned. The rock-star preachers leave their pulpits
feeling good about themselves, their adoring fans leave
their pews feeling good about themselves, you’re OK,
I’m OK, everybody is OK so lets go have lunch. And,
as they are lulled into their Sunday afternoon naps
the pew-sitters are thinking, “Wow! What a preacher!”,
and the preacher is thinking, “Wow! What a way to make
a living!”
The sheep/goats judgment of Matthew
25 is not the last judgment Jesus will execute, for
the Great White Throne judgment will occur just before
the eternal state of things as seen in Revelation 20:11ff.
Yet, it is one of great importance. Remember the words
of the Psalmist, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you (122:6) DLM
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