Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Judgment of the Goats and Sheep
After the Lord has returned in all His glory and destroys the enemy armies. After the beast and the false prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan has been bound and thrown into the abyss. There will come a time of judgment on earth. The Judgment of the Goats and Sheep.
In His descent from heaven, He had already sent the angels forward to gather the elect. This may have been only the 144,000 or it may include every believer who has refused to take the mark of the beast or worship his image. Now they will gather the rest of the people who are still alive in the world.
To His right side, the tribulation saints will be placed. These are named His sheep for they had followed Him. To His left will be those who rejected Him and accepted the beast. These are the goats for they followed the antichrist.
Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)
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. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
To those on His right, He will allow to enter the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 25:34 (NASB)
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
To them on His left, He will deny them entry and send them away to be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Matthew 25:41 (NASB)
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
The Goats on His left will immediately be killed and cast into the Lake of Fire. The Sheep on His right however, will continue to live, but they will not yet receive their glorified bodies. They will continue to live in blood and flesh, for they will enter the Millennial Kingdom here on earth.
In His descent from heaven, He had already sent the angels forward to gather the elect. This may have been only the 144,000 or it may include every believer who has refused to take the mark of the beast or worship his image. Now they will gather the rest of the people who are still alive in the world.
To His right side, the tribulation saints will be placed. These are named His sheep for they had followed Him. To His left will be those who rejected Him and accepted the beast. These are the goats for they followed the antichrist.
Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)
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. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
To those on His right, He will allow to enter the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 25:34 (NASB)
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
To them on His left, He will deny them entry and send them away to be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Matthew 25:41 (NASB)
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
The Goats on His left will immediately be killed and cast into the Lake of Fire. The Sheep on His right however, will continue to live, but they will not yet receive their glorified bodies. They will continue to live in blood and flesh, for they will enter the Millennial Kingdom here on earth.