The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats – Matthew 25:31-46

31 “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. 32 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. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 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: 35 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; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” (Matt. 25:31-36)

In this teaching by Jesus on the end times, we see the Gentile nations (ethnē) divided into sheep and goats. The former will enter the kingdom with eternal life, and the latter will be punished eternally. What determines their respective fates?

A review of the context

The four parables in Matthew 24-25 can be understood in chronological order. Following these parables, Jesus ends his eschatological message with a word about the judgment of the Gentile nations which reflects the events He taught in Matthew 24:5-31. In that section, Jesus spoke of a great persecution of the Jews by the Antichrist. Though some Jews and Gentiles die in the Antichrist’s persecution, those who endure to the end of the Tribulation will be saved, or finally delivered from their enemies (Matt. 24:13). The sequence of parables in chapters 24-25 indicate that the Judgment Seat of Christ and the bestowal of kingdom rewards take place at the beginning of or during the Tribulation period. The judgment of the sheep and goats is at the end of the Tribulation. This judgment should not be confused with the Great White Throne Judgment which is for unbelievers only (Rev. 20:11-15).

Inadequate views

Many see this as a judgment Jesus is making as He separating the sheep and the goats. They see Him judging the salvation or condemnation of the Gentile nations based on whether they helped the Jews (referred to as “My brethren” in 24:40) in the Tribulation. This is a theologically poor interpretation since works become the basis of salvation and the lack of works the basis of condemnation. Salvation by grace excludes salvation by works (Eph. 2:8-9).

Some would modify the previous view to claim that the works are not directly the condition for their judgments but are evidence of whether the nations were true believers or not. The nations that helped the persecuted Jews in the Tribulation show evidence of their salvation; the nations which did not, evidence the lack of salvation. But this view does not remove the necessity of works for the judgment of one’s salvation because they are the only criterion that distinguishes the sheep from the goats.

A better view

Before mentioning this judgment, Jesus had taught that some Jews and Gentiles will survive the Tribulation and be delivered from their enemies (Matt. 24:13, 22; see GraceNotes no. 61 “The Salvation of Those Who Endure to the End in Matthew 24:13). Jesus is recognizing the help that the saved Gentile nations provided to the persecuted Jews who endured the Tribulation and made it to the end. The mention of their good deeds may imply rewards as they inherit a kingdom specially prepared for them (v. 34) and enter “into eternal life” (v. 46). The contrast with the goats going into “eternal punishment” (v. 46) speaks of eternal conditions, not simply a final residence.

It is best to see three judgments in this passage. By the time Jesus separates the sheep from the goats, their status as sheep or goats had already been determined before their works are mentioned. The only basis for distinguishing believers (sheep) from unbelievers (goats) must be belief or unbelief in Jesus Christ as Savior. Though not explicitly mentioned, the whole tenure of Scripture teaches that saving faith or lack of it determines one’s eternal destiny. That is the first judgment.

Why, then, are the nations’ deeds mentioned? While works do not determine the nations’ status as sheep or goats, works determine their consequences in eternity. The second judgment is for the sheep, the believing nations, who enjoy special rewards. Jesus calls them “blessed of My Father” and invites them to “inherit the kingdom” (v. 34) or enjoy participating in Christ’s kingdom rule, a theme of a previous parable (24:21, 23; see also Luke 22:27-30; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:10-13). The term “eternal life” used in verse 46 should be understood in terms of quality of life, not just duration of time (see Gal. 6:7-8; 1 Tim. 6:17-19).

The third judgment is for the goats, the unbelieving nations. The consequence for them emphasizes their experience, not their location. They will experience “everlasting fire” (v. 41) and “everlasting punishment” (v. 46). Though not named, we know that the lake of fire is the final habitation of all unbelievers (Rev. 20:14-15). However, the mention of “punishment” implies more than a final habitation. It implies divine retribution or degrees of punishment determined by former conduct, as is true of the Great White Throne Judgment that comes later (Rev. 20:12-13; see also Matt. 23:14/Mark 12:38-40/Luke 20:46-47).

This third interpretation of the judgment of the sheep and the goats keeps works from determining who is saved (sheep) or unsaved (goats). Jesus does not distinguish degrees of faithfulness or degrees of wickedness because He is describing what generally characterizes each group. Varying degrees of faithfulness relate more specifically to the Judgment Seat of Christ as inferred in an earlier parable (Matt. 25:20-23).

Conclusion

It is important to understand that the identification of the nations as sheep or goats (the first judgment) has already been determined when we come to the two final judgments. In these judgments Jesus is not deciding their salvation but separating the nations to their respective fates with the suggestion of rewards for believing nations and punishments for the unbelieving nations. Their works, good or bad, do not determine their salvation, but the quality of their eternal experience. Salvation is always based on the free gift of God received through faith in Christ. The quality of our life in eternity is determined, in part, by how we treat those in need.