Sheep and goats

Originally posted on November 22, 2005 – by Andre Piet

hello I have a question, how do you see the Bible passage where Jesus separates the goats from the sheep? that is clearly a separation between hell and heaven!
greetings from M…

Dear M.,

You are undoubtedly referring to Matthew 25, where there is mention of a separation of sheep and goats. Naturally, this separation is not literally about sheep and goats, but they serve as an illustration of obedient and disobedient nations. That is also clearly stated. When the Son of Mankind will sit on “the throne of His glory” in Jerusalem, He will gather the nations before Him (25:31,32). They will be judged based on their attitude toward “the least of His brethren,” that is, brethren according to the flesh (= Israelites; cf. Rom. 9:3). This process is described in Joel 3:1,2 in literal-prophetic language.

“For behold! In those days and in that era, when I shall turn back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the vale of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there concerning My people and My allotment Israel, whom they scatter among the nations, and My land they divide…”
Joel 3:1–2

The judgment in Matthew 25 will take place here on earth – among the nations then living. The ‘goats’ will perish in the region of the eonian fire, which will burn in the area near the Dead Sea.

The separation of sheep and goats concerns a judgment in an earthly setting. Heaven and hell have nothing to do with it. The ‘sheep’ will inherit the coming eon (= eonian life – wrongly translated as eternal life) on earth, and the ‘goats’ will be dealt with in the valley of Jehoshaphat. Also on earth. The judgment is not directed toward an ‘endless eternity,’ for the Scriptures know of no such thing. The judgment over ‘the sheep and the goats’ precedes the coming ‘eon’—that is, the era of the thousand years during which Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1–6). The final fate of the individual human being is not the subject here.

regards,
–André Piet–

Delen: