31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matt. 25:31-33 KJV)
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matt. 25:31-33 KJV)
Have you ever wondered what happens to believers left behind after the Rapture? They will be the first group Christ judges when He returns and sets up His Kingdom. Scripture calls them “the Sheep and the Goats.
It is best to translate “all the nations” (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη Matt. 25:32) as “all the [Christian] assemblies” because the parables before this, the Ten Virgins and Servants are “the Church” (Matthew 25:1-30). The Greek ethnos can refer to Gentiles or Christians (Matthew 4:14; Romans 11:15; Galatians 2:12).
Confirming this, both Sheep and Goats knew Jesus is Lord (Matthew 25:37, 44) and knew His teaching about charity for the sick and in prison (Matthew 25:35-39, 42-45). Moreover,
The “Sheep” and “Goats” are the unsaved members of Christendom (cp. Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23; 13:24-30, 36-43) who were not ‘born again’ when Christ raptured the church.
Christ’s “brethren” then are all who were Raptured prior to His visible descent to the earth. They are now seated with Christ as His Kings and Priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). Christ points to them as He speaks to the Sheep and the Goats
The Sheep obeyed Christ’s teaching and therefore King Jesus rules they had followed Him as their Lord. They are changed in a twinkling of an eye and join Christ’s brethren Kings and Priests seated with Jesus. The Goats disobey their Lord’s teaching and are therefore cast into the Lake of Fire.
End