The Sheep and the Goats: A Prophetic Warning About the Great Separation at the End of the Age.
Bible Study Guide (Olivet Discourse – End Times Series)
Introduction: The Power of Parables and the Urgency of the End of the Age
A parable is a simple story that makes a comparison with a profound spiritual truth. Jesus often used parables to reveal eternal realities through earthly images and Galilean culture. In this passage—the Sheep and the Goats—Jesus speaks not in riddles, but in stark prophetic terms about the end of the age, when He returns as King and Judge (Second Coming). This event will occur at the end of the seven year Tribulation. And it’ll precede the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Christ.
In the ancient world, sheep and goats often grazed together by day, but at night the shepherd separated them:
- Sheep had thick wool to keep them warm.
- Goats, however, lacked this covering and huddled together for warmth.
This imagery captures the eternal separation Jesus describes: one group secure under the covering of His righteousness, the other exposed without it. The urgency is clear—when the Son of Man returns in glory, destinies will be forever divided and sealed for eternity.
The Son of Man Comes in Glory
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-33)
(Verses 31-33) Here we see Jesus as Judge of the nations at the end of the age. No longer the humble servant, He appears in full majesty, accompanied by angels. Every person—every nation—will stand before Him. The separation is absolute: sheep on His right (honor, blessing) and goats on His left (rejection, judgment).
“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,” (John 5:22)
If Christ returns to judge and reign, we also, the true believers will judge and reign with Him. This truth is echoes throughout the New Testament.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
“if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;” (2 Timothy 2:12)
“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5)
“Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” (Revelation 21:7)
✨The end of the age is not a distant theory—it is a coming reality. Am I living with the awareness that I will stand before the throne of Christ? Faith in Him alone secures my place among the sheep, covered in His righteousness.
The Judgments to Come at the End of the Age
| JUDGMENT | WHEN | WHAT |
| Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat of Christ) | After the Rapture | Believers will be judged for how they used their gifts. |
| Judgment of the Nations (Sheep and Goat Judgment) | End of the Tribulation | Judgment on those who remain and survived the Tribulation. |
| Great White Throne Judgment (Final Judgment) | End of the 1,000 Year Reign of Christ | All unbelievers from all ages will be judged for their sins. |
The Inheritance of the Righteous In Judging the Sheep and the Goats
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you… For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink…’” (Matthew 25:34-36)
(Verses 34-36) The sheep are welcomed into the Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. Their acts of compassion toward the hungry, thirsty, sick, and imprisoned are not the cause of salvation, but the evidence of it. Their faith bore fruit in love.
Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone, not by works. Good works are the fruit of salvation. Your religion may teach the opposite.
✨The true believer’s life naturally reflects Christ’s love. These works flow from a transformed heart. My daily choices—serving, giving, loving—become eternal testimonies of a faith that is alive.
The Righteous Were Unaware
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You…?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’” (Matthew 25:37-40)
(Verses 37-40) Notice the humility of the righteous—they did not even recognize their own good works. Why? Because they were not striving to earn salvation. Instead, their acts were fruit of faith, invisible to their own eyes, yet visible to the King. Their works are not the root but the natural fruit of salvation.
✨Salvation is not gained by works, but by grace through faith. The works we do as believers are the natural overflow of Christ living within us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Am I focused on producing fruit, or on abiding in the Vine (Jesus), knowing fruit will follow?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The Judgment of the Goats
“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…’” (Matthew 25:41-43)
(Verses 41-43) After the separation of the sheep and goats, the goats are judged, not because they failed to perform deeds, but because their lives revealed no relationship with the King (Jesus). They had no covering of righteousness, only exposure to judgment. Their lives were a spiritual desert.
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2:4-10)
✨It is possible to appear religious outwardly but remain unchanged inwardly. The question is not “Have I done enough?” but “Do I belong to Christ?” On judgment day, eternity hinges not on my résumé of works, but on whether I am clothed in His righteousness.
Eternal Destiny Sealed
“Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty…?’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:44-46)
(Verses 44-46) The goats are surprised—they never recognized Jesus in the needy. But their lack of recognition reveals their lack of faith. The separation is final: eternal life for the sheep, eternal punishment for the goats.
✨The end of the age separation of the sheep and the goats is not a parable about morality—it is a revelation about eternity. Every soul will face either eternal joy in the Kingdom or eternal separation from God. The urgency is to choose Christ now.
Closing Reflection on the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
The parable of the sheep and the goats is not just a teaching—it is a warning and a call. The end of the age is quickly approaching. The earth and its remaining inhabitants will suffer great tribulation for seven years. Then the Shepherd-King will return to separate His remaining flock. The sheep will enter eternal life, covered in His righteousness. The goats, uncovered, will face eternal loss.
🙏Prayer
Lord Jesus, awaken my heart to the urgency of this message. Let my faith in You be genuine, producing fruit that glorifies You. Cover me in Your righteousness, and help me live each day not fixated on this world but with eternity in view.
I pray this in Your matchless name, Amen.
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