Daily devotion – Sheep or goat?
The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations
Matthew 25:31-32 –
“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. 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.”
(Read on to the end of the chapter!)
When Jesus came the first time, He came as the suffering Servant—our Rescuer. He came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world—your sins, my sins! He was arrested, beaten, whipped, and crucified. But on the third day, just as He promised, He rose from the grave. He appeared to His disciples over forty days and then ascended into heaven, where He sat down at the right hand of the Father.
We are living in prophetic days. Christ could call us home at any moment—just as He promised in John 14 and as Paul echoed in 1 Thessalonians 4.
After the Rapture of the Church, seven years of Tribulation will fall upon the earth—a time of God’s righteous judgment. When those seven years are complete, Christ will return with His saints, take His throne in Jerusalem, and then He will judge the nations. This is often overlooked in discussions about Christ’s Second Coming, yet Jesus gives us clear detail in Matthew 25.
If people continue to reject God’s offer of forgiveness and grace—offered freely through His Son, Jesus—and instead follow Satan’s ways, they will end up where he ends up: in the torments of hell. There are only two eternal destinies awaiting every person. This is the urgency of the hour in which we live!
Eternal life is not the default reward of “good people.” The Bible is clear: “There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:9–19) No one dies “good enough.” Only through Christ’s righteousness can we be saved.
Many of our family and friends play dangerously with their eternal future when they reject Christ’s invitation. Judgment is coming, and it will be final and irreversible.
Every person who has rejected Jesus Christ will one day stand before Him—without excuse. Jesus calls this the “goat judgment.” But for those who have accepted Christ, He promises the “sheep blessing”—to be welcomed into His kingdom and to share in His glory.
The Church will reign with Jesus. Israel will finally enjoy the fulfillment of all that was promised through the prophets. And all creation will share in the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Romans 8:19–21
“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.”
Two eternal destinations. One choice. Christ’s judgment awaits.
Sheep or goat?