Ep.1237: Will I Survive God’s Final Judgment?
Learning the application and meaning of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: Matthew 25:32-33
Talking about the Day of Judgment can be difficult. The sad truth is that as magnanimous as the love and mercy of God through Jesus are, the opportunity to fail throughout the Day of Judgment will be very real. God created humanity with free will. The Day of Judgment will be about teaching our race how to use that free will to make righteous choices that lead to eternal life. This will require accountability for all and a heartfelt focus on unlearning and renouncing all things sinful. Because these lessons will be based on the enormous firsthand experiences with sin and death we all have in this age, they will be practical, logical, appealing and learnable. Jesus’ Parable of the Sheep and Goats is a picture of the end results of these lessons.
Jesus was a master storyteller
When he spoke any one of his several parables, he always had specific lessons in mind. To teach those lessons he regularly used common, real-life examples as symbols to make his point. The Parable of the Sheep and Goats is a classic example. Jesus was teaching about the often-prophesied future judgment that will come upon all nations of the world. This particular parable was depicting the end of the Judgment Day opportunities to prove humanity’s loyalty to God. It was a story to illustrate the final accounting for each and every human being.
In some regions of the world, sheep and goats look very much the same. Everyone in Israel in Jesus’ time would have been familiar with sheep, goats and the shepherds that cared for them. The most obvious lesson of this teaching? What may look the same can bring diametrically opposed results. Jesus was establishing that the differences between being ultimately in or out of God’s favor would not be easily detectable by outward appearance. So, why use sheep and goats to illustrate this?
Temperament and behavior
In a surprising number of ways, sheep and goats are opposites. As just one example, once sheep are trained, they habitually follow their shepherd. They recognize and respond to his voice, ignoring other voices. To live an eternally righteous life will require adherence to God’s laws through Jesus. It will require being responsive - not to threats - but to the simple direction of the shepherd. Goats, on the other hand, may occasionally heed the shepherd’s voice but are often preoccupied with exploring their own path. This exemplifies a very self-righteous approach and not a humble, godly approach to life.
Check out our July 11,2022 podcast, “Will I Survive God’s Final Judgment?” for more. We compare several characteristics of sheep and goats to see what Jesus was telling us will keep individuals in or out of God’s kingdom. These differences are amazing and revealing. By using sheep and goats as examples, Jesus gives us surprising details as to what each and every person can and should strive for. The bottom line? It’s all about the heart, the very core of each person. Join us and learn how to be sheep!
Will sinners be burnt for ever and ever.
Absolutely positively not. Please listen to the episode for the scriptural evidence. – Christian Questions
Who are the people that satan deceives after he is loosed from the bottomless pit?
Hi, Karen, thank you for writing! We know from 2 Corinthians 4:4 (and others) that currently Satan is the “god of this world,” influencing mankind to do bad things. But when those raised from the dead as a result of the sacrifice of Jesus travel up the “highway of holiness,” Satan and all of his evil influences will be bound or completely restrained. This will make it easier for everyone to understand that following God’s ways brings peace and blessings. Isaiah 35:8 says, “A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness…” This is not a literal highway; rather, a path of learning and rehabilitation. Everyone who will be awakened on earth from the grave will be able to travel on this symbolic highway, learning to live righteously by following God’s ways. Isaiah continues, “The unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those.” Mankind inherited Adam’s sin, so when they are first raised from the grave, they START OUT being unclean – meaning, sinful. The purpose of the highway is to gradually remove all traces of sin through the learning process. Eventually, those who successfully reach the end of this symbolic highway will no longer be unclean – they will be righteous and reconciled to God. Therefore, they will have the opportunity to live forever on a beautiful, perfect earth. Isaiah 35:9: “No lion will be there, nor will any vicious animal go up on it; they will not be found there.” More picture language – these lions and vicious animals represent Satan’s temptations, false teachings, and other negative, harmful things that can lead us away from God. Finally, Isaiah 35:9 says, “But the redeemed will walk there, those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return…Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.” Everyone will be given lots of help to learn how to live righteously. Those who will have successfully traveled this highway and learned God’s ways will then be filled with joy because they will have gradually come back into a full, proper and loving relationship with God. A final trial of temptation is described in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, when Satan is loosed, which is the topic of this specific episode. – Christian Questions