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Author: Stephen Weller
684 words, 4 minutes read time

Separated Into Two Groups

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-33

With the previous lesson we finished the parable of the talents. With this lesson we will begin the next section titled “The Final Judgment.”

^{Mt 25:31} When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

Let us stop for a short review of the meaning of “the Son of Man” as given in the footnote for Matthew 8:20 of the ESV Study Bible: It “is Jesus’ favorite self-designation, indicating the true meaning of his identity and ministry: (1) the humble servant who has come to forgive common sinners (cf. Matt. 9:6; (2) the suffering servant whose atoning death and resurrection will redeem his people (16:13, 27-28); and (3) the glorious King and Judge who will return to establish God’s kingdom on earth (25:1; 26:64).”

When the Son of Man comes he will come in “the glory of his Father” and with him will be his angels (Matthew 16:27), and when he comes “he will sit on his glorious throne” as both judge and king. At this point in our lesson it would be helpful to look at Revelation 14:14 – 20 ESV:

¹⁴ “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.”

¹⁷ “Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.”

In the Revelation passage, we see two groups of people: In the first paragraph are the saved who are reaped by the Son of Man and the second group are the unsaved of paragraph 2, who are reaped by one of the angels after receiving instruction from another angel, and thrown into the great winepress to be trampled by the Son of Man. Isaiah speaks of this, “Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?” (Isaiah 63:2 ESV).

From this reaping from all the nations the people will be separated from one another into two groups like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats; placing the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.

Conclusion

At physical death, people are separated and sent to either of two locations depending upon whether they have been born spiritually while living on earth. Those who were born again will go to heaven, but those who are spiritually dead will end up in hell for an eternity of suffering apart from the kindness of God’s grace. Those who are alive on earth when the Son of Man comes will then be separated into two groups. Do you suppose this is related to Revelation 16:15?