25:31-46 What judgement is Jesus talking of here?

This judgement takes place after the Tribulation and Jesus defeats Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon. It is generally called the Judgement of the Nations, although in fact it will be individual people who will be judged because Jesus separates them from each other into “sheep” and “goats” (cp Mt 25:32-33). The sheep represent those individuals who will go into the Eternal Kingdom (cp Joel 3:2, 12; Zech 14:16).

The goats represent those who will be cast down to hell. “All nations” who will be gathered before Jesus in Mt 25:32 are the Gentiles who survive the Tribulation. Their judgement takes place prior to Christ setting up His millennial reign on earth, to determine who of them will go into the millennium.

The basis of the Gentile’s judgement will be their failure to extend mercy to the Jewish believers during the Tribulation (cp Mt 25:34-40, 41-46). Although the application of this teaching is toward the Gentiles who survive the Tribulation, the teaching is relevant to all Christians of all ages. Believers today must also extend mercy to the least of God’s children, whether they be Jews or Gentiles (cp Mt 5:7).

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