Who are the 'Sheep and the Goats' in Matthew 25?
📰The Bible is one of the best-selling and most widely distributed books in history, yet it is also considered to be among the least understood. The Bible, which is referred to as the New Covenant and Promise of God, in which 'the way to heaven and salvation' is presented, differs in theologians' interpretations that make it difficult to understand. These differing interpretations have been the cause of the rise of denominations with each one establishing their own doctrine. With the increase in online church services and gatherings resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in the comparison of various church doctrine. This paper, therefore, attempts to provide readers with the opportunity to compare differing Biblical teachings without interpretation. Among a host of online sermons and Bible-based teachings, the contrasting doctrine between the established Church and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has drawn public interest throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is hereby compared and summarised. Best efforts have been made to provide a summary of Shincheonji Church of Jesus' understanding of the Bible. Judgment as to what is right or wrong is left to the reader’s discernment.
"The 'sheep' are those who keep the new covenant and God's commands. The 'goats' are those who do not keep the new covenant or God's commands."
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
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Matthew 25 is a continuation of Matthew 24, so in order to understand the content of Matthew 25, one must first understand Matthew 24. Matthew 24 speaks of the Second Coming of the Lord and the signs of his coming. When the 'abomination of desolation' stands in the holy place, we are told to flee to the mountains. Immediately after the tribulation of that day, the sun, moon and stars will darken, and after the chosen people betray and are destroyed, Jesus will come in spirit with his angels. This is a prophecy (promise) of the work of salvation that will begin when the elect are harvested out of the field and gathered.
The 'then' in Matthew 25:1 refers to the time of the Lord's return when the events prophesied in Matthew 24 occur, and it records the content of the qualifications required for believers who wish to welcome the Lord upon His return.
Matthew 25:1-13 tells us who can and can not attend the wedding supper of the Lamb. In brief, those who have prepared their lamps and oil will attend the wedding feast, while those who have lamps but have not prepared the oil will not be able to attend the wedding feast. The lamp is the Bible, the oil that illuminates the lamp is the word of testimony from the Holy Spirit, and the one who sells oil is the promised pastor of Shincheonji, who saw and heard the events of Revelation. Therefore, in order to prepare the oil that illuminates the lamp, one must listen to the testimony of the promised pastor of Shincheonji.
Moreover, to participate in the wedding banquet of the Lamb, one must wear wedding clothes. Those who wear wedding clothes are equipped with the word of testimony, while those who do not wear wedding clothes fail to show the right acts.
In verses 14-30, the master leaves each of his servants with bags of gold according to their talents, and leaves for another country. After a long while, the owner returns to settle accounts, and finds those who have traded and made profit, and those who have not. The reality of those who have made a profit are those who evangelised with the word of testimony that is as precious as gold, while those who did not make a profit are those who heard the word of testimony but did not perceive its value and did not evangelise.
Furthermore, from verse 31 onwards, when the Lord returns and Jesus sits on His throne of glory, all nations will be gathered before him and the sheep and goats will be divided.
The one who gives a brother the opportunity to receive the word of testimony when that brother is hungry and thirsty, and makes him wear the wedding clothes of his righteous acts while he is naked is like a sheep who keeps God's commands. Those who do not take care of their brothers are goat-like believers who do not keep God's commands.
Moreover, to participate in the wedding banquet of the Lamb, one must wear wedding clothes. Those who wear wedding clothes are equipped with the word of testimony, while those who do not wear wedding clothes fail to show the right acts.
In verses 14-30, the master leaves each of his servants with bags of gold according to their talents, and leaves for another country. After a long while, the owner returns to settle accounts, and finds those who have traded and made profit, and those who have not. The reality of those who have made a profit are those who evangelised with the word of testimony that is as precious as gold, while those who did not make a profit are those who heard the word of testimony but did not perceive its value and did not evangelise.
Furthermore, from verse 31 onwards, when the Lord returns and Jesus sits on His throne of glory, all nations will be gathered before him and the sheep and goats will be divided.
The one who gives a brother the opportunity to receive the word of testimony when that brother is hungry and thirsty, and makes him wear the wedding clothes of his righteous acts while he is naked is like a sheep who keeps God's commands. Those who do not take care of their brothers are goat-like believers who do not keep God's commands.
As recorded in Matthew 19, the Son of Man comes at a time when the world is renewed, and the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne. Similarly, in John 14, Jesus said that he would come again after leaving to prepare a place for fellow believers. Jesus' dwelling place is the holy city, New Jerusalem in Revelation 21. The holy city, New Jerusalem will descend on New Heaven and New Earth.
In the book of Revelation, the seven angels of the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands who were working in Jesus' right hand betrayed, as recorded in Revelation 2~3. In Revelation 6, the sun, moon and stars darkened and fell, and destruction occurred. After this, as recorded in Revelation 7, the 12 tribes were created by being harvested and sealed. This place is Mount Zion of Revelation 14 and Shincheonji, the New Heaven and New Earth of Revelation 21.
Here, believers are divided into sheep-like believers and goat-like believers.
A sheep-like believer is one who hears the words of the promised pastor of Shincheonji, understands it, and evangelizes as a firstfruit of the 12 tribes. This kind of person keeps God's new covenant and commands, and who inherits the kingdom of heaven prepared since the creation of the world and receives the blessing of eternal life.
On the other hand, goat-like believers are those who do not keep the new covenant or God's commands, and instead are immersed in their old corrupt ways and refuse to change.
"Sheep share their food while goats feed only themselves. The sheep and goats were already decided before the creation of the world"
Korean Church
"A sheep is someone who gives a lot to their poor neighbour. A goat is a person who has lots of goods and cares only for himself, even if his neighbour, church, pastor, or brother is poor."
Pastor B, Presbyterian Church
"Those who care for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the afflicted, the stranger, the naked, the prisoners are all speaking of the Lord himself. The men and women who serve are the sheep, and those on the right. But there are those who persecuted Jesus. Those who serve the Lord are the sheep and those on his right; those who persecuted the Lord are the goats who killed him."
Pastor C, Presbyterian Church
"In the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, they were separated before the creation of the world."
Pastor C, Presbyterian Church
"In the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, they were separated before the creation of the world."
Source: http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=875840
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