The purpose of parables was to present a Big Idea. I've heard it explained that you should be careful not to read too much into a parable as parables. Here are a few guidelines:
- A parable was a common form of Jewish teaching where something which is known is put alongside what is not known or understood in order to explain it.
- It is not the same as a graphic analogy like we are salt or light because the meaning was clear in the context of Jesus' teaching.
- Parables help to make abstract truth more concrete, more interesting, easier to remember and easier to apply to life. In the parable of the sower and the seed the truth is not made clear because it is only a basic story which tells nothing of the moral or spiritual truth. Only when Jesus explained to the disciples the meaning did they understand. An unexplained parable is nothing but an impossible riddle, whose meaning could only be guessed at.
- We must be careful not to take a parable too literally or to read too much into it symbolically. The mystics would spiritualize these with great elaborations which were not in the text but by taking an idea would try to explain in great detail such things as "What do the birds symbolize? How do the birds eat the food from our souls?" Etc. Since this is a parable there is a limit to the interpretation which we should seek from the parable.
- A parable Jesus told will not give inaccurate information or be misleading.
So how do I interpret the parable of the Sheep and the Goats
- The Big Idea was to let us know that there will be a judgment and God will fairly judge and separate the righteous from the unrighteous.
- Any other truths gleaned from this parable should not be determined in isolation based on this parable alone but should be balanced and studied within the context of other Scripture.
The notes and questions below are based on the commentary provided in GotQuestions (GQ) unless otherwise noted.
- When does this occur?
According to GQ, it happens at the beginning of the millennium, after the tribulation. All those on earth at that time will be brought before the Lord, and He will separate them “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (verses 32–33). The sheep are those who were saved during the tribulation; the goats are the unsaved who survived the tribulation.
According to NeverThirsty (NT), this occurs on earth just before the 1,000 year reign of Christ but says this occurs when those who received the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image will be immediately judged. This is the time the Sheep and Goat judgment occurs.
According to NT: The Goat and Sheep judgment separates the living saints from those who are not. The saints enter the Kingdom both those who were resurrected and those who were still living at the end of the Tribulation. The Great White Throne judgment is for all dead non-Christians. - According to GQ, it is noted that this parable is part of the Olivet Discourse and which is also noted as being directed to Israel and not the Church. If so, then the parable is directed to Israel and wouldn't pertain to all believers, correct???. [In an article from the John Ankerberg show, Chapter 24 which is the beginning of the Olivet Discourse, stated that, "The whole context of Matthew 24 is a Jewish context, not a Church context." I the reposted article HERE.]
The reasoning behind this statement is because God’s program for the Church concludes with the rapture which is believed to occur before the Tribulation. [According to Tim Lahay, Revelation Illustrated and Made Plain, the Church of Philadelphia represents the church age from 1750 to the Rapture. Jesus says in Rev 3:11 that this church will be spared from the Tribulation.]
But if this is referring to Israel, this challenges my understanding of 'the church'. If there are people who are martyred for their faith during the trib, then that means there will be believers. Unless these are Jews that convert, then wouldn't these believers be considered as the "assembly of believers"? - A casual reading seems to suggest that salvation is the result of good works. The “sheep” acted charitably, giving food, drink, and clothing to the needy. The “goats” showed no charity. The good works mentioned in the parable are not the cause of salvation but the effect of salvation. The core message of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats is that God’s people will love others. Good works will result from our relationship to the Shepherd. Followers of Christ will treat others with kindness, serving them as if they were serving Christ Himself. The unregenerate live in the opposite manner. While “goats” can indeed perform acts of kindness and charity, their hearts are not right with God, and their actions are not for the right purpose – to honor and worship God.