3315.—Dividing the Sheep from the Goats, Matt. 25:31, 32

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 3, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 1.

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3315.—Dividing the Sheep from the Goats, Matt. 25:31, 32

When does this take place? G. N.
It is impossible in this department to answer all these questions which are involved in the judgment and in the punishment of the wicked. The coming of the Lord as spoken of many times in the Scriptures includes more than the actual appearance in the clouds of heaven. It is in its fullest sense that which takes in the whole great day of the Lord and all the judgment work relating thereto. The division of the sheep from the goats takes place in the investigative judgment which precedes the coming of Christ. When Christ comes He does not call the dead to life and then judge them; for when they are raised to life they are already "accounted worthy." Luke 20:35. They are not raised and then made immortal, but they are raised immortal. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. It is that investigation of cases previous to His coming in which that separation takes place. When He calls them forth it will be when their cases are determined and He takes them home to Himself. He will assign the wicked to their punishment at the close of the thousand years, after their cases are determined. The great and eternal results are placed before us as it were in a brief space of time in the closing part of Matthew 25. It is possible that our inquirer may obtain the pamphlet now out of stock in this publishing house, the author of which is J. N. Andrews, entitled "The Order of Events in the Judgment." This will answer very fully these inquiries.