Verses 41-45
Jesus will banish the goats and send them into eternal fire (cf. Matthew 13:24-43; Matthew 13:47-50; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 19:15). Jesus’ descriptions of hell were familiar to the Jews of His day (cf. Matthew 3:10; Matthew 3:12; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 7:19; Matthew 13:40; Matthew 13:42; Matthew 13:50; Matthew 18:8-9; Judges 1:7; Revelation 20:10-15). Only the righteous will enter the kingdom (Matthew 25:34). The fact that the goats will address Jesus as "Lord" (Matthew 25:44) does not show they are believers since everyone will acknowledge Him as Lord then (cf. Philippians 2:11).
The sheep and the goats will not express surprise because they anticipated a different fate. They will express surprise because of the evidence by which Jesus will judge their condition, namely, their treatment of His brethren. Normally a person’s works demonstrate his faith or lack of it.
"The King’s messengers, immediately before He appears in glory, will go forth preaching the gospel of the kingdom everywhere; and when the King takes His throne, those that received the gospel of the kingdom among the nations are recognized as ’sheep,’ and the despisers perish as ’goats.’" [Note: Kelly, p. 485.]
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