Usually "the nations" (Gr. ta ethne) refers to Gentiles distinguished from Jews (e.g, Luke 21:24; Acts 14:16). [1] Because of this some interpreters believe the judgment of Matthew 25:31-46 is a judgment of Gentiles only. [2] However the phrase "all the nations" is often more inclusive, referring to all people, including the Jews (cf. Romans 16:26; Revelation 15:4). Here it probably refers to all people living on earth when Jesus establishes His kingdom (cf. Matthew 28:19; Mark 13:10). Everyone will have heard the gospel of the kingdom preached during the Tribulation ( Matthew 24:14). In Jesus" day, shepherds separated the sheep from the goats in their flocks for various reasons at various times (cf. Ezekiel 34:17). Also, sheep and goats in the Middle East look more alike than they do in some other parts of the world. [3] The right often signified the place of favor, and the left the place of comparative disfavor in biblical and Jewish literature. [4][source]