According to Matthew, Jesus finished giving the composite sign with the parable of the sheep and the goats, saying: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.” (Matt. 25:31-33) What judgment will the sheep and the goats hear pronounced on them? The parable finishes with the words: “These [the goats] will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”​—Matt. 25:46.

¹³ How will the goats react when they realize that “everlasting cutting-off” awaits them? They “will beat themselves in grief.” (Matt. 24:30) But how will Christ’s brothers and their faithful companions react at that time? With full faith in Jehovah God and his Son, Jesus Christ, they will heed Jesus’ command: “As these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.” (Luke 21:28) Yes, we will have a positive attitude, confident of deliverance.

¹⁷ The resulting war of Armageddon will lead to the magnifying of Jehovah’s holy name. (Rev. 16:16) At that time, all goatlike ones “will depart into everlasting cutting-off.” The earth will finally be cleansed of all wickedness, and the great crowd will pass through the final part of the great tribulation. With all preparations completed, the climax of the book of Revelation, the marriage of the Lamb, can take place. (Rev. 21:1-4)d All those surviving on the earth will bask in God’s favor and experience bounteous expressions of his love. What a marriage feast that will be! Do we not look forward to that day with eager expectation?​—Read 2 Peter 3:13.