5. When was the separating of people like sheep and goats to take place?

⁵ Note now what Jesus foretold about this, as recorded at Matthew 25:31-46.

And 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.

The symbolic sheep and goats are people of all the nations to which the Kingdom witness now is being given. So, as represented by such sheep and goats, “all the nations” have been gathered before the King seated on his heavenly throne since the end of the Gentile Times in 1914. In line with that foretold gathering, noteworthy is the year 1935. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, which is used by the “slave” class, then had some 49 branch offices earth wide. In that same year the attention of the “slave” was specifically directed to the earthly sheeplike ones, with a view to gathering them to the right side of the reigning King Jesus Christ. Thus, these out of all nations came into closer association with the “slave” class.

14. In the light of John 10:16, what new view was taken of the righteous sheeplike ones, and how many branch offices of the Watch Tower Society now serve them?

¹⁴ Those righteous, sheeplike ones no longer were to be given a broad general classification as “men of good will.” (Luke 2:14, Douay Version) No more were they to be viewed as an indefinite, unorganized class of God-fearing people in all nations​—lost sheep, as it were. Jesus said he would gather “other sheep” and make them “one flock” with the remnant of the “slave” class. (John 10:16) The gathering of such “other sheep” from then on is an outstanding part of the “sign” marking “the conclusion of the system of things.” And to serve them the Watch Tower Society now has 95 branch offices.