Few or a Multitude?

[prism]

Matthew 7:14
For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.


Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. [10] And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

I got kicked off a Reformed Forum years ago, where the OP was trying to make a case for 'Few' (eg Mt 7:14), while others were agreeing with the OP, I posted Rev 7:9-10) and voila.

I often wonder about Noah's day where only eight were saved...not exactly a multitude...

1 Peter 3:20 NKJV
who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.


Do you believe there will be few and/or many in heaven?

 

[Marty]

Many but it will be a few compared to all people

 

[3 Resurrections]

Do you believe there will be few and/or many in heaven?

Many, and it will be the vast majority percentage of all mankind ever conceived. The "harvest" of the resurrection was compared to a wheat harvest, with only some tares appearing among the wheat, which composed the majority of the harvest that was gathered into the barn.

The "narrow gate" in Luke 13:24 only applied to those Jews of Christ's own first-century generation. They were the ones which Christ foretold would plead, "Lord, lord, open to us". They would be the ones claiming, "We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets." (Luke 13:26). This is something that only the first-century Israelites would be able to claim. The "narrow gate" only applied to THEM in particular - not to the entirety of all humankind since creation.

 

[prism]

The "narrow gate" only applied to THEM in particular - not to the entirety of all humankind since creation.

Your view in general seems to border on 'universalism'.
One of my favorite sayings is 'the way is as narrow as the Cross is wide'.

 

[fastfredy0]

Do you believe there will be few and/or many in heaven?

O.K. ... I take a wild guess

Premise 1: 8 billion in the world currently
Premise 2: I'll guess 8 billion have died (google search gave large variance in estimate)
Premise 3: 1% of people born are 'born again'
Premise 4a: The age of accountability doctrine is false (i.e. babies don't go to heaven
Premise 5: The world ends next week
Conclusion: 160 million in heaven, 7.8 billion in hell. So there are more people in heaven than can be counted but the number is a relative few

or
replace premise 4a with
Premise 4b: Age of accountability is a true doctrine
Premise 6: 1/3 of population died before reaching age of accountability (abortions, short life expectancy until last 50 years, etc.)
Conclusion: 5 billion in heaven and 11 billion in hell ... the gateway to heaven is not as narrow as compared to previous estimate.

Aside: I have a lot of free time on my hands ... rough estimates

 

[3 Resurrections]

Your view in general seems to border on 'universalism'.

This is not MY view. I am quoting Christ from Luke 13:24-30. Christ said the "narrow gate" would be identified with His own generation who had eaten and drunk in His presence, and among whom He had taught in their streets. It goes beyond the context to extend this "narrow gate" to any other generation than the one to which Christ applied it.

And I am not presenting "universalism" at all. Did I not just mention the "tares" sown among the wheat? The parables of the wheat and tares "harvest" and the net catching both good and bad fish both present the fact that universal salvation is not what will occur. All I am saying is that scripture presents a much larger percentage of mankind who will be redeemed than many are willing to accept. The Pharisees enjoyed thinking of themselves as being some of the very few who were righteous. Jesus didn't think much of that mindset of salvation being an exclusive club with just a few elite members.

 

[Marty]

O.K. ... I take a wild guess

Premise 1: 8 billion in the world currently
Premise 2: I'll guess 8 billion have died (google search gave large variance in estimate)
Premise 3: 1% of people born are 'born again'
Premise 4a: The age of accountability doctrine is false (i.e. babies don't go to heaven
Premise 5: The world ends next week
Conclusion: 160 million in heaven, 7.8 billion in hell. So there are more people in heaven than can be counted but the number is a relative few

or
replace premise 4a with
Premise 4b: Age of accountability is a true doctrine
Premise 6: 1/3 of population died before reaching age of accountability (abortions, short life expectancy until last 50 years, etc.)
Conclusion: 5 billion in heaven and 11 billion in hell ... the gateway to heaven is not as narrow as compared to previous estimate.

Aside: I have a lot of free time on my hands ... rough estimates

Nice picture

 

[sawdust]

Matthew 7:14
For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.


Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. [10] And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

I got kicked off a Reformed Forum years ago, where the OP was trying to make a case for 'Few' (eg Mt 7:14), while others were agreeing with the OP, I posted Rev 7:9-10) and voila.

I often wonder about Noah's day where only eight were saved...not exactly a multitude...

1 Peter 3:20 NKJV
who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.


Do you believe there will be few and/or many in heaven?

Matthew 7:14 is talking about life abundant not eternal life. Abundant life is the sort of life we have while we are on Earth. Few will find the depths of riches in grace to live with such confidence in God and such courage toward mankind as to be unafraid of whatever life throws at them.