Will many people enter heaven?

Milos said:

Matthew 7:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

7:21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I was honestly shocked once I read this. I had the thought that many people would enter heaven because this is what people have told me. And when speaking to a teacher he told me they consult to their pride rather than the Gods word.

What do you think?

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In the parallel pass of Luke 13 it starts with someone asking this very question
Luke 13:23,24
Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

So basically the answer to your question is No!

Now given that about 1/3 of the world's population claims to be "Christian", what does that tell you?

yeshuaslavejeff said:

But when a disciple asked about "how many will be saved" in the NT about a town they were looking over ,
Jesus told him plainly - "it is none of your business." "it is not your concern"

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Reference?

Somewhere in the Gospels, Luke I think.
Between chapter 11 and 15......

www . biblegateway.com/verse/en/Luke%2013:23
www . biblegateway.com/verse/en/Luke%2013:24

One of dozens from urls >>

TPT“There is a great cost for anyone to enter through the narrow doorway to God’s kingdom realm. I tell you, there will be many who will want to enter but won’t be able to.

Milos said:

Matthew 7:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

7:21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I was honestly shocked once I read this. I had the thought that many people would enter heaven because this is what people have told me. And when speaking to a teacher he told me they consult to their pride rather than the Gods word.

What do you think?

Click to expand...

Ask yourself if Jesus here is talking about who is "goes to heaven", because that isn't what either text says.

Here's something important to understand: the kingdom is not "heaven". In Matthew's Gospel the Evangelist uses the phrase "kingdom of heaven" where Mark and Luke use "kingdom of God". This is not referring to "heaven", it is referring to God's reign. Look at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, we read of Jesus beginning His ministry proclaiming: "The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the good news!" Note that the kingdom is not described as us "going up" to enter, but is described as something coming, near, at hand. Entering the kingdom is not about dying and "going to heaven", but about new birth from God (John 3:3-5). Christ says, "The kingdom does not come with observation, no one can say 'Here it is!' or 'Look over there!' but rather the kingdom is in your midst" (Luke 17:20-21).

The kingdom is the reality of God as king, and God is king through Jesus. To enter the kingdom requires a transformation, a new birth, which we have received through Holy Baptism (John 3:5, Titus 3:5), to walk in the way of Jesus.

Salvation is not about dread of God acting as some kind of bouncer at the pearly gates. Salvation is about what God has done in Christ for the world--for us. We can therefore be confident in God's mercies because of what He has said and done, because Christ died, rose again, because the word has been preached, we have been baptized, etc. God's word and promise is for you, you can trust in His word for you.

God is pro-salvation. God is on your side, your advocate, in Jesus Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

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Milos said:

Matthew 7:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

7:21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I was honestly shocked once I read this. I had the thought that many people would enter heaven because this is what people have told me. And when speaking to a teacher he told me they consult to their pride rather than the Gods word.

What do you think?

Click to expand...

A great multitude will be saved...
Revelation 7:9:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

More shall be saved than those unsaved apparently...
Galations 4:26-28:
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”
Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

bcbsr said:

In the parallel pass of Luke 13 it starts with someone asking this very question
Luke 13:23,24
Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

So basically the answer to your question is No!

Click to expand...

Please read the whole passage. Yes, many won't be able to enter, but looking at Luke 13:26-28 it appears that this was directed against the people he was speaking to. Presumably Pharisees or others who rejected him. But once having said that they wouldn't enter, he then says "Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." Knowing Luke's orientation, the first and last business is probably talking about Gentiles, who had been last, now becoming first to accept Jesus. I think the picture is actually quite hopeful, except for those who actually saw Jesus and rejected him.

bcbsr said:

Reference?

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It's possible to understanding Luke 13 as Jesus refusing to answer the question of whether many were saved, and saying "make sure *you* are." Not sure I agree with that, though. I think he actually does answer it, saying that while those who reject him will be excluded a multitude from around the world will be saved.

ViaCrucis said:

Ask yourself if Jesus here is talking about who is "goes to heaven", because that isn't what either text says.

Here's something important to understand: the kingdom is not "heaven".

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I agree with this in general. However the question here is "will many be saved." Jesus uses "salvation" to refer either to someone who had been opposed to God repenting, or to final salvation. In this context final salvation seems to be the meaning.

Jesus was certainly known not to answer questions as asked at times. I guess it's possible that he refuses to answer the question about salvation but instead talks about the Kingdom. But there's little sign of that in the text. Furthermore "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is understood in both Hermeneia and Logos as eschatological. I don't actually use "going to heaven" to describe the NT view of eschatology, but still I think it is referring to final salvation, which is probably what the OP wants to know about.

hedrick said:

Please read the whole passage. Yes, many won't be able to enter, but looking at Luke 13:26-28 it appears that this was directed against the people he was speaking to. Presumably Pharisees or others who rejected him. But once having said that they wouldn't enter, he then says "Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." Knowing Luke's orientation, the first and last business is probably talking about Gentiles, who had been last, now becoming first to accept Jesus. I think the picture is actually quite hopeful, except for those who actually saw Jesus and rejected him.

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You mean Lk 13:29 "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God." That's not referring to magnitude, but as you noted, it's talking about diversity - namely Gentiles.

But even if only 1% of the population is saved, that's still a lot given that there are estimates of the total population that ever lived is about 100 billion. So 1 billion people saved even given a small percentage. Another allusion to magnitude is given in Rom 9:27 "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved." May hold true for the Christian community as well.

bcbsr said:

Rom 9:27 "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved." May hold true for the Christian community as well.

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This is in the middle of a longer discussion. For the end, see "And so all Israel will be saved" (11:26). "Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. (11:30-32)

I know there's a tradition that takes all of Paul's statements like this as non-literal, but I don't buy it.

hedrick said:

This is in the middle of a longer discussion. For the end, see "And so all Israel will be saved" (11:26). "Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. (11:30-32)

I know there's a tradition that takes all of Paul's statements like this as non-literal, but I don't buy it.

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But then please read...all Israel will be saved...not all Israel is Israel. They aren't all true believers.

hedrick said:

This is in the middle of a longer discussion. For the end, see "And so all Israel will be saved" (11:26). "Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. (11:30-32)

I know there's a tradition that takes all of Paul's statements like this as non-literal, but I don't buy it.

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But he also says, "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." Rom 9:6 So the "all Israel" who will be saved are the remnant, and not all literal Jews.

bcbsr said:

You mean Lk 13:29 "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God." That's not referring to magnitude, but as you noted, it's talking about diversity - namely Gentiles.

But even if only 1% of the population is saved, that's still a lot given that there are estimates of the total population that ever lived is about 100 billion. So 1 billion people saved even given a small percentage. Another allusion to magnitude is given in Rom 9:27 "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved." May hold true for the Christian community as well.

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The Israelites were scattered as are all true believers. My view is that the saved come from all over the world...as you said, diversity is meant here, as well as magnitude. He will draw all people to Him, but many are called; few are chosen...as Jesus proclaimed.
A comment on the first will be last and the last will be first. What Hedrick replies fits, but Jesus says this to His disciples as well. I take it to mean those seemingly the foremost of Christians may take a back seat to some who seem not so very significant as Christians for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. We are not all equally righteous in our deeds or maturity, yet equally righteous by virtue of our faith in Christ.

ewq1938 said:

The multitude is all kinds of peoples, but the 144k are only Jewish men.

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The 144,000 is simply a representative number based on the number 12...the 12 tribes of Israel times 12. The tribe of Dan is omitted presumably to assure us this number is only representative of all true believers (the new Israel of God)...the tribe of Dan went off to idolatry. This then shows us we must remain true to be saved.

ewq1938 said:

The multitude is all kinds of peoples, but the 144k are only Jewish men.

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What makes you think so?

nonaeroterraqueous said:

I have known my share of generous people, apparently comfortable with sacrificing pleasures for the sake of others, who were morbidly overcome with pride. They escaped the lion, only to be devoured by the bear, in a way.

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This is why Jesus said to keep our good works secret.

bcbsr said:

But he also says, "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." Rom 9:6 So the "all Israel" who will be saved are the remnant, and not all literal Jews.

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Please read 11 again. 25: a hardening has happened temporarily so that Gentiles will be saved. They are disobedient now so that they may receive mercy. God has imprisoned all so he can show mercy to all. He's not talking about a small remnant. He's saying that God's plan from the beginning has been to redeem all.

RaymondG said:

counting their wealth, judging their fruits, scooping out hypocrites, counting who we think is going to make it....etc... With all this on our mind, there is no time to work out our own salvation.....As we watch the wealthy go down to hell in their wealth....we follow them down there, and will continue to watch them in hell.

No one on a path to heaven, has time to look back at others not on the road......if you have time, you are not on the path.

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It's actually important that you know who you are "inviting into your house":

2 John 1:10-11
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.