Are There Few Who Are Saved?

Minister Monardo said:

Luke 13:
23 Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them,
24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek
to enter and will not be able.

Yeshua answers the question, but not necessarily to everyone's satisfaction.
"for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
Are you satisfied with that answer?
Matthew 7:14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life,
and few there be that find it.

Acts 14:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22. strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting to continue in the faith, and
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

We must strive to not only endure to the end, but also disciple in Truth.
Matthew 23:
13 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when
he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and
for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [many will seek]

Revelation 2:7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes....

Click to expand...

Revelation 7:9

English Standard Version
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands

I prefer to reflect on the multitudes that will be saved ;o)

There are few who are saved because there are a few who have genuinely placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. (Romans 3:24-28; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9 etc..).

1 John 5:4 - For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Even through there is a number no one count it is still few compared to the many that are saved who were on the narrow road that leads to life. As Gods promise was to Abraham the stars in the heavens and as the sands of the sea to use an OT analogy.

hope this helps !!!

.
Hell is generally an acceptable topic among Christians; that is, until somebody starts associating it with numbers and real people. Then it tends to lose its popularity real fast.

According to Jesus Christ's testimony as a credible expert witness in all matters pertaining to the afterlife; most of the world's responsible souls haven't been making it to safety when they cross over to the other side.

• Luke 13:22-24 . . And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, master, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them: Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

• Matt 7:13-14 . . Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

• Matt 22:14 . . For many are called, but few are chosen.

Webster's defines "many" as consisting of, or amounting to, a large but indefinite number; while "few" is defined as consisting of, or amounting to, only a small number; viz: relative to many then, few is the lesser. Bear with me while I flesh this out.

According to the US Census Bureau: as of Oct 22, 2020 @ 10:39 AM New York Time, the resident population in the United States was approximately 330,483,684 with a death rate of approximately one every 12 seconds; which translates to an average of 7,200 American deaths of all ages, races, and genders during just one 24-hour calendar day.

According to 2009 US Census data; roughly 27.3% of America's daily deaths are under the age of 19, which would indicate that approximately 5,234 of the current daily death rate per 24 hours are adults.

Giving the "many" the benefit of the doubt by limiting their maximum percentage to 51%, would indicate a minimum of 2,670 American adults transferring to perdition every day: which translates to roughly 111 per hour.

That's a very conservative estimate as the Lord didn't really specify exact percentages to represent the quantities of "few" and "many". But just think: by the time CBS completes its half hour evening news report, a bare-bones minimum of 55 Americans become new arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld.

Using the ratio of 2,670 condemned souls per 330,483,684 population: computing the number of condemned souls worldwide from a currently estimated global population of 7,692,007,320 people, would suggest something like 62,144 new arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld every 24 hours; which translates to approximately 2,589 souls every sixty minutes on the clock.

That rate would fill the 51,800 seats of the new Yankee Stadium to capacity in roughly 20 hours. In other words: if the world's daily number of condemned souls started filing into the stadium at 06:00 am this morning, then by 02:00 AM tomorrow, the stadium would be full to capacity.

Christmas and New Year are even worse. A study done of 26 years of death certificates shows that coronary fatalities are, on average, 11.9% higher on those days than any other days of the year; with non-heart deaths spiking to 12.2% higher.

The netherworld never closes; no, not at all: it's open for business 24/7/365 nonstop and indifferent to global warming, Wall Street crashes, massive layoffs, outsourcing, school shootings, terrorism, tsunamis, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, air, water, and soil pollution, freeway pile-ups, brown-outs, threatened species, the price of oil, student debt, GMO, trade deficits, protests, Federal debt, factory recalls, overpopulation, pandemics, lock downs, desertification, genocides, revolutions, civil wars, creeping socialism, acid rain, road rage, oil spills, conscious decoupling, ISIS, LGBT marriage, Obamacare, blood diamonds, fracking, twerking, and/or President Donald Trump's wall.

If classical Christianity's perception of the hereafter is correct; then it's apparent that souls never stop cascading into the abyss in an endless procession like the unbelievable millions of poultry broilers passing annually through Tyson chicken processing plants on their way to Wendy's, McDonalds, Carl's Junior, Jack in the Box, Burger King, Chic-fil-A, KFC, A&W, Arby's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, et al; and to supermarkets and restaurants all over the USA and wherever else Tyson vends its meats. The slaughtering and the butchering never stop.
_

Minister Monardo said:

Luke 13:
23 Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them,
24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek
to enter and will not be able.

Yeshua answers the question, but not necessarily to everyone's satisfaction.
"for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
Are you satisfied with that answer?
Matthew 7:14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life,
and few there be that find it.

Acts 14:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22. strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting to continue in the faith, and
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

We must strive to not only endure to the end, but also disciple in Truth.
Matthew 23:
13 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when
he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and
for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [many will seek]

Revelation 2:7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes....

Click to expand...

That can't be the Gospel... it's BAD news. - lol

Minister Monardo said:

But for those who endure tribulation for His Name Sake, it is the Glory of God.

Click to expand...

Called or elected?

Minister Monardo said:

Luke 13:
23 Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them,
24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek
to enter and will not be able.

Yeshua answers the question, but not necessarily to everyone's satisfaction.
"for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
Are you satisfied with that answer?
Matthew 7:14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life,
and few there be that find it.

Acts 14:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22. strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting to continue in the faith, and
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

We must strive to not only endure to the end, but also disciple in Truth.
Matthew 23:
13 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when
he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and
for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [many will seek]

Revelation 2:7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes....

Click to expand...

These are difficult passages for a Universalist.
Trying to work out how these fit with the Restoration of All Things.
There are, of course, different aspects of salvation.
We are saved, we are being saved, we will be saved.

1 John 2:2
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 11:32
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Minister Monardo said:

Luke 13:
23 Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them,
24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek
to enter and will not be able.

Yeshua answers the question, but not necessarily to everyone's satisfaction.
"for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
Are you satisfied with that answer?
Matthew 7:14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life,
and few there be that find it.

Acts 14:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22. strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting to continue in the faith, and
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

We must strive to not only endure to the end, but also disciple in Truth.
Matthew 23:
13 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when
he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and
for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [many will seek]

Revelation 2:7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes....

Click to expand...

Each of these passages begs a question. (or two)
- How is it that those who SEEK to enter the narrow gate do not find it?
- How many tribulations is MANY tribulations? (did you have enough to be saved?)
- Will God save those who were prevented from finding him due to the "Pharisees" that stand in their way?

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

John 6:37 KJV
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Minister Monardo said:

Luke 13:
23 Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them,
24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek
to enter and will not be able.

Yeshua answers the question, but not necessarily to everyone's satisfaction.
"for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
Are you satisfied with that answer?
Matthew 7:14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life,
and few there be that find it.

Acts 14:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22. strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting to continue in the faith, and
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

We must strive to not only endure to the end, but also disciple in Truth.
Matthew 23:
13 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when
he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and
for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [many will seek]

Revelation 2:7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes....

Click to expand...

Each of these passages begs a question. (or two)
- How is it that those who SEEK to enter the narrow gate do not find it?
- How many tribulations is MANY tribulations? (did you have enough to be saved?)
- Will God save those who were prevented from finding him due to the "Pharisees" that stand in their way?

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

John 6:37 KJV
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Minister Monardo said:

Universalist Salvation is very unappealing to me. I do not debate it, and I do not live by it.

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What a fascinating response. Unappealing?
The mercy of God is never-ending, his wrath lasts but a day.
Where does a forever burning hell fit?

You said you don't debate Universalism, so I do not expect a response as debate.
However, I find that most who do debate Universalism, really don't understand it.
Christian Universalists do not claim that everyone AUTOMATICALLY goes to heaven.
What you said in your entire post above fits with Universalism, as I understand it.

Minister Monardo said:

John 7:
16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
In spite of what many say, the individual will, will out.

Click to expand...

Is that grace? Or more BAD news?