WILL ONLY A FEW BE SAVED? (Luke 13:23) I remember one man I knew who used to tell us that the kingdom of God is already filled up and no other person can enter. Why did he say that? A misreading of Rev 14, which talks about a vision of 144,000 who are marked with the seal of the Lamb, and who alone were capable of hearing the voice of the Lamb. Remember that the sheep hears the voice of the shepherd and follows him (John 10:4). However, Rev 14 does not suggest that only 144,000 people would be saved. Instead, it shows that everyone can be saved. Do not forget the character of the book of Revelation; it makes use of symbols which most times are not to interpreted literarily. These symbols are supposed to be understood by the people the book is addressing but not their enemies. How does the book arrive at the 144,000? Remember that God chose Israel to be his people (Deut 7:6-8) and Israel is made up of 12 tribes. At a time Israel began to consider themselves as the beginning and end of the world. Jesus appointed the 12 apostles to represent the new Israel. So the number 12 came to stand for the totality of the people of God.đ The number 1000 reflects the realm of God. You can now make the calculations yourselves. 12 x 12 x 1000. Is that not 144,000? So do not also get yourself confused or disheartened by that wrong doctrine. Remember that the book also talks about a great crowd which no one could count (Rev 7:9). Instead of bothering yourself about the number, Jesus said, Do your best to enter through the narrow door (Luke 13:24). There is a space for everyone in the kingdom of God because there are many rooms there (cf. John 14:2). Make effort to hear the Shepherds voice by doing good deeds. May God grant you the grace and courage that was granted to St Andrew Dunc Lac and his companions to live righteously and so merit a place in that kingdom. Amen. Have a nice working week ahead. It is well with you.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:17:21 +0000
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