Those who deny reality want to ignore the words of Jesus found in Matthew 7:13-14. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Jesus spoke of the path to eternal life as opposed to the path that leads to eternal damnation. There are several words used in counter position, such as straight [strait] and narrow, and life, with the opposites of broad, wide, and destruction.

Two other words in the statement of Jesus are of particular interest, many and few. While there aren’t any definitions that give a number for the words, many and few, we can gain insight to what they represent by a study of other parts of the Bible. The study can begin by determining that many means the ones who will remain lost as opposed to those who will be saved. And even then, we must go back to the beginning of creation to understand the teaching in Matthew 7.

All of mankind began with Adam and Eve. We find these words in Genesis 1:27-28:  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Multiply is the word and we know that from these two came all the people of the earth up to the time of the flood. A study of Genesis gives the names of those who were born to various unions and in Genesis 6:1-2 we see the results of multiply:  And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. In other words, the earth began to be populated and as the population grew so did wickedness verse 5: And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

God instructed Noah to build an ark because he was going to destroy the earth and all that was in it. (Genesis 6:5-17) but told Noah in verse 18: But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.  Considering all that were on the earth at that time, we have an idea of the meaning of many in reference to the time before Jesus spoke in Matthew. Since Noah and his family were all that were saved, we know the meaning of few also. Peter wrote: (IPeter 3:20-21) 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:  Noah and his family were the few that were saved in that long ago day.

When all who have lived since the time of Jesus, and the use of the words many and few are considered in relation to the time before the flood, we can reliably state that the word many as used by Jesus, means that all those who refuse to obey the gospel compose a far greater number than the ones who perished in the flood (more people are on the earth now), and that the eight who were saved in the ark represent the few who will be saved as opposed to the many who will perish.

The words of Jesus and the other teachings of scripture clearly establish that not all will be saved. Those who don’t believe it will perish in their unbelief. 

© 12-29-2006

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