How many people will be saved?

"Lord, will only a few people be saved? " someone asks Christ. Although this is only a question, by the way it is asked we can guess the attitude of the person asking. Most likely, he was convinced of this; perhaps he did not believe, perhaps he expected Jesus to deny the rumors that had been spread. It can be guessed that this man wanted the number of the saved to be great, but he feared whether it would really be. Without getting into further guesses about the motives and beliefs of the person asking, let's try to look for the answer ourselves.

In the Book of Revelation of St. John we find a mysterious number - one hundred and forty-four thousand. The book speaks of a great multitude of saved who were "sealed" with the seal of the Lamb protecting them from all danger. But how to interpret this numbers? At first glance it seems to be enormous, but when we mention the number of people who have inhabited the earth for centuries, the prospect seems no longer so joyful and promising. But are we to understand it literally? In some communities, attempts have been made to approach it in this way; even specific lists were made with the names of followers - "certainties" for salvation. But is that the point? Where did this number come from?

The Semitic world, where the entire biblical tradition was formed, was even in love with numbers and their symbolic meaning. Twelve was a happy, full, perfect number; it is no coincidence, then, that Israel consisted of "twelve tribes" - that is, as it were, families, from the twelve sons of Jacob. Notice that Jesus also chooses the twelve apostles to show that a new people of God is being formed.

Twelve times twelve is one hundred and forty-four, and if we multiply all this a thousand times, we get the number from the Apocalypse. How do we know that this is how it should be interpreted? For the Book itself speaks of twelve thousand "sealed" from each generation. So how should this number be understood? As a large, even uncounted crowd; it is interesting that a specific number means an uncounted crowd. So, the message is simple—an infinite number of the saved will stand before the Lord on the last day; countless will be those who have "whitened their garments in the blood of the Lamb." A similar understanding of the number of the saved is suggested to us by the words spoken by Jesus just before His ascension to heaven. " In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? " (Jn 14:2)

Let us note, however, how Christ himself responds to the question mentioned at the beginning. He invites us to "enter through the narrow door," to struggle for the right to enter the kingdom of God. For there will be many who will want to enter, who will even invoke their knowledge of Jesus; but they will not be able to sit at the table of the kingdom. These words seem to be a continuation of the statement (from a completely different place in the Gospel) that " the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force” (Mt 11:12). Thus, the question of the number of the saved is used by Christ to draw our attention to a much more important issue. He seems to be saying, don't worry so much about how many will be saved, but rather do everything in your power to be in that number.

Because, as it turns out, it is not enough to hear about Jesus, it is not enough for Him to teach in our streets, it is not enough to even eat and drink with Him. All this will not matter if we commit injustice. And here follows, it seems to me, a very interesting description of the nature of the punishments of hell - there is talk of weeping and gnashing of teeth seeing of those who came from a very distance and sat at the table of the feast of the kingdom. To see the happiness and joy of others, to be aware that it was possible to be there, but one is not there by one's own negligence, at one's own request; in addition, be aware that this will never change. "Give up all hope" - one wants to repeat the words from Dante's "Divine Comedy".

Let's not ask about the number either; rather, let us try to enter the kingdom of heaven ourselves and help others in this entry.

Until Tomorrow

fr. george