In all of time, since Adam and Eve, until the Great White Throne Judgement, how many people, in total, got saved, and how many people in total denied Christ and are going to hell?
If your answer is we just don't know, you are incorrect. The Bible actually gets into this very topic. A specific portion from the Sermon on the Mount comes to mind first:
"`Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide [is] the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it; how strait [is] the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!" -Matthew 7:13-14
In comparison to the large crowds heading to hell, only few actually choose salvation. "Strait" means narrow. The path to life everlasting is narrow - the opposite of the wide path to destruction. How narrow is the strait gate? It's so narrow that the way is "compressed."
Notice Jesus is instructing us to go "through the strait gate." This is because salvation is a choice, and we can choose heaven or hell. God gave us that ability. To choose heaven, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and live your short sojourn on this clay ball in space with Jesus Christ as your Lord, which means Master, and what a benevolent, loving master He is!
If you are not saved, or are not 100% positive you're going to heaven, then click here.
Why do so few choose the narrow path to salvation, but instead take the wide path to destruction? This is because they think living in the flesh is more fulfilling, and they are just following the crowd. Who wants to be different, anyhow? The Scriptures tell us that Christians are different. A Christian who is a friend of the world is not of Christ, for this is a fallen, sinful world. Jesus said that He is not of the world, and that neither are Christians to be.
The unsaved do their sins, but hide them. They may hide their sins via justifying their wrong acts via arguing that society doesn't see it as wrong, and "everyone is doing it," or they hide their sins via denial. When sin is revealed as what it truly is, the heinous atrocity of its grotesque face is clearly unveiled for all to see. This is why secret societies keep their secrets secret. Darkness is the absence of light, and like a poisonous fungus, sin thrives in the dark. As light disinfects, it also reveals. Sinners don't like their sin revealed - often not even to themselves - as many live in denial of their fallen, sinful state.
The world hates the Christian, because the Christian shines with the glory of Christ. We know there are light spectra the eye cannot see. We can't see ultraviolet, but we can feel its effects, such as getting a sunburn. There is infrared, which we cannot see, but we can feel its effects, such as feeling heat.
There is also a Christ light spectrum:
"Again, therefore, Jesus spake to them, saying, `I am the light of the world; he who is following me shall not walk in the darkness, but he shall have the light of the life.'" -John 8:12
"In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it." -John 1:4-5
Jesus is the light of the world, but anyone who walks in the darkness can have nothing in Christ. Who are those in the dark?
"`And
this is the judgment, that the light hath come to the world, and men
did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil; for every one who is doing wicked things hateth the light, and doth not come unto the light, that his works may not be detected; but
he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be
manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.'" -John 3:19-21
The sinful hide in the darkness, where their sin festers and grows, but the light of Christ reveals the sins and sinful for what they are - the light reveals the truth. Anyone in the dark can come into the light, if they follow the truth.
Just as Christ shines a light in this dark world, Christians are also of this heavenly light spectrum. This is another light spectrum that is usually not visible, but can be detected:
"`Ye are the light of the world, a city set upon a mount is not able to be hid; nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all those in the house; so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who [is] in the heavens." -Matthew 5:14-16
Christians also shine with the light of Christ shining through them. Therefore, the worldly ones hate the Christian, because the Christian's light reveals the darkness in the sinful.
Light and truth are synonymous.
"What is truth?" - Pilate, from John 18:38
Jesus is the truth:
"Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;" -John 14:6
Therefore to enter the light/truth, you must enter through Christ:
"I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture." -John 10:9
Jesus says how to do this:
"16 for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.
17 For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;
18 he who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 `And this is the judgment, that the light hath come to the world, and men did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil;
20 for every one who is doing wicked things hateth the light, and doth not come unto the light, that his works may not be detected;
21 but he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.'" -John 3:16-21
Verses 16-18 tell us how simple it is to enter the Light via the Truth, through the Door.
Yet, most people will never do this.
Some wonder about those who may never hear the Good News of the Gospel. How do/can they get saved? The Bible has a glorious promise to all of us. Matthew 7:7 tells us "seek, and ye shall find." One who is truly seeking the truth will have the Truth revealed to them, even if God has to send an angel to do it - which we read of having happened in the Bible before, and that it will happen again, during the tribulation.
Below we see one of the many places in the Bible that describes the Great White Throne Judgement, which happens after the thousand years of peace (and those years don't begin until after the tribulation).
Christians are judged at the judgement seat of Christ. All Christians' names are found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and therefore they are shown as sinless, because the light of Christ, via His shed blood, cleansed/disinfected them from their sins, making them appear sinless, as Christ took on our sins in our place.
The Great White Throne Judgement is where the unsaved of all time are brought to judgement. Notice the numbers below:
"`I was seeing till that thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment as snow [is] white, and the hair of his head [is] as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire. A flood of fire is proceeding and coming forth from before Him, a thousand thousands do serve Him, and a myriad of myriads before Him do rise up, the Judge is seated, and the books have been opened. `I was seeing, then, because of the voice of the great words that the horn is speaking, I was seeing till that the beast is slain, and his body hath been destroyed, and given to the burning fire;" -Daniel 7:9-11
The books opened at the Great White Throne Judgment are the books of works, since none of those people have their names in the Lamb's book of life (see Revelation chapter 20). This means they will be judged on their own merit. Any sin found will bar them from heaven, as sin cannot be there. All are sinners - none of them will make it. They all tried to make it while hiding their sins in the dark, but all things will be revealed - nothing will remain hidden:
"and there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known;" -Luke 12:2
Those serving Christ are only a thousand thousands, while those being judged from the books of works are myriad of myriads. A myriad is 10,000. From the creation of Adam and Eve until the Great White Throne Judgment, ten thousand of ten thousands go to hell, while only a thousand thousands took the narrow path, and went into the Light via the Door of Truth.
This means about 1% go to heaven, and about 99% choose the path to destruction. A thousand thousands is a million, and a myriad of (times) myriads is a hundred million. So, one million people or less, out of every one hundred million choose Christ.
A true Christian is truly a rare thing. There are many wolves in sheep's clothing, but where are the actual sheep of the Lamb?
