I recently came across a passage from Spurgeon I couldn’t stop thinking about:
I believe there will be more in Heaven than in hell. If anyone asks me why I think so, I answer, because Christ, in everything, is to “have the pre-eminence”, and I cannot conceive how He could have the pre-eminence if there are to be more in the dominions of Satan than in Paradise.[1]
Is this a well-founded belief—or only a devout wish? It’s certainly a lot to hang on one verse, however important. My attempts to find an answer led me to another eight biblical signposts that make me think he might be right. Since the boffins estimate that there have been 117 billion human beings in total, his view means that the population of the new creation will be more than 60 billion (and that triggers all kinds of fascinating questions!).
But do we need eight signposts? Doesn’t John’s vision of “a great multitude that no one could count” (Rev 7:9) settle the issue? Not by itself. Because if only 1% of the world’s current population were saved, the resulting assembly of 80 million people would certainly look to us like an uncountable multitude—a glorious testimony to the saving grace of God. But unless we could also see the size of the flock on the King’s left-hand side (Matt 25:31–33), we would have no idea whether the sheep outnumbered the goats—and that’s why I looked elsewhere.
My quick sketch of these biblical signposts is not much more than a ‘thought report’, offered in the hope it might stimulate some ‘thought retorts’! That’s why it’s a bit tentative and cautious: I’m not trying to prove that Spurgeon is right but to show he’s worth listening to. In what follows, I’m giving little more than a quick sketch, summarising the evidence rather than expounding it. I hope doing it this way will send you back to the Bible, as Spurgeon’s words did for me.
The Riches of His Grace
First, the salvation of even one wrath-deserving sinner would demonstrate the amazing grace of God. But the Bible emphasises the riches of his grace, as a love that is unlimited in height or length or depth.[2] It would be very strange, therefore, if his saving grace wasn’t also extremely wide in its reach.
Promises of Universal Salvation
Second God’s covenant with Abraham will secure blessing for all peoples and nations on earth (Gen 12:3; 18:18).Can this be limited to small groups within each one, if God promises that Abraham’s “seed” will be as numerous as the stars (Gen 15:5; 22:17; 26:4) or as the sand on the shore and the dust of the earth (Gen 22:17; 28:14)? As to the first, although only about five or six thousand stars are visible to the naked eye, the night sky gives the impression that we are looking at an unimaginably enormous number. And we are! Astrophysicists estimate that there are about 100 billion stars in each galaxy, with some two trillion galaxies in all. [Thanks to Rev. Dr Chris Mulherin for correcting this from million to billion—Ed.].
Third, the Old Testament promises a glorious new age of universal salvation.[3] We get some idea of the quantitative implications of these promises at the end of Isaiah, where God states that “all mankind will come and bow down before me” (66:23). This refers to all who haven’t rebelled against him (66:24)—and describing them as “all mankind” might imply that they greatly outnumber God’s “foes” (66:14). The “all” also reflects the fact that God gathers them from all the nations by sending heralds to proclaim his glory (66:18-20). This tells us that “judgment on all people” (66:15–16) refers to its breadth: it’s not that no human being will survive the judgment but that no people or nation will escape it. Since this salvation will demonstrate that the LORD alone is God, and thus the only Saviour (e.g., 43:10–12; 45:20–22), does this suggest that those who belong to him will outnumber those who have relied on “gods who cannot save” (45:20)? How else would it be apparent that his saving purpose is effected by his unlimited majesty and power (e.g., 46:5–13)?
The Parables of Jesus
Fourth, some of Jesus’ kingdom-parables contrast an apparently insignificant beginning with an outcome far greater than anyone could expect (Matt 13:3–8, 31–33). His parable of the grain of wheat, contrasting the seed that dies and the many that result (Jn 12:24), is followed by his claim that he would draw “all people” to himself (12:32). Since the catalyst for these statements was the coming of some Greeks (12:20), “all people” (12:32) most likely means all without distinction rather than all without exception.[4] Even so, his words suggest a population of God’s kingdom far greater than a mere remnant of humankind.
The Universal and Cosmic Impact of the Gospel
Fifth the New Testament often uses ‘all’, ‘the world’, and similar expressions, when discussing the significance of Jesus and the scope of his saving work. John’s writings often point out how Jesus and his work benefit the world.[5] Paul frequently refers to the universal and cosmic dimensions of what Jesus has done in his death and resurrection.[6] This teaching has its roots in the teaching of Jesus, with its depiction of the universal reach of the gospel and the universal character of his people matching his own universal authority.[7] This teaching doesn’t allow us to conclude that everyone will be saved, because the grim reality of final judgment is made too clear too often. But doesn’t it allow—and even encourage—Spurgeon-like expectations about the ultimate size of God’s church?
Sixth, Paul regards Jesus’ impact on the world as greatly superior to Adam’s. In 1 Corinthians 15, this focuses on the qualitative contrast between the life we get from the first Adam with the resurrection life we get from the final Adam (15:20–23, 42–54). In Romans 5 Paul contrasts the reign of sin and death unleashed by Adam’s disobedience, and the reign of grace and life established by the obedience of Jesus (5:12–21). Terminology such as “how much more”, “overflow”, “abundant provision”, and “all the more” (Rom 5:15, 17, 20) implies that there is also a quantitative dimension to the superiority of Jesus and his saving work—which suggests that those under the rule of grace will outnumber the population of sin’s realm.
Seventh, we discover in Romans 11 that Paul expected the future salvation of a plērōma (a fullness) of both Gentiles and Jews (11:12, 25). It’s difficult to see how this could refer to anything but the majority of both groups, which must also be what he means by referring to “all Israel” (11:26) and to God’s having mercy on “all” (11:32).[8] This is also where his references to “riches for the world” and “reconciliation to the world” (11:12, 15) point us. Although we aren’t in a position to quantify these expectations, they envisage a final outcome to God’s saving work that is very expansive indeed.
The Great Multitude and the New Creation
Eighth, the book of Revelation indicates that all the earth’s inhabitants will worship the beast[9]—except those who follow the Lamb, whose names are in his book of life.[10] Its vivid portrayal of the utter supremacy of God and the Lamb over all the powers of evil, and of his kingdom over the kingdom of the world, most naturally suggests that those who follow the beast will be outnumbered by those who follow the Lamb (13:3; 14:4). As Revelation chapter 7 describes:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.” (verses 9–10)
The final reality of the new creation (21:1–5) might point in the same direction: since God created the first humans to fill the earth (Gen 1:27–28), it would be strange if the new earth wasn’t teeming with the redeemed.
So, was Spurgeon right? Although they all point towards his conclusion, these signposts aren’t proofs—and there are two problems that seem to exclude his view. How is it possible to reconcile Spurgeon’s view with plain statements by Jesus and with the evidence of church-and-missions history?
What About the Narrow Gate?
Jesus contrasts ‘few’ and ‘many’ on three occasions: in his brief gate-and-road parable (Matt 7:13–14); to conclude one of his wedding banquet parables (Matt 22:14); and (by implication) in his response to the question, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” (Lk 13:23–27).[11] Reading these statements in their context shows that Jesus is focusing on the present situation in his ministry, with the contrast between the few (the mustard seed of a meagre response to him and his gospel) and the many (the large tree of all who will eventually come “from east and west and north and south … and take their places … in the kingdom of God”) (Lk 13:18–19, 29). This will never be easy, for we must “make every effort to enter” (Lk 13:27); and it will never be popular for “only a few find it” (Matt 7:14).
What About the History of Missions?
Further, throughout the last two millennia, the church of God appears never to have been more than a minority—and usually a small one—in any people or nation in which the gospel has taken root. And today we seem to be losing ground in many parts of the world—with Australia an obvious example. We pray, work hard at evangelism and discipling, spend lots of money on training and supporting workers and on producing effective resources—and yet we seem to be inching forward in only a few places at best.
I’m not sure what to make of this. Are we to expect a coming golden age when the peoples of the world will flood into God’s kingdom and fill the Father’s house? Or should we just focus on the task at hand, plugging away in the spirit of Joab (2 Sam 10:12), not despising the day of small things (Zech 4:10), and attempting great things for God while expecting great things from him, as William Carey put it? Should we be content to know that at the End, we will all say, in wonder and joy, “the LORD has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes” (Ps 118:23)?
Two comments to end my ‘thought report’. First, I think Spurgeon’s belief could be right. Second, what led him to this belief is most certainly right. It isn’t the outcome of complicated speculations about the end-times; what took him there is the certainty that the Lord Jesus will “have the pre-eminence” (Col 1:18). And that’s where I want to follow Spurgeon: to be the kind of Christian whose instincts, and what they lead me to think and say and do, are always focused on the complete supremacy, the unsurpassable worth, of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the first—and still the best—motivation for taking the gospel next door and to the nations: “for the sake of his name” (Rom 1:5).
[1] C.H. Spurgeon, Autobiography, Volume 1: The Early Years 1834-1859, revised ed. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1962), 171 (quoting Col 1:18).
[2] See, for example, Pss 103:8–12; 108:4; 118:1–4, 29; 119:64; Isa 54:7–8; Lam 3:22, 32; 2 Cor 8:9; Eph 1:7–8; 2:4–7; 3:16–19.
[3] See, for example, Pss 47:9; 87:4–6; Isa 19:24-25; 45:21–22; 49:5–6; 56:3–8; Zech 2:11.
[4] A conclusion that is reinforced by what Jesus goes on to say in 12:48.
[5] Jn 1:9, 29; 3:17; 4:42; 6:33, 51; 8:12; 12:47; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:14.
[6] Rom 1:5, 8; 5:12, 18; 10:12; 15:8–12; 16:26; 1 Cor 8:6; 15:22–28; 2 Cor 5:14–19; Eph 1:9–10, 20–23; 2:14–16; Phil 2:9–11; Col 1:15–23; 1 Tim 2:3–6; 3:16; 2 Tim 4:17; Tit 2:11.
[7] See, for example, Matt 8:11; 13:37–39; 24:14; 26:13; 28:18–20; Lk 24:45–47; Acts 1:8. This teaching should cast serious doubt on the frequently repeated claim that the first Christians expected Jesus to return within their lifetime—a view I have attempted to refute in my essay, “The Fantasy of the Frantic Apostle: Paul and the Parousia”, Themelios 47.2 (2022), 288-302.
[8] Too many passages in Romans indicate the reality of final judgment (e.g., 1:18–2:12; 9:22-24, 27–29; 10:16–21; 11:20–23) for this to mean ‘all without exception’.
[9] Rev 13:4, 8, 12; 14:9–11; 16:2; 19:20.
[10] Rev 13:8; cf. 3:5; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27.
[11] There is a helpful discussion of this issue and these passages in a 1915 essay by Benjamin B. Warfield, “Are They Few that be Saved?” in Biblical and Theological Studies, ed. Samuel G. Craig (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1968), 334–350.
