There are some who claim that followers of Christ are divided into two distinct groups: those who go to heaven and those who stay on earth. This is based on a literal interpretation of 144,000 and by creating a link between ‘other sheep’ of John 10:16 and ‘a great crowd’ of Revelation 7:9. They are, of course, welcome to hold this view, but does it have any basis in Scripture? What do you think? Here are the passages that I can find on the subject and they definitely suggest to the contrary.
(John 10:16) And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those too I must bring in, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.
(John 17:20-23) I make request, not concerning these only, but also concerning those putting faith in me through their word; 21 in order that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in [union with] me and I [am in union] with you, that they also may be in [union with] us, in order that the world may believe that you sent me forth. 22 Also, I have given them the glory that you have given me, in order that they may be one just as we are one. 23 I in [union with] them and you in [union with] me, in order that they may be perfected into one, that the world may have the knowledge that you sent me forth and that you loved them just as you loved me.
(Acts 15:9) And he made no distinction at all between us and them, but purified their hearts by faith.
(Romans 3:21-24) But now apart from law God’s righteousness has been made manifest, as it is borne witness to by the Law and the Prophets; 22 yes, God’s righteousness through the faith in Jesus Christ, for all those having faith. For there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom [paid] by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 6:3-5) Or do YOU not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, we also should likewise walk in a newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall certainly also be [united with him in the likeness] of his resurrection;
(Romans 10:12, 13) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. There is the same Lord over all, who is rich toward all those calling on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”
(Romans 12:5) so we, although many, are one body in [union with] Christ, but individually we are members belonging to one another.
(1 Corinthians 8:6) there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.
(1 Corinthians 12:13) For truly by one spirit we were all baptised into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit.
(Galatians 3:26-28) YOU are all, in fact, sons of God through YOUR faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of YOU who were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for YOU are all one [person] in union with Christ Jesus. (all one in Christ Jesus – BSB)
(Ephesians 2:13-18) But now in [union with] Christ Jesus YOU who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made the two parties one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. 15 By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in [union with] himself into one new man and make peace; 16 and that he might fully reconcile both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. 17 And he came and declared the good news of peace to YOU, the ones far off, and peace to those near, 18 because through him we, both peoples, have the approach to the Father by one spirit.
(Ephesians 4:3-6) earnestly endeavouring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace. 4 One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all. (one God and Father of all – BSB)
(Colossians 3:11) where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, slave, or freeman; but Christ is all things and in all.
(1 Peter 1:3, 4) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading [sic] inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for YOU,
There are most definitely two groups of people – believers and non-believers, the righteous and the unrighteous, those who live according to the spirit and those who live according to the flesh, the sheep and the goats, those on the narrow road to life and those on the broad road to destruction, the wheat and the tares, those who are faithful and wise and those who are wicked and sluggish, and so on. We are either followers of Christ or not. We exercise faith leading to repentance and baptism or we don’t. We are adopted as God’s children or not. Did Jesus mention having two flocks? Did Paul write about the duality of spirit? Two bodies, two spirits, two hopes, one Lord but two faiths, one God and Father of some but not others?
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