Prologue
Between the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC) only hundreds are canonized, i.e., recognized, as saints.
Therefore, if we are to appreciate the correct biblical meaning of the word saint, according to RCC and EOC only hundreds will be redeemed or saved from hundreds of million of believers.
The Scripture will not agree. For modern churches obviously misunderstand the term saint. (Incidentally, not a few false beliefs proceed from this false understanding. One example is the requirement that we pray or revere or even worship saints like Paul, John, Peter, Virgin Mary, et al.)
Recall that I termed all believers - true or false, past, present and future - ISRAELITES.
I will introduce another term: SAINT, which means TRUE BELIEVERS.
"When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the SAINTS? Or do you not know that the SAINTS will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? 1 Corinthians 6:1-2 NET
"...when he comes to be glorified among his SAINTS and admired on that day among all who have believed—and you did in fact believe our testimony." 2 Thessalonians 2:10 NET
God is Keeping Thousands and Thousands
Of Saints in the Old and New Covenants
Romans 11:1-5 NET
So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!” But what was the divine response to him? “I have kept for myself SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE (old covenant remnant) who have not bent the knee to Baal.”
So in the same way AT THE PRESENT TIME THERE IS A REMNANT (new covenant) chosen by grace.
Old Covenant Saints
Revelation 7:1-4 NIV
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.New Covenant Saints
Revelation 7:9-14 NIV
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.”
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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