Few are chosen.

 

74. Few are chosen: The writings of God tell us that many are called by the word of God, but in reality very few out of that number answer the call or heed the message of God’s holy manifestation.   CHRISTIANITY: Matthew: 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  JUDAISM: 4 Ezra: “And he answered me, saying, ‘The most High hath made this world for many, but the world to come for few. There be many created, but few shall be saved. These things have I not shewed unto all men, but unto thee, and a few like thee. For thou art blessed above many other, and art called with the Highest; and so are but few.”’ (Deuterocanonical  Apocrypha, Esdras 2) 

 BABI RELIGION: “In these days how few are those who abide by the standard laid down in the Qur’án. Nay, nowhere are they to be found, except such as God hath willed. Should there be, however, such a person, his righteous deeds would prove of no avail unto him, if he hath failed to follow the standard revealed in the Bayan; 

          (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 102) 

 ISLAM: 83. “And remember We took a Covenant from the children of Israel (to this effect): worship none but Allah (God); treat with kindness your parents and kindred, and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the people; be steadfast in prayer; and practice regular charity. Then did ye turn back, except a few among you, and ye backslide (even now).” 

          (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2) 

 46. “But few of them will believe.” 40. “But only a few believed with him.” 

          (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 4 and 11) 

 24. “those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, …..how few are they?” 

          (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  38) 

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 2. “I know wherefore, O Mazda (God), I have been unable (to achieve) anything. Only a few herds are mine (and therefore it is so) and because I have got but few people.” 

          (Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 46) 

“And (in the majority) are people of small understanding who do not seek for better understanding;” so only a few will seek out the truth and be chosen. 

          (The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Vendidad)

 HINDUISM: “Of many thousand mortals, one, perchance, Striveth for Truth; and of those few that strive- Nay, and rise high- one only- here and there Knoweth Me, as I Am, the very Truth.” 

          (Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 7) 

 “All creatures live bewildered, save some few Who, quit of sins, holy in act, informed, Freed from the opposites, and fixed in faith, Cleave unto Me.” 

          (Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 7) 

 BUDDHISM: 6. “Few are those among men who have crossed over to the other shore, while the rest of mankind runs along the bank.” 

          (Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards)) 

 13. “Blinded indeed is this world. Few are those who see the truth. Like a bird breaking out of the net, few are those who go to heaven.” 

          (Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards)) 

 SABEANISM: “In the name of The Great Life (Haiyi/God) The great Light be magnified! To you do I call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received the Sign. Hearken not to the talk of all peoples and generations; Let not their stumblings cause you to stumble, Stumble not because of their stumblings!” “They were blind and saw not, Their ears were stopped and they heard not And their hearts were not awakened.” Out of those, “He brought out those (few) who love His name of Truth From Darkness to Light and from Evil to Good And from Death to Life and set them On roads of Truth and Faith.” “I call to my chosen ones so that Ye may not turn your thought away from Me.” “I prepared a path for the good ones and made a gateway for the world. A gateway for the world I made.”(Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 75, 89 and 90 and The way of Salvation, Adam) 

 BABI RELIGION: “Behold this Revelation. The essences of the people have, through divinely-conceived designs, been set in motion and until the present day three hundred and thirteen disciples have been chosen. In the land of Sad [Isfahan], which to outward seeming is a great city, in every corner of whose seminaries are vast numbers of people regarded as divines and doctors, yet when the time came for inmost essences to be drawn forth, only its sifter of wheat donned the robe of discipleship. This is the mystery of what was uttered by the kindred of the Prophet Muhammad — upon them be the peace of God — concerning this Revelation, saying that the abased shall be exalted and the exalted shall be abased.” 

          (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 83) 

BAHA’I FAITH: “Many are called but few are chosen.” 

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 364) 

“Many are called, but few are chosen.’ The chosen have heard and understood the call from the divine assembly.” 

          (Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 59) 

“I see before me an assemblage of souls who are of the chosen and not of the many called.” 

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 418) 

“O My servant, who hast sought the good-pleasure of God and clung to His love on the Day when all except a few who were endued with insight have broken away from Him! May God, through His grace, recompense thee with a generous, an incorruptible and everlasting reward, inasmuch as thou hast sought Him on the Day when eyes were blinded.” “Only a few have as yet quaffed from this peerless, this soft-flowing grace of the Ancient King.” 

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 36 and 107)