"Chapter 49—In the Days of Queen Esther Under the favor shown them by Cyrus, nearly fifty thousand of the children of the captivity had taken advantage of the decree permitting their return. These, however, in comparison with the hundreds of thousands scattered throughout the provinces of Medo-Persia, were but a mere remnant. The great majority of the Israelites had chosen to remain in the land of their exile rather than undergo the hardships of the return journey and the re-establishment of their desolated cities and homes. PK 598"
"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: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
The EGW passage describes how only a small remnant of Israelites returned from exile, while the majority chose to remain. This mirrors the concept in Matthew 7:13-14 of the narrow gate and the few who find it, compared to the wide gate and the many who enter it. Both passages highlight the idea that the path of righteousness or obedience is often chosen by a minority.