The Remnant

Throughout the Bible, the remnant is a small group of people who remain faithful to God when most of God’s people go astray from him. The remnant obeys God, overcomes opposition, and accomplishes God’s work on the earth. At the end of the age, God will have a remnant of people who will overcome.

God is preparing that remnant now.

“Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved… unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah” (Romans 9:27-29).

Israel was once comprised of millions of people. But only a small group of them actually followed God. The rest fell into idolatry and sin, and they were destroyed.

It’s similar in Christianity. There are billions of “Christians” in the world today, but only a small number actually follow God. These faithful ones are the remnant, while the rest are in apostasy. 

The remnant is like a seed. Seeds are small, but they can produce massive trees. The remnant is a small group faithful to God through whom God accomplishes mighty things. 

The Bible shows that God has always had a remnant of people who stayed faithful to him in the midst of apostasy and corruption.

Before the flood, Noah and his family were the remnant who stayed faithful to God when the entire world went astray. This 1-family remnant became a seed of the new world that spread over the entire earth. 

Abraham and his family were the remnant when the world was corrupted during the time of the Tower of Babel. They became the seed by whom the world was blessed with the truth righteousness by faith.

When Jesus came, only a remnant of people recognized he was the Messiah. Eventually this small group of disciples changed the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.

End Times Apostasy

There will be great apostasy at the end of the age. Jesus warned that false teachers and ministers would arise and deceive many people. Satanic miracles will operate within the church. Even the Antichrist will be within the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). 

In the midst of this terrible deception, God will have a remnant. The remnant is the bride of Christ. The Bible talks about the bride becoming holy and spotless before Jesus returns (Ephesians 5:27).

Characteristics of the Remnant

The remnant is faithful to God. They don’t succumb to peer pressure. When Jesus talked about eating his body and drinking his blood in John 6, everyone went away from him except a remnant of his closest disciples. The remnant trusts God and sticks with him, even when the going gets tough.

The remnant prepares. They are moved by God to get ready for an unseen future. They live prophetically, not according to the spirit of this age. Their lifestyle will only become understandable when certain events occur. Otherwise their lives do not make sense to the world. This is because they are preparing for a different reality. 

The remnant is patient. They wait for God’s word to be fulfilled. The crowd may go headlong into evil and foolishness, but the remnant will not go along with them because they are waiting for God to act.

Challenges Faced by the Remnant

When a person is part of the remnant, there are times he may be lonely. When Elijah stayed faithful to God in the face of persecution, he thought he was the only one left. He was sad and discouraged. But God told him there were 7,000 others who had not bowed down to Baal (Romans 11:2-4). Although many of God’s people worldwide think they are alone, God has people scattered all over the world who are seeking to follow his word and reject the vain religious traditions of people. 

The remnant will be persecuted. Obadiah once fed 100 prophets in a cave when Jezebel was trying to kill them (1 Kings 18:4). It’s not easy to be part of the remnant when the majority is convinced they are right and following God, but are actually following Satan.

The remnant will be unpopular. They won’t join the crowd. They may stand out. They are misfits. They may preach like Noah (2 Peter 2:5), but people don’t listen. Jesus preached and told people how to be saved, but they killed him. The remnant may have to endure misunderstandings and mocking. When Joshua and Caleb told God’s people to go boldly into the Promised Land, everyone else hated them and wanted to stone them. But this remnant of two people survived the wilderness and entered the Promised Land.

The remnant will face problems. The remnant who followed David was comprised of those who were in debt, in distress, and who were discontented (1 Samuel 22:1-2). These people faced problems, but these problems somehow turned them to God and his King. Problems can work good things out in our lives when we love God (Romans 8:28). Problems might even make us part of God’s remnant.

There are challenges of being a part of the remnant, but there are also many blessings.

Blessings for God’s Remnant

The remnant knows God. They are not dominated by Satan.

The remnant has a higher, eternal, meaningful purpose for their lives. They seek first God’s kingdom. They build his house (Haggai 1:12).

The remnant will get greater rewards from God (Ezekiel 48:11). They will have greater authority. They will survive (Isa. 37:31-32). They will be blessed (Jer. 39:10).

The remnant will increase and prosper (Mic. 2:12). They will multiply (Isa. 60:22).

The remnant will bless others (Ezra 9:8). They will receive the blessing of God first and become a means of blessing others (Jer. 40:11-12). 

God’s remnant preserves God’s work in the earth through the Holy Spirit. God has always had a remnant, and he has a remnant now. The remnant of God’s faithful people at the end of the age will be the most important remnant ever, for they will become the bride of Christ.