Q: We see ourselves as God’s end-time remnant, but is there a remnant within the remnant formed by those who are truly faithful to God?
A: This question has been raised by some who believe that, in general, the church is not as spiritual as it should be and, therefore, that God has within it a group of faithful believers who constitute the true remnant. In response to this view, I will argue that it is based on a misunderstanding of the nature and role of the end-time remnant.
The End-Time Remnant as Final
In the Bible, God has always preserved a remnant through whom He fulfills His plans for the human race. But we also find what could be called a pattern of growth and rebellion. The small number, the remnant, multiplies and becomes a large group that, because of their persistent disobedience to God, is rejected by Him. Out of grace, God preserves a small remnant, and the whole process starts all over again. Apocalyptic prophecies break this vicious cycle, announcing the final triumph of God’s end-time remnant. In Revelation God’s remnant people are under attack from the outside and threatened with extinction, but God and the Lamb preserve them (Rev. 13:16-14:1). The whole world is deceived and led into rebellion and apostasy, but not the remnant (Rev. 13:8). Yes, the remnant will grow by calling God’s people who are still in Babylon to come out of it, but the large number will remain faithful to Christ and will be victorious (Rev. 17:14).
The Remnant is Historical and Visible
The suggestion that there is a remnant within the remnant implies that the true remnant is invisible. This goes against the apocalyptic picture of God’s end-time remnant as a visible entity, that is to say, it can be seen and identified by others. It is historical in the sense that it appeared after the fulfillment of the prophecy of the 1260 prophetic days in 1798 (Rev. 12:14, 17). Its visibility is guaranteed by the fact that the Bible provides a number of marks that characterizes the remnant and makes it recognizable. For instance, the remnant keep the commandments of God (verse 17); they have placed their faith in Jesus as Savior (Rev. 14:12); the Spirit of prophecy has been manifested among them (Rev. 12:17; cf. Rev. 19:10); they have the seal of God and of the Lamb on them (Rev. 14:1); and they persevere in their commitment to Jesus to the very end (verse 12). The visibility of the remnant is indispensable, as they intend to fulfill their mission. In order for those who come out of Babylon to join them, the end-time remnant people of God have to be a specific group of believers.
The Remnant and Truth
One of the most important characteristics of the remnant is that they have a message from God to the human race that is to be clearly proclaimed (Rev. 14:6-10). Revelation does not suggest that the remnant will depart from that message in an act of rebellion and apostasy. On the contrary, they will proclaim it to the whole world in preparation for the coming of Christ (verses 6-20). The challenge that the remnant will face comes from the outside, but there is also the possibility that some of them will not live up to the truth entrusted to them. They do not reject the truth they have received, but some of them could grow cold, and the Lord would remove them from among His end-time remnant (Rev. 3:15, 16). This indicates that the remnant itself will never be overcome by an apostasy that will require the Lord to raise a remnant from within the remnant.
