I. Introduction.
Until the present eschatological controversy, prophetic writers were in general
agreement on the existence, the nature, the mission and the preservation of a remnant of Israel during the tribulation period. At the present time the doctrine of the remnant is being attacked by the amillennialist, who can not admit the existence of the remnant, since he affirms the church is fulfilling the covenants and no further fulfillment is possible. It is also being attacked by the posttribulation rapturist, who can not admit the existence of the remnant, for he affirms that the church is going through the tribulation so it will be the witnessing remnant. Although for different reasons, the amillennialist and the posttribulation rapturist join hands in attacking this doctrine.
II. Details.
A. The necessity of a remnant. The existence of a remnant in the last days is
inextricably tied in with the covenants which God made with the nation Israel. Since these covenants were unconditional, their very nature demands the existence of a remnant to whom and through whom these covenants can be fulfilled.
1. The Abrahamic covenant. This covenant made by God with Abraham is basic to the whole prophetic question. Stated and confirmed unconditionally by God (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:4-21; 17:1-8; 22:17-18), promises are made by Him to give to Abraham a land, a seed, and a blessing, which would be universal and eternal. This covenant, then, necessitates a remnant to be that promised seed, who can occupy the land given that seed and through whom the promised blessing may come.
2. The Land covenant. This covenant established by God (Deut. 30:1-9; Jer.
32:36-44; Ezek. 11:16-21; 36:21-38) gives the basis on which Israel will occupy the land which was first given Abraham’s seed in the Abrahamic covenant. This covenant makes the existence of a remnant imperative to receive the promised inheritance of the land.
3. The Davidic covenant. This covenant, likewise unconditionally affirmed by God (2 Sam. 7:10-16; Jer. 33:20-21; Ps. 89), promises a king, a kingdom, and a throne to the seed of Abraham. This covenant promises an everlasting earthly kingdom over which David’s son should reign. This covenant, likewise, makes necessary a remnant to whom the promises of the Davidic covenant can be fulfilled.
4. The new covenant. The fourth covenant, unconditionally affirmed by God with Israel (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 16:60; Isa. 59: 20-21; Hos. 2:14-23), promises Israel’s restoration as a nation, the forgiveness of her sins, the cleansing of her heart, and the implantation of a new heart on the basis of regeneration. In order for these promises to be fulfilled, which are necessary before the fulfillment of the promises contained in the other covenants can be fully fulfilled, there must be a remnant of the nation continuing with whom God can fulfill His word.
5. The character of God. Since God has made these solemn promises to the nation Israel the very character of God is at stake in their fulfillment. God would be proved a liar if that which He promised is not fulfilled as promised. The integrity of God, then, makes the existence of a remnant necessary.
B. The remnant in Israel’s history. Even a casual survey of Israel’s recorded history will establish the principle that God dealt with a believing remnant within the nation. Caleb and Joshua (Num. 13—14), Deborah and Barak (Judges 4), Gideon (Judges 7), Samson (Judges 13—17), Samuel (1 Sam. 2), the Levites in Jeroboam’s day (2 Chron. 11:14-16), Asa (2 Chron. 15:9), the seven thousand faithful ones in the days of Elijah (1 Kings 19:18) all illustrate this point.
1. Concerning the existence of the remnant during Israel’s early history: “The Lord had a remnant, faithful remnant, among His people even at the time
of their great apostasy. This is the thought and argument here. The apostasy of
Israel is never a complete apostasy. The Lord has always a remnant faithful to Him and the covenants among them.”
2. God preserved for Himself a faithful, believing, witnessing remnant in times of apostasy, persecution, and indifference.
C. The remnant in the prophets. It would be impossible to cite all the references to the remnant in the prophetic books. A few passages will be cited to show that such a subject is a main line of prophetic revelation. Isaiah speaks of it in 1:9; 4:3-4; 6:12-13; 10:21; 26:20; 49:6; 51:1; 65:13-14. Entire chapters, such as twenty-six, thirty-three, thirty-five, and sixty-five, are devoted to it. Jeremiah follows the same theme in passages such as Jeremiah 15:11; 33:25-26, and 44:28. The entire passage in chapters thirty through thirty-three is based upon the existence of the remnant. Ezekiel takes up the theme in such references as 14:22; 20:34-38; 37:21-22. It appears again in the other prophets: Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11-15; Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 3:16-17. These references justify the conclusion of Darby, who says: “I have gone through these prophecies that the reader may clearly see that the doctrine of a Jewish remnant is not a matter of speculation, or of the interpretation of some difficult or obscure text; but the clear, consistent, impressive, and prominent testimony of the Spirit of God.”
D. The remnant in the New Testament.
1. In the New Testament there is a believing and expecting nucleus to whom the promises of the Old Testament are reaffirmed. Such were Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:6), John the Baptist (Luke 3), Mary and Joseph (Luke 1 and Matt. 1—2), Simeon (Luke 2:25), and the Disciples. These constitute a remnant within the remnant of Israel, a believing group within the spared nation. The Lord’s earthly ministry, from the time of His presentation by John until His rejection by the nation, was confirmed to that nation alone. The kingdom offered by John, by Christ, by the twelve, and by the seventy witnesses sent out by Him was to Israel only. The principle must be observed that God was dealing throughout Christ’s earthly life with the remnant that existed then.
2. From the time of Christ’s rejection by Israel until the time when God deals
specifically with Israel again in the seventieth week it is not possible to refer to a remnant of the nation Israel. In the body of Christ all national distinctions disappear. All Jews who are saved are not saved into a national relationship, but into a relationship to Christ in that body of believers. Therefore there is no continuing remnant of Israel with whom God is particularly dealing today.
3. Some have argued on the basis of Romans 11:5, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace,” that the church becomes the remnant and will be the witness in and through whom the promises of God are fulfilled to a “spiritual” Israel. The contrasts between the church and Israel, the concept of the church as a mystery, the distinctive relationship of the church to Christ, and the specified purpose for the church all make such an interpretation impossible. The New Testament expectation, then, is that: “there is yet to be a Jewish remnant, a strong and mighty witness that God hath not cast away His people. This future remnant of believing Hebrews will be called as soon as the church is complete and removed from the earth. This remnant to be called through Grace corresponds to the remnant at the beginning of this age.”
E. The remnant in Revelation. Paul declares clearly in Romans 11:25 that the
blindness of Israel is a temporary blindness. Because that nation is now blinded, God can not have a remnant within the nation with whom the covenants will be fulfilled. In Romans 11:26-27 it is stated: “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” Paul has previously declared (Rom. 9:6) that God is not numbering all the physical seed of Abraham as descendants, but that the promises are to those who are in faith. Thus we understand the “all Israel” in Romans 11:26 to refer to this believing remnant, the believing Jews at the second advent of Christ. The prophetic book of the New Testament presents a development and conclusion to the line of teaching concerning the remnant.
1.The existence of the remnant. When Satan is cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:13) and desires to pour out vengeance on that group with whom God is particularly dealing, since the church is not on earth, he attacks the nation Israel. It becomes necessary for this nation, regathered in unbelief back to the land (Ezek. 37:8), to flee for preservation from the Satanic attack (Rev. 12:13-17). Thus, we see that such a remnant does exist in the tribulation period. It is this remnant that God is preparing for the fulfillment of all Israel’s covenants and promises.
2. The status of this remnant.
a. When the nation Israel is brought back into her land after the rapture by the covenant enacted by the head of the Revived Roman Empire (Dan. 9:27) Israel is still in unbelief. God, however, is very definitely dealing with that nation to bring it to salvation. The whole seventieth week of Daniel is a period of preparation for the coming of the King. The gospel of the kingdom, which necessitates repentance, is being preached. There is a reception of this message. God uses many different means to bring “all Israel” to salvation during the seventieth week. The Word of God is available and may be used so that those Jews who are hungering and thirsting may search that Word for a knowledge of Christ. The Holy Spirit, while not indwelling a temple as He did in this age, is nevertheless operative and will do a work of convicting and enlightening. Signs will be given to point Israel to a knowledge of Christ. Such a sign is the destruction of the king of the north (Ezek. 39:21-29).
b. There will be the ministry of the 144,000 sealed of Israel (Rev. 7) and the ministry of the two witnesses (Rev. 11), all with the intent of bringing the nation to repentance and salvation. The outpouring of the wrath of God is seen to be for the purpose of bringing men to repentance (Rev. 16:9-10). While the majority will not repent, some may be turned to Christ by these signs. It would be concluded, then, that the nation, unsaved at the beginning of the
tribulation, receives a multitude of witnesses of various kinds so that the individuals are experiencing salvation through the period and the nation will be saved finally at the second advent (Rom. 11:26-27). The fact that the brethren, referred to in Revelation 12:10-11, overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony indicates that many will be saved during the tribulation period.
3. The means of salvation of the remnant. The difficult question raised by this Dispensational doctrine is obviously this, “How does this great body of redeemed ones come into being?” According to Darby and Scofield the entire church has then been raptured, the Holy Spirit, whom they hold to be the one “that restraineth” (2 Thess. 2:6), has been taken away. How then will the saints of the tribulation period be saved?
a. This question has been considered in detail previously. Suffice it to say here that it is concluded that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit and that He will be taken away, yet it must be recognized that the Spirit is omnipresent. He will cease His particular ministry of indwelling the body of Christ, but that does not mean He will be inoperative. Before Pentecost the Lord told Nicodemus that a man must be born again by the Spirit (John 3:5-6). If a person could experience a new birth before the Holy Spirit began to indwell the body, certainly one could after He ceases that particular ministry. It should be noted that the indwelling ministry is related to the enablement of believers in their Christian walk, not to the method or means of salvation.
b. Matthew 24:14 makes it clear that the gospel being preached will be the “gospel of the kingdom.” What is often ignored is the fact that in John’s proclamation of the “gospel of the kingdom” there were two distinct facets of his message: “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2), and “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Revelation makes it clear that the salvation is through the blood of the lamb.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony: and they loved not their lives unto death [Rev. 12:11]. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb [Rev. 7:14].”
c. It may be that the word of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:8 gives an indication of the
sovereignty of God in the salvation of the remnant during the tribulation period. The conversion of Saul may be suggestive of much that will take place after the rapture of the saints when the Lord Jesus comes for His own who are in this world. The blindness and hatred which Saul held for the church of God, which was evidenced by his persecution of it, came to an end after the Lord had returned to heaven. The conversion of Saul resulted in his going forth as a flaming evangelist with the gospel seeking to reach all whom he could reach with the gospel. Such will be the position taken by the apostles of the gospel of the seventieth week of Daniel (The Tribulation).
d. Thus, as God sovereignly called the Apostle Paul by a divine revelation, so may he call those who will be His witnesses for that period.
4. The ministry of the remnant. It is obvious from Revelation 12:11, 17 that this
believing remnant holds the position of a witnessing body during the tribulation period. The particular animosity of Satan is due to the fact that they “have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). The Old Testament pictures Israel as the witness for God to the nations of the earth. Israel was unfaithful to this ministry. God will raise up a faithful witness during the tribulation to fulfill this original purpose for this nation.
5. The relation of the 144,000 to the remnant.
a. In considering the Old Testament prophecies it was noted that God has a remnant within the remnant of the nation. It is believed that the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14 constitute a special part of the remnant of Israel, set apart by a sovereign act of God, to be special witness during the tribulation period.
b. Several considerations are important here. The first is as to whether the 144,000 are literal or figurative. Some have held that this was a representative number to symbolize an innumerable host of Israel saved during the tribulation. These must be viewed as a separate company.
c. It would seem to be better to conclude, “To lose sight of a literal Israel here is to throw a pall of darkness over the whole subject,” and again, “In this sealed company from the twelve tribes Israel is, whatever may be said to the contrary, plainly and literally before us.” And since Israel is literal here and the tribes are literal, it would seem best to take the numbers literally also.
d. If these 144,000 are seen to be only a part of the total remnant, the comparative smallness of the number, when compared with the number of saved Gentiles (Rev. 7:9), creates no problem. And, if God is setting these apart as sovereignly appointed witnesses, why should there not be a specific number appointed?
e. It is to be noted that the remnant of Romans 11:26 is not converted until the
second advent of Christ and the 144,000 are ministering as sealed witnesses
immediately after the church has been raptured. It would thus seem that the 144,000 are a part of the remnant of Israel, but not the entire remnant itself. It may be that Paul was likening himself to one of these witnesses when he speaks of himself as “one born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8). Scofield remarks:
“before the due time.” Paul thinks of himself here as an Israelite whose time to be born again had not come, nationally (cf. Mt. 23:39), so that his conversion by the appearing of the Lord in glory (Acts 9:3-6) was an illustration, or instance before the time, of the future national conversion of Israel. See Ezek. 20:35-38; Hos. 2:14-17; Zech. 12:10—13:6; Rom. 11:25-27.”
f. They are the set-apart witnesses of whom Paul was the prototype. And as there were specifically numbered groups who were sent out as witnesses during the Lord’s ministry (the twelve and the seventy), there will be a specifically designated group appointed here also. The question arises as to whether the 144,000 of Revelation seven and fourteen are the same group. There are some commentators that hold that they are different.
(1) Of the group in chapter fourteen, a remnant, not merely sealed as the servants of God (like a similar band out of the twelve tribes of Israel in chapter 7), but are brought into association with the Lamb in Zion, that is, with God’s royal purpose in grace. These seem to be sufferers of Judah, who pass through unequalled tribulation, which it is not said that the other remnant do.
(2) This inference is that since these stand on Mt. Zion they must be from the tribe of Judah. These in chapter fourteen have been through the tribulation and those in chapter seven have not.
(a) It is commonly held that those in chapter seven are on earth and these in heaven, making Mt. Zion the heavenly city New Jerusalem.
(b) Those in chapter fourteen are said to be identified with the Lamb and those in chapter seven are not.
(c) Those in chapter seven are “sealed” but those in chapter fourteen have “the Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
(d) The time of the appearance of the two, it is argued, is different. However, there is nothing decisive in any of these arguments. There is no proof given that those in chapter fourteen are from Judah. Since Mt. Zion is best taken as literal Zion these need not be from Judah.
(e) Further, those in chapter fourteen need not be placed in heaven. The “Father’s name” in chapter fourteen may be simply a further explanation of what the seal of chapter seven was.
(f) Inasmuch as it is necessary to spiritualize certain things in the two chapters to make them two separate groups, and a literal interpretation would make them identical, it seems best to view them as being the same.
(g) In chapter seven the 144,000 are sealed by God, set apart to a special ministry, before the great tribulation begins. They seem to be sealed at the very outset of the tribulation period. In all probability the multitude of Gentiles, described in the passage that follows (Rev. 7:9-17), has come to a knowledge of salvation through the ministry of this group. In chapter fourteen the same group is pictured at the termination of the tribulation, when the kingdom is established. The returning King is on Mt. Zion, as was predicted of Him (Zech. 14:4). At His return the faithful witnesses gather unto Him, having been redeemed (Rev. 14:4) and having faithfully witnessed in the midst of
apostasy (Rev. 14:4-5). They are called “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (Rev. 14:4), that is, they are the first of the harvest of the tribulation period that will come into the millennium to populate the millennial earth. As the judgments are about to be poured out upon Babylon (Rev. 14:8), upon the Beast (Rev. 14:9-12), upon the Gentiles (Rev. 14:14-17), and upon unbelieving Israel (Rev. 14:18-20), these 144,000 are viewed as being preserved through all that the earth experiences so that they may be the firstfruits of that period.
(h) In summary, it seems both natural and reasonable to find in this company of one hundred and forty-four thousand—now come off more than conquerors and standing, translated and glorified. The company of the same number introduced in chapter 7, a selected company from all the tribes of Israel, sealed in their foreheads with the “seal of the living God” and as His “servants.” It was as special standard-bearers of the faith beginning with the era of the seventh seal that these Israelites were seen to be commissioned. Now, in the fourteenth chapter, this company, it would seem, is presented again in the enjoyment of the reward and commendations which will be theirs after their course has been finished. It is noteworthy that not one of the number is seen to have failed. As we can see through this discussion of the 144,000, will be saved “through the Tribulation,” but believers in Christ on earth, prior to the Rapture, will be saved “from the Tribulation” (Revelation 3:10).
6. The destiny of the remnant. Speaking of those brought to the Lord through the ministry of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:15-16, John writes:
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in
his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light
on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. They are seen “before the throne” (Rev. 14:3). Thus the destiny of this remnant is the kingdom over which Christ will rule from the “throne of David.” These promises are not heavenly, but earthly, and will be fulfilled in the millennium.
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