GOD'S PEOPLE ARE A REMNANT, AND IT'S LARGER AND MORE DIVERSE THAN YOU SUPPOSE.

Castaways at Strand by Polish painter Franciszek Ksawery Lampi

 

 I usually agree with Dr. J. Vernon McGee and with A. W. Tozer. However, there is one point I strongly disagree with them.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is telling God, repeatedly, that Israel killed all God's prophets, and that he alone is left. (Never mind that a guy named Obadiah hid and fed 100 prophets.) God tells Elijah that there are 7,000 in Israel who have not bowed to Baal or kissed his image.

In listening to McGee, he comments that the 7,000 didn't do much for Elijah. (He admits in his printed notes he wasn't kind to the remnant.) Likewise, Tozer said that if the 7,000 were doing what they should be, Israel would not be in apostasy.

In the text, are these two gentlemen accurate? I don't think so. These men were faithful to God. There is no indication that they were called to anything more than that. They were presented as evidence to Elijah he wasn't alone.

Should the remnant have done more for Elijah? How could they? 1 Kings 17 states God had Elijah hide, first by a brook where he was fed by ravens, and then in Queen Jezebel's homeland eating cakes with a widow and her son. Could they have stood with Elijah at Mount Carmel? Did they need to? Nope.

Let's look at how the term "The Remnant" is used in Scripture. The KJV uses that term 89 times, 83 of those being in the Old Testament. It's used 25 times in the historical and poetic books, usually from the Hebrew word yathar, referring to a residue. In other words, we're talking about leftovers, about an excess.

If you're good at math, you'll guess that the remaining 57 times appear in the prophets, and you'll be right. Isaiah and Jeremiah use that term 16 times each. The prophets, though, are using the related words shear and sheriph. These reflect a residue, those who escaped, survivors.  Kind of like the castaways in the painting above.

So let me return to the title of today's blog. "God's people are a remnant, and it's larger and more diverse than you suppose." Who am I quoting? Myself. If someone wants to create a meme and quote me, go for it! But let's break down what I'm saying. 

First, I'm saying we're a remnant. Yes, the remnant is a numberless multitude (Rev. 7:9-17), but it's still a remnant. Leftovers. The survivors. A minority movement. 7,000 people weren't a lot. Not everyone who calls Jesus Lord will be in the kingdom (Mt. 7:21-23). 

I remember a Church of Christ radio preacher who said, "Do I believe the Church of Christ is the only ones who will be saved? No. I believe we're the only ones who have hope of being saved! One in a thousand will get in." He's echoing my point - it's not the professors but the possessors. The true church is a remnant.

My second point is that the remnant, though small, is not as small as we think it will be. If Elijah listened to Obadiah, he would have realized there was a remnant of 100, not 1 (that one being Elijah). But God revealed that remnant was 70 times larger than Obadiah's estimate. God is the one who reserves the remnant.

One controversial book I've read is The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church by Marv Rosenthal. There's a lot of what he said that can be questioned, but one thing he said rang true. When John saw the numberless multitude (again, Rev. 7:9-17), one of the elders asked who they were. Rosenthal pointed out that John did a lot of question asking in Revelation, but this is the only time John was asked a question. Rosenthal's interpretation is that this numberless multitude is the Church from Pentecost to the end, and showing John the end result of the small, persecuted band John lived with.

The remnant, I believe, will also include those that we're not expecting. Revelation says it will include all nations, and thus obviously all races. The Church of Christ radio preacher is probably astonished as he sees he's in heaven with a whole batch of people who aren't in the Church of Christ. Calvinists, there will be Arminians among the Remnant. God can save whoever He wants - He's not limited to your theology and biases.

So allow me to conclude that when you feel isolated, you're not alone in feeling isolated, and you're not alone as being a member of the remnant. God has reserved many you aren't aware of. Peter says the same thing in 1 Peter 5:9.

But now, I'll mark the calendar when Ignescent, a band I recently reviewed, hits Indianapolis in a couple of months on their Remnant Tour!