“to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance …” (Gen. 45:7, ACV)
In the Charismatic end-time teachings the concept “remnant” often arises. There is however no general consensus of what this term entails. For most movements it refers to the group who are preparing themselves for the rapture and the so-called great tribulation, for the three and a half years of the Antichrist’s reign on earth. The Believer’s Bible Commentary, for instance, spells it out as follows: “The faithful remnant of Tribulation saints will go in with Him to the marriage feast.” Also: “Those who endure to the end in times of persecution show by their perseverance that they are true believers … a faithful remnant …” Other perspectives link it specifically to the Jews who will turn to the Christian faith during this time: “We must remember that while unbelieving Israel will be fruitless forever, a remnant of the nation will return to the Messiah after the Rapture. They will bring forth fruit for Him during the Tribulation and during His Millennial Reign.” (Ibid.).
It is not important to spend time looking at the inaccurate articulations (have a look at the teaching of Day 351 as summary of the Biblical definition).
The word remnant is a translation from the Hebrew, of the word yether, “what is left over” (Deut. 3:11; 28:54; Joshua. 12:4, amongst others); or of the Hebrew word she’ār, which means: “the rest” (Ezra 3:8; Isa. 10:20-22; 11:16, Zeph. 1:4, amongst others). More often it comes from the word she’ērı̄th, which means “residue” (2 Kings 19:4 & 31; 2 Chr. 34:9; Ezra 9:14, and Isa. 14:30, amongst others).
From especially the last reference, and as foundation for its frequent use in the prophetic book Isaiah, this concept points to the the notion of “a holy seed”, a spiritual core which remains once the totality of the matter/object/thing is no longer present. It is mainly used as a term that refers to that which remains once a large group that carried the same seed, are now dead, removed, secularised, or whatever. They are an indication of the pure ideals surrounding God’s primary agenda which needs to be preserved at all costs. The first time that the word is used in the Bible is an important definition of how the concept is generally used in Scripture: “to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance” (Gen. 45:7), with Joseph speaking.
In Isa. 7:3 we read of the prophet Isaiah calling his son “Shear-Jashub”, which means “the remnant shall return”. Throughout the ages this promise runs like a golden thread – through the histories of the Old and the New Covenant, through the history of the living church of Acts over the last 2000 years. The remnant is the small group of believers within which God has poured out his Godly seed, and which they preserve in the absolute hope and faith that God’s master plan, which spans across centuries, is in the process of being fulfilled.
- Selah: Explain the concept “remnant” to someone.
- Read: 28-29; Matt. 8.
- Memorise: 8:12.
