The “Remnant” in 2022
WHAT DOES THE REMNANT MEAN TO ME IN 2022? Americans may not agree on a lot of popular discussions in the “public square” in this Age. However, an observation most, if not all can agree upon is the quarrels in politics (elections), religion, social media (censorship), science (medicine) … indeed much more … appear to be unraveling at a fevered pace. With increases in revelations, many Americans have realized biases, agendas and even outright propaganda campaigns as symptoms of a deeper issue; one which is not given “air time,” but nevertheless is certainly becoming evident. As the reader continues here, it is hoped one conclusion amy become clearer. The chaos and these experiences of humanity are not new, but are a repeated pattern of our ancestors, with predictable results. And, this condition of humanity is prophesied by all of the Prophets, and detailed in Revelation.
That being said, a question about whether we all are witnessing the prophesied events in Revelation are taking place before our very eyes; and, are we a contributing part of the chaos and tribulations? If we are, what are we to do? Our Father ABBA’S Word (ABBA being the name Christ Jesus called His Father 60 times in the book of John alone; see BLOG POST “Knowing God’s Name”) does speak to this in great detail, and in a very clear manner. The following discussion is offered as a perspective for readers to consider, and then speak with the Holy Spirit about guiding them in all Truth. As a Beginning for this POST, the Prophet Isaiah prophesies ABBA’S Word in this way:
“1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be? 2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word. 3 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood[1]; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations. 4 So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.” 5 You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.” 6 Hear the uproar from the city; listen to the voice from the temple! It is the voice of the LORD, repaying His enemies what they deserve! Rejoice with Jerusalem 7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. 8 Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. 9 Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb[2]?” says your God. 10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her, 11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you may drink deeply and delight yourselves in her glorious abundance. 12 For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flowing stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm, and bounced upon her knees. 13 As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.” 14 When you see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, but His wrath will be shown to His enemies. Final Judgments against the Wicked 15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD. 17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD. 18 “And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory. 19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.” 21 “And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD. 22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me[3],” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 24 “As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, (e) and they will be a horror to all mankind.” (Is. 61.1-21
[1] [AUTHOR’S NOTES]: The rate of abortions in America in 2022 cannot be disregarded here, where ABBA has made this statement about pigs slaughtered.[2] A reference to a child born of water and Spirit: “4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (Jn. 3.4-13. KJV) [Emphasis added.][3] Clearly a reference to Revelation 21.1-3. A remnant is a left-over amount from a larger portion or piece, whether it is food, material from which a garment is fashioned, or even a group of people. Although remnants could be looked upon as worthless scraps, and many times are, God assigned high value to those of His people whom He had set aside for holy purposes, those He labels as “remnants” in several places in the Bible. To begin, in Isaiah 10 the story is told of the Lord’s judgment upon the Assyrians. In verse 12 God says, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.” He continues in verses 17-18: “The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briars. The splendor of his forests and fertile fields I will completely destroy, as when a sick man wastes away.”
God then relates how His people will turn back to Him as a result of this tremendous display of His strength—His utter destruction of most of Assyria: “In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God” (Isaiah 10: 20, 21). He goes on to assure the remaining Israelites that they need not fear the Assyrians, for soon He will destroy them.
There are other remnants—those left over from a larger group—in the Bible, even though the word remnant isn’t used to describe them. Noah and his family were the remnant saved out of the millions on the earth before the flood (Genesis 6). Only Lot and his two daughters survived the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, a very small remnant, indeed (Genesis 19). When Elijah despaired that he was the only one left in Israel who had not bowed down to idols, God assured him that He had reserved a remnant of 7,000 “whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him" (1 Kings 19).
God’s sovereign choice as to whom He will save and whom He will not can also be seen in the New Testament, as carried through from the Old Testament: “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out His sentence on earth with speed and finality’” (Romans 9: 27-28). This implies that great multitudes of the Israelites would be cast off. If only a remnant was to be saved, many must be lost, and this was just the point which Paul was endeavoring to establish. While the word remnant means “what is left,” particularly what may remain after a battle or a great calamity, in this verse, it means “a small part or portion.” Out of the great multitude of the Israelites, there will be so few left as to make it proper to say that it was a mere remnant.
Brown-Driver-Briggs (**) אַשּׁוּר ASSYRIA proper name, of a people & territory Asshur, Assyria (Assyrian Aššur, land & city DlPa 252 COT on Genesis 2:14; Persian Athura, Syriac ; on the connection with name of god Ašur, & with √ אשׁר = ישׁר good, gracious, compare COTl.c.; see also JenZA, 1886, 1 f. Schrib. 209 f. Nöib. 268 f. 1 Asshur as person, 2nd son of Shem Genesis 10:22 (P, in table of nations) 1 Chronicles 1:17. 2 people of Asshur (often as invading army & even world-power) Numbers 24:22,24 (poem of Balaam) Hosea 12:2; Hosea 14:4; Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 14:25; Isaiah 19:23 (twice in verse); Isaiah 19:24,25; Isaiah 23:13; Isaiah 30:31; Isaiah 31:8; Isaiah 52:4; Lamentations 5:6; Ezekiel 23:5; Ezekiel 27:23; Ezekiel 32:22 (here feminine) Zechariah 10:11; Psalm 83:9 perhaps read גְּשׁוּר, compare 2 Samuel 2:9 below אֲשׁוּרִי; or (if Psalm 83 be late) regard אַשּׁוּר (like עֲמָלֵק ib.) as used because of ancient significance; sometimes personified as one Isaiah 10:5; Ezekiel 31:3 (but strike out Co q. v.), compare also Micah 5:4; Micah 5:5; Zephaniah 2:13; ׳מַחֲנֵה א 2 Kings 19:32 = Isaiah 37:36; ׳בְּנֵי א Ezekiel 16:28; Ezekiel 23:7,9,12,23.[1] remnant is a left-over amount from a larger portion or piece, whether it is food, material from which a garment is fashioned, or even a group of people. Although remnants could be looked upon as worthless scraps, and many times are, God assigned high value to those of His people whom He had set aside for holy purposes, those He labels as “remnants” in several places in the Bible. To begin, in Isaiah 10 the story is told of the Lord’s judgment upon the Assyrians. In verse 12 God says, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.” He continues in verses 17-18: “The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briars. The splendor of his forests and fertile fields I will completely destroy, as when a sick man wastes away.”
May peace abide in your homes and lives. Grace is all. JT
