Who is the remnant Church?

Which Christian Church is the right one?

The book of Revelation speaks of the end times and the true people of God, a Remnant Church which Satan will make war against. Satan will come against the remnant Church with everything and anyone he can use. Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon [Satan] was wroth with the woman [Church], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” It grieves me to say that Satan has used even Christians to do this and has been so successful over the centuries that we find that what is popular is not always truth and what is truth is not always popular.

Revelation also speaks of the reward awaiting the remnant. Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” This verse tells us clearly that if we are around at the end of time, then if we want to be saved, we must be part of this remnant. The questions then are, what is a remnant, how do you become part of it, how do we identify who the remnant Church is or which Churches are part of the remnant if it is not just one particular denomination?

What is a remnant?

A remnant is a small piece of something left over from the original. It is identical to the original, but in a smaller proportion. When someone is sewing and makes clothes out of a large piece of cloth, the small left over material is called the remnant.

When the Bible speaks of the remnant Church, it likewise is referring to a small proportion of God’s people at the end of time who have clung to the unadulterated belief system, faith and doctrines of the early Christian Church. This Church will be comprised of people who have not allowed pagan ideas, days or idols to have been introduced into their belief system as it has unbeknown to many Churches.

Is this remnant Church many groups?

Perhaps the best place to start to define what the remnant is, would be to look at the original Church of Acts while the faith was still pure and untainted, then compare it with the Churches and doctrines that we see today, and then find a contemporary Church or group of believers who most closely resemble the early believers of the original Church in their actions, beliefs and lifestyles.

The birth of the Christian Church.

During His lifetime Jesus had many faithful followers. After His resurrection we read of the account where 120 of His followers were meeting together in the upper room, joined in one accord in prayer.

That day over 3000 Jews believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and were added to the faith, and thus began the Christian Church. Peter spoke to the crowd present there that day and what he said related to not only the very beginning of the Church, but also described the remnant Church that would be there at the very end of time, just before Jesus returned. He said,

We are then told about some of the attributes and actions of the early Church. Acts 2:42-47 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.”

The Bible also describes the outward changes that had occurred to the apostles. Once they were baptized with the Holy Spirit they were given boldness to proclaim that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

What do these verses tell us about the early Church? It shows that they were a Holy Spirit driven people. They were on fire for God. Many miraculous healings were done as a sign to the people that these men were empowered by the true God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, but the most important attribute they had, was that they were following the great commission that Jesus gave them, to go into all the world and preach the gospel of Christ. They were a mission driven Church, whose priority was to reach as many people as possible with the saving message of Jesus. They were also generous stewards, making sure that no one in their midst was left in need. They worked as a team, caring and nurturing each other as they all went forward with one accord. They believed in the Father, Son and their Holy Spirit as the Godhead but not the trinity which is a word that originated from Tertullian and a doctrine established in the council of Nicea in 325 AD. They fellowshipped with each other, breaking bread daily and worshipped in the synagogues each seventh day Sabbath staying faithful to the fourth Commandment of God to ‘Remember the Sabbath.’

In the early Church we saw the transition spoken of by Jesus, of those ordained to be called God’s chosen people. Whereas the Jews had previously been given the privilege of being God’s representative nation on earth, many of them failed in their duty of recognizing the Messiah whom God sent to them. Even though the coming of Jesus was spelt out in so many Old Testament scriptures and prophecies, the majority of the Jewish nation, and specifically the Jewish leaders, rejected Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and hence lost the right to be called God’s chosen people. Instead this privilege was given to anyone who chose to follow Jesus.

This next scripture shows clearly that of all the children of Israel only a remnant would be true to God and be saved. Only those who chose to follow God and His son, when Israel as a nation officially rejected Him, just before the stoning of Stephan, retained the right to be called God’s people.

Romans 9:26-27 “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”

Jesus had prophesied about this transition. At the beginning of His ministry Jesus had referred to the temple as ‘My Fathers house’, but just before His death He spoke of it as their (the Jews) house, which would be left desolate. Mathew 23:37-39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus also made it clear that the kingdom would be given to those who demonstrated the true fruits of the Spirit and believed in Him. Matthew 21:42-46 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.” Daniel’s Prophecy of weeks explains how and when this occurred.

In his letter to the Roman Church Paul further clarified this transition. Romans 9:6-9 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.” The children of the promise were now those who believed in, and relied upon Jesus as their Saviour and redeemer.

This was made even clearer again in his letter to the Galatian Church. Galatians 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Paul sheds more light with this verse also. Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Acts 28:28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”

Just as only a remnant of the Jewish nation accepted Christ and became part of the true early Church, this same theme is prophesied to occur at the end of time. Even though there will be a vast number of people who profess to be God’s people (Christians), only a remnant – the ones who truly love God and obey His Commandments in the way He ordained, will be saved. Only those who have not let their belief system be influenced and adulterated by the pollution of pagan beliefs will find their place to eat from the tree of life.

God will call His people out of Babylon

At the end of time God will call His faithful people out of Babylon (the apostate Christian Churches) and into His remnant Church. Revelation 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” This shows us clearly that at the present time there are many of God’s true people in the wrong Churches, due to ignorance, which God will illuminate with the truth and draw out in the last days. Specifically Babylon refers to an apostate (non-Biblically based) system, which does not follow all the Commandments of God. Sin is the transgression of the law, and Churches who teach that only eight or nine of the Commandments are relevant are teaching their children to sin. One Christian denomination removed the second Commandment relating to idol worship from their official list of the Commandments, and changed the fourth Commandment to Sunday in favour of the pagan Sun worship day. God commanded that His special Holy day of worship should be the seventh day, which is a SIGN that it is God we worship and in honour of His wondrous works of creating the world in six days. This Christian denomination claims that their authority overrides that of the scriptures and promotes the fact that they changed the Sabbath to Sunday and all the other Churches followed their decree as proof of their power. Many other denominations, which stemmed from protestant revolt against this apostate Church in the dark ages, claim to use the scriptures as their only source of doctrine but still omit to fulfil this belief, as they do not uphold God’s original Holy day of worship, but continue on keeping only nine of the Commandments. Sunday keeping has become such a tradition, that the people in many Churches have blinkers on and are ignorant of the fact that they are breaking one of God’s Holy laws. Bible prophecy tells us that at the end of time, God will shine forth the truth of His word and His Commandments to these Churches and those who love Him enough to keep His Commandments in the way He ordained, will be drawn out of these apostate systems and become part of the remnant Church, the true chosen people of God. Revelation describes the two opposing sides at the end, Babylon (the apostate Church) or in other passages referred to as a harlot woman riding a beast, and the true Church which is depicted as a woman in white. Those in Babylon get the mark of the beast and those in the remnant get the seal of God. There are no other categories, at the end of time everyone on the whole earth will be in one group or the other, which is why it is so important to find out how to become part of the true remnant and avoid the wrath of God.

Will the remnant Church be persecuted?

The early Church faced much opposition and persecution. 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the Churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”

Revelation shows that the remnant Church will also be persecuted, ostracized and killed for holding firm to their belief in their heavenly father as being the creator of heaven and earth and for obeying His Commandments. Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 20:14 “Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

Revelation also speaks of those who will endure through the persecutions, standing steadfast in their faith and not bowing down to the pressures, torture and some even unto death. Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

John had previously written advice on how to overcome the world, and it ties in neatly with Revelation. 1 John 5:3-9 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments: and his Commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” This plainly demonstrates that obeying God’s Commandments and having faith in Jesus as our redeemer, with the knowledge and assurance that He has given us eternal life through His great sacrifice is what will give us the strength to endure through the terrible time of persecution.

What are the characteristics of God’s remnant people?

It is clear from the verses in 1 John and Revelation that the remnant people will be obeying all of the Ten Commandments, just as the early Church did. This includes keeping the seventh day Holy as God ordained, and not the first day which is a man-made tradition. No man or Church has the authority to tamper with and change God’s law, and Jesus made it abundantly clear that not ‘one jot or tittle’ (equivalent to the dotting of an “i” or the crossing of a “t”) would in any way pass from the law. Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Paul spoke clearly about the type of lifestyle that Christians should be living, fleeing unrighteousness, or in other words obeying the Ten Commandments. He also spoke of how we should look after our earthly bodies, because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul himself would have followed all of the health laws in relation to clean and unclean (healthy and unhealthy) foods which God had given to Moses for the benefit of mankind.

Revelation tells us that in the end times there will be again a huge outpouring of the Holy Spirit and our ‘sons and daughters’ will prophecy. The message of the gospel will be taken to all the world. Revelation specifically speaks of three Angel’s messages that will be announced to the entire planet. Angels symbolise messengers and in fact the Greek word αγγελος (angelos) translates to both angel and messenger. These messages read as follows:

There is obviously not going to be three literal angels flying around the skies proclaiming these messages in the end time so it must be surmised that this is going to be done by God’s end time remnant. The remnant Church and three angelsThis might or might not be so, but in either case this could be one distinguishing factor in identifying the remnant Church. It has been found that there is one denomination who is active in proclaiming and teaching these messages and has a Satellite TV channel called 3 Angels Broadcasting Network and seems to be teaching solid Biblical doctrine with no pagan influence. This may be part of a fulfilment of prophecy.

If these messages are to be given by God’s remnant Church, then they would also need to have a complete understanding of what the prophetic meaning of Babylon, beasts, the mark of the beast and the other prophetic symbols used in Revelation and Daniel mean. It would have to also interpret Bible prophecy according to the scriptures method of interpretation Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” which is to use the Bible to interpret itself by lining up all of the prophecies which speak of the same things and putting all the jigsaw pieces together to get the complete interpretation, and not by giving private interpretations. 2 Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” Many Churches have private interpretations of prophecy but this is not needed or allowed. Where does it say that the Mark of the Beast will be a computer chip? It doesn’t. This is a private interpretation. The Church who actively preaches the three angels messages must understand and preach who the beast is, and what their mark is. Select for more information on the mark of the beast or what is the mark of the beast for the origin of 666 also.

The prophecies of Daniel foretell that at the end of time extra light (understanding of prophecies) will be given. Daniel 12:4 “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” This clearly shows that another characteristic of the remnant is that they have a good understanding of Bible prophecy.

What is the Testimony of Jesus?

Revelation shows us that the remnant Church will follow the Ten Commandments and have the testimony of Jesus. What does this mean?

It needs to be noted that this says the testimony of Jesus and not the testimony about Jesus. Therefore it is speaking of the words of Jesus and not what people have spoken about Him.

Jesus tells us clearly that He was sent to earth by God. John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” He also made it apparent that He was obeying God’s will John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” and that in the hierarchy of the Godhead He was beneath and subordinate to God the Father. John 13:16 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” He reiterated again that God the Father was greater than Jesus the son. John 14:28 “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”

Also the Bible shows us that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy, which fits perfectly because a prophet is one who speaks on behalf of God, and everything that Jesus spoke revealed His Father to us. Revelation 19:10 “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Jesus told us that He was speaking the words that the Father gave Him to speak. John 12:50 “And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”

What did Jesus come to tell us?

Jesus came to tell us about the road to salvation. John 3:5-7 “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.”

He came to show us that He was the only way (gate) to the Father. John 3:14-17 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Jesus also told us that He had not come to destroy the law of God, but rather to show us the perfect example of how to keep it, and not only that, but to also magnify it. Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

The Old Testament always informs us through the prophets what changes are coming in the future and the following scripture gives us confirmation of this. Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” So what did the prophets say would be done in regards to the Ten Commandments? It was prophesied that Jesus would Magnify the law and make it Honourable. This is certainly quite to the contrary that some are teaching today in that the law has ended. Isaiah 42:21 “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.”

He then went on to give examples of how the law would be magnified according to Isaiah 42:21. Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

This shows plainly that Jesus intended that all who followed Him would keep all of the Ten Commandments of God, which again fits perfectly with the verses in Revelation that show that the remnant Church will follow the Commandments and have the testimony of Jesus.

Jesus also showed us that it is not what we say, but rather what we do, our fruits, that matter, because if we really love and honour Him we will be obedient to Him. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” These are sobering verses, because Jesus is talking about Christians. Some will proclaim Him as their Lord, and even claim to do miracles in His name, but because they don’t love Him enough to obey Him and follow His Commandments, they will not be saved.

The remnant Church will not only believe wholeheartedly in the truths of the words that Jesus spoke, but will also be endowed with members who will also prophesy and speak for God. Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”

In Old Testament times we see many examples of where God sent a prophet to His people to try to get them back on track just before a major event. Noah prophesied for 120 years before God sent the flood. Jonah prophesied to Nineveh, which successfully turned their hearts back to God and prevented their eminent destruction. John the Baptist prophesied in the wilderness about the coming Messiah and at the end of time the remnant will prophesy to all the world in an effort to get people back on track in preparation for the second coming of Jesus.

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away.” The testimony of Jesus Christ is the words that he spoke and the message He gave us from the Father that will always exist to guide His people to eternal life.

What other doctrines will the remnant follow?

Just as the early Church based their doctrines solely on the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus, so too will the remnant Church rely upon these sources to test all doctrine against, to make sure it is correct.

Many Christians are oblivious to the fact that some of the belief system in modern Christian Churches actually stems from pagan traditions and beliefs rather than from the Word of God. Following are some examples of what the original Christian Church knew to be correct from their understanding of the Old Testament and from the teachings of Jesus. Many of these truths have been lost in modern Churches, but when God calls His people out of Babylon (apostasy) they will again grasp hold of these lost truths and follow God’s Word earnestly.

1.    The early believers knew that when they died, they would sleep until the resurrection to life at the second coming of Jesus.

The idea that when we die people go either straight to heaven or straight to Hell is not biblically founded. Take note of what Jesus said about his friend Lazarus who had died? John 11:11-14 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”

Jesus clearly demonstrated that the dead sleep. If Lazarus had gone straight to heaven Jesus would have told the disciples that he was in heaven with the Father. After Jesus raised Lazarus, nobody asked Lazarus “What was it like in heaven? Tell us about it.” No one needed to, because it was the common belief of the day that when someone died they slept until the resurrection at the last day.

This is illustrated in the Old Testament in Psalms where we are told that when we die our thoughts perish Psalms 146:4 “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

Job also made it clear that we return to dust and are no more until the resurrection Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”

The scriptures also show that we will not rise again until Jesus returns when (the heavens are no more) Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”

Paul reinforced and clarified that this was his understanding 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

The common misconception of many Christians today is that when they die they go directly to heaven, even though the Day of Judgment has not even occurred yet. They visualize the dead Christians in heaven with the angels praising God, but the Bible makes it clear that the dead cannot praise God, their thoughts have perished and they are asleep. Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”

It is clear that the Bible writers all understood that the state of the dead is like being asleep only to be awakened seemingly the moment after they closed their eyes at the final trumpet when Jesus returns on the day of redemption. 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Job made it clear that we return to dust and are no more until the resurrection Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”

Some disregard all the other scriptures showing the state of the dead in favour of a mispunctuated verse. When Jesus was dying on the cross the crucified thief right next to Him said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” The interpretation of Jesus’ response depends upon where you place a tiny particle called a comma. The fact is, commas are not inspired, but were added over a thousand years later, along with chapters and verses. Did Jesus Christ say, “I say to you, to day you will be with Me in paradise” or, “I say to you today, you will be with Me in paradise” Firstly, Jesus didn’t go to Paradise that day. He went to the tomb. Also, crucifixion is very cruel and it normally takes several days to die and so the thief did not die that day which is why they broke his legs. When they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Right after His resurrection on Sunday morning, Jesus said to Mary, “I have not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20:17. Thus on Sunday, Jesus had not yet ascended to Paradise. Paradise is in heaven where God and the tree of life are. Jesus would not contradict Himself or the rest of the Bible. He said previously that believers go to Heaven “on the last day” when He “comes again.”

The remnant Church will have this Bible truth revealed to them, and will choose to believe the Word of God, over the ‘traditional teachings’ of modern Churches. Select for more detailed information on what happens when you die.

2.    Hell-fire is an event and not a place. The Bible writers believed that the wicked would be raised at the second resurrection, also known as the resurrection to damnation, which occurs 1000 years after the resurrection to life (at the second coming). They believed that the wicked would receive their judgment and then be destroyed by hellfire.

Many Christians today believe that this Hell Fire will last forever and that the wicked will be eternally tormented in pain and anguish, but this is not what the early believers knew to be the case.

There have been some misunderstood verses which have led people to this conclusion, so the only way to determine the correct meaning is to check all the relevant verses and line up the fence posts. The Bible does not contradict itself, so if the verses don’t all seem to be in agreement, then we must look to see what the majority say clearly, to check which ones we have misunderstood.

Jesus said Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” He also said John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” One verse seems to be saying that the wicked will live forever in everlasting fire and yet the other verse tells us that only those who belong to Jesus will get everlasting life. If only the true followers live forever then this means that wicked will perish.

The logical conclusion then is that the everlasting fire is not actually fire that is burning forever, but rather fire which consumes with everlasting consequences. It can also be called unquenched fire, which means it will be allowed to burn until it is all burnt out.

There are over 50 other places in the Bible where it uses the word forever, but the event mentioned has finished. Just as today we often loosely use the word forever, such as “It took forever to get out of the shop” or “that lecture went on forever”, these similar types of expressions were also used in the Bible for events that lasted a long time, but not actually eternally and also for events that had everlasting consequences. For example the Bible describes the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as eternal fire. Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” This fire is not still burning today. It had eternal consequences as the cities were forever destroyed and the fire was not extinguished or quenched by anyone. This fire was allowed to burn until it had consumed everything away and then it went out.

This is the same type of fire that “death and hell” (the Greek word used here for hell translates literally into ‘grave’) will be thrown into and the same type of Fire from Heaven that will consume the wicked after the judgment. The duration of their suffering will depend on their sentence. They will be either consumed quickly with little pain, or else have to suffer longer for more severe sins. The Bible clearly shows that they will not live forever burning in Hell, because we are told that they will be as ashes under our feet. Malachi 4:3 “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Many Christians think that Satan will be thrown into eternally burning hell fire and life forever and ever, but the Bible shows that he too will be consumed and will be no more. Ezekiel 28:18-19 “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

Yet another fence post to line up is this. Malachi 4:1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”

Our awesome and loving God who abounds in mercy is not going to torture and torment the wicked forever and ever in the agony of an eternally burning Hell. He will deal justly with them and they will perish for their sins. For the Wages of Sin is death (not eternal life in torment).

The ideas of a devil in a red suit with a pitchfork in the fiery bowels of the earth who will torment people for all time, again stemmed out of some ancient pagan myths, and not from the Holy Word of God. Also logically, if the devil where to live forever tormenting the wicked in hell, what sort of punishment would that be for him? He would enjoy seeing the wicked suffer.

The early Church understood that the wicked would perish, and so shall the remnant Church also be given this understanding. This is a very difficult subject so for more detailed information on this very hot topic, select the truth about Hades and hell fire.

3.    As already discussed the Bible makes it crystal clear that the remnant people will be following all of the Ten Commandments, which includes keeping the Biblical seventh day Sabbath Holy as all of God’s people in the Old Testament, and Jesus and all of His disciples did. See the Sabbath day or God's Sabbath Truth for detailed information. The following is also excellent reading on how the Sabbath was changed to Sunday through paganism and the Papal Church.

4.    The Bible writer Luke makes it clear to us that He knew the Biblical timeline which went back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When quoting the genealogy of Jesus, Luke cited the names of all of the forefathers of Jesus, going all the way back to Adam. Luke 3:23-38

This uninterrupted genealogy represents approximately 4000 years, allowing for the average age of each generation. We also know that Jesus and the early Church believed in the six day creation of the world, and God put in place the seventh day Sabbath as an eternal reminder of this. It is safe to say then that no one in the early Church had any trouble in believing that their world was about 4000 years old. No one doubted the ability of our awesome creator God to create our world in six days.

It is a sad fact today that many Christians prefer to believe the doctored claims of scientists, who use fallible scientific formulas, relying on factors being constants, which other scientists have proved are variables to carbon date objects to millions of years, rather than believing in God’s Word as being true and accurate. The theory of evolution is just a ‘theory’ and yet even many Christians give more credence to it than they do to the Bible account of creation. Scientists are at a loss to explain away the many co-dependent relationships in nature, such as the Vanilla orchid, which is germinated by a specific bee that instinctively removes a little cap from within the inside of the flower to allow germination. When explorers took the plant overseas, it always died off, as no other insect knew how to germinate it. Evolutionists cannot explain away how this flower could have existed for hundreds or thousands of years, until this particular bee worked out what it must do. It would have died off in one generation. God in His wisdom created this flower and this bee to coexist.

The Bible writers and the early Church believed in the seven day literal creation and the young age of the earth, and so too will the remnant Church believe in the infallibility of the Word of God.

5.    The early Church believed that Jesus was our only mediator and our High Priest who intercedes for us in the heavenly temple. 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” Unfortunately some in the Christian faith have sought to exalt Mary to the position of co-mediator, which is totally contrary to what the scriptures teach us. The remnant people will accept that Jesus is the only one who can mediate for them.

6.    The early Church understood that only Jesus could forgive our sins, as He is the son of God. Today some portions of the Christian Church have appointed earthly men as priests and teach that they have the power to forgive sins, and that God will go along with them, whether they choose to forgive or not to forgive. This is a totally unbiblical doctrine, and in fact matches the Bible’s definition of blasphemy. When Jesus purported that He could forgive sins, the Jewish leaders (not knowing that He really was the son of God, and therefore did have the authority to do so) said that Jesus was committing blasphemy. Mark 2:7 “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”

7.    Idols. The early Church held strictly to the Ten Commandments and had nothing whatsoever to do with idols or idol worship. Unfortunately there are certain areas within the Christian Church today who teach that it is okay to bow before and pray to statues (calling them the representations of saints). The foot of the statue of St Peter has been kissed off and replaced six times. What many people do not know is that the statue of Peter in Rome is older than Peter himself. It was formerly the statue of the pagan god Jupiter from an old pagan temple, which was renamed to St. Peter and moved to Rome. The true remnant will abhor idol worship and have nothing at all to do with it.

8.    Baptism by immersion. The early Church followed the example of Jesus by getting baptised by full immersion in water. They understood that this act was their public display to show that they had repented of their sins and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It was only undertaken by people who had made a personal choice. There were never any instances of infant baptism or sprinkling in the Bible. The remnant Church will base their understanding of the act of baptism on the scriptures, and will personally choose to go through the waters of baptism by immersion to symbolise their death to the old life, having their sins washed away and the rebirth into the new life with Christ and His Holy Spirit as their guide. The Greek word “baptizo” for baptize actually means to “to immerse, to submerge” that is to be fully placed under the water.

9.    Stewardship. The early Church acknowledged God's ownership of this world and everything in it by faithfully returning tithes and giving offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His Church. At the very birth of the Church many members actually sold everything they had and pooled their money to fund the spreading of the gospel. The true remnant will likewise be faithful in returning 1/10 of their earnings plus offerings as the Lord leads them, to God for the advancement of His kingdom.

10.    Marriage. Marriage was divinely established by God in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in a loving relationship. The early Church held fast to the belief that a marriage commitment was to God as well as their spouse, and was to be between two people with the common faith. Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. We can expect the remnant Church therefore to be comprised of people who have not remarried for unjust causes, as well as those who are single and have remained celibate, and those who have just married once and been faithful to their marriage vows. It is unfortunate that the institution of marriage among many Christians has failed to be viewed with the same significance that God gave it when He instituted it. Many have been swayed by the views of the world, where swapping partners is common practice, and the question of adultery is considered insignificant. But committing adultery, even with a new husband or wife, still constitutes the breaking of one of God’s Commandments, and we have previously seen that the true remnant will KEEP the Commandments of God.

The Remnant in Prophecy

The book of Revelation which speaks of the Remnant Church begins by saying Revelation 1:1-3 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” This book holds the words of Jesus, speaking to His people and telling them what to expect and what to look out for in the end times. The remnant Church will diligently study this book, and the other prophetic books of the Bible, and will seek to share their understanding of these prophecies with the world, to encourage them to return to the pure faith of our early forefathers.

When will the remnant Church arise?

The prophet Daniel gave us a 2300-year prophecy that spanned up to the year 1844, depicting start of the end times. Daniel 12:9-10 “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” See Daniel Bible Prophecy Study for more info.

This prophecy was in two parts. The first was seventy weeks (prophetically 490 years) and then the remaining 1810 years.

The seventy week prophecy is a Messianic prophecy pointing to the coming of Jesus Christ. The timeline begins in 457 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild the temple. Ezra 7:8-17 informs us that the decree went out in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, so history can also confirm the accuracy of the year where this prophecy begins. Symbolic prophecy uses the following rule. Ezekiel 4:6 “...I have appointed thee each day for a year” so therefore 70 weeks = 490 days = 490 years. We know the day for a year rule is valid or the temple would have to be rebuilt in 49 days and Jesus’ ministry would have been only 3.5 days.

The seventy week prophecy is split into three sections, Seven weeks (49 years, which is the time taken to rebuild the temple), 62 weeks (434 years) till the Messiah would come. This takes us to the year A.D. 27, which is the year that Jesus was “anointed” with the Holy Spirit after His baptism and began His ministry, and finally there is another week, 7 years.

It says that in the midst of the final seven years the Messiah will be “cut off, but not for himself” (depicting how Jesus would die 3 1/2 years into His ministry) and would cause the “sacrifice and oblation to cease.” Jesus' one time perfect sacrifice on Calvary forever nullified the need for animal sacrificial system of the Jewish temple and the whole ceremonial law that included several ceremonial sabbaths such as Passover.

What happened in the final 3 1/2 years of this prophecy? The gospel message was still preached exclusively to only the Jews, but at the end of this period, Stephen gave his final speech to the Jewish leaders telling them that Jesus was the Messiah predicted by the scriptures, but they stopped their ears, and officially rejected Jesus Christ, then they stoned Stephen. From this time on the gospel was taken to the Gentiles.

This prophecy also predicted the destruction of the temple “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” which occurred in A.D. 70, and marked the final “desolation” that Jesus Himself had predicted. The destruction of both the first and the second temple were as a direct result of the people’s rejection of and disobedience to God.

Daniel’s 2300 year Prophecy

The seventy week prophecy was cut out of the 2300 day prophecy, so the 2300 day prophecy has the same starting date of 457 B.C.

This prophecy began in 457 B.C. and spanned all the way down to 1844, which is depicted as the beginning of the end times. (Daniel 12:4, 9) This is also when we would expect to see the birth of the remnant Church.

What happened in 1844?

Many amazing things happened around the year 1844. This was when Christians all over the world began to take notice of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. These prophecies began to be opened up to their understanding, but not fully. There was a world wide movement involving Christians from all denominations, who misinterpreted the “cleansing of the Sanctuary” to mean the return or “Advent” of Christ. Thousands of people from all denominations all over the world turned their eyes and hearts to God and prepared themselves for the imminent return of Christ. History called this message “SWEET” as one would call the expected return of Christ an exceptionally “sweet” message. However, Christ did not return and they soon realized that the prophecy spoke of the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary and not the Earthly Sanctuary. This very “SWEET” message soon turned into what history called the “BITTER” disappointment.

This was a terrible bitter disappointment as they realized that they had misunderstood one small but crucial part of the prophecy. Some were so disillusioned that they left their Churches. Others though went back to diligently searching the scriptures and the prophecies, and gradually more light was given to them. The man initially responsible for understanding this 2300 day Prophecy was William Miller who was an Adventist which is a term that applies to anyone who believes in the Second Advent of Christ. Many people today wrongly call him a “Seventh-day Adventist,” but this is incorrect as he was in fact a Baptist Pastor. He was an Adventist like all the others, but was not a Seventh-day Adventist. A Seventh Day Adventist believes in the Second Advent of Christ but also keeps the Seventh Day Sabbath, hence the name.

This historical event that involved Christians from all denominations was on such a grand World Wide scale, and was so significant, that we find Jesus describes this event in Bible Prophecy in Revelation chapter 10.

What is this little book described in Revelation chapter 10? To make special mention that the book is open implies that at some stage the book was closed or sealed. Where do we find a book like this? There are at least ten reasons we can give that prove this book is none other than the book of Daniel. They are as follows;

  1. The book is mentioned as being little. Daniel is only comprised of 12 chapters.
  2. Each time the book is mentioned it is said that it is “open.” This indicates that it was closed or sealed at some prior stage. The book of Daniel was to be sealed until the time of the end, Daniel 12:4, 9.
  3. This is the only book spoken of as being sealed in the Bible.
  4. Since the book of Daniel is sealed until the time of the end, it would be reasonable to expect that at the time of the events surrounding the time of the end, the opening of this book would be mentioned.
  5. There is no account of the book of Daniel being opened unless this verse in Revelation is accepted. Hence the book of Daniel would be a closed book forever.
  6. The little book in Revelation 10 is concerned with time, “time no longer.” The only other book of the Bible that specializes in time is the book of Daniel.
  7. Daniel did not understand the oath in Daniel 12:8 but was reassured in verse 9 that the understanding would be given after the time of the end. Revelation 10 is a fulfilment of this promise.
  8. The person that made the oath in Daniel 12:7 is described in Daniel 10:5-6 but is also the same person that makes the oath in Revelation 10. This person is Jesus Christ according to the description given in Revelation 1:13-17. This shows the closeness of Daniel 12 and Revelation 10.
  9. With the book being open and the message being proclaimed from it shows that the message is proclaimed this side of the time of the end in 1798.
  10. Daniel 11:35 gives a brief explanation of the papal persecution during its reign in the dark ages. According to this verse the persecution was to cease at the time of the end, which was the end of the 1260 years of papal supremacy. This ended in 1798 and thus we see that the time of the end began 1798. So from 1798 onwards the book of Daniel has been open.

The little book was initially sweet as we are told “it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey” as they believed that the Second Advent of Christ was imminent, but when they realized they had made a small error in the understanding of this prophecy in Daniel 8, it became a bitter disappointment and so “as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.” This sheds more light on who is the remnant Church as Revelation 10:11 says, “And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” This same time period after 1798 is also described in the final verses of Revelation 12. Revelation 12:17 is the last verse and says, “And the dragon [Satan] was wroth with the woman [Church], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” This verse refers to the same faithful group that continues preaching the prophecies of Daniel that God would raise up as His true Church, and would have the testimony of Jesus through which God would reveal to them that they should be keeping ALL Ten of His Commandments. Through much research, we found that as a result of this World wide event, a Church did emerge that does meet this criterion.

Several years later as a result of their continued careful search, God revealed the importance of returning to the faith of the early Church. He revealed to them through the testimony of Jesus (Spirit of Prophecy) the significance of keeping all of His Commandments and basing their whole doctrine on the Word alone. It was discovered by many of them that an apostate Church had changed one of the Ten Commandments of God and that this Commandment was kept by the early Church and so they as the true remnant should be also.

It was noted that Paul and the early Church kept the Commandment from the following scriptures. Acts 17:1-2 “When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,” The Jews and Pharisees which Paul was, have always kept Saturday as the Sabbath. And this was Paul’s custom since childhood. Acts 26:4-5 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.” In reference to the future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Christ states in Matthew 24:20, “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.” Why would Jesus say pray that you don’t have to flee on the Sabbath if we are not keeping it anymore? He wouldn’t! The gospel of Luke states in Luke 23:56 that when the body of Christ was being prepared by His followers, “they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment.” Luke’s gospel was written 30-50 years after the cross and there is no way he would make a statement like this without telling us of a change. There was no scripture found that spoke of a change to this Commandment and Jesus said that not even a stroke of the pen will pass from the law till heaven and earth pass. The Bible makes it clear that the true Church will hold fast to the scriptures and the law of God, and that Churches who do not do this are deceived. Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” See also New Testament Sabbath keeping.

There were also many false religions which developed around this time, which promoted extra-biblical and non-biblical teachings. So as God was giving light to some of His people and birthing a remnant Church, Satan was hard at work deceiving as many as he could to lead them away from the truth of the Word of God.

Jesus reinforced this. Matthew 5:17-19 NIRV “Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. 18 What I'm about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed. 19 "Do not break even one of the least important Commandments. And do not teach others to break them. If you do, you will be called the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, practice and teach these commands. Then you will be called important in the kingdom of heaven.” So we can determine which are true and false Churches by checking which ones follow and teach obedience to all of the Ten Commandments of God, including keeping His Seventh day Sabbath Holy.

Who is the Remnant Church Summary

To determine who is the remnant Church and whether it be one or more denominations, you will need to find a Church who have people displaying the following attributes. They must:

  1. Be a minority, that is, a remnant.
  2. Keep all the Ten Commandments of God including the fourth.
  3. Be Apostolic in nature, similar teaching and belief of the apostles.
  4. Arise after the 1260 years of Papal supremacy which is after 1798.
  5. Arise in America, the earth that helped the woman. See verse by verse study on Revelation 12.
  6. Have the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the Spirit of Prophecy or the Gift of Prophecy manifest through a prophet or prophets, Revelation 19:10; 22:9.
  7. Be expecting the Second coming of Christ being the last.
  8. Understand Bible prophecy and 666 and the Mark of the Beast issue.
  9. Be filled with the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim the gospel message.
  10. Believe in the Bible as the only source of doctrine.
  11. Believe in the once only atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
  12. Abstain from cigarettes, drugs or unhealthy eating that damages their bodies, which are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
  13. Understand that the dead sleep until the resurrection to life or resurrection to damnation.
  14. Know that hell-fire is an event and that the wicked do not get eternal life and do perish.
  15. Believe in the young age of the earth, and that God created the world in six days.
  16. Believe in Baptism by full immersion of people who have repented and made their own decision to follow Jesus and partake in it.
  17. Believe in the sanctity of marriage.
  18. Believe that Jesus is our only mediator and that only He can forgive sins.
  19. Believe the truth on the Godhead. (Note: The word trinity is not found in the Bible and originated from Tertullian and was a doctrine that was established by the early Catholic Church in the council of Nicea in 325 AD.) See pagan origins of the trinity doctrine. Note that the Seventh Day Adventist Church was raised by God as non-Trinitarian. See how the trinity doctrine got into the Adventist Church.
  20. Believe in being faithful stewards through tithing and offerings.
  21. Be prepared to endure persecution for their faith.
  22. Be a Church that Satan is making war with, that is, incur the wrath of the dragon, eg: Many websites & people attacking it with false rumours.
  23. Be a world wide movement. The Gospel is to be preached in all the world, Matthew 24:14; Revelation 14:6-12, so it must be a world wide movement.

God’s true remnant Church has the following to look forward to when the New Jerusalem, with the mansions that Jesus Himself has prepared for us eventually comes to rest on the New Earth.

Navigation

Scripture

Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Affiliates