BY BREMPONG OWUSU-ANTWI* THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH AS REMNANT ART 7

Seventh-day Adventists see themselves as fulfilling a unique part of prophecy for the end-times.

he Seventh-day Adventist remnant concept using mainly de - Church has, from its incep - rivatives of six Hebrew stems that tion, seen itself as a movement are translated: (1) “remain, be left T prophetically identified as over”; (2) “escape, get away”; (3) “es - God’s “remnant” for the last cape, make for safety”; (4) “be left days. Is this in harmony with the over, remain”; (5) “survivor”; and biblical concept of remnant? (6) “rest, remainder, balance.” The concept of “remnant” may be Though the occurrence of any of defined basically as “the portion of a these terms in the Old or New Testa - community which is left, in case of a ment may not necessarily designate devastating calamity.” 1 The future existence of that community portion *Brempong Owusu-Antwi, Ph.D., is would depend on the remnant. Vice Chancellor of Adventist Univer - The Old Testament refers to the sity of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

50 51 the remnant motif or contrariwise, their covenant relationship but also Characteristics of the Remnant tion, exemplifies the characteristics they generally connote a smaller breached the apparatus for the ful - in the NT of the remnant of the people of God. group remaining or surviving after a fillment of God’s redemptive pur - In the , metaphors These are explicit in Revelation cal amity to ensure the continuity of poses for humankind. The remnant, and imagery like “shepherd,” 12:17 and 14:12. Revelation 12 be - the community. Where the terms therefore, is God’s solution to carry “sheep,” “few,” “the chosen” convey gins with a woman ready to give have a religious connotation, they on the covenantal relations. The the remnant idea. The preaching of birth to a child. The woman repre - may refer positively to a faithful rem - characteristics of the remnant are both John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2, 8) sents the people of God, while the nant or negatively to an unfaithful the critical element for the continu - and Jesus (Matt. 4:17) put “the few,” birth of the child “is the fulfillment remnant. ity of God’s plan of salvation and “chosen” or “the little group,” who of the messianic prophecies of the Altogether the terminology of also the group that becomes the es - are saved, in contradistinction to the Old Testament in the incarnation, remnant in the Bible may be viewed as chatological remnant. larger population who are lost. They life, ministry, death, and resurrec - covering three categories or perspec - are depicted as accepting the grace tion of Jesus.” tives of the remnant concept: histori - Characteristics of the Faithful offered through the gospel as well as A dragon, the devil according to cal, faithful and eschatological. 2 Ac - Remnant in the Old Testament living by obedience inspired by faith. verse 9, stood before the woman cording to Hasel, the historical rem nant The remnant concept permeates Paul uses the remnant theme to ready to devour the child when is “made up of survivors of a catastro - the Old Testament, and certain char - propose the idea of the new Israel, born. She bore a male child who was phe.” 3 These may not necessarily be acteristics emerge in relation to the which will comprise those of physi - caught up to heaven. The dragon, faithful to God, as was Judah’s histor - faithful as well as the eschatological cal Israel and others who will accept not able to get to the child, perse - ical remnant from the Babylonian in - remnant. They are faithful to the the gospel and live a life of obedi - cuted the woman, who fled to the vasion who fled to Egypt against the commandments of God. ence induced by faith in Christ (Ro - wilderness and remained there for command of God. They did not carry Noah, the remnant after the Flood mans 9-11). 1,260 days (vs. 6). Then “the dragon any covenant promises (Jer. 6:9, 29). (Gen. 7:23), “found grace in the eyes Generally, therefore, the faithful was enraged with the woman, and he The faithful rem nant is set apart from of the Lord” (6:8), 6 and was said to be remnant in the Bible is characterized went to make war with the rest of the historical remnant “by their gen - righteous. This implies that he kept by its acceptance of the grace that her offspring, who keep the com - uine spirituality and true relationship God’s commandments, though it comes through faith in God and the mandments of God and have the with God; this remnant is the carrier should be pointed out that Ham, who commitment to a life of obedience. testimony of Jesus Christ” (vs. 17). of all divine election promises” and was part of the remnant, displayed Those of the faithful remnant who go Revelation 12:17 delineates two responsibilities. 4 some unrighteousness. During Eli - through the end-time cleansing and identifying marks of the end-time Out of the faithful remnant arises jah’s time, God reserved a remnant of persecution become the eschatologi - remnant: (1) they keep the com - the eschatological remnant who will 7,000 in Israel (1 Kings 19:18), who cal or end-time remnant, which mandments of God, and (2) they “go through the cleansing judg - had not bowed to or kissed Baal. Isa - would be expected to have the same have the testimony of Jesus Christ. ments and apocalyptic woes of the iah declares that the remnant shall characteristics. Seventh-day Adven - The first, “keep the command - end-time and emerge victorious” to have faith, trust, willing obedience, tists in their self-understanding iden - ments of God” is repeated in 14:12. receive the everlasting kingdom. 5 and holiness (Isa. 1:18, 19). In addi - tify with the end-time remnant. The question is: Which command - The three categories may overlap. tion, they possess covenant promises ments are being referred to here? In Noah was both a historical and a of salvation (Isa. 28:5), preserve the Characteristics of the End-Time these two cases are indicated that the faithful remnant (Gen. 7:3). faith of God (Dan. 7:25-27), are given Remnant “commandment” is given by God. In Israel’s collective unfaithfulness a mission (Isa. 2:1-4), and are inclu - The end-time remnant, propheti - a number of New Testament texts, to the covenant not only affected sive (Isa. 45:20). cally the last in the history of salva - this word, “commandment,” clearly

52 53 refers to the Ten Commandments prophecy” and the gift of prophecy They must be brought into the visi - outlined by prophecy for the identi - (e.g., Matt. 15:3, 6). In Revelation in 1 Corinthians 12:10, as well as in ble remnant church of God. fication of the end-time remnant. 12:17 and 14:12, the only two occur - Revelation 22:9, where the expres - Significantly, it acknowledges that it rences in the Book of Revelation, the sion “prophets” substitutes for Seventh-day Adventists and the is commissioned to call out God’s possibility of the reference being to “spirit of prophecy,” points to the End-time Remnant people, who are part of the invisible, the Ten Commandments is height - meaning of the “spirit of prophecy” From the inception of the de - universal church, from Babylon into ened by the introductory vision in as the spirit that inspires the words nomination, Seventh-day Adventists the visible remnant church. Revelation 11:19, which displays the of the prophets. have understood themselves as a Ark of the Covenant, which con - The end-time remnant will also prophetic movement fulfilling the REFERENCES tained the Ten Commandments. keep the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12), specifications of the end-time rem - 1 E. Jenni, “Remnant” in The Interpreter’s This would depict the involvement which is interpreted as the holding nant identified in the Book of Reve - Dic tionary of the Bible , G. A. Buttrick, ed. (Nash ville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1962), vol. of the Ten Commandments in the on to the doctrinal content of the lation. portrayed the 4, p. 32. 7 following events described in Reve - Christian faith in its entirety. Fur - church as the remnant in 1874, W. 2 Hans K. LaRondelle, “The Remnant and lation 12:1-15:4. This would estab - thermore, they possess patience. H. Littlejohn in 1883, 8 Uriah Smith the Three Angels’ Messages,” in Handbook of lish that keeping the Ten Command - They have the resilience to remain in 1891, 9 and John N. Loughbor - Seventh-day Adventist Theology, Raoul Ded - ments is one of the characteristics of committed and loyal to God and His ough in 1892, 10 among others. This eren, ed. (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Her - ald Publ. Assn., 2000), pp. 860-863. the end-time remnant. Word while suffering persecution. understanding was based on the 3 , “Remnant,” in The Inter - Second, the end-time remnant is Finally, the end-time remnant church interpreting and identifying national Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Geof - characterized by “the testimony of arises after the 1,260 prophetic days’ with the characteristics specified in frey Bromiley (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerd - Jesus” (Rev. 12:17). The Greek phrase wilderness experience of the woman Revelation 12:17 and 14:12. mans, 1988) , vol. 4, p. 130. 4 translated “the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:6, 13-17). The 1,260 The Seventh-day Adventist Ibid., p. 133. 5 Ibid., p. 130. lends itself to two interpretations: prophetic days, which symbolically Church upholds the entire Ten 6 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture “our witness to Jesus Christ” or “the represent 1,260 years, began in 538 Commandments of God, including references in this article are quoted from The self-revelation of Jesus that moves A.D. and ended in 1798. The impli - the Sabbath commandment. This is New King James Version of the Bible. Christian prophets.” The phrase in cation is that the end-time remnant significant because the Sabbath 7 Angel Manuel Rodriguez, “Concluding 12:17 must be taken as referring to arises after 1798. They are portrayed commandment is rejected by most Essay: God’s End-Time Remnant and the Christian Church,” in Toward a Theology of the self-revelation of Jesus that He in Revelation 14:6-12 as given the of the rest of . It also has the Remnant , Angel Manuel Rodriguez, ed. gives to the church through prophets. mission of bearing the everlasting within it the testimony of Jesus (Silver Spring, Md.: Biblical Research Insti - The parallel passage, Revelation gospel during the last days to all na - Christ, the Spirit of prophecy, recog - tute, 2009), p. 205. 19:10, offers further explanation to tions. Furthermore, Revelation 18:4 nized in the prophetic ministry of 8 George I. Butler, “Visions and Proph ecy,” the phrase “the testimony of Jesus”: specifically mentions that there are Ellen G. White. The Church keeps Review and Herald (June 2, 1874), p. 193. 9 W. H. Littlejohn, “Seventh-day Adven - “I fell at his feet to worship him. But God’s people outside the remnant the faith of Jesus and proclaims the tists and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,” Re - he said to me, ‘See that you do not who should also be called into the everlasting gospel in these last days. view and Herald (August 14, 1883), p. 14. do that! I am your fellow servant, fold: “‘Come out of her, my people, Furthermore, in harmony with the 10 Uriah Smith, “The Spirit of Prophecy and of your brethren who have the lest you share in her sins, and lest specification of prophecy (Rev. 6:6, and Our Relation to It,” General Conference testimony of Jesus. Worship God! you receive of her plagues.’” These 13-17), the church arose after 1798, Daily Bulletin (1891), p. 150. 11 John N. Loughborough, The Rise and For the testimony of Jesus is the are part of the people of God who the end of the 1,260 years. Progress of Seventh-day Adventists (Battle spirit of prophecy.’” The parallelism are scattered among the apostatized The Seventh-day Adventist Creek, Mich.: General Conference Associa - between the expression “spirit of entities represented by Babylon. Church fulfills all the characteristics tion, 1892), p. 388.

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