02.48. Remnant Testimony
Remnant Testimony
Throughout the Scriptures we find that no matter how great the ruin, failure, and moral darkness of the general testimony or times, God always had some true-hearted believers who were separated from the corrupt and godless masses or lifeless profession of those who claimed to belong to God, and were characterized by genuine devotion to God and His interests. We observe that God never leaves Himself without witnesses who shine as lights for Him in the darkness. Such are spoken of as a "remnant," meaning those who are left as a witness for God when the majority have departed from Him and His Word and have corrupted themselves with the evils about.
We find the term "remnant" a number of times in the Bible. Ezra in his prayer of confession to God said, "grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape" (Ezra 9:8). In Ezekiel 6:7-8 God said, "And the slain shall fall in the midst of you . . . Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword." And the apostle Paul in speaking of the people of Israel said, "Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (Romans 11:5). These are a few examples of the occurrence of the term "remnant." As in the Old Testament there was ever a remnant of true and faithful believers, so we find in the New Testament that amidst the ruin and apostacy of Israel and of the Church, God ever has a remnant of true-hearted and faithful believers with whom He communicates and to whom He manifests Himself in a special way. Thus in the day of the ruin and apostacy of the professing Church, those who would be true to the Lord and His Word are but a little remnant amidst the vast professing mass.
General Characteristics
It is, therefore, helpful and encouraging for all who would be faithful to the Lord in these last days of the Church to study the characteristics of the remnant of loyal believers in all ages and to note how they were sustained and encouraged of God in the evil day. In these pages we can only point out a few features of some of the remnants of old, but would urge the reader to study this subject in detail for himself. (A pamphlet, "The Remnant: Past and Present" by C. H. Mackintosh will prove very helpful).
We may state at the beginning that the fact of there being a remnant proves the failure of the outward witness or professing body, whether Jewish or Christian, to be a true testimony for God. If all were faithful, there would be no ground for the distinguishing of a few from the professing body. The remnant at any time will always be seen to consist of those who feel and confess the common failure and ruin of the general testimony, but count upon God and cleave to His Word while walking in separation from the evil.
It will also be seen that the greater the ruin of the outward testimony, the richer the display of divine grace in the remnant; the deeper the gloom of the day, the brighter the outshining of individual faithfulness to God. Though man has ever failed to maintain that which God has entrusted to him, God is ever faithful and merciful and true to His promises and ever maintains a testimony for Himself. This is what is revealed by a study of the remnants in Scripture. The above is of immense encouragement to every truehearted child of God who feels and owns the hopeless wreck and ruin of the professing Church. It is indeed cheering to be assured that, however the Church has failed, it is the privilege of the individual believer to enjoy as full and precious fellowship with God, and to walk in as high a path of obedience and blessing as in the brightest days of the Church’s history.
Hezekiah’s Day In 2 Chronicles 30:1-27 we have the account of a revival in the days of Hezekiah at a time when the outward unity of the nation was broken and things were at a very low state in Israel. Though Hezekiah’s call and proclamation to all Israel and Judah to come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover was scorned by the majority and his messengers mocked, yet some of the people of various tribes humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. There they kept the Passover in the second month and the Feast of Unleavened Bread with great gladness. "So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 30:26). The grace of God met those of His people who owned their sin and neglect of God and took their true place of humiliation before Him. There was much weakness in obeying God’s Word, but the Lord was gracious and blessed them richly and gave a great reviving. They did not set themselves up as those who were "the approved of God" or assume to be something, but simply took a place of humiliation and confession before God and sought to obey His Word. The result was that they experienced great joy and gladness, such as never had been in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon. What an example and encouragement for true believers today.
Daniel and His Companions In the book of Daniel we have the account of Daniel and his companions, in whom we see another example of a godly remnant of faithful believers in a day of ruin and evil. Though Jerusalem and the temple there, where God had placed His name, lay in ruins and Israel had been carried captive to Babylon, this little band of devoted men were true to God’s Word amid the pollution and abomination of Babylon’s idolatry. They walked in separation from it all and endured the fiery furnace and the lion’s den rather than compromise the truth of God.
They purposed in their hearts not to defile themselves. They engaged in earnest prayer before God and received the revelation of His secrets. Daniel felt the great ruin of the testimony and the sins of Israel and confessed them to God. He identified himself with it all, saying, "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity" (Daniel 9:5). The mercies of God were counted upon and His grace implored in confiding faith in His promises with the resultant display of power and wonderful prophetic revelations. Wonderful lessons, indeed, for us in the day of the Church’s ruin.
Post-Captivity Days In the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Haggai we have the record of a remnant that availed themselves of the opportunity to leave the captivity in Babylon and return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the wall around the city. They were but a small and feeble company from among the nation of Israel who had a heart for the worship of Jehovah. Having returned to Jerusalem, they did not pretend to be "Israel," but would contemplate all Israel. This is seen in their building "the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses" (Ezra 3:2). They also "set the altar upon his bases" and "kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written" (Ezra 3:3-4). Their first concern was the worship of Jehovah and they returned to the divine order and did "as it is written in the law of Moses." They did not set up something new, but returned to that which God had before set up. They set the altar upon its bases-where it had been before. They kept the Passover with "all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel" (Ezra 6:19-21). Thus they were a company separated from evil and devoted to God and would receive those who likewise separated themselves from evil. When failure and sin came in among them later there was confession, trembling before God, and putting away of the evil (Ezra 9:10). Precious encouragement and example for us in our day of ruin. In the book of Malachi we behold this same remnant some years later. Though they were in the divine position before God, their state was very sorrowful and bad. Still, we find among them those who were faithful to the Lord and met His approval. They were, so to say, a remnant within a remnant. Of these we read, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name" (Malachi 3:16). How refreshing to read of such a company, amidst the terrible scene of evil, who honored and loved the Lord and found in Him their center and their delight. For them there was a book of remembrance written, something we never hear of in the glorious days of Moses, Joshua, David, or Solomon. We can learn much from this godly remnant of Malachi’s day. In the New Testament In the Epistle of Jude, where the appalling evils of apostate Christendom are pointed out, we find a Christian remnant spoken of and addressed. The Epistle is written to this remnant: "To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." Amidst the evil and corruptions around them, they are exhorted to build themselves up on their most holy faith, pray in the Holy Ghost, keep themselves in the love of God, and look for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:20-21) exhortations which we considered in our previous studies.
We would here quote the excellent words of C. H. Mackintosh relative to this remnant and as to that which should be found in the present day Christian remnant: "Here, then, we have a lovely view of the true Christian remnant and their occupation among themselves... There is no pretension, no assumption, no setting themselves up to be anything, no attempt to ignore the sad and solemn fact of the utter and hopeless ruin of the professing church. It is a Christian remnant in the midst of Christendom’s ruins, true to the Person of Christ, true to His Word; knit together in love true Christian love -not the love of sect, party, clique or coterie, but love in the Spirit, love to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity; love expressing itself in true devotedness to Christ and His precious interests; and loving ministry to all who belong to Him and seek to reflect Him in all their ways. It is not resting in mere position, regardless of condition-a terrible snare of the devil-but a healthy union of the two in a life characterized by sound principle and gracious practice; the kingdom of God established in the heart and developing itself in the whole practical career.
"Such then is the position, such the condition, such the practice of the true Christian remnant; and we may rest assured that, where these things are realized and carried out, there will be as rich enjoyment of Christ, as full communion with God and as bright a testimony to the glorious truth of New Testament Christianity as ever was known in the brightest days of the Church’s history. In a word, there will be that which will glorify the name of God, gratify the heart of Christ and tell, with living power, on the hearts and consciences of men. May God, in His infinite goodness, give us to see these bright realities in this dark and evil day.
"As in Israel of old, so in the professing Church, the remnant will be found to consist of those who are true to Christ, hold fast His word in the face of everything, are devoted to His precious interests, and who love His appearing. In a word, it must be a living reality and not mere church membership or nominal fellowship, here or there, with this or that. Moreover, it is not assuming to be, but really being of the remnant-not the name, but the spiritual power; so the apostle says, `I will know, not the speech ... but the power.’ " In closing we would call attention to the remnants that are singled out and cheered in the messages to the seven Churches of Asia in Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22. In Thyatira we find a remnant addressed for the first time in these messages and there also we read for the first time of the Lord’s coming. Here, too, the hearing ear is no longer looked for in the Assembly, but in the overcomer (see Revelation 2:24-29). This shows that all hope of corporate recovery of the professing Church is here given up. But the remnant that was clear of Jezebel’s teaching and the depths of Satan is encouraged to hold fast what they have till He comes and is promised a place of reigning with Christ. In Sardis the few who have not defiled their garments are promised that they shall walk with Christ in white and that He will confess their names before His Father and His angels (Revelation 3:4-5). In Philadelphia we have a precious picture of a company of humble and feeble Christians who are true to Christ, keep His Word, and do not deny His name (Revelation 3:7-13). In Laodicea, where there is heartless indifference to Christ and deplorable self-satisfaction, the individual is appealed to. Christ is outside the door of the Church, knocking. "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). In each of these messages to the seven Churches the overcomers are appealed to and given precious promises if they overcome and heed the Spirit’s voice. Thus we learn that when all is in ruin, failure, and apostacy the Lord looks for overcomers who will hear His voice and obey Him. Such are the true remnant of the Church in every period of its history. May the Lord enable us to be true overcomers and to render a faithful remnant testimony in these last days of the Church’s dark ruin.
Here we close our meditations on the great and glorious subject of "The Church of the Living God." We have considered its nature and order in its universal and local aspect and have viewed its divine characteristics and order as originally instituted of God and its present state of ruin. We have noted its ministry and its gifts from its glorified Head, considered the divine relationships that should exist between local representations of the Church and observed the path marked out for us in the day of ruin. May the reader, like the Bereans of old, receive the word with all readiness of mind and search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so (Acts 17:11).
R. K. Campbell