Romans 9:26-28 KJVS
[26] And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye 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: [28] For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
There are several different viewpoints of when the resurrection of the body of Christ takes place. I have to admit, I steered clear of the book of Revelation after I was chastised by God and told to study to show myself approved. My reasoning was, in order to be approved and found in Christ at the first resurrection, I needed to learn what sound doctrine was in regards to being justified and sanctified by the salvation that is in Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation is largely concerned with the end of the age and is unlike the epistles and gospels in regards to doctrine, so I thought it best to put it on the shelf for a extended period of time. During the last six months or so I have read the book of Revelations four or five times and have become somewhat familiar with its content. It is a very enigmatic book full of symbolic language that covers three different time frames.
Revelation 1:19 KJVS
[19] Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
I can’t claim to be a expert on the book but after a certain degree of familiarity coupled with good understanding of the rest of the New Testament, certain doctrines regarding end times events become evident. It is surprising what a person can learn paying close attention to words. Words have specific meanings and when reading the New Testament, a person should always look at the Greek words and their definitions for better understanding in regards to text. Especially when trying to set and adhere to certain doctrines. The word remnant that is used in Ro 9:27, is a translation from a Greek word used only once in the New Testament. That fact alone seems to imply a degree of exclusiveness in its usage. The Strong’s Concordance listing of definition and usage in the NT of this word is pasted below.
Strong’s Number
G2640
Original Word
κατάλειμμα
Transliterated Word
kataleimma
Phonetic Spelling
kat-al’-ime-mah
Parts of Speech
Noun Neuter
Strong’s Definition
From G2641; a remainder that is (by implication) a few: – remnant.
Thayer’s Definition
remnant, remains
Usage by Word
remnant (1)
Usage by Book
Romans
The word remnant is used six times in the New Testament,but different Greek words are translated into the English word remnant. One of those Greek words is translated into several English words other than remnant. I think it is quite telling that this Greek word, which is used once in the NT, appears in a verse clearly referring to the children of God, the body of Christ, Ro 9:26&27. There are a couple other Greek words that are translated into the English word remnant, five other times in the New Testament, and are listed below.
Strong’s Numbers G3062, G3005 and G3007.
Now we will get to the meat of this post. In regards to eschatology and doctrines pertaining to end time events. It would benefit us to look at one of the verses the word remnant appears in the book of Revelation, translated from G3062. This verse follows the event that many say is when the rapture of the body of Christ takes place, Re 12:5.
Revelation 12:17 KJVS
[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.
At first glance and in conjunction with Re 12:14, one might rightly conclude that the remnant of her seed would not be resurrected until the end of the tribulation. Some might use this verse as proof for a post tribulation rapture. I am strictly confining myself with New Testament scripture for insight into this matter. It is evident to me that the body of Christ is resurrected Mid tribulation. I base this according to the following verse and short explanation that follows.
Revelation 10:7 KJVS
[7] But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
The mystery of God is Christ in you the hope of glory, Col 1:26&27, and that glory takes place at the seventh and last trump, 1 Co 15:43&51-52, 1 Thess 4:16&17. So it would appear there is more than one remnant and two groups of seed of the woman, the body of Christ, Ro 9:27, Gal 3:29, and another remnant of the seed of the woman mentioned in Re 12:6,14&17. The woman and by extension the remnant of her seed are taken to a place in the wilderness and are nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent, Re 12:13&14. Often times the word remnant is associated with the body of Christ, and that is still likely the case based on Galatians 3:16,29. These scriptures in Revelation bring questions to mind concerning the gathering unto the Lord, the saints of God, in the last days. Is the two remnants mentioned in Ro 9:27 and Re 12:17 both a part of the body of Christ? If so, then the mid-tribulation and post tribulation rapture doctrinal positions could both be technically correct. Are the 144,000 thousand mentioned in the seventh chapter of Revelation the same as the man child mentioned in Re 12:5? Most theologians think so, as do I. Since Rev 14:4 state they are firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. Is the literal body of Christ a subset of the promised seed, due to the fact they are the priest in the coming age? The word of God portrays the purpose of God in Jesus Christ in great detail but there are gray areas that often defy firm conclusions. I often think there are subtitle nuances in the Koine Greek that were lost in time, which the translators down through the ages fail to understand. There are only a few other verses in the New Testament that mention this woman as being the mother of these remnant seed.
Galatians 4:22-26 KJVS
[22] For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. [23] But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. [24] Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. [25] For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. [26] But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
In Isa 66:5-8, the woman is identified as Zion, Paul refers to Jerusalem above and in Ro 11:26, he states the Deliverer will come out of Sion. Mount Zion was the mount earthly Jerusalem sat on, Sion is the mount that Jerusalem above sits on. In Romans and Galatians, Paul makes inspired statements in regards who the children of God, the promise seed are.
Romans 9:8 KJVS
[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.
The promise seed is a individual person, Jesus Christ, and by extension those that are in him.
Galatians 3:16,29 KJVS
[16] Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. [29] And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Two other sets of verses that appear later in Revelation contain additional information pertaining to this remnant seed mentioned in Re 12:17
Revelation 13:8-10 KJVS
[8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. [9] If any man have an ear, let him hear. [10] He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Revelation 14:12-13 KJVS
[12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. [13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Now, clearly this remnant seed have faith in Jesus Christ and keep the commandments of God, and are going to “die in the Lord”, Re 14:13. Presumably the commandments of God they keep, is the royal law to love the Lord their God and love their neighbor as themselves. But from where I sit, it is very difficult to draw any firm conclusions regarding the remnant mentioned in Re 12:17, beyond what I have already written. I myself, will wait and see how all of this unfolds. It is clear the body of Christ will meet the Lord in the air, following the seventh and last trump. Perhaps this other remnant seed is resurrected during the resurrection of the just and unjust at the end of the age of grace, Mt 25:31-46. But when examining all the scripture verses cited and listed above, one is hard pressed in making a clear definable distinction between the body of Christ, and the remnant seed mentioned in Re 12:17.