Remnant (Bible)
Encyclopedia
The remnant is a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bible
. The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as "What is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe.". The concept has stronger representation in the Old Testament
(Hebrew Bible
) than the New Testament
.
was the first biblical author to develop the concept of the remnant in detail. According to Isaiah, the remnant is a small group of Israelites who will survive the invasion of the Assyria
n army under Tiglath-Pileser III
. The remnant is promised salvation, in that they will one day be brought back to the promised land by Yahweh . Isaiah again uses the terminology during Sennacherib
's siege of Jerusalem .
The concept of the remnant is taken up by several other prophets, including Micah
, Jeremiah
and Zephaniah
. The post-exilic biblical literature (Ezra-Nehemiah
, Haggai
, Zechariah
) consistently refers to the Jews who have returned from the Babylonian captivity
as the remnant.
Identifying characteristics of the remnant include
Many believe "the testimony of Jesus Christ" is defined in the Bible... "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy"(Revelation 19:10)
"remnant theology" of Martin Thornton
explains that the church parish
is made up of three different levels of members. The smallest of the groups is what Thornton refers to as the Remnant, likening it to the remnant of Isaiah in the Old Testament. These are ordinary people of extraordinary devotion, more proficient than spiritually gifted, whom it is vital for the parish priest
to identify and nurture through spiritual direction
, for they are the dependable, beating, praying heart of the parish. They truly live their Christianity and are the core not just of the parish but of the universal "Church Militant".
used to set the parish into his larger vision of church
in his 1956 essay "Theology of the Parish" and his 1961 book The Episcopate and the Primacy, co-authored with Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
). What was significant for Rahner in the concept of "the remnant" was the idea that the whole – the universal Church – could be present in the part – the parish: "the Church as a whole, when it becomes "Event
" in the full sense, is also necessarily a local Church, the whole Church becomes tangible in the local Church".
has put a lot of emphasis on the remnant theme, based on a traditional interpretation of the King James Version of . Two of its official belief statements
mention the remnant theme: number 13, "Remnant and Its Mission" describes an eschatological (end-time) remnant, and number 18, "The Gift of Prophecy" mentions the spiritual gift
of prophecy
"is an identifying mark of the remnant church".
The late Gerhard Hasel
, a recognised authority on the remnant within Christian scholarship as a whole, was a conservative Seventh-day Adventist.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as "What is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe.". The concept has stronger representation in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
(Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
) than the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
Old Testament
It is widely accepted that the prophet IsaiahIsaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
was the first biblical author to develop the concept of the remnant in detail. According to Isaiah, the remnant is a small group of Israelites who will survive the invasion of the Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n army under Tiglath-Pileser III
Tiglath-Pileser III
Tiglath-Pileser III was a prominent king of Assyria in the eighth century BC and is widely regarded as the founder of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Tiglath-Pileser III seized the Assyrian throne during a civil war and killed the royal family...
. The remnant is promised salvation, in that they will one day be brought back to the promised land by Yahweh . Isaiah again uses the terminology during Sennacherib
Sennacherib
Sennacherib |Sîn]] has replaced brothers for me"; Aramaic: ) was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria .-Rise to power:...
's siege of Jerusalem .
The concept of the remnant is taken up by several other prophets, including Micah
Book of Micah
The Book of Micah is one of fifteen prophetic books in the Hebrew bible/Old Testament, and the sixth of the twelve minor prophets. It records the sayings of Mikayahu, meaning "Who is like Yahweh?", an 8th century prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah...
, Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
and Zephaniah
Book of Zephaniah
The superscription of the Book of Zephaniah attributes its authorship to “Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah” . All that is known of Zephaniah comes from the text. The superscription of the book is lengthier than...
. The post-exilic biblical literature (Ezra-Nehemiah
Ezra-Nehemiah
Ezra-Nehemiah is the combined biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah - the two were originally one, but were divided by Christians in the 3rd century CE, and in Jewish circles in the 15th century...
, Haggai
Book of Haggai
The Book of Haggai is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanak, and has its place as the antepenultimate of the Minor Prophets or the "Book of the Twelve." It is a short book, consisting of only two chapters. The historical setting dates around 520 BCE before the Temple has been rebuilt...
, Zechariah
Book of Zechariah
The Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
) consistently refers to the Jews who have returned from the Babylonian captivity
Babylonian captivity
The Babylonian captivity was the period in Jewish history during which the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon—conventionally 587–538 BCE....
as the remnant.
New Testament
New Testament verses that refer to a faithful remnant include...-
- "So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace." (Romans 11:5, NIV)
-
- "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 12:17 KJV)
Identifying characteristics of the remnant include
- the "keep(ing) the commandments of God"
- and those who "have the testimony of Jesus Christ"Ministry of JesusIn the Christian gospels, the Ministry of Jesus begins with his Baptism in the countryside of Judea, near the River Jordan and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry...
Many believe "the testimony of Jesus Christ" is defined in the Bible... "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy"(Revelation 19:10)
Church of England
The influential AnglicanAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
"remnant theology" of Martin Thornton
Martin Thornton
Martin Thornton was an Anglican priest and spiritual director, author and lecturer on ascetical theology. His "theology of the remnant" has been influential in Anglican circles....
explains that the church parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
is made up of three different levels of members. The smallest of the groups is what Thornton refers to as the Remnant, likening it to the remnant of Isaiah in the Old Testament. These are ordinary people of extraordinary devotion, more proficient than spiritually gifted, whom it is vital for the parish priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
to identify and nurture through spiritual direction
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
, for they are the dependable, beating, praying heart of the parish. They truly live their Christianity and are the core not just of the parish but of the universal "Church Militant".
Roman Catholic Church
The Old Testament notion of "the remnant" was one of the three images Karl RahnerKarl Rahner
Karl Rahner, SJ was a German Jesuit and theologian who, alongside Bernard Lonergan and Hans Urs von Balthasar, is considered one of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century...
used to set the parish into his larger vision of church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
in his 1956 essay "Theology of the Parish" and his 1961 book The Episcopate and the Primacy, co-authored with Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
). What was significant for Rahner in the concept of "the remnant" was the idea that the whole – the universal Church – could be present in the part – the parish: "the Church as a whole, when it becomes "Event
Event (philosophy)
In philosophy, events are objects in time or instantiations of properties in objects. However, a definite definition has not been reached, as multiple theories exist concerning events.-Kim’s Property-Exemplification Account of Events:...
" in the full sense, is also necessarily a local Church, the whole Church becomes tangible in the local Church".
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
has put a lot of emphasis on the remnant theme, based on a traditional interpretation of the King James Version of . Two of its official belief statements
28 Fundamentals
The 28 Fundamentals are a core set of theological beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Traditionally, Adventists have been opposed to the formulation of creeds. It is claimed that the 28 Fundamentals are descriptors not prescriptors; that is, that they describe the official position of...
mention the remnant theme: number 13, "Remnant and Its Mission" describes an eschatological (end-time) remnant, and number 18, "The Gift of Prophecy" mentions the spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
"is an identifying mark of the remnant church".
The late Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Franz Hasel was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology as well as Dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. His best known works are Old Testament Theology: Basic Issues in the Current Debate and New...
, a recognised authority on the remnant within Christian scholarship as a whole, was a conservative Seventh-day Adventist.