April 14, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends. Today we will be talking about a vitally important topic–God’s Remnant and Its Mission.
A remnant is something that remains, and as used in the Bible, the term usually refers to a group of people who remain loyal to God no matter what they may face.
The concept of a “remnant” appears throughout the Bible, and probably one of the most well-known stories is that of Noah and the Ark. It was during a time of great wickedness, as described in Genesis 6:5 and 11— “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”
“But,” we are told in verse 8, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” God told Noah of His plan to destroy the Earth with a flood and explained there would be a way of escape for everyone who chose to accept God’s grace through faith and obedience.
Noah was to build an enormous ark, inviting all to come inside where they would be safe from the coming storm. For 120 years Noah preached, but in the end only 8 people chose to be saved—Noah and his family. They were the remnant.
In the last days, right before Jesus returns to Earth to take His followers to heaven, a similar situation will happen again. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:37—”But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
The world will be filled with wickedness, but those who trust and believe God will remain strong amidst the world’s influence, rejecting its self-serving ways and embracing God’s ways. This end-time remnant is often what is being referred to when you hear about “The Remnant,” and it is described in our 13th Fundamental Belief, “The Remnant and Its Mission”:
“The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness.”
This fundamental belief is based solidly on the Bible, and you can read the Bible passages and more about it at the URL shown below: [https://www.adventist.org/remnant-and-its-mission/].
Throughout history, God has always had a remnant of faithful ones. Down through the centuries, thousands of martyrs have sealed their faith with their blood, especially during the prophetic 1,260-year period known as the “Dark Ages.”
Prophecy tells us the same persecuting power of the Dark Ages will rise again as a combined religious and political power in the last days and will once again persecute those who will not bow to its demands.
But God has raised up a faithful, last-day remnant people who are identified in Revelation 12:17 as those who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
This faithful last-day remnant is not some exclusive club! Everyone who loves the Lord, accepts the truth as found in His Word, and by God’s grace is willing to follow it fully, is welcome to join God’s remnant people.
Rather than hiding their faith, these remnant people are commissioned to share three vitally important messages with the entire world. These heavenly tidings, known as the three angels’ messages, are found in Revelations 14:6-12 and comprise God’s answers to the overwhelming satanic deceptions that will sweep across the world just before Christ’s return.
The apostle John describes the first angel’s message like this:
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people–saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water'” (Rev. 14:6,7).
The first angel spreads the everlasting good news that God is our Creator, our only source of Salvation, and that we are to worship only Him. It also contains wording right out of the fourth commandment, indicating that the seventh day is still the day God has set aside and made holy for worship. Another important aspect of this message is that “the hour of His judgment has come,” urging a call to true repentance and reformation.
We read the message of the second angel in Revelation 14:8—”And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'”
The book of Revelation is filled with symbols representing real entities and events. This second angel warns that Babylon, the biblical symbol of false worship and coercion, is going to fall. God’s judgment is coming. It is a plea to flee the confusion of Babylon and its false teachings and turn to Christ and His truth contained in Scripture.
The second angel’s message will have increasing relevance as the end draws near, and its message is repeated in an even stronger way by the fourth angel of Revelation 18 who cries “mightily with a loud voice” pleading for God’s people to “come out” of Babylon“ (vss. 2-4).
The third angel’s message contains the most solemn warning found in the Bible, “saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (vss. 9, 10).
Friends, this final crisis involves true and false worship. A time is coming when everyone on earth will decide whether they will worship the beast and his image, receiving his mark, or will, by the grace of God, be true to Him and receive His seal.
The proclamation of these very important messages is the mission of God’s remnant people. God has His children in all churches, but through the Remnant Church He proclaims a message that is to restore His true worship by calling His people out of apostasy and prepare them for Christ’s return. It is only through God’s grace and relying on Him that the Remnant can accomplish their God-given mission.
You can learn more about God’s Remnant Church and its mission by visiting the URL at the bottom of the screen [www.adventist.org/who-are-seventh-day-adventists/]. I also encourage you to read the amazing book, The Great Controversy, which is available free in multiple languages at egwwritings.org.
Friends, the end is near. Jesus is coming soon. Now is the time to give our hearts fully to Him and become a part of God’s remnant people, fulfilling the mission He has called us to do. I invite you to become a part of that mission today.
Let us pray. Father in heaven. Thank you for letting us be a part of the remnant. This is not some exclusive club. This is not something just to reserve to ourselves. No. It is a message. These three angel messages to proclaim to the world so that all who are willing will join God’s remnant church. Lord bless every good hearted person who is seeking for truth to find these messages as they are shared by your remnant with the entire world. Thank you for hearing us and thank you for making provision for our salvation all through the wonderful name of Jesus. Thank you. In Christ name. Amen.