Tag: faith

What does it mean to be “the remnant?” Take notice of the common threads running through these passages.

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

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Revelation 15:2, 3

Can you see the correlations here?

the remnant—the saints—those who get victory

the commandments of God—the song of Moses

the testimony of Jesus—the faith of Jesus—the song of the Lamb

These people, who go through experiences that test their endurance, later sing some special songs about their experiences. Let’s look at Revelation 14 some more.

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:1-5

The characteristics of the 144,000 put them in a unique, honoured group. It is a very high calling. Here are their characteristics:

they have the Father’s name in their foreheads

they sing a new song (maybe the song of Moses and the Lamb)

they are redeemed from the earth

they are virgins (pure and virtuous)

they follow the Lamb

they are firstfruits

they have no guile

they are without fault

Notice that first characteristic. Is there any other place in the Bible that speaks of the Father’s name in the forehead? Take a look at Ezekiel 9.

And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. Ezekiel 9:3-11

Here is mentioned another characteristic of those who have the mark or name of the Father on their foreheads. They are those who sigh and cry because of the abominations done by those who are supposed to be God’s people. This is a warning of severe judgment that will come on hypocrites because of their wickedness. Does this sound familiar? Are we not living on the brink of this judgment time?

What does Ezekiel see next?

Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. Ezekiel 10:1-2

Sapphire stone and a throne? What does that represent?

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. Exodus 24:7-10

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. Ezekiel 1:26-28

Sapphire is a beautiful blue-colored gemstone. God’s throne and its foundation are of sapphire. It represents His government. Sapphire is also mentioned in the Exodus passage in connection with the covenant.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. Numbers 15:38-40

Sapphire stone is the substance of God’s throne and its foundation. The blue on the clothing of the Israelites was a reminder of the commandments, the law of God’s kingdom. This law was given as the basis of the covenant that was ratified in Exodus 24 above. That is why Moses and the elders saw the sapphire when they saw God. According to Jewish tradition, the first copy of the Ten Commandments was written on sapphire. Sapphire represents God’s laws which are the foundation of His entire government—His Constitution.

Why did Ezekiel see this heavenly scene (Ezekiel 10:1, 2 quoted above) after the remnant were marked in their foreheads? It seems that the marking and sealing of these special ones in Ezekiel 9 is the ratifying of God’s covenant with His last-day people just as the verses from Exodus 24 record the events connected with the ratification of His covenant with Israel. And what does this covenant consist of? The very things mentioned in the verses from Revelation quoted at the beginning of this study—the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus. And those who enter into this covenant with God can sing the songs of Moses and the Lamb.

Here is a profound statement that seems to clarify this connection. Please read it carefully.

There is a day just about to burst upon us when God’s mysteries will be seen, and all His ways vindicated; when justice, mercy, and love will be the attributes of His throne. When the earthly warfare is accomplished, and the saints are all gathered home, our first theme will be the song of Moses, the servant of God. The second theme will be the song of the Lamb, the song of grace and redemption. This song will be louder, loftier, and in sublimer strains, echoing and re-echoing through the heavenly courts. Thus the song of God’s providence is sung, connecting the varying dispensations; for all is now seen without a veil between the legal, the prophetical, and the gospel. The church history upon the earth and the church redeemed in heaven all centre around the cross of Calvary. This is the theme, this is the song,–Christ all and in all,–in anthems of praise resounding through heaven from thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand and an innumerable company of the redeemed host. All unite in this song of Moses and of the Lamb. It is a new song, for it was never before sung in heaven. TM 433

Did you catch that? The song of Moses represents the legal and prophetical (law and prophets)–the Old Testament; and the song of the Lamb represents the gospel—the New Testament. Why has it never been sung before? These people sing it because they have experienced both aspects. In other words they obey the laws of God; they believe and accept the messages of the prophets and have experienced the fulfilment of the prophecies; and they have experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. Here are two verses that summarize this:

Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.  2 Chronicles 20:20

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31

Here are some more paragraphs that help cement these connections even more clearly.

The closing words of Malachi are a prophecy regarding the work that should be done preparatory to the first and the second advent of Christ. This prophecy is introduced with the admonition, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist; . . .

John, as a prophet, stood forth as God’s representative, to show the connection between the law and the prophets and the Christian dispensation. Like Malachi, he pleaded with the Jews: “Remember ye the law of Moses, . . . with all the statutes and judgments.” His work and ministry pointed back to the law and the prophets, while he, at the same time, pointed the people forward to Christ as the Saviour of the world. He called upon them to “behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

The work of John the Baptist, and the work of those who in the last days go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to arouse the people from their apathy, are in many respects the same. His work is a type of the work that must be done in this age. Christ is to come the second time to judge the world in righteousness. The messengers of God who bear the last message of warning to be given to the world, are to prepare the way for Christ’s second advent, as John prepared the way for his first advent. The Southern Watchman, March 21, 1905

We can see that the “closing” work of God’s remnant people is to give the same message as John gave, showing the connection between the law and prophets and the Christian dispensation.

But what is Malachi calling for? “Remember . . .”

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: Malachi 4:4, 5

What does it mean to “remember” in a biblical way?

And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Genesis 9:15-16

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: Genesis 30:22, 23

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8

These verses have the same Hebrew word as in Malachi 4:4. To “remember” means much more than just recalling something and contemplating the memory of it. It means doing something in response to the memory. God not only thought about His promise to not send another flood, He has acted upon it. He did not merely recall Rachel’s name, He did what she needed. To remember the Sabbath does not mean to just think about it but to actually do what the commandment says—keep it holy. It is the same in Malachi. We are to remember the law of Moses—do what it says. The word here for law is Torah. God’s remnant people will be obeying the Torah. They will also understand and apply all the messages of the prophets and have a saving faith relationship with Jesus. These are God’s last-day people, the ones who are sealed. They will again be in covenant with the Heavenly Father. They will be able to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. And they will follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Just think of all the people who for 4000 years died under the first covenant (animal sacrifices) and had not even heard of Jesus and what He did for them though, by faith, they looked forward to that time. The remnant people will have a special work to do. They will witness to these earlier Christians who never knew Christ. What an exciting job! To be able to teach how all of Scripture fits together in perfect harmony. Thus these special people who live at the very end give a special message. They will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb—their personal experience of the law and the gospel.