Chapter 14: Come Out of Her, My People

The evidence is laid out. The practical question of what to do next deserves attention.

The Invitation That Scripture Extends

You’ve seen the evidence.

The Sabbath was changed without biblical authority. The Roman Catholic Church admits it. Most Christians follow this change without examining its origin. Over 2.3 billion professing Christians worship on a day God never commanded,1 Pew Research Center, "Global Christianity" (December 2011), estimates approximately 2.18 billion Christians worldwide. The majority belong to Sunday-observing traditions. while the day He wrote in stone is observed by a minority.

The dead do not appear to the living. Whether completely unconscious or consciously waiting for resurrection (Christians debate this; see Appendix F), the dead cannot contact us, and God forbids seeking them (Leviticus 19:31). Any spirit claiming to be a deceased loved one is a familiar spirit, not the person it impersonates.

Bible translations vary in ways that matter. Manuscript traditions differ; textual scholars debate which readings are original. Most variants are trivial (spelling, word order), affecting no doctrine. But some are theologically significant. Modern critical editions exclude verses the Textus Receptus preserves (1 John 5:7, portions of Mark 16 and John 8, and others). Whether these differences represent restoration of original readings or loss of preserved truth, the textual tradition your Bible follows shapes what you read. The KJV, translated from the Byzantine text family, preserves readings many modern translations omit.

The remnant thread survived. Through 1,260 years of persecution (Waldensians in the Alps, Sabbatari in Bohemia, and Ethiopian Christians who never accepted the Catholic Church’s authority), Sabbath-keepers endured genocide, torture, and martyrdom to pass the truth to you.2 Pope Innocent VIII’s bull Summis desiderantes (1487) authorized military campaigns against the Waldenses. J.A. Wylie, History of the Waldenses (London: Cassell, 1880), documents their centuries of persecution. Ethiopian Christianity’s independence from the Roman Catholic Church is documented in Adrian Hastings, The Church in Africa: 1450–1950 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994). You are not alone. You are not the first. You stand in a long line of witnesses.

Modern spiritual paths diverge from Scripture. Channeling, psychedelics, and New Age practices offer genuine experiences and partial truths. I tried to walk many of these paths before finding that they led away from the Father and His commandments.

The ecumenical movement moves in a concerning direction. Unity without truth is compromise. Within this prophetic interpretation, the push toward global religious cooperation, especially around Sunday rest framed as climate action, may be building the conditions for mark of the beast enforcement.

Christianity is changing. For decades, researchers documented decline: church membership fell from 70% to 47% of Americans between 1999 and 2020, millennials departed at unprecedented rates, and institutional scandals eroded trust. That decline was real.3 Pew Research Center, "In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace," October 17, 2019. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/. Gallup, "U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time," March 29, 2021. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx. But something has shifted since 2021. Barna's 2025 data shows Gen Z churchgoers now attend nearly twice per month, up from roughly once monthly in 2020. Commitment to Jesus among U.S. adults rose 12 percentage points since 2021, with Gen Z and Millennial men driving the increase. Researchers who predicted Christianity's irrelevance now observe renewed interest.4 Barna Group, "Young Adults Lead a Resurgence in Church Attendance," September 2, 2025. Available at: https://www.barna.com/research/young-adults-lead-resurgence-in-church-attendance/. Barna Group, "Belief in Jesus Rises, Fueled by Younger Adults," April 7, 2025. Available at: https://www.barna.com/research/belief-in-jesus-rises/. Based on over 130,000 interviews spanning 25 years. Whether this represents genuine spiritual awakening or cultural reaction remains to be seen. What is clear: young people are seeking something. Some are seeking truth.

You’ve seen all of this.

Now comes the decision.

"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

Revelation 18:4

Scripture’s call is unconditional. It does not say "when convenient" or "when your family understands" or "someday." The timing and manner of response remain between you and God. What Scripture makes clear is the direction.

What "Come Out" Means

"Come out of her" is not symbolic language for mental assent while staying physically where you are. It doesn’t mean attending your Sunday church while mentally disagreeing, or staying in the denomination while privately keeping Sabbath at home. It means exodus: physical separation from what Scripture identifies as Babylon, visible departure, and actual change in where and how you worship.

This is uncomfortable. I felt it when I first encountered this call.

Many sincere Christians have been taught that church membership is secondary, that denominational affiliation is merely tradition, and that having Jesus in your heart is all that matters. These are not unreasonable positions. But Scripture’s call to "come out" suggests something more concrete than mental agreement while physical practice remains unchanged.

It says: "Come out of her."

What Babylon Includes

Babylon is more than the Catholic Church (though the papacy is Babylon’s center). For a detailed examination, see chapter 12: What Babylon Is.

Babylon’s pattern historically includes:

This includes most Protestant denominations, most evangelical megachurches, most charismatic churches, and most fundamentalist churches. Even groups that appear distinct from mainstream Christianity (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Latter-day Saints) retain non-scriptural traditions inherited from or parallel to the Catholic Church’s doctrinal departures. These institutions contain countless sincere believers: people who genuinely pursue Christ, study Scripture, serve sacrificially, and love their communities.

Sincerity and doctrinal inheritance coexist; one does not negate the other. These churches run food banks that feed thousands. Their counseling ministries save marriages. Their youth programs give teenagers purpose. Their hospital chaplains sit with the dying. The help is real. What Scripture questions is institutional teaching, not the genuine fruit of individual obedience to love your neighbor.

The criteria here are institutional, not personal: Does the institution teach Sunday observance without biblical command? Does it teach the immortal soul rather than biblical death-sleep? Believers can be sincere and their institution can teach doctrines tracing to the Catholic Church. Both statements can be true simultaneously.

Some Protestant traditions have examined these questions carefully. Sabbath-keeping Baptists existed from the 1600s.6 The first Seventh-day Baptist church in England formed at Mill Yard, London, around 1651. See Don A. Sanford, A Choosing People: The History of Seventh Day Baptists (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), chapters 2-3. Seventh-day Baptists maintain continuity with early Baptist convictions about Sabbath. Individual Protestants throughout history have studied their way back to Sabbath observance. The remnant isn’t starting fresh; it’s joining a stream that never fully disappeared.

The call to "come out" is an invitation to examine doctrinal foundations and respond to fuller light, not a verdict on the spiritual status of those inside.

The call is: Come out.

What You’re Leaving Behind Is Real

Before counting the cost, acknowledge this: the community you’re leaving genuinely helped people.

Someone in your church heard a sermon and visited a prisoner. Someone else organized a meal train for a family in crisis. The pastor who counseled you through grief cared about you. The small group that prayed for your sick child meant every word. The soup kitchen served meals to hungry people.

None of this was fake. Churches save lives. I’ve seen it.

The call to come out isn’t a verdict that everything inside was counterfeit. A church can run a thriving food bank and teach Sunday worship without biblical command. Both are true simultaneously. The food bank fed the hungry. The doctrine contradicts Scripture. Revelation 18:4 says to come out.

This is what makes the cost real. You’re not escaping a prison. You’re leaving a home that genuinely sheltered you, because you discovered the foundation was built on sand.

What It May Cost

Let’s be honest about what some have experienced.

Following truth may cost familiar comforts: church fellowship, family approval, pastoral authority, religious identity, theological certainty, and the professional worship environment you’re accustomed to. The exodus always involves leaving Egypt behind.

Church friends may not understand. Family may be confused or hurt. The denominational label you’ve worn may dissolve. You may feel unmoored, lonely, and grieving. These costs are real.

But consider what is gained: alignment with the Creator’s design, fellowship with the remnant across time, and a faith that rests on Scripture rather than tradition. The teachers who shaped your faith may not have questioned these doctrines. Navigating Scripture directly becomes both gift and responsibility.

Sabbath-keeping often means smaller groups, simpler worship, and less professional production. You trade familiarity for truth. Many have walked this path before you. Many walk it now.

The exodus from Babylon is hard. But the alternative is worse.

The Learning Curve

Abraham lied. David fell. Peter denied. God continued working with them because their direction was toward Him.

Scripture distinguishes between defiance and struggle. The man executed for gathering sticks on Sabbath (Numbers 15:32–36) acted "presumptuously" (Numbers 15:30): publicly, deliberately, with a high hand against God’s authority. Someone who accepts God’s authority, wants to obey, yet stumbles while learning is not in defiance. The mark seals those who reject God’s commandment, not those who imperfectly keep it. Direction, not perfection.

Sabbath-keeping communities exist worldwide: Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh-day Baptist, Messianic, and independent congregations welcome newcomers.

A clarification: This book defends the biblical Sabbath. Whether you join a Seventh-day Adventist congregation, an independent Sabbath fellowship, or keep the Sabbath at home with your family is a separate decision. The Sabbath itself belongs to God, not to any denomination. Your first loyalty is to Scripture, and your first step is to honor the day God made holy.

What It Gains

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Mark 8:36

Staying preserves fellowship, family approval, pastoral covering, religious identity, and comfortable worship.

Leaving costs all of that. The question is what it gains.

You gain obedience to the Father.

You’re not picking and choosing which commandments to obey based on church tradition. You’re keeping the Sabbath because God commanded it. You’re worshiping the Father alone because Jesus testified to it. You’re trusting the preserved Word because God promised to preserve it.

You’re obeying God rather than man (Acts 5:29).

You gain the seal of God.

The seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God, the sign of His authority as Creator (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, 20). When you keep it, you bear His seal. You’re marked as His, not Babylon’s.

When enforcement comes, those who kept the Sabbath are already sealed.

You gain freedom from deception.

The partial truth systems, ecumenical compromise, and comfortable lies that once seemed sufficient lose their hold when you obey the whole truth. You’re no longer vulnerable to "every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14) because you’re standing on the commandments God wrote in stone.

Truth sets you free (John 8:32).

You gain the remnant’s reward.

Revelation 14:12–13 describes those who endure:

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

They keep the commandments and have faith in Jesus. They rest from their labors, and their works follow them.

This is obedience from faith, not salvation by works. Those who love Jesus keep His commandments (John 14:15). Those who claim to know Him but don’t keep His commandments are liars (1 John 2:4).

You gain the reward of faithful obedience.

Revelation 18:4 is explicit:

"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

Two reasons to come out:

  1. To avoid participating in her sins
  2. To escape her plagues

What does "not participating in her sins" look like practically? The Sabbath change is the test Scripture emphasizes most strongly, but Babylon’s departure from creation order extends further.

Coming out of Babylon includes returning to God’s original design for the body. The distinction between clean and unclean foods wasn’t invented at Sinai. Noah knew it before the flood (Genesis 7:2), over 1,600 years before Moses.7 Genesis 7:2 specifies "clean beasts" and "beasts that are not clean" without explanation, indicating Noah already understood the distinction. This pre-Sinai knowledge suggests dietary laws reflect creation order, not Mosaic ceremony. See Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987), 177–178. Like the Sabbath, dietary wisdom predates the ceremonial system and reflects creation principles still binding today.

For the full study, see https://theremnantthread.com/studies/clean-unclean-foods

The call to come out is urgent because judgment is not merely future. Whether institutions decline or revive, the prophetic trajectory remains unchanged. The final plagues (Revelation 16's bowls of wrath) are coming. When Babylon falls, those still in her will fall with her.

Coming out now means you’re standing outside when the final collapse happens.

You gain eternity with the Father.

This is the ultimate gain.

The biblical promise is not heaven as abstract clouds and harps, not floating as a disembodied soul. It is the earth made new, the New Jerusalem descending, and God dwelling with men. There will be no more death, sorrow, or pain (Revelation 21:1–4).

The Sabbath continues into eternity:

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."

Isaiah 66:22–23

The Sabbath doesn’t end at the Cross. It extends into eternity. Those who keep it now are practicing for the eternal rhythm God designed from creation.

You gain forever.

The Direction Matters

Scripture describes two paths: one wide, one narrow (Matthew 7:13–14). Jesus warned that many would call Him "Lord" while working lawlessness:

"Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

His response:

"I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Matthew 7:22–23

Iniquity is lawlessness. The question each reader must answer is whether the Sabbath belongs to that law.

Thoughtful Christians reach different conclusions. Some view the evidence as inconclusive, prioritize unity over doctrinal precision, or trust that grace covers institutional error. Others conclude that Sabbath-keeping is obedience rather than legalism, and that Scripture’s call to "come out" applies to institutions teaching doctrines originating from the Catholic Church.

The exodus costs fellowship, family approval, pastoral covering, comfortable worship, and religious identity. Scripture describes the remnant in Revelation 14:12:

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

The remnant keeps the commandments and has faith in Jesus. This path is narrow. But it leads to life (Matthew 7:14).

My own exodus was from a different path. I came to Scripture through Eastern meditation, psychedelics, channeling, and New Age teachings. I never left a Sunday church because I never attended one. But the destination was the same: the Sabbath truth and the Father’s commandments. Each person’s journey to that destination will look different. What matters is the direction.

What About Those Who Never Knew?

A question arises about sincere believers who died before understanding this truth. Scripture provides the answer.

Paul told the Athenians: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). God does not condemn people for light they never received. Jesus confirmed this principle: "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth" (John 9:41). Accountability follows knowledge.

The mark of the beast operates when enforcement comes. Until Sunday worship is mandated by civil law with economic penalties, the final test has not arrived. Sincere Christians throughout history who kept Sunday without understanding its origin are not condemned for ignorance. They followed the light they had.

But you are reading this. You now have light your ancestors did not possess. What happened to them is not the issue. What to do with this knowledge is.

Consider what you have access to. The printing press enabled the Reformation by putting Bibles in common hands; Luther’s translation reached homes that had never owned Scripture. Today the internet and digital tools have removed barriers previous generations could not imagine. Original Greek and Hebrew texts are searchable. Historical documents (church councils, patristic writings, and papal bulls) are available to anyone. Cross-references that once required seminary libraries now take seconds. The question is not whether you can study for yourself. It is whether you will.

How the Remnant Gathers

The first-century church had a structure worth recovering. Before Constantine transformed Christianity into a state religion, believers gathered in homes: "the church that is in their house" (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2). Leadership was plural, not singular: "ordain elders in every city" (Titus 1:5), with multiple elders sharing responsibility rather than one man ruling a congregation. Peter instructed these elders to "feed the flock of God
 not as being lords over God’s heritage" (1 Peter 5:2–3). The early church was a network of relationships, not a hierarchy of offices.

This model has practical advantages for the remnant. Small is accountable, because when everyone knows everyone, false teaching is harder to hide and struggling members are harder to ignore. Flexible is persecution-resistant: house churches have no buildings to confiscate, no clergy to arrest, and no central registry to raid. Connected by relationship rather than bylaws, the network survives when individual nodes fall. The Waldenses in the Alps, the believers in Communist China, and the underground churches throughout history: they survived precisely because they kept the pre-Constantinian pattern.

Jesus promised His presence where "two or three are gathered together in my name" (Matthew 18:20). The remnant does not need cathedrals, professional worship teams, or denominational headquarters. It needs believers committed to Scripture, gathering regularly, breaking bread together, and holding each other accountable. If you cannot find such a fellowship, you may need to become the one who starts it.

The question persists: "How is keeping a specific day not works-righteousness?" The answer lies in understanding what James meant when he wrote: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). Read in context with verses 8–9, James is discussing the "royal law" of loving your neighbor. His point is that the law is a unified whole, not a menu of options. Breaking any commandment violates the whole because the law reflects God’s character.

But keeping commandments is not how we earn salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). The Sabbath does not save; only Christ saves. What the Sabbath does is identify allegiance. When you keep the seventh day, you acknowledge the Creator who made it holy. When you keep a different day substituted by human authority, you acknowledge that authority instead. The issue is not works-righteousness; the issue is worship.

Where Sabbath-Keepers Gather

For those seeking Sabbath-keeping fellowship, several communities exist:

Finding fellowship: Search "[denomination] near me" online. Visit before committing. Ask about their beliefs on the Sabbath, the state of the dead, and the nature of Christ. Compare what you hear with Scripture. If no local congregation exists, online communities and home churches provide alternatives. You may need to be the one who starts a group.

Not every Sabbath-keeping group has complete truth. Scripture remains the standard.

What to Expect in Sabbath-Keeping Churches

Each tradition has distinct emphases. Knowing them in advance helps you evaluate what you hear.

Seventh-day Adventist churches are the largest and most accessible. Expect structured worship (hymns, sermon, and potluck lunch), health emphasis (many members are vegetarian), and references to Ellen White, a nineteenth-century author they consider a prophetic voice. Her writings are not placed above Scripture officially, but in practice her influence is substantial. Ask directly: "How does this congregation use Ellen White’s writings? Are they considered binding?" Some congregations treat her as helpful commentary; others treat her as authoritative. The distinction matters.

Adventist churches also teach the "investigative judgment" (a pre-advent judgment beginning in 1844) and "soul sleep" (the belief that the dead are completely unconscious until resurrection). The pre-Nicene fathers taught a conscious intermediate state instead (see Appendix F). Adventism’s 1980 adoption of the co-equal Trinity also marked a doctrinal shift from their founders' subordinationist position. Evaluate each teaching against Scripture.

Church of God (Seventh Day) congregations explicitly rejected Ellen White’s prophetic authority in the 1860s, leading to the split that formed Adventism. They tend to be smaller, more congregationally governed, and some maintain the original subordinationist Christology (the Father supreme over the Son). If Trinitarian doctrine matters to you, ask: "What does this congregation believe about the relationship between the Father and the Son?"

Messianic and Hebrew Roots congregations emphasize Jewish context: Hebrew names for God and Jesus (Yahweh, Yeshua), Sabbath from Friday sundown, and often the biblical feasts (Passover, Tabernacles, and others). This can enrich understanding of Scripture’s Jewish foundations. The caution: some groups move beyond Scripture into rabbinic tradition (Talmudic rulings, Jewish mysticism) or adopt positions on Israel that conflate modern geopolitics with biblical prophecy. Ask: "Does this congregation distinguish between biblical commands and later Jewish tradition?"

Red flags in any Sabbath-keeping group:

The remnant is not a denomination. It is those who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17). That description crosses organizational lines.

The Context

The patterns I observed when making my decision:

The institutions are shifting. For decades, attendance dropped, scandals multiplied, and denominations fragmented. Recently, young adults have begun returning. Whether this represents reformation within existing structures or seekers preparing to depart depends on what they find when they study Scripture for themselves. The patterns remain complex, and Babylon’s fall may look different than previous generations expected.

The ecumenical movement continues advancing (Chapter 9). Sunday rest for environmental reasons is being discussed globally. Whether this develops into legal enforcement remains to be seen.

Scripture describes a time when the cost of obedience increases (Revelation 13:17). Currently, leaving a Sunday church costs fellowship and comfort. The prophetic framework suggests this cost may increase.

When I came to understand the Sabbath truth, the cost was adjusting my life around a different day. Scripture describes a time when the cost may be livelihood itself. All will face this question in their own time.

Revelation 22:11 describes the final moment:

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

Scripture describes a point when probation closes. When every person has made their final decision. When the books close and verdicts are sealed. This is what I came to understand from studying Daniel and Revelation.

When the Judge Stands

Daniel’s final prophecy describes when that moment arrives:

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for thy children: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

Daniel 12:1

In courtroom language, when the judge sits, the trial continues. Witnesses are called. Evidence is weighed. Appeals are heard. But when the judge stands, the verdict is final.10 The Hebrew 'amad (to stand) in Daniel 12:1 has judicial connotations. When ancient judges delivered verdict, they rose. "Michael stands up" signals the end of intercession and the delivery of final judgment. See C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament: Daniel (1866; repr. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2006), on Daniel 12:1. No more testimony. No more objections. The decision is rendered.

Right now, Christ sits at the Father’s right hand, interceding for repentant sinners (Hebrews 7:25). His blood covers those who come to Him by faith. Mercy is still available. The trial is still in session.

But Daniel describes a moment when the great prince "stands up." The intercession ends. The sanctuary work is finished. The books close. Revelation 22:11 describes the resulting decree: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still
 he that is holy, let him be holy still."

Then comes "a time of trouble, such as never was." The seven last plagues of Revelation 16 fall on those who worshiped the beast and received his mark. No mercy mixed in (Revelation 14:10). But those "found written in the book" (those who kept God’s commandments and trusted Jesus) are delivered.

The Sabbath question is not merely about calendar preference. It is, as I came to understand it, the final examination administered while the Judge still sits. Scripture describes those who keep God’s commandments being "found written in the book" when Michael stands.

The promise remains: "At that time thy people shall be delivered." This promise is what compelled my exodus.

The Thousand-Year Promise

The practical decision is simpler than the timeline: keeping the Sabbath and trusting the Father. For detailed eschatology, see Appendix E: The Millennium.

Christ returns visibly, audibly, and unmistakably (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). This is not a secret rapture before tribulation. Jesus specified the timing: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days
 then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (Matthew 24:29–30). The saints come out of tribulation, not around it (Revelation 7:14).

Revelation 20 describes a thousand-year period following Christ’s return. During this time, Satan is bound by circumstance: the righteous are in heaven with Christ, the wicked lie dead, and Satan has no one left to deceive. After the thousand years, the wicked rise in a second resurrection, fire consumes them, and sin ceases to exist (Revelation 20:14).

Then God fulfills His promise:

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth
 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them
 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain."

Revelation 21:1, 3-4

In that eternal kingdom, the Sabbath continues unchanged from Creation:

"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."

Isaiah 66:22–23

The Sabbath kept now is the same Sabbath kept eternally. This is what the sealing is for.

The Call

The evidence is laid out. The path is shown. The cost is counted.

"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

Revelation 18:4

The thread runs from Eden to the earth made new. Those who hold it become part of it.