Chapter 19: The Remnant Identified
Not a Denomination
Before you ask, "Which church is the remnant?", understand this:
The remnant is not a denomination.
It's not "Seventh-day Adventists are the remnant and everyone else is Babylon."
It's not "Church of God (Seventh Day) is the true church and all others are apostate."
It's not "Our independent home fellowship is the faithful few and institutional churches are corrupt."
The remnant is identified by biblical characteristics, not institutional affiliation.
Walk through the remnant criteria step by step: https://theremnantthread.com/studies/remnant-flowchart
You could attend a Seventh-day Adventist church and not be part of the remnant (if you reject the commandments or compromise truth).
You could be an independent believer meeting with two other families and BE part of the remnant (if you meet the biblical criteria).
God doesn't care about your church membership card. He cares about your obedience.
Even Sabbath-Keeping Institutions Have Problems
This must be said plainly: Seventh-day Adventism has its own deceptions.
Ellen G. White, the denomination's prophetic authority, has a troubled history. Her "visions" contain plagiarized material. Her early writings taught positions the church later abandoned. Her role evolved from "messenger" to near-infallible prophet in ways that parallel how the Roman Catholic Church elevated tradition above Scripture.
The SDA church itself flipped from non-trinitarian to trinitarian doctrine in the 20th century. Early Adventist pioneers (including James White) explicitly rejected the Trinity as unbiblical. The denomination's current Trinitarian position contradicts its founders. If doctrine can flip this dramatically, what does that say about the institution's authority?
Worse: Roger Morneau documented cases where SDA-connected groups were deceived by fallen angels posing as heavenly messengers, leading to murder. His book Beware of Angels chronicles how a prayer group in Oregon abandoned Scripture for "angelic revelation" and ended up destroying families.1 Roger Morneau, Beware of Angels: Deceptions in the Last Days (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1997), throughout. The Oregon case involving the Halstead family and Jean Ketzner's Canyonville prayer group forms the book's central narrative. Morneau, a former occultist converted to SDA, documented how demons posing as angels deceived this group into vandalism, theft, and murder. Demons don't care about your denominational affiliation.
No institution is safe. No denomination is the remnant.
Scripture alone. Commandments kept. The testimony of Jesus held. These define the remnant. Not church membership, not prophetic founders, not institutional history.
This isn't a novel position. The Protestant Reformers taught the same principle under different language: the "invisible church."
Luther first applied "invisible" to the true Church: the elect known only to God, scattered within visible institutions. Calvin wrote that according to God's secret predestination, "there are many sheep without the pale of the Church, and many wolves within it." The Westminster Confession (Chapter 25) states: "The catholic or universal Church which is invisible consists of the whole number of the elect."2 Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 25, Section 1 (1646). The Reformers distinguished between the "visible church" (institutional members) and "invisible church" (true believers known to God). This doctrine affirmed that no institution could claim exclusive possession of God's elect.
The Reformers understood what the Roman Catholic Church denied: no institution can claim exclusive possession of God's people. The true church is defined by faith and obedience, not organizational membership. "No denomination is the remnant" is classic Protestant ecclesiology, not theological innovation.
Revelation gives us the identifying marks. Let's examine them carefully.
The Biblical Definition
Revelation identifies the remnant three times with nearly identical language:
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,3 The Greek word here is λοιποί (loipoi), meaning "the rest" or "remaining ones," not λεῖμμα (leimma), the technical term Paul uses for "remnant" in Romans 11:5. The KJV translation "remnant" is interpretive. Calvinist theologian Anthony Hoekema argued this distinction matters: you cannot build an exclusive denominational claim on a word describing characteristics rather than institutional membership. The verse identifies those who keep commandments and have Jesus' testimony (actions and beliefs), not organizational affiliation. which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
Revelation 22:14 (KJV):
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Three passages. One consistent message.
The remnant is defined by:
- Keeping the commandments of God
- Having the testimony/faith of Jesus
These are not nine commandments, nor merely the "moral principles" of the law. They are the commandments: all ten, including the fourth (Sabbath).
It is not vague "belief in Jesus." It is the testimony of Jesus: what Jesus actually testified about the Father, about truth, about obedience.
Let's examine each criterion.
Criterion 1: Keep the Commandments of God
"But we're saved by grace through faith, not by keeping commandments!"
True. Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Salvation is gift, not wage. You can't earn it. You can't deserve it. You receive it by faith.
But read the next verse:
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Saved by grace → unto good works.
Not saved by works. Saved unto works.
Grace doesn't eliminate obedience. It enables it.
What "Keep the Commandments" Means
The Greek word for "keep" in Revelation 12:17 and 14:12 is tēreō (τηρέω) - it means:
- To guard, watch over
- To observe, fulfill, pay attention to
- To keep in the sense of obeying
It's not passive acknowledgment. It's active obedience.
The remnant doesn't just believe the commandments are good. They keep them.
Which commandments?
All ten that God wrote with His own finger on stone tablets (Exodus 31:18).
Including:
- No other gods - The Father alone is God (not Trinity with co-equal persons)
- No graven images - No Mary statues, no crucifixes as objects of veneration
- Don't take God's name in vain - Includes not claiming "Lord, Lord" while disobeying (Matthew 7:21-23)
- Remember the Sabbath - The seventh day (Saturday), not Sunday
- Honor father and mother - Family structure matters
- Don't murder - Including abortion, unjust war, hatred (1 John 3:15)
- Don't commit adultery - Sexual purity according to biblical definition
- Don't steal - Honest work, honest dealings
- Don't bear false witness - Truth-telling in all things
- Don't covet - Contentment with what God provides
The remnant keeps all ten.
Not "Well, we keep nine but the fourth (Sabbath) was nailed to the cross."
James 2:10 destroys that argument:
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
You can't pick nine and ignore one. Breaking any commandment breaks the law as a whole.
The remnant keeps them all, not to earn salvation, but because they love Jesus:
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Obedience is the evidence of love.
The Sabbath: The Identifying Mark
Of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath (fourth commandment) is the identifying commandment.
Why?
Because it's the only one Babylon changed.
No one debates the other nine. Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, even pagans recognize murder, theft, and adultery are wrong.
But the Sabbath?
That's the battleground.
The Roman Catholic Church changed it from Saturday to Sunday without biblical authority. Protestantism kept the change despite claiming "sola scriptura." The ecumenical movement promotes Sunday for global unity. Scripture warns that Sunday observance may become the enforced mark of allegiance.
If worldwide Sunday worship is enforced as Scripture indicates, keeping the seventh-day Sabbath becomes the visible test of loyalty.
It's not that Sabbath-keeping saves you. It's that Sabbath-keeping identifies you as one who obeys God rather than man when the two conflict.
The remnant keeps the seventh-day Sabbath, not because it's the most important commandment (Jesus said love God and love neighbor are the greatest, Matthew 22:37-40), but because it's the contested commandment: the one Babylon changed, the one Scripture warns the world may enforce a counterfeit of.
Keeping Saturday instead of Sunday says:
"I obey the Creator who wrote this commandment in stone, not the creature who changed it by tradition."
That's why Revelation 12:17 says the dragon (Satan) makes war with those who keep the commandments.
Not gentle disagreement. War.
Because commandment-keeping exposes the lie.
Why Satan Hates Sabbath-Keepers
This isn't theological speculation. We have testimony from the enemy's side.
Roger Morneau was recruited into an elite satanic society in Montreal in 1946 (not Hollywood theatrics, but sophisticated, wealthy occultists in direct communication with demon spirits). When he began studying Scripture with Christians, the high priest received an urgent message from the spirit world:
"You were studying the Bible with Sabbath keepers--the very people the master hates most on the face of the earth."2 Roger Morneau, A Trip Into the Supernatural (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1982). Morneau's documented testimony of his escape from elite occultism after encountering Sabbath-keeping Christians.
The demons told the occultists that Sabbath-keepers have special protection. They cannot be deceived the way others can. Something about obedience to the fourth commandment creates a spiritual barrier.
Three things demons fear most:
- The name of Jesus Christ spoken in faith
- The blood of Christ claimed for protection
- Saturday Sabbath observance
This isn't just one man's testimony. Jewish mystical tradition confirms it.
The Zohar, a foundational text of Jewish Kabbalah written centuries before Morneau was born, teaches that when Sabbath begins:
"All the powers of ire and forces of severity are uprooted and there is no evil dominion upon the worlds."3 The Zohar, foundational text of Jewish Kabbalah (13th century). See discussion in "The Soul of Shabbat," Chabad.org, and "Mystical Shabbat," MyJewishLearning.com. The Zohar teaches that demonic forces have no dominion during Sabbath hours.
The Zohar teaches that on Sabbath, the Shekhinah (divine presence) is "liberated from her entanglement in the demonic forces." Evil spirits have their power removed during the seventh day.
This is hostile witness testimony. Jewish mysticism has no Christian agenda. They aren't trying to promote Seventh-day Adventism or any Christian denomination. Yet their ancient texts confirm exactly what the demons told Roger Morneau: the Sabbath has protective power.
Why? Because the Sabbath is God's seal. It identifies who you serve.
When you keep Saturday holy despite the world keeping Sunday (despite job pressure, social pressure, family pressure), you are publicly declaring: "I obey the Creator, not the culture."
The demons know this. They fear it.
And they will make war against those who do it.
Criterion 2: Have the Testimony of Jesus Christ
What is "the testimony of Jesus Christ"?
Revelation 19:10 defines it:
"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
The testimony of Jesus = the spirit of prophecy.
This has two meanings:
Meaning 1: The Prophetic Gift
"Spirit of prophecy" can mean the gift of prophecy active among believers.
1 Corinthians 12:10 lists "prophecy" as one of the spiritual gifts.
Ephesians 4:11 lists "prophets" as one of the ministry gifts God gives the church.
Acts 2:17 (quoting Joel 2:28) promises:
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."
The remnant has prophetic gifting among them.
Not every member is a prophet. But the community has prophets who speak God's word with authority. They speak not their own opinions, but "Thus saith the Lord."
How to test prophets:
- Their prophecies come true (Deuteronomy 18:22)
- They lead people TO the law, not away from it (Isaiah 8:20)
- They confess Jesus Christ came in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3)
- Their fruit is good (Matthew 7:16-20)
A "prophet" who tells you the Sabbath is abolished, the law is done away, or commandment-keeping is legalism is a false prophet, no matter how accurate their predictions or how powerful their ministry. God placed the Ten Commandments inside the Ark of the Covenant, in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 40:20). A true prophet honors what God positioned in His presence. A false prophet dismisses it.
The spirit of prophecy upholds the commandments. It doesn't nullify them.
Meaning 2: The Witness Jesus Gave
"Testimony of Jesus" can also mean the witness Jesus Himself gave: His teachings, His example, His revelation of the Father.
What did Jesus testify?
About the Father:
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Jesus testified that the Father alone is "the only true God."
Not "one person of the Trinity." Not "co-equal with the Son and Spirit." The only true God.
About the law:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
Jesus didn't abolish the law. Heaven and earth are still here, so the law is still valid.
About obedience:
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Doing the Father's will matters, not just saying "Lord, Lord."
About the Sabbath:
"The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, not Lord over it (as in He doesn't abolish it). He's Master of the day, which means He has authority to interpret how it should be kept. But He kept it Himself, and never changed it to Sunday.
The remnant has the testimony Jesus gave.
They believe what He testified about the Father (the only true God). They obey what He testified about the law (not destroyed, still valid). They follow His example of Sabbath-keeping.
Who the Remnant Is Not
Before identifying who is the remnant, let's clear away false claimants.
The Remnant is Not:
1. Everyone who claims to be Christian
Billions call themselves Christian. Most keep Sunday, teach Trinity, believe in immortal soul, use corrupted Bibles, participate in ecumenical compromise.
They don't keep the commandments. They don't have the testimony Jesus gave.
Claiming "Lord, Lord" doesn't make you remnant. Jesus said many who say "Lord, Lord" will be rejected (Matthew 7:22-23).
2. Everyone in a particular denomination
Even Sabbath-keeping denominations have members who don't believe or obey.
Some Seventh-day Adventists don't keep Sabbath seriously. They shop, work, or treat it as a burdensome ritual.
Some Church of God members keep Sabbath but compromise on other doctrines.
Important distinction: The Church of God (Seventh Day), commonly called COG7, is not the same as Armstrong-lineage groups (United Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, etc.). COG7 originated in 1858 from Sabbatarian Adventists who rejected Ellen White's prophetic authority, maintaining Scripture-only authority. Herbert W. Armstrong was a COG7 minister who was expelled in 1937 for doctrinal deviations, then founded his own movement (Worldwide Church of God). UCG and similar groups descended from Armstrong, not COG7. COG7 has the stronger remnant credentials: Sabbath-keeping, Scripture-only authority, no extra-biblical prophetic figure.
Membership doesn't equal remnant status.
3. Everyone who keeps Sabbath
You can keep the seventh day and still not be remnant if you:
- Keep it legalistically (thinking Sabbath-keeping earns salvation)
- Keep it while rejecting other commandments (Sabbath + sexual immorality = not remnant)
- Keep it while teaching false doctrines about Jesus or the Father
- Keep it out of tradition but not out of love for God
Sabbath-keeping is necessary but not sufficient.
4. Everyone with prophetic gifting
False prophets exist. Signs and wonders don't prove truth.
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
Prophetic power without commandment-keeping = false prophet.
Charismatic gifts without obedience = deception.
5. Everyone who's sincere
Sincerity doesn't equal truth.
People are sincerely wrong all the time.
The Ethiopian eunuch was sincerely worshiping God, but without correct understanding until Philip taught him (Acts 8:26-39).
Saul of Tarsus sincerely persecuted Christians, thinking he was serving God until Jesus confronted him (Acts 9).
Sincerity matters. But sincerity plus truth matters more.
Who the Remnant IS
The remnant is:
Those who keep all ten commandments (including seventh-day Sabbath) out of love for God, not to earn salvation.
Those who have the testimony Jesus gave - believing the Father alone is the only true God, acknowledging Jesus as His Son and Mediator, following the preserved Word (KJV), rejecting false doctrines (Trinity, immortal soul, Sunday sacredness).
Those who refuse the mark of the beast - they will not bow to Sunday worship when enforced, even at cost of livelihood, freedom, or life.
Those who separate from Babylon - they come out of Sunday-keeping churches, ecumenical organizations, and compromising fellowships.
Those who endure to the end - Revelation 14:12 says "Here is the patience of the saints." They don't give up under pressure. They stand firm through persecution.
Those scattered across many locations and groups - Not centralized in one denomination, but distributed globally wherever people obey Scripture over tradition.
This doesn't mean the remnant worships alone. Scripture commands fellowship: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25). "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). "Confess your faults one to another" (James 5:16). "Woe to him that is alone when he falleth" (Ecclesiastes 4:10).
The remnant needs community. But that community isn't defined by denominational headquarters. Two families meeting in a living room who keep Sabbath and test all things by Scripture are more remnant than a megachurch that teaches Sunday sacredness. The question isn't "which denomination should I join?" but "where can I find believers who meet the biblical criteria?"
Chapter 20 addresses how to find Sabbath-keeping fellowship after leaving Babylon. The point here is simpler: "no denomination is the remnant" doesn't mean "no fellowship is needed." It means no institution can claim exclusive ownership of God's faithful.
The Remnant's Characteristics in Summary
| Characteristic | Biblical Reference | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Keep commandments | Rev 12:17, 14:12 | All ten, including Sabbath |
| Have testimony of Jesus | Rev 12:17, 19:10 | Prophetic gift + Jesus' teachings upheld |
| Patient endurance | Rev 14:12 | Stand firm under persecution |
| Come out of Babylon | Rev 18:4 | Separate from false worship systems |
| Refuse the mark | Rev 14:9-11 | Won't worship beast or receive mark |
| Faith of Jesus | Rev 14:12 | Trust in His righteousness, not works |
| Call to obey God | Acts 5:29 | Obey God rather than man when conflict arises |
How Do You Know If You're Part of the Remnant?
The criteria:
1. Seventh-day Sabbath observance (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown)
Not "acknowledging it's the right day while attending Sunday church."
Actually, physically resting on Saturday. Refusing to work.
Without this → not yet part of the remnant.
2. All ten commandments, not just nine
Not perfectly (none of us do). But as pattern, aim, standard:
- The Father alone as the only true God (not Trinity)
- No idolatry (no images, no Mary worship)
- God's name honored in speech and action
- Sabbath kept
- Family structure honored
- Life preserved (no murder, no hatred)
- Sexual purity according to biblical definition
- Honest work, fair dealing
- Truth spoken
- Contentment, not covetousness
Habitual breaking without repentance → not remnant.
3. Come out of Babylon
Still attending Sunday church while "personally keeping Sabbath" → not out.
In ecumenical organizations that compromise truth for unity → not out.
In churches teaching Trinity, immortal soul, or Sunday sacredness → not out.
Coming out means physical separation, not just mental disagreement while staying.
4. Willingness to refuse the mark of the beast, even at cost of death
Sunday laws come → keeping Sabbath anyway.
Employment requires Sunday work → losing the job rather than compromising.
Buying and selling restricted to those with the mark (Revelation 13:17) → enduring poverty rather than receiving it.
Death decree comes (Revelation 13:15) → standing firm.
This willingness is the remnant's distinguishing mark.
5. Believing and teaching what Jesus testified
The Father being the only true God. The law not abolished. Obedience mattering, not just profession. The narrow way that few find.
The remnant has Jesus' testimony. They believe what He said, even when it contradicts church tradition.
The Remnant Is Small
Jesus warned:
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
Many go the broad way to destruction. Few find the narrow way to life.
The remnant is the few.
Not the majority of Christians. Not even the majority of Sabbath-keeping Christians. The faithful few who meet all the biblical criteria.
This can be discouraging. "Only a few? What if I'm not good enough?"
But remember: You're not relying on your goodness. You're relying on Christ's righteousness received by faith.
Revelation 14:12 says the remnant has "the faith of Jesus": not faith IN Jesus only, but the very faith Jesus had. The faith that trusts the Father completely. The faith that obeys even unto death.
That faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8). You can't manufacture it. But you can receive it, nurture it, and act on it.
The remnant is small numerically. But it's victorious eternally.
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
The remnant is called, chosen, and faithful.
That's the remnant.
You Can Be Part of the Remnant
You don't need special heritage. You don't need to be born into a Sabbath-keeping family. You don't need perfect doctrine on every detail. You don't need decades of biblical training.
Paul made this explicit: "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart" (Romans 2:28-29). And again: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29). The remnant is spiritual Israel, defined by faith and obedience, not bloodline or geography. While dispensationalist theology (see Chapter 9's Jesuit origins) fixes the world's eyes on geopolitical borders in the Middle East, the spiritual power that changed God's law operates unnoticed in plain sight.
You need:
- Repentance - turn from sin and disobedience
- Faith - trust in Jesus' finished work for salvation
- Obedience - keep the commandments out of love
- Separation - come out of Babylon
- Endurance - stand firm through coming trials
That's it.
Anyone can be remnant.
The ex-atheist who finds truth and obeys it. The former Catholic who discovers the Sabbath and leaves the Roman Catholic Church. The lifelong Protestant who finally sees Sunday is Babylon's mark and comes out. The New Age seeker who exhausts all counterfeits and finds the Father. The youth raised in Sunday church who reads Scripture and chooses obedience over tradition.
These aren't theoretical categories. Real pastors have walked this path.
Ki-Jo Moon spent thirty-seven years as a Korean Sunday church pastor. When an Adventist literature evangelist came to his door, he tried to convert her; he wanted ammunition against what Koreans call a "cult." She handed him studies instead. His verdict after comparing: "We have a lot of fluff in my church, but the Adventist pastor is serving me a hot spiritual meal."6 Andrew McChesney, "When a Sunday Church Pastor Tried to Convert an Adventist Colporteur," Adventist Mission, 2017, https://www.adventistmission.org/when-a-sunday-church-pastor-tried-to-convert-an-adventist-colporteur (Archive.org). Eight years later, he and his wife were baptized as Sabbath-keepers. He left everything he'd built, choosing substance over fluff.
Oscar Dickerson was ordained Presbyterian in Liberia, trained at Methodist seminary, then served as associate pastor at True Light Missionary Baptist Church in Ohio. In 1995, after studying with Adventist coworkers, he concluded: "The first day of the week is not God's Holy Day. Nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the apostles ordered that God's Sabbath be changed." When he began keeping Sabbath, his pastor said: "I don't want you coming to my church telling people they're wrong for observing Sunday."7 "Minister Oscar Dickerson," Jesus Fishers of Men Ministries, https://jesusfishersofmenministries.net/minister-oscar-dickerson/. He was ostracized from his congregation. Seminary education didn't reveal it. Scripture did.
Hyveth Williams worked as a political operative (campaign aide for a U.S. Congressman) before sensing a call to ministry. She became a Sabbath-keeping pastor and later a seminary professor at Andrews University.8 Dr. Hyveth Williams' biography, Andrews University Seminary, https://www.andrews.edu/sem/dmin/faculty/williamshyveth.html (Archive.org). The question of women in pastoral ministry intersects with 1 Timothy 2:12, a debated passage among Sabbath-keepers. Her testimony stands regardless of that debate: political career to biblical obedience. The path from political power to Sabbath truth reverses the world's priorities. Power trades down for obedience. Influence trades down for faithfulness.
The cost of discovery is always the same: everything you built on the wrong foundation.
The gain is also the same: the remnant's inheritance.
Remnant status is not inherited. It's chosen.
You choose to obey. You choose to come out. You choose to stand firm.
And when you make that choice, you join the faithful few who've been making it for 2,000 years.
The Waldensians tortured to death for keeping Sabbath. The Paulicians massacred (100,000 in Byzantine Armenia alone). The Ethiopian Christians who preserved Sabbath through centuries of isolation. The scattered believers worldwide who never bowed to the Roman Catholic Church's Sunday.
You're not alone.
You're part of a thread that stretches from Eden to eternity.
And when Jesus returns, you'll stand with them:
"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... 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."
Not defiled with women = not joined to harlot churches (Babylon). Virgins = spiritually pure, separated from false worship. Follow the Lamb = obey Jesus' commandments and testimony.
That's the remnant.
The remnant has always been small. But small isn't weak. Sons of God (Romans 8:14). Joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Friends entrusted with the Father's business (John 15:15). Ambassadors sent with His message (2 Corinthians 5:20).
The remnant doesn't need the Roman Catholic Church's numbers. The remnant has the Father's inheritance.
Questions to Answer
If the remnant is defined by those who "keep the commandments of God" (Revelation 14:12), and you're not keeping all ten commandments, on what basis do you claim to be part of the remnant?
The remnant isn't identified by correct doctrine about the remnant. It's identified by obedience to God's commandments. You can know everything about Sabbath theology, end-time prophecy, and Babylon's deceptions. But if you're still keeping Sunday instead of God's Sabbath, you're not yet part of the remnant. Knowledge without obedience is just theological pride.
If "few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14), why does mainstream Christianity's numerical majority make you feel safer rather than more concerned?
Jesus explicitly warned the path to life is narrow and few find it, while the broad path to destruction is crowded. The remnant is by definition a small group. So when 2+ billion people practice Sunday worship, does that suggest truth or deception? When did God ever promise His faithful would be the majority? Israel was always a remnant. The disciples were twelve. Why would the end-time church be different?
If God calls His people to "come out of her" (Revelation 18:4) from Babylon, we must ask which churches qualify as Babylon, and consider our own reasons for attending.
"Babylon" isn't just the Catholic Church. It's every church system that teaches the Roman Catholic Church's doctrines: Sunday instead of Sabbath, immortal soul instead of death-as-sleep. If your church teaches these, it's part of Babylon. Revelation doesn't say "reform her from within." It says "come out." The call stands.
If the remnant has always faced persecution, martyrdom, and isolation, yet you're experiencing none of that, what does that reveal about whether your obedience is actually challenging Babylon's authority?
The Waldensians were hunted for centuries. Sabbath-keepers were burned alive. John the Baptist was beheaded. Paul was martyred. Jesus was crucified. The faithful always pay a price. If keeping your version of "truth" costs you nothing (no family rejection, no job loss, no social ostracism, no theological opposition), then you're probably not actually keeping truth at the level that threatens the dragon's kingdom. Comfortable Christianity is not remnant Christianity.