A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE REMNANT CHURCH.
By M. C. W.
THE true people of God who live upon the earth when Christ comes are commandment-keepers. Thus the Scriptures speak of them: "And the dragon [Satan] was wroth with the woman [the church], and went to make war [by stirring up earthly Governments] with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. The first passage is chronologically fixed by two things: 1. The chapter in which it is found presents before us the conflict of the church of Christ throughout the Christian age. The great pagan and papal persecutions are portrayed in verses 12-14. The 1260 days, or years, of tribulation are noticed. The earth helping the woman symbolizes the changed attitude of earthly Governments toward the church, caused by the dissemination of the principles of the Reformation. But once more the powers of earth are roused by Satan, and the final conflict of the church takes place. See chapter 13:3, 4, 11-18. It is the closing act of the drama, therefore the last stage of the church. But the last stage of the church must witness Christ's coming. 2. This is also shown by the term "remnant." The original word, loipos, is defined by Young, "remaining, left;" by Greenfield, "the rest, remainder." It is the waiting few who are looking for their Lord.531 The twelfth verse of the fourteenth chapter also relates to the same time and same class. "Here is the patience," when the coming of Christ draws nigh. Jas. 5:7, 8. "Here are they that keep the commandments," etc. And as John sees this class developed by the last threefold message (Rev. 14:6-11), Christ appears to reap the harvest of the earth. Verse 14. "Here," therefore, denotes a time just preceding the coming of Christ. Other proofs might be brought, but these are sufficient to show that these commandment-keepers are living upon the earth in patient waiting when Christ comes the second time. Who are they? They are not Jews, for they keep the "faith of Jesus." This must include all that could be included in this term "faith;" for it is unlimited. It includes the ordinances of the gospel and faith in all its provisions for man's salvation. Then they are commandment-keeping Christians. If they keep the commandments of God they must observe them all. He who transgressed the second commandment, or the sixth, would not by anyone be considered a commandment-keeper; for he would be a commandment-breaker. And this principle holds good as regards every one of the ten commandments. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Jas. 2:10. Rebellion against God can be shown by little variation from his divine commands, as well as by great transgression. The obedient heart obeys all. As regards the first three commandments of the decalogue, and the last six, all of Protestant Christendom are united in their observance. With few exceptions, all believe them to be binding. But as regards the fourth, they are at variance. The fourth precept of the decalogue declares, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20:8-11. But Christians generally observe the first day of the week contrary to Bible authority. By no possible feat of legerdemain, nor by any legitimate use of language, can "the seventh day" be made to mean "the first day." A memorial of creation cannot be made a memorial of redemption without changing the law. The law demands the observance of the seventh day, and any variation from that is transgression of the law. It may be ignorantly done, believing it to be right, but it is still transgression. God may "wink" at the ignorance in times of darkness; and he will forgive those who walk in all the light they have. But the sin must be forgiven. Many have been blessed in the past who did not keep the fourth commandment, but they were blessed not because they kept the first day and did not keep the seventh, but in spite of their transgression. God blessed them because they had a heart to keep all of his commandments if they had seen them; and they proved this by walking in all the light they did have. But when Christ comes there will be no excuse. The whole world will have been enlightened by the threefold message of Revelation 14, or they will have had the privilege of being so enlightened. Only willing and willful ignorance will prevent. But of the faithful first-day observers of the past, so faithful that they died for Christ, it is not said that they are commandment-keepers. The seventh-day Sabbath was kept by the faithful for hundreds of years after Christ, and by some all through to the present, but in nearly all cases it was crushed out by Rome. The Reformers took advance steps, but saw not all the light. Prophecy reserved some till a later day. The Reformers kept the first day, for they knew no differently. Many died for their faith, but they are not called by inspiration commandment-keepers. Their great persecutor, the Papacy, is symbolized by the beast of Revelation 13. The 1,260 years of its triumph began 538 A. D., and ended 1798. Verse 10. At that time God speaks of the suffering martyrs and reformers. We will place his portrayal of them by the side of those who are living when Christ comes. REFORMERS AND MARTYRS.
"Here is the patience and faith of the saints." Rev. 13:10. THE REMNANT CHURCH.
"Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. Both classes have patience; how much needed! Both have faith; how much required! But the remnant alone are commandment-keepers. Here is an evidence that the remnant church keeps the commandments in a sense that the reformed churches did not and their followers do not. But they kept all save the fourth; consequently the fourth commandment is the point of difference. And keeping that in connection with the other nine is what constitutes them keepers of "the commandments of God." They also hold to the faith of Jesus. Then they look for his second coming; for that is a part of the great scheme of redemption. John 14:1-3; Heb. 9:28; Tit. 2:11-14, and others. On the other side are those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. The light of God's word and the pages of history have revealed the source of the errors which have corrupted and weakened the Christian church. They came through the Papacy. But against these corruptions God mercifully warns the world, and his professed people. Fear not man; worship not the creature; give not glory to tradition or error. But "fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Rev. 14:7. These must be the characteristics of the remnant church. A sense of man's sinfulness and littleness and God's holiness and greatness will lead them to fear God, which is "the beginning of wisdom." In "the everlasting gospel" they find pardon and also "the power of God unto salvation," which leads to the highest of all worship—implicit obedience to all the requirements of the great Creator. Therefore, with all other moral precepts, they observe the memorial of God's creative work, the seventh-day Sabbath. Obedience, faith, patience will be their characteristics. It will be the work of faith (Jas. 2:17, 18), the labor of love (1 John 5:3), and the patience of hope (Rom. 5:4, 5). God grant that our readers may stand among them.