Even in the darkest days of this world's history, God has had His faithful witnesses. Sometimes it has been a faithful individual, like Abel, Enoch, Noah or Abraham; sometimes it has been a remnant of God's people who, amidst the general departure from fidelity to God, have sought to be for His will and pleasure. In the faithful remnant God has indicated to us the features that He values, and these we, by His grace, can ever seek to emulate, whatever the character of the days in which we live. There can be little doubt that this our day is marked by serious departure from the truth given to the church, so that it becomes us to learn what God would have us be for Himself as the day of grace draws to its close.
The days of Elijah were evil days. Of Ahab the king the Spirit of God has written, "But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols" (1 Kings 21:25-26). Elijah was an outstanding witness against the evil of the king, and of Israel, who followed in his steps. The numerous priests of Baal, and the manner of possessing the vineyard of Naboth, witness to the awful state of king, leaders and people.
After his faithful witness on Mount Cannel, Elijah fled on the threat of the wicked Jezebel, and at length arrived at Horeb to plead with God against Israel, saying, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kings 19:14). So much of this was true, but Elijah, wholly occupied with his own faithfulness to God was unable to take account of what was not hidden from the eye of God. Obadiah, and the hundred prophets of Jehovah whom he had delivered from the hand of Jezebel, were evidently not men of the same stamp as Elijah; they had not the same zeal for God, nor the same energy in testimony; nevertheless they were not to be numbered among those who had thrown down Jehovah's altars.
God had observed all that Elijah complained to Him of, and it would meet its judgment in His own time, appointing Elijah to anoint the executors of it; but He had also observed what was hidden from the prophet, "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." Here was a faithful remnant unknown to Elijah who, in spite of all the evil and departure, had remained faithful to Jehovah in the midst of the idolatrous nation.
The seven thousand faithful were not all prophets of Jehovah, though some of them may have been. They are not commended for standing by the side of Elijah in his faithful witness, nor for any outstanding deeds of valour in defence of the true worship of God; but God takes account of their refusal to bow before the false god of the king, or to give it the kiss of allegiance. We are not even told that their fidelity cost them anything, though we may rest assured that many of them, if not all, would have to suffer for being true to the God of Israel.
The days of Malachi were not idolatrous like the days of Elijah, nevertheless they were days of departure from faithfulness to God, and the declension marked both priests and people. They offered polluted bread on the altar of Jehovah, sacrificing the blind, the sick and the lame. They would not shut the doors of the temple or kindle the fire of the altar without payment, and their relations with each other were a reproach to Jehovah's Name. They were altogether insensible of their low moral state, and thought that God was indifferent to their shameful treatment of Him and His service.
Yet God has His faithful remnant in the midst of this general low moral condition, even as the prophet writes, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name" (Malachi 3:16).
In a day when the fear of the Lord was given up this little remnant was marked by the fear of the Lord. The corrupt sacrifices evinced how far both priests and people had departed from the fear of the Lord. The respect and reverence for the service of God's house and of His altar had been cast aside, and this was reflected in the low moral condition of the lives of the people.
The fear of the Lord was the bond that bound this remnant together, and they "spake often one to another." We are not told what the subject of their conversation was, but we can take it for granted that what engaged them was the interests of the Lord. They would mourn over the grave departure that marked the mass of the people, and speak of how they could best serve the will of the Lord in an evil day. Moreover, the goodness of God, and the Word of God, would of necessity occupy them as they spake together. Feeling the condition of things around evidently brought them together the oftener, for they spake often one to another. How very encouraging it is for saints of God to get together in an evil day, even as we are exhorted in Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together … and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Another mark of this remnant was that they thought upon the Name of the Lord. Our thoughts give character to our walk, and indeed manifest what we are, even as the Scripture says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." If we are thinking of the Name of the Lord, we shall endeavour to walk worthy of it, and eschew anything that would bring dishonour upon it. In Christianity the Name of the Lord is of supreme importance for our gatherings, "For where two or three are gathered together to My Name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). If we are thinking of the Name of the Lord in our gatherings, everything there will be in consonance with it.
The days of the Lord's coming to this world were days of great religious pretension, but there was little for God in spite of the maintenance of the outward forms and ceremonies of the law. When tidings of the birth of Messiah came, through the wise men from the East, not only Herod the false king, but all Jerusalem, were troubled with him. Nevertheless, even as in former times, God had His remnant; those who were faithful to Him, and who truly cared for His interests.
Numbered among the faithful were the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, who "were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6). What pleasure there must have been for God in the blameless walk and the righteous lives of these devoted saints, as they sought to do God's will, and to act according to His revealed mind in the Holy Scriptures. We can take it for granted that Joseph and Mary were also of this devoted company, for Joseph is spoken of as a "righteous man" (Matt. 1:19); and both were favoured by visits from the Angel of the Lord.
Simeon and Anna were also of this little remnant. Of Simeon it is written, "the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him; and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:25-26). This aged saint was highly favoured with God's special revelation concerning His Christ. It was not to the High Priest, the chief priests or the leaders of Israel, that God made known His mind, but to one who was just and devout, and who was waiting for the fulfilment of God's promise in Christ.
The aged Anna was a prophetess, "who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." Her interests were wholly engaged with the things of God, refusing present things, and manifesting her constant dependence and confidence in God by her prayers by night and day. Had she been concentrating her thoughts on Malachi 3:1? "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple." If so, she was not disappointed, and was thus able to give "thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Anna evidently knew all who belonged to the remnant in Jerusalem, a company that was marked by their looking for the coming of the Lord, for He only could bring redemption for His people.
The last days, the Scripture tells us, are "perilous times" for the people of God (2 Tim. 3:1), and are marked by professing Christians being "lovers of their own selves, covetous … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." In 2 Timothy the Lord has given instructions for the direction of those who would be faithful to Him in the midst of the corruption of professing Christendom. The true Christian is to separate himself from those who dishonour the holy name of the Lord, and to "follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. 2:21-22).
In the addresses to the seven churches in Revelation 2, 3, the conditions depicted in the last four churches go on to the end, till the coming of the Lord. In Rev. 2:24, a remnant of Thyatira is addressed, and they are exhorted in the next verse, "But that which ye have, hold fast till I come." Spite of all the corruption in the Roman Catholic system, depicted by Thyatira, God has His faithful remnant, "as many as have not this doctrine," who were faithful to God according to their measure of light, and who received His approbation.
Sardis shows us what Protestantism became after the spiritual energy that marked the Reformation at the beginning had waned, until it could be described as having "a name that thou livest, and art dead" (Rev. 3:1). Such is Protestantism today! In name it stands for reality, but the mass are spiritually dead, though professing to be followers of Christ. Yet the Lord can say, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." What pleased the Lord was their having kept their garments clean where there was so much to defile.
In Philadelphia the Lord takes account of what was pleasing to Him as the church progressed towards the close of its history on earth. He knew their works, and could say of them, "Thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My Name." There was little to draw public attention to them, but the eye of the Lord was on them. Obedient to the word of The Holy and The True, and refusing to be identified with anything that would dishonour His Holy Name, the little remnant pursued its way with only Christ before it. Waiting for the coming of the Lord, to have their part in His heavenly kingdom they kept the word of His patience; and He promises them a rich reward in association with Him in the coming glory.
Laodicea is so objectionable to Christ, that He will spue it out of His mouth. Filled with their own self-importance; independent of Christ whom they put outside their door, and utterly insensible of their own miserable condition, the professing church blindly pursues its self-willed course to judgment. But the Lord has His remnant in the last days, even in the conditions described in Laodicea. There are the faithful individuals who hear the Lord's voice as He stands outside knocking, and such know the joys of communion with Him, and have the prospect of sitting with Him in His throne, even as He overcame, and has sat down with His Father on His throne.
Whatever then the character of the days, God chooses for Himself those who are faithful. It has always been so, for He has not left Himself without witness. Such as have formed the remnants may have been very poor, and very feeble; but they have been chosen by the Lord for His own pleasure and to carry out His will. And what has been formerly will also be until the end. After the church has gone, there will be godly remnants in Israel for God's pleasure, and to do His bidding. If, on the one hand, they are the chosen of God; on the other hand, they are the faithful ones that God chooses. May God give us the desire to be numbered among His faithful remnant in this day.
Wm. C. Reid.