One of the oft debated questions about the remnant of Israel described in God’s word is how many it will include. Much of the conjecture revolves around the 144,000 in Revelation1.
How Scripture answers "How many are in God’s remnant – the 144,000 (Revelation 7:3-4)?"
God’s remnant isn’t a literal 144,0001 or 7,0003, nor is it a third2 or even a tenth4 of the whole. With all of these passages together and the accompanying New Testament writers’ inspired applications234, we can know that all of these numeric representations of God’s remnant are figurative.
These metaphorical representations demonstrate the sureness of God’s promise to redeem (seal) all that are His13. They also demonstrate the relative few24 that will find entrance into the kingdom, which is just as Jesus taught when concluding His sermon on the mount5.
Have you been sealed and numbered with the remnant?
Answer built on scripture-blocks below
Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Don’t harm the earth, sea or trees until we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads. And I [John] heard the 144,000 that were sealed from every tribe of Israel.
In this portion of John’s vision, four angels restrain the winds and another angel instructs them not to harm the earth until God’s servants are sealed (vss 1-3). The following verses give 12,000 from each named tribe (vss 5-8), before John sees an innumerable multitude (vss 9-17). The 144,000 appear again in Revelation 14:1-5; chapter 7 does not explicitly identify them with the multitude.
Applying Revelation 7:3-4 to this question...
A sealed are numbered but also shown as a “great multitude” from “every nation” and “from all tribes and peoples.” Furthermore, the broader context describes the same 144,000 as the “redeemed from the earth.”
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, They are my people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.
God declares for the sword to strike my shepherd – the man standing next to me – and His sheep will be scattered, and I, God, will be against the little ones. In the whole land, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, while a third will be left alive. I will put the third into the fire and refine them as one refines silver and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name and I will answer them. I will be their God, and they will be My people.
Applying Zechariah 13:7-9 to this question...
Not a specific number, but an accounting in relative terms. One-third are left alive [saved] and a very strong correlation to New Testament church times given the surrounding verbiage (e.g. “strike the shepherd [Jesus] and “call upon my name“).
We would not force its application here, given the limits we have with interpreting prophetic writings, but it would appear to apply since it is within this section of Zechariah of repeated “on that day” statements.
Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.
I will leave 7,000 in Israel – all those that have not bowed to Baal and worshipped him.
Elijah the prophet is being pursued by Queen Jezebel after God, through Elijah, defeated all the prophets of Baal (supported by Jezebel) at Mount Carmel. Elijah is “afraid” and “ran for his life” (vs 3) and is complaining to God as he feels that “I, even only I, am left” (vs 10) among those that have not forsaken God.
Applying 1 Kings 19:18 to this question...
God refers to His own remnant of believers under the New Covenant, numbering in figurative terms, 7,000.
Paul, an inspired writer, confirms this application for us in Romans 11:4-5.
And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump.
Even though a tenth remain, it will be burned again like a tree whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump.
The final words from God to Isaiah in His commission as a prophet. Isaiah is taken in a vision into the “council of God.” While these are the final words spoken, God’s statement at the beginning of His commission (vss 9-10) are interpreted by inspired writers to have been fulfilled during the time of Christ (Matthew 13:14-15, Acts 28:26-27, John 12:40).
Applying Isaiah 6:13 to this question...
God quantifying His remnant as “a tenth” with a “holy seed” at its core/center.
Thanks to inspired writers interpreting other portions of God’s statement, we can be fairly certain that this portion also refers to the first-century Christians (the redeemed, the church universal) as the stump (the “holy seed” aka root).
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Entrance is through the narrow gate versus the wide gate. The narrow gate is hard which few find, but it leads to life. Unlike the wide gate, which is easy and leads many to destruction.
Jesus’ conclusion of his sermon on the mount (chapters 5-7). He goes on to give the illustration of the wise man – the one that does the things he hears from Jesus – versus the foolish man – the one that hears but does nothing.
Applying Matthew 7:13-14 to this question...
Jesus illustrates entrance into the kingdom as a “narrow gate” that “few” will find (vs. the “many”).
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A Remnant is a small group of Saints that are faithful to God though the main body of believers are fallen away from God.