A remnant? Of the 'church'? Which includes Christians and Jews? That is caught up before Messiah's age of glory? Rapture rubbish. And as has been pointed out, rooted in replacement theology.[/FONT]
The remnant in scripture is Yisrael, not the church. Let's put it back in it's proper perspective. God saved Yisrael through Yeshua the Messiah, and will redeem her completely in the age to come. Gentiles will be included in this redemption, equally. But Yisrael's calling and place in the kingdom of God is secure, and remains. So says God.
A tree of life has arisen in Tziyon, and the Spirit of ADONAI rests on him. He stands as a banner for all the people. And when he comes back and rests, he will be glorious! On that day Adonai will raise his hand again, a second time, to reclaim the remnant of his people who remain. He will hoist a banner for the nations, assemble the dispersed of Yisrael, and gather the scattered of Yhudah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:1-16)
When Yeshua stands as the banner for all people, he will for a second time reclaim the remnant 'of his people who remain'. Gathering the dispersed of Yisrael and Judah. This is the gathering that is so misconstrued as the 'rapture'.
So don‟t be afraid, because he has redeemed us; and called us by our name. You are mine, he says. When we pass through water, he will be with us; when we pass through rivers, they will not overwhelm us; when we walk through fire, we are not scorched the flame does not burn us. He is ADONAI, our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior!! He regards us as valued and honored. He loves us! And he is with us. He will bring us from the east, and will gather us from the west. He will say to the north, Give them up! and to the south, Don‟t hold them back! Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who bears his name, who he created for his glory. He made us ALL!! (Isaiah 43:1-7)
This is one of my favorite verses. See how God 'loves' Yisrael. He gathers us, in the last days. Not to a cloud, but to restore his kingdom.
The time is coming when he will gather together all the nations and they will come and see his glory. He will give them a sign. He will send a remnant to many nations throughout the world where the glory of God has not been made known. There in the nations this remnant will proclaim the glory of God; and they will bring all our kinsmen out as an offering to ADONAI. We will be brought back to Yerushalayim, says, ADONAI. Because just as the new heavens and the new earth that he is making will continue in his presence, so will the descendants and the name of Israel continue! (Isaiah 66:18-24)
The remnant is the spirit-filled 'JEWS' who were sent out, you know them as the Apostles. This remnant will proclaim the glory of God, and they will bring all Yisrael out as an offering to Yeshua. WE (the remnant of Yisrael) will be brought back to Jerusalem, so says Yeshua!
We will rebuild the ancient ruins, restore sites long destroyed. Strangers will work for us, and we will be called cohanim of ADONAI, spoken of as ministers to our God. Who will be faithful to reward us and make an eternal covenant with us. We and our children will be known among the nations; all who see us will say that we are the seed ADONAI has blessed. (Isaiah 61 4-9)
ADONAI will not destroy us, never! He will bring us to his Land, his mountains, and we will posses them and be his servants. (Isaiah 65:8-10)
Our King will come and succeed; he will do what is just and right in the land. When he comes, Y‟hudah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. He will be called ADONAI our righteousness. And the day will come when people no longer swear, As ADONAI lives, who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but, As ADONAI lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land to the north and from all the countries where he drove us. Then we will live in our own land. (Jeremiah 23:1-8)
Jeremiah 33:25-26 25 Here is what ADONAI says: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and fixed the laws for sky and earth, 26 then I will also reject the descendants of Yaakov and of my servant David, not choosing from his descendants people to rule over the descendants of Avraham, Yischak and Yaakov. For I will cause their captives to come back, and I will show them compassion.'
Yes, God has removed to the nations and scattered us among the countries; nevertheless, he has been a little sanctuary for us here in the nations we have gone. So, ADONAI says he will gather us from the peoples and collect us from the countries where we have been scattered, and he will give the land of Israel to us. There we will remove all of our disgusting ways, and he will give us unity of heart. He will put a new spirit within us, removing the hearts of stone. We will live by his ways and act by them. We will be his people, and he will be our God. (Ezekiel 11:14-20)
Ezekiel 37:21-28 Adonai ELOHIM says: I will take the people of Israel from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will never again defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have been living and sinning; and I will cleanse them, so that they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 My servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my regulations. 25 They will live in the land I gave to Yaakov my servant, where your ancestors lived; they will live there they, their children, and their grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 The nations will know that I am ADONAI, who sets Israel apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.'
This is the remnant you are inadvertanlty speaking of. And so we come marching home!!!