A small group of people who remain faithful to God, despite widespread unbelief or faithlessness around them. God preserves a remnant in order to ensure a renewed and restored people in the future.
God preserves a remnant of his people
Noah and his family
Genesis 7:23 See also Genesis 6:7–8, Genesis 6:18, Genesis 7:1, Genesis 7:7
And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed — man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained.
Joseph and the sons of Israel
Genesis 45:7 See also Genesis 50:20
God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Seven thousand faithful in Israel
Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel— all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Survivors of Assyria's invasion of Judah
2 Kings 19:4 parallel Isaiah 37:4 See also 2 Kings 18:13
Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”
Survivors of the destruction of Israel
People from the northern kingdom of Israel who had moved to Judah and so escaped its destruction by Assyria: 2 Chronicles 11:14, 2 Chronicles 15:9, 2 Chronicles 31:6, 2 Chronicles 34:9
Judah as the remnant of God's people
2 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 21:14; 2 Chronicles 34:21
Survivors of the fall of Jerusalem
Those taken as exiles into Babylon: 2 Kings 25:11; 2 Chronicles 36:20; 2 Kings 25:12 parallel Jeremiah 39:10; 2 Kings 25:22–23; Jeremiah 40:11–12, Jeremiah 40:15, Jeremiah 42:2, Jeremiah 43:5
Those who returned after the exile
Ezra 9:8 See also Ezra 2:1–2, Ezra 9:13; Nehemiah 1:2; Haggai 1:12–14
But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.
Those waiting for Jesus Christ's coming
Luke 2:25, Luke 2:38; John 1:12
The remnant as the few who escape judgment
Deuteronomy 4:27 See also Isaiah 10:22; Romans 9:27; Jeremiah 6:9, Jeremiah 44:14, Jeremiah 44:28; Ezekiel 5:12EZK Ezekiel 9:8, Ezekiel 11:13 Ezekiel 17:21; Amos 3:12, Amos 5:3
Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.
God's promise of hope and restoration
Hope for a remnant seen in the coming of the Messiah
Isaiah 11:1 See also Isaiah 6:13; Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 3:8
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
God's promise that survivors will remain
Isaiah 4:2–3 See also Isaiah 1:9; Romans 9:29; Isaiah 17:6, Isaiah 37:31–32 parallel 2 Kings 19:30–31; Ezekiel 14:22; Joel 2:32
On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors. Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy— all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—
Themes associated with the remnant
The land restored to the remnant of God's people
Isaiah 27:12–13; Zephaniah 2:7–10; Zechariah 8:6–12, Zechariah 10:9
A second exodus
Isaiah 4:5–6, Isaiah 10:26, Isaiah 11:11, Isaiah 11:15–16, Isaiah 31:5; Jeremiah 16:14–15
Restoration of the people
Isaiah 10:20–21 See also Isaiah 11:12, Isaiah 28:5, Isaiah 35:8–10, Isaiah 46:3–4; Jeremiah 31:7Jeremiah 23:3 See also Micah 2:12
On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return — a remnant of Jacob — to the Mighty God.
Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply.
Further promises associated with the remnant
The promise of future hope
Isaiah 60:21–22, Isaiah 61:4–6; Joel 3:1; Micah 4:6–7, Micah 5:7–9
God's promise of forgiveness to the remnant
Jeremiah 50:20 See also Isaiah 33:24; Jeremiah 31:34, Jeremiah 33:7–8; Micah 7:18
In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, a search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for Judah’s sins, but they will not be found; for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.
A renewed relationship with God
Jeremiah 24:5–7, Jeremiah 32:37–40; Zephaniah 3:12–17
The need for faithful obedience
Isaiah 1:19; Jeremiah 42:6–10, Jeremiah 44:7–8; Ezra 9:14
The remnant as heirs of God's new covenant
Jeremiah 31:2 The promise of the new covenant is made to the surviving remnant of Israel; Jeremiah 31:31–33
A faithful remnant among the Jews
Romans 11:5 See also Luke 1:16, Luke 12:32; Romans 11:7, Romans 11:15, Romans 11:23, Romans 11:25–26; James 1:1
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
A faithful remnant from among the Gentiles
Isaiah 56:6–8; Zechariah 14:16; John 10:16 Jesus Christ's other sheep are believing Gentiles who will be gathered with the believers of Israel; Acts 15:17; Amos 9:12; Romans 11:17; Ephesians 3:6
God's new Israel includes all believers
Matthew 19:28 parallel Luke 22:30; Galatians 6:16; 1 Peter 1:1, 1 Peter 2:9
Other references to a surviving remnant
Og, king of Bashan, only survivor of the Rephaites: Deuteronomy 3:11; Joshua 13:12; Judges 20:46–47 survivors from the tribe of Benjamin; 2 Chronicles 18:16 the scattered remains of Israel's army under Ahab; Isaiah 16:4 fugitives from Moab; Isaiah 21:16–17 few survivors from Kedar
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.