Gerhard Pfandl
On October 22, 1844, thousands of eager Christians in the United States waited for the second advent of Christ. They were disappointed because they had misunderstood what Daniel 8:14 teaches about the judgment. But out of this disappointment came the Seventh-day Adventist Church, also known as the remnant church.
In the first few years, the group identity of our spiritual forefathers centred around five doctrinal pillars: the Sabbath, the Second Coming, the state of the dead, the sanctuary truth, and the Spirit of Prophecy. The Sabbath, the Second Coming and the state of the dead are generally not questioned within the church. However, 150 years after the beginnings of our church, the sanctuary and the Spirit of Prophecy are very much under scrutiny; there are Seventh-day Adventists today who deny these two pillars, or who modify them to such an extent that they are hardly recognizable. The result is that some church members have an identity crisis. Who are we? Why are we here? Some of our ministers and members are no longer sure that we are, in fact, God’s remnant church.
As far back as Martin Luther, Christians have recognized that there is an invisible church of God that consists of members from all Christian churches. There are faithful members in all Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church. They have accepted Christ as their personal savior and they are counted as His people. Therefore, in Revelation 18:4, at the end of time, the call is made, “Come out of her [Babylon], my people.”1 Many of God’s people are still in Babylon, they belong to God’s invisible church; and at the time of the loud cry in Revelation 18:4, they will come out and join God’s visible remnant church.
That God has a remnant church in the time of the end is clearly taught in Revelation 12. In verses 1–6 we read:
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labour and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with the rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1,260 days (NKJV).
The woman is a symbol of God’s people (see Isa 54:5–6; 2 Cor 11:2), the dragon is Satan (Rev 12:9), the child is Christ (Ps 2:9), and the 1,260 prophetic days refer to the period of papal supremacy from the sixth to the end of the eighteenth century (538–1798).
In Revelation 12:7–12 we have an interlude explaining where Satan came from. The story continues in verse 13.
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [the remnant of her seed – KJV], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:13–15 describes in symbolic terms the persecution of the Christian church, first by the Roman empire and later by the apostate Roman church. In verse 16, the earth personified helps the church by providing a safe haven on the newly discovered continent of America, thereby symbolically swallowing up the persecuting armies (see Rev 17:15). Sending armies across the Atlantic in the seventeenth century was a difficult undertaking. In Revelation 12:17, we are now in a time after the 1,260 day period—that is, in the nineteenth century. Satan, seeing that he was unable to wipe out God’s faithful people, is angry with a particular group of people called “the rest of her offspring” or “the remnant of her seed”—the remnant church. “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [the remnant of her seed, KJV], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17).
The symbolism in verse 17 has changed; no longer is the focus on the woman—symbol of God’s people, the invisible church throughout the ages—but on a particular group, “the rest of her offspring,” the visible remnant church. The invisible church (the woman) does not cease to exist at the end of the 1,260 years—there are still many of God’s people in all Christian churches—but the focus now is on the visible remnant church of God.
Only twice in this chapter is an offspring of the woman mentioned. The first one is the male child in verse 5, the Messiah; the second, “the rest of her offspring,” the remnant church. Both times the offspring of the woman is clearly identified, supporting the view that “the rest of her offspring” is the visible, not an invisible, remnant church.
This does not mean that only members of the remnant church are saved. As we already indicated, many of God’s people are still in Babylon (Rev 18:4). Being an Israelite in the Old Testament did not mean that they were chosen for salvation. They were chosen for service—to be a light to the world, and just as the Jews were chosen for service, so the remnant church has been chosen for service—to prepare the world for the Second Coming. Two identifying marks, or signs, are given of this remnant church: First, they keep the commandments of God, and second, they have the testimony of Jesus.
Keeping the Commandments of God
Whatever commandments we may want to include in the first mark, we must certainly include the Ten Commandments. Thus, the first identifying sign of the remnant church is their loyalty to God’s commandments—all His commandments—including the fourth, the Sabbath commandment. God in Revelation 12:17 says, “At the end of time I will have a church—the remnant church—which will be recognised by the fact that they keep the commandments as I have given them in the beginning, including the Sabbath commandment.” In the time of the apostles, or the early church, this would not have been a special sign, because they all kept the Sabbath; but today, when most Christians keep Sunday, the Sabbath has indeed become a distinguishing mark.
The Testimony of Jesus
The second identifying mark is “the testimony of Jesus.” But what does this phrase mean? The expression “testimony of Jesus” (marturia Iesou) occurs six times in the book of Revelation (1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10 [twice]; 20:4).
Revelation 1:1 and 2
The introduction to the book of Revelation sets forth the source— God—and the content of the book—the revelation of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 1:2 we are told that John bore witness to the “Word of God” and the “testimony of Jesus.” The “Word of God” is commonly understood to refer to what God says. The “testimony of Jesus” in parallel to the “Word of God” must therefore mean the testimony that Jesus Himself gives. How did Jesus testify of Himself? While here on earth, He testified in person to the people in Palestine. After His ascension, He spoke through His prophets.
Revelation 1:9
Before speaking in detail about his first vision, John introduces himself and states his credentials. He mentions who he is—John, “your brother;” where he is—on Patmos; why he is there—on account of “the Word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus;” and when he received the vision—”on the Lord’s day.”
The parallelism between the “Word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus” is again clearly discernible. “The Word of God” in John’s time referred to the Old Testament, and the “testimony of Jesus” to what Jesus had said in the Gospels and through His prophets, like Peter and Paul, as found in the New Testament. Thus, both expressions: “the Word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus” can be taken as subjective genitives. They describe the content of John’s preaching, for which he was banished.
The Spirit of Prophecy
In Revelation 19:10, therefore, we read the explanation, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” However, what is “the spirit of prophecy?” This phrase occurs only once in the Bible—only in this text. The closest parallel to it in the Bible is found in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10. There Paul refers to the Holy Spirit, who, among other charismata, gives the gift of prophecy. The person who receives this gift is called a prophet (1 Cor 12:28).
Now, just as in 1 Corinthians 12:28, those who have the gift of prophecy in verse 10 are called prophets, so in Revelation 22:8–9, those who have the spirit of prophecy in 19:10 are called prophets. Please note the parallelism between 19:10 and 22:8–9.
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Revelation 19:10: And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. |
Revelation 22:8–9: I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that! For I am your fellow servant and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” |
The situation in both passages is the same. John falls at the feet of the angel to worship. The words of the angel’s response are almost identical, yet the difference is significant. In Revelation 19:10, the brethren are identified by the phrase, “Who hold [have] the testimony of Jesus.” In Revelation 22:9, the brethren are simply called “prophets.”
If the Protestant principle of interpreting Scripture by Scripture means anything, this comparison must lead to the conclusion that “the spirit of prophecy” in Revelation 19:10 is not the possession of all church members in general, but only of those who have been called by God to be prophets.
Non-Adventist Interpreters
That this is not purely an Adventist interpretation can be seen from the writings of other scholars. For example, the German Lutheran scholar Hermann Strathmann, commenting on Revelation 19:10, says:
According to the parallel 22:9 the brothers referred to are not believers in general, but the prophets. Here, too, they are characterised as such. This is the point of verse 10c. If they have the marturia Iesou [testimony of Jesus] they have the spirit of prophecy, i.e., they are prophets, like the angel, who simply stands in the service of marturia Iesou.2
Similarly, the English scholar James Moffat explains:
“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” This prose marginal comment specifically defines the brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus as possessors of prophetic inspiration. The testimony of Jesus is practically equivalent to Jesus testifying.3
The Witness of the Targumim
The Jewish readers in John’s day knew what was meant by the expression “spirit of prophecy.” They would have understood the expression as a reference to the Holy Spirit, who imparts the prophetic gift to man. Rabbinic Judaism equated the OT expressions “Holy Spirit,” “Spirit of God,” or “Spirit of Yahweh” with the “spirit of prophecy” as can be seen in the frequent occurrence of this term in the Targumim (written translations of the Old Testament in Aramaic):
Thereupon the Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this in whom there is the spirit of prophecy from before the Lord?” (Gen 41:38).4
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man who has within himself the spirit of prophecy, and lay your hand on him” (Num 27:18).5
Sometimes the term “spirit of prophecy” refers simply to the Holy Spirit, but in many cases it refers to the gift of prophecy given by the Holy Spirit, as is made clear by the context. Commenting on this expression in the Targums, F. F. Bruce says:
The expression “the Spirit of prophecy” is current in post-biblical Judaism: it is used, for example, in a Targumic circumlocution for the Spirit of Yahweh which comes upon this or that prophet. Thus the Targum of Jonathan renders the opening words of Isaiah 61:1 as “The Spirit of prophecy from before the Lord God is upon me.” The thought expressed in Revelation 19:10 is not dissimilar to that already quoted from 1 Peter 1:11 where “the Spirit of Christ” is said to have borne advanced testimony in the Old Testament prophets.
In Revelation 19:10, however, it is through Christian prophets that the Spirit of prophecy bears witness. What the prophets of pre-Christian days foretold is proclaimed as an accomplished fact by the prophets of the new age, among whom John occupies a leading place.6
Summary of Revelation 12:17
Returning now to Revelation 12:17, we can say that “the rest of her offspring [are those], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” which is the spirit of prophecy, or the prophetic gift.
This interpretation is strengthened by a study of the Greek word echo, “to have.” This word indicates possession. They have a gift of God—the prophetic gift. If the testimony of Jesus were our testimony about Jesus, John would have written something like “they keep the commandments of God and testify about Jesus” or “they bear testimony to Jesus.” But the Greek work echo is never used in the sense “to bear a witness.”7
In summary, we can say that the remnant church, which according to prophecy exists after the 1,260-day period (after 1798), has two specific identifying marks:
1. They keep the commandments of God, including the Sabbath command as God has given it.
2. They have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy, or the prophetic gift in their midst.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church, from its very inception in 1863, has always claimed these identifying signs for itself. As Adventists we proclaim the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, and we believe that as a church we have the testimony of Jesus—that is, that God manifested Himself in the life and work of Ellen G. White.
Our pioneers were quite certain that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the remnant church of Revelation 12:17. G. I. Butler, General Conference president from 1871 to 1888, wrote in an article entitled “Visions and Dreams”:
Is there then no people in whom these conditions combine in these last days? We believe they truly do in Seventh-day Adventists. They have everywhere claimed to be the “remnant” church for the last 25 years….
Do they keep the commandments of God? Every one knowing anything about this people can answer that this is the most important part of their faith… . In regard to the Spirit of prophecy, it is a remarkable fact that from the first of their existence as a people, Seventh-day Adventists have claimed that it has been in active exercise among them.8
White firmly believed that Seventh-day Adventists were God’s remnant church and that Revelation 12:17 applied to them. Seventh-day Adventists “are God’s representatives upon the earth.”9 “We have the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the Spirit of prophecy.”10 And she counselled, “Let all be careful not to make an outcry against the only people who are fulfilling the description given of the remnant people who keep the commandments of God and have faith in Jesus, who are exalting the standard of righteousness in these last days.”11
And we still believe that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the remnant church and that the spirit of prophecy is one of the identifying marks.
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. As the Lord’s messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.12
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are members of God’s remnant church. However, this identification with the remnant church does not accord us an exclusive status with God. Salvation is not guaranteed through membership in any church—we are saved as individuals, not as a church. But being a part of God’s remnant church means that we have access to God’s special gift, the inspired counsel of Ellen G. White, and can participate in proclaiming God’s special end-time message—the three angels’ messages—to the world.
The prophetic origin of the Adventist movement and God’s gracious guidance through the prophetic gift of Ellen G. White should make us more aware of the responsibility we as the remnant church have, and it should spur us on to finish the work God has given us to do.
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1 All biblical quotations are from the NKJV, unless otherwise indicated.
2 Hermann Strathmann, “Martyrs,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, trans. G. W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–1974), 4:500.
3 James Moffat, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” The Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. W. R Nicoll (Grand Rapids, MI: Hendrickson, 1956), 5:465.
4 Bernard Grossfeld, The Targum Onqelos to Genesis, The Aramaic Bible, vol. 6, eds. K. Cathart, M. Maher and M. McNamara (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1988), 138.
5 Idem, The Targums Onqelo to Leviticus and the Targum Onqelos to Numbers, The Aramaic Bible, vol. 8, eds. K. Cathart, M. Maher and M. McNamara (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1988), 102, 145 (italics in the original). Other occurrences of the term “spirit of prophecy” are found in Exodus 31:3; 35:31; Numbers 11:25–26, 29; 24:2; Judges 3:10; 1 Samuel 10:6; 19:10, 23; 2 Samuel 23:2; 1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chronicles 15:1; 18:22–23; 20:14; Psalm 51:13; Isaiah 11:2. See Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament (München: Beck’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1965), 2:129.
6 F. F. Bruce, The Time is Fulfilled (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978), 105–106.
7 G. Pfandl, “The Remnant Church and the Spirit of Prophecy” in Symposium on Revelation, Book II, ed. Frank B. Holbrook, DARCOM Series, vol. 7 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 1992), 312–313.
8 G. I. Butler, “Visions and Prophecy,” Review and Herald, June 2, 1874, 193.
9 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, CA: 1948), 2:452.
10 Idem, Testimonies to Ministers (Mountain View, CA: 1962), 114.
11 Ibid., 58.
12 Seventh-day Adventists Believe, 2nd ed. (Silver Spring, MD: Ministerial Association, 2005), 247.