Remnant

...[T]he portion left over after a part has been removed. Thus, it may refer to vegetation (Exod. 10:5) or human and animal life (Gen. 7:23). It often refers to that element of a community that has escaped death or exile (Jer. 24:8; Ezra 9:13-15).

In biblical thought, the remnant has been or will be saved and redeemed by God. This concept is frequently mentioned in prophetic writings since it is the obverse of the idea that God will punish the sinning people with near total destruction (cf. 1 Kings 19:15-18). Thus, Amos speaks of a nonviable or pitiful remnant in his prophecies of rebuke (3:12; 5:3; 6:9; 7:1-6; 9:1; cf. 1:8), although if the people repent, destruction of ‘the remnant of Joseph’ may be avoided (5:14-15). This concept becomes significant in Isaiah, where a ‘remnant will return’ to both God in repentance and the land in redemption (Isa. 7:3; 10:20-22; 11:10-16; 17:5-8; 28:5; 30:17-19; 37:4, 31-32; cf. 6:13). In Micah, ‘remnant’ is already a term meaning ‘those who will be redeemed’ (4:6-7; 5:2-8; cf. 2:12; 7:18-20). This understanding is evident also in Joel 3:5 (cf. Obad. 17). In Zephaniah, the righteous remnant of Israel will be redeemed (3:11-20; cf. 2:3, 7, 9).

Jeremiah’s prophecies of rebuke are very harsh—they depict no surviving remnant (Jer. 6:9; 11:21-23; 15:9) or a terrible destiny for the survivors (8:3; 24:8-10). However, in his prophecies of hope, Jeremiah assures redemption to the ‘remnant of my flock’ (23:3-4) who were led astray by their rulers (vv. 1-2). Also, God will save the ‘remnant of Israel’ (31:7), but if the ‘remnant of Judah’ after the Babylonian destruction emigrates to Egypt, they will forfeit God’s mercies and be destroyed (42:9-22).

Similarly, Ezekiel, too, portrays the destruction of even the remnant of Judah (5:1-4, 8-17; 9:4-10). However, his cry ‘Ah, Lord God! Will you make a complete end of the remnant of Israel’ (11:13) evokes a prophecy of redemption (vv. 14-22). The postexilic community identified themselves as the remnant (Hag. 1:12, 14; 2:2; Ezra 9:13-15; Neh. 1:2-3; 7:72). Zechariah promises the remnant a life of peace and prosperity (8:1-15), but they must adhere to moral behavior (vv. 16-17).

It is not surprising that the Qumran community, which saw themselves as the last wave of the returning exiles from Babylon, identified themselves as the ‘remnant’ (CD 1:4-5; 1QH 6:8). So too the apostle Paul, citing prophecies from Hosea and Isaiah (Rom. 9:25-29), finally concludes that those Jews who follow Christ constitute the true remnant, ‘chosen by grace’ (11:5).