Have you ever wondered why the LORD made the astonishing and perplexing statement that the first shall be last and that the last shall be first? And what the beautiful heart and mind that sees the end of a thing from the beginning was thinking when He said these fascinating and unusual things? “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Matthew 20:16. 

The answer lies in one part in the second portion of His statement. Which is that many are called, but few are chosen. The first part, however, means that the ministry that opened the church age will also be the one that closes it out. The apostolic ministry which was the first ministry to build the church will also be last ministry to complete the building of the church at the end of the age. For only those who have the heart of Isaiah 6:8, being those who are entirely sold out for the will of the Father, spirit, soul and body, being those entirely sold out for doing the will of the Father on earth as it is in heaven, so that His name may be hallowed and that His kingdom may come, will be chosen. Which is why the LORD also said the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few (Matthew 9:37). For many are called, but few are chosen. Only a remnant will be chosen. (Romans 9:27; Isaiah 10:22). And it will be this chosen remnant who will close out the church age. And it will be these last master builders who shall be saved into the fullness of the glorified bodies first. That they may go about the business of the Father unhindered by the bruise of the fallen nature and unencumbered by the injury of mortality (Isaiah 30:26). They shall be the master builders that bring in the great harvest at the end of the age. “For He wounds, but also binds; He strikes but also heals” (Joel 5:8). For has it not been said that the latter house shall be greater than the former (Haggai 2:9)? And that the there shall be a former and latter rain? Being the two great visitations of the Holy Spirit, one at the beginning of the gospel dispensation, and the other at its close?

As for the second part of the LORD’s statement, being many are called, but few are chosen, who then are these few chosen master builders? In answering this question, we turn to the apostle Paul who was one of the first master builders of the church at the very beginning of the church age. In Romans 9:27, Paul, like the Master Builder Himself in Matthew 20:16 above, also says an astonishing thing. “Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭9:27‬. An unusual and perplexing thing is woven into the fabric of this apostolic travail by Paul. For whilst Paul is quoting a long time past prophecy by Isaiah, this is the cry of his apostolic heart agonising for the well-being and destiny of all his fellow brethren. For is it not the particular burden and travail of the heart of the apostolic to be the master-builders of God’s dwelling place? Which is to see all those who are called by God to be entirely saved “through and through”, spirit, soul and body that they may become the living temple of habitation of God in both spirit and in truth. Which is the specific call of the apostolic to agonise over and not rest until ALL the living stones of His temple are all called to their place and are all built into the very tabernacle of the habitation of God. Which is to see them all FILLED to a cup overflowing with the manifest presence and the fullness of the knowledge of the glory of God (Habakkuk 2:14). Which is to be the living stones of Jerusalem, His very dwelling place. Which is that place He longs for in order to lay down His head (Matthew 8:20). For does it not also say, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ?” (1 Peter 2:5). For the church is first and foremost a family, not an organisation or a building. And a family takes care of its own. Beginning with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Being the pattern of a family that has a father and a son and also a spirit of holiness of helping each other that keeps the family together as one (John 17:21). For is it not the same Father of family who says we are to love our neighbour as ourselves? Is that not how family loves one another? And did He not also demonstrate this love for His neighbour perfectly through the immense apostolic travail of His Firstborn Son at Calvary? Which was the proof point of the desire of the apostolic heart to see all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? (1 Timothy 2:4). Which is the apostle’s creed to see all who His Father has given Him in their rightful position and place in His Father’s house? Which is the heart of a master builder of the dwelling of God?

Paul says that though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved, which is a word-for-word quote directly from Isaiah 10:22. Which, on the face of it, appears to be a contradiction in terms. For if you are the children of Israel, does that not mean that you are saved? Then why does it say that only a remnant will be saved? To understand this we need to understand who the remnant are. And to understand who the remnant are, we need to also understand who the children of Israel are. If we reference a statement of yet another one of the twelve prophets, which is the same number as there are tribes of Israel, which is the same number as the first disciples and apostles, all being the master builders of the former glory of the house, Hosea tells us plainly that “the children of Israel” are the “children of the living God.” “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'children of the living God.'" (Hosea 1:10). So if the children of Israel are all those who are children of the living God, which are all the children of the only real God, and that that very same real God is their Father, isn’t it also that same Father who made a vow in both Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5 to never leave nor forsake any of His children? And yet it says here plainly that only a remnant will be saved? And in the context of only a remnant being saved, that would mean only a handful or few. Which would imply that a great many will be forsaken? As many as the sand of the sea will be forsaken? And what of His covenant with Abraham, the father of faith? So in Isaiah 10:22 and Romans 9:27, has God then contradicted Himself with what he said in Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5? 

Now Hosea’s prophetic ministry principally and significantly centred upon “restoration”. Against what appears to be a message of doom for the sea of all God’s children, if Hosea’s ministry focussed on restoration, is there in fact then a message of restoration weaved into this reference to a remnant? And the answer is there in plain sight. It says in the place where it was said “you are not my people”, which is past tense, Hosea prophesies that they will then be called “the children of the living God”, future tense, which is to recant what was said before, and to, in fact, replace what was previously said with its complete opposite, which is that in that same place that they were once told they are not His people, they will once more be called His people, which is to be called “the children of the living God”. Which IS a story of restoration after all. For did the Lord Himself not say that “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out?” (John 6:37). And does He also not say, “And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day?” (John 6:39).

So why does God call this fragment of all who are children of Israel the “remnant”? What precisely are they the remnant of? For are they not all children of God? God calls them the remnant because they are the remnant of the sea of the children of Israel who have been predestined to have the fullness of the image of His Son in them at the end of this age. They are those who, by God’s mercy alone, not of works, but of Him who calls (Romans 9:11), nor is it of those who will or run, but of whom God shows mercy (Romans 9:16), being those who have been predestined before the foundation of time by the mercy of the Father to be a remnant out of the number of children of Israel that are as many as the sand of the sea to be the image of His Son, the firstborn among many brethren. And the question is why? “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth" (Romans 9:27), so that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory (Romans‬ ‭9:23‬). Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans‬ ‭8:30‬). For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans‬ ‭8:18‬). Which is when the manifestation of the Son of God will be made known in all the earth (Habakkuk 2:14). “For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”‭ ‭(Romans‬ ‭8:22-23‬). “For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.” And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Saboath had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.””‭‭ Romans‬ ‭9:28-29‬. And it is through that remnant seed, that the LORD will make a short work upon the earth in filling all the earth with the knowledge of His glory rather than resigning all the earth to become like Sodom and Gomorrah. Which is the short work of the great tribulation. For His Word never returns void. And He is faithful to look after it. For has He not said that “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea?” (Habakkuk 2:14).

At the beginning of the tribulation, a remnant will be saved. Which is first born sons of the sons of God that the whole of creation is waiting on to be revealed. And they shall be first. Being they shall be saved first. “Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans‬ ‭8:30). They are the 144,000 whose perishable will take on the imperishable and whose mortal will take on immortality. They will be the few labours with glorified bodies who will work with the seven fold glory of the Son of God come upon them to bring in the harvest of the children of the living God. And it will be a short work. For rather than leave the world to become like Sodom and Gomorrah, the LORD will be true to His promise of never leaving or forsaking His children. And in the space of the seven year tribulation, at the end of the tribulation, the harvest will be brought in. And they too will then take on immortality. And during the Millenium those who were saved will be brought into the fullness of the glory of God by the King through the master builders. Which is to be saved through and through, spirit, soul, and body. So that as it was said in John, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out?” (John 6:37). And does He also not say, “And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day?” (John 6:39).

God sees the end of a thing from the beginning. “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:10. And because He does, better is the end of a thing from the beginning. “The end of a matter is better than the beginning.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The remnant are the 144,000. “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” Revelation 7:4. They will all be master builders. They will all be apostolic. For having been glorified in heavenly bodies, they will have all seen the LORD, for not only will they be the angels ascending and descending upon Jacob’s ladder, and will therefore see the LORD, they will be a witness of His resurrection being the conditions of the apostolic. For they will have not only seen His resurrection, but they will witness to that same resurrection in themselves. And when they bring in the great harvest, we shall all see the great multitude in white robes. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10).

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans‬ ‭8:29-30‬

“for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls,”‭‭ Romans‬ ‭9:11‬

“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Romans‬ ‭9:16‬

“For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” Romans‬ ‭9:17-18‬

“One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.” Psalms‬ ‭27:4‬

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be all the honour and all the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17).