There is the story of Gideon's army—300 men taken from the entire camp of Israel. The account of the trumpets, and the breaking of the clay pots so that the light shone, is probably the strongest Old Testament type of the coming of the Lord.

There is the separation of the Ark from the remainder of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and its final return as part of the Temple of Solomon. The removal and return of the Ark suggest a temporary separation from the whole Church of a fighting remnant, a "Zion" company, a firstfruits to the Lord.

The anointing of David as king over Judah before he was anointed king over all Israel speaks of a temporary rule of the Lord over a "Judah company."

Isaiah speaks of a godly remnant.

And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem (Isaiah 4:3).

Joel prophesies of a remnant who will serve the Lord in the last days.

And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call (Joel 2:32).

"In the remnant whom the Lord shall call." The remnant!

Jude mentions a remnant who will return to judge the Lord's household:

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these [the ungodly in the churches], saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him (Jude 1:14,15).

A review of the context will reveal that these saints who come with the Lord, perhaps a remnant of the entire Church, will appear for the purpose of judging the ungodly in the household of God.

Then there is the fact that the Wife of the Lamb (perhaps a firstfruits of the Bride, according to our view) appears at the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, clothed in the white raiment of her righteous conduct:

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [righteous deeds] of saints (Revelation 19:8).

And then the entire Wife of the Lamb as the glorious holy city, at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age:

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife (Revelation 21:9).

The difference in the two appearings of the Wife of the Lamb may indicate that a warrior-firstfruits will appear with the Lord at the onset of the thousand-year Kingdom Age; and that during the thousand-year Kingdom Age the remainder of the Church will be ministered to in the spirit realm by the warrior-firstfruits, the Zion-barley-firstfruits company, the Lord's holy remnant.

To be continued.