2. When did the remnant begin to appear?

Although the remnant motif reaches from Genesis to Revelation, the primary focus of this study is on God’s loyal witnesses in the last days before Christ’s Second Coming. The Bible indicates that this eschatological remnant appears on the world’s stage after the time of great persecution described in Revelation 12:14-17. To vent his anger, Satan began persecuting the woman—the church (Revelation 12:13), particularly throughout the 1260 days (prophetic years) of persecution which began in 538 AD and ended in 1798 AD. The “wilderness,” or sparsely populated areas of the earth, provided a refuge for God’s faithful during those years of persecution. JTL22 4.1

At the end of this wilderness experience, which culminated in 1798, God’s people emerged with a renewed interest in the apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. John identifies this faithful group as “the remnant . . . which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The devil pours out his wrath on this small group of believers who choose to keep God’s commandments in the face of great apostasy. JTL22 4.2