Ellen White's Identity of the Woman and Remnant Seed

Revelation 12:17

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The woman in Revelation 12:17 is the symbolic representation of the church of God, while the remnant of her seed represents the last generation of Christians living on earth just prior to the second advent of ChristPP 27.2+2.

The Identity of the Woman

The woman serves as a sacred symbol for the church across all agesSPCCSR 120.3+1.

• A Symbol of the Church: In prophetic terms, the woman is the chosen vehicle through which God works, representing the collective body of his faithful peoplePP 27.2+1.

• Under Attack: Throughout the gospel age, the dragon has manifested his wrath against this woman, seeking to destroy the truth she upholdsST March 12, 1896, par. 4+1.

• The Minority: In the final scenes of earth's history, the woman and her children are represented as being in the great minority compared to the powers of the worldSPCCSR 120.3.

The Identity of the Remnant Seed

The remnant seed specifically identifies the "last end" of the church, those who compose the final generation of believersEW 143.1+2.

• The Last Generation: This group exists amid the signs and wonders that usher in the great and terrible day of the LordEW 143.1.

• A Specific People: This remnant is identified as a "little company" that resists the supremacy of Satan while the rest of the world and apostate churches yield to his controlChS 157.1+1.

• Identifying Marks: They are distinguished by two prominent features: they keep all the commandments of God, including the seventh-day Sabbath, and they possess the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy Revelation 12:17+1GP 41.2+2.

• Seventh-day Adventists: The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been specifically identified as the people fulfilling the description of the remnant, having been made the depositaries of God's law and entrusted with the spirit of prophecyGRC 44.2+2.

The Final Conflict

The dragon is particularly wroth with this remnant because they restore the divine institutions that have been trampled uponSS 351.4+1.

• The Cause of War: Satan’s rage is stirred because this people observes all ten precepts of the holy law and recognizes the revival of the spirit of prophecy1SP 10.2.

• Oppressive Enactments: To compel the remnant to honor a spurious sabbath, the dignitaries of church and state will unite to enforce Sunday observance, disregarding liberty of conscienceDD 35.4.

• Final Deliverance: Although they are threatened with death and forbidden to buy or sell, the remnant will make God their defense and will ultimately be delivered at the appearing of Jesus Christ Revelation 13:16-17LDE 259.3+2.