Permanent Marker Series: The Youthful Worthies Article, PT May-June, 1972, Page 34, C1

The current Executive Trustee seems to be republishing (in sections) Bro. Jolly's Youthful Worthies article from 1972. So far, he has not altered it to meet his needs. This is surprising because the entire article does not show his changed view of their existence. So, with the use of a fresh set of permanent markers, we would like to help.

We begin with paragraph 2, where the term "individuals of a class" may be misunderstood to mean a class when the historical use of it only indicates a group of undefined individuals with like characteristics. Bro. Johnson used a similar sentence in E4 on page 318. Here, we change it to the date and event that the Executive Trustee needs. We also have to change the next sentence in order to allow for surplus consecrators from 1878 instead of 1881.

Letters of General Interest: PT July-August, 1972

DEAR Bro. Jolly: I would appreciate it very much if you would answer this question for me. I have studied and loved God's Word for over 30 years. I have the Studies in the Scriptures. I understand about the High Calling, yet my desire is to live on this earth. I cannot bring myself to desire anything else. It is not the fear of death. I am almost 63 and expect to die, but I have full faith in the resurrection. I was in the "J. W.'s" organization for 16 years, mostly because they do preach the earthly kingdom; but I could not go along with many of their teachings and practices. I left them 13 years ago and occasionally have some fellowship with others who left. I have assembled with the Dawn people for three winters, but they hounded me constantly to "run for the High Calling." Now if you can tell me what is wrong I will very much appreciate i it. Please send me ten each of these tracts: . . . . Thank you, Mrs. R M., Pennsylvania.

THE EDITOR'S REPLY TO THE ABOVE

Dear Sister: Greetings in Jesus' name (John 14: 6; Phil. 2: 5-11)! Thank you for your good letter of Feb. 22. I appreciate what you mention about your Christian life and hopes. In view of this being a time of dispensational changes in the Plan of God, I do not think you should feel distressed if you as one of God's people cannot bring yourself to desire other than the earthly salvation. Pastor Russell showed that from 1881 onward there would be some consecrated ones for whom no crowns, no places in the Little Flock, could tentatively be assigned, but that nevertheless, if faithful in their consecration, their reward would be similar to that of the Ancient Worthies--see F 156, 1157; Z (Reprints) 4836, pars. 3-6, 10,11; 5761, col. 2, pars. 1,2; Question Book; pp. 151, 152. We call these Youthful Worthies (Joel 2: 28; E 4, Chap. 5). For all who have consecrated since the Fall of 1914 there are no crowns available. Thus since 1914 many additional Youthful Worthies have come forth. In PT No. 515 (a copy free on request), 80 proofs are given to show that the door of entrance into the High Calling closed with the beginning of the World War, Phase 1.

You tell of having studied and loved God's Word for over 30 years. I rejoice with you in this (Psa. 119: 97; Provo 8: 10, 11; Acts 17: 11; 2 Tim. 2: 15). Though you do not specifically mention it, I suppose you have consecrated, or dedicated, yourself to God (Rom. 12: 1; Provo 23: 26), giving up your own will selfward and worldward, and accepting His will as your own, as Jesus did (Heb. 10: 7; Matt. 26: 39). If not, I would encourage you to do so. Obviously, however, you did not consecrate before the close of the door in 1914. It is regrettable that some are urging you to run for the High Calling at this late date. In doing so, they are not doing a Divinely approved work.

Those who are prospective Youthful Worthies, Spirit-enlightened but not Spirit-begotten consecrated ones, should not be expected to have emphatic heavenly aspirations (E 15, p. 653) at the present time. If their desires are along the lines of living in the new earth-2 Pet. 3: 13 (surely they should not desire the conditions of "this present evil world"!-Gal. 1: 4), no one should find any fault with them on this account.

However, a word of caution should be given in this connection-if anyone is looking forward to living in the new earth with the thought in mind of then using all of his time on his own home, his own education, the arts and sciences; or just traveling about, viewing the beauties nature and living a life of ease, he has a decidedly wrong and unbiblical perspective. Those who in the Kingdom on earth as they have opportunity will not gladly give the Truth to those who are hungering and thirsting for it as the Bread and Water of life, will not willingly bring those who are strangers to the New Covenant into their hospitality in it, will not seek to clothe those destitute of Christ's righteousness with it as a garment, will not help to cure the sin-sick of their sin-maladies and will not, by their earnest prayers for them to come forth, visit those in the prison-cells of the tomb--all who will not do these things, but who will live selfishly, will end up, not with the "sheep" class who will be given everlasting life on earth, but with the "goat" class--see Matt. 25: 31-46. They will be destroyed in the Second Death.

The Scriptures indicate that the Ancient Worthies, who some cases (e.g., Samson-Heb. 11: 32) evidently did not in this life have emphatic heavenly aspirations, will be Spirit-begotten in the Little Season. They will then all have emphatic heavenly aspirations. Being of the Millennial Church of the Firstborn, antitypical Levites, they will have no eventual inheritance in the earth among the restitutionists, but will after being tested sufficiently Spirit.Jbegotten ones be born of the Spirit to a spirit nature and inheritanceHeb. 12: 23; Num. 18: 20, 23, 24· Z (Reprints) 5182, 5183; E 4, pp. 331-336. The Youthful Worthies will share with them in these things.

It may be very difficult under present circumstances for you to understand how you will ever have emphatic heavenly aspirations; but rest assured that if you are faithful in following in the Master's steps in serving Jehovah (1 Pet. 2: 21) as one of the Youthful Worthies, you will when begotten of the Spirit in the Little Season definitely have such aspirations. In the meantime, while looking forward to the blessings, privileges and service God's Kingdom with its new order in human society, seek to be just as faithful as you can in following our Lord Jesus, in self- and world-denial, in study of and meditation on God's Word, in watchfulness and prayer, in growing in the graces, in witnessing to the Truth, and suffering for loyalty to it. Jehovah will bless you richly you do so. If you do not have the Epiphany volumes, including those mentioned above, I suggest that you get them and study them at your early convenience. Be assured of my warm Christian love and fervent prayers.

The above response from Bro. Jolly shows that he refers to consecrators after 1881, not 1878. This response to a letter appears one month after he published the Youthful Worthy article, the one that the current Executive Trustee is also in the process of reprinting because he thinks it shows his view. There are references in the article itself that contradict this current view, which we will cover, but this response is also very clear.

Christians generally make no effort to harmonize... P Vol. 2 Pages 143-144

...As seekers after truth, it will not do for us to say, in view of these passages, that their majority seem to favor whatever view we incline to prefer, and then to ignore the others. Until we have a view of the matter in which every Bible statement finds a logical representation, we should not feel sure that we have the truth on the subject. One statement of God is as true and firm a foundation for faith, as a hundred. And it would be wiser to seek for a harmonious understanding than to arrive at a conclusion or adopt a theory based on a one-sided interpretation, and thus to deceive ourselves and others.

Christians generally make no effort to harmonize these statements, and therefore their ideas are one-sided and incorrect... 

If the brethren at large would apply Bro. Russell's principle stated above, they would readily see the error with the current Executive Trustee's one-sided interpretation of the "Present View" "Shutting of the Door several times," etc...

Truth To Be Given When Due - Part 2

PT 1957 Page 23, 24

(23) How marvelous it is to our eyes to see that Keturah's six sons so fittingly and fully picture six classes, embracing all who will be developed under the New Covenant, from the highest class to the lowest (1) the 70 most prominent Worthies; (2) the Worthies as a class, subdivided into the Ancient and the Youthful Worthies, with the three divisions of the Youthful Worthies also being shown; (3) the Consecrated Epiphany Campers; (4) the quasi-elect fleshly Israelites divided into five groups; (5) the loyal tentatively-justified Gentiles, and finally (6) the non-elect.

Truth To Be Given When Due - Part 1

In this general outline Bro. Russell did not specify separately the Youthful Worthies, though he already indicated that the non-Spirit-begotten consecrated quite likely would come forth in the resurrection as “members of the same class as the ancient worthies” (F 156, 157; R 4836, par. 5). Nor did he mention the Consecrated Epiphany Campers and the various groups of Jews and Gentiles, as typed by Keturah’s descendants (Gen. 25: 1-4), for the further unfolding of Truth in respect to these classes was not yet due to be given. Bro. Johnson followed the same general outline, but specified some of the pertinent classes and groups that Bro. Russell did not mention (see, e.g., E. 11, pp. 405, 406, 412; E. 6, p. 717; E. 15, p. 682); and we have done the same (see, e.g., P. ’57, pp. 23, 24).