The Little Flock PT 1992 Part 4

THE YOUTHFUL WORTHIES
(4) He forecast the non-Spirit-begotten but Spirit-enlightened class that we call Youthful Worthies. He told of them first as individuals from 1881 onward for whom no crowns were available, and forecast that later, i.e., in the Epiphany, they would come forth as a class, when all consecrations would be without subsequent Spirit-begettal (see, e.g., F 156, 157; Z 4836, 5761; Question Book, pp. 151, 152, 154, 156-158). He did not use the term Youthful Worthies in describing this class, but spoke of them as consecrating between the Ages, as a class not begotten of the Spirit, who would be given a nature and reward with the Ancient Worthies. Some Spirit-begotten and non-Spirit-begotten ones among Truth people, either through ignorance or self-will, insist that they are of the Little Flock. If they do this in ignorance, they should seek to learn the Truth more thoroughly; if they do it in self-will, they should seek more carefully to do God's will, or they may lose out entirely. Some claim that Bro. Russell never spoke of non-Spirit-begotten consecrated ones here in the end of the Age as a class, but only as individuals. But note, e.g., his statement in Z 5761, col. 2:
"It is our thought that with the closing of the 'door' of this Gospel age there will be no more begetting of the holy Spirit to the spirit nature. Any afterward coming to God through consecration, before the inauguration of the restitution work, will be accepted by him, not to the spirit plane of being, but to the earthly plane. Such would come in under the same conditions as the ancient worthies, who were accepted of God. The ancient worthies came in, no call being opened to them—the high calling not being yet open, and the restitution opportunities not open. But they freely gave themselves up to God without knowing what blessings their consecration would bring, except that they had the intimation that they would, in the future life, have a 'better resurrection' than would the remainder of the world.

The Little Flock PT 1992 Part 3

THE GREAT COMPANY
(3) Bro. Russell's forecasts on what would happen to the Great Company during the Epiphany, or tribulation period, confirm that he was "that Servant." He taught that they as represented in their humanity in the scapegoat, or Azazel's goat (Lev. 16: 8, margin), would have the sins of Christendom confessed over them, that as new creatures they would be remanded from the Holy into the Court, and that in their humanity they would be led out of the Court into the fit-man's hands, taken to the wilderness by the latter and there let go, and then fall into Azazel's hands for buffeting experiences (T 68-72, 130-133; Z 4273, 4864, 4921, 5056, 5463, 5874; comp. PT No. 214). We have seen the fulfillments in the Epiphany period both toward the Truth section and the nominal church section of Azazel's Goat. Bro. Russell further showed that, remanded from the Holy into the Court, the crown-lost new creatures would thereafter cleanse themselves and serve as Levites (F 126; Z 172, 4428, 4745, 4876). The Epiphany period witnesses this fulfillment also. The fulfillment of these forecasts proves that Bro. Russell was "that Servant."

The Little Flock PT 1992 Part 2

THE LITTLE FLOCK AND THE GREAT COMPANY
(2) Bro. Russell's forecasting of Epiphany events involving both the Little Flock and the Great Company, seeing that these events have fulfilled, proves him to have been "that Servant." How clearly he forecast the separation of antitypical Elijah and Elisha (and that on account of disagreement on matters of policy as distinct from matters of doctrine), also the antitypical second smiting of Jordan by antitypical Elisha after that separation (see, e.g., Z 5771-5773, 5824, 5844-5846, 5888, 5950) ! The Epiphany Truth points out in pertinent events the fulfillment of this prophecy (E 3, pp. 67-148).
He showed also that in the extreme end of the Gospel Age—the Epiphany—the antitypical Priests and Levites would be separated, according to the Tabernacle picture (see, e.g., Z 4745, 4864, par. 10, 4876, col. 2, par. 1). The Epiphany Truth shows in the divisions of the Lord's people the fulfillment of this Tabernacle picture (E 4, pp. 126-128; P '52, pp. 18-25; '59, p. 35, pars. 4, 5).
Bro. Russell taught also that Aaron's sacrificial garments represent the Church's condition during her sacrificing time (Z 4601, 4602), and that the blood of the antitypical Bullock is continued on the antitypical Mercy Seat for atonement purposes until the last of the Great Company leaves the earth (Z 4634, 5661, par. 1, 5973). In these teachings, when considered with reference to Aaron's leading forth Azazel's Goat while still clothed in sacrificial garments, he impliedly taught that while the Church would still be in the flesh, and after its last member had been offered in consecration to God by Jesus, the Great Company's justified humanity, as Azazel's antitypical Goat, would be dealt with (Question Book, pp. 289, 290). This was actually fulfilled in the Epiphany period (E 4, pp. 153-229). Bro. Russell taught that all these things would take place after the reaping—the 40-year Parousia—was over, i.e., in the Epiphany period. And to have been able from God's Word to have forecast all these marvelous things implies that he was the steward who had charge of the Storehouse to give the seasonal meat, i.e., that he was "that Servant." He was God's eye, hand and mouth.