Permanent Marker Series: E5, P. 502

"Through the ministry of that Servant the Lord gave as the Parousia Truth those teachings that won and developed the last members of the Little Flock and started the Youthful Worthy call, also those teachings that laid the foundations of those that are now developing the Great Company and continue to develop the Youthful Worthies, and also those that were then due on the justified, Israel and the world. The Epiphany Truth consists of such truths as are needed by the Little Flock to equip her for her Epiphany work, as are needed to furnish the superstructure of Truth required to develop the Great Company and continue to develop the Youthful Worthies, and as are needed to complete the pre-Millennial Truths respecting the justified, Israel and the world, due for God's people to know during the Epiphany."

We've said it before and we'll say it again. There are many references from Bro. Johnson like the one above that mention both the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies in parallel context. Both were developed AS CLASSES in the Epiphany. That context needs to be changed if we are to believe that one of them is now called as a class in 1878. So, we added some text. The Executive Trustee really messed things up. A quick glance at his modified, confusing Chart of the Ages proves it.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, P. 419

"And ever since the Fall of 1916 they have been doing their other work of setting forth the Truth as to the other parts of the message pertinent to Azazel's Goat. In due time this will lead to the latter's cleansing and thus this feature of their work will be successfully concluded. The same ministry of our Lord on their behalf will qualify them for, and enable them to preach the Word that will help the cleansed Great Company to do its real Epiphany work in righteousness. It likewise qualifies and enables them to preach the Word that gathers and develops Youthful Worthies for Epiphany purposes even though they were called as a class in the Parousia. Thus we see that our Lord's ministry to the Little Flock during the Parousia enabled it so to preach the  Word in righteousness as to gather most of the wheat into the Truth and to develop it aright, and to deal helpfully with the world, the crownlosers not yet manifested as Levites and individual Youthful Worthies even though they were called as a class at that time, as well as in the Epiphany to preach in righteousness effectively for its work toward the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies according to God's will."

We've made more changes here to help out the Executive Trustee. Our additions conflict with Brother Johnson's thoughts, but any real changes to his words would create quite a mess.

Important Events of 1878 and Onward

IN OUR Sept.-Oct. 1974 issue (a copy free on request), we called attention to many significant events and marvelous evidences of progress during 1874-1974, the first century of "the thousand years" of Christ's Reign (Rev. 20: 4, see Diaglott)...

...THE PARALLEL 40-YEAR HARVEST REAPING PERIODS ENDED IN 69 and 1914 A.D.

In treating of the Harvest parallels, Bro. Russell stated (B245, par. 2), "Remember that the forty years' Jewish harvest ended October, A.D. 69, and was followed by the complete overthrow of that nation; and that likewise the forty years of the Gospel age harvest will end October, 1914, and that likewise the overthrow of 'Christendom,' so-called, must be expected to immediately follow."

The Scriptures, reason and facts show that the close of the Gospel-Age Harvest reaping was in Oct. 1914 (in harmony with Bro. Russell's statement) and that the close of the gleaning was in 1916. Such passages as Isa. 66: 7; Amos 9: 13; John 9: 4; Rev. 6: 9-11; 7: 1-3, show this. It is corroborated by the end of the floor line measurement of the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid, which comes at its juncture with the Grand Gallery's south wall, indicating Sept. 16, 1914 as the end of the Spirit-begetting...

Bro. Russell never gave up 1874 as the date for the Harvest reaping's beginning, though when he saw too many people coming into the Truth in 1916 to constitute a gleaning, he changed his mind as to the close of the Harvest reaping's ending. The Lord for very wise reasons withheld from him the understanding that these people were not prospective Little Flock members, but in almost all cases were antitypical Lot (crown-losers) and his two antitypical daughters (Youthful Worthies and tentatively-justified believers) escaping from antitypical Sodom in America before it here would begin to go into destruction (Luke 17: 28-30; for details on the Z 5950 article, see PT No. 515)...

Like 1874, the year 1878 also marks some very important happenings and the beginnings of other significant events in God's great Plan of the Ages. We will note a number of these here. It is fitting that we consider at this time what the Lord has accomplished during these past 100 years, the marvelous evidences of progress...

CALLING GOD'S PEOPLE OUT OF BABYLON

Conjoined with Jesus as King casting off the nominal Jewish system in 33 A.D. was His call to Israelites indeed to come out of that system, into separateness and closer fellowship with Him, lest they become involved in "the wrath to the uttermost" that would soon come upon it (1 Thes. 2: 16). They were not to expect God to give the seasonal Truth through that system.

In the parallel 1845 years later, in the Spring of 1878, 100 years ago, God's declaring through Jesus that Babylon was fallen was conjoined with the call to God's true people to "Come out of her, my people," into separateness and closer fellowship with Him, lest they would be partakers of her sins and receive of her plagues (Rev. 18: 4, 5; comp. Isa. 52: 11; Jer. 51: 45).

God's people were not to expect the seasonal Truth, "the voice of the bridegroom and the bride," to be heard at all in Babylon—through her instrumentality—any more forever (Rev. 18: 23). But whereas the Lord would no longer speak through her instrumentality after 1878, He would speak from outside her to those in her, calling them to come out, to be gathered to Him (Psa. 50: 5; Matt. 24: 31), so that they could feast with Him on the seasonal Truth (Matt. 24: 28; Luke 12: 37; 17: 37; Rev. 3: 20).

This call for Little Flock members to "come out of her" continued until the last member of the Little Flock was sealed in the forehead (April 18, 1916), i.e., was given enough intellectual understanding of the Truth to leave Babylon or wherever they were (Rev. 7: 3).

As already mentioned, the door of entrance to the High Calling closed on Sept. 16, 1914, and since then the voice of the Bridegroom is no more being heard in Babylon inviting any to the High Calling. But He has still been inviting others to be of "those consecrating between the ages" (5761, col. 2, pars. 1, 2; comp. Z 4836, pars. 3-6, 10, 11; F 156, 157; Question Book, pp. 147, 151-158), the Spirit-enlightened, non-Spirit-begotten consecrators; and by the seasonal Truth He has been inviting them to come out of Babylon or wherever they are, into closer fellowship with Him and feasting on the Truth. We rejoice in the many consecrating since 1914 and also many coming out of Babylon into the Truth.

"THE FULNESS OF GENTILES" COMING IN

By "the fullness of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11: 25) we understand the full number of the elect Little Flock who are gathered out from the Gentiles to be meant. Because there were not enough fleshly Israelites in the Jewish Harvest who were "Israelites indeed" to fill up the elect 144,000, God visited the Gentiles to complete the predestinated number (John 1: 11-13; Acts 15: 14; Rom. 11: 5, 7, 11-15, 17-24; Rev. 5: 9, 10; 7: 1-8).

We should not confuse "the fulness of the Gentiles" with "the times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21: 24), which is the period of (7 x 360) 2,520 years from 607 B.C. to 1914, in which God gave a lease of power to the Gentiles. It is also referred to as the "seven times" (Lev. 26: 18, 21, 24, 28; Dan. 4: 10-37).

We understand that "the fulness of the Gentiles" came in probationarily at Passover 1878. In other words, those who from Pentecost onward until then had made their calling and election sure as Little Flock members, plus prospective Little Flock members who were then under the call but had not made their calling and election sure, plus those of them who at that time came under the call, totaled the entire 144,000.

Then, in the Spring of 1878, the John class (the Lord's enlightened consecrated people at the time of the fulfilment) saw the grand vision for the first time of the Lamb standing on Mt. Zion, and with Him the full 144,000. Jehovah in 1878 set His King upon the holy hill of Zion (Psa. 2: 6; Z 5990, par. 2).

The small sifting involving disgruntled Adventists in 1875 and the No-Ransomism sifting beginning at Passover 1878 imply that a large number lost their crowns between 1874 and 1878, which crowns were not only assigned to others, but enough of still other Gentiles came under that call during the Oct. 1874-Apr. 1878 period to fill up the 144,000 probationarily.

After 1881 special calls went forth to fill up the places of those who under test proved unworthy to be of the Little Flock. This continued until Sept. 16, 1914 (as already shown), when the door of entrance into the High Calling closed forever, as Scriptures, reason and facts show, corroborated by the Pyramid.

Now that 100 years have passed since "the fulness of the Gentiles" came in probationarily in 1878, and 64 years since 1914, it is high time that all Truth people should realize that they are not in the High Calling, but rather that all new consecrators since the Fall of 1914 are of "those consecrating between the Ages," the Spirit-enlightened, non-Spirit-begotten pre-Millennial seed of Abraham.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, pp. 225-226

"These works were completely and properly engaged in by the Very Elect only. Hence to have been called to the antitypical warfare in time to take part in them implies that one was called to the High Calling; "for this honor have all His saints"; and to have been called to the antitypical warfare, but not in time to have taken part in it implies that one was not called to the High Calling, but to something else. The men of Ephraim, therefore, type certain ones called to take part in the warfare against antitypical Midian after the full number of the Very Elect had been won, and had been given that to do which was an exclusive privilege of the Very Elect, i.e., unto a completion and in the Lord's spirit to smite Jordan the first time, to execute the judgment written, to confess the sins over Azazel's Goat, and to engage in antitypical Gideon's first battle. Whom, then, do they type? We answer: Very evidently the Youthful Worthies. How did antitypical Gideon call them? We answer: (1) by continuing the invitation to consecrate after the Fall of 1914; (2) by emphasizing after the Fall of 1914, e.g., in Z '15, 269, pars. 6, 7, the fact that there would be a was an existing class since 1878 who, called too late for the High Calling during the Harvest , would be privileged to share in reward and honor with the Ancient Worthies, i.e., that there would be is a Youthful Worthies class; (3) by arousing them to battle against error; (4) by the teaching during 1916 that the Lord's people would smite Jordan twice; and (5) by encouraging repeatedly during 1916 the Lord's people along the lines of the privilege of smiting Jordan."

Now here's some interesting editing needed to help the Executive Trustee. These two pages clearly show when the Youthful Worthy call began ... that there WOULD BE a class post 1914. It does not say that the call (or class) was already in action, as is currently taught. So, we had to make these changes.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, p. 73

"This is the period typed by the 56 remaining days of the Flood year. This period of 56 days typed 602.26849312 years, which ended Oct., 1881. The last day of these antitypical 56 days began Jan., 1871. During this antitypical day our Lord returned, raised the sleeping Saints, cast off Babylon, established the fulness of the Gentiles in 1878 ended the General Call, and began to develop the Youthful Worthies, who were from God's viewpoint anticipatorily in the antitypical Ark with all its other classes from the beginning of the antitypical Flood year."

This page easily clears up any possible confusion the Executive Trustee may have had with page 63 (our previous Permanent Marker post and a page that also needed correction to fit his view). To help him here, we have to remove the word "anticipatorily" from the page and change one event listing so that individuals could exist in 1878.

Pastoral Memorial Services - Will Be Broadcast Live - October 11 - 13

The Pastoral Memorial Service being held in the Chicago area on October 11 - 13 will be broadcast live, and archived during open sessions.

 http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pastoral-memorial-service-2013

October 11, 2013

2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

 6:30 PM - 8:15 PM

October 12, 2013

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

2:00 PM - 4:05 PM

6:30PM - 8:25 PM

October 13, 2013

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

All Times are CDT

"Yet There is Room" Pastor Russell W.T. 1913

"YET THERE IS ROOM" WT. January 1913 - R5168 Page, 27

"Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."--Rev. 3:11.

THE QUESTION is sometimes asked whether it is possible for one to consecrate himself and to be accepted at this late hour in the Gospel Age, unless there is a crown reserved for such a one. Certainly it would be possible for one to consecrate himself. Consecration is always proper. Long before the Gospel Age began, Abraham and the Prophets made consecration of their lives. St. Paul informs us that these Ancient Worthies showed that their lives were consecrated to God and righteousness; for they suffered--many of them--painful and ignominious deaths for His sake. Thus
they demonstrated that the world was unworthy of them. --Heb. 11:33-38.

The fact that a person has offered himself in consecration does not, however, obligate the Almighty to accept the offering. While it is true that "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34,) yet His favor was given first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. This favor is the most wonderful ever offered to beings on any plane of existence--that all who will accept the terms may come into the Church, which is the mystical Body of Christ, until a sufficient number shall have been found, until the fore-ordained number shall have made consecration and shall have made their calling and election sure.

While the Scriptures indicate clearly that we are living at the very close of the Gospel Age, yet it is not for us to know when the full number shall have consecrated themselves. It is our belief that in a general way the outward call ceased in 1881, A. D.

Our thought is that in 1878 there were a great many consecrated persons who had not passed their trial in full; and that there were in the nominal churches many thousands who had made full consecration to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. From 1874 to 1881, there was a great number of evangelists preaching both in this country and abroad. Of these, Evangelist Moody was perhaps the best known. He seemed to make a great many converts; and his preaching seemed to be very different from that of the majority of evangelists. He preached forgiveness through the precious blood of Christ, and full consecration to God.

During that revival period, many made a full consecration, had their names tentatively written in Heaven, and filled up the number required. But when the testings came, many were found unworthy of a higher reward than that of the Great Company. Others took the places of the failures and were also tested and sifted. Vacancies occurred; and still others came in for an opportunity. We see evidences that this work has been going on for the past thirty years; and we believe that it is true that some names are now being listed and that there are crowns awaiting such.

OUR REASON FOR THIS THOUGHT
People who have not been interested in religion and who have not heretofore consecrated themselves unto God, have quite recently made full consecration of themselves and have received that evidence which seems to indicate that God has accepted them. Not only have the eyes of their understanding been opened so that they can see the spiritual, or deep things of God, but they are
given opportunities to sacrifice. While we make a covenant that we will sacrifice (Psa. 50:5), yet it is for the Lord to give us the opportunity to do so.

The fact that some of the recently consecrated are receiving and using opportunities to sacrifice, implies that when they made their consecration there was a place open and that they are filling it.

The fact also that so many have been thus accepted since 1878 seems to imply that there has been a considerable vacancy in the list of the Elect, and that it is gradually filling up. It is not for us to say how much of a vacancy remains, or just when it will be filled. We fully believe, however, that it will be filled before the close of "the Times of the Gentiles," which we think will end with October, 1914.

As for others who have not yet consecrated themselves, we can say with St. Paul, "I beseech you,...brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice." (Rom. 12:1.) Do your best. It may be that there is an opening and you may get in. Consecrate your time, your talents, all that you have, to the service of God. He is a good Paymaster; whatever reward He may give you will be a prize.

We realize, however, that all who will be accepted as members of the Body of Christ must have trials both of faith and of loyalty before being assigned to a definite place in the Kingdom. Those who become reprobates will constitute the Second Death class. Others may be assigned to the Great Company. All such will be counted out of membership in the Royal Priesthood. As each is put out as unworthy, his former place becomes vacant and his crown released. Such vacancies, we understand, are now being filled from among those who offer themselves.

This condition has obtained since 1881, when, we believe--as before stated--the general call ceased. When a vacancy occurs, it is reasonable to believe that from among those who are in a waiting attitude the one would be chosen who is the most highly developed and most fully in harmony with the Lord.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, p. 63

"(60) Apart from those Ancient Worthies who lived before the Covenant, but who were by God anticipatorily considered as in that Covenant, the first ones actually to enter the antitypical Ark—the Covenant—were Abraham and Sarah. Hence the antitypical Ark was first entered by the Ancient Worthies as a class in the persons of Abraham and Sarah in 2045 B.C. The last of all the classes to enter the antitypical Ark consists of the Youthful Worthies. They as a class first entered the antitypical Ark in 1881 1878, when the General Call ceased with the fulness of the Gentiles, and as a result the surplus consecrators became a class different from any other class."

This reference, taken out of context, could imply the Youthful Worthies became a class in 1881. There are a few reasons this is not possible. One, the very sentence itself tells us when surplus consecrators started to exist. We change it here to match the 1878 needs of the Executive Trustee. Two, this reference must harmonize with all of the other references in the same book. Three, the reference is fully explained on page 73.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, pp. 48-49

"Has it ever struck our dear readers that while our Pastor said that those whom we call Youthful Worthies will be the Millennial associates of the Ancient Worthies as princes, he never once cited a Scripture to prove it. He simply drew the conclusion from the fact that there were more consecrations than available crowns since the general call ceased in 1881 fulness of the Gentiles in 1878, and from God's general methods of dealing in the way of rewards with similar characters. So far as we can recall, he treated of the Youthful Worthies in but three places in his writings—F 156, 157; Z '11, 181, pars. 5-10; Z '15, 269, col. 2, pars. 6, 7. Additionally he treated of them at Convention Question meetings (What P.R. Said,. 151, 152, 154). In none of them does he cite a Scripture dealing with the Youthful Worthies as distinct from the Ancient Worthies. Why this from one who so strenuously insisted on Scripture as the source and rule of faith? The answer can only be that the subject being an Epiphaniac one even though their call began in 1878, no Scripture on the subject was due to be understood before! But the Epiphany being the time for dealing with this class even though they were as such before the Epiphany, Scriptures not previously understandable began to open up on the subject."

Pages 48 and 49 are in need of some rework to fit the new view of the Executive Trustee. In his mind, there were more consecrations since 1878, not 1881. For those of you who believe his new view because it helps you understand "consecration is always in order" better, have no fear. That principle was never compromised by Bro. Johnson. In E4, what was Ruth's journey? It was the journey from tentative justification to full consecration. You see, the activity of consecrating is still there. That's because consecration is always in order.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, pp. 39-40, para. 37

"(37) The brethren who err on the meaning and implications of our Pastor's having charge of the storehouse do not understand the functions of his office. He was the Parousia messenger, appointed by the Lord over the storehouse and the household for Parousia purposes—giving the Parousia Truth and superintending the Parousia work and gathering the Youthful Worthies as a class. Thus he gave the Church the full Parousia Truth, and superintended the full gathering of the Church (hence he can have no successor), and thereby gave the foundation of the Epiphany Truth and work; for the Parousia Truth and work are the foundation of the Epiphany Truth and work. But, as oOur Pastor's work was not that of gathering the Great Company as such, but gathering and the Youthful Worthies as such, the truths that he gave on these subjects were not full enough for the work of gathering both of these as such. Their gathering as such of one of them, the Great Company, is an Epiphany work, for which special Epiphany truths also, not due to be seen in his day, are needed. Therefore "things new and old" are needed for the Epiphany work. The facts of the case prove that our Pastor did not understand these new Epiphany things, e.g., the time of the deliverance of the Church, the length of the Time of Trouble, the time of Israel's deliverance, the duration of the dealing with the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies, the time relation between the sprinkling of the Goat's blood and the dealing with the Great Company, etc., all of which and other things too are Epiphany matters. Hence he made mistakes on these subjects. This we say without the slightest disparagement of him; for though used more markedly than any other servant of God, except our Lord (for of these, except our Lord Himself, he is undoubtedly the greatest), he could not see things before due. Hence, whenever he attempted to explain things not yet due, he made mistakes on them, as the above-enumerated things, as well as other things, prove, e.g., his premature explanation of the meaning of the pounds, of the parable of the penny, of the honor given to all saints, etc."

These pages are tough to change to help the Executive Trustee. The Great Company and Youthful Worthies are shown in parallel as being developed as classes in the Epiphany using "as such" to show that condition. To remove one from that structure is hard to do. It is even harder to make the Youthful Worthies development "as such" a Parousia activity under the Parousia messenger.

Permanent Marker Series: E5, Author's Foreword, p. iii.

"Since in the Parousia it was due to complete the development of the Little Flock and start the Youthful Worthies, as the special Parousia work, naturally the Truth teachings of that time centered in Christ and the Church with a few things on the Youthful Worthies. And since in the Epiphany it is due to develop the Great Company and continue the development of the Youthful Worthies, naturally the Truth teachings of this time center in these two classes."

We start a new Permanent Marker series, moving on to E5, A MISCELLANY. This book, like E4 before it, needs a lot of repair to make it work with the Executive Trustee's idea of having a Youthful Worthy call and class in the Parousia. Frankly, every publication needs repair to make his idea work. He's already taken care of The Chart of the Ages, so we've chosen E5. The comments in red are our suggested additions or changes to Bro. Johnson's writings. Certainly, there are other and better options. But these will do.

Demolition of the LHMM - Keystone Heights, FL class is split Nov. 2006

Click HERE for more information. A true quorum? In reality, a quorum of family related to the executive trustee. Is blood thicker than water, water being the Truth?

Demolition of the LHMM - Bro. Branconnier responds - January 2007

Despite all the Truth references Bro. Branconnier provides in his response to the "present view" thought-let error, the executive trustee doubles down on his error, and ignores "Scripture, Reason, and Facts."

Click HERE to see Bro. Branconnier's response

Demolition of the LHMM - let's make an example

On November 8, 2006 the executive trustee sends a another silly letter to the U.S. brethren associated with the LHMM. He falsely accuses these two brothers of vocalizing errors and abuses, seeking to draw attention away from himself.

To the nominal truth brethren associated with the LHMM, this letter appears to be appropriate, because they have fallen into sectarianism, and don't have a strong Epiphany Truth understanding. Those who hold a position in the movement have to make a choice. Unfortunately for many, their positions with the movement become more important than defending the truth.

In the letter, the executive trustee explains that he had given the named brethren ample time to respond. Mail from Chester Springs, PA to Springfield, MA can take 5-7 days to be delivered. It's very apparent the executive trustee had an agenda to move forward with his error, even at the cost of those who had done nothing wrong.

You will also notice the last sentence of this letter he uses the term "former brethren." Those who consecrate between the ages are not on trial for life. His clouded judgement allows him to think he has the ability to take one's justification away.

He owes these two faithful brothers and the faithful brethren upholding the Truth an apology. He should step down and resign his position for such a blunder.

Click HERE to see the November 8, 2006 letters to the brethren.

Demolition of the LHMM - "Leader of God's people under the Lord?"

Are we to think that the small handful of individuals associated with the LHMM can make the claim that they are God's only people? Such a silly comment.

Demolition of the LHMM. Engaging in clericalism and sectarianism.

On November 5, 2006, the executive trustee begins his work to destroy local bible classes. He starts with Springfield, MA. With the help from family members, and especially his nephew,  instructions are given not to vote for Bro. Branconnier as an elder. The executive trustee's plan backfires. Instead of removing Bro. Branconnier as an elder, no elder receives a majority vote to serve in 2007.

The executive trustee is responsible for this class splitting. How far would you go to defend a thought "let"?

Click HERE to see the email with partisan collaboration to split the Springfield, MA Bible class.

Demolition of the LHMM. Are these now "former brethren"?

Demolition of the LHMM. A thoughtlet, how far would you go?

On October 25, 2006  the executive trustee sent Bro. Branconnier a letter accusing him of a verbal campaign against the "thoughtlet" error he published in the Present Truth magazine.

Bro. Branconnier was an evangelist and an active elder in the Springfield, MA class. That ecclesia's annual business meeting, a recorded event, included a discussion of the error and how the class could study the matter for themselves. Those recordings were sent to the Bible House by several family members of the executive trustee, and that is how this came to be.

Click HERE to download the letter to Bro. Banconnier.
How far would you go to defend error?

If you had the thought(let) ...

... that in Bro. Johnson's notes on Tabernacle Shadows, page 133, he's referring to the existence of the actual Youthful Worthy class, understanding the grammar and looking nearby will show this view to be incorrect.

Page 133: "It will also be remembered that it is he who brought to our attention the fact that there has been since 1881 a class of non-spirit-begotten consecrated ones, whom we call Youthful Worthies."

Some brethren get caught up in the word "class" in this sentence. They ignore the "a" before it and "consecrated ones" after it. Bro. Johnson does not use the definite article "the" and write "the Youthful Worthy class" to mention a separate and distinct entity, but instead is referring to the "ones" of individuals. Clearly, this is the meaning of the sentence. He even goes on to point out that it is only later on, in the Epiphany, when they have a unique distinction.

Second, these notes were first published in the November 1936 PT. Had Bro. Johnson thought of them as being a separate and distinct class in 1881, we should find other references nearby to prove this view. Of course, we do not.

Fifteen pages earlier in the October issue, he addresses the subject in the Questions of General Interest, showing how the spirit-begotten could only see spiritual things up until 1881. Had there been Youthful Worthy individuals before 1881, they should have been able to see those deeper things. But, those individuals were not to be found.

Fifty pages later in the February issue, he also addresses this same subject in the Questions of General Interest. Here he references St. Paul on 1 Cor. 2:14, "for between Pentecost and 1881, to which time alone his words are limited, all the consecrated were new creatures; hence during that time the term new creature and the term consecrated applied to the same persons and were interchangeable."

Demolition of the LHMM - Hostess to a convention that supports error?

If you had the thought(let) ...

... that E10, page 284 shows that the Youthful Worthies existed in 1878, just look nearby to see that this view is incorrect.

E10, p. 284: "After leaving the nominal church as Youthful Worthies, from 1878 onward, and coming into the Truth, these were as a class taken by Bro. Russell as a symbolic daughter."

Two pages later on p. 286: "... since from 1881 onward these things were not certain in individual cases, because all consecrators were not accepted into the high calling."

Both the dependent clause "from 1878 onward" as well as "and coming into the Truth" are required to complete the understanding as to their beginning. We just don't have the date of their full consecration listed in the second clause. That is, until two pages later, where we are told that ALL consecrations until 1881 were Spirit-begotten.

Demolition of The LHMM - The Future Appointed Leader in Waiting

Between 2004 and 2006, a certain Pilgrim of the BS Ministries served local classes in America with the topic Incidental Features. At last year's convention in Tulsa, OK, he made the comment that this talk would make a return to his discourse repertoire. And it did at their most recent convention in Washington. Not one person in the audience groaned in dismay as to what was being said. From the very beginning, he has misinterpreted Brother Russell's use of the term "incidental" and has convinced himself that many essential features of GOD's plan like "Faith Justification" and "The Great Sacrifice for Sin" use today's meaning of the word. Very sad.

See December 2012 postings on this matter.

Click here to listen to this confused Pilgrim

Take note to listen at the 19:15, 23:06, 30:00, 37:15, 39:00, 43:20, and 44:00 minute marks.

This brother attempts to support his claims that this information is found in the writings. Attached is an example from R4555. Also see R4137 and R4656

R4137: "...Our Lord's mission was primarily to make the great sacrifice for sin, which was the redemption price, and to secure ultimately the release of mankind from the sentence of original sin. As an incidental feature connected with the world's salvation through his sacrifice, he preached the good tidings and called for followers to walk in his steps and to be joint-sacrificers with him, and thus ultimately to be joint-heirs with him in the work of distributing the blessings and favor of God, secured through his death..."

R4555: "... Nevertheless the divine plan does not end with the deliverance of "the Church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven" and who shall share with Christ in "his resurrection"--the first, or chief resurrection. The appropriation of the merit of Christ first to the Church is merely an incidental feature of the Divine Plan. Soon the Church shall have shared by the privilege now granted to believers of becoming dead with Christ to the earthly interests and alive as New Creatures by the first resurrection..."

R4656: "...Their hope will be the same as that of the remainder of the world, viz., a hope of actual justification during the Millennial Age --Restitution. In other words, this matter of faith-justification is merely an incidental feature connected with the consecration to death--for the selection of this special class which is now being called. To impute justification to any except these would be greatly to their disadvantage."

Modern definitions belonging to the word "Incidental" are:  (chance, accidental, untended, unintentional, unplanned).  Additional definitions that should be considered from the late 1800's, early 1900's include "Natural Occurring Event", "Followed By" etc.

The redemptive part of GOD's plan was thoughtfully planned, and deliberate.

R5409: "...The essential features of the Gospel are that Jesus came from above--that He was holy, harmless and undefiled, and gave Himself a Ransom-price for sinners. God recognized the merit of His work and raised Him from the dead, and He ascended on High, there to appear in the presence of God--first for the Church class, later for the world. All this the Christian accepts by faith."

This individual is the next executive trustee in waiting for the BS Ministries. His understanding of the Parousia, and Epiphany Truth is lacking, as demonstrated by this, and other subject matters he has misrepresented. This US Pilgrim who has preached this error should offer a correction, and step down.

Demolition of The LHMM - A Pilgrim Addresses the General Church

On July 25, 2006 Pilgrim Bro. Blaine addresses the general Church with Truth references from the Parousia and Epiphany writings pointing out the error in the 2006 Present Truth contrived by the current executive trustee of the LHMM.

Click here to see the original document mailed to the Brethren

Demolition of The LHMM Timeline - "The Truth is First Pure, then Peaceable"

"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable" (James 3: 17). 

Demolition of the LHMM - The Editor of the Present Truth Magazine Denies the 1914 Date

The question the executive trustee originally posed was: "What is the correct date of the Youthful Worthy call? 1878, or 1881?" Later in the article, he diverts the attention from the word "call" to the word "class", and never addresses the Truth on the subject. Did Anyone Notice?

Along with his misunderstanding of the word "class" and the English language, the executive trustee ignores hundreds of references dealing with the Gospel Age Harvest which focuses on the completion of the Church. Below, you will find direct references pertaining to the "Youthful Worthy call" having its beginning in 1914.


PT 1951, p. 135, col., 1
"Thus the material was all ready, initially, for the Epiphany temple by the Fall of 1914; and, as Bro. Johnson indicates in E Vol. 11, p. 493, the work of building the Epiphany tabernacle, or temple (frequently used interchangeably—. E Vol. 8, p. 623), "had its beginning in the call of the Youthful Worthies from 1914 onward." Hence we are warranted in beginning the time of the laying of the foundations of the Epiphany temple in the Fall of 1914."


PT 1951, p. 135, col., 2
"As already seen (in the third and fourth preceding pars.), the work of building the Epiphany temple had its first beginnings in the Fall of 1914 with the call of the Youthful Worthies. The Youthful Worthies will all be appointed by Oct. 1954, after which no more Youthful Worthies will be won (E Vol. 10, p. 114; P '51, p. 90),..."


PT 1959, p. 56, col. 1
"These other leaders could not see, e.g., that a great step of progress in connection with the antitypical Tabernacle had set in—that beginning in the Fall of 1914 in the call of the Youthful Worthies as a class, God was building the Epiphany Tabernacle Court as distinct from the Holy..."

Another grace parallel occurs between the closing of the door of entrance into the High Calling on Sept. 16, 1914 (E 3, p. 401; E 4, p. 464; for 80 proofs that it closed, see P.T. No. 515), and the closing of the door of entrance into the Youthful Worthy calling, exactly 40 years later, on Sept. 16, 1954 (E 10, p. 114; E 11, p. 473; P '54, pp. 41, 57).


P2 Page. 212-213: "This call, which must end when enough invited from which to complete the favored Little Flock, the body of Christ, is far from being the limit of God's love and favor and calling. Its end will close the heavenly or high calling. For where this call ends, where this door of opportunity and favor closes, another door begins to swing open..."

The above references show that PT 2006, p. 18, p. 21, col. 2, p. 22, col. 1. denies the 1914 date.

Click here to download 2006 Present Truth Whole Number 714

The Demolition of the LHMM - Where is the correct date?

1. The current executive trustee in the 2006 Summer PT seeks to deceive the reader by offering two incorrect dates, and omitting the correct date for the Youthful Worthy call. Again, did anyone notice?

2. As responsible Bible students; do we accept the latest expression from the Spirit Begotten on this subject, or do we promote a thoughtlet?  Click Link to see:  E Vol. 5 Pages, 340 - 344 

3. "Do you want the Lord's will or do you want your will?" It's a fair question.

Demolition of the LHMM - The Deceptive Question - Did Anyone Notice?

Below, you will find the original question that was posed to Pilgrim Bro. Blaine by the current executive trustee seeking support for his thoughtlet. (See our 3/3/13 post.)

The question below deals with clarification on "classes."

The deceptive question in the 2006 Summer Present Truth deals with clarification on the word "call." Did anyone notice?

Demolition of the LHMM - The Deceptive Question

Demolition of The LHMM - Summer 2006 Present Truth

Very few brethren associated with the Bible Standard Ministries applied the Berean method of study to the executive trustee's "Present View" error in the Summer 2004 Present Truth revised "Quasi Elect" article. Two years later, he further promotes his thoughtlet in the Summer 2006 Present Truth with an outright attack on the Epiphany Truth dates given by the spirit-begotten servants. He knowingly changes his talking point from the term "class" to "call". Did anyone notice?

We feel that this continuation of error will go down in history as one reason the movement is no longer used by our Lord. Clericalism and Sectarianism would soon follow. We will deal with this deception over the next several posts.

Demolition of the LHMM - Preparing for Summer 2006 PT Bombshell

Demolition of the LHMM - Notes Found in a Drawer Used as Authentic Proof to Support Error?

Authentication (from Greek: αὐθεντικός; real or genuine, from αὐθέντης authentes; author) is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity.

Despite the incredible amount of authentic printed material found in the Truth writings on the Youthful Worthies as individuals and as a separate and distinct class, the current executive trustee and his partisan supporters forge forward with the "Present View" error.  Notes found in a drawer from an unidentified person are published in the Winter 2005 Present Truth (see download) as proof to support the executive trustee's thoughtlet. The notes do not meet the standards of real, printed references such as the following:

PT 1947, p. 53 - col. 1

The Youthful Worthies as individuals have been developing since in 1881 the general call ceased, and as a class since the last Little Flock member was won in 1914.


Present Truth 1949, page 156

"Another wonderful happenings of these past years is the many consecrators who are given the privilege of Youthful Worthiship. While there were Youthful Worthies from 1881 to 1914, i.e ., in the cases of those for whom no crowns were then available, since 1914 all new consecrators are of this class; because by Oct. 1914 all crowns were filled to completion

Click Here to Download Notes from Winter 2005 PT

Demolition of the LHMM - "If you're not for me..."

Pilgrim Bro. Blaine Responds to the Executive Trustee's Error

On 2/11/2005, Pilgrim Bro. Richard Blaine responded to the executive trustee's strange letter with the intent to provide Truth references that would help him rightly divide the word, and see the error. In his original document, he included only 20 proofs that the Youthful Worthies came on the scene as individuals in 1881, and the call began in 1914 when they became an Epiphany Class.

 Click Here: To Download 35 Page Expanded Document.

Demolition of the LHMM - Pastor Blaine Responds

Demolition Of The LHMM - The Executive Trustee Confused

In this letter to a Truth brother, the Executive Trustee brings up the topic of conflicting messages in our writings regarding the Youthful Worthies. He mentions a few references that he feels support his view. But, as we have pointed out in the past, they do not. For if they did, he would make Brother Johnson a confused author, contradicting himself within the same books. That makes no sense at all.

We have to remember that the leaders of the current BS Ministries use the "thoughtlet" method of finding new truths where none exist. They reach into a book and find a few sentences to generate a new idea, but ignore the rest which put it in context. Most of the time, it is their lack in understanding grammar and usage. Let's review!

He starts out, of course, with the very reference that generated the thoughtlet: the Ruth picture in E4, pp. 374-376. All three sentences he's thinking of are clear when you realize that the picture shows her starting the journey in 1878. Her being fully consecrated is not until 1881. Ruth's condition was not perfected until then. Grammar and usage. Previous to 1881, all the consecrated were Spirit-begotten. See E4. p. 469 (or even p. 462) for the clearest reference WITHIN THE SAME BOOK.

He then points out another thoughtlet reference, E5, pp. 62-64, where "the last of all the classes, the Youthful Worthies, entered the antitypical Ark in 1881." He gets tripped up by the word "class" in this reference. We have to remember that the Great Company, as a class, is also in the Ark. Even though the Epiphany is when it became a separate and distinct class, it is in the Ark because there were GC individuals during the Gospel Age. So, logically, the Youthful Worthies can be in the Ark as of 1881 because it is when individuals started to exist. They too became a class in the Epiphany. Again, the Executive Trustee ignores clear references WITHIN THE SAME BOOK. See the foreword, p. 39, p. 226, and p. 419.

Finally, he goes back to E4, p. 318, and points out "individuals of a class" as a reference supporting his view. As we have stated before, that term was used by the scientific community to indicate an observed grouping of something that was not expected. For example, a math equation expressed on a scatter diagram may show a grouping of points that were not expected. That is why it is phrased as individuals of A class and not THE class. The Executive Trustee misses the meaning completely. Besides, all we have to do is go to the VERY NEXT SENTENCE WITHIN THE SAME BOOK. When it says, "...since the General Call ceased in 1881, more people consecrated to the Lord than could be provided with crowns," it means that up until that time all those who consecrated could be provided with crowns.

What a silly letter from the Executive Trustee.

Demolition of the LHMM - Creating the Rift

Demolition of The LHMM - Setting The Stage for Muckracking - 2004 Tulsa Oklahoma Convention Part 2

Shown above are two 2004 Tulsa, OK convention programs: the original program and a revised version. Initially, the executive trustee was planning to come to this convention. When he couldn't make it, he assigned his portions to Pilgrim Bro. Blaine. You will notice that the executive trustee was scheduled to handle the question meeting in the initial program.

During the convention, one of the other officiating chairman endorsed the "present view" error during a discourse, even though it was unrelated to his subject matter. At the question meeting, the following was asked. "What is the correct date for the Youthful Worthy call? 1878 or 1881."

As we all know, neither date is correct. The Youthful Worthy call began in 1914. So, the questioner offered no real choice. Never before from the Epiphany Truth platform was the thought ever given that the Youthful Worthies had their beginning in 1878. And the call was after the Harvest in 1914.

Who planted such a strange question? We suspect that the current executive trustee and his fellow collaborators began their destructive course at this convention by seeking out those who opposed his new error. False accusations and character assassinations were soon to come.
 

Demolition of The LHMM - Setting The Stage for Muckracking - 2004 Tulsa Oklahoma Convention Part 1

The Demolition Begins With A Subtle Error

The current Executive Trustee’s “present view” of the dates for the existence of the Youthful Worthies is what caused the split in America. This was first expressed in print with his modification of the first paragraph of Bro. Jolly’s 1978 PT Quasi-Elect article in his 2004 version (both shown below).

The current executive trustee supports Krewson's error

The current executive trustee wasn't the first individual to promote the error that the Youthful Worthies had their start in 1878. Krewson's thoughtlet also ignores other references in E10 that would contradict this view (see the Author's Foreword, pages 209, 250, 285-6, and others.). For instance, page 286 says that all consecrators up to 1881 were accepted into the high calling.

For clarity, please refer to the July 19, 2008 post on Esther. It has information pertaining to E Vol. 10, p.284, and other misunderstood references.

Demolition of the LHMM Timeline - March 12, 2004

Minutes of the Florida Convention Business Meeting March 12, 2004

BE IT RESOLVED by this General Convention of the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement held in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on March 12, 2004 with all delegates thereto in convention assembled, that, due to the demise of Pastor Bernard W. Hedman while acting as Executive Trustee of the L.H.M.M., Pastor Ralph M. Herzig, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, be appointed as Pastor Bernard W. Hedman's successor as Executive Trustee of the L.H.M.M., with the following powers:

(1) To continue, manage and conduct in the name and on behalf of said L.H.M.M., its business and affairs, as he may deem to be appropriate, requisite or advisable to be done or performed;

(2) To receive, hold in charge and expend, for the objects and purposes of said L.H.M.M., any and all monies and other assets thereof;

(3) To borrow from time to time on behalf of and for the purposes of said L.H.M.M., any sums of money he may deem advisable upon the monies or other assets of said L.H.M.M., including its real estate;

(4) To invest or reinvest any monies, assets or property of said L.H.M.M. as he may deem advisable and proper;

(5) For and in the name of said L.H.M.M., to buy, sell and convey real estate in fee simple to any person or persons and for such sum or sums as he shall deem proper, without any liability on the part of the purchaser to see to the disposition of the purchase money, and further with power to mortgage the whole or any part of any real estate owned or subsequently acquired by said L.H.M.M.

(6) To grant, bargain and sell any messuages, tenements, hereditaments and real estate whatsoever, or any part or parcel thereof, for any sum or price as to him shall seem proper;

(7) To manage all lands, messuages, tenements or hereditaments freehold or leasehold or otherwise, owned and/or occupied by said L.H.M.M.;

(8) To enter into, accept, terminate and vary leases or tenancies thereof; and

(9) To grant, accept, terminate and vary leases and tenancies thereof, and to demand and receive all rents due or to become due to said L.H.M.M. from any person, persons, partnership or corporation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Pastor Ralph M. Herzig shall have the power to designate an attorney, agent or representative, with full power to do everything requisite and necessary in furtherance of the L.H.M.M.'s activities, and with full power of substitution and revocation in such duties or actions as Pastor Ralph M. Herzig shall deem necessary; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Pastor Ralph M. Herzig shall have the power to delegate certain of his duties to such person or persons as he may designate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, for effectually removing any possible doubt which may arise as to the true meaning or as to the construction or application of the powers aforementioned, that the L.H.M.M. hereby declares that the same are intended to extend and shall in all cases extend to any other matters or transactions not previously mentioned or defined which in the course of the general business of said L.H.M.M. as aforesaid may by Pastor Ralph M. Herzig be deemed to be requisite or advisable to be done or performed.

RESOLUTIONS FOR TEMPORARY SUCCESSION

WHEREAS, Ralph M. Herzig, the incumbent Executive Trustee of the L.H.M.M. does not deem it advisable at the present time to propose anyone to be duly elected to succeed him as Executive Trustee of the L.H.M.M. at the time of his demise, and

WHEREAS, it is deemed advisable to make a provision for the temporary carrying on of the normal functions of the L.H.M.M. without interruption in the event of said incumbent Executive Trustee's demise at a time when no succeeding Executive Trustee of the

L.H.M.M. shall have yet been duly elected and is then capable of serving in that capacity,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Pastor Ralph M. Herzig shall have the power, and is hereby invested so to do, to designate in writing, a Pilgrim or an Auxiliary Pilgrim of the L.H.M.M. to act as Temporary Executive Trustee with the powers hereinafter enumerated until a succeeding Executive Trustee of the L.H.M.M. is duly elected, and qualified, and it is

FURTHER RESOLVED, that Ralph M. Herzig shall have the power and is hereby invested so to do, to designate in writing, a Pilgrim or an Auxiliary Pilgrim of the L.H.M.M. to act as alternate Temporary Executive Trustee with the same powers as the Temporary Executive Trustee in the event that the person designated as Temporary Executive Trustee is unable or incapable of acting as Temporary Executive Trustee for any reason whatsoever, and it is

FURTHER RESOLVED that the following shall be the powers and duties of the Temporary Executive Trustee:

FIRST: To announce the death of the incumbent Executive Trustee and to assist his family to arrange for his funeral.

SECOND: To arrange for the election of a succeeding Executive Trustee, which election shall take place within four months from the date of the death of the incumbent Executive Trustee, and which election shall be held either at:

(a) A special business meeting called for the purpose of electing a succeeding Executive Trustee at a general convention which had already been scheduled before the demise of the incumbent Executive Trustee, if in the opinion of the Temporary Executive Trustee there is adequate time to provide for an election at such general convention.

(b) A special business meeting of a special general convention called and arranged for by the Temporary Executive Trustee.

THIRD: In the interim between the demise of the incumbent Executive Trustee and the election of a succeeding Executive Trustee, the Temporary Executive Trustee shall exercise all the necessary powers to carry on the work of the L.H.M.M. without interruption; provided, however, that the expenditures of money by the Temporary Executive Trustee shall not exceed $150,000.00.

FOURTH: That otherwise the powers of the Temporary Executive Trustee shall be the same as the powers as those of the Executive Trustee as enumerated under paragraphs (1) through (9) above and the three additional resolutions immediately following paragraph (9) above.

Coming Soon: The Demolition of The LHMM Timeline, and E Vol. 4 Revisited

Coming Soon: The Demolition of The LHMM Timeline, and E Vol. 4 revisited.