Conditions Among Truth Brethren

PT. 1978, Page 7, C2: "We are glad to see that more and more cleansing from various errors is going on among our brethren in various Truth groups. Many of the 'Jehovah's Witnesses' and others are becoming dissatisfied with the old and new errors of their leaders. Many of these brethren are returning to Bro. Russell's Scripturally proven teachings; other are remaining with these teachings on the Parousia 40 year Harvest period for the reaping of the Little Flock, from 1874-1914, followed by the Epiphany, or Apocalypse period, the Time of Trouble, during which the Great Company as such come up of the great tribulation, washing their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and during which God has been developing those consecrating between the Ages (Z5761), the Spirit-enlightened, non-Spirit-begotten class (Joel 2: 28,29; see PT 519-a copy free on request). More and more brethren now accept his teachings relating to the Youthful Worthy class and are coming to see that the High Calling, to Little Flock-ship must by this date surely be finally closed."

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 132

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Page 132 is yet another part of E4 that requires tweaking! Bro. Johnson is pointing out that everyone up to a point was considered a Priest. They were all running for one call, so it made sense that there was no distinction. Now that the Executive Trustee has a second call starting in 1878 and a separate class in 1881, this information must be included on the page. A second call and class is important. Yet, in order to keep the rest of the page intact, we had to mention that no one knew of this other call or class.

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 103

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Here is another page that must be radically changed to match the "present view" idea from the Executive Trustee. The clear understanding that the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies, as the two Epiphany's elect classes, had the same 40 years is no longer true. If they already existed as a class in 1881, then we need to add those extra 33 years into the trial period along the lines of the principles applicable to them. Our changes totally destroy the shared application of the 40 years as Bro. Johnson so wonderfully tells us, but it had to be done to make the page work.

God's Parousia and Epiphany Watchcare

PT. 1986 Pg. 3:

Jehovah led and followed with His watchcare His Parousia people, giving them the necessary Truth as due. He opened the way for Bro. Russell to get much Truth, on the object and manner of our Lord's Return and otherwise. He was given to see after some time that our Lord in His Second Advent is a spirit being, invisible to the human eyes, capable of coming and going as the wind. Thus the way was opened for Bro. Russell to see from prophecy and chronology and to declare that our Lord's Second Presence and the harvest gathering of the elect had actually begun in 1874 and that the message "Behold the Bridegroom" should be preached from 1877 onward. God sustained His people amid the six great siftings—No-Ransomism, Infidelism, Combinationism, Reformism, Contradictionism and (in the Epiphany period) Revolutionism.

Jehovah opened the way and took care of the consequences for His enlightened people in the changed conditions of the Epiphany period, which began in 1914 with the inception of the World War. After Bro. Russell's death in 1916, God led Bro. Paul S.L. Johnson to recognize the close of the door of entrance into the High Calling in 1914, and that the main work thereafter was the developing of the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies for their places in the Kingdom. God's overruling providence is very evident even here in the gradual ending of the Epiphany period and the beginning of the Basileia in its first stage in 1954. He gave Bro. Jolly much additional Truth pertaining to the development of the antitypical Epiphany Court and Camp. We have witnessed how He has led, directed and taken care of the consequences for His faithful people, even since Bro. Jolly's death in 1979.

By the antitypical fiery cloudy pillar—the Truth and its Spirit—and His providences, God has led His loyal people along in their journey to the "rest that remaineth" in antitypical Canaan. Through the ministry of our Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd He has gone before God's people (John 10: 4), leading them into the green pastures and beside the still waters (Psa. 23: 2). The flock has also been guarded from behind, so that no figurative wolves or other predators can harm or destroy them...

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 89

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After all of the editing done up to this point in E4 to make it work with the "present view" idea, we needed a fresh marker in order to continue. This page brings out a serious problem for the Executive Trustee. If the Youthful Worthy call begins in April, 1878 as is now shown on his revised Chart of the Ages, then there are TWO calls going on at once. This is contrary to what is written on this page and given in Scripture. So, in order to make it work for the Executive Trustee, we not only have to modify and delete much of Bro. Johnson's text but we also have to modify the Bible.

Want to understand the confusion of having two calls going on at once? And during the busy Harvest time? Think of having two telephones ringing at the same time during a busy day. Which call do you take? Which one is more important? Do you accept one over the other because of a better result?

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 69

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We continue our series, updating E4 to harmonize it with the "present view" existence of the Youthful Worthies. Page 69 also creates problems for the Executive Trustee because Bro. Johnson is showing the level of care that should be given to those who consecrated since Sept. 16, 1914 in helping them understand their place in God's Plan and the special call for them since that time. With the marker, we tried to fix the page so that it shows the extra 33 years of their call to and existence as a class.

Referred to by Bro. Russell

"A third class of the elect, referred to by Bro. Russell, which we call the Youthful Worthies (for many Scriptures pertaining to this class, please see PT 519—a copy free on request), has also been in the process of development and gathering since 1881, when the General Call to the High Calling ceased. They came in too late to have any of the 144,000 crowns assigned to them, except such comparatively few crowns as were reassigned to some of them because of being lost by others to whom they had previously been assigned. All new consecrators in the Oct. 1914-Oct. 1954 period have been given the hope of becoming Youthful Worthies. Although not Spirit-begotten, they received the enlightening and heartwarming of the holy Spirit, in a sense similar to that of the Ancient Worthies."--PT. 1974 Pg. 77 C-2

Yet another reference the current Executive Trustee of the BS Ministries must ignore in order to prop up his "present view" idea.

The Use of Bracketed Comments

PT. 1971 Pg. 62-63

Question: Was Bro. Johnson dishonest and using trickery when he frequently quoted from Bro. Russell and insert his own explanations and comments in brackets, as he did repeatedly in E 4, Chapter 1, and elsewhere?

Answer: Surely not! It is quite customary for one to quote another's writing and put his own comments in brackets... The very fact that they are inserted in brackets indicates, generally speaking, that they are not a part of the original text quoted.

...a bracketed ellipsis [...] is often used to indicate deleted material; bracketed comments indicate when original text has been modified for clarity...

Wouldn't the opposite thought apply if brackets weren't used? i.e. 2004 PT Quasi-Elect and others articles?

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 39

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Here is another page that must be updated to harmonize E4 with the "present view" existence of the Youthful Worthies. Page 39 is not easy to modify towards that view because it clearly indicates the date when they are revealed AS A CLASS (a change of condition, not just appearance). Bro. Johnson applies this same usage at the end of the page to show when Rutherford could become "that evil servant" and on other pages to show the Great Company's existence (see p.167 and the references in the manifested destiny post).

So, in order for it to work for the Executive Trustee, we have to apply Bro. Johnson's usage to the new class date of 1881 and then use the incorrect, appearance-only meaning in 1914. It makes a mess of the page, but this is one way to make it work. Note that we then had to fix the similar usage at the bottom of the page to have it match in meaning.

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 23

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Here is another edit of a page in E4 so that it harmonizes with the Executive Trustee's confusion of three Ruth picture sentences in the same book.

Page 18 describes the Parousia work and sets up the Epiphany activity we see here on page 23. While our modification seems rather simple, it is quite a change of meaning. Instead of the Epiphany being THE time for the Youthful Worthies to develop for the Kingdom, it can only be a continuation of that activity if they were already being CALLED TO THIS CLASS in 1881.

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Page 18

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We continue our series in modifying the pages in E4 so that they harmonize with the Executive Trustee's confusion of the three Ruth picture sentences in the same book.

Here on page 18, Bro. Johnson is laying the groundwork for the Epiphany work described on page 23--showing that in the first stage of our Lord's Return, the Parousia, He is especially active in two things. Well, pardon us for being picky, but the call of the Youthful Worthies is a big event. Now that the Executive Trustee has moved their development as a class to the Parousia time period (even to the point of modifying the Chart of the Ages), they must be added to this list of important Parousia activities. We inserted them at position 2, since their development is an activity that is probably higher than the preparation for the Great Tribulation.

Permanent Marker Series: E4, Foreword p.iii

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This is the first in a series of posts where we modify a page in E4 so that it harmonizes with the Executive Trustee's misunderstanding of the 3 lines on pages 375-376. Once we gave the Youthful Worthies the Executive Trustee's supplied name, we were forced to also edit the position of the Great Company. They cannot be the first of the Epiphany's elect classes if there is not a second Epiphany's elect class.

Note: We like very much and prefer the suggestion from Thornbush to cut a hole through the E4 book cover to get to Bro. Johnson's clear meaning as found on this page (in its original form). See previous post comment.

Ready-made E4 cover for "present view" believers!

Because Bro. Johnson's title for E4, The Epiphany's Elect no longer applies to one of its two classes, we thought we would supply a new one that can be printed out and placed over the original.



We much prefer the original title because both subjects of the book, the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies, become classes in the Epiphany.

Full Consecration Until 1881 Includes What?

PT December 1926, page 179: "The possession of this spirit of Love, the spirit of the Truth, is an evidence that the possessor has been begotten of God and is a child of God; and that if faithful to his Lord and Head, even unto the end, he will by and by be made a joint-heir in His Kingdom. The possession of this spirit on the part of those who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Redeemer constitutes therefore, as the Apostle says, the seal of their adoption into God's family—"whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption [deliverance]" (Eph. 4: 30). The absence of this unction or anointing, prior to 1881, even though accompanied with some knowledge of the Truth, was an evidence that the heart was not fully consecrated to the Lord ; the will not fully resigned to His will and Word."

There could be NO fully consecrated Youthful Worthies until the end of the General Call in 1881.

French Correction, Final Part

Because of errors and changes thru interpretation and translations, it is obvious that the French document should not have been published or presented as Bro. Johnson’s own words in the Winter 2009 PT. It introduces many problems for the Executive Trustee and it doesn’t even prove his “present view” on the Youthful Worthies. Yet, in the end, the real issue is not this lapse in judgment or the use of the faulty article. The real issue is the Executive Trustee’s misread of the 3 sentences in E4, pages 375-376:

• “…and brought back with them a faithful class of unbegotten consecrated ones from 1878 on.”
  
• “…coming back into present Truth, and bringing unbegotten consecrated ones with them from 1878 to 1881.”
  
• “…for the Ruth class consecrating and coming into the Truth between 1878 and 1881.”

The instant you accept his view that they show unbegotten consecrated ones existing in 1878, 79, 80 or the first part of 81, then you also have to accept that Bro. Johnson was confused and contradicted himself WITHIN HIS OWN BOOK. Were all the consecrated from Pentecost to 1881 Spirit-begotten as he says on p.469? Could the deep things be seen only by New Creatures until 1881 on pages 440 & 462? Doesn’t the title of the book apply to both of its subjects? These are just a few examples of the problems introduced. We don’t know why the brethren would believe this of Bro. Johnson when the sentences are easily harmonized.

For historical events, we often use the current (perfected) condition of someone in the event before it is achieved because that condition is known and common to us. If asked about when you met your spouse, your response is always the first day you were introduced, not the day of your wedding. If a history professor tells his students that a distant trading company brought back with it new colonists from 1478 to 1481, it does not mean they were actual colonists when they left in 1478.

Bro. Johnson, like a good professor, is telling us this journey from the point of completion. The destination condition is our common understanding of both Naomi and Ruth. For the first sentence, he says Naomi BROUGHT BACK Ruth starting the journey in 1878. For the second, he says that Naomi was COMING BACK into the Truth and then shows the entire journey length for bringing back Ruth. The third sentence is very easy--it shows the 3 ½ year journey of consecrating and COMING INTO the Truth. In the end, either these 3 sentences work with the rest of the book, or you have to conclude that Bro. Johnson could not write a book. You choose.

For the last time, we make available a PDF of the original 31-page French work. Please click here to download.

French Correction, Part 4

Part of page 6 is the reason the Executive Trustee translated the discourse from French to English and printed it as if it was Bro. Johnson’s own words:
“Therefore, chronologically speaking, we can divide the Youthful Worthies into 3 groups: the first from 1878 to 1881; the second from 1881 to 1914 when there were many more consecrated ones than crowns and, the third: those who consecrated after 1914. All who became consecrated from 1878 to 1881 were Youthful Worthies because no crown fell from 1878 to 1881. The surplus of consecrated ones from 1881 to 1914 also became Youthful Worthies, and all those who consecrated, from 1914 until now, were also Youthful Worthies. Therefore, there are three groups of Youthful Worthies, and Ruth represents all the Youthful Worthies. From 1878 to 1881, she represents the first group; from 1881 to 1914, she represents the second group; and from 1914, she represents all those who became consecrated from this time onward.”

An interpretation to one language and then back should never be used in lieu of someone's own work. Yet, if we look through the text, it actually shows Bro. Johnson’s view and not the Executive Trustee’s changed view. The sister interpreted that the YWs can be divided into 3 groups, a term Bro. Johnson NEVER used in English. She does use his word class to define the three women, so group is more focused and is used to show a change of condition within the YWs. The first group is the 1878-1881 journey of the tentatively-justified Ruth class who became fully consecrated YWs in 1881, the second group is the surplus consecrators or individuals from 1881-1914, and the third group is all who consecrated after 1914 during the 40-year YW call.

How do we know this? Bro. Johnson shows two of the three conditions a few years later in PT April 1938, page 56 , "for the Youthful Worthies as individuals, from Oct., 1881, onward to Sept. 16, 1914, and as a class from Sept. 16, 1914." And we know from E4, page 469 (the very book where the Executive Trustee "found" his view) that all the consecrated until 1881 were Spirit begotten. That helps us understand the condition of the first group, which is the whole idea of the Ruth 1 picture...her journey to full consecration. Even the French document on pages 5-6 shows her full consecration at Ruth 1:16-17, near the end of the journey. Since the French-speaking brethren do not have E4, E15 offers them a competent translation and clearly shows the limit of 1881.

E15 Christ—Spirit—Covenants, p. 419: “Since the unconsecrated as the unbegotten cannot perceive, reason out and remember spiritual things (1 Cor. 2: 8, 9, 11, 14) and the Spirit-begotten man can (John 3: 3; 1 Cor. 2: 10-13, 15, 16), these powers must have been implanted into the mental brain organs by the begettal of the Spirit, which always until 1878 followed a true consecration. This rule was without exception until the general call ceased; the rule now does not apply against Youthful Worthies, who as consecrated ones understand spiritual things. Without the begettal the best of humans cannot desire spiritual as distinct from human things. This St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 2: 9, when he says that the spiritual things that God has prepared for those that love Him [the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8: 28) ] have not entered into the hearts [desires, affections] of the unbegotten; for during the general call to the High calling all the consecrated were Spirit-begotten.”

E15 Christ-L'Esprit-Les Alliance, 369-370: “Puisque les non-consacrés, comme les non-engendrés ne peuvent pas percevoir, raisonner et se rappeler des choses spirituelles (1 Cor. 2 : 8, 9, 11, 14) et que l'homme engendré de l'Esprit le peut (Jean 3 : 3; 1 Cor. 2: 10-13,15, 16), ces pouvoirs ont dû être implantés dans les organes cérébraux mentaux par l'engendrement de l'Esprit qui, jusqu'en 1878, suivait toujours une vraie consécration. Cette règle fut sans exception jusqu'à ce que cessât l'appel général ; la règle ne s'applique pas maintenant contre les Jeunes Dignes qui, en tant que consacrés, comprennent des choses spirituelles. Sans l'engendrement, le meilleur des êtres humains ne peut desirer des choses spirituelles distinctes des choses humaines. St. Paul nous le dit en 1 Cor. 2 : 9, quand il déclare que les choses spirituelles que Dieu a préparées pour ceux qui L'aiment, [ceux qui sont appelés selon son propos (Rom. 8 : 28)] ne sont pas entrées dans les coeurs [les désirs, les affections] des non-engendrés ; car durant l'appel general pour le Haut-Appel, tous les consacrés furent engendrés de l'Esprit.”

As before, we’ve made available a PDF of the original 31-page French work. Please click here to download.

French Correction, Part 3

We continue our discussion of the French interpreted/translated discourse that is now printed in the Winter 2009 PT. And we need to remind our readers that the Executive Trustee translated it back to English and published it as if it is Bro. Johnson's own text. He never mentions that it is two to three steps removed (through two languages) from Bro. Johnson's spoken words in 1933.

The paragraph shown above is the very first paragraph of the French discourse. It includes the title that has his name misspelled (as mentioned in our last post). The two highlighted areas are the dates that this UNKNOWN sister listed as the dates in the antitype for Ruth 1 and 2. THESE DATES ARE INCORRECT. In the original Ruth article that Bro. Johnson wrote in English just two months earlier, the correct dates are 1844 to 1881 for Ruth 1 and 1881 to 1916 for Ruth 2 (see PT June, 1933, page 84). The correct dates are also shown in E4 on page 376, published in 1938.

In the Winter 2009 PT, these errors are still in the translated document. This leaves the Executive Trustee with a dilemma. Had he fixed them, we would have caught this additional lie...beyond the fact that he did not indicate the questionable source. But by leaving them in the document, he now has to either correct them in a future PT and admit there are serious errors, or he has to come up with a "present view" to suggest that Bro. Johnson had two views on the antitypical dates for Ruth 1 and 2.

More to follow. As in the last post, we’ve made available a PDF of the original 31-page French work. Please click here to download.

French Correction, Part 2

In the summer of 2009, an appointee of the movement from the United States served in several European countries. During his time in France, the French representative gave him a copy of a three-part discourse given by Bro. Johnson in Monceau Sur Sambre, Belgium on August 8, 1933. This French language document was brought back for the Executive Trustee, translated into English and is now published in the Winter 2009 PT.

Apparently, the Executive Trustee feels that this discourse supports his “present view” on the dates of the Youthful Worthies and wants to use it as a proof. Yet, it is filled with obvious errors, does not actually prove his view, and its source is not presented truthfully in the PT. (Note: We initially dealt with this matter in reference to the French representative’s use of a couple of sentences in the Spring 2007 PT. See the original French Correction post in 2008.)

Error in Translation: A Poor Game of Telephone
The printed discourse came about due to the excellent efforts of an unknown French-speaking sister who, most likely, took shorthand notes while Bro. Johnson spoke at a podium. Later, these notes were typed into the final 31-page French text document. The potential for error to creep into her work is very high and we can easily show this from the very title of the discourse. It translates to: DISCOURSE INTERPRETED FROM BROTHER JONSHON AT MONCEAU SUR SAMBRE THE 8th AUGUST 1933.


His last name is incorrectly spelled as “JONSHON.” She did it the way it sounded to her in French. So, if his own name is inaccurate, what should that tell us about the rest of the document? We certainly don’t fault the efforts of this unknown sister, but it is rather shocking that the Executive Trustee would translate it back to English and present it as Brother Johnson’s own words. Nowhere in the Winter PT 2009 does he mention that the discourse is a recent translation of a very old French-language interpretation/translation of uncertain quality. And it is several steps removed from Bro. Johnson’s spoken words. Certainly, this is poor judgment on the part of the Executive Trustee and the appointee who brought it to him.

What are some significant errors in the document? What is different in the original as compared to Bro. Johnson’s actual work? Stay tuned for more in the next couple of posts. Also, we’ve made available a PDF of the original 31-page French work. Please click here to download.

Letters of General Interest - Auxiliary Pilgrim , Jamaica, WI

PT. 1960 pg. 79 C-1

...I was forced nearly forty years ago to make a choice between Bro. Russell and Judge Rutherford, and I chose Bro. Russell. In recent years I again had to choose between the two Laodicean Star members and the two would-be leaders from among the Youthful Worthies, and I have chosen the Star-members. Strange it is, in view of the siftings' multitudinous charges against you, that all the advancing Truth you have published up to now is in harmony with, based upon, and flows out of what we have already learned. Continue along this line, dear Brother, and all will be well - you shall have my full support. When I withdraw my support from you will be when you stray from or contradict the writings of God's two special Messengers.

One must wonder if this brother would have supported the "present view" since it is not in harmony with, based upon or flows out of what we have already learned. You will notice that this brother supported Bro. Jolly because he didn't stray from or contradict the writings of God's two special messengers.

Harvest Parallels

PT Feb. 1936, Page 28 (see also PT Feb. 1933, Page 22):
But in addition to the dispensations' parallels we have many other parallels in the Bible, e.g., the 2520 years' parallels, and also others, as shown in the Edgar chronology charts of the Berean Manual, page 12. To these many other parallels belong also the harvest parallels, from 29 to 69 A.D. and from 1874 to 1914, respectively...The facts as given in the Gospels and the Book of Acts show that these two sets of acts are in their five divisions 1845 years apart, which proves that the harvest parallels, as well as the dispensations' parallels, are 1845 years apart. The following tables show this of both sets of acts:

THE JEWISH HARVEST CALLS
Jesus, the Apostles, etc., in the first invitation call Israelites alone, Oct. 29 A.D. to June 36 A.D.

THE GOSPEL HARVEST CALLS
Jesus, Bro. Russell, etc., in the first invitation call church members, exclusively, Oct. 1874 to June, 1881.

With the current Executive Trustee's change to the date of the call of the Youthful Worthies (now 1878), apparently the first invitation call was not an exclusive event for church members.