LET US continue our study by first considering the order in which the various classes will come forth in the resurrection awakening:

Class Order in Resurrection Awakening

After the earthly phase of the Kingdom is set up under the Worthies, those of the quasi-elect and the non-elect who are asleep in death will be brought forth. They will be brought forth in answer to prayer, very likely in companies, generation by generation, in the reverse order to that in which they went down into death (Matthew 25: 36, 43). Each individual of the quasi-elect and the non-elect will come forth into one of the four classes typed by Keturah’s last four sons.

The Consecrated Epiphany Campers, who have been in process of development since October 1954 when the Youthful Worthy call closed, who have slept in death will then soon all come forth. This class will thus become the first completed class under the Worthies to take their Millennial place and service under the New Covenant. The quasi-elect unconsecrated tentatively justified Gentiles will be the second class completed, when the resurrection awakening has proceeded generation by generation back to those who lived at our Lord’s First Advent. Eventually all the unconsecrated quasi-elect fleshly Israelites will come forth, as the third class to be completed, including all of those of pre-Gospel Age times. The non-elect, consisting of unjustified Jews and Gentiles, will be the fourth and final class to be completed.

Precedence of the Consecrated Epiphany Campers

The Consecrated Epiphany Campers as a completed class will be ready for their Millennial place and service first after the Worthies, long before the other classes. Also, because of their development in Christlikeness as consecrated ones, by the study, practice and spread of God’s Word in this life, while sin is still in the ascendancy, will more than the other classes be fitted and prepared to assist under the Worthies in a special way in the Kingdom work of blessing and uplifting mankind.

The Scriptures show clearly that, as the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, being consecrated ones, have a higher standing before God and a higher service in this life than have the rest of the quasi-elect, so they will have also a Millennial and post-Millennial honor and service higher than the rest of the quasi-elect and the non-elect. This is plainly seen from Psalm 72: 3 and the fact that the hill Ophel in Jerusalem represents the Consecrated Epiphany Campers. They are thus clearly distinguished as being in this life, Millennially and post-Millennially a higher class than the rest of the quasi-elect and the non-elect, who are represented respectively by the higher and lower parts of the valley sections of Jerusalem.    

Millennial and Post-Millennial Nethinim

Let us now consider the picture of the temple and its servants, which in a general way corresponds to the tabernacle picture. There are four different antitypical Tabernacle settings – the Gospel Age, the Epiphany, the Millennial and the post-Millennial settings. Only the Epiphany setting is operative at present. The post-Exilic Nethinim, who especially assisted the Levites type – in the Epiphany setting from October 1954 onward – the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, in addition to other Campers. The hill Ophel, which served as the Nethinim’s outstanding dwelling place, in close proximity to the temple and the service of the Levites there, types the antitypical Nethinim’s strongest, highest and best sphere of dwelling with God in relation to the antitypical temple and of ministering to the Great Company and Youthful Worthies. The Consecrated Epiphany Campers have it as their special sphere of dwelling with God and service of these two classes.

The Epiphany began in 1914, and so far there have been two adjustments of matters regarding various classes: (1) the Great Company was put out of the Holy into the Court in 1914. With the closing of the door of entrance into the High Calling in the Fall of 1914, thereafter new consecrators could not become antitypical Priests, Little Flock members, in the Holy, but they could become antitypical Levites of the Youthful Worthy class, and have their standing pictured in the Epiphany Court; (2) the unconsecrated tentatively justified were put out of the Court into the Camp in 1954. With the closing of the Youthful Worthy call in the Fall of 1954, thereafter new consecrators cannot become Youthful Worthies, antitypical Levites, in the Court, but can become antitypical Nethinim of the Consecrated Epiphany Campers class in the Epiphany Camp.

A Future Adjustment of Matters

Likewise, in an uncertain number of years in the future, there will be a third adjustment of matters, when the Epiphany Camp will merge into the Millennial Camp. In the unfinished Epiphany Camp since the Fall of 1954 there are three classes: (1) the unjustified, nominal people of God; (2) the unconsecrated quasi-elect, that is, loyal tentatively justified ones and loyal Jews; and (3) the Consecrated Epiphany Campers. Therefore the post-1954 Epiphany Camp may be defined as the condition of the non-Levitical Epiphany people of God. When the adjustment of matters comes for the Camp, the unconsecrated will be put out of the Epiphany Camp into the Millennial Camp. Thereafter new consecrators will not be able to become Consecrated Epiphany Campers, antitypical Nethinim, in the Epiphany Camp, but will be able to become consecrated Israelites in the Millennial Camp.

In the Millennial and post-Millennial Tabernacle settings, the Levites, who served as the main assistants of the Priests, represent the Ancient Worthies, the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies, who will serve as the main assistants of the Priests – the Christ, Head and Body. Likewise, in these settings the Nethinim, who served as the main assistants of the Levites, represent the Consecrated Epiphany Campers only, who will serve as the main assistants of the antitypical Levites – the Ancient Worthies, the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies.

Consecrated Epiphany Campers’ Future Honor and Service

Thus the Consecrated Epiphany Campers are clearly seen to have a higher honor and service Millennially and post-Millennially than the rest of the quasi-elect and the non-elect will have. Millennially, the Christ, Head and Body, will have as their main assistants the Great Company on the spirit plane and the Ancient and Youthful Worthies on the human plane, the three classes of antitypical Millennial Levites. In turn, these three classes will have as their main assistants on earth the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, the antitypical Millennial Nethinim. Post-Millennially, the Ancient Worthies, Great Company and Youthful Worthies (all three classes then being spirit beings), in their capacity of serving under the Christ toward the world, as antitypical Levites, will have on earth as their main assistants the antitypical Nethinim – the Consecrated Epiphany Campers – to help them in their ministry toward mankind. Accordingly, the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, the antitypical Nethinim, will be the highest class, the chief leaders, in the quasi-elect, who are the “sons” of Joel 2: 28 and Isaiah 60: 4, the special assistants of the Ancient and Youthful Worthies. Post-Millennially the quasi-elect are pictured by Miriam, Aaron’s sister, in her leading the women of Israel (the non-elect) in singing the wonderful anthem of praise to God after the overthrow of Pharaoh (Satan) and his hosts (Satan’s followers) in the Red Sea (the Second Death) and Israel’s (the Restitution Class’) great deliverance.

Bro. Russell did not understand until late in the Harvest that the Ancient Worthies would eventually, after the Millennium, become spirit beings. Note how he wrote in Volume 1, p. 291 with this in mind: “And when, at the end of a thousand years, the great work of restitution is accomplished by the Christ (in great measure through the agency of these noble human co-workers); when the whole human race (except the incorrigible – Matt. 25: 46; Rev. 20: 9) stands approved, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, in the presence of Jehovah, these who were instrumental in the work will shine among their fellow-men and before God and Christ and the angels. . . . Their work and labor of love will never be forgotten by their grateful fellow-men. They will be held in everlasting remembrance. – Psa. 112: 6.”

Bro. Russell’s statement just quoted was written when he thought that the Ancient Worthies would not become spirit beings, but would remain on earth forever; but it applies very well post-Millennially in the case of the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, whose important part and labor of love in the great blessing work of restitution will never be forgotten by their grateful fellow men, who will hold them in everlasting appreciative remembrance. We rejoice greatly in the prospect of these blessings for the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, and in all the wonderful favors that God has bestowed and will bestow on Abraham’s seed, both the star-seed and the sand-seed, whether of Jewish or Gentile lineage. Our present blessings and future prospects as Abraham’s seed should greatly encourage us and help us to be faithful in our calling.