WE WILL now focus on the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, the highest class of the quasi-elect.

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA – TYPE AND ANTITYPE (1 Kings 10: 1-13) (2 Chronicles 9: 1-12)

Those tentatively justified ones who did not consecrate by October of 1954, together with many others who thereafter accepted, and will accept, Jesus as their Savior and King will become parts of the Epiphany Camp. Many of these Epiphany Campers will desire to consecrate and thereby become Consecrated Epiphany Campers. If faithful in carrying out their consecration, these as a secondary earthly seed, under the Ancient and Youthful Worthies as the primary earthly seed, will be specially used above the rest of the restitutionists in blessing all the families of the earth.

As these already or about-to-be consecrated Epiphany Campers (antitypical Queen of Sheba) first come into contact with Bro. Paul S.L. Johnson, the Epiphany Messenger (antitypical Solomon, referred to hereafter as J.), especially in the Truth writings (1 Kings 10: 1) (2 Chronicles 9: 1), they will test them with many difficult questions (1, 2; 1). The result will be that even their most perplexing questions on subjects due to be understood will be answered satisfactorily to them (3; 2).

The Results of Truth Investigation

As these already or about-to-be consecrated Epiphany Campers progressively come to know and understand the Truth as given by J. and as contained in the Truth writings (4; 3), and as they comprehend all these things, their reactions will be:

(1.) They will be amazed and overwhelmed with astonishment (“there was no more spirit in her”).

(2.) They will affirm as true the report that they had received concerning J’s work and the Truth (6; 5), stating that no one can grasp, believe and appreciate the Truth by merely hearing others tell about it – they must first come into direct contact with it and study and perceive it for themselves (7; 6), and that even half of the depth, beauty and grandeur they see in it, after their personal investigation, had not been explained to them. They will acknowledge that the marvelous unfoldings of the Truth as due, through J. and his writings, and the rich blessings of the spirit, far surpass any reports they had heard concerning them.

(3.) They will recognize the blessed condition of the Little Flock, Great Company and Youthful Worthy brethren who served faithfully in harmony with the Truth as due and its spirit, and its arrangements, under J., and who have had the privilege of getting the Truth as due through his ministry (8; 7).

(4.) In gratitude and love for the blessings received, especially for their increased insight into God’s great attributes as revealed in the Truth as due, they will ascribe all praise, honor and glory to God, and will rejoice that He blessed J. with His Truth as due and its spirit and placed J. in charge, as His executive, to preside over His Epiphany people (9; 8).

(5.) Because of what they will have seen, heard and experienced in contacts with J. and the Truth, these already or about-to-be consecrated Epiphany Campers will recognize J. as a Divinely appointed servant of God in the Little Flock (10; 9).

(6.) They will present an abundance of choice human powers which are ingredients of the graces.

(7.) They will present character graces which they had already more or less developed.

The last two or three responses indicate that all the members of the antitypical Queen of Sheba class who were not consecrated before coming into contact with the Truth will by this time have made their consecration. J. through the Truth and its arrangements will grant to these consecrated Epiphany Campers the fulness of their God-given hearts’ desires (13; 12), all that they will request in harmony with God’s will, together with a generous gift of many other features of Truth that they had not inquired about, with pertinent blessings, far over and above that which might be considered as equivalent compensation for their human all rendered to the Lord in consecration. After the antitypical Queen of Sheba class will have thus heard of, investigated for themselves, appropriated to themselves and responded to the wonderful blessings found in the Truth as due and its arrangements, they will properly turn their attention to telling others about it. Through such witnessing they will not only win others for the Epiphany Camp, but they will also help in preparing the world to enter into the Millennial Camp.

THE NETHINIM

The Hebrew word Nethinim means given ones, dedicated ones, and is used in the Scriptures to designate a class of tabernacle and temple servants who were subordinate to the Levites. They were the special servants of the Levites, whom they assisted in the tabernacle service in the days of David and Solomon, before Solomon’s temple was built, and thereafter in the temple service, including the period after the Exile. The Nethinim were evidently taken partly or wholly from among prisoners of war and their descendants, which is indicated by their non-Israelitish names (Ezra 2: 43-54).

The duties of the Nethinim very likely included service as “hewers of wood and drawers of water.” The Nethinim, like the other returned exiles, dwelt in their former cities. Their special dwelling place was in the hill Ophel, which under their leaders they helped to repair (Nehemiah 3: 26, margin; 11: 21). Here they were located very near to the temple and convenient for its service. Like the other temple servants they were exempted from taxation (Ezra 7: 24), and were evidently supported from the temple treasury and the second tithes. They were of the circumcised strangers, who were to be treated justly and respectfully. They were accepted as free men of the commonwealth of Israel. They were among those who with “knowledge” and “understanding” “separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God” and “clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath [a very solemn, binding agreement], to walk in God’s law . . . and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our LORD, and his judgments and his statutes” (Nehemiah 10: 28, 29).

The Consecrated Antitypical Nethinim

Since the Fall of 1954 there are three classes in the antitypical Camp: (1) the Consecrated Epiphany Campers; (2) the unconsecrated tentatively justified ones; and (3) the unjustified, nominal people of God. Among these three classes of Campers are the post-1954 antitypical Nethinim, namely, those who have: (1) left Babylon; (2) come – at least measurably – into the Truth; and (3) specially assisted the antitypical Levites – the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies – in their Epiphany temple service of preparing the Levites in the Court for their places in the Millennial Age, and building up the Epiphany Camp from among Jews and Gentiles. These antitypical Nethinim: (1) have more or less cleansed themselves from evil qualities, by following the instructions of God’s Word; (2) have cleaved to their brethren, their worthy leaders; and (3) have entered into a solemn agreement to conduct themselves obediently according to God’s Word (Nehemiah 10: 28, 29). They have been specially given, or dedicated, to the service of the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies.

The Hill Ophel

The hill Ophel in Jerusalem means high place, tower, fortress. In the post-1954 period, it represents for the antitypical Nethinim, the Consecrated Epiphany Campers, their strongest, highest and best sphere of dwelling with God and assisting the post-1954 antitypical Levites – Great Company and Youthful Worthy members – in connection with their service for the Epiphany temple. These Campers specially assist them in their preparation of the Levites in the Epiphany Court for their places in the Kingdom, and the building up of the Epiphany Camp from among Jews and Gentiles.

But the hill Ophel also has a different antitypical significance from that given in the previous two paragraphs. As a part of the topography of the Holy Land it types the Consecrated Epiphany Campers class as a whole, and not just those among them who leave Babylon and serve as the outstanding ones among the antitypical post-1954 Nethinim. The city of Jerusalem has five eminences which signify the following: Mount Zion – the Little Flock; Mount Moriah – the Ancient Worthies; the hill Akra – the Great Company; the hill Bezetha – the Youthful Worthies; and the hill Ophel – the Consecrated Epiphany Campers.

Mount Zion and the hill Akra are west of the Tyropoeon valley, whereas Mount Moriah and the hills Bezetha and Ophel are east of the Tyropoeon valley. This pictures antitypical Zion and Akra, which represent the spiritual phase of the Millennial Kingdom; and antitypical Moriah, Bezetha and Ophel, which represent the earthly phase of the Millennial Kingdom. The Consecrated Epiphany Campers will specially assist the Ancient and Youthful Worthies in the earthly phase of the Kingdom in blessing the world of mankind.

(to be continued)