THE term “Youthful Worthies” is not found in Scripture, but idea intended to be conveyed by these words is Biblical. The nearest approach to this language that we find in Scripture is the term “young men,” literally “youthfuls” (Joel 2: 28). This is in harmony with the use of the word “ancients” (Isaiah 24: 23), and is in distinction from the class that we designate “Ancient Worthies.”
Before the General Call to the Divine nature and joint-heirship with Christ ceased in 1881, the persons that we call “Youthful Worthies” did not exist as individuals of a class. But since that time these individuals became more and more apparent as separate and distinct from the Little Flock and the Great Company. The reason for this is that since the General Call ceased in 1881, more people consecrated to the Lord than could be provided with crowns, and therefore the surplus consecrators were not begotten of the spirit. The Lord seemingly held them in reserve, and as from time to time crowns were lost by the measurably unfaithful, He selected the most faithful and eligible of these by spirit begetting to have the lapsed crowns. As time went on, the number of those in reserve seems to have continued increasing more rapidly than the number of those who lost their crowns.
Scriptural Proofs of the Youthful Worthies
The Scriptures teach us that such a class exists. Our text is the clearest of all on this subject: “And it shall come to pass afterward [after the Gospel Age, during which the Lord pours out His spirit for His servants, the Little Flock, and handmaidens, the Great Company], that I will pour out my spirit upon [for] all flesh; and your [The Christ’s] sons [converted Fleshly Israel, unconsecrated believers of the Gospel Age and the Consecrated Epiphany Campers] and your daughters [converted Gentiles of the Millennial Age] shall prophesy [teach the Truth to those of mankind who then will know it], your old men [Ancient Worthies] shall dream dreams [will be given new and inspired deeper revelations as a part of another ‘book of life,’ Revelation 20: 12], your young men [Youthful Worthies] shall see visions [will be given inspired less deep revelations, clarifying and elaborating for themselves and the people the teachings of the Old and New Testaments, as well as of another ‘book of life’].”
2 Timothy 2: 20: “In a great house [the great House of the antitypical Aaron] there are not only vessels of gold [the Little Flock] and of silver [the Great Company], but also of wood [the Ancient Worthies] and of earth [the Youthful Worthies], and some [vessels] to honour [the faithful Restitutionists], and some [vessels] to dishonour [the Goats of the next Age].”
Psalm 72: 3: “The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” This Psalm describes the Millennial reign of Christ, implying that symbolic Jerusalem will be the seat of Government (v. 16). Literal Jerusalem was built upon two mountains, Zion and Moriah, and upon three hills, Akra, Bezetha and Ophel. Zion and Moriah represent the heavenly and the earthly phases of the Kingdom respectively – the Christ and the Ancient Worthies as the two higher powers of the Kingdom. Akra, Bezetha and Ophel represent the tributary (subordinate) powers of the Kingdom, that is, the Great Company, the Youthful Worthies and the Consecrated Epiphany Campers respectively. The world of mankind are symbolized by the valley sections of literal Jerusalem. The thought of this passage seems to be that the two phases of the Kingdom, cooperated with by the subordinate powers of the Kingdom, will be used by God to bless the world of mankind with peace and prosperity through righteousness during the Millennium.
Isaiah 60: 13: “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee [the antitypical Levites, the Kohathite, Merarite and Gershonite divisions, will be brought to Christ and the Church], the fir tree [the Ancient Worthies], the pine tree [the Great Company], and the box [Youthful Worthies] together [rendering a cooperative service], to beautify the place of my sanctuary.”
Daniel 3: In this chapter an account is given of the experience of the three Hebrew youths – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – who refused to bow down to a golden image. Evidently these three youths represent three classes – the Little Flock, the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies – who refuse to bow down to Militarism, Papalism and Federationism at the extreme end of the Age. Their names are significant of the same thought: Shadrach, royal, reminds us of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2: 9); Meshach, guest, reminds us of those who are invited to be guests at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19: 9); and Abednego, servant of the prophet, would seem to suggest another class, separate from the others, and specially devoted to the mouthpiece of God.
2 Kings 2: 9, 10 teaches us that the Youthful Worthies share with the Great Company in being God’s mouthpiece to Nominal Spiritual Israel (“double portion” in v. 9 should be rendered “two parts” – the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies). They share in the powers symbolized by Elijah’s mantle. The above lines of Scriptural thought prove that in the end of the Gospel Age and in the Millennial Age there is a class that is separate and distinct from the Little Flock, the Great Company, the Ancient Worthies and the Restitution class, a class faithful to God while Satan, Sin and Death hold dominion over the earth, and afterward associated with the Little Flock, the Ancient Worthies and the Great Company in blessing the World of Mankind, the Restitution class.
(to be continued)