THE Epiphany is the last special period of the Gospel Age, and will continue until the establishment of the earthly phase of God’s Kingdom. This is due to the fact that the Epiphany implies a revelation (apokalypsis, uncovering) of the Lord’s Second Advent to the world as the present King and as the Destroyer of Satan’s Empire, as well as to the Great Company and Youthful Worthies as their Cleanser and Deliverer. Since the Epiphany is from one standpoint a part of the Gospel Age, the Little Flock’s mission during the Epiphany included every aspect of its Gospel Age work apart from the sowing of the Gospel Age, and the reaping of its Harvest. That work included glorifying God and Christ; making his, and helping others to make their calling and election sure; and to witness to the Kingdom. The work listed in the preceding sentence applies to us as prospective Youthful Worthies or prospective Consecrated Epiphany Campers.
The Parousia Truth given through that Servant is the foundation for the Epiphany Truth. Both are in harmony with one another, with the former as the dominating element. The Epiphany Truth is supplemental to the Parousia Truth, added to enable the Lord’s people, amid changed conditions, to act properly toward the added duties and privileges of the Epiphany. To be faithful to the advancing Epiphany Truth requires one to remain dead to self and to the world, and alive to the Lord. This is necessary in order to be favored with its understanding, as well as properly to watch and pray along the lines of its requirements. This is also necessary, if we would spread it among the brethren and witness some of it to the world. Properly to develop a Christlike character will demand the same deadness to self and the world and aliveness to God, as certainly the endurance of evil will call for these.
Spreading the Epiphany Truth
Having learned the Epiphany Truth as it becomes due, let us spread it, offering it to all the brethren, Let us be tactful, longsuffering, patient, meek and gentle toward all. We can spread the Epiphany Truth by word of mouth, by arrangement for meetings where it is expounded, by inviting especially Truth people to attend these, by circulating its literature, by praying for and defending its work and workers, by supporting it in every possible way, and last, but not least, by adorning its doctrines with holy lives.
In dealing with consecrated brethren, special care must be exercised to give them a foundation of comfort in the promises that are theirs, lest they become discouraged. Some have been holding out the hope of being a member of a higher class, and it is a disappointing thing to learn otherwise. May we gradually, kindly and sympathetically lead others into an understanding of their real place in God’s Plan – those who consecrated between September 16, 1914 and September 16, 1954 may claim Youthful Worthy hopes, and those have consecrated since September 16, 1954 may claim Consecrated Epiphany Camper hopes.
It is part of our privilege to seek to win responsive ones to consecration by expounding the Lord’s plan to them. This exposition should first of all clarify the general features of God’s plan and then should clarify to them the special call of the Consecrated Epiphany Campers and their privileges as to that call accompanied by a winsome effort to incite them to a sober consideration of responding favorably to those privileges by a whole-hearted consecration.