WE saw that our Lord’s Epiphany work toward the world consisted in a separation of the world into its two classes, and then a manifestation of the Lord to the world. Likewise, the Lord’s Epiphany work toward the Great Company consisted in a separation of the Great Company from the Little Flock, and then a manifestation of Himself to the Great Company as such. Let us examine a few particulars of our Lord’s Epiphany works toward the Great Company.

Separation of the Little Flock and the Great Company

First was the separation of the Little Flock and the Great Company. Harmony existed among the Lord’s people of both classes until the Summer of 1917, but early in the Summer of 1917 disharmony set in among them which eventually became worldwide. A Scripture which proves the separation of the two classes is: (2 Timothy 4: 1). A judging work implies a separation and a sentence (Matthew 25: 31-46), and 2 Timothy 4: 1 speaks of the quick, the living, and the dead receiving their judgment during the epiphaneia and the basileia. The “dead” refers to Adam’s condemned race, whose judgment will be in the Millennium, not in the Epiphany. The “quick,” the living, must then receive their judgment during the Epiphany. They include (1) the fallen angels (Romans 14: 9), who were never sentenced to death, and (2) new creatures (2 Corinthians 5: 15), who as such were never sentenced to death. The Lord is now separating the penitent and the impenitent fallen angels, and will in due time sentence the former to a restoration of fellowship with God and the good angels, and will sentence the latter to death. Furthermore, the Lord during the Epiphany separated the faithful new creatures, the Little Flock, and the measurably faithful new creatures, the Great Company. Afterward He passed sentence on both classes.

As the Lord will manifest Himself to the world by tribulation and by instruction; so He manifested Himself to the Great Company by tribulation and by instruction. The Epiphany truths respecting the Great Company and the Epiphany exposures of their wrong-doing was the instruction whereby the manifestation in part took place. Corrective stripes were also necessary. 

Proofs we are in the Epiphany

Following are various sign prophecies that prove we are living in the Epiphany period of our Lord’s Second Presence. 

 (1.) The Scriptures identify the period of the Time of Trouble with the Epiphany period. The Time of Trouble began with World Wars I and II, will proceed with World Revolution and will end with World Anarchy, accompanied throughout all three stages by famines and pestilences. Therefore ever since 1914 we have been in the Epiphany. Thus the presence of the Time of Trouble proves that we are in the Epiphany.

(2.) The separation of the Church of the Firstborns into its two classes, the Little Flock and the Great Company. This is pictured under the figure of the separation of Priests and Levites (Malachi 3: 2, 3). These verses show in a figure the purifying of the Priests and Levites as the work that is to be done “when he appeareth,” that is, in the Epiphany, when the Lord dealt separately with the antitypical Priests and Levites – the Little Flock and the Great Company. Hence the separation of the Lord’s people into Priests and Levites proves that we have been in the Epiphany. We may draw the same conclusion from the fulfillment of the type of Elijah’s and Elisha’s separation. This picture centers about the thought of transferring of the mantle, the power of controllership of the work toward Nominal Spiritual Israel, from the one class to the other.

(3.) The separation of human society into the Radical and Conservative classes. Through the exposures of the first and second smitings of Jordan, class consciousness and friction were made very great; so that now there is imminent danger of the masses arising in revolution and anarchy against the classes the world over. Thus antitypical Jordan is divided. This is an Epiphany work, for it began in 1914 after World War I began, which was the first part of the Tribulation Time – the Epiphany time.

(4.) The activity of antitypical Jehu and Hazael. Jehu represents the more conservative of the labor classes – those who will effect the great symbolic earthquake; and Hazael types the more radical of the labor classes. Their existence prove that we are in the time beyond the antitypical separation of Elisha and Elijah, hence are in the Epiphany; for antitypical Jehu and Hazael act on Elisha’s anointing them, after the latter’s separation from antitypical Elijah.

(5.) The manifestation of the Youthful Worthies. The Youthful Worthies could not have been manifested as a class until after September 16, 1914, when the last member of Christ’s Body was brought into the Body; for none consecrating since that time can be a new creature. Hence all consecrating since that time until September 16, 1954, would be Youthful Worthies. The Gideon picture shows that it would be after antitypical Gideon and his three hundred had crossed Jordan (Judges 7: 25-8: 1), that is, after 1916, that the Youthful Worthies, typed by the men of Ephraim after Gideon’s first battle, which was typical of the conflict between Truth and Error from the Fall of 1914 to that of 1916, would complain at not being of the High Calling, that is, of not being given an opportunity of doing that which all participants of the High Calling did – smite Jordan, execute the judgment written, that is, engage in antitypical Gideon’s first battle. These complaints were heard for years after the announcement that the door of entrance into the High Calling was closed.

(6.) The manifestation of “that evil servant.” The Scriptures prove that that Servant would have charge of the Lord’s work and goods throughout the Reaping and Gleaning period (Luke 12: 44) (Ezekiel 9: 11). The Scriptures also show that after his ministry would be finished (Matthew 24: 45-47) “that evil servant” would take charge of the work (Matthew 24: 48-51). And true to the picture, after “That Servant” had finished the work given him to do, J.F.R. by craft and force secured control of the work. His coming upon the stage of action as “that  evil servant” being due after that Servant’s work was complete, his activity belonged to the Epiphany.

(7.) Antitypical Gideon’s Second Battle, which has been going on since July 18, 1920. If antitypical Gideon’s first battle was a part of the Epiphany work, certainly His second battle is also a part of that work. It is being fought against antitypical Zebah, Eternal Torment, and antitypical Zalmunna, the Consciousness of the Dead.

Time Prophecy Proofs

Following are three time prophecies that prove the same line of thought:

(1.) The day of 2 Kings 2: 3. In the Scriptures 40 years are spoken of as a day (Psalm 95: 7-10). In 2 Kings 2: 3 we are told that within the antitypical day – 40 years – the separation of antitypical Elijah and Elisha would take place. Our Pastor taught that the scene of 2 Kings 2: 3 occurred in antitype in the Spring of 1878; therefore, 40 years from the Spring of 1878 bring us to the Spring of 1918. By that time the separation was to have taken place; and, true enough, the separation began in the early Summer of 1917, thus within the 40-years day typed in 2 Kings 2: 3. This separation as a class matter was complete by Passover of 1918; and it being an Epiphany work we entered the Epiphany period before the Summer of 1917, when the separation began.

(2.) “The hour of temptation” (Revelation 3: 10). The “hour of temptation” began the evening of April 16, 1878, when the first harvest sifting began, and ended the evening of December 6, 1919, 41 years, or one hour of a 1,000-year day, afterward. It tested all new creatures, especially determining whether they would end under good or under bad leadership classes. By the time it would end, it would have tested all new creatures sufficiently to put them into circumstances that would result in their manifestation in due time as of the Church, Great Company or Second Deathers. And as the Parousia did not decide matters as between the Little Flock and the Great Company, such a decision must have taken place in the Epiphany. Hence the fact that “the hour of temptation” reached into the Epiphany proves that we have for some time been in the Epiphany.

(3.) The Great Pyramid’s testimony, in the distance from the foot of the large step, which symbolizes September 24, 1846, measured through the step to the point of intersection between the top of the step and the vertical line of the south wall of the Grand Gallery – a distance of slightly over 70 Pyramid inches – proves that we are in the Epiphany; for on the date indicated, June 27, 1917, the Elisha class in its representative began to become manifest as separate and distinct from the Elijah class in its representative, and during the following nine months, that is, up to March 27, 1918, Passover Day, as indicated by the distance from this point of intersection to the projected floor line of the King’s Chamber, the class as a whole stepped into, and acted in the open – became manifest. Hence this manifestation, as corroborated by the Pyramid, being an Epiphany work, we must be in the Epiphany.

(to be continued)