“Aside from the special class of over-comers, the “more than conquerors,” as the Apostle calls them, those who voluntarily and willingly lay down their lives, presenting their bodies living sacrifices, and carrying out that consecration to sacrifice–aside from these, there is a large number of consecrated people of God. We do not know their number, which has not been predestinated, as is shown in Revelation–“After these things…” (that is after John’s having seen the predestinated number of 144,000 who would be sealed, and comprise the Church, the body of Christ, he looked again and witnessed another large group of individuals), “a great multitude which no one could number.” (Rev 7:9)

All were called to the Priesthood; all consecrate to be priests, but failing to make their calling and election sure as Priests, many of these (become “castaways”) and fall back into this Great Company class, those who likewise not only made a consecration, but were begotten of the holy Spirit, and are, therefore, the LORD’s, his children on the spirit plane. These are such as did not draw back in the sense in which the Apostle speaks when he says, “If any man draws back (“falls away”), my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” We understand the Apostle here to mean a drawing back unto perdition–the words, “draw back,” signifying to do despite to all the favors of God, to lose all relationship with the Lord, to turn back to wallowing in the mire of sin and to take pleasure in the works of the flesh and the devil–anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife.

This Great Company, however, while failing to go forward voluntarily and gladly to perform their sacrifices, as they had covenanted to do, will not be cast away (destroyed in second death), because they are still at heart faithful to the Lord; but they will be dealt with in a special manner by the great Redeemer, the Head of the Church. His dealing with them will be, as Scripturally shown, to send them away “into the wilderness,” into a great “time of trouble,” where they will have special and severe trials, which will demonstrate their character definitely; and where they must give up their lives.

Either they will renounce the things of the Lord and forsake him, or they will desire to be faithful to the Lord and to hold fast to him. If they thus hold fast, they will be counted of that Great Company of whom the Revelator says (Rev. 7), After this I beheld and, lo, a Great Company out of all nations and peoples and kindreds and tongues, stood before the throne… And the angel said unto me, who are these? And I said unto him, Sir, thou know; and he said, these are they which have come up out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple“; and palm branches were given unto them.”

Here we see a wide distinction between this Great Company of spirit-begotten ones, ultimately over-comers, who will be “before the throne” and have palm branches, palms of victory, and who will have washed their robes and made them white during the time of trouble, and the Little Flock who will sit with the Lord in his throne and who, instead of bearing palm branches of victory, will have the crowns of glory; and, instead of serving in the Temple, will be the Temple itself. As it is written of the “more than conquerors,” “I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.”–Rev. 3:12.

The differentiation, or separation, between these two classes in the “Church of the First-born” is marked, as indicated by the Lord’s parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins–a parable which, by the description, we see is applicable in the end of this Age. According to this parable certain tests will come and some will be found “watching” with their lamps (bibles) trimmed (searched and investigated) and burning (giving out the light of present truth), and will be listening to hear the bridegroom’s call (the word of his presence, as it echoes from the sure word of prophecy), and will go forth, braving opposition and hostility and darkness of the night through which they must pass, to go with their beloved Bridegroom to his home and enter in.

When the last one of these Wise Virgins shall have gone in, we are told that the door will be shut, by which we understand that the door of privilege to enter that class will be closed to all the rest of mankind. But we are to remember that the entire ten virgins represent the Kingdom of Heaven, or, in other words, the Church. Hence a part of that Church is shut out when the door is closed. Not merely is the world shut out, but the Foolish Virgins also, who, however, are not to be counted with the world, because they are “Virgins.” They are Virgins who have been associated with the Wise Virgins, and for a time without any distinction being apparent, but who in the testing time are not found worthy to be of the bride class.” (R4654 Edited)

Continued with next post.