Genesis 22: 16-18
WE have seen that the Sarah features of the Oath-Bound Covenant developed the Little Flock. Let us now consider the parts of the Oath-Bound Covenant which develop the other three elect classes – the Great Company, which are part of “the stars of the heaven,” and the Ancient and Youthful Worthies, which are part of “the sand which is upon the sea shore” (v. 17).
The Great Company
The Great Company, the second class under the Oath-Bound Covenant, consists of a class that consecrated themselves to God, but allowed something of self, the world, the flesh or the devil through sin, error, selfishness and worldliness to overburden them so that they failed to run so as to win, and thus lost out in the High Calling and will not be in the Christ class. They will, however, be companions of the Christ class in the heavenly phase and will therefore be everlastingly united with them as the stars of the heaven in helping to carry out the Heavenly Father’s future plans. They will be on a lower plane than that of the Little Flock. They will have an immutable nature, but not an immortal Divine nature.
The Ancient and Youthful Worthies
The third and fourth classes of the Oath-Bound Covenant seed are the Ancient and Youthful Worthies. The Ancient Worthies during the Millennial Age under the lead of Christ will be the earthly phase of the Kingdom, and the Youthful Worthies will be associated with them everlastingly in their part of the work. These two classes are referred to in Joel 2: 28: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons [Fleshly Israel and the persevering faith-justified] and your daughters [the Gentile world and the apostate Jews] shall prophesy [they will teach in the Millennial Age], your old men shall dream dreams [the Ancient Worthies will see the deeper truths], your young men shall see visions [the Youthful Worthies will see the less deep truths].”
God has pledged victory, not only to the Little Flock, but to these three elect classes, for they also “shall possess the gate of his enemies” (v. 17); and God will use them in the great work of blessing eternally those with whom they will have to deal (v. 18). He will do this to the Seed of Abraham because Abraham had obeyed His voice in offering up his well-beloved and only son, the son of Sarah, the true wife, and not the son of one of the concubines, Hagar or Keturah (v. 18).