Events Made Clear By Prophecy #04
#1385
Shall we pray:
Heavenly Father, we’re very grateful to be allowed another opportunity this commemoration to Your Resurrection on this lovely Sunday morning, Lord, the Lord’s Day, and we thank You, Lord, that You have given us an understanding that the world does not have and cannot have, because they do not have anything but the spirit of man, whereas we have the spirit of God.
We are happy to know that, Lord, and to testify to it. And we know, Lord, that we have passed from death unto life because we believe Your Word, Father, and It means so much to us.
Now we just ask You to help us in the study of Your Word this morning, Lord, to be more and more confirmed in the faith of this hour.
Not yesterday’s faith but the faith of this hour, Lord, what it is all about, and where we stand, and how we stand wherein we need this instruction, Lord, under righteousness and unto worship and all the things of the kingdom of God.
So we ask You to help us, and we know that You will, because we ask according to Your Word, and when we ask according to Your Word, we know that You hear us, and we know that You hear us, we know that we have the petition.
So Father, we know this much this morning that we are increased in knowledge and understanding according to Your Will. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
You may be seated.
Now just a quick… one quick announcement here. I have a notice from Brother Osborne; they’re going to have meetings in Lima on the July 18th to 20th, at the Best Western, exit 130, that’s at Blue Lick Road, Western Convention Center, 13175, and I suppose the meeting should begin about eight o’clock in the evening.
They’ll have special singers and different men there. There’s a Brother Lewis Clark will be there and that makes me quite interested because I’ve always thought a great deal of that brother. So he might be ministering, I don’t know. We may possibly go down.
Now going into the subject of Events Made Clear By Prophecy [65-0801], I just want to read a couple little verses, back track a second, and then we’ll kind of deviate again. Brother Branham says:
[56] As ever, they always, at the end of the age, have got in… a mess by their theologians and priests… always a mess-up. Always their interpretation is wrong, not one time has it ever failed to be wrong.
[Now it would be nice if it said, “Not one time has it failed to be right,” but that’s not so. “Not one time has it failed to be right.”] And not one time has the Word of God ever failed to be right. [I mean failed to be wrong. See, their interpretation is wrong, never failed to be wrong at any time; not one time has the Word of God ever failed to be right.]
Now that’s the difference. So you can see right here that when you have interpretation under theological explanation, it’s no longer the Word of God, because it’d come to pass. So it’s not the Word of God.
That’s hard for people to understand but that’s the truth. Add one word, take one word, change one, take it out of context, it’s no longer the Word of God.
So you see, it’s a very difficult book to really get into except by a prophet.
[57] Now you see, that God wrote the Bible, Himself. Now, God can speak. …God said to Jeremiah, “He puts words in my mouth.” And Jeremiah said, “He put Words in my mouth.” And God can write. He wrote the Ten Commandments, [and so on.]
Now what we’re looking at here is that Brother Branham actually, in this message as in other messages, is speaking concerning himself and the Presence of Almighty God, the prophet in God, God in the prophet, and teaching us concerning the things of this hour by vindication.
Now this one message here is just one of many messages that Brother Branham has preached.
Now he’s preached whole messages like this one and with the others ones he studied which was God is His Own… Recognizing God By His Characteristics, and so I’m taking three messages that really deal with this subject, like A True Sign Overlooked [61-1112], Recognizing Your Day and Its Message [64-0726], and Events Made Clear By Prophecy, taking it in there and also, Who Do You Say This Is? [64-1227].
And we’re going to try to combine them this morning as I take out excerpts from each of those others and then just we’ll look back on them as we study further in this one, Events Made Clear By Prophecy.
Now, as I said, this will bring out the Presence of God as in Revelation 10:1, the Mighty One that came down, as in Revelation 10:7, the prophet that was there standing there to be used as a voice.
And then in 1 Thessalonians 1, where It says, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,” where the Greek positively lets you know that it is not said to be the one the voice of the One who descends.
Now that’s very, very important to know that. It is not said to be the voice of the One who descends; it is not. So what is it? It is the voice of Brother Branham who said, “I was just the voice of One who stood near when He appeared.” All right.
Now going into What Do You Say, and I’m going to read a lot so we may never get into this other message this morning.
Who Do You Say This is? 64-1227
[68] Now, just notice, how few of them in His day, of the millions upon the earth, that never even knew of Him being there.
[Now you’re going to find that he brings us into a parallel in his hour which was 1964, and, of course, previous to that in 1965, because he’s been gone for probably nineteen, almost twenty years now.] Just think, there were tens of millions of people that never knew anything about it. [That’s Jesus.] And to think, in Israel at that time, there were two and a-half million people in Palestine, the Israelites, and not one-hundredth of them ever knew it.
[Now, you see, they might have known something of it but they didn’t know it as it stood there to be known and must be known. Now hearsay is not the answer. See? It’s know-say, k-n-o-w. All right.] No wonder He said, “Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, but few there’ll be that find it.” Just think of how many didn’t recognize Him! Didn’t know that He was That. And they right around Him where He was at; that’s the pitiful part. [Now there again we’re looking at a parallel.]
[70] And again the church saw Him in His great power of manifesting. Manifesting what? Not manifesting a creed!
[Now see, there again you notice that if He had manifested a creed then it would have caught on, but He wasn’t manifesting a creed. He was manifesting the Word and so they couldn’t get it.] He was manifesting the Word! He was the Anointed Word, Himself. And when they saw that taking place (the manifestation, and the Anointed Messiah), they turned It down. They didn’t want It. It wasn’t in their taste. That’s the pitiful part. Just think of it! Just as in other days.
Now you’ll notice that He was not received, and you’ll see that through Scripture this is standard procedure that God is not received. All right.
[71] See, each had their own interpretation of the Word. That’s what… the reason Israel didn’t recognize Moses. That’s the reason the world didn’t recognize Noah. That’s the reason all the prophets weren’t recognized. The people had their own interpretation of the Word. But God, in every age, has had His Messiah.
Now you notice in there He had someone who takes His place which as we said and noticed that the Roman Catholic Church used the word “vicar” which is “instead of Christ” which is true, but they did it all by man. See?
God never told anybody to vote down in Egypt; in fact, the Prime Minister of South Africa said, “If Moses had been a committee; the children of Israel would still be in Egypt.” And so he was smart enough to know what most Christians don’t know: that God doesn’t have a committee.
He said, “With whom did I take counsel.”
He said, “Nobody.”
Now:
[71] They had their own interpretation of the Word. But God in every age, has had His Messiah. See? To reject Noah’s Message, was to [reject] God.
Now you simply can’t make people believe, that unless the person’s Elect. To believe this you’ve got to be a real heretic according to them. That means you worship God according to your way which is not their way and therefore you’re wrong.
Say, “I don’t need no prophet.” Now you can say you don’t need Lee Vayle. Well, I say, “Amen, that’s great. I don’t need him myself.” We need a prophet.
[71] They were the Anointed Messiah’s for that age, the Word that was promised for that age. [See, because they were anointed.] And when Jesus came, He was the fullness of the Word.
Now the fullness of the Word doesn’t just mean this Bible; He’s the central theme and He’s all of it, that’s true. But you’re going into expression and manifestation of God Himself which is Logos.
The Spirit of God expressed in a form that man can apprehend it; that is to see it, to know what is going on, and then have the Word come and tells you all about it.
[72] God, Himself, made into a man’s structure, with bones and flesh; the Anointed One. And they should’ve seen that. [Oh, they saw it but it didn’t sink in.] But you see their church world had so added here and taken away here, and so forth, until it was so messed up till they trusted in their church instead of the Word. And when they saw their church anointed…
[Now watch this, watch the language!] And when they [saw] their church anointed, they thought something great was taking place.
Now come on, you don’t have one word about that back in the Bible concerning the day of Jesus; they weren’t doing anything but sitting around, you know, picking their noses almost, fussing at each other. This is today he’s talking about. See?
This is this hour because you’ll see where he runs parallel. See? So just keep alert. The man is speaking to people here, not way back there, and he’s showing you, don’t let it happen to you but it is happening, but not to you. See? All right.
[72] …their church was anointed, and they thought something great was taking place. But when they [saw] the Word anointed, then they said, “That’s fanaticism. This man is a devil, a Beelzebub.”
Well, come on, who called the Pentecostals devils? Missionary Alliance, Nazarenes, no doubt, Methodists and all the rest of them, Mennonites, you name them, all the old boys; they weren’t content to slop all over them with vulgar things, they just named them the devil. All right.
Now notice, who’s calling us devils? Or they will; they called Brother Branham. It was maybe one wild man; the rest were Pentecostals. All right.
[72] Cause it’s so contrary to their church until… their church creeds and what they’d done. And it was that way in every coming of a prophet, the church was so messed up.
Now, you notice, he’s referring Messiah and prophet, and showing that a prophet is a sub-Messiah but he’s nonetheless a Messiah. All right.
[73] God sent down His laws and gave them a covenant. And the priest would come in and cut away, and add to, and take over here, and make a creed out of it. And then, God would raise out of no where, some anointed man that was raised up in the power of the Spirit. And he was always was hated by the priests, and by the kings. And where the false prophets wore… soft clothes, and walked humbly, and softly among the kings and the priests, and deserve big names…
[That is, to cotton [to approve of; agree with] to them to get big names, and the people think they deserve it.]… and things. Then the real, true prophet, came from nowhere, none of their organizations.
[74] Where was there any in the Bible, where God ever took a priest and made a prophet out of him? Where did God ever take an ecclesiastical theologian (trained man, theologically trained man) and make a prophet out of him? Never in the histories of anywhere, did He ever do it, in any age… did He ever do it. He has to get away from that system, and bring it up. And that’s what He’s done here.
Here what? Now! Not here historically in the Scripture back two thousand years ago. Here now! Because he’s preaching to people here, not somewhere down there in Swahili or somewhere, or such place.
[75] Jesus, when He was born in Bethlehem of Judea, out of a poor family, and He had no background as they knew of, just one of a tribe of Judah, and His mother and father was from the lineage of David; and they’d come up and should be taxed. And here He was, just a young fellow, around.. doing nothing but tearing up the churches. And they hated Him. And they couldn’t say but what that man did miracles.
[That’s true.] Peter expressed that on the Day of Pentecost, said, “Jesus, of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you, that God was with Him.” [He went about doing good and healing the sick, you see.] And not to add to His Word or anything; just make it a little plainer: “He was God made flesh with us. God with us.”
Now God was with them years back in a prophet and that was a portion but this is the fullness. Now remember, we’re in a parallel. Because why preach back there if the message is different in its attributes? See, Alpha is Omega. See, you’ve got to watch.
[77] We see, every man has his own interpretation. That’s why it’s so confusing. But you know, the Bible said, that “This Word is of no private interpretation.” It doesn’t need a Presbyterian interpretation of It. It doesn’t need a Baptist interpretation. Neither does It need a Pentecostal interpretation. God is His own interpreter. He said He would do it, so He just does it, and that settles it.
Now remember, interpretation of the Word is God bringing It to pass, manifesting It, and thereby interpreting It. But you also remember this: you can stand there and see what God is doing and you can draw a complete blank. It takes a prophet.
Now you’ll find Brother Branham brings it out. So don’t just take one statement and isolate and run with it. You can’t do it. See, you can end up Jesus Only in Godhead on that kind of a thinking.
[77] So that’s why they see the Word of promise anointed and then they can’t receive It. You see, because It’s contrary to their creeds. [Well, they were expecting something different. That’s the whole thing, see. Okay.]
[81] But as ever, when He came, He came just exactly the way the Word said He would come. [You can’t argue that.] He came into the city just exactly, in our text this morning, the way the Word said He would come. And they said, “Who is it?” Do you see what I mean? They ought to have known who it was. And here… not the outside world, but the church world said, “Who is it? Who is this?” When, there, the Scriptures had plainly said that that’s exactly the way He would come. And they said, “Who is it? Who is this fellow? What’s all this emotion about?
[And commotion, no doubt, too.] Stop from making all that noise. It makes us nervous.” uh-huh See? The very thing they had prayed for was right there at… hand, and they didn’t recognize Him.
Now Simeon did, Anna did. How come Brother Bosworth recognized Brother Branham? He said, “I’ve prayed forty years for the ministry of Christ to return to this earth and there it is in that man.”
I didn’t know that. Of course, I wasn’t praying for it. I wasn’t Brother Bosworth either. I’m still not. I don’t want to be him but I’d like to be like him. That takes practice.
[81] And He come just exactly the way the Scripture said He would come. And if He does today, [What? Come.] He’ll come just the way the Scripture says He’ll come. He ever comes in the taste of God’s Word and not in the taste of some theologian’s idea about it.
[84] I wonder if this great thing, this Ecumenical Council that we got in the world today, and the World Council of Churches forming together to make us all one…
And what are they going to be one for? To destroy the revelation of God’s Word. Even the fundamentalists will have a problem. Now that’s foolish virgin; they won’t join with them but they’ll die. See?
[84] World Council… coming together… I wonder if they realize.
See, what they’re trying to do in the World Council is merge together their thinking so everything is acceptable. Oh my goodness, I just don’t know how they’re going to do it but the devil’s a pretty shrewd customer.
[84] I wonder if they realize if… That is exactly what the Scriptures said they would do. But they think it’s the most wonderful thing in the world, that all of us can join hands and be one. Said, “Jesus prayed that we might be one.” That is true. But not that kind of one.
[85] He said, “Be one as I and the Father are one.” Yeah be that kind of one. Then how will that be? The Word and us would be the anointed Word.
[That’s the Logos Himself would be, you know, with us, in us, would be one anointed Word. No difference. Now we wouldn’t be the Fullness. See? But whatever He had we’d be heir to and part of it.] This is the oneness of God.
[Now let’s read it again.] …how will that be? The Word and us would be the anointed Word. That is the oneness of God. See, the oneness of God is the Word anointed in you. See? And then you become a son (a messiah) of this age.
In plain English, when that Word in you is enriched or enlivened, revealed, dynamized by the Holy Spirit, then you are one with God. Now you may look for something else but that’s the way it is.
And also, you’ll notice in there that the Word is in you and anointed, it will bring forth what the Word says is incumbent upon a Christian. That will be your heart’s desire. I know you won’t be perfect, but that’s coming in the Resurrection, but you will do fine.
Who Do You Say This Is? 64-1227
[130] Here’s a woman standing here. I’m a young man, waiting to get married. She meets my specifications in every way. She’s a lovely Christian: she looks like one, she dresses like one, she acts like one, she lives like one. I’ll admit she’d make me a good wife. But she isn’t mine till I take her for mine.
[Now] That’s the way the Message is. You can sympathize with It and say “It’s right.” But you’ve got to take It yourself to become part of [you and become a part of] It. Then you and the Message become one. Then the anointing’s with you, as it is with the others.
Now it tells you there that you’ve got to come to the place where this is it, where this is what you’re listening to, you’re relying upon.
[136] The Prophet of the day is this Word.
Not another message, not passed down the road, not ahead: Brother Branham did not come with the message of Elijah and Moses, and he did not come with a message of Pentecost; they didn’t have one.
He didn’t come with the message of Luther or Wesley or one of the great saints that came up through the Dark Ages. No way.
[136] The Prophet of the day is this Word. [In other words, if you’ve got a prophet, it’s got to be one with this Word, that’s for this hour.] That’s right. The Prophet, today, is not all these here different… [denominations.] There’s a Methodist prophet, a Baptist prophet, a Pentecostal prophet…
Sure, they’re all prophesying that the Appearing is the meeting in the air. And I’m not a betting man in the sense of wagering; I’m a little bit too sharp at the mouth and I’m ready to bet when I should have no business to, but I could say this, this morning.
I’m willing to bet a lot of people who say they believe this message who still do not understand one hardly anything of the difference of the Appearing and the Coming.
When Brother Branham categorically said, “Now is the Appearing, later is the Coming.” And we’re going to find where He’s not only appearing in signs and wonders, now you get that flat, because you can take that and run with it.
You say, “Oh, He appears in signs and wonders.” Na, ah, hold it: that’s part of it. We got the quotes this morning, right smack dab out of three sermons, and I’m just reading right along here, see.
Now:
[136] But still… [We don’t want these prophets, denominations.] But still remains: there’s One True Prophet, the same yesterday, today, and forever. That’s right. Jesus Christ… He is the Word. That’s right. He is the Word: the Anointed Word of the hour.
Now he tells you very conclusively, as he said over in another place, he said that the Elijah of this hour is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; not a man, God, but it come by a prophet. Now he did not, didn’t say, “Now look, that Pillar of Fire, go away, go away, go away.
I’m just going to strut my stuff here.” No, no, no, no, he didn’t say that. Now what does a prophet do? A prophet tells.
A prophet doing is not the thing. The prophet acting is merely to catch your attention. God gaining favor with you to get you aware, get you steamed up, stimulated, then comes the Word, and only God has the Word, and He puts the Word in prophets’ mouths, and it’s still God’s Word, not a prophet’s word. Oh no, no, no.
Then where did denominations come? Brother Branham said, “I just see them all fading away and I see Jesus.” Hallelujah!
God, if we just get the same vision, we’d tear ourselves apart and rebuild ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit, no more of this junky existence we’re going through. You say, “Well, I think it’s pretty good, Brother Vayle. We’ve got down the road quite a bit.”
So we have but fap, I wouldn’t give you two holes and a plug nickel for what I’ve got, for what’s, you know I’m looking for all of God. That’s what we’re looking for. No halfway marks, no halfway houses here. All right.
Notice again, he said, “That’s right, all these prophets, denominational prophets of today.” In other words, what’s he saying is they got stimulated word for the people. That’s a revelation they’re bringing. He said it doesn’t work.
[136] But still remains: there’s One True Prophet, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
And it’s been that way through the Word. There’s not one disagrees with the other one. It’s cohesive and coherent. It’s a unity. See?
That’s why there could be a series and at the end we have our Word and we all come up together and stand right here in this earth and then be caught away in a Rapture. Marvelous! See, how’s it done? One Word, but the Word for this hour.
The Word for this hour is the Word of immortality, brother/sister. I don’t care what anybody says. It precedes the Resurrection, Jesus said so; you read John 11 again. We may look at it a little bit today. I don’t suppose we’ll have time. Okay, again.
[136] But still remains: there’s One True Prophet, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So if He’s working in men, he’s going to come right forth on an even keel, right down on that line, never deviating. Now remember, he’s shooting for the Tree of Life where man can stretch forth his hand and walk right in.
Not one Word off, where does he go? One Word off, took him right away from the tree. Now God doesn’t make mistakes. If there’s a prophet for this hour he’ll be right on target. All you’ve got to do is believe it. All you’ve got to do is believe.
You say, “Well, Brother Vayle, I think there’s something of the doing.” I’m going to tell you something: if Eve had have believed, she wouldn’t have done what she did done.
She wouldn’t have done what she did. And the only reason you and I do what we do by the grace of God is on the Word. So the more Word you get, the more you’ll live that life.
That means the more your word is gone, the more His Word is in here, then you can’t help but grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the acts will be commensurate.
That’s why God gives His Spirit to a certain person, and that person messes up and messes up, He just cleans him up and takes him off the life, says good-bye. Just takes him right off the scene.
I’ll read it again.
[136] But still remains: there’s One True Prophet, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
That’s right, Jesus Christ. Now what’s he talking about? Jehovah anointed, Jehovah anointing, and He is the Word, certainly He is. He is nothing but the manifestation of what God is in Himself by Spirit intrinsically.
God couldn’t do any different than when he went by that pool, and he said, “What’s wrong with you?” and the man said, “Well, I’ve got this problem here but,” he said, “I’m trying to get down to the pool and when the angel stirs the water and…”
See, God leaving a remembrance for the people, always there’s something out there to show the goodness of God and leads you to God but he said, “I can’t get down there. Somebody pushed me aside.”
He said, “My, my,” healed the person, walked on.
You say, “Well, that puzzles me.” Well, go ahead and puzzle. That’s the trouble; everybody puzzles. Why puzzle? You can’t figure God out; you can’t double guess Him. If you can’t get it, just say, “Hoo, well, it’ll come later maybe. If not, well, hallelujah, I believe the prophet.” Don’t think your thoughts on it. See?
Now He is the Word. That’s right. He is the Word; the anointed Word of the hour. In other words, the Word’s that taking place right now is what He’s fulfilling. Why? Because He already done fulfilled the rest. See? Okay. Got to see where I’m at here. Oh, yeah, just one little paragraph.
Who Do You Say This Is? 64-1227
[159] They say, “Who is this?” We know who It is. It’s Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, the Pillar of Fire.
Now there’s where people are missing it: God in the form of Sonship in a Pillar of Fire, not in Fatherhood. Now you listen carefully what I’m saying, because if you don’t separate and give back to God what you’re supposed to give back with insight and understanding as the prophet gave us, you’ve got a problem.
[159] They say, “Who is this?” We know who It is. It’s Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, the Pillar of Fire. When Moses time, look what It did; typed the Pillar of Fire today.
I want to ask you a question. What did Israel have outside of the Pillar of Fire? No-thing, nothing. You do what you want with it. See why we stand the way we stand? Say, “It’s kind of hard-nosed.”
Well, I’ve got a big nose to be hard with, I’m sorry. I don’t fuss with anybody. I don’t fuss with anybody. Well, we’re just ignorant clods to educated smart men in this Message; that’s fine by me.
I’m an ignorant clod. God took forty years to beat the smartness out of Moses; He didn’t have to take that long with me because I never had any smartness in the first place. Stupid, yes, stupid; He hasn’t got finished with me yet there. I’m not that spiritual, no way, shape, and form.
[159] When Moses time, look what It did; typed the Pillar of Fire today. It’s always… Why did they not believe Jesus to be the Word? They had the wrong interpretation and understanding. Just as Eve did, so do they do now.
I hope you’re catching these salient factors that I’m bringing out. Pillar of Fire, remember, the Pillar of Fire was typed in Moses’ day and, remember, God was in that Pillar of Fire. He was also in the midst of the thick clouds but notice inside was flashing lightnings out of thick clouds, darkness.
Now we’ll go a little further yet, you watch; we’ve got some goodies here. All right.
Who Do You Say This Is? 64-1227
[187] Now, in our text, it was near the Feast of the Passover;… It was an awful time. People were sleeping on the outside of the gates. Every Passover did this. They were outside lying on the ground. The inns were all full of everything. It was the Passover. There was great expectations in there. The air was… filled. (Now, in about five more minutes we’ll get out…) [he says. Not with me you won’t; an hour and a half] Everybody was all charged.
[188] Look, there’s three classes of people there. [Looking on Jesus, Word in flesh, not Pillar of Fire now, but the same Pillar of Fire form left the One in it is in the body. Now watch!]… three classes of people (that saw him.) See, there was… great expectation. They knew that this strange man was coming up to the feast. Some of them loved Him; and believed Him. And some of them hated Him; most of them hated Him. And because one loved Him and the other hated Him, the middle man didn’t know what to do. See? They didn’t know. Notice, the air was full of expectations. One saying, “When He gets up there, I tell you we’ll call Him… We’ll give Him a Word test. We’ll stand Him up there by the high priests. We’ll see what His wisdom is against Caiaphas’.” He had already proved that. See?
[189] “But we’ll do this: We’ll see… I know that some of those great leaders will take hold of Him. Boy, they’ll turn that old guy inside out. They’ll let Him know what He was, when they go to fooling with our priests. Boy, they know what they’re doing. They’re smart man. They know what they’re doing.”
What about the day they stood before Brother Branham in Chicago? They did lip service and boot-licking. The minute Brother Branham’s back was turned, nothing.
[190] Others said, “I wonder what they will do with that guy anyhow.”
[191] Others said, “Oh, I’m waiting for Him to come. God is with Him. He is that Word. Oh, I just want to see Him.”… Oh, they were divided. [See?] Now, see, the ones that did know Him and believed Him, they would have known what gate to wait at. See? [Right.]
They knew the position. They knew how he was coming, where and when. Now is Appearing; we know things nobody else knows. Not that we’re smart or special privileged. No, we don’t take preeminence over anybody or anything. Grace, brother/sister, grace. See, it’s still my favorite song.
[191] [They knew] Him and believed Him, they would have know what gate to wait at. See? They knew which way He was coming. [See, Appearing’s not Coming.] There’s great expectation, but you know, there wasn’t too many saw Him.
They’d seen Him previously. They didn’t meet Him at the Wedding Supper; we’re going to meet Him. See, now let’s get the parallels here because remember he’s preaching today’s message backing for illustration out of the gospels and the Old Testament.
Now you’re right up-to-date. Remember, the old movie, the old TV series, I think I saw one of all of them I ever saw, “You Were There” (“You Are There”). Took you back into history. All right.
Now listen! Back in history.
[192] Some of them said, “He’s a good man. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with Him. Like Napoleon, Washington, he was a good man. But, oh, as a teacher, no, no.”
[193] Some of them said, “Oh, He’s a good man. Oh, He’s just all mixed up, that’s all. He’s a good fellow. Nobody can say anything bad about Him.”
As Brother Branham said, “That man didn’t dare say one thing against my character.” See? I like that statement made. I could say that, too, if they had thought anything out about me. So, we better clean our lives up, eh?
[194] Others said, “Oh no, He’s a devil, I can tell you that. That there’s mind reading stuff and all this other stuff, and… that’s false prophecy. It’s contrary to our creed.
[Now they’re not that blank about it; well, some are. They said, “That’s contrary to the Word and we know because we’ve got the latest editions and we got the greatest professors.”] Don’t you believe such a thing as that.”
[195] And the other one, said, “Glory to God, It’s God. I know Him. I see Him.” And they were waiting on Him… [Sons of Abraham, three men came by and he said it’s God. You know that’s tremendous spiritual possession.]… waiting on Him. Now that’s just the way we stand today, just the same thing: the Word anointed for this hour; the Laodicea Church…
Miserable, rich, blind, naked, doesn’t even know it. They’re an object of pity and they’re so puffed up it’s horrible.
[208] Time hasn’t changed. People are designed the same as they were then. Hebrews 13:8 said, “He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.” Now… by closing I’m going to ask the question… by saying this: The question isn’t to them anymore. They asked, “Who is it?” But in 1964, the question is: “Who do you say It is?” What’s this all about?
What is it all about? To complete the Bride, to get Her out of here, to purge the earth, to purge Israel, to purge the Church, to come down here, and set up Millennium. The Kingdom of God is nigh. Time has blended with eternity. Life is overtaking death and immortality is ever present.
[208] What is this all about? Have you stopped to search the Scriptures? Who do you think This is? Is it mental telepathy? Is it some wild something out of the wilderness yonder somewhere, like they said, “John was a man, wild, drowning people in water out there.” When, Isaiah said he’d be there, the forerunner. Malachi said he would be there just exactly.
Now what’s Brother Branham saying? “Am I just some wild man with mental telepathy? Am I some goof-off, some neurotic person? I’m baptizing heavily, giving water calls, not altar calls but water calls. Baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ; if you aren’t baptized right, get baptized again. See? John was a forerunner so am I.” That’s what he said.
[208] Malachi said… [there would be]… just exactly [as it is]. Those prophets said, “The prophet will rise… up there to forerun it.” And here he was.
But listen, he’s talking about now, but he swung, here he was, and fools everybody. Here He is! What? The prophet and the Presence. Come on. What about ’64? What’s that got to do with two thousand years ago? Nothing, except it’s the same God. One started redemption, one’s closing it. Same one.
[209] They said, “That’s a wild man. Stay away from him. See? Don’t have anything to do with him.” And here comes the Messiah, just exactly what the Scripture said, “…He’d ride in the city upon the foal of an ass. Meek and lowly, upon the foal of an ass, coming into the city, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.” And here stands the people at a religious feast again, like Balaam, at a religious feast, saying, “Who is this?”
It’s talking about today. What Balaam did in ecumenism through the lust of the flesh, appealing to pleasure and good sense, said, “Hey, we’re really all one.
Look, man, we’ve had this Book for two thousand years, us Gentiles, and, hey man, we’re so split up but we know there’s a Savior, and, glory to God, why don’t we just get together?”
A woman told me that many, many years ago in Pentecost, she said, “Brother Vayle,” she said, “we should come together on Jesus, not the Word.”
I said, “Hold it, sister, hold it right there.” I knew what she was down deep inside right there. She a lovely person, but, look… love, love, love. Look, I’m for all kinds of love, I’ve told you, but there’s one love that I’m really interested in.
Now all the other stuff is derivative: it’s good, it’s nice, it’s fine, all these qualities, suave, suave, this, that, nice, nice, and, you know, soft answer turns away wrath, all that sort of jazz, you know; it’s jazz, it’s music. You’ve got the wrong beat, honey; you got the wrong beat.
I’d sooner be beat over the head and get right with God. I don’t know I want to say that too facetiously because I’ve been beat over the head. No chastening for the time is anything but grievous, but later, the peaceful fruit of the Spirit.
[210] And today, the Scriptures promised for this hour, friends, It’s fulfilled right in our midst, hour after hour. …do you think It is? Who do you think It is?
Do you believe we’re in the Appearing? If you’re not, I don’t know… if you don’t believe that then what do we believe? Okay.
Now:
[215] Lord, we know It’s You. [Now watch again.] It’s Jesus Christ, in the person of the Holy Ghost. He is the Holy Ghost. “I come from God and I go to God.” And we see the great Pillar of Fire amongst us, Lord. The same as they did in the first part of the Bible with Moses.
[Now listen!] We seen It [or saw It] in the middle of the Bible when Paul was on the road to Damascus. We see It. Now here we see It at the end-time again. Three is… confirmation. It’s been the Message each time.
Now, you figure, is it right, was it the Message each time? You bet it was the Message each time. What was the Message? Word is being fulfilled. This is the hour. Come on down, meet with the Word, and you’ll be the Word fulfilled in human flesh.
Now Brother Branham, his tape to me privately, as I told you, he said, “Brother,” he said, “Lee, see, we haven’t had a prophet since the time of Moses who spoke face to face with God, and for two thousand years since the time of the Apostle Paul,” and he puts it right in here. William Branham speaks face to face with God.
Now let’s watch this, brother/sister. You notice, the Pillar of Fire here, he’s very calm; he doesn’t know It’s there. Now he stands before the people night after night or day after day and he said, now he said, “Watch,” he said, “the Light is moving.”
He said “light,” didn’t say “Pillar of Fire.” He said, “The light is moving.” He said, “It’s over a sister’s head; it’s over here, it’s over there,” and he’s very, very calm.
It’s just, “We’ll ask Him to come. We don’t know if He’ll come. He’s here. I’ll take every spirit…” Now watch that, that’s not that light. That’s another source. Not another source but it’s another aspect we’re talking about.
And he said, “We’ll take every spirit under our control for the glory of God in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He does it.
But I saw him the day that the Pillar of Fire appeared in his room in Jeffersonville; he looked like a hunted animal. Like a hunted animal. So let me assure you that what he saw over the congregation was not That.
People tell me years ago how they saw angels. I said, “If I saw an angel, I would crawl under the tile on my cement floor.” “Oh, I saw Jesus waving, and he said, ‘Hello, Mary. Hello, John. Hello, Bill.’” I said, “Fap!”
Now you know my language, the kind of language I used is pretty sarcastic, so I won’t say what I said. I can’t really remember it; it wasn’t nice. It wasn’t vulgar; it just right to the point. Hogwash! It chilled my teeth… were set on edge by their vinegar.
But I’m going to tell you, when I saw the prophet look like a hunted person, wild look of terror in his eyes; he was seeing something that wasn’t in the meeting here. Now let’s get these things straight. Huh?
I’m preaching, I’m preaching truth, brother/sister, as far as I know what the prophet… otherwise, look, if I’m not right, I could be wrong, but if I’m not right, I want an explanation, and I’m not stupid.
God never used stupid people, not that he used smart people, and He can’t use the willfully ignorant. In other words, none of these prophets were demented. They were millions of miles ahead of the average man. I’m not millions of miles ahead, neither am I that far behind. I want an explanation.
[216] God, may man and women no longer hold on to traditions and creeds. But may they come out of that thing, give their lives completely to God and believe…
Now what’s a tradition and creed? Anything that’s from the Bible that has not been thoroughly explained by the prophet and, when it has been explained, it’s contrary to the prophet. One word off, one word on, that’s a creed or a dogma.
When you say what the prophet said, especially with understanding, you are no longer creedal in your beliefs; you’re right on target. You’re part of that Word.
[216] But may they come out of that thing, give their lives completely to God and believe; [And you can’t believe it until you give it completely over to God.] not trust just upon a theory and things of men, but trust in the Living God. While these holidays are going on, the cry still is: “Who is this? What is it? What’s it all about?” Religious people say the same thing. …It’s the same Lord Jesus, made flesh in His people, anointing His Word for the Bride.
[Now sure it is but not That. You say, “Just a minute now, Brother Vayle, now watch it.” I’m not watching anything: you watch and you listen. I’m going over this again.] Religious people say the same thing. And It’s the same Lord Jesus, made flesh in His people, anointing His Word for the Bride. And they can’t understand It.
All right, now you say, “Just a minute. Brother Branham says Bride, that’s many people, so now we can get it.” Oh no, you can’t. That’s company revelation. The same prophet said, “It never comes to a company; it comes to one man.” And Paul the Apostle: “What, came the Word of God to you or did it come out of you?”
He said, “It came to you,” and he said, “If you’re spiritual, you got a half an ounce of spirituality, you think you’re born again. Are you born again? Are you a prophet? Do you have real gifts?” He said, “You’ll acknowledge what I say are the commandments of God.”
And William Branham said, “What I say what God says and this Word, nothing else.” Don’t you give me that body stuff, brother/sister.
I know Pentecost; I was raised in it, and, oh, the devil’s just slants it, slants it, slants it, until you don’t understand anymore, your brain in numb, your life is fogged up by the fogs of all hell. Sovereign God stood there. You stood there. You waited for the Word the prophet gave.
You didn’t have one thing to do with it except by the grace of God. If you were, thank God you were a sponge to suck it up, so the water could fall upon you, because the rain is thick with the Word. He said, “As the water falls upon the earth, so does my Word come to bring forth.”
Are you watered by the Word this morning? It’s up to you, but you can’t get it with your creeds and dogmas. The devil slants it every time. “Well, I’ve got something.” What have you got? You got phtt! Hogwash! Now if you got Jesus Christ as your Savior, you’re born again, that’s nothing to spit at.
I wasn’t saying that about that. Giving you that raspberry, but I’m giving men’s understanding this morning that are full of dogmas and creeds and think they know something. They know nothing at all. Even we don’t know as we ought to know; one day we will.
[216] And they can’t understand It. They’re all so far away in Laodicea, till they don’t know what It’s all about. But the prophet said…
The prophet said! Now where does that leave you and me in a ministry? It doesn’t. We’re ministered to, then we minister. I’ll show you. Don’t get the cart before the horse. I’ll bring it out, just stick with me.
I’ll show you exactly why Hebrews 13:8 is not Mark 16. These things come slow. Look, I’m not God and I’m not a prophet; they come slow. All right.
I took the excerpts that I thought were very vital, very, very good for continuing this message when we continue it. All right.
Now we’re going to go back to the… to a recap, now that you’ve got a good understanding what we’re into here in these messages. They’re all alike; there’s a central theme but they’re brought up many ways. That’s the way preachers teach and so on.
Now we said already that concerning this message, Brother Branham dealing in the Events Made Clear By Prophecy, the Bible is different from all other sacred books, because It deals in prophetic events. No other book foretells the future as does the Bible.
Furthermore, Its central theme is Jesus the Christ, the Logos, or Revealer of God, because it is God revealing Himself; in other words, God coming into a form, a mask.
Thus it is the revelation of Jesus Christ from start to finish, Genesis to Revelation; it is pure prophecy from God concerning God Himself as to the how, when, where, and what form He manifests Himself: what He’s doing, how He chooses to do it.
Now if He wanted to use a doorknob He could do it but He’s using prophets.
Then since the Author is God and the sovereign power behind it is God, it makes Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever; that’s exactly right. Essentially, He cannot change and as to His workings He cannot change. There’s a continuity.
This in turn reveals the plan and purpose of God and illuminates mankind in every age, as to the hour in which he is living. And there’s a part for every age.
Paul in the first century said to the Ephesian Church, which is the Ephesian Church is the model Church, it’s the Bride Church. Everything was in order, gifts in order, people in order, love and faith abounding.
See, based on what? Word that Paul brought, and it was a corrected Word that Paul brought, because when he went down there with Apollos, went down to the coast of Ephesus, he found there a group of people that had been taught by Apollos, baptized unto John.
He said, “My,” he said, “you people believe something but you haven’t gone far enough.”
Said, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” he said, “have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?”
Said, “We don’t even know about any Holy Ghost? What are you talking about?”
“Well,” he said, “I’ll tell you.” As soon as they heard, they got baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus, baptized over again.
See, they were looking to the Coming; now He has already come, so you got to look back, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Now you’ve got to get back to where Paul was the apostle with the Bride Church. Well, come on, they were the only ones to whom he ever said, “I pray the spirit of God through wisdom comes into your midst and reveals Him, and brings up the dead, and takes you up in a Rapture.”
The Corinthian church were so messed up, he had to set them straight. They never did get set straight; that’s your Pentecostals, never did. There’s no hope for them. I’m sorry but that’s the truth. I can’t help what I got to preach. All right.
He said, “You know in part,” to the Corinthians. Paul had got the Ephesian Church to the place where there was no longer “know in part,” only if that Spirit came down.
To the Hebrews, he said, “I can’t even teach you; you’re still babies. I want to teach mature material to you people concerning Melchisedec, concerning Almighty God, Elohim, Who came down in the form of a man, Priest King, King of Salem, King of righteousness.”
Now this Melchisedec, this Melchisedec that we’re speaking of, that Paul’s speaking of, you know, He was not one who made a sacrifice. He took the emblems of the sacrifice, the wine and the bread, and served Abraham.
Now that’s what we’re looking at. See? We’re looking now in this hour that absolutely types the Ephesian church, not the Corinthian church; they were all messed up. They didn’t have it.
Now, also, that this Bible was given to us by God through prophets, see, and He’s Hebrews 13:8 disallows Him to make a change. That’s why He was a prophet Himself.
He didn’t come down and say, “Well now, I want to tell you folk; I’m the great prophet, hallelujah. I’ve had prophets all along but I want to show you these other fellows had nothing compared to me.
I am the great prophet.” He had to be a prophet! Because that’s how the Word came. When did it happen? How did the Word come? Prophet! If He speaks again and He’s got to speak again from Hebrews 12. How’s it going to be? Prophet!
Now people that deny that have denied Hebrews 13:8, although they mouth it and they mouth it and mouth it. I’m sorry to say words like this but, God is my Judge, I’ve got to say them.
I don’t feel a real spiritual check; I just feel it’s a hard thing to say. You say, “Brother Vayle, don’t they speak in their hearts?” They do, but what is in the heart? Now let’s be honest.
Two thousand years ago God gave us Gentiles a prophet Paul and at the end time has promised us Elijah, just before the world burns. He is to restore by revelation. And as did John the Baptist, he will make ready the prepared people, introduce them to the Bridegroom.
It’s exactly what Malachi said, and that’s a part that was left off in the Book of Luke when it was said concerning John, “He turned the hearts of the fathers to the children, and we now as children get turned back to the fathers.”
In other words, we come right back where we were in the beginning. Real genuine Pentecost. People think that’s Pentecost in 1906.
Oh God, have mercy, brother/sister, don’t ever think of Pentecostal denomination or anything in the last, what? 1985, seventy-nine years.
Please, please, don’t think of that. When Brother Branham talks of real Pentecost he’s going back to AD 33 and a half, and he’s also going back to about AD 53, for you, me, and the Apostle Paul. See?
Now to those who rebel against the last day prophet, they annul Hebrews 13:8, for God uses prophets to bring the Word and reveal the Word, and He’s here today in a Pillar of Fire using the prophet. He was here. He is here but He used a prophet.
These prophets are identified to us by God. They’re indicated or set forth in Scripture, then they are vindicated according to Deuteronomy 18 and Numbers 12.
Numbers 18, you can run the whole gamut. He says the things in the vision or inspired utterance, it comes to pass; God’s Word’s in his mouth. This man is different like Moses, face to face.
Now let that sink in. Let it sink in. We see the magnitude of this thing. Face to face. We sing that song “Face to Face with Christ, my Savior, face to face, what will it be, when with rapture I behold Him, and His beauty I shall see?”
That’s wonderful. You’re going to see a man and all the attributes that’s in this is going to manifest.
If we can think Brother Branham was close to a Millennial man, what’s it going to be when you see Jesus? Oh, brother/sister, there was no deceit in Brother Branham’s handwriting. There was no guile found in Jesus’ mouth. There’s no guile. We’re such a mess.
But listen, listen, use your mess to glorify God by realizing this: what’s it going to be to really see somebody in that category? Well, you don’t worry about yourself anymore because why would you worry?
You’ve got a representative. See? He got me off the hook. See? God only hears us through the Blood; He sees Jesus our representation. All right.
Certainly, these have the message of the hour, for what good is it if they preach what lies behind except as an example? And what good it’d be if it lays ahead for the people who listen would be excluded?
For sure, and the Message a mere telling more than vindicating. See? The Message today is a revelation of what is actually going on.
That is the reason Amos 3:8, when the lion roars, you know, that’s the thunder roars, and said, who can help but prophesy. God is bound to show His people what they need to know.
Now this is exodus time. So what better time at this point to bring up Moses and Balaam, and there you see the true Word and the false word. See?
Here the two people worshipping God and believing in the same covenant, offering the same sacrifices, that look to Messiah, and they both had prophets, but only Moses had the Pillar of Fire and the Word of the hour, and the Promised Land location in view, on their way to it.
The Israelites alone knew the way to get there, and that’s where we are.
We take the Rapture tape and we know how to get there. And people say, “Well, I just wonder my, how?” Oh, come on.
Look, brother/sister, if you’re born you’re a human being. Now if you’re born again you’re a spiritual person, a spiritual being in a limited sense, you follow me, and that will give you access to the rapture.
Now then, if you turn down the access to the rapture, it shows you haven’t got it. If you want a guide book, I preached about twenty-three, twenty-four sermons on the Rapture in a whole series. I didn’t exhaust it; no way can I exhaust the Word of God, there’s no way.
But I’m going to tell you something: you’ll find in there a lot of answers. Not because I preach it but I preach it from the Word. That’s your guidebook. Now you miss it, you miss the Rapture.
Now Israel alone knew how to get there. Everybody’s talking about Appearing and Coming but they’re all mixed up. The Appearing to them is the Rapture. It isn’t so! That’s the Coming. This is the Appearing. And remember that Spirit that’s in our midst has got to take us up. He hasn’t gone.
The Pillar of Fire leads us to the Millennium. Brother Branham said so. All right.
This types for us the Millennium, our exodus from Babylon, so it repeats today, and we find Matthew 7:15, the false prophets, and Matthew 24:24, trying to deceive the Very Elect.
Now these were prophesied by Joel and revealed by Peter at Pentecost when he said, “The Spirit of God would fall in the last day upon everybody, your sons and your daughters prophesy, your old men see dreams… have dreams, your young men have visions and upon my menservants and my women servants I’ll pour my Spirit.” Acts 2:17-18
Everybody can receive the Holy Ghost but only the Bride receives the true baptism with the Holy Ghost. That’s what Brother Branham said: the Seals opened up the true baptism.
What’s the difference between true baptism and false? One is merely an anointing. It gets on your spirit, not down in your soul. That’s why people don’t get a revelation of this Message; it’s only on their spirits.
Look it, look, brother/sister, don’t blame me for what I’m saying. You talk to God and fuss to God about it. If I said anything less I’d be a deceiver. I’ve got to stand with the prophet. If I cut my own throat, I’m going to stand with the prophet.
Remember the man that stole the wedge of silver, Achan, the Babylonian wedge of silver and garments, and Joshua said, went through the whole camp by lots.
The man should have confessed in the first place. He might have got a little bit of a break; he didn’t. They came down to him and Joshua said, “Now confess and give God the glory,” and when he confessed, they took him out and killed him.
We’re in that same position, brother/sister; we better confess and get killed than go against God. Meet Him on the grounds… well, I know something’s there, I know it’s real, I know it’s true.
Your punishment will be just quick or you’re cut off if you don’t make it, otherwise, there’s the Second Resurrection. I don’t know who’s going to make what anymore than you do but we have the answers today from a prophet.
And what did Balaam do at that time? He led Israel into a union of spiritual and physical adultery, which is idolatry, uniting all worshippers of the one true God together through human intellect and carnal minds and carnal desires.
So today tongues of Pentecost have brought together… brought all of us together, all over the world. Babylon has fallen and, as it is in Daniel’s hour, the handwriting is on the wall. Tongues brought judgment the first time; they’re bringing judgment the second time, the sign of it.
Now listen! Did Belshazzar listen to Daniel? No sir, he went right on as though nothing had occurred. He said, “Now, I tell you what that’s wonderful.”
He said, “Oh, they said that Daniel’s the greatest man ever lived, hallelujah, wonderful. Oh, praise God, we know the true God now.” He said, “That is what you do.” He said, “You bring out the golden chains and beautiful garments and we’ll give one third of the kingdom.”
He didn’t have any kingdom to give him! It was gone! The devil can’t give you anything. It’s gone; it’s shot. The Judge said so. We’re not dealing, brother/sister, in little trifles and little portions, bobbles; we’re dealing in the gold and silver and the gems of Almighty God which endure the fires of God.
We’re going to come forth, diadems for His crown. Hallelujah, let’s not get carried away with this false stuff here, my, my. Get our minds lined up.
Now, so, Belshazzar went on as though it was all right, with his own program; that night he was carried away. So does the church in this hour, for it has bypassed the Word for its creeds and dogmas.
They refuse to come into God’s pattern, the Word of the hour. As in Daniel’s day, the Message of the prophet is denied and so the very God who gave the Word is denied. Now that tells you in the Bible.
Let me see if I can find that in 2 Peter, I think it is, I don’t know. Sometimes my memory’s just not what it should be, which is all the time. Yeah, It says:
(01) But there were false prophets… among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord…
Not denying the Lord, as though they deny there’s a God, but saying “No!” to Him. Jesus stood there; the Pharisees said, “No, no, no!” William Branham stood with God, and they said, “No, no, no! There are three gods but there’s only one really,” they’ll tell you that. “Baptism is Holy Ghost— Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
Say, “No, no, no, Lord.” It’s THUS SAITH THE LORD, proven. “No, no, no!” But they think they said, “Yes,” to God when they went to an altar, “Being born again, not of corruptible spora, but an incorruptible.” You can be born of corrupted word or incorruptible Word.
Now if you’re born of the corruptible you aren’t going to make it. That’s why there’s the true baptism in this hour. Brother/sister, we’re lined to Scripture, bless God; put it out of your minds that you’re not. Get this thing down pat, or get it down with the spirit of God helping you.
Now this is recorded in the Word; God wrote it there as a warning to us and God tells all about Israel’s sins which men don’t tell. God spoke it all in a man’s voice, through a man’s lips.
The lips were those of a prophet or the prophets, and all that… and that prophet or prophets, especially fitted to the age by special nature, a special style, special gifts, and whether he’s educated or not, and whether… and he captures the people in that hour.
That prophet is sent to the Elect to interpret the Word and Will of God to them because they have messed it all up. 2 Peter 2:1, I just read it to you. It is not only a pity but here is the root of all evil. See? They don’t listen to what God sent in God’s way.
Now since we’re talking about a prophet we’re going to look at A True Sign Overlooked [61-1112]. Well, we’re not even going to finish this today because there’s no way.
Now if you want we could even maybe make copies of some of these what I’ve torn out of here or taken out. I make copies myself, if you want to take some of this home but you get it on the tape anyway.
A True Sign Overlooked 61-1112.
[36] How strange it is that man will do that, that will look for a sign when a sign’s right with them, right among them. Now, Israel has got in that condition.
Now we’re looking at the fact here that Brother Branham bringing up, you know, the hour in which they lived two thousand years ago, repeating at this hour and the people were asking for a sign back there. See?
[36] Now, Israel had got [in] this condition.
[37] And sometimes the torture that that sign has to go through is amazing. The torture that Jesus went through to prove the Sign of God, that He was the Messiah…
Now there you are, see? The sign of God, that He was the Messiah, He was the prophet, and he’s talking about prophet go through.
[38] We find out here this young prophet by the name of Ezekiel constantly became a sign all the time.
Now William Branham was a sign. Not just a man standing there, is what they had to identify, there was some source of power that he was drawing upon that the average person and really no other person can draw upon.
Now if that’s simply the baptism with the Holy Ghost, someone’s all messed up in his thinking, because I can stand up here and exhaust myself doing gyra… what do you call them? Gyrations and God knows what, cut myself, bruise myself, and I still could never have one word of utterance like William Branham had.
I believe I’m baptized in the Holy Ghost, see. People argue that thing; that’s their business. All right.
Ezekiel was a sign.
[38] How he tortured himself. One place here we find where he laid on his left side for three hundred and ninety days. God told him to get… beans and some pottage, and put it all together, and cook it… and lay it down by his side, and go lay on a tile, and lay on his left side alone [then] turn over for three hundred and ninety days. Think of it! And then said, “Turn over on the right side and lay there for forty days [more].”
[39] And he said here, “What you see, Ezekiel”… “Because you’re bearing the iniquity of the people each day will I count a year for them.” Being that every day he laid there… meant a year they’d be in captivity, and that their iniquities would be remembered by God and God would not hear their prayers any more.
How many prayers can people get answered? Well, you say, “Brother Vayle, we’ve had thousands of answers and the prophet even left the scene.” That’s true. That’s true, under the anointing. But the great prayer of people, “God, get us out of here. Millions now living will never die,” will never take root and get anywhere. It’s gone.
You say, “Well, what do you mean? Well, our sick are being healed.”
“But hold it; you haven’t made the Rapture yet.”
“Oh no, of course, we’re going to.”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, we talk in tongues. We got this and that.”
“No, you haven’t.” 1956 it was gone.
Now listen, you may be playing church this morning but I’m not playing church. It’s too late. And if you do play church and I play church, what’s the difference? It’s over already; 1956, thirty years gone on. Thirty years of longsuffering.
Now:
[39] …you’re bearing the iniquity…
[40] But the torture that that man had to go through. Why would that be necessary? Many have wondered why… such a thing would be necessary for a man to do. It’s because the people won’t read the Word, and they won’t pray. So God is sovereign, and He sends His prophet to be a sign. The people won’t read; they don’t care to read. …they won’t pray, because they’re too… got other things to do. They can’t take time to pray. And the Bible is boring to them, hasn’t got enough action for these modern days or any day.
Brother Branham didn’t have the actions people want; he didn’t have a program. “Let’s go take the world.” What for? What would he want to take the world for? God’s only going to get the elect out of here. My goodness me.
[41] You know, I believe it was Paul said, “Ye are epistles of God, read of all men.” God uses people for signs, to show His sign. And many times that sign, and every time mostly, unless it’s with the elected people, that sign is overlooked and criticized, made fun of, and cast out and [not] considered.
[42] Even in the Old Testament,… days of the prophets, they were considered mental, disturbed people.
And yet you’d be surprised how many people listen to those that are buggy. You’d be a… harebrained spiritistic neurotic and read teacups and things; you’d get them coming as long as you hit one thing right out of a hundred or something.
People want to believe, you know, if you’re neurotic and goofed up. But if you’re right on the ball, only the elect are going to believe. Well, that’s nice, isn’t it? Keeps the body pure. Okay.
Everything works out really nice for the Lord. See, I used to live down in Florida, so I know some of these things, you know.
[42] And they’d see them come in from the wilderness and perform signs, and… turn back into the wilderness again. And they would come and they’d make fun of them, because they did not know the Scripture.
A True Sign That’s Overlooked 61-1112
[106] Oh, they thought… Ahab was a great king…
Now Brother Branham, he calls Kennedy Ahab, remember? His wife Jezebel, but he said she might not had a water head haircut if she’d ever heard this Word. He wasn’t excoriating, throwing off; he’s just telling the truth because America’s in the Bible, chapter 13, we will have the pope, which I believe will be the antichrist.
[106] Oh, they thought… Ahab was a great king and all the nations feared him, that was good enough.
Do you think they didn’t fear Kennedy? Khrushchev drew his horns back and Kennedy wasn’t smart enough, he would have been like the king… was it Elijah went to the king and said, “Now,” he said, “take this staff and pound the floor.”
And the guy pounded once or twice. “Now,” he said, “if you’d have done that seven or eight times, Syria would have been destroyed. But you wouldn’t do it.”
Now if Kennedy would have stayed the Kennedy that he thought he was and perhaps was under certain conditions, The Bay of Pigs wouldn’t be there; we’d have Cuba off the map today.
We would have had… and the same thing, there wouldn’t have been an airlift over there in Germany to get food to the East, to the soldiers, the west part that was hidden behind the Iron Curtain. They’d bulldoze that wall down; Khrushchev would have done nothing.
They’d admired America. America has lost her power to live. You can blame Truman for that, enclaves and things where you wouldn’t give General McArthur… well, they wanted to do the same thing in Vietnam, but they wouldn’t give General McArthur a chance to wipe the country out.
See, we’re paying, brother/sister, for not standing our ground, because we were a Christian nation with Christian principles, then they got this pseudo love in, this hot dog kind of love, you know. Oh, fap.
[106] [Now,] they thought… Ahab was a great king… nations feared him, that was good enough. But Elijah was a sign of the Word. [What was William Branham? Right here in America.] That’s a true prophet, a sign of the Word. So while he was being the sign of the Word, they didn’t believe him; they had no use for him.
Why? They wanted their politicians, then he excoriates the politicians. All right.
A True Sign That’s Overlooked 61-1112
[167] Micaiah had no cooperation. Moses had no cooperation. [Neither William Branham. Jesus had none.] Noah had none. None of them had ever, had cooperation. It’s all against them. But they’re a sign in the evil days before God sends judgment. And God keeps His Word and wants His Word kept by His people. Praise the Lord!
[168] “There was a man sent from God whose name was John,” a prophet sign. Before Jesus ever came to the earth to declare Himself, He sent a prophet before Him. Did He do it?
[Now, he says before he ever came to the earth. See? Let’s watch these statements, parallel today.]… sent a prophet before Him. Didn’t He do it? He sent a prophet. The Elijah of the Old Testament was prophesied to come in the power of Elijah, of the Old Testament. He was to be a prophet sign that Jesus was coming,… there was to be a Messiah coming. [Now He’s already there, wasn’t He? Okay.]
[169] And when John came out of the wilderness, he was a sign that the Messiah was on His road. [What? Coming down.] When John appeared, Israel ought to have knowed by their prophets. That’s where the people miss it. They don’t believe their prophets. They don’t believe… “We don’t believe what Peter said was all right on the day of Pentecost.”
[That repent and be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.] They don’t believe that’s right. They don’t believe what Paul said, the same thing Peter did. …“If an angel from Heaven preaches any other word, let him be accursed.” They don’t believe that! See?
[Yeah, why? Because they feel they’re full of the Holy Ghost. They’re born again. How can you be cursed if you got the Holy Ghost? Well, you could have an anointing, born of the wrong seed. Isn’t the mule born of the wrong seed? Why certainly, got mismated (to mate unsuitably or wrongly)] They don’t believe that!
[See, don’t believe it.]… they didn’t believe their prophets. If they’d have knowed,… Isaiah said, “There’ll be a voice of one crying in the wilderness that’ll prepare the way of the Lord.” They should’ve known it. He was a prophet, a prince of the prophets. He told them, but they didn’t believe it. No, no! “There’s a Messiah coming.”
[170] This man was a man sent from God. Oh, brother. He had no following. God gave him a following, a little flock, just like He did Elijah. God gave him his following. He didn’t get it from some political organization. He preached the Word, stayed on God’s Word, and God gave him a little flock. Elijah stayed on the Word. God gave him a little flock.
All right.
A True Sign That’s Overlooked 61-1112
[179] His coming, told the spirit of Isaiah [Elijah]. His coming, John coming, was predicted in the Scripture. Isaiah 40…“I’ll send my Messenger…” Well, that was Malachi 3. “… send His messenger before Him. The prophet, the last prophet spoke of him. The last thing spoke of him. Remember, the last Book of the Old Testament spoke that Elijah would come to the children of Israel before the showing of the Messiah.
[180] Are you ready? The last Book in the Bible, Revelation, shows us that there will be a return of him [That’s Elijah.] in the last days to the Gentile church, a sign. How they miss it. He’s prophesied to come again just before the great and the second coming of the Lord.
[That’s before the Rapture. All right.] In Malachi the 4th chapter, and Revelation, also, the 3rd chapter, [Now find me that one.] tells us… he will be here in the last days [It tells you.] that same one that’ll stand in the breach for the people with a little flock that God will give him. He’ll come in the last days. God said so. He’ll be a sign to this Gentile nation that her time is no more.
We better go back into the 3rd chapter of the Book of Revelation, see what we come up with. I don’t say I’m going to be right on this, but I got a pretty good idea I’m pretty right in what I say. Notice, he was reading before verse 14, that’s another age.
(14) …unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, [That’s the winder-upper.] the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
God creating Himself in the form of human flesh is winding it all up. Now remember, you’ll be dealing not with the spirit; eventually, you’ll be dealing with the human form of Jesus… in the Rapture, that’s after the Rapture.
(15) I know thy works, …[you’re] neither cold nor hot: I would [you were] cold or hot.
(16) …then because [you’re so] lukewarm, …neither cold nor hot, I will spue [you] out of my mouth.
(17) Because [you say], [Now how were they lukewarm?] I am rich,… increased with goods, …have need of nothing; and knowest no… [you’re] wretched, …miserable, …poor, …and blind, and naked:
(18) I counsel [you] to buy of me gold tried in the fire… [They don’t have it, you see.] [you may] be rich; and white raiment… [you may] be clothed, [They don’t have it.] and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; [That’s their adulteries. In other words, God’s going to manifest it. It’s being manifested right now, thoroughly manifested through the prophetic utterance. Who’s doing it? Elijah!] and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, [You don’t have it; you better get it.] that [you may] see.
(19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous… and repent. [Now that’s the secret of the whole thing. The prophet is brought on the scene to change our minds.]
(20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: [Who’s there? Christ, put outside the church. Now this is not the baptism with the Holy Ghost; this is in the complete singular, although the true baptism is outside the church now, too.] if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
(21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, …as I …overcame, …set down with my Father in his throne.
(22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what [he said to] the Spirit… [Okay.]
He said:
[180] …the same one that’ll stand in the breach for the people with a little flock…
Now, all right. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” What is the door in a building? It’s a breach in a wall, right? Okay, who’s going to stand in the breach to hear the One on the outside? Prophet.
That’s the only thing I can see. I don’t know if I’m right or wrong. I feel good about what I see because he said Revelation 3. Who stands there for us? The prophet to hear God.
We can’t hear Him, no way. No way. He’ll not reveal the Word to you. Well, you’ll get a little bit of a glimpse but you won’t get the revealed Word, there’s no way.
Who’s going to stand… who’s going to stand in that door? Prophet. Because to me a door is a breach in the wall. What else could it be? It’s an opening. See? I could be wrong but that’s just about the best I can do for you.
Recognizing Your Day And Its Message, 64-0726M
[134] He said, “Surely, Moses, I’ll be with you.” [Now he’s going back illustrating.] He didn’t show Himself… [Now listen, here’s one of those goodies again.] He didn’t show Himself down in Egypt; just only by miracles and signs,
[Appearing by signs and wonders, brother/sister, is part of the Appearing, but that’s not all of it.] but when He got them all gathered together He appeared to them again, and vindicated Moses’ ministry before the Elected and called out. When that prophet had chopped them loose from that nation and brought them into a place, then the Pillar of Fire appeared again… on top of Mt. Sinai. Parallel it with today. Amen! Praise be to God! It’s more than life to me.
I was going to find something here but I don’t see it. That’s all right. I’ll read the next… now you notice in here, like on Emmaus, he revealed himself after his death and Resurrection. Now:
[135] As my age begins to creep on and I see the hour of vulgarity and immorality sweeping the lands and things, then I look back and see what’s happened; my heart leaps for joy, knowing that after awhile this earthly tabernacle of habitation will be dissolved, but I’ve got one waiting yonder. I’m trying to pull a people, chop…
[Now he said, “I am trying to pull a people.”] …chop them from these things and things, to pull them out, to show them by the Scriptures that God’s standing there with the vindication of the Pillar of Fire, which hundreds of thousands have seen, and even had It took before, with a camera time after time to prove it.
Now you tell me that’s the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I’m going to tell you one thing: you ain’t living around it. If you try to say something different from a real personal Almighty God, you’re sitting someplace I’m not sitting.
You say, “Brother Vayle, explain it.” I don’t have to explain nothing; it’s been explained. I believe it. Now he said on two occasions these were the same: Pillar of Fire and the face in the cloud. Now he said it’s been seen and taken by the camera. All right.
2 Thessalonians 2, just that 1st verse.
(01) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the [Presence] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Now that’s got to be the Appearing because the first chapter describes this one up here. Now we’re going to hit a good one, just a little while, just… we’re going to take time this morning because there’s no Wednesday service and I can’t afford to exhaust myself, but I don’t mind.
It’s all right if I exhaust myself; that’s perfectly all right because I’m trying to serve the Lord and trying to serve you. But I hope you’re getting what I’m telling you here. Did you listen carefully? Well, I’ll read it again.
[134] …”Surely, Moses, I’ll be with you.”…He didn’t show Himself down in Egypt just only by miracles and signs, but when He got them all gathered together He appeared to them again, and vindicated Moses’ ministry before the Elected and called out. When that prophet had chopped them loose from that nation and brought them into a place, then the Pillar of Fire appeared again… on top of Mt. Sinai. Parallel it with today.
In other words, they were gathered there where he was, where the manifestation proved to be the correct manifestation; this was God. Now remember, we are not entitled to see the Pillar of Fire anymore. We’re entitled to see the man and hear the voice and recognize this is the man and this is the Presence by the vindication.
Now listen. Brother Branham:
[135] As my age begins to creep on and I see the hour of vulgarity and immorality sweeping the lands and things,
[That’s Sodom and Gomorrah.] then I look back and see what’s happened; my heart leaps for joy, knowing that after a while this earthly tabernacle of habitation will be dissolved… after while… will be dissolved, but I’ve got one waiting yonder. I’m trying to pull a people, [That’s what Moses did.] chop them
[That’s what Moses did.] from these things and other things, to pull them out, to show them by the Scripture that God’s standing there with a vindication of the Pillar of Fire, which hundreds of thousands have seen, and even had It took before with a camera time after time to prove It.
So it’s not just signs and wonders and miracles; that can prove God anywhere. Let me just… let me just show you something. Ephesians, the Ephesians knew this; Ephesians 4, I think it is, see I’ve got to find it to make sure now. Okay.
(08) …he ascended up on high,… and gave gifts [to] men… [When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.] (Okay.)
Psalms 68. Let’s go back… always go back to where it’s taken from so you don’t get fooled by context. This is concerning Korah, Dathan, Abiram.
(08) [Paraphrased] Thou hast ascended on high… led captivity captive… hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD… might dwell…
The Holy Ghost was there, brother/sister, like it is in this hour and you can have authentic dreams, authentic visions. You can even prophesy to a degree, and you can prophesy yourself straight into hell like Balaam did.
You can have all kinds of gifts and its proving the Presence of God; it’s not proving the baptism with the Holy Ghost: they’re two different things. It’s proving you don’t know the Baptizer but you’ve got an anointing, being off of that Word. All right.
[136] Impersonators rise up. Sure, it’s got to be done. Impersonators rose up in the day of Moses… did the same thing. God said, “Separate yourself, Moses. Don’t hang around them. I’ll swallow them up!” And the world got them. And so it is today. Go right back in the world, money schemes and everything else.
A True Sign That’s Overlooked 61-1112
[280] Oh Lord God, [He’s here praying.] there’s many here that’s fallen in sickness, and while we’ve waited long past the time of dismissing the church. There are those who are sick. O God, let that prayer… that the Holy Spirit… comes personally in a Pillar of Fire, Who declares Himself and makes Himself known to be Who He is, and we believe Him, let Him encircle every person in here today, heal the sick, fill with the Spirit…
The Baptizer that baptized; the Healer to heal: now this is that man’s voice; not for two thousand years has that been. Then if He never descended, brother/sister, He was here all the time.
There’s been a corner change and people still don’t understand it. When I say He descended, I’m not backing off the Word of God for anybody.
You accommodate yourself to people, forget it. Accommodate yourself to Jesus Christ, then you will accommodate to people and be something, otherwise it’s a prostitution game and giving God some second-hand carcass.
I wish men would smarten up and leave women alone, quit their stinking rotten adulteries and marry virgins, then there’s something to their credit then.
You’re not looking at any, simply virtuous person up here because I’ve had one woman. I’m not saying that; I’m just saying we ought to be where God has and wants us to be instead of messing around all the time. Filling the churches, too, that’s what it’s doing.
[280] …heal the sick, fill with the Spirit, give deliverance in every manner, Lord, that we have need of it. Saturate our hearts with faith, God, with undying faith, with uncompromising faith, that we have THUS SAITH THE LORD.
I want to read you something. Everybody quotes, “The right mental attitude toward any Divine promise will bring it to pass.” So one day I got the rest of it and I phoned some of my friends, said, “Get me the rest of that quote.” Couldn’t do it. I was real smart and sharp; I gave him the quote.
God In His Word 57-0323
[35] …the right mental attitude toward any Divine promise of God will bring it to pass.
The right attitude is to receive it and say it’s THUS SAITH THE LORD. Anybody could say that because you know it is, and let it saturate, that’s the whole thing. Saturate our beings. Okay.
Recognizing Your Day and Its Message 64-0726
[52] See how perfectly the Scripture is: “A day that won’t be called day or night.” [That’s when these false ones are on the market.] Fruit cannot ripen unless the sun ripens it.
[It takes heat, you see.] No matter how much you preach, whatever you can do, it cannot be ripened, it cannot be manifested, it cannot be vindicated; only by Him who said, “I am the Light of the world, the Word.” So there… comes forth a Power, the Holy Spirit Himself, to ripen, or to vindicate, or to prove, or to make manifested that what He’s predicted would happen this day.
That’s not the baptism with the Holy Ghost or to be a past tense; He’s already two thousand years been doing it. No, He hasn’t! It shall be light about the evening time. The first fruits are coming in.
A True Sign That’s Overlooked 61-1112
[289] I’m just as aware that the Spirit of Christ is moving around through the building here this morning. The God that will judge the world is right here now…
There’s a series on the Judge. Do what you want about it. If you’re being bored, I’m sorry for you. I’m not the least bored. I’ve prepared these notes, prepared this whole thing, and I’m getting blessed by it. Praise the Lord.
I tell you what, if you prepare the soil, and plant the seeds, and water it a bit, you get pretty roses like I do. If you do like Bill Grave and get nice peas and bring them to my place and I’ll eat them anyway. I’ve got my flowers and people take care of their food and that’s good, I like that. So I’ll try to take care of your food this morning.
[289] I’m just as aware that the Spirit of Christ is moving around through this building …this morning. The God that will judge the world is right here now, just as certain as I’m standing in this pulpit. There has been one, two, three vindications of it, of the Word, just exactly what the Bible said. You hear it shut up at that time after that? …You hear it shut up at that time after that? One, two, three, everything in spiritual order, everything in Scriptural order. Oh, open your hearts and understand… such a time. What could happen at this time? [All right. Okay, back to my notes.]
Now what we read here brings me to recapping again. It was in Eden that God spoke to man, then the devil came right behind Him and denied the truth. Men do so now by creeds and dogmas.
Just what I’ve been reading from Brother Branham. Okay, but the will of God never wavers. Man must receive truth and God provided a way by prophet.
Chuckle, chuckle, surprise, surprise. “Oh, God doesn’t have prophets, unless, of course, I’m one.” Fap! Why did Brother Branham throw a curve when he said the modern day understanding of prophets is anointed preaching, so therefore, all preachers are prophets.
He said that’s modern day. What’s old day? You know, you can get so fooled by what a person says and it’s not semantics; it’s being in the spirit that man’s in. See?
Now the will of God never wavers. Man must receive truth and God provided a way by prophets. And the God who can write and speak has chosen men to write and speak through. Let that be ‘amen’ to us. Let’s give God credit.
Now, Recognizing (the) Day. Now listen to this carefully. Now this is to people who are going through what we’re going through and this is a warning that he gives if you’re not listening.
Recognizing Your Day And Its Message 64-0726
[70] So, which a-way your nature is this morning. If you’re a doubter of God’s Word… [That’s what he’s preaching.] If you’re a doubter… you’ll be a doubter over there. I don’t care how holy you are, how you live, and how good you live, it wouldn’t change you one bit to die, just your dwelling place. And if you can’t accept the whole Word of God the way It’s written, you wouldn’t do it there; so don’t worry, you won’t be there.
Now either he was a liar or he was telling the truth. This man was a judgment prophet, brother/sister; let’s get it flat, because, you see, we’re at Judge time. There’s the beard, the wig. See? Don’t worry about a second tape; we’ll just call this off when I’m finished here. It’s getting time, anyway, to go.
[70] …you won’t get there anyway [he says]. You’ve got to accept It in Its fullness… [He’s talking to living people before they die. Now it’s the accepted time. Now is the hour of salvation. See?] You’ve got to accept It in Its fullness, in the power of Its vindication and the revelation of what It is; then you’re… a part of It.
Not only see It but hear It explained and when you receive the explanation you’re a part of that Word. And until that time, you are not a part of the body, the Word body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I’m sorry but that’s what the prophet said, and I like it that way, I must admit it. You say, “What if you miss it?” Well, I was supposed to miss it.
[70] It’s only His Word that He’ll raise up…
Why? Because that’s all He stands behind and raises up: He doesn’t confirm somebody else’s word. He leaves a lot of latitude. Elijah could curse the kids and they all got killed by bears.
That wasn’t confirming His Word; that was latitude, that was in a power ministry, but when it came to that Word, Elijah and Elisha were right on It. They weren’t even Word prophets in the legitimate sense, yet how great they were. What’s a Word prophet? Well, he’s a fantastic creation.
[70] It’s only His Word that He’ll raise up, as He did His Word on the first Easter morning. [There’s your type.] Only His Word came forth and those who had died in His Word, believing His Word, and vindicated His Word.
What came with Him? The Word believers, Abel, see, right on up.
Now:
[71] Notice. Now that’s been twenty-seven hundred years ago. Notice they were scattered, they were blinded, and now they’ve been gathered, now they’ve been gathered. Now, the next thing is… to receive Life.
What’s he talking about? Two thousand years ago? No, now! Our gathering together unto the Lord Jesus Christ the Word: We’ve been gathering. It’s gathering time.
Remember he told about the little honker, the baby goose was born out there in the wilderness of Canada, the big old fellow he grew into it by fall. Suddenly he flies and honks a couple times and they all take off: born leader.
Talk about rallying around the gift in the days of Sheba? A greater than Solomon’s here.
[71] Now, the next thing is that they are to receive Life.
I talked about that the other day. “Search the Scriptures; and in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they that testify of me.” That was Jesus. See? God manifested, showing Himself: “They testify who I am.”
That makes Hebrews 1:1 now, clearly: God in sundry times, spoke by prophets, clearly identifying the characteristics now by the Resurrection of His Son.
It’s the same prophet that went down in the form of the Holy Ghost, met Paul face to face and met William Branham. God spoke by the prophets then, through His Son now.
What other way? It always was that way. The unchangeable God, the same characteristics: “the works that I do you’ll do also.” God known by His identified characteristics; that’s how you know.
You say, “Well, I do this. I sing this. Do this, this, this.” That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the Word made manifest and identifying this life. What life? The Christ life, the true life, the One Himself who is Life.
There is the Life there. That’s not an outworking, that’s not a shadow; the Life is there. Elohim! God! See, we’re dealing with that.
Now, Pharisees knew the Bible as good as anybody. Now today Luther says “You believe you’ve got it.” What? Pillar of Fire, the light. Methodists said, “We’ve got it.”
He said, “You potentially had it. You’re building to it.”
“We’ve got it. He’s here.”
Then if they were looking forward to it, they couldn’t have had it. Well, you say, “I believe He always was here. The thing is God is universal.” God is not a pantheistic god that I serve. That’s spiritism.
If God was pantheistic, I’d phtt, breathed all in, I’m breathing God, breathing God. What if I breathed out and lost God? You know, people are crazy. God have pity. I’m tired of that junk.
[76] The Seals are open. It’s revealed to us. We see what they left off. You that want to debate and fuss about serpent’s seed… water baptism, and so forth, you’re blind and [you] don’t know it. The god of this world… blinded you… and you don’t know it. No wonder I had such a time this morning… [Getting my message together, he said.]
[82] Everywhere… there’s no revival [now]. Everybody’s complaining, ministers crying. [You see, they turned down the Message.] I was reading one of the outstanding papers to come to the church [here], a very fine paper. …Brother and Sister Moore… Herald of His Coming.
[Very fine paper. They say,] “Fast, pray, fast, pray! Sound a trumpet!…” How many reads it? You know. …”Fast, pray! We’re going to have a great breaking… day! There’s… something going to happen! Pray! All… pray, pray, pray, pray! We’re not too late yet!” [Pray, pray, pray!]
[83] Why do they do that? Why did they do that? They want a great awakening. They’re crying, believing that there will be awakening. They’re good people. Why is it? What have they done? They have not recognized the awakening of the Bride.
[Awake, thou that sleepest and rise from the dead and Christ will give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14) The Bride has had a spiritual resurrection already.] By being a Christian they feel the pull of the hour, but they haven’t recognized what’s been done. That’s what’s making them feel that way. They know something is supposed to happen; but see, they are looking for it far off in the future,… when it’s already happened right by you. [He’s here and revealed.]
[84] …the same thing they did in the days of old. They… believe in the coming of the Messiah. [Well, he’s right there and they didn’t recognize him.] They believed there would come a forerunner that would forerun the Messiah, and [when he came] they cut his head off… they prophesied… they’d be blinded. Hosea said so.
[85] …the same Spirit that spoke to Hosea spoke through John, and… the church in this last days… just naked… blind, …would put Him outside of the church.” They failed to see these prophesies fulfilled. But being in there they realized that something has got to happen. They just don’t get it. They don’t realize it. Much like the Jews of old times, blind Laodicea; riches, theology, hostile with the church, hostile toward the Message. Look how hostile those Jews were with John. …how hostile they were with Jesus, when He was the very One… they claimed… to be looking for.
[87] Notice. Hostile… now like the Jews of old, blinded; they are at Laodicea. …“naked, miserable, wretched, and don’t know it.” Day of riches, great theological teachings, great education, …now they become hostile toward the Message.
[Like Brother Bill said on Wednesday night.] They want nothing to do with it, just like it was back in the days when Jesus… was on earth.
The Scripture said they’d become the enemies of the Cross and they have.
[88] The reason people in Noah’s day did not go into the ark, because they never recognized the Message nor the messenger.
[You’ve got to have both, brother/sister.] That’s the only reason they perished, is because they didn’t recognize the hour that they were living in. They didn’t recognize that God would deal with sin as He promised He would. He’d destroy man from the face of the earth. He … prophesied it. He meant it. And He means it today the same as He meant then.
[89] But the people, instead of being favorable towards Noah… They thought he was… a wild man. They made fun of him, …didn’t recognize their hour. They didn’t recognize the day… didn’t recognize the sign… didn’t recognize the Message… didn’t recognize the messenger… put him out… and laughed at him. And Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah!”
[93] Jesus said they scoffed at His prophet, Noah. …they scoffed in that day… they will do it again at His coming. They would do the same thing. That’s the reason that Pharaoh drowned in the sea. He never recognized his day.
[Remember, Pastor Pharaoh? Pastor Pharaoh, come on.] He never recognized what was going on. He was to took up in the achievements of his scientific age to build cities by slave labor. He was too busy to recognize the opportunity that he had, …he turned his back on God’s prophet messenger out into the wilderness. He didn’t recognize it; that’s the reason the… things went the way they did. He never recognized it. If he’d… only recognized the promised Word of God to that people.
[94] And if the churches… would only recognize, if the churches would . ..recognize the Word of God that’s made this promise for this hour to the people, they wouldn’t perish! If America could… recognize the Constitution… she drew up, she wouldn’t be willing to take Bibles out of the schools, take the Name of God off of coins, and pledge allegiance under God. But she doesn’t recognize it.
Now, what Brother Branham is showing you, the fall of America depends on the prophet. The uprising of America depends on a prophet. Now see, “Why?” you say. “Well, God does very foolish things.”
To the wisdom of man God is perfectly insipid and an idiot. He always has been and always will be. Jesus thanked God that only the babes could understand; the wise and prudent didn’t have a clue.
Now the prophet is telling the truth that he is the key, standing in the breech, because he has a vindicated message and the people don’t want it, and the Message is what puts you in or puts you out. So therefore, the Rapture is ongoing now. People can’t understand that.
Brother/sister, wake up before it’s too late. There’s an urgency to what is going on. Brother Branham’s been gone twenty years. How much longer can it stand? Not very long. See?
[94] …she doesn’t recognize it… She’s blind and naked. She can’t recognize the blood of those precious boys that’s died on the fields for this privilege. They’re forgotten; they’re dust.
[95] But there’s One who does remember the shed of the blood of the prophets, the cost that it took to bring this Gospel to us today, how the thousands have been eaten by lions and throwed into the dens, have been sawed asunder, burnt, and crucified, and God recognizes it. The church has forgotten their prophets; they don’t need them anymore; they claim. But God knows He’s got to have them. He hews His people by His Word. But it’s too old-fashioned to them in this day. They don’t recognize It. That’s the reason they’re in the condition they are. That’s the reason they’re naked, miserable, blind, wretched, and don’t know it, is because they don’t recognize the hour… we’re living. They don’t notice it.
See? Don’t recognize Him. Now put it where it is, brother/sister. Don’t go going around fooling with it.
[101] Oh, you blinded denominations, if God can use a mule that’s dumb to speak in a language that he doesn’t know to reveal to a minister that he’s out of the way, can’t He use a man to do the same thing?
He said, “I’m standing here. God can use a mule and you admit it and you talk about it, you enjoy it. You think it’s tremendous, and you laugh about it, and you…” God doesn’t use mules; He uses men. Well, if He did have to use a mule to bring a minister around what would happen if He used a prophet? Nothing, if they turned the prophet down, except judgment.
[111] They claim they’re looking for something to happen. The churches are… praying, and fasting and saying, “Now, let us pray. Let’s get together. We’ve got to have a great thing to happen. We know there’s something great to happen; the church has got to get ready.”
Hogwash! John was sent to get ready the prepared people. William Branham was sent to get ready the prepared people. The readiness lies in the Word from under the Seals where there’s not one word added or one word taken: you’ve got the perfect Word of God revealed.
That which is perfect has come. In part is done away; it’s over. We better catch up with it.
Now they expect God to be according to their pattern; the prophet said it right, and He’s in His own pattern.
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[192] The church has not recognized her day, like Israel back in the promised land. She doesn’t know how she got back there. She was just automatically put… there.
[Now listen!] National force put her in her place. Now, I’m going to say something. National force put Israel in her homeland. National force will put the church in the World Council of Churches. But the Power of God will put the people in the Bride. The world forces this way,… the world forces that way, but God forces upward. The Spirit of God, which is the Word of God “My Word is Spirit and Life” and will put the Bride in her place, ‘cause she’ll recognize her position in the Word; then she’s in Christ…
[In other words, you recognize that you’re Bride material. See?] No national force will do it. But the national force did drive Israel to the homeland. The national forces of the Council of Churches will drive every organization into it, but the Power of God will raise the Bride into Glory, out of it. [Now that’s got to be because that’s the pattern of Rome. All right.]
[201] Why, I go to Christian Business Man’s conventions and them, and they say, “Glory to God!” Them preachers get up and just stir the crowd… saying, “There’s coming a great revival. The hand of the Lord is going to be upon the earth!” And how the people are going forth, running like… they don’t realize that’s under the Trumpets for Israel. Why do they do it? It’s because that they are Christian professors, and don’t realize.
[Now he just said, “Don’t realize,” but he cut them off. See?] Neither did Caiaphas realize what he was doing. And they don’t realize that they’re rejecting the very Message that was sent to them. Amen!
[202] Every part of the Scripture we went through day after day and week after week, until it’s undisputable the Truth. “If the blind can’t receive It,” Jesus said, “let them alone. If the blind leads the blind,
[Now that’s the thing: blind lead the blind.] they both fall in the ditch.” I don’t know when, I don’t know where; but I know it is coming. [All right. Because you’re recognizing the day.]
Now, we’ve got all this finished to just simply introduce, read over again what he said here. Now he said here:
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[56] …it’s a mess… up because of theologians and the priests… it’s always a mess-up. Always their interpretation is wrong…
Now this is not an interpretation of a man. We do not have God’s Word interpreted by man anymore. It’s interpreted by God Himself though God must use a man.
Now, you see, remember, now let your thinking come back where it belongs. God was Jesus in human flesh to be number one, a prophet; He was the prophet before He was the Lamb. Now Israel didn’t understand Lamb. So John said, “Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
Well, just a minute, what do you mean? This is the One Moses prophesied was the prophet coming, but Isaiah said about Him: He was the Lamb that must die for the sins of the people. And you can’t have an ordinary lamb, an ordinary man; it’s got to be the One conceived by a virgin and she was strictly an incubator.
Her body was a chemical factory, the factory used for God to bring the chemistries out of the earth so He could be like us in that way, but He wasn’t like us in any other way. Understand, He was different from Adam. Two different races entirely, brother/sister.
You’re looking at something different. You can remember this: you’re not putting your trust in a man, though he was a man: you’re putting your trust in God Man which is the great order. All right.
Now:
[56] …interpretation is always wrong, never one time has it ever failed to be wrong. And not one time has God’s Word… failed to be right. That’s the difference.
How do you know right? When you see It vindicated.
[57] Now you see, God wrote the Bible… [That’s right, He did. Now.]… God can write, God can speak… and God can… cause [men to write, and He causes them to speak.]
Now Brother Branham categorically said, “My ministry is different and I am different because I’m the only man that can tell it as they saw it.” People see visions, but if you’re not a real prophet, you cannot come back and tell it exactly. I’ve had visions, not many, but I’ve had them, I cannot tell them exactly. There’s no way.
I’ve never had God explain something to me, so I cannot tell you what He said. William Branham could stand there like a prophet and get everything that God said and miraculously come right back and write it down or tell us. So you knew it was God. It wasn’t man.
Let’s look beyond the man, but let’s not look away from the man as though the man didn’t count, but, remember, he himself said, “Like John the Baptist, there’s One coming after me who’s shoe latches I’m not worthy to unloose, and He will increase and I will decrease.”
And Brother Branham said categorically, he said, “If that Great One coming after me is a man then I wasn’t that one, that prophet.” It cannot be a man. There’s only One that can be and that is Jesus Christ Himself. He appointed us which is in the form of the Holy Spirit and the Pillar of Fire.
Now, brother/sister, that’s what these messages are all about, that you’ve got a vindicated Word, that all else outside of this Word will perish; nothing except this Word will come to Life. He said, “Nothing outside this Message will come to life.”
You say, “Just a minute, what about the dead?” They’re in the Message. And you know what they did? They paid a price which was the price of death because they weren’t all the way in the Word.
Let’s go back to Romans. We’ll get you out of here, don’t worry. You know, nothing on Wednesday, you can sleep Wednesday night.
Snore out loud; you won’t bother me at all. I’m going to let you out of here. This is harder on me than it is on you. Don’t worry; I’ll be the one that suffers, not you. Okay. It says here, in the 8th chapter of Romans, It says…
(08) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
(09) But [you] are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God [dwells] in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
That tells you right there you’ll come out of the ground. You paid your price. The wage of sin is death. But here you don’t die. Here you don’t die. Not this hour. You say, “What about if you die, Brother Vayle?” Well, I wish I would. I’m not afraid of dying.
The other day I almost choked to death out in Lima. My wife and my daughter prayed out loud, real loud; I wasn’t praying at all. I was wondering how long it would take me to die if I fell on the floor and in what position.
How long it would it take to really choke, it’s an awful… it’s not a nice feeling. But the Lord made a way of escape, which was fine. If He wants it that way, that’s the way it is. But I could die tomorrow.
Choke, drown, anything else, who knows? Nobody knows. Not an unhappy eventuality. There’s no great glory to be standing here and be changed. Doesn’t make you different from anybody else. Going to get the same body, same God does it all. But why’d they die?
It wasn’t the hour to live, and they didn’t have what we had to have, which is get back to that Word a hundred percent.
See, now the first church could have had it, could have had the Rapture but they went off. So the whole church went with them. Say, “Well, I think, Brother Vayle, that maybe the people that didn’t go off should have been held…” Oh no, they couldn’t get immortality.
Number one: it wasn’t time.
Number two: you go in a body.
This group does not go one at a time: one goes up, two goes up, three goes up, four, five, six, seven. Now we may, at the end time, in little groups, be noticeably missing.
That’s right, but Brother Branham saw them go up. So you’re not saved as an individual only; you’re saved as a part of a group, and there won’t be one that’s not born again that’s in that Body, and when that body goes, the whole Body goes.
Won’t be one left behind. See? There’s going to be a little tiny group standing here that doesn’t die. Say, “I want to be that.” Well, that’s the way you go on, I want to be one of those, too. See? Put it all the glory… Amen. Lord bless you. We’re going to go home now.
Let’s rise.
Next time we come together, it’s five o’clock. Come four o’clock, three o’clock, who cares. You know where the Legion is, the veterans, what do you call it? That Legion Hall down there, and you can have fellowship but we won’t eat.
Now if you get there later than 5:30, that’s okay, but the thing is we better start eating around 5:30. I would say that because I’m going to eat a little bit with you and then I’m going to go home. So I’m thinking of myself as well as you, mostly myself. But you don’t mind anyway; you’re going to eat and have a good time.
Heavenly Father, be with us now, Lord, as we go on our way, and we pray, Father, that what we have heard today, reading from the prophet’s message, there won’t be one word lost, oh God, upon us.
We know, Lord, that every single portion is not repeating Scripture, but It’s telling us why Scripture was and is and what’s happening and so we appreciate that so we’re thoroughly orientated at this time concerning the Word, concerning truth.
So, Father, we cannot praise You enough, no way can we praise You enough. We just hope, Lord, that somehow You’ll inspire us to give Thee glory, Lord, which we’ve always wanted to.
And, Lord, reading from the prophet, I believe it does give You glory, because it’s presenting to the people the hour, a literal composite of this hour, Lord; it’s just beautiful how the prophet brought it out. We sure appreciate it. It’s marvelous.
It’s meat and drink to our souls and we pray, Lord, that we feast on It today, we’ll feast every day, every moment until we’re changed because now we’re part of the Word and You’re going to bring the Word forth and that doesn’t mean, Lord, we know just out of the graves, but You’re going to bring a people forth out of the cocoon they’re in right now, transforming them into a butterfly that they’re supposed to be, the metamorphosis, the transfiguration by the renewing of the mind through the Word of the living God.
Lord, we praise You for it. Oh God, may we repent, change our mind as we never have until that mind of Christ is firmly over all, Lord, and that we know then the Spirit of God is moving in His tabernacle.
So, Lord, we just pray that each one of us, there won’t be one of us missing; no, Lord, not one iota, but every one of us, Lord, go on and on and on. Thy Kingdom come, oh Lord, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in the Name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
The Lord bless you. Let’s just sing that song, “Take the Name of Jesus with you,” and that’s what we intend to do.