Token #02
#4385
… it said it’s not what it ought to be, nor are we nearly appreciative this moment, this hour, we aware of the importance of it, the immanency of Your physical coming back to earth here and we hopefully with all these things Lord, we’re… that we would implore You this morning Lord, to make us so aware and… of it and the importance of it, especially to us Lord, what is happening, what it would be if we missed it, and our very lives Lord, will take a real definite change and to be more sober and serious and more considerate of You and Your ways Lord, and more anxious to see the Word fulfilled in our lives that having received Your Word into our hearts Lord, that we would be that living Word of God made flesh.
Not to be prophets, and not to be great people Lord, no, not to be seen of anybody, or to be recognized. That’s not what we want, but Lord, to just know we have that uniformity, that conformity to You Lord, and that oneness with You. Fill our hearts this morning with love that’s shed abroad by the Holy Ghost for You, Lord and for Your people.
Help us to walk in the light as You are in the light having fellowship one with another, the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing us. These things we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
You may be seated.
Now I think as we continue to study various messages which we have been for quite some time now, we can only be impressed that what these messages are all about is what God has done and now continues to bring to pass in continuity with what the Word of the hour said would be done.
And so we’re looking at the Token again this morning instead of a Christmas message, I’m just bypassing that because after all it’s true that Jesus was not born in December, although I’m not against celebrating his birth not by any stretch of the imagination, but oftentimes we just bypass these things that get into a… what we are studying which we’ll do now.
In bringing this message called the Token, Brother Branham uses the exodus of Israel out of Egypt as a type for this hour of the Bride’s exodus in a Rapture. Now I want you to notice that because everything Brother Branham said and did was of utmost importance and you notice that he took it out of Exodus here, the 12th chapter, and which was Israel departing for the Promised Land under a covenant and that covenant confirmed by blood.
It wasn’t God’s part that needed confirmation; it was man’s part in believing Him and applying that token. So in verses 12 and 13, Brother Branham read,
(12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt… will [I] execute judgment: I am the LORD. [In other words, it will come to pass; you watch and see because this LORD means that He is sovereign.]
(13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Now, as Israel was given the blood as a token for an absolutely necessary prerequisite for her departure and for the annulment of death while all others died, so the Bride is now given the Holy Spirit for her Token as the absolute necessary prerequisite for her departure and the annulment of death allowing entrance into the Millennial Kingdom.
Now you have to understand that that there was a covenant, God’s Word lay there, and God backs His Word up but He demanded a covenant as a prerequisite and that prerequisite could not be set aside. It was an absolute must or there was no going in to the Promised Land unless you were carried in dead. That annulled it; of course, they weren’t carrying anybody in dead, embalmed or otherwise.
Now the Bride also, based on this exodus and remember, we’re always looking at the exodus as a type in the Book of Exodus, Israel out of Egypt into the Millennial… into the Promised Land, as a type for the Bride exiting out of this world via a Rapture into the Millennial Kingdom.
Now she has the Word of God that promises absolutely that It stands there, but that prerequisite of the Token which is the Holy Spirit must be displayed or actually owned by the individual members of the Bride and literally the Bride as a composite or there’ll be no getting out of here. Now remember, that God categorically said at the time of the Bride getting out of here, the wrath of God coming upon the earth, because they’re both there in the same hour, that unless He sent Elijah the prophet He would destroy utterly.
So you can see that something is very, very necessary in order to get the Bride out of here. Now we’re not saying that Elijah is the token. We’re just getting you to understand that the Bride is not going to get out of here except the Word of God be completely applied to her through the sovereignty of God and by her own acceptation or accepting it.
Now listen carefully though so you’re going to get what I’m saying. It is now very evident that though the Token itself is not the ultimate desire or the prize itself, there is no possibility of gaining that ultimate unless one does have the token applied by a purchaser.
In other words, no token, no prize: no Token, no Resurrection or immortality or Rapture or Millennium. Now that’s what Brother Branham is bringing out very strong here. To see this perfectly in the Scripture it would be wise to read the Book of Romans 8.
Now this is basically something we all know but we take it the same as Brother Branham took it, that’s why we’re treating it with these emphasis. Beginning at the 8th chapter, I won’t read the whole chapter but I almost should read twenty-three verses but I’ll read up here in verse 15, first of all saying,
(01) There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…
(02) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. [And then it says in verse 15,]
(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but [we] have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
In other words, you always were sons but now you’re placed as being sons by the baptism with the Holy Ghost because God gives the seed or the sons the Holy Spirit. He does not give that to others. That’s where the Bride comes in.
(16) The Spirit… beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: [In other words, that’s the stamp of approval. You’ve been baptized with the Holy Ghost. That settles it.]
(17) And if children, then heirs… of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be… we suffer with him, that we may be glorified together.
Now he just puts that in there to let you know there is suffering. It doesn’t say you’re going to suffer and win the Kingdom. That’s legalism. It just tells you this goes with it. This is character molding. See? There is no such thing as character outside of suffering.
(18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(19) For the earnest expectation of the [creation waits] for the manifestation of the sons of God. [Now all creation is waiting for us, we’ve got to have our turn, then they get their turn because we fell then it fell. We got to be restored; it gets restored.]
(20) For… [creation] was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, [Now creation didn’t do one thing to deserve it but God put it there because of man but creation is now waiting in earnest expectation because that’s where God put it. He put it under expectation.]
(21) Because [creation]… itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty… [or the glory of the liberty] of the children of God.
(22) For we know that the whole creation [groans] and [travails] in pain together [til] now.
(23) And not only they, but [they] ourselves… which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,…
See, if you didn’t have the first-fruits of the Spirit you’d groan all you wanted, it would be like the rest of the world, they’re groaning out there. Don’t worry; they’ll groan more because it’s going to be a horrible time coming on this earth. Brother Branham said that that’s one thing he wouldn’t want to be into just even a minute of the Great Tribulation.
So what all it means I don’t know but I know that it means we should be far more serious and sober than we are. But the point that I’m bringing out here is the fact that one must be baptized with the Holy Ghost in order to be in the final restoration back to Eden.
Just no other way you’re going to get there and creation itself is waiting upon that, so total restoration literally depends upon a person and persons all in the Bride who are totally in Christ and Christ in them.
Now, we go also in Ephesians 1, and we all know these verses, I suppose we could quote them by now without any trouble.
(13) In whom ye also [hoped], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
Now remember, there’s no gospel of salvation outside the word of truth, and if you’re off the truth there’s no salvation. Now you can have a corruptible rebirth; all the churches have corruptible rebirths. How many people that believe you received the Holy Ghost when you believed are going to be in this?
None of them, because it would be under corruption; they’re taking justification for the baptism and it won’t work. That was okay years ago, brother/sister, when you were under Luther. You received the Holy Ghost under the understanding of justification that the just shall live by faith.
You received the Holy Spirit under Wesley that was moving on, and under restoration of gifts and the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Ghost that took care of Pentecost, that was their hour of truth, but this is another hour of truth.
Now you try to tell that to anybody but stoups like us, we’re clever like doves and angels; we’re beyond all that stuff, see. You try to tell people that outside of us; they’ll laugh at you. “Oh,” say, “bless God, the Word’s the Word.”
Well, it is the Word but the Bible also said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away but all these words will be fulfilled.” And it said, “My Word shall not pass away until It is fulfilled.” So the Word of God let’s you know there’s a portion of the Word that passes away when It’s fulfilled, and don’t you fool with that.
Now you see, people aren’t going to believe that. You know they’re not going to believe that. It’s just… Well, how can they believe it? They’re not ordained to it. See?
Now,
(13) …in whom also after that [you] believed, [you] were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the earnest [the Token, the down payment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Now It tells you right there at the time of redemption that runs out because it’s ‘until’. Now if you rode in your car until you parked it; you weren’t riding in your car when you got out and walked in the building.
But you tell that to a lot of people, theologians, and they’re swearing literally by the way they understand Scripture that you’re still riding when they got out of their cars. Now if you can figure that, I can’t figure it because it’s nonsense. And you figure nonsense is nonsense but it says, until.
It says, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” “Well,” you say, “I believe I receive when I believe.” Now that’s not the literal translation. The more literal is ‘after having believed did you receive the Holy Ghost’ in that sense. Why you… Look it, it could be like the Philippian jailor, just like that.
Like Pentecost, three thousand, then five thousand, just like that. No problem. See? But there has to be that believing, justification. Now, of course, the real progress is the progress that God gives us which is “Repent, be baptized every one of you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now having completed the definition of the Token and seeing Its truth in the Word we notice that Brother Branham begins to emphasize two major principles and those principles, of course, we want to look at but first of all we want to read again to you because I think there’s real merit in it, not bypassing his definition of the Token but reading this real great big long one which I’ve got here and it’s almost a page.
Token, and it says here, [Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia]
[01] Something intended or supposed to represent or indicate another thing or event; [See? Not the thing itself like I read.] a sign; a symbol; an evidence.
See? Like it says here, there were black eight days in token morning. In other words, they wore black like remember the old armband you used to wear at funerals and afterwards and you had to wear that black armband, this is even in my day. So I know twenty-five years ago you didn’t see it. I don’t think thirty years ago but you go back around forty-five years ago, fifty, fifty, you’d have to go back fifty years I’d say, and some people still wear them. Now that shows a… that’s a token, that’s an evidence, a symbol that somebody died, a relative, someone you’re mourning for. See? Okay.
[02] A characteristic mark or indication. [Well, it indicates or shows that… particular thing.]
[03] Now a memorial of friendship;
I like that one because you see the Spirit that came back was the Spirit of Christ. See? He said, “I will not leave you friendless. I’ll not leave you orphans. I’ll come back and take care of you. I’ll come back in the form of the Holy Spirit.” So as Brother Branham… we read that on page 10 I think over here.
[10-4] …It is the literal Life of Jesus Christ returned back into the believer. [That’s good.]
[03] Something by which the friendship or affection of another person is to be kept in mind;
He said, “I love you.” The Bible said, “He loved us unto the end.” And then he said, “I’m going to show my love; I’m going to go away.” Now he said, “You don’t understand that but you will later on and see my real love then.” He said, “You think it’s wonderful because I’m here now,” he said, “you wait till the Holy Spirit comes,” and it’s the strangest thing in the world everybody is still looking for Jesus to come or they’d like to see him in flesh and say that’s the great thing.
And I’m not talking now of coming immortal, I’m talking of being here on earth with Him like they were back in those days, but this is superior. This is the Token; the Holy Spirit is the evidence, is the proof, you see, of a love and affection. And remember, it’s to keep the person in mind. What’s the Holy Spirit supposed to do? Teach us all things and keep us in mind.
[03] It’s a keepsake; a souvenir; a love-gift.
You couldn’t beat that if you tried. It was a handkerchief, an antique token my father gave my mother, from Motello[?]. See? See the examples here.
[04] Something that serves as a pledge of authenticity, [That’s good isn’t it?] good faith, or the like; a witness.
God placing His faith in you, giving you the Holy Ghost, He’s giving you a pledge, showing He’s authentic, you’re authentic. All right.
[05] A signal.
And that’s where Judas comes in: and he that betrayed him had given them a token saying, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he.” See?
[06] A piece of metal having the general appearance of a coin and practically serving the same purpose.
And so on. As you can see here that this definition is exceptionally good and runs right in line with Brother Branham. See?
Now there’s two major definitions of the Token, or two major thoughts that Brother Branham brings out in this subject of the Token, and so we want to emphasize it this morning.
Now, number one, the recognition or knowledge of the availability of the Token is not sufficient in itself. Now, look it, a lot of people you know sort of downgrade the Roman Catholic people. That isn’t really right because you’ll find that the Protestants have a very, very poor understanding of what… of the Roman Catholic people really teach or the Greek Orthodox.
Now years ago I used to always believe that the Roman Catholics were strong to believe that Mary was their savior, Mary the mother of God and all this kind of stuff, Mary intercede and this and that, so I asked some Catholics one time, I said, “Well, who is your Savior?”
They said, “Jesus Christ.” But you know, acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Savior does not make him savior. See, it’s fine to say, “Well, Jesus is Savior. Why sure that’s true; he died to save us from our sins. I believe that,” and I suppose, millions and millions believe that, what maybe eight hundred million people.
Who knows? I think there’s that many anyway, if not one billion people on the earth by now that actually are Christians, because there are seven hundred fifty millions sometime ago. Now the word ‘Christian’ I’m using loosely; it means they submit to the understanding that Christ Jesus came and died for their sins and they accept him as their Savior , if anybody’s going to save them that’s the One that does it.
Well, you can see right there that to simply accept the things and it could be mental. It could be doctrinal. It could be traditional. But it doesn’t mean you received Him. See, to believe you go beyond believing, or a mental ascent there. See to recognize it and believe in it is not enough. It must be received or as Brother Branham said, “The Token like the blood must be applied to neglect its application brings death for there is no other way into life.
The Token itself is life itself.” So when you’re dealing with blood you’re dealing with just a symbol. It took the place but when you’re dealing with the baptism of the Holy Ghost you’re thinking in taking… in terms of Jesus Christ taking his own place in your life in the Holy Spirit, the form of the Holy Spirit, that little portion.
Now the Token Itself is life Itself and that life contains It all, for in Him are all things and they’re all things now in you in the form of a seed. So in you is eternal life in a seed; in you is immortality; in you is the Resurrection; in you is the Millennium; you say, “Well, I think… I believe God’s going to raise me.”
You try and get raised without that being in you. It’s not going to work because that what causes you to be raised, that’s your covenant token and there can be a covenant God gave but unless you have that evidence that sealing in as the Bible calls it, you’re not going to rise. Do you follow what we’re saying?
So therefore, Brother Branham is saying here so very, very carefully and the wording is so strong; “You’ve got to apply the token.” See.
Just as the lamb supplied the blood which spoke of one life substituted for another and that substance called blood placed on the doorposts and lintels to manifest to the world that they had the prerequisite of life and a promised land so now the life of Christ comes back on the believer as it says in Galatians 2:20, “I’ve been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” That’s exactly what we’re looking at.
And without this life or token there can be no immortality or a kingdom. Now remember, we’re looking for immortality and a kingdom. See? Adam and we were in Adam, there was nothing said about a future kingdom. There was nothing said about the processes of death.
There was just the Word given. You have control of It all. That’s what he was born into. And he wants to get back to it. See? Man wants that. Brother Branham said, “Nobody wants to die.” That in a way is true and it’s true across the board. Do you understand what I’m saying? There’s cases where some will say, “I’d sooner get out of here and take a chance someplace else.” What he’s saying right there is this, there’s got to be something better than this but it doesn’t mean that there is and that takes it.
“Nobody wants to die.” Adam didn’t want to die. Eve didn’t want to die. Why? Because they were suited for the Kingdom; now that was the Genesis. That’s the Alpha. So man has got to take the omega and it’s going to be an alpha. He wants to go back where he was and he’d be a fool to want to go back where he was because he could fall again.
Transmigration of souls and that kind of stuff, believe in that hogwash. You haven’t been here before to… no, you can feel in your spirit what was here before and you want to avoid it. But you want to get back there, see.
So man is looking for this Kingdom and his part in It where he’s ruling and reigning over nature where there is a continuity and a conformity, a unity, a blending, a oneness, one with the other, and I’m speaking of man and nature, the whole universe, the whole thing, God in all of it. Now do you want to get back there? Then be full of the Holy Ghost. There’s just no other way you’re going to have it.
It’s the one prerequisite; except a man be born again he can never see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God, and you can’t have that apart from a revelation.
See, you just simply can’t say, “Well, it’s there,” you got to know that it is there and you got to know it’s for you. And as Brother Branham said, “You got to be anointed by the faith of God for that.” You preach It, of course, as anybody can have it, healing and everything else, but you got to be anointed for It. Okay.
Without this life or token, this evidence, this guaranty, this evidence of you and the contract which is the Word being one, because God stands behind His Word to perform It. He lifts up His hand and swore by Himself, “I’ll do it,” and He did it. Okay. Without that evidence, the Holy Spirit, the Token, call It what you will, there can be no immortality and no kingdom though man wants it. Man will use anything to get a kingdom of his own, kill, bribe, you name it.
Number two; the second major principle, you got to watch this one very carefully, is that this Token could only come at the evening time. It was at the evening time… it was an evening time Message; pardon me, when Moses came in the exodus. You got to pardon my coughing, this throat I’ve got talking to two men the other day too long I guess, kind of frazzled myself up. So you got to take the consequences. We start at verse 1, 12th chapter, [Exodus] and Aaron…
(01) And the LORD [spoke] unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
(02) This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: [it would have to be or wouldn’t it] it shall be the first month of the year to you.
(03) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
(04) And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
(05) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: … take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
(06) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
(07) …they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts… on the upper… post of the houses, [and therein] they shall eat it. [It’s ‘wherein’.]
They got to eat under that cover, see, and enclosed in there. It’s just like when you partake of the Lord’s Supper and you partake of any Message we trust it’s of the Holy Ghost here, you can hear Brother Branham’s tapes and know it for sure, you have to be under the Holy Spirit to even get what he’s saying. Jesus couldn’t make it out. See? So you see, inside the house, under the blood, under your token which is the Spirit now.
(08) And they shall eat the flesh… that night, roast with fire… unleavened bread; … with bitter herbs they shall eat it. [Now that’s speaking of suffering and sacrifice.]
(09) Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs… with the purtenance thereof.
(10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
(11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet… your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in [the time]… in haste: it is the LORD’s passover. [That’s when God stands guard.]
(12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt… will [I] execute judgment: I am the LORD.
(13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are:
In other words, you want a token, God said, “I want a token. I want to see that. I’ve got to see the evidence that the blood has been applied. Now you can shed the blood. Fine. You go ahead and shed it but if it’s not on the door, I don’t see it.” See?
Do you understand what we’re talking about? It’s there and you can go so far, right down the road and miss it. See, that’s… a lot of people do. Justified, sanctified, why they just work a Christian to death. Fine people, you know, you can’t fault them. They will no doubt be mostly foolish virgin, come up in the second Resurrection. They won’t be Bride though; they’re not going to make that Millennial Kingdom.
Now I want you to know something here that Millennial Kingdom as I’ve said before must be terribly, terribly, terribly important somewhere that only the very elect get it. What is that Millennial Kingdom all about? I don’t know. I don’t think nobody here knows. I know that for sure because Brother Branham told us very little it’s amazing.
I don’t believe he came back with one vision of the Millennium; he came back with a vision where you’re going to go to. Oh you say, “That’s great.” Well, that won’t be half as great as the other because that’s the intermediate. That’s where you go in order to get there. That’s like going from here to St. Louis to change planes to go to Chicago or Fresno or LA or someplace.
You say, “Who needs St. Louis?” Well, you do need it. We need to stop off here, too. We’re not faulting it but that’s not where we’re going. What… where are we going to? What is it all about? That’s the great mystery.
The great mystery and I can guarantee you this, there is no longing in the heart of a man or woman and I don’t care if that longing is toward God or just put there by God in the sense that you might not be longing much toward God but any longing that’s there is going to be in that Millennium completely fulfilled.
It’s got to be and then from there on, not just icing on the cake but from there on just like that Roman candle breaking out more and more and more, because the Millennium takes you there to put you over There. My, see this is something we ought to be very serious about. I know I’m not as serious as I should be.
(13) …the [blood’s going to be] a token… when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
So there you see it. It was an evening time Message. It was at night that all of this was done.
And on page 20 of the, what do you call them? The Token here, Brother Branham says,
[19-12] The evening time Message is to apply the Token.
Now seven Church Ages have gone by and this is the evening time. Now, let’s just regress a little bit to say this, when we talk about evening time, there’s an evening time in every age. It was an evening time when Jesus died and the Spirit comes back at that time to start another message. See?
It’s that time, like Brother Branham said, “The message comes… the messenger comes at the end of an age.” Well, the messenger comes at the first of an age but he comes at the end of the age that’s expiring to go into the first of that new age. See? They can kind of overlap and all. Well, every age ended in a darkness. See?
But then Light comes, so the Token is applied literally through Seven Church Ages in that sense, but this is a different sense and we’ll find out about it where Brother Branham said, “The Token could only come at the evening time and that’s the Holy Spirit.” So we got to watch that carefully.
Now I want to read,
[9-3] The lamb was killed in the evening time, after being kept up for fourteen days. [Now he said there was a chemistry for the Seven Church Ages.] And then the lamb was killed, and the blood was applied in the evening time… [And the Token never came into existence. We’ll read that from another page later on, it just got thrown out here, typed out or copied out.]
[9-4] The token never came into existence until the evening time. And this is the evening time of the age that we live in. [The seventh age.] This is the evening time for the Church. [I believe he means Bride there but it’s church also.] This is the evening time for me. This is the evening time for my Message. I’m dying; I’m going; I’m moving out in the evening time of the Gospel.
[9-5] We’ve come up through justification and so forth, [What’s the so forth? Sanctification, baptism with the Holy Ghost, see, but now…] but this is the time that the Token has to be applied.
Now I want to get to you something here, Israel went out, it was evening time, it ended an age over four hundred years of servitude and maybe six hundred years of a promise; “Come into this land, you’re going to have it.” See? All right.
I don’t know if it was six hundred years, it might have been five, I don’t know. I never looked any chronology up or otherwise but it was ongoing. Now it’s time to take it. So it signifies an end of an era, it’s over. This is the transitional thing or that which is the requisite, the prerequisite to coming into the fullness of what they wanted. So it’s evening time now; we’re in a juncture as Brother Branham said. We’re going to swing over, turn a corner.
I’m going to read that from Wuest’s translation and that’s how he pronounced it. Wuest I’m not quite sure what it is but he called it Wuest, a friend of mine told me that so, studied under him. So Dr. Wuest anyway; Let the Lord…
“Let the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be eulogized, praised, who impelled by His abundant mercy caused us to be born again so that we have a hope which is alive, this living hope having been made actually through the intermediate… instrumentality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ out from among those who are dead, [Notice that language is perfect.] resulting in an inheritance imperishable and undefiled that does not fade away which inheritance has been laid up and is now kept guarded in a safe deposit in heaven for you who are constantly being guarded, kept guarded by the power of God through faith for our salvation ready to be revealed in a last season which is epical and strategic in its significance.”
God is going to pull a coup to get us out of here, you can say what you want, but I’m too much of a romanticists, romanticist to let that go by the board. I’m not playing sleuth or detective or historian but I’m romantically inclined.
God is going to rescue the maiden that’s been locked in the tower. He’s going to foil the dragon, the serpent, the whole world. He’s going to pull a coup. We’re getting out of here. Well, that’s the Bible. You say what you want. I say what the Bible says. In which last season? You’re in a secret because you know what the coup is.
“You are to be constantly rejoicing with the joy that expresses itself in a triumphant exuberance. Although for a little while at the present time and perchance there’s a need for it, you have been made sorrowful in the midst of many different kinds of testing in order that the approval of your faith which faith was examined by testing’s for the purpose of being approved, [That’s good isn’t it?] the approval being much more precious than the approval of gold which perishes, even though the gold be approved by fire testing’s, may be discovered after scrutiny to result in praise and glory and honor at the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
It wasn’t back there. Now people think that’s going to be in heaven. He’s talking of the strategic season to get us out of here. Right… try to tell me the Book of Revelation, what is it twenty-one solid chapters, or is it twenty-two? I never did know, twenty, maybe it’s twenty-two.
I never can quote anything. You mean to tell me that that has happened up in heaven? Ha, it’s down here. Those Thunders never thundered in heaven, not even… There was silence up there. Thunders were down here on earth.
“That the revelation of Jesus Christ whom having not seen you loved because of His preciousness in whom now not seeing yet believing we’re rejoicing with an inexpressible and glorified joy upon the occasion of your receiving the promise consummation of your faith which is the final salvation of your souls.”
What’s the final salvation, the consummation of your faith? The day of redemption. So something’s going on now which prefaces the literal walking into, the immortality and that which man lost and which man hungers to get right back is right here in the making, it’s going on, where time and eternity has blended. I know people don’t… I believe that.
I don’t care what anybody says. I know it in my heart. I know it’s right and no matter how I live, or how rotten I am or anything else I know that’s true. Now that’s not like the Token and I can know the Token and sure not apply It, and not getting this. But I believe the Token has been applied or I wouldn’t know what I’m talking about today. See?
Now we know that something is going on and we know that time and eternity has blended, and we know that space and matter has blended. You say, “How?” I don’t know. When the thing is blended it’s blended. I’d got… we got a little mill at home; I like… we mill some different kinds of flour.
I’ll make a little test with you folk then you can be smart enough to how you can figure out time and eternity and I’ll blend some buckwheat and some millet, and some rye and some oats and I’ll stir it up and I’ll say, “Now you tell me which is which.” Now when you can do that, I know you can tell me the other. It’s going on. I can’t explain it but I like it. I’m allergic to wheat flour but I can take the other. See, that makes it all the better. Okay.
Now let me read you the Seals now. Where is it? Right here. Now listen! [The Seventh Seal: 63-03-24E]
[555-6] We must remember that this Seventh Seal is the end of time of all things.
Never came into existence until the evening time. That ends today, it’s all over. Wait for a new morning. [Token, 63-09-01]
[9-4] …evening time of the age that we live in… evening time for the Church… evening time for me… evening time for my Message… evening time for the Gospel.
End time evangelisms alone will work; not Luther’s day, not Wesley’s day, not Pentecost: everybody thinks that’s going to work. I got news. It won’t work. It will bring in a bunch of nominal Christians. [The Seventh Seal]
[555-6] Now we must remember that this Seventh Seal is the end of time of all things. That’s right. The things written in the Seventh Seal Book, (sealed up with the plan of redemption from before the foundation of the world), it every bit ends. It is the end; it is the end of the struggling world. It’s the end of the struggling nature. [We read about it.] It’s the end of everything. In there is the end of the trumpets. It’s the end of the vials. It’s the end of the earth. It’s even the end of time time runs out, the Bible said so.
[556-1] …Revelation the 10th chapter and 1 to 7… Time runs out. The angel said, “Time will be no more,” when that… in the days of this great thing to happen. Everything runs out in this time the end of… this Seventh Seal.
[556-2] Notice, it’s the end of the church age. It’s the end of the Seven Seals. It’s the end of the trumpets. It’s the end of the vials, and even ends the ushering in of the Millennium that’s on the Seventh Seal.
In other words, when the Seventh Seal expires you’re into it. You’re going in now in the ushering. It’s a process like the Rapture’s a process: Shout, Voice, Trumpet. You can’t tell that to anybody but us. Thank God, we’re so stupid with the theological seminaries thinking that we can just believe this stuff. Live or die, sink or swim. This is it. Now it’s on the Seven Seals.
[556-3] It’s just like firing a rocket into the air, and that rocket explodes here, and it goes up, then it explodes again. It puts out five stars. One of those stars explodes and puts out five more… see; it fades on out. That’s what this Seventh Seal… it just ends the time for the world. It ends the time for this. It means the time for that. [In other words, it’s all folding up and going.] It ends the time for this. It ends the time… everything just ends up on that Seventh Seal. [All right.]
Now then, you’re talking about something very, very peculiar in the Bible and that is this, the prophet absolutely joins up the exodus as the great type, Israel going out of Egypt, typing now our exodus, throws it into the end time and throws the Seventh Seal right in there. So, all right.
The Seventh Seal, there’s nothing under it. Only thunders come down. Now how’s it going to take place? Well, we know, but we’re not especially interested in that, we’re just going to carry on now because we want to just see that. So now we saw categorically that what the exodus is all about according to Paul was immortality, and a kingdom which is the Millennium, and all that pertains to it, and the ushering into the Millennium requires its, anticipating citizens to have the Holy Ghost or die.
Now a lot of people are anticipating. Anticipation is good. A lot of people anticipate. How many young men and women anticipated the first baby is going to be a boy, turned out a girl?
Anticipation is fine. Just look… just something like looking at a nice recipe book and seeing a beautiful roast beef and baked potatoes, and “Man, I’d like that.” Well, just try eating the paper. “Well, I can bake it.” Well, try to get fat on the smell of it while you’re baking it. See, anticipation is good but what it is you don’t have any guarantee of anything unless you’ve got that Token. See, that’s the prerequisite. See?
Now if people realize that the company’s not fooling when it says I want an engineer with six years of training and he’s got to have a PGE as well as a BSC and they might want a Masters and this and that. You go there unless you’re a good bluff or you can prove that you’ve got everything that a trained engineer has, it’s ten to one you won’t even get in the door really, you know, for an interview.
Now if the world wants that do you think God is going to slacken up on His promise what His demands especially if His Bible says, “God is more willing to give us the Holy Ghost than we are to receive?” “Well,” he said, “if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give you the Holy Ghost to them that ask Him?” “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find.” See? All right.
Now remember, we are not talking about the Resurrection this morning in this subject, the dead coming out of the grave, we are talking about those now living under the voice of Revelation 10:7, “In the days of the voice of the seventh church age messenger when he begins to sound,” those will walk into the Millennium and not see death. And this is not anymore than what we read in Ephesians 1. Now I’m taking a lot of preamble but I’m doing it on purpose you well know that.
(13) In whom [you] also [hoped] [because that word above is ‘trusted’ it is hoped, h-o-p-e-d, so the one down below has to be ‘hoped’ too in italics.] after that [you] heard the word of truth, [it has to be truth] the gospel of your salvation: [What’s the gospel of our salvation? The same thing Paul preached, but what Paul couldn’t deliver to the people of that day through the Holy Spirit.] in whom also after that [you] believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the [down payment]… the earnest [the token, the guarantee] of [your] inheritance…
See, you’re looking for this kingdom. You’re not denigrating God’s good gift of the Holy Ghost, brother/sister, this is just God’s way of getting you there. The whole thing is of God. You remember, the devil tried to get Jesus there to the Kingdom in a wrong way? He said, “Forget it, I won’t fall down and worship you or anybody like you. You worship God.” Even Jesus had God to worship. What about us? He was full of the Holy Ghost. What about us? Do you think we’re going to get by? He was born of the Holy Ghost. We can go into that at another time on the attributes.
(14) [Now, this is what you’ve got to have to get that] redemption of the purchased possession…
In other words, the Blood bought you and that’s good but that won’t do. See? There’s where people are wrong in the churches. It was fine to look at the blood under Luther and Wesley and the Pentecostals. The Blood still is there but you better be born again. Nobody gets in that Kingdom unless they’re full of the Holy Ghost. Now,
(14) …the purchased possession [of the blood], unto the praise of [the] glory [of his grace].
And that’s also the same as 1 Corinthians 12:13, “By one spirit are we all baptized into one body.” It’s the same as Romans 8:9, the last part, “If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of His.” See? All of those are in there. It’s Romans, well, I might as well read the one in Romans because I think I want to read just a little bit more than just that part I quoted. Let’s read Romans 8… 10 to 11.
(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; [Now let’s watch that one.] … if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; [You’re still going to die.]
They died under Luther. They died under Wesley. They died under Pentecost. And they’re dying right now. I don’t care if they are full of the Holy Ghost. Now I think your minds being… getting on track now. Then this Holy Ghost whatever it entails has got to be different from what the Holy Ghost was back there because this bunch doesn’t die. It’s the evening time Message.
“And evening time,” Brother Branham says, “is dying, the church is dying. Time is dying. I am dying. This is dying. That is dying. It’s going out. But this has come to bring life.” All right. He said,
(10) …the body is dead because of sin; [In other words, we’re sinning even though we got the Token you’re still going to die. That’s true.] but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [You’ve guaranteed a life on the other side and immortality because you’re born again.]
(11) But if the Spirit, [no…I’ve read 10 and now 11 yea!] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, [Now he’s telling you now if you’re born again] he that raised up Christ from the dead shall… quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that [dwells] in you.
Now notice, he’s speaking of a special thing being done which is that person being raised from the dead. Now you know that’s under the Voice. That’s good because the Shout goes before that. Now let’s just leave that sit there. All right.
This is no more than Ephesians 1:13, 14 and Romans 8:10, 11 though that goes on until the last one comes in, that goes right on. This is going on now. But what is this?
This is Ephesians 1:15-17 after all these are full of the Holy Ghost right up to the day and including the day of redemption because you don’t know when the last one’s brought in. Watch what comes next.
(15) Wherefore… also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
(16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Now listen! I told you it goes on at the same time that day of redemption comes in, and this proves it because he’s praying for a living people, not dead people. Now if you want to light a candle and pray for the dead, go ahead, you ain’t going to get them out of the ground.
You can be the high priest of Timbuktu and the Grand Lama; I don’t care what you are. You won’t even be a grand slam at that day because there’s nothing there. How do you get out of the ground being born again? And God gets you out of the ground. And Paul says right here before you do come out of the ground something special’s got to happen.
(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that [you] may know what is the hope of his calling, [not yours but His] and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [that’s that name in there, the word of the name.]
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand…
Now he’s telling you right there what that spirit is going to do. At the end time they’ll come in with the revelation of Jesus Christ and relationship to the Bride that’s going to bring the dead out of the ground and put us in a Rapture and come back and take the Kingdom. Now he calls it a spirit.
That’s what he calls it. And God’s got only one Spirit and He is Spirit. And here Paul is saying here, that God may grant to you people He couldn’t grant to that people; He could only grant to the end time people His own coming on the scene revealing Himself to the Church. No, nothing else. Now people can say what they want; they don’t believe this, that’s all right by me. I’m not here to convince anybody. See?
But remember, Ephesians 1:13, 14 is necessary or you don’t get this. People say, “Well, just a minute, I believe if I got this up here, I’ve got this.” That’s true you will have. You say, “Well, I got this up here then I don’t need this down here.” Ha, that’s where they missed it. All the theologians, you read any book under high heaven that’s written by any theologian, and you see If they get this one right. They just tell you it’s the same thing up here as far as I recall having read what I read. I could talk to Brother Ungren he remembers more than I do. He’s got more books, too. Look it up and just find out what they say.
I believe you’ll find that they say, “This is the same one up here and it pertains to the same thing but Paul is just kind of elaborating. You know the Bible goes out of cater at times. You can’t believe the Bible, everything It says chronological, like that time you know about Abraham and Sarah and go down to that King Abimelech down there. Well, that… chapter right there should have been way back further maybe around chapter thirteen when they were young kids. But somebody got it out of order.”
The prophet told you what happened; they were an old couple turned back to their youth so they could have children. Anybody that can’t see that has got to be deaf, dumb, blind spiritually speaking.
So what would the theologians do with this? Well, this is the answer to those Thunders. Huh? If God has got to be His own Redeemer then God’s got to be His own procurer, provider and precursor of the Word of Almighty God. He’ll use channels don’t worry He’ll do it. Oh, brother/sister, if everything isn’t in God then I don’t even want to touch it. I’ve seen too much outside of God especially myself. Shew. Put it all back on God where it belongs. Put it in seed form and us because that’s a modicum, microcosm. Okay.
Look it, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,” that’s the kleusma, the military command, the coxswain getting the rowers in rhythm. I Corinthians 15: where everything is being put in order, subjection which is a divine order, lining up to the Head. This is where the Cornerstone becomes the capstone.
The Cornerstone is absolutely the same as the Capstone, just a different shape, a different place, and the capstone itself has got to be a little pyramid to fit on the pyramid. What else could it be? Everything that came from the Head He started and built right up and comes through a body and then takes authority again, back to Headstone, back to Capstone. It’s got to be capstone to capstone. Who starts it? Who finishes it? I’m Alpha and Omega.
Listen, God stood there in the Garden as the Judge and He said, “I tell you what boy, I’m reading you the Word and interpreting It. You touch that fruit tree right there, you’re gone.” They were gone; that’s the Judge. Come right back and say. that’s the Judge; there He is right there. Oh, brother/sister, listen, we’re right in this great thing today. It’s not down the road. In fact we’re leaving the road far behind us. I wonder if we realize that twenty years have gone by? Coming right up, December 24th. It’s right around the corner. Sure as you’re alive. All right.
[1 Thessalonians 4:16]
(16) …with the Shout, with the Voice of the archangel, the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first, [and so on.]
And he’s talking about that to the living. Then what came down? That Spirit came down. Well, people don’t want to recognize that, see, that’s all right with me.
It’s the same one, Revelation 10:1, the mighty angel came down. It’s the same as Malachi 4, why he said, “I’m going to in the last days the people are so wicked,” He said, “I’ve got to do the same thing I did in the days of Noah, but… I’m going to do it with fire.” That’s why He comes down with a rainbow over His head. That’s what they saw down at the river. It looked like a rainbow that light.
You know rainbows are really complete circles when you see them right? Get up in the clouds sometime, in an airplane. A whole full circle, God’s full circle, brother/sister, don’t ever sell Him short. He’s going to get us there and whether we stand the squeeze or not; He’s going to get us there.
Like one fellow said, “He’ll get you there; He’ll pull you through if you can stand the squeeze.” I can tell you something, whether you can stand the squeeze or not He’s still going to pull you through. Election is election, bless God. We’ve done been voted upon, we heard our names called in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You bet we did. That’s how we heard the gospel of truth. There’s no other way to hear your name except through the gospel of truth.
(01) …[so] the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, … [they] that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts… [leaving] neither root nor branch.
(02) But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;
It’s a two-fold right there. The same Judge that says burn, is the same Judge that says you are free. Immortality comes to us through God dispensing what Jesus Christ bought for us, and He Himself becoming the chief guest of honor because in our state of immortality God Himself makes him immortal by sliding right into the body of Jesus Christ and we’ll crown Him King of kings and Lord of lords. He’ll be Son of David, Son of God, Son of man, Altogether Lovely, Holy Ghost, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; He’ll be everything that day. We’re going to do it, too.
(03) …[you’ll] tread down the wicked… they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this,
We’re not going to tread them down in that particular sense we’re going to do it; He’s going to do it. We’ll be doing it with Him by the grace of God. I know, I know that sounds kind of tough to you but think what kind of a God have you got? Well, I got this kind of a God and that suits me fine. I’m not vengeful anymore than He is vengeful, but neither do I want to say something He doesn’t say. Neither do I want to go where He doesn’t want to go.
Neither do I want to enter into what He doesn’t want for me. You know people always try to out-God God and out-Word the Word, out-Jesus Jesus and out-prophet the prophet, well, they just get plumb out. You want to get plumb in? Get in with God, get in with the Word, get in with the Holy Ghost, get in with the prophet. See?
(05) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
(06) And he [will] turn the [hearts] of the… children [back] to [the] fathers…
Now the whole clue is right there: God and the prophet. Who’s going to come down? God’s going to come down. What’s He going to come down to? Prophet, met him in the water. Yeah, all right.
No one should ever bypass, Acts 2:37-39 “Repent and be baptized.” Don’t do that. Don’t bypass, 1 Corinthians 12:13, you’ve got to be born again. Romans 8:9 as I mentioned, but in maintaining and being loyal to Acts 2:37-39 do not reject Ephesians 1:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and Revelation 10:1 but they’ll do it every time. They’ll do it every time.
“Well,” they say, “that was a great messenger came down.” Tell me what Messenger has got a rainbow over His Head except the One on the Throne and Brother Branham categorically said, “It was the Pillar of Fire or the Spirit of God, I beg your pardon, Spirit of God.” I read it several weeks ago; remember when, when I was Taking the Unveiling or something like that.
Now don’t let them go but remember credit the truth of Ephesians 1:17 and so on, for in this evening hour sons are not only coming to Christ but the Lord Himself has descended to get us out of here. The baptism with the Holy Ghost does not get you out of here per se; it’s the Token you got when He gets you out of here. It’s a sign of the evidence. All right.
How could one be full of the Holy Ghost and then deny the Holy Ghost? That’s a good question. Thus we must be very careful when we hear this message. It is not only what we hear but how we hear it. You can’t hear this sermon through Pentecostal doctrine. That age is over. The age of gifts is over, Brother Branham said so. It’s evening time message of Malachi 4:1.
It’s the message of Matthew 25 time. It’s the end time evangelism. People think that it doesn’t evangelize but you better believe it does because any word outside of this Word is not God’s evangelism because it’s not the Word of truth because Paul said, “You’ve heard the Word of truth.” If it’s not end time evangelism, brother/sister, and I read that Word of truth, remember. What would you do with 2 Thessalonians 2nd chapter? Here’s It says over here. Satan is going to come. His very presence is going to be here with working and signs and wonders and power. Remember that’s the real anointing on the devil just like Judas;
(09) …whose [presence] is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and… wonders,
(10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [Now brother/sister, listen, there’s got to be a truth at the end time that is the truth because that’s what It says here.]
(11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
Now then this cannot be a truth that tippy-toes in, in the middle of the night in a dark room and silently falls dead and evaporates by the morning. It’s like a thunder clap of eruption of Krakatau or even Mount St. Helen’s, far worse than the one down in South America, or the tidal wave that hit Japan, rather Hawaii.
It will be like the San Andreas Fault giving way. This is not something that is silently expired. This came like a blast upon this world and they turned it down thumbs flat. And then let me say this they did away I believe with Christ in the… Christ’s ministry and the Spirit of God through William Branham a whole lot quicker than they did away with Jesus in his three and a half years.
I doubt that Brother Branham had anywhere near three and a half years because the minute he said, “I believe in water baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ;” he was dead, duck right there. But they sure wanted to steal his thunder, you know that’s an expression but it’s true. I’ve got some, too. They wouldn’t run interference for William Branham; they ran interference with Him.
Now God sends strong delusion. What right would God have to send strong delusion unless it was a strong evidence? You can’t put God down as less righteous than we are. Because if you being evil know how to give good gifts how much more will the heavenly Father give good gifts and give the Holy Ghost? If you being… if you and I being evil have this sense of justice and judgment, hey there’s no sign up there that says I shouldn’t make a u-turn, how can I get picked up and charged thirty dollars for making a u-turn? Do you think that God’s going to come along and be less righteous than we are? Come on. This was not done in a corner.
(12) That they might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
What’s the unrighteousness? Living their godly wonderful lives according to creeds and dogmas; being Cain’s instead of Abel’s. Well, look it here, the Bible even tells about me, why Abel could rise in the judgment and say now, “Just a minute, just a minute now, great God doesn’t It say in your own Word that I offered an excellent sacrifice.” You bet your life he could do that if he’d get the chance.
Will not many come and say, “Lord, have we not done wonderful works in Thy name?” He’ll never deny it. Then they must have missed the Holy Ghost somewhere. Look it, I’m not… I’ve got no axe to grind.
(13) But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit [even] belief of the truth:
(14) Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But there’s coming a day when there’s another gospel to [Inducible] on me, another phase, where Paul did not know the power of the Resurrection. Oh, he’ll know it eventually. But the Seventh Age group gets it first; they come up first then we get changed standing here. God does it.
Now that’s what Brother Branham is speaking of, the Token at the end time. But there’s always been a Token. Tell me what Luther… if you say Luther didn’t have the Holy Spirit; that’s got to be a joke in my books. I don’t care what he manifested. I don’t care what he believed. He believed what he needed for that hour; that’s reformation.
This is restoration, brother/sister. We’re going right back to the essentials, to the beginning. See? Now understand: alpha is omega. We’re just like a breath, considering all times, from walking right in.
Now Brother Branham was telling them, “You got to have the Token. It’s Token time.” See? All right. The Spirit of Christ was not only here to fill us but Elohim Himself in the fullness of His Person here with the Shout, Voice, Trumpet, and none outside of Jesus Christ will ever hear that Trumpet, will ever hear the Voice; ever hear the Shout. Thus know for a surety this message does not leave off the baptism with the Holy Ghost, neither does it leave out the Holy Spirit Himself.
Desperation: [63-09-01]. See if I can find it. Yes, paragraph 17, I believe. Seventeen? Yeah, somewhere, pardon me, I’ll get to it. Just give me time. Oh I started here.
[17] Then the Life that was in Christ is the Holy Ghost, not the third person, but the same Person in the form of the Holy Spirit, coming upon you as a Token that your life and your fare is paid. You have been accepted. Until that Token comes, you’re not permitted on the highway. You’re not permitted on the… bus line. You’re not permitted to go in until you can present this Token, and that Token is your fare. And now, It shows that the Blood has been shed and been applied to you, [and] the price has been applied to you, [now you people,] and you have taken the Token that the Blood is applied to you and you’ve accepted… [In other words, the Spirit on you shows that you are under the Blood. That’s true.]
[18] Now… No certain evidence. See? You say, “Brother Branham (I feel it in your minds. You see?) why will I know?” How will I know? Look! What were you? And what are you?
Now that’s the question right now to ask everybody here. What were you? You say, “I was a sinner.” Look it, forget that stuff. You were back there condemned in denomination. What were you back there? Nobody’s denying the fact that you had a change down the line somewhere. We’re not going to argue with that. Why, man, you could get a change through psychology, a psychiatrist.
I’ve said many a time, there’s a poor old fellow he used to smoke and he’s drunk, and he’s had a terrible temper and he’s been out there carousing and beating people up and everything else, and one day he feels some pains around his heart. The guy goes to the doctor and the doctor says, “Yeah, I’m going to tell you something, buddy, one more flare of your temper and one more outburst, one more bottle of booze, one more cigarette, you’ll drop over dead.”
He said, “Really, doc?”
“Yeah, you’re gone.”
The next morning the guy doesn’t smoke, drink booze, or anything else. He’s converted. Not by the Holy Ghost. He’s changed but not by God. You can’t go by these outside things. See?
So what he says here,
[18] What were you? And what are you? There’s how you know. See? What were you before the Token was applied? What were you after It’s applied?
You say, “Well, what about now then? I got the Token way back there.” Well, how did you get this Message outside of the Token? How can you listen? See? You wouldn’t have a rapport with it.
[18] What was your desires before, and what is your desires after? Then you know whether the Token’s applied or not. And these other things [will] automatically go with that. See?
Now then, now listen, everybody’s that’s supposed to be born again goes to the Bible and they should go to the Bible. We got to the Bible. But what revelation of the Bible do we go to? We don’t go to their revelation. We’re not eating that. Brother Branham said, “You’re not feeding on the Word of a man, you’re feeding on the body Word of the Lord Jesus Christ.” What are you? I’m a different feeder. We got different feeders. Yup.
[19] Life, talking about it and say, “Tongues is the evidence.” Now, I’ll… buy a pair of shoes; the tongue isn’t the shoe. It just comes with the shoe. It just comes with the shoe. See? Now, the same thing is the Token. The Token is Christ. But speaking in tongues, and casting out devils, and doing these things, and preaching, and whatever it is, the evidence, it’s there, true; but it’s… just gifts. See?
[21] And the devil can impersonate any of [these] things… those things. But he cannot be the Holy Ghost. See? He can impersonate these gifts, but he can’t be the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Ghost is the Token that the Blood’s been applied, because It follows the Blood all the way from the Book of Redemption. See it? That was the purpose of Him coming. That’s what He followed in every age. [What was the purpose of Him, coming, that’s what’s followed in every age.] Every age He’s followed that to see that It’s brought forth.
In other words, He came upon earth to shed His Blood to see the people get the Holy Ghost which is the Token, their side of the contract, the proof, that you go on in. See? Because remember, He redeemed the earth, His Blood fell upon it. See. The whole thing is a total redemption.
[21] And they could not be made perfect without us. And now, the entire Holy Spirit visits the Church making God in human flesh…
Now what’s that God in human flesh? A prophet who stands up and says words that no man can fulfill, only God could fulfill: Deuteronomy 18, a replica or a vicar you might say in the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ. All ages we’ve had vicars, those that took the place of Him, at the end time we have a special one.
Remember, the Holy Spirit is here instead of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as the great Teacher cannot reach each one of us so he has a messenger, so as God spake to Moses and Moses spake to Aaron and Aaron spoke to the people, so you got it coming down. God was in Christ, that Spirit of life comes back now and comes through a messenger, and the messenger speaks to you and me and now then we are delegates as Paul said in the Scripture, “We are ambassadors, we are here in God’s stead.”
So the Holy Spirit baptism is here in God’s stead, the messenger is here in God’s stead, we are here in God’s stead, it’s all of the Holy Ghost. So you see, friends, it’s not hard to understand some of these things. Just let your own thinking go and go to the Word of God and see it all very plain there, and you can understand that the Holy Spirit, God Himself, came down. He said the whole… he said,
[21] …the entire Holy Spirit visits the Church… [And we know because he sent the prophet. He’s like a token to us. He’s not the token. Do you understand what I am saying? Look, I’m just trying to get the thing built up where you say, “Hey, I can rely on that,” because that’s what you got to look at. And all the things, no.] making God in human flesh as He did before Sodom, the burning there, which was a type. Then Abraham, He appeared to him. See?
[22] And all the things that He hasn’t done down through the ages, in the church ages, He is… doing now. Back to the Word, because the messages and the messages and the messages has to wind up… the entire Word. And… the last days, the Seven Seals being opened, was to pick up every straggle that’s been left off… and make the whole thing in one great big body of the Bride, that those who lived back there [were] not perfect until this Church be perfected, the Bride group in the last days, to bring them in and altogether be taken up…
[23] The Token, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, is among us.
What good is it He be among us if He wasn’t in us? When Brother Branham spoke he said, “The Holy Spirit, God’s down there, God’s in South Africa, He’s down here, He’s up here, and He’s here with us.” Did he say the Pillar of Fire is down there, too? I never heard him say that. Do you follow what we’re saying this morning? You’ve got to understand this message has a… not an undertone but an absolute perfect clear cut principle when you’re talking about the token. See? Especially for this hour!
Now, we don’t have too much time but we’re going to take a little time here. I’m going to go back now with all this laid out again so you hope we don’t miss anything here. We’ll read a little bit in the Token itself. And Brother Branham said,
[10-7] The animal life could not come [back] upon the believer, because it was an animal, and it only spoke of a conscience showing that there would come a perfect Sacrifice. [In other words, they could rest on the fact that there was something ahead that would take care of everything. See?]
[10-8] Now, how could there be a more perfect Sacrifice than God Himself becoming the Atonement, Himself?
Well, look it, He’d have to be. He’d have to work it out somehow otherwise how could He be the Redeemer and Savior and make it stick. He couldn’t do it. That’s why He said, “With whom did I take counsel? Who gave me my thinking?” He said, “It was all there.” Now when it’s all there and I’m all that’s there, then I’ve got to put myself into it to bring it out.
So that’s when He begins to start to get to the place of Redeemer which made It human flesh because God had to already be Savior to be Healer, to be Justifier, Sanctifier, to be our Resurrection, to be the Millennium, to be this, oh, to be everything. It was all in Him.
And the only way He could start to do it would be starting through that manifestation. That’s why that light went out of Him. So then how in the world could He be the sacrifice because He is our atonement; how could He be this, if He didn’t do something about it personally? So He did.
He took all of His attributes, I’ve explained that many times before, put the figures down for you took all those attributes, put them right into a sperm and an egg and put it unto a physical form. But remember, that physical form had in it those attributes and that life, and that life had everything of God in it, like a microcosm, but it was all there, trillions of them.
You’ll never mention, it’s infinite, put it into a woman’s body through a chemistry. We read that here somewhere, too, about the Blood. I think I read it the other day, maybe I… anyway, the Blood went back to the elements but the life didn’t. I come from God and I go to God. Oh man, that’s pure and simple, it is. What else could it do? Then God takes that life and puts it upon you and me. That’s why trillions could receive that life and never be God, never exhaust God. It’s only an infinite God giving His life. Oh my, it’s really precious if we get into it.
Now,
[10-8] When God was made flesh and His Own creative Blood [we talked about that] …the only way what a Life of God could ever come back, because all of us was born by sex.
He tells you that. We’re animal life. We’re like animals, born through sex… the original man wasn’t. So what does God do? He makes a new man, another man, the Lord from heaven; not earth earthy, not a spin-off. Mary didn’t contribute one thing to Christ per se, no sir. It wasn’t a egg that God fertilized, Mary’s egg. How could God fertilize Mary’s egg? Well, you get foolish ideas. It won’t hold water. It won’t attain. God made that egg and sperm and in it was everything necessary.
[11-1] [Now] therefore, the life that is in there is of the world… [that’s you and me, we come that way] that life will not stand. It’s a thing that is already judged and condemned. [That’s right. Dying you die, you sure do.] You can’t patch it up. … no way to patch it… no way to smooth it out. … no way to make it better. It’s got to die… the only requirement there is, is [death, See? But nothing is going to do that, you know, but the Holy Spirit.]
[11-2] It has got to die, and the substitute a Life of… Christ has to come into you, which is the Holy Ghost, God’s Token, that you have accepted the Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Just don’t talk about it, you got to believe it, you got to receive it. That’s one thing I do like about the old Pentecostal days, I do admit they made an issue over this and the people, I believe, a lot of them were truly full of the Holy Ghost because they waited before God and waited, like old what is it?
Uncle Buddy Robinson, the great Nazarene preacher, you know, he said, “Now Lord, if you don’t give me the Holy Ghost, when You get back You’ll just find a bag of bones here.” And I believe without a doubt old uncle Buddy had the Holy Ghost because I understand he spoke in tongues but that’s no evidence. But the Nazarenes would sure like to cover that one up. Well, hurrah for the Nazarenes, cover it all up if you want.
They got a bad time. My poor old brother-in-law was a Nazarene for fifty years and finally gave up. He said, “I don’t know why I stayed there for fifty solid year” Maybe your brother-in-law will get it too, Joe, one of these days, who knows. Not that that is going to change him. No, what the next thing is they go to Pentecost. That’s good, too, in a way, they come next up the ladder a bit more but if they stay with that there’s death in that pot, too.
[11-3] Now, therefore, in the days of Wesley, or the days of Luther, it was thought to believe in the days of Wesley, the chemistry of the Blood. [In other words, they preached the Blood. They had to because that was the message of the hour. See? The sanctifying Blood, the regenerating Blood and all that lay there and people… that was fine.] But this is the last day where the Token is required. That makes together the whole unit for the Rapture. You see it? [Now watch!]
[11-4] Water, blood and spirit come when a mother gives birth to the baby. [Now he’s talking about church ages, and those ages are like individuals. So hold that in mind. All right, now.] Water, blood and spirit come when a mother gives birth to the baby. The first thing breaks in a normal birth is a water; the second thing is a blood; and the next thing is life.
[11-5] There came…there came the body form… There [came] from the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, water, blood and life. And the whole Church, the Bride, together has been made up through justification, sanctification, and the baptism [with] the Holy Ghost which is the Token.
Now he’s not saying Pentecostal baptism was the token, he’s talking about the Holy Ghost Himself is the Token that baptized you. The Token Himself giving of Himself. How in the world could you and I have a token except the very measure of what God Himself giving us?
What if He is the Redeemer He reduced His own great infinite body, His attributes, into two cells that became flesh to give us the blood, then do you think He’s going to give us anything other than His Spirit for a Token? Oh, brother/sister, you’re not following your Bible. Better follow your Bible.
[11-6] …because Hebrews 11 says, “All these who wandered about in sheepskins, and goatskins… destitute, and all these things… they [had] done, and yet were not made perfect without us.” [What does perfect mean? Finished, closed off, all over, polished.]
[11-7] And the Church in this day that has received the Token of the baptism with the Holy Ghost that the Blood has been shed, and… the Holy Ghost is upon the Church.
Now is he talking about individuals? Sure, but he’s talking collectively, too, because he said, it wasn’t back there. See, I know what I’m talking about. I asked Brother Branham back in the days when I wrote the Church Ages Book with Brother Branham, people said, “Well, nobody’s really got the true Holy Ghost.” Somebody said, “Brother Branham was the only one that got the Holy Ghost and now he’ll give it to us.” Oh, I said, “Good lands, what goes on with these guys?”
I’m convinced I got the Holy Ghost but of course, I could get things wrong. Look, I’m not God; I’m not a prophet. I don’t have a gift like a certain preacher I understand who said, “Now you got the Holy Ghost but you don’t.” I wouldn’t know if anybody got the Holy Ghost or don’t.How would I know?
I got hopes, I believe, sure I believe, I think I could believe, not only cared and believed but with I think, with a great amount of conviction everybody that’s here has got the Holy Ghost. I got no proof. But we look at this thing. See? You got to understand what we’re talking about, the church and the individual. See.
Israel went in as a group with the Pillar of Fire, the Holy Ghost over them, and all they could use was the blood in that day. Now that day back there through the Seven Church Ages, they had what it took to get them this far but now they need God Himself, not one that’s a far off standing there with the Word that’s been simply standing there, but there’s an intervention. Let’s read it again.
[11-7] And the church in this day that has received the Token of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, [that’s the Token, the baptism to go with it] of the Holy Spirit, that the Blood has been shed… the Holy Ghost is upon the church. Without us then they could not raise, but they’re depending on us. For God promised He would have it, AND SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BE THERE! I DON’T KNOW WHO IT IS GOING TO BE, BUT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO RECEIVE IT!
Going to receive what? Going to receive something to get them out of the ground. Now that person is not going to get them out of the ground. We’re simply saying that at the end of the church age that something has got to be received, something has got to be given and it’s going to bring the whole thing together in a unit. Now before it was water, blood and now it’s Spirit.
You come all the way to the place; justification, sanctification, and baptism of the Holy Ghost and the baptism gives way to the Holy Ghost Himself: Brother Branham said. Then where are we at but at the Baptizer Himself. Back to Headship. Come up through a body, proved it’s returned to grain because we see the very ministry that Jesus had on earth, come right back, brother/sister.
[11-8] THERE IS ONLY ONE THING I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR; IS TO PREACH IT! [What’s he been preaching? Exodus, Token; you’ve got to have it.] IT IS GOD’S BUSINESS TO LOOK OUT FOR THAT PREDESTINATED SEED! THERE IS GOING TO BE THERE ALL BECAUSE THEY’RE GOING TO BE THERE EACH ONE OF THEM! ONE WITH THE OTHER [Now listen! You say, “Well, that’s each person.”No!] THE WATER AGE, THE BLOOD AGE, AND NOW THE TOKEN AGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Now brother/sister, who was back there with the water? What came out of his side? Water. Whose water so to speak? Christ, living water. Whose blood came out? Christ’s blood. What blood? Living blood. What came out? Life. What life? Holy Ghost. Three ages. Now what? Himself… maybe I’m telling you wrong. I can’t see otherwise.
[12-1] And remember, Israel came through many things, but it was evening time when the token was required, not in the morning, not in the preparation of the fourteen days of the keeping up of the lamb. [Now that’s the Seven Church Ages typing it.]
[12-2] Israel knew something was coming [Now watch!] so did Luther know it…
What good would it be for Luther to know something was coming if he didn’t have what would get him out of the grave? It doesn’t do you much good to know that an earthquake is coming and you got no place to go; it just gives you the shivers and the quake and you die a thousand deaths ahead of time. Great, have fun. You know, brother/sister, God’s not stupid. God’s not pulling some kind of deal. I preach hard but I preach this in love the best I can.
[12-2] …so did Luther know it; [as well as Israel] so did Wesley know it; so did Finney, Knox, and Calvin…
Now listen! How did Luther know? The same as Israel knew. How did they know? There was a promise by Abraham handed down. There was a Word for it. But how’s it going to be? Then God does an interpreting how it is and they look back and they say, “There it is all the time.” That’s right.
And one day they’re going to look back and say, “Hey, God did say Elijah was going to come and it was he. He did say He would come down here and He did it. Now we’re too late.” Now there’s only one guarantee of you and me not missing it if we don’t have the Holy Spirit or think we don’t we’d better do something about it. We better begin to seek God until we know in our hearts we do. He said,
[12-2] …Finney [knew it,] Calvin [knew it.] This is it.
They had to be Spirit filled, brother/sister. Nobody will ever change that Word of God that says, “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,” because Brother Branham categorically said, “How do we get in?” and he tells you exactly how and he uses that exact word. Now you got to get in to get out because we’re not going to go in a Rapture as individuals; we’re going in as a Bride.
Age seven comes up first, six, five, four, three, two, one; then they go up, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. So let’s not get our wires crossed.
[12-3] They knew there would come a time that the Pillar of Fire would return back to the Church. [Now Who’s the Pillar of Fire? Jesus Christ. Just watch your thinking.] They knew there would come a time that these things would happen. But they didn’t live to see it, but they looked forward to it.
[12-4] Israel knew something was coming, but it was coming in the evening time when that lamb’s blood, the token, was placed on the door. Yet the lamb was already put up.
They had the witness: Token time, evening time, going out time. Then who’s going to tell us when the time comes? There’s only one can tell us the time and that’s the Holy Ghost. He shall tell you all things and when they’re going to happen. The spirit of wisdom in the revelation in the knowledge of Him… Let me read it for you. I can’t read it, brother, tell Brother Branham… I just quoting it… I’d quote it haphazard. Let me get it for you: Ephesians 1. I’ll get you out of here right away, I hope.
(17) …the spirit of wisdom [comes into the church, to make known to the church by the] revelation [of the Holy Spirit.]
And notice the beautiful words there. It’s the Holy Spirit Himself comes into the Church and through revelation brings the Church in, reveals to the Church the day we’re living in, just the same as Gabriel came to Daniel, the Holy Spirit comes to the Church in the last days to reveal these deep secret things.
What’s God going to come and do? He’s going to come in a revelatory manner which is the Seventh Seal. He’s going to have His prophet there. We’ve looked for it. We couldn’t put it together. What’s this about Elijah? What’s this about that? What’s this other thing? Well, where does this go? Now we know. That’s God. Who did it? God did it. Where was He? Came right down and did it.
There’s His picture, there’s His picture. “Oh, I can’t believe that.” Well, don’t believe it. Who cares? I’m not here to convince anybody or get my hair messed up, throw my hands around. Might do that too but… no. See, the Pillar of Fire is not the baptism with the Holy Ghost, but Jehovah Himself. See?
[12-4] …the lamb was already put up. [The lamb was there.]
[12-5] It’s been the lamb all the way through. It was the lamb in Luther’s time; it was the lamb in Wesley’s time. But now is the Token time…
The Blood’s not necessarily off the Mercy Seat but there comes a time when it’s all over. You say, “How do I know it’s Token time?” because the Token Himself came with the prophet and showed us, and He’s here and He’s going to get us out of here. You tell us He’s not going to get us out of here, brother/sister, I’m going to tell you with Brother Branham, “Someone’s going to get out of here.”
Old Lee Vayle might not get out of here, though he sure hopes to get out of here and wants to get out of here, and my God, I’m depending on getting out of here but I want to tell you, if there’s not one person in this church makes it there’s going to be somebody that makes it. You bet it is. We may be a little bit blind but not in both eyes. Our hearing may be a little bit deaf but we’re not stone deaf.
And our mental capacities may be dull but we’re not stupid. At least I hope so. And it may be that we’re a little misty but we’re not fog bound. I think we’ve seen a great light, brother/sister. Not like those who saw Light that spread out; we saw the Light that brings in and takes up, comes back and takes over. All right.
[12-5] But now is… Token time, and… each house must be covered by the Token. [You’re a house of God, a tabernacle in each one of you.] Each house of God must be covered by the Token. [He repeats it.] All that is inside… must be covered by the Token.
We’re back to headship now. So what about God’s house? We’re the tabernacle of God collectively; we’re the Body. Do you think it’s not covered? How could it not be covered? Everything to the individual goes to the Church, type wise and all wise.
Show me one thing the Church has the individual doesn’t have, show me one thing the individual has and the Church doesn’t have. So if I’ve got the Holy Ghost, then the Church again must have Him Himself. You got the Holy Ghost, your church must have.
[12-6] The House of God is the Body of Jesus Christ. [What’s the Body of Jesus Christ? Not yours, not mine, just temples. So I told you the truth, didn’t I?] And by One Spirit we’re all baptized into this Token, and become part of it, that God said, “When I see this token displayed, I’ll pass over you.”
In other words, every single one must be under Him today. Then where is Rome? Where is the Anglicans? Where is the Presbyterians? Where’s the Baptists headquarters? I was a Baptist’s for a little while; I didn’t last too long. I heard every day from the Baptist church, several letters, I said, “My heavens, if I could hear from God like this I’d be the most spiritual man in all the world.” [Congregation laughs.] Fap! Out went the letters, that was that.
Oh you know, you don’t have to be very smart, I don’t think you’d have to be too smart to smell and know if Limburger cheese wafted on the air. A little bit of Swiss cheese isn’t bad but if it got to be Limburger, I tell you, it was all over. Is that it? That’s it… no, I don’t want to.
What he’s talking about is this great two-fold aspect, you as individuals must have the Holy Spirit, even if you die to get you out of the ground and remember, the Church must have God to get her out of here. Right? That’s the picture. And it’s token time. It’s time, brother/sister. Now look it, there’s one token you’ve got to apply, you got to go to God, there’s one that you don’t go to God; He comes to you. Right? It’s applied. Let’s rise. The Lord bless you.
We love you all, trust nothing was said to hurt anybody’s feelings. I think I was in one of my better moods instead of my rougher moods, so I trust anyway the Lord bless you. And we won’t see you Wednesday night, now remember? See you on… have a nice Christmas. Hope you have a wonderful time together, the Lord give you a great blessed time.
Brother Branham was not against a proper celebration, a proper teaching of children. I think it’s good to teach children the spirit of Christmas, how to conduct themselves and how to have good families, fellowship, not making Christmas commercial, try not to but keep just swapping the gifts and all that foolishness.
Try better to, pardon my expression, now swap testimonies and talk about the Lord like Malachi said and have yourself a good time, love the Lord, love your neighbors, pray for each other more than you’ve ever done before because I feel things are closing in brother/sister, where things are going to smash left and right.
I don’t think we got… that’s my premonition. I don’t say I’m right, I’m not a prophet, but I think things are soon going to go like you’ve never seen things, in six and seven, everything just rely on God if you haven’t relied on Him before in your life, you’re going to need it, I’m going to need it. I don’t think there’s any mistake in that thought whatsoever and Saturday we’ll see you the Lord willing and let’s bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father, on our way home Lord, at this time may the grace of Almighty God rest and abide upon each one of us Lord. May we Lord, as never before realize that this is that hour that it’s the time to apply the token in everything that token means. Father, we know that You cannot live in a half-way house and be happy. You want one that’s entirely dedicated, like that little lamb, it didn’t have a choice. It gave its life and Father, we don’t have a choice either.
We’re commanded to receive the Token Lord, and when we do we know it’s death to ourselves and we know Lord, that’s the most blessed thing in all the world. It’s a place that we all struggle to stay from knowing, it’s the one place we’d be happy if we got to. Help us Lord, to fulfill Your joy and at the same time have our joy fulfilled by this Life in us and the other life gone.
God, we pray this morning, hear our prayer and answer it Lord, we’re a people that soft in this old age of luke-warmness. Father, we just can’t afford it. I don’t know what… all’s going to come, Lord, but I’m…