The 7 Church Ages
The Second Seal
| The Second Seal |
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177-1 / 1 Good evening, friends. Let's all stand just a moment for prayer if you will.
Our heavenly Father, we have assembled again in this solemn assembly tonight in the service of the Lord. And Thou hast promised that wherever we would meet together, as many as two or three of us, that You would be in the midst of us. And we can be assured that You are here, for we have assembled in His Name. Now, we pray, Father, that--that You will come tonight and will break this Second Seal for us. And as the--the poet has said, that he would like to look apast the curtain of time. And that's our desire, Lord, is just to--just to look apast and see what lays ahead. And we pray that the Lamb that had been slain will come among us now and break the Seal and--and reveal it to us, the things we have need to see. 177-4 / 4 There be some here, Lord, who has not yet entered into this great fellowship around Christ, we pray that tonight that they'll make that eternal decision, be filled with the Spirit of God. 178-1 / 8 It's certainly good to be back in the house of the Lord again tonight. And I know so many of you standing, I--I'm sorry about that, but there's just hardly anything more we can do. We--we got the--the church, just as increased it to where we could get three, four, three hundred or four hundred more in, but in special meetings this way, it--it carries a little heavier crowd. 178-2 / 9 Now, oh, I'm just having a wonderful time praying and studying these--these Seals. I hope you all are too. I'm--I'm sure you are. If it's meaning as much to you as it is to me, it's certainly a--you're having a wonderful time. And I got a... 178-4 / 11 And now, tonight we are studying this Second Seal. And e... For the first four Seals there is four horse riders. And I tell you today something happened again, and I--I... Something that I... I go and get the old script that I had that I talked on long ago. And just set down there, and I thought, "Well, I--I did the very best I could." And many writers and things... And I thought, "Well, I'll read a little while, and look over and see this and that," and the first thing you know, something just happens, and it's altogether different. It just comes in different. Then I grab me a pencil right quick and start writing down just as fast as I can while He's there. 178-5 / 12 Oh, it's just something happened just about one-half hour ago. I was telling Brother Wood, coming down just a few minutes ago, just something that... Oh, you know there's a lot of things happen that you just can't talk about, you know, but just something just took place that just helped me so much. 179-1 / 14 "I'm not positive," he said, "Brother Bill, I'm not positive, but I believe that Polycarp was a student of Saint John. (That's correct; he was.) I think Irenaeus was a student of--of Polycarp. (That's correct, exactly.) Irenaeus said, 'Jesus will return--will return when the last elected member of the body of Christ comes in.'" 179-3 / 15 Now, he saw it years ago that he said at the last--last spot, last one elected--that elected... People thinks that election is something that's just been--that's just been something hatched up here lately. My, that's one of the oldest teachings that we have: election and calling. And so Irenaeus certainly a--the real student of the Scripture always believed in election. And so Irenaeus was one of the--the angels of the church age, as we seen as we studied, we believe. 'Course now they were all mysteries. They're all healed right--hid right here in these Seals (You see?), and they are to be revealed in the last day. How they started off with Paul, and--and Irenaeus, and Martin, and so forth down, and has come on down to the last age. 179-4 / 18 And now... We're trusting now that the Lord will bless us in our efforts tonight. Now, we been... The First Seal, I certainly enjoyed that. The First Seal, the blessings that went with it to me... And now, I--I don't want to keep you too long, but you see, I--I'll be going now just again in a few nights and after this is over, and we have to just kind of suffer a little while. 179-5 / 19 I appreciate... I see Brother Junior Jackson standing there, and I--and I thought I seen Brother Ruddell a few moments ago, here somewhere. And them brethren, that's our sister churches that has let out and the others; we certainly appreciate it. And I see Brother Hooper, I believe, standing up along the wall there from Utica, the church there. And we certainly appreciate your all's fine cooperation in this. 180-1 / 21 Now, last evening as we always like in teaching on the--on the Seals, we have--teach it the same way you do on the--on the--the church ages. And... When we got finished with teaching the church age, the last time when I drawed them out here on the--on the pulpit on a board, how many remembers what took place? He came right down, went right back there on the wall in a Light and drawed it off Himself, right there on the wall before us all. The Angel of the Lord stood right here before several hundred people. And now, He's--He's doing something real supernatural now too. And so we're just expecting great things. We don't know... Do you like to just wait for that--that great anticipation, just don't know what's going to happen next, you know, just--just waiting? 180-2 / 22 Now, how great God is to us. And how wonderful, we so appreciate Him. Now, the 1st and 2nd verse, I'll read it to kind of give a little background, then we'll take the 3rd and 4th verse for the Second Seal, and then the 5th and 6th verse is the Third Seal. And the 7th and 8th is the--the two verses to each horse rider. 180-3 / 23 And now, I want you to watch how these fellows on this pale horse, maybe here it comes, just keeps changing as it goes down, and then that great last Seal to be opened, if God willing, next Sunday night, that when it happened there was just, the only thing that taken place was silence in heaven for a half hour. God help us. Now, I'll read the third verse now. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse... (4th verse)... that was red: and power was given to him that set thereon to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another--they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 180-4 / 26 Now, a mysterious thing now when the--the beast told John, "Just come and see." And he didn't see what it was; he just saw a symbol. And that symbol, the reason it was... He said, "Come, see." But he saw a symbol that he was to symbolize it to the church in a way that they would watch until it come to the last age, and then the Seal would be open. Now, and everyone understands that now? See, the Seals would be opened. 181-1 / 27 And aren't you happy to be living in this day? That... See? Not only that, friends, but always remember now; last Sunday morning where the whole thing was based on, simplicity (See?), simple, humble. Happens in such a way that people just go right on by and don't even know it happened. And remember, we are looking for the coming of the Lord anytime. And when we... 181-3 / 30 When John came, been talked about down through the ages from Isaiah to Malachi--that's twelve hundred--or seven hundred and twelve years he'd been seen of the prophets coming. Everybody was looking for him to come, expecting it at anytime. But the way he come, he preached, and done his service, and went on into glory, and even the apostles didn't know it. For they asked Him; they said, "Now, the Son of man is going to Jerusalem, all these things to be offered," and said, "why is it the Scripture says the--that Elias is going to come first?" 181-4 / 33 And then, "Oh." See, they--they woke up to it. They... And when... Even at last, after all the things He--He had done and the signs that He'd had show them, and had even called them, said, "Which one of you can condemn Me of sin (unbelief)? If I haven't done just what the Scripture said that My office would do when I come to the earth, then show Me where I've sin. (See?) Then I'll--I'll show you what you're supposed to be, and let's see whether you believe it or not." See? He'd have come right back and said, "You supposed to believe on Me when I come." They didn't do it. See? So they knowed better than to tie in on Him on that. 182-2 / 34 And even the apostles going along, stumbled. (We know how the Scriptures go.) Then finally, at last they said, "Now, we believe. We believe that no man has to tell You, for You know all things." 182-4 / 36 But now, we're thinking of our age now, 'cause I get to talking on that, we won't get into these Seals at all. And... Now, remember, I--I'm getting much requests for prayer for the sick, and I'm praying for the--you all the time for every request I get and for the handkerchiefs and things. And if we can get these Seals finished up to the last Seal Sunday morning, we--if it be the will of the Lord, we'd like to have just a good old fashion healing service here, you know, where you just take the entire morning for praying for the sick. And I--I'm pretty sure it'll be a strange healing meeting. Yeah, I just have a feelings like that. And so... Not strange, but it may be a little strange to some. See, what... 182-5 / 38 Now, how great is God's grace to reveal His secrets to us in this day. Now, we all will believe that we're living in the last day. We believe that. And remember, the secrets was to be revealed in the last day. And how does He reveal His Word, His secret, the Bible? Would you like to read where He says it? Let's just turn over and see how He reveals His secrets. Shall a trumpet... blow in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD has not done it? Surely the LORD... will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophets. 183-1 / 40 Now, in the last days we are--it's predicted to us that there will rise a--a prophet. Now, we know that we've had all kinds... Now, I realize after looking around tonight, I--I'm speaking here where students are setting, and I--I'd like for you to understand me. And you realize these tapes cover the world (See?), just about all the world. And I'd want you to, not by no mean, think that I am trying to inject some kind of a--a cult of Elijah's blankets or robes and oh, all those things we've had plenty of them. But you know all those things are only a forerunning of the real thing that is to come to throw the people off. 183-2 / 42 Did you know we had false--false leaders raised up, false messiahs before Christ come? Didn't--did--did not the--the teacher of that day, that mighty teacher, Gamaliel, when the--the question come up about beating these men and so forth; he said, "Let them alone. If it's of God, why, you'll be found fighting against God, but if it isn't of God..." Said, "Didn't a man raise up not long ago and take four hundred into the wilderness and so forth? We have those things." What was it? All forerunning the real thing when it come. 183-3 / 43 Now, see, Satan raises those up. Watch the shrewdness of this fellow that we're talking about here, Satan, where we're unfolding him right here, just stripping him down by the Scriptures and letting you see who he is. That's what the--what's supposed to be done, and you remember, he has not tried to go in to be a Communist; Satan hasn't. He's an antichrist, "So close that" Jesus said, "would deceive the very elected." And that's the one that's hid down in these Seals, whose names are on the Book since the foundation of the world. 183-4 / 45 He is a shrewd fellow, and when he sees this thing coming, coming up, then he throws everything he can out there to upset it 'fore it gets there. Did you know there will be false christs arise in the last day? It should follow immediately after this--after this great message that this brother will speak, that will actually come, be anointed in the spirit of Elijah, immediately. And they'll mistake him; some of them will think he's the Messiah. But he will strictly say, "No," because it's got to be coming like John. 184-2 / 50 But then when the real true servant comes on, with all the impersonation to it, it's to upset the peoples' mind. Satan does that. And those who can't discern right from wrong, they just tumble over; but the elected won't do it. The Bible said he wouldn't be able to deceive the elected. 184-4 / 51 Now, of course, when they find out that something has taken place (You see?), then they'll... Now, remember, that will take place immediately after the going home of the Church (after the rapture). Now, there'll be false impersonations all the time, and we do not mean to be connected in anything like that. No, sir. 184-6 / 54 Just like, He could've chose the sun to preach the Gospel. He could've put--chose the moon. He could chose the--the wind, but He chose man. And He never did choose groups; individuals. See, the... And never two major prophets on the earth at the same time. 185-4 / 60 Now, we're so glad today that God is revealing Hisself to us. And I believe the great day is just begin dawning, breaking; the lights are begin to flash; the birds of paradise is begin to sing in the saints' heart, they know that--isn't long now. Something's going to happen. It's just got to. 185-6 / 62 Show me one piece of literature that can--that can write a verse hardly without contradicting itself, or write a verse or two. And the Bible does not contradict Itself anywhere. I've heard the old critics say that, but I have had an offer for him for a long time to show me where it's at. It isn't in here. It's just because the human mind is confused. God's not confused. He knowed what He's doing. He knows... 186-2 / 64 Speaking... Not throwing off to the Catholic now, 'cause the--the Protestant's just as bad. But speaking with a priest, he said, "Mr. Branham," he said, "God is in His church." 187-1 / 71 Now, and then if Amos says, and the other Scriptures that go with it, that if... And you remember on this we're just striking the highlights of it. Just... My, if--when I get in that room there and--and that anointing comes in, if I could write down what He--what all goes on, I'd be here for three months on one of the Seals. So I just strike the places and let it out just what it would seem to be that wouldn't choke the people, but yet not enough to hurt them, but just so that believing it would--it'd season the thing. You know what I mean. 187-2 / 73 Now, watch this now. "If God does not do nothing," said Amos, "until first He reveals it to His servants the prophets," and then we see what He's doing, it must be that He's fixing to do something, what He's revealing now. God is fixing to move on the scene in judgment; I believe. He's fixing to do something. And one thing again that testifies: surely we are in the last day; we're at the end of the age, the Laodicea Church Age. Now, for these things were to be revealed only at the last day. 187-3 / 74 Now, just think of that now. Let's just--just try to soak in what we believe that the Holy Spirit would have us know. Now, remember, nothing could be revealed, God will do nothing at all until first He reveals it to His servants the prophets. And before He does anything, He reveals it, and when He reveals it, you can remember this: something's on its road. See? It's being revealed. 187-4 / 76 And these things that we're talking about was to be revealed at the last day, just before the last trumpet, at the end of the message of the last church age. That's right. If you want to read that now, you can turn to... You... I just referred to you last night two or three times, Revelations 10:1-7 (See?): "And in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel's message, the mystery of God would be revealed and finished." And there's only one thing left when this Seven-sealed Book is open, then the entire mystery of God, why, we probed at through years, and according to the Scripture then when there was no way to understand it until this day, because it's been hid. We've seen the symbol, what it was symbolized by, but it could not be correctly revealed until the last day. See? Now, then we must be there at the--at the end time. 187-5 / 78 Now, remember, don't--and don't forget now that He does nothing until He reveals it; and don't forget also, that He does it in such a simple way that the wise and the prudent miss it. Now, if you want to mark that down, that's Matthew 11:25, 26. And... 188-2 / 79 Now, I'm going to ask the tapes to... Well, go ahead and take it. But look, I'm just going to say this to the Tabernacle people, you that's been here: I charge any of you in the Name of the Lord Jesus to ever--to put your finger on one thing of the hundreds of things that's been told before they come to pass and say they did not come to pass. Tell me one time that on the platform, out there wherever it was, that He ever spoke anything that wasn't perfectly just exactly that way. How... Could a human mind be that way? Certainly not. 188-3 / 80 When He appeared down there on the river thirty-three years ago this coming June in the form of a Light, you old-timers remember that I told you since a little boy that voice and that Light, and people thought you was kind of a little bit off at the head; of course, I would've probably thought the same thing somebody said it. But now, you don't have to wonder about it now, and the church hasn't wondered since 1933. 188-5 / 83 And there was a woman going along in the group. She said to another woman; she said--made a remark, something about it. She said, "Well, I wouldn't mind to be ducked"; said, "that's all right; I don't care..." 189-2 / 86 Then down there that day, when they were standing at the river, and the Angel of the Lord that I had told you that It looked like a--a star or something in the distant, and then It got close, and told you how the emerald Light looked, and there It come right down on the river where I was baptizing, when businessmen down here in the city said, "What does that mean?" 189-4 / 88 And then, I was thinking; Brother Roberson here, one of our trustees, I seen here a few minutes ago, he was telling me the other day about being in Houston when the picture there was taken that you See? And I was on that debate. I was started to say something about it the other night. Brother Roy was the only--with one more man, was the only person in the group that had a recorder. It was one of them old fashion wire recorders (I see Brother Roberson now, and his wife) so, and--and this--Mrs. Roberson was sick. 190-2 / 93 And then at the beginning of the meeting, when the Holy Spirit was there... That was the first of the meeting; we was only having about three thousand people, then we went to eight thousand, then to about thirty thousand. 190-4 / 96 Then I talked about, you know, saying that sometime under the discernment say, "A person is shadowed to death. There's a dark hood of a shadow. They're fixing to die." 191-2 / 101 We notice in the breaking of the First Seal, Satan had a--a super religious man. Did you notice that white horse rider, which they--it was thought to be that that was a--the early church going forth. But, oh, my, that's been taught through the years, but it couldn't be. Just watch when the rest of them, when we get them all tied together, then look where it's at. See? Now... And I don't know what the rest of them's going to be as yet, but I know it's got to come just perfectly in there, because it's the Truth. It's the Truth. That was the hierarchy church of Rome. Exactly. 191-3 / 102 These people who think that the Jews are the antichrist, they are certainly a million miles off the line. Don't you never think the Jews are an antichrist. Their eyes were blinded purposely that we might have a way to get in, giving us a time of repentance. But the antichrist is a Gentile. Certainly it is, an impersonator of the truth: "Anti," "against." 191-5 / 105 Why was it He said the Spirit speaks expressingly that in the latter time that they'd depart from the faith and would give heed to seducing (You know what "seduce" is.)--a seducing spirit in the church? That is clergy, seducing clergy spirit, workings of devils, hypocrisies in the church, heady, high-minded (wisdom. You see? smart, intelligent), having a form of godliness (just go say, "Well, we're Christians, we should go to church."), having a form of godliness but denying the revelations, the power and the working of the Spirit, from such turn away. See? 192-1 / 106 Now, notice he said, "For this is the sort that'll go from house to house and will lead silly women (Now, that don't mean Holy Ghost women.)--silly women that's led away with divers lusts." Divers lusts, they just like to get in every little thing that they can get into, and all kinds of societies, and live anyway that they want to, and still, "We go to church. We're just as good as anybody," dances, parties, cut their hair, paint, dress anything they want to, say, "We're--we're Pentecostals; we're--we're--we're just as good as anybody." Oh, your own works identify you. 192-2 / 107 Notice, but he said, "Man of reprobate minds concerning Truth." What is the Truth? The Word, which is Christ "... concerning the Truth." 192-3 / 112 But remember he said, "As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will they. But their folly was soon made manifest." Why? When Moses was commissioned to do something that seemed radical, but he went down there just as honest as he could be, and God told him to take this stick and to throw it down, and it would turn to a serpent. Then He did it to show him what it would take place. And before Pharaoh he stood out there just as God had commissioned him and throwed down his stick, and it turned to a serpent. 192-4 / 114 And no doubt Pharaoh said, "A cheap magician trick." So he goes and gets his Jannes and Jambres, said, "We can do those things, too." And they threw down their stick, and they become serpents. Now, what could Moses do? What was it? It was to show him that every genuine thing of God, the devil's got an impersonator for it. He impersonates to throw the people off the track. 193-3 / 118 Now, antichrist comes into light gradually. I want you to notice. Now, when you here... Now, to my Catholic friends, just set still just a minute... And now... And then we're going to see where the Protestants, where we all are. See? Notice, the first church... When the Catholic church said that they were the first original church, they're exactly right; they were. They begin at Pentecost. That's where the Catholic church began. Now, I once didn't hardly believe that till I read history, and I found out it is right. 193-5 / 122 But notice how this white horse rider... (Now, we just backgrounding it a little till we hit this Seal.) Now, notice the white horse rider. When he went out he--he serves in three stages. The devil, as I proved to you the other night is in a trinity just like God, but it's the same devil all the time in three stages. 194-1 / 126 And after while there begin to come all like army captains and... And the different people the celebrity begin to see the gallantry and the miracles and signs that these men done, so they accepted Christianity. Well then (You see?), when he embraced Christianity and go down there to a place where they're meeting in a little old dark, dingy hall, and clap their hands and shout and speaking in tongues and getting messages, why, he could never take that to his--his competitor or whatever it is in his business. He'd never believe it like that (Certainly not.), so he's got to dress it up. 194-2 / 127 So they begin to get together and begin to think, "Now, we'll form something a little different." And Jesus, right immediately at the first church age, He told them in the 2nd chapter of Revelations here, "I have somewhat against you, because these deeds of the Nicolaitanes." "Nico," "conquer the laity." In other words, they want to make... Instead of everybody be one, they want to make some holy fellow. They wanted to make some kind of... They wanted to pattern it in paganism from where they had come out from, and they finally done it. 194-3 / 131 I don't want to call this man's name. He is a great man. But I was at his meeting here a few years ago, and he knew I was there, 'cause I'd shook his hand. And he said, "You know, we have such today that they call Pentecostals." And he said, "They--they rely upon the Book of Acts." And he said, "You see, the Acts was only scaffold work for the church." 195-1 / 132 Don't you know how we patterned it out in the church ages, the--them beasts setting there watching that ark there: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John standing there watching that. And in there is what happened as a results of the writing of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. That's what the tree putteth forth its first branch, and that is what happened. And if that tree ever puts forth another branch, they'll write another book of Acts behind it. 'Cause you see, the same Life's got to be in the same thing. 195-2 / 135 So now, today when we look over our denominational churches: Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Church of Christ (so-called), and Pentecostals and things, where do we find that? You don't find it. I will admit that the Pentecostals has the closest thing to it there is, because they are up here in the Laodicean Church Age. They had Truth and rejected it. They got lukewarm with it, and God spewed them from His mouth. That's exactly according to the Scriptures. You can't make them Scriptures lie. See? They're going to be truthful always. Don't try to... The only thing, don't try to line your thought up to the--or the Scriptures up to your thought, but reline yourself up with the Scriptures. That's... Then you're running with God. No matter how much you have to cut away or lay aside, line up with that. See? 195-3 / 138 Look what it did the first time it fell. Well, if God acted like that the first time, He's got to act like that the second time. He's got to act like that every time, or He acted wrong the first time. See, we as mortals, we can make mistakes. God can't. God's first decision is perfect. And the way He chose to do things, there can't be no other better way. He can't improve on it, because it's perfect to begin with. If it isn't, then He isn't infinite. 195-5 / 141 Now, he was first called antichrist. The second stage, he was called the false prophet, because that spirit among the people become incarnate. You remember the white horse rider now had no crown when he started, but then he was--was given a crown. Why? He was the Nicolaitane spirit to begin with. And then he become incarnate in a man, and then he was crowned, and received a throne, and was crowned. 196-2 / 143 All right. He killed by cruel Roman punishment. Just... Oh, how we could break in some Scriptures here. Remember, Jesus Christ died under the punishment of Rome: capital punishment. The message that I've got in my heart to preach up here at this next meeting on Good Friday afternoon meets three, four things. See? "There They Crucified Him." There, the holiest, religious place in the world was Jerusalem. They, the most holy (supposed to be) people in the world, the Jews. There they crucified, the most cruel punishment that Rome could produce. Crucified Him. What? The greatest person that ever lived: There they crucified Him. Oh, my. 196-4 / 146 First, remember Christ. First as Nic--Nicolaitane. And what did the Nicolaitane age ask for? It asked to get away from them bunch of people that shouts, and clapped their hands and looks like disgracefully--like they did on Pentecost, act like drunk men, staggering in the Spirit and things. They didn't want none of that stuff. They said they were drunk. 197-3 / 148 Died the cruelest death. Didn't have a place to lay His head, kicked out by every organization. But when God exalted Him so high, till He has to look down to see heaven...?... God in humility. See? And He give Him a Name so great that the whole family of heaven is named after Him, and every family of the earth. All the family on earth is named "Jesus." All the families in heaven is named "Jesus." And such a Name that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He's the Lord, either here or in hell. Hell will bow to it. Everything else will bow to it. See, but first it was humility, then it become great. See? Let God exalt. He that humbles himself, God will exalt. See? 197-4 / 150 Now, we notice this "Nico" spirit wanted wisdom, smarter. It had to reason it out like it was in Eden, reason against the Word of God by the wisdom; and the church fell for it. What was it? Now, let's say--take this church here and take a bunch of people like we are, if you wasn't real Spirit-filled. And let us take, say... Now, nothing against the mayor of our city, I don't think I know him, Mr. Bottorff. Is he still mayor? See, I don't... See? Mr. Bottorff is a fine friend of mine. See? But say the mayor of the city and all the police force and--and all the marshals and they--they all come here. The first thing you know, if they got just a little thing in their head and begin to talk to the Board and the people around here, and say, "Now, you know what? This ought to be different..." If you're not Spirit-filled and got a real Spirit-filled man behind the pulpit, the first thing you know you'd be catering to them. Maybe not this generation; maybe the next generation. 198-1 / 152 And that's the way it started in. See? Why? They were saying, "Looky here, it's reasonable." You--you'd listen to it. Say a man come in here that could say, "This church is too little. Let us build a big church. I'll build you one out here; it'll be worth so much money--half a million dollars will be put in there. I'll put the thing on the broadcast." When they do that, then they got an axe to grind--nine times out of ten. You know one of them kind. 198-3 / 154 Notice, wisdom and smartness... They said, "Now, looky here. Isn't it only sensible that... Now, the--our--our women, what difference does it make how they wear their hair?" But the Bible says it does make a difference. Just take that one thing, besides the hundreds of others. See? It does make a difference. God said it made a difference, so it is a difference. But you see, if they get that started (and the Trustee Board and deacons and everything), the first thing you know the pastor either gets in or gets out. That's all. See, it's the people that voted it in. 198-4 / 156 All right, now notice, that spirit begin to move and the church that--that--that got so much dignitary in it, so much big things, and so much money started till after while they listened to it and fell for it, the crudeness of the devil. And that's the very thing that Eve done in the garden of Eden. Now, you hear that; that's right. 199-2 / 160 Now, the natural first bride of the human race, before her husband come to her, she fell from grace by listening to Satan's lie after God had her fortified behind His Word. If she'd have stayed behind the Word, she'd have never fell. Now, that's in the natural. Notice, the natural woman. And what was the curse? The actual curse of coming out from behind God's Word... 199-4 / 163 Now, and the--and the results, because she left the Word for one little speck of a reason... What say now, "What about the women? or, Why do you want to talk about something like that? But any of those little things... What's the difference whether it's initial evidence..." It's something to it. You got... It's got to be straightened out. We presumed at it through seven church ages almost, but the hour has come when God speaks it. And He don't only speak it, but He shows it, and vindicates it, and proves it. That's right. If He doesn't do it, then it isn't God; that's all. God stands behind His Word. 199-6 / 167 Now, this time the spiritual woman, the Bride of Christ that started on the day of Pentecost with the early apostolic church, lost the same thing at the Nicaea Council. Lee, you know that's right. At it's at the Nicaea Council when she swapped her spiritual birthrights to take Constantine's big churches and things that he offered them there; and she sold out her Scriptural birthrights for a bunch of Roman dogma. Now, that's hard on the Catholic, but the Protestant has done the same thing. They're represented in the Bible here as a daughter of the--a harlot of the whore. That's exactly right. Every one of them... No excuses, but out of there has always been a little remnant right along that goes to make the Bride. Notice, she lost her birthright (See?), before her husband got to her (See?); before the wedding she lost her virtue. 200-1 / 170 And now, you remember over there, she said, "I sit as a queen; I have no need of nothing," in that Laodicean Age there. "I'm rich and increased in goods," and so forth, "and oh, the whole world looks up to me. I'm the great holy church," and so forth. "We're this a way." The whole age... 200-3 / 174 When you get a bunch of men together to figure out anything, one's got a head this way, and one's got a head that way, and one's got a head this way. They put the things together, and shake it up, and when it comes out that's what you have got us. 201-1 / 176 No wonder the angel said, "Come out of her, my people, and be not partakers of her plagues." Because she's going to--she's cursed, and she's got to suffer the curse of God's wrath upon her, because she sold her virtue and right. But oh, my. But remember, seeing all that condition, but yet God promised in Joel 2:25 (if you want to put it down), in the last days when He said, "What the palmerworm left, the caterpillar had eaten; what the caterpillar left, the--the locusts has eaten; what the locust eaten..." just on down, bug after bug have come and eat on that church until finally it wasn't nothing but a stump. 201-2 / 178 Watch. What the Romans left, the Lutherans eaten; what the Lutherans left, the Methodists eaten; and what the Methodists left, the Pentecostals eaten (See?), until she's down to a stump. And do you know what? You take those worms in there, that locust and caterpillar and so forth, and you chase them down through the--a--the Book, and find out it's the same worm in just different stages. 201-4 / 182 What is it? How's He going to do it? If it started out antichrist by being against the teaching of Christ that accepted dogma instead of Word, and through the years the reformers have plunged at it as the Bible said, "But in the last days at the sounding (Revelations 10:1-7 He said,) the mysteries of God would be finished in the last days at the sounding of the seventh angel." 202-1 / 184 Notice Satan's trinity: same person coming, just incarnate from one to the other. That's the way them bugs did, them worms, one to the other (Exactly.), Nicolaitane, spiritual antichrist, Pope, false prophet; beast, the devil himself incarnate. He can't do it... Now, you keep that on your mind now. When you follow this, you're going to see these riders come right straight up to that. See, I'm laying you a picture here. If I had it on a blackboard you could understand it better. See, I'm watching. 202-2 / 186 First, now you remember this: the first thing he is, he's an antichrist spirit. John said so. "Little children, the spirit of antichrist already working in the children of disobedience." See, that thing had begin to start. And then it become kind of a saying in the next church age. And the next church age it was a doctrine. And the next church age she was crowned. Now, isn't that just as plain as reading, anywhere you could read it? See? 202-4 / 188 Now... But promised that in the last day He would make a way to restore again. The Word of the Lord would drop upon the earth as He did it in the beginning, and alway, and will restore back what? What started it? Against the Word. And what does this fellow supposed to do when he comes anointed with God's Spirit? He just brings the faith of the children back to the fathers. That's how He restores. 203-1 / 189 Now, now, first... Then he become an antichrist. Now, he couldn't be antichrist, only in spirit. Then he become an antichrist, and that spirit took a man that taught the same things that that antichrist spirit was doing, and then he become a false prophet to the antichrist spirit. Now, what about a man in a organization? Suit yourself. I don't know what you think about it. But all right. 203-3 / 193 That's what Judas Iscariot was. And what would--did he do? Was he one of the fellows that was against Christ? Why, he was the treasurer, walked with Him (Certainly.), walked right along with them, went out there, and cast out devils, and done just exactly what they did. 203-5 / 197 Haven't you heard these old devils come, say, "If you believe in divine healing, there's somebody with the eyes; won't you open their eyes? Smite me blind. Smite me blind." The same old devil... See? "Come down off from the cross; we believe you. If you be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread": same devil. Just walk away (See?) from them; that's the way Jesus did it. He never clown for any of them. 204-2 / 199 Now, they touched His garment; they felt no virtue; but a poor little woman had a need just touched His garment, and He turned around and said, "Who touched Me?" See? Said... What a different touch. It depends upon how you're touching Him (See, see?), what you believe. 204-4 / 202 Now, but in the age after the Church goes home, he becomes a beast. He becomes the devil incarnate, the red dragon himself. Oh, my. Can't you see what I mean? He's incarnate in his people then. He's got his people bound by his power. The false prophet has prophesied them right into it, give them over to strong delusions to believe a lie and be damned by it, denying the Word with a form of godliness. 204-6 / 205 Now, watch. Satan... When Jesus incarnates Himself in His people, the very Life that was in Christ is in this person. What would it do if you took the life out of a grapevine and put it in a pumpkin vine? It wouldn't bear pumpkins no more; it'd bear grapes. See? What if you took the life out of a peach tree and put it in a pear tree? Would it bear pears? No, bear peaches. The life tells what it is. See? 205-2 / 209 Now, watch. Satan, when he incarnates himself in his subjects, they do the work that he did. Don't you see? What did he do? Come right to that innocent woman to deceive her. And that's exactly what some of these devils do: come right into a place, and say, a little pastor gets started out somewhere come in and say, "Oh, if you just join up with us..." See? The same devil work. Now, that's the Truth. 205-5 / 211 Why didn't Jesus choose such people? He got fishermen and men that couldn't even sign their own names to put them the head of His Church. See? That's right. Wisdom is--is nothing. It's--it's against Christ. Worldly wisdom is against Christ always. Jesus never did tell us go build seminaries (He never did it.), having Bible schools. He said, "Preach the Word; preach the Gospel." And then if He said, "These signs shall follow them that believe..." See, you'll have to have the... In other words, He said, "Go, demonstrate the power of God to all nation." 206-2 / 214 In the Old Testament when a man had been sold to slavery, there come a year of Jubilee every fifty years (forty-ninth year and then the year of Jubilee). And when a slave heard this, and he wanted to go free, there's--there isn't nothing that can keep him from going free. He can throw down his hoe and say, "So-long," go back home. The trumpet sounded. That's right. 206-4 / 216 And when a man turns down the Gospel Truth, Satan marks him. Where? At his ear. He deafens him so he can't hear the Truth no more. And he's finished. My. He stays with the group that he's with, if he won't hear the truth. No. "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free." The Truth makes free. 206-6 / 219 Now, let us just take that a minute. Was He joking? [Congregation replies "no"--Ed.] Did He just mean--did He just mean the apostles as some would tell us? [Congregation replies "no"--Ed.] Watch, read the background of it. Go ye into (where?) all the world; preach to--this Gospel to (what?) every creature." It has not even one-third of the way have met it yet. "These signs shall follow in all the world, to every creature, wherever this Gospel's preached. "These signs shall follow them that believe," not just to one little handful. 207-2 / 223 Don't take Satan's unbelieving mark. Now, he will put it on you tonight if he can do it. He will poke you up against the wall and you'll walk out and say, "Aw, I don't know about that." You go home and study it. And then be sincere and pray, 'cause everything's too--is too perfectly Scriptural at this very hour, this sacred hour of time. It's done been for years, proved. Come right up to it and this is the hour. This is the time. 207-4 / 227 Now, let's go to the Second Seal. When the slain, risen Lamb opened it, and the second calf-like beast said, "Come, see what the seal mystery is." Now, we get it. The Lamb, you remember, has to open every Seal. And the second beast... If you notice in the routine of where we just went through with the church ages--the same thing. The 2nd... First was a lion; the next was a--was a--was like a calf or ox or something. You see? And this beast said, "Come, see." now, and--when the Lamb opened the Seal. And then, went to see. 207-6 / 230 Now, to my understanding (this to my understanding), this great sword that he had in his hand... (Now, we got about three things to look at now for about the next fifteen, twenty minutes.) Let's just read and see what He says here. And there went out... (4th verse)... there went out another horse that was red:... (the first one's white)... and power was given unto him that set thereon to take peace from the earth, and... they should kill one another: and there was given to him a great sword. 208-1 / 231 Now, there's symbols here, and we want to look at them real close. But to my understanding, the best that I know now (You see?), Jesus predicted the same thing in Matthew 24. See? He said, "Now, you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars, and just wars and rumors of wars and wars, and..." but said, "All these ain't yet. (See?) Time ain't yet." 208-3 / 233 He said, "You'll hear... (Now, we're working on this one thing here. We'll come to some more of it in a few nights.) Look. He said, "You'll hear of wars and rumors of wars and so forth. Then all this is not... See, then they--they'll go back again and they'll deliver you up and so forth like this and all--all... That's not right yet." But when He got to the time when He was going to talk to them about what they asked Him about the end of the world, "When will all these things be, when there'd not be one stone left upon... What will the sign be? And when will be coming the end of the world?" See? They asked Him three things. 209-2 / 237 Now, I just want to ask you something. Just let--just--just look at something right here in the face. Israel is now for the first time for twenty-five hundred years a nation. The oldest flag in the world is flying over Jerusalem tonight. Israel's in her homeland. 209-5 / 240 Now, notice this. But He said, "When you see the fig tree and all the other trees putting forth their buds..." Now, watch. There's never been a time for twenty-five hundred years that Israel has ever come to her homeland. We got the little show, "Three Minutes To Midnight." There she is, a nation, the six point star of David flying, all these things. 209-7 / 245 Church natural was Lot in Sodom, and when this fellow went down there and preached and blinded them by the Gospel, but there was One Who stayed with Abraham, and Abraham called Him "Elohim, Lord." Now, when Abraham seen Three coming, he said, "My Lord." 210-1 / 248 Notice, count it. Now, there was one come to this church spiritual, the Bride, Abraham, that wasn't in--in Sodom to begin with. And watch what He did. He never done no preaching like they did. He taught them, but then He done a sign before them. He done the Messiahic sign. He had His back turned to the tent, and He said, "Abraham..." Now, remember his actual name a few days before that was Abram. But He says, "Abraham, where is your wife, S-a-r-a-h?" A few days before that it was called S-a-r-r-a. 210-3 / 252 And the lady, of course, being a hundred years old, she kinda laughed up her sleeve; she did: back in the tent now, behind the curtains in the tent. She said, "Me, an old woman..." Why, it'd ceased to be with them as husband and wife for years, you know, 'cause he was a hundred years old, and--and she was ninety. Said, "Now, that will never happen." 210-5 / 256 Now, notice. You said, "There God manifested in the flesh." 211-1 / 258 Now, listen real close now. Now, we find out that there would be wars and rumors of wars. And now we see that the fig tree's put forth its buds, and the other trees put forth their buds, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and all put forth their buds, a great revival going on. Now, I believe that God's gathering the Bride for that last hour, the elect. Oh, my. 211-3 / 261 Now, here's my revelation of it: This is Satan again. It's the devil again in another form. Now, we know that--that Seals pertained... (As I said the other night) and trumpets pertained to--to--to civil wars (You see?), amongst the people, or among nations. But you find out here that this man has a sword so he pertains to church political war. Now, you might not think that, but just watch it a minute, just a few minutes. 211-5 / 263 When he first started, he was just... Well he's just a little doctrine in the--in the--amongst called the Nicolaitanism. Of course it wouldn't slay anything. (That's Revelations 2:6, if you want to put it down.) He wouldn't slay anything. It's just a doctrine, just a spirit amongst the people. Now, he wouldn't slay nothing. 212-1 / 264 So the dignitaries, and the better dressed, and the educated, you know, kind of like "birds of a feather," you know, we'll--we'll kind of get things together. "And the poor bunch, why, if they want to stumble along, well, all right; but we--we'll get a better class coming to our church. If we can just get ourselves pulled off right here, we'll--we'll be a--we'll be a bunch of masons or so forth. You know we--we'll just have the things fixed up--or 'Odd Fellows,' as they are." And so then... Not the Odd Fellow Lodge now, but you know what I mean. So it's odd to the real believer. 212-2 / 264 Now, but otherwise, in other words, "We want a little group, a little syndicate we can call our own. It's just a doctrine--very innocent. Brethren, why, we have nothing against you people, certainly not. You are all right, but, you know, we feel that--that we have business and ever... We--we'd be better off if we just had ourselves together." See? Un-huh. It finally went right on down till it happened. Yes, sir. Get together... 212-4 / 265 In other words, up over the Vatican (Now, I've been right there.) it's wrote Vicarius Filii Dei, and it's wrote in Roman numerals. Now, you just draw a line at the bottom of those Roman numerals, and it means "Instead of Son of God." In other words, he's a vicar. (You know what a vicar is. Just takes the place of something.) He is the vicar instead of the Son of God. And the Bible said, "Let him that has the gift of wisdom count the numbers of the beast, for it's the number of a man, and his number is six hundred and sixty-six." Now, if you take VICARIUS FILII DEI and draw a line (the Roman numbers of V for 5, I for 1) and add it up and see if you haven't got six hundred and sixty-six. 212-5 / 267 The Bible said he would be setting in the temple of God, worship like God. When that little doctrine become a--incarnate, it become a vicar instead of the Son of God. See? Oh, my. That awful deceiving spirit. If you want to read that, read in II Thessalonians 2:3 and you can see where it's at. 213-2 / 269 That's what they say, "Why, you bunch of poor holy-rollers..." Why, we get the world. "The meek shall inherit the earth." What Jesus said. See, see? 213-5 / 273 All right. The next thing did... What Christ set out for His Church to do, it was against sin. "It ought... Oh, it don't mean that. It--it don't mean it. That was for somebody else. That--that's back in the--a hundred years ago back yonder. That--that ain't for us." See? That's the "anti," "against." Then it become... Now, the rider went out; he was--he didn't have no crown, but he was given one. That white horse... He had a bow, no arrow. See? 213-7 / 276 Now, he gets into a place till he's going to make a universal church power, taking religious power. And do you not understand, my brothers, that in--when this nation appears in the 13th chapter of Revelation, this little animal raised up like a lamb and it's got two horns: civil and ecclesiastical power. But he done the same thing the beast did before him. 214-2 / 278 And it finally end up, I predicted, a woman will control her. Remember that was thirty years ago I said it, and--and the--the seven things that I predicted, five of them's done come to pass. And they got the man right there now to bring her in. And you voted it in through your politics there. You... 214-3 / 280 Look, notice. When Satan... Now, everybody that realizes that Satan controls all political powers of the world... He said so (Matthew the 4th chapter and you get it, and the 8th verse). All the kingdoms belong to him. That's the reason they fight, war, kill. 214-5 / 284 The council was held, and they elected a head bishop. And then by doing this they united church and state together. Then he dropped his bow; he got off his white horse; he got on his red horse, for he can kill anybody that don't agree with him. There's your Seal. Oh, my. Same fellow. Watch him go right on into eternity yonder with it. See? Unites both his powers together, the same thing they are trying to do right now, same thing. 214-6 / 285 Today and... A strange thing, maybe you don't understand it, but today from a Baptist group in Louisville (You heard it on the radio.) a speaker raised up and... (How many heard it? See, see? All right here you are.) They want and asking the church now that we don't really have to, oh, just kind of join the Catholic church, but we have to kind of fellowship with them. Get... And the same time that going on in Louisville, over here God's unfolding the Seals to His people to show us, "Don't do it." See them both working together. Remember, the crow and dove set on the same roost pole in the ark. Sure. Just remember. 215-1 / 286 Now, we find out he unites his power. Then when he become both state and church, the ecclesiastical, then what are you going to do? He forms his own religion, and now he can do whatever he wants to. Then he has the right to put to death whosoever will not agree with him. 215-3 / 287 Now, Brother Lee Vayle and you teachers here of the Nicaea age and the early church, I don't know if you read this or not. If you want to read it, you get in Smuckers' "Glorious Reformation" and you find it that when Saint Augustine of Hippo become a priest under the Roman church, had the opportunity to one time the Holy Spirit tried to come on him, and he rejected It. How many knows that, as a teacher? So he rejected the Holy Spirit. 215-5 / 289 Now, listen, I am quoting from the Martyrology: "From the time of--of Saint Augustine of Hippo until 1586 on the Roman martyrology, the Roman Catholic church put sixty-eight million Protestants to death." Was his sword red? Was he riding a red horse? What was it? The same power, the same rider. There's the Seal. They admit sixty-eight million on the martyrology besides all those put to death outside of that. Oh, mercy. During the dark ages there were millions fed to lions and slaughtered in every way, because they wouldn't bow down to that Catholic dogma. You know that. 216-1 / 290 How much time you got? All right, let me read something. Turn with me; now let me show you something. Let's--let's picture this thing just a minute. Just happened to come on my mind, and we'll just read it. Let's turn over in Revelations to the 17th chapter of Revelations. We still got fifteen minutes more. All right. Now, listen real real close now as we read. You who have your Bibles can turn; I'm going give you just a little time so that you'll get it. 216-3 / 292 That was down to the persecution of Saint Patrick's people. And then they call Saint Patrick their--their saint. Saint Patrick was about as much Catholic as I am; and you know how much I am. He--he detested the doctrine of the church. He refused to go to the pope. Yes, sir. 216-5 / 293 All right. Now, notice: 17th chapter of Revelation. Now, everybody just try to open your heart and let the Holy Spirit teach you now. ... there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the--had the seven vials,... Now, you see there's seven vials; you know these sevens as we are going through. They all happen right at the same time, following the plagues, following the church ages just the same, 'cause it is all sealed up into that one Book, everything, and everything happens just in rotation, and one goes right into the other, and the other into the other. There's two spirits a working: God and the devil. See? ... which had the seven last vials, and he talked with me, saying..., Come here; and I will shew thee--unto thee the judgment of the great whore that setteth upon many waters: 217-1 / 295 Now, look here, over here. That waters... Whore, what is that? That's a woman. Can't be a man. And what is the woman symbol in the church--in the Bible? Church. Why? Christ's Bride and so forth (You see?), it's woman, the church. And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore setteth, are peoples,... multitudes,... nations, and tongues. This church is ruling over the whole world (See?) "set upon many waters." With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,... (Spiritual fornication is taking her doctrine--Nicolaitane doctrine.)... and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication... (Boy, you talk about a drunken bunch on it. You...) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman... 217-3 / 300 And did you know what, the Catholic's own writing admit this is their church? How many knows that? Right in their own writing, I got "Facts of our Faith" it's called that. See? Belongs to a priest. All right. All right. And so he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman setting upon a scarlet clothed beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Now, just watch that, that symbol, that seven-heads. Now, you see here, said,... "And the--and the--and the--the heads which thou sawest are seven hills on which the woman setteth." Rome sits on seven hills. See? Now, there's no mistake about it. See? Seven heads and ten horns. You know are ten Kingdoms, and so forth. And the woman was arrayed in purple... scarlet clothed,... decked in gold and precious stones... pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations--abomination of the filthiness of her fornication: That antichrist spirit, fornication (See?) teaching, that committing adultery with God. See? Now, she's supposed to be a bride (See?), and committing adultery (See?); see just like Eve did--just like the church does there. See? 218-1 / 302 And upon her... head was written--a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT... (And anybody knows Babylon's Rome.)... THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And... (Listen to the 6th verse.)... And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. She was such a beautiful thing with crosses and everything on her; how in the world could she be the guilty of drinking the blood of the saints. It puzzled him. Now, he's going to tell him. And the |