The 7 Church Ages
The Seventh Seal
| The Seventh Seal |
|
|
|
525-1 / 1 Thank you, brother. While we remain standing, let's pray. Almighty God, Author of Life and Giver of all good spiritual gifts, we are indeed grateful now for this most marvelous outstanding, a time of fellowship in--in Your Presence. Marks a great highlight in our lives, Lord, a time that we'll never forget no matter how long we should stay. And we pray, God, that on this closing night... We are noticing the Scripture on the closing day of the feast, Jesus stood among them and cried out, "If any man thirst, let him come to Me,"... And I pray, heavenly Father, that that'll repeat again tonight that we could hear the Voice of our Lord calling us, and calling us into--to service for Him, closer walks. We feel that we've heard His voice already in the opening of these Seals, speaking that it's the last day, and the time is at hand. Grant these blessings that we ask for, Father, in Jesus Christ's Name and for His glory. Amen. Be seated. 525-1 / 1 Thank you, brother. While we remain standing, let's pray. Almighty God, Author of Life and Giver of all good spiritual gifts, we are indeed grateful now for this most marvelous outstanding, a time of fellowship in--in Your Presence. Marks a great highlight in our lives, Lord, a time that we'll never forget no matter how long we should stay. 525-3 / 3 I'd like to add this, that of all the services I've ever had in my life, I believe this week has been the most glorious time of all my life in services. No matter what I have... I've seen great miracles performed, of course, before in healing services, but this is beyond that. It's been one of the great times, highlights of my life is to be here; and seeing the little Tabernacle take on this different look. Not only that, but the inside has taken on a different look... 526-1 / 6 Now, we have a wonderful pastor, a real man of God; and I'm so thankful for that. And if you'll remember a vision a year ago, that food was stored up in the place; and that's exactly right. And we're--we have the place now adequate for the Sunday school classes for all the ages, and--and we're just very grateful for this opportunity. Someone had said sometime, if they would just have Sunday school classes where they could send their children. You... They got them now, so now, so you just come right on and be with us if you don't have a church home. 'Course, if you have a good church where you're going to, and preaches the Gospel, so forth, why, that's--that's just an--another group of us (You see?) somewhere else; but if you have no home and you're... 526-2 / 9 I understand that several had--has moved in from other parts of the country to make this their church home, and we certainly welcome you here to the Word of the Lord. 526-3 / 11 And now, I am very grateful for the cooperation of the Tabernacle people. As Billy was telling me this week, that I think every home that's represented here around this Tabernacle has a--somebody with them. They opened up your homes and places and taken in people that wouldn't have had any place to go to. Now, that's real Christian acts. See? And some homes have just stuck everybody in every little corner that they could to get people a place to stay, because this has been a very hard time on account of this, some kind of a affair that'd been going on about the sports world (some kind of basketball or something) and--and reservations had been made plus the great group from... I think represented here in this little church about around twenty-eight or thirty states represented right here in the church, besides two foreign nations, so--in this little revival, so that takes up quite a bit of room itself. 527-2 / 15 Someone spoke up and said, "We can't get in"; that was the--that was the reason. Some of the police and so forth wanted to come to the meeting, but said... Had been talked around... said, but they come up and they couldn't get in. It was already filled up before even time that they could get in. So they had their time, maybe, later on and they didn't come, so now the people are coming from other places. So we're very grateful. 527-4 / 17 Now, I say this... Looking over old notes that I preached on many years ago, I was just coming in and saying what I thought was right and going on. It was away off of the line. And now, all four of them Seals, I had it in about twenty minute sermon. Oh... The four horse riders of Revelations, I throwed them all together, and said, "One horse went in white"; I said, "perhaps that's the--the--the early age. And next horse went in famine," and then on like that. 527-6 / 19 Now, people who are from out of town, from around at different places, come in from different states and nations, how I appreciate your sincerity to travel all the distance and to take your vacations, and some of them even without places to stay. I know because I've been able to help some of them get places to stay, without even money to eat on, or anything else and so... and even have come anyhow, expecting something to happen to take care of it. And with such great faith in that that no matter if they have to go without food, or even a place to stay, they want to come hear those--them--them things happen anyhow. That's really gallant, you know. And everybody has just been so one hundred percent. 528-2 / 21 And he said, "I tell you," he said, "there never was such a time, hardly, that you ever seen such harmony amongst men when they all worked together." Brother Wood, Brother Roberson, and everybody just placing their places--everything. And the brother who put the acoustic, the--I mean the public addressing outfit and everything in the church... They said, "Everything just worked right." When they need something, there'd be the man standing there to do it. So, it's... God is in all the whole program. We're very thankful for this. 528-4 / 24 And remember, it's your church, for you are a servant of Christ, and that's what it's built here for, a open door to make servants, and for servants who are already servants of Christ, to come in and enjoy themselves around the fellowship of Jesus Christ. And we want you to know that everybody's welcome. 529-1 / 27 So now, I don't mean any individual, Catholic, Jewish, whatever it might be, or--or Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, any organization, and no organizations, and--and non-denominationals and all, God has His children sitting out in there. See? And many times I believe they're out there for a purpose: to give light, pulling out those predestinated ones from all around everywhere. And--and on that great day we'll see then, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ will be called to the--to the great meeting time in the air, and we'll all go up to meet Him, and I'm--I'm looking for that hour. 529-3 / 29 Now, I want to make this real clear. Every time, every time that these Seals has come to the place, everything that I ever believed on them and has read of other people, has been contrary to what come to me in the room. And my mind, at this time... The reason I had that healing service this morning, because my human mind is becoming so away from my own way of thinking. I have tried to stay in a--in a room with the shades pulled down, a light on (This is the eighth day.) and not even got in my car to--to go anywhere. 529-5 / 33 Where I've been eating at, at Brother Wood's, usually that place is packed around with cars, and they had eight or ten different people was going to come stay with them during this time, and not a one of them come. 530-2 / 35 May I just pass this to you. When the supernatural comes in, that's the mind of Christ. You become so far away from your own thinking till in your own mind... I... This... you... I... Don't--don't let me try to explain that, because I can't. See? I couldn't do it. There's nobody could do it. How could that man that's the Elijah stand up there on the mountain under the Presence of God, and pull down fire from heaven, then rain right behind the fire, and then close the heavens, and it didn't rain for three years and six months, and go right back and call the rain on that same day? And under that anointing, how... and took four hundred priests out and killed them, and then run to the wilderness screaming for his life on a threat of one woman. See? Jezebel, she swore that she'd take his life. When Ahab and all of them was there to see the Presence of God and the great miracle done. 530-3 / 36 See, his... The Spirit had left him. In his natural way of thinking, he didn't know how to think. See? He couldn't think for himself. And remember, the Angel put him to sleep and rested him, raised him up, give him some cakes and put him back to sleep and rested him, and raised him up, and give him some cakes again; and we don't know what happened to the man for forty days. Then he was pulled back in a cave somewhere and God called him. 531-1 / 38 Don't try to explain nat--a supernatural; you can't do it. See? Only thing to do is just go right ahead. And I'll try to make myself clear as I can; but from henceforth, I think I'll never try it again. See? You just absolutely believe or not, and now, you'll see a little later why. 531-3 / 39 Now, another one where I was trying to say "the dove," and I called it "the lamb"; but I caught that right away. And then here one, I didn't catch on that, the Holy Spirit turned right back around and called me to it. That's a double confirmation that these things are right. God's watching over to see that it's right. That's right. He wants to... He wants you to know that it's the Truth. He's the One that's sending it, 'cause it sure wasn't... It was just as much to me learning as it was--has been to you. 531-5 / 43 Our heavenly Father, here comes that great night, the great hour that when a great thing has happened. It's been all around the people. And, Father, I pray that tonight that'll be made known beyond a shadow of doubt to the people's hearts and mind that they'd know that God is still on the throne, and that He still loves His people, and it's the hour--hour that the world has longed to see, is now approaching, for it cries out for redemption. 532-3 / 46 Now, as you're--want to turn maybe in your Bibles, and this is just a short verse, one verse of Scripture, but it's the--the last verse found--last Seal rather. Now, last night we were speaking on the Sixth Seal. First Seal, being the antichrist introduced, his time went through, and we seen how he went out, how the beast that was introduced on God's power that went forth with the antichrist power to combat it. I don't believe there could be a question in anybody's mind about it. 532-5 / 51 And now, we find out that that... Also we... The Lord let us take the Scripture, the Holy Scripture, what Jesus said would take place. And how would we have ever found that? And here it comes over and reveals and bring it just exactly (His sermon there) answering that, brings out exactly to the point, six of the Seals, but He omitted the Seventh. See? And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of a half hour. (And that's all we have on it.) 533-1 / 54 Now, we're going to notice, and try to not hold too long, 'cause many of you will be on the road yet tonight going home. And I thought again of having a healing service this morning, which would let you go in the morning, wouldn't have to wait over. And now, we... And I too; I've got to journey on to--to Tucson, Arizona, where I live, and, my home now. And then I--I want to be back here, the Lord willing, around... The family wants to come back for a few days in June. And now, maybe I'll get to meet you all down here at a meeting in that time. 533-2 / 57 My next appointed service is Albuquerque, New Mexico. I think it's the 9th, 10th, and 11th. I'll be there Thursday and Good Friday. So I was to have the whole thing, and I had other appointments where I couldn't make it till that time, so I'll have Thursday night and Friday night at Albuquerque, New Mexico. 533-4 / 59 And so I told them, not knowing just what to do, I said they could advertise it potentially, then they'll let it know a little later. Has he just called? Uh-huh. All right. What say? [Brother Branham speaks to someone about the proposed meetings--Ed.] (Hot Springs, is it? I was mistaken. Twenty-fourth of May? 24th to 28th of June.) Now, it's announced potentially. That is, if it is the will of the Lord. 534-2 / 62 Now, now, we notice, this being just one verse here, we'd like to do something just a little--a little bit before here. If you noticed, we skipped the 7th chapter. The 6th chapter ends up the sixth--the Sixth Seal, but between the Sixth Seal and the Seventh Seal, there's something takes place. See? And how--how lovely that's placed just at its right place--between 6th and 7th chapter. 534-4 / 63 Now, remember, after the 4th chapter of Revelations, the Church is gone. After the--the four horse riders has went out, Church is gone. See? Everything that happened to the Church happened up to the 4th chapter of the Book of Revelations; everything that happened in the antichrist move, went up to the 4th chapter, and the Fourth Seal of Revelations (both for antichrist and Christ) ended up; and antichrist comes to his doom, and--with his army, and Christ comes with His army. 534-6 / 64 And that's exactly how he's won the battle every time has been because one of His subjects let down the bar from the Word. And it was done in this last church age through an organizational system which the real genuine holy church of the living God with a lion rider would not accept the Word and turned the church from the Word to dogma. 535-2 / 67 A priest, on an interview recently, he said, "Mr. Branham," he said, "God is in His church." 535-6 / 72 Watch Peter with the keys on the day of Pentecost. Remember, he has the keys that they are talking about. And the--the man said, "Men and brethren, what can we do to be saved?" 536-2 / 75 Now, and we notice this interval now between the 6th and the 7th chapter. Now, the 7th chapter of Revelation here is a--reveals a happening. It's not in here just for nothing. It's not put in between this for nothing. See? It is here for a purpose, and it's a revelation that reveals something. 536-4 / 77 Now, the--the 8th chapter only reveals the scene of--the scene of the Seventh Seal where nothing else is revealed. Now, nothing is not revealed in the Seventh Seal. Now, has nothing to do with the 7th chapter of--of Revelation. It's the revealing of the Seventh Seal is perfectly mute. And if I only had time (I'll try a few places.) to show you all the way back from Genesis this 7th chapter--this Seventh Seal is--is spoke of. From the very beginning in Genesis, this seventh--these Seals moved right up. 536-6 / 81 Now, now, we're going to speak here now on this 7th chapter just a minute to--to kinda bridge it in between Sixth and Seventh Seal, because that's the only material that we have to go on right now, is the Sixth--between the Sixth and Seventh Seal, is the calling out of Israel. 537-2 / 84 Now, notice, Israel--Israel believes only her prophets, and after they are vindicated. And nowhere through the church age, since in the early apostolic church, has the Protestant church ever had a prophet. Tell me who it was, and show it to me: never. They had in the early apostolic age one called Agabus which was a vindicated prophet. But in--when the Gentiles came in into inheritance of God, and Paul turned to the Gentiles after Peter (as we read last night) had received from the Lord that he was taking a--a people from the Gentiles for His Name, His Bride, then there never has been on the pages of history, a Gentile prophet. 537-3 / 85 Now, you just go back through history and find out. Why? Exactly, it'd be contrary to the Word exactly. When the first went forth, it was a lion. That was prophet's Word. The next went forth was the work, sacrifice. The next come forth was the cunningness of--of man. But we are promised in the last day that to return to the church again for the benefit of straightening up all that has been misled--misundone--left undone, for it's predicted here that the seventh angel's message would finish the mysteries of God. And then we've went through it all. We see that it's perfectly in harmony with the Scriptures. That's the reason. 537-4 / 88 Now, could you imagine when this person comes on the scene--when he does, remember, it'll be so humble and things till the churches will miss it a long ways. And could you imagine the churches, still under the tradition of the reformers, would ever receive a prophet from God who would be firmly against their teachings and organizations? 538-2 / 91 Christ, look how they hated Him. But He come exactly the way the Word said He would come. But being that He was a prophet, they blasphemed themselves away from the Kingdom of God by calling the Spirit of God, which was discerning and so forth, an unclean spirit. Said He was a--He was a fortuneteller or a devil... That is a... Fortuneteller is a devil (See?), devil spirit. Certainly. Did you know that? Absolutely. Fortunetelling is an impersonation of a prophet, which is absolutely blasphemy before God. 538-3 / 93 Now, notice, called in perfect harmony with the Scriptures of Daniel's last three and a half years. Notice, Israel's believer--believers only are told in the Old Testament to believe their prophets after the prophet has been vindicated. "If there be one among you who's spiritual or a prophet, I, the Lord my--thy God, will make Myself known unto him and speak to him in visions, through dreams": interpret dreams. 538-5 / 95 Now, that... Now, Israel always is going to believe that. And don't you see, because why? Now, I want you to catch this lesson good tonight now. Why? Because that's an order from God to them. I don't care how many tracts that the Gentiles get over there and spread out. I don't care how much you go through Israel with a Bible under your arm proving this, that, or the other; they'll never receive nothing but a prophet. That's exactly right. For a prophet is the only one who could take the Divine Word and put It in Its place and be a vindicated prophet; they'll believe it. That's right. 539-1 / 97 As I was talking to a Jew up here at Benton Harbor, when that John Rhyn, being blind all of his life nearly, received his sight. They taken me over there to that House of David, and this rabbi come out with his long beard; he said, "By what authority did you give John Rhyn his sight?" 540-2 / 105 That's it. You can't cut God in no two or three pieces, called Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and make three gods and hand it to a Jew. His very commandment is: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. I'm the Lord thy God." What did Jesus say? Jesus say, "Hear ye, O Israel, I'm the Lord your God": One God, not three." You'll never give that to them. No prophet will ever talk about three gods. No. You'll never hear that. No, sir. That's pagan and heathen as where it come from. Yes, sir. 540-3 / 107 Notice, but these prophets will come. Not only that... The--the prophets now is Revelations 11. We've read some of it, and I want you to read it as you study on the tapes and so forth. They are absolutely a-vindicated prophets by the sign of prophets; then Israel is going to hear that. 540-5 / 110 Notice, now see how they had to blind... Do you see how they had--Jesus--or God had to blind the Jews to keep them from recognizing Jesus? If they knew, if they only knew that that was--seeing the sign that He did, if they'd been in their right stage like they was back under the law when God commanded them about a prophet, and they'd seen Jesus did that, they'd of said, "This is the Messiah." Why was it? 540-6 / 111 Those in that age who had their names written on the Lamb's Book of Life, His apostles and so forth, they seen it and recognized it. Why didn't the rest of them? See? They were blinded. They couldn't see it; they don't see it yet. And they won't see it until she's born as a nation at one time. That's... The Word can't fail. Remember, the Word can't fail. Don't care how many sensations you have, and what all takes place, yet that Word cannot fail: going to be exactly the way God said it was. See? 541-1 / 113 Now, we realize that these things must happen. And that's the reason they didn't recognize Jesus when He perfectly identified Himself to be the prophet. Even the little--little old Samaritan woman standing out there at the well... He'd never been in Samaria. He just went up and said He had need to go that way. And He went up there, and there was that little woman. And her in her state, she was in better shape to receive the Gospel than those religious priests and things of that day. She done it. Yeah. Now, see, but in the face of all their rejection, yet one of their most noble men admitted that they knew He was a teacher sent from God. 541-2 / 117 I was talking to a--one of the finest doctors there is in the southern states, in his office not long ago, a very fine specialist in Louisville, a real gallant man. And I said to him; I said, "Doctor, I want to ask you a question." 541-4 / 121 Now, notice these Jews. Now, the scales of blindness was on these people's eyes. They--they couldn't help it. It was there, and God put it there. And they are on there until the age that they are promised this coming prophets... You can send missionaries; you can do whatever you want to; Israel will never be converted until these prophets come on the scene, and that will be after the rapture of the Gentile Church. No more than the ox age could receive a lion's call--for God has said in His Word that an ox spirit went out; and in the reformer's age, a man went out. See? You get... That's the only thing they could receive. That's... And in there now, they are blinded. That's just all there is to it. 542-2 / 126 Now, that's when the Jews will be converted, during that age. Now... Like the church age. Under the power of the anointed promise, they will receive Christ; but now, not while the Gentiles are in. 542-4 / 127 Let's just read. Now, listen real close now. Now, I want you to read with me if you can because I'm going to refer back to this just in a little bit: 7th chapter, now this is between the Sixth and Seventh Seal. ... after these things... (After these things, these Seals, this Sixth Seal was let loose, and that's the tribulation period. Everybody understand that now? Sixth Seal was let loose, and the tribulation was on. After this, watch.)... after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that... it should not blow upon the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (four angels) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the sea--the earth--the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the tree, until we have sealed the servants... (Not the Bride, servants, not the sons, servants. Israel has always been God's servant. The church is sons. See? By birth. Israel is His servant. Watch, every place it's always... Abraham was His servant. We're not servants; we're children, sons and daughters. Yeah.)... of the--of our God in their foreheads. (Now, watch, our God in their forehead.) And I heard the number of them that were sealed:... (Now, I want you to listen close to the reading of them.)... and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 543-1 / 132 He perfectly names them. Now, if there happens to be a British Israel discerner setting here, listen how this takes the wind out of it. See? Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand... (called the tribe)... Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad... twelve thousand. (Watch your--watch your tribe now.) And of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand... the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand... the tribe of Manasses... twelve thousand. And the tribe of Simeon... sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar... twelve thousand. (Issachar, I guess, you pronounce that)... twelve thousand. ... the tribe of Zabulon... twelve thousand. And the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of all the--of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 544-1 / 134 Now, there's twelve tribes, twelve thousand out of a tribe. Twelve times twelve is what? Hundred and forty-four thousand. Now, watch, them were all of the tribes of Israel. Now, watch. After this, now here comes another group. Now, the Bride's gone. We know that; but watch this group come up. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,... kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which setteth upon a throne, and to the Lamb. And all the nations... stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessings,... glory,... wisdom,... thanksgiving,... honour,... power,... might, be to our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders... (Now, he's before the elders here, as we've seen him all through the seals.)... And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these... 544-2 / 137 Now, John, being a Jew, recognized his own people. He seen them in tribal form. Is that right? He recognized and called each one of the tribes. But now, when he sees these, the--he's kind of puzzled. And the elder knows it, so he says, ... Who are these... what... which are arrayed in white robes? and whence cometh they? (John answering now) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest... (John didn't know them. See? All kindreds, tongues, and nations.)... And he said unto me, These are--he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation... (in other words, the great tribulation)... and have washed their robes,... made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and they--he that set upon the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them--sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water: and God shall wipe all tears from their eyes. 545-1 / 141 Now, we open the--get to the Seal. Did you notice, they were... First we start now, Israel, and then we see the purged church, not the Bride, the purged church by tribulation (See, see?) coming up here, great number of real sincere hearts that come up out of--of the great tribulation. Not the Church, it's gone on--the Bride. There's the church. 545-3 / 147 Notice, our Adventist brethren say that the Seal of God is keeping the Sabbath Day (you know that); but I want one speck of Scripture on it and show that Sabbath--or keeping the Sabbath day is the Seal of God. See, it's just a--somebody drawed that idea. But if you'll read Ephesians 4:30, it says, "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed until the day you--of your redemption." Yes, sir. 545-5 / 151 Notice, as there were--as they were a remnant according to election (these Jews are now), the remnant according to election in the days of Elijah's first ministry to the Jews, where seven thousand believers were kept away by the hand of God. Now, there is, in this remnant time coming, to their time to be one hundred and forty-four thousand according to the election, that the message at that time--to believe the message, will be one hundred and forty-four thousand. 546-2 / 153 Now, let's read that, and see now where we get to. The 31st verse (See?), they'll see the Son of man coming in glory. Now, the 31st verse: And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 546-3 / 154 The elected will come out. What is it? And the tribulation period... The... God will call His elected, and that is the Jews during that time, the elected. The Bible speaks of it. Paul speaks of it. According to the election, there will be one hundred and forty-four thousand (according to the election) that will believe the message out of literally millions that'll be there. 546-5 / 157 Same thing it is in the Gentile church. There is a Bride, and She is elected, and he will be called according to the election. Notice, this all types the Church perfectly, the elected believers; others do not believe. You can just tell it. You tell a man a truth and let it be proven by the Word and then vindicated, "I don't believe it." 547-2 / 160 I went to a man not long ago... He come to me rather. He'd been arguing all around everywhere against Divine healing. And he come up, and he said, "I don't believe your Divine healing." 547-6 / 168 What was it? See, you know right then the election's off. Just don't fool with it at all. Jesus did the same thing. He said, "Let them alone. If the blind lead the blind, won't they all fall in the ditch?" But when He come to a little prostitute, it struck fire. What was it? It was an elected seed laying there (See?) that seen it right now. 548-2 / 171 Notice, God's one hundred and forty-four thousand elected Jews don't bow to the beast, his denominationalism, statues, or anything. Though their nation is in a covenant with it at the time, Israel is in a covenant, but here's a hundred and forty-four thousand that's not going to do it. That's the elected. 548-4 / 173 All right. This time was between the Sixth and Seventh Seal that He calls these people, spoken of by Jesus in Matthew the 24th chapter and the 31st verse, that we've just read. See? Trumpets here, or the two witnesses of the... When the trumpet sounds, is the trumpet of the two witnesses of the age of grace for the Jews? One trumpet sounds; you notice, one trumpets sounds. He say, "And sound the trumpet." Now, notice over here: 31st. And he shall send forth his angels... (not one, see, two of them)... with a great sound of a trumpet,... What is it? When God gets ready to speak, there's a sound of a trumpet. That's always His voice calling to battle. See? God speaks. These angels will come forth with the sounding of the trumpet. 548-6 / 175 Notice, but when the Seals were announced, they were all in one great Divine thing to call out a group of people. There was one trumpet sound and Seven Seals were broke. 549-2 / 178 Now, watch here. See? "And He will send the angels with a trumpet and He gather the elect from the four corners of heaven." Now, He starts. See, He don't say nothing about the Seventh Seal here. See? He spoke of the Sixth Seal: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth, but notice. Now, learn a parable of the fig tree; When its branches is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door. 549-3 / 182 That last--that question they asked Him: "And what will be the sign of the end of the world?" When you see these Jews... When you see these other things taking place, you know what takes place. Now, when you see these Jews... Talking to the Jews... 549-5 / 185 Now, one thousand years on earth is only one day with God. And three and one half years, what would it go to? So many seconds in God's time. That's the reason He said, "It is at the door." "Verily I say unto you that this generation shall not be consumed (done away with, this people) until all these things are..." what? What won't be done away with? They've tried to kill the Jew off the earth all the time. They'll never be able to do it. 550-2 / 188 Now, where are we at, friends? The Seals and everything opening, now we're getting this in between here. There it is. See where we're setting? I hope you get it. I haven't got no education. And I know what I'm talking about, but maybe I can't explain--explain it to make sense to you. But I hope that God takes the words that's mixed up and divides them out right (You see?), and lets you know what it is, 'cause it's--we're at the door. We're here at the time. 550-4 / 192 Notice, we know even every tribe--that is, tribal chronology or whatever you want to call it, or geology or... The tribal positions are not no more together. They're scattered everywhere. The Jews that are gathering into Jerusalem is not... They don't even know their tribes. They haven't got any more tribal banners or anything. All they know then that they're Jews. They were prophesied to be that way the world over. 551-2 / 197 Now, notice in Revelations 7 we read this: twelve thousand of each tribe. Of the elected out of all of it, there's twelve thousand out of each tribe that's elected and are set right here in order. Oh, my. What are they? They're in tribal order. Yet they are not now, but they will be. They're in tribal order. What will be in tribal order? Not the regular Jew; no, but the ones that's the elected, the hundred and forty-four thousand will be set in tribal order. 551-3 / 199 Now, I want you to watch real close and read with me for a minute. Now, here's something that maybe you never noticed in the--the tribal calling. I told you awhile ago to read Revelations 7. Read with me and watch those tribes. In Revelations 7 Dan and Ephraim is missing and not numbered with them. Did you notice that? Joseph and Levi was substituted in their place. You notice that? Dan and Ephraim is not there. No, sir. But Joseph and Levi was substituted in the place of--of--of Dan and Ephraim. Why? They--the ever remembering God remembers every promise of His Word. (Oh, I'd like to preach on that. See?) God don't forget nothing, though it looks like. 552-1 / 203 Now, if you watch. Now, read... I want you to read with me now. Go over to Deuteronomy the 20--the 29th verse, the--the 29th chapter, rather. There is a reason for these tribes not being there. Everything has got a reason for it. Deuteronomy, we want to take the--the 29th chapter of--of Deuteronomy. Now, the Lord so help us that we can understand now. Now, we want to start in Deuteronomy the 29th chapter at the 16th verse. Now, listen, Moses speaking. For you know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which we passed by; And ye have seen the abominations, and their idols, wood... stone, silver... gold, which were among them:... (Everyone carried a little something or other--a little statue of Saint Cecilia. You know, something like that. See?) Lest therefore... (Listen.)... Lest there should be among you a man,... woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he--that he bless himself in his heart, and say, I... have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my own heart,... 552-2 / 205 See, people say, "Aw, he blesses himself." You know, make a little cross or something like they do now (You see?), same thing. See? And... You see, it's a heathen trait (See?), it's a--the heathens. "He blesses himself in his own heart, in his own imagination, in his own mind. ... to add drunkenness to thirst... (Just drink, say, "That don't make any difference; as long as you go to church, you're all right. Then...) The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD... his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and of all the curses that are written in this book... (Don't take one word from It or add one to It. See?)... shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot his--blot out his name from under the heaven... (That's while he's here on earth. See?)... under the heaven. And the LORD shall separate unto him evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curse of the covenant that's written in this book of the law: 553-1 / 208 Therefore, if any man will serve an idol or keep an idol on him, or bless himself in his own imagination of his mind and serve idols, God said, "Man, woman, family, or tribe, his name will be completely blotted out from amongst the people." Now, is that right? How true. Idolatry did the same thing in the church years ago and does today. 553-3 / 211 Now, in trying to do this, blot out a name, did you notice in the church age, the same beast that serves the images of dead people and so forth, tried to blot out the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and give titles as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Same thing with that curse behind it like that. Dan and Ephraim did just that under a hypocrite of a king in Israel, an impostor, Jeroboam. Then Jeroboam... Shechem and the mount of Ephraim, and dwelt there; and went out into..., and built Penuel. And now Jeroboam said unto--in--in his heart,... (See the imagine of his heart?)... Now, shall the Kingdom turn to the house of David: (He was getting scared, you see, 'cause the people might go out.) If this people go up to... sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people be turned again to the lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go... unto Rehoboam--Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold your gods, O Israel, which brought thee... out of the land of Egypt. And he set up the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing become a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan. 554-1 / 214 See? Ephraim at Beth-el, and Dan; and they set up idols, and these went out to worship this. And here we are plumb down into the millennium age almost, and God still remembered that sin. They're not even counted in there. Amen. Glory. Just as sure as He remembers every good promise, He remembers every one evil too. Just remember when... That's the reason I believe, friends; I've always tried to stay with that Word no matter how strange it seems. 554-2 / 220 Notice. But did you notice there, it was to be blotted out? Why? Under heaven there was no immediate sacrifice that could give him the Holy Spirit to let him see these things, but he did it anyhow in his own selfish mind. But Ezekiel, in his vision in the millennium, he sees them again in perfect order: Ezekiel, if you want to read it. Just put it down and you can read it to save time: Ezekiel 48:1-7, also read 23 to 29. Ezekiel seen every tribe just exactly in order. 554-3 / 222 All right. And also in Revelations 14, John seen them again in tribal order. That's right. Every tribe to his place. What happened? You remember, he said, "Under the heavens," that his name would be blotted out of the tribal affair. As long as he was under the heavens, there would be no more, and this hundred and forty-four thousand is down here in the tribal part yet. That's right. But you see, they'd been blinded; they had only the sacrifice of bulls and goats. See? 555-2 / 225 Now, all... When He called them over there, the hundred and forty-four thousand, they were missing. That's right. They're not even numbered in there. And Joseph and Levi is put in the place of Dan and Ephraim. Now, you can look at there; right there it is before you. See? And here's God's promise way back there hundreds and hundreds of years before that. 555-4 / 227 And look here. Here comes up the hundred and forty-four thousand after the purging of Israel, and here comes up also... The sleeping virgin comes up purged and has white robes on. See? How perfect, how beautiful that is. 555-6 / 229 Now, we'll turn now to the 8th verse of the--or the 1st verse, I mean, of the 8th chapter, of Revelations 8:1. (I know you're tired. Now, just try to listen just for a few minutes now. And God of heaven help us, is my prayer.) 556-2 / 233 Notice, it's the end of the church age. It's the--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. 556-4 / 236 Now, how is He going to do it? That's what we don't know, isn't it? We don't know. It's even the time for all these things, and the ushering in of the millennium. 557-1 / 241 And the four and twenty elders that stood before God there harping with their harps, they quit playing their harps. The Angels hushed their singing in heaven. Think, the holy Cherubims and Seraphims, that Isaiah saw it in the temple with six sets... or three sets of wings, three on--two over his face and two over his feet, and flying. And he's day and night they're before God, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty." And even when they walked in, or come into the temple, the posts of the temple moved with their--their presence. And these holy Seraphims hushed up. Angels quit singing. (Whew.) Flying in the Presence of God, singing, "Holy, holy, holy..." they shut up. 557-3 / 245 Now, none of us know; but I'm--I'm going to tell you in my con--my revelation of it. And now, I am not prone to be a fanatic. If I am, I'm ignorant of it. See? I am--I'm not given away to such as "leerious" or carry-ons and imaginary things. I've said some things might been kind of strange to some people, but when God comes around behind it and vindicates it and says it's the Truth, then that's God's Word. It may seem strange that way. See? 557-5 / 249 Now, why? Let us prove it. Why? It is the secret that no one knows about. John was forbidding to write about it, even, even write a symbol about it. Why? This is why there was no active in--activity in heaven; it might give away the secret. Do you see it now? If it's so great it must be included, because it's got to happen, but when the seven thunders... 558-2 / 255 Seven, God's perfect number, Seven [Brother Branham knocks six times on pulpit--Ed.] just right down the row. Seven thunders uttered straight together like they're spelling out something. Notice, at that time, John started to write, and He said, "Don't write it." Jesus never spoke of it. John couldn't write it. Angels know nothing about it. 558-4 / 258 If you want something to happen... Now, you'll have to take my word for this. If I'm planning on doing something, I know better than to tell anybody about it. Not that that person will tell it, but Satan will hear it. See? He can't get it in my heart there, as long as God's got it closed up with the Holy Spirit, so it's between me and God. See? He don't know nothing about it until you speak it, then he hears it. 559-3 / 261 [The prophet originally had the tape stopped here. He put in a different ending, which he recorded on Monday morning, which begins at paragraph 376--Ed.] But there's a secret lays beneath that. Glory to God in the highest. I can never think the same the rest of my life, when I seen... 559-5 / 264 Now, notice, remember the vision of the constellation? Charlie, I... Here you are. Something going on, I told you, this week that you... It's been all around you, but I wonder if you noticed it. Remember the constellation of the vision of the Angels when I left here to go to Arizona? You remember, "What Time Is It, Sirs?" Do you remember that? And I saw the Lamb when He had opened the First Seal, and I heard as it was a voice of a thunder, and one of the four beasts said, Come and see. Notice, one thunder, seven messages that's been sealed up and cannot be revealed until the last day, at this age. See what I mean? 560-1 / 268 Now, have you noticed the mysterious parts of this week? That's what it is. That's what it's been. It's been, not a human being, a man; it has been the Angels of the Lord. Notice, there's witnesses of three setting in here, that a week ago (a little over a week ago) I was up way back into the mountains, nearly to Mexico, with two brethren that's setting here, picking cocklebur--or sand burrs off of my trouser leg, and a blast went off that almost, looked like, shook the mountains down. Now, that's right. I never told my brethren, but they noticed a difference. And He said to me, "Now, be ready. Go east." 560-3 / 272 And Brother Fred in here tonight is a witness, and Brother Norman. As we went down, I almost persuaded that man to stay and get his game. Is that right, Brother Sothmann? Yeah, there he stands right there. I persuaded... but yet, He said, "He won't do it." I never said nothing, went on. Something setting by the side of the tent the day that... You remember, Brother Sothmann, that I, as soon as some things was being told that I put you and Brother Norman... Where's Brother Norman? Back there. Put them under oath that they wouldn't mention what was taking place. Is that right? Did I turn around and walk away from that tent, like that? Is that right? Because this is what it was, exactly what it was, and knowing that I couldn't say it till it happened to see if the people would understand it. 560-4 / 275 And did you notice that one Angel, I said in there, was a strange Angel? He looked more to me than any of the rest of them. You remember that? They were in a constellation--three on a side and one on top. And the one right next to me here, counting from the left to the right, would've been the seventh Angel. He was brighter, meant more to me than the rest of them. You remember, I said he had his chest out like that, and was flying eastward. You remember like that? And I said, "It picked me up, lifted me up." Do you remember that? 561-1 / 276 Here it is. The one with the Seventh Seal, the thing that I've wondered all my life. Amen. Them other Seals meant a lot to me, of course, but, oh, you don't know what this has meant. For one time in life... I prayed; I cried out to God. I--I--I--after that Phoenix meeting, any of the people there with me know; I laid in the mountains. One morning I got up and went up in Sabino Canyon; it's a great rugged high mountains. And I'd went up in there, and there was a little foot trail after you lead off--go on up into Lemmon Mountain which is a thirty mile walk, and there about thirty foot of snow up there. 561-2 / 278 So, up in the mountain real early before day, going up through this little foot trail, rolling rocks along, I felt led to turn this a-way. And I turned and went up into some great jagged rocks, oh, my, hundreds of feet high. And I knelt down between those rocks. I laid down this Bible and laid down this book, this little tablet. I said, "Lord God, what does this vision mean?" I'm--I'm--I'm... I said, "Lord, does it mean my dying?" (You remember I told you I thought it might mean my death, 'cause something exploded till it just shook me to pieces. You remember. How many knows--have heard it was? Why, sure, all of you.) And I thought it could mean my death. And then in the room, I said, "Was--what--what--what was it, Lord. What--what does it mean? Does it mean I'm going to die? If it is, all right; I won't tell my family. Just let me go on (See?), if my work's finished." And I said... Now, what was it? But He sent a witness back (You remember me telling you?) that it wasn't that, it was a furtherment of my work. 561-3 / 282 Oh, you get it. See? And setting up in Sabino Canyon... The heavenly Father knows this, just as true as you see that come to pass, those Angels come right down and a-vindicated every message to be the same. Then you know whether it comes from God or not. It was foretold you by a vision. I couldn't tell you until the service was over, 'cause I was forbidden to. 562-1 / 284 And I had my hands out, and all at once something hit my hand. I don't know. I can't say. Did I go to sleep? I don't know. Did I go into a trance? I don't know. Was it a vision? I can't tell you. Only thing I can say is when I... Just the same thing like them Angels was. And it struck my hand, and I looked, and it was a sword, and it had pearl handles, real pretty; and had a guard over it with gold, and the blade looked like, something like a chrome, like silver, only it was real shiny. And it was so feather-edge sharp, Oh, my. And I thought, "Isn't that the prettiest thing?" just fit my hand. I thought, "That's awful pretty." But I said, "Hey, I'm always 'fraid of them things"--a sword. And I thought, "What will I do with that?" 562-4 / 288 Oh, what a day we're living in, what a great thing. See the mystery and secret? The third... Standing there, when this left me, something just come to me and said, "Don't fear." Now, I didn't hear no voice, like on the inside of me spoke. I just tell you the truth, just exactly what happened. Something hit and said, "Don't fear. This is that third pull." 563-1 / 291 I was standing with a--a little baby's shoe when He told me, there, "Make your first pull; and when you do, the fish will run after the lure." Said, "Then watch your second pull" said, "because there'll only be small fish." He said, "Then the third pull will get it." 563-3 / 293 And I said, "Well, oh, all...?..." I said, "I--I don't know." I said, "I've understand fishing." I--I said, "Now, the first thing you do... Here's the way it's done. You see all the fish around; you got to jerk the lure." (Well, that's exactly the tactics of fishing.) So I said, "Jerk the lure." Now, you see when I jerked the lure the first time, now the fish takes out after it, but they were little ones. That's just like they were catching. So then I--I said, "Then you'll--you'll set..." and I jerked it out on the bank and I had a fish, but it looked like a skin over the lure; it just--he was so little. And then I was standing there and something said, "I told you not to do that." And I started crying. 563-5 / 299 And just then He picked me up. And He took me up and set me way up high to where a meeting was going on, looked like a tent or a cathedral of some sort. And I looked, and there was a little box-like, little place over in the side. And I seen that Light was talking to somebody above me, that Light that you see there on the picture. It whirled away from me, like that, and went over to that tent, and said, "I'll meet you there." And said, "This will be the third pull, and you won't tell it to nobody." 564-2 / 301 Now, I--I'd better stop right here. See? I just--I just feel checked not to say no more about it. See? So just remember, the Seventh Seal, the reason it was not opened (See?), the reason It did not reveal it, no one should know about it. And I want you to know before I even knowed any word about that, that vision come years ago. You remember that? And here it is just as this other has--slides right straight into the Word exactly where it was. And God knows my heart; I never one time thought of such a thing as that, and here it was. It's later than we think. 564-4 / 305 Now, how did I know the other day, last Sunday, a week ago today, when I was preaching on "Be humble, be humble; remember God deals in little things." I didn't realize what it really was talking about, and now I see it. It is in such a humble way. You'd think that something like that would be revealed to the Vatican, or, but it comes just like John the Baptist. It comes like the birth of our Lord in a stable. Glory to God. So help me, the hour is at hand. We're here. Oh, my. 565-2 / 307 Now, the voice of that great thunder and the mission that was brought here has been revealed that it--and proven that it was of God. Just think now. I knew not these Seals, and they been revealed this week. Did anybody think of that? Of those seven Angels, being this being the message that was coming forth, them Angels bringing me back here for that? 565-4 / 310 And as--I was standing right there, and this explosion left, and I was looking this way, towards the west, and they come and just picked me up in there, and I went plumb out of my knowing. And the one of them coming was the one that looked so strange to me, was the one on my, be to left where I entered the constellation at, but counting from the left to the right, it would've been the seventh Angel (See?), coming across. |