Questions And Answers #2 (64-0823E)
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993-1
Let us remain standing just a moment for prayer. Dear God, we thank
Thee tonight for, first, for Jesus Christ our Saviour. We thank Thee
because that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We thank
Thee for people who believe that. We're so glad that we have a God, not
just an imaginary god, an imaginary idol, an imaginary spirit; there's
nothing imaginary about it: a true and living God Who lives with us and
in us and works through us. Not making a statue to God, but we being
living images of God… The Holy Spirit, not speaking through a statue,
but speaking through a redeemed vessel: God manifested in flesh. How we
thank Thee for this, the great Pillar of Fire following us, or we
following It, rather, and for all the great manifestations of the same
Spirit doing the same work that It's always done when It come to the
earth. What a consolation it gives us.
We have assembled tonight, Lord, for no other purpose but to know how
and to learn how, by Thy help, to be better Christians and better fit
subjects for this hour that we're approaching. Won't you help us, Lord;
we need You. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (You may be seated.)
993-3
Was about another thirty or forty questions. I–I don't know how I'd
ever get to them. I tried hard this afternoon to see if I could even
get them down to normal, but I couldn't do it. But I want to say that
I'm going to do the very best that I can to–to answer these questions,
because they're fine questions, coming from the hearts of Christians.
And I–I certainly want to do everything that I know how to answer them
just as sensibly as I know how to answer them. And I–I want to thank
the Lord for how He's helped this morning in helping us to–to get
ahold of these questions and to–and to–the answers that He did give
us.
Now, I just got them all in here mixed up, I guess a 150 more. And we
got to about twenty, I guess, this morning. And–and so now, before we
start, I would just like to say that if anybody wanted to see this
article on "A Church Rocks as the Drums Roll," the Presbyterian
minister here leading his congregation in rock-and-roll, a program for
the–for the sacrament… Let me just see just a minute.
994-5
The
pastor here leading all the teen-agers up there and going through the
passions of Christ, the crucifixion played out in rock-and-roll and
jazz. Well… It's in Maryland. Now, isn't that something?
And then, here is the picture of those… I was telling you this
morning of those Beatles, "Return of Beatles," and there's the
articles; you just should read it out of the magazine and all of the
different things. "… as it were, had founded a new religion." Now,
their manager… I've got a note out of the paper here. You haven't got
time… If anybody wants to read these or I can put them on the
bulletin board, then you can read them. And I just want to show you the
hour that we're living in is shocking. You might not understand it;
but, people, try to understand it, that–what these things are. I've
asked Brother Capps; he's got a good education and can read better than
I, I've asked him to read this article from the manager of the Beatles.
Can you do it, Brother Capps, at this time?
994-7 [Brother Capps reads the article on the Beatles.
States that:
The
Beatles wonder about themselves and draw no answers. "It's incredible,
absolutely incredible!" says Derek Taylor, the Beatles' press officer,
"Here are these four boys from Liverpool. They're rude; they're
profane; they're vulgar; and they've taken over the world. It's as if
they'd founded a new religion. They're completely antichrist. I mean;
I'm antichrist as well; but they're so antichrist they shock me, which
isn't an easy thing. But I'm obsessed with them. Isn't everybody? I'm
obsessed with their honesty, and the people who like them most are the
people who should be outraged most. In Australia, for example, each
time we'd arrive at an airport, it was as if deGaulle had landed, or
better yet, the Messiah. The routes were lined solid. Cripples threw
away their sticks. Sick people rushed up to the car, as if a touch from
one of the boys would make them well again. Old women stood watching
with their grandchildren as we'd pass by. I could see the look on their
faces. It was as if some saviour had arrived and all these people were
happy and relieved, as if things somehow were going to be better now."
Taylor paused and stuck a cigarette in his mouth, "The only thing left
for the Beatles," he said, "is to go on a healing tour."–Ed.]
995-8
Isn't that what He said? "Many shall come to Me in that day and say,
'Lord have not I…'" See? Now, can't you see that you can't put your
trust in healing campaigns? You can't put your trust in any kind of a
sign like that. The only thing you can put your trust in is THUS SAITH
THE LORD from the Bible. Now, Church, that is exactly where I have
tried to keep you, my children. And if something happens to me and God
takes me out of this earth, don't you never fail. Remember this with
all your heart: stay with that Word. Don't you leave that Word.
Anything contrary to It, leave it alone, no matter what it is. Then you
know It's right. See?
A healing campaign now… Sinful men that even shocked their own
managers with their vulgar, and dirt, and filth; and people throw away
their crutches and get healed by looking at these boys. It's so filthy,
and dirty, and antichrist. You see, it's Satan on a mock campaign. See?
He does anything that the Christ can do, but he can't confirm the Word.
See? He'll take part of It here and part of It here, but he can't take
It altogether. See? He can't get It together. So you see, no wonder the
Bible said that would almost fool the very Elected if it was possible:
the antichrist spirit.
Now, even their own press manager here, press agent, he's for them,
believes in them, and said he's possessed of the same thing, because
they've won him over.
995-11
Them evil things, them… Now, don't you see, women, why I am trying to
tell you about this short-wearing, hair cutting, bobbing, and things.
It's a spirit. It is a spirit. Here it is right in our leading
magazines and everything of what's shown out, rock-and-roll and stuff
in the church. Why, it's a setup exactly for Satan, and they're still
churches and denominations.
Back to the Word, children, as fast as you know; don't you dare to leave It. You stay right with that Word.
See, how that antichrist spirit, it can speak in tongues, can show
signs and wonders; it can heal the sick; it can do all these things.
See? Them people thinking they're approaching God, that them boys are
God sent, because the church has let down on the Word.
Those boys belong to church. Elvis Presley is a Pentecostal. Pat Boone
is a Church of Christ. Look at them guys, Pentecostals, Church of
Christ, and all of those like that with them evil spirits on them. Red
Foley, a golden voice, Church of Christ, sing the religious songs like
nobody can sing them and rock-and-roll in the next voice. By their
fruits you know them. Look what churches they belong to. Elvis Presley
are members of the Assemblies of God. There you are, each one of them
wanted that, and Satan give it to them.
Don't you see, friends, how… Don't let loose of that Word. See, it's a spirit that gets on you.
996-15
And I tell these women, when they make themselves look sexy in these
dresses, that God's going to make you answer for committing adultery.
If you believe me to be what you say, God's servant, a prophet, listen
to what I'm telling you. See? You might not be able to understand it,
and if you can't, then you just do what I tell you to do. God will hold
me responsible for what I say. See? You listen real close, and remember
that those things are spirit.
Ordinarily, maybe the person don't… You remember, God covered with
skin, I preached on not long ago (See, see?)–God with skin on it? Now,
just remember, some of us are sent to this world to break into these
realms to tell us these things. See? It's the foreknowledge; it's God
speaking, showing. When you judge anything by the flesh, why, they're
innocent (Looky here.), fine people, honest, wouldn't tell you a lie
nor nothing. And the whole thing is the devil: religious, even starting
a healing campaign. See? Of just exactly antichrist. See? And there's
Presbyterian and all that. You see them denominations, how they do,
right in the same thing?
996-17
Why, here in London, England, just recently they had a rock-and-roll
team to impersonate Christ, and Judas, and all that, and they called
Christ "Daddy-o" and talk to all those words them crazy kids talk. See?
The teenage kids took over the world. Now, you know that the Bible
predicts that? Unthankful, unholy, without natural affections, truce
breakers, false accusers, disobedient to parents (See?), teenage taking
over the world, and it's done it.
I went into a place the other day; they was playing this–one of these
old, dirty jukeboxes, all that stuff. I didn't even want to take my
family. I said to that lady, "How much does them records cost?"
"Ten cents a piece."
"How many will it play in a hour." She told me. I said, "Here's the money; unplug it."
"Well," she said, "I couldn't do that. Them kids come in here to play that."
Then I couldn't spend no money there; I went somewhere else. See? Well,
that stuff would make you nervous; you'd have to go down and get a
bunch of tranquilizers to take after hearing the crazy stuff. That just
irks a Christian. If you like that kind of stuff, you know what's wrong
with you? You need to get saved, 'cause what's in you is feeding on
something besides the Word. It's feeding on…
You couldn't imagine Jesus doing a thing like that could you? Could you
imagine one of the prophets doing such a thing? Don't you see, friends,
the whole thing all over is the devil. And the Bible said how he would
come in form of religion and just do just exactly like the Christ. See?
But the only way you'll ever be able to tell it, is not join this
church, or join that church, is stay with the Word; He is the Word.
997-21
Now, the Lord bless you each. We're going right straight to the
questions then now, for about–till about a hour and fifteen minutes…
I'll not be able to get through all these questions. There are just
piles of them. I think they're good questions. They're very fine. I'll
just reach down and pick out one here and there as I go along. And
now… answer it…
I would–I thought tonight I'd just come down, let somebody read them,
say, "yes" or "no," "yes" or "no," on… That isn't doing the people
just. They asked those questions to have them answered. And I–I
wouldn't do that, because I'll get what I can; and what I can't, I'll
get the next time around.
And now, I–I… About next Sunday, I don't know. I tell you; if you'll
get ahold of Billy sometime between now and Wednesday… We may have to
leave.
997-23
Now, here's one thing. I'm way behind in the interviews. Billy showed
me a pile of interviews that high, that's been waiting, some of them,
for months. Well, while I'm in, I've got to catch some of those, catch
some of the meeting, do everything I can to kind of balance it up. I'm
going to pray this week while I'm gone and ask the Lord, "What will He
have me do, finish up these or–or take the interviews?" If I take the
interviews, then I'll just run–come home on Sunday and run the
interviews right through somewhere, and go right on through the day
with interviews. And if I don't, why, I'll have to put the interviews
off till I'm back again. If I don't, then I'll answer… I'll… Billy
will send you a card.
And I tell you; it's nice, these dear kids, to tell you how they like
one another, the love they have for one another. One will tell the
other one and the other one will tell… Billy just calls one in a
section, about a hundred and fifty miles, and the rest of them gets
ahold of the rest of them. They love one another. They don't want to
miss anything. They're–want to be here at every minute to see what
goes on; for if the Lord should give something, they want to be here to
receive it. And I appreciate them.
998-25
Now remember, dear friends, this morning I made a statement on some of
the questions. And I notice some of these (Yeah!) yet–got in this
morning, is more about people moving out to Arizona. See? I thought I
would–better make that clear, so that you'd understand.
Now, don't–don't think that I'm trying to tell people that where they
can live, and what they can do, and… Now, I'm not saying that, my
dear brother. There's honest people that wants to move out there…
Well, anybody that wants to move, I'd sure be–be glad, as long as I'm
there which–as much as I'm there… I'm here about ten times what I am
there. I've got… Between now and Christmas, I got about four days to
be there. Then immediately after that, I leave for overseas. I'll be
here at the Tabernacle maybe two or three weeks before I go overseas in
a–a revival, as I usually do this spring. And then from there, I've
only got one meeting in all Arizona, and that comes off in January at
Phoenix, two nights with the Christian Business Men. See? I don't… If
the people out there… Could you flip that tape? [Brother Branham asks that the tape recorder be turned off and speaks to the congregation–Ed.]
999-27 Now, as we're starting in on these questions tonight, I'll pick up one here and… Are you enjoying them? Say, "Amen." [Congregation replies, "Amen!"–Ed.]
I think it's profitable for us at this time. And oh, I believe shortly
at… Looking this morning before coming down here at some–some texts
and some places in the Bible, I thought, "Oh, what a wonderful thing it
would be… While we're waiting for the coming of the Lord, what a
wonderful thing it would be to take back through all those Old
Testament characters, through Job and through there, and run series of
meetings on them (Wouldn't that be wonderful?), just to show you how
they type right into the day (the whole Word ties together), and all
about the destructions of the–and the ancient times and how they type
up with today; how everything in the Old Testament speaks of the coming
of the Lord Jesus."
999-Q-279 Now, first question I pulled out of here:
279.
Brother Branham, is it wrong for a Christian to put–to put her hair in
pin curls? Also, what length should her sleeves be? Thank you. A sister.
Now, that's–means a whole lot to that woman. Now, to some of us
brothers we might think, "Oh, the silly woman." But–but it's not silly
to her; she wants to know.
Now, about putting hair in what was it, pig tails or something another?
I'm sorry. I–I didn't… It… I'm sorry. Pin curls. Excuse me. Pin
sets–pigtails… That's what the girls used to wear years ago. You
remember, kind… Wasn't that right? They called them pigtails, just
kind of curls hanging down? No, pin curls, excuse me, friends.
"What length sleeves should she wear?"
Now, I don't think that it is anything about that. I don't know. See?
What I can't back up with the Bible, I–I don't want to say much about
it.
999-30
Now, I'm just telling you this for me, 'cause I have no Scripture to
back this up. The only thing I have for the ladies about their hair is
not to cut it. How they want to wear it, that's up to them. And about
the pin curls, actually, I don't know what they are, unless it's these
things look like clothespins that they stick in their hair. As I–the
only thing that I know…
And the lengths of sleeves, I think, being a Christian, God would tell
you what to do about those things. You see? I believe as a Christian
person you'd–you'd know about how to do that. I don't think God cuts
any certain lengths or whatever it is. As long as you're decent and
look honorable and clean, I–I think that's all right. Don't you? See?
Now, that's just my opinion. Now, this is me (See?), 'cause I can't
back nothing else up with the Scripture.
1000-32
I believe this morning the question come up about painting the hair,
you know, with a–with a color. Now, I–I–it–I… I can't say nothing
about that. I don't know, but I–I–I have no Scripture to say not
to–to color your hair. Now, that's–that's…
You women, you like to look nice, and you should look nice. And Brother
Branham's not against you children. You're my children; I–I–I love
you, and I–I don't want to be bawling you out. I–I wouldn't do it for
nothing; I'm only trying to help you.
But now, look, let me just ask… Let me say this in answer to that
question. Now, are you ready? And to you on the tape, here it is,
sisters: If there is a question in it, don't do it. But if you're–if
you're filled with God's Spirit and led to go do it, as long as it
don't interfere with the Scripture and don't interfere with a question,
you're perfectly satisfied that that's the will of the Lord, then go
ahead and do it (See?), 'cause there's no Scripture to say no (See?)
about it. I don't… Don't say nothing like that in the Bible.
1000-34
I know Isaiah 5, I believe it is, talked about women, how they will
wear changeable apparel and everything like that; but that was pride
and stuff, put-on. If you do that for pride, then it's wrong. See?
Examine your heart before God. If there's no Scripture for it, and the
way the Spirit leads you, you go ahead and do it. But now, when it
comes to whether you should have long hair or short hair, you have long
hair; that's the Bible.
There's a question here; I–I might answer it right now. It's in here;
I seen it this morning or sometime. Said, "You're always harping about
women, how they mustn't wear their hair, but you never say nothing
about the men."
1000-36
If I seen a man come in here with long hair hanging down his back like
a woman, I'd say, "Mister, why don't you go to the barber shop? You
look like a woman." See? But men usually don't do that. See? Not as
man… Now, not as the infallibility of man, they're just as guilty as
the woman.
And by the way, a man that'll let his wife do that, he's guilty double
of it, 'cause he's supposed to be the one that has the say so in the
house. And that man can't even rule his own house; how could he do it
in the house of God? See?
I'm so thankful for our group of women that we have coming here. I say
this with respects and love, and now, God knows this the truth. I–I
used to have a preacher friend down south that had one of the cleanest
looking churches I ever seen. Where come to women, the most beautiful
women I ever seen set there saintly, godly, with long hair. And I
always admired going to that church. And the Lord Jesus has give me a
church today here that outshines that one a hundred miles: my women.
I'm not scolding you to be mean; I'm only so happy for you. I just
don't want Satan to get a foot in anywhere. See? I want you to move
upward, not backward. Don't never let no man deceive you by some
enchantments, or something another like that, or something saying, "Oh
well, it don't…" See? That's the way Satan interpreted the Word to
Eve. See? You believe just what the Word says. All right.
1001-Q-280
280. Very urgent: Brother Branham, knowing that time is ending and
eternity setting in, what would be your advice for a couple planning
marriage?
Go right ahead and get married. See? Go right on just like if you was
going to live for another hundred years here on earth. Just go right
on; keep your heart set on Christ, not your hearts on these things of
the world, but on Christ. See? Go right on; get married, children. God
bless you in your wedding.
1001-Q-281
281. Dear Brother Branham, I have been baptized in Jesus' Name. The
Word says you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Does this–does
this mean the baptism, the Holy Spirit, or does it mean I should
receive the gift–definite–I should receive a definite experience with
the baptism? I am anxious to be–to be filled with the–the Spirit.
Please excuse the long note as I have been wanting to ask you this
question for a long time. Thank you. And the person has their names
signed. They're out-of-town people.
Now, there's a good question. Now, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is
a definite experience that a person must receive. Now let me kinda
clear that up just for a minute. See? Now, many people have the–the
idea… I believe it's twisted. And maybe right here to the church and
to the church that's listening, there might be a question. Now, when I
speak of not believing the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost is
speaking with tongues (I–I do not accept that) I believe with God's
help I can prove it in the Bible that that's wrong (See?), 'cause the
speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Ghost. How many knows that?
Divine healing is a gift of the Holy Ghost, and here Beatles are doing
it. See?
Satan can impersonate any of those gifts. Witches, wizards can speak in
tongues and interpret it. The jungle lands, many times a wizard will
speak in tongues, drink blood out of a human skull, and interpret
unknown tongues.
1002-42
Out in Arizona when they have the old festival dance of the corn dance,
the Indians wrap these bull snakes around them when they're trying to
pray to God to send them rain for their corn. They call it the corn
dance. They take the tassel of the corn, place it around them, and make
a little clout, and they dance. And the witch doctor comes out with
horns on his head, buffalo horns. And they dance with these bull snakes
around them, and the wizards and many of the pipe smokers and things
around the place… They won't let a white man around at that time, but
I've watched them through binoculars, and have Indian friends who's
went to their dances; that's the ones that not Christians, of course.
And they dance this corn dance holding these snakes. And the wizard
comes out, and cuts hisself with knives, and everything else, and
finally they get into the spirit, and speak in tongues and interpret it.
I have–could take you right within three or four hours from now, where
a medium will lay a pencil on the table, and go into a trance and all
kinds of things, and wave their hands; and that pencil will raise up
and write in unknown tongues, and the wizard will stand and tell you
what it says.
1002-44
Now, that's no evidence of the Holy Ghost. See? You can't rely upon
that. You can't rely upon the fruit of the Spirit, because the first
fruit of the Spirit is love. And the Christian Science exercise more
love than anybody I know of, and they even deny Jesus Christ being
Divine. See? There's only one evidence of the Holy Spirit that I know
of, and that is a genuine faith in the promised Word of the hour.
Now, those Jews come; they had more religion than the disciples had.
They were better trained men in the Scriptures than the disciples was,
because they were fishermen, tax collectors, and so forth. And they had
real faith and genuine faith in what they were doing. Now, listen
closely now; don't miss this. See? When it come to being fruits of the
Spirit, kind and gentle, I guess there wasn't a one of those priest but
what could outshine Jesus Christ in it. He went to the temple, plaited
ropes, looked upon them with anger, and turned over their tables, and
run them out of the place. Is that right? The Bible said He looked upon
them with anger. The Bible said that. That's exactly right.
1003-46
So see, those priest were gentle, meek, understanding men. When it come
to the fruits of the Spirit, they could show more fruits of the Spirit
than Jesus ever could. When it comes to theology, they didn't
know–have a school that He come out of. "Whence cometh this man? Where
did he come from? What fellowship card does he have? What organization
does he belong to? We don't know where he come from. He was just
absolutely an outcast Guy that was borned a illegitimate birth. Why, we
could down him here in a few minutes and show you by the laws…" They
had a right to do what they did when it come to that. Why? Because they
failed to see that He was that promised Word of the hour. The only way
they recognized it, when Jesus performed the Word by being able to tell
them what they had in their hearts, what they'd been doing… He was a
Prophet according to the Word of God. What He said come to pass, every
word, word by word.
1003-47
He was God's Prophet, Servant, God the Prophet. Not… It was–was–was
before there, the prophet of God, and this is God the Prophet, not the
prophet of God. That was Malachi, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, and Elijah, and
so forth, but this was God the Prophet, not the prophet of God. You get
it now?
All the prophets that portrayed His life in portions, played their
part, but in Him was the Fullness of all the prophets. The prophets,
the Word of the Lord came to them, the prophets, but This was the Word
and the Prophet, the same Person. See?
1004-48
Now, now, when a man receives Christ in the manner that He is in, you
can't accept it as being… See? Now, some of them say, "Well, I'm a
Lutheran." Well, there's nothing against that, but the Eagles don't
feed on that. See? That was as far as it was; that was fresh food of
that day.
"I'm a Wesleyan." That's all right, but you're living in the past. See?
Now, those people said, "Why, we have Abraham unto our father."
That prophet said, "God's able of these stones to rise children to Abraham." See?
"We belong to this. We belong to that."
That had nothing… He said, "You generation of snakes, who's warned
you to flee from the wrath? Don't begin to say, 'We have Abraham to our
father,' 'cause God's able of these stones to rise children to
Abraham." See?
So being a well trained theologian had nothing to do with it. Being
meek and gentle had nothing to do with it. What made Him different? He
was the Word made flesh, not the Word for the day of Moses; Moses was
that day–Word; not the Word for the days of Noah, Noah was the Word
for that day; not the day–the Word for the day of Elijah, Elijah was
that Word for that day; but He was the present tense Word, and they
were living in the back.
1004-50
The same thing repeats. That's the evidence of the Holy Ghost, when God
reveals to you and you see it, THUS SAITH THE LORD and accept it. Not
what you are, what you was, or nothing about it, it's what God has done
for you now. There's the evidence.
Jesus said… He give us the evidence of the Holy Ghost, John 14. He
said, "I have many things to tell you. I haven't got time to do it, but
when the Holy Ghost comes, He will tell you, bring to your memory the
things that I told you about, and will also show you things that is to
come." Don't you see? There's the evidence. That's forthtelling and
being–having the Divine interpretation of the written Word. Now, isn't
that the evidence of a prophet?
A seer in the Bible was a man that could forthtell and it'd be
perfectly, exactly, not somebody laid hands on him, that's a gift. A
prophet is predestinated and born to be a prophet. See? All the whole
life it was a prophet; that's a office. That's where the people…?…
1005-53
Many of the questions here on: "Well, will the Bride… Will this? The
church and…" See? You–you can't divide what they are. The Bride is
the elected of God. The church goes through… That's the ones It says,
"Whosoever will, let him come." But the Bride is the elected of God.
There is five offices elected of God. "For God has set in the church
apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists." God did that. Man
has deacons and so forth, and everything else, but you see, but God set
in the church for the perfecting of the church–can't divide it.
Now, the Holy Spirit, when It comes, It is a witness unto you (See?)
that this Word is right, the Word for today, not the Word for Luther,
the Word, not for Moses. We witness It's the Truth, but it's another
day.
1005-56
Now, what if Jesus would come and said, "Now, as Moses come taking you
all out of Egypt, I've come taking you somewhere else"? What if He
said, "Let's go to work and build an ark. I–I'm the Lord God, I–I'm
going to float the world away now. I'm going to drown the world, all of
them"? Why, He'd been out of the… See, the Scripture never said He'd
come like that. See? He wouldn't have been the Messiah. No matter how
much ark He'd built, or whatever He had done. He's still not–He'd have
not qualified the Messiah. Hallelujah. There you are. It's
qualification. Yes, sir.
I Corinthians 13 says this: "When that which is perfect is come, that
which is in part shall be done away with." So all these little things
of jumping up-and-down like a kid, trying to talk in tongues, and all
these other things, when that which is perfect… And we do have today,
by God's help, the perfect interpretation of the Word with Divine
vindication. Then that which is in part is done away with. "When I was
a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child; but when I become
a man, I put away childish things." Amen. I go to preaching and then
don't get to these things.
1005-Q-282
282. Brother Branham… (Did I finish that? Did I get about the baptism
of the Holy… Yes, that was about it, wasn't it? All right. Excuse me,
if I don't get it, just forgive me. I… These are such wonderful
questions. You could just stay one whole night just on one question,
brother, and then not even touch it.) I appreciate you as a servant of
God, the believe–and I believe the Message of Truth. My wife won't
hear me–says anything–say anything about this Message, and will not
listen to any tape. I am in nervous trouble on my job also. I want my
wife to believe too and pray for my children. Brother Branham, I want
to be friend of God's–I want to be found in God's will for my life. I
want to be His servant. (And the person signs "over." Wait a minute.)
When I was small, I told everyone that I wanted to be a preacher. I
don't know what God wants me to do. I'm willing to do anything for the
Lord. Yours in the Lord.
Now, a good question. And the man is sincere. His wife, his companion
that's a part of him… May I add something here to that? My brethren,
I say this in the Name of the Lord. One of these days, the Lord
willing, I think I'll just go ahead and make that tape on marriage and
divorce (See?), bring it right here at the Tabernacle. If it separates,
it'll just have to separate. But we're going to prove it's the Word of
the Lord.
1006-59
Look, my brethren. Listen to this. Do you know many times you get the
wrong mate here in the earth? Some pretty pair of brown, or blue, or
gray eyes vamps you into a place that you–that you shouldn't have
listened. Many men realizes that.
A man getting married should first approach it prayerfully. You should
not pick a woman by being beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on
the inside, one that'll be a mother to your children.
1006-61
I know this is going to sound awful for a minister to say this at the
pulpit. But I used to go with–with buyers of cattle when in the west.
We'd buy breeder cattle, and they'd want to start a herd. And I learned
a whole lot there that–while I noticed those auctioneers and the
things they were doing, those buyers. I used to go with an old fellow,
come here to church with me, and I led to Christ, a perfect infidel to
begin with, Mr. Jefferie. Many of you remember him, a rancher out of
Colorado. We'd go, and they'd come into–a cow.
I seen a little breeder calf one day sell for $11,000, just a small
calf; she had never been bred yet. And I said–and Jeff said, "If I had
the money, I'd place it in that calf."
I thought, "Now, he's a rancher; he understands his business." I said,
"Jeff, why would you… What is the qualification? She's a Hereford.
That one sold awhile ago for $300, to me, looked like a bigger calf and
everything."
He said, "Look, Billy, there's one thing you do not understand in
cattle buying." Said, "I think you ought to hold to your road
preaching." But said, "You don't understand cattle." He said, "Now,
look at that calf down there." We walked down there. Said, "See that
wild stare in her eyes?"
I said, "Yeah."
Said, "Her children, and her grandchildren, and her great, great,
grandchildren will still have that wild stare." And said, "They'll run
theirself poor. They'll never be a mother to their calves." And said,
"You never could fatten them; they'll never make beef." He said, "Look
at this little calf here that's sold. Look how gentle she looks. Look
at that peaceful look in her face, that kind look, no stare in her
eyes." Said, "She'll be a real mammy to her calf; and her calf's calf,
and calf's calf will continue to be that way." And said, "They'll all
of them be mammys, if they can get the right kind of a breeder bull to
that calf (See?), that'll make their children. But that starey look in
the face will always make a poor herd of cattle, if a man's trying to
buy cattle."
I said, "Yes, sir. Thank you."
1007-63
And the same thing applies by women. You take one of them painted-faced
and starey-eyes, look like some kind of an animal, trying to disfigure
herself from a human being, she'll never make anything. She'll run all
the time. And Christianity is not beauty on the outside; it's on the
inside: of peace, quiet, adorn themselves in a peaceful, quiet spirit,
which is a great price before the Lord. That's what we want to look for
on women, and on men, and whoever it is. Now…
1007-Q-283 283. Brother Branham: Questions: Should a Christian woman wear simple jewelry, as necklaces or pearls?
Well,
sister, I know this means a lot to you, and it means a lot for me for
you to place your confidence I'd tell you the truth. Now remember, the
Bible said, "When you adorn, do not adorn with–with costly jewels, and
pearls, and all kinds of wearing of jewelry, but let that be the
adorning of a peace, and quiet, and meek spirit (which I just quoted),
which is a great price before the Lord."
Now, I don't mean by that, sister, that if you had a pin… Now, this
is me, not the Lord. If you had a pin that you wanted to wear, or a
little necklace your husband give you, or maybe your–something like
that that you wore, now, to me, I don't think that's bad. Now, that's
just me. Now remember, I make myself clear; that's my opinion. But I
think it's the approach to it; it's the way you do it. See? It's the
motive behind it. And when you see it's getting ahold of you, then
leave the thing alone. But I think if you wore your wedding ring…
1008-66
Now, I know you Nazarene people, it used to be that you wouldn't even
baptize a woman with a wedding ring on. See? I–I don't believe that as
necessary. In the Bible they wore wedding rings, only it was a tablet
they called it, around their head, nine pieces of coin in it, but I–to
show they were married. Now, I think that's all right.
If women want to dress and–and make themselves look decent, and clean,
ladylike, why, I think there's not a thing to that, to me. But when you
get to going to put that thing into making it a little pride, then
you're wrong. It's your attitude.
Do you women remember here not long ago they had what they called
"scandal skirts"? I think they're coming out again, or they
got–supposed to be… They're scandalous now instead of scandal. But
they used to have a play back not long ago… They had the girls, young
women… And 'course, the old ones would do it too, 'cause they're all
want to be young. I don't mean you sisters, I mean the women of the
world. And they'd cut their–their skirt up high, about a foot high
every time, then wear some kind of a underneath garment look pretty.
And when they would make a step, it would show this underneath garment
with the lace, and frills, or whatever it was on it. Which, you know…
1008-69
There was a–a girl come to me, which was a Dunkard girl, had just
received the Holy Ghost. She belonged to the Assemblies of God, and
that was in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where I was married at. And she come
to me, a fine little lady, and she said, "Brother Branham, I want to
ask you a question."
I said, "All right, Sister, what is it?"
She said, "Do you think it's wrong for a girl to–Christian girl to wear a 'scandal skirt'?"
I said, "Sister, this is one thing I–I just can't understand. What is a 'scandal skirt'?" And she told me what it was. I…
She said, "It shows the underskirt."
I said, "What–what is in a woman that would make her want to show her
underneath clothes to some man? What would… What–what business has a
Christian girl got doing a thing like that? Could you imagine a
Christian?"
1009-71
Now, look, a man, there's not much to him when it comes to a body. And
he, if he went half naked, it would–there wouldn't be no scandal to
it. Not holding for men, but they… You know that–what kind of a
woman would be tempted by a man with his shirt off and shorts on or
whatever he had? The big old burly-looking thing, it looks sloppy and
sickly, I–horrible. See these men out here… Well, I think it'd make
a woman vomit to look at such a thing. If she had… But now, you take
a woman and put her like that, that's a different temple. You
understand? All right.
But I think as far as a necklace, or… Now, if you go to loading
yourself up like you went through the ten cent store down here with a
magnet on you, I–I think that… Excuse that, I didn't mean to say
that like that, but that–that's wrong.
1009-73
If anything turned me the first time against my–made me ashamed of
America, was… I was in Switzerland one day, and Brother Arganbright
and I had found a good place way down by Lausanne where we'd get a big,
fine steak, about so big around, weigh about three-quarters of a pound,
I think, for around thirty cents in American money. Oh, we were living
like kings. Every day we'd go down there. And all of them there drink
wine, you know; their water's no good. And I wouldn't drink that wine,
so I got me a little jug from the–a drug store that had distilled
water. And I packed that jug wherever I went. I guess everybody
thought, "That boy carries his own brand." So I–I had it in my hand.
We went down there to this place where all the–selling these steaks,
and one day Miss America drove up: About a '28 model Chevy, had a
poodle dog setting on the lap and brought that in there, and she had
enough… Them two women had enough ten cent store jewelry, great big,
long things, and earrings, and hanging way down, and paint; and both of
them fifty years old, as old as me. And you'd thought they wanted to be
fifteen. But what are they trying to do? They're trying to drive life's
road looking through a rear view mirror, looking back to what they used
to be.
1010-74
Now, Christian don't do that. A Christian don't try to be what he used
to be; he's not looking where he's been; he's looking where he's going.
See, see? Don't pay no attention to what you was then; you've done
lived that out. You'll never return to it; that's in the past. And any
man that drives life's road looking through a rear view mirror will go
to wreck; and so will you on this Christian road. Don't look back what
you was; look what you're going to be. Paul said, "Forgetting those
things which are in the past, I press towards the mark of the high
calling."
Now, but it made you ashamed. They brought this little, old stinking
dog in there and set it upon the table. Now, that would make anybody
vomit. And fooling with that dog right there, setting it up there with
their hands, and then going to eat with them same hands. And the waiter
come over there, blabbed off something. Dr. Guggenbuhl was with me; he
started laughing, and turned his head.
I said, "What's–what'd say?"
Said, "The waiter said, 'Take that off!'"
They said, "No, she's an American; let her alone." In other words, "She don't know any better." See?
When I come to Saint Angelo at Rome (Now, think of this.), at the
Vatican in Rome, Italy, they had a sign up at Saint Angelo: "To the
American women: Before entering this catacomb, please put on clothes to
honor the dead!"–the Catholic church. See?
1010-Q-284
284. Question: Brother Branham, where will the Bride be when the earth
explodes and burns up? Will it be in a place like the children of
Israel were in Goshen when the plagues fell? Will the Bride be on earth
while this takes place? If so, where? And will the Bride all be in one
place at the time of the rapture?
The Bride, when the earth explodes… The time of the rapture will be
the awakening of the dead and the get-togethering of the living,
for–with the living, for the rapture to take place. Now, but the
Bride… Now, see, one of them is a rapture way back here before the
millennium. And when the earth burns up is back here after the
millennium and after the white throne judgment. See? The Saints will be
camped upon the breadth of the earth when Satan comes up around the
beloved City and God rains fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed
them. All right. Now, that's Scripture.
1011-Q-285
285. Also, Brother Branham, I believe a woman should be subject to her
husband. But if a Christian woman has a sinner husband who does not
even to one of your services–come to one of your services and
won't–and wants his wife to be doing things, cutting her hair, wearing
shorts, and going to ungodly places, is this woman supposed to be
subject to this man in this way? Please explain this more clearly, as
this is a question that is asked often.
No, sister, you are not subject to such a person. No indeedy. For this
cause you'll leave everything and cleave to God. Now, the thing… If
you want–that man wants to live with you, and you be–stay a
Christian… But if he's going to make you wear shorts, cut your hair,
and do all these other things, and ungodly places, you seek first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You're not bound to such a person
as that. "But as long," the Bible says, "as she is pleased and he is
pleased to dwell together (You remember that?), let them…"
And now, these, I didn't put the Scriptures down, 'cause I just picked
them up (You see?) a few minutes ago. I pick up one now and then that I
haven't got time…
1011-79
But Paul said that as long as they–unbelieving husband has a
unbelieving–or believing wife or so forth, let the believing wife
remain with the believing husband, as long as it's not contrary now to
God. If he's pleased to dwell with her… "Go ahead, honey, if you want
to go to church, that's all right; but I ain't going. I don't believe
in it; don't have nothing to do with it. But you go ahead; that's all
right." But when he says, "You can't do it," now there's a different
thing. You're not bound to that then; you separate everything for God.
1012-Q-286
286. Brother Branham, is it (Let's see.)… for a person who has a–who
has a living, divorced mate who remarry before coming unto the Message
to minister?
Well, in I Timothy 3:2, if you want to put that down, and Titus 1 to 6
(I wrote that one down.), I want you to read that for this question.
See? If a man–if a man desires the office of a bishop or a preacher
(something another in church), he's got to have just one wife. That's
right. A minister… Now, that's I Timothy 3:2, and Titus 1 to 6. Now,
Titus 1 to 6, yeah. All right. Now, notice that the Bible said that
that man that's a minister in the house of God will have one wife. Now.
1012-Q-287
287. Dear Brother Branham, approximately ten years ago God met me now
and healed what the gift of love–or revealed what the gift of love
was, and same then my prayer is for–that I will return. Will I receive
it before I die? Will my husband hear the Word, and what am I to do?
That's more of a question. Now, she said… Now, what it is here,
or–she said, "My husband," so I suppose it would have to be the woman
that said this. Now, she lost her first love. See? She–she got cold in
the Spirit. Now, sister, maybe 'cause you still come to church and do
what's right, you haven't lost your salvation, but you've lost the joy
of your salvation. David cried to the Lord one time, "Lord, restore to
me the joy of my salvation." You still are a Christian, but I–what you
want to do, sister, is turn loose of everything that you know how, and
seek God, and pray.
"Will my husband hear the Word, and what am I to do?" As I said this
morning, just be salty: "Ye are the salt of the earth." Your husband
will watch your chaste life, and the husband that's a unbeliever will
be sanctified to the Lord by the believing wife. Just seek the Lord,
stay humble, and pray all the time, giving God praise, and be kind to
your husband as long as he's willing to live with you that way.
1013-Q-288
288. For Sunday services: If a woman commits a wrong with a… (Now,
wait a minute; I'd better read this first to myself. You see? [Brother
Branham reads the question to himself "… with a married man, repents
and makes it right according to…?… needs of wife and man involved
in…?…–Ed.] All right. This is all right.) If a woman
commits a wrong with a–a married man, repents and makes it right with
her husband according to the Scriptures, does she need to go to the
wife of the man involved, even if this wife doesn't know anything of
it; or is it the man's duty to tell her first; or does she need to be
hurt at all? How far can we go with this restitution when it is over
and done, and when friendship is involved?
Well, my dear sister, there's only one thing that you have done which
is right. You was involved, I guess, or somebody that you know of was
involved, in a wrong act, that you taken another woman's companion and
had a social act. And when you did, there you fell from your grace.
Then you repented, and you could not repent until you go back to this
man and make it right. You've got to take your husband and go to that
man, which you did. And that was the thing you should've done; that's
Scripture–you should've done.
1013-84
A lady come to me not long ago from right here in Louisville, that…
She's a young woman. She run with a man and–and then she… She knowed
she was doing wrong. And she left the city, and went to another city
way away, and changed her name, lived with some people. And this man
followed her and told her when he got over there, he had the goods on
her. She'd still have to remain to being a common-law wife to him or he
would tell. (And when she was over there, she got married to a fine
Christian man.) And said if she didn't, he would explode the whole
thing–threatened her; therefore, she had to live with both men, which
she done wrong, instead of showing her colors at the beginning. And she
had a baby, and now, the girl's about eighteen years old and don't know
which one of them really is her father. Now, she comes into menopause,
and it's caught up with her. Now, what can she do? I said, "There's
only one…"
She said, "If I tell my husband, he will leave me; and if I–my daughter knows it, she'll commit suicide."
And I said, "If you hold it in your heart, you'll go to hell. Now, suit
yourself." There's only one thing to do, is clean your slate. That's
exactly right. Be honest.
1014-86
You know, many times in the visions, how the people come, women and
men; the Holy Spirit digs up them things that they've done down in life
and (you've heard of it and you seen it, you know. See?)–and tell them
things that they've got to do it. They say, "Well, I–I've already made
it right with the Lord." But you owe it to your husband or to your wife
to go tell them. That's right. You're supposed to confess that.
Now, this person, if she's the one that's guilty, she has did it; she
went to her husband. Now, you've cleared yourself, sister, because
between… You–you committed adultery against your husband. You went
to your husband and cleared yourself to your husband; then you went to
the man and the husband and cleared yourself there. You are clear. If
your husband continues to–to want to live with you, that's up to him.
He don't have to do it now, but he–but if he wants to live with you
and forgives you, then you be lady enough to never be guilty of such a
thing again. But if he doesn't forgive you, then that's his–that's his
own business. He can put you away. Exactly right.
But now, the man that you had the act with, now, he's the one's got to
go to his wife and take his wife and come back to you. You've done your
part, now it's his time to do his part. See? The second party…
1014-89
This woman had the act with the man, and she took her husband,
confessed it, and went to the man and confessed it, and made it right.
Now, the next man was a married man also; now, he's got to go to his
wife and take the wife and come back to this wife. Then it's all right.
See what I mean? It's made up then. But outside of that, you'll still
be guilty, and down in your heart you'll be condemned.
I had a woman not long ago up there that had that since the First World
War. And she said, "Oh, Brother Branham." She'd spent hundreds of
dollars with psychiatrists and everything. And I was setting there
watching her in that room. Meda brought her up there. She was setting
there ringing a handkerchief through her hands like that, said, "I feel
the world's going to burst, and I…" all like this.
I just kept setting there. I said, "Now, there's something about… You've got something in your life somewhere?"
"No, I'm a Sunday school teacher."
I said, "All right." Set there a little bit and watched. I said, "I see
a little green car, and you're with a blond headed man, and a train
almost hits the car."…?… She said, "Don't you tell nobody that."
I said, "Your husband was in the army at the time."
She started crying, jumped up, "Don't you say that to nobody." See?
That was way down in her subconscious. She said, "I've confessed that
to God a long ago."
I said, "But wait a minute. You never done a wrong against God. You
done a wrong against your marriage vow. You've got to go back to your
husband and make that right first."
She said, "He'll leave me."
I said, "God has left you anyhow. So now, which one do you want to leave you?" I said, "Go to him."
And she said, "Oh, I–I… He'd do this, and I got two children."
I said, "Well, that's all I can tell you. Psychiatrist never pulled
that out of you, but the Holy Spirit has revealed; and I never seen you
in my life."
She said, "That's exactly right." Said, "Well, I–I just can't tell him."
I said, "Well, I… Glad I met you." Went on in the other room, and she come back in there.
Meda said, "She wants you in there again."
I went there; and I said, "What do you want?"
And she said, "Brother Branham, I can't tell that to my husband."
And I said, "Your husband's a black headed man."
"Yeah."
I said, "He's got the same thing to confess to you."
She said, "Oh, not my husband."
I said, "You'd better go get him and come here." I said, "Do you know a
certain woman that wears a pink dress, that works in the office of a
certain kind of a automobile company?"
She said, "Sure."
I said, "Don't they call her a certain name?"
"Yeah."
I said, "Two weeks ago they set under a beech tree with a–setting in a
little brown Chevrolet car with license number so-and-so, and was in
the same act."
She said, "Not my husband."
I said, "All right, you go get him and come here."
She left. A few minutes, here they come back. He said, "It's the truth."
I said–I said, "You see? Now go tell God."
1016-92
But first, when you come to the altar and remember there's ought, go
first and make that right. And as long as this other party here is
guilty of not telling his wife… This wife has made herself clear.
Now, it's up to her and her husband. But this other man and his wife
has to come clear in it. And you cannot… No matter what you do, it'll
haunt you as long as you live until you wash it clean. There's only one
way to do it: Confess it. If it takes the skin off of you, do it
anyhow. Tell the truth, then you've got it right. Amen.
I can hear plenty on the tape saying, "That's wrong." But you just try it one time and see if it isn't. All right.
1016-Q-289
289. Question for Sunday morning: (Sorry it's this time, but…) At the
instant of receiving the Holy Ghost, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost,
is there a difference? Does a person speak with tongues? If not always,
what manifestation is known?
Well, could you imagine a mother giving birth to a baby and not knowing
it? She'd have to be unconscious not to know it. Neither can you
receive the Holy Ghost without knowing it. There's something takes
place in you. See? There's something that changes you. Your whole
system, your whole spiritual system is made new again, and you become a
new creature in Christ, as the Bible puts it, a new creation in Christ.
You know it.
Now, you say, "Brother Branham, then you don't believe that a man
should speak with tongues to receive the Holy Ghost." Not to prove he's
got the Holy Ghost..
1017-96
I would that every member of my church spoke with tongues. I would like
for them to do that, and if–I believe if you ask God, God will grant
it to you. But let me tell you; I know plenty people that speak in
tongues and hasn't got the Holy Ghost. And there's not a minister
that's true with himself and with his congregation but what'll tell his
congregation the same. The devil can impersonate that.
Paul said, "Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, though I give
my body to be burned as a sacrifice, though I understand all the
mysteries of the Word, though I give all my goods to the poor, and all
these things, and have not charity, I still am nothing. I have faith
that I can move mountains and so forth; I'm still nothing." Then he
said, "That which is in part will be done away with when that which is
perfect is come," or when that which is perfect is made known.
Now, I've got a question on that. I hope I get to it tonight, about
what happened when the Seals opened. And I think maybe that'll get it
right to you on this question.
1017-Q-290
290. Question: Brother Branham, what shall we do? Something has settled
over me that I cannot break through. Last fall, I dreamed I was lost in
white sand. It was getting dark; I couldn't find my way. This dream has
stayed with me since last fall. Now, I am as one groping in darkness.
My son (E-r-v–), Ervin and wife were included in my dream. Now, they
are also in darkness. We are in a desperate–we are in desperation. I
believe God will show you what is–what is in our hearts now. (Miss…
Oh, all right.) If we are wrong or sinning places, tell us. We want to
be right.
I don't know the lady, but I just feel if you're here, lady, that here
is your trouble. You have let something happen to you that's made you
nervous, because being in "white sands" represents purity and
righteous. And you're just letting Satan put one over on you. Your
dream proved that there's nothing wrong. You're only nervous, and by
doing this and thinking this, you're making the rest of your family
nervous. Stop doing it; claim your God given rights. Your dream proves
by the interpretation that you are in white sand. Everything's all
right. It's you, yourself, nervous.
And you let one member of the family get nervous, it goes to the next
member, and the next member, and the first thing you're all fussing and
going on. And one member of the family gets kinda upset about
something, it upsets the other, and the other, and the other, and the
first thing you know the whole family's upset. It's Satan. Then if one
member of the family rejoices, let the rest of them rejoice with it. So
every one of the family try to do that.
1018-100
Try, each one of you children, to help your papa, mama. Mama, you…
Papa, you try to help the children. Don't let that gloomy, unbelieving
spirit get around you. You are Christians. You are borned of the Spirit
of God. You're the salt of the earth. You have God given rights. And
the Bible said, "If there be any praise, if there be any virtue, think
on these things." Don't think about the wrong thing.
And sister, I think that's your trouble, sister dear.
I could dwell on that a long time, but according to what I promised,
just twenty minutes… And I'd like to get just as many of these… If
it ain't, put it back on the desk and I'll get it again.
1018-Q-291 291. Some say Brother Branham is the Son of man. I thought the Pillar of Fire was the Son of man. Am I mistaken?
Well,
that's a good question, very good. But I am not the Son of man, but a
son of man. There's quite a difference. Jesus Christ was the Son of
man, the Son of God, the Son of man, the Son of David.
Now, the reason that question probably was asked this person or been
said, because people regard me as a seer, which I have never… I've
got a question in here just blasting me on that. See? But
I–I–I–you–you… When I read these questions you'll see why I
answer things the way I do. Until I am definitely led to do something
(See?), then I–I say what I must say. But that hour hasn't arrived.
So I am not the–the–the anointed Son of man. I don't claim to be His
prophet. Many times I've said it when I didn't think I said it, catch
myself on the tape. But I say that sometimes, because if you want to
give it in terms, a "prophet" is in the English term is merely "a
preacher." Anybody knows that; get the dictionary. See? A "prophet' is
"a preacher" under the English dictionary. But under the Hebrew or the
Greek, a prophet is "a seer, one who foresees things and foretells
things." But under the English interpretation, a prophet is "a seer."
So I don't want to call myself anything but your brother. I am your
brother, and you just regard me as Brother Bill, or Brother Branham, or
whatever you want to do about that. That–that's fine. That's–that's
any… What you believe, keep that to yourself. You see?
1019-105
And now, what was that other question? I get so wound up in these, I
forget what the things were. One of them was, "Was I the Son of man?"
and… Here it is I believe. "… the Son of man or was the Pillar of
Fire the Son of man?"
No. The Pillar of Fire is the Anointing. The Pillar of Fire… Now,
this may go a little deep unless it's some of you theologians, Dr.
Vayle, probably Brother here, and some of these ministers here from
Arkansas, and the–my good friends around, they'd probably know.
Now, that Pillar of Fire is the Logos that went out of God, the Logos,
which is actually the attribute of the Fullness of God. When God become
into a form to where It could be seen, It was the anointing of the
great Spirit that went forth, Its condescending, coming down, God, the
Father, the Logos that was up over Israel, that… He was holy, could
not bear sin. There had to be a blood offering right in Eden. Then that
Logos become flesh and dwelt among us; and where this Logos dwelt in a
human body, which was the Sacrifice…
1019-108
When man was made in the image of God… And then God came down in the
image of man to redeem man; that brought man and God together. Heavens
and earth hugged and kissed each other; God and man embraced each other
as Fatherhood and Sonship when the Logos became flesh and dwelled among
us.
Jesus said, "I came from God, and I go to God." Is that right? After
His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, when the body was taken
up to set at the right hand of God… Now, I don't mean God's got a
right hand; God's a spirit. But at the "right hand" means "in power and
authority of God." That in that Name everything in heaven is named
after It and subject to It. Everything in earth is named after It and
subject to It, a Name above all names, Jesus Christ.
Now, this Logos that was in Him, which was the Spirit of God, the
Anointing, through the sanctifying grace of the Blood, brought many
sons to God, which is anointed with this same Logos.
1020-111
Now, on the day of Pentecost It come down, that Pillar of Fire, and
broke apart like that, and tongues of fire set upon each of them, not
their tongues, but tongues of fire set upon each of them, a elected,
selected group, identified by this Pillar of Fire, showing that God had
separated Himself into man. Do you get it? God, the Logos, separating
Himself into men; God, not in one person, He's in His Church universal.
That's the reason Jesus said, "The works that I do shall you also,
more…" Now, I know the King James says, "greater," but the right
translation there is "more than this shall you do." God was bottled and
confined in one Man, Jesus Christ. But now He's bottled and confined in
the whole universal Church of the living God.
Right now, while God is here speaking with us in our hearts, He's in
Africa; He's in Asia; He's in Europe; He's in England. Wherever
believers are gathered together, there He is in the midst of them.
1020-113
Now, after His death, burial, and ascension, and the coming of the Holy
Ghost, Paul on his road down–which was Saul–to Damascus, he was
struck down by a Pillar of Fire, the Logos. And that Jew would've never
called that Pillar of Fire, "Lord," unless he knew It was the same
Logos that his people followed through the wilderness. See? Now, that
was not the Son of man; that was the Logos.
Now, we say this with reverence, and love, and respect. See? As Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, and also that in the
last days, as it was before Lot's time, or in Lot's time in Sodom, so
shall it be in the day that the Son of man reveals Himself again,
revealing Himself. Now, in this last day the Logos that was upon
Jesus–which He has become from that back to the Pillar of Fire again
and has descended down on the earth to (I was going to say something,
but I watch the tape. They wouldn't believe that if you told them. It
wouldn't make any difference. They… People wouldn't believe it, but
I'll omit that)–but has come down for, like an investigating judgment
goes on.
1021-115
And now, this great Pillar of Fire that's absolutely identified even by
scientific cameras, that's here on the earth today. There's the picture
of It hanging there. I believe it's still there, isn't that right? Is
it there? Scientifically proven by the best we got. George J. Lacy, the
head of the FBI for fingerprint and documents, said, "I called it
psychology myself, Reverend Branham, but," said, "the light struck the
lens. I put it under ultra ray lights and had an examination here for
four or five days. And the light struck the lens. And this lens won't
take psychology." Now, that's identified.
Then watch the works of It. It, among us, proves the same Jesus that
once lived in Palestine, the same Spirit was upon Him has come up
through a Body until It's come back to Headship again, which He's
coming soon to claim the Body. Amen. The Head's coming to the Body. You
get it? That will be the Son of God, the Son of man, the Son of David,
the I AM, the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, the Morning Star.
1021-117
I am not He; I am His servant. And the Pillar of Fire is not He; It's
in Spirit form (See?) which was upon the Son of man and has come now to
anoint sons of men, to bring back a ministry just exactly like He said
it would be, in order for the Head and the rest of the Body to connect
together.
Just like the–like the pyramid as Enoch built. And we find in that
pyramid, they never did get the headstone on it. Why? The Headstone's
yet to come. The seven steps in the–in the pyramid… We'll go through
that some day, and I'd just like to show you how it really is perfectly
with the Scripture.
1021-119 And now, if you notice on your American dollar bill, that great headstone, an eye, says, "The Great Seal." It will come.
And
notice those stones… Was anybody here ever at the pyramids in Egypt?
Well, if you notice… There, there's hands there that's up back there.
All right. Those stones are laying in there so perfect, and that top,
where the cupola like in the top of it, when that stone comes, it'll be
like a great diamond fitting right down in there just perfect with it.
Now, that stone would not fit down there on that bottom foundation,
neither will it fit on the second foundation or the third foundation.
It'll only fit on the top foundation, when the entire building has
become fitted to the stone. And Jesus cannot come until a church, a
body of believers and the ministry that He once…?… will have to be
the same as it was then to… And then, that brings… "Them without us
is not made perfect," Paul said, Hebrews 11. "Without us they cannot be
perfected." They must have this ministry to raise up the Lutheran,
Wesleys, and all them down through their ages. When that come, when
that part of the where the eagles gathered… "Just as the carcase is
the eagles will be gathered," the question was. Oh, it's just perfect.
I hope that answered the question.
1022-Q-2 292. Brother Branham, can Satan use a gift of tongues or prophecy in a person who has the Holy Ghost?
That's
a good one isn't it? Yes, sir. If… It must be watched very, very
close. If you'll notice in I Corinthians 14:29, you who wants to put it
down… See? The–the person who wrote this never signed their name;
they just said, "God bless you." See? In I Corinthians 14:29 we find
out that any gift in the church has got to be judged first. See? You
have to watch, 'cause evil spirits slip in. Because remember, the rain
falls on the just and the unjust. The same rain that was sent to ripen
the wheat also ripens the weed: the same water. How many knows that?
Now, that ought to clear the serpent's seed to you then, how that this
son come. I'm trying to pick it out here to get it before my time runs
out, but I can't find it: so, how that son was about the serpent's
seed. See?
God has a law. Now, on this, in this law of the spirit of Life you have to watch, because Satan slips in.
And Paul, when something was revealed to somebody, it had to have at
least two or three judges before it could be told before the church.
1022-124
Now, also here I might bring this out. I see my… I don't think my
Brother's here tonight, but somebody made fun of somebody leaving the
Tabernacle and went down to Brother Junior Jackson's for a church.
Said, "They went down amongst the 'dead birds.'" Aren't you ashamed to
make a remark like that? Ever who you are, if you're my kid here in
Christ, I'm ashamed of you. Don't do a thing like that. Junior Jackson
is my brother. Don Ruddell is my brother.
Well, the reason of it, because when I set the church here in a certain
order, when I come back, to see if I could get the manifestation of the
gifts, half of them pulled away from it. Because when you would start
to speak, or preach, or something, it got… It was getting in such a
place that you could hardly preach 'less there was somebody spoke in
tongues, somebody interpreting, somebody give the interpretation; and
half of it never even come to pass.
1023-126
Now, I believe in speaking in tongues. I believe in interpretation, but
it must be something directly to the church, not, "The Lord is coming
soon," or something–which is all right. But, "Don't use vain
repetitions," Jesus said, "as heathens do."
It must be something. "Go, tell Brother So-and-so a certain thing he
done and–and to get…" "Why, go tell Brother, Sister So-and-so, when
she did a certain thing down there the other day, she transgressed the
laws of her husband's–the vow to her husband. Unless she makes this
right–right, the Holy Spirit will cut her off." There you've got THUS
SAITH THE LORD.
Then bring that sin in. That's when we got a church like it was when
Ananias and Sapphira come in. Then we got a church that stands solid.
"Oh," you say, "Brother Branham…" One guy, I told him that; he said, "Well, you put us too much on the spot."
I said, "Ain't I on the spot up there to strangers I never seen in my
life? But I got faith and confidence in my God Who sent me to do this,
and never one time has it been wrong or never will be as long as it's
God." That's right.
1023-130
Not speaking in tongues and things like that… I believe that those
tongues and people that got them gifts, if they're real genuine
Christians and interested in it, they'll meet themselves together,
because–and give the tongues and interpretations and see what they can
do to further the Kingdom of God. They got a ministry of their own, but
it don't belong here in the middle of the audience where the–the
sinners are being dealt with and so forth. The Bible said, "They'll say
you're unlearned."
Sometimes they get so irreverent with it and–and so forth… Not our
gang hadn't, but I let them go ahead awhile. I said, "Watch it."
1024-132
Now, I told the brethren (There's witnesses here know this), I said,
"Let it alone. After while I'll–we'll find out whether it's of God or
not. If it cannot stand chastisement, then it's a bastard child."
Exactly what the Bible said. And when the chastisement come, what
happened? Did I tell you that long ago? See? Ask the pastor here.
He said, "What about this and that?"
I said, "Just let it alone. They're babies. We can't judge it, but watch when it really comes to pin down to the Word."
Now, Brother Junior Jackson had a right to disagree with that. He wants
his church… The people all want to speak with tongues and things in
the audience. That's Brother Junior's troubles; that's–that's up to
him. But Junior Jackson believes this Message the same as the–any of
the rest of us does. He's one of us. And it's not a "dead bird" to go
there. Junior Jackson is a man of God that I love with all my heart.
And is not here tonight, so I can really pour it on the way I want to.
1024-135
And–and Don Ruddell… I don't think Don's here tonight, 'cause they
got church of their own. But if I seen every person come to this
tabernacle, walk out and go to Don Ruddell, or–or Brother J. T.
Parnell, or Brother–any of these brothers here that's our brothers
here and fellow citizens of the Kingdom, I'd be so happy I wouldn't
know what to do. I'd say, "Lord, fill this one back up again. Let's
pour it out and fill up another one." I'd love it. I'd love to see
those boys… They're my–they're my children.
Now, J. T. or–or any of the rest of them don't have to believe just
like I do; they don't have to do that. As I told you this morning, I
don't even agree with my wife, or she don't agree with me. What if I
went to table and Junior got apple pie and I got cherry pie. Brother,
we're both eating pie; we can agree that, but… And we both preach the
same Gospel. His church discipline…
1025-137
You know, Peter and Paul had differences, not in their doctrine, but
the way Peter was behaving hisself. They had a–a little difference in
it, but it never separated them. They were brothers. Why, sure we're
going to have differences, not differences… I disagree with the
Assemblies of God. I disagree with their systems, but there's a many
Assembly of God man that's a precious brother. I disagree with the
oneness doctrine, but there's a many of those men are precious men.
I agree–disagree with the Baptists, with the Presbyterians and their systems, but in there, there's genuine Christians.
1025-139
Somehow or another this afternoon I picked up a telegram. I missed it.
A brother, a Baptist preacher, said he would–been seeking for a long
time to come to a place–or get to a place where men respected God in
the–instead of respecting one another.
And a precious brother comes to this church said, "I'll take you to
such a place." He was longing to get here: a Baptist. You see, they're
scattered everywhere. I wouldn't agree with their system, but I
certainly love the party. So don't say that about the brethren.
Now in here, these gifts are–got to be watched. No gift… Have to
watch it. Satan can impersonate any gift. Look at these Beatles now
going to impersonate Divine healing: filthy, dirty, rotten, borned out
of hell. See? All right.
1025-Q-293 293. Was Daniel the fourth man in the fiery furnace because he was the prophet in that age?
No,
it was Jesus. The fourth Man was the–like the Son of God. I don't
think it was the prophet, 'cause he was in the lions' den; but I–I
wouldn't believe that Daniel was in the fiery furnace. I–I can't
hardly… Now, there you could be right, but then that's just my
opinion.
1025-Q-294
294. Brother Branham, in Genesis 6 and verse 12 God said that all flesh
had corrupted his way. Does this have reference to divorce and
marriage? If so, didn't Jesus have reference to the same thing when He
said that, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son
of man will be revealed" in Matthew 24, verse 38 and 39?
1025-Q-295
295. Brother Branham, will there be any children born during the
millennium–thousand years–millennium, one thousand years reign of
Christ here on earth? Or will there be any sign on earth–any sin
(pardon me) on earth during that time; and will there be people on
earth in corporal bodies during that time?
I'll try to just run through them right quick. "Now, in Genesis the 6th
chapter, 12th verse, God said all flesh had corrupted…" Yeah, that
was marriage, divorce, and everything else. The Bible said, "As it was
in the days of Noah, how they married, and give in marriage," and so
forth like that. That is one of the signs of the end time, just one of
the signs.
Now, if that's all the world was doing, I couldn't call it the evidence
of the end time, no more than I can call speaking in tongues the
evidence of the Holy Ghost. It is true that there's supposed to come a
time when marriage and divorce is just like it was in the days of Noah,
but there's so many other things goes with it; it's just one of the
signs.
1026-145
And speaking in tongues is one of the signs of the Holy Spirit, but not
an infallible sign of the Holy Spirit, no more than just women and men
marrying and divorcing and marrying again. That wouldn't be the only
sign. If that's the only one there was, I couldn't call it that. See?
Other things has to go with speaking in tongues or any other gift to
make it God.
Now, "Will children be born during the thousand years millennium
reign?" That's the question in my mind, that I told you the other day.
I don't know. It looks a whole lot like it could be; it looks a whole
lot like it couldn't be. I'm going to be as honest with you as I know
how to be. I don't know to this time. If God ever reveals it, I will
tell you. But wait; it has to come from God. You're my children. I
wouldn't tell you. I don't know whether there will be or whether there
will not be. I can't say.
1026-147 "… or will there be sin on earth during that time?" No. There will not be no sin on earth. Satan is bound.
"And
will there be people on earth in corporal bodies during that time?"
Yes, sir. We will have our glorified body right here on earth, eating,
drinking, building houses, and–and–and living just like we do now for
a thousand years. It's a–it's the honeymoon of the Bride and Groom.
1027-Q-296
296. Brother Branham, what did Jesus mean in Matthew 12, verse 32,
where Jesus said, "Whosoever speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost, it
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world
to come"? Please explain these verses of Scripture for me. Thank you.
And it's got the man's name; he's a minister. All right.
Brother, I'm… You're a theologian, I'm not. But I'd like to say this,
that Jesus said, "Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall
not be forgiven him." In other words to put it with the rest of the
Scripture, "All manner of sin shall be forgiven men, but blaspheming
the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." Blaspheme of the Holy
Ghost is to make fun of, talk about, ridicule, do something like that
is when you crossed the line between right and wrong.
1027-150
Now, if you see the Holy Spirit… For instance, what if the Holy
Spirit would come down here and discern like It does, and what if that
would be the Holy Ghost, and you didn't believe It was, and you went
out and made fun of It and talked about It; I don't care what you ever
do, you're finished. And you cannot do it. That proves right there that
you're not of God, because the Seed of God remains in the man and he
cannot sin. And what is sin? Unbelief. When he sees the Word made
manifest, he'll believe It. And he can only…
See, there's only one sin, only one sin. How many knows that? That's
unbelief. That's right. Committing adultery's not a sin. Smoking
cigarettes, telling lies, swearing, that's not sin. That's attributes
of unbelief. You do it, because you're not a believer. That's right.
So, see, there's only one sin, and that's unbelief. "He that believeth
not is condemned already." No matter what he does or nothing, he's
condemned to start with. All right.
1027-Q-297
297. Brother Branham, is it wrong for a young unmarried– unmarried
(didn't say what) to cut her–their hair? I imagine it's a woman.
Yes. Yes, it's–it's wrong for any woman to cut her hair.
Now, that's just a little short question. Are you–are you's getting
sleepy? Well, we'll–we'll hurry just as quick as we possibly can. I
was trying to get that serpent's seed so bad.
Pray for our son in…
That's a prayer request. I just picked these up and run, just…
1028-Q-298
298. Brother Branham, are women allowed to work in public affairs when
they have a healthy husband and children? I am asking this question for
someone else.
Well, I–I–I–I don't know about that. I can't say. But I–I just have
this feeling. Let me say this: I believe, if I was a–a woman and I
knowed that my husband was healthy and had a good job, working, I
believe it would be a–a great pleasure to me to stay home, take care
of my children and make the–and–and–and take care of my children and
raise them up, and to love the Lord. And if I had any time from my
washing and things that I was going to do, I think I would teach my
children how to serve the Lord.
1028-154
Now, if you've got a–a debt or something that you're trying to help
your husband pay for, or something that you have to do that… Well, I
think that's fine if you'll try to help him. And–and you live a lady.
And I–I think it's hard. No man that's got good understanding wants
his wife to get in a bunch, where there's a bunch of vulgar, dirty men
and things like that. But if the woman has to get in that, I think that
she ought to–her husband ought to know that she's a genuine Christian
that can be trusted, a trustworthy woman.
But now, I–as to say that she shouldn't work, I–I don't know. See,
there's no Scripture to back that up. I'm just–I'm just passing that
opinion. But I think if a woman wants to work and she wants to work…
1028-156
Now, I'm certainly against women working in these offices where all
these businessmen, they carry on, tell them dirty jokes. And a nice,
clean woman setting there, and all these smutty dirty things told
around like that, I–I'm against that. I think you ought to come out
from among such stuff as that.
But now, if a woman can hold herself as a–as a real lady and trying to
help her husband do something to meet–some clothes for the kids to go
to school, or–or pay off a bill, or something like that, and she wants
to work till that's over… Now, this not the Lord, 'cause I don't have
no Scripture for this. I'm just saying that'd be my opinion; but
otherwise, I wouldn't think just 'cause she wants to work just to run
around and have–or–more money to spend, run around, and run to
barrooms, or drink, smoke, and carry on; I don't think she should do
it. I think she should stay home, try to be a lady, and take care of
her house.
1029-Q-299
299. If Jesus in a second… (No.) If Jesus–if you in a second
marriage where both parties are divorced… the–it
(r-e-p-e-n–)–repentance–it–is repentance enough, or do you have to
end–or do you have to end your marriage relationship to be right?"
"If–if you're in a second marriage where both parties are divorced…"
I think I've already answered that. See? Yes, already answered that.
Where both parties are–are… I just…
I–I wish we didn't have to go through these things, people. I got
friends setting right here, out in this audience here that I know… It
just nearly kills me to say that, but I–I got to say it. See? And the
world is in such a corruptible condition.
Some poor, little, old woman make a mistake and marry some alcoholic
and–and they turn that way, or some poor man married some streetwalker
and not know it, and then be bound to that woman or man as long as they
live. That's a horrible thing. Marriage is a sacred thing.
Many times sinner kids run in and do those things, and then they wonder
what it's all about. I–It's… I believe, if the Lord will permit me
to explain this marriage and divorce the way it should be, I believe
it'll clear up a whole lot of that. It's all… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]
1029-Q-300 300. We see… Why can't we sell our house? Thank you. We… P.S. We have prayed and fasted, and–to sell it, yet no results.
Well now, brother or sister (They don't sign their name.), but ever who
it is, now, you're trying to sell your property and you've done what
you… You want to sell it and probably for to buy some more or
whatever you want to do, I don't know. If your objective is right,
you're trying buy a home… If you got children or something like that,
you want to get them a better home or something… I don't know what
it's all about, but I'd say this: If you're trying to sell it, and
fasting and trying to sell it, then commit it to the Lord and forget
about it. See? Because it might be that God… You might move in
somewhere else, and it might not be right. See?
If you're a Christian and trust in the Lord, 'cause you surely are or
you wouldn't be fasting and praying. See? So I'd just commit it to the
Lord. Say, "Now, Lord, when Your time for us to sell it, You'll send a
buyer." Then it's committed to the Lord, take your hands off it and go
ahead. I believe it'll work. I'm kinda speeding up here, 'cause I'm
just running out of time.
1030-Q-301 301. Brother Branham, is it wrong for a woman to curl her hair?
I
done went through that. Sure, I don't care; just keep it long. See? I
don't… I know you're… I don't mean that to be "jokey" with you
girls. See? That's sincere. You–you–you want to know, and you're
asking me. You got confidence in me or you wouldn't be asking me that.
And I got confidence in you, sister, that what I'd tell you, I believe
you'd do.
I can't back that up with the Scripture. If you want… If you haven't
got pretty, curly hair and you're a woman, you want to look pretty for
your husband, for your boyfriend, or something like that, I–I can't
tell you about curling your hair or–or what did they call it, tinting
it or something? I–I have nothing to say about that; that's up to you.
You see? I–I… You just, between… You just ask the Lord what to do,
and He–He'll tell you that, 'cause I–I'm trying to explain things by
Scripture. See?
1030-Q-302 302. Please explain I Corinthians 13:8-12. Now that the perfect Word is restored to the church are–are these verses fulfilled?
Now,
I think I just went through that, didn't I? "And when that which is
perfect has come, that which is in part shall be done away with." Paul
said, "Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, and I do all these
things here… But when that which is perfect is come…" Now, is there
anything perfect but God? No, sir. Is God the perfect? In the beginning
was the [Congregation replies, "Word."–Ed.]
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word's still God.
See? All right. When that which is perfect is come, that which is in
part is done away with.
1031-Q-303 303. Brother Branham, is it wrong to have a flattop haircut?
I
suppose–I suppose this is a man; I–I hope it is. Well now, some women
do that. Sure. I was going up on a bus one time when I was state game
warden here. Going up here… I was setting there, and a man was
talking like that, had a welder's cap on, and I was just talking to
him. And he was going ahead smoking a cigarette, had a welder's glasses
pushed up like that. Was right up here around Sellersburg. And I was
setting there talking to that fellow. He said something there, and we
all got to laughing; I hit him on the leg; I said, "Boy, that–that
really takes the cake, doesn't it?"
And I was setting there like that, and the–directly some–a woman
setting across there said, "Say, Ruth, are you going to…?" Had on
overalls, great big, burly just like a man, setting there smoking a
cigarette and blowing it out her nose, I thought it was a man. Telling
about dropping a acetylene torch and doing something, hitting on
somebody's head and knocked the what-you-call-it off, and started
laughing. I laughed too and slapped her right on the leg, thinking it
was a man. I didn't know the difference. You can't tell them. And the
Bible said, "Any woman that puts on a garment pertaining to a man, it's
an abomination." There we are.
1031-167
No, brother, if you want a flattop haircut, I'll tell you; You just
wait till you get about my age, you'll have one. And so… That's all
right. I didn't mean that like that, buddy. Bless your heart if you
believe Brother Branham tell you the truth. I don't think God says
anything about man, his–his covering is just as long as he cuts his
hair. If he lets his hair grow down long like a woman, the Bible says
it's a shame for a man to do that.
But now, if you–as long as you got your hair and you're a little
boy… And–and I know I've said a whole lot about it: "And you,
Rickys, with that flattop haircut," and all like that, and things like
that, but I–I just say that. See?
I don't–I don't think God cares how a man cuts his hair, as long as he
cuts it, because his head is God. But a woman's head is a man;
therefore, she must… And if she cuts her hair, she dishonors her
head. Then a dishonorable woman should be divorced and got away with.
That right? So if a woman cuts her hair, she has–her husband has a
absolutely Bible right to put her away in wrong living: a dishonorable
person. How many knows that's the truth? What the Bible said, for she
dishonors her head. No dishonorable woman should be lived with.
1032-Q-304
304. Brother Branham, when Isaiah spoke to the daughters of Zion (or
spoke to, I mean, she–I guess they meant "spoke of") the daughters of
Zion about the crisping pins, curling hair, and instead of a well set
hair, baldness; instead of a… Will that apply to today or is the old
Bible of no effect as some say?
The old Bible is always in effect, and every Word that God says is in
effect. Yes, sir. Only thing it does from the new Bible to the old
Bible, it just magnified. Jesus said, "You have heard them say, 'Thou
shalt not commit adultery' (you had to be in the act); but I say unto
you, whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her has committed
adultery with her already in his heart." What great outstanding things
these are.
Now, I've got to close, friends. It's getting a little bit too late.
Now, that's too long a one. Let's see if I get something else. Let's
see.
1032-Q-305
305. Brother Branham, how should women (Oh, my.) wear their hair?
Again, just any way you want to. I Timothy 2:9. See? "Let the women
adorn themselves in modest apparel. "I want to–I want to wear mine
pleasing to God. (God bless you, Sister dear.) Thank you. May God bless
you. Pray for us." And the person signs her name.
Sharon, sure, sis, God bless you. Wear it just long as it's long,
sister. It's a little girl. God bless you, honey. It's okay, you go
right ahead.
1032-Q-306 306. After the Bride is raptured will any of the foolish virgin be saved or will they all be lost?
No.
See, everything will be finished for the Gentile church when the Bride
is taken from the earth. The Spirit of God leaves the earth: "He that's
filthy is filthy still; he that's righteous is righteous still; he
that's holy is holy still." In other words the sanctuary becomes
smokey, where the–the Attorney stands to plead the case. Christ leaves
the sanctuary; His day of mediatorial is over. The rapture comes; He
leaves from the sanctuary, goes forth and takes the Book of Redemption,
and claims everything He redeemed. There's no more mediatorial work.
How many understands that? I got it on one of the Seals–or one of
the… Yeah, the Seals, I believe it was, that Christ comes forth to
claim His mediatorial work.
1033-174
Now, just a minute. "Will the foolish virgin be saved." No. Whatever
happens she–happens now. After that time she's in the state… Now,
she will have to go through the tribulation period. And the reason of
it is, is because she has rejected the Atonement in Its fullness. She
is a believer, a professed believer, but she will have to go through
the tribulation period. The Bible said, "And the rest of them, the
dragon spurted water out of his mouth to go and make war…" And what
an hour that is. The…
There's never been a time in history where that the nominal churches
has become so hungry to find the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I–I speak
for the Christian Business Men. Constantly, it's Presbyterian,
Lutheran, Catholic, and all, Baptists by the hundreds, Church of
Christ, Nazarenes, Pilgrim Holiness, Seventh Day Adventists, every one
of them flocking in trying to find… See?
1033-176
Now, this is a striking thing. Please don't take it as a doctrine, but
do you understand what the Scriptures said would take place when that
did? Time was over. For look, there was seven virgins–or ten virgins
went out to meet the Bridegroom, and half of them had oil in their
lamp, half of them didn't. That's the part of the body that's dead and
the part that's alive. The five's wise, when they–the cry come,
"Behold the Bridegroom…" they all trimmed–woke and trimmed their
lamps to go into the wedding supper. But when the foolish virgin said,
"Give us some of your oil, our lamps is gone out. (See?) Give us of
your oil," they said, "Not so, we just got enough for ourself. Go buy
it." And while they went to buy it, the Bridegroom came.
1033-177
When the proclamation went out, the decree, "The Bridegroom's coming,"
everybody wanted to get right, right quick. Ain't that the hour when
the handwriting's on the wall.
"Oh, we want the baptism of the Holy Ghost." "We want this, that or the
other." But while they went to buy It, the Bridegroom came. The wise
went in, and they were left outside where there'll be weeping, wailing,
and gnashing of teeth.
I got just beautiful questions in here to go with that: "Who was the
man with the robe on that come in, that didn't have the wedding garment
on?" And all those questions that tie right into that.
1034-Q-307 307. Should a person pay tithes to an individual, or should a Christian work?
Sure he should. He's the one man that will work, is a Christian.
"Pay
tithes to an individual?" It depends on who the individual is. See?
That's right. In Hebrews 7, the first time tithings was talked about
in–in a stand that we… Wait a minute, I believe, number two
question. No. Uh, uh. No. For Brother… Said, "Two questions for
Brother Branham."
When… In Hebrews the 7th chapter, when Abraham, returning from the
slaughter of the kings met Melchisedec, he paid Him a tithe. That was
Melchisedec, the King of Salem, which is King of Peace, and King of
Righteousness, which was nobody but God Himself. See?
But when you pay tithings… Really, where you owe tithings is where
you get your food. "Bring ye all your tithings into My storehouse,
saith the Lord. (That right?) And prove Me wherein saith God, that if
I'll not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that you
would not have room enough to receive it." I challenge any man or woman
that's not a tithe payer to accept that.
1034-184
I could stand here till in the morning, telling you just what happened
when I seen that, and what condition I was in. But just as loyal as I
ever could, I paid tithes. And when I took my own money from the church
here or from my campaigns, I'd take more… I'd give a tenth. Then I'd
give it out to the ministers, and give the rest of it to ministers.
Then when I couldn't do that, then the thing I did, I kept ten percent
and give God ninety. And then, when the law told me I couldn't do that,
I'd have to take… And if I did, it was going to be charged to it,
then I had to take and bypass it into foreign missions and so forth,
and then just take a wage out of that of a hundred dollars a week; and
I pay my tithes from that.
Yes, sir. I believe in paying tithes. It's one of God's blessings
that's proven to be a blessing. You say, "That's of the Old Testament."
It is of the New Testament too. Yes, sir.
1035-Q-308 308. Dear Brother Branham, if a baby is born of a–out of wedlock, can this child ever be saved or go in the rapture?
Saved?
Why sure, I believe the child could be… The child can't help what's
been done. That is true. But I… About going in the rapture… Saved,
I'd say, "Yes." But in the rapture it's a predestinated seed that goes
in the rapture. And I can't believe that adultery was a predestinated
seed. You understand? See? I believe the people can–the baby can be
saved; it has no–no rights of its own. It's a awful act and things.
But now, in the Old Testament when a baby was born a bastard child, it
could not even enter the congregation of the Lord for ten generations,
four hundred and something years, that curse was so bad. Just think of
that. A innocent baby, its great, great, great, great, great, great,
great, great, great grandchildren, just think, the baby's great, great,
great, ten great grandchildren could not even come in the congregation
of God. That's right.
But you see, there was nothing there strong enough to forgive that sin.
The blood of the Old Testament did not forgive sins; it covered sins.
But the Blood of Jesus Christ divorces it. That's different now. When
the Blood of Jesus Christ comes in, it's the different.
1035-Q-309 309. Brother Branham, we want to be close to your Message as possible. Shall we move to Arizona or Jeffersonville?
Suit
yourself, either one. I sure love you; I don't care where you go, what
you do. But now, as advice, I believe I'd come to Jeffersonville. If
you're going to move anyhow, I'd come to Jeff. I believe I'm here more
than I am in Arizona. That's fine.
1035-Q-310 310. Brother Branham, is–is it too late to preach to sinners anymore?
No.
No. Don't get that in your mind, brother. Keep on building on the
house. Keep doing everything you can. Just keep on going till you're
called away. See?
1036-Q-311
311. Question number 2. Should the saved separate themselves from
sinners in worship? Should the saved separate from sinners to worship?
I don't know exactly what you mean by that. If you mean sinners like
out in the… You worship God everywhere. But I think if we did, how we
going to have church, 'cause the sinners come right into the church and
set down by the side of the Christian. Don't never separate yourself
from anything but sin, not the sinner. Get the sinner if you can, but
don't be takers of his sin.
1036-Q-312 312. Should a saved wife refuse herself to her husband if he is a sinner?
No,
sir. No, sir. That's your husband. You'll drive him farther away from
God than ever by doing that. See? That's right, brother, sister. You
married him; he's yours, and you're his.
1036-Q-313
313. Brother Branham, what is the meaning of a annulment? Are people
free to marry or is this just another word for divorce? I would like
some information on this.
Sure they're married. As long as they take that vow, they're married.
Just like a boy, if a boy promises a girl to marry her under good
faith, he's obligated to that girl. He's just as good as married her.
The only thing the law does, is give you a–a bill of rights to live
together to keep from being common-law husband and wife. But when a man
tells a woman, "I will marry you, Honey; I will take you for my wife.
Will you take…" he's married.
Your vow is sacred; that's what marries you anyhow. There's not no
preacher can marry you, no magistrate, or nothing else; it's your own
vow to God and to this man. When you promise, you are married.
1036-195
Looky. You say, "Brother Branham, is that…? You say… You said you'd
only answer that by the Bible." Did you want the Bible on it? Raise
your hands if you want it. Now, we got about six or eight minutes. All
right.
"Joseph, her husband, being a just man (her espoused husband, already
called her husband)… Joseph, her husband, being a just man, was
'mindedly' to put her away privately on this wise; but before they came
together, she was found with a child of the Holy Ghost. (See?) And the
Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and saying, 'Joseph, thou
son of David, fear not to take unto thee, Mary, thy wife.'" Already
married, he'd already promised her.
1037-197
And of… And little lady, if you promised to marry that boy, you're
obligated to do it. If you marry another after that obligation, you
will–from now on anyhow–you'll be living in adultery. And notice, the
same thing to a boy promising to marry a woman…
Don't you make your vow to anybody 'less you mean to stick with it.
Remember, there's the Bible for it. Joseph promised to marry Mary. And
God said that that was…
Read the Old Testament laws on that. See? The Old Testament law, if you
promised to marry a woman, and you married another one, you was
committing adultery; and it throwed you out of the camp. Yes, sir. You
have to keep your vows when you promise a woman that. She's a sacred
little vessel, and that's to bring child life into the world again. So
when you promise her, you must marry her.
1037-Q-314
314. Is it too late for jail services and such work for a testimony to
try to save souls? Also should one sell all they have now, the Lord is
coming so soon?
Well, how–how do you… I hope I haven't said anything that would
cause you to believe such as that. Have I? If I have, forgive me. I
don't mean… See? Don't just presume those things. Keep right on
going, preaching, having jail service, getting everybody, and don't…
Looky here. The Seventh Day Adventists here not long ago, about fifty
or sixty years ago, I seen it in the Courier-Journal paper (I got it
somewhere in a trunk.), a great big piece of Courier-Journal paper,
where they throwed the old wings out, where when they was called
Millerites before they become Seventh Day Adventists. And they had a
whole big sheet in the Courier paper up here at Franklin, Kentucky,
when they all sold their property and got… They set a certain date,
proved it by the Scripture; Jesus was coming on that date, and went up
there and got their harps and things, and set upon top the hill. The
next morning come down, the dew had took all the feathers down, and
they come down deflated. See? It's cults and things.
1038-202
Don't you believe that. Jesus might not come for a hundred years yet. I
don't know when He's coming. No man knows when He's coming. But I'm
going to try to keep on preaching and doing everything I can till He
does come. If He isn't here today, I'll be looking for Him tomorrow. If
He isn't here to–this week, I'll be looking for Him next week. If He
isn't here in the next ten years, and I live, I'll be looking for Him
the next thirty years. See? I'll still be looking. I don't know when
He's coming, but I want to live true to His Word and true to His
people, and live like a Christian, and wait for His coming. See?
Keep on preaching jail services, getting everybody saved you can. I
don't know when He's coming; nobody does. But I'll say this one thing.
This is why I'm trying to tell you, and I hope you don't try to put
your own interpretation… Not bawling this person out. God bless you,
brother, sister, whoever you are. It looked like it was somebody from
out of town, 'cause it was on a–on a postcard, I think, from Denver,
Colorado, and… Yeah, Pike's Peak, Colorado. So it might've been
somebody sent it in by mail, but that–that's perfectly all right. They
might get the tape.
But let's remember, don't you change anything, only your ways from sin
to righteousness. Just keep right on at your job, going right on just
the same. All that understand that clearly say, "Amen." [Congregation replies "Amen."–Ed.] See? Do that now.
1038-Q-315
315. Brother Branham, in Matthew 12:40 it says, "As Jonas was in–three
days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." How can it be
that day that they say–today that they say He was put in the tomb on
Friday evening and rose Sunday morning, making it only two nights and
one day?
Now, if you notice, it said, "As it was" (You see?) in the days when
Jonah was in the belly three days and three nights… It's within three
days and three nights, within that three days and three nights, because
you can't make the Scripture lie. The prophet said, "I will not suffer
my holy One to see corruption; neither will I leave His soul in hell."
And corruption sets in the human body in seventy-two hours, which is
three days and three nights. Sometime within that three days and three
nights that–He must come forth from the grave.
So being three days and three nights, don't mean it has to be exactly
that; it's sometime within that three days and three nights. He had to
come forth, because the prophecy cannot be broken, that the… He could
not see corruption, and it would've corrupted if He'd stayed exactly
that time.
1039-Q-316
316. Brother Branham, if a man has been married and divorced (Isn't
that awful? See? So many… Now, I'm not saying nothing against the
people; just that's on the people's mind. Sure, they're troubled. The
rapture, people used not to think so much about that; it wasn't so much
of it. But now, it's just plastered the world. And the people read
these things in the Scripture. And people, elected, out there is coming
in to look at it. And they see it, and they're sincere. They want to
know. That's the reason I want to answer it just as with much sense to
it as I can give it you.)–has been married and divorced and then
remarried of a woman who has also been married and divorced and then
married to him, and these two can–can–married in God's sight–are
they married in God's sight? How can both or one of them be in the
rapture?
How? I don't know. I couldn't tell you. The question is, "Can they be
in the rapture?" Divorced, each one of them divorced, each one of them
has a living companion, then they married again, both of them married
again. And now, one that… This woman has a living husband; this man
has a living wife. And now, they've got children and so forth and want
to come to God. Can they go in the rapture? That'll be up to the
heavenly Father. I couldn't answer that. See?
I–I saw one thing. The Bible said that they shall be called an
adulterer. And the Bible said also, "An adulterer will not enter the
Kingdom of heaven." That's all I can say. I–I know, that just kills me
to say that, but I can't say but what the Word says. I must stay with
that. I hope that that's all wrong. There is places in the Bible…
1040-209
I'm not advising you. Please, let me just give you a little Scripture.
Please, please don't–don't–don't… If you're living happy with your
husband, living happy with your wife, please remain that way. Will you
just–just for… Because I told you that, don't–don't leave them
little children without a home and things like that. God has made
restitutions in places for people that–that–that did things wrong.
You remember, Jesus said of David when he was hungry, he entered into
the temple of God and eat the shewbread, which is only lawful for the
priest, and is found blameless. The priest also blaspheme the Sabbath
upon the Sabbath day and are found blameless, and a greater than the
Sabbath was here. See? There… I… Let's–let's just leave it up to
God, and go ahead, and just live the way you… Just–just live for
Christ now.
Let's see, there might be a chance of you getting in. Don't make… Two
wrongs will never righten one. Just go on and live the way you are if
you're–if you're happy together. You might have the wrong companion.
I'll say this one thing: if you've got the wrong companion in this
wife–in this life, you'll never have it in the other one. All wrongs
will be made right.
1040-Q-317 317. Will all borned again believers go in the rapture?
No,
just the remnant, just the remnant, not all born again believers. The
Bible said, "And the rest of the dead lived not for a thousand years,"
and then they was raised up and separated, the sheep from the goats.
Not all borned again will go in the… according to the Scripture.
1040-Q-318 318. What is the evidence that a person is really filled with the Holy Ghost?
John
14:26: He will… "When the Holy Ghost is come (See?), He will show you
things to come." See? He'll be a… He'll perfect it; manmades won't do
it; and He is the Word. When He the Holy Ghost is come, He will
identify Himself in you with the Scripture. And that is the true sign
that the Holy Spirit is in you, because It is the Word.
Now, look. What if you spoke with tongues? I just want to ask you that.
Jesus said when the Holy Ghost come what He would do. And what if you
spoke with tongues, jumped up-and-down, shouted, and everything else,
and then come to the Word; and I'd tell you the baptism of–prove to
you by the Scripture as I have, that the baptism using the title of
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is absolutely a misunderstanding in the
Scripture; nobody was ever baptized like that, and you go ahead and
hang with it anyhow? Could you tell me the Holy Spirit in you would do
a thing like that? How can It deny It's own Word?
1041-214
When I show you what's supposed to take place in this day, how that the
Son of man is to reveal Himself, and what He's to do, and all these
Scriptures that's been now, and then see Him come right down and
identify it, and you hang right on to a denomination and say that
you're borned again? Could you make sense out of that?
Could I tell my wife I love her, and–and have a date with another
woman, and run around, and then tell her from my heart I love her? You
think that'd be true love? Could she tell me she loves me, and while
I'm gone away, her run around with some other man?
That's exactly what Israel done to… You know the Bible there, how He
said, talk… Israel, said, "You have set your limbs apart and taken in
every man that come by, and you've played the part of whoredom with Me;
and I'll put you away in divorce." Exactly. What is that? You're
committing adultery against your own body. And when a woman goes out
and lives with another man, or a man with another woman, when they're
married to them, they are defiling their own flesh. And when a person
says that he is a Christian and will absolutely deny the Scripture
being right, he's committing adultery against the Body that he claims
to be in. See? So it's a mark of antichrist, so much that would deceive
the elected if possible.
1041-Q-319 319. Brother Branham, is it all right for a–a young child to wear slacks and shorts?
How
young? Just let you be the judge of that; if you're a Christian. A
little girl or any little bitty kid, I imagine, I don't know, I… Only
thing I know, the Bible says it's an abomination for a woman to wear a
garment that's–that pertains to a man. See? "A woman," didn't say, "a
child." But now, I just… You just suit yourself about that, I… For
my part, I see nothing wrong with a little bitty kid, little bitty girl
four or five years old with a… When they're little fellows, you know
how I mean, they'll run around out there in the yard. If she's wearing,
what you call slacks or whatever, is a little bitty kid, I–I don't see
nothing wrong with it. Maybe…
See, I'm just telling you what the Word says. It's an abomination for a woman to wear a garment that pertains to a man.
1042-Q-320 320. Where are we to gather ourselves together? And you said to gather yourselves on the Trumpets.
I believe, partner, sister, whoever it is, you're–you're wrong there.
I never said gather yourselves on the Trumpets. I said Israel gathered
on the Trumpets, not the Gentile Bride. No, no. The Trumpets, the
sounding of the Seven Trumpets was to gather Israel (How many knows
that?) from all over the… Yeah, not the… No, no. Huh-uh. No,
not–not–not Israel. So it's not that… We don't gather on the
Trumpets with the at–the Bride doesn't. The Trumpets comes after the
Feast of Pentecost. See? And the rapture comes… And that… not this
question now…
1042-Q-321 321. Brother Branham, if you have time please explain Matthew 10:41. I would like to know what is a prophet's reward?
Well
now, Jesus said, "Whosoever receive a prophet in the name of a prophet,
receives a prophet's reward." A prophet's reward is to be a friend with
the prophet. Whosoever receives a righteous man in the name of a
righteous man, receives a righteous man's reward. Is that right? And if
they want to know what a prophet's reward is, is to be a friend to the
prophet. See? That's a reward. He's your friend.
Like the Shunammite woman, it might come in handy some time. See? It did with her. See? Watch God's servants.
Oh, my. Now, we're… I–I just must close and, friend, I–I hate to do it, but just looky here, just look what, hundreds. [Brother Branham is urged by the congregation to answer more–Ed.]
No. But–I know, but see, I–I love you saying that, but I'm thinking
of these poor people driving hundreds of miles yet tonight. My, them's
just–there's so many in there, I…
1042-Q-322
322. Brother Branham, I would like to know about the millennium. Is it
after the marriage supper, or–or is it on earth, all about it. I
do–don't understand about it.
Well, brother or sister, it's hard for me to understand it, myself. But
only thing I can say is this: that the marriage supper comes before the
millennium.
Now, see, somebody, I know somewhere in here has got a question on
that, that said, "Brother Branham, you're–you're wrong on the seventy
weeks of Daniel. There will still be seventy weeks." No, the Messiah
was to come and prophesy, and in the midst of the seventy weeks,
seventy of weeks, which is seven years, He was to–He was to be cut off
from among the living and made a sacrifice. How many remembers that?
All right. How many years then did Jesus preach, the Messiah? Three and
a half. Then there's still 3 1/2 determined.
And in Revelations the 11th chapter, these two prophets, they prophesy
one thousand two hundred and three score days. Three and one half years
still promised to Israel when the Gentile Bride is gone. How many
understands that now? See? All right, all right.
1043-Q-323
323. This is a… I have a lunch counter and serve high school children
for the most part. Since coming into the Light, I have taken the
pinball machine and the (the jukebox; they got) j-box out. The
youngsters do smoke and they want the rock-and-roll music on the–on
the radio. I open only about four hours a day. I do not–I do not
uphold smoking or drinking, but I am worried in holding the place.
You know, that's a problem. See? The thing of it is, that you are–you
are–maybe have to make a living. But you know what that would do for
me? That'd make me so nervous I couldn't… I–I–that… You might be
able to put up with it, but that little bunch of "Rickys" in there
carrying on like that, and "Rickettas," I'd –I'd–it'd run me wild.
See?
And I tell you; I–I… If it would be mine, I know what I'd do. I'd
say, "You stop that or get out of here." See? I'd run a right kind of a
place or not run it at all. But you, if you have to do it for a living,
I don't want to disregard you, brother or sister. I–I know it's hard
to say these things; but that–that just… It isn't right (You see?),
because it looked like it kinda…
1044-227
Like someone said this morning about our women wearing their dresses so
short, or older women was a bad example to the young ladies. I think
that's right too. You see?
And I think that same thing. When they see you in there where all this
smoking and carrying on is, and know your testimony, and all this
cursing and–and rallying around them little children like that, and
them carrying on like that, and you saying nothing about it, it's a bad
thing on your testimony. You do whatever the Lord leads you. I'll pray
that God will lead you to the right way.
1044-Q-324
324. If (s-a-n-d-) standing in line to get into church is going to be
only a memory, what is going to happen if we are not going through the
tribulation? Are we to be–be seen–same–some suffering? If we're not
to see…
See? I… This question is probably this. I'm trying to hurry; I–I–I
oughtn't to do this. Ought to lay these back, 'cause there's a place
you could stay on it a hour (See?) and it–just tear it down.
I'll–I'll stop.
Look. The people are wanting to say that, thinking that they–the
church is going to hit the tribulation. See? It won't; It can't (See?),
because It's already redeemed.
Now, the church, the–the nominal believers like Lot, he's going
through the tribulation period (See?) and be saved as if it was by
fire. Noah went through the tribulation period, carried above it, come
out with Ham who polluted the earth again. See? Lot came out, his own
daughters slept with him, and had children by his own daughters. See?
But Abraham brought forth the Royal Seed, brought forth the Seed of the
promise. Enoch went to glory in the rapture, just took a walk and went
home. He never went through the tribulation period. You see?
There you are. See? It does not, the Bible cannot by a type… And the
types can't fail. See? It does not predict that the Bride… Now, the
church will go through the tribulation period.
1045-232
Now, the people say, "What about the early saints?" That was the
changing of the dispensations. That was under persecution, which if you
was here to hear this church ages, and to see how they went out into
that darkness and had to do that, then that shows where they had to
take that persecution, because each one of the church ages and
everything begin to show that they went darker and darker, till they
finally went to a complete place that they denied His Name and picked
up another name that they lived and were dead: Sardis. And then it come
on out, Thyatira and Sardis, and then come out–then it begin to come
out to Philadelphia and so forth, and then come to the time of the
calling out of the Bride which was to escape all the damnation. It
counted worthy to escape all this damnation and wrath that's to come
upon the earth, that you might be counted worthy to escape it, not go
through it, escape it. See? Do you understand now, everybody? See?
1045-233
The church, the lukewarm, the anything outside of the elected Bride
will go through the tribulation period. They will not raise in the
first resurrection: "The rest of the dead lived not for a thousand
years," just the foreordained, predestinated, elected Bride, God's own
elections. "Who is it, Brother Branham?" I don't know? I can't tell you
who it is, but I know it's going to be there, 'cause the Lord said they
would. See? They are the ones that'll go up from the tribulation, but
the rest of them will go through the tribulation, go down, and
everything will be killed before the millennium. Then the–the
righteous shall come out in the millennium and live a thousand years.
And after the thousand years, then the great white throne judgment
comes, and then the dead, both right and wrong is raised. And the books
are opened, and the Book of Life was open; and the saints, the Wife and
the Husband, set and judge the world. And there it comes to pass the
saying: "And He'll judge all nations with a rod of iron." All nations
shall stand before Him there, and He'll judge them with the rod of
iron. He'll separate the sheep from the goats and say to the goats,
"Depart," and the sheeps, "Come, ye blessed of My Father."
1045-235
Now then, there will be a camp meeting of the saints upon the breadth
of the earth. And Satan is loosed out of his prison and goes to make
war again with the saints, just exactly what he done in glory to begin
with. And then God rains fire and brimstone out of the heavens, and the
whole earth is removed like… It just burn up and destroyed. And
there's no more sea, no more water, no more nothing left on the earth.
Volcanic will spray and burst and blow, and the whole thing…
"And I saw a new heavens and a new earth: for the first heavens and the
first earth was passed away; and there was no more sea. I, John, saw
the holy city descending from God out of heaven as a Bride adored for
her husband." Remember it? And in this Bride… "Behold the Tabernacle
of God is with men," and God shall dwell with them upon this
pyramid-shaped city fifteen hundred square miles. And in the top of the
city there'll be a Light. Amen.
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On top of Mount Zion will set the Lamb. And the city will need no
light, for the Lamb is the Light thereof. And above the Lamb will be
the Father, which is the Logos, God, the great Light, the eternal Light
that'll shine just above the throne. And Jesus will not be on His
Father's throne, He'll be on His throne. And the Father will hover over
the Son, which the Father and Son will be One. "And while they are yet
speaking, I'll answer. Before they can think, I'm thinking for them."
That's right.
And Jesus will commit a perfect, perfect age to a–the perfect living
God, that He has redeemed and give over to the Father. Is that right?
Will turn to God the Father which is Spirit, not a man, Spirit. All
nature of goodness gathered together, that's God. And in goodness…
Now, anything perverted from good is evil; that's Satan's kingdom. All
good belongs to God. All evil belongs…
1046-239
And then God became material in a Man called Jesus Christ which was His
Son. This Son gave His Life that He might bring other sons, that God
might become tangible, working in all in all. "In that day you'll know
that I'm in the Father, the Father in Me, I in you and you in Me."
Oh, brother, that'll be a real day. You won't have to join–drive over
from Birmingham to hear the Message; the Message will be right with us
then, won't it? Oh, it'll be a–it'll be a wonderful, wonderful time.
We're looking for that day; God hasten it to come.
That great city setting there (Now, see?), it will not… You think,
"Fifteen hundred miles high?" That's what the Bible said. Now, it will
not be fifteen hundred miles right straight up like that. See? We have
another geographic measure that all sides are equal; that's a pyramid.
See?
And the city will start probably about a sixty degree. And if it
starts, fifteen hundred miles of that, just think how high that will
be, but how long it'll take to be there. You'll hardly know you're
walking up the hill. For fifteen hundred miles high at a sixty degree,
you're just about like this. See? And the city's all on this hill. And
it's just as high as it is long; it's just as long as it is wide. The
height, by the depth, by the breadth, it–it's equal; all the walls are
equal. A pyramid has four walls, and these four walls will be…
1047-243
Now, the walls around the city will be–be 216 feet tall, 144 cubits,
and each one of them is a stone. Just think of that city, friends. Oh,
my. What–what do we set here in this hot place? What do we do these
things? Why do we drive like that? Why do we–why do we toil? It's
worth every inch of the way.
That's right. And, oh, what a time that'll be.
1047-244
And there Jesus will set on the throne. And out from under the throne
will flow the river of Life, trinkling down these four walls into
little chasms, and into little branches, and come form up a river, and
down through by the city. It'll go right down through the streets like
that, and on each side stands the trees of Life that'll bear–or change
their fruit every–every thirty days. Oh, what a city.
And remember, God, the Creator, that created the heavens and earth, is
in glory right now preparing that city. Abraham looked for it. He left
his home; he separated everything that was dear to him and looking
for… Why? He was a prophet. And being a prophet, he was connected
with the Spirit and part of the Spirit. And Something told him within
him, "There is a city," and he started looking for it. Said, "I'm a
pilgrim, a stranger. I'm looking for a city whose Builder and Maker is
God." He knowed that city was somewhere. Oh, my. And I believe that
right on the grounds where he looked for it, right there in Palestine,
there's where it'll raise up, for it's on Mount Zion. There's where
she'll be.
Look where she'll stretch out into the–into the sea, from sea to sea.
Think of that fifteen hundred mile city setting out there on the
mountains of the Lord. Oh, that'd be wonderful.
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And the lion and the lamb shall lay down together. The lion will eat
straw like the bullock. And the bear will be gentle, and the wolf will
be tame. What a time it will be. Nothing shall hurt or destroy;
everything will be in peace and love. There'll be no more old age;
there'll be no more sickness, no more dying.
Folks, this is not some Santa Claus story, some mythical something;
it's written in the Word. And never has the Word failed. And to think
of the very promise of… Not back in the Bible day, but in this day,
the day that God–today. Not one iota has ever failed of His Word. Oh,
I'm bound for that city. I love it, don't you?
1048-249
No. Now, brother, sister, it says twenty after nine. I know I got some
friends here from way down in Kentucky. I know I got friends here from
different parts of the country. If you want to stay all night, I'll pay
for your room. I told you, you had dinner waiting for you and pay for
your motel if you wanted to stay. And only thing you have to do is see
him back there, and I'll sure do it. I'll do anything I can to help
you. I love you.
I don't mean to answer these questions maybe sometimes contrary. If you
don't believe it, that's perfectly all right. I want you to love me
just the same, because God knows I do you that way. I only answer these
questions the best of my know–I might been wrong in some of them,
friends, but it wasn't willfully wrong. If I'd had about six or eight
questions, so I could just stayed right with them and just explained it
right down, but I, instead of running all through them now… I have a
few of them about marriage and divorce. I just had–thought I'd answer
a few of them. I couldn't find no more laying here, picking them up,
but I got some very important questions here, very important questions.
I want to answer them for you if I can.
1048-251
Now, if you living around here close, call Billy, Wednesday; I'll know
by then whether I'll be back. I'll pray this week. But I've got a lot
of private interviews, oh, a pile about like that. And I got nearly
that many in Arizona to make one of these days when I can. And it's
people who are really sick. Some of them have got problems, and they
just don't know what do: husbands and wife with problems.
And some of these here had to be turned to private interviews, because
I could not read it right out, what the people said in here about their
marriage affair and things like that. And I had Billy just to go back
and find out who they are, and–and call them, and tell them we'll just
put them on interview, so I can talk some of them. Very serious, and
it's questions that should be answered.
1049-253
I'm here to try to help you, because I love you. You're my children
that I have begotten to Christ. I claim every one of you. I claim you
tonight; I claim you all time; I always claim you and that–as my
brother and sister. You're my children; I–I'm your father in the
Gospel, not father as it would be a priest, I'm–I'm your father in the
Gospel as Paul said there. I have begotten you to Christ, and now, I–I
espouse you to Christ; that's engage you to Christ as a chaste virgin.
Don't let me down. Don't let me down. You stay a chaste virgin.
"How will I do it, Brother Branham?" Stay right with the Word; live
clean and pure; have nothing to do with the things of the world. If the
love of it's in your heart, say, "Oh, Jesus, please take that away from
me. I don't want to be like that."
I don't mean just to be some person that's–that's saying this. I–I
mean to be a genuine believer. Believe Jesus Christ and live for Him
every day. Don't do no evil.
1049-255
Now, a lot of times I speak of Calvinistic belief. Now, don't think
that that lets you loose to do anything you want to. A fellow the other
day… I said, "Did you go to church."
He said, "I went hunting."
The man's wife come to me, and she was coming from the laundromat on Sunday. And I said, "Why didn't you go to church?"
She said, "I done my washing."
I said, "You shouldn't have done that."
"Well," she said, "I'm not an old legalist."
I said, "But I thought you were a Christian." See? I said, "Did you
know you're putting a stumbling block in somebody's way." See? I said,
"It…"
"Well, aw, I–I believe this. I don't have to do those things. I'm not a legalist."
Well, look my brother, sister, look here. Paul said, "If eating meat
puts a stumbling block in my brother's way, I'll eat no more meat as
long as the world stands." And I think it'd be a whole lot better…
1050-257
Now, you say, "Brother Branham, you hunt. Didn't you ever hunt on
Sunday?" Let me tell you something. Not–I'm not patting myself to the
back of this, but I'm… I'm not a Sabbatarian now; I believe the Holy
Spirit is our Sabbath. I believe that, but I believe we should honor
that resurrection as a memorial. That's a memorial that I… If you
honor any day, honor that resurrection.
Now, there's no law on keeping any certain day, because you enter into
the Sabbath of peace, when you enter into Him. I've got that question
in here to answer pretty soon anyhow, if the Lord willing, about what
is the Sabbath day? And I'll explain it, God willing.
And now notice, remember this. See? When I was a little boy, right up
here where Eichs lived on the road, I was about fourteen years old; I
was trapping for a living. The only thing I had to help get bread in
our house was catching skunks, muskrats, opossums.
I love trapping, and I had to do it. I'd go to school smelling like a
skunk, and I–I had only one pair of clothes, and that's all I could
wear. That's all I had. Mom would take them off and wash them, put them
back on; and now, that's how I went to school, little boy. But I was
standing up there one night; I said, "I got them traps set up there
around Wathen's, up above that." I'd leave every morning about 2
o'clock with a lantern to run these traps, then get back in time to go
to school. I'd catch a rabbit; I got fifteen cents out of it. I'd get a
box of shells out of that, and maybe that kill three or four rabbits.
What we didn't have to make some biscuits and rabbits, why, and gravy
for supper, I'd sell the other, and maybe get enough to get some bread,
or some meal, or some flour to make gravy with. I don't know whether
you had to live like that or not.
1051-259
I'd set trout lines on the river; go down, and get them fish, and sell
them for ten cents a pound. Set my trout lines; I didn't have no boat;
I'd swim out with a log. Get in the river, and it's still cold, put my
bucket of bait out here on the log and to paddle and paddle out like
that, my naked body in the river, and run this… Had me a string on
this side, tie my fish up. Them old catfish finning me in the leg going
along like that, and put my bait on…
But look, a many a night have I went out in that river at 11 o'clock
and shake every piece of bait off that line. If I couldn't catch enough
in six days, I didn't want the one come on the seventh. I've stood
there in the rain.
1051-261
One night I can just see myself yet standing, leaning against… I was
a sinner; but I was standing, leaning against the post like this, the
door. Oh, it was pouring down rain, pretty near 11 o'clock. I said,
"I'll be late tonight, but I'm going and spring every one of those
traps. I won't catch him on the Sabbath." I said, "I won't–I won't set
them traps." God honors that.
I remember the time when I always wanted, I always, all my life wanted
to be a hunter. My grandfather was. You know, my grandmother come off
the reservations; she drawed a pension. I just love outdoors.
And I remember I always wanted… I–I just wanted all my life…
Thought if I could ever get enough money till I could own a .30-30
rifle… If I could ever do it, then I'd get a bunch of traps. I'd go
to the mountains; I'll let the rest of the world go by. And I thought,
"Maybe sometime if I'll take my .22 and practice to be a good shot,
some hunter sometime will want me to go along. If I get to be a pretty
good shot, he'll let me go along for his protection; I'll get to go
hunting." I look, hanging on my walls, and the best rifles that money
can buy hangs there, till I can loan people rifles to go hunting.
1051-264
He lets me go into the mountains and preach, and some of the best
guides there is in the world takes me hunting free. "Amazing grace, how
sweet the sound!"
When I… Even this morning, an old deer hunter here somewhere with a
.35 Remington (I didn't really need the rifle.), but he put his arm
around me, said he's getting too old to hunt, "I want to give you my
rifle." I thought of that when I was a little boy, how, if I'd ever
thought I'd owned a rifle like that, oh, my, what it would've been. And
now, I just think, hanging there on my wall, fine rifles, places to go
hunting.
I remember going out, and the boys would buy ice cream cone. And
sometimes some of them would have a extra nickel and they'd buy me one.
My, I couldn't buy them one back. I thought, "If I…"
1052-267
And they sometimes used to buy these old, what we call "mudlark
hamburgers." Don't know whether you all remember or not, but some of
you old-timers… You get it for a nickel, a whole lot of fried onions
with it. Oh, I love those things. A little kid we didn't have… Just
cornbread and molasses–you know how it is–to eat.
Now, somebody'd buy me one of them hamburgers, and boy, I'd lick my
fingers where I held it. It was–it was–taste so good. And I thought,
"Boy, that man, if I could only buy him a hamburger." And now, I can
buy a church their supper.
I remember all those things, and where did it come from? The grace of God, nothing that I did.
1052-270
I remember going down the street here and I talked to somebody. My
father–you all know it–he drank; he made whiskey. And that–nobody
had nothing to do with me. I'd go down the street and try to talk to
men; I still meet them men today. Try to talk somebody, if there's
nobody else to talk to, they'd stand, "Yeah, uh-huh." See? I was a
Branham.
So I'd feel real bad, and turn around, and walk away. I thought, "I'm
not guilty of that. I didn't do what my daddy did. I never drank in my
life. Why do I have to stand that?" And I was telling the wife here not
long ago, "I almost have to stay out of town." God has done been good
to me.
1052-272
I thought over there where he told Nathan setting there one time.
Nathan… David said, "Is it right for me to live in a house of cedar
and the ark of my God under a tent out there covered." He…
Nathan, the prophet, said, "David, do all's in your heart, 'cause God's with you." The prophet made a mistake, not willingly.
That night the Lord come to the prophet, said, "Go tell my servant
David, 'I took him from that sheepcote, herding them few sheep out
there; and I give him a name like great men that's in the earth. (Never
said He gave him the greatest name, He just give him name like great
men that was in the earth.) I've done all these things for you, David.
I've cut off your enemies wherever you went. I've been beside you. I've
never failed you, and I won't fail you. But I can't let you build the
city.'"
1053-273
I thought of that, of a place now where God has helped me and let me
know great men, let me go around the world. And people from around the
world calling to come pray for them, and sick people, and–wanting a
few minutes with you, where just a few years ago they wouldn't even
turn–they'd turn their head to see me on the street. And now, the
businessmen prosper by the people that I bring into the city and have
here, through their food and their motel bills, and things like that,
have–going to the motels and around in the city and things like that.
People who… People didn't love me at all; nobody had any use for me.
And now, by the help of God, I believe that I'm directing the Bride of
Jesus Christ. Oh. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!"
1053-275
Where did it come from? My education? I have none. Where did it come
from? My personality? I have none. Did it come from my knowing of
theology? I know none. What did it come to? The grace of God that saved
me.
Oh, how I love Jesus, that beautiful Name that saved me when I was a–a
sinner, that healed me when I was sick, that gives me the promise of a
home in that city. I got a home in that Rock. Nothing else matters now
but to get all of God's children together and say, "Let's go." The
hour, the midnight is striking; it's later than we think. Let's pray.
1054-276
Lord Jesus, the closing of a perfect day… As we would stand on the
mountain top and watch the sun, when the red streaks come up across the
great western mountains yonder, when the great eye closes itself, the
birds begin to make their way to the nest; it's coming night. We've
seen another great spiritual day when the Holy Spirit has been helping
us to answer these questions. Now, we're going to our nests, Lord. Take
care of us; don't let nothing strike us, Lord. Keep us from the
serpents of the night and the evil. May God be near us at all times,
protecting us and helping us.
I pray, heavenly Father, that You'll bless each and every one that's
been in the meeting, those who could not be, all that hears the tapes.
May the questions not be too strong. And if I've made a mistake, Lord,
You know my heart; I didn't mean to. I pray, God, if there's anything
wrong, that You'll never, never let it go on; may the tape stop. Don't
let me deceive anybody, Lord. Let me be Your true servant, for that's
my whole heart's desire. Whether I live or die, whether I tarry or
whether I go on, whether I sleep or whether I'm awake when He comes, it
doesn't matter to me, Father; Thy will be done. "For I know that my
Redeemer liveth, and at the last days He'll stand upon this earth. And
though after the skin worms has destroyed this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God." That was the prophet Job when he seen the coming of
the Lord.
1054-278
Lord, today as Your servants, we look forward and see Your coming. So
it doesn't matter to us, Lord, when, how, where. We only want to please
You. We're in Your hands. Keep us, Lord, until the sun's up. Grant it,
and then we'll all march up to Zion where that city where the Lamb is
the Light.
My dear little children here, Lord, that I have begotten to You through
the bonds of the Bible, they are the fruit of this Word. They love me,
and I love them. And I know that You love all of us. We pray, God, that
You'll so impregnate us with Thy Word that we can see only Him. Grant
it, Lord. May we be so full of His Word that the Spirit can use us
anywhere at any place to manifest any Word that He has promised. Grant
that to all of us. Here upon this audience here these…
1055-280
My Brother Jackson returns now, way back down into South Africa. Go
with him and his wife; be with them, Lord. Guide them on their journey.
Here's Brother Lee Vayle writing, putting every word that I say down,
trying to make the book. O God, help Brother Vayle and Sister Vayle.
Here's these brothers from down in–in Arkansas, and–and the Martin
brothers, and–and all of these other brothers. I pray that You'll be
with each and every one of them.
Be with Brother Neville, Brother Capps, Brother Ruddell, Brother
Jackson, all. O God, there's so many. They come from Georgia, from
Alabama, and across the state and around the world. We think of the
song:
1055-284
O God, may we so shine as gems in His crown, that others might see and
long to serve Him. Grant it, Lord. Protect them along the road. Bless
every one.
And Father, at Your appointed time… I am Your servant. If You want me
to continue these next week or to take those interviews, reveal to me,
Lord, and let me know between now and Wednesday so that we can
understand. Grant it, Father, so the people can come. And I pray this
blessing that You'll help us and–and meet with us again here at our
next meeting time.
Be with Brother Neville and these men who are bringing the Word way
down in Texas, and out in Arkansas, and different places; just be with
them, Father. Brother Pearry Green and all the group there, and–just
be with all them, Lord; they're Your little children. Everywhere around
the world they're waiting for Your coming. Help us, Father we pray, as
we commit ourselves to You. In Jesus' Name use us. Amen.
1056-287
I like that song, "They Come From the East and West." How many knows
it? I don't know as I know it, but I think I know a verse. You might
pick it up, sister. I don't know whether you…
You like that? Let's try it again.
How many wants to meet Him up there? Oh, my.
1057-288
Pat, be of a good courage. It's going to break day for you one of these
mornings. I didn't see just where it went, but it looked good. Amen.
You've a long, long time, brother, it'll come back. And like bread upon
the water will return to you someday. That's right. All right. Oh, you
love Him?
1058-289
Sister Wilson, you remember about thirty-three or thirty-five years ago
in a little house meeting we'd hold one another's hands? I knowed you
remember that. Oh, let's just reach over now and take somebody by the
hand.
Do you love one another? Little children, love one another.
1059-290
You love Him? Isn't He wonderful? You love one another? Reach around,
say something to one another. Say, "God bless you, brother. Bless you,
sister."
They're listening at us tonight across the river yonder, Sister Wilson.
I can just see old Brother Seward walking the floor, clapping his
hands. I seen our brother back there with the beard on his face raise
up his hands, praising God; I thought of Brother Ryan, how he used to
set right along there in the old tabernacle with his beard long like
that. He's listening tonight across the portals of glory, a dear old
saint. Isn't He wonderful?
[Brother Branham speaks to someone in congregation–Ed.] That your little girl? She's cute.
1059-292
For the interviews: Billy said check with him between now and Wednesday
for interviews or from Wednesday on until Saturday for the coming
interviews, whether… If we don't have the meetings after Wednesday,
check with him, you who have interviews. Some of you, he don't know how
to get ahold of you. So he'll… All that wants the interviews now,
check with Billy.
You love Him? All right. Now, till we meet, God bless you. We want to
bow our heads; and I'm going to ask my good, loyal friend, who's going
across the sea now to way down in Africa, where I once missionaried
there in the Name of the Lord, Brother Sidney Jackson, he and his
wife… We've been very happy to have them with us for these last few
services. How God has blessed him. And I'm going to ask Brother Sidney
Jackson if he'll dismiss this audience in prayer. Brother Jackson, if
you will.
