“Resurrection Of The Dead In Christ Part 1” Pastor Virgil ...



Scriptures: St.John 11:25-26I Corinthians 15:51-57 Philippians 3:20-21I Thessalonians 4:13-18Subject: Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and The LifeInspiration: What is this Resurrection in connection with the Rapture58-0928E THE.SERPENT'S.SEED_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-2 N-4 SUNDAY_? 325 ? We believe in feet washing. We believe in Communion. We believe in the second coming of Christ, the visible corporal body of the Lord, not spirit, but the corporal body of the Lord Jesus coming again in glory. We believe in the physical resurrection of the dead to receive a body, not old and wrinkled as we go into the grave, but a new one in the very bliss of youth to live forever. We believe in the immortality of the soul, absolutely. We believe there's only one form of Eternal Life and that's the Life that you get from Christ Jesus. That's exactly right. Therefore, we do not believe in eternal punishment. We believe in a hell fire, brimstone burning, but we don't believe it burns forever. If it does, you got Eternal Life.There's only one Eternal Life; that comes from God. That's right. You'll be burnt maybe for a million years, ten million years, I don't know; but you can't have Eternal Life. You can't burn forever... You can burn forever, but not eternal. There's a difference between "eternal" and "forever." "Forever" is forever and forever (conjunction) means "a space of time." But eternal... You do not have eternal punishment. You have Eternal Life, 'cause there's only one form of Eternal Life, and he that has Eternal Life lives and is blessed of God forever. But the soul that sinneth, that soul shall what? Die. Then it hasn't Eternal Life. Certainly it has. It has its punishment, but not Eternal Life. So you see there's many things yet to be taught; we'll get later on.52-0718 FOR.HIM.WILL.I.ACCEPT_ HAMMOND.IN FRIDAY_? E-5 ? I realize that there is many here that's listening to me now, that I will probably never see no more on this earth. This will be our--probably our last meeting time this side [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] of glory. And I want to have this appointment with each one of you, that if you shall go before I do, that... I believe the Bible statement of the Lord Jesus Christ is true. I believe all that the Bible says is true, that there will be a resurrection of the dead. And that those who... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... those which are waiting, shall be changed and made a body like His, and will be caught up together to meet Him in the air, and forever be with the Lord in the air.I trust by God's grace to meet all of you there. May God grant that we can all meet and be there together in that great glorious time.52-0718 FOR.HIM.WILL.I.ACCEPT_ HAMMOND.IN FRIDAY_? E-31 ? No wonder David cried out, "My flesh shall rest in hope, because He will not suffer my Holy One to see corruption, neither will He leave His soul in hell."All back there, all pointing to Calvary. Then, in Jesus lays the complete of salvation, the complete of Divine healing, a... If there is no Divine healing now, there is no resurrection of the dead. Oh, I'd like for you to wade over that. That's right. We have the firstfruits of our inheritance (is that right?), the earnest of our salvation. Is that right?The little touch that we have, when I walk up there to that screen, awhile ago, and they were screaming, and praising God, and the Holy Spirit falling, and tears rolling down cheeks, when he was singing, "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name." When I stood this morning, and heard that little duet this morning, sing that beautiful hymn, I suppose they sang it again tonight. And the Christians there, them old veterans that was beaten in war, and the tears rolling down their cheeks, what was it? It was the earnest of their salvation. The Holy Spirit there, of--of earnest, of... The earnest is the down payment, just what... something to hold it.? E-32 ? Then there is a proof. Yes, sir. When that comes upon us, it takes the desire of sin out of us. We have no more desire to sin: the worshipper once purged. Then someday when that becomes perfect, what will it be when we stand and hear the Angelic choir, sing, "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name"? What will it be on the other side? See what I mean? Now, then if Divine healing is the earnest of our redeemed bodies...Here lays a woman dying with cancer. Our physicians, our earthly doctors walk up to her, and say, "There's--there's nothing could be done."I could bring you record, after record where they were on the dead list, supposed to been dead three or four years ago, and tonight they can't find a trace of cancer or nothing. What happened? The doctor says, "I just don't know. I don't know what happened."_? E-33 ? The earnest of our redeemed body... And if God can reach down, and take a cancer-ridden, like Miss Florence Nightingale, in my book there, you who've seen it, the great-granddaughter of the Florence Nightingale, the founder of the Red Cross. If God can reach down to that poor, wretched mortal, laying there, that couldn't even raise her hands, to shake hands, and couldn't speak till I could hear her. And put her to a hundred and fifty-five pounds in perfect health... That's the earnest of our resurrected body.Some of these days, my body may not be but a spoonful of ashes, but God shall send Jesus Christ, and all those other dead in Christ shall rise and come forth with Him, made in His likeness. Don't you believe that? What is it? Prayer.? E-34 ? Now, these men who had scorned, and had kinda made fun of Job, God said to them, "You go take an offering and go down to Job, my righteous servant. I won't hear you, because you got too much folly. You haven't stood for truth. You haven't did what's right. Therefore, you take a burnt offering, and go down and offer a sacrifice, and ask my servant Job to pray for you, for I will hear him."There you are. Prayer changes things, doesn't it? "Go ask my servant Job, and let him pray for you, one that's been through the tests, one that I've found favor in, one that I've blessed."Now, if your... If you got a good, godly pastor, and you're sick and--and the doctor can do nothing for you, go get that godly pastor to come to the house, and say, "Now, dear God, here--here's my elder. Here is--here's my pastor. I know he's a good, godly man. I'm going to kneel with him here the side of my baby. I ask you, dear Lord, to have mercy." Something's got to take place. That's all. See?"My servant Job will pray for you."? E-35 ? Yet they were religious men; they were believers. But Job had to pray for them. Prayer, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." You believing?53-1129E TESTIMONY_ WEST.PALM.BEACH.FL SUNDAY_? E-22 ? Mr. Best got up there and laughed two or three times and preached a very good Campbellite sermon. I'm a Baptist. I know what Baptist doctrine is. So he preached a Campbellite sermon on the resurrection. He didn't even believe the miracles of Jesus Christ did. Lazarus died again. He preached in all in the resurrection when this mortal puts on immortality. Of course, any Christian believes that, that there'd be a resurrection, but if there's no attributes of the resurrection, if there's no earnest of the resurrection, then there is no resurrection.If there is no Divine healing, then there is no resurrection. Now, you couldn't disprove that if you could by the Scripture. See? I'm arguing the points of Christ. See? Because we have the earnest of our salvation, which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Is that right? That's the down payment, the earnest which holds it secure in heaven for us. And then if there is no Divine healing to make a cancer-ridden body come normal and well again, there is no resurrection of the dead (That's right.); we have no earnest of it at all; there's no plan made for it. So that settled it. Mr. Best commence to going on, and the audience actually laughed at him.And so he said, "Let me see that Divine healer come forth and perform." He got real angry, and he said, "Let me see that Divine healer come forth and perform."? E-23 ? Mr. Bosworth said, "The very idea, Mr. Best, you calling Brother Branham a Divine healer." Why, said, "And never in all of his life did ever claim to be a Divine healer, very much contrary. He only preaches Divine healing through the atonement, just exactly like what I proved to you. And you've even mentioned one Scripture that I said or come to any of it. You never done nothing but preached on the resurrection of the dead, and we all believe that. So there it was. It was up the audience to make their choice.He said, "Let me see that Divine healer."He said, "Brother Branham wasn't to be brought in this. The subject is whether Divine healing's taught in the Bible and you can't say one word against it. See? 'Cause if you can, say it now." So there wasn't nothing to be said, 'cause there's wasn't no way he could go, 'cause it was all covered over with the atonement and everything. So there it was. There wasn't nothing to be said.He said, "Let me see that Divine healer."? E-24 ? And Mr. Bosworth said to him said, "Brother Best, do you believe that God saves the soul?"He said, "Yes.""You teach that through the atonement?"Said, "Yes."Said, "Would you want to be called a Divine Saviour?" Said, "If Brother Branham, by preaching Divine healing, is a Divine healer, then if you preach salvation, you're a Divine Saviour." See?So... Oh, he got really on the air then, and so he begin to blow up and down and said, "There's nothing in the world decent--in a decent... Thinking people don't believe in such nonsense54-0331 THE.RESURRECTION.OF.JAIRUS.DAUGHTER_ LOUISVILLE.KY WEDNESDAY_? E-41 ? Paul was going down along the shore one day, was a shipwrecked. He picked up some sticks and just throw it on a fire; a big old snake grabbed him through the hand. He looked at it, said, "Well, God done told me I was appear at Rome. That thing would never hurt me," shook it off in the fire.All the natives said, "Watch that fellow drop dead now." He turned around and picked up some more sticks and turned around and begin to warm himself. And they said, "No, he's God." That's right. Why? He was so filled and charged with the Holy Spirit, till the poison of that thing didn't even hurt him. He's the same Jesus tonight. He never fails. He's still the same Lord Jesus. Do you believe Him?? E-42 ? I feel that He would have me to pray for the sick. Now remember, let's take a picture of what Jesus is now. Let's take... How many in here believes that there was a resurrection of the dead and Jesus Christ is the Firstfruits of those who slept? Well I thank you for your faith. Now, the Bible teaches in Hebrews 13:8, said, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Is that true? Jesus said, "The things that I do, shall you also." Is that right? And when He was here on earth, He didn't claim to be a healer; He didn't claim to be nothing but just the Son of God. He said, "I can do nothing till the Father shows Me." But yet, He could stand by a person and talk to them a little while, and tell them what--what was their trouble. Is that right? Then the Father would give Him a vision, tell Him to go do a certain thing; He'd do it.? E-43 ? He give Him a vision about the resurrection of Lazarus. Is that right? He left the house and went away. First day, sent for Him, didn't come. Second day, sent; He just kept on going. Third day, then He turned around and said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, and for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I go wake him." That's right, "I go wake him." Now notice, and when He come to the grave, He said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast already heard Me. But for these that stands by, I said this." See? He knew what was going to happen. If words don't condemn themselves in the Bible, don't condemn one part of the Scripture, He said, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me. That's right. "If thou canst believe," He said, "all things are possible." So, you believe tonight, and let's ask our Lord Jesus if He'll raise on the scene tonight, take over our bodies in faith and power, and if--cover us together now. We've been having altar calls and people getting saved and--and coming to God.55-0813 FELLOWSHIP_ KARLSRUHE.GERMANY SATURDAY_? E-14 ? Now, Jesus came to restore the human race. Everything that he lost in Eden, and we're on our road... Now, we have the earnest of that deliverance. Now, we are--have the Holy Spirit, which is the Life of God in a portion. ...(portion, or a small part)... When we are in His Presence at--at the end of life, then we will have the full Spirit. This is called the Earnest of our salvation. Now, we also believe that we'll have a immortal body someday. When Jesus comes, these vile bodies will be changed. And we'll have a body like His own glorious body. How many believes that? Thank you. I'm happy to see you believe that. I look for that day myself.Notice, if we have that and that was included in redemption, we've got to have Divine healing for the earnest of our complete deliverance. If there is no Divine healing, there's no resurrection of the dead. How about that, teacher? If there is no Divine healing, there's no resurrection. Divine healing is the earnest of the resurrection. If the Holy Spirit is here, that is the Earnest of our eternal life. Do you believe that?? E-15 ? The reason that God included Divine healing, how could you take it out of the Gospel, when He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed? The same Blood from the same Man on the same day: one for salvation, one for healing. To deny one is to deny the other.They have just turned it around today. In the days of Jesus here on earth in a physical body, they said, "We know He can heal, but He makes hisself God by forgiving sin." Now today, they say, "He's all right. He can forgive sins, but He can't heal." But praise be to God, He can do both. I am a witness. And I'm sure there's many others here of the millions around the world too.60-1218 THE.UNCERTAIN.SOUND_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-16 N-3 SUNDAY_? 382 ? Well, what did He do here when He was transfigured? The Greek says, "He changed His fashion." Oh, look--look at the order of the resurrection. That's what struck me just then. Notice. What appeared first?He, back over here in the next chapter, the 16th chapter, He told them, "Some standing there should not die until they seen the Kingdom of God coming in power." In other words, what would they do, they'd see the foretaste of the Kingdom of God, they'd know the order of the resurrection and the coming of God. See, in the 16th chapter.Now, here He goes up there, and He... What happened, His fashion was changed. In other words, He was revealed in another way. Do you follow me? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]? 385 ? What did we find the revelation was the other night in the apocalypse, the apocalypse means? A sculptor, it was done down here, making something; and then what he does, he just takes the curtain out, said, "There it is."What was He redoing here? He was revealing Himself in another fashion? What was He in? A glorified, transfigured condition, His coming, the way He's coming: a glorified Christ, transformed. His raiment shined like the sun. My. Oh, He stood in the cloud; and He's coming in the clouds of glory. Overshadowed by a cloud; not a little white thunderhead up yonder, but the cloud that He comes in is a cloud of glory, all these Angels with Him. Hallelujah. My, that's the way He's coming, coming in a cloud of glory.? 387 ? Now, notice, when they seen Him standing there. And before that, there appeared to Him, Moses and Elijah. Watch that.What did Moses meant? Moses was--represented the ones that had died and was sleeping in the grave, 'cause Moses died and was buried; nobody know where he was buried at. But he represented the ones that were asleep when He come. And Elijah represented the translated ones, who didn't have to die. See? There you are.And Peter, James, and John represented that remnant of Israel standing there saying, "Lo, that's our God Whom we believed on." There's your hundred and forty-four thousand. (Where you at, Brother Wood? That's it.) See, there you are; Peter, James, and John: three, a witness to give when He returns back.? 391 ? What was the first thing? The resurrection, Moses and (conjunction) Elijah appeared to Him. See, the resurrection of the dead, and the ones that don't have to die was changed, and was standing there in His Presence. Oh, my. And there He stood, glorified.And there was Peter, James, and John; the remnant of the Jews, looking, saying, "That's Him. That's Him." That's the order of the coming of the Lord. See it? There it is, the resurrection. There they was. Oh, isn't it wonderful?60-1218 THE.UNCERTAIN.SOUND_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-16 N-3 SUNDAY_? 393 ? Now notice, only thing He done, He took off His mask of humanity and become in a glorified state. See, He changed His fashion.Now, not--not three people, as they try to say today, the denominations. Oh, brother. Not three people, not three... Change... Not three people, but three changes of the same Person. Oh, my, goodness. One time He appeared as a Father; He took off the mask; He was a Son; now He takes off the mask of flesh, and He's the Holy Ghost: not three gods, three changes of the same God. Oh, blessed be the Name of the Lord: Three changes of the same Person. See?? 395 ? Now, when He was on earth, He was the Pillar of Fire, led the children of Israel. Is that right? Then He was made flesh in the Son of God, in order to taste death for the whole human race, make an atonement. You believe that? Now, what is He today? The same Jesus. The same (what?) yesterday in the Fatherhood, same in the Sonship, same here in the form of the Holy Spirit, same Light.Paul on his road to Damascus was struck down by a Light, and said, "Who are You, Lord?"Said, "I'm Jesus." Um-huh.That's right. What is it? Three times He took off His mask. Took off His mask from a Pillar of Fire and become what? A Man to take away sin. Then took off His mask as a Man, and went back again to be a Spirit called the Holy Ghost; the Ghost of a Man to come back and be on you, and in you, and the very same works... Mm. Do you see it, church? There's nothing uncertain about that. "The works that I do, shall you also. For I will be with you, even in you, until the end of the consummation, the end of the world, the end of the time, the end of all things. I'll be right with you, doing the same works." Now, there's no uncertainty about that.62-0218 PERSEVERANCE_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-10 N-3 SUNDAY_? 253 ? Listen friends, I want to ask you this question before I say this. What do we go to church for? What's it all about? If there is no resurrection of the dead, if there is no resurrection, then let's eat, drink, and be merry, for we're nothing but logs, dogs, and so forth, anyhow. We don't believe that. We know that there's a living God. Certainly. Well, if He's the living God, I want to ask you something. Then these Words that I said, you might agree with me, you might not agree with me. But if you do agree with me, then yet you--you can still question that until you see it manifested. That's right. If it's God's Word, God has to keep His Word. If He doesn't keep It, well, then it isn't God, then I--I've been a false, I been a... I made a false manifestation, I--I've been a false prophet. But if God said so, God keeps His Word. Then if God keeps His Word, one Word, you can be perseverant then. You can hold onto your promise and keep it. Is that right?? 254 ? Now, look, did I tell you I could heal you? No, sir. I couldn't tell you I could save you no more than you were saved then. I believe you're saved. You couldn't have raised your hand without God telling you to. Now there's water here, that you can be baptized anytime you wish to. If you want to be baptized by your... in your own church, go right ahead, whatever. We don't have membership here at all, see, we just--we're just a chapel here. Our good pastor here, Brother Neville, was a Methodist, and he's here just... We're interdenomination. We... anybody's welcome. We just have congregation comes in. We preach, pray for the sick. We believe in making disciples to Christ, not organizing nothing. See? We don't believe in that. No, sir. Now, you want to organ-... you want your organization, go right ahead. That's--that's perfectly all right, but don't you depend on it. Don't you trust in it. No, sir. You go there for fellowship, but you trust in God.? 255 ? Now, now, here's one thing. If Christ still lives... Now, let's take one little Scripture again now. We want to be sure now that it's all clear. A little thing I was going to say a while ago, He said, "A wicked and adulterous generation would--would get a sign." That was the sign of Jonah, the resurrection. Is that right? How many believes that's the Truth? Now I just want to see. That wicked... Do you believe this is a wicked, adulterous generation? Well, what would be the sign of Jonah? Would be the resurrection of Christ. Is that right? The resurrection of Christ, would prove to this wicked generation that Christ still lives, which, He's been raised now for two thousand years, so it'd be the evidence of the resurrection.? 256 ? Well, there's many of us Protestants across the country don't believe in the physical resurrection. Hundreds of churches don't believe in that, the physical return, or anything. See? I believe in the literal birth, death, burial, resurrection, Second Coming, all Christ Jesus. Yes, sir. I believe that He's fully Christ. The same Jesus taken up, the same Jesus will return. And I believe in the Person of the Holy Ghost, He's here now, His Spirit, His Life moving in the church.257 Now, if this be of Christ... Now I'm going to personalize this. I hope you don't--you don't take it like that. I'm going to personalize this now, by a gift that was given. Which, This, in Washington this Light hangs, the Pillar of Fire that's been vindicated for years around the world, and so forth. Now, if that Spirit is in here, then It'll... If It's the Spirit of Christ, It'll do the works of Christ. Now, that's Scripture. And It's right. If that Word has come, then this Word that I've told you this morning is the Truth. Because Christ wouldn't come in me like...62-0518 LETTING.OFF.THE.PRESSURE_ GREEN.LAKE.WI FRIDAY_? E-54 ? Now, remember, they did not know whether that land existed or not. They only journeyed by faith to that promised land. They didn't know where it was at. The Pillar of Fire led them to it. This prophet walking, watching this Pillar of Fire, and they followed It till they got to the promised land. And Joshua crossed Jordan, and went over into the promised land, and brought back the evidence that the land was just exactly what God had promised them. And the people tasted of the grapes, a bunch of grapes that'd taken two men to pack. It was just exactly according to God's promise. They had it. The land was just across Jordan. Why, sure, they'd never saw it. They knowed there'd never been nobody over there. But God made the promise, and God always keeps His promise: that was bringing men from slavery up to where he could have his own home.? E-55 ? Along came another great Warrior one day, His Name was Jesus. He taught that there was a... "In My Father's house are many mansions." He taught that there was life after a man dies here, that he can live again. He taught that there was a resurrection of the dead, and one day He would come and would judge the whole world.And one day He went down to the Jordan of death, crossed over the Jordan, come back on the third day bringing the evidence that there is a resurrection of the dead. Hallelujah. He stood and eat fish and bread. He was with them for forty days, showing Himself alive. Said, "Handle Me. I'm not a spirit. I'm Man, flesh and bones."What was He? The Joshua of our time that's crossed the river of death and returned back with the evidence. Not only that, but He said, "Whosoever believeth in Me shall never die." And they were commissioned to go up and wait, and He was going to send them the earnest of their salvation.62-0518 LETTING.OFF.THE.PRESSURE_ GREEN.LAKE.WI FRIDAY_? E-56 ? If you want to know what the earnest is? I'd buy your farm for ten thousand dollars. I'll give you one thousand to hold it. It's a promise that you'll hold it for me. That's the earnest money. Well, He said, "I'm going to prove it to you, that you're going to have the earnest of your salvation. But wait up there at the city of Jerusalem till you're endued with power from on high."One day me, myself, down in sin, no place to go, what happened? Just as it did then on the day of Pentecost, God sent back the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciples. And when they did they were filled with the Holy Ghost and raised up from a death.What is death? Sin. Sins, "The wages of sin is death." What is death? Unbelief. "He that believeth not is condemned already." So many people today call themselves Christians. They want to believe some creed of some church. You tell them the Word of God, they laugh in your face. That's sin. Because it don't agree with their creed, they won't have nothing to do with it. You just as--might as well do anything else. God's Word stands true. Right. And when they--when they come down from there they knowed they had the evidence of the resurrection.? E-57 ? Now, today, that's the refuge that we have. Look what happens. When we are recognized... He was our substitutionary death. When we realize it's not our righteousness but His, and when we accept Him as a personal Saviour, then we go to the grave with Him in baptism, and we die with Him. If you don't, you shouldn't be buried.So when you're dead to the--and confess your sins, and call yourself a sinner, and ask for mercy, and are buried with Christ in baptism, we are also risen with Him in the resurrection.And now being raised from sin (Hallelujah. Now, I feel religious, brother.), being raised from the dead in the likeness of his resurrection, we are raised up from the life of sin, and setting with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, filled with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of Eternal Life that we are already raised up from the dead. Our souls are alive tonight with Christ, because sin is beneath us and we've raised from there, which is the earnest of our resurrection. Amen.63-1103 GO.WAKE.JESUS_ TUCSON.AZ SUNDAY_? 198 ? I've kept you late. It's nine-thirty. And I know you're probably gone home and gone to bed by this time. Just wait a minute. These things, I got about a dozen more notes there, but I'm not going to go to it.199 Look. Are these things true? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] If it isn't true, then what are we doing here? What are we claiming, something, that we become hypocrites? What are we claiming, to the world, the things that--that it even isn't so? Why, we're found false witnesses, and we oughtn't even be permitted to live. "Then if there is no resurrection of the dead, and Christ is not risen from the dead, then eat, drink, and be merry." You all go on out and live like the rest of the slop, with the hogs, you see, if there's no resurrection. If there's no coming of Christ, if there... if--if He isn't here, and His Words are not true, if one iota is wrong, then I can't have confidence in any of It. It's all got to be written, all got to be right.? 200 ? This is the hour, where Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." Look, look at Sodom, just a moment, as closing. In Sodom, before, the world was burned, the Gentile world was burned. Now, this time, it's going to be burned again. See? No more water; fire, this time. "As it was in the days of Sodom." Now, look at the--the condition of the world today, just like Sodom, just dressing the same way, everything. I'm telling you. It's disgraceful. And look at the world, just wade in sin.201 Look, even, it's got into the church. And the old-fashion Christian, we don't see them, hardly, no more. And our-our women, all cut off their hair, wearing makeup, wear shorts, and--and everything, just immorally, and not knowing that you're going to be asked at that Day to answer for adultery. "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already." You might be pure, virtuously, like that. But the way you've done, and sinners look upon you, wrong way. You presented yourself, then you're guilty. You're guilty. Jesus said so. Look at even our Pentecostal women.202 And look at our ministers, many of them let down, afraid to say anything against it, afraid that the denominational organization will put them out.203 I'd rather lay on my stomach, and drink branch water and eat soda crackers, and preach that Word and tell the Truth, yes, sir, than to belong to everything there is. Yes, sir.63-1103 GO.WAKE.JESUS_ TUCSON.AZ SUNDAY_? 204 ? Oh, we need deepness of sincerity. We need something back. We don't need so much showmanship. We need the Holy Spirit living among us, to where men can say, "Who can accuse me of sin?" Sin is unbelief.205 If the Scriptures said that Jesus would do such-and-such, He said, "Which one of you can condemn Me, or accuse Me of sin?"206 Now, there's only one sin, that's unbelief. That's, faith or unbelief. "He that believeth not is condemned already." You can smoke, drink, and do these things because you don't believe. But if you do believe, you'll do the otherwise. See? It's because either faith or unbelief is in you.64-0209 COUNTDOWN_ BAKERSFIELD.CA V-22 N-9 SUNDAY_? 23 ? Now, this woman when she died, I said, "Is there hopes in the resurrection?" I said, "Everything..."24 I've been privileged of speaking practically to every nation under the heavens. I've seen all kinds of gods and all kinds of religions, but there is none of it true but Christianity. It's the only one. Even nature, itself, it speaks for Christianity, God the Creator!25 Look, there is life, death, burial, resurrection. Resurrection! The whole... You can't go outside without seeing it. Watch the leaves come on in the spring. Watch them get to their youth in their old, in their middle age, and then their old age. And the vein's in the leaves, packing the life. A few minutes, you find out it isn't long, before any frost falls or anything, them leaves drop off. And what happens? The life that's in that tree, that sap, goes down into the roots. If it didn't, the winter cold would kill the tree, kill the life. It can't stay up. It's got to go down and bury itself. But in the spring of the year, here it comes back, with a new leaf again. It's testifying there is a life, a death, a burial, a resurrection. Everything typing. We just can't get from it.? 26 ? Watch the sun when it rises of a morning, the sun that lights the skies. It's a little baby, rocked in its mother's arms, when it's weak, not very much life, not very strong. And then about eight o'clock, it starts off to school. At eleven-thirty, she's graduated, and it's out of high school and out of college. Then she is in her strength, from about twelve till about two. Then she begins to get weak, weaker, weaker, weaker, and finally she gets real weak like an old man or woman, goes down. Is that the end of it? She comes back the next morning to testify, "There is a resurrection, and a life beyond death."? 27 ? Everything testifying. All nature testifies. The Word testifies to it. The very Spirit Itself that's in our heart, testifies to it. Something within us, calling out, that, "There is a resurrection of the dead." So, you see, to say...28 If everything serves God's purpose, it's got a resurrection. But it can only rise if it serves God's purpose. If a flower lives and is not germitized, it will not rise again. If you plant corn, and it is not germitized, it will not rise again. Anything that doesn't serve God's purpose, has no resurrection. But you can't keep anything in the ground that serves God's purpose. It comes forth again to testify of a resurrection. We know that all these things are right. They are testimonies to us, to encourage us. Each day, everywhere you look, you see God.? 29 ? There is a natural body, a people. There is a spiritual Body of people.30 There is a natural bride. I've had the privilege of marrying fine young couples. And I never think of it unless... I kind of turn them around, a little superstitions, and I face with my--my back to the East, and them looking to the East. And as I look at them, I think of their hearts beating as one, Christ and His Bride. There is a natural bride, and being that there is a natural bride, it's only a testimony there is a spiritual Bride. There is a spiritual Bride, because there is a natural bride.? 31 ? All these natural happenings, now, they forerun spiritual happenings. Each happening accompanies the other happening, only it improves it.You say, "What's like that?"32 Well, something like a spiritual Life, when it comes into the natural life, it improves the natural life. It, It makes you in a better condition than you was in the natural life.33 When the leaf is getting old and dies, when it comes back with the life again in the resurrection, to testify in another year, it comes back in a better condition than it did when it went down. See, everything testifies of these things.64-0816 PROVING.HIS.WORD_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-9 N-6 SUNDAY_? 232 ? There will be a resurrection of the dead. He'll confirm it. That's right. He'll prove it. There'll be a Rapture of the Church. "How's it going to be?" I don't know, but He'll prove it. His Word's true. There'll be a Millennium. He'll prove it, It's His Word. There'll be a new heavens and a new earth. He'll prove it, because His Word said so. And only the righteous will be there. He'll prove it, too. That's right. Only the ones that's been made part of this Word (see, will be their part and their position in this Word for their age) will be the only one will be there. Cause, that's just what it is, He is the Word. And what is a woman? The image of a man. And what is--what is the Church? The image of the Word. See, that's exactly. See? So it'll be there, just exactly. Only the true believers in His Word know This and can believe It. And God helps them to prove it, that's right, that it is true.? 233 ? Do you now believe It? Do you believe It? If so, reach out by faith and touch His garment, because He's passing this way. He will prove He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, Hebrews 13:8. "Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the world," Matthew. And He is a High Priest, according to Hebrews, the Book of Hebrews, 4th chapter and the 15th verse, "He is the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities." Do you believe that? Reach out and touch the Lord. He's ever present, "Lo, I am with you always." Look down through the ages. "Prove all things. Hold fast to that what's good."234 Now, if you belong to a church that don't believe that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, the same in every way, get away from it. Prove!? 235 ? Now, we say He's raised from the dead. I didn't say it, the Word here said it. They said, "He raised from the dead." He says He's the same yesterday, and forever. You believe that? He promised these things to happen in the last day, that the same Son of man will be made manifest.236 Now, remember, that was not Jesus talking to Abraham there, that could discern the thoughts in Sarah's mind behind him. That was not Jesus, He had not yet been born. But it was a man in human flesh, that Abraham called "Elohim, the great Almighty." Showing... And Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom," now watch close, "in the days of Sodom, so will it be at the coming of the Son of man, when the Son of man is being revealed." Not no more as a church, see, not no more; the Bride is called, see. "In that day the Son of man will be revealed." What? To join the Church to the Head, unite, the marriage of the Bride. The Bridegroom call will come right through this, when the Son of man will come down and come in human flesh to unite the two together. The Church has to be the Word, He is the Word, and the two unites together, and, to do that, it'll take the manifestation of the revealing of the Son of man. Not a clergyman. I--I don't know, I... Do you see what I mean? See, it's Son of man, Jesus Christ, will come down in human flesh among us, and will make His Word so real that it'll unite the Church and Him as one, the Bride, and then she'll go Home to the Wedding Supper. Amen. She's already united, see, we go to the Wedding Supper, not to the marriage. "... fill your flesh... self, of all the flesh of mighty men, 'cause the marriage of the Lamb has come." But, the rapture, is going to the Wedding Supper. When, the Word here unites with the person, and they two become one. And then what does it do then? It manifests the Son of man again, not the church theologians. The Son of man! The Word and the Church becomes one. Whatever the Son of man done, He was the Word, the Church does the same thing.The Rapture65-1204 THE.RAPTURE_ YUMA.AZ V-5 N-14 SATURDAY_? 152 ? Now, it's the first thing, is the sounding. The first thing is a trumpet and a... or a voice... A shout; and then a voice; and then a trumpet.Shout: a messenger getting the people ready.The second is a voice of the resurrection: the same voice, that, a loud voice in Saint John 11:38-44, that called Lazarus from the grave.Getting the Bride together; and then the resurrection of the dead, see; to be caught up with It. Now watch the three things takes place. The next is what? Was a trumpet. A voice... A shout; a voice; a trumpet.? 153 ? Now, the third thing, is a trumpet. Which, always, at the Feast of Trumpets, is calling the people to the feast. And that'll be the Bride's Supper, the Lamb's Supper with the Bride, in the sky. See?154 The first thing comes forth is His Message, calling the Bride together. The next thing is a resurrection of the sleeping Bride; the--the ones died, back in the other ages, they're caught together. And the trumpet, the Feast in the heavens, in the sky. Why, that's the thing that takes place, friends.155 We're right there, ready now. The only thing, the Church coming out, has got to lay before the Son, to ripen.The great combine will come by, after while. The wheat will be burned, the stalks, but the grain will be gathered into Its garner. See?? 156 ? You're not blind people. You're--you're sensible people.And if I stood here and said those things for prejudice? I say It because It's Life, because I'm responsible to God for saying It. And I must say It, and my Message. All the time, knowing, back there under healing and so forth like that, was just to catch the people's attention, knowing the Message would come. And here It is. And them Seven Seals opened, those mysteries, and showing those things is what's happened. I didn't know it.157 But there is men standing right here now, was standing right with me. When, you all heard me preach that sermon: Sirs, What Time Is It? That morning, exactly where It said It would be, there stood seven Angels standing right there, from the Heaven. And as They went up, and the whirlwind taking Them up there, we standing, watching as They went away, science took the picture of It, all the way across the nations, down into Mexico.? 158 ? And there, when I was watching, one day, when I started preach these Seven Church Ages. And I called Jack Moore, a great theologian. I said, "Jack, Who is this Person standing there? 'There is One like the Son of man standing there, hair as white as wool.'" I said, "He was a young Man, how could He have hair as white as wool?"159 He said, "Brother Branham, that was His glorified body." That didn't ring the bell.But when I went in the room and started praying, He let me know what it was. See?160 I've always preached that He was Deity, not just a man. He was God manifested in the flesh: God, the attribute of God, of love; the great attributes that come down, displayed here on earth, of God. Jesus was God's love, which built a body that Jehovah Himself lived in. He was the fulness of the Godhead bodily. What God was, He manifested through that body. That body had to die, so He could wash the Bride with His--with His--with His Blood.? 161 ? And notice, not only is the Bride washed, forgiven, but She is justified. See? Did you ever try the word justified, to see what it means?Now, for instance, if Brother Green heard that I had been drinking, I been doing bad things, then he found out that I didn't do it. Then he come, say, "I forgive you, Brother Branham."162 "You forgive me? I never done it. What you forgiving me about?" See? But if I'm guilty, then I can be forgiven; but I'm still not just, because I did it.But the word justified is "though you never done it, at all." Justified! And then the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us so from sin, till it's put in the Book of God's forgetfulness. He's the only One can do it.163 We can't. We can forgive but not forget. I could forgive you, but I always remember you done these evil things. Then, you're not just; you're forgiven.But, in the sight of God, the Bride is justified. She never done it, in the first place. Amen. Standing there, married to the virtuous Son of God; never sinned, in the first place. Why? She was foreordained. She was trapped into this. And now when She heard the Truth and come forth, the Blood cleansed Her. And She stands there, virtuous. See? She, no sin on Her, at all.? 164 ? Therefore, the Message calls the Bride together, see, the shout.And the trumpet...The same One, He, with a loud voice, He screamed out with that shout and a voice, and woke Lazarus. With a loud voice He cried, "Lazarus, come forth." See? And the voice wakes up--wakes up the sleeping Bride, the sleeping dead.165 And the trumpet, "with the sound of a trumpet." And, when it does, it calls. Always, a trumpet called Israel to the Feast of the Trumpets. See? Which, was a pentecostal Feast, the great Feast in the sky; and the Feast of the Trumpets. And, now, a trumpet do announce a calling together, "Come to the Feast." And now that is the--the Lamb's Supper in the sky.Now watch. The assembling together; and the Bride; the Feast of the Trumpets, the Wedding Supper. We have seen it in types. Now watch just a moment before we close. Notice. We seen it in types.? 166 ? Now, if you want to read in Matthew 18:16, It said, "There is three that bear record," see, in Saint... in First John 5:7, so forth. Three is always a witness. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] It's a verification, something that's right. Three witnesses bear. "In the mouth of two or three witness, let every word be established."167 Now notice. We've had three witnesses. Three is a witness. Now, we have already had three raptures in the Old Testament. Did you know that? As a witness. Now watch. Enoch was one; Elijah was the other one; and Jesus was the other one.Jesus, being the Keystone, now, He bare record. See? He was the Keystone between the Old and New Testament, 'cause He had to first die and then rapture. He died; come to life and walked around here with us; and then was raptured up. Because, He was the Keystone that tied the two together. After His resurrection and rapture... Look. After He did that, and proved that, the Old Testament there. We all know Enoch was translated. We know Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind, that right, in a chariot of Fire. And Jesus died, buried, rose up and lived here on earth, and then was raptured up, the Keystone. There is three, to bear record. Is that right?? 168 ? Now, there has been one rapture already passed. You know that? That, let's see if we can't read it, right quick. Let's get Matthew, the 27th chapter. And let's get about the 45th verse of the Matthew, the 27th chapter. Let's see if we can't get that right quick, and see if--if we can't get just a little bit out of this, would help us, right quickly. 27:45, I believe, I got wrote down here. Let's read.Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth...And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabach-...? which to say,... my God, why has thou forsaken me?Some of them that stood by,... heard it, and said, This man calls... Elias.And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink.The rest said,... let us see whether Elias will come and save him.Jesus, when he had cried... with a loud voice, yielded up..."A loud voice." Loud voice! Watch.When Jesus, dying, screamed with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks did rent;And the graves were opened; and many of the bodies... the saints that slept arose,And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.? 169 ? One rapture is passed.Three has happened in the Old Testament, of them prepared, who the Word of the Lord came to. See? The Word of the Lord came to Enoch. The Word of the Lord came to Elijah, His prophet. See? The Word of the Lord was Jesus. See?170 Watch in the Old Testament, them Old Testament saints now, when this rapture first taken place. Notice verse 50. His loud voice awakened the Old Testament saints just exactly like the loud voice wakened Jesus... or wakened Lazarus. See? The loud voice awakened.And the second is fulfilled in Second Thessalonians, the 4th chapter. Let's just take a read, read it. We just read, a few minutes ago. See?... I would not have you... ignorant, brethren, concerning those... asleep, that you sorrow not, even...That's First Thessalonians 4:12 to 18. That, that will be the second Rapture. The second Rapture will be the catching away of the Bride.? 171 ? The Old Testament saints has gone into His Presence, paradise done away. And the Old Testament saints ascended up, at His loud voice, when He screamed and give up the ghost; because (why?) the Sacrifice, the propitiation of their sins, that they had waited on, believing that perfect Lamb was coming. They had offered the Sacrifice, the Lamb. And when He died and yielded up the ghost, He screamed with a loud voice, and the Old Testament saints awoke.Watch the shout and the voice over here, the same thing at His Coming. See?"Yielded up the ghost." And when He did, the Sacrifice was perfect, and paradise emptied out. And the Old Testament saints came to the earth again, walked around on earth, and entered in with Him, at His rapture.? 172 ? David said, over there, "Lift up, ye everlasting gates, and be ye lifted up." "He led captive captive, give gifts unto men," and the Old Testament saints went in with Him.173 They said, "Who is this King of righteousness?"174 "The Lord of Glory, mighty in host." Mighty host, here they come in, marching. "Jesus led captivity captive," and here He comes, with the Old Testament saints. And went in the new gates up There, and said, "Lift up, ye everlasting gates, and be ye lifted up. And let the King of Glory come in."The voice come from the inside, said, "Who is the King of Glory?"175 "The Lord mighty in battle." The gates flew open. "And Jesus, a Conqueror, led captive captive," them that had believed on Him, and the Word had come to them. There, the Old Testament saints laying in there, waiting, "He led captive captive; ascended on High," took the Old Testament saints and went in. There is one Rapture, already passed.176 The next Rapture takes place is (Second Thessalonians) for the Church, the Bride to be resurrected, to be raptured into Glory. "We which are alive and remain," that's the bodies left on earth, "will not prevent or hinder them which are asleep. For the trumpet of God shall sound first, and the dead in Christ shall rise." See? "And we which alive and remain shall caught up together with them."61-0402 THE.TRUE.EASTER.SEAL_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-14 N-3 SUNDAY_? 143 ? The same thing He's going to do next, after that... And remember, after that sign was manifested fully to Abraham and his group, then the next thing come was that change. See? Now, we done seen everything through justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost, placing of the son, and the signs and wonders of Him, being in His Presence to discern the thoughts of the heart, and so forth, as He said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." We see that taking place right now. What was the next thing? The change of the body. Now, show that this--we are looking for an expected Son. Glory. Is that right? We cannot meet Him in these bodies. If we are changed back to young men and women, still we can't meet Him, because we have to meet Him in the air. There has to be something done besides change us back to young men and women; we've got to be changed and caught up in the air to meet Him. And the next thing coming is the rapture of the church, and the change of the body of the sleeping saints to meet the Lord Jesus in the air.65-1204 THE.RAPTURE_ YUMA.AZ V-5 N-14 SATURDAY_? 178 ? One day, there will come a blast from Heaven, "And the dead in Christ shall rise first." Them Old Testament saints back yonder, who are waiting, will blast forth and come out of there first, and go into the resurrection. We'll drop right in line, going into the sky; these old mortal bodies changed and made like unto His Own glorious body. What a--what a parade that'll be when it starts heavenward, some of these days, in that rapturing time that lays ahead, oh, proudly displaying the Blood of Jesus Christ upon their chests, the Message of God in the hour that they lived in. That's the hour that we're looking forward to, brother.179 Looky, just in closing now. The second resurrection, all... First one is past. The second one is at hand, right now, will come to hand now.180 Now, the third one is the two witnesses of Revelations 11:11 and 12. Which, these are the ones that turns back, with the Spirit of Christ, to witness to the Jews, like Joseph did to his brethren. And remember, "Their dead bodies laid in the street, for three days and a half. Then the spirit of life came into them, and they were raptured, taken up into Heaven."There is your three raptures of the New Testament.Three raptures of the Old Testament; all of them past.181 Now we're ready, waiting for the raptures, the Rapture of the saints. It's been spoken, and so shall it be. When God says anything, "All heavens and earth will pass away, but that Word will never fail."? 189 ? Notice Isaiah, that intelligent young man standing there. All at once, the Spirit hit him. He couldn't say no different. He was a prophet. He said, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive." "Unto us a Son is born; a Child is born, a Son is given. His Name shall be called Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. The end of... His government shall be upon His shoulders. The end of the... There shall be no end to His reign." How could that man intelligently say that a virgin would conceive?Everybody looked for it. It's done been spoke. It was THUS SAITH THE LORD. It had to come to pass, 'cause it was God's Word. The same as it was in Genesis, when He planted them seeds down beneath the sea, where "it was without form, and void; and water upon the deep." See? It had to come to pass. And one day, eight hundred years later, the womb of a virgin conceived the Seed of God, a created Seed. She brought forth a Son.190 That same Son stood there, one day. He said, "Lazarus, come forth." And a man that been dead four days, rotten, his nose fell in, stunk, he came forth. Said:Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, amen, when all that's in the grave will hear the voice of the Son of God,So, it's done been spoke. It has to happen like that. There's going to be a Rapture. Oh, my!? 191 ? I remember, just my last Message in California, where I thought I'd never go back again, when I predicted, "Los Angeles will go beneath the ocean. THUS SAITH THE LORD." It will. She is done. She is washed. She is finished. What hour? I don't know when, but it will be sunk. Right after that, the earthquakes begin to jolt and bow.192 Remember, many of you men standing right there, that rock, that day when that Angel came down there. And that Light and Fire falling from the Heaven, around the rock where we were standing there. Rocks flang out of the mountains, and falling across there. She blasted three times, hard. I said, "Judgment will strike the West Coast." Two days after that, Alaska almost sunk.? 193 ? Remember, that same God that said that, said, "Los Angeles is doomed." And she is finished. I don't know when. I can't tell you.194 I didn't know I said that. But this brother here, I believe it was... No. One of the Mosely's, I believe, had me out on a street out there. I didn't know what it was till I looked back. I looked back in Scripture.And Jesus said, "Capernaum, Capernaum, how oft... You that's exalted yourself, rather, up into Heaven, shall be brought down into hell. For if the mighty works that been done in you, had been done in Sodom, it'd a stood today." And about a hundred and fifty years from there, (Sodom had already, in the earth) then Capernaum is in the water, too, today.? 195 ? And that same Spirit of God that said all these things, and done all these things, It said there, "Oh, city, Capernaum, who called yourself by the name of the Angels, Los Angeles, how you've exalted yourself into heaven! The very root and seat of Satan, see, you've exalted yourself."196 Preachers, it's a graveyard for them. Good men go there and die like rats. What havoc!197 "You that call yourself by the name of the Angels; if the mighty works had been done in Sodom, that been done in you, it'd stood today. But your hour has come."You watch and see. If it ain't, I'm a false prophet. See? There she is. She's laying there.? 198 ? I remember that night, 'fore I seen that, I seen the preview of the Bride. I stood there and seen a beautiful little lady, just correctly dressed, and things, marching this way. There was Somebody standing by me, in the vision. And I seen. They said, "The preview of the Bride." I seen Her go by. They come on this side, and went around.199 I heard it coming up, the--the churches coming up from this other side. There come the Asian church. Oh, you talk about filth! Here come the European church. Oh, my! And then I heard a rock-and-roll coming, and it was Miss America, the church, and she didn't even have on any clothes. She had papers, like newspapers, gray, hold in front her, dancing by rock-and-roll; Miss America, the church.200 I stood there in His Presence. I thought, "O God, as a minister, if that's the best we could do? Oh! Oh!" You know how you feels. Then I thought, "God, hide me. If I could just get away from here. If all that we've done, and that's what we have to produce, if that's what?"? 201 ? And then when them women passed by, all doing all kinds of rocks and things, and short hair, and painted faces. And as they passed by like that, supposed to be virgins to Christ. And when she passed by like that, I turned my head, you know, with this holding in front of me. It was--it was disgraceful, the back of them. And there they was, going like that. And I turned my head, to weeping, like that.202 I said, "I--I couldn't stand it in there. Him standing there, and me know that me, a minister of the Church, and that's what I had produced for Him." I said, "O God, I can't look at it. Let me die. Let me--let me fade away," and like that.203 And as soon as it went out, every time one of them would come, they'd go out to a certain place, then drop off. I'd just hear the sound of it as it went away.Then I heard something like Onward Christian Soldiers. I looked, and here come that sainted bunch of little girls just exactly the way they was, all correctly dressed, their hair hanging way down on their back. Smooth, clean, marching like this, to the step of the Gospel. She was the Word. They looked like one out of every nation. I was looking at it as they passed by, and seen them pass by. Instead of going down, they started going up.I noticed one of them trying, two or three of them trying, getting out of line. I screamed. "Stay in line." And the vision left me. And I was standing in the room, screaming, "Stay in line." Line, That.? 204 ? Wonder, could it be already past? Could the Bride already be called? Is that what we're going through today?She has to be molded and made into the image of Christ, and Christ is the Word. That's the only thing. See? It's in There, in the Word. It's ju-... See? There cannot be one thing added. It can't be a--a woman with a one hand like a man, and the other hand with a paw like a dog. It's got to be exactly the Word of the Lord, like He is the Word. The Bride is a part of the Bridegroom. The woman is a part of her husband, 'cause she's taken out of the husband. Eve was a part of Adam from his side. And so is the Bride, not taken from a denomination, but taken from the bosom of the Word of God for this day.? 205 ? The Rapture!The trumpet of the Lord shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise,And the glory of His resurrection share;When the chosen ones shall gather to their Home beyond the sky.When the roll is called up yonder, let's all try to be There, friends. God bless you.206 It's been spoken. It has to come to pass. It will come to pass. And little... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]People, no one wants to die. No one wants to--to be lost. Let me tell you. Whatever you do... I don't care how well you go to church, and how loyal you are to church. That's fine; nothing against that. You should go to church. You do that. Keep on going to church. But, whatever, just throw away your traditions, and move right on up into Christ. Cause, it's going to sound one of these days, and you're going to be caught with the mark of the beast on you, and not know what it is until it's too late. That's exactly right. ................
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