O
ponto principal que Lee Vayle procura apresentar é que “Parousia”
não significa simplesmente o arrebatamento, mas a Presença
pessoal de Jesus Cristo durante um período anterior ao
arrebatamento.
Segundo
Vayle, muitos fundamentalistas e pentecostais confundem três
acontecimentos diferentes:
A
Presença de Cristo — Parousia;
A
ressurreição dos mortos em Cristo;
O
arrebatamento dos vivos transformados.
Para
ele, a Presença de Cristo já estaria relacionada à revelação da
Palavra e à identificação dos falsos ungidos, enquanto o
arrebatamento seria um acontecimento posterior.
1.
“Parousia” significa presença, não apenas chegada
Vayle
começa com Mateus 24:3:
“Qual
será o sinal da tua presença?”
Ele
destaca que os discípulos não perguntaram apenas: “Qual será o
sinal da tua vinda?”, mas queriam saber qual seria o sinal de
que Cristo já estaria presente.
A
palavra grega apresentada por ele, Parousia, é interpretada
como presença pessoal. Para Vayle, isso indica uma presença
que pode ser reconhecida por seus efeitos e sinais, mesmo que Cristo
não esteja visivelmente diante das pessoas em um corpo físico.
Ele
utiliza também:
1
Coríntios 1:7-8;
1
Coríntios 15:23;
1
Tessalonicenses 4:13-17;
2
Tessalonicenses 2:1.
A
conclusão de Vayle é que esses textos não devem ser
automaticamente fundidos como se todos descrevessem um único
instante chamado “arrebatamento”.
2.
A Presença de Cristo antecede o arrebatamento
Vayle
argumenta que, em 1 Tessalonicenses 4, Cristo já está relacionado à
ressurreição e à transformação dos santos antes do encontro
deles “nos ares”.
Ele
cita:
“Os
mortos em Cristo ressuscitarão primeiro.”
— 1
Tessalonicenses 4:16
E:
“Depois nós, os que ficarmos vivos, seremos arrebatados juntamente
com eles nas nuvens.”
— 1 Tessalonicenses 4:17
A
interpretação apresentada é que:
Jesus
desce;
os
mortos em Cristo são ressuscitados;
os
vivos são transformados;
depois,
vivos e ressuscitados são arrebatados para encontrar o Senhor.
Assim,
o arrebatamento seria o resultado final de uma obra que já teria
começado na Presença de Cristo.
Vayle
também relaciona esse pensamento com:
João
5:25, 28-29 — os mortos ouvem a voz do Filho de Deus e saem dos
túmulos;
Daniel
12:1-3 — muitos que dormem no pó ressuscitam;
João
11:43-44 — Lázaro é chamado para fora do sepulcro;
Filipenses
3:20-21 — Cristo transforma o corpo mortal;
1
Coríntios 15:50-52 — os mortos são ressuscitados incorruptíveis
e os vivos são transformados.
O
argumento é que o mesmo Cristo que ressuscita os mortos também
transforma os vivos.
3.
A presença de Cristo é reconhecida por um sinal
Vayle
usa vários episódios da ressurreição de Jesus para mostrar que a
presença física de Cristo nem sempre foi imediatamente reconhecida.
Em
João 21:1-7, Jesus estava na praia, mas os discípulos não
perceberam de imediato quem Ele era. Eles o reconheceram depois do
milagre da pesca.
Vayle
também menciona que:
Maria
não reconheceu Jesus imediatamente no jardim;
os
discípulos no caminho de Emaús não o reconheceram de imediato;
os
discípulos o identificaram por aquilo que Ele fazia e revelava.
A
partir disso, ele conclui que a presença de Cristo é identificada
por um sinal, por uma obra e por uma manifestação da
Palavra, e não simplesmente pela visão física de uma pessoa.
Ele
relaciona isso a Mateus 24:3, afirmando que o “sinal do Filho do
Homem” seria o próprio Filho do Homem identificando sua presença
por aquilo que realiza.
4.
O grande sinal da Presença: falsos cristos e falsos profetas
Uma
das partes mais importantes da palestra é a interpretação de
Mateus 24.
Jesus
advertiu: “Acautelai-vos, que ninguém vos engane.”
“Porque
muitos virão em meu nome, dizendo: Eu sou o Cristo; e enganarão a
muitos.”
— Mateus 24:4-5 Também disse: “Surgirão falsos
cristos e falsos profetas, e farão tão grandes sinais e prodígios
que, se possível fora, enganariam até os escolhidos.”
— Mateus
24:24
Para
Vayle, esses falsos ministros não seriam ateus declarados. Eles
seriam pessoas religiosas, aparentemente cristãs, dotadas de
sinais e manifestações espirituais, mas desviadas da Palavra.
Por
isso, ele relaciona Mateus 24 com Mateus 7:15-23:
“Acautelai-vos,
porém, dos falsos profetas, que vêm até vós vestidos como
ovelhas, mas interiormente são lobos devoradores.”
E:
“Por seus frutos os conhecereis.”
Na
interpretação de Vayle, o falso profeta possui aparência cristã e
pode até realizar sinais, mas sua natureza e sua doutrina revelam
que ele é contrário à verdade.
5.
Sinais verdadeiros não são suficientes para provar a verdade
Vayle
insiste que sinais e maravilhas, por si só, não comprovam que
uma mensagem é verdadeira.
Ele
utiliza Mateus 7:22-23:
“Senhor,
Senhor, não profetizamos nós em teu nome? E em teu nome não
expulsamos demônios? E em teu nome não fizemos muitas maravilhas?”
Mesmo
assim, Jesus responde:
“Nunca
vos conheci; apartai-vos de mim, vós que praticais a iniquidade.”
Portanto,
para Vayle, alguém pode:
profetizar;
expulsar
demônios;
realizar
maravilhas;
falar
religiosamente;
e
ainda assim estar fora da Palavra.
O
critério definitivo seria o fruto, entendido principalmente
como a fidelidade à Palavra revelada.
6.
A árvore da Vida e a Palavra pervertida
Vayle
relaciona os falsos profetas à árvore do conhecimento do bem e do
mal, apresentada em Gênesis.
Ele
entende que o problema não é simplesmente a ausência total da
verdade, mas uma mistura de verdade com erro. O falso ministro
não negaria necessariamente toda a Bíblia; ele apresentaria a
Palavra de forma parcialmente correta, porém pervertida.
Por
isso, Vayle afirma que o erro religioso pode ser muito parecido com a
verdade. Ele usa a ideia de que Satanás pode transformar-se em anjo
de luz e que seus ministros podem aparentar ser ministros de justiça,
conforme 2 Coríntios 11:13-15, embora essa passagem específica não
apareça desenvolvida no trecho fornecido.
7.
A ligação com 2 Tessalonicenses 2
Vayle
considera 2 Tessalonicenses 2 uma passagem fundamental.
Ele
cita:
“Rogamo-vos,
porém, irmãos, pela vinda de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo e pela nossa
reunião com ele.” — 2 Tessalonicenses 2:1
Em
seguida, Paulo fala da manifestação do homem do pecado:
“Ninguém
de maneira alguma vos engane; porque não será assim sem que antes
venha a apostasia, e se manifeste o homem do pecado.” — 2
Tessalonicenses 2:3
E
ainda: “A esse cuja vinda é segundo a eficácia de Satanás, com
todo o poder, e sinais e prodígios de mentira.” — 2
Tessalonicenses 2:9
Vayle
interpreta essa passagem da seguinte maneira:
primeiro
ocorre uma apostasia;
surge
uma manifestação religiosa contrária à verdade;
aparecem
sinais e maravilhas;
muitos
são enganados;
a
condenação ocorre porque as pessoas não receberam o amor da
verdade.
Ele
destaca especialmente: “Porque não receberam o amor da verdade
para se salvarem.”
— 2 Tessalonicenses 2:10
Para
Vayle, esse versículo mostra que a questão decisiva no fim dos
tempos não é apenas possuir dons ou manifestações, mas amar e
permanecer na verdade da Palavra.
8.
O papel da mensagem de William Branham
No
trecho apresentado, Vayle fundamenta sua interpretação naquilo que
afirma ter aprendido com William Branham.
Ele
menciona especialmente os sermões e temas:
“Os
Ungidos dos Últimos Dias”;
“Os
Falsos Ungidos”;
a
identificação entre a verdade e a Palavra;
a
diferença entre o verdadeiro Ungido e os falsos ungidos;
a
necessidade de distinguir a realidade espiritual da imitação
religiosa.
Vayle
afirma que Branham ensinou que, no tempo do fim, haveria pessoas com
uma unção religiosa verdadeira em aparência, mas que estariam fora
da Palavra. A diferença não seria necessariamente visível por
manifestações sobrenaturais, mas seria revelada pela doutrina e
pelo fruto.
A
ideia que Vayle atribui a Branham pode ser resumida assim:
O
falso ungido pode possuir sinais, poder e aparência cristã, mas não
permanecerá na Palavra completa.
Vayle
considera essa mensagem essencial para reconhecer a Presença de
Cristo, porque a Presença verdadeira seria acompanhada pela
revelação da Palavra, enquanto a imitação produziria confusão,
erro e engano.
9.
A luta final seria entre a verdade e a mentira
Para
Vayle, o conflito do tempo do fim não é meramente entre religião e
irreligião. É entre:
Cristo
e anticristo;
verdade
e mentira;
a
Palavra original e a Palavra pervertida;
a
verdadeira unção e a falsa unção;
a
realidade espiritual e a imitação religiosa.
Ele
resume a questão com a ideia de que o anticristo não apareceria
necessariamente negando tudo o que é cristão. Pelo contrário,
seria uma imitação muito próxima, capaz de enganar quase todos,
exceto os “eleitos”.
Por
isso, ele insiste que a segurança da Igreja não está em seguir
sinais, emoções, fama ministerial ou instituições, mas em
permanecer na Palavra verdadeira.
O
“supra sumo” da palestra
Em
síntese, Lee Vayle tenta provar que:
A
Parousia é a Presença pessoal de Jesus Cristo antes do
arrebatamento. Essa Presença é identificada pela revelação da
Palavra e pelo contraste entre a verdade de Cristo e os falsos
ungidos que surgem no tempo do fim. Os sinais, milagres e
manifestações não são suficientes para provar que alguém
pertence a Deus; o critério é o fruto e a fidelidade à Palavra. A
ressurreição e a transformação dos santos acontecerão pela ação
de Cristo, culminando no arrebatamento.
A
estrutura bíblica usada por ele é principalmente:
Mateus
24:3-5, 23-28 — o sinal da Presença e os falsos cristos;
Mateus
7:15-23 — falsos profetas conhecidos pelos frutos;
1
Coríntios 15:23, 50-52 — ressurreição e transformação;
1
Tessalonicenses 4:13-17 — ressurreição dos mortos e
arrebatamento dos vivos;
2
Tessalonicenses 2:1-12 — apostasia, homem do pecado, sinais
falsos e rejeição da verdade;
João
5:25-29 — a voz de Cristo chamando os mortos;
Daniel
12:1-3 — ressurreição dos que dormem no pó;
Filipenses
3:20-21 — transformação do corpo;
João
21:1-7 — reconhecimento de Cristo por aquilo que Ele realiza.
A
tese de Vayle, portanto, é que o verdadeiro sinal da Presença de
Cristo não é simplesmente uma aparição física nem uma
manifestação espetacular, mas a identificação de Cristo através
da Palavra revelada, em contraste com toda falsificação religiosa.
Let’s
pray. Heavenly Father, again we thank You for the Presence of the
Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit. He’s here not only here in the
individuals, making us one body, but actually here in our midst as
the Person Himself. Here is Lord to reveal Himself to those the deep
secret things of God which lie within Himself. He gave the hour in
which we live to make us realize, Lord, that this hour is the same as
the hour when He was here in Person physically. When Paul said, “If
the prince of this world had known Who He was, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.” But we see the same thing at the end
time, Lord, if they’d have known Your Personal Presence what It was
all about, they would not have crucified to themselves the Son of God
afresh, but they have already done it. And we know, Lord, therefore
there’s one course left, and that is judgment, when soon all things
shall be wrapped up and over it. And, Lord, we know that although it
is a strange thing in our intemperance of impatience at this hour
that You feel very much put upon the time is extended later, then
what we think it should be. We know that it is not so. The things are
already running their course exactly on Your schedule, and it will
soon be over in spite of the fact that it seems so long and then
looking back these days have been sent that seemed so tedious, so
long and so fruitless it will be less than a breath, less than a
heartbeat. Now, Lord, help us to understand Your ways today. Your
truth, and we carefully give You the praise in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
You may be seated.
01
Now, we’re going to continue with the ‘Appearing’ of the Lord
Jesus Christ in this hour. And the last time I preached I tried to
show you that the Parousia, which most people call the ‘Rapture’
is not so at all. The ‘Parousia’ is not being with Jesus in the
Rapture and at the Wedding Supper. But has to do with the Personal
Presence of Jesus for an indefinite period prior to the Rapture.
That’s what the Scripture teaches, the indefinite period prior to
the Rapture, but it is not the Rapture itself. So, the Parousia,
which is the Personal Presence of Christ precedes the Rapture, and
the Rapture then of course will take place at a later time. And this
Parousia concerns the living who are about to be changed and the dead
who must come up out of the earth.
02
Now, this would be in Matthew 24: beginning at verse 3. And this is a
very crucial Scripture that those who are mistakenly, but wound up in
fundamental understanding of the Rapture, do not even consider. For
It says: Matthew 24:3 (03) …as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the
disciples came [to] him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of thy [personal presence,]…
It isn’t, “What is the sign of Your coming? Can you tell us
something that’s going to happen to let us know that You’ll be
coming?” It doesn’t say that. It says, “What will the sign that
You are here?” Now, you can’t read into Scripture what doesn’t
belong there, so if you’re fundamental this morning you haven’t
progressed to the place where you understand this Message. You’re
going to have to get cobwebs out of your mind. As Brother Branham
said, “Let you own thinking go.” Which is been biased anyway by
wrong teaching. “What will be the sign that You are there?” All
right, what’s the sign that I’m here? You can see me, no sign
required. “Ah, you say, I notice they have been my mindful.”
Wonderful, you getting sharp. You getting sharp, because that’s
exactly right. You don’t even have to see the individual. “What
is the sign that You are Personally Present?” Now, that’s what It
says.
03
Now, ‘sign’ – s-i-g-n. I’m going to read you a couple
thoughts on Wuest. He’s very liberal, very literal, very extent at
translating. Matthew 24:3 [Wuest] (03) What shall be the attesting
miracle that will indicate your parousia? [marks] It doesn’t get
all involved, he says, “What will be the attesting miracle that
indicates Your Presence?” Well, if you can see what do you need a
miracle for? Now, He’s supposed to be there, but what about? It’s
something like: “the spirit breaths where he willeth, and thou can
hearest the sound of His voice, but knowest not when He comes,
whether He goeth.” Vine, says concerning the sign, a token
portending future events. Example Matthew 24:3: Where the sign of
the Son of man signifies subjectively that the Son of man is Himself
the sign. The Son of man is actually a sign. Now, I didn’t write
this, I’m not a Greek student, but to, I like the Greek student. I
don’t care, a Trinitarian or anything else, they always attest what
Brother Branham taught. There isn’t one place that you can find him
off on the Word of God.
04
All right, where the sign of the Son of man signifies subjectively,
that the Son of man is Himself the Sign of what He is about to do.
Bullinger, “A sign by which anything is designated, distinguished
or known.” In other words, something has got to be there in order
to identify something. Or the some- thing that is there would go
unnoticed, would go, passed by, or could be horribly mistaken, unless
it is identified. Reading again: “A sign by which anything is
designated, distinguished or known. Hence used of the miracles of
Christ has been the sign by which He might be known as the Christ of
God.” A sign authenticating His mission. A sign which reference to
what it demonstrates. As Jesus said, “If I had not done the works
that no other man did, they had not sin. But now they have both seen
and hated both Me and My Father.” The sign identified the Father.
The Father was there, but nobody could see Him. But the sign
identified by the works. He said, “If I had not done the works.”
Now, how then can you make Parousia the actual Rapture? So, I want to
know. Because it’s a fundamentalists impressionist mistake, the
Pentecostal’s, they all make it. They say the Parousia is actually
the Appearing is the Rapture. They put it in there, but it isn’t
so. Because there, in the Rapture you’re face to face physically.
And if you need a sign to recognize Jesus, you ain’t even in the
Rapture. I could say, “How stupid can you get?” And I mean that
spiritually. What in the world, you couldn’t. So, how could you
make the Parousia the actual Rapture and physical confrontation of
Jesus with all the Bride present, both living… that which are
present as living in those resurrected are now living.
05
Now, I want to go to 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 to see more what the
fundamentalist version is as set forth by Dr. Scofield, because he is
a very fine student. Nothing wrong with his teaching in the sense of
having an axe to grind. I just can’t believe what he says in a lot
of his footnotes. And he says: 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 [Scofield Bible]
(07) So that [you] come behind in no gift; waiting for the [parousia]
of [the] Lord… [the personal Presence.] (08) Who shall also
confirm you unto the end, [uh?] Now watch: “confirm you to the
end.” What’s our end? When you make the Resurrection, you’ve
made It. And He’s got to be there before the Resurrection. Right?
Well, you don’t have to say ‘right’ if you don’t want to say
right, it’s okay by me. You’re wrong, because I’m right. This
is right. The Presence confirms you. I guess I mentioned in different
sermons here, and I got the sermons on ‘Simplicity’. Why were you
brought in as the reading of the will? They don’t bring in every
Tom, Dick and Harry off the streets to hear the will, they bring in
those that are in the will. He shall confirm you, a conformation,
see? at that Parousia. 1 Corinthians 1:8 [Scofield Bible] (08) …that
[you] may be blameless in the day of [the] Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
watch the very word ‘blameless’ in here. Because you can take
these words and begin linking them with other Scripture as we’ve
done before very simply.
06
Now, here is what Dr. Scofield says and I have no fuss with him.
These three words are used in connection with the return of the Lord.
Parousia, personal Presence also used by Paul at the coming of
Stephanas, 1 Corinthians 15:17 is true, also of Titus, 2 Corinthians
7:6-7 of his own coming to Philippi. And also Philippians 1:26. The
word means simply, ‘personal presence’, and is used of the return
of the Lord as that event, the personal Presence, relates to the
blessings of the saints and to the destruction of the man of sin.
Uses 1 Corinthians 15:23, 1 Thessalonians 4: 14-17, and 2
Thessalonians 2:8. Now, you’ll note that he uses six epistles and
eight verses. There are actually twenty-four verses in the New
Testament where the word ‘Parousia’ is found, and I’ll give
them to you quickly and don’t look them up… Matthew 24:3, verse
27 also, 37 also, verse 39 also. 1 Corinthians 15:23 ~ 1 Corinthians
15:17 ~ 2 Corinthians 7:6-7 also, 2 Corinthians 10:10. Philippians
1:26 ~ Philippians 2:12. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 ~ 3:13 ~ 4:15 ~ 5:23 ~
2 Thessalonians 2:1 ~ 8-9 (those three verses there) James 5:7-8. And
2 Peter 1:16, ~ 3-4, and verse 12 also. Also 1 John 2:28. Page 4 of
30 — Leevayle.net And you’ll see mentioned in there, there’s
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, nine actually
divisions of Scripture with twenty-four distinct verses.
07
Now, we’re going to go back and we look at Dr. Scofield’s notes
again. And He said, “The word ‘parousia’ means simply ‘personal
presence’ and is used of the return of the Lord as that event
relates to the blessings of the saints and he goes into 1 Corinthians
15:23 ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 17 and the destruction of the man of
sin. Now notice, he uses the word ‘personal presence’, and you
know he’s talking about the bodily Presence, because it’s at the
bodily Presence that the antichrist is destroyed in a face to face
confrontation. Then he’s suggesting to us and telling us flat that
the other part of the Parousia the verses indicated here, will demand
the very body of the Lord Jesus Christ to be Present. Then what are
you going to do with Matthew 24:3? See?
08
Now, this is an over simplification, because you cannot join 1
Corinthians 15:23. Let’s look at It, because we’ll take you to
these verses. 1 Corinthians 15:23 (23) …every man in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his
coming. That is a physical resurrection, an absolute physical
resurrection. Because “Christ is the ‘first-fruit’, afterward
they that are Christ at His Parousia.” Now, that means, right there
that Christ Himself is risen from the dead in a physical body. And at
His Coming… the personal Presence, there are going to be other
physical bodies just like unto Him. That’s what It is telling you
there.
09
Okay in, 1 Thessalonians 4:14,17 (14) For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring [forth] with him. [Doesn’t bring with Him, It said, It’s
going to bring forth with Him. And in verse 17,] (17) Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: so shall we ever be with the
Lord. Now, I said, this is an over simplification, because you cannot
possibly join 1 Corinthians 15:23, and 1 Thessalonians 4:14, and 1
Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air,” because in 1 Corinthians 15:23, Christ is Present to bring
about the Resurrection, and is therefore with the first-fruit. Then
in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, It is not God bringing the bodies with Jesus
back to the earth. Don’t look at It: Page 5 of 30 — Leevayle.net
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him. If I’m going to believe in what Scofield teaches and the
fundamentalist teaches, then I must believe that Jesus Christ is
going to bring back to earth with Him the bodies of the sleeping
people to mingle with us down here.
10
Let’s just find out if that’s true or not. See? All right, let’s
find out now. Because It says: 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (16) For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first: Now you, or anybody that believes as Scofield believes
and as the fundamentalist is so mixed up as to be pitiful. Because It
says… It says, “Jesus is the first-fruit, there’s going to be
many more like Him. This tells you here that God will bring them
forth, see? those which sleep in Jesus. And then It says over here
that, “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” He’s talking about
the dead bodies. Christ is not going to bring back a bunch of bodies
with Him. The bodies have got to be brought out of the ground, and
He’s the One that is going to bring him out of the ground. So, how
in the world is He going to be in a physical Personal Presence? He
can’t be here in a physical personal Presence. Impossible.
11
Now, let’s look a little further again and read again now, verse
13. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (13) But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that [you]
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. Now, he’s talking
about those friends and loved ones that went right down to the ground
and they’re sleeping there in their body form. Now, they’re not
sleeping there spiritually, because they are very much alive. It’s
the body that sleeping. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (14) For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which… [are
sleeping, God is bound to bring forth the same way as He brought
Jesus forth.] Now, how did He bring Him forth? Out of the ground. He
raised Him plumb from the dead, that was a dead body. Now: 1
Thessalonians 4:15-17 (15) For this we say unto you by the word of
the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the [Parousia] of
the Lord [the very Presence] shall not [go before] them which are
asleep. [Those that are down there in the ground.] (16) For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, [the Lord Himself]
…the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall… [be brought out
of the grave when He comes down.] [Then It says:] (17) …we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:… So, how could it be the
Personal Presence indicating the body, when the word ‘parousia’
is used? It cannot, because the personal body is not down here, that
personal body is where we go somewhere in a dimension to meet Him.
12
Now, let’s just look at these verses again. 1 Thessalonians
4:13-14,16 (13) …concerning them which are asleep… [brethren]…
(14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [And in verse 16,] (16)
…the dead in Christ shall rise… Showing you that those who are
asleep are actually dead corpses and they are going to be brought out
of the ground at the Presence of the Lord with the living. And It
doesn’t say it’s His physical body. What people are doing is
taking for granted it’s the physical body. That’s why I keep
hammering over there in Matthew, “what is the sign of Your
Presence?” How do we know that You are actually there, there must
be some way that we’ll be able to tell. 13 Now, let’s look some
more at this Resurrection for a minute to show you that Jesus does
it. We go to John the 5th chapter 25, because that’s what the
thought is what it’s about on this particular portion. John 5:25
(25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear shall live. [Then It says in 28-29,] (28) Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall
hear his voice, (29) And shall come forth; they that have done good,
unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation. Now, the question is, who raises the dead?
Jesus does. He is raising the dead. Now, that proves then what we saw
over here in the Book of 1 Thessalonians.
14
All right, let’s go back to the Book of Daniel, Daniel 12:1-3 (01)
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which
standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same
time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that
shall be found written in the book. (02) And many of them that sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt. (03) And they that be wise
shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn
many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Now, the only
thought I’m trying to bring out here is the fact that many that
sleep in the dust are going to awaken. So, the dead bodies are going
to come out of the ground just as the Scripture says.
15
Also in John 11:43-44, Jesus at the graveside of Lazarus. John
11:43-44 (43) And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud
voice, Lazarus, [came] forth. (44) And he that was dead came forth,
bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about
with a napkin. (And) Jesus [said] unto [him] Loose him, and let him
go. Now, Philippians 3:20-21 (20) For our [citizenship] is in heaven;
from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (21)
Who shall change our vile body,… Now, that’s 1 Corinthians 15:51,
“I shew you a mystery; [We’ll] not all sleep, [we’ll] all be
changed.” So, you notice the One who brings them out of the ground
is the same One who does the changing of the living. Philippians 3:21
(21) [To] change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even
to subdue all things unto himself. This is one thing that He is able
to do. He is able to subdue the body which naturally dies, and subdue
it to Himself making it like His Own glorious Body. The same One who
can subdue gases and the ashes to those who went down in the grave
and bring them back exactly like Him. In other words, He has power
over all life and over all death.
16
Now, I mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, that that is what he was
referring to there in Philippians, verse 50. 1 Corinthians 15:50-52
(50) Now this I say, brethren, …flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51)
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, [we’ll] all
be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Now notice, that they had
this verse is exactly the same as in Thessalonians, and you’ll
notice Who is doing it, it is being done by Jesus, because no other
one has the authority. For he says, that authority was vested in Him
by God.
17
Now then, back again to, 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (15) For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the [Parousia, the personal Presence, the Presence] of the Lord
shall not prevent [hinder, or go before] them which are asleep. Let
this verse demand the actual Presence of the Lord, but not
necessarily the bodily Presence. Which would be the glorified Body of
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. But now then what would we do with
verse 17? 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (17) Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: so, shall we ever be with the Lord. Now, since
Jesus is already Present, you see, since He’s already Present, what
would the fundamentalists do with the verse that says you get caught
up in the air to be with Him when already in the preceding verses, He
is already with them? Now you see, that’s what we’re looking at.
If He’s already here, then what’s the catching up to do, and see
Him there? Now you can begin to see exactly that this personal
Presence… the Parousia, has an element about It that is mysterious,
but It is not necessarily a secret. 18 Now, we go back to Matthew 24:
again, because we want to use Matthew a great deal. The 3rd verse,
Verse 3, and It says: Matthew 24:3 (03) …what shall be the sign of
thy… [Presence, your personal Presence?] Now, remember what Vine
said: ‘A token portending, or showing forth future event’. That’s
what a sign can be. Especially of Matthew 24:3, where the sign of the
Son of man signifies subjectively, that’s evidently something to do
with the Greek in there in the way it’s phrased, that the Son of
man is Himself the sign of what He is about to do. In other words, He
Himself has got to be there in order for certain events to take
place. Now, that’s exactly what we showed you in Thessalonians. If
He isn’t there, the dead cannot be raised. If He isn’t there, the
living cannot be changed. If He isn’t there, nobody gets caught up
to meet Him in the air. See? Now, that’s what this is about.
19
Now, they said here, “What is the sign of Your Presence?” Okay,
could this be what we see over here in the Book of John, John 21:1-7
(01) After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples
at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. (02)
There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and
Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other
of [the] disciples. (03) [And] Simon Peter [says] I go a fishing.
They [said, we’ll go fishing with You.] They went forth, and
entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
(04) …when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but
the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. [Now, you see He was there
in His Resurrected Body, but they didn’t recognize Him.] (05)
…Jesus [said, do you have] any meat? [And] they [said,] No. (06)
…he said… Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and
[you’ll] find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to
draw it for the multitude of fishes. (07) [And] therefore that
disciple whom Jesus loved [said to] Peter, It is the Lord… Now,
there you will notice that the actual physical Presence, though It
was there is not what was indicated and recognized by the apostles.
Though they had lived with Him for roughly three and a half years.
But what they recognized, they recognized Him by what He did. Now,
remember Mary never recognized Him in the garden, and on the road to
Emmaus they never recognized Him. All they could do was recognize Him
by what He did. In other words, there was a sign, something was given
in order for the people to know that He was there. Now, you could
turn around and say, “All right then Brother Vayle, He could well
be there in the physical form, but you can’t see Him. Now, let’s
just find out. See?
20
Now, back to Matthew 24 again, the 3rd verse 3. Matthew 24:3-5 (03)
…and what shall be the sign of thy [Presence?]… [Which of course
would signify the coming of the very end. Now, watch verses 4 and 5.]
(04) And Jesus said… Take heed that no man deceive you. (05) For
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many. [Now, there’s the key and part of the sign. See?] Now,
Matthew 24:23-25 (23) Then if any man shall say… Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false
Christs, [even lying] prophets, and shall shew great signs and
wonders; insomuch… were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect. (25) Behold, I have told you before. Now, where did He tell
them before? Now, where did He tell them before? He said, “I’m
telling you ahead of time.” But you can take that translation if
you want, but I like, Matthew 7:15 (15) Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly… ravening
wolves.
21
Now, It tells you right here there’s going to be false prophets so
closely identified to the real Christian, that he passes for
everything the sheep is, but inside he’s a ravening wolf. Matthew
7:16-18 (16) [You’ll] know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree
[brings] forth good fruit; [and] a corrupt tree [brings] forth evil
fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Now listen, let’s just look at
this… Now, this sounds terribly confusing. It’s not if you’re
listening to what He’s saying, He’s talking about false prophets.
See? Who are so completely genuine as to the exterior manifestations
of a Christian, that they’ll confuse just about everybody. Now
watch what It says: Matthew 7:16 (16) [You’ll] know them by their
fruit… Now, He’s talking about animals and suddenly swings to
fruit. Now, that’s okay, He’s just letting you know what is the
real nature of that fellow that looks just like a Christian that’s
a false prophet. He’s a wolf. His nature is a wolf, he is not a
sheep. You’re going to know them by fruit. Matthew 7:16-17 (16) …Do
men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) …every good
tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree [brings] forth
evil fruit. What was the one tree in the Garden that was rot? The
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And what is a false prophet?
He’s a fellow that’s got just enough truth, and enough authority,
and enough power to get you following him and destroy you. Because It
says here: Matthew 7:19 (19) Every tree that bringeth forth not good
fruit is hewn… [is cast down in] the fire. [And that’s exactly
right.]
22
Anybody that doesn’t eat of the Tree of Life and cannot get to that
Tree of Life has got to go to one place which is the lake of fire.
That’s even after the White Throne judgment, because those that are
judged on merit are allowed to come in with the Blood standing there,
the Holy Ghost has given Eternal Life. Now, you know that as well as
I do. Now again He says: again… Matthew 7:20-23 (20) …by [your]
fruits [you] know them. [Now.] (21) Not everyone that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) [And] many will say…
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast
out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And
[I’ll] profess, I never [ever] knew you: depart from me, [you] that
work iniquity. And yet you can’t lay a finger on these guys. But
they’re off the Word, because that was the original Tree of Life, a
tree of error the knowledge of good and evil was the Word of God
perverted by one word. See?
23
Now, let’s go on back: Matthew 24:26-27 (26) Wherefore if they…
say… Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in
the secret chambers; [do not] believe it. (27) For as lightning
cometh out of the east, and [shines] even unto the west; so shall
also the [Parousia, the Presence] of the Son of man be. [Now, there
again you’re getting a further indication.] All right, we’re
getting the signs lined up. “What is the sign that You’re there?
What is going to be going on? Because we won’t even know You’re
there by being able to look at You, and if we could, we couldn’t
even recognize You. So, what is this personal Presence that’s
supposed to come before the end of the world?” And you know that
that absolutely not referring to the great White Throne, that’s way
down the ages, that’s referring to the three and a half year
tribulation, and then the final blotting out with flames of fire, the
atomic bomb and all, and then God brings the things back on
recreated, not a recreated, but, a renovated earth like after the
flood. See? “Now, what about it?” He says. Now, He said here, “If
they say He’s in the desert, go not forth in the secret chamber, do
not believe it.” 24th Verse 24. Matthew 24:24 (24) …[these] false
Christs… shall [show such] signs and wonders; [that only the very
elect will not be] deceived… [Now, It doesn’t say the elect, It
says the very Elect. That’s a very special group at the end time.]
24
So, let’s just take, let’s read again then and we’ll connect up
here. Let’s see I got 24… I got these verses written down.
They’ll say, “Lo, here is Christ, don’t believe it, watch
carefully they don’t get you off balance here whatsoever.” And
4-5 again: Matthew 24:4-5 (04) And Jesus… said… Take heed that no
man deceive you. (05) …many come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many. [See?] All right, now with that, we have read
the other verses, and now again we will read 26-27. Matthew 24:26-27
(26) [Therefore] if they shall say unto you, Behold… in the secret
chambers; [don’t] believe it, [don’t go forth.] (27) …as
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so,
shall also the [Parousia] of the Son of man be.
25
Now, so listen, I’m just… what I’m trying to get your
attention, the fundamentalist’s say that the Parousia, which they
call the ‘Rapture’, the literal Coming of the Lord when He
Appears to the saints, is secret. How can It be secret in the face of
these verses? I want to know. That’s what I mean, they try to get
across your attention. There’s somebody’s all messed up in his
thinking. You cannot attribute to the Word that Presence what is not
there, because It is not secret. The actual Coming of the Lord cannot
be secret. First of all, you’ve got… when He is Present you’ve
got a bunch of false prophets, you’ve got tremendous signs and
wonders, put it with fantastic character, fantastic ministries, only
the Very Elect will not be fooled, because they’ve got an insight
in the Word that nobody else’s got, because that’s the Tree of
Life as against the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, cut down
the tree. And a false prophet is a man who goes off the Word, has all
kinds of signs and wonders. He doesn’t come saying, “Hey, hey
there’s no God.” He doesn’t come saying, “Hey, there’s no
such thing as a resurrection.” He doesn’t come along saying,
“There’s no such thing as a Rapture, no such thing as this, that
and the other thing.” He comes right along and he’s just so
close. But the Bible says, “If Satan is transformed into an angel
of light, how much more his ministers?”
26
In other words, there is at the end time a complete religion that is
so close to Christians, because it is Christians, but anti-Christian
that only the very Elected are not going to be deceived. How in the
world can It be a secret Parousia? It cannot be secret. However,
there is no way you can figure it out in the sense that you can bring
It about, or you can have anything to do with It. It’s got to be
there. Then as Rotherham said, “This Word is so confusing that God
must bring It to pass, and when He has brought It to pass, that’s
the time we’ll know what It’s about.” Rotherham is exactly
right. See? Remember, what Vine said. Vine said here, “Where the
sign of the Son of man, signifies subjectively, that’s the very
Greek itself shows, that the Son of Man is Himself the sign of what
He is about to do.” In other words, the rest of the ‘Coming’
event absolutely, and what of the rest of the Coming event,
Resurrection, Rapture, Great Tribulation, Coming back. See? No, it’s
not secret. In fact, It’s very, very visible. So, when they say
here, “He is in the desert in some little place out here, don’t
believe it, or in a secret room don’t believe it?” Why? Because
it’s got to be done in such a manner that the people can take it.
Now, I’ll show you that a little later on as we get into some more
verse of Scripture.
27
Now, we go back to Matthew 24:4 again. Matthew 24:4,27 (04) And
Jesus answered and said… Take heed that no man deceive you. [See,
and connect this with verse 27.] (27) For as the lightning cometh out
of the east, and [shines] even unto the west; so shall also the
[Parousia, the personal Presence] of the Son of man be. Now, go back
to verse 5. Matthew 24:5 (05) …many shall come in my name, saying,
I am Christ; and shall deceive many. [See, that light follows verse
27, “lightning cometh out of the east…”] Now, verse 26, Matthew
24:26,28 (26) Wherefore [they’ll] say… Behold, he is in the
desert; go not forth: behold, in the secret chambers; [do not]
believe it… (28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered… Now listen, this verse 28 is a real stinger for
this reason, Brother Branham never ever used this verse right, though
other students agreed with him, this verse is really… the verse he
used is in Luke. Let me read It exactly what the Greek says: “For
wherever the corpse might be in that place the carrion birds will be
gathered together.” Now look, you see people are reading this
Scripture all wrong. That’s the whole trouble, we’ve read this
all wrong all these years, because we didn’t have a prophet to help
us. That’s the only reason I can read It right to you this morning
with even any sense of right understanding, because I have an
understanding by a vindicated man.
28
Now, let’s look at It. He’s telling you the sign of the Parousia,
of the Presence. And you know what the sign is? False anointing,
exactly what the prophet said. He says here, “When the Son of man
is Present, He said, it is going to be exactly as a corpse surrounded
by buzzards.” Now, these verses by Jesus right here are no
different from what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians the 2nd chapter,
1-12. Now, look-it, I know you’re going to have a job following me,
because this is pretty tough material. But I hope… if time goes on
it’ll all come together in your mind. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 (01) Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the [Presence] of our Lord Jesus Christ,
[that’s the Parousia] and [even] by our gathering together unto
him, The Bride has to be gathered unto Christ personally right here.
He’s not talking about the dead, he’s done talked about them [the
dead], he’s talking about them [the living]. And of course, they
died, he’s talking about us. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9 (02) That [you]
…soon [not] shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor
by word, nor by letter from us, as that day of Christ is at hand.
(03) Let no man deceive… any means: [Now, the day of Christ there
is that great day of judgment, not the Parousia.] (03) Let no man
deceive by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come
a falling away first, [now watch] a falling away first, and [the] man
of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (04) Who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
so that he as God [sits] in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God. [All right, all but the elect are going to get sucked in.]
(05) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these
things? (06) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be
revealed in his time. (07) For the mystery of iniquity [does] already
work: only he who now [hinders] will let, until he be taken out of
the way. (08) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming: (09) Even him, whose coming is after
the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
29
Oh, isn’t that exactly what Jesus said over in Matthew 24: ? It
doesn’t say the wonders and the signs are lies, they’re genuine.
And this fellow will be so close to Jesus I got an idea that he can
pawn himself right off as an incarnation, or reincarnation. 2
Thessalonians 2:10 (10) [Now] with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because… [Now listen] because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
The Presence of the Son of man surrounded by false prophets is a
sign, Paul says the same thing. The truth. “I am the way the truth
and the life.” [See?] “I’m the light of the world, he that
follows me shall not walk in darkness.” And notice, at the end time
He’s called the God of Truth. Not Amen, but the God of Truth. See?
Although Amen in the Scripture see there. I’m talking about the
Book of Revelation. He’s the God of the Amen, from Isaiah. But He’s
also God of Truth. See? A reality. Now, the effect: 2 Thessalonians
2:11-12 (11) …for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe [the] lie: [Not a lie, but the lie.] (12)
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness. Now listen, you got your thinking caps
on this morning? Have you been listening to what I’ve been saying
this morning? Matthew 7: “Beware of false prophets, they come to
you in sheep clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves, by
their fruits you will know them.” What tree was it that destroys,
that cut down the human race? The tree of the Word of God perverted.
Man bringing life in a way apart from God, from which God signifies.
See?
30
Now, these people are so identical to the real, but only the elect
can tell the difference. What is the difference? Says right here:
“They received not the love of the truth.” And It would have
saved him. “I am the way the truth and the life.” “In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God,” “and the Word became flesh.” But the Word cannot become
flesh and come down here. Or, He’d have nail-prints. But you still
got the Word. See? You’ll be here a while, so take it easy make
your seat nice and comfortable. But now, you begin to see that this
is nothing more nor less then what Jesus said in Matthew 24: and in
Matthew 7: It’s the same thing. It’s the one Spirit showing the
same thing. See? Now, and remember 2 Thessalonians 2:1 is the
Parousia. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (01) Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together
unto him, [See?] (02) [Don’t be] shaken [don’t be worried…]
[Then It says:] (03) [The day of the Lord can] not come… [until the
Parousia, there’s got to be a Personal Presence of Christ with His
Own] Then It says: that’s when you begin watching for what is
coming, because there’s going to be a Parousia of the antichrist
and a revelation. And It tells you right here what saves the Bride is
the revelation of the Truth, and the rest turns It thumbs down and
are caught by the antichrist.
31
Now listen, that couldn’t come in the First Age, it could not come
in the Second Age, or the Third Age, or the Fourth Age, or the Fifth
Age, or the Sixth Age, but the end of the Seventh Age, no other time.
So therefore, you can say what you want. See? But when you talk about
the Parousia, the Presence, you can’t bypass the revealed Word of
Almighty God, because that’s the one thing that’s saving It. And
It doesn’t say one thing about the Blood of Jesus Christ, or the
baptism with the Holy Ghost. It’s what I’ve tried to tell you,
I’m trying to tell you there is a sign at the end time. And the
sign at the end time is a false prophet off the Word, signs and
wonders legitimate which will lead you right to an antichrist, the
overthrow of the whole world. Christ coming back, but the personal
Presence of Jesus signifies what? Truth. So therefore, the Truth has
got to be somewhere.
32
All right. So, we say here, as we saw here the Parousia of 2
Thessalonians 2:1, and that Parousia is identical,… now watch, the
Parousia that’s talked about here in chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians
2: coming right before the antichrist for he comes on the scene,
people turning down the truth. I told you before, wrong tree, act
like Christians, aren’t, is the very same one over here in, 1
Thessalonians 4:13-16 (13) [Now] I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, [you] sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring
[forth] with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
[that’s the Parousia] shall not [go before] them [that] are asleep.
(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,…
See, He’s going to come right down to the earth. He’s going to
have a Shout, He’s going to have a Voice, He’s going to have a
Trumpet. And It says right there, that we’re gathered unto Him at
that particular time. And then He’ll bring the dead out of the
ground. And then they will all go up in series, Age one, two, three,
four, five, six, seven. And the Seventh Church Age will be caught
away a little hand full. That’s your secret. So, called secret,
Parousia, secret Rapture. They’ll go a little few at a time, no one
will even know. And they’re all gone. See, It’s the same
Parousia, no different to Matthew. “What will be the sign of Your
Presence?” And the first thing He hit was false anointed. Now, how
are you going to know a false if you haven’t got a change? How are
you going to know if Jesus hasn’t identified Himself? So, He does
identify Himself, but He’s not here physically, you can’t see
Him. But you can tell that He is here. Because the disciples said,
“How will we know that You are here?” I hope you’re beginning
to get the Scripture together.
33
Now listen: 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Parousia is identical to 1
Thessalonians 4:13-17, is identical to Matthew 24: Now, what’s the
key? Reality, reality, reality. Deception, deception, deception. How
are you going to know the difference? Now, that’s the clue. Now,
that’s what the Parousia is all about. You’ll understand why,
that when Brother Branham began instructing me personally on ‘The
Anointed Ones at the End Time’, then preached that sermon. That
sermon meant life and death to me. It meant life from death. Because
nothing made any sense until he explained the Presence and the sign
of that Presence. And nobody is going to catch It, because nobody
wants the truth. Without the truth, you die. And without the truth,
you can have every single other thing that God has in His entire
catalogue from character to manifestation and you’re still gone.
You follow me? Now, you see why when you see this Message that’s
all you ever will see. Reality, reality, reality, Presence.
Deception, deception, deception.
34
Okay, let’s do some reading we go to the Book of Jude, a little
tiny Book, before the Book of Revelation. Jude 3-4 (03) Beloved, when
I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it
was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that [you]
should earnestly contend for the faith which was once [for all]
delivered unto the saints. [That was at the time of Paul.] (04)
…certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ. How are you going to deny it? There’s only one reason to
deny it, and that’s to deny what he said. Jude 5-11 (05) I will put
you in remembrance, though [you] once knew this, how that the Lord,
having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, [now watch]
afterward destroyed them that believed not. [Now we’re getting
right down to Exodus, an exodus is in our time, like a Bride coming
out of a church.] (06) And the angels which kept not their first
estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
(07) Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like
manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after
strange flesh, [that’s homosexuality, bestiality] are set forth for
an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (08) Likewise,
these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak
evil of dignities. (09) Yet Michael the archangel, when contending
with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring
against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
(10) But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but
what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they
corrupt themselves. (11) Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way
of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward,
perished in the gainsaying of Core.
35
Now, just a minute, one fellow is a prophet up here, and the other
fellow is an elder who prophesied. They’re pretty bunch of rotten
of guys, but they’re not entirely as bankrupt as people think they
are. Jude 12 (12) [They] are spots in your feasts of charity, when
they feast with you… Three kinds of believers in every church, make
believer, unbeliever and true believer. You want to look around and
see if there might be true believers here this morning? Pick out the
unbelievers, go ahead, have fun. Brother Branham said, “Every
church.” You say, “Brother Vayle, would you pick them out?”
Ain’t got the faintest clue. Ain’t got the least clue. Every time
I think somebody’s really great, they’re not so great. Just like
me. Every time I think they’re not so great, they turn out pretty
good. I wouldn’t have a clue. Don’t let it bug you. You just
believe you’re one of them, that’s all, keep going on. Jude
1:12-15 (12) …feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are
without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit [withered],
without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (13) Raging waves
of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is
reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (14) And Enoch also [the
reason I’m reading just now, is because Enoch] the seventh from
Adam, prophesied of these [things], saying, Behold, the Lord [comes]
with ten thousands of his saints, [now, of course that’s after the
great tribulation.] (15) To execute judgment…
36
What I read It for, is to show you how that sin in coming to a head
and what people are missing by looking at the bestiality in the
world, they’re missing the razor edge that Brother Branham preached
about in ‘The False Anointed’. So, how can you call that Manna
anything but a real thing? Well, give them the Word test. Just find
out where the truth is, and put It down to the Word. Because,
brother/sister there’s a showdown between Christ and antichrist.
And the showdown is between truth and a lie! Because ‘the lie’
that said, “You shall not surely die.” See? Right today, they’re
screaming, “Oh, millions now living will never die.” ” Oh,
there’s hundreds of millions of Christians.” “Oh, bless God,
California is not going to go down.” “And, oh bless God, that
Rapture.” They talk about the choo-choo-train. The big
choo-choo-train is going to go down the track, and the engineer be
taken away. Now, there’s no choo-choo-train. Doesn’t God make
fools as they think they can smart off? Oh, they wrote their tract,
but they wrote the wrong tract. The next thing they’ll be telling
you, they’re telling now about their pilots, the planes. Well, the
pilots they’ll figure it out, the pilot’s got perfect control.
Look, don’t romanticize God’s Word brother/sister, just look at
It and believe It. Don’t fantasize, romanticize, just take it the
way it was. If God wants romanticize, and fantasize He’d have done
it for her. Why can’t we just see the truth? We’re looking at the
ripening of sin, the rottenness of sin, but at the same time you got
your Korah’s operating definitive, positive gifts of Almighty God.
But they themselves went against Moses. We’ll read about him a
little later on.
37
Let’s go to 2 Peter 2:1, let’s see what Peter says about the end
time. 2 Peter 2:1 (01) But there were false prophets among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you,… Now, why…
there you are, at the end time there’s going to be two major things
to watch out for. The false prophet and the false teacher. 2 Peter
2:1 (01) …privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, bring upon themselves swift destruction. Isn’t
that what Paul said over there, even denying the Lord Jesus Christ?
All right, if He is here and they say He’s not, are they denying
Him? You bet your sweet life, or I don’t know what I’m talking
about. 2 Peter 2:2 (02) And many shall follow their pernicious ways;
by reason [Now listen] by reason of whom the way of truth shall be
evil spoken of. That’s always been in history. Paul said, “They
make me a heretic because I worship God in a certain way,” which is
prescribed by the Word. 2 Peter 2:3 (03) …through covetousness
shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:… How would
you like to be a piece of merchandise to somebody? I’m going to
tell you something, the black man sure huffs and puffs about the fact
he was made merchandise of. But the white man is so stupid he’s…
made merchandise of the devil, and he’s proud of it. I’d sooner
be a black man saved, then a stupid white man unsaved, I’ll tell
you that. Very strange, isn’t it? Makes merchandise.
38
Why am I a Baptist a fellow said this morning on the radio. Well, I
don’t know why he’s a Baptist, could care less. Why, I’m
Independent. What’s that? I can do ten time worse than a Baptist
organized, being Independent. Why are you a Christian? But you forget
to light your candles the morning. See, the whole thing has gone
crazy. 2 Peter 2:3-7,12-16 (03) …whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (04) For if God
spared not the angels that sinned, [notice of the repeat of what we
read] but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (05) And spared not the old
world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness,
bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (06) …turning
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an
overthrow, making them an ensample unto those [who] should live
ungodly; (07) …delivered just Lot,… [go down to verse 12] (12)
But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed,
speak evil of the things that they understand not; and utterly perish
in their own corruption; (13) And shall receive the reward of
unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day
time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their
own deceivings while they feast with you; (14) Having eyes full of
adultery, cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart
they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: (15)
Which have forsaken the right way, and gone astray, [that’s what
Paul said, that’s what Jesus said, taking] the way of Balaam the
son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; [That’s what
Paul said, that’s what Jude said.] (16) But was rebuked for his
iniquity:… [you see.]
39
Let’s go to 2 Timothy 3:1-9, now I’m just lining this up for me
to show you brother/sister, exactly what we’re into. 2 Timothy
3:1-9 (01) [At] this know, that in the last days perilous times shall
come. (02) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, [and this is the end time, this is not the age of martyrs,
this is the end time.] (03) Without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, [what he later shows out on incest]
fierce, despisers of those that are good, (04) Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (05) Having
a form of godliness, denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(06) For [such] are [these that are] creep into houses, captive silly
women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (07) Ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [now].
[Listen:] (08) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these
also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the
faith. (09) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall
be manifest unto all men, [even] as theirs also was. All right, no
different. Scripture lines up, Scripture upon Scripture, no matter
where you turn there is a key, there is a sign. “What is the sign
of Your Presence?” Reality, deception. Grossest deception, finest
deception. You never saw an age with the two extremes of this age.
You couldn’t have. Oh, I know that there’s a temple in India,
I’ve never seen the pictures, but I guess I could buy a book if I
knew where to get the book, or find it in the library, there’s
supposed to be every sexual act done in this temple unto love and
all. But you can go down to anyone of your stores right here that
sell the pornographic magazines, and you can pick up one magazine
that will beat the spots off any temple in India, or any place else
as far as I’m concerned. They say the temples in Pompeii are the
same. England’s got quite a few post cards and things made up of
their minds, I noticed when I was there, three or four years ago. We
don’t have them over here yet, unless buy them at some shop in New
York I suppose, you can get them.
40
But what I’m trying to show you that even as Bible could not have
its spread until the press came on the scene. Neither could the
rottenness of the world and the immorality reach its peak without the
presses. And so now, we have got the fruit of both. We have got where
incest is common and will not be dealt with pretty soon by the
courts, because so what? It’s my daughter, I can do what I want.
It’s my son, I can do what I want. See? You can get away with
anything today. Why? Because, of the press. You’ve got grossest
immorality on the one hand, on the other hand there never was a time
when you had such fineness of religion. Right now, the 700 Club what
I understand, as they sent me a little letter telling what they are
going to do, I suppose hinting for money, I don’t know. But now
they’ve got in Israel every room in the hotels and motels in Israel
will now have the Gospel in it, preaching the Lord Jesus Christ,
Pentecostal style no doubt. Which is alright, I’m not going to
fight it. See, what I want to show you that you could not have this
into the age of Pentecost where the gifts are. So, you’ve got the
finest group of people perhaps the world’s ever seen, the furthest
from the truth. Because they believe the lie. Right by being,
[inaudible] see?
41
Now, watch as we go back to Matthew 24:27. I’m belaboring this
point on purpose, because this is where we are in the word, there’s
nothing more you can do about it. Now, just stay with the Word says.
Matthew 24:27 (27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and
[shines to] the west; [even] so shall also the [personal Presence] of
the Son of man be. Now, this word ‘lightning’ is actually a
bright shining even as a lamp. It doesn’t necessarily mean
lightning, it’s a bright shining as a lamp shines. Okay, so if
that’s the case, maybe could compare of Matthew 24:27 to, Luke
11:33-35 (33) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, [puts] it in a
secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they
which come in may see the light. (34) The light of the body is the
eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full
of light; when [your] eye is evil, [the whole] body is full of
darkness. [Now, I didn’t write that, He did. Paul said the same
thing. They believed the lie, no way out.] (35) Take heed therefore
that the light which is in thee be not darkness. Now, what if you’re
charismatic? See? This guy in Michigan keeps trying. He doesn’t bug
me, but he bugs me in this respect, he said I hurt his feelings
because when he asked me, “Brother Vayle how would you feel if
people received the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues?” I said, “I’d
feel suspicious.”
42
Then, who gets offended? If the Holy Spirit baptism comes today
without any evidence or sensation, then why do you want it? Let me
tell you something flat buddy: when I went up there to get this
hernia operated on down at Shawnee Hospital, I said, “Look, (I
said) I’m pretty nervous type of guy, I don’t know, I know I’ve
got to walk to that table. You’d better give me a pretty good
shot.” So, they gave me a pretty big pill and a pretty good shot.
And I went on that table, and I’ll tell you I couldn’t even feel
cut, cut, or sew, sew. The less I could feel, I could just kind of
tap, tap, tap, as they fixed me up. And let me tell you, if I’d
have felt that knife, I’d have hollered bloody murder. The evidence
of Shawnee Hospital is, you don’t feel a thing and you don’t.
Now, that’s the baptism with the Holy Ghost. I’d have been very
suspicious about that hospital if they hadn’t done what they said,
but they did what they said. That’s why it’s the world’s
greatest. And that’s one thing right here brother/sister, this is
the world’s greatest in this hour to stay exactly what is taught in
this Word. See? Now, I was reading along here: “If the eye is dark,
He said, the whole body is full of darkness.” Luke 11:36 (36) If
thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the
whole shall be full of light, as when the [light shineth] of a candle
[that] doth give light. (37) And as he spake, a certain….. Well
that’s about as far as we need to go, on that one. Now, you can see
how this follows perfectly with Jesus and Paul. Truth and error. See?
And He said, “If that is dark in you, how great is that darkness?
Indication of the end time.
43
Now, we want to go further so we go to Matthew 24 again, and this
time we advance to verses 37-39. Matthew 24:37 (37) But as the days
of Noe… so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [No sir, the
Presence of the Son of man.] What you got there? Two extremes. You
know, Noah was the only perfect man in his generation? And that word
‘perfect’ meant ‘genetically pure’. That’s what it is, the
Bible, genetically pure. Now, I’m not going to say you couldn’t
be married to some off color and not make it, because the genes are
everywhere. That’s why we have election. But you can see why the
prophet made certain statements. He’d have to make you to be
cohesive and run in line with the Scripture that some of those things
are not right. And I’m talking in terms of mixing of the white and
black race. Brother Branham was not happy about that, God set the
bounds and all, and today of course in my own understanding, if
something like that has happened, it’s no reflection on the
children, it’s something that God did not want done.
44
Now: Matthew 24:38-39 (38) For as in the days that were before the
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until
the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the [Parousia,
the Presence] of the Son of man be. And then It says: Matthew 24:40
(40) [Two] shall be in the field; one… taken,… Now, It says in
here, then notice, I don’t want to really read beyond, past that,
how about to where they’re being taken. But you’ll notice
brother/sister, that the Presence is not the taking. He is already
Present, then comes the taking away. Why? Because he takes them away
by the Holy Spirit. Now, I want to read that to you here, 37-39. So,
we just read on then. Matthew 24:41-44 (41) Two women shall be
grinding at the mill; one… taken, and [one] left. (42) Watch
therefore: for [you don’t] know what hour [the] Lord doth come.
(43) But know this, the goodman of the house had known in what watch
the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up. (44) Therefore, be ready: for in
such an hour as [you] think not the Son of man cometh.
45
Now you see, in one place He’s already there, the other place He’s
not there. You see, when they try to tell you that the Parousia is
where Jesus comes down part way and stays there, that’s a lie. He’s
got to come on down, see? All the way down to raise the dead. And
then He takes us up. Then you say, “What happened?” Well, it’s
very, very simple, It’s the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit,
which is God, period, not the sons of God, but God, period. Why He’s
in that body, we’ll see Him face to face, God incarnate the nail
prints, the whole thing. Different story entirely. See, that’s
coming. Notice ‘Coming’ and ‘Appearing’, two different things
entirely. But the Appearing of the Parousia is not what the
fundamental’s teaching, he’s entirely wrong of his doctrine.
46
Now, let’s compare this with Luke 17:35-37, and we’re going to
get the very same picture. Luke 17:35-37 (35) Two women shall be
grinding [shall be grinding] together; one… taken, and [one] left.
(36) Two men in the field; one… taken, [one] left. (37) And they
answered and said… Where, Lord? And he said, [Where ever] the body
[soma] is, [not corpse, there] will the eagles be gathered… You got
one gathering, because the true Word of God, the clean eagles. You
got the others gathering to that which is dirty by the buzzards, the
unclean eagles. I’m not going to name anybody buzzard, but I just
know… tell you one thing, I admit as Brother Branham said, “The
dove and the crow can sit right down together and eat. The crow can
eat dove food, but the dove can’t eat crow food. I’m not going to
talk anymore on that, because I don’t who eats crow food and dove
food at the same time. And I don’t know who gets sick if they tried
to eat the crow food being a dove. I’m not going to try to
distinguish. I got to let it be, but It says right here, “eagles
are gathered with the soma.” The unadulterated food. There was
death in the tree. This Tree does not have death. That’s why
there’ll be a people changed and won’t even die. They’ll go
down the road in eternity. See?
47
Let’s go back to Matthew 24: but this time we’re going to hit
Matthew 25: Matthew 25:1 (01) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to
meet the bridegroom. All right, now, this is going to further
embellish our theme here, so we read a little further, because it’s
at the end time. Matthew 25:2-6 (02) …five wise… five foolish.
(03) They that were foolish took their lamps, took no oil… (04)
…the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (05) While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. (06) And at
midnight… a cry [was] made, Behold, the bridegroom [and cross out
the word ‘cometh’; it is not in any Greek whatsoever. And It
doesn’t say,] go ye out… [It says, come out.] These are two of
the most glaring inconsistencies in the King James version. I am not
devoted to the King James version. I never have been, never will be.
I think it’s the best there is, but it’s certainly not letter
perfect. And right here It simply says, “Behold the Bridegroom,
come out and get acquainted.” Come out and see Him. Come out and
meet Him. Now listen, He’s got to be there to be met. See? So, this
is the people coming out. And it’s got to be Bride, because it’s
Bridegroom. And It says, “Behold Him.” “How do we know It’s
you? How do we know You’re there? We know it’s going to be some
kind of a sign.” True, and the sign then must point to who is
there, then who is there must be seen. Okay, we could think of that.
We just think of that hey? Eh?
48
Okay, let’s see now, let’s go back to Matthew 24: again verse 3.
Matthew 24:3,24,27,37,39 (03) …what shall be the sign of thy
[Presence]…, (24) …there shall arise false Christs, [even lying]
prophets, shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were
possible, [it is not, thank God] they [would] deceive the very elect.
[But they can’t.] (27) …as lightning [comes] out of the east, and
shineth even unto the west; so shall also the [Presence] of the Son
of man be. (37) But as [it was in] the days of Noe, so shall also the
[Presence] of the Son of man be. (39) And knew not until the flood
came, and took them all away; so shall [be] the time of the
[Presence] of the Son of man. [See?] 49 Now, and the cry comes at
that time, “Behold the Bridegroom.” Oh, that’s sensible. That’s
sensible. Because once they seen the sign of the fishes, saw the sign
in the room at Emmaus, they said, “Well, that’s the One.” He
was identified. Now, it’s at this time all this is going on that’s
false nobody is paying attention. Only those that have the truth, but
He is here. And He can be identified, because It says, “Come out
and meet Him,” so they got to behold Him. And in verse 13 of,
Matthew 25:13 (13) Watch therefore, for [you] know neither the day
nor the hour [when] the Son of man cometh. Now, this also precedes
the very fact of the Son of man coming. We’re talking now of the
literal coming in the flesh. So therefore, this is not necessarily
Christ coming in the flesh. Now, I want to cover something in,
Matthew 24:27 (27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and
[shines out of] the west; so shall also the [Presence] of the Son of
man be. [We’re looking at that Light.]
50
Now, let’s go back to, Luke 2:1-5,7 (01) …it came to pass in
those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus the
world should be taxed. (02) [And this taxing was first made when
Cyrenius was governor…] (03) [They] all went to be taxed, every one
into his own city. (04) And Joseph also went up [to] Galilee, [to]
Nazareth, [and so on.] (05) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife,
great with child. [And then verse 7,] (07) …she brought forth her
firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in
a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Now listen,
we’re going to hit verse 8. Luke 2:8-12 (08) …here were in the
same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
flock by night. (09) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore
afraid. (10) And the angel said, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) [And]
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord. (12) And this shall be a sign unto you;…
51
Now, they could have walked in and said, “Well, who is this kid?”
“Oh, some poor peasant had him. Couldn’t afford a hotel, couldn’t
afford a motel, couldn’t afford a bed even. Poor little kid, poor
little imp, poor little kid. You know, who knows, he might even…
just some couple living together, who knows?” He said, “There’s
going to be a sign.” The sign? Now notice the simple sign: Luke 2:7
(07) …wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger… So, they went in.
Well, the first place was go to barn, a cave in the hillside. And
maybe the first cave and nobody there. Might have been four or five
caves, here’s some people in them. Well, let’s find out. There’s
one where a woman has a baby. Is the baby is in swaddling clothes, is
he in a manger? “Well, that’s got to be the One.” See? sign.
He’s pointing to identify. Luke 2:13-20 (13) And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and
saying, (14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will toward men. (15) And it came to pass, as the angels were gone…
the shepherds said, Let us go [to] Bethlehem, see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. (16) And they
came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
manger. (17) And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the
saying which was told them concerning this child. (18) And all they
that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the
shepherds. (19) But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in
her heart. (20) And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told
them. Now, you notice right here, that these people became messengers
to the sign, to the One who was pointed out to them. Now, you notice
here, that in this case Jesus was His Own sign, a baby. But a special
baby, because he had the swaddling clothes and he was in a manger.
Now, I wonder when we talk of a sign, which we do talk of signs that
are going to point to Him. I wonder why people could not take what
Brother Branham mentioned when he kept talking about the sign of the
Messiah?
52
Let’s go to John 4:16-26, the woman at the well. I don’t have to
read It to you. He said, “Go and tell your husband.” She said, “I
don’t have one,” He said, “You’re right, you had five, the
one you got now is a live-in boyfriend, he’s not your husband.”
She said, “Man, (she said) you got to be a devil.” She said, “I
perceive You are a Prophet.” And of course, she wanted to argue a
little bit to find out what was really right. And He said, “No, (He
said) it’s not that way at all.” And the woman said, (in verse
25) “We know when Messiah comes, which is called Christ, He’ll
tell us all things.” And Jesus said, “I that speak unto thee, Am
He.” Now, how did she identify Him? She identified Him on the
grounds of Him reading her heart, of actually knowing her life. And
she didn’t say, “Well, a fortune teller can do that.” See? Why?
Because there’s something in there that responded. The very Elect
cannot be deceived, because there’s something in there that
responds. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “There’s no place in you
for the Word.” See, this is why there is a problem at the end time,
there is no place in there for that Word.
53
Now, with that we’re going to go again to 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12.
Now, I’m not going to read It, because you know the content of 2
Thessalonians 1:1-12, and also 2 Thessalonians 2:1. 2 Thessalonians
2:1 (01) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the [Presence] of our Lord…
and by our gathering together… Now, he said, “Don’t be troubled
and don’t be shaken… in other words, it’s going to be a very
precarious time, it’s going to be a very rough time at that time,
because the spirit of antichrist is there. The Spirit of Christ is
there, it’s all going for a showdown, it’s all coming for a
showdown.” See? Now, what is the showdown? We told you what the
showdown was, where they are going to, one will receive the truth and
the other won’t receive the truth. Now, I want to just look at
this, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 (03) We are bound to thank God always
for you, brethren, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the
[love] of every one of you all toward each other [abound;] (04) So
that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that
[you] endure: (05) Which is a manifest token of the righteous
judgment of God, that [you] may be counted worthy of the kingdom of
God, for which [you] suffer: (06) Seeing it is a righteous thing with
God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; (07) And to
you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (08) In flaming fire
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ: (09) Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his
power; (10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to
be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you
was believed) in that day. (11) Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil
all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with
power: (12) That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified
in you, and [you] in him, according to the grace of our God and the
Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 (01) Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the [Presence] of our Lord Jesus Christ, [of] our
gathering together unto him, (02) That [you] soon not [be] shaken…
[and so on.]
54
Now, chapter 1 is actually verse 1 of chapter 2. And it’s not Jesus
Coming with His saints as it sounds like in chapter 1, but It’s
Jesus Coming to His saints, for It says in verse 10, “When He shall
come to be glorified in all His saints.” See? He’s not coming
back with His saints. He’s coming to His saints. Now, they can say,
“Well, that’s you see, that’s when He is dropping down out of
Heaven.” But that isn’t so, because the Holy Spirit is here to
raise the dead, to change us, to take us up. So, you see when we look
at this Scripture here, this is the Parousia. Now also in, 1
Thessalonians 3:12-13 (12) And the Lord make you to increase and
abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do
toward you: (13) To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable
in holiness before God, even our Father, at the [Presence] of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Well, he’s saying the same
thing over here. Parousia, not coming back with His saints, but the
Presence with the saints. That’s the same again as 1 Thessalonians
4:13-17, It’s the same Word.
55
And therefore, is not Revelation 19: when He comes back seated upon a
white horse with the sword coming out of His mouth. Thus, 2
Thessalonians chapter 1, is the Parousia, and not the coming back to
the earth with His saints, what about verses 7-9, so let’s read
them. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 (07) And to you who are troubled rest
with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his
mighty angels, (08) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (09)
…be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord, and [the power of his glory;] (10) When he shall come to be
glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe
(because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. All
right, now sounds… say. Well, that’s going to prove right there,
that that is not the Parousia whatsoever, that is Jesus Christ
Himself coming back at the time of Armageddon taking vengeance, and
the Bride is coming back with Him. Is that so?
56
Let’s just look at the Greek: “To you that are troubled rest with
us, when the Lord Jesus shall reveal from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flames of fire taking vengeance.” All right, immediately
we see that a period of rest is to come at the time that Jesus shall
be revealed from Heaven. Does it sound like rest when He comes back
with fire destroying people? I thought they were going to say,
“Mountains fall on us.” Hide us from the wrath of God? You know
what that word ‘rest’ is? Now, hold on to your hats, It’s
‘relaxation’. The very thing Brother Branham said under the
Seventh Seal. It’s on your books. You see, when Mister Sothmann
made the tapes he did it very poorly. You can send him the tapes if
you want, that he should be excoriated for it, because he no more
believed that he was talking about a prophet or literally God’s
messenger of this hour was given you, for he had two tape recorders
sitting there to get everything the prophet said.
57
I’m going to hit real hard here: who did Brother Branham have
around him as the tape boys for years? Leo and Gene, homosexuals.
Complete perverts. Who shaved little kids heads off, and beat some
unmercifully, to be crippled. Did you catch why I’m saying this?
Truth, deception, a real prophet, junk so to speak. He said, “If I
didn’t have this around me, I knew that I had the wrong ministry.”
Come on, I’m telling you, the whole thing come together, if you’ve
got the guts to take it. You that follow Scripture… I’m not
through preaching, I want to show you something here: It says,
“relaxation.” Brother Branham said, “Under the Seventh Seal
comes relaxation.” Page 33 of 30 — Leevayle.net This is not the
rest that Job speaks of, in Job 3: when he said, “Would God I was
born premature and untimely, birth, death.” Then he said, “I can
be like everybody else and rest.” He is not talking about that kind
of a rest. He is not even talking of men’s ceasing to be afflicted,
but a special rest, a relaxation is coming, when Jesus and His
ministering angels are revealed. That’s what he said.
58
Now, our times not gone, we doing good we’ll get out of here before
3 o’clock in the morning. Ain’t it great, I got time, I’ll read
this for you. I’ve got a lot of Scripture, see, because once you
see this Message the whole Bible comes together. According to me It
does. According to anybody else, who cares. I got my own life to
live, you’ve got yours. You do what you want with it. Now watch,
Hebrews 3:7, I’m going to read a lot of Scripture. Hebrews 3:7-19
(07) Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if [you] will hear
his voice, (08) Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, [you
know something? This goes right to Hebrews 6 where they turned down
the Word] in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (09) When your
fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. (10)
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, …said, They do alway
err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. (11) So I sware
in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) (12) Take heed,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God. (13) But exhort one another daily,
while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we are made partakers [no sir, we’re
made fellow companions] of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence stedfast unto the end; (15) While it is said, Today if
[you’ll] hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation. (16) For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit
not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (17) But with whom was he
grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose
carcases fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom sware he that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (19)
[But] we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
59
Hebrews 4:1-13 (01) Let us therefore fear, lest, [there be] a promise
being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should [believe
that you] come short of it. (02) For unto us was the gospel preached,
as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not
being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (03) For we which have
believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished
from the foundation of the world. (04) For he spake in a certain
place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh
day from all his works. (05) And in this place again, If they shall
enter into my rest. (06) Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must
enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in
because of unbelief: (07) Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in
David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if [you’ll]
hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (08) For if Jesus [Joshua,
not Jesus] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have
spoken of another day. (09) There remaineth therefore a rest to the
people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also
hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. [Okay, let’s
watch now:] (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,
lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (12) For the
word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul an spirit, and
the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thought and intents
of the heart. (13) Neither is there any creature this is not manifest
in his [not it’s, but his] sight: but all things are naked and
opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
60
When did that take place? In this Age. This is the Age of rest. An
Age when Christ is revealed from Heaven there is a rest that the
Bride enters into. It’s all through the Scripture. “He that is
filthy, is filthy still. He who is righteous is righteous still.”
Her garments are washed, she goes to the Tree of Life. There’s no
more any doubting. We don’t care if a person is believer,
make-believer, or unbeliever, makes no difference. As Brother Branham
said, “If we’re not Bride, there’s a Bride out there somewhere,
by the grace of God I won’t stand in her way.” But right here,
this is the time. Hebrews 4:14-16 (14) Seeing then that we have a
great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our [confession.] (15) For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16)
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
61
Hebrews 5:1-10 (01) For every high priest taken from among men is
ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both
gifts and sacrifices for sins: [let’s watch now] (02) Who can have
compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for
that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. (03) …by reason
hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for
sins. (04) And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is
called of God, as was Aaron. (05) So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou
art my Son, today have I begotten thee. (06) As he saith also in
another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec. (07) Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered
up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him
that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he
feared; (08) Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the
things which he suffered; (09) And being made perfect, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that [that called him] obey
him; [saluted, not called of God, but saluted, screamed out
Melchisedec.] (10) …an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Now watch: Hebrews 5:11-14 (11) Of whom we have many things to say,
and hard to be uttered, seeing [you’re] dull of hearing. [When did
He save them? He never did. When are they going to be said?] (12) For
when for the time [you] ought to be teachers, [you] have need one
[to] teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of
God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat. [Nicolaitan, Pentecostal church age, Laodicean. That’s we
are, right today.] (13) For every one that [uses] milk is [unskilled]
in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat
[belongs] to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Paul
said he couldn’t even talk about Melchisedec. Who did? William
Branham. All right, there’s a rest, there’s a relaxation at this
hour, because we were called in to the reading of the will, to the
opening of the Seals, the Book of Redemption… open before us by
faith to see that we are part of It.
62
Now, notice in verse 8 what he said about the angel. 2 Thessalonians
1:8,7,8 (08) In flaming fire taking vengeance… [no, doesn’t
really say that, but people think It does. Let’s read It again.]
(07) And to you who are troubled rest with us, [there’s a time of
relaxation coming] when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with
his mighty angels, [Now watch: the mighty angels:] (08) In [flames
of] fire… The angels are in flames of fire. What does that remind
you of? It reminds you of Exodus 13:21-22 of the Pillar of Fire.
Reminds you of Exodus 3:2 where God was in the Burning Bush. It
reminds you of Judges 1:1-23, when the parents of Samson saw the
angel in a Flame of Fire and said, “My name is not ‘secret, but
‘wonderful’,” which is Christ, the Angel of God.
63
Now, let’s go to, Revelation 5:6 (06) And I beheld, and, lo, in the
midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the
elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all
the earth. All right, “seven Spirits of God sent forth in all the
earth, seven eyes.”
64
Okay, let’s go back to Zechariah chapter 3, Brother Branham
preached this under different circumstance as I did. When I heard him
say certain things, I knew I It came from here, and I thought he
preached this later on. Zachariah 3:8-10 (08) Hear now, O Joshua the
high priest, thou, and thy fellow that sit before thee: for they are
men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the
BRANCH. (09) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua;
upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the
graving thereof, the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of
that land in (that) day. (10) In that day, saith the LORD of hosts,
ye shall call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the
fig tree. Now, he’s telling you about the day when the Millennium
is going to come. Now, he has to about those seven eyes engraved.
65
Zechariah 4:1-7 (01) And the angel that talked with me came again,
and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. (02) [He]
said… What seest thou? And I said, I looked, [and I said,] …behold
a candlestick all of gold, [and] a bowl upon the top of it, and his
seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are
upon the top thereof: (03) And two olive trees by it, …the right
side of the bowl, the other [side] the left side [of the bowl.] (04)
[And he] answered and spake [and] the angel [said…] What are these,
my lord? (05) Then the angel that talked with me… said… Knowest
thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. (06) [And] he
[said]… This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not
by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
(07) Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt
become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with
shoutings, crying, Grace, grace… Now look it, we see seven eyes
here, we’ve got seven eyes identified as seven spirits. We got this
identified for the end time, and we got this identified at the end
time by saying, “Not by might, nor of power, but by My Spirit saith
the Lord of host.” Now, what then are these seven angels in flames
of fire? Theophany’s. See? Theophany’s. And they come down, and
they will be the spirit of Age one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven. See? They’ll be creatures. What you see here then is that
these we can say are the theophany’s of God, the Holy Spirit in a
creature form, and now assumes the forms of Angels or Messengers,
because angels are messengers. What came and opened the Seals,
brought the Seals? One Angel per day that Brother Branham identified
as Holy Spirit. See?
66
Now, taking vengeance is not what it sounds like, but it means that
when this takes place, that which proceeds out of justice must take
place, it is not revenge, or vindictiveness. When this takes place,
when He is revealed with the Mighty Messengers, the Theophonies, the
Spirit that stood before the Throne for each one of those messengers,
it wasn’t Paul that came down, no, is what the manifestation was
came down, Paul, Irenaeus, Martin, Columba, but not them persons,
It’s what stood there for them. The Holy Spirit bringing it…
67
Now let me show you something here: I want to cut my time down, so I
won’t read… well, I guess I’ll have to go to Revelation 1: and
start at verse 12. Revelation 1:12-17,20 (12) And I turned to see the
voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden
candlesticks; (13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one
like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot,
and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. (14) His head and his
hairs… like wool, …white as snow; …eyes [like] flame of fire;
(15) …feet like… fine brass, …they burned in a furnace; his
voice as the sound of many waters. (16) …in his right hand seven
stars: out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: countenance
[like] the sun… (17) And …I fell at his feet as dead… [and so
on.] [And verse 20.] (20) The mystery of the… stars… and the
seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the [messengers] …and
the… candlesticks… are the seven churches. Now watch, in verse
13a, Revelation 1:13 (13) …in the midst of the seven candlesticks
one like unto the Son man… Verse 16a, Revelation 1:16 (16) …in
his right hand [were] seven stars:… [all right, seven Church Age
messengers.] Now, as long this One, which is the Judge is in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks, how could it be possible that
He could move without the seven stars? He can’t do it, because you
got a spirit for every Age, which constitutes a spirit for all Ages,
which makes up the entire Word of the life of all the Ages.
68
Now, and the Seventh Church Age messenger, and the Seventh Age
Messages, (there’s Seven Church Age messages) and every single one
of them you will notice has a judgment message in it. See? And the
judgment message in it, is not God in anger judging, it is what has
happened and now is required. So, when He is revealed from Heaven,
see? It is a revelation. And remember, the Thunders were on earth.
What took place in Heaven was brought down to earth. How was it
brought down? It says, a time is coming when He is revealed, and with
Him these seven mighty messengers. And at that time justice must
precede… perceive not revenge, or vindictiveness of any
description. Now, we see, Revelation 1:10-11 (10) I was in the Spirit
on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, a trumpet,
(11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:…, What
[you see] write in a book, and [right in] the seven churches which
are in Asia; Ephesus, and [so on. Written to the seven churches,
seven complete messages, seven complete Ages.] Now, chapter 3:14,
Revelation 3:14 (14) …unto the [messenger] of the church of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen,… [the finishing
One.] [Now, in Ephesus He was Alpha. In Laodicea, He is Omega.]
69
Now, let’s go to Revelation 22:10-15, and He said: Revelation
22:10-11 (10) …Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:
for the time is at hand. [The Book becomes unsealed.] (11) He that is
unjust, let him be unjust still: he [that’s] filthy, [is] filthy
still: …he that is righteous, [is] righteous still: …he that is
holy, [is] holy still. Relaxation, see at that time. The Church comes
to a perfection. Got to. That’s 1 Corinthians 13, I haven’t got
time to go into It. Now: Revelation 22:12-13 (12) …behold, I come
quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his
work shall be. (13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
the first and the last. Now, this is the last, so this belongs to
Laodicea. This belongs to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1:8. No place else
to go. Now watch verse 14, here is your relaxation. Revelation
22:14-15 (14) Blessed are they [who have washed their robes] …[and]
have right to the tree of life, and may enter… the gates [to] the
city. (15) [Because] without are dogs, and sorcerers, …whoremongers,
and murderers, … idolaters,… In other words, as I read, I read
It to you. I read It in Jude, I read It in Timothy, I read It in
Peter, and every place… and I’m not seeing, the very same things
here. But at the same time there was a Bride that was undefiled and
could not be deceived. There it is right here. Now, she’s had her
time of relaxation, because it’s all over. That’s why I can say
to you this morning, I’m not looking back. Nothing to look back to.
I’m not looking forward, nothing to look forward, I’m looking
right now. See, why I can’t go back, I’ve nothing to go back to.
I just came out of it, you wouldn’t want me to go back to what,
like what I came out of? Where would I go? I don’t know where I
would go. Where would you know where to go? This is not a time of
nervous tension concerning what has been done. You and I can be
nervous, because there’s things out here. Paul doesn’t say that
we’re not going to get it. Like Brother Branham, the devil’s not
going to get a lick in. He’s not talking about that! Relaxation
time is a place of faith coming to full fruition unto the knowledge
of God knowing the hour in which we stand. Knowing the things which
we know in Jesus Christ. See? All right, so, verse 8 is seen when
those Angels of flame come. The word of condemnation becomes
effective as a matter of course. How are you going to stop it? Things
are moving, moving. Brother Branham, ‘Countdown’, ‘Birth
Pains’. See, where it comes from.
70
All right, 10-12, 2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 (10) When he shall come to
be glorified in his saints, …be admired in all them that believe
[that’s it’s coming to them you see] (because our testimony among
you was believed) in that day. (11) Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil
all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with
power: (12) That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified
in you, and [you] in him, according to the grace of our God and the
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, when I preached that series here on the
Holy Spirit, Christ in you, and you in Christ the Vertical to the
horizontal the emersion in Him and He is us. Brother Branham said the
same thing. He said, “That Bride is going to have the Word, she’ll
know what to do with it?” But the Word is becoming flesh, the flesh
is becoming Word, and the Word is becoming Word. Paul speaks of this
end time brother/sister. Now, that’s verse 9 here. 2 Thessalonians
1:9 (09) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the
presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; Now, that word
‘punish’ is not punish. It means ‘meting out-justice
substance’. The meting out of justice when this takes place. See?
The Word of God goes into effect when everything that He said must
come to pass relative to the end time. Not just the Bride, he’s
speaking now of those that are out there in the world and are lost.
71
Now, the word ‘eternal ruin’ is ‘destruction’ with no hope of
recovering. All right, let’s find out about that one. Hebrews 6:1-3
(01) Therefore leaving… the doctrine of Christ, …go on [to]
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God, (02) …the doctrine of baptisms,
…laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the [godly], …
eternal judgment. (03) And this will we do, if God permit. What if
God doesn’t permit? In other words, there’s a time when it’s
all over, and you got to go someplace else. See? You got to go on to
perfection a finishing, a drawing of the last little thread in, the
last little polishing so the Bride can go. Now listen: Hebrews 6:3-6
(03) …this [we’ll] do, if God permit. [But God wouldn’t permit
it.] (04) For it is impossible for those who were once [for all]
enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, (05) And have tasted the good word of
God, and the powers of the world to come, (06) If they shall fall
away, to [never be] renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame. Just what It says here. And there’s no turning back, it’s
all over. What is it he’s talking about? The age of deception,
reality, reality, reality. Deception, deception, deception. God
Himself bringing deception. How does He do it? By bringing the truth.
And they say, “forget it.” And then the… the great crowd, when
the prophet of God was vindicated, then everybody rose up with a
bigger program, with a bigger ministry, with a bigger everything. And
they said, “Don’t tell me that’s not God.” And, “Millions
now living shall never die.” When a bare handful are going to be in
that Rapture standing there. Somebody’s messed up brother/sister.
See? It’s all over, the Presence of the Lord. It says here: “And
from the Presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.”
Okay?
72
Let’s go to Acts the 3rd chapter: and see the Presence of the Lord.
I know I’m really dishing out too much, but it’s alright, I just
preach my notes and that’s all there is to it. Now It says here:
Acts 3:19 (19) …when times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord. Oh, mighty tremendous revivals, thirty, forty,
how many years has it been going on? Since 1946. Thirty-four solid
years of tremendous ministry, before that even. Never died out. But
you know something? He’s standing there to do it, but we’ll be
gone. Yep, It’s all sealed up. I’m trying to show you there,
there are two things going on, true vine, false vine. Reality,
deception. The real anointing of God on the wrong group. You’ve got
the whole thing here. Then when you’ve got this, you got the Bride
coming and growing up right into… right into Christ, where He can
be taken away, and over here you’ve got the other thing going on
the same time. Righteousness being fulfilled. Sin being fulfilled.
I’m trying to show you the whole picture, and you can only see it
in the Light of Christ Himself here as soon as it’s done. The
Parousia is not what people think It is, It’s what the prophet
taught It is. And prove His Presence by the great miracle ministry.
And then It says in Acts 13, as soon as the great miracle ministry
took place, what did they do? They turned down the revelation, the
Word of God revealed by Elijah the prophet. Then what was left?
Nothing but the false anointing.
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And what happened after the false anointing of Acts the 2nd chapter:
“Your sons and your daughters, my sons and your daughters?” And
It said, “The moon turned to blood, and the sun to darkness,”
great tribulation sets in. See? In other words, brother/sister once
that Judge Appears, He has got to judge the world by One Christ Jesus
the Word. It’s not God hopping up and down in anger. No, God’s
Word’s got to be fulfilled, It’s got to come right down here,
down the line. Meting out justice, meting out justice. How can God
not meet out justice? Now, the only time He comes in anger is when
the cup is completely filled at the end time at Armageddon, that’s
the one time, wrath comes, He just blocks the whole thing out. But
this is not that time. It’s pointing toward it. Now, “and from
the glory of His power.” Look-it, go over to, Ephesians 1:15-17
(15) …after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto
all the saints, (16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in my prayers; (17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation [of] the knowledge of him: We’re talking about His
Presence. The Spirit comes into the Church. Not bodily, Christ’s
bodily comes in, the Parousia is the Spirit of God Himself. The
Logos. Ephesians 1:18-20 (18) The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that [you] may know what is the hope of his calling, and
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19)
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he
wrought in Christ,… And when the Resurrection is over, they missed
It, that’s what he’s talking about here in Thessalonians. How are
you going to be in the Rapture if you miss the Resurrection? You’ve
missed His Presence, you miss His power, you’ve missed Him. Missed
the Parousia. Got sucked in by lies. See? People are still being
sucked in by lies. I ain’t going to mention no names, that’s
their business not mine. They missed it all, too late, no recovering.
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Now, let’s go to verse 10. 2 Thessalonians 1:10 (10) When he shall
come to be glorified in his saints,… [no, when so ever He shall
have come.] It tells you that at the time there’s a sort of future
perfect tense here. All this will take place. Look, if the Word is
becoming flesh, there’s only one place It can become flesh that’s
in a Bride. It’s already been flesh in Jesus. See? The Word in
every Age is always become flesh, that is true. But we’re talking
about this end time, the ‘when-so-ever’ that takes place, all the
rest falls into line, and you couldn’t stop it if you tried! People
are getting weary right now! I predict if Jesus does not come back in
the sense that we meet Him in the air in the physical, there’ll be
people fall away from this Message. They’re going to have to,
because they’re going insane in there right now. When you can make
William Branham the Logos, and people assume, and take leadership,
and I see carnality. The last ever seen in the church in two thousand
years is going on amongst us now. The whole world is all but insane.
You listen, you wonder why I explode up here and use X-rated language
and everything else, I’ll tell you why, because I’m fed up past
here. But I ain’t going to stop it. Nothing I can do, nothing you
going to stop anything. It’s not going to change anything. You can
pray and fast all you want, and the most you’ll get is an empty
stomach and a headache. You take any means, you’ll never stop the
hand moving. Because when He shall have been renewed with those
mighty Angels, justice begin getting meted out and a true Bride goes
into a state of relaxation. Not comatose, I’m not talking about
that. Not that she’s not going to have pressure, but she says,
“This is It.” See? She’s walking a different way. Nobody
understand her. And let’s face it, she doesn’t need to worry. And
you know today, women today worry about their husband being snatched,
or the boyfriend being snatched. Let me tell you flat, the Jesus that
I know is my husband, I think in the female tense now, no woman would
want to snatch him or grab him. I’m perfectly safe. And the
Husband, the Bride has to do is being revealed. The church does not
want Him, there is no danger. They wouldn’t want to try to make
love to Him, or let Him make love to her. That’s what Brother
Branham said, they turned down. For Christ cannot make love to His,
(to the church) she turned Him down flat. See? “When so ever He
shall come.”
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Now listen, this has all happened, it is already accomplished by His
Presence. 2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 (10) [We are… No… now, are not
10 and B] …(because our testimony [was believed] among you…) (11)
Wherefore… we pray always for you, that… God would count you
worthy… and fulfil… [his] good pleasure… (12) [In] the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and [you] in him,
according to the grace… Isn’t that just what we read over there,
or could have read in, Ephesians 1:13-16 (13) In whom [you’ve]
…trusted, after… [you] heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation:… [and now full of the Holy Ghost…] (14) Which is
the earnest of our inheritance… (15) Wherefore I also, …I heard
of your faith in the Lord Jesus [Christ], and love unto all the
saints, (16) Cease not to… making mention of you in my prayers;
This, here in Ephesians is the same thing he said in Thessalonians.
But where one he identified as the Parousia, he identifies what the
Parousia is, which is the Holy Spirit, the Logos Himself comes in
amongst the Bride. She does not come into Him, He does not come into
the Bride brother/sister, we are all… the Spirit of God is already
in the Bride as the life of the father is in the children. But He is
amongst us as a Father can stand amongst His family.
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Now, chapter 2and verse 1 of 2 Thessalonians 2:1 is the Parousia. We
saw that. And verse 2, begins to deal with the day of the Lord which
follows the Parousia. And that actual great day when the Kingdom is
to be taken over by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Now, he said, 2
Thessalonians 2:3 (03) Let no man deceive you by any means: that day
shall not come, [first] …come… falling away first, that man of
sin be revealed, the son of perdition; You don’t have to worry
about it, all these things have got to be fulfilled. But remember,
that the Presence of the Lord comes before that time. So therefore,
the Presence or the Parousia is before the Coming when He has the
showdown with the antichrist. It is not as people have taught. We are
going to go and confront Him in the air and see Him.
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Now, what is that Presence, and what is He doing? Okay, we go to
Colossians the 3rd chapter: You won’t have to come back this
afternoon I can see that, I won’t be back anyway. If you want to
come back it’s fine by me. I’m going to be missing. Watch.
Colossians 3:4 (04) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
[future tense] then shall [you] also appear with him in glory. That’s
the same thing that he said in Thessalonians. No difference. He’s
not saying one thing here, one thing someplace else, Parousia, is
Parousia. This is not Parousia though. This is ‘Phaneroo’. Now,
what does the word ‘Phaneroo’ mean? It does not mean ‘appear’,
it means ‘manifest’, because it means, ‘to more than appear’.
Because a person may appear in a false guise without a disclosure of
what he truly is, a wolf in sheep clothing. To be revealed, to be
manifested in ones’ true character. Beware of false prophets, they
go around exactly like they’re sheep; they’re a bunch of wolves.
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Okay, let’s go to John 3:21. Let’s just take a look at this, I
used this verse before. John 3:21 (21) But he that doeth truth
[comes] to the light, that his deeds may be… manifest, that they
are wrought [of] God. [Proof, identified.] Let’s read the verses
16-21. John 3:16-19 (16) …God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the
world to condemn the world; but the world through him might be saved.
(18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: …he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God. [Now, that sounds real good, now let’s
get the explanation.] (19) And this is the condemnation, that light
is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil. What if you all about a wrong Jesus as
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11: another Jesus than what he preached?
Are you willing to bring what the revelation of the Word says, to the
Light and find out? I want to find out why the Trinitarian cannot
come to the Word of God and find there’s only one God. I cannot
understand the Trinitarian’s. He’ll tell you every stupid thing
under high-heaven, and end up saying, “Well, it’s a great
mystery.” You know what the Trinitarian says? It’s always the
same old story, like a jug of water, “Put out three glasses and you
pour it, and you see it’s all gone.” They say, “There you are
He’s one God, because you see the one God is in three glasses.”
Well, that’s three. Where do you get the third, when the Bible
says, “Jesus is a man?” Now, you only got two.
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Ephesians the chapter 4 says, “He came back as the Holy Ghost.”
Now we got one. Bring It to the Light. See? You can talk about Jesus
all you want, when the Word test comes. Did you hear what I said a
while ago here? Listen: John 3:18-21 (18) He that believeth on him is
not condemned: …he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(19) And this is the condemnation… [this is where condemnation
comes about the… unbelieving bit.] …men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that
doeth evil [hates] the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, [now it’s true, truth comes to the light] that his deeds may
be made manifest, that they are [the] wrought [of] God. All right,
that’s that word ‘manifest’, right there. It said that Jesus at
the end time in the time that the saints are glorified, He is going
to be perfectly revealed as to His true identity. Isn’t that what
Vine said about himself, He being His sign? See?
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Okay, 1 Corinthians 4:5. Hope I’m not losing you now, because it’s
alright, just trying to get some thoughts on this. But then you can
always get a tape, if you’re not too bored you can hear it again. 1
Corinthians 4:5 (05) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until
the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and…
every man have praise of God. Right there, you’re going to fine it
exactly what you did, but more particularly why you did it. What was
behind it? See?
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Now, place this with 2 Thessalonians chapter 1: see? When He’s
going to be revealed. He Appears. That’s what He is, He’s
Appearing. In other words, He will be thoroughly exposed… let’s
look at some more Scripture, just let you know what Scripture is
involved here. And what these words really mean; when you talk about
these words, that these fundamentalists use, they just bandy around
ever so easily. I was in the same boat years ago. 1 Peter 5:4 (04)
…when the chief Shepherd shall appear… [really manifest who the
Chief Shepherd really is.] Then why do people even believe some pope
or not? Brother Branham could stand back there and say the very fact
He’s here. They say, “Now, who’s the great one, some pope?”
No. There’s a time coming when Jesus has to absolutely reveal
exactly Who He is. Now, you say, “Well, that’s going to happen
over the other side, and I’m going to prove to you It doesn’t.”
No siree. No.
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Let’s go to 1 John 2:28. This is that same Word now, manifest, or
appear. 1 John 2:28 (28) And now, little children, abide in him;
that, when he shall appear,… When you really see Who He is, you may
have confidence. In other words, you can be part of the revelation.
All right, now come on, let’s get the real tough one, the real
goodie, goodie, goodie gumdrop. 1 John 3:2 (02) Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it [never] yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall… [be manifested at the time of the
definitive, revelation, of exactly God in His true character, the
unsealing.] You’ll be like Him, and if you don’t see Him, you’ll
never get the change.
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Revelation 3:18 (18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the
fire, that [you may] be rich; [in] white raiment, [you may] be
clothed, …the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;… You know
something? There’s coming a day when this Bride won’t have any
thought or concept to what she is in herself. It’ll just be God’s
concept. Could have said it right here, the shame of your nakedness.
See, the world will never ever get a true concept of what It really
is the world church can’t do it. She never will. She won’t see
her nakedness, “we’re rich, increased in goods, we don’t lack a
thing.” You get the charismatic movement, there’s millions and
millions of dollars, their great vast churches. They’re in the
Catholic church, they’re running a worldwide revival, everybody is
speaking in tongues, they’re having a great time. But there’ll be
millions upon millions, the antichrist can come on the scene anytime,
a great religious fantastic movement. You think that she is going to
get a real picture of this? No, it’s impossible, but the Bride
does. She gets a real revelation of Him. She doesn’t worry anymore
about the fact of what she was. See, she’s under relaxation.
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Now, there’s another word that they used, that’s the word
‘epiphaneia’, the ‘shining forth’, like Matthew shining
forth, see? Okay, let’s go to 2 Timothy 1:10, just want to run some
words on it. I’ll try to get into the ‘coming’ another time, I
preached which I don’t know when, I got other meetings I could go
into, so I just want to get around to that. 2 Timothy 1:10 (10) But
is now made manifest by the appearing of our [Lord] Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death, and… brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel: Now, you see some say, “Well, that’s actually
when Jesus Christ is here in the flesh.” It doesn’t say that, It
says, “The Appearing is since that time.” Because it was by the
death that He abolished life and immortality and brought on life.
Now, what did Peter say at Pentecost? He said, “This One was raised
up first to you, and Christ was manifested.” Said, “The One that
you crucified and killed, here He is doing the same thing when He was
here upon earth.” See? Imagined area, shining forth.
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Okay, let’s go, I think that’s what I want. Yeah. 1 Timothy 6:14
(14) That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until
the appearing [the shining forth] of our Lord Jesus Christ: Now, with
that we can get 2 Timothy 4: And I want to get another on later on. 2
Timothy 4:1,8 (01) I charge thee… before God, and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and
his kingdom; [Same thing, verse 8,] (08) Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but… also that love
his appearing. [The shining forth, same thing.]
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Now, with that I want to go to, Galatians 1:11-12 (11) But I certify
you, brethren, …the gospel which was preached of me is not after
man. (12) For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it,
but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. There it is, what is that
time, that time is a shining forth is once more replaced with the
Light of the Word, the Light of Truth. In this hour He’s not only
Appearing, but He’s being revealed, Luke 17:30, “Even so be when
the Son of man is revealed, a period of time as in the days of Noah.”
And we read over here in 1 Corinthians 1:7-8, Paul said: 1
Corinthians 1:7-8 (07) …[they] come [from behind]; waiting for the
[Parousia] of [the] Lord… (08) Who shall also confirm you unto the
end, that [you] may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
See, there’s your relaxation, there’s your rest. There’s a
Bride coming to a place, she’ll go right to the Tree of Life and
live forever.
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Now, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (03) Let no man deceive you by any means:…
[they] come a falling away first, …that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition; [All right, he’s going to have his revelation
too.] But watch down here in verse 13, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (13) But
we are bound to give thanks [always] to God for you, brethren beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation through sanctification… and belief of the truth: We will
not be in that mess they’re in, because we have the Word of
Almighty God to help us. Now, 2 Thessalonians 1:7. I’m just hitting
these rapidly. 2 Thessalonians 1:7 (07) …you who are troubled rest
with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his
mighty angels, Revelation 10:1, Ephesians 1:17, all the way down the
line you can see that He is being revealed, because He is Appearing.
He is Appearing, which is the ‘apocalypses.’ That’s what
happened in Luke 17:30, is being revealed. In 1 Corinthians 1:7-8,
He’s being revealed, the curtain is being drawn back on Him, right
down the line, Christ has been revealed.
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Now, and how has He been revealed? In, Ephesians 1:17 (17) …the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you
[Church] the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
It is done by the Spirit of Almighty God. Acts the 3rd chapter, the
revelation comes by… at the end time through a prophet who is
vindicated, for the word ‘Presence’, the Presence of the Lord in
Acts the 3rd chapter that which is visible to the eye. That which is
invisible to the eye. And Jesus said, “If I had not done the works
that no other man did, they’d have not sinned, but now they’ve
both seen and hated both me and my Father.” The Presence of God was
seen there by the mighty works, the Presence of God are seen at the
end time by the same mighty works. See? I see again. It says in, John
1:18 (18) …the only begotten…, …is in the bosom of the Father,
he hath declared him. [or exegeted Him.]
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And over in Luke 2:30-32. Now: Luke 2:30-31 (30) For mine eyes have
seen thy salvation, (31) Which thou hast prepared [or ordained]
before the face of all people; In other words, this was not something
to behold in the desert, in a secret place. It’s not God, never
does something in a little corner. And says, “Come on over here,
you got to be one of us to get it.” I am not the product of William
Branham taking me aside and showing me something. I stood there, time
after time upon thousands of people and saw what God did. And saw the
evidence of vindication. And when he went to Africa he literally
shook the world, but the denominations turned him down flat. When he
refused to ordain a woman preacher the Baptist kicked him out. The
Baptists’ ought to have known better. See? It’s not done in a
corner.
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The miracles and might of Jesus what He did said the world’s
library could not hold his books. William Branham in one meeting, I
myself being there, saw more than what the history books contained.
And I’ve got to have the history books just before I could begin
writing for him. I got the history books. In one meeting, there’s
more than what the history books contained through the ages. As he
himself could say, “Jesus Christ had more success in His ministry,
in my life, than He had in His Own.” Not something done in a
corner. He said before the face of all people. This is what it’s
all about. It’s not something done in a corner, some little thing
that… some little group that you’ve got to come and join us. You
got to be here. That’s why I keep telling you, nobody has to listen
to me. I preach hard, I preach as though I believe it, because I do
believe it. But you don’t have to believe it. No, no, no. No
problem. In fact, if I got twenty people believe in me, I’d know I
was wrong. It’s that simple. Don’t worry, they don’t believe in
me. Luke 2:32 (32) A light to lighten the Gentiles,… Christ always
was a Light to the Gentiles. He Himself never ever came to them
physically, nor will He. It’s always a Light.
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All right, His Presence has got to be here before one solitary dead
is raised. He’s got to be here to Appear amongst the Bride. He’s
got to be here to reveal Himself to the Bride. He’s got to be here
to give the Light to the Bride. And He does It. And that’s what
it’s all about, and there’s only one thing left after that, that
is the Resurrection, then the Rapture. And the one thing I really
referring after this whole series is over, because the Parousia goes
right through to the end. To the catching away, to the Marriage
Supper, right through the end. The only thing left then is coming
back, the ‘Coming Back’, and they’ve got It all messed up on
the Parousia. “Oh, (they say) you see, the Parousia and the
Phaneroo, all that, that is the Rapture.” I have news for you my
brother/sister. And the news I read in 1 John 3:2, that if you don’t
see Him as He is, if He has not been revealed to you, or revealed
Himself exactly according to the Word and vindicated and proven; what
was the sign, that you know He revealed Himself to you? Tell me? “Oh,
Brother Vayle, I got this, I got that.” You have what you want, I
got the Bible.
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How will we know the sign? How are we going to know the sign? Take it
right down the line, that a vindicated man stood on the scene with
the Word of God, and God spoke and answered back, and you’ve had
It. And the rest of them turned It down flat, and took ministries and
went around saying, “We’ve got it.” “Many will come in that
day and say, Lord, Lord, have we not known so and so.?” “I never
knew you.” Why? Because you’re a wolf in sheep clothing. “But
now, hold it, how can I be a wolf in sheep clothing when I had every
manifestation of a sheep.” Because you see, you had the wrong
truth. You got that tree that brought death, the perverted word. Oh,
brother/sister it is close, full of [inaudible] I’ve given you I
don’t know how many Scriptures, and I didn’t read an awful lot,
but I could have had. Because you can crisscross this Bible back and
forth, and back and forth and It’ll dovetail every time with only
one message, a Message that a prophet brought. Not somebody that’s
got himself steeped in a theology. “For the Word of the Lord comes
to the prophet.” I got to go to the Bible and study. I got to try
to understand. But when you’re a prophet it doesn’t work that
way. The Word comes to the prophet. It’s the Word of God, it’ll
lie right in there, because you can’t add nor take from It.
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Brother, let’s get this flat, there’s a certain portion of
Scripture that defers or is relegated to every Age. And in this Age
the greatest of all is the Parousia, the Presence, the Logos Himself
coming down. The Pillar of Fire over Brother Branham’s head,
“Logos.” The same One that brought the Word to Paul, was the same
One that revealed the Word at the end time. “When that which is
perfect is come, then in part is done away.” In other words, all
the parts, it doesn’t matter anymore. We’ve come to the end of
the trail where you are, we are with God. All right, that’s the
Appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. I didn’t go into It as… the
last part as effective as I might have, I did it on purpose. I’ll
repeat it another time, and we’ll go into the literal Coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ, which is nothing to It, simple as ABC. Because
once the Bride is gone, there’s three and a half years tribulation,
three and a half years Marriage Supper. And a Bride comes down at the
end of the battle of Armageddon, and the Flaming Fire of God cleanses
the earth. The antichrist is thrown into hell, the earth is renovated
as in the days of Noah, and the people come on down in a Millennium
of a thousand years with David sitting upon the Throne and the whole
Bride in that era with the 144,000 surrounding Him. It’s almost
like anti-climax it’s so simple. But isn’t strange how the world
cannot believe, what a prophet taught, and yet it’s the only place
that the whole Word would line up was lined up. I’ve taken this
Bible and crisscrossed it as a fundamentalist. I’ve taken every
theory I’ve just gone crazy. And every time I’ve had it I’d
find that a Word over here plumb took me out of orbit and out of my
skull. But the minute you see what the prophet taught, every Word
lines up, it’s clear. That’s the way it’s got to be. The Lord
bless you, shall we rise. Heavenly Father, we thank You again for
Your goodness and mercy to us, for the patience of the people Lord,
how they love the Word, and I do such a terrible job, Father, with
It, so many, many times. But I know, Lord, there is in It just the
same a cross current it seems that they cannot fail to catch, Lord,
with any perception whatsoever, if they have any perception. I
believe the do. They’ll catch that cross current in there where it
goes all the way through, that it is got to be that one thing even as
declared by the prophet. Because it is that one thing, that Scripture
lining up point by point. Lord, we know that there is so many words,
there’s only so many verses. That is very wonderful, we can see
that each time we look at It, It just becomes clearer and clearer,
because things open up more and more, because the understanding is
there. Therefore, It lies now within the realm of what man would call
logical and clear. But it isn’t, it’s a revelation, and that
revelation is good for us. Father God, I pray that there won’t be
one person here today that’s been hurt in any way, shape, or form,
or rather help build up. And I pray, Lord, also because Your Word is
taught here, it is Your Word that heals. And, Lord, if Your Word can
heal our mind of the abuses of the doctrine which we have known, know
now to be wrong, Lord, I have to repent so much over all the doctrine
I’ve had. Then, Lord, then how much we know too, that that which
can heal the mind, can heal the body. And so, we’re praying, Lord,
that those here this morning will have a touch from God. Lord, I
believe for it, for myself. Believe for every person here, there
isn’t one missing out on the hand of a God, blessing and helping
that being gracious and kind and good for You certainly are. And we
praise You for it, Lord. Oh, what a day we’re living in. What an
hour we’re living in. It’s a tremendous, tremendous hour, Lord,
and the greatest thing of all is that here the Logos is in the midst
of the Church revealing Himself, showing the perfections of Himself.
O Lord, it is not finished yet, because we haven’t even come to the
Resurrection. What an hour that’s going to be, in the Resurrection.
What an hour that’s going to be, when the Bride starts to go up.
What an hour that’s going to be, at the entering in for the great
hall of the Supper. Lord, surely, it’s marvelous to know that we
have entered in to that relaxation Paul speaks of. You’re in the
flow of It now. You’re in the swim of It. There’s water from
Ezekiel’s temple to carry you over. And we thank You for It this
morning, Lord. So bless ever home here, Lord God, and every need I
pray might be taken care of, and whatever Your will is in our lives,
Lord, may we hear from heaven, and do Your complete will, by the
leading of God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Let’s just sing a
little song, ‘Take the name of Jesus.’ Copy of Tab 1 Teaching on
Prayer #02 An Attitude of Prayer
October
24, 1993 #21993 Brother Lee Vayle Page 1 of 30 — Leevayle.ne
