Second Coming of Christ

Second Coming of Christ

Bro. Lee Vayle - January 22, 1970

a) Very happy to be here tonight. I was at a meeting quite some time ago and a very sweet preacher got up and said, "Very happy to be here." And the way that he looked at, boy I'd sure hate to be around when he got mad. [laughter] And then I thought, now I do that myself. So, I determined when I ate supper I'd stick a knife in my mouth go...and I said, "I was happy to be here." I could grin and act as though I meant it. And, well I am happy to be here, and I trust that together we're receiving a blessing from the Lord. I got here tonight and Bro. Perry said, "You need a shave."

I said, "That's not a five-o'clock shadow, it's six-o'clock shadow." I got up and started driving and I'm kind of like my father-in-law used to say, he's Norwegian, because he said 'swimal'. I don't what 'swimal' is, I think it's when you lean over and the blood goes to your head, (you know) you get up and you're sort of dizzy, and you sort of wobble. Well, that's who I am tonight, I help my vision with my glasses, that will help some, but I don't know what's going to help my head too much. Of course that's alright, I'll pray before I start preaching. [Bro. Vayle chuckles] Trust the Lord to give me a little help there.

b) I got thinking, it's easy to complain when you're tired and, (you know) think that you're (you know) you're somewhat a little put upon by nature, (you know) because we're getting older and even some of us aren't too old. I'm not speaking of myself now, because I'm getting around. Like Bro. Branham said, "Twenty-five, twice around." Which reminds me our granddaughter one day said to her mother, (she said) your grandma and grandpa sure must have a lot of money."

"What make you think that?"

"Well, they all bring me presents."

"Well, that's just because of love, they bring you some little thing."

So Carol said to little Mary she said, "Now, look here (she said) grandpa even gave up his life insurance and they don't have anything set aside for the future." Well, of course there's no future you know. "Why, (she said) and grandpa's getting real old."

And she said, "I want you to know my grandpa's not real old. Why he just looks like twenty to me."

I said, "Yep, third time around."

Third time round, but talking about this old age you see coming on and is set upon by little problems . I think those of us who heard Bro. Branham preach that great sermon, 'The Anointed Ones at the End Time' [07-25-65] which was really a compilation, or you might say a complete delineation of what he so often taught us concerning these end time men, who were anointed, but they were in themselves false.

And he asked me after he preached he said, "Did you notice anything wrong? "

And I said, "No I didn’t notice a thing."

He said, "About the way I was in my preaching?"

"I said, "No, sure was mighty wonderful."

He said, "You know, (he said) I never was sicker in my life when I preached that sermon."

You'd never know it. So, you know, feeling better already. [Bro. Vayle chuckles] I said, "Many a time that man was so sick, he just hung on to that pulpit, but you never knew it. So beaten down, but you'd never know it.

c) Well, you could give 'The Anointing of God' a lot of credit, and I believe the anointing of God is worthy of a lot of credit. But, there are people too who pay the price of a sacrifice. And he was that type of man. So, we're a little, have a little problem now and then, which we all do. And you know how it is, I suppose we bring our own problems on ourselves much of our lives. We don't take care of ourselves, you know.

Like, one night I was talking along the fact Jesus had said that, "If I tell you earthly things you don't believe, how are you going to believe heavenly things?" You just take a kid that's twenty years old aside, and you try to tell him what could hit him when he's thirty-five. Well, he's got the world by the tail, whoo, he's a hundred percent swell. He's going to live forever. Oh, he's healthy is he? Already at the age of twenty things are setting in your body. By the time you're thirty-five or younger, you'll feel them. In fact the way they're going through life right now, except for the mercy of Almighty God that He destroys this generation, there's going to be a terrible mess come the next one. It be just too far gone. So, you tell people earthly things. Just even how to take care of their bodies. They don't believe that either. How are they going to believe the truth, the Word of God? They don’t do that.

d) Well, I want to bring a little message tonight, it won't be deep for some, it might be too deep for others. But, I just preach it as I see it. And sometimes you know I'm a little like the fellow that the Lord anointed his eyes, and he came back seeing men as trees walking. So, he had to get a second touch, and he could see clear. And so, I just got to say things the way I see it, and many times I come back and I say, now I see a little different. Not that it was exactly wrong in the first place, I was seeing, but I wasn't seeing too clearly. And we all have that, but we just try to see a little more clearly each day and believe the Lord that this great Message will come into proper focus as the time goes on.

I was up in Canada this summer and never got back after I went up there. I found out something very surprising and very gratifying, although very strange my brother-in-law, one of my favorite brother-in-laws to be exact came down with Hodgkin's disease, and it's a cancerous problem and dying of it. And when I was in Shreveport in their last meeting that Bro. Branham was there, November '65, I asked him if he would pray for him. So we had the phone taken into a little hospital room where my brother-in-law was.

e) And there Bro. Branham prayed, and my brother-in-law, Marcel, received such a tremendous impetus or something from the Holy Ghost that he was crying and screaming. And Bro. Branham was very happy, believed that he received his healing, and he had. It was very strange later on then after that Bro. Branham was taken in the turn of the year, in '66 my brother-in-law died.

And I wondered how my brother-in-law died, perhaps he was not really healed. I found out however that was not the case, he was absolutely healed of Hodgkin's disease, there was not one trace of it. But what had occurred was that a man came to visit him and my sister said, "Don't come in, you've got flu. Don't visit Marcel leave him alone. He came in anyway.

Another man did the very same thing, and my brother-in-law died from the flu. He did not die from Hodgkin's disease. And the doctor said, "Annie, your husband shouldn't have died." I think he cursed about it. He had no right to die. He did not die of that disease. He died of a pulmonary disturbance that came, because men came in who didn’t have the common courtesy to say outside of the door of the man recovering and weak.

Strange, but however I didn't feel too bad. I mean, I felt bad that he was gone. A little healing testimony to the great healing power of Almighty God. And many people are healed, many people have been healed. I go around the country and I find just scores of people healed in Bro. Branham's great ministry. A ministry that God gave him to glorify God, and not glorify man.

And this is wonderful, because every other man was given a great ministry seems to me capitalized on it. Had magazines written where his name was written two hundred times in the Name of Christ maybe sixteen times, or twenty give Him a little glory. But, here was a man whose name is hardly known in this world, and yet such great healings took place, but the Name of Christ was exalted. This is wonderful.

f) Up in Canada also I felt led to go to some people that I used to know years ago. I loved them dearly, because he was a real friend of mine. You know that old adage 'a friend in need, is a friend indeed', that's really right. You know, like they say. Bobby Lambert was down in Miami City there walking around one day, and the Lord told him to go and talk to a colored fellow over there on one of the islands, and all this fellow had left was a nickel I think, and a hardboiled egg in his pocket. So, Bro. Lambert was able to feed him and talk to him about the Message.

Today the Message I believe it's in Barbados, or Trinidad or somewhere. Oh, Bro. Ojah(?) I kind of forget places as well as names, I'm like the absent minded professor. I never remember names, and always forget a face, so that's really a problem. But, you just never know what is going to happen, and as you're led of God, and this friend of mine was a friend indeed, because he'd help me when things were pretty rough in Canada. I was there in about 1951 this might have occurred, or '50 somewhere in there.

g) And I thought I'd better look him up, and I thought, "well now they're not even here in Vancouver, British Columbia, so I'll phone his son, if I can find his son in the phone book." It was an odd name, 'Pulkin'. That's P-u-l-k-i-n, I guess it is. I knew that I'd be able to find him in the phone book, And so, I looked for his son's name and lo and behold it wasn't there, but Steven's name was there. And I thought, "this is wonderful, it must be my old buddy and I'll phone him."

And he was so happy, his wife was so happy to hear from me. And we were on the phone, and they're German and she talks fast with her accent, and it was really something. And so, she was telling me, (you know) we in those days believed much about manifestations, we were great on it. You know, and tell people what's wrong with them, (you know) and all that sort of thing. Which is alright I guess for its day, and you really, (you know) it was a trap to the world. So, we were honest, that's why God let us out of it. But, she was anxious to have these things, for the Lord, so her discernment, so called, or word of knowledge she used it, was pretty good.

h) And on the phone she said, "Oh Bro. Vayle, Bro. Vayle a most wonderful thing happened you know, you know my mother knowledge is getting marvelous. My mother's knowledge is getting so marvelous, we even preached Sunday."

And I thought, "Oh boy, how am I going to talk to her?" Here I thought I was led of the Lord, and I have to talk to her and her husband, and I don't even know if I even want to go and see him, but now my foot's in her door, whether I want to put my foot there, I got to go and see him. So, I went to see them. And she said, "Bro. Vayle, I don't understand about this German, (she said) once in a while my discernment don't work. [laughter] I make a mistake."

And I said, "Honey, that's exactly why I quit doing it. Bro. Branham told me to stop it, because there's a margin of error."

"What do you mean "a margin of error?"

"Oh, that's the whole thing, It works one time, the next time it doesn't. And if you can make a mistake, it's wrong ...?...."

"I'm going to do that, bless God."

You talk about a change, she dropped it just like that. When I talked to her husband, he said, "Lee, ever since I saw Bro. Branham I knew he had to be some kind of a special man. I believe that he's that prophet of God." People just were waiting.

i) I walked into a home in Penticton, [B.C.] where a man was fed up to here. He said, "I just can't see anything to it." He's looking at Christians. (See?)

So, I said, "Ross, I'm glad you're exactly where you ought to be. Because I'm going to tell you somebody, there's nobody vindicated in this world living, but there was a man that was vindicated, and that man was William Branham." I took him right from A to Z.

And my brother-in-law stood there, and he can't wait now to sell out and come on down where the fire is. So, you just never know. The door's open, people come, and they're believing. And just in case you may be wondering how it is that this Message is still going forth, I'll just turn to this myself, you don't need to bother turning to It. Where It says here in Revelation 10:11,

(11) ...he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

In writing 'Twentieth Century Prophet', I asked Bro. Branham if this referred to him? He said, "No, that is the Word." (See?) So, the Word's going out. And I'm happy to pray daily for all the world. I can't name them all, because I don't know them all. But, I don't believe a day goes by, but I pray for those men in Europe, and those men in Asia. Those men in Africa. Those men around the world that are taking this Message.

j) Many people wonder, what in the world did Bro. Wade pack up at his age and all and go over there, when we believe that Israel be born in a day. He's amongst the Arabs as far as I know. Would to God there were twenty ways to go. You say, "Well, I don't believe the way he believes." Well, bully for you, I'm sorry for you. Somebody is going out talking about that there's a prophet at the end time. "Elijah must first come." Talk about Christ coming second. He does, He comes after Elijah. And yet they're talking about Him coming, and they don't even know Elijah is supposed to come first. There's only a little tiny group that's aware of this outside of us, and that's a little group in Rochester, New York. And you know what? They're awful close to the truth, but they missed it. They missed it. You get their little books, you'll find out, they came awful close, but they missed it.

I've got a good friend that wrote him a letter, and he didn't get answered. You didn't get answered? Well, there's two of you. After all, they're busy. [laughter] Furthermore, you better know this, they're not here to be taught. They're here to teach. For as, thank God, we're here to be taught, because we're still being taught through the Word which was given to us through the prophet of God that we revere. Well do we revere him, because it is his lot? You know, 'respect to whom respect is due', is not a cliché, it is the truth. Too many people today are getting respect and are not worthy of it. You get these fellows today in a high power and authority here in America, the greatest nation that was ever raised up. And yet we have some of the greatest scallywags heading it.

k) Do you think this nation is a not mess, how come the 'booker' went out there with a vessel, and he couldn't even reach the Pentagon, they didn't even give him anything to destruct his secret stuff with? That in the Pentagon, that's in the high place, we better put not on our coins 'In God we trust', we better... I don’t know what we better do? We better get back to God. America better get back fast too. Because if our high places are destroying us, what's there left? Nothing but destruction.

Well, I was always a little bit of a fatalist, and my mother used to be ready to gnash her teeth, and bop me with one of the two by four. But, I always told her, I said, "Maw, I believe the sweetest day in my life is the day that I die. It's going to feel so good to just leave this body." Wasn't even born either, born again. She'd get so mad at me, but you know, one of these days there'll be some of us, we won't need to leave our body, we'll just take it with us. [Bro. Vayle chuckles] And it's going to be alright this time. Well, our time's gone right along, but I'll try to cut my message down, which I usually try. And...it's very, very hard trying, and then I don't make it.

l) I like what a friend of mine said in Indiana. He said, "I wouldn't say Bro. Vayle is long winded, he's just got a lot to say about the subject." And I thought now, "Wasn't that sweet?"[laughter] I loved that fellow, not just because he said that, he's a real pal of mine. But he got very discouraged, and so he quit the ministry and he got very disturbed, and he's not walking the way he used to walk, but we got hopes for him just the same. If he'd ever heard the Message that Bro. Branham had to bring the Word, it would have helped him. I keep telling him, "John, look Bro. Branham's Message saved my life." Or, I had to quit preaching too, decided to quit the second time. ...?... what's the use of preaching, except for this Message?

Everything else is a waste of time. There isn't anybody that's got vindication. And the thing is, they can't base it on anything that was vindicated. At least we're trying! I don't say we've arrived. Maybe somebody has, I haven't. And somebody think they're raptured. I say, "I must stick them with a pin and see if they bleed." [laughter] I'll prove they're ruptured, not raptured. [more laughter]

Now look, there's a potentially yes. Potentially yes, as God cannot fail. But, brother/sister, I believe in a catching up. And I believe when we are caught up we will have been changed, and we'll meet the Lord in the air. The word 'rapture' is 'a catching up' in the Greek. If we haven' t been... we say, "Where's up?" All right, it's a dimension. We have not been caught in a dimension yet, or we'd be seeing in that dimension.

Bro. Branham distinctly, absolutely, categorically set forth, "We will be changed in our members, before we see those dead." Come out of the graves. So, we're looking forward. Amen.

Let's pray:

Gracious Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for Your goodness and mercy tonight that's allowed us to come together. As we often said, Lord, You gave us strength to come here, and that's good, we appreciate that. But, in our inner most being, we appreciate beyond that the fact that You gave us the desire to be here, the compunction, O God, to be in this place, compelling us. And so we thank You, Lord, tonight that You've brought us together here to worship Your Name, by reason of the Word.

Now, Lord, let Your Word be true, and every word of man a lie. Let anything, Lord, that anybody would say, let it fall to the ground in such a manner, Lord, that it would just be, make people aware they've got to get right to the Word that can't fail. So, help us now, Lord, to be in the anointed Word, the revealed Word. Give us understanding tonight, and in everything we say, and everything we hear, and we'll ascribe the honor and glory to You, because You're worthy in Jesus Name. Amen.

1. Now, I want to talk tonight about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which subject you're well versed with. However, there may be one or two things that will come out to refresh your minds and help you a little. In 1 Thessalonians 4: we read beginning at verse 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.

(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 shall not prevent (or hinder) them which are asleep.

Now, that word...you know literally, the literal translation of that word, it's an old English word 'prevent' which really means 'pre-wainual', from the Latin means 'go before'. But Bro. Branham always translated that word 'prevent'. And he said it meant 'hindered'. And used to think well, he's...what he's done there is that he's looked at that word in the diaglott. And also he knows that in English it means 'hinder'. But it means 'to precede' in its proper understanding of the language today.

So, it's just a little switch in his mind. But, maybe on Sunday I can show you that it wasn't. When he used that word 'hinder' he absolutely...in fact tonight I think I can you that that word the way he used it, 'hinder' is absolutely correct. It's an absolute correct usage. It wasn't that he was quoting the Bible, it was that he was quoting the Bible for today. That's right. And he swung in here a lot of Malachi in that one word, and all of Revelation 3:14-22, is in that one word. Plus Isaiah and a bunch more thrown in.

2. Now, reading a little further: [1 Thessalonians 4:]

(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:

(17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up...

Now, that word of course you get the word 'Rapture', for that's what it is.

(17) ...caught up together with them (that are out of the graves) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Now, also with that 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

(7) And to you who are troubled (that's persecuted and reviled, you've got problems because you're Christians) rest with us, (that's the rest of faith of course, the faith) when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

(8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

(9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power;

(10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints,...

Do you realize in those two verses right there, there's a one thousand year jump? That's why people get confused about reading the Bible. They still don't know that the Coming's of Christ, are put in one breath, and that also the judgments of God may be put in one breath. And in here where It says, "In flaming fire taking vengeance," [verse 8] that's when the wicked are turned to ashes. And then It says, "punished with everlasting destruction," [verse 9] that's the White Throne judgment, a thousand years later. In fact thousands years later perhaps. (See?)

And so they say, "Well, now he can't come here, because It says this there." And they're trying to analyze, and synthesize, and use the human mind and it won't work. There's a thousand year jump. That's where Israel got fooled before. There's a two year jump. They absolutely were destroyed by not knowing.

3. Now, also Revelation 10:1-6 which you know very well along with these others.

(1) And I saw another mighty angel (or messenger) come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

(2) And he had in his hand a little book open: he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left on the earth,

(3) And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

(4) And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

(5) And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

(6) And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Now, for many years now the fundamentalist had set forth that the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is His literal return from Heaven to earth takes place in two phases. They should however say it has two facets. He first shall come according to them for His Church, (which is the Bride) in a secret Rapture. And according to their teaching she is taken from the graves in a resurrection. Then the living are changed to be like those resurrected, and together they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And they remain with Him say they, for seven years. Now, that's what they find in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, when the Lord descends with a Shout, the Voice the archangel, trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise first. And they which are alive and remain shall be changed and caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.

4. Then, at the end of that seven year period, the second facet comes into view, for Christ returns with His Bride, taking vengeance upon those that destroyed the earth, and they are openly destroyed as we saw in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.

Thus to quickly break down the doctrine of the fundamentalists, we find that the Second Coming of Christ in His corporal body has two facets, coming for His Own, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and Coming with His Own in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.

5. Now, however you notice that I read in Revelation 10:1-6. And here's is a mighty messenger whose description can be none other than the description of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Yet, you will notice, He is not Coming for His Own, and neither is He Coming with His Own. And yet, it is said, that He is standing upon the earth, for one foot is upon the land and on is on the sea.

Now, right away the argument will come from the fundamentalists. This cannot be Jesus Christ, because there are only two facets to His return. So, it must be somebody else. They got to say that. Or, this mighty messenger, if he has to do with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, must be a figure simply pertaining to that Coming, and is not a part of that literal Coming itself.

Now, you can see right here is where people go wrong, and why fundamentalism will never make the Rapture. Not because I say so brother/sister, because if I had my way they would all make it. See, but I'm not the Author and the Finisher of anybody's faith or salvation. I don't write the Book, I didn't write It, I try to preach It to the best of my ability. (See?)

6. Here's where they go wrong. Because they take their traditions, and then they try to prove their traditions by the Bible. Then when they cannot prove their traditions by the Bible, they explain away the Bible. (See?) Now, that's what we know happens not only in Rome, not only in the organized churches which we know positively have not any life whatever in them. But, this is also in the so called virile fundamental crusading revival bound fundamental church. Those that seemingly preach Christ and are on fire for souls, and would do everything they can to bring souls into the Kingdom.

Now, in the first place who says, that the Word of God sets forth, that's since Christ descended, He can only descend once. Now, you see right here is what they believe. They say He went away, He's going to come back, that takes care of it.

7. Now, when I was here before, I showed you something in the Book of Ephesians 4: (and I'm going to go into It again, for you who did not hear, or refresh your minds, those of you who were here.) You'll notice It says in Ephesians 4:8

(8) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(9) Now he that ascended,...

He that ascended, now who is he talking about? He that led captivity captive. (See?) He that took out those who were captive, because the perfect sacrifice had not yet atoned perfectly. They were shut up in a prison house waiting for Christ to come out of the grave and lead them forth. And he led captivity captive. (See?) He took them out of the graves and ascended.

Now, that's the One who ascended. Now, It says,

(9) (Now he that ascended, (this one) what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (See, that's what we're talking about.)

He became a man, he died, his spirit went back to God. Remember, Jesus was a man, always remember that, that's the first step, If you don't see that, that's the first step to being a Trinitarian. You've got three gods worked in there if you don't. See, you don't go that way. Jesus was a man. The Bible says he was a man. People get so worried about him being God, that they want to make it that God came down and intercourse with a woman and procreated a child. Hogwash!

8. God created our Lord Jesus the same way that He made Adam. Because Adam was the first Adam, and Jesus was the second and last Adam. Adam was the first man, Jesus was that last man. God came and indwelt him. Even when he died upon Calvary, the spirit went back to God. He went right up. The soul went to Hades; ("Thou will not leave my soul in hell.") The body went to the grave; ("He will not suffer to see thy holy one to see corruption,") [Ps 16:10] (See?) the spirit went down to Hades, joining itself to the soul; bringing out the redeemed; up through the earth, picking up the body, and they ascended. Now, that's this One that ascended.

Now notice now [Ephesians 4:] verse 10. He had to go through this first, before he could be above all principality and power and every name that's named. This is that Jesus. Jesus had been made both Lord and Christ. You get it? He had to go through this. Now, verse 10

(10) He that descended is the same also that ascended far up above all heavens, that he might fill all (in all.)

9. Now notice it, this is not repetition. It's not saying the same thing two different ways. It says, that this one that came down as a man, and God had made this Jesus here, both Lord and Christ, made them all this one, He came down again. (See?) That One came down, past-tense. He did. Fulfilling John 14. Now, get this, and this will help you I believe. Verse 16

(16) And I will pray the Father, (who's speaking? Jesus) and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

(17) Even the Spirit of truth; (I am the truth) whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,...

Did they see Him? "Sirs, we would see Jesus." [Jn 12:21b] They couldn’t see him, because he was veiled in the temple. But, they knew that God had to be in the vicinity, because they saw things that only God could do. Nicodemus said, "No man can do these things except God be with him." Well, he was right on the verge. He had more Pentecost, than the Pentecostal's. Pentecost hadn't even come. I believe he was seed.

(17) ...(yet the world) seeth him not neither knoweth him: but (you) know him; but (you) know him: ...(they knew him.)

Why, Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.: [Mt 16:16] Sure. Nathanael, all of them, Phillip, they were convinced.

(17) ...for he dwelleth with you, (Who was dwelling with him? Jesus was dwelling with them.) then he shall be in you.

18. Here's a man standing... "I'm going to come back and indwell you. I'm amongst you now, and in between you're walking around you. Of course you're the only one I could tell this to". Every-body else would laugh and say, "Ho, ho, ho, oh boy, these crazy religionist. That's why ...?.... today can't stand religion, they think you're nuts if you have a little something from God. First thing they do they say, "Now, if a woman or man needs help mentally, don't let them go to church. Unless there's a Dr, Peale, (you know) a type of social, so positive gospel. Which is using the laws of nature to bring God into existence, which is a type of idolotry. Naturalism, which is paganism. Using God's Own Words, and God's precepts and God's laws, to make God of their imaginations, in an naturalistic type of thing.

(18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Now, notice in [John 14:] verse 23

(23) Jesus (said) ... If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Notice that? Jesus said, "I'm coming back." He said, "The Father is coming. He said, "The Spirit is coming." He said, "I am coming." And they all came back when the Holy Ghost came, because there's one God.

19. Now, the Bible distinctly says here, if you'll notice now, go back to Ephesians again just to make sure that we know what we're talking about. Because it's always nice to know what we're talking about, which many people don't. It said, "He got descended." You don't find the Holy Ghost going to the lower parts of the earth, although He did come down. You don’t find the Holy Ghost laying in a tomb. You're talking about Jesus. And the Scripture says that, "Jesus literally descended to the earth."

Now, you can see why people had better watch out, the Bible doesn’t just become a bunch of clichés to them. Or a bunch of little sayings that you think you can build upon. Say, "Well, I'm looking for the return of Christ." Well, glory to God, He actually came back two thousand years ago. Bible said He descended. Bible said He came down. He said He would be amongst them, He'd be in them. So therefore, he'd return. But, that could do something to the thought couldn't it, the return of Jesus Christ?

Now, right here is where some people caught on to this. They said, "But Jesus has come back, He has come back as the Holy Ghost. So therefore, you do not look for Him now, to come in a corporal body." See, they trapped themselves, because they've got an idea, go away, come back, that does it. Maybe like to go away and come back, and go away and come back, and go away and come back? Maybe He would. But you see, nobody wants to think along that line. Right away that would be a heresy. That doesn't conform to the fundamentalists idea. That doesn't conform to the thinking of the world of the religious people today, so they couldn't think of that.

20. Now, if Jesus Christ came back as the Holy Ghost, obviating His return for His Bride when she'll be caught to meet Him, wow, what are we going to do with the very verses that says it's going to happen? (See?) See the trap? We get into, we're just fundamentalist, just those with a closed mind, and everything, look we hear has got to be heard in a certain way that's we've been taught? Now, you can see why Bro. Branham wouldn't be very popular, no more popular than Moses. I understand Moses only got two in over twenty. (Right?) Joshua and Caleb. All the old ones, they were too well trained in theology couldn't make it, they couldn't see.

Now, if this is not sufficient to make the fundamentalist see the error of his way. let us ask yourselves this question: are there actually Scriptures, other Scriptures concerning the literal Appearing of Almighty God to His people? Because remember, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is an Appearance. It's a revelation and It's an Appearing, the Bible distinctly says so.

21. All right, what about the fact the He Appeared to Adam and Eve in the Garden? What about the fact He Appeared to Samuel in Shiloh? What about the fact He Appeared to Abraham and Sarah? What about the fact He Appeared to Samson's parents? Because the angel said, "My name is not secret, (that's a wrong translation, He said,) My name is Wonderful." And that's one of His Names. What about His Appearing to the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace? What about the fact that He Appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and to Israel in a Pillar by night and a Cloud by day? What about the fact that He Appeared as a Pillar of Fire at Pentecost, literally was seen as He descended to earth with the Holy Ghost, and indwelt the people? What about the fact that He Appeared to Paul, because Paul said He Appeared to me as one born out of due season?

Now notice, all of these occurred on earth and were not visions. Oh, we could get around a lot of these, "I had a vision." Paul had a vision. Abraham had a vision. Oh, vision ate a calf? [laughter] My that's interesting. A vision in a fiery furnace? Then the fiery furnace was a vision. I like a fiery furnace for a vision. You see the trick of the fundamental problem today brother/ sister? But you're not teaching them anything. I only bring this to your attention to show the solid ground you're on tonight brother/sister. (See?)

22. He descended, and He appeared. Thus it is not strange to find that Scripture sets forth not two facets, of this which we term the Second Coming of Christ, but three. And this is wonderfully Scripture because God does everything in three's. As Bro. Branham taught it, three Resurrections, manifest God in three. We manifest in three: body, soul and spirit. Everything is in a three.

So, it's not strange that God should manifest this literal return that we're looking for now after the two thousand years since He went away in his corporal body. There can be a three-fold Appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

23. With this in mind, let's go back to Revelation 10: and see that this is indeed the Lord Jesus Christ, because this could be nobody else. Now:

(1) ...I saw another mighty (messenger) ...

Now, this word of course is the same in the Hebrew and the Greek. It is simply a 'messenger'. And now lest Scripture tells us whether it's a heavenly messenger, or it's given to us by a context, it's identical whether heavenly or earthly, it's simply a messenger.

But, you will notice It says that:

(1) ...(this messenger came down from heaven, ...(so therefore, It is a heavenly angel, or a heavenly messenger.)

Now, is this scriptural that this messenger could be the Lord Jesus Christ?

24. In the Book of Malachi, (as we're very familiar with and dearly love) chapter 3:1, you will notice It says in verse 1

(1) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom (you) seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,...

Now, I want to be so bold here as to make a statement, you don't have to take this if you don't want to. Because I don't know if that I can find this on a tape to bear my out. But, I'm going to show you what I see here. Let's read It again:

(1) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:...

We know that's John the Baptist appearing before the Lord Jesus Christ. But notice:

(1) ...and the LORD, whom (you) seek, ...

First of all, were they actually seeking the Lord? They could have been, they were looking for a Messiah. But, this pinpoints it here to the best of my knowledge, that this Lord here, (I made a note somewhere, but I'm not quite sure I've got in the Bible, so I can read It to you) of whether this is Adonis or Jehovah. This is Jehovah, this is the Lord in verse 3 and 1, is sovereign Master, and Ruler. So therefore, the Lord, your sovereign Master and Ruler whom you seek shall suddenly come to His temple.

25. Now, the question is, did He come suddenly to His temple? This could be answered in the affirmative in one way, that the Holy Ghost did fall in the River Jordan as John came up out of the water. So, it could refer to the literal Coming at that time. However, I do not believe it. If it did, it has to be two complete fulfillments. And especially in this day, because we know Who God really is. Sure we do, we really know who He is. And notice It says,

(2) ...even the messenger of the covenant, whom (you) delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Now watch:

(2) But who may abide the day of his coming?...

Now, they never had that trouble He came as a sacrificial lamb. To me, this refers positively to the Second Coming, as we call It, of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I say, I have no record of a tape. I have on record at this time having heard Bro. Branham ever speak on this. Except that he's typed John once, as a messenger of the covenant. And then categorically stated in 'The Unveiling of the Mighty God', that It was Jesus the Messenger.

26. So therefore, Jesus was that Messenger, and yet, this is so linked up with...another descent. (See?) The same Messenger descending again at the last time. So, we have every right with Scripture corroborating Scripture, that Christ Who is the Messenger of the covenant, He came as a Messenger of the covenant in a human body. And now He comes described as an Angel, or a Messenger descending from Heaven again as a covenant Messenger. And remember, if He's a covenant Messenger, He's going to have to be descending to the people with whom He's got the covenant. And that's the Gentile Bride brother/sister.

Now, notice It says here, He came from Heaven, He coated with a cloud, "Behold He comes with clouds," clothed with a cloud. That's Revelation 1:[7a] also the Book of Acts, "where in like manner they seen Him go away, clouds took Him out of sight." [Acts 1:9] "A rainbow was upon His head." [Rev 10:1a] Now, just a minute. If the rainbow is upon this One's head, then this One is the One seated upon the Father's Throne, because the rainbow's over the Throne. Not an angel brother/sister, this has got to be the Son of God Himself.

And remember, that rainbow is of peculiar significance. It's not a covenant of beauty; it's not a covenant of joy; it's not a covenant of something to give you great faith and an energy of worship toward God. It's God's flat covenant of destruction. Because He said, "I'll not destroy the world by water, but I'll destroy it by fire."

27. Now, there's only One Who is going to take flaming fire working judgment, going to destroy the world and that's the Creator of the world Himself. So therefore, if this One Appearing with the covenant rainbow descending to earth He is telling the people it's judgment time, and I'm going to destroy everybody but My covenant people. Now, you can't get by that unless you wanted to, it's alright by me. But, you'll get by, because that's the Scripture.

And It says, "His face was at it were the sun." That's Revelation 1: again. And His feet as pillars of fire. That's Revelation 1: again. And He had in His hand a little Book opened, I think that's about Revelation 5: Because remember, One took the Book from beside the hand of Him upon the Throne, and that One was the bleeding Lamb, which is the Lord Jesus Christ; Who now has the open Book. So therefore this has to be that One, and only one. And again, It said He set His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth, He's descended, (I'll just leave that a second) and cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars.

28. Now, Who has the voice of a lion? It's Jesus the Lion of the tribe of Judah; Who has the Voice of thunder, It's God as in John 12: when God spoke and they said, "It thundered." And you know all through the Psalms and the prophets it's just full of the fact of God speaking with the Voice of thunder. Yes we know that. "And then when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered." [Rev 10:4]

Now listen, who has anything to do with the Word of God, but the Spirit of God, which is Christ? "Because holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." [2 Pet 1:21] And again the Holy Ghost spoke by the mouth of David. "I was the Spirit of Christ signifying," said Peter, concerning Christ. So, this is without a doubt the Lord Jesus Christ and giving instructions concerning the very Word that He brought forth, because only the Holy Ghost can give instruction concerning His Word. No one but the Author of the Book can reveal It, and tell you what to do with It.

29. That's why they're so wrong today. They're trying to take the power of God and prostitute it. People all over the world are saying, "Let's use these great gifts and bring the world to God." How can you bring the world to God when God has said the whole world goes a whoring after the old beast? Well, I'm going to believe God. (See?) If it means that everybody dies but a handful of us, I'm still going to believe God. And if I'm outside of that handful, I'm still going to believe God, because that's what God said. I want to be counted amongst the believers. I'm sold on it. The believers, I'm sold on it.

Now, this is not to make us lazy, or be caught up in the devil's devices, so we wouldn't get any Word out. No! But it's to know where we stand. (See?) Like Bro. Branham said, "I've got to shake them away, I've got too many around me right now." (See?) Oh yes, definitely.

30. Now, and the angels I saw stand upon the sea, and upon the earth, lifted his hand to heaven, and swear by Him that liveth forever and ever." [Rev 10:5-6a] Who is He swearing by? The Creator. Now listen: you know as well as I do, in Hebrew 6: God swore by Himself. And nobody can swear by God, but God. So therefore, this One is God Himself and in His creatorial power, He is swearing by Himself concerning the things that are to be, which is time has run out.

Now, notice here, He said, "Time should be no longer." [Rev 10:6b] That has two available translations in the Greek. One is that 'time should be no longer', and 'time shall be no longer delayed', and I like them both. Because It tells you right now, that a certain indicated period of time has all but run its course, and nothing, but nothing shall stop it. (See?) This is the 'Rock' made without hands. That is now coming down to fall upon the feet of the image, and destroy it in total. That's exactly what is going to happen.

31. Now, notice here also that He said time shall be no longer, which is Omega. Alpha and Omega. Now, back in Ephesus He was Alpha. But at the end He's Omega. (See?) This is the end time now. (See?) And He's swearing by Himself that time has run out, and now the covenant that God has promised that He would destroy the wicked with a fire. But, before He destroys the wicked with the fire, He comes Himself as the Covenant Messenger, with the message of deliverance to a covenant people. (See?)

Now remember, He doesn't come for them at this time, and He doesn't come with them. There's no mention of God's people whatsoever. The key of course will be found in verse 7 as ...?.... Now, since this is Jesus Christ and He is manifesting in the heavens and earth, because that is what He's doing. You say, "How is He manifesting on earth?" Well now, remember, I stopped from one little verse that I didn't bring out here, where It says that He had His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot upon the earth.

32. Now, but watch: this microphone is just about right. Let's just say that this...top of the microphone is the world here. And here is the arm which is Christ, (like the body) and up here the fist which would be the head. Now, that's exactly what it would be like. I'm giving you a real true picture. Because if the earth is His footstool, and the very heavens cannot contain Him, how great is our God? And He wants you to get this picture, because His head is where the Son is, is where the Throne is, it's where the rainbow is, is where the cloud is, which is way up there. (See?) But, He feet are on earth.

And Bro. Branham in preaching on "Doing God a Service' in Shreveport said, "The high pillar of cloud, (which this is certainly typical of and bringing out beautifully) is God manifesting in the heavens and the earth.

33. Now, let me show you how this works. Remember a certain man called 'Nicodemus' came to Christ. And that's over here in John 3:13, and Jesus said,

(13) And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he (which) came down from heaven, ...

Now, notice it, He said man, right? Now watch it, (you're not wrong to say 'amen', it's best to nod you heads though, because I talk fast and some might miss it.)

(13) And (no) man, hath ascended up to heaven, but he (a man that) came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven.

As Bro. Branham said, "That's a good one." Figure that one out. Well, I don't pretend I got a lot of brains to figure the thing out. But to me, this is a perfect picture of Revelation 10: in reverse. Here, here is the Son of man Himself standing on earth. And He is God, very God incarnate. Make no mistake about it. But you'll notice, not once did he create, not once did he act on his own. He laid aside that part of him which was becoming to being a man. This is Philippians as Bro. Branham spoke of. 'The Unveiling of the Mighty God', and also, 'Christ the Mystery of God Revealed', he brings up both times.

34. Now, while he's standing there, God very God, he cannot create manifestly on earth. Neither does he manifestly show his sovereignty. Just said a little leak out, "Storm be quiet." (See?) "Fish, bring up a coin. Lazarus come forth." Just lets it trickle out.

But, here stands God ruling the heavens and the earth, and everything right from that Thorne. But, He's standing on earth. Now, He said, "No man came down." Went up, and one came down. What man? The Word! That's why William Branham was the Word for his day. A man sent from God. Just like John, it's the Word. It's the Word that came down. (See?) Therefore, this man came from God. And that same man, (Jesus) goes back. Which he did.

Now, in Revelation 10: see, you don't see Him here on earth walking in that body, he went back with. "Handle Me and see a spirit has not flesh and bone." [Lk 24:39] "This same Jesus shall so come like manner you see Him go." [Acts 1:11b] Change from this incorruptible, this corruptible into incorruption, and put on a body, these vile bodies (as Paul said in Philippians) shall be changed like His own glorious body. That's right. "We living here shall be changed, like those coming out of the graves." No! But notice, He is manifesting my brother my sister, exactly on earth, though He Himself is not standing here on earth, per se, of that man. While He still exercises His sovereignty in Heaven. Now, just keep that in mind, it all works out beautifully.

35. Now, since He is neither come for His own, nor with His own, and He's manifesting in the heavens and the earth, what is He doing exactly? According to the Word, He is crying out with the voice of thunder, the Seven Seal mystery of Revelation and Himself announcing the end period of time, the end of time.

But notice, as we said, His Head is up there, (that's where the Throne is) so how do we hear Him speak? (See?) Now remember, down here He was a man talking. And they said, "Oh who, who, this business ...?.... Did you hear what he said? Why he told Nicodemus, no man has ascended heaven, but He that came down from heaven." Every hear such nonsense? Why, that's enough to crucify him right there, blackballs him out of the club. And anybody else who went around him to become... a veritable scavenger. (See?) Why they couldn't take that.

Now, what does it sound like today, for me to stand up here and just reverse that? Say, you don't see Him. There He was, you couldn't see. God ...?.... the man, looked at the man, there was sovereign God controlling it all.

36. Now, you've got the thing reversed. You don't see Him here, but now you're going to see the very things that He did and proves He's God done right here on earth. Yet, He won’t be standing there as a man. Oh no, no, no. Though many people thought Bro. Branham was the Lord Jesus Christ. Correction, he was not the Lord Jesus Christ we well know. They understood this, and heard Bro. Branham's tapes. Heard them the way he preached them. They'd catch on to it. Certainly.

Now, you've got it in reverse. Standing there not having descended in the corporal body to consort with His Bride at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. He is manifesting in the earth, just as though He were here and He's not, just as He's manifested from there, and He was here. Well, that's what Bro. Branham said, because he said, "It's the Lord Jesus manifest in the earth. All I can do is go by my Bible." If He said it, I know It's got to be in the Bible. I've got no problem there, as long he said it, that's good enough for me. I can find even those things in there that I thought were backward, he got them exactly right. Maybe his funny expressions were exactly right. Found one in the Greek, I should have written it down, never did write it down, and I lost it. But, I think it has to do with fits perfectly or something. Right? Just like that.

37. And if you think the Greek doesn't bring it out, how come Dr. Hoyer stood by my side and not too long ago in Chicago and said, "Bro. Vayle, (he said) you won't feel bad if I say something?"

I said, "Why no, Bro. Hoyer."

He said, "Now, we'd still be friends won't we?"

I said, "Sure."

He said, "I got something, ( he said) I just couldn't say it to everybody."

"What is it?"

He said, "I believe the creative Word of God will be found in the Bride."

I said, "Did you, (I said) Bro. Branham taught it, give you a dozen tapes." [laughter]

I don't know where he got it out of the Greek. I didn't bother asking him, but I know he's perhaps the world's greatest student of the Greek and Hebrew. Sure.

38. Now, notice if He is speaking and it's a reverse as it were of John 3:13, how can we hear Him speak? Well, did you not notice the feet on earth were Pillars of Fire? How did God speak to Moses upon Sinai? Was it not by a Pillar of Fire? How did God speak to John the Baptist? Was it not by a Pillar of Fire? Did He not speak to Paul by a Pillar of Fire? And has He not said that He would do the very same thing at the end time in Revelation 10:7? Because there it is. (See?)

(7) ...in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,...

Notice, the identification, messenger, messenger. "He that receiveth you, receiveth Me. He that turns you down, turns Me down." (See?)

(7) ...in the days of the voice of the seventh (messenger),...

Now notice, this One here has a voice, but the One up here had a thunder. This one here has a body, but this One here had a Pillar of Fire. One came from Heaven, and one was on earth. Because It say,

(7) ...in the days of the voice of the seventh (messenger, seventh angel.)

Now, there's only one place in the whole Bible that had anything to do with...the 2nd and 3rd chapter concerning the Seventh Church Ages, were in the 3rd chapter of Revelation 14-22, It speaks of the Seventh Church Age messenger, which is the Laodicean Church messenger.

39. And do you know people, you must begin to understand more and more about Laodicea. Bro. Branham taught you so thoroughly concerning Nicolaitian, that maybe some of you are forgetting that this is the end of the Age is Laodicea, because remember it was Eve and Adam who rose up against God's Word after the Nicolaitian devil, (the great organizer) had perverted It. And Laodicea has got to come to a harvest until even today the Catholic church will split over the encyclical on birth control in the very near future, except God moves. That's why I believe it's but over.

That's why people are going people are going to get a great crash. Because only the crash of the money system I believe will save the pope, unless he falls in his coffee cup from strychnine, though they will call it a heart attack. Because the people have said, "Tell us it's okay to have birth control, because we don't want to sin against our conscience. And of course if it so arise, well, isn't that just lovely." [laughter]

40. If that's not Laodicea to perfection, (and remember, Laodicea is what they call important women in that day, and women today are important) so therefore the church has risen up and said, "We are God. We make our own laws. We'll tell you what doesn't offend our conscience." And remember, Bro. Branham preached and preached, and preached, and preached, and preached; in the end time there would come those who would fall away from the truth.

They couldn't stand the Word of God, given over to lust, and abandonment which is Laodicea, these people would heap to themselves teachers having itchy ears. Now of course, that's all wrong. It's not the teacher got itchy ears, ...?.... it's the people got itchy ears. Itchy eared people. Then they get people that say what they want them to say. See, that's Laodicea.

41. Now, that's in this day that God sends the Seventh Messenger. And it's in this man's day, a period of time of preaching, because It says, sound, which is a Gospel trumpet. And here's where you get the confusion of 1 Corinthians 15. And oh, that always bothered me, because I never could figure how there can be two last trumps. Because It says, "At the last trump, the dead would come out of the graves and we should be changed.

But, It also says in Revelation the seventh trump is the last trump. So, I've got an idea from that we positively had to go through the tribulation, see, that's where I got my doctrine. You just can't get doctrine that way, because it doesn’t work. You try to make Scripture pan out the Scripture, it won't work, it doesn't have a pattern like a bit of mosaic of some man's brains invented. God is hidden within that. God is hidden in there. So, what it is, the seventh trump is the last messenger's message. (See?)

42. Now, this time now, It says here, "In the days of the voice this man when he begins to preach, (the last message) the mystery of God should be finished." [Rev 10:7a] The word in the Greek is brought to a conclusion and perfection, as God has announced "the good news of the Gospel by His servants the prophets." [Rev 10:7b] In other words, the Gospel runs out and the conclusion sets in, which is a Bride in glory with her Redeemer. It's in this time that this has got to happen. It's in the days of the Voice, that the Word is brought to perfection. (See?) And it's an earthly man doing it. Now, and how is he doing it? He is doing it by means of God communicating to him by the Pillar of Fire.

Now, you'll notice here that the prophet on earth is a very earthly man. But, the Pillar of Fire which is what? The Anointing, which is what? Christ is with him. So therefore, this anointing is the prophet, or God Himself. That's why Bro. Branham said, "I don't call myself a prophet, you do." And Bro. Branham did not call himself a prophet. Once in a while he had to indicate where he stood in the Word. But he never called himself the prophet, he said God is the Prophet. The Pillar of Fire is the Prophet. The Anointing is the Prophet. It is Christ that is the Prophet. (See?) And that's true, because the Anointing which is the Pillar of Fire, which is Christ has returned to earth, because that's where the feet are. They're on the people. And God therefore, the Prophet God, which is what? Days of the Son of man, (see?) have come back to earth.

43. Now, It is God Himself amongst the people. Notice it: I didn't say He was Coming for His people, and I didn't say He's Coming with His people. I said, "It is God Himself amongst the people." Now, that's not hard to get a hold of, because when He came back as the Holy Ghost, He came back amongst them and in them. So, is it hard to find that He shall now come as the Spirit manifesting as a Pillar of Fire with the revelation coming by means of an earthly channel? What other way has God done it? If it's scriptural, we stick with Scripture. And we have a thousand precedence I would believe for this.

It is God Himself amongst the people. He is revealing Himself, He is making Himself known, He is Appearing amongst men as He Appeared to Samuel in Shiloh, which is in 1 Samuel 3:21. This is one of my favorite verses. Notice, we'll let's just look at verse 7

(7) Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, ...

Now, Samuel did not yet know, know. He didn't know the Lord. Notice:

(7) ...neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed (to) him.

Now, verse 15, after Samuel hears the Voice of God, notice:

(15) ...And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

How come he called this a vision? Just somebody talking? How many visions did Bro. Branham have then? But now, [verse] 21

(21) And the LORD appeared again...(how many times again? At least more than one. Nobody knows how many times, but there's more than one.) And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

How did God Appear? It became a vision. You get what I'm talking about? What's a vision? Something you see. (Right?) The Word of God then became so real that there was God. Prove it to you. Let's go on now, the Hebrew word for 'appear' is 'rahah', [Strongs 7297] which is 'to see', or 'to appear'. The Hebrew word for 'reveal' is 'galah', [Strongs 1540] and it has a vulgar basis. It means 'to denude' as to strip the body naked. I like using these tough words. Not for sensationalism, but to get the point across, because Christ also hanged upon the Cross perfectly nude. There was no loin cloth upon him.

44. Now, listen to me, there's a mystery about the human body. Not just because of the sensuous qualities in it, but there's a mystery there. But take the clothes off and there is no longer a mystery. The sensuousness is there, but there's no mystery. Because you can see it just as it is. That's exactly how God Appeared to Samuel. There wasn't any mystery left when God revealed Himself by the Word.

Remember, when Christ hanged upon Calvary, the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom. And you could see denuded with your naked eye what was behind the veil. Aaron's rod that budded was no longer there. the Manna that they had gathered was no longer there. There was only one thing that was there now, and that was the Word! And the Word was revealed, because the veil was rent. And as the veil was rent from top to bottom, one hanging upon the Cross, Christ. "My God, my God, why has Thou forsaken me?" [Mt 27:46b] And they saw God the Word absolutely made bare, and revealed utterly, so there could be absolutely no contradiction, or any thought, but this was it. And in the end time, and in the end time the very same thing occurs. (I've got Scripture for it don't worry.) This is the only time that I feel like shouting, any other time forget it.

Peter speaking of the end time he said, "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken." [Acts 3:14] They saw God by revealed Word, whereas Moses saw Him for real. I want to ask you a question, "any difference?" (Uh, uh) No difference. No difference. And Peter said, "This has got to happen at the end time." I'll get to what I said, don't worry, I'll get to Acts 3: again, but I'm going on.

45. Now listen, God is revealed. He is seen. Now listen: the un-seeable Spirit is clothed in Spoken Word, and thereby revealed. You can't see God. I can't see God, He's Spirit. How are you going to see Him? How are we going to grasp Him? John 1: Now:

(18) No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The word in the Greek is 'exegesis'. Which means 'to thoroughly explain by word'. He came down and thoroughly set forth God. Oh, Israel couldn't take that kind of a God, man hanging upon a tree. Supposed to have been born of a virgin. Why, why that's cultism. Why they had hundreds of cases of so called virgin births, if not thousands and thousands. Well it might have been millions by then so called virgin births. (See?)

46. But here was this One thoroughly revealing the Word and giving a perfect exegesis of God's Word, God revealing Himself, revealing that Word. Very same thing happens at the end time. Very same thing, God revealing Himself. How? By clothing Himself in Spoken Word, because we can't see the Pillar of Fire, and we can't hear the Pillar of Fire. And Bro. Branham said, "they thought they saw the Pillar of Fire." What they saw was a reflection of It. I stood there and saw too. How can anybody but the prophet see the Pillar of Fire, except God allows for certain dispensations, as when I believed in 1933 at the river.

But he tells that he thinks of the time they saw the Pillar of Fire write the Church Ages on the wall. He said, "they did not see the genuine Pillar of Fire, they saw the reflection." It's not given to us brother/sister. As he said, "Stay away from that Pillar of Fire." Because when you deal with the Pillar of Fire, you're dealing with the Word. You can't enter into behind that Pillar of Fire like Moses did. The Pillar of Fire entered into him, would work.

47. Now, the un-seeable Spirit is clothed in Spoken Word, and thereby revealed. God is brought into absolute naked plain view so that nothing is hidden about God anymore at this end time. That's why John the Baptist introduced Christ, somebody else got to introduce Him.

Now He does...He proves, this One now, God, proves that It is He Himself by manifesting Himself exactly the same, as when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, He does the same thing, because Hebrews 13:8, says, "He's the same yesterday, today and forever." (See?) Now, the same thing.

48. How do we know He will do the same thing? Because It says in Luke 17:26, that we all love,

(26) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

The days of the Son of man will return. But you won't see Him. (Uh?) You won't see Him. How can you even see a spirit without flesh and bone? But, you will see Him, and you'll know that it is He, by the fact that He does the very same thing that He did when He was here. He'd be just the same. (See?) How is this great manifestation of Hebrews 13:8 and John 14:12 to come to pass at the end time? 'In Christ the Mystery of God', Bro. Branham says, "That was His purpose."

There was a manifestation, and now today He wants to get somebody that can so see It, that they can let the Word, see Jesus saw It. So, was so perfectly born for the day, until God expressed every move He made, He was God's revelation. He was God revealed, and the same thing comes today. The same thing.

49. Now, (we don’t have to go into this, because we all know how Bro. Branham proved the ministry of God on earth.) It says, 'the days of the Son of man will repeat." The very ministry, and this came to pass. Now notice, In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, It says, "The Lord himself, God Himself, will stop in the air with the Old Testament resurrected Saints, to catch up the New Testament Bride." Then in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, He comes down to the earth with Him.

But in Revelation 10:1-6, He is a Messenger. And His Message is Himself. Uh? I'm quoting verbatim now. And His Message is Himself. And He is revealing Himself. Therefore as Bro. Branham said, "The Message and the Messenger are one." And Bro. Branham proved that he and his Message were one, which were the Word, because he was Malachi 4:5-6. And Luke 17:20, down to 26, and Revelation 10:7. But, he was not Revelation 1:6. No sir. And he was not that one who comes with flaming fire taking judgment. And he was not that one being revealed from Heaven. He's a man. The Message and the Messenger are one, as John the Baptist, as William Branham in their proper category. But, this Message and Messenger being one, is the Word, which is God! Because God is His Own Messenger, and He is revealing Himself. The Lord is amongst His people in the revealed Word.

50. Notice, after Elijah brought the Word of the Lord to the widow, she could go to the barrel and cruse and get meal and oil every time. I'll read it again. 'After, (not before) After God brought the Word of God to the widow. After Elijah brought the Word of God. Now, I know God Himself did it, by the Holy Ghost in Elijah. But you see, I got...we got to make our fine differences here. Here's where people didn't make that difference and got stumbled. (See?)

Don't make Bro. Branham what he wasn't. See, that has been is trying to make a man some-thing, because you're good friends, or sold out, it's poppycock. Paul the apostle said, "If we teach that God raised Christ and God did not raise Christ we're in hot water." Don't try to teach what the prophet didn’t' teach. (See?)

After Elijah brought the Word of the Lord to the widow, then she could go to the barrel and cruse and get meal and oil every time. Meal represents Christ, that bread sustained her. It followed, (notice:) it followed. What followed? The meal, which is Christ. Followed the Word, Elijah 's Word to her. See, It followed Elijah's Word. Not somebody else's word. Not a preacher's word. Not a seminarian's word. Not a philosopher's word. Not the Sanhedrin. Not the Pharisee's. Not the Sadducees. It followed Elijah 's Word. (See?) The king couldn't do it. The queen's phony religion couldn’t do it. Only Elijah had the Word of the Lord. It couldn't follow anybody else's word. (See?) Now get that.

51. You know, right here is a touchy spot. We hate to say this, They say, "Oh, you sure must think you're somebody? Ha, you Branhamites, well glory to God," Just take it, it's alright. It followed Elijah 's Word to her. Elijah's Word was God's Word to her. Oh, they don't want that today. "Why, who's this William Branham means he had God's Word today? Why we've got better education." Oh, go ahead. What education? Boy, if I could turn the clock back I'd tell you. I'd sure want to raise every body's family out there on rutabaga patch looking at the pretty sunset. Your education is as phony as a three dollar bill. In fact, you might get sixteen cents change back, it's that phony.

Elijah's Word was God's Word to her. Now listen: today the Bread of Life follows this Message. Without It, no Bread of Life. It is the Bread of Life that will sustain us. We are feeding on the Word. It is children's Bread. It is Life. It is, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever." [Heb 13:8] He never appeared to the Gentiles when He was here on earth. Then when He was preached to the Gentiles, He came by a visitation of the Spirit upon them. Now, He is revealed amongst them. What's He doing? He's gathering to Himself His Own.

52. I could take that verse in Scripture, the Word 'gather' and show you every time, it's done by a prophet. And right on Bro. Branham's tapes, never having taken one word of the Greek and look it up. He told us the gathering in 2 Thessalonians 2: is absolutely the gathering of the end time Message. Where the eagles are, where the body is, the food is, the Word is, the eagles are gathered.

Their question might arise, why is He doing this? What is a necessity? Well, I don’t want to take a long time on this, but the answer is very simple. It tells us in the Book of Malachi, and the Book of Revelation chapter 3, at the end time, the Spirit of God is speaking to one corporate group, which is the true Bride and the false bride, (the one lump) and He says, "there's not any good in any of you."

53. Today the people would like to think, "Oh, we're going to make it, glory to God. Why I'm speaking in tongues, I love the Lord, and I shout hallelujah, and I'm a tither and I do this, and I do that." And everybody they're so energized by their own energy, that they fail to realize God's Word distinctly says that every single one is wretched and miserable, and naked, and blind, and think it's got the Holy Ghost, and doesn't . That's the condition. That's the Bride. That's right, the Bride.

Now do you think Christ could come for a Bride like that? It's impossible. Because He said in Malachi, He said, "I'm coming." Now He said, "Before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, I'm going to send Elijah, lest I come and smite utterly the earth with a curse." [Mal 4:5-6] Now, He said It, I didn't. He said, "I'm coming, you bet, make no mistake. And when I come there's going to be a great and terrible and dreadful day. But before that, I've positively got to send Elijah."

54. What's wrong with the Bride? The Bible says that, "All tables are full of vomit." [Isa 28:8a] What's vomit? Vomit is partially digested food that has been regurgitated. And the preachers all of us, every single one, and there's nobody could give us the real partially digested food, except the real prophet. Everybody has been studying all the teachers. Church of Christ, they read what their great...(I supposed they were Campbellites weren't they?) they look back to Campbell and the rest of them, and what Mr. Campbell said he "chompeth." Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp. And then...[make a vomiting sound] ... and they say, "the student's anointed.[more sounds] Oh, that 'was good. Umm, that's good. Then the cardinal's, bishops, Umph... what he brings up. [laughter]

There's not one table that's not full of vomit. Not one table. And the table is where God's Word is, because, "Man shall not live by bread alone." [Mt 4:4] You haven't got one preacher in America who has not quoting somebody else. They're not quoting the Bible, because they don't know what the Bible says. At the end time the condition of the church is so pitiful, that if Christ were to come in a physical form, which we're looking for, I can tell you right now brother/sister, there wouldn't be one make it. Wouldn't be one make it. We have absolutely voided the promise of God's coming for us by our traditions.

55. We have made of none effect God's Word to us, by our traditions. Therefore God must restore the people by restoring the Word. That is, God restores the Word. Then the people can be turned back to God. Now remember, the Bible says they've got to be turned back. So therefore, they're turned away. You just tell that to your fundamentalists. Do you think they'll admit they were turned away? No, just a few kooks like you and me.

You're not going to find many folk that won't stand up and fight what they believe. I've got nothing to fight for, nothing I believe, except what I do my best to believe what he taught. I've said it, it's on tape, and it's in writing as far as I know, I've written letters. It's on many, many a tape. That I have absolutely no thoughts of my own as far as I can possibly think. Or have any ideas, or interpretations, except based upon the prophet said. You see, well is that Scripture ? Absolutely.

What you think Timothy would say when a man a man come out and say, "Timothy, now that wasn't too bad a sermon you preached. Where did you get it? You must have ...?....?"

"Nope, just heard Paul."

"Oh, you mean to tell me that all you do is preach what Paul preached?"

"Sure it is, that's all I preach."

"You mean you didn't get any of this yourself?"

"No sir."

"In other words, you're taking just what he said?"

"That's exactly right."

That's where we stand. I don't say that we stand there faultlessly. But, I want to tell you this brother/sister, I believe there's grace. There's grace. Because the Word of God has already come in judgment. They've turned it down. (See?)

56. So, with this condition, God must send the prophet in order that the Bride could make herself ready. And then when she is changed, those that come out of the graves she'll be caught up in glorified bodies to meet the Lord in the air for three and a half years, not seven.

Now, if you wonder where Bro. Branham got three and a half years instead of seven, just read the Book of Revelation, and please find me one verse that said seven years. Can't do it, it's all three and a half. (See?) Misunderstanding, misinterpretation. The cutting off was Messiah, in the seventieth week where people thought another week was coming, because Bro. Branham separated the seventieth from the sixty-nine, not meaning that it would all fall in one chunk. It was separated, then re-separated. It was put in one chunk, then split in two, for Messiah was cut off, and there's three and a half to go. Just read the Book of Revelation. There's no seven there. It's all three and a half. So, she'll be up there for three and a half years, and then she'll return. What for? To walk upon the ashes of the wicked.

57. Now, Bro. Branham made a statement, now you who read... tried to know, I supposed you played the same tape here that we heard in Jeff. the last time, "The Future Home of the Earthly Bride'. In there Bro. Branham, I know, I can't really, really recall it, but I know he must have looked and he said, "You see that Lee?" And he brought out the point very strong, which I'll paraphrase that is, "Those who refuse to hear Noah, missing the ark were destroyed, the same will occur at the end time."

I promised I'd go back to Acts 3: so don't feel too bad, I opened my Bible the last time, It's only half past nine, why this is easy. Why it's only half past eight at the coast. [blank spot]

That this is Christ Himself, the face of Christ appearing which is in the Greek.

(20) And he shall send Jesus Christ,...

Notice now, "He shall..." Listen, here's the time of refreshing coming from his face... What comes out of the face of God? The Word. And yet He's yet to be sent, and He's got to be retained in Heaven, till when?

(21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, (what things?) which God hath spoken by the mouth of all (a-double-l) his holy prophets since the world began.

58. Now listen, in Luke 24: Jesus started with Moses and all the prophets to Malachi, and brought out everything concerning that Appearing. But, at the end time, at the end time whoever is responsible for restoration has got to go to Moses, and go all the way to John in Revelation. As Bro. Branham said, "This end time prophet will plant the seed of the entire Bible." And He will start with what? Serpent seed. (Yeah) And where is it going to end? In Revelation ...?..... No, it's in the prophet of the former rain. He takes it all the way from serpent seed to the prophet in the who sows, you see in the former rain.

All right, when did he preach 'Serpent Seed'? September 28, 1958. When did he preach 'The Anointed Ones'? Because that's the prophet in the former rain, because all other's are out teaching. Teaching wrong. Having miracles, having great power. When did he preach it? July 25, 1965, seven years later. No wonder God took him off the earth. In 1965 it was all over. Seven years.

The days of the Voice of the seventh messenger. That Word of God was God Himself was revealed amongst the people proving it was God Himself. And God Himself, that great same Almighty God in flesh, now by the Pillar of Fire, and by the Word indwelt the prophet. Human prophet, who was a reflector of the real Prophet. Because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians as we look in that Word, and only the prophet goes all the way, you'll come to reflect Him.

59. And what did Bro. Branham say, "The body cannot recognize any other headship but the Word." Because the head is connected with the body, and the Head is the Word, and It is the same Word, the Head is back to the church ...?.... Christ is amongst the people. God is revealing Himself through His people. And if God is not revealed to you tonight by His Word, you're going to miss the Rapture.

You know why? The Bible says, (now maybe elaborate a little more on this) the Bible says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." [1 Jn 3:2] Yet, the fundamentalists admit, that you won't see Him till you're caught up in the clouds. (Right?) But, you cannot be caught up till you're changed, (Right?) but you can't be changed till to see Him. So, how are you going to get there if you can't see Him, till you're changed? And you can't get there till you are changed, but you got to see Him to get changed. But they haven't seen Him as He is.

60. And when Israel saw Him as He was, they said, "We've got the imposter." Take a look at this: when Bro. Branham by the Spirit of God... remember, God descended by the prophets spirit, pulled back their creeds and dogmas, for the first time liberating the Holy Ghost in two thousand years, the Book opened, the scales fell off of our eyes, we had the anointing then brother/sister, it was free. And we saw the Word as He is, we'll be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

You say, "Bro. Vayle, what about those coming with Him?' They see Him brother/sister, because they don't see Him yet. It's only as they come they see Him, so their bodies come out. But, we've got to see Him as Samuel saw Him, as the prophets saw Him. As we saw Him absolutely unveiled, completely bared that where we saw God. That's right. I know people don't ...?.... say that, brother/sister, that is it. And it'll be manifested who that seed is, because they're going to be changed.

Amen, the Lord bless you. much more could be said, maybe too much was said, maybe not, I don't know. But I hope something good come out of it. I enjoyed preaching to you, or talking to you or something, do whatever is called. I don't what to call myself anymore. People often say, "Well, there's no ministries since Bro. Branham's gone." Well, if you compare ours to his I should agree with that. And if they say, well they can say what they want. But you know, we've got to stumble along. I'm a stumbling. And I'm happy doing it. So, I trust God, bless you. Shall we rise.

Gracious heavenly Father, how wonderful Thou art, Lord, how precious Thou art, and always enjoyed being together tonight. And now, Lord, I know that I have not had the words to say, Lord, or even the way to say them which would be exactly right, but I know, Lord, that somehow we've all tried to say the right thing, and they've try to hear the right thing. That you've been here, to Lord, set us alright, so we know that something good is going to come out of it.

Bless each one tonight, Lord, and there be sick among us, My God, touch them tonight Your healing power. Because, Lord, we just don't believe for one minute that You manifested here on earth, that You were the same yesterday, today and forever. And went away and said," now forget it." No sir, oh no, no, no, we believe You’re here tonight. And we believe in more of that Word becomes revealed, the greater will be the manifestation of that Word produced within the Bride.

Lord, let Your people be healed tonight. Let their worries and cares go. Let God be glorified. Let the Word be exalted, and let the Bride come into full view in manifestation in the Name of Jesus Christ, and all for Your glory, Lord, because we wouldn't even want any. You have it all in Jesus' Name. Amen. God bless you.