MALACHI 4:5, 6 -FOR MILLENNIA HAS REMAINED A MYSTERY. WAS MALACHI REFERRING TO THE LITERAL RETURN OF THE PROPHET ELIJAH OR MERELY HIS SPIRIT? HOW WAS IT BELIEVED? HOW WAS IT FULFILLED? WHY WOULD AN ANGEL REFUSE TO QUOTE THIS ENTIRE VERSE? WHO ARE THE FATHER AND THE CHILDREN SPOKEN OF HERE? COULD IT APPLY TO US TODAY OR WAS IT FULFILLED LONG AGO? READ HOW THE COMING OF THIS ELIJAH WHICH IS IN 2 PARTS AFFECTS ALL RACES OF PEOPLE TODAY.
Our main purpose in this message is to show from the scripture it was of a necessity that God sent a man at the closing of this age to do a specific work within the church just prior to the second coming of Christ for the Bride. Everyone, I am certain, is aware no matter where you would search in the religious field, regardless to the seminary or bible school, you might investigate, none would admit or acknowledge that God would send a man or raise anyone up to do any specific work prior to the second coming of Christ! To most of them everything is to just go on as usual when suddenly there’s to be a great revival break out and then (about as quick as you could snap your finger) God comes to take his people to glory. That belief is the general overall attitude, among the religious circles including evangelical people, pentecostal, and fundamentalists the world over, however that is not a revelation from the scriptures.
ROYALTY INTRODUCED
Picking up one’s daily newspaper you often read where the president of the United States is going to pay a diplomatic visit to certain countries bringing some special message, establishing, shall we say, better relationship between two nations involved or to be visited. Here is the procedure — first, before any official visit is made by high officials of state there will always be that diplomatic representation sent ahead to prepare for that main visit. In fact, I challenge anyone to show that anytime dignitaries of nations go to other nations, or even to a city within their own territory on official business, going there with the soul purpose of having a message for the people of that particular city, territory or country, that first there are not always certain diplomatic channels set in motion making the announcement of the royal visit or visitation from the president, king or dictator of whatever particular country. Yes, this is always that diplomatic procedure or channels followed. Since we refer to this message as Royalty Introduced What other name could be more proper for the first advent of Christ’s coming to earth — to the Jews he was a king. Yes, the one who came was none other than the LORD OF GLORY HIMSELF, coming for what purpose? Coming to give to the human race a message of hope, a message of grace. Before coming from Glory, Christ sent His diplomatic Ambassador with the announcement of His coming and that representative had a people ready and expecting His visit.
UNOFFICIAL VISITS OR PLEASURE TRIPS CALLS FOR NO DIPLOMATIC INTRODUCTION
In our part of the country we have a horse racing sport called, the Kentucky Derby— every one, no doubt, has heard of it. It’s merely a worldly place of entertainment. As I recall, President Nixon made an unannounced visit to the Kentucky Derby. No diplomatic channels were set in motion to make the visit of great importance. It was simply a visit for pleasure. (There was no announcement) Shortly before he arrived word reached the people the president was on his way. Only the press was able to be prepared. it was completely unannounced because it was not an official visit. None of the citizens lined the streets or greeted him officially at the airport. He had not come to the Kentucky Derby with any message. This visit was unannounced because it was not an official visit to the State of Kentucky or City of Louisville-he came to the Kentucky Derby simply to be entertained by watching the horses run on the track. Although anytime dignitaries, presidents, kings, potentates or any government official is to visit a people, officially bearing any kind of message for the betterment of relations or a message, – there is first always that diplomatic representation of the event concerning the dignitary that is to follow.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A ROYAL DIGNITARY— ISA. 40:3
Follow me in the Bible, for one of the most interesting and unusual truths ever to be concealed within a mystery for so long. Approximately 700 years before the first advent of Christ, Isaiah the prophet looked down through the scope of time and saw a diplomatic representative coming on the scene. Notice what this diplomat was doing. Isa. 40:3—Please observe carefully the working of this most unusual setting. Beloved, this phenomenal setting the prophet spoke of must be spiritually interpreted or you would forever be lost of understanding. Watch, Isaiah 40:3 says, “…the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord make safe in the desert a highway for our God: every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain and the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Certainly today you have no problem understanding this passage since you live in the past tense of the fulfillment. Yes, it’s easy for us to believe this historical account because all we need to do is turn to the gospel of John or Matthew and see Isaiah’s prophecy plainly fulfilled, bearing record exactly who this voice was going to be, but suppose you had lived before the prophecy was fulfilled. Perhaps you were born in one of the hundreds of generations before it’s fulfillment. Could you have said, oh, that’s easy that voice is none other than John the Baptist? Certainly you couldn’t! Try to visualize yourself living in the generation at the very moment of time when this prophecy was scheduled to be fulfilled. Then ask a question, what does this prophecy mean? Naturally everyone had his own private interpretation. Every theologian felt he had a right to his own theory—how God would fulfill this verse. Again I repeat, it’s easy for Christians today to look back saying sure we know very well who that voice Isaiah spoke of — But had you lived in the generation prior to the fulfillment you would not have had the faintest idea unless it had come by revelation to your heart. You would no doubt have asked yourself the question…What is Isaiah speaking about? You would ponder its meaning because it sounds exactly like someone is out in the desert country crying forth with a mighty voice— saying, “…every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain shall be brought low, the crooked places shall be made straight, and then it says prepare a highway -for the Lord.” Well, it would seem someone called the voice is going to build a highway for the Lord. Who is this Lord? Naturally the Jews had only one Lord, the Lord of Glory, the Great I Am, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. “And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed,” where? In the deserts what is happening? Royalty is coming on the scene. Oh, this must have sounded very strange to the natural minds before its fulfillment. It sounds as if the prophet had looked down through time and saw someone coming out into the desert country beginning to build a natural highway of some description. That’s exactly the language it has spoken!, Prepare a highway in the desert. However, when we look back, that was certainly no natural fulfillment whatsoever, the fulfillment of the verse did take place in the desert country. As far as John the Baptist having anything to do with natural valleys, gullies, the ravines, or the mountains he never touched one of them, unless perhaps only to walk over them. No doubt he knew where each gully and ravine was but he never disturbed any of them. Why did this prophet speak of it in such a manner? Simply because it contained a mighty spiritual revelation hidden to the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes. Before its fulfillment came to the natural mind it would have appeared that some greatly anointed person was out in the desert with survey instruments surveying off a strip to build a highway — similar to the highways built today — great construction crews preparing to go cross country with a super highway. When crossing the country you first see these men driving stakes, and lining up the right-away etc. Along comes another construction unit blasting off the sides of hills and mountains, while building up the low valley areas. Isn’t that what happens? Isn’t that what Isaiah said? But really what was this? What did it all mean once we saw it in the light of its fulfillment? Nothing to compare with that, was it? John the Baptist never carried a natural surveying instrument in his life. He did carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him, enabling him to look down through his day crying forth, there is one coming after me when he is made manifest, or suddenly appears on the scene, I shall not be worthy to unloose his shoelaces! He shall indeed baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire, whose fan is in his hand, he will thoroughly purge the floor and burn up the chaff with an unquenchable fire, he will gather his wheat into the garden! Furthermore, John testified saying the spirit had informed him upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain that’s Him! You declare Him! Announce Him to be the Lamb of God, the Lord of Glory! But nowhere is it recorded John gave instruction to build a natural road. What actually was Isaiah saying 700 years before this fulfillment? There was coming an important forerunner who would be referred to as, the voice, who would declare and announce the coming of royalty and this royalty was none other than the Lord of Glory himself soon to appear on the scene.
WHAT WAS THIS HIGHWAY
Where and how was this highway in Isaiah to be constructed by this particular one called the voice? In fulfillment it turns out not to be an actual highway crossing the desert, but instead it is only a voice (John) crying in the Judaean desert whom all Judea went out into the desert country to hear preach. This highway which John prepared was not built in the desert but right down through the avenue of hearts of men and women, (That’s where the Lord would live during the grace age) According to scripture the Jewish people had gone for 400 yrs. without a visitation from God, when suddenly this anointed man steps out on the scene. It seemingly took them by surprise. Who had heard of such a thing – that one preach in the desert. Then they must go out and investigate. Fascinated and full of curiosity they must go out into the wilderness to hear this queer, odd-sounding, fanatic, but strangely enough once they came into the presence of this individual dressed only in camel skin, and eating locust and wild honey for his diet, something took hold of them and many found themselves going down into the river of Jordan for baptism. ( What did it mean? It was simply God’s way of preparing a highway – right down into the avenues of their hearts. But what of those valleys Isaiah spoke about? They were none other than those people we shall call the, “down and outers” your low class which had been rejected from society by the eclesiastical measurement or yardstick of that day. Once John had finished with these he had elevated or lifted them up while clipping off the tops of the mountains which were none other than the high and mighty, the religious leaders, the Pharisees, scribes, rabbis. When they began to hear and see all Jerusalem was turning out to hear John they said we’d better enquire into this strange thing or we might get left out of something. Down they go, standing a out like sore thumbs dressed in all their paraphernalia, watching John lead converts into the water. After delivering his power packed sermons, see these high mountains as they began to make their way through the crowd to the river bank also to become candidates for baptism, when suddenly those holy ghost eyes of John spots them — he shouts, “you generation of vipers, who told you to flee from the wrath to come, go back and bring forth fruit fit for repentance” (Matt 3:7-8) In other words, straighten up your lives. Change your attitudes. How does this fit into Isaiah’s prophecy? John was blasting that highly exalted mountainous attitude, and religious rebellious spirit, bringing it down, cutting it off. Yes, John was cutting down groups while lifting up another, making them all level. Here was his leveling off act of the whole thing. I can visualize that crook, that gambler, that wayfaring woman, yes, even the soothsayer was in the crowd, but what fell from John’s anointed lips stirred there souls and straightened out their lives. What else could Isaiah have meant when he stated the crooked shall be made straight? The Lord of Glory was coming on the scene. Oh yes, it’s easy for us to recognize who this was once this prophecy was fulfilled, but beloved the thought I want to impress upon your minds is, God would not come into the world without first that proper introduction when royalty came. He had a forerunner, his diplomatic representative had prepared the way. That is exactly God’s way of doing things, that’s why I say if the first advent of Christ had to be properly introduced by a representative you can rest assured that the second coming of Christ to the Gentiles for his church will not take place until first his coming has been introduced to the church through the same manner and process as before. Is that understood? Christ’s introduction the first time was through a prophet during the closing of the law age, shortly before the new age of grace began, the very age out of which he would call his Gentile bride. First, this glorious opportunity was offered to the Jewish nation who rejected it, but the point I want to remain with you is first he had to be properly introduced to that Jewish nation. He never just suddenly appeared on the scene without first being properly introduced or announced! Notice, had suddenly the first advent of Christ appeared on the scene, without proper introduction, with no hearts prepared for it, it would have so shaken the masses of that day that hardly any person would have recognized what it was all about. The fact that God announced it unto many through John’s message prepared many hearts to receive and look forward to this coming king.
NOT EVERYONE SHOWS CONCERN OVER A ROYAL VISIT
Let us also examine this from another standpoint. Whenever royalty is being introduced into a country, the announcement does not concern everyone at large. Generally there is a selected realm of people who first hear of it as word scatters concerning the visit of the dignitaries. Though some may five far up in the mountains, they will climb into their particular modes of travel and journey perhaps 40 to 100 miles all because they heard that royalty was coming. Traveling all this distance just to witness the arrival of this great royal individual. Don’t forget, that royal person does not come on the scene until first that proper diplomatic representation has gone ahead making preparation for his arrival and it is that announcement that catches the attention of the people. There will always be people living right next door who wouldn’t walk 5 ft. to see the affair, while on the other hand, some of these who live distances of 40 to 100 miles away the minute that word reaches their ears they begin making plans to attend the event. This is only an illustration to show there is always that certain realm of people who are affected by this diplomatic announcement of royalty, that this dignitary is coming. Well, thanks be to God, there is no difference in the spiritual realm—there are those who will hear it. That’s the realm that it is being prepared too – And when royalty steps out on the scene, they’re not in the least surprised in the sense they stand in awe wondering what it’s all about. Watch closely what Isaiah said this voice would do. Prepare a highway right down through the hearts of men and women to receive this royalty which was none other than the first advent of Christ. In the first advent of Christ he was coming to be a savior although first he was manifested to Israel to be their king.
MY MESSENGER—MAL. 3:1
Our next statement found shedding more light on this eventful occasion many hundreds of years later is Malachi 3:1. Malachi was the last Old Testament prophet who lived some 400 years before the first advent of Christ. Observe what the spirit of the Lord says through his servant Malachi (Mal. 3:1) Behold, (the word behold means LISTEN, watch out, or look) the Lord will send my messenger. Allow me to paraphrase this only for the purpose of clarification. WATCH OUT, I THE LORD will send my representative who will announce my coming. I will send my messenger and he shall prepare, he shall lay the groundworks before me. Note, John the Baptist who the scripture proves fulfilled these verses never went before the temple, the Sanhedrin or even to the Roman governor to obtain permission to fulfill this ministry. That’s why he remained strictly in the wilderness. All those who were concerned went out into the wilderness to hear him–they cared not what the dignitaries in Jerusalem thought about it. I, the Lord will send my messenger, or my diplomat, or my representative. He shall prepare the way—notice, (it would not be a committee preparing the way, only one person) He shall prepare the way before me (the Lord), and the lord-is capital, LORD, (Jehovah God) whom ye the people seek, shall come. Beloved, Israel was definitely yearning, longing, hungering for the coming of the Messiah—Were they not? Already they have been slaves under Nebuchadnezzer’s rule, the Media-Persian Empire, the Grecian period, now the Roman’s were here. Truly they had looked and yearned for their Messiah — the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the covenant.
THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT
This word messenger means the one who brought the new covenant message. The message of grace, the one who shall inform the people he has a special blessing for them. The messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold he shall come, said the Lord of Hosts.
IMPORTANT: At no time in Isaiah’s or Malachi’s prophecy has it once been uttered the name of this messenger as to who it might be—not even a clue to his name or his background was uttered. This left the people at large not knowing, not even having the slightest idea what to look for, although sometime later Malachi spoke again under the anointing of the spirit unbeknowing to the religious people this prophecy was concerning that forerunner’s office—that diplomat who would announce that God was coming on the scene. This forerunner would announce the coming of Royalty—The first advent of Christ. Here Malachi has been prophesying concerning the day of the Lord and his wrath when suddenly the spirit changed his line of thought and said something that for ages has remained a mystery). Verse 6, watch it, again the word “Behold” means look, watch out, listen, “Behold, I the Lord will send you Elijah!”
BUMFUZZLED THEOLOGIANS
These Jewish theologians in that hour laid the statement in Mal. 4:5 over against Mal. 3:1 and beside Isaiah 40:3. They probably debated back and forth wrestling with the scriptures as do our theologians today. Actually, it appears the Almighty delights in tangling or entangling theologians in their own theology. You should have heard these Jewish theologians trying to unravel these three verses saying, Wonder who this prophet is speaking of in these three verses? Wonder if this person in Isaiah 40:3 is going to be the same person as found in Mal. 3:1 and is the person in Mal. 3:1 the same as the person in Mal. 4:5 called Elijah? Or they could easily have justified themselves by saying it looked like there was going to be three separate persons to come–one would be a voice; another the messenger or forerunner and the third to be Elijah. Certainly they could have been justified! If God was going to leave these scriptures for the natural interpretation to be applied they would have been justified in saying there might be three unusual men to come on the scene or they could have added their own interpretation and said something else, however, this will not be the case. We want you to see and understand this first advent of Christ never became a reality until first God properly introduced Himself, and notice He never used three men to do the introducing, only one! The people who had been properly introduced to Him by this one man was in no wise so shaken that they Were blinded literally to His coming. Even after the final prophecy had been given it was over 400 years before there was any fulfillment on these verses. Four hundred years of bewildered theologians attempting to unravel these verses. Although it is true when Christ did arrive there was much they did not understand at first, just remember once their hearts were prepared there were many who stayed right with the event until it reached into its climax..
ELIJAH THE PROPHET
Read this carefully, Mal. 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet,” Because of this very statement, it left this overall reaction within the Jewish Theological realm and was the main accepted teaching within the synagogue even up until Christ came, that God would actually send Elijah the prophet before His coming as revealed plainly in Matt. 17:10. With this well indoctrinated, carnal idea of the appearance of Elijah before the Messiah would come, how could you expect the theologians to accept Christ when they had not seen the silver haired prophet around! Today we have no trouble understanding these verses. We only need refer to the past when it was fulfilled but again I say, place yourself on their realm of under-standing then ask the question—How is God going to fulfill this? You would be in the same position these Jews were. It would be of a necessity that you must hear what the Spirit saith, “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” Note, when this was clearly explained and finally gotten over to the true believers of that hour, the religious leaders of Judaism still did not know the truth of the matter concerning Elijah and continued on in their carnal interpretation of the scripture. God allowed them to set there, wrapped in their own carnal interpretation while He moved on and left them. Why should we think it strange that God would repeat the same before the second coming of Christ for His Bride Church?
TWO ADVENTS OF TIME REFERRED TO IN ONE VERSE
I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Notice, great refers to the one advent (first); AND is a conjunction which joins Christ’s two advents into the same verse ‘dreadful day of the Lord, (second advent)! A number of things stand out that the Scribes overlooked in their favorite scripture, Mal. 4:5-6 because they leaned on their own understanding and not the Spirit of the Lord. They failed as so many has to notice the Holy Spirit had concealed two workings of Elijah’s ministry in two separate time periods. These two time periods are connected together by the conjunction, “AND.” The first advent of Christ was called the GREAT DAY while the second advent was called the DREADFUL DAY of the Lord, being separated by a vast period of time.
EXAMPLES OF “AND” CONNECTING TWO SEPARATE DAYS
This is not an uncommon occurrence in scripture for the Holy Spirit to conceal two days or two separate advents into one verse while connecting them with the conjunction, “AND.” Another such example is found in John 5:28-29. Christ says the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God— the righteous shall come forth unto Eternal life and the wicked unto damnation however, there is over 1000 years between these two resurrections. Because these two advents are joined within the same verse it often causes the reader to believe in a general resurrection where both righteous and wicked come forth at the same time. This is not so! See also Daniel 12:2-3. Again in Isaiah 61:1-2 there are two separate days or time periods concealed in a verse joined by the conjunction “AND”. When Christ quoted these verses to estab-lish his ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth he quoted almost the two verses (Luke 4:16-20). His quotation came to the conjunction “AND” — there he quit! Why did he stop short of completing the verse—that was all his ministry that would be fulfilled at that hour. The hour of vengeance was not at this time, it was the hour for GRACE. Vengeance would be at his return. These two verses would carry Christ into two days and he was now only in the ministry of the first event. See July issue Contender, Vol. 1, No. 3, Mystery of the Resurrection for more complete details. Enough is said here to establish these two events concealed within the verse connected by the conjunction, “AND.”
WORK OF ELIJAH
Notice how this 6th verse informs us as to what Elijah is going to do, “And he (Elijah) shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and (notice again AND is a conjunction joining two thoughts together) the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse”. Momentarily you shall learn how an angel quoted only one half of this verse to indicate Christ’s first coming, while leaving alone the second half of these scriptures. This emphatically declares the latter half is kept for a later period of time after the first advent of Christ had taken place although it was now time for God to send His forerunner before His face, Mal. 3:1, Isaiah prophesied this in 40:3. Jeremiah was a contemporary prophet coming on the scene only a short time later although he never felt himself to be that prophesied forerunner. Neither did Daniel, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos or any of those prophets— of a certainty Malachi could not be THE VOICE for Malachi prophesied “I will send (future tense) a messenger” while later he prophesied, “I will send Elijah.” With these three scriptures recorded to constantly remind the Jews, God is obligated to keep His word. The question remaining is HOW? Coming slowly down through the generations of Jews, this brings him closer and closer to the advent when the first coming of Christ must appear, still these verses remained unfulfilled. Could it be the first advent will transpire without God fulfilling his Word and sending that true representative? Certainly it cannot!.. Once it is recorded God will never reverse his plan. Although only the revelated believer will ever catch it. Always God keeps that word to the very letter. Yet notice never once in all the writings have you ever read the man’s name who is destined to fulfill this word! Yet within the realm of the religious Jews the scribes, rabbis, and theologians no doubt debated and pondered over many theories trying to analyze without spiritual revelation what is the meaning of the Lord’s word here. Wondering how this would transpire, they had arrived at certain theories—the general accepted theory among the scribes being God will send the real Elijah (Matt. 17:10) Before the coming of the Messiah. To the scribes this statement in Mal. 4:5 referred to the real Elijah and nothing else. Malachi 4:5 was their main scripture. It was their verse to project their theory God would send that age-old prophet Elijah and that was exactly who the theologians were looking for. To them one day that age old prophet would step upon the scene of time. No one could change them, they were the master teachers.
JEHOVAH BYPASSES THEOLOGY AND FULFILLS WORD
Now watch how God did actually fulfill his plan when time came. Please take note that when God did bring those verses into fulfillment it compared nothing at all with what these theologians had imagined. That hour drew closer— the world conditions were coming into their proper setting; Israel faced heavy oppression from the Roman Empire. Many a poor Jew was constantly weeping before Jehovah–Please send us our Redeemer and Messiah. Four hundred years vanished and Israel had not heard the voice of a true prophet—no one to lead them into more spiritual revelation; no spiritual leader was found to open their understanding to everything. Nearly 400 years had passed since the last voice of a prophet left the scene. By this time the country was infiltrated with Roman teachings, Greek Mythology and other false teachings until only a more handful had any real true spiritual concept as to what God might do in the midst of all that apostasy.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF BIRTH OF FORERUNNER
Time at last has arrived for the fulfilment of these three puzzling scriptures. Watch Luke 1-Four hundred years after Malachi’s prophecy, a high priest named Zacharias stood faithfully min-istering within the temple. His wife Elizabeth throughout their marriage had remained barren. God always watches his timepiece, doesn’t he? Our God knows the hearts of his people.. The Almighty saw Zacharias as it came his turn to minister in the temple. The constant cry and heartthrob of this high priest and his wife had been, Oh, Lord, please visit us and give us a son. One day in the course of his temple duties, Zacharias entered as usual into the Holy of Holies, carrying the blood of the sacrifice. Suddenly his eyes fell upon an angelic being standing nearby. Oh, it had been so very long since Israel had entertained such a visitor as this. WHAT COULD IT MEAN? When this mighty angel said to the frightened high priest, “Be not afraid, I am an angel of the Lord sent forth from the presence of God with a message. Zacharias, your prayers have been heard and your wife Elizabeth who truly is barren will conceive and bear thee a son, (Luke 1:12) and thou shalt call his name John”. Here, for the first time in history the man’s name has finally been mentioned who shall fulfill these three long awaited prophecies. As usual this would catch the theologian completely off guard. This revelation of these three verses left them in a whirl of misunderstanding, pondering their theories, while God as always, comes right down the main track of revelation in His own time, never following man’s carnal ideas– only a revelation from God could possibly have revealed who would fulfill these verses. The angel had stated to Zacharias, not to the scribes and theo-logians, THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JOHN! Present that information to the theologians of that day and they would possibly have answered, why that is impossible, it doesn’t fit our theory or our theology, it just couldn’t be! Sure, we have great respect for Zacharias. He’s a good man perhaps a little eccentric at times. Everyone knows he is getting old, but he has to be mistaken about what he thinks an angel said to him. We can’t accept that because we have all agreed that it would be actually Elijah himself. No doubt many things entered their confused minds– confused because they leaned upon their own understanding and not on the spirit of revelation: Nevertheless, God had said, THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JOHN (and John it shall be) and thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord.” This mighty angel continues while Zacharias remains astonished, “..for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb.” This account falls after the angel of the Lord had visited Mary and she journeyed into the hill country to see Elizabeth. (Lk. 1:41) The angel’s speech continues, “And many of the children of Israel shall he (John) turn to the Lord their God.
ANGEL QUOTES ONLY ONE HALF OF MAL. 4:5
Watch carefully this following verse shows how the angel will only quote one half of Mal. 4:5. WHY? Because only one half the verse applies to John’s ministry! “And he (John) shall go before Him (the Lord, Mal. 3:1) in the spirit and power of Elijah, (Mal. 4:5) to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.” Why would not this angel quote the entire verse of Mal. 4:5? Because, the angel knew all the verses did not apply to John’s ministry! The angel knew very well that this verse carries two separate advents, separated by a lengthy period of time, which are mentioned here while here he can only declare the one advent or the first advent–“and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) The spirit of Elijah would fulfill all that verse but in order to do so that spirit would be on two separate individuals. Notice, the angel would not quote the latter part in Malachi’s verse which read ‘and the heart of the children back to the father.’ Yes, the angel knew the fullest extent of that verse. It carried two advents connected by the conjunction “AND.” We are happy the angel knew exactly where to break off his quotation – and not place more ministry upon a man than was his share to fulfill.
THE MYSTERY OF “THE FATHERS” EXPLAINED, Mal. 4:6; (PART A)
Let us examine Malachi 4:6 to determine who these fathers are.
This is not fathers of the natural. Just as we discovered in Isaiah 40:3, 1 the voice out in the wilderness crying, “Prepare the way of the Lord, build a highway; pull down mountains and lift up valleys.” Scripture proved none of this bore a natural interpretation. Let us be extremely careful with Mal. 4:6 where it says, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children back to the fathers lest I come and smite thee with a curse.” Recall, the angel did not quote the last half of verse 6.
HOW THE NATURAL INTERPRETATION SOUNDS Mal. 4:6
To the natural mind this sounds, like the prophet is speaking concerning a disobedient generation of juvenile delinquents, doesn’t it? It sounds as if God is going to send this Elijah to stand as a reconciler, telling all these bad daddies and all these bad children— come on now let’s get together. That is exactly how it sounds to the natural carnal mind, although God is not faced with a juvenile situation here whatsoever. What is the meaning of the word fathers spoken of in (Part A) of Mal. 6— Don’t confuse fathers in (Part A) of Mal. 4:6 with fathers in (Part B) of this same scripture. Part A is none other than the ecclesiastical church leaders of that hour, and their spiritual attitude, their heart’s outlook was drawn to the generation of offspring who were being greatly affected by the voice (spirit of Elijah) Luke 1 :17, preaching in the ‘wilderness preparing the way for the Lord, Isa. 40:3. _ Remember, all Judea and Jerusalem had gone out to hear John, even the scribes themselves, men who recorded the scripture on scrolls or manuscripts. They were the elite of the day; church elders, those Judaistic fathers (doctors of the law, scribes etc.) whom the little 12 year old boy Jesus was discussing Old Testament scriptures with, and so confounded them they asked, whence he knew all those things having never learned letters— having never gone to school? He was confusing all those Judaistic fathers. Since all Jerusalem was turning out to hear John, this greatly stirred the curiosity of the scribes, pharisees, and rabbis. Synagogue leaders from all over the land were being affected by this strange ministry. This man was disturbing the entire religious realm. Jews from everywhere journeyed to the wilderness to see this fanatic.
JOHN TURNED THE HEARTS OF FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN NOTICE WHAT JOHN WAS DOING!
Watch how he was turning the hearts of the fathers to the children. It was the children of these ecclesiastical fathers who first caught the vision of John’s ministry in the wilderness. It was not until then the fathers began to investigate this strange doctrine which was changing the hearts of the children and would later change many of their hearts. Please bear in mind John did not cause the hearts of the children to be turned back to the fathers as Part B. of Mal. 4:6 showed. A THOUSAND TIMES NO! In other words, John who answers to the mystery of Elijah unto the first advent to the Jewish race, NEVER, NEVER turned the children’s heart back to the fathers. He would never be guilty of such a thing. This would be a performance by that same spirit of Elijah resting , upon another individual at the close of the following age (Grace Age) and restore the children’s hearts and – devotion to their fathers (teaching), who had wandered away from their original teaching by their fathers called Apostolic. Babylon teaching led them away. These fathers in Part B of Mal. 4:6 are none other than the children found in (Part A) Mal. 4:6. Under the Law Age many of those hearts were actually changed by John’s Ministry– so don’t confuse the two groups of fathers and the two groups of children. Although they are found in the same verse they are not the same. John definitely moved the hearts of fathers to the children’s in that he had changed the children’s hearts never did he restore the children to the old way of the fathers of Judaism although in lie next age when that Spirit of Elijah again felt upon a man to complete this verse, that would be exactly the ministry of that hour– turning the hearts of the children back to the fathers of the beginning in the Apostolic Age to complete verses 5, 6. Don’t confuse the fathers in the verse separated by the conjunction AND, (bring the two advents into the same verse).
ADDRESS’ FATHERS-ACTS 7
Watch carefully, when it is fully established in your mind that this word “fathers” verse 6 (Part A.),refers to the religious leaders of the day, take a look in Acts 7:2 for positive proof, Stephen is preaching – “Said the high priest, are these things so and he said men, brethren (Jewish race) and fathers, hearken, listen to me. (He wasn’t addressing his own blood fathers). There stood before him quite a few religious Judaistic fathers listening to Stephen defend the faith before the Sanhedrin. Men, brethren, fathers, Jews everywhere, yes, you over-seen, you ecclesiastical leaders hearken to me! I have something I want to remind you of – (I said all that to show you what Malachi meant by saying he, (the voice) of Isaiah, he the messenger of Mal. 3: 1 who was to forerun the messenger of the covenant. Note the two messengers mentioned – one messenger the diplomat while the other is that royalty – which was introduced, is saying, everyone come here, there is one coming who has something for you. Amen. Now watch Mal. 4:6 “And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.. Recall, “AND” is that conjunction breaking or splitting the two advents.
MYSTERY OF THE CHILDREN Mal. 4:6 (PART A)
Note many of those children who were in that generation closing out the Law dispensation were looked upon by the Judaistic Fathers as publicans, harlots, card-sharks, gamblers, roughnecks and the very outcasts of society. Their attitude was — we don’t want these in the temple, but oh, did John have a message for them. Those were the very ones that Jesus was going to accept. When Jesus came he continued asking (especially those fathers) one question concerning John’s baptism, was it of God or of men? Their answer–If we say it was of God he is going to ask why didn’t you believe him and if we say it was of men our congregation will turn on us because they truly believe John was a prophet. (Luke 20:1-6)
CHILDREN BECOME FATHERS
If the hearts of the fathers are none other than these ecclesiastical leaders of that day, then the children were none other than the ones in that hour accepting John and later accepted Jesus; Note – later these children spoken of in the first part of the verse who closed out the Law Age and entered into the Grace Age became the leaders of the apostolic church in the Book of Acts having now become the fathers of faith of the new covenant, referred to in the last part of the verse. Recall as we break into the close of that Law dispensation John’s birth was announced, his position and anointing in the scriptures was foretold. Zacharias was informed John would go forth in the power and spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, note and there the angel ceased quoting Mal. 4:6 (Luke 1:17), WHY? Because that angel was fully aware there were two separate advents contained within Mal. 4:5-6 and he could only announce the birth of one man who would fulfill only the first application dealing with the first advent of Christ. The first advent of Christ came introducing a message, the covenant of Grace to the human race although the second time he comes it will be without sin unto salvation, (Heb. 9:28). Christ second coming will not be with a message of grace, no he is not coming to be a Saviour, he is coming to receive his own unto Himself, those who have been purchased by His own blood — Eph. 5:25, I Pet. 1:18-19 — His coming is for those redeemed through that message of grace, and ushering in that period of time known as the day of Vengeance (Isa. 63:4) II Thess. 1:8-) Day of the Lord Joel 2:1-2 or as Malachi referred to it as that dreadful day of the Lord. None of which was fulfilled in his first coming – but during that period shortly before his return to earth to rule and reign as king over the Earth for a 1,000 years. That period will be ushered in – at his second coming, shortly before that period there must be the fulfillment of remaining scripture verse, B part (Mal. 4:6) that the angel could not quote.
CHRIST’S SECOND COMING MUST ALSO BE INTRODUCED BY A FORERUNNER WITH A MESSAGE FULFILLING AND COMPLETING MALACHI 4:5-6
Before Christ comes the second time, Heb. 9:27, once again His royal coming must be introduced to fulfill the remaining portion of Mal. 4:5-6, completing that verse on the work of that spirit of Elijah—The angel could not finish quoting because John was only destined to fulfill one-half of that verse. Christ coming again shows He definitely is coming for something and for the second time He must definitely be announced. Yes, His second advent will be announced by the working of that same spirit which introduced His first coming. This work will finish Mal. 4:5-6. Our theologians today scratch their head saying, if there is such a person, WHO IS HE?? That same old spirit which worked among the theologians of that day again proves to you beloved this generation of religious, Gentile church going people are just as ignorant of God’s revelated plan and purpose for His end time church as were the Jews in their day, and those Gentiles must also be shook into a reality as to what God did in this gentile church world. Untold millions embrace the so-called Christian faith, yet have no more revelation than the Jews of that day had. Oh, yes, when it comes to carnal doctrines of the church we have more than our share— we won’t come one bit behind the Jew in Christ’s day, however, when it comes to revelations of God’s endtime program we are as blind as the Jews were, while thinking to be so righteous in the scriptures before God. NO SIR! They are not in right standing with God. The scripture declares just the opposite. This age of churchgoers are ignorant, carnal, sleepy, luke-warm, naked, blind, miserable and don’t know it. Matt. 25:1-13, Rev. 3:14-18. Over 1900 years ago John came on the scene and introduced the first coming when he cried, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh the sins of the world.” After Christ’s baptism, He was immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness; fasted for 40 days and returned in the power of the Spirit went into the synagogue; read the portion of scripture in Isaiah 60 which pertained only to His first coming; handed the book back to the synagogue keeper saying, “This day is the scripture fulfilled—” Isa. 61:1-2 John’s disciples who had been prepared for this glorious event through a message began leaving John and following Christ. Watching the multitude leave his ministry as it began to fade into the background he said He (Christ) must increase and I must decrease. Truly, John knew his ministry– he was to introduce the Messiah. He was the diploma sent to introduce and forerun the first advent. John now began to preach against the evils and morals of the leaders and winds up in jail. He had told King Herod how wrong and evil it was for him to have his brother’s wife. By this hour multitudes were following Jesus as he was fulfilling his ministry of Isaiah 61:1 Miracles were taking place, water had already been turned into wine, Christ had already read those famous scriptures in the synagogue at Nazareth declaring his position in scripture, Luke 4:16-21.
JOHN NEEDS CONFIRMATION HIS MINISTRY IS FINISHED
One day John was sitting in prison. He knew his ministry. He wasn’t doubting his call. John 1:19-27 plainly shows how the scribes and Pharisees sent men out to inquire of John who he was–never once did John say he was Elijah, he would only confess he was that voice. His quotation in John 1:23 proves he understood (Isaiah 40:3) “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make ye his path straight”. No, he wasn’t doubting his position in the scriptures that he had been solely ordained of God to do one thing – diplomatically introduce the first advent of Christ. Watch him, just like any mortal man sitting in prison wondering about his fate—what is in store for me? One thing for sure, if I have not introduced the true Messiah I can’t leave yet. See, there was a question. Something had to be going through his mind to cause him to make the statement he did to his disciples.” Go ask Him, are you the one we look for or do we look for another?” Remember, it was John months ago who declared Jesus the Lamb of God before his disciples. Now he is telling them to “Go ask him, are you the one we look for or do we look for another.” John is only wanting that second confirmation for lie knows of a certainty if there has been no mistake in his introduction and the proper man has been introduced, he (John) would not be on earth long—Lord, I will be seeing you soon. Watch these chosen disciples of John as they go to Jesus. I can see them as they reach the edge of the multitude and Jesus has preached his sermon, healed the sick and raised the dead etc. fulfilling beautifully Isa. 61:1. Working their way through the crowd to Christ they said, John wants to know, “Are you the one we look for or do we look for another?” Notice, Jesus answered with scripture only, “You go tell John the things you see, how the blind see, etc.” He was referring them to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning His own ministry (ha. 61:1). It wasn’t some statement or story of His own He referred to, but to the scriptures to point out and declare His ministry (John knew the scripture). “You return and tell John the things you saw, how the blind see, the lame walk; the dumb is made to speak; the gospel is proclaimed to the poor.” Thank God He didn’t say, sure I am the Christ— He didn’t need to. Here was enough testimony— the scriptures proved His position. John would be content. I see these two disciples report back to John who was patiently waiting for their return. The disciples repeated the answer Jesus had given. No doubt John said, there is absolutely no mistake. Glory Hallelujah, Lord I’m coming home. What else did he have to look forward to— his job was finished.
JESUS CONFIRMS JOHN’S POSITION IN SCRIPTURE
While these two disciples returned to John, they noticed how Jesus, from the scriptures, confirmed John, his diplomat forerunner, ministry. That representative agent was confirmed by Christ and all four of the gospel writers. Just remember not one person knew who would fulfill those verses until the hour came that person was to be announced. We must always under-stand there was a proper intro-duction upheld before the people, so carnality is never a thing that instigated and cultivated human lives, is it? It is that revelation of the word, revealed by the spirit. When the disciples returned Jesus said to the multitude, “What went you out to see, a reed shaken with the wind?” (Perhaps you have stood along some swampy areas watching these tall reeds as the winds blows them back and forth) “What went you out to see, a reed shaken with the wind?” Christ continued, when you went down to the river of Jordan to hear John, did you think you were listening to a man who one day was one thing and the next day did not know for sure where he stood? No, he was a prophet and more than a prophet, of all the prophets born of woman none is greater than John the Baptist, but I say unto you he that is the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
CHRIST CONFIRMS JOHN AS THE VOICE—Matt. 11:9-10
In Matt. 11:9-10 Christ is again speaking to the multitude con– mining John, “For what went ye oul to see, a prophet yea, I say unto you and more than a prophet”. Note here Jesus quotes from scripture, Mal. 3:1, “For this is he of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face who shall nrenare thy way before thee”.
CHRIST CONFIRMS JOHN AS ELIJAH
Later He really tested their spiritual eyesight, verse 12, 13, 1 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if you will receive it, (Jesus is saying if you have any spirituality about you whatsoever and can recognize prophecy being fulfilled.THIS IS ELIJAH WHO WAS TO COME, Mal. 4:5, which fulfilled part A, of Mal. 4:5-6, but not part B.) Imagine those Jewish theologians standing there in that hour, wrapped in their OWN theology which they had embraced for centuries, shaking their heads listening to such a statement. No they simply could not receive such a statement and apparently his statement went completely over their heads-” “That person who stood on the river banks—preaching! Elijah-never!” “Why, it couldn’t!” Apparently this statement even went over the heads of Christ’s own disciples who truly believed Him to be the Messiah, and yet, they knew that John had something to do with this ministry.
TRUTH AT LAST DAWNS ON THE DISCIPLES CONCERNING JOHN
Turn into Matt. 17, again Christ stood before the multitudes saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you some of you here will not see death till you see the son of man coming in the power of His Kingdom.” After 6 days He took with him Peter, James and John upon the Mount of Transfiguration where He was transfigured before their very eyes. His raiment shown as the noonday sun, while in the midst of this great spiritual vision Moses and Elijah appeared speaking to Christ. When the vision had ended, and their spiritual mentality had been startled as never before, He informed them not to, “tell the vision to any man, until the Son of man be raised from the dead.” Coming down from the mountain with that vision fresh in their minds, especially the part where Elijah appeared, his puzzled disciples asked a question. (Matt. 17:9) WHY THEN SAY THE SCRIBES THAT ELIJAH MUST FIRST COME?? Here they’re ask-ing why do the scribes say that Elijah must first come and restore all things. Today Jesus will answer them, most emphatically. So emphatically they will never again ask about John’s ministry. And Jesus answered and said unto them Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things, (the point here in reference to this restoration is connected with the Kingdom and a kingly throne, RESTORING ISRAEL BACK TO ITS KINGLY POSITION, Restored a kingdom and so forth, not realizing that this thing was to be a spiritual application FIRST. And even when he spake of the coming of the spirit, they ask if this was the hour that Israel would be restored? Acts 1:7, and Jesus answered and said unto them “Elijah truly shall come and restore all things, but I say unto you that Elijah is come already and they knew him not but have done unto him whatsoever they would, “Likewise also shall the Son of Man suffer of them” then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist. For actually the first time the disciples clearly understood that Christ spoke Of John the Baptist, yet never once was his name mentioned.
WILL GENTILES BE MORE RECEPTIVE TO ELIJAH SPIRIT THAN JEWS
Beloved of all that has been said up until now, this was the spiritual attitude and reaction of the Jewish people toward the mystery of Elijah who had been instructed in the law for 1400 years, and we clearly saw the spiritual apostasy which settled over their thinking and how unreceptive they were to God’s word once it was being fulfilled right within their very midst—how slow they were to receive, how slow to respond, and believe when already God had sent his diplomatic representative to their fulfilling these scriptures right before their very eyes – yet it was so impossible for them to grasp that truth! In the light of all that, do you think the gentiles are going to be any more receptive? Any more Revelated? Act any differently? Be any wiser spiritually toward God’s program as he fulfills the remaining ministry of Elijah to the Gentile church? THEY WILL NOT! This bible, we gentiles have borrowed, not one Gentile was the author of anything within its covers: Think of it – every writer was a Jew! Naturally in this book was contained a portion that we gentiles for 1900 years could share. Now our portion is used up. We also have blindly run our course, our 1900 years are up. Time has come for the end of the age, where is that spirit of Elijah for the gentiles? We are none other than the children of those apostolic fathers who in turn were none other than the children of those old Judaistic fathers (scribes and rabbis) of Part A, Mal. 4:6. These today have become our fathers of the faith. We were built upon their teaching not upon the carnal teaching that built the mother and daughters who the Bible declares are harlots and mystery Babylon, Rev. 17:4. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, Thomas, Paul, etc. These are our Fathers, their teachings laid the beautiful ground-work and revelation for the church to be built upon (Eph. 2:20). Scripture declares we are built upon their spiritual revelation and yet remember Malachi 4:5 carried 2 advents of time, only one advent had been fulfilled. Furthermore, it was said that Elijah and not another would turn the hearts of children back to the fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Recall how the angel stood before Zacharias and only quoted half that verse of Malchi 4:6 and stopped! Showing you that the remainder of that prophecy was yet to be fulfilled at some later date, not to the Jewish race they had already played their part in this already played their part in this Verse for the children now mentioned in the latter part of verse 6 are not the children in the first part, they became the fathers of the second part. Remember, these children are absolutely none other than gentile christians who have become the product of the teachings of the apostolic fathers who were the Jewish children of the Law age. The gospel, you recall, was offered first to them but after they rejected it God cut them off bringing the gospel to the gentiles allowing the children of the Law age to become the spiritual fathers of the grace age and these children referred to now in B part of Mal. 4:6 are none other than the believing children who were gathered from generation to generation throughout this 1900 years of grace as the gospel traveled through the Gentiles gathering converts. Scripture teaches at the close of the dispensation of grace the gospel shall leave the Gentiles and return to the Jews for the sealing of that special 144,000 Jews, according to Rev. 7 and 14. But before that happens God must send Elijah to the Gentiles and restore them back to the true faith that they also had lost through accepting Babylonian teaching of carnality and death over the centuries.
BRIEF LOOK AT THE GENTILE RELIGION AT THE APPEARANCE OF ELIJAH
What will the spirit of Elijah find among the Gentile believers when he returns to complete and fulfill Mal. 4:5-6? He shall find a prevailing condition that calls for the fulfillment of Mal. 4:5-6. That is, that the hearts of the children have strayed far from the teaching of the Fathers. They must return to the Original teachings of those fathers. Some may say, “But why must the spirit of Elijah return at the close of this Grace age and restore anything?” What is there to be restored? Don’t we believe the Bible? Don’t we attend church? Haven’t we many Sunday school awards and Pins for perfect attendance? Yes, mostly according to a denominational teaching of the scriptures, we believe the Bible. We understand what our particular church creed, dogmas, and doctrines state concerning the Holy Scriptures. Remember there has been produced through the last 450 years of Protestantism hundreds and hundreds of religious groups, each taking a different name, and each clinging to their own interpretation of the scriptures. A close comparison and study on our church doctrines and creeds will reveal quickly to our hearts, We the children of the fathers are nowhere near the original teaching of the early apostles and church fathers. (The children that were spoken of in part A of Mal. 4:5-6 under the law). The Mission of this spirit of Elijah to the Gentiles (NOT THE JEWS) was to RETURN THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN BACK TO THE FATHERS. Of the faith) One does not have to compare their religious ideas and creeds’ very long to learn that we (the children) at the end of this age are nowhere near the true apostles teaching found in your Bible. We the children are quite at odds with our fathers on most all their teachings.
DOCTRINES OF FATHERS CHILDREN DIFFERS WITH
1. In Justification by grace through faith (revelation). 2. True light on the Godhead as the apostles taught it. 3. Water Baptism in – His name and not His titles. 4. Predestination. 5. A woman’s place in the church. 6. Eternal Security of the elect. 7. Truth on the Holy Spirit as taught by the apostles. 8. Denomination, to name just a few. We the children through our carnal. denominational programs have strayed and wandered far from the old path LAID BY THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS. We have forgot-ten or just plainly ignored the Apostle Paul’s instructions when he said if an angel from heaven come and preach any other gospel than that which I preached let him be accursed. (Gal. 1:6-8) For Emphasis, this was repeated twice, although it holds little or no effect on most of the believers. They continue right on in their own man made programs teaching those commandments of man, making the word of God to be of non-effect (Matt. 15:6) Are we not aware our teachings are contrary to that of the early apostolic fathers? Are we not aware the apostles were together in doctrine and principle of beliefs? Each one did not begin a separate organization of belief! No Sir, they all accepted the same doctrine; they knew better than to break off from the true word (vine) (Jn. 15:1-7) and go into error. They knew they had the only truth of that hour and for the entire grace age. They would never be guilty of flirting with the devil’s doctrines which brings spiritual blindness and death as the children have been so guilty of doing! Then you ask me if there be any work for the Spirit of Elijah in restoring us to the true apostolic teachings of the fathers. when the Lord will return only for a people built upon their teaching, one completely clear of Babylonion ideas. of holy writ? There is no other teaching the Holy Spirit will accept in the Last hour of the age other than the faithful teachings of the fathers who Christ prayed for in his garden prayer when he said He not only prayed for them but for all who would believe on his name through their words. (Jn. 17:20) That’s why we the rebellious children of Mal. 4:5-6 part B must be restored unto their true original teaching of the fathers. THIS IS THE WORK OF THAT SPIRIT OF ELIJAH. The message of Elijah to the church causes the true believer to return.
WHAT THE SCRIBES OVERLOOK IN MALACHI 4:5-6
Brief review on Malachi 4:5-6. God will send Elijah. Five things stand out in Mal. 4:5-6 that the scribes should have known— . No one knew who the Elijah spirit would rest upon until his hour to be manifested. (2) Two advents are recorded, separated by the conjunction AND. (4) Elijah must complete part B of Mal. 6. Angel quoted A-parts for the spirit of Elijah’s office on John the Baptist. (5) We know the agent the spirit of Elijah rested upon to complete Mal. 4:5-6. A-Part. But who shall be the man the spirit will rest upon to complete Part B of the two verses, thus ending the Mystery of Elijah.
ELIJAH’S COMING A NEW DAY FOR THE CHURCH WITH THE COMING OF ELIJAH
Recall, Laodicea, 1906 begins a new and glorious day for the Church. It was a reign of the Spirit’s power upon His Church (the body of Christ). The Holy Ghost opened the age with His mighty presence in Los Angeles, 312 Azusa Street. No doubt about it, a new age for the Church had been born. God was RESTORING HIS GIFTS IN A GREAT MEASURE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. Each age (Sardis and Philadelphia) for the last 400 years had experienced the HOLY GHOST DEEPER, STRONGER AND FAR GREATER than the previous one. Laodicea will experience Him in a far greater measure than had the last two ages. Since this last age is the shortest and bring back the full Apostolic Church, much must transpire at a far quicker pace in restoration of the Church than did the two previous ages. THE LONG DARK NIGHT was Thyatira, 606-1520, Columba being the star that shined the brightest during that terrible dark night when it seemed the proposition Satan made to Jesus (Matt. 4:9) was taken up by the woman, Jezebel. (All this is mine and I will give it to you if you will worship me). This Roman church, the very first to be founded on the Trinitarian teachings, was so polluted that all Europe was thrown into pagan darkness. When Luther came forth, 1518, there was very little spiritual light, although thousands lit their lamps by his light of revelation. (Rev. 3:4). Then man formed creeds of organization around that light of revelation (just shall live by t faith) tended to only serve as a bushel basket hindering and darkening, not lighting; this continues on into Wesley’s age, though there was even more light of revelation in Wesley’s hour of Methodism than Luther’s. Note—Each Church age after the Reformation produced far more light than the previous one. Laodicea will be the shortest, yet the greatest , RESTORING age of all for lost apostolic truth. God shall restore all His truth to the end time BRIDE, through that Spirit of Elijah as he turns the disobedient hearts of the children to the fathers (Mal. 4: 5& 6). (Disobedient because they were entwined in teachings other than the Apostles). As the war closed in 1918, the world began to hear the restoration of the long lost message of the one God and Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. This message of Revelation split the trinitarian pentecostals down the middle thus paving the way back into real Scripture revelation of Bible truth, preparing the stage or setting for God to bring His prophet messenger who shall be qualified to restore the real true light of apostolic teachings, thus fulfilling Malachi 4: 5-6; Rev. 10:7, Rev. 3:14.
WHO IS THE ANGEL (MESSENGER) TO LAODICEA?
Rev. 3:14-22. For each of the seven ages of the Gentile Church, God sent a special messenger called the angel to lead the elect of that hour. Recall in the right hand of the Lord Jesus the almighty (Rev. 1:18) were seven stars representing the seven Church age messengers. Naturally those last. three stars represented Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, with the Laodicea star being the final star. This age called Laodicea will be very short and will transpire rapidly, leaving God with only one alternative, SPUE THE AGE OUT OF HIS MOUTH! BECAUSE OF ITS LUKEWARM CONDITION TOWARD HIS REVEALED WORD that He so graciously delivered through His messenger to the Church. It won’t be as in the past, when some cult tried to make a man fit certain scriptures. Looking into the Holy scriptures we can see the kind of person this last messenger will be. The scripture fits a certain man in THIS AGE! When we see a man that is “CUT OUT” of scriptural material we know we have found the Laodicean messenger to the endtime Bride group.
LAODICEAN MESSENGER IS A PROPHET
The Laodicean angel will fill the office of a PROPHET, carrying a great prophetic ministry based solely on the Word of God. His prophecies and visions will always come to pass: He will be vindicated as a prophet because of his accuracy. The proof he is a prophet is found in Rev. 10:7 “The person in this verse called an Angel is Not an heavenly being. The sixth—trumpeting angel, who is a heavenly being is in Rev. 9:13, and the seventh of like order is in Rev. 11:15. This one in Rev. 10:7 is the seventh age messenger, a man who is to bring a message from God and HIS MESSAGE AND MINISTRY IS GOING TO FINISH THE MYSTERY OF GOD as declared to His servants, the prophets. God will treat this last messenger as a prophet, because HE IS A PROPHET. Paul was a prophet to the first age; the last age has one too. Amos 3:7, Surely the Lord will do nothing, but HE REVEALETH HIS SECRET UNTO HIS SERVANTS, THE PROPHETS. Not only do we see this messen-ger coming here in Rev. 10:7, as a prophet, but we find that the word speaks of Elijah coming before Jesus returns. In Matt. 17:10, “Why saith the scribes that Elias must first come?” Jesus answered “Elias truly shall first come, and RESTORE ALL THINGS.” TELL ME, WHERE DID JOHN RESTORE ALL THINGS , when his ministry did not touch the last half of Mal: 4, 5-6? Before the coming of our Lord, Elijah must return for a restoration work in the Church. Mal. 4:5 shows that spirit of Elijah must return before the return of Christ to do a specific work (Mal. 4:6) to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers. This is his specific work because the first part was accomplished by John (LK. 1:17) JESUS SAID SO! But never did it state “the hearts of the children were turned to the fathers”, that was yet to transpire. The hearts of the last day children would be turned back to the (teaching of the) apostolic fathers. This prophet upon whom the spirit of Elijah falls WILL PREPARE THE CHILDREN for the return of Christ! This person will be a prophet vindicated by God. Since Jesus Himself won’t be here in THE FLESH to vindicate him, as He did John, it will be DONE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. Therefore, his ministry will be attended by great and wonderful manifestations. As a prophet, every revelation will be vindicated because every revelation will come to pass. Wonderful acts of power will be performed at his commands in faith.
THEN SHALL BE BROUGHT FORTH THE MESSAGE GOD HAS GIVEN HIM IN THE WORD, TO TURN THE PEOPLE BACK TO THE TRUTH AND THE TRUE POWER OF GOD. Some will listen, but THE MAJORITY WILL RUN TRUE TO FORM AND REJECT HIM.
THE NATURE OF THESE MEN
This prophet will be NATURALLY, like Elijah and John. Both men were set apart from the accepted religious schools of their day. Both were men of the wilderness. Both acted only when they had “THUS SAITH THE LORD,.” Straight from God by revelation. Both lashed out against the religious order and leaders of their day. Not only was that so, they lashed out against all who were corrupt or would corrupt others, and notice, both prophesied much against immoral women and their ways. Elijah cried out against Jezebel, and John rebuked Herodias, Phillip’s wife. Now let’s get real serious. To anyone in the religious realm who would challenge me because we mention this man’s name, Who I firmly believe fulfilled that scrip-ture in Mal. 4:5 and 6. Then I would have to Say “What business did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have mentioning that first work of the Spirit of Elijah on John the Baptist? Why didn’t they merely write about Jesus Christ and just stop there? Why? I’ll have you to know even the Apostle Paul who perhaps never saw John the Baptist even witnessed of him (Acts 19:1-6) That name of John was not foreign to him when he heard the disciples mention it. He did not say “who is John, what did he do!” Every early believer knew the complete record as God began that new age called the Kingdom of Heaven.
JOHN’S POSITION IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED WITHIN EACH GOSPEL WRITING
Paul told them all about John’s ministry. So don’t tell me I have no right to refer to the working of that spirit of Elijah on another man to complete the mystery of this verse! If these gospel writers had to record concerning John’s ministry in order that the early Christians might not be ignorant as to what God had accomplished over a period of 35-40 years, then it is our responsibility to present the ministry of the man we firmly believe that the spirit of Elijah rested upon at the end of the Church age to fulfill the remainder of Mal. 4:5 and 6. You may think this most fanatical but the point is this, royalty will be introduced Again, and a proper and diplomatic manner as declared by His fast coming. Again the spirit of Elijah will do the introducing with a message. But again, only a few will go out and see what it is all about. To any person who might think we followers of this prophet William Branham have gone overboard about a man, listen closely to my statement—I am firmly opposed to anyone idolizing the flesh of any man, but nevertheless, that will never excuse the proper introduction of what this man is to the age. So my critics arrived too Late to tell me not to mention this man’s name to this end time Gentile Church, when we find John’s name mentioned time and time again as the fulfilment of Mal. 4:5 and 6 (A part – This end time Church needs to know, believe and enter into the message. Therefore, I present to you the man I feel positively fulfilled Mal. 4:5 and 6 (B part) completely and to the theologians and churchgoers who would say “prove to me William Branham is that man” holding that position, “show me his name in scripture”, I simply say show me John the Baptist name as the I ultilment and I will show you William Branham’s name in the New Testament! No sir! those names are not there. God never reveals the names of the man that the spirit of Elijah rests upon until He is ready to shake the world with that spirit!
WHO WAS WILLIAM BRANHAM?
Who was this man in Portland, Oregon, in 1948 who commanded Satan to fall at his feet when a demon possessed man tried to break up the services and do the prophet bodily harm? Who was this man in Chicago, Ills., who challenged 350 leading ministers to step forth and prove his doctrine wrong after the Holy Ghost had revealed to him that this ministerial group intended to challenge him on his doctrine, yet none came! William Branham, the man commissioned of God in 1933 to forerun the second coming of Jesus Christ, was a vindicated prophet sent from God, coming forth in a perplexed hour when many religious voices were crying aloud, each thinking they were the way. Never before in the history of all the religious world had there been as many separate, confusing voices crying at the same time, “Come unto me, join us, believe like we do, we are the true church.” These cries were so boisterous the multitudes had forgotten the TRUE VOICE OF GOD (His divine Word) , that still small voice that only the true sheep can recognize. God sent his messenger prophet, the forerunner of His second coming, with a loud voice-RETURN TO THE TRUE WORD. Thy Word, Oh God, is Truth! Here was the old landmark, the despised and rejected stone—truth that had been for many years silenced and cast away for the newer and more acceptable manmade stone, Nicean Council doctrine 325 A.D. Creeds, dogmas, and ideas had taken its place until people began to ask the question, “What is the Word?” The Word alone happens to be the real foundation of the TRUE CHURCH which had for nearly 1700 years been covered by so many false ideas and foundations of man made religions, its voice was all but silenced, Eph. 2:20. Certainly people read their Bibles but it really wasn’t the only authority of God WITH THEM. Many still believed just about what they wanted to. They endorsed their church’s teaching ABOVE THE WRITTEN WORD and although many of their church doctrines concerning that written word could not be found within the scriptures, THEY CLUNG TO THEM. God, knowing the hearts of all, and seeing that every revelation teaching He had sent to restore the church to her former glory was merely winding up in some form of organized Babylon religion, was moved with compassion at the closing of the Laodicean Seventh Church Age and sent forth a prophet., not another church reformer schooled in Protestant theology or in Pentecostal carnal teachings, but schooled with THUS SAITH THE LORD. His coming was AT THE CLOSING of the Laodicean Age, just 400 years after the Reformation. In his Kentucky Mountain language he said, “Folks, you sure have worked hard to build up these famous organizations. I realize you spent lots of time (some 300 Years) money, sweat and tears making that dead, denominational prostitute name what it is. I won’t deny that she is not pretty, but she has become a prostitute. What I have to say won’t be easy to accept and to some it will come as quite a shock, THUS SAITH THE LORD, TEAR IT DOWN! COME OUT OF IT! Rev. 17:5, 18:4. You didn’t build it according to the blueprint. The housing inspector (Jesus) is going to reject it. Run into the name of the Lord which is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and ARE SAFE Prov. 18-19. You did not use God’s blueprint. You used your own (Cain type religion) and the Word strictly forbids it. You did not use the True Word for the foundation—you have built upon the sand which will not stand the rain and storm. (Matt. 7:26-27.) Naturally this came as a considerable shock to the religious world who met monthly, quarterly and yearly to discuss the furtherance of their programs. With that mighty authority invested in him by Almighty God, he would reach and jerk the cover from Mystery Babylon, exposing her nakedness. screaming like an eagle, he would say, “Come out of her my people. Rev. 18:4 THUS SAITH THE LORD”, until people began inquiring, “Who does he think he is? Who gave him this authority? Why is he always saying these hurting, cutting things about our lovely organizations which our Phd’s and DD’s and all our fine schools of learning have highly endorsed? The masses had been reared up to believe everyone should BELONG to some organized religion—they knew no better. Join the church of your choice was the slogan of the day. People would say, yes, I BELONG to the church. SO DOES THE STEEPLE, BUT IT IS NOT GOING ANY PLACE. Neighbor, God never sent Christ. to this wicked, sin cursed world to die shamefully for you in order you might be saved then join any church OF YOUR CHOICE. This is completely unscriptural. Why was this little baldheaded man strictly against the carnal systems of organizations? Note: Never was he against the people bound and entangled in their doctrine, he dearly loved them, but HE WAS FIRMLY OPPOSED TO THE SYSTEMS WHICH BOUND THEM! Was his commission from God to bring a message of this nature to a rebellious, stiff necked, hard hearted people against the Word of Truth? Has such a message actually come from the throne room of the Eternal King? Had God sent one to speak with such authority that when He finished delivering his message, without hesitation he would stand. oral platforms across America and overseas alike and shout, “IF my message be of God Almighty, LET HIM COME and vindicate that which I have preached unto you to be the truth. If He (God) doesn’t come and vindicate WHAT I HAVE JUST PREACHED AS BEING THE TRUTH, I AM A FALSE PROPHET. Now Let’s invite Him to come.”
Everyone was aware when God had entered the auditorium. The presence of the Holy Spirit was so real that the atmosphere was charg-ed with the presence of God and every spirit became subject to his strong posVer and authority. With the anointing of God upon him he would say, “I now take command of every spirit in this building.” People stood in amazement, wondering what marvelous thing God would perform to vindicate His prophet messenger. As the presence of the Almighty God filled the building where the prophet stood, time after time he would enter into visions seeing the people in ways that only God could see them. For hours he would tell them things that only God Himself could possibly have known. (1) identical to the way our Lord Jesus told Nathaniel he was an Israelite, in whom no guile was found. Nathanial said, “Rabbi, HOW DID YOU KNOW ME?” “Why Nathaniel, when you were praying under the fig tree, I SAW THEE.” Only God could know what Nathaniel did under the fig tree before he met Christ. (2) As the Woman at the well confessed to Jesus, “Lord, l have no husband.” He answered, “Rightly so. For thou hast had five husbands and the one you NOW LIVE with is not your husband.” Only God knows the secrets of the innermost heart. The Holy Spirit knew her every move, and He spoke through the lips of the anointed one called Jesus, the Christ, His only begotten Son standing before her, (3) as the Almighty God did—who told Abraham, Sarah his wife would conceive and bear a child at the age of 90 and Sarah laughed. With His back to the woman He asked, “Why did Sarah laugh?”‘ MANY TIMES Bro. Branham would turn HIS BACK to the audience and tell their very thoughts. You may ask, how was it done? Answer— “I do nothing until the Father shows me, said our Lord Jesus, When he read the thoughts and intents of the head. Herein lay the secret of the amazing ministry of William Branham who was also careful never to do anything until the Father had made himself known. As God gave this as a SIGN GIFT to the Jews and they rejected it, and were cut off with the message going to the Gentiles, so Bro. Branham emphasized that in the end of the Gentiles’ age in order to blind the Gentiles and return back to the Jews, God would manifest that MESSIAH GIFT to the Gentiles, (Knowing the thoughts and intents of the heart). Neither would the Gentiles recognize their visitation and reject their sign that Christ was the same today as yesterday and that would cause God’s wrath and judgement to be placed upon the Gentiles. Often he would say to his captivated audience, “You know who I am waiting on.” Yes, the audience knew full well, for thousands who saw Jesus in Him followed him to receive all the spiritual food that came from his anointed mouth. Two classes of people followed the prophet—those who saw Jesus (the Word) in the man and the other class who could see no further than the flesh of the man. Once the Almighty God had manifested Himself through His prophet, everyone was fully aware of it. In Bro. Branham’s flesh HE COULD DO NOTHING, but what this little man was waiting upon, could do everything. After having preached some astonishing doctrine to the ears of man, his voice sounding as the scream of an eagle, he would say, “If I preached you the truth tonight, let Him who gave me this message come and vindicate my words as truth.” All desiring to seek the Lord for salvation were invited to do so following the close of his messages. This was his ministry, bringing men to Christ (that true and living Word).
OPERATION OF THE GIFT
A person steps before him, a complete stranger. Always, he would say, “We are strangers, is that right? But we are not strangers to God”. The conversation would continue, “You are not from this town or even this state. You are a stranger. I see a body of water (or perhaps it might be something else) appearing before him in his vision. He might say, you are from Salt Lake City or as the case might be somewhere overseas. Wherever it was he would tell them WITHOUT FAILURE where they were from. Your sickness is such and such; your husband sitting on the front row is suffering from a certain disease. You are scheduled for an operation on a certain day. The doctors told you last week how serious this operation is. The person would nod saying yes. “Do you believe God can heal you and your suffering husband Mrs. John Doe? Do you believe?” And now with a heart full of faith. Mrs. Doe says, “Yes”. He would then say GO YOUR WAY, If you CAN believe you will be made whole, Do you believe? This was his task. GETTING THAT PERSON TO BELIEVE GOD’S WORD. Conversations of this nature happened many thousands of times throughout thirty three years.
WORD CONCERNING THE GIFT
The strange and peculiar gift in this man’s life could heal no one, not even himself. This gift of God was not given to heal, but to build faith in the individual in order for them to believe, placing firm (solid) faith in the wonderful Word of God, which alone could heal. As always, God sent His Word and IT HEALED THEM. Bro. Branham merely followed the simple instructions given by the angel of the Lord who informed him of this gift in 1946. If you can get the people to believe, said the angel, nothing shall stand before you, NOT EVEN CANCER, but you must get them to believe. That is why this unusual gift of discernment worked in the prophet in this manner, to get people to believe in order to be healed or their needs met. I will not say everyone he prayed for was healed—that I don’t know—but I will say to the thousands that he spoke THUS SAITH THE LORD, go your way, the Lord healeth thee-without fail, they were healed For the word—THUS SAITH THE LORD came through his mouth it was known TO NEVER FAIL. God truly vindicated this amazing prophet. God’s REVELATED WORD alone is the spiritual LIFE OF MAN. With many signs accompanying his ministry, never once did God fail to vindicate His prophet before the world. No less than SIX PEOPLE have been known to be raised from the dead. Many thousands today live because this one man was sent to preach the true gospel. Multitudes of cripple and lame now walk and the blind NATURALLY AND SPIRITUALLY see. Many who would have long ago been dead due to some deadly disease eating away their life. Now have no signs or traces of their deadly disease. This man was sent around the world seven times to preach the revelation of truth. There was no doubt, even SCIENTIFICALLY, never has there been a more perfect ministry since the days of the apostles.
MORE THAN A PREACHER OR SOME DOCTOR OF DIVINITY WAS SPEAKING!
It was more than a prophet merely giving homiletical discussions on the failure of the church with no solution, but hoping somewhere things would improve.This prophet of God, walking in the spirit of Elijah, forerunning the second com-ing of Jesus Christ, had a solution–DESERT THE SINKING SHIP WAS HIS CRY UNTO THE BRIDE! This religious world was not of God, because it was not built on the true apostolic foundation. He did not believe you should remain in something God through his word had already condemned. COME OUT OF HER he would scream to all who would hear his voice. Many thousands around the world obeyed God’s word through Him. His message was that of the original apostles’, preaching and proclaiming the apostles doctrine, and HIS CONSTANT CRY WAS, “BACK TO THE OLD LANDMARK, COME BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TEACHING OF THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS. THIS WAS HIS MINISTRY..
HEALING WAVE-1946-1955
So great was this supernatural ministry which caused millions to know that God was alive, and that a new ministry had come upon the scene it gave MULTITUDES OF MINISTERS COURAGE TO VENTURE INTO THE SUPERNATURAL REALM FOR POWER OVER THE ENEMY, BRINGING TO THE WORLD BETWEEN 1946-1956 THE WORLD’S GREATEST IlEALING MOVE EVER. THIS WAS NOT HIS MINISTRY, this was not his calling, this was not the purpose God had sent William Branham into the world. His ministry was not just healing the sick. It was not just to encourage those through a supernatural gift who were discouraged. These things were great and marvelous, although they were merely God’s calling card to get him before the eyes of the public in order to preach REVELATION TRUTH TO HEARTS. Showing the religious world where the old landmark was, and how to build the house on the REVEALED ROCK THAT WOULD STAND THE STORM. (Matt. 7). William Branham was not an educated man, nor did he hold degrees as did many other ministers. His public schooling brought him merely to the seventh grade, but he could put to shame the PHD’s, LLD’S, and DD’s in the revelation of the truth of Jesus Christ. He was not schooled in man’s learning; he was schooled in the revelation of truth of God’s Word. Upon hearing his message, untold thousands turned from the ways of religious organizational thinking to follow the true and living God, THE WORD, (John 1:1) while others followed only the prophet to see another miracle. These eventually fell by the wayside. Bro. Branham, a man filled with deep humility, OFTEN REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS LEAST AMONG THE BRETHREN. Perhaps one of William Branham’s greatest services in the states was held in Arkansas in 1947 where he prayed for people continually three days and nights, stopping only to sleep a few hours on a cot brought into the tent. The people in that part of the country were poor but had great faith. There was such a pull upon this man that he faced physical nervous exhaustion and for 6 months during 1948, he was forced to leave the field for rest. Yes, this great supernatural sign gift ministry was given FOR ONE PURPOSE ONLY, that it might call the attention of the people to hear what this man had to say, NOT WHAT HE COULD DO. It was a MESSAGE that he had been sent to deliver, and as his ministry went forward throughout the years, he devoted more and more time of his ministry to GIVE FORTH THAT MESSAGE OF THE TRUE REVELATED WORD OF GOD. Never once did he major on miracles, not even when he first began to preach back in the early thirties. Much like other ministers, he did not dwell very much upon doctrine UNLESS HE WAS PREACHING IN HIS OWN TABERNACLE, neither did our Lord Jesus when He first began to preach. He merely healed all the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, although the day came when this great host of people who had BEGUN TO FOLLOW HIM left him because of the word he preached. “You have not sought Me because you want Me, you have sought Me for the fishes and loaves but I say unto you, you must eat of my flesh and drink my blood, else you have no life in you.” Christ’s message became too strong, too cutting and proved too hard to receive. All but twelve left the Lord Jesus. Peter said there was no one else who had the Word of life, From that day forward Jesus began to preach more strongly the Kingdom of God, explaining to His disciples the real teaching and truth of the Bible. Yes, the hour came that He had to go forward IN THE WORD, bringing that which men hated and despised because their deeds are evil—THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. As long as he healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out devils, and gave free fish fries, the religious multitudes desired to make Him a king. Their desire was to make Him somebody great. This is also true concerning the ministry of William Branham. As long as he merely healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils and allowed the gift of discernment and other gifts to operate in his peculiar ministry, he had the support of millions. He had the support of denominations and organizations; especially in the Pentecostal ranks. They flocked to him by the thousands. His campaigns were huge, BUT THE HOUR CAME, AS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST, WHEN HE TOLD THEM MORE TRUTH. (God repeating again at the end of the same pattern.) After this man had attracted many disciples who followed his ministry, though many followed only to see, NOT TO HEAR THE WORD OF TRUTH, he began to PREACH TO THEM MORE AND MORE OF THE TRUTH, though he never once instructed anyone to eat his flesh and drink his blood, FOR HE WAS NOT DIVINE, he was not Jesus Christ. No longer was it that you ate the denominational teaching or what great men from the past had said – MISTAKING THAT FOR THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. If you were to be in the Bride of Jesus Christ, you must depart from all unrighteousness. . . touch not, taste not, handle not that which is unclean in which multitudes are perishing by the using, that is, DOCTRINES OF MEN. By every infallible proof the Prophet showed these DOCTRINES OF MEN had only condemned the soul, causing men to think CARNALLY. Doctrines made by man was what we must stop eating and come back to the real apostolic teachings of Jesus Christ, for here was the foundation Stone. This is why God sent him. His real message was calling men back to the original Word of truth, warning all it was time to depart from Babylon, a spiritual city of mass confusion and error and make their garments white and clean by returning to the rejected cornerstone of truth and the foundational teaching of the apostle? Like an umpire, sweeping the dirty, dusty bases in order that he who runs may clearly see the path to run…thus was this man’s ministry, to sweep away the trash, the error, the falsehood of man made religion, to bring into fuller light and clearer understanding the teachings of the great reformers of the church, in order that he who runs may see clearly where he is to run as well as that which he is not to touch, defiling himself. The Word of the Lord was so powerful in his life, that many actually believed HE WAS GOD IN THE FLESH. This he denounced very strongly. His life was humble and Christlike. A Man who had the love of God so in him that he would not bruise the tenderest plant (saint) had the voice and authority of God’s Prophet that he could speak the word and judgement would fall on whole cities. No prophecy ever failed! No sickness could stand in his way. Death was forced to release its victims six times at the Spoken Word. Many were healed, but he would always say the sickness of eating carnal teachings and not believing God’s Word was the most terrible sickness of all, for, truly, this sickness carries the patient into spiritual death and judgement—the carnal killeth, but the spirit giveth life. His message made him hated and despised by organized religion for he, the same as the six church age messengers of Revelations before him, brought condemnation on all groups that refused to follow the Word of God, but wanted to lean toward traditions of the Elders, He called the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH the great whore of Revelations 17 and then shouted at the PROTESTANT TRINITARIAN religious world, “…don’t point an accusing finger at the Mother of all organizational religion for YOU CAME OUT OF HER. This makes you her daughters, and God called everyone of your harlots. (Rev. 17:4) YOU ARE THE GREAT WHORE’S DAUGHTERS! YOU WILL FORM THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST! (Rev. 13:1415) This great beastly system organized around their doctrines and you came along and did the same thing, thus bringing spiritual death upon yourself. (Rev. 3:1)
A CLOSER LOOK AT GOD’S PURPOSE IN THIS MINISTRY OF THE LAODICEAN MESSENGER
God calls upon this man to restore a people in his generation back to the original faith of our apostolic FATHERS, thus, fulfilling the scripture in Malachi 4:5-6 “and he shall turn the hearts (seat of thinking) of the children (us) back to the Fathers (apostolic)”. Turning our thinking back in the right direction. Why had our hearts been turned away from the fathers? Why were we (end time children) at opposition with our fathers? Who were the children’s fathers? The apostolic fathers were Peter, James, John, Paul etc. We shall endeavor to show how the children’s hearts at the close of the age would be turned back to the Jewish fathers by a Gentile prophet wearing the mantle of Elijah. For some reason God chose to use that mantle to introduce both of His comings. Both were introduced by a forerunner with a message turning hearts back to true worship. 2. Another important function of this commission was MAKING CLEAR ALL THE MYSTERIES OF REVELATION that the Reformation leaders could not clearly see due to the hour in which they lived. There was not enough SPIRITUAL LIGHT ON THE Word to bring their truth into the full revelation (light) and before it could be accomplished the devil had caused the people to leave the Word and organize their revelation giving it a dead name (Rev. 3:1) thus, making them foolish virgins, plunging them back into darkness and error and back to sleep. (Matt. 25:1-2).
THE AGE OF PROSTITUTE DAUGHTERS-450 YEARS
Zechariah’s vision tZech. 14) shows why there was a period of time called neither day nor night –less than 450 years in length this Period was covering the Reformation (Sardis) to the Laodicean Age, Rev. 3:1-22. THE AGE OF THE DAUGHTERS! The DARK NIGHT on God’s calendar was created from the teaching of Jezebel, SATAN’S BRIDE. That period known as neither day nor night where the light (revelation) was not clear GAVE BIRTH TO THE DENOMINATIONAL, DAUGHTERS OF THE Mother whore. Even though these daughters did go into error: THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME APOSTOLIC TRUTH BEING REOPENED IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD, Shedding SOME light to walk by. Yes, great religious leaders sat at the feet of this prophet. Men who had been used to spearhead much of the new Pentecostal movements. hearing God’s Word of rebuke and rejection for their role in this religious Babylon world. This TRUE light carried by the prophet would lighten the path of everyone who will turn their heart back to the Word of the true and living God. His sharp two edged sword (revelation of the Word) given to him by the King of Glory WHACKED the denominational world to pieces, until he became a hated, feared and a despised prophet in religious circles. This very man who for many years had been praised highly as a prophet sent from God IS NOW BRANDED AS A FALSE PROPHET; marked as one whose coming brought only division among the brethren. Out of that mouth came the rebuking sharp two-edged sword, (The Word of God) which cut asunder everything that was not based or built upon the Bible truth, for this reason and for this reason alone, THEY BRANDED HIM A FALSE PROPHET. Jesus once remarked they hated me without a cause, a man who told them nothing but the truth. That is also the only charge this religious world could ever find against William Branham. (1) For he never TOOK their money. As a matter of fact in 1946 he made a covenant with God that the day he had to put pressure on the people for offerings, or use gimmicks, as so many religious racketeers were doing, that was the day he came off the field, (2)NEVER TOLD THEM A LIE, (3) NEVER TRIED TO RECEIVE HONOR AND PRESTIGE FOR HIMSELF. Blind religious leaders leading the blind remarked on many occasions, “Truly, William Branham is a vindicated Prophet but some of his doctrine is poison.” Oh Friend, how can you truthfully say a man is sent from God with a God anointed, vindicated, prophetic ministry and then ignorantly remark that which he speaks is of the devil. From one corner of their mouth they state he is of God, the other corner they remark his message is filled with falsehood and error. How blind, how misleading can one be to believe such statements! Don’t you realize what the office of a prophet is? A PROPHET IS THE VOICE OF GOD! Your Old and New Testaments prophets were voices of God. God said through Amos 3:6, I will do nothing except I reveal it first unto my servants THE PROPHETS. How can you say that God is poison? Can you imagine some Jews of yesteryear referring to Moses, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Samuel, “Now Israel, we know this is a prophet sent of God who has THUS SAITH THE LORD in his mouth for he is God’s voice, we believe. Moses was right when he opened the Red Sea, but I want to tell you, that which he says concerning doctrines, you will be better off not to pay any attention to it. It’s just their own ideas and opinion and ours is just as good as his. It wasn’t the way we had been taught.” Your belief is fine if it lines up with God’s Word but if it doesn’t then you are only heaping damnation to your soul.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A PROPHET?
Many people feel certain men are prophets of God, mainly because they can perform certain miracles yet their preaching message is completely contrary with that of the prophet’s message. Common sense alone will teach us somebody is wrong; somebody who claims THUS SAITH THE LORD does not have THUS SAITH THE LORD. You cannot say that a man is a prophet merely because he performs a miracle, John the Baptist was truly a prophet and he NEVER PERFORMED ONE SINGLE MIRACLE, so miracles are not a test of a true prophet. This messenger carried no new doctrine of his own, no creed but the Bible. The only apostles’ creed that he knew was Acts 2:38. Often he was asked the question, “Mr Branham, do you preach the same gospel as that of the apostles?” His answer was, “If I didn’t I would be cursed with all of those who refuse it, for did not the apostle Paul state, “If anyone come preaching any other gospel than that which I have preached, let him be accursed.” Gal. 1:8-9. Bro. Branham said, “If I, or an angel from heaven should dare preach any other doctrine than the apostles GOD WOULD CURSE US,” (Gal. 1:6-7) You see, my friend, he stayed right with the Word. That is the only scriptural way to determine a true anointed preacher or prophet from the FALSE ANOINTED ONES OF THIS HOUR. The true minister will always stay right with the Word, no cutting corners for anyone. There were seven men called stars and messengers in the right hand of Jesus when He appeared unto John on the Isle of Patmos as He, Jesus, stood in the middle of the seven golden candlesticks which represented the seven Church ages. These stars represented the messengers to the seven different Church Ages. Each man had a message unto the Bride of Christ in that particular age. Though multitudes would hear the messenger, only the Bride of Christ would obey their message. Bro. Branham’s message was a continual revelation of God’s Word. It was food for the bride! It was judgment for those who refused and mocked counting the message of non-effect! Jesus remarked before religious leaders concerning John the Baptist whose coming was in the spirit and power of Elijah to forerun His first coming, “Was John’s message from heaven or was it of men?” The religious leaders answered ,”We cannot say”. The scripture reveals their thoughts by saying, “If we say OF HEAVEN, then He will immediately want to know, “Why did you not believe him?” This is what the Laodicean religious, lukewarm Babylonian church world is going to have to come quickly to the conclusion: was this little bald headed prophet from Jeffersonville, Indiana, who spoke in the Name of the Lord, actually having visions and giving predictions, prophecies and preaching messages, WAS IT OF GOD OR WAS IT OF MAN? WAS IT OF HEAVEN OR WAS IT OF MAN? People say, “Oh, yes, his miracles and visions were of God, only his mouth was full of the devils words.” Personally, I would be afraid to follow such individuals who dare to make such vile statement. While others will say, “Oh, I believe William Branham was a GOOD man.” Either this man was sent of God or he was sent of the devil. Either this man was of God or he was one of the vilest, undermining, human beings that ever walked in shoe leather. His message of the hour is either true or he is the greatest deceiver of all times. You cannot say that a man is part of God and part of the devil, part Christian and part devil, there is no such thing. There is no straddling the fence, there is no middle ground. He was God’s mouthpiece on earth to the last Church Age with blessings and curses, or he was a devil. A good man COULD NOT say God had sent him with a message to the people; that angels came and ministered unto him; that the angel of the Lord—this pillar of fire that was constantly present in his services, seen by many and photographed by a newspaper photographer, the only picture of a supernatural light ever taken… came and explained the scriptures to him, and remain a good man if all these things were not absolutely true. World known preachers of today, knew Bro. Branham was a prophet sent from God although they refused to accept his message. Some time ago Billy Graham remarked, what this world needs is a prophet sent of God. God sent one, BUT WHO HEARD HIM? Did Mr. Graham? Did the great majority of ministers? True prophets are never accepted.
HIS MESSAGE WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE HIS COMMISSION WAS DIFFERENT
Not only was his message DIFFERENT, his commission also was different from that of any man God had ever sent. His commission and calling did not come from the laying on of hands of the ministry. No! A THOUSAND TIMES NO! His commission came from the actual audible voice of Jehovah Himself, before an audience of over four thousand people in the YEAR 1933. The year of June 1933, was a struggling year for the American people who were battling to pull themselves free from the terrible depression, prior to national bankruptcy. The soup lines in most every place had now reached their end. Only six months has elapsed since Bro. Branham’s conversion in the old wood shed when he received the fullness of the Spirit. Now he’s surrendering his heart and life to the call of the ministry and prepare for his first service. Everything seems lovely, for the first time in his life he does not feel an outcast to society. He’s happy enjoying the company of people. It’s in his own home town, Jeffersonville, Ind. where he had his first tent meeting. An estimated crowd of three thousand attended as much as one single service. Many were converted. This kind of results were unheard of with seasoned ministers, and he was in his first tent campaign! What drew such a crowd to hear this young man? A hundred and thirty people saw their need of water baptism during his first campaign. It was June of 1933, the Indiana weather was beautiful, the baptism was scheduled to take place at 2:00 at the Ohio River near Jeffersonville, Ind., not far from the tent site.
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM HEAVEN
Thousands milled around the banks of the Ohio River witnessing an unforgettable baptism scene. But far more is going to happen on that day than a mere hundred and thirty people being baptized in water for the remission of sins. The 16th person had already been planted in the watery grave in the Name of our precious Lord Jesus Christ. What now was about to happen would go down in history. The newspaper and Associated Press carried to the world the scene of the baptism by William Branham in June of 1933. What transpired that day? The Pen-tecostal movements which had been aperienling the Pentecostal bless-ing ‘had in only 27 short years split 20 ways to Sunday with the One-ness & Trinity fighting desperately. The Pentecostal movement had now grieved the heart of Almighty God, just as their former sister denominational organizations had with their own unscriptural ideas and man made opinions about the Word of God. One teaching this and another teaching that.
Though she would never admit it, THIS CHURCH AGE was standing desperately in need of a God sent teacher, and GOD WAS SENDING HIS TEACHER MESSENGER TO THE AGE. Time had now come to God’s program to announce to this world that a messenger had arrived and was commissioned to go with the message that would prepare the hearts of God’s people for His second coining. His was not a message only to Pentecostal people because far more than the Pentecostals wanted to be in the true Bride of Jesus Christ. The Lord, speaking over the banks of the Ohio River that day said, “AS JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS SENT TO FORERUN MY FIRST COMING SO YOUR MESSAGE SHALL FORERUN MY SECOND COMING.” His message is TO ALL! His message even today is to all who want to walk with God. In 1906, the church world had passed out of the Philadelphia Church Age, unnoticed, we have crossed into another age, and God is going to announce to the world, His Laodicean Star Messenger has arrived and his message must be delivered to THE WORLD (not just unto one small local area) to PREPARE. THEM for the second coming of Christ. The Protestant religious denominational world felt sure that they were ready, they had long since broken with Rome in 1518 (400 years ago) under the directions of Martin Luther, that star reformation leader whose 95 thesis were directed at the Vatican authority and triggered the greatest reformation the world ever knew. Millions died to have this freedom! The cry of the Roman power to the poor protestants was, “BE CATHOLIC OR DIE”‘ The voices of the martyrs by the millions screamed back, “BY GOD’S GRACE WE WILL BURN, BUT WE WILL NOT TURN!” These became known as By-God-ites or Bigots. (Are we now going to let down those true patriots by compromise?) The blood of 68,000,000 Patriots will haunt this end time protestant group of compromisers! Through this bloody escape door of Sardis, God sent His star messenger, Martin Luther, the greatest leader during that period with the message, “The just shall live by faith”, (in God-not in popes and churches), Sardis, (meaning the escaped ones) lasted from the reformation until 1750, when God again ushered in another age called Philadelphia, or brotherly love. But now, the year IS 1933, and the people by the thousands stand amazed, some shocked, others fainted, others ran and some not knowing what to do as they heard the voice of God, and witnessed a brilliant Amber light appear just above the head of this young man in his early twenties preparing to bury his 17th convert in the watery grave. In this river stood a young man who had never heard a prayer until he was 18 years of age, who had never had any religious training, never attended College nor high school, yet was destined to be one of the most controversial figures in religious circles bringing to this earth the greatest known display of the supernatural power of God (including angelic beings) ever witnessed since the days of Christ and the Apostles.) He had just conducted one of the most successful tent campaigns after being converted ONLY 6 MONTHS. What would God do with such a young preacher who saw visions and prophesied? They did not need to wait long for an answer for suddenly from nowhere, came the appearance of a heavenly light, appearing just above him in the water. The light was witnessed by all, though many dropped their heads, not able to look upon the presence of God for fear of the strange phenomena and the voice which spoke from heaven unto the young prophet announcing him to the world… “AS JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS SENT TO FORERUN MY FIRST COMING YOUR MESSAGE SHALL FORERUN MY SECOND COMING!” Here was vindication from heaven, not from the creeds of Babylon religion but from God Himself. Remember it was John the Baptist also who came in the Spirit and power of Elijah (Mal. 3:1), Luke 1:17) having a different message from Jewish synagogue leaders, and those of the temple. John’s message WAS ALSO A PREPARATION MESSAGE preparing the way of the 1st coming of Christ. Here stood the messenger to prepare the way of the 2nd coming of Christ. Not since that day in the Jewish temple before John was born had such a thing been heard. In 1933, from that Ohio River, the announcement came that astonished the world. That same forerunning spirit which rested on John the Baptist NOW RESTS ON THIS GENTILE PROPHET ALSO. Neither John the Baptist nor William Branham was actually Elijah, BUT THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH RESTED ON THESE TWO MEN, FOR IT IS THE FORERUNNING SPIRIT TO PREPARE THE WAY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD, The enemies of the cross have used this as an attempt to prove William Branham’s ministry would SPEARHEAD A GREAT HEALING. WAVE AND A MIRACLE WAVE ONLY.
This they claim was the latter rain of the Holy Ghost. True, the gifts of God worked in him as in no man and did spearhead a great miracle healing move across the land, especially during the years 1946-1956. But remember, the voice did not say that your healing will pave the way, or that miracles would pave the way, BUT YOUR MESSAGE! There was a preaching message that was to come: TO AWAKEN PEOPLE AND SHAKE THEM OUT OF BABYLON’S BED’S causing them to depart from iniquity and to turn from the way of unrighteousness. HEALING WOULD NOT DO THIS: MIRACLES WOULD NOT DO THIS for Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free,” Miracles do not set people free; healing does not set people free. The only thing that can set you free from the bondage of Babylon is the truth of the WORD OF GOD! That’s what this man had been sent with, the Word of God, with the revelation of truth. The healing, the miracles, the great signs, the wonders and the supernatural photographs that were taken of the light which appeared were strong vindications of this man’s ministry. We praise God for all of these, but it was the Word of Righteousness which would cause people to depart from iniquity, that would cause people to turn from the ways of ungodliness and come forth and walk in the true light of Jesus Christ, during this first tent campaign of the young prophet in 1933 that the newly converted Christians felt led to build a tabernacle in Jeffersonville where they might always hear the Word of Truth. His converts named it THE BRANHAM TABERNACLE. (A place that would later be known around the world.)
EARLY MINISTRY
The next few years before he lost his wife and baby were most fruitful in the ministry of William Branham for the blessing of God rested mightily upon him. He received visions of things which would come to pass. Not only did William Branham’s visions deal with individual surroundings and certain things pertaining to the church but his visions also dealt with things on a national and worldwide scope.
SEVEN GREAT VISIONS SEVEN GREAT VISIONS
Perhaps some of the greatest visions ever to come to this man came in June the same year the angel of the Lord spoke to him at the baptism scene. Shortly after the unforgettable 2:00 baptism service, while preparing for a Sunday morning service, he had seven major visions of seven outstanding events that would take place in the future before the coming of the Lord. Remember the year is 1933. In the first vision he saw Benito Mussolini invading Ethiopia it would be conquered. The voice then prophesied a dreadful end to the dictator, it said he would have a horrible death and that his own people would literally spit upon him. The next vision indicated America would be drawn into a world war against Germany which would be headed up by the Austrian, Adolph Hitler. The voice predicted that this terrible war would overthrow Hitler and he would come to a mysterious end. In this vision he was shown the Seigfried line where a great toll of American lives would be exacted. It might be well to mention here that a subsequent vision relative to this war predicted that President Roosevelt would declare war against Germany, and in so doing would eventually be elected to a 4th term. The third part of the vision showed that the first two would come to, nothing, but that Communism would florish. The voice admonished him to keep his eyes on Russia concerning future involvements for Fascism and that Nazism would end up in Communism. Each vision has been fulfilled exactly as they were shown to the Prophet in 1933. The 4th vision appearing showed the tremendous technological advances right after the Second World War. Bro. Branham saw an egg shaped car with a plastic tube top going down beautiful highways completely under remote control. There was no steering wheel in the car, and the occupants appeared to be playing a game like checkers. Friends, for several years that car has been on display at the Ford Foundation’s Dept. of the World’s Fair. This is 1970. The vision was given in 1933 and these are 7 visions which must transpire before the coming of Jesus Christ! They are accurate, and have come to pass exactly as the prophet saw them. Does Jesus Christ know everything from the beginning to the end? Certainly He does. The 5th scene that appeared involved the womanhood of the world. In this scene there appeared the fast moral decay of women starting back when she received her so-called liberty to enter into worldly affairs by means of the vote. Soon she began to wear clothes that were too revealing, she bobbed her – hair and adopted the clothes of men. Finally the vision showed her all but STRIPPED NAKED and he merely covered herself with a tiny apron about the size and shape of a fig leaf. With her womanhood so little valued, a terrible decay of all flesh came upon the earth, and with it, perversion even as set forth by the Word of God. (Life Magazine has displayed just such material as described in this vision within the last years.) We notice now the 6th vision – There arose in the United States a most beautiful woman, clothed in splendor and great power was given to her. She was lovely of feature, but there was a hardness about her that defied description. Beautiful as she was, she was yet cruel, wicked, and cunning. She dominated the land with her authority. She had complete power over the people. The vision indicated that either such a woman would literally arise or that this woman of the vision was merely a type of an organization which is scripturally characterized by a female. Though the voice did not speak out and reveal who she was, Bro. Branham in his heart felt that this woman represented the Roman Catholic Church and he inserted in parenthesis at the end of this vision which he had written out (perhaps the Roman Church). The voice bade him look once more, and he turned and beheld a great explosion IN ALL AMERICA WHICH left the country smoldering in chaotic ruin. As far as the eye could see there was nothing but craters, smoking piles of debris and no humanity in sight. The vision then faded away. Friend, I call your attention to the fact that these seven visions given in June 1933 to the Prophet, William Branham, which he related to his church, are recorded on messages which he has preached throughout the land. These are vindicated as having been given years before they ever happened. Just 15 years after World War I came the 7 visions and 12 years prior to our entering World War II! The Prophet had already predicted Roosevelt would go for the 4th term while still in his first term of office.
(THE COMING OF THE ANGEL Still a game warden and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the state of Indiana, one day, May 7, 1946, he was leaving for a little 1, hunting trip with a friend. Passing by the maple tree in his yard, a mighty strong wind broke loose in the top of the tree. It seemed that r’ it would be torn badly. He staggered under the tremendous impact. His wife ran to him thinking he had become ill. Turning to her he said, Meadie, for over twenty years I have not been able to understand this ministry or myself.” Throughout his life whenever he was tempted to do wrong. He would hear the strange sound of a wind and a voice would speak out of the wind saying “never smoke, drink, or defile your body in any way, for when you are older I have a work for you.” On three certain occasions he had heard this voice. “I can’t go on this way. I have to know the answer. Is this of God? What is it all about? I’m going away. I can’t come back until I know the answer. I will seek God with my Bible and prayer and find out or I will never come back.” Having made up his mind, he went alone to seek God in a secret place, determined to know the answer and find the peace of his life. Hiding himself away, he cast himself down upon his face crying to God to forgive him of all his failures and earnestly committing himself to the full will of God. After praying he sat up waiting for the answer. It was about the eleventh hour after he had quit praying when the angel of the Lord, in the form of a man, visited him. Seeing Bro. Branham’s fear, the man began to speak, “Fear not, I am sent from the presence of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar life and your misunderstood ways have been to indicate that God has sent you to take a gift of divine healing to the people of the world. If you will be sincere and can get the people to believe you, nothing shall stand before your prayers, not even cancer.” This was our first meeting, I said the prophet. It lasted about thirty minutes. In this conversation ” the angel told him MANY THINGS CONCERNING his ministry — how he was to minister; that he would see a light, hear a voice speak and have visions; that like Moses’ two signs would be given him in his ministry to the people. The first, a sign in the left hand that when he touched a person he could immediately discern the type sickness. Later, the gift of knowing the secrets of the heart which was exercised untold thousands of times and never failed. This angel has been seen by others, one of whom was the prophet’s son, on one occasion this angel permitted Billy Paul to see him. THE END)
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