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The Second Coming Of Our Lord Jesus Christ  God's Pattern!
God's Promise!God's Choice!
Our Need!
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May our Lord Jesus, by His Grace, open YOUR understanding to understand the Scriptures. The subject material covered in these pages is of tremendous importance for this "End-time" generation. If we consider ourselves to be among those who are waiting for "the Blessed Hope", the Second Coming of our Lovely Lord Jesus Christ, then we must needs be aware of the prophecy that God has fulfilled and continues to fulfill, pointing us to the Glorious Second Coming {for His Bride), the Resurrection of the 'dead in Christ' and the Rapture of His faithful living Saints. That which the Word of God has to say about "this age" affects our highest spiritual interests and eternal welfare. It demands that we whole-heartedly and unreservedly accept the Revelation ordained for this generation and walk in that measure of Scriptural Light that God has revealed to you. And without a doubt it will require a spiritual mind and revelation by the Holy Spirit to recognize and act on the Truth contained in this discussion. To further understand our subject, we must be able to recognize how the unchanging God reveals and brings His Word to pass. He does all things decently and in order, and that order is laid out in the Bible. It reveals God's nature, character and methods of dealing with man. If we can recognize what God has done and is doing in this age, then make no mistake about it, we would have recognized what God did in the days of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, etc. God forbid that we would be found guilty of praising God for what He has done and what He will do, BUT ignoring what He is doing. The subject of these pages will of course meet with a decidedly mixed reception. Man is accustomed to speaking of God only in terms of the past or the future and not the present. They are definite about the 'past' and feel positive about the 'future' but only speak in 'general terms' about God in the 'present' - not able to recognize the "revealing" of the Son of Man or the "awakening" of the Bride of Christ in their day. With a "so far faith" many are able to look into the Bible and see Scripture fullfilled from Luke 17:26 to Luke 17:29, but NOT able to see the fullfillment of Luke 17:30. They will readily acknowledge that the hour in which we live is like unto the "days" of Sodom and Gomorrah and the "days" of Noah, but they are not able to recognize the "revealing of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:30) in and through the ministry of "A Prophet To The Gentiles".
Concerning the "Days of Noah" the Bible says:
Concerning the "Days of Lot" the Bible says:
Jesus climaxed this prophecy of His Coming FOR His Bride with these words in Luke 17:30: " Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." In Luke 18:8 - further highlighting the spiritual condition of the church at the time of His Second Coming, Jesus said: ".....Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" The "Faith" referred to here is "belief in the whole body of revealed Truth". Of course, some readers will have their minds already made up and no amount of persuasion or Scriptural proof will turn them into the path of Truth. Either a particular church or their own private revealtion is their "absolute" over and above the Word of God. Yet, others, with a deep hunger and thirst for the deeper things of God, will be thankful that, by Divine Grace, we endeavor to speak forth those things which bring God into the Present, declaring "all His counsel", putting man in his proper place before Him, and to emphasize those portions and aspects of Scripture which our generation is most in need of. As we go further into this study lets remember that according to Isaiah 66:2 God comes only to the humble in heart who tremble at the Word of God.
According to the Bible, God's method of
revealing Himself to man at all "junctions of time" or the beginning and end of major dispensations, has been through His servants the Prophets. So important is the office of a Prophet that the Bible speaks on this wise... Again It is written...
Note also this Scripture which speaks of God's faithfulness to Israel and to His Prophets...
In these pages we will present prophecy after prophecy showing the Promise of a Prophet to the Gentiles in the last days - a prophet to close out the "Fullness of the Gentiles" and the "Pentecostal Feast"(The time of the Seven Church Ages wherein God deals with the Gentiles). Prophecy also speaks of one to come to usher in a time of judgement on the earth, preceding "the great and dreadful day of the Lord". We will also show the fulfillment of these prophecies in a man whom God has mightily used in this age - to deny it is to deny "manifested" Truth. God called the man! God vindicated the man! God used the man in a ministry of restoration to restore and reveal His Word to His Sons and Daughters. By no means does that Ministry add to the Bible - but rather the mysteries contained in Scripture are revealed and will ultimately give Rapturing Faith to the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ in this Age. To God Be the Glory - Great things He hath done! May God, by His Grace, grant to you a revelation of what HE HAS DONE and IS DOING in your day. I encourage you to Stay with the Word.
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Every Serious professing Christian knows that the hour is desperately late. More and more emphasis is being place on the Second Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ. Bible students are attempting to interpret the "Signs" of His Coming. Jesus said to the Pharisees in His day, "Ye can discern the face of the sky; How is it that ye cannot discern the signs of the time?" Most of the people in that day were not able to discern the "signs" of Jesus' First Coming. So also today, the vast majority of the people are missing or mis-interpreting the "signs" of Jesus' Second Coming. Jesus was once asked by His disciples, "WHAT shall be THE SIGN of Thy Coming and of the End of the World?" (Matthew 24:3). He responded with a lengthy dissertation on the events to take place from that time to the End of the World and concluded with "the SIGN of the Fig Tree". And concerning the "fig tree" Jesus said, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When its branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." (Matthew 24:32). Therefore the "sign" of the "fig tree putting forth its leaves" would be "A sign" of the Second Coming of Jesus. Bible students agree that the "fig tree" represents Israel and that Jesus was indicating that it would be a "key sign" at the end of the world to awaken His [Gentile] elect (Matthew 25:5-6) to the awareness and consciousness of His Second Coming. This is further proven by the Words of Jesus in Luke 21:24, "And they (Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the 'times of the Gentiles' be fulfilled." Note that Jerusalem was to be under Gentile control only "until" God finished "calling out of the Gentiles a people, a bride for His Name. After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 the world witnessed the scattering of the Jews to every nation. But the time of God's promise to the Jews drew nigh; and around the turn of the twentieth century, and especially since the Second World War, we have seen the "re-gathering" of the "so-called" lost tribes back into the Land of Israel. The "re-gathering" proves that they weren't "lost". God knew and knows the location of every predestinated Hebrew. He also knows to what tribe each one belongs. In Revelation 7 we find every one of them in their Tribal order again. Praise the Lord! The people of Israel, through great suffering, have been gathered from the nations and returned to the land of their heritage. A tiny fledgling nation, faced with insurmountable obstacles, astonished the world by winning a succession of wars and becoming the dominant military force in the Middle East. Only spiritual blindness would lead a person to deny that Divine providence played the key role in the restoration of the "fig tree" (Israel). The prophecy of Ezekiel 37 - the restoration of "the valley of Dry Bones" is almost completely fulfilled - a sign of the "last days"; a sign of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Gentile Bride; a sign of God coming on the scene to make an "end" of all things. And God is making an "end"of the "Fullness of the Gentiles" (Spiritual) and the "Times of the Gentiles" (Political) - the "Fullness", covering the period of the Seven Church Ages of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, comes to a climax with an "Indictment" of the religious systems of man (Revelation 3:14-22), followed by the Rapture of the Bride of Christ (1st. Thess. 4:16-17). The "Times" of the Gentiles, beginning with Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, will conclude with the battle of Armageddon - the ultimate end of Gentile domination, control and influence over Israel.
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The restoration of the nation of Israel, of course, was not the only Sign foretold in relation to the end of the world and the Coming of Christ for His Bride. Actually, the prophetic list is quite lengthy including such things as... 1. The Increase of Knowledge - man running to and fro in the earth (Daniel 12:4). 2. The rise of an intellectual, but religious generation which are lovers of self more than lovers of God, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy, disobedient to parents, high-minded, lovers of pleasure - with a form of godliness, but denying the power of God preeminence in their lives (2nd. Timothy 3:1-7). 3. A return of the conditions that existed in the days of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah - a time of pre-occupation with self, selfish interests and great immorality (Luke 17:26-30). 4. The ushering in of "the day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2b). 5. The rise of the anti-Christ (1st. John2:18 and 2nd Thess 2:3); 6. Wars and rumors of war - Distress among the Nations (Matthew 24:6). 7. Earthquakes and pestilence, etc. (Matthew 24:7). The ever-increasing turbulent climate of the world, has convinced scientist, economists, politicians and psychics, as well as theologians that a major catastrophic happening is imminent. Indeed, major catastrophes are happening on almost a daily basis - the brutality of terrorism and war; the brutality of man's inhumanity to man; the brutality of nature out of control, forest fires, earthquakes, disease, etc.. Sin always has and always will bring the wrath of God in judgment.
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It is believed by the vast majority of Christians that "the" End time generation is NOW living. This belief is based upon the fact that certain historical events absolutely necessary to The Second Coming of Christ have but come to pass in very recent years. There is actually no major prophetic event that is not now already in progress or that must yet come to herald His return. There is left to us only the breathless hush of waiting as it was in the days of Noah when he entered into the Ark and the flood delayed yet seven days. Men women, young people, man-made governments are descending into a satanic pit. Hell is materializing on earth. Satan sits in the Temple of God - the Church - being worship as God (2nd. Thess. 2:4). Churches, millions of professing Christians have descended into a Godless condition, a form of godliness, doing what's right in their own eyes. They absolutely refuse to be governed by the Bible. ARE YOU in God's ark of safety - The revealed Word and Will of God for YOUR day? I encourage you to "make your calling and election (Salvation) sure today" by lining up with What God says in His Word - The Bible. Peter said, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" (2nd. Peter 1:10). Prayerfully consider the message found in the link on "Salvation In The 21st. Century"; remembering what our Lord Jesus said in John 8:31, "If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;"
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No major event in the plan of God has been without a witness to that impending event. In the days of the flood, God sent forth The Prophet Noah, with a message to warn and prepare the people. In the Time of the Exodus God sent the Prophet Moses, with Signs and wonders and a Message of deliverance. In the days of Israel's backsliding, God sent the Prophet Elijah with Warnings, Judgments and a Message of Repentance. In the Days of the First Coming of Jesus, God sent forth the Prophet John the Baptist with the Word to forerun and introduce Jesus Christ to that generation. In this study, we will show that God, in maintaining His Divine continuity of sending Prophets, once again promised the world a Prophet-Messenger to forerun and announce the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is This promise, as contained in Scripture, which will focus our attention on another important "SIGN" of the Return of Jesus. We will show that as it was during the First Coming, so is it in His Second Coming, only one ministry in 'that' century, and only one ministry in 'this' century could qualify to be that Messenger. We ask for your patience as we unveil "A Prophet To An Age". YES! A Prophet to the Gentiles!
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The purpose of these pages is to alert the reader to "THAT" vitally significant sign which has found its fulfillment in our day. This sign is unique in that it is God's traditional sign to precede any major, Scriptural happening. Ironically, it is God's most vivid sign and yet this True Sign is the most overlooked and misunderstood of all signs. WHAT IS THIS SIGN? It is the sign of "The Prophet". In the previous paragraph we have shown that God's pattern of dealing with His people has always included the sending of Prophets. We have already learned from Amos 3:7 that God does "nothing" without a prophetic forerunner and even a surface study of Bible history will show this to be the Truth.
Tragically, Bible and secular history also reveals that almost all of God's Prophets were greeted with skepticism and abuse. No matter how great their Divine Vindication, they suffered at the hands of the people to whom they were sent. Jesus expressed this to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:31-36 when He revealed that they and their forefathers were guilty of the blood of "all" the prophets from Abel to Zechariah. There has never been a time in Bible History that the people were ready and willing to listen to the witness of God relative to coming events of great magnitude. Therefore it is believed that only a few will be even a little aware of the witness God has already given to us and established as proof of His Coming. But it is hoped that every reader of this site will think awhile on the contents and ask God for guidance in this critical time.
Before we consider the Scriptural Proof of "A Prophet To The Gentiles", lets first focus on what has become in this age, a very prevalent opinion concerning prophets. The vast majority of professing Christians believe that since the First Advent of Jesus Christ, God no longer uses Prophets to minister to His people. A carnal interpretation of Scriptures such as Luke 16:16, "The law and the prophets were until John..." and Hebrews 1:1, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son..." is taken as proof of this. Let it be clearly understood that these Scriptures DO NOT point to a cessation of Prophets. They are stating only that the partial Word each Old Testament Prophet uttered was fully expressed in Christ, the (Logos) Word, when He appeared in flesh. The New Testament abounds with Prophets AFTER Christ, even aside from the prophetic ministries obviously manifest in the Apostles such as Peter, Paul and John. let the reader consider these Scriptures...
Jesus, referring to the prophets which were sent to the Jews, said: "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall slay and persecute:" (Luke 11:49). This was and remains the attitude of self-righteous "professed" children of God to the prophets he sends to them. Without a doubt the Scriptures show that New Testament Prophets not only exist but are ordained to preach the mysteries which the Old Testament Prophets under the law could only see as a shadow. The words "In these last days God has spoken unto us by His Son," defines the Message of all the Prophets and apostles which FOLLOW Christ's First Advent. God in His SON is still speaking through His ordained Messengers, even Prophets.
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The Bible clearly teaches that God does not deal with Jew and Gentile at the same time. For a more detailed study of this thought follow the link to Jews Versus Gentiles In Scripture. God has appointed a limited time wherein he brings Salvation unto the Gentiles - calling out of the Gentiles "a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). This time frame covers approximately 2000 years and is divided into Seven Church Ages. Again you may follow the link to An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages for a more detailed study of the Ages. In the book of Acts chapter 28 and verse 28, Paul makes this declaration to the Jews AFTER they had refused to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah: "Be it known, therefore, unto you, that the Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and they will hear it." In Acts 18:6 Paul bore witness against the Jews because of their unbelief... "He shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." From that time to the present age God has been presenting Salvation to the Gentile nations. When the "TIMES" and "FULLNESS" of the Gentiles be finished then God shall again turn to the Jews to restore them, not only nationally but spiritually. In our section on the "Fig Tree" above we have already considered the restoration of Israel as being a SIGN of the Second Coming of Christ. It is also a SIGN of "THE END" of the "Times" and "Fullness" of the Gentiles. It is written in Luke 21:24... "and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." The Last and Final Age wherein God deals with the Gentiles is the Laodicean Church Age. All evangelical Christians believe that we are living in this last age. In each of these ages God sent a Messenger with a Message to call the Gentiles back to Himself. The Last Age wherein God deals with the Gentiles also has its Messenger (Rev. 2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14). In fact, he will be a PROPHET-MESSENGER. Unlike the other Messengers, his Ministry will be somewhat different in scope, power and purpose. In this Age the Lord, through His PROPHET-MESSENGER, will among other things..... 1. Restore the FULLNESS of the Word of God to the people - taking out what man put in and putting back what man took out. 2. Call the elected predestinated seed of God to come out from among the systems of man-made religion. 3. Finish the Mystery of God - the mysterious things and mysteries which other Messengers probed at through the centuries, is revealed and made plain through the Ministry and message of this endtime Prophet-Messenger. 4. Make an end of the Dispensation of Grace to the Gentile world. 5. Declare "The Day Of Vengeance Of Our God". 6. Introduce [through the Revealed Word] the earthly Bride to her Heavenly Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. 7. Quicken to the Bride of Christ the reality of the Second Coming, the Rapture and the Resurrection. Most professing Christians do believe in the Second Coming, the Resurrection of the Dead and the Rapture [catching away] of the living Saints. (1st Thess. 4:16-17; 1st. Cor. 15:51-57; Acts 1:11, etc.). BUT What most people don't know is that, even as John the Baptist foreran the First Coming of our Lord, there must come a Prophet, having the spirit of Elijah who will forerun Christ's Second Coming. Such a Ministry is Promised in the Bible. Of course, even now there are many false prophets in the world, leading many astray (Matt. 24:11-24). But the same God who said there would be the false, also said there would come a TRUE Prophet. We have to be cautious in our judgments lest we find ourselves "throwing the baby out with the bath water". It is absolutely Scriptural that a Prophetic [Elijah-type] Ministry is to come into focus at the end of the world - not once but twice: FIRST, to the Gentiles, and SECOND, to Israel during the Great Tribulation. (Revelation 11). With this understanding, let's proceed to the Scriptures which, as seen together, point to "A Prophet To The Gentiles" - A Gentile forerunner of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Two "key" Bible references will help us to more clearly see the picture. One from Malachi in the Old Testament and One from The Revelation in the New Testament. First let's go to the book of Malachi. It is written...
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
Here is one of those most peculiar Scriptures that in one sweep encompasses TWO widely separated events dealing with one person. The person involved is Elijah. The TWO events are his manifestation before the First and Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Before going further let's understand
that the Scriptures are not saying that the original Elijah himself would
come (there is no reincarnation in the Bible) BUT rather that a man with that type of anointing and ministry would appear on the scene - an Elijah Ministry. An angel said concerning John the Baptist: "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah..." The Word explains what the Elijah Ministry is to accomplish
Note the Phrases: "And he shall turn the heart (Get the people
ready) of the..."
The FIRST Part, "And he shall turn the heart
of the fathers to the children," is a reference to John the Baptist as set forth in Luke 1:17, "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to 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." Note, the angel says nothing of John turning the hearts of the "Children to the Fathers". That was
reserved for the Elijah Ministry at the end of the ages.
It was John's commission to forerun and introduce the
Messiah and "turn the hearts" of the Pharisee and Sadducees fathers to the children who were proclaiming the First Coming of Christ - "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." This is exactly what John did.
In those days the religious leaders were trying to
determine who John the Baptist really was. Jesus plainly declared that John the Baptist was a Prophet and more than a Prophet... "For this is he of whom it is written, behold, I sent my Messenger before thy face, who shall prepare the way before thee...For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah who was to come" (Matt. 11:10,13-14).
The Priest and Levites sent and enquired of John...
In John 1:19-21 we read: "And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not: but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he answered,No." Jesus said John was "Elijah" and John said he wasn't. WHY the seeming contradiction?
To understand this is to understand what we
have already stated, that Malachi 4 speaks of TWO comings of Elijah. When Jesus said John was Elijah, He was referring to the first part of Mal. 4:6 - John would turn the heart of the "Fathers to the Children". When the Priest and Levites ask John if he was Elijah, they were looking for the Elijah who would come at the end of the ages and "Restore all things", introduce a Messiah in Power and restore the nation of Israel. The Priests and Levites had the "TWO" Comings of Christ mixed up and also the "TWO" Comings of Elijah. They were expecting the Elijah who was to come before "the great and dreadful day of the Lord". John declared himself to be "The Voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord." (John 1:22-23 and Isaiah 40:3).
Even the disciples were at first confused over the
TWO comings of the Elijah Ministry. In Matthew 17:10-12 they questioned Jesus: "...Why then say the Scribes that Elijah must first come?" Notice HOW Jesus answered their question. In simple language He told them that Elijah WOULD come and that Elijah HAD come. He explained the Mystery of Malachi 4:6 as TWO comings of Elijah. Jesus said, "...Elijah truly SHALL first come,"(future tense) "and" restore all things" (John didn't do this). But I say unto you, that
Elijah is come already," (Present tense-John) "and they knew him
not..."
There it is - the world would have to wait
almost 2000 years for the Ministry that would "Restore ALL Things". Jesus, definitely spoke of a FUTURE Elijah Ministry to bring a complete restoration of all things. In the Book of Acts we have further vindication of this truth. It says, "And He shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you, Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (restoration) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the
world began." (Acts 3:20-21). Surely, there's no doubt in our hearts! Surely we are now persuaded by the Word that at the time of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (before the great and dreadful day of the Lord), an Elijah-type Ministry is to rise on the scene and "RESTORE ALL THINGS". Realizing that Jesus, in His Second Coming, comes to receive His Gentile Bride unto Himself, therefore the Elijah Ministry promised would have to be to the Gentiles to prepare
our hearts and make us ready for the great event.
Allow me answer a Question which no doubt some will have on their minds - What about an Elijah Ministry to the Jews? This is a valid question since most interpret Malachi 4:5-6 to be 'to the Jews'. There is an Elijah ministry to them - it is promised and spoken of in Revelation 11:3-7. An Elijah-Type ministry in conjunction with a Moses-Type will minister the Gospel to the Jews, calling out the predestinated 144,000 Jews to receive the true atonement in Jesus Christ, their Messiah.
But concerning the Elijah ministry to the Gentiles let's consider the second "key" reference from the Book of Revelation.
It is written...
"But in the days of the Voice of the
seventh angel (Messenger), when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets."
Revelation 10:7 |
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Some, by mis-interpreting the Word, have stated that this 'seventh angel' of Rev. 10:7 refers to a heavenly angel sounding on a trumpet. On the contrary, this verse refers to the MESSENGER (a man) who finishes the Mystery of God IN the SEVENTH AND LAST Church Age - the LAODICEAN AGE. The proof of this is set forth in Rev. 9:13 and Rev. 11:15. HERE are the Two heavenly trumpeters. Notice that with the sixth trumpet the terrible woes come upon the earth in Judgment. Notice in the seventh trumpet that Christ is set forth as taking His rightful Kingdom. BUT in Rev. 10:7 the Messenger there is still sounding, and his sounding is declaring the Mystery of God to the Church. Notice too, that in Rev. 10:1-6 we do not have the Lord Jesus taking a throne but He is portrayed here as standing on earth with His head in Heaven. John saw "another Mighty Angel" come down from heaven and placed one foot upon the sea and one foot upon the land. John, further states that this Mighty Angel is clothed with a cloud and there's a rainbow upon His head - This is the Lord Jesus. The Bible says that He cries with a loud Voice declaring that time should be delayed no longer. In 1st. Thess. 4:16 we are told that, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a Shout ..." BUT preceding all of this is an Elijah Ministry, the Voice of the Seventh Angel revealing the Son of Man to the Endtime believers - setting in order, the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Let us briefly reherse a couple of verses of Scripture we mentioned at the beginning of our study. These verses, found in Luke's Gospel give us more information concerning the Endtime conditions and the Endtime Ministry to the Gentiles.....
According to our Scripture references, this "endtime" Elijah's ministry is essential. We cannot by-pass these things and still expect to please God. Jesus himself reminds us that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4). There was One and Only One Ministry which was vindicated by God in the Twentieth Century to be the Revelation 3:14 Angel-Messenger to the LAODICEAN Church Age, the Elijah Ministry of Malachi 4:5-6, and the Voice of the Seventh Angel Ministry of Revelation 10:7. Allow me to put it this way... The Angel-Messenger of Rev. 3:14-22: Called For Repentance. The Elijah Ministry of Mal. 4:5-6: Turns Our Hearts Back To The True Word. The Seventh Angel of Rev. 10:7: Speaks Forth The Mysteries Of The Word, To Finish The Mystery Of God - it's one and the same Messenger to the Gentile Church.
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In brief, God sent us a Prophet BECAUSE: 1. It was His Pattern. 2. It was His Promise to this age. 3. We needed a Prophet. Having already covered the first two in our study, let's take a brief look at reason number three and answer the Question: WHY Do We Need A Prophet? This question is justified and deserves an answer, especially in light of the fact that there are almost a thousand different denominations, inter-denominationals and non-denominational groups in the world today. No other generation has been so bombarded with religion and different theology as this generation. It's everywhere - Audio tapes, Video tapes, Television, Radio, the Printed Page and now the Internet! All of these Voices are claiming (without Divine Vindication) to have the correct interpretation of the Word of God.
The Bible tells us that "The Word of the Lord comes to the Prophet" and God vindicates (certifies, justifies, and defends) His Prophets. God vindicated Moses (He gave him two signs); God vindicated (backed up) Samuel (He did let none of his words fall to the ground); God vindicated Elijah (What he spoke, the Lord brought to pass); In this LAODICEAN Age, the vindicated Prophet of Mal. 4:5-6 and Rev. 10:7, is the mouthpiece of God instead of the church - this you will see as we continue to probe into our need for a prophet. We live in a very religious world - not very "spiritual", but religious enough to know that there is a God, but not spiritual enough to discern Him revealing and fulfilling His Word in this age. It reminds us of the man in Scripture who was healed by Jesus. He marvelled that the "religious leaders" weren't able to "recognize" Jesus as being sent from God. Responding to the leaders he said, ".....Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and [yet] he hath opened mine eyes" John 9:30. The religious leaders of that day weren't able to recognize the Divinely vindicated ministry of "The Word Made Flesh". WHY??? Because they were religious, but spiritually blind. So, also, in this religious age, (all due respect, but) the religious leaders are spiritually blind - not able to recognize a Divinely Vindicated prophetic ministry. In the early beginnings of most of the religious moves now represented in the earth, God was in control and it was spiritual, producing spiritual sons and daughters of God. BUT today its run by the leadership of man instead of the Holy Spirit. CHRIST HAS BEEN OUSTED from His position of headship and leadership. How do we know? BECAUSE much of what the churches are doing and allowing others to do, is contrary to the Word of God. Give them the "WORD TEST" and most will take tradition over the Word; Others will take emotion and sensationalism over the Word. BUT the True Believer judges "All Things" (doctrine, emotion, sensations, dreams and visions) by the Word. Other than gathering more and more members unto themselves, WHAT are these denominations, non-denominationals and inter-denominationals accomplishing? In considering these things, let's be honest with God and with ourselves. About one hundred years ago William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, prophesied of this Age saying, "In the Twentieth Century they (the churches) will preach 'heaven' but no 'hell'; 'Forgiveness' BUT no 'repentance'; and they will end up with a form of 'Christianity' BUT 'NO CHRIST'." His prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter. Surely the spiritual conditions of the Age, would warrant that God send us a Prophet. Without a doubt we know that we are at a "junction of time" when God is changing His course - the course of nature, the course of the nations, and the course of time itself. We know, that according to the Divine Plan, some major event is about to take place. Earlier in our study we learned that AT SUCH A TIME AS THIS, God ALWAYS sends a prophet with His Word to Call the people to repentance and prepare them for what is about to happen. Let's probe deeper into the spiritual condition of the Age we now live in. To do this we will go back to the Bible to consider what God says of the Endtime Age. Our first reference is found in Revelation 3:15-17 and is a Message to the Church in this Seventh and Last Church Age - LAODICEA... It is written...
WHAT A CONDITION TO BE IN! Its there, in black and white, for all to see. The Church sees itself in an A-1 condition, but God , looking through His Word, sees the Church in a deplorable condition. There are five important points which The Lord would have us to consider in this portion of Scripture: 1. The Church says: I am RICH, increased with goods, have need of nothing. 2. Jesus Said: You are POOR, BLIND, Naked, Lukewarm and Wretched 3. Because they are in this condition Jesus said, "I Will spew you out of my mouth". This has tremendous implications . If God spewed the church out of His mouth this means that the church in this LAODICEAN Age is no longer God's mouthpiece. Then who is His mouthpiece? It would have to be the Prophet-Messenger He Promised for this day. That's another reason WHY we Needed a Prophet. God is no longer speaking through the Church. Like Judas, they have betrayed their Lord for 30 pieces of silver. According to Rev. 3:17, the church boasts in its wealth, mistakenly thinking that it's the blessings of God. For the sake of prestige and acceptance by the world, the churches and their followers have compromised with sin. Not many are identifying sin and preaching "against" it. A few might dare (from the pulpit) to preach against abortion or homosexuality, but other sins (worldiness, pride, common-law relationships, etc.) are ignored and allowed to run rampant. Remember! The Churches change their standard to suit the times, BUT God NEVER changes His standard. 4. This brings us to the next point to notice concerning the condition of the Church in this Age - Four words show the wretchedness of the Church, "AND KNOWETH IT NOT". They are so caught up in their own ideas and ambitions that "they're not aware" of their POOR, BLIND and NAKED condition in the Presence of God. Billy Graham stated that "the Holy Spirit could leave the church and it [the church] would go right on doing 60-70 percent of what it was doing and NOT EVEN REALIZE that the Holy Spirit had left." This brings us to the reality of point number 5. 5. NOTICE this startling revelation in this portion of Scripture: Jesus has been put out of the Church. According to verse 20 He's on the OUTSIDE, knocking and calling to the INDIVIDUAL in the church. HOW does Jesus do this? He is calling his "elect" in and through the Ministry of Malachi 4 and Rev. 10:7 - A Prophet to the Age. "In the days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel Messenger" God calls to His children to "COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE" (Rev. 18:4). Come out of this MODERN SPIRITUAL BABYLON and be not a partaker of their unbelief. Like Cain they Worship; Like Cain they offer their sacrifices BUT God has not respect unto their offering. Abel, by faith, according to the will of God, offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice. Cain's offering was a product of a private interpretation of the Word and Will of God. Abel's offering was by faith [revealed by the Holy Spirit, in his heart] and it dovetailed exactly with the Word and Will of God. Because the church is in this condition, it is every indication that they no longer walk in the Light of God's Word. Instead of preaching the PURE Word of the Lord they now teach for doctrine the commandments of men - taking part of the Word and mixing the thoughts and ideas of man with it. They end up with a form of godliness but no power. The whole thing has become "A Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil". This brings a famine in the land, not for bread and water BUT for the True Word of God. It is Written...
We, of our own abilities, could never find the Word of the Lord. We must needs stand still to see and hear the Voice of God sounding through His servant the Prophet. The 'famine' conditions mentioned in the verse above leads to still another condition which would require A Prophetic Ministry to sort out...
Again it is Written...
With "gross darkness" upon the people, we
now see that End Time conditions according to what we have read thus far, are becoming progressively worse. In 2nd. Tim. 3:1-5,7, the Apostle Paul sums up the spiritual condition of the people in the Last Days...
WHAT A STATE TO BE IN! Remember, Paul isn't speaking of unbelievers. He is showing the condition of the professing believers - the Bible says they are "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God". They profess to have a love for God BUT they love pleasure more. This is further confirmed by verse 5 - they have a form of godliness But deny and resist the power which changes their old nature. They want to profess Christianity and still live the same kind of lives they always lived. What happened to the church in Rev. 3:15-17? WHAT happened to the people in Isaiah 60:2? WHAT happened to the people in 2nd. Tim 3:1-7? They Put emphasis on the church instead of the Word of God: They put emphasis on temporal blessings and gifts instead of eternal things (1st. Cor. 13:8-10; Romans 1:21-25). According to Matthew 6:23 and John 9:39-41, THE LIGHT THEY HAD BECAME DARKNESS - And how great is that darkness!!! And Because they receive not the Love of the Truth, the Lord shall send them a strong delusion that they might believe "the lie" ; that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth. [2nd Thessalonians 2:12].
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Beyond any shadow of doubt - this Laodicean Age above all others needed a Prophet - One who would catch the thought of God, "Restore All Things" and "Turn Our Hearts" from the churches and systems of man to the Living Word of the Living God. Faith that please God, comes, not by hearing the church BUT by hearing the Word of God. According to our need God has sent us a Prophet in this Twentieth Century.
It is Written...
Light (Revelation and Understanding) of the mysteries of God's Word is promised, NOT in the morning time when Light usually breaks, but it's in the "Evening Time". WHY? Because He promised to 'shorten the days' for the Elect's sake (Matthew 24). The Elijah Ministry was sent with Light at Evening Time, revealing The Son Of Man, the Great Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ. The same conditions that existed in the days of Noah and Sodom, are NOW rampant in the earth. Therefore, the Messenger that " restores ALL things" and "reveals" the Son of Man has also made his appearance and sounded his Voice. Indeed that Prophet has come and gone; And the church world did unto him whatsoever they determined among themselves to do. Like John the Baptist, this Prophet was also rejected by the religious leaders of the Age.
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This man who fits the Bible Pattern was not recognized by the religious systems and orders of the day, so we need not look for him there. He was not numbered amongst the ecclesiastical mighty. In fact he could well be as obscure as was John and Jesus. Indeed, his birth was as humble as that of all the other prophets. The people, with open arms, welcomed the 'signs and wonders' part of his ministry BUT they openly rejected the "Preaching of the Word". They refused to hear the "Voice of the sign" (the sign of a prophet). Regardless, this man stayed with the Word. The Gentile church world the Last Day Prophet stepped into, had drifted into an unholy mixture of Truth and Error - a tree of knowledge of good and evil. They had the Word of God, they had the Bible, and from the Bible, the preachers drew their sermon texts. BUT still error prevailed and compromise became the password; And overall the people had adopted a very lax attitude in regard to the authority and preciseness of the Scriptures in matters of Personal Conduct, Order and Doctrine. The man God chose to bring His Message to this generation was William M. Branham - He became, not by choice, but by a Divine call, the Voice of God to this Endtime Age. God had choosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty; the things (in the eyes of man) which are despised, low-born, and nothing, that He might bring to naught the things that are...(1st. Corinthians 1:26-29).
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ORAL ROBERTS: "A humble devout man of God" (Healing Waters, Jul) 1948) GORDON LINDSAY: "Never had we known of any preacher calling deaf mutes and blind people to pray for, and then to see those people delivered on the spot .... a ministry that was beyond any that we had before witnessed." ( The House the Lord Built) See also A Man Sent From God. JACK MOORE: "The most gifted of all the evangelists." All Things Are Possible, by David Edwin Harrell, Jr.). F.F. BOSWORTH: "When the gift is operating Bro. Branham is the most sensitive person to the Presence and working of the Holy Spirit and to spiritual realities of any person I have ever known. A Prophet Visits South Africa by Julius Stadsklev). TOMMY OSBORN: "God has chosen diverse and mysterious ways to reveal Himself to His servants, especially those called for dispensational purposes as was Bro. Branham's call...In short, the man we know as William Branham, was sent to demonstrate God again in the flesh." "So, He (God) sent forth a particular human vessel surrounded by supernatural signs to attract attention, to make this wayward generation stop and look and ponder and search and think. Thus the halo of light that appeared at his birth, the star, the angel, the discernment, the gifts, all of these for that purpose. What for? To show us God again. To repeat what He showed us in Jesus Christ when He came in the form of flesh. To remind us one final time. Like Jesus, Bro. Branham demonstrated the very things which made men believe that the true Messiah had come." ( The William Branham Memorial service) . GEORGE EKEROTH: "God called this humble man...and anointed his ministry to a degree that within a few short years his name was known in the most remote jungle out-station. Wherever you would go in this world you would find that the name of this messenger had preceded you." (In the introduction of Morris Cerullo's book, Wind over the 20th Century) DAVID EDWIN HARRELL, JR: Most of the participants of the Healing Revival (that erupted in 1947) looked upon Branham as its initiator. William Branham became a prophet to a generation. Night after night, before thousands of awed believers, he discerned the diseases of the sick and pronounced them healed." "The Power of a Branham service ... remains a legend unparalleled in the history of the charismatic movements." (All Things Are Possible). JAMES MORRIS: "It was Branham, more than any other evangelist, who started the post-World War 11 fundamentalist faith healing revival following his encounter with an angel on May 7, 1946...Word radiated in every direction that all manner of diseases and afflictions were healed instantly by the little Indiana preacher. Even cases of raising the dead were published." (The Preachers) THOMAS R. NICKEL: "In Bible days, there were men of God who were prophets and seers. But in all the sacred records, none of these had a greater ministry than that of William Branham, a Prophet and Seer of God, whose photograph appears on the front cover of this issue of Full Gospel Men's Voice. Branham has been used by God, in the Name of Jesus, to raise the dead." ( Full Gospel Men's Voice, Feb. 1961) JOSEPH MATTSON-BOZE: "Sometimes I was scared because of the deep sense of holiness that penetrated the meetings, but I never failed to see the gift of God in operation through His servant and to feel the warmth of love that flowed through his ministry." (The Herald of faith, Feb. 1966)
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We will in this page give only a brief summary of Bro. William M. Branham's life story. We will only scratch the surface of a Ministry that was known worldwide BUT unknown by the world. For a more detailed account of the things mentioned below I refer you to the following links...
1. He was born in Burksville, Kentucky. At His Birth (April 6, 1909) the Pillar of Fire came into the lowly log cabin and for two days hung over the crib where the infant William Branham lay. Thus confirming the Call of God in this child's life. 2. As long as he could remember, William Branham received visions and any vision of a future event has never failed to come to pass exactly as he saw it. 3. At the age of Seven years, while passing under a poplar tree, a Voice spoke to him out of a whirlwind. The Voice said, "Don't ever smoke, or drink, or defile your body in any way, for there will be a work for you to do when you get older." Frightened, he ran screaming to the house, telling his mother that a man spoke to him out of the tree. Later in Life (1946) he would meet face to face, the Angel whose Voice he heard. 4. William Branham did not come from a spiritual home. His father often bootlegged whiskey. Throughout his young life he was under constant pressure to conform to the social norms of drinking, smoking, etc. But each time he attempted to drink or smoke he would hear the peculiar sound of the wind blowing and felt the Presence of an unseen being. 5. Twice he was approached by astrologers (on the street and in a bus) who attempted to explain to him that he was born under a sign. One of them told him that she saw a Light following him. Later he would more fully understand the spirit that motivated Astrologers and Mediums and he rebuked that spirit wherever he went. BUT in Scripture we find that it was these types of spirits that recognized Jesus' and Paul's ministry as being of God, while the religious leaders called it 'the Devil'. 6. At the age of fourteen he was accidentally shot in the leg by a hunting companion. During emergency surgury, he lost much of his blood. During this time he saw visions of heaven and hades. He remembers screaming out to God for mercy. The Lord, protecting the gift and the Ministry, preserved his life. 7. At the age of 19 years, William Branham sought for and received an experience with God. It took place in a woodshed. God came down in the form of a Cross of Light. The joy of Salvation flood his soul and God spoke peace to his heart. 8. It was in June of 1933 that as he was baptising converts in the Ohio River that an amazing and documented event occurred. As he was baptising the seventeenth person before a crowd of approximately 4000 thousand, there appeared a blazing whirling star out of heaven with the sound of rushing wind audible to all, and it came and hovered over Bro. Branham. A voice spoke out of the Pillar Of Fire and said, "As John The Baptist was the forerunner of the first coming of Christ, so your Message is the forerunner of the second coming of Christ." All these happenings are Scriptural. 9. In June of 1933, the Lord gave the Prophet Seven Major Visions concerning world events, inventions, America, etc. reaching into the present day. 10. The years passed and William Branham served his God, magnifying Jesus Christ, ministering to the sick and calling sinners to repentance with an "open vision" ministry (1 Samuel 3:1). But still, his ministry was mainly a mystery to him. WHY had God "entrusted" this type of a ministry to a simple, backwoods Kentucky hillbilly such as himself? WHY the Pillar of Fire at his birth? WHY the Visions (since he was seven years old)? WHY the Voice in the whirlwind? WHY the Pillar of Fire in 1933 while he was baptizing converts? WHY would God give to him a type of ministry which compares with that of the Old Testament Prophets? Well, the day was approaching when God would send an Angel to His Servant to answer 'some' of his questions. On May 6 ,1946, as he passed under a Maple tree in his yard a mighty rushing wind broke loose in the top of the Maple. It seemed the tree would be torn to pieces. He staggered under the impact and fell to the ground. His wife ran to him. Rising to his feet he said, "For over twenty years I have not been able to understand this ministry or myself. I can't go on like this. I must know what it is all about." Leaving his wife and baby, he took his Bible and went to his cave to pray and seek understanding. He had determined not to leave the cave until he had an answer. At about the eleventh hour in the evening, the Pillar of Fire came into the cave where he was sitting. Then he heard footsteps; and into the light cast on the floor by the Pillar of Fire, walked an Angel. Bro. Branham was very fearful. But, speaking gently, the Angel said, "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 GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU, NOTHING SHALL STAND BEFORE YOUR PRAYER, NOT EVEN CANCER." 11. The Angel took the Prophet into the Scriptures and told him that like Moses, he was to receive two signs, ONE of which would raise the people's faith, while THE OTHER would be a SIGN of the Second Coming of Christ. First, he was given a sign in the hand - this has been seen manifested by thousands of people. The Second Sign, would be the ability to know, in the Spirit, the secrets of men's hearts as well as their physical problems. This sign has also been seen by countless thousands of people. SINCE this ability belongs only to the ministry of a Prophet, IT IS A DEFINITE SIGN of the SOON, Second Coming of Christ. 12. The above link to "A Man Sent From God" will take you to a detailed account of the Power of God manifested in meetings in Africa and India. One has said that witnessing this Ministry was like walking in Bible days again. Our Lord Himself performed this type of Ministry when he was here in the days of His flesh. 13. There have been five proven cases which verify that the dead has been raised through this ministry. 14. It was on Feb. 28, 1963 that Seven Mighty Angels appeared to Bro. Branham while he was on a hunting trip with two other brethren in Sunset Mountains, near Tucson, Arizona. Just over two months previous the Lord had showed him a vision of the Angels coming to him. To Bro. Branham it sounded like a powerful blast. He told his church about it. Just over two months later it came to pass. As Bro. Branham stood on the mountain side, he stooped down to remove sand burrs out of his trouser leg. As he did so a mighty blast came out of the South rocking the mountains so that the boulders rolled down the slopes, and little rocks seemed to dance up and down. First he thought someone had shot him. THEN there came in reality Seven Mighty Angels, in a Cloud, like a pyramid, swooping toward him with the speed of light. One of the Angels spoke and told him to return to his Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana, because it was time for the "Opening of the Seven Seals" of Revelation 5,6 and 8. This would be the revealing of the Mystery of the Seven Thunders of Revelation 10 which John was forbidden to write. On the exact day and time of this event, what appeared to be a cloud formed in the sky. It was thirty miles accross and twenty-six miles high - scientific fact. It was in that part of the atmosphere where no clouds ever form. Many photographs were taken of this "Cloud". Life Magazine of May 17, 1963 has four pictures of the cloud. Science Magazine of April 19, 1963, front cover, also has the picture. A further VINDICATION of the "Elijah Ministry" sent to forerun the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 15. In March of 1963 Bro. Branham came back east to preach on the Seven Seals. From the 17th to the 24th. of that month he taught on these Seven Mystery Seals. He taught things he had never previously known. In fact, he taught in such a way as to correct certain things he had previously taught. Each day as he waited on God, that amber Pillar Of Fire appeared, and out of the Cloud, the Voice of God spoke revealing to him the exact Truth of the contents of the Seals and what the Seven Thunders uttered (Revelation 10:1-7). "THUS SAITH THE LORD," in the mouth of a Prophet has returned to this generation - the last generation - for all things are coming to pass according to the Word of God. William Branham never sought the praise of men. He never sought large programs which drained the people financially. He has personally refused large sums of money which certain of the wealthy sought to give him in exchange for his prayers for some loved one. During his entire Ministry he refused to let his managers pull for money. Here was one man who practised what he preached. We encourage you to seriously consider the things we have presented. We remind you of the Word of God which says, "He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, YE SHALL RECEIVE A PROPHET'S REWARD" - In short, whatever God chooses to pour through him to the people - ALL that is yours BY FAITH. One more note to those who still refuse to believe in a "Prophet to the Gentiles" - God DID DO it! It cannot be erased from the history books - God DID indeed send a Prophet to the Gentiles. God has interpreted His own Word by bringing it to pass - now, it only requires believing.
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I have no more to do with it than nothing, no more than just a voice ...I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only standing there when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and foretells these things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's near when He does it. .....It wasn't the seventh angel - it was a manifestation of the Son of man. It wasn't, the angel, his Message; it was the mystery that God unfolded.