What Think Ye Of Christ?

1 To the One Who stilled the winds that night on the sea, and stopped the roaring waves, may He come forward to the rescue of this ship there where a thousand lives are in danger. May He quieten the sea. May He send mercy, forgiveness of sin or anything. And may His spirit now come to them and console them and send rescue quickly and may no lives be lost. We ask this in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.

God bless you. Good morning to you my friends. May God's blessings be with you. My... People has always said when I--when I was speaking I always spoke too long. I'll do my very best this morning not to do that. I just lay my watch out here and maybe I can watch it, about fifteen minutes.

It's always a pleasure to get to be in this Philadelphian church, and among its members, and be with its pastor. I--I have considered Brother Mattsson Boze to be one of the best friends I have on this earth, as in the... Among the ministers he is a very dear brother to me. And I--I love him, and I love his people, and because they are God's people.

2 And I had the privilege just now of meeting Brother Stonewell, the converted scientist. And I just wish that this whole church had the burden of souls on their heart as Brother Stonewell has at this time.

I was just thinking as I was speaking to him, of that little baby innocence, and how his heart just yearned and burned. Setting talking, the tears in his eyes, and how the real rough sinner made... brought down by the power of God to that place. If we could just all get in that attitude.

3 I said, "Brother Stonewell, don't never lose that wonderful something that--that... It's the cream off of the top of the milk." And I pray that God will keep that man that way, and--and will bless him, because he's a wonderful spirit, he has a... It's not 'cause he's setting here at the platform. But I... That's true.

And I said, "No matter what anyone says, what any groups of people says, just keep your mind set right on Him. See? And you--they may bank everything around you, it looks so black you can't hardly see over it; just don't worry, He--He can lift us up above the shadows and He--He takes us through." His power is a drawing. He said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me."

4 And now, tonight is the service we're to have tonight is to be the--the, 'course the closing service. We just had the two, and I did this for Brother Boze and for you dear people who are around here. And more I hear about your love for Christ, 'course the more I love you. That's right. And I believe that we're living in the most wonderful age that's ever been on the earth.

We're going to... One... someday over in a great Millennium we're just going to think, "Oh, if I'd just a knowed it would been this a way, what I would've done." See. "Oh, how much more I could've done if I'd just knowed what it was going to be."

Well now, you don't know it but by faith we act. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Is that right? See. Faith doesn't see; it doesn't with these eyes; it sees with the inward eyes. See? All the Christian armor, the whole armor of Christianity is supernatural. There's nothing to be seen. It's... The whole person deals with the supernatural.

5 Look at the Christian armor: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness, patience. Is that right? See? All those things are the Christian armor. See? That's the inside man that by faith looks through these eyes and sees the things that is not.

Abraham was a man, who being old and his--his life was--stream was dead within him, and Sarah his wife was near a hundred. "And--and yet he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong giving glory to God." See? For he endured seeing Him Who's invisible. He didn't--he didn't have to look at the natural; he seen the supernatural all the time. That's the way we want to do: look at the unseen.

6 What is the unseen? Well, for your healing, God promised you healing; God said it's there. Now you... How many believes that's the truth say, "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] I--I just like to hear... The word "amen" means, "So be it." Did you... How many would say, "I would like to have a--a acorn tree, oak tree in my front yard." And somebody gives you an acorn.

Now, you've got the tree in seed form. Is that right? Well, you just might as well rejoice 'cause you got the tree. Is that right? You just got it in seed form, but it'll--it'll produce. And you take this acorn and you put it in the ground, a little box somewhere and set it in the house and keep it watered. The first thing you know, up comes a little acorn tree. Is that right?

7 Then you trans-set it out into the yard, and it just keeps growing. But you can praise God just as soon as you get the acorn. Is that right? Because you've got the tree already. Is that right? Now, when God said, "I'm the Lord that healeth thee." Just start praising. You got it; you got it right then.

You say, "Well, I don't see any results, but that don't make any difference, you got it anyhow. See? 'Cause the Word of God is a Seed. Is that right? And we are sowed with the incorruptible Seed of God. See? It can't perish; it's incorruptible. And I... Here's a statement that I usually make in the healing services, "The right mental attitude towards any Divine promise of God will bring it to pass." See? 'Cause it's a seed. It has to.

8 And if the right mental attitude, you just take the right mental attitude towards any Divine promise, watch it materialize. See? No matter how it looks, if it looks impossible, if God said so He makes it possible. Is that...?... wonderful.

All right, now, I told Billy this morning... He said, "Now daddy, you'll have them people up there till they won't get their dinner or nothing else and we've got to get out of this hotel at a certain time." Said, "You start preaching, I know you."

I said, "Get a seat and set down. Give me fifteen minutes." He's got his seat. He's watching me. And here I am done going into my fifteen minutes. That's the way it goes though, isn't it?

9 But, well, I--I tell you; it's just so real. You see, I--I have a Food that I eat that the world knows nothing about. And your spirit coming to me in faith believing what I'm telling you is the truth, is the food that I live on. That's my Eternal Life. If I don't feed this natural man it'll die. And if I don't feed this spiritual man it'll die.

Now, our brother scientist setting here would know that anything that doesn't eat very much and just keeps going, dieting, dieting, your stomach shrinks. And then if you become eating a whole lot, your stomach, you require more. I sure am a glutton on this I tell you. I really require a whole lot of it. Because I... My capacity just has no limits.

I've often said, "If I was just a little bigger maybe I could feel better." You know and--and... If it was I don't know how it could contain it. I believe we'll have to have an immortal body to contain... I think of... What about it, friend?

10 Now, we're just all home folks here, aren't we? So now just... What... When the battle's all over, the last shot's been fired and arms is stacked, smoke's all died down, and we set down for that wedding supper. My, could you imagine that? I can just think of it. Look down to that great table set yonder for hundreds of miles.

I look down through there, and I look across and here sets Mattsson Boze setting right here, Brother Stonewall, all these brethren setting along there. I hear them say, "There's Brother Branham; he made it." Oh, my. You know, there's bound to be a few tears run down, isn't it?

I look across there and I think, "My, looky there, there's my old dad. There's mother; there's my wife, my children. Well, here we all are here." And the tears will start running down our cheeks. The angelic beings standing back, soft angelic music's going, what a morning, Hmm.

Then I can see as we're looking across the table to one another, looking down through there seeing who all's there, the tears running down our cheeks as we reach across the table to one another's hands and grip it like that across the table.

11 Then I can hear the Angels move back and bow their heads. I look, come out walking yonder from behind those doors, there He comes, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, walk down along the table and wiping each ones eyes and putting His arm around them say, "Now, don't cry; it's all over now. (See?) All of them's here. There's not any of them gone; they're all here. Now, enter into the joys of the Lord."

Oh, my heart jumps when I think of it. That's not these little fiction stories of Santa Claus. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. That's--that's the Seed that's right now becoming materialized right now; it's moving in.

The Lord bless you. Now, we're going to have a word of prayer, and then go right into the service for just a few moments. Father, we love You and our hearts are bleeding to You. And now it is fallen Thy poor unprofitable servant's time to speak just a few moments. And I pray that You'll help us, not knowing what to say, but knowing that Thou hast said, "If you'll open your mouth, I'll put the words in."

12 So You said, "Take no thought what you shall say, for it's not you that speaks; it's Your Father that dwelleth in you, He doeth the speaking." And I believe that's the truth. I know it is the truth, for You said so. And You are all Truth, the very Fountain of truth. There's nothing contaminated come out of it, nothing wrong, nothing that'll lie. It's got to be the resource of all truth. And from there You said these words.

Now, God, bless us today. Bless this little church. Bless its humble little pastor here, our brother and all the new brothers, and Brother Stonewell, and the strangers in our gates. And make us all a blessing to Thy kingdom today, as we bless each other. In Jesus Christ's Name we ask it. Amen.

I might be able to open up the Bible leaves, but there's only One Who can open the Scripture. In the Book of Revelations it said there was a Book that was sealed with Seven Seals. And no man in heaven, no man in earth, or no one beneath the earth was--was worthy to come and take It and to open the Book and to loose the Seals.

13 And then John saw a Lamb that as had been slain from the foundation of the world, and It came and taken the Book and opened the Seals and the--all the angelic beings cried, "Thou art worthy, for Thou was slain from the foundation of the world."

And that's... I might turn back the pages like this; I might by some theology be able to give you my views of it; but there's only One can open It; that's the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. And may His Presence now come and take the Word of God and place It in each heart, just where it has need of. I pray that He will do it, while I read some of It out of the Word... out of the Bible.

14 In the 22nd chapter of Saint Matthew beginning with the 41st verse, I wish to read down the 46th verse inclusive. Now I'm... As everyone knows that I'm not a preacher, as I would call a preacher. I'm, as I said a--the spare tire. And you only use the spare tire when you got a flat. But we haven't got a flat this morning, but it just happened to be time to speak just a few moments. And you pray with me as I talk to you about this text.

And while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? And they said unto him, The son of David.

And He said, unto them, How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

The Lord said unto my Lord, Set thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

If David then called him Lord, how is he his son?

And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

May He add His blessings to that Word. And now, for a few moments I'd like to take this if you'd call it a text of "What Think Ye Of Christ?" After you've seen all these meetings and everything, what do you think of Christ, Whose Son is He?

15 That's been an--an old dispute through the ages, through the scientist, and through the--the evolutionists and so forth: What was Christ, Who was He? And--and it's just as simple as... The question is, which was first, the hen or the egg? You've heard that, which, the hen come from the egg and which was first the hen or egg?

Why the hen was. God made the hen, and the hen laid the egg. That's just a simple as anything but they always ask it, "The hen come out of the egg, so how did--which was first, hen or egg?" So God made the hen; the hen laid the egg. The hen was first.

And now, that's the same thing about scien--scientific research of the blood stream of Jesus Christ. We all know that--that Christ was the virgin borned Son of God. And many unbelievers today try to deny that the woman could have the baby without first having a--a sexual desire from... being borned of sex by the--the male.

16 Well, they said that a hen could not lay an egg without... If it couldn't be fertile, of course, if the male bird... She can lay an egg, but she--the egg won't hatch unless it's been with the male. See? And a scientist once told me... Not speaking scientist because my brother's here, but there was a scientist once went hunting with me out in the west. And I met him, and he was about the roughest fellow I ever seen.

He said, "Do you mean to tell me," when I told him I was a preacher he said, "You look too intelligent to be that."

And I said, "Well," I said, "well, not disputing your words, sir, but I believe that's the mark of intelligence."

And he said--he said, "Well, anybody would believe such a story as that..."

And I said, "Well, what do you mean?"

And he said, "Why such as that virgin birth." He said, "You--you know you know better than that."

I said, "No, sir, I'll admit I don't know any better." I said, "That's--that's just all I know. See?"

17 And He said, "Well, you mean to tell me that woman could have a baby without being..." Said, "That was Joseph that man that she was going with, it was a little slip-up, like we have all the time."

I said, "Oh, no, no. God makes no slip-ups. That was absolutely God's Son."

He said, "Well, there is no such a thing."

I said, "You mean there's not a Creator Who made the heavens and earth?"

He said, "No, of course not." He said, "Oh, it's psychology."

I said, "Well, how did the world get here."

Said, "It was here when I come here."

And I said, "Yes, that's right. And the room you was borned in was there when you got there. And the furniture was arranged, but some intelligence had to arrange it that way, that's exact..."

Why, if... It would be silly if I'd say, "Well, how did that watch come?" Well, it's just a watch that's all; it just happened to be a watch. Well, now the timing, the jewels and everything, anybody with... was mentally balanced right would know that some intelligent made that watch. Had to time it, and regulate it, and put the hands, and jewels and the operation.

18 Well, then how much greater is your body than this watch? See, because it was a man that made this watch. And somebody had to make the man. So a person says that we just happened to be, that shows there's a mental deficiency somewhere. That's right, it...

So he said, "Well, now," he begin to tell me the ethics of Darwin and so forth, about how evolution came in to exist. How the world and the sun and the moon, you've read it perhaps, had a love affair and chipped off a little piece and it flew off and that made the world.

And the first man was a sponge, and he wore a little wart on this side and out come an arm. And then he decided he wanted a little arm on the other side, so he rolled a few thousand years over on that side, another arm come out.

19 I said, "Look, fellow, I'm kinda weak in faith." I said, "I--I don't believe that; I can't believe it." I said, "I just believe the way God said it was." I--I said, "The only way you can prove that's by faith. You can't prove it any other way." And I said, "My faith's too weak for that." I said, "I just... I haven't got that much faith. I just believe that God made it the way He said He did."

And He said--I said, "The..." He said, "Oh," about the virgin birth, he said, "it's--it's proven, Reverend Branham, that--that corn, everything else has to have a pollen. The--the pollen from the corn, and for the trees, and how the bees pack it; and everything has to have actual male and female."

I said, "Sure, there was a male in this respect." I said, "That was God."

"Well, is God a man?"

I said, "God's a spirit."

"Oh, impossible to contact the actual human being, it has to be the sex part."

20 I said, "Oh, no." I said, "Now, look, you will admit to me, will you, that the woman had the baby? We'll say that that was right, the woman had the baby, and He was Jesus."

"Yes, that--that--I'll go with you that far, 'cause there's some kind of a something's going on through the world and to come down in history, and so forth that there was One here called Jesus, but He wasn't no virgin borned."

I said, "Then we'll admit that He had a natural mother."

"Yes."

"Now, He... In your estimation He'd have to have an--an actual father, a earthly man here to be His father or He could not have been born."

He said, "That's exactly right."

I said, "Will you stick with that, Mr. Jeffries?"

He said, "I will."

21 I said, "All right, I want to ask you something then. If--if this woman had the baby, and you said it was impossible, it had to have a natural father, it had to have a earthly father the same as it had a earthly mother?"

Said, "That's exactly truth."

I said, "Then how did the first man get here without father or mother? Where did he come from? Let him be tadpole, monkey, whatever he wanted to be. According to science he had to have a father and a mother, is that right?" I said, "Who was his father and mother?"

Well, he asked no more questions from that time since. You... It just settled it; that was all. He--he--he didn't have... Oh, I tell you, their argument is thinner than the broth made out of a shadow of a chicken that starved to death. I--I tell you this; they just haven't got a--they haven't got a leg to stand on.

No, sir, Jesus Christ was the Son of God. I believe it with all my heart. And the great Holy spirit overshadowed that virgin and she brought forth a son according to God's Word, for it said, "A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Child; His name shall be called Emmanuel." And I... He was God with us (I believe that.), and not God that will be with us for a space, but be with us forever. We are His children, living in His Presence now.

22 And the weakness of the Church today is one of the--the fundamental reasons that we see no more going on in the Church. First thing I think is because there's not enough travel of soul to bring the person in contact with his Maker.

And another thing is this: is the person who does find God, doesn't realize who He is after he's found God. See? If you only realized that you're setting now with Christ Jesus, that many of the people are trying to post it off to some other great age and all healing over in the Millennium and so forth. And all the miracles over in the Millennium.

23 What are we going to need miracles in the Millennium, when we're supernatural beings? See? How are we going to need those thing... Now, the Bible said, "Now are we the sons of God." Not... "Now" is--is now a present tense. "Now are we the sons." Not we will be, we are now. We are this morning; we are this very hour. "Now are we the sons of God, seated together, set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus now."

Right this very minute we're--we're seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Every man, by one spirit we're all baptized into one Body, become members of this Body by Holy Spirit baptism. And now, we're seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, free from judgment. We can never go to the judgment. How can you be judged twice? By... You...

God judged Jesus Christ, and He put our judgment upon Christ, and Christ paid our judgment at Calvary. If we're in Christ, we're secured in Christ. By... How do we get into Christ? "By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body." Is that right?

24 We're into that body of Jesus Christ, and while we're in there, we've accepted His punishment in our stead: He, knowing no sin yet was made sin for us. And then He bore our sickness. He bore our sins. And we come into Him, we are free from these judgments.

God cannot justly judge me or you the second time if He's already accepted us in Christ Jesus, and punished His Own Son for us. How can He punish us then when He's already had Christ has paid our price?

If I go down to the pawn shop and--and I've got something... That's just like the human life, the devil put us in a pawn shop. That's right. Devil put us in a pawn shop because of transgression. But if you've got something pawned and you go down with the--and get that out of pawn, and get a receipt for it, you have a right to take it out.

Now, there's no need of trying to go down... If I had my watch in pawn, and you went down and took it out for me, there's no need of me going trying to pay it again. I can't pay it again, because it's already paid. Oh, when I think of that, something on the inside of me, under this fifth rib on the left side, leaps higher than the skies.

25 Because I know the devil had me in the pawn shop one time, because of sin and transgression, but Jesus Christ took me out of the pawn shop and redeemed me back to God. That makes me His Son this morning. And it is not here what--yet appear what I shall be in the final end. But I know I'll have a body like His Own glorious body, for I shall see Him as He is, free from sickness, free from sin.

Well, sure He was the Son of God. It's been the aged old question, man seeking and hungering after God. If I should call this morning and find out a few of His friends. 'Course now, we'll take His enemies for a minute. Let's ask somebody by Scriptural authority.

26 We could go on, and on, and on. But let's just ask--get some Scriptural authority for Who Jesus Christ was. What think ye of Him? If I... "'Course His friends," you say, Brother Branham, will testify of Him." Let's ask His enemies about Him then. Let's see what the enemy says. The devil himself knowed that was the Son of God.

Why, the preachers back there, they didn't know He was the Son of God. They said, "He's a chief mind reader. He's Beelzebub, the chief of the devil."

But the devil said, "We know who You are, the holy One of God. Why comest Thou to torment us before our time comes?" There the devil said He was the Son of God. Is that right?

27 Look at the vilest, dirtiest enemy He ever had was Judas Iscariot. When Judas Iscariot realized what he had done and he seen that immaculate Son of God hanging yonder between the heavens and earth, suffering, bleeding, His body... He took that silver he'd bought, them thirty pieces of silver, and throwed it before the high priest, and said, "I betrayed innocent Blood." That's right.

His--His lowest enemy testified that He was the Son of God. When He died, the heavens and earth turned black, smutty black, God testifying of it. The Roman centurion put his hand over His heart that pierced His side and said, "Truly, that was the Son of God." Is that right?

28 Let's look at old Pilate standing there all out of humor, got up early in the morning, called to the judgment seat and stuck a wreath around His head and set it on there, waking up after a big party the night before, perhaps, and setting there and all fussed up with them Jews anyhow. And he was condemning Him and everything else.

And I hear a horse coming down the street at a gallop. What is it? It's the--it's the palace page coming in. And he runs down before the--the emperor and falls down before him, and presents a--a note to him from his wife. Let's look at Pilate standing there, and he's all tore up and his teeth set. He begins to read this note; his hands begin to tremble; his knees begin to knock together; he turns pale white.

29 Let's look over his shoulder and see what he's reading. "Have nothing to do with this just Man, for I've suffered many things today in a dream because of Him." A pagan wife writing a note to her pagan husband, "Don't have nothing to do with this Man, for today I've suffered many things in a dream."

Pilate said, "Bring me some water. I find no fault in Him at all." What was it? His enemies testifying. That's right. God makes everything quiver and shake at that Name, Jesus Christ. Brother, that's where the Church today has lost the--the solemnity of that Name, the power of that Name.

When Moses went down into Egypt, if those people... He had a staff he packed before him. How ridiculous. See that old man out there, real old, eighty years old, white beard way down like this, and white hair hanging down his back, and here he goes with his wife setting astraddle of a mule and a--and a child on each hip...

Here goes Moses just a praising God, walking down like that. And the people say, "Where you going, Moses?"

"I'm going down to Egypt to take over."

30 Could you imagine? Nonsense. An old man eighty years old with a wife and two children and a donkey and a stick in front of him going down to take over the greatest mechanized unit in the world. There was no... Why, Egypt had conquered the world. But he said, "How do you know you're going to take over?"

"God said so, and I believe it." That's right. That's right, God said so. And he did it. Amen. For he took God at His Word. When God said what He did about Christ, I believe it's the truth. But if those Egyptians could've ever got that stick out of Moses' hand, they'd have had him whipped.

That wasn't God... That wasn't Moses' stick, that was God's judgment rod. That's what hit the rock. That's what he stretched out. And if they could ever took that stick away from him, they'd have had it whipped. But he guarded that stick with his life.

31 And today if the people would only regard the Name of Jesus that was left in the Church... He said, "Whatever you ask the Father in My Name, that will I do." I... He gave the Church His Name to--to marry, bury, baptize, everything in the world that we do. "Whatever you do in word and deed, do it all in the Name of Jesus Christ."

But we lost the sacredness of that Name. We use it in vain, in jokes and... You can't put bitter and sweet water out of the same fountain, friend. You've got to get to a place till you reverence that Name, and believe it, and know it, and use it, just exactly right.

Now, if I was called this morning a witness of some of His friends, what if I'd call Noah today. And say, "Noah, come down out of the heavens and come here just a minute. I want you to testify to this audience this morning. What think ye of Christ? Whose Son was He?"

Why, Noah would say, "It's the Son of Him Who called me that day out in the field and said, 'Build an ark for the saving of your household.'" Noah would recognize quickly that was Him.

What if I could call Isaiah the prophet today. I'd say, "Isaiah, come down this morning out of the great realms of glory and testify to this audience Whose Son do you think He is?"

Isaiah would say... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] "Voice speaking to me saying, 'Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: that his Name shall be called Counselor, Prince of Peace, mighty God, The everlasting Father.'" Why, he would know quickly that was the Son of God. Why, he was a prophet and under inspiration.

32 If I called Job, I'd say, "Job, you was an old man. You were broke out in boils; everything you had was lost. Your children was gone. Your wife had almost turned against you and said, 'Why don't you curse God and die the death?' What think ye of Christ? Job, Whose Son is He?"

He'd say, "I was in distress; I was setting on a ash heap. The church members had turned their back to me seven days trying to give me consolation. What a consolation. While I was setting there scraping my boils, a little fellow named Elihu came down and begin to explain to me about God. And when I did, I saw a vision. And I said, 'I know my Redeemer liveth, and at the last days He will stand on the earth. Though the skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself. Mine eyes shall behold and not another.'" Certainly.

What if I could bring Ezekiel, say, "Ezekiel, will you unlock the doors of God, move down here this morning in the Philadelphian church. I want you to testify. What think ye of Christ, Ezekiel?"

He'd say, "When I saw Him coming, the clouds was like dust under His feet." What a testimony. My.

33 I'd ask another one who'd come. I'd say, "Daniel," that great prophet, "What think ye of Christ? You come out here just a minute, Daniel, and give your testimony to this Philadelphian church this morning. What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

I can hear Daniel say, "Why, I was standing one day, writing as the Holy Spirit was upon me, and I saw Him as a stone hewed out of the mountain, rolled into Babylon and crushed down the kingdoms of the world." Yes, sir. I can hear him say, "And another thing, one day for my testimony they throwed me into a den of lions. While I was standing there, and the first thing I seen lions. I heard their soft padded hoofs a coming, or their feet coming rather, paws. And I could feel their breath almost on me. I knowed it was... In that dark dungeon in a few minutes I'd be tore together. And all of the sudden Something moved every fiber in my body. I felt Something tingling, my face turn hot and chills went through me. And I see where the lion's... eyes of these lions coming. And the first thing you know, they begin to turn their head and walked away. And when that feeling left me, I looked, standing in the corner, and there stood that One Who is the Son of God, standing there. God had sent His Angels to deliver me." I can hear him say that, "That power was upon me. My muscles were just shaking. The power was going through me; tears was coming down my cheeks. He's the Son of God." Yes, sir.

34 There was some more fellows down there one time by the name of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Let's call them down this morning and ask them to testify Whose Son is He. Let's watch them when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego... "What do you think of Him, Whose Son is He? Now, you lived years before He was ever born."

Well, they'd say, "It was one day down in Babylon there, they'd made a proclamation, the king had, and sealed it which could not be broke. And anybody that wouldn't serve their gods and idols and so forth and be popular with the rest of the bunch, would be throwed into a fiery furnace. But we purposed in heart in a prayer meeting one night, that we would not defile ourself with them gods and we was going to stand of God's Word regardless of what the rest of the world said." Amen. I kinda feel religious right now. Think, brother, when I think, "Yes, sir, we purposed in our heart that we're not going to defile ourself with the rest of the world."

35 All right, and the heat come on. Oh, my, to that morning. Just think of what it was. "There they het the furnace seven times hotter than it ever was het. And we had to walk into the fiery furnace. But we knowed that something inside of us that moved us and a spirit that testified to us that we were God's children, that God was able to deliver us from the fiery furnace. But nevertheless, we'd never bow down to their image. Then on that great morning when we begin to walk with our hands tied behind us up that gang plank to walk into the fiery furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar setting back said, 'Now we'll just burn some of this holy-roller religion out of them.'"

Could you imagine burn the Holy Ghost out of a man, when the Holy Ghost is fire itself? Fire fights fire. Yes, sir. Could you imagine something like that?

Here they come walking up like that; they'd walk into the fiery furnace. My, what a time. I can hear Shadrach say to Meshach, "Brother, have you prayed through?"

36 "It's all settled." Amen. "Let's move on up." What think ye of Christ? And then He got right up to the edge where they was to jump off into the fiery furnace, and there it was about the darkest hour they'd ever seen. Coming up to this fiery furnace and just about time they got ready to step in...

Let's turn our cameras this morning and look on up yonder in heaven, break out of this dimension and look up yonder. When things look so dreary here there's always something going on in another world. That's right. Yes, sir.

I can see Him setting as a Prince, setting there, His great garments hanging around Him. Hallelujah. Daniel saw Him one time too, and he said, "He come like the ancient of days, whose hair was white as wool."

While He was setting there on His throne, I can see an Angel went up to Him by the name of Gabriel, with His sword pulled. And said, "Master, have You looked down in Babylon this morning? Why, they're about to burn up three believers down there. The heat's really come on. Yes, sir. And they're about to burn up three believers. Have You noticed them?"

37 I can hear Him say, "I've watched them all night long." Hallelujah. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me. He watches you; He watches over me. Yes, sir. "His eye is on the sparrow. I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

He's standing there, said, "Yes, Gabriel, I know you're a good Angel. You could go down there and destroy that thing. But I've watched them all night long. I heard their prayer meeting. I knowed they believe Me, yet they've never seen Me, yet they believe Me anyhow."

38 I can see another Angel come up and His name's Wormwood. He destroyed the antediluvian world with waters. He has control of the waters. He's going to do something in the last days with them, turn them all bitter.

So, I can hear Him run up right quick and fall down before his Majesty and say, "Oh, Master, have You looked down there?" Angels are concerned about what we believe about Christ. "Have You considered down there? They're just about to burn up three believers. I have controls of the water at Your command. Just let me go down; I'll wash Babylon off the face of the earth."

I believe He could've done it. Yes, sir. "Let me go down there, I'll change the picture this morning. There is men who believe in You. They're mortals and yet they believe. They've never seen, but they know that Moses said that the Lord your God shall rise up a prophet likened unto me. They knew that He was coming; by faith they looked forward to the coming of the Son of God."

Let's hear them testify, saying I... Then I looked back there and I see Him. He'd say, "Woodworm, You're a good Angel. You've obeyed Me. You done just what I told you. But I can't let you go, for this is a man-sized job. I'm going Myself."

39 I can hear Him reach over there and say, "Come here, east wind, west wind, north, and south." I tell you everything's in the solar systems and in the heavens obeys Him and turns at His command. But the heart of man thinks they know more than God does, and He can't touch the stony heart of man.

How I think this morning He could say, "Let winter change to summer, summer to winter." It'd obey Him like that. He could say, "Mars, you go over here, and Jupiter, you over there." It'd obey Him. Yes, sir. He'd speak it. There He stands in His Majesty. When man fails to recognize Him. When He stood yonder, "Who, what is man that Thou art mindful of him."

When He stood there and in the space when there was nothing else, before there was even a star in the heavens, before there was a sun in the heavens, He blowed off His hand [Brother Branham makes a blowing sound--Ed.] and stars, moons, and worlds, and systems come into existence by His spoken Word. Hallelujah.

40 My, when I think of that, that's my God. Hallelujah. And a part of Him lives in me now. Because it's now, I have Everlasting Life. And every man and woman in here has Everlasting Life by the creative Word of God Who spoke things into existence. Hallelujah. Yes, sir. Don't think I'm excited, I know where I am.

Look, brother, when... I tell you when I think of that it takes you out into another world, that the world knows nothing about. There I see Him standing there in His Majesty. He said, "Come here, east wind, north, south, come here. Get under that big thunderhead over yonder, that great big pillar of cloud yonder. I'm going to drive you this morning like horses."

41 See Him raise from His throne, His garments drop around Him, walk out and set down on this big cloud, thunderhead yonder, reach over and get a hold of the zig-zag lightning and crack her through the skies like that. He's going to drive them winds like horses. Amen.

Why? They was in trouble. About that time Shadrach looked over and said, "God bless you, Meshach, Abednego, we're walking in the Name of the Lord." The heat is on; the furnace is hot. They're making that last step and just as they stepped into the fiery furnace that chariot come rushing from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, come into the fiery furnace with a fan in His hand who fanned back all the breezes away from them, stood there and talked to them.

The king said, "How many did you put in there?"

Said, "Three."

Said, "I see four, and the other One is like the Son of God."

42 Hallelujah. That infidel, unbelieving, ungodly king had to recognize Who is Jesus Christ? He's the Son of the living God. Amen. What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? Sure He's the Son of God.

Let's ask John the Baptist. Let's call him down this morning, let his testimony ring out here with us. What do you say about Him, John? Why, the... You received the Holy Ghost six months before you was born. Yes, sir. You received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You was dead in your mother's womb, and when the first Name of Jesus Christ was spoken...

My, and that little mother Mary went up there to--to Elisabeth, her cousin, put her arms around her and hugged her. She was to be to mother. Six months John was yet and hadn't seen no... hadn't received any life yet. She said, "I'm scared because of the baby's condition and so forth."

And a little mother Mary said, "Well, I--I'm going to have a baby too." And when she told what His Name was, little John got the Holy Ghost and begin to leap and jump in the mother's womb for joy.

43 And Mary said... Martha said, "When comes--whence cometh the mother of my Lord? For as soon as thy salutation come into my ears, my baby leaped in the womb for joy."

And I think if the first the Name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke through mortal lips brought life to a dead baby, what ought It to do to a borned-again Church (My.) that's filled with the Holy Spirit? Amen.

Notice, my dear friend... Billy, my fifteen minutes is collapsed, but I--I'm still feeling good. Let me alone just a few more minutes. All right, when I think of that, how that--that--that power of God in there.

If I'd ask John, I'd say, "Who is this Man? What do you think of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

John would say, "When I was--received the Holy Ghost in my mother's womb, so I'm told. At nine years old I went to the..." Not seminary, he went, not to some school, he went out in the wilderness to live with God. Brother, that's the seminary we all need today, not so much about genealogy, but a little bit on your knees, what settles the question.

44 There when he was thirty years old, he came out of the wilderness, not with a tuxedo on or his collar turned around the back, called Reverend, Doctor, Father, or something another, but he come out of the wilderness with a sheepskin wrapped around him and he preached repentance till he stirred all the regions around about.

Brother, he was filled with the Holy Ghost. He didn't draw any punches. He laid the axe to the root of the tree. And every tree that didn't bring forth good fruit was hewed down. That's what we need today is some more John the Baptists filled with the Holy Ghost in that manner, that will not pull punches, but will tell the truth regardless of who it hurts. The churchanity, handle with gloves on... Take off the gloves and handle it barehanded.

There John, said, "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

45 He said, "The One that told me in the wilderness, 'Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on, He is the One's going to baptize with the Holy Ghost and Fire, Whose fan is in His hand. He will thoroughly purge His floor and will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire, and the wheat will he take to the garner.'"

What a testimony of John the Baptist. Let's call his mother. If there's anybody ought to know Who He was, His mother ought to know Whose Son it is. Don't you think so? Mary, come down from the glory Land just a few minutes and testify to the Philadelphian church this morning. What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? Now, you're His mother, you ought to know."

46 She said, "I didn't know a man." Hallelujah. "I didn't know a man, but one day on a Monday when it was wash day, I had some water in my arm, in my hand, I was going up to the well from the virgin springs. And I was going along and a great Light flew before me and there stood Gabriel the Archangel, said, 'Hail, Mary, blessed art thou among women, for you're going to have a baby knowing no man.' Said, "How can these things be, Lord?"

She said... The Angel said, "The Holy Ghost shall overshadow you, and that holy Thing that'll be born of you shall be called the Son of God." Amen. I believe Mary's testimony's right. Right. What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?

I don't care how many atheists rise, how many this, that, or the other, He's still the virgin born Son of God. Yes, sir.

She said, "I didn't know a man, but He that said to me, 'Go... that there--that--that I'd be overshadowed by the Holy Ghost and it would be called the Son of God.""

47 What if I could call this morning... What if I could go call E. Howard Cadle, an old friend of mine with the Cadle Tabernacle, was a drunken sot laying out yonder, and the flies blowing his mouth and the vomiting in a barroom and a... What do you think if I could go to the celestial realms of glory and call Howard Cadle down this morning to testify? You've heard his broadcast for years through here.

48 A bosom friend of mine down from Milltown, Indiana, where I pastored a little old Baptist church down there. I'd say, "Brother Cadle, I want you this morning, in the face of the Philadelphian Church, tell me Who you think the Son of God is?" Hallelujah.

If he could walk down tonight he'd say, "I was a drunken sot. I was laying yonder drunk, debauched, and dying. And a little mother out behind a corn crib somewhere praying in the Name of Jesus Christ, when He sent His Angel to deliver me and made a minister that sent thousands of souls to the glory Land."

And I'd say to that little old Boston shoe cobbler, Dwight Moody, "What think ye of Christ?"

If he could rise from the dead this morning, he'd say, "He is the Son of God."

49 What would I say this morning if I called little Georgie Carter, my pianist from down at Milltown Baptist church, who laid on her back nine years and eight months, only weighed thirty-six pounds, with TB. It went all the way through her. Her church, the Church of Christ didn't believe in Divine healing. She heard a testimony. And if she could stand here and testify this morning...

One day there, where I never seen her, knowed nothing about her, and the Angel of the Lord come to me and said, "Go down to Milltown." I didn't even know where it was at. And went down there, and today, after eight or nine years ago, she's a living testimony of the power of God.

She'd say, "Jesus Christ is the Son of God that raised from the dead and reproduced Hisself incarnated. He has appeared in the way of a vision and has spared my poor life."

50 What if I could go to London, England, this morning and call Florence Nightingale, and bring her here to testify on this platform this morning, she'd say, "I was laying with a cancer on the duodenal of the stomach. And all hopes was gone. I weighed in the regions of thirty or forty pounds. And there that day Brother Branham, when you were kneeling praying God sent a little dove rushing through the bushes, and come set down on the window there. And when the Voice of God come and said, 'I would live,' and I live by the grace of God and by the power of the resurrection of His Son."

What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?

You say, "Preacher, what you think of Christ? Whose Son is He?" Oh, brother, my heart wouldn't let me bleed it out. He's the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, the Morning Star, the Alpha, Omega, He that was, which is, and shall come (Hallelujah.), the Son of the living God, my Saviour, my Healer, my King. Oh, the present tense of Him now illuminates my soul and burns every fiber in my body with His glorious Presence."

51 How could I speak or find words to say what He was. When Isaiah got all tangled up and said, "He--He's the--He's the Father, the everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, the mighty God, how great He was." He said, "He's wonderful." He couldn't even speak it, how could I say it?

Every man or every woman that ever amounted to anything in this life are men and woman who believed Him to be the Son of God. Every poet, every author, every thing else that ever amounted to anything believed He was the Son of God.

52 Let's call a few poets together just a few minutes. We could take poets; we could take prophets; we could take authors. Let's call a few poets just a few minutes. I thing Eddie Perronet's one of my favorite. When he was persecuted... You know his story, the great song writer.

And while in his darkest of persecution, the people said he was a neurotic, he was off in his head. And he's standing... He said, "I was setting in desk one day..." If we could call him up from the grave this morning, and there he was standing there and the tears running down his cheeks, he caught a vision. And God let him write the baccalaureate message and the inauguration of the church, when he grabbed his pen and wrote:

All hail the power of Jesus' Name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all.

And I see another, "What do you think of Him?" He said:

When I survey the wondrous cross

Whereon the Prince of glory died,

All my fame I count but loss,

53 Oh, my, when I think of blind Fanny Crosby, let's call her, see what she thinks of Christ. "You never seen daylight in your life, woman, what do you think of Christ?"

Here's what she said:

Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,

Hear my humble cry;

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

Thou the Stream of all my comfort,

More than life to me,

Whom have I on earth beside Thee?

Whom in heaven but Thee?

Hallelujah! Old blind woman.

Another one said:

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever:

Someday He's coming--O glorious day!

54 What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? I believe He's the resurrected, immortal Son of God, that's living among us right here this morning. I believe this we feel right now is His Presence. Do you believe it?

What think ye of Christ? You heard the Gospel preached; you've felt His power; you've seen His works. What think ye of Christ? How many of you believe He's the Son of God? Raise your hand. Amen. Let's stand to our feet. Every one stand to your feet and I want the pianist to give us a chord. Let's give Him praise everybody.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him,

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain.

Give Him glory all ye people,

For His... wash away each stain.

55 Do you love Him? What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? Let's say together: "He is the Son of the living God." [The congregation repeats after Brother Branham--Ed.] All right. Let's sing now. All right, give us a chord. "I Will Praise Him." How many knows the song? Raise your hand. All right. All right, give us a chord of it if you will brother.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him,

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain.

Give Him glory all ye people,

For His Blood has washed away each stain.

Now let's pick it up and sing it again. Come on now, raise your hands.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him.

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain.

Give Him glory all ye people,

For His Blood has washed away (Keep playing it. Keep playing.).

56 Now, let's bow our heads just a moment. I wonder if there's one here this morning that doesn't know Jesus as their Saviour, would say, "Now I believe He is the Son of God. I want to accept Him as my personal Saviour." Would you raise your hand? Say, "Remember me, Brother Branham; I want to accept Christ as my Saviour." Raise your hand.

God bless you, lady. Someone else? Up in the balcony, anywhere, and say, "I'm not a Christian, Brother Branham, but I believe He is the Son of God. Remember me in a word of prayer." Will you do it, while you raise your hands around over the audience?

God bless you, sir. Someone else say, "Remember me, Brother Branham, I believe now and will accept Jesus as my Saviour."

57 How many hasn't got the baptism of the Holy Ghost, say, "I want His Presence in me. I believe He's the Son of God. I want the Holy Ghost. I'm raising my hand, Brother Branham."?

Raise your hand, may God look down now and fill each one of your hearts full of His Presence. How many is sick this morning, say, "I have accepted Him. I've been borned-again and I want Him as my healer now. And the Lamb of God for sinners slain washes away my sin and makes me whole. I'm raising my hand for healing."?

58 Raise your hand. God bless you. The same God that overshadowed Mary, is overshadowed this church this morning with His august Presence. And I know He's here. All right, while you bow your heads now, every one of you, let's sing slowly now, "I Will Praise Him." All right.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him.

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain.

Give Him glory all ye people,

For His Blood has washed away each stain.

Now, with your heads bowed, hum it. [Brother Branham begins to hum: "I Will Praise Him"--Ed.] Lead us, Brother Boze.