Revelation, Chapter Four #1

1Amen. Praise the Lord. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... self. I think that's the attitude of a lot of people. It's mighty nice, young sister there, that last verse. I sure appreciated that. And we... coming into New Year's night I don't think you could sing anything any better, any more appropriate for this night.

Looks like we're starting the year off good; uh-huh, good and snowy and sloppy outside, typical Indiana weather at this time of year. So you people from Georgia I see here, and up in Ohio. Now, Brother Dauch, you and Sister Dauch know what that is, as Ohio's the same. And... but, we're going to a Land where there'll not be any of that. Uh-huh. That's the thing.

3This is New Year's night, eve. And, course, everybody's got a vow wrote out and a pledge you're going to make for New Year's, then about day after tomorrow they'll all be broke. And so, you know, you turn a new page every year, and then turn back the next morning, did it again.

But there's just one thing that--that I would like to say, and that is that like Apostle Paul said, "Forgetting those things are in the past, all my mistakes and all the things that I have done, I press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ." That's the only regrets that I have is my errors for the past year, and the past part of my life, and I only humbly ask Him for grace to press on towards the mark of the high calling. I'm sure that's the testimony of--of all of us, we'd all feel that way.

5Sorry that it's such a bad night and--and people didn't get to come. And I called Brother Neville, I didn't even know whether he could get here or not. And then Brother Skaggs come up, and he come from way down in Kentucky where she's three feet or better down in there. And so... Or, "About like this," he said, so he had a farmer pull him out a couple times and put him over the hill with a tractor. And so I thought, "Well, if it's just two or three inches, we won't mind that, uh-huh, as long as it's like that." But the roads are passable and everybody's going on.

6Now, of course, tonight is a night where we hear from a variety of ministers, different ones who come in. And they'll probably be coming on along through the different parts tonight, up till midnight. I think they'll set and watch if the... for the New Year to go... come in, and the old one to go out. And usually they call around the altar and pray and--and make their vows to God and renew their--their vows.

I told Brother Neville... And I called him to see if he was coming. I said if he didn't come, I'd try to carry on the best that I could. And then if he couldn't get here in the morning, why, I'd continue on to do all that I could while he was--he wasn't here. And I told him I was going to try tonight, thinking about just having about a fifteen-minute's message, or something. And, we see you got several other ministers sitting here, waiting.

So I was... thought I'd start and just continue on in this Book of Revelation, just go right on down, pick up the 4th chapter now, start off. And if we don't get through with it this time, the next time we'll continue on. Then go to the 5th, and 6th, and just as we can. The Lord help us to get through it.

9I want to say, before we start, that there was... had a visit a while ago from--from... Brother Drummond Thom and his wife. This is her mother and father sitting here tonight. And they just returned from Africa where they've been having great soul-saving services and Divine healing services. This little lady took her... I believe her grandmother's place, the other day, and having a jail service, and sinners come to the Lord, and everything. It was just wonderful how God is using that young couple. They're here now in America for a while to do some evangelism.

If any of you pastors... I want to write Brother Drummond a... Drummond, I, yeah, I get that name all mixed up. Why couldn't he have just took a good English name and forgot about it? Let's just give him a number, what do you say, 'cause I can't get that, no. I don't think half of us can get it. "Drummont," I think, is the right way you pronounce it; and Sister Charlotte. If any of you'd like to have them, I'd sure like to hear them get in your church.

11That lady, this Sister Charlotte, she's just a kid. She was giving testimony up there a while ago, to Meda, of the experience they'd had in Africa, and I tell you it was... Billy, it brought old times back again; sounded like speaking Afrikaans. And so the battle is on down there as well as it is here.

If anybody would like to have Brother Drummond for a... and Sister Charlotte, for a campaign in their church, if you would, you just call Brother Tony Zabel there at MElrose 7-3945. If you'd like to put it down, some of you ministers, I certainly recommend Brother... For he's a good preacher, sincere boy, that really needs a start, get started out. And he's fearless, good boy, and I like him very much. Now, you remember, MElrose 7-3945. And I'll leave this little card here, where that if you... That's their card, and if you happen to not be able to put the number down, well, you can come pick it up, or anytime after the intermission between the different services tonight. And get their number and call them if you'd like to have them in some of your churches for a meeting, or someone that you know that would like to have them, 'cause they're just crusading across America.

Isn't that something? Africa has to send missionaries over here to America! This is the place they're needed, right here, worse than it is over there.

14So how many is glad and happy the Lord spared you through another year? And here we are, coming up to the end of the road. And pray that God will forgive us of all of our sins and our shortcomings.

Now, I want to say this before I start. I wish, to each one of you all, the most successful and blessful and healthy new year that I can wish to you. God be with you! May you grow both physically, and spiritually, and financially, and materially. Everything that God can bring upon you, I pray that He'll do it.

16Now I'm facing a new year, myself, God only knows what lays in the future. And our decisions has to be made right away. We got all of our stuff. Brother Jim, up there, has got it ready now, for the invitations and things from internationally, world-wide; to see where the Lord will lead us. And I certainly solicit the prayers of you people, to pray with all your heart that God will never let me be misled. I--I... Of anything I want to be, is sincere and never be misled. And now, I've had a good year.

17Many times, people misunderstands. And when they say, "Brother Branham, you're--you're... you don't go to the places like you used to, and like these other ministers do, and have all the... " I--I learned one thing, that learning a lesson from our Bible and from our Lord, that Jesus was not a showman. He--He lacked that, He didn't have showmanship. See, He--He wasn't a showman, at all. And I don't believe that His disciples are showmen. Never did they ever make themselves showmen.

That's where I think we miss the boat a lot today, (Maybe it's just my own idea.) that, when we have to make a big blow about everything, you know why, I think it looks like it's more of a show than it is the sacredness.

19Did you notice in the coming of the Lord, those who really received Him? Was Simeon, nobody never heard nothing about him, but he was looking for the Lord. Blind Anna, in the temple. John the Baptist, in the wilderness. And those...

John went in the wilderness at nine years old, never appeared again till he was thirty; in the wilderness. And men like that who secretly believed, and kept humble, they was looking for the coming of the Lord. And they never did blow their meetings up and have to put it on great signs ("The hour! The time!") and--and telecasts and everything. That's all right to those who want to do it that way, but, to me, that doesn't seem Christ-like.

21I know one time His brethren told Him, said, "You do these miracles and things, why don't you go up here to--to Jerusalem? And we're going up to the feast of Passover, call out Caiaphas the high priest, and all those, and let them know. Do it before them like that, that they might see your works. And now, see, what are You fooling with a bunch of fishermen, and so forth, down on the river, and that low class of people? What... Why don't You get up here and let the world see it?" See?

Jesus said, "Your hour is always, Mine hour has not come." Uh-huh. See?

23John was one time... John the Baptist, the--the Scriptures spoke of him coming. And said, "When he come, that... " Why, Isaiah said, about seven hundred and twelve years before he was born, "There'd be a voice of one crying in the wilderness." And said, "All the mountains skipped like little lambs, all the leaves clapped their hands, the high places was made low, and the low places was made high."

Such prophecies as that! What do you think ministers of that day... When they picked That up, they must have said, "My! When that great prophet comes, everybody will know him. God will just spread back the canopies of the sky, the corridors of Heaven will lower down, a chariot of fire will move down, a angelic band escort him to the earth."

When he come, he was an ol' fuzzy-faced preacher with a piece of sheepskin wrapped around him, with a piece of leather for a belt. Probably never took a bath; every three or four months. Out there in the wilderness, come out, stand in mud, knee deep, preaching, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" He never went to no cities. If anybody wanted to hear him, they come out to Jordan to hear him, them that want to. What did he do? He shook the nation, he shook the world.

26There's a shaking going on that people don't know nothing about. When Jesus come, He never represented Himself among the big high's. He come to His Own, He come to those Who were looking for Him. There's where the shaking come. That's what He does today. The Holy Spirit comes to those who God has called. There's a great shaking amongst the Elect. Great, powerful thing going on, but the world knows nothing of it.

They think, all this big flowerily stuff, and world-wide broadcasts, and televisions, and million-dollar buildings, and everything, that that's the things that's so great. That's foolish to the sight of God. God don't look at big things. What man calls "foolish," God calls "Great"; and what man calls "great," God calls "foolish." "It pleased Him, through the foolishness of preaching, to save those which were lost."

28Now, John. What do you think they say? "There's an ol' fanatic out there, ol' fuzzy-faced-looking fellow, come out of the wilderness with a sheepskin wrapped around him. And, why, he stands in mud, barefooted, out there on the side of the Jordan, and carrying on out there. Who ever heard of such a thing?"

When Jesus come. "A Messiah, born over there in a stable, over a pile of straw, and--and the cattle lowing around? And--and you mean with a mother... Illegitimate, as his father... The mother was to be mother before they was even wed, why, He was born out of holy wedlock. And, that fellow?" Oh, my! See? But It was Great, they just didn't know It. See? They didn't know It.

And so is the Gospel today "Great." And the Gospel is shaking like It's never shook before, but It's shaking in the remnant. That's right, fixing them ready.

31"He came to His Own, His Own received Him not." He told His disciples, "Don't go in the ways of the Gentiles, but go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. And, as you go, he that receives you receives Me. When you go into a city, they won't receive you, shake the dust from your feet and walk away. And verily I say unto you, be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of the Judgment than it will be for that city." And every one of those cities that refused those men are laying in ashes today. Every one that did receive them, is still standing as a spire. That's right, see. Takes a long time to answer; but God answers, don't worry. I don't get started on that one, I'll never get into Revelation. Oh!

Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,

There to sing forever of His saving grace;

On the streets of Glory let me lift my voice;

When cares all pass, and home at last, ever to rejoice.

32I like that. Let's bow our heads just a moment. Would you like to stand before you do it? I--I think... The Bible said, "When you stand, praying, forgive." How many here has a request you'd just like to just let it be known by a lifted hand? Remember, God sees it, He knows all about it.

33Our Heavenly Father, we are approaching Thy Divine Holiness in the Name of the Lord Jesus, that all-sufficient Name that was given here among men, that even the families in Heaven and in earth is all named "Jesus."

And we pray, Lord, that You'll receive our thanksgiving. First, to begin, this dying year... as we're issuing it out tonight in service, issuing it out giving praise, studying Thy Word and knowing what THUS SAITH THE LORD mean. How many things could we put down on a paper to be thankful for! The little, narrow escapes that we've had this year, where Satan would have smothered our life out, but You're not through with us yet. So we're still continuing on. We believe, Lord, that we're only born and raised in this world to honor and glorify Thee.

And we pray, Father, You'll forgive us for every trespass and every mistake that we've made down along the journey. Let us forget our mistakes tonight as we confess them, burying them in the Sea of Forgetfulness, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, never to dig them up again; but now press towards this mark, for that perfect Man, Christ Jesus. Grant it tonight, Father.

35As Your servants speak, each of them, may You anoint them with the Spirit of Life, and may they preach like never before, and bring the messages into the church tonight.

And we gathered here under this little roof, that we're grateful for it, Lord. We're thankful to have a warm fire to sit by, for a roof over our head, that's all is necessary.

For our treasures are not in this world, it's in the world that is to come. God, we are laying up there where we believe that thieves can't break in and rob, and moth does not corrupt it, for our treasures are Eternal Life. And we pray, Father, that You'll let us cherish that all the days of our life.

Make us fit servants. Take all the evil out of us, Lord, all the past. Lay it... May all the roots of malice and all bitterness be taken from our lives, that we might be humble and sweet before You. Grant it, Lord. Let us have the greatest year we've ever had yet, this coming year. Grant it. Give us now, tonight, of Thy Word as we wait further for Thy messages. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. May be seated.

40Now, it's kind of hard for me to see that clock around there, and I don't want to keep my brethren waiting, so I'll try to hurry as fast as possible and get this part out. And, maybe, if we do not finish up, then tomorrow morning we will try to maybe continue on, if the Lord willing. And then if Brother Neville doesn't get down, or whatever, well, then I'll try, the Lord willing, to be here to carry on the Sunday school service.

41Now, don't forget now:

Pray, pray, the only way

.. reach higher grounds;

Pray, pray, the prayer of faith

Will bring God's blessings down.

That's the only way you'll ever do it. Let's sing it together. This New Year's now. We got plenty time.

Let's pray, pray, the only way

To reach higher ground;

Pray, pray, the prayer of faith

Will bring God's blessings down.

So if the prayer of faith brings God's blessings down, let's continue to pray. So glad, tonight, we got new faces in the Kingdom of God that wasn't in last year. And I'm, just continue to praying that more and more will be added all the time. And the half has never yet been told what it'll be on the other side.

44Now, we'll turn to the 4th chapter of Revelation. Does anybody need a Bible? We got some Bibles up here if you'd like to follow us. All right, one of the ushers come forth now, we just got a whole string of Bibles here. One of the trustees, ushers, or something, come up here right away. Brother Zabel; let one more come, too. If you want to just take both sides, and we'll go right down the aisle. And anybody that wants a Bible, to follow along with us, why, just take them right down and give them to anybody that wants them.

46And we want you to turn now to Revelation, the 4th chapter.

And, now, if you're sitting back and wanting to move forward here, we just got plenty of room tonight for you to move up. And make yourself comfortable, and just get right into the lesson and help me read it, and study it as we come together. There's seats up here. I see a couple coming. And here's two seats right here. Here's one for that single one right in here. And right back in here, there's just seats up here. I guess the blowers are just kind of universal.

And now, how many enjoyed our lesson that we just had, the eight-day lesson on the Seven Church Ages? Thank you. Makes me feel good, 'cause I really got a great blessing out of them myself.

49Now, tonight with the 4th chapter, we're leaving off now, John had spoke to the Laodicean Church Age. And, in this Laodicean Church Age, it was the most messed up church age of all the rest of them.

And we found the most pathetic thing in the last part of the Laodicean Church Age, Jesus standing on the outside of His Own church where He had been put out, knocking at the door, trying to get back in. Isn't that sinful? I think that's about one of the most pathetic Scriptures that I've ever read. Jesus, outside of His Own door, and His church had put Him out, and He was trying to get back in to only save them. "Any man that will open, let Me back in My Own house, I'll sup with him and he with Me." Isn't that a... isn't that pathetic? The God of Heaven, put out of His Own church, by their creeds and denominations and the way they were doing. Put them out... put Him out of the church, accepted their creed.

51It's the very same thing as it was the day that Jesus was crucified. And that was that when they accepted Barabbas, a murderer, and crucified Jesus. Loosed a murderer among them, that was proven "a murderer," and accept... and turned down Jesus Christ, the only One that could give them Life.

And that's the same thing every denomination, and the Pentecostal denomination, has got today. They see that those denominations die just as quick as they denominate. There never has been a one (in--in the pages of history) that ever denominated and that ever done anything but die immediately. All signs, wonders, and gifts left them, and everything else, as soon as they denominated. And instead of accepting the Lord Jesus to give them Life, they went right straight back and loosed Barabbas among them again. Isn't that something awful? No wonder God was put right out of His church, and standing, knocking, the last church age, trying to get back in.

53Now, we find out that Revelation is blocked off in three parts. The first is the first three chapters, pertains to the Church, the Message, the angel... to the angels of the Church. And from... And then She disappears right there in the 3rd chapter, does not appear again until the 19th chapter, in the 19th chapter She returned. Between this time, God is dealing with the Jews. Then, from then on, it's between the coming of the great city of Jerusalem, and the--the sealing away of the people of Israel, and so forth, at the end time.

54Now, so tonight we leave... Immediately after this, John had saw... On the isle of Patmos... How many remembers how far Patmos was off of the... out from the shore? How far out was it? About thirty miles, that's right, out from the coast. And how far was it around Patmos? You remember some of the geographic? About fifteen miles around it. And it was used for an exile for the Romans, put prisoners out there. And John was out there for what? What'd he do? Did he--did he steal something? No. Was he... They put him out there because he was disturbing the people and... or doing something evil? No. What was he out there for? For the Word of God and his testimony, for preaching the Gospel.

55And can anything happen to a Christian without it's for the best? No, no, no. So what did God get him out there alone on the island for? Give us this Book of Revelation. See, God just can pull the wool over the Devil's eyes anytime He wants to. Can't He? He just simply can. I just love Him. Because, I don't have to be smart, see. Now, if I was smart, I'd try to forget all about it 'cause I know no one could be as smart as Him. And so I--I just... Whatever I got, I surrender myself to Him and just do what He says do. That's all. Sometimes it's very contrary to the way I think it is. But I know, if He's leading it, He's smart. He knows what He's doing, I don't. So I just let Him do it, you see, then it's just... it's all right. See? So I just let Him do it. That's it, Brother Neville. Yes, sir, just let Him do it. See? He's the One knows what He's doing, I don't. See? So I just don't try to have any great big flowers and things. And just humble myself, and say, "Here I am, Father, anytime You want me." So just go right on like that and it always comes out right.

56So, John, we wouldn't have had a--a Book of Revelation if it hadn't have been for John, and if John hadn't have went out on the isle. That was God's way of giving us the Book of Revelation. He was out there, I think, about three years, and on the Book... wrote the Book of Revelation.

Now, then when we leave him at the last of the invitation, of the 22nd verse of the 3rd chapter, "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

58Now, begin the 4th chapter:

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were... a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

We're going to take It verse by verse. And I've got a lot of Scriptures wrote down here, a book of them, and I don't know how far we get into It. May the Lord lead us. Now, watch, the Word is:

After these things (after the Church age)...

And all this from hereafter, now, will be pertaining, will take place on earth after the Rapture of the Church. See, after the Rapture. This is going back now to pick up Israel. After the Church age, after the ages of the Church, and they... The Church never appears again until Revelation the 19th chapter when She returns with Her Bridegroom. Praise God for the Wedding!

61Let's just read that. Would you like to read these Scriptures as we go through? All right. Let's turn to Revelation 19. All right, sir, Revelation 19. Let's begin at the 7th verse, Revelation 19. This is when the Church appears again, never appears again till over in the 19th chapter.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.

Oh, I--I could preach on that till midnight and not half tell it. Look, "His wife hath made Herself ready."

63Charlie, Nellie, and you all, just what we was talking, down there, and Rodney, the other day. See? When Elisha throwed that garment upon Elijah... Or Elijah put it upon Elisha; he reached back and took it off again, put it on himself and walked with it on him till he crossed Jordan, and went on the mountain and got up in the chariot, dropped it back.

When a Christian's first saved, his face is turned towards Christ, then he's got something to do himself. He has to, next thing, sanctify himself from all unclean habits, "laying aside every weight, making Herself ready. The Bride has made Herself ready!"

65Reminds me of a little story, I just must say it 'fore we go on. Out West here, some time ago, many years, there was this great Armour and Swift Packing Company. How they do, they come out there and buy cattle and buy ranches. And they're worth a lot of money, and buy up all the small ranches, and have millions of acres of ranch like that, run these big, fine Hereford cattle in sections. Their own... They own their own railroads and things that brings them cattle from one pasture to another.

And Armour and Swift had a big ranch, and one day they had a foreman there, the superintendent, it was, of the ranch, he had about four or five daughters. And they found out that one of the big Armour brothers was... or, not brothers, but sons, were going to visit the ranch. And he was a--a young, single man. And all these girls was sure they was going to vamp this boy as soon as he--he come. And so they all was getting ready and making everything ready to come.

67When he got there, they was going to meet him and put on an old frontier day, with their little dresses on, with their fringe on it, and .44's on each hip, and them hats on the back of their head, you know. And they was going to be regular westerners, and each one of the girls was going to get... One of them was going to get this boy.

And they had a--a little cousin there that her mother was dead and her father was dead. She was a cousin, and she almost was the slave to all that was there. And all the dirty work, she had to do it, washing the dishes and everything. And she had no clothes, she had to take hand-me-downs and...

69So when the time come that the boy was to arrive, they all got in their buckboards and, away, down to the station they went to receive him. And they was shooting the guns, and the horses nickering, and everything. And they brought him out to the ranch. And that night they had a big shindig. And they got out there on the haystacks and the corral fence, and they--they sang and they danced, and all through the night. He was there for two or three days.

71This little cousin... Now, I'm going to liken this to something now. Our cousins that's all dressed up, big spires and fine churches, and looks like if there's any dirty name it has to be give to the pentecostals, something that's wrong. They do the wrong thing too, but there's nothing heard about, you see. They're kind of classical, so they... you don't hear about that. But let some Pentecostal minister make a mistake one time, and, brother, I'm telling you, they'll pack her across the country in every newspaper. Yes, sir. Let some pentecostal brother pray for a child, and it dies, every newspaper in the country will pack it, "Divine Healing Is Fanaticism."

Well, then why not put every case in the paper that the doctor loses? "Sauce for the goose, it's sauce for the gander." See? So, if they would do that, they wouldn't have enough room in the columns in the papers to write all the dead. If I'd go out here in the graveyard and say, "Everybody that ever died under Divine healing stand up," and then say, "Everybody ever died under medical treatment stand up," would outnumber them a million to one. And that's exactly right. So if they're going to criticize one, criticize the other. So that's right. But they kill millions a year with medicines and operations, and you never hear a word about it. You see?

73So, this little girl, she had all the rough work to do. So when, all at once, the boy... one night when supper was over and they had had dances, and each one of these girls had prettied all up, you know. And this poor little girl had to have a little, old, ragged dress on. And one night she was sitting in the mess hall after the supper was over, and she had washed the dishes and she run out through the back yard to throw the dishwater out. She... when she turned around the corral fence, there he stood, leaning at the corral fence. He said, "Hello."

She was so ashamed, because that was the superintendent's boy, the son of the owner of the ranch. She held the dishpan down, so he wouldn't notice her so ragged; started backing off, with her bare feet, looking back, like this.

And he walked up to her, said, "Don't be afraid of me." Said, "I want to tell you something." He said, "I come out here for one purpose, I come out to find a wife." And said, "I've been looking everywhere." Said, "I didn't want to marry any of the girls back there in the city, I want to get what I thought was a real wife." And said, "Of all that I've seen, I've been noticing you around here. And I've found out through some of the hands that you're a cousin."

Said, "That's right, sir."

Said, "I want to ask you something. Will you marry me?" Why, she didn't know what to do. She was so beset, she didn't--she didn't know how to answer the man.

77Oh, I just about imagine how she felt. Don't you? When me, a sinner once, no good for nothing, a drunkard's child, Jesus Christ said, "I want you for Mine." How could He ever come to somebody like me? How could He ever say, "I'll give you a home in Heaven"? How could He ever say, "I'll save you"? Such a wretch as me, how could it ever be? But He did it!

78She said, "Sir, I--I'm not--I--I'm not worthy. I couldn't make a wife to a man like you," said, "because you are used to great things. And I know nothing about them, I'm poor."

He said, "But you are my choice."

And wasn't it nice when Jesus told you that... ? You knowed you wasn't worthy to be a Christian. You, there wasn't nothing you could ever do, but He... It's nothing... He--He just chose you. See? He... It's His goodness, His mercy that He chose you. You didn't choose Him, you know, He chose you. That's right.

She said, "I--I don't... " She said...

"Don't look at your clothes. I don't look at your clothes, I look at what you are." He said, "Will you marry me?" And finally the agreement was made. And he said, "One year from this day, I will return. You be ready. Have the wedding garment on, for I will return and marry you right here on these grounds. And I'll take you to Chicago, to Outer Drive, there where you'll have a castle to live in. And all this dishwashing will be over, and things, then."

82When the sisters, or the cousins, heard about that, they said, "You poor, little, ignorant fool! Why, you know that man didn't mean that!"

And isn't that just exactly what they say today? "How could a bunch of holy-rollers, a bunch of people that hardly can write their own name, how would they ever be the Church? How would a group like that ever be?" But that's just all right. When we got engaged and felt that betrothal kiss of Jesus Christ on our heart to take away our sin, Something tells us that He's coming back again, just as sure as the world. Someday He'll come back.

84All year she worked, slaving, saving here little seventy-five-cents, what--what they give here for her wages a day. And she was saving up her money to buy her wedding gown, to make everything ready. Oh, that was all of her thoughts, making ready. (And he has... "She has made Herself ready.") She got her clothes, her wedding clothes, while her cousins laughed at her and made fun of her.

Finally it come to the... finally the day. She dressed herself in her wedding garment (Oh!), got all ready and cleaned up. And her little cousins come around and bowed by her and said, "Well, you silly little thing. Why, you know he didn't mean that. He wouldn't speak to a... marry a girl like you." But, she made herself ready, anyhow.

86So it come along late in the evening, and they begin to mock and make fun of her. She stood right at the door, waiting, anyhow. And so she... Well he said, "What time did he say he'd be here?"

Said, "He didn't say." But said, "She told... he told me the night that he'd marry... or he give me the engagement ring. He said, he told me, 'It would be about one year from now.' Therefore I've got a hour left." Amen, just kept waiting. "I got one hour left, thirty minutes left, ten minutes left." And they laughed and made fun of her, and called her everything.

But, finally, right at that crucial hour, they heard the sand turning under the wheels, the horses coming. What a thing it was to see that little bride that made herself ready, jump out of the door, and run down through the rose-covered trellis out there, to fly into the arms of the man that she loved, and to be her husband, to pick her up in like that, and be married and ride away.

89Some of these days, brother, those who are making fun and saying "holy-roller," and--and "pentecostal," and things like that... We're waiting, we still got a little time. They say, "Ah, there's no difference what there ever was." Don't worry, we got a little time left. And at that moment that He promised, He'll be here. And some of these days we'll take a flight and go away. Just be ready! Keep the Wedding Garment on! Keep all cruel out of your heart. Everything that...

90Listen how this Scripture reads here:

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. (Get it?)

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Praise be to God!)

And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

So there's going to be a meeting in the air one of these days, in that sweet, sweet by and by. Uh-huh. Just stay ready! Keep yourself ready! Purge your heart from all evil thinking. Have faith in God, no matter how dark it looks and how many laughs and makes fun and says, "You've made a mistake." Keep right on living holy and living for God. Just keep moving on, the hour will arrive!

92So, you see, She appears again now in Revelation 19:

After these things... (After he had seen the Church age.)After these things I looked, and, behold, a door...

Now, remember, John is still on Patmos. And after he had seen all the church ages go through:

.. I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:...

"A Door." What is the Door? Revelation 3:8. In Revelation, the 3rd chapter and the 8th verse, "I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open Door that no man can shut it, can shut and no man can open." He is the Door! The Door! Christ is the Door. He said, in Saint John 10, "I am the Door to the sheepfold."

And in the old country, you find that a shepherd runs in his sheep. After he counts them and sees they're all in, then he lays down right in the door. The wolf can't come in without waking him up, or his sheep can't go out without coming over him. Oh, how safely the sheep feel because the shepherd's laid down in the door.

Noah, in the Old Testament, stood in the door of the ark. Oh, listen; going to say something! He stood in the door and preached repentance and righteousness to the people that laughed at him. And in that same door that he stood in, no man could come into the ark except by that one door. Wasn't but one door in the ark.

97And there's only one Way! All right, Brother...?... There's only one Way that goes into the Body of Christ. There's only one Door to the Church of the living God, and Jesus is that Door! "I am the Door! I am the Way, the road that leads to the Door. I am the Door to the sheepfold."

He said to this church age, "I've set before you an open Door." He said that to the Methodist church age, they turned away from It, went in organization. "But I've set before you an open Door." Now, after they had received sanctification, He said, "I'll put the open Door," which is the Holy Spirit. "By one Spirit we are all" (how?) "baptized into one Body which is Christ." He set that message before the Methodist church and they turned aside from It. They come up to sanctification and refused the Holy Ghost. Remember that? That "open Door."

How do you get into Christ? By one Spirit, Holy Spirit, which is Christ's Spirit. We've entered in, not by handshaking, not by sprinkling, but by one Holy Ghost baptism we are all baptized into one Body and made partakers of that Body. One Holy Ghost baptism into that Door.

100This Door set in Heaven, that Door, when he looked up he saw the Lord Jesus. Just watch the following part of it. That Door, the Lord Jesus.

..I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice... I heard was... a voice of a trumpet...

Now the scene is changing. John's been watching Patmos, and now he looks up. Why? He sees something went on on earth here (these church ages), all down the Seven Church Ages, and then after he got through seeing the church ages, after that, after the church ages has ceased, he heard a Voice. And he looked up towards Heaven and he seen an open Door, and the first Voice sounded like a trumpet. All right, scene changed from Patmos to Heaven.

102The Voice was the same Voice that walked in the seven golden candlesticks; same Voice, the Voice didn't change. But, the Voice, where was It when he heard It the first time? How many remembers, in the first church age? Behind him. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day," Revelation 1--1:10. So he... "In the Spirit." If you want to put that down in Revelation 1:10 and 13, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me as a Voice of a trumpet and sounded like many waters. And when I turned to look, I saw One standing in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks."

Now, after He showed him all that mystery of them seven golden candlesticks (holding the seven stars, and a white wig on, and so forth, and feet like brass, and eyes like fire, the symbols), then he heard the same Voice (Watch.) speaking from Heaven. And he looked up and he saw an open Door. Oh! An open Door into Heaven! How do you get in? By Christ Jesus, that one Door, one Way, no other way.

104"Any man that climbs up any other way, same is a thief and a robber." And in the parable of the one who climbed up and was at the Wedding Supper without a garment on, was found guilty, and bound and cast out into outer darkness. Only one Way, coming to the Wedding Supper. I believe I preached on it here not long ago. Whenever the bridegroom... When a man got... gets married in the old country, he has to give the invitations himself, he has to furnish the robes himself. So when he met this man there, him sitting at the supper table... How many remembers the parable? Sure, you that read the Bible. And he found a man at the supper table without a wedding garment on.

105What is it? The Bridegroom stands at the door and all comes up with an invitation. "No man can come to the Father except by Me. All the Father has given Me, or invited, will come to Me." Here they come, give their invitation, the bridegroom, so that everybody will look alike. That's one thing about good, old-time, Holy Ghost religion, it makes them all look alike. Whether they're rich or poor, bond or free, black or white, male or female, they're all one in Christ Jesus. And the bridegroom stood at the door and received the invitation, put the robe around this fellow, so the rich and poor all looked alike. That's the way it is in the Kingdom of God, there's no big guys and little guys; they're all one guy, all one in Christ.

106Now, what do you think when the Bridegroom come back and found a man sitting there without a Wedding Garment on? Said, "Friend, how'd you get in here?" And he stood speechless, it showed that he come some other way besides the Door. He come in a window, he come in a back door. And He called him a friend, showed he was a church member, "Friend, how did you get in here without a garment on?" Now, Jesus said this, Himself. And He called to the porter, He said, "Bind him, foot and hand." And he was cast out into outer darkness where there'll be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. That's Christ's Own Words, (Right.) "He was cast out." Because, it proved, without the Wedding Garment, he come some other way besides the Door. If he would have come by the Door, he would have received a Wedding Garment.

107Oh, listen to this! Then if the Wedding Garment is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, how are we going to be represented any other way? If the first church age had to come by the Door, Christ Jesus, be baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ, receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, to put on the Wedding Garment, how are we coming any other way? If you come by the Methodist, by the Baptist, or by the Pentecostals, or any other denomination, you will be bound and cast out into outer darkness. You've got to come by Christ Jesus, the Way, the Door, the Truth, the Life. Amen!

108All right, same Voice, Revelation 21, or, Revelation 1:10 and 13. And I want you to notice, the Voice that he heard speaking to him had the clearness of a trumpet. You know how a trumpet sounds, it gives a shrill sound. What does a trumpet mean in the Bible? War. Anytime you see a trumpet blow, in a war... in the Bible time, its sounding meant a war, either a revelation or something to take place.

109Now, he... After the church ages was over, and everything was come ready, made ready the setting of the 4th chapter here, the church ages was done. He had done left the earth, you see. Remember, the Voice that spoke to him, behind him, in the seven golden candlesticks, the work was finished. And now that same Voice was speaking up in Heaven. What was it? He had done redeemed His people. His earthly work was finished, and He was in Glory, calling to John, "Come up hither!" Uh-hum. Amen! That makes me feel like shouting on the eve of New Year. Oh, my! There you are. See, ready, "Come up here!"

War! This is the setting of the great battle; the people that rejected God's Message, rejected the Holy Spirit, the Messenger of the seven churches. The one that had rejected this Message of His grace had nothing left, but judgment was ready; oh, while He was making ready to pour out the plagues upon the earth now. "Come up hither and I'll show you what's fixing to take place. Christ-rejecting, godless sinners, I'm going to pour out My wrath upon them."

111Watch the setting. Oh, as we go down through the nights you'll get more of it and more of it all the time. We can't get everything in here, we have to keep referring from place to place. How that it's going to be a terrible thing for those when the last trumpet sounds, and when the last battle is fought, when the last sermon is preached, when the last song is sung, and we stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. You're going to be asked, "Why didn't you receive It? What did you do with the Life that I give you?" You'll be asked to give a reason. What then?

You've heard me sing that song, or try it:

What then? What then?

When the great Book is opened, what then?

When the ones that reject the Message

Will be asked to give a reason, what then?

Going to stand there, just as certain as this Book is written. You'll be... you're going to stand there and be asked for a reason. Oh, it pays us, my brother, sister, it behooves us, as sons and daughters of God, to check up on ourselves every hour of the day. Paul said, "I die daily. Yet I live, not I, but Christ lives in me." See? Be checked up, because you don't know what hour you're going to be summonsed to answer on High.

114Now, "Heard the Voice of the trumpet." All right. Note, note what John said, he said here, in the last part of this 1st chapter:

.. first voice... was... like a trumpet that talked with me; and said, Come up hither,...

Come up here! I showed you the church ages on earth; now come up here, I'm going to show you something take place up here.

See, Christ had left earth then, He had gone up into Glory, The Church age was through, showed that His Spirit was finished here. And He had gone into Glory and was calling for John to come up, and He showed him what else was going to take place. "Come up hither."

116Now, we notice John, the 2nd chapter... the 2nd verse. Notice, quickly, John added this:

And immediately... (Amen!)

Oh, if I act funny, I just feel good. John added:

.. immediately I was in the spirit:...

When you hear the Voice of God speak to you, something happens. Amen! Oh, did it happen to you like that? It did to me, thirty-one years ago, and I've never been the same since. Oh, when He said, "Come up to Me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, I'll give you rest." It changed me.

119John said:

.. immediately I was in the spirit:... (What spirit? The Holy Spirit. Oh!)... I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on that throne.

See, John had left the earth now. Christ had left the earth (in the form of the Holy Spirit) and had returned back to the Body again. Today the Body sits there as a memorial, as a sacrifice. We get to that right on down through the chapter here. But the Spirit of Christ come back to live in the Church, to live in us.

121Now, immediately after He showed the end of the age of His work here, He went on up into Heaven, He said, "I'll show you what's going to be after this, after the church ages." He said, "John, I can't talk to you down there no more, 'cause I've left down here, I've come up higher. Come up here with Me!" Amen! "And I'll show you what's going to take place hereafter." Oh, my! Hmm! Oh! Caught up in the vision, caught up into Glory.

His experience must have been something like that of Paul's. Second Corinthians 12:2 and 4, if you're putting it down. Second Corinthians... 2 to 4. Paul was caught up one day, in a... into a vision, too. Did you know that? And he saw things that wasn't expedient for him to even talk about; fourteen years, never even mentioned it. See? But listen at the difference between them.

What Paul saw, he was forbidden to speak of it or to put it out to the public. Oh, my! I don't believe he could do it. (For, a little trip I took one day, I've never got over it and never will.) See, he--he saw things that he couldn't talk about. I guess he didn't have words to... he was caught up in the third heavens, though. See, up in the third Heaven.

124How different when John was caught up and seen Jesus, he was... Said, "Write it in a book what you have seen and give it back, send it back to the churches." Paul was forbidden to speak, and John was even asked to put it in a book so it would go all down through the ages. Oh, my! It's revealed now, to be revealed in this last days. It wasn't revealed in his days, it's revealed now as we go along.

125Oh, and notice, John, being taken up immediately after the church age, was a type of the raptured Church. Immediately after the church age is over, this Laodicean Church Age, then comes the Rapture. The Church goes up like John did, into the Presence of God. Oh, my! Whew! That just winds my soul around. Caught up, at the Rapture of the Church! And It said... This place, the Book of Revelation, was written, see, at the end of the church age.

126Now, I got a little something here I want to clear up for something that's been an old hanger for a long time amongst many Christians. And I thought today, when I was studying, writing out Scriptures, and finding names and different colors and things. We'll get into them after a while, the rainbows and the symbols, and so forth. I was writing these Scriptures out here so that I could look back to them and refer to them, if I... going along. 'Cause, usually, if I was going to speak on something like this, I'd... it'd be different, I would try to know it by heart. But this way, when you just have a little time, I like to refer to it 'cause it goes all the way through the Scriptures, back and forth.

127Now, in Matthew 16:13, we find this, if you that's putting the Scriptures down. Matthew... If you want to return... if you want to turn to it, all right, Matthew 16:13. It's... Oh, we'll just turn back and read it, and then we'll have it sure. Matthew the 16th chapter, and the 13th verse. Listen closely now as we read 16:13, "When Peter came... " Or:

When Jesus came unto the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say... I the Son of man am?

And they said, Some say... thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, and, or one of the prophets.

He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:... flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And I say... unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And now... And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:... whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

128Listen close now. All right. "For the time begin... From that time began He... " I want to get another, you can read it on down, get the 28th verse here, 'cause you can read the rest of it when you go home.

Verily--Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Oh, think of it! "Some standing here, some standing here, shall not taste of death until they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom." What a statement! How the critic likes to pick that up and just show how dumb he is, see. How he likes to get a hold of that, and it's come to pass and they didn't know nothing about it. See? All right.

130After Peter's rock confession, which we know that his confession is... He would build His Church on this same rock. Not Peter, being a little stone, as the Roman Catholic tries to say it. But Peter's confession of the Revelation, that's the Church. God will reveal It; not a confession of this man, because later he backslid. Not a confession of Him being the Son of God; because they knew He was the Son of God, Peter just said it. But what it was, was, the Revelation that had been revealed from Heaven that He was the Son of God. Said, "Flesh and blood has never taught it to you, but My Father which is in Heaven revealed it to you. And upon this rock, that rock confession, I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not affect... prevail against It."

131Hope we don't run out of time too quick here now, that we can get right into this. And we want to see how that flows into the human being. It's a beautiful story right here if we can just get to it. All right. Yes, the rock confession, what Peter was... He would build His Church upon Peter's confession. He said, "Some that stand here shall not taste of death till they see the--the Son of God coming in His Kingdom."

Now, remember, He spoke "some." That was more than one, wasn't it? Some would be many, "more than one." But now look, all of His disciples was standing there, and He was asking each one of them, "What do you think about this? And what do you think about that?" But He said, "There's some of you standing here, some standing here, will not taste of death until they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom." Oh, my! What a statement! Think, two thousand years ago that was stated.

Will it... would...

133Is God's Word infallible? Every Word that He says will come to pass?

Now, if we want, turn over to then the 17th chapter of Matthew is the next. When He taken... A few days after that, He taken Peter, James, and John, up into the mountain, apart, to be a witness. Peter, James, and John; and they seen the Kingdom of God come in power, they seen the coming of the Kingdom of God rehearsed. Amen! Oh, they were brought into view of watching the Kingdom of God be rehearsed as It come, the issuing in of the Millennium. They seen the rehearsal.

135Some time ago... a bunch of ministers, Oral Roberts was one of them. Cecil B. DeMille, when he wrote this Ten Commandments, he called up Brother Shakarian, Brother Roberts, many preachers across the land, any preacher could come, and invited them to come into the studio before the picture was ever released, and let them see the rehearsal of it before it was ever showed out, when they was charging twenty-five dollars a ticket. But he... They seen the rehearsal of it, that they might pass their opinion on whether there was any critics about it or what could be said, and so forth. They seen it before the public seen it.

136And Jesus said, "Some of you standing here" (Amen!) "will not taste of death until they see the Kingdom of God coming in power," or, "see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom," rather. "See the Son of man coming in His Kingdom!" A few days after that, He taken Peter, James, and John, and went up into a high mountain, and there He was transfigured before them. The sun, shining, wouldn't be like His garments that He had on. How many times have we struck it in the parables, we'd run it through the Bible!

137You can take one text of Scripture and tie the whole Bible together with it. Yes, sir. Not a leak nowhere! It's all daubed up with the power of God. The Devil couldn't squeeze around if he had to. That's right. He can't get in to those sainted people who has put their testimony out there and believed in the Kingdom of God, and took every Scripture and daubed It up with Holy Ghost power, washed It over in the Blood; the world can't get into it, the Devil can't get into it. They are dead, their life is hid in Christ through God's Seal, by the Holy Ghost. How can the Devil bother them? Hmm! There they are, in this condition now.

138Over in this place, then, he saw the Coming, or the rehearsal. And what was the first, saw... thing he saw? The first thing he saw in the Coming was Moses, represented the dead saints that would be resurrected. Elijah was standing there.

Oh, I want you to notice what will take place. There was Moses, first; that's all these six ages that they slept, six church ages. Not only that, but Elijah was there; the messenger of the last day, with his group, of the transfigured, the Raptured. Amen! Now in the future; awaiting the Coming.

And what do they all... ? All had gathered with Him. Oh, my! What was it? His promise to Peter, James, and John, was fulfilled. That's right. 'Cause He said, "Some standing here will not taste of death until they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom," and they seen the rehearsal of it. Then after this, after the resurrection...

141I'd like to bring to you another thing; after Jesus had died, buried, in Saint John 21:20. Some critic started this in the early day. Right while we're in the lesson, let's clean it up. In Saint John 20:21, Jesus had met with His disciples, fed them fish and bread upon the fire. And as they went up the bank, John leaned upon His bosom; and Peter asked the question, said, "What will happen to this man?" Jesus loved John, John was a man of love. And he said, "What will happen to this man? What's going to be his estate? What's going to be his future?"

And Jesus said to them, "What is it to you if he tarries until I come, till I return? What is it?"

And the disciples made a mistake, they said that "Jesus said that--that--that 'he was going to live till the Coming.'"

But Jesus didn't make no mistake. Right here in Revelation, the 4th chapter, Christ kept His Word! He brought John up into Heaven and rehearsed the whole thing to him. Glory! He--he saw the preview. He saw it just as though he lived on earth and saw the whole church ages come to pass, to the coming of the Lord, the whole Book of Revelation. Oh, my!

145See how infallible His promises is? Now, you're chosen... James didn't do that; John, any of the rest of them; wouldn't even let Paul see it, tell it, nothing.

He said, "What is it to you if he tarries until I come?"

And being that they said that, He just chose John and took him up and showed him the whole thing before he even died, just like he lived the whole thing through. Showed him what it would be! (Brother Pat, ain't that wonderful?) Oh, see, picked him right up. Right here, the 4th chapter and the 2nd verse, proves it. "He showed him things which was, which is, and what shall come." He showed him the church age, the coming of the Jews, the pouring out of the plagues, the Rapture, the Coming again, and the Millennium, and the Eternal Home of His Saved; just as though he lived right down through the whole thing, and he saw it all happen. See? See? He just took him up and showed him the--the--the film that He's turning, let him see the whole thing rehearsed. Oh, my!

147He's caught up. Fulfilled His promise in--in Revelation 4:2. Before his death he was caught up in the Spirit and seen things just as though he had lived. He--he seen it all rehearsed. Thus he saw, in a vision, exactly what would have took place and what did take place on the earth from that time until the coming of the Lord Jesus. Show it to him in the vision.

So then the disciples... or no one that ever said that He said He'd come in that age. He said, "What is it to you if, (otherwise), if he tarries till I come?" Then He took him up and just rehearsed the thing to him and showed him what was going to happen. Oh, I just love that. Hmm. Oh, my!

149Notice now, let's see what was this:

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat upon it, upon the throne.

There was a "Voice" that called him. Oh, that Voice! Oh, I can't get away from that, that Voice of that One behind him. Then he looked around there, and He showed him all the church ages, 'cause he was standing in the church ages, the seven golden candlesticks. Then he heard that Voice after the church ages ceased; that Voice left the earth, went up. When He got into Glory, he heard Him say, "Come up here! I'm going to show you what's going to happen from hereafter." Oh, my!

150That Voice! Let's speak on that Voice a minute; I got some Scriptures wrote down here. Let's go to First Thessalonians 4, and just listen over here what this Voice is going to say. Oh, we all know what It's going to say, without... before we read it, don't we? We know what's going to happen. "The trumpet of God shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise." Is that right? You who are putting it down, in First Thessalonians 4:16 and 17, "the Voice," that Voice was the Voice of Christ. Is that right? The Voice of Christ!

For the... trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

.. we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them... to meet the Lord in the air: and forever be with the Lord.

151The same Voice that summoned John, "Come up," the same Voice that said to John, "Come up," is the same Voice that'll summons the Church someday (Amen!), summons the Church.

Also, the same Voice that summoned John to come up, is the same Voice that summonsed dead Lazarus out of the grave, that same Voice of the archangel. Christ is the Voice of the archangel, "Voice of the archangel," see. Oh, that trumpet Voice of Christ summonsed John to come up, the same Voice summoned Lazarus. Did you notice at the grave of Lazarus, He spoke with a loud Voice. (Not just said, "Lazarus, come forth.") "Lazarus, come forth!" It summonsed him from the dead.

And he answered, "Here am I." And he come from the dead, after he was dead and his body rotten.

154That same Voice said to John, "Come up here, I'll show you some things that's fixing to happen."

That same Voice that shall sound when the dead in Christ shall rise, "For the trumpet... " The trumpet! What is a trumpet? The Voice of Christ, the same One sounded and summoned him up. He heard the Voice like a trumpet sound and said, "Come up hither!" See how the resurrection will be? It'll be in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. That clear sounding Voice, and He'll summons the Church, calling, "Come out of it." That great summonsing Voice. God, help me to hear It that day.

156As I've often said... I know, as a mortal, Rodney, I know that there's a big dark door set before me, it's called death. Every time my heart beats, I'm one beat closer to that door. Some of these days I got to go into it. But I don't want to go in like a coward, screaming and hollering. I want to go in this, wrapping myself in the robes of His righteousness, knowing this, that I know Him in the power of His resurrection; that someday when He calls, I'll come out from among the dead. When He summonses me to appear on High, when the trumpet of God shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise. If I'm alive, I'll be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, and shall go with the rest of them, up to meet the Lord in the air. That trumpet Voice, sound clear, loud. Hmm. Oh, it will be the same, the same at His Coming.

157There's no uncertain sound about It. There was nothing uncertain to John when he heard that Voice say, "Come up!" and he come. Amen.

When Lazarus, in the dead, in the grave; and his soul, four days journey somewhere, I don't know where it was at, I don't think any of us does. Wherever it was, it didn't make a bit of difference. He just made one summons to a man that the skin worms was eating his body up; stinking, in the grave. That clear sounding Trumpet said, "Lazarus, come forth!" There a man, dead and rotten, shook hisself and come out of the grave, walking. Nothing uncertain about that, is there, brethren? No uncertainty to there!

159It's the same thing tonight, when a clear sounding Voice says, "Sinner, repent, I'll give you Eternal Life." Repent, every one of you, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's the summons. Nothing uncertain about It.

I'm a witness that It's true. There's other witnesses, millions of them throughout the world today, that's a witness that it's the Truth. When the Bible comes, the Words of God, every Word of God is a trumpet. Every sound of the Word is a trumpet, the Gospel trumpet. And when It sounds, it's the Truth. When It said, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever," nothing uncertain about That. He's the same! Yes, sir.

161"Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Nothing uncertain about That.

"He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me has Eternal Life. He that believeth on Me, though he were dead yet shall he live. He that liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" Nothing uncertain about That, "He shall live!"

"He that eats my flesh and drinks my Blood has Eternal Life, and I'll raise him up again at the last day." Nothing uncertain about It; nothing; It's a certain sound.

Oh, I know It, I heard It sound in my poor Irish heart one day, me, a little ol' sinner. How could it ever do for me? But I believed It was a certain sound, I accepted It. I am a witness that It's true.

Someday He'll summons again, we'll go on out of the world. For there's no uncertain about that trumpet. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, no uncertain sound, anytime.

He sounds today when He calls us, It's just the same when He tells us anything.

167Now, let's get back to the verse:

And a... behold, a throne was set in heaven,... (2nd verse)... and one sat on it.

Note, "the Throne," He sat on the Throne. He wasn't no more back down in the candlesticks now, on earth. The Rapture had done come. He was in Glory, sitting on His Throne. I want you to notice on down, we'll find even in the 5th chapter, it was not the Throne of mercy. It wasn't a Throne of mercy anymore, it was the Throne of judgment. It wasn't a Throne of grace, it's a Throne of judgment because fire and lightning and thunders issued forth from it; no more, mercy is over, the Church age is finished. "He that's filthy is filthy still; he that's righteous is righteous still; he that's holy is holy still," no more a Throne of mercy.

169Tonight, the Blood lays on that Throne and it's a mercy seat for every sinner that's seeking mercy. But on that day, it won't be a mercy seat then, it'll be a judgment seat with a angry God sitting there. "Where... If the righteous is scarcely saved, where will the sinner and ungodly appear?" Even when He comes in the clouds of His glory, the mountains will try to find a place to hide. Where are we going to stay, then?

Oh, precious is that flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

170Oh, my, what a lesson! No uncertain sound! And His Throne:

.. and He sat on His throne. (He's no more here.)

Now, that's another thing, it's a proof that the Church is caught up before the Great Tribulation. See? Why? Here He is on the Throne in Glory, and the Church is gone, and then comes in the Tribulation.

I always said that in the days of Noah, Noah was in the ark before one drop of rain fell. Lot was out of Sodom before the fire fell. And the Church will be in Glory before the atomic falls. That's right, before the atomic falls.

Say, "What about that first one?" It was on heathens, not Christians.

174Now, notice. Oh! He's finished His work in earth and He's took His Church, and now He sends the judgment. The world rejected Him, and He send His judgment. He and His Church has gone to Glory.

John, there on the isle of Patmos, a revelator to the church, has been the type of the Church which is lifted up into Glory, "Come up hither!" Showing...

You say, "He represented the Church?"

To every one that hears this Word, John represented him. Amen! John was the representative of the Blood of Jesus Christ, testimony of the Word. He was a witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with a personal fellowship with Christ, and he represented the entire Church; that, every man or woman, boy or girl that ever believed in Christ, accept Him on the same grounds, he'll be summonsed someday, "Come up hither!" be caught up before the Tribulation. Remember, the Tribulation time hasn't set in yet.

This is being the time, setting of the judgment. John is being showed now what's going to take place after the Church age. See? So, it was.

178Now, notice again in the 3rd verse, or 2nd, "A Throne set in Heaven, and One sat on the Throne." Now, the same Spirit that was in the earth, had left and had gone to Glory, and was sitting (the same Jesus that's with us tonight) in mercy, was gone to Glory and sitting on the Throne.

And he that sat on the Throne was to look upon as jasper and... sardine stone: and there was a rainbow around about the throne, in the sight like unto an emerald.

179I'm going to quit, 'cause there's other brothers to preach.

Maybe I'll pick this up in the morning, right here. And so, "to look upon as a emerald." Oh, my! Oh!

There are people almost everywhere,

Whose hearts are all on flame (Don't you love that?)

.. fire that fell on Pentecost,

That cleansed and made them clean;

Oh, it's burning now within my heart,

Glory to His Name!

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

180John, called and summonsed by the Lord Jesus, promised by God back there that he would see the coming of the Son of man. Peter, James, and John, and them standing present, when Jesus spoke to them and said, "There's some standing here will not taste of death until they see the Son of man coming." He didn't say "all" was standing there, but "some." And they went, few days after that, and saw the order of the resurrection rehearsed, and the coming of the Lord.

Elijah represented the dead saints... I mean Moses, and be resurrected. Elijah represented the translated bunch. Remember, Moses was first, and then Elijah. Elijah was to be the messenger of the last day, that with him and his group would come the resurrection... would come the... well, it would come the Rapture, I mean. Moses brought in the resurrection and Elijah brought in the Raptured group. And, there, both of them was represented right there.

182And after a while they noticed then, and they seen, and Peter said, "Let's build three tabernacles. Let some go under the law, and let some go under Elijah, and let's go (some of them) this way."

And while they were yet speaking, a Voice spoke and said, "This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him." And when they looked, they seen Jesus only, everything had wilted into One. Oh, and He was the Light, the Truth, the Way, the Door, the Rainbow.

184Oh, tomorrow we got a great lesson, the Lord willing. Tomorrow we take "the judgments"; we take "the sardine stone," see what it represents, what part it played. And we take the--the--the "jasper" and we take the... all the different stones, and we take these all down through Ezekiel, back into Genesis, back over to Revelation, come down in the middle of the Bible, tie it together, these different stones and colors, and so forth. And then we bring it right straight back to that and see if that ain't right. See? See if it ain't the same color and everything, just the same thing. And the same Holy Spirit, the same God, showing the same signs, same wonders, doing the same thing just as He promised!

185He told Peter, James, and John, and them standing there, all of His disciples, said, "Some of you will not see death until they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom."

Said to John, said... Peter said, "What are You going to do with him? He... That--that fellow, what's going to happen to him?"

He said, "What is it to you if he sees Me coming?" And He let him live to see it! After the rest of them was dead and gone, John lived to see the coming of the Lord rehearsed in power, the whole scene set from his time until the Judgments is over and the Millennium is issued in. John saw every bit of it, and the Millennium over, and the Kingdom Age started. So He keeps His Word, doesn't He?

188We'll mark it on the 2nd verse. The Lord willing, we'll begin the 3rd verse in the morning.Let us bow our heads.

How many tonight, in this church, that knows, my brother, that, (sister), that you're going to be summonsed someday, whether you're ready or not? Whether you are prepared or not, you're going to be summonsed to meet God. That trumpet's going to sound; and when it does, it'll sound to condemnation to you, at where you'll never live again and you'll be tormented in a devil's pits of hell for maybe in millions of years, or it'll summons you on High to meet the glorious Saints.

190Just as sure as God kept His Word to Peter, James, and John; just as sure as He kept It to John the beloved, the revelator; just as sure as He kept His promise through the church ages; it's that sure that He promised in this last days He would send down in a latter rain and would bring back the same Spirit was upon the earth in Him, the Light shall come in the evening time and show the same Power, the same signs, and everything that He did in His day He would show it again in this "open Door" in the last day.

Here It is! We got It right with us now, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. You're... It's preaching to you, It's teaching to you, It's trying to get you to see what's right and wrong. It's the Holy Spirit Himself speaking through human lips, operating among human beings, trying to show mercy and grace.

And you haven't received Him as yet, and on this New Year's Eve night would you like to raise up your hands to God and say, "God, let me receive the Power that was on John the revelator, that when I'm summoned I'll appear before You in peace like he did"? Raise your hand. God bless you. God bless you. Just all over the church. God bless you. "Let me be ready to answer my summons."

193Our Heavenly Father, as this New Year's Eve... just about two hours now and it'll be over, there will be a new year. What we have done this year we have did. Many things that I've done, that, I'm ashamed of myself; I repent of those, Lord.

And there's a lot of things that I've done that many of my brethren didn't understand. Many of my brothers out in the fields don't understand in why I did them. But, Father, I did them because I was led to do them. I pray, Father, that You will never let me be ashamed of that leading. But lead me on, Lord, to continue to do as I am led to do. Help me, God, because I seek sincerely to know Your will, that I might do it to bring (as You showed me many years ago when I left this church) the Bread of Life to the peoples of the world. When I saw that great mountain of Bread, and white-robed Saints coming from all over the earth to eat this Bread of Life. O God, let me--O God, let me never, never fail to feed the people on the Bread of Life.

195Bless these hungry souls in here that raised their hands just now. They're seeking for more of Life. I pray that You'll fill them with the Holy Ghost, Lord, each one of them. God, grant it. Give them blessings. Help our brethren everywhere.

Bless our ministering brothers that's fixing to come up again, now in a few moments; others will be speaking. We pray that they will give out the Bread of Life to us tonight, Father, as we'll listen closely and reverently to hear the voice. Grant it.

Bless us. And may this new year dawn with new hopes, bringing new thoughts, new revelations, new power, oh, everything. May it be renewed to us again, Lord, of Thy blessings and promises. We commit ourselves with our prayer into Thy hands. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thank you, my brethren and sisters. [As Brother Neville comments, Brother Branham praises the Lord--Ed.] Praise the Lord. Yes. Amen. Amen. Amen. Beeler's here. Brother Beeler's back here.