WE ARE CONTINUING ON WITH THE SEALS MESSAGE, SO WE WILL PRINT THE LAST TWO SENTENCES FROM THE APRIL ISSUE, AND CONTINUE ON FROM THERE, AS WE ARE DEALING WITH THE LITTLE HORN DANIEL SAW RISING UP AMONG THE FIRST TEN HORNS.
I am trying to go at this in a way that will allow me to bring in enough to show you how this little horn really began to exalt himself and get to the place he eventually got to. You may not understand it all immediately, but if you do not reject it, God will eventually bring you to a point where the picture will become more clear to you. I want to read this fourth seal right now, because it comes into our present hour of time. (Rev. 6:7) “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.” Who could this fourth beast be? It is none other than the eagle. Allow me to say this, God did not speak through that head back here. Do you understand me? That is what He was speaking here (chart). When the Reformation came to its closing hours, there was a period of time, really when we come about a hundred years, so this is why I keep emphasizing the last one hundred years plus: it set more prophecy, more scriptures into fulfillment than in all other periods of time. There was a reason for that. Yes, God was speaking here through Huss, Swingley and all of them, but all through here, Martin Luther, Calvin, Knox, John Wesley, just think of it, God was giving people a chance and He was using the wisdom of men in doing so. These were not a bunch of backwoods preachers: They were educated men in theology. God used them to establish the roots of a truth, but in every case, it seemed as though the people within the realm of the revelation their leader brought forth, just became limited as to what they were willing to grasp and accept. Do you know, if the people that had seen what Martin Luther stood for, and those who saw what Calvin saw and moved on with that, and then Knox, if they would have moved on, then when John Wesley came along in 1700, if all the previous ones would have moved on with John Wesley, you would not have denominationalism in the world today. You would have an element of people that had been restored back to biblical truth, but sad to say, each element stopped and stood solidly on what their leader presented to them. Therefore as Bro. Allen said this morning, This is exactly why that woman portrayed in Revelation 17, as the mother of harlots is portrayed like that: Those denominational offspring came out of Catholicism. What we need to keep in mind, is that the book of Revelation was written before the Catholic Church was ever formed, so it goes to show just how accurate the Bible prophecy is, because God looks ahead and gives the prophecies. He can drop the pictorial scenes before the eyes of the human race any time it suits His purpose. Though the human race will only see it as it comes up present tense, God looks at it as it goes off down through time, knowing from before the beginning of time itself, that what starts here, will become what is down the road and shows up over here. I am thankful to God that He will watch over His word to see that every word comes about even as His servants have foretold it. There has been a lot said here lately about the United Nations, how powerful it is, because 150 and some nations belong to it. Do you also know that there are a lot of so-called evangelists preaching on television programs, and claiming that the United Nations is the beast of Daniel and Revelation? That is no more right than for me to say that a dog out there somewhere is a half breed to a porcupine. It is just the way they look at it. I grant you, that since 1945 the United Nations has grown tremendously. I say to you though, Look who gave it birth. America. Where is its seat? New York City. There is nothing in this world that will ever take the place of the revising of the old Roman beast. Therefore when you look back there to the time when this Roman imperial system was rising, and then notice, that by the time we come to the third century, the kingships, or the heads are beginning to change. Then when we come into Constantine’s hour, what he did because of that vision, thinking it meant he would succeed, which he did, but the vision was not from God: It was from the devil. I want to say brothers and sisters, There is a lot going on in the realm of religion today, that is nothing more than a trick of the devil. He is not after the drunk man out in the street: he is out to deceive you and me, if we allow him. Therefore as I take this and try to go on, I would like you to understand, every last one of us, somewhere up the road, is going to come face to face with truth and make believe truth. If we try to feed personality and human nature, Oh but he is such a good man, trouble is ahead. If you do not know how to discern truth, that good man is going to get you into trouble with God. I hope you understand me. Down through the years, there have been a lot of good preachers on the scene, but somewhere along the line the devil has influenced untold multitudes of people because of their good nature, and those people have accepted what they were told, when in reality, they should have fled from what they were hearing. I am not saying these things to hurt anybody, but remember this, This antichrist spirit we are speaking of, started all the way back in the first Church Age, just changing certain things a little here and there; and he has been effectively working among church-going, nice people right on down through time. He has been working all along the way and he is working in the last Church, and he is going to do his best to deceive and mislead anyone whose heart is not right with God. I just want to say, Please listen to me young people, and try to take a look at the world out there and ask yourself the question, Am I ready to be set in authority to judge that which is to be judged? If you cannot judge some spiritual things inside the ranks of Christendom, then how in the name of common sense are you going to judge that which is out there? When we know that those out there are not even a part of your kingdom, they must be judged, but by whom?. There has got to be something inside of us that when we are faced with obstacles concerning truth, we are able to judge what looks to be truth, and able to read the conditions that are following it; and come to a right conclusion. Sometimes it means you might have to disagree with your mother and father as well as others you love. That is why I have said, When God first called me to preach, and I realized that God had done that, I made up my mind right then, that my mother and dad would never tell me how to make a spiritual decision, nor tell me what to preach. We have stood with that choice all these years; and we have no intention of being swayed from it this late in time. I was glad and very thankful, to be able to re-baptize my mother and father in those last days they lived, before they left this world. I purposed, I will honor my mother and father, because they had nursed me, they clothed me, they fed me, but I knew they could not give me eternal life. Eternal life can only come from the Lord Jesus Christ.
HOW ROME SLOWLY GAINED PREEMINENCE
As I speak to you concerning these various things, I want you to try and understand, that when that little horn first came up, he was not the pope right then: He was just a bishop in the church. However in that position there in Rome, those early bishops were constantly faced with a decision which was, Will I compete with these outlying bishops, or will I just be satisfied to hold to what I have? When you read the history of what went on back then, how each one of those bishops in the different metropolitan cities of the Roman world, just kept pushing to be recognized as greater and deserving more recognition than the others. It was not until after the Niacea council of 325 A.D., when they put a trinity of gods in the godhead, that it was finally decided, Well, if the Roman world is ruled from the city of Rome, then universal Christendom ought to be ruled by the bishop of Rome. The devil manipulated every bit of that; and from there on, the bishop of Rome began to exalt himself more and more. You would have to read page after page of history, what this one did, how this one taught and all of that, because there were the stepping stones that had to be lain. That little horn just kept exalting itself, not the same man, but whatever man was in that office as the years went by. You and I know, a horn in itself does not talk. Neither does a horn on an animal have eyes. Is that not right? What is a horn symbolic of? It is symbolic of power in this case. Therefore when we think of the ten horns, what are we thinking about? We are thinking about political, national powers, are we not? They finally succeeded in getting their breakaway from the old Roman Empire. However during all the time these particular ten struggled for their independence, they did not all come to it at once: It was one here, one there, another one here; and finally you see ten. All of this just kept causing this little horn to keep exalting himself even more. He was weighing his hour. Finally, as he began to exalt himself more and more, he realized he had a great potential laying before him. What was it? It was that he, (the mystery horn of Daniel 7) could exalt ecclesiastical power to the point of taking over the last form of old Roman Imperial, governmental power. When he did succeed in doing that, the pope of Rome wound up ruling all of Europe, because Christianity had by then been spread throughout all the territory of the ten horns. Can you see how that came about? I could read it to you right from old history records, if time and patience would allow, but for now I will just ask you to accept my word for it. This is why I said this morning, The history writers of today will not go back and write from the pages of the history recorded of the Dark Age period. They do not want the young generation to know the truth of it. They are trying their best to get the younger generation to turn around and look ahead; and just ignore the circumstances that formed past history; as if it has no significance. They are doing their best to make the younger generation think strictly upon what the devil, by their help, is planning on doing with the human race. (I have another message I have been studying on: I just ran into it, a piece here and a piece there, so let me just drop this in right here, even though it is not part of the message we are on.) The other day I went over to the new Super Wal-Mart center. Do you know what? I grew up in a time when all we had was just an old country store here and there. Anywhere you went in the country, there was a little country store close enough that the residents were able to get what they needed. It may have been just one room of a dwelling, but it was all that was needed. When my wife and I were married, there were three little country churches in and around the vicinity of Elizabeth. All the groceries in Elizabeth were individually owned back then. Well I just want you to understand the picture of progress. The hour will be, when the little individual man will no longer run his own grocery or hardware store. This is an era designed by Satan, and through the multiplication of materialism, everything is becoming huge, leaving no room for the small operations. When I was a little boy, we had Sears and Roebuck, which was one of the largest mail order places you could send and get things from, things for your car, or you could even buy a brand new farm wagon, a hay rake, all horse drawn, and harness for your work mules and so forth. Montgomery Ward was the next competitor in those days. Then in later years, here came J. C. Penney. We used to have Woolworth, then Newbury’s, which were referred to by some as ten cent stores. Where are they today? When we came into the 1960’s, here came K Mart. That was a big setup. Why am I bringing these things to your attention? To show you the change. The American society is setting a trend for the world of tomorrow. If time were to last another twenty five years, I predict that there will be no Sears and Roebuck. Where is Montgomery Ward today? It is out of the picture. These big Wal-Mart centers are so huge, you do not have to order anything from a catalog anymore, unless you just choose to buy that way. You can go there and examine the merchandise and buy it yourself. As for the super store, a lot of the people they employ are people from other countries. They are willing to work at a cheaper rate of pay, so that just more or less sets the standard. I realize I am talking about things not related to the seals, but if God was to let you all live another twenty five years, the world is heading for a government of materialism, and everything will be big, even in the agricultural realm. The day will be, when every acre of corn will be managed by some agricultural company. The competition is getting so great that the little man with just a hundred acres cannot even make a living: It is just a place to live and do whatever you have to, to make ends meet. I am just simply saying, Everything in the world today, whether it is political, social, economic, or whatever, is pointing to the end of the age of grace. I have to say Saints, Let us get ourselves ready for what is just ahead. Even right now, industry is working it so that their products are all available on the internet, and they want you to pay by the internet. Do you realize what this is working the world toward? All of this which I am speaking of, is introducing a cashless society. Do you understand what I mean? All the indicators are here. I have to say, Lord, come quickly.) So when we think of what the devil has done through time, if the devil through time, could infiltrate himself so cunningly, so deceptively into the ranks of supposed-to-be Christendom, to the point he ruled it and controlled it, why would anyone not think he would still be as aggressive in this day and hour of time? When God looked upon that situation, He was not looking on that mass of supposed-to-be believers in Jesus Christ as being all Christians. He was just looking at the little individuals here and there that were genuine believers and desiring a godly life, if you understand what I mean. God knows the heart of every individual. He knows whether we are genuine believers or not; and He also knows every make-believer: You can sit in a congregation and imitate true Christians, but He (God) cannot be deceived. If you are not genuine, He will eventually allow a situation that will reveal your true nature. The winnowing fan will send all make-believers on their way. Well that fan is only used at harvest time, so prior to that time all other elements hanging on to the pure seed are allowed to hang around.
EVIL DEEDS OF THE LITTLE HORN
When the time came, that little horn that had eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking great things, began to speak, humanity was in for a different kind of rulership. I can show it to you right here in this history book, how that little ecclesiastical horn began to exalt his position. We all know by now, that this reference of a little horn that had the eyes of a man, refers to the pope of Rome. This lets me know the pope can see and appraise his position; therefore what one bishop would see, that is all passed to the next one that takes his place. Then after hundreds of years, the bishop, (the little horn) gets bigger, more powerful and more aggressive. Then when we come to the hour that these men back here began to speak out against the Catholic Church, it was by the order of the pope, that Wycliffe, Huss, and Swingley as well as others were beheaded. It was no longer the emperor of Rome that was doing it. Now it was the pope of Rome that is doing it. I am saying all these things tonight to try and let you know, the Bible prophecy picture is just about complete. I have to say as I stand here, When the Reformation started, that horn, which had been elevated to become, or replace the seventh head over the Roman government, that head was wounded. You read it in Revelation 13. When that head was wounded, what did that pertain to? It pertained to the Reformation process that enlightened people about the sinister maneuvering of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church. When the Reformation was coming to a close, Catholicism in Europe, (the power of the papacy) had been wounded. For a period of time the pope just became a figurehead. Keep in mind though, that Revelation 13, shows that the beast that had one of its heads wounded as unto death, was coming back up out of the waters; does it not? When did that happen? When WW2 came to a close, Europe had suffered a terrible blow, but America went ashore and helped fight for the freedom of Europe, that they could remain a democracy, so following the closing of WW2, (You can read it in Revelation 13, from the 11th verse on.) brought about the healing of that wounded head on the first beast. (America is the other beast John saw, coming up out of the earth, so brothers and sisters, God’s word is precise.) We cannot go wrong, if we will just allow the Spirit of God to guide us through the prophecies in His word
THE SECOND BEAST
We all know by now, that the second beast John saw, coming up out of the earth, (not out of the waters) speaks of the power of America, after WW2 came to a close. It caused the whole world to worship the first beast that had the wound by the sword and yet did live. I want you to understand, that the wounding of that head had nothing in it pertaining to the United Nations. The United Nations is not even in the picture in that way. It all pertained to how Europe is going to be restored. Now look how, in the last sixty some years, Europe has been rebuilt economically, socially and politically. All of those horns of Europe have now agreed and now belong to the European Common Market. It is none other than all these horns getting their heads together to co-operate. Now I want to point you to something further, before I read from this little history book. We could look at the head of man until we come up to about the period of a hundred years ago. That all pertains to the Reformation (the different instruments of the Reformation) and how God speaks to them in that Dark Age period. How many can see that? All of the old histories will verify it. Now we come to the fourth beast of Revelation of Rev 4:7, which is not a Roman, political beast, but a beast ordained to watch over the affairs of God in these last days, (“And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.) which is the flying eagle. I ask you, What kind of beast was the fourth? It was not a lion, it was not a calf and it was not the head of a man: It was like a flying eagle. That lets me know, no matter how the critics might want to condemn us and say, Well how do you know this became applicable in 1963? I can say dogmatically, We know it to be so, by the Spirit of revelation abiding in each true child of God. Critics will say, How is that possible? Because, in the bosom of a lot of people, some of which have already passed from the scene, which were alive when this man was alive and God used him in such a marvelous way, there lay that which God had been speaking to their hearts; and they began to see, that if we are living in the last days, God will send that spirit of Elijah again, so they perked up their spiritual ears and eyes and allowed the Spirit that dwelt within them to vindicate the true fulfillment of God’s word. Who among this following can deny that? Well, if that much is so, then God will start speaking to man on earth through that prophetic office, but it will be because that fourth beast has said, “Come and see,” (or in other words, come and take a look. It means the eagle can fly higher than any of the others ever could. He is looking ahead, he can look back and he, by the spiritual insight that he has, the Spirit of God can project through that prophetic office, and there is an earthly people down here that truly are going to be God ordained, Bride people; and the Spirit of Christ in them, reveals the truth of what is being presented. Why do we believe that? Because it is time for God to speak, not to people that are dead, nor to people who are spiritually dead, but to an element of people that are the beginning of what God is going to do for the living element of the Bride of Christ from that period on to the rapture. That prophetic Spirit, even though God took the man (the prophet messenger to this age) off the scene, He did not take that Spirit of revelation from the true believers. That same Spirit is still overshadowing the Bride, and the ministry to the Bride, until the hour comes that God is ready to take the Bride out of this world. He will have revealed to the Bride, all of which are just ordinary people, everything He would have them to know in order to prepare themselves to meet the Bridegroom. You can take that and put it back in Daniel 12. What did Daniel 12 say? Did he not say that in that period of time the wise would understand? Who are these wise? Are they people with a great college education? I am not condemning anyone with a college education: I am just pointing out the fact that our education, nor our lack of education, has nothing to do with whether the Spirit of God can give us a true revelation of His blessed word. Every time you hear the politicians speak anymore, they will plainly tell you we are for better off because of our education, but I ask you, Is better education enlightening them to the word of God? I think not! They go to some kind of church; and some of them carry a Bible, but after they get through with whatever they are talking about, people who are truly carrying a revelation given to them by the Spirit of God, through His chosen servants for this hour of time, know just how void of reality they are. The things they are planning for the future, prove beyond any shadow of doubt, that they know so very little about the plan of God for the very near future. I sometimes want to ask some of them, Well what in the world makes better education? Is it learning more about the rocks on the moon? Or is it how to make a paycheck for the support of your family, and not sweat one drop of sweat? I hear them talk today, and each politician wants to create more jobs. I want to ask you, What kind of jobs are you looking for? I ask this sincerely, because we live in a nation, that at one time was the industrial capitol of the world; and prior to WW2, we were the agricultural empire of the world. The war was forced upon us. We had a society back then, that not everyone had a college education: some did not have much education at all, but we were an element of people that had a brain and the ability to exercise it. When conditions were forced upon us, God inspired that brain to think; and the conditions and outcome of that era of time proved it. When tragedies and disasters brought about WW2 upon this nation, the political leadership of that hour was able to say, Come, and let us work together for this common cause. We did not have a bunch of devil possessed politicians trying to cut each other’s throats at that time. They all worked together. Out of the hills and valleys, little factories began to put together the material that became the means that went to the war front. We lost a lot of ships in Pearl Harbor; and also in some of the sea battles that followed, but the story of America, is that when WW2 came to a close in 1945, we had mastered and put together a navy equal to the combined navies of the entire world. I saw my share of it. I was not in the navy, but I was in two different task forces. They were floating the high seas of the Atlantic. You could sit on a freighter or a transport vessel and everywhere you looked, you would see nothing but ships. There was a fellow that designed the fast production of ships: He made a freighter a day, out in California. No other nation could equal that. I say these things to say this, America once was great, because God made it great. God watched over it and supervised its course. He guided our politicians and our leaders who were not ashamed to bow their heads and say, Let us have a word of prayer with God. We did not have all these atheists, evolutionists, and demon possessed people standing behind the scene, snarling, saying, I don’t believe in that: We cannot mix religion and politics. There was a day that every last one of those atheists would have been spat upon and put in their place. When the nation as a social element of people begins to weaken, and allow agnostics and trouble makers to dictate as to how the governmental elements run the country, I have to say, It has already happened and we are paying dearly for it. May God have mercy America. We are approaching the end; and I believe with all my heart, we are a living element of end time people that are going to see all the loose fragments put together and form a prophetic picture in the mind of every spiritual child of God that is in the Bride. Why do I say that? I say it because there is an eagle watching over the affairs of God, that has said, Come and see. What are we to see? We are seeing a great prophetic picture put together before our very eyes, that will enable the bride of Christ to put on her robe of righteousness and exemplify true holiness, as this age closes out.
GOD’S PERFECT PLAN BEING PERFECTED IN US
Spiritual people know, that back in 1963, there was the office of a prophet here in our midst; and even though many believers in other parts of the world never did have an opportunity to see or hear him personally, that revelatory Spirit in them has vindicated the man’s God ordained office. That was the beginning of what that eagle of Revelation 4:7 would speak, but do not ever think, that just because God took the man from us back in 1965, we are left without spiritual leadership. That is a total misconception. God does not operate like that. He is never without a vessel He can anoint and use to fulfill His plan for redeemed mankind. The truth is, we see more now than we saw back then, because the prophet messenger to this age was not ordained to perfect the bride people. God used him to call true believers out of denominational bondage and start them on a way of true righteousness and holiness, because that is the natural outcome when people begin to receive a true revelation of the scriptures denominational preachers have played around with for centuries of time. His ministry opened up the way for people to return to the true faith of the Church in the book of Acts. How many of you realize that? I have to say these things to you, because we are living under the leadership of that eagle. If we could walk in sincerity and in truthfulness, there is not a thing in this book, that God is not going to show us. This is why several months back, I started saying, We have got to be concerned about this last one hundred years plus, because it brought America into an era of great progress. She gave the world the automobile, the airplane, the satellites, television, radio, telephone, all these modern conveniences we enjoy today. Yes America, not because she was something great, but because God saw in this nation the potential and ability to set the course that would lead right into the end time fulfillment of His word. I say, Thank God, saints; and thank God that in America He let a little man be born, a man by the name of William Marrion Branham, who was a true, God ordained prophet to this age of time. When He anointed that man, he made those seals of Revelation 6, come alive in our spiritual mind, as He gave him the revelation of what they pertained to. That is why I have to say, Thank God, because up until then, we had no clue as to their true application. When that was over, we knew something we did not know before hand. However I want you to know, and I emphasize this, We did not receive the revelation of the seventh seal, regardless of what a great number of Brother Branham’s followers may say. I will say this though, The revelation of the seventh seal will soon be known, because the opening of that seal is up in front of us just a short distance; and God will not have to resurrect Brother Branham to use in opening it. That is why we have to get all the silly nonsense of human flesh, human nature and personalities out of our system. We have got to have a knowledge of God in our being’s and a personal relationship with Him, in order to know how to make a stand for what He has revealed to us; and in order to know how to explain certain things when we are confronted by the element that is always present to challenge us. It is that flying eagle that is watching over us, watching over the revelation of the word of God; and watching over the application of that revealed word. When I look back to Revelation 13, and see that beast coming up out of the waters, I just want to ask, How many of you really know what this really represents? It does not pertain to the first time the Roman Empire came up. No. The Roman Empire has already been up and ruling two thousand years ago. How many realize that? Through time, that old beast, (the Roman Empire) evolved from stage to stage to stage, to form a beast with seven heads. Then the Reformation was a means that God used, because it was the Reformation that used the sword of the Spirit of God in a way that wounded the power of the papacy; (which was the ecclesiastical head that had taken over the power of the seventh political head and ruled the people) and that gave people a freedom to begin to reach out and worship God after a true revelation. He (God) through those reformers, started giving each one in their era of time, a particular revelation of some part of what the early Church believed and taught. He did not give any of them a complete revelation of all that the first Church believed and taught, but each of them received something that was worth investing their very life in. That is how, little by little God restored revelation truth back to believers, but they were scattered around in denominational fragments; and each one claiming to be the true Church, until God saw that the time was right to send a prophet to this Laodicean Church age, to collect all the fragments of revelation together into one revelation of what Jesus had left for His true Church to preach and live by. This had to be done at the proper time, so that is why things went on like they were until we came to the close of the WW2 era. Then it just seemed as though God went to work; and Europe was on the road of reconstruction; which had to be, in order for prophesy to be fulfilled. When the reconstruction was over, what do we have? Every one of those heads of state was talking about unity. Prior to that, they were ready to go to war with each other at the drop of a hat, but when this was over, they were ready to talk about unity. Look how it is today: there is now one European currency. Is that not so? Now, there is one European Common Market. All of this lets us know, that old Roman beast has been restored back into original activity, functioning, getting ready to fulfill the prophetic picture of the last days of Gentile time. As long as we have this counterfeit idea, this substitute that world politicians want to project out here as though this is the thing that is going to lead the world to victory and world peace, there is gross deception. The United Nations is nothing but a decoy. Politicians will not tell you that, because they are blind to scriptural reality. Do you know why? Because so many nations of the world belong to it, they think that has to be where our hope should rest. We have to keep in mind though, that the United Nations was never ordained by God. How many realize that? The only time it is spoken of, is in Zechariah 12, “Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Those of the United Nations body, so let us read a few verses there and see what God has in mind for that great world body.) (Verses 3-6) “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (4) In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. (5) And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. (6) In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.” Saints: That in itself should convince every believer that God is still in control, and we should know, that when the foreordained time comes, all of this will come about exactly as the scriptures declare it. Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it, (against Jerusalem) what did God say He would do? He would tear them and break them to pieces. (My own words) Therefore somewhere up the road in front of us, there is no doubt in my mind, that the United Nations is going to fall to pieces. What we heard in the News last night could be one of the means that will use to start an earthquake within the leadership of that conglomeration. The more you read about governments any more, it just seems like we are constantly hearing this man is a crook, that man is a crook; and by this, we know the end is near. I will say this, We have a lot of that kind in America anymore. They talk about how honest they are, but if you only knew what goes on behind the scenes, you would see how dishonest they really can be. That fourth beast (the eagle) is looking down upon us. Is he looking at the man down there in the saloon? No. He is looking here on earth, to an element of people that God has dealt with to put a revelation in our heart’s. He has not only put a revelation in our heart’s, He has also put a hunger in our soul and we are beginning to reach out and look out until we obtain a clear vision of what is just up ahead. From here to the end, when God will complete His work in this Bride, that fourth beast is going to lead the way. How many realize that? We must remember what that fourth seal signifies though, and watch out for the alluring spirit that is riding the pale (gray) horse. It is that gray horse rider that is bringing about this deceptive ecumenical get together between Protestants and Catholics in this day and hour. All of that started back in the 1960’s, as Catholicism began to initiate their diabolic plan of inviting their straying daughters to return home to their mother, the old Spiritual whore of Revelation 17. For those who may not yet be familiar with this revelation, we need to read a few verses there. Verses 1-6, should do it for now. In the vision, one of the seven vial angels appeared to John and this is what John wrote, (1) “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (people) (2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine (doctrines) of her fornication. (3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, (that old Roman beast) full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, (That is how that old Catholic system of religion appears to the world that observes her.) having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: (spiritual fornication, pretending to represent God to the spiritually blind inhabitants of the earth) (5) And upon her forehead was a name written, (Notice this.) MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. John had never seen anything like that before, so naturally he was awed by such a sight.
THE FOURTH SEAL AND WHAT FOLLOWS
Let me again read that fourth seal. (Rev. 6:7) “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (This is the eagle saying, Come and see. That all seeing eye of the eagle, is able to look ahead as well as look back. John sees and writes what he sees; and that eagle is what reveals to us what all of this pertains to.) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: (in the time of the fourth beast.) and his name that sat on him was Death, (the spirit of death) and Hell followed with him. (That shows the final end to those conquered by that spirit.) And power was given unto them (death and hell) over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” For many years now, we have heard denominational preachers say, Oh, when that beast rises up, it will have power over the whole world. That is not what the book says. What did the book say? And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth. Well a fourth part of the earth does not make it a whole earth. How many realize that? I am going to say tonight, Where would this fourth part of the earth be? It can be none other than Europe and the Middle East, the biblical setting. How many understand? Because the Roman Empire never did rule into India. She ruled to the borders of India, and that was as far as it went. Think of that, Burma, Thailand, all of that vast region, all the way into China, the Roman Empire never did rule that territory. Furthermore the new world was not even discovered back then. Knowing this, I have to say tonight, Living down here at the ending of time, I am glad that fourth beast, which is the eagle, is looking ahead and allowing us to see what is coming upon us; and also what is coming upon the world. I will say this also, When you listen to the News and watch the News, the progress of Europe and all things pertaining to that progress, there sits a reconstructed territory, which was the remnant of the old Roman Empire, just waiting for the hour to be, when the man of sin steps forth into the realm of attention. It will be his hour to take the position of leadership over all of it. This is why I say tonight, The United Nations will have something come along and knock it completely out of existence. You cannot have two such competitors surviving. How many understand? I will say this, The United Nations has served more or less as a decoy until this other comes into full authority. When the foreordained hour comes, that the United Nations is standing in the way, then you will not stop the Bible picture of prophecy from being fulfilled. I am thankful tonight, that God can and does give us an insight into all of this. Now let me read something from this history book about Nero.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SEVEN HEADS ON THE ROMAN BEAST
Nero – the last blood line Caesar to be emperor. Vespasian – General who began the Flavian line of emperors
At this time, I will first read from history about Nero; and then go ahead and read of those who followed him on the governmental throne.
“During Nero’s reign, half of Rome was laid in ashes by a great fire which raged for a week, but a new Rome speedily arose. It was a much finer city than the old, with wide straight streets instead of narrow alleys, and with houses of good stone in place of wooden hovels. Except for the loss of the temples and public buildings, the fire was a blessing in disguise. After the death of Nero, (He was the end of the old imperial caesars.) the dynasty (meaning the old imperial system) that traced its descent from Julius Augustus, became extinct. There was no one who could legally claim the vacant throne. The Senate, which in theory had the appointment of a successor, was too weak to exercise its powers. The imperial guard and the legions on the frontiers placed their own candidates, mainly military leaders, in the field. The Roman world fell into anarchy and Italy became once more the seat of civil strife.”
That continued on until we come to the hour where Revelation 17, speaks of the five heads that have already passed and so forth. We will show here, who they were. Vespasian, (the Roman general) supported by the armies of the east, along with his two sons which ruled successively after him are called the Flavin caesars. They were the intermediary ones, and they are not a part of the heads. We will show that as we continue on. I hope everyone will understand that. “But during the reign of Vespasian a revolt of the Jews was crushed and Jerusalem was captured by Titus, Vespasian’s son. It is said, doubtless with exaggeration, that one million Jews perished in the siege, the most awful that history records. The holy city, together with the temple, was destroyed and a Roman camp was pitched upon the spot. The reign of Titus is chiefly memorable for the destruction of Pompeii, (and another city, which I will not try to pronounce) two cities on the bay of Naples.”
Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antonius Pius Marcus Arelius
Following that, here came (Rev. 17), the five that are fallen. First there came Nerva, then Trajan, Hadrian, Antonias Pius and lastly Marcus Arelius. It even says in history, that they are the five good emperors. When something is said in prophecy, I have found this, that if you get the right histories, it seems as though God ordains that certain histories be recorded concerning an event, and it will point to and verify itself right in the Bible. That makes up the five that are fallen, (as prophesied in the scripture) when they passed on, civil strife and chaos followed. For the sixth head, this brings us to Constantine, in 300 and something A.D..
When Constantine took over, he became the sixth head, because the heads were recognized by the form of government they put into place. He established a time of peace and prosperity, and he is the one that introduced Christendom to his Roman army division and to the pagan, Roman state for courtship. That is exactly what it became. When Constantine was gone from the scene, again the leadership of the old imperial government of Rome got weaker and weaker and weaker. However within the ranks of Christendom, the bishops began to see the opportunity; and they began exalting themselves. Time passes, with many succeeding emperors ruling for a length of time one after the other, and that brings us to the eighth century, to Charlemagne’s hour. He was the seventh head on that old Roman beast, declared so because of the type of government he established. Under his form of government, is where the church and state became married. Therefore Charlemagne, because he loved the pope, and loved the church, he made every Roman citizen become a believer. If you do not believe it, read history that was written of that period, of the hundreds of thousands of people that were tortured and killed because they refused to become what he referred to as Christians. Then after Charlemagne’s hour, I can read it in history, the popes began to come on stronger and stronger. There was a certain pope, when he was put in position, he took the authority of what the old emperors used to have. I feel that it is necessary we understand what went on way back in history, lest we be not careful to realize what is ahead. I realize that here in America, because America has grown up different than the European society, it is hard for a lot of people to imagine that Catholicism could have been like that. I want all of you to know I am not saying these things to downgrade the individual Catholic person anywhere, but to enable everyone who loves truth to face reality. Do you everyone understand me? What we are studying, is to show you what other parts of the world has had to go through in prior times. I thank God tonight, that you and I were given birth in a country that at one time upheld the gospel of Jesus Christ.
TYING UP LOOSE ENDS
I do not know when we will get this message finished, because I want to take my time and try to clarify each thing as we go along. Being on this subject The Seals, I want to show you, by the grace of God, that these seals we are talking about, have been sealed up in a scroll as we have illustrated on our chart. This scroll has been in the hand of Jesus, sitting on the throne of God, during two thousand years of medeatorial interceding for the names contained therein. Only in this age of Laodicea, did God call and use a prophet, who in 1963, being led by the Spirit of God, opened up the revelation that the first six seals held. The first six were opened; and the seventh will not be opened until God is ready to turn His attention from the Gentiles and again deal with Israel to fulfill the seventieth week of Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy. When that seal is broken, seven thunders will begin to sound prophetically to the bride of Christ; and no other Gentile will ever be dealt with again, as pertaining to salvation through faith in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the purpose of illustration, We have this two thousand years of Gentile time broken up, pretty well equalized, but really, this time factor is not that way when we begin to read the scriptural and historical outline of it, because this is a two thousand year period all the way through here; and the different eras of time we have divided off, were not all the same length. Just keep that in mind as we continue. We can move this back here, about like this, (pointing to chart) then we can pull this back up here. This Dark Age period, is when the spirit of antichrist is spoken of as riding a black horse, which was the third seal, lasted over one thousand years. That is when the antichrist was ruling and reigning in what is supposed to be Christianity in the world, That is why I said last Sunday, that this spirit of antichrist did not all of a sudden jump from a white horse to a red horse, and then suddenly jump to a black horse. The red horse rider speaks of how the Roman Empire began to view the rise of Christendom and became fearful of it, and determined to rid the world of all traces of such, but their efforts failed, because as fast as they slew those saints in martyrdom, God just kept adding to their ranks. The Romans feared that the Christians would rise and begin to rebel against them, so they set about with a bloodbath, but the more they blood bathed the Christians, the more there were to slaughter, because it seemed as though God gave the Christians grace to die; and that caused others to run in and fill their ranks. To explain that, when the spectators sitting in the stands to watch the Christians die, actually saw the peaceful way they faced death, many of those sitting in the bleachers wanted to run in and die along with them. That is in writings of the early anti-Nicene fathers. I say these things to explain the heads shown on our chart, because each head represents how the Spirit of God watched over and worked through the different beasts shown in the scriptures, on behalf of believers in each era of time, to fulfill His will and purpose. Those Martyrs did not have to face martyrdom without the Spirit of God watching over them. He worked through what we see the animal as a symbol of, and that is how He worked on earth to give the Christians a boldness, a courage and determination to be willing to offer their lives as a testimony of the faith they held in their bosom. Instead of thousands of them going to the arenas crying and begging, they went to the arenas singing and rejoicing. That is also recorded in history. When we do come to the period of this black horse rider, that covers a long period of time. As I read last Sunday, that is where practically the whole gospel of Christ has now been changed into just a tradition, into rituals and man-made creeds. They take the mass and break it down, to do certain things with it. That is none other than a perversion of the Lord’s supper. Just a simple thing that early Christians partook of in remembrance of what their Savior had done for them at Calvary. It was sort of like drinking a toast. You have seen political figures drink a toast in memory of a certain official, have you not? Well when the Lord Jesus took the bread and the cup, He was not introducing to them how to actually fulfill a feast supper. We find Paul getting after the Corinthians for doing that later on, do we not? What did Jesus literally do? He took the elements as a symbol, and as they partook of the bread, not a big hunk of it, but a little crumb of it, they do it in remembrance of His sacrificial work that sealed their salvation. That is why I referred to it as like partaking of a toast, so to speak, if you understand what I mean, because it is in memory of Jesus, who was the one that gave His life for you and me. Likewise they took the cup and each one just took a sip. It is not Christians having a big feast and drinking a whole cup of wine. I pray that all of you understand that. When the occasion arises, just take a sip in memory of the blood that He was willing to shed as a means of atonement for you and me. That is the best I can illustrate it. In Catholicism though, they have made a ritual out of it. It has become a monetary gimmick to fill the coffers of their organization. It has gone around the world like that. As I say these things, I am not pointing my finger at any Roman Catholic person, because there are many sitting in here today, that came out of that old system of religion. As I have said before, If religion is all you have, you are on your way to hell, because, only a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ can turn you around and put you on the path to glory. I would never point the finger just at Catholicism, because all denominational religion is just as deadly to a human soul as Catholicism. I have a lot of things to say about denominationalism today, and how they have departed from the truth that their founders held dear to their heart, so if you will listen to what I am saying, I believe you can understand some things that may have caused questions in your mind until now. When we do get into where the fourth beast says, Come and see, there is much to be said. I want to say though, when we read in the scriptures and we read in history, how that from 500 A.D. and onward, it speaks of the Dark Ages, but actually, we could push this time back from about right here, and we could push this time along up here, (chart.) And that shows this black horse period to be a lot longer period. When we see, that this black horse rider did not change the gospel in every detail the first years, we must realize that in each decade, or each period of time when the different popes were in authority, the thought came to each one to do this or to do that, which resulted in further perversion of the original gospel message preached by Jesus Christ and those who followed Him.
KEEPING OUR REVELATION UP TO DATE
I have a book at home, written by Roman Catholics, which tells of the glories of the mother church, what she teaches, when she instituted certain things and what the basis and reasoning for each one was. Well of course we who are believers of the gospel according to Paul, Peter, James and John and all those apostles of the first years of Christendom, are not interested so much in how the truth was perverted, as we are in how it was restored back to true believers, so we keep our attention focused upon that, so that we are up to date on what we believe. All of our old traditional ideas put there by denominational church systems, have to be purged from our spiritual being, so that we can adorn ourselves with the true righteousness of the saints of God. Saints, that is nothing less than a pure revelation of the word of God and obedience to it. When we go to (Revelation 19:7-9), we read something that is very precious to us. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. (How does she make herself ready? By robing herself with a true revelation of God’s word and allowing it to produce righteousness in us.) (8) 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. (That kind of righteousness can only come to those who are walking in truth.) (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” We get a glimpse of what God is moving us toward, but we can only attain unto that by coming into a state of total unity concerning the things revealed to us of the Spirit of God. After we have come through two thousand years of the gospel grace age, we are not living under the headship of the lion, nor this, nor this: we are living under this, the eagle. That is the symbol of that prophetic Spirit of God, which He was to show forth into the world, not to the presidents, not to the Senate and Congress, not to the mayors or governors, but to His true Church. It could not be manifested through denominationalism, but only through His true Bride Church people. That is the way we have to look at it. When this spirit of Catholicism began to get powerful, it was not long until the trend just kept gaining momentum; and by the time we come to 500 A.D. the pope in Rome was beginning to push himself as an instrument of authority. He was and is the little horn that Daniel saw coming up. He was small at first, but through each century the very men that exercised themselves in this horn position, just kept watching for their opportunity to exalt and elevate their position. It was really very easy for them, because the history of the Roman Empire, shows that in the decades that followed, the emperor of Rome just kept getting weaker and weaker in authority. We do know this for a fact, That imperial rulership of the ancient caesars was not established by God: It had been established by the devil. That is why that Roman system was so mean and dictatorial. Therefore when the antichrist spirit began to come into the Church, its objective was to weaken the imperial rulership, gradually bringing it down to a carnal-minded level, so the spirit of Satan could begin to manipulate the entire thing and degrade the ranks of it, bringing it down to more or less dishonor and disgrace, as the pope at the same time gradually elevated his position with the intention of taking over. Not just as the emperor of Rome, but as complete and supreme ruler over the political side, as well as over the spiritual side. It was a slow, gradual process, but it actually came about in future centuries. Naturally it was not just the man, but the office of authority that was in the total plan. Therefore when we do come to around 1500 A.D. in our study, the devil had ruled the known world for one thousand years through the Catholic Church, and by that time God had, through various men, given the Catholic Church a warning from within. As I said last Sunday night, He did it through men like Swingley, and Huss which was a Czechoslovakian religious reformer who was excommunicated (1409) for attacking the corruption of the Catholic clergy. He questioned the authority and infallibility of those old popes, and even though it brought his life to a bad end, what he did was in the plan of God as God moved toward the time when he would put the Reformation in full swing. Wycliffe was another of the early protesters of that old system of religion. Those men saw something about that old system of Romanism that caused them to cry out against it. Their end was martyrdom, but martyrdom was a common occurrence in those days. All of that was done under this, (the head of a man). It was how God used the wisdom of men in the darkest hour of human history, to speak against that old system of Rome, what they had done to the gospel; and to those who believed its message. Some may feel that God just deserted believers during that long interval of spiritual darkness, but the truth is, God was with every true believer to enable them to overcome, regardless of the circumstances they faced and the way death came to them. It is that inner man the God of the universe is concerned about. This physical flesh is just a place for the spirit man or woman to dwell in for an appointed season on earth, and then God calls them forth from it and it rots in a grave somewhere, while the spirit returns to God to await the hour of resurrection. There is no death for the true son or daughter of God: they have eternal life and will be rejoined with a body, an immortal body in God’s appointed time, to live eternally with Him.
ABOUT THE REFORMATION
With all that we have talked about in mind, we come to the beginning of the Reformation, the time appointed of God to begin to restore the entire truth of the gospel message back into the body of believers on earth. Many have asked, What was this Reformation for? It was God’s way of sending a man with a revelation of certain things of the scriptures, not a revelation of the entire body of beliefs as projected by Jesus and His apostles, but each reformer was given a revelation of something God was restoring back to the Church. That is why, when we come to 1520, there was a man by the name of Martin Luther, that God used mightily. He was not a backwoods preacher from the hills. He was already a priest of the system of religion, learned in the scriptural interpretation, (the way the Catholic system presented it) of the Bible. Nevertheless there was just something in his heart that made him feel bad about what he was involved with; and he felt a need, or had a longing in his heart for God to speak to him. He prayed, he studied and went through all the requirements of the priesthood, he knew all the angles of Catholic theology, but he was just not satisfied with what he had. The Spirit of God causes that feeling to stir the inner being of all He has purposed to use in any way.The beginning of his main testimony was, one day when he was doing penance, after fasting, he was climbing a series of stairs. At the top was a statute of Mary. In the fifteenth century, (you have to understand that the revelation of the gospel, much or most of it had been lost). Catholicism had slowly taken over and instituted creeds and rituals in place of the gospel. Martin Luther in doing what the tradition required, was crawling up those steps that thousands before him had crawled up. As he reached the top and crawled to the feet of that statue, the feet of the statue had been kissed so many times, they had almost been worn away. He was in that process, when an audible voice echoed down from the corridors of heaven, “Martin Luther, the just shall live by faith.” But he had been taught by the priesthood of that system, that there is no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church. That is in the cardinal teachings of Catholicism. With this sounding of the voice of God, what does it do to Martin Luther? He returns to his living quarters with a certain decision. History tells us he locked himself away from society; and for many days he did not appear in public. They wondered what was going on with him. Finally one day he came out of his quarters with a long document in his hand. The crowd all followed him down the street to the church house there in Wittenberg Germany. He walked up the steps and tacked this document on the door. Then he turned to the people and said, Look, see what I have done, and here I stand. There were 95 things listed on that sheet of paper, that he had written against the system of Catholicism. It started a revival. As it started a revival, the word of it reached Rome. They were going to try and call him in like they had done all the other men before him, but for some reason the king of Germany said, Martin Luther, we will stand with him in this. So with the military arm of the German monarchy backing him up, Martin Luther was able to proclaim the beginning of the gospel afresh, that salvation first begins with faith in the Lord Jesus, and not in that system of religion. Thousands of people, over a period of time, forsook the clutches of Catholicism and embraced what Martin Luther had pointed them to. When the military mind of Germany stood with him to protect him, this gave people boldness. It was not long until other men came down the line protesting that system. Here came Calvin, another man that had begun to study the scriptures, and in doing so he got hold of the revelation, that once you are really saved and born of the Spirit of God, you are not saved and born again a dozen times: it is a one time experience. In other words, once truly saved you are always saved. There is no such thing as saved today and lost tomorrow, saved the next day, and then lost again, kind of salvation, so that a person has to keep doing that over and over. Where would be your assurance of salvation if it were truly like that? Another man also began to embrace a certain truth of the holy scriptures. He saw that the predestinated, by the foreknowledge of God before the foundation of the world, allowed God to know exactly, every one that would and would not believe and be saved. As we look at these different men that were used by God in the Reformation, we can say this, All of this was God’s way of taking the sword of the Spirit and wounding the power of that head, that dictatorial head of Roman Catholicism. It looked like a deadly wound, but it was not, because that head has been healed and stands ready to fulfill all of which has been written about it.
LOOKING AGAIN AT DANIEL’S VISION
Daniel having that vision, in which he saw a little horn rise up among the ten horns, wrote. (Dan 7:8) “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” As time went on, we find in the book of Daniel, that this little horn would exalt itself, and as it would exalt itself, (after many centuries of time) it would succeed in plucking up three horns. When you read the scriptures, it sounds like he just literally reached over and dethroned certain kings and destroyed their power. No, that is not the picture at all. What happened was, when certain kings began to do certain things the pope in office did not like, the pope began to come against those countries and weaken them. There were three different kings, in three different periods of time, that experienced the wrath of the little horn (the pope of Rome). I have it all right here in this history. This history was written and copyrighted in 1917. When I first got it, I realized the writer was not compiling it and quoting verses of scripture, he was writing history and laying it down in its chronological order, yet you could almost see the prophecy side of scriptures being fulfilled the way time brought about the development of it. I brought it with me today, to show you something that is recorded within. It tells exactly what happened at certain times, and the Spirit of God allows us to relate those occurrences to what Daniel wrote in his prophecy. We are going to deal with all of that in this message, but for now, I want to continue on with the Reformation.
DIFFERENT PHASES OF THE REFORMATION
Martin Luther – Father of the Lutheran Churches John Knox – Father of Presbyterianism John Calvin – Father of the reformed churches John Wesley – Father of Methodism
When we come to the time of the Reformation, you are still moving under the headship of man. How many realize that. All the reformers were just mortal men, but God used every last one of them. The book of Revelation is a unique letter of prophecy. I have illustrated it like this, that it is like a love letter to the bride of Christ. John was given this letter and the words to express what suited the purpose of God. He lived in 96 A.D., but please do not let 96 A.D. cloud your mind and keep you from seeing how God used it. The first three chapters, as God showed to John on the Isle of Patmos, was basically concerning the seven churches of Asia. You see certain things about them, recorded in the first three chapters, before John was called to, Come up hither. The conditions in those churches that literally existed back then, spoke of conditions that would develop in the process of time through the Gentile era. That was the state, spiritually speaking, of those seven churches of Asia which had been established by the apostle Paul, that John was writing about while there on the Isle of Patmos in 96 A.D.. Keep in mind though, that the Roman Empire did not yet have seven heads in 96 A.D.. Neither did it have ten horns, neither did the little horn show itself, and there was no woman riding a beast with seven heads and ten horns, as is portrayed in the 17th chapter of Revelation. The reason I am saying all of this, is because, all through the Reformation period, God was doing something to restore to an element of people, stage by stage, the true revelation of His word which the true Church had been robbed of. Each one of the stages, from the Lutheran right on through, all became identified in a denomination. Did they not? The Calvinists did just like the followers of Luther, and they were known as the Anabaptists. They became a denomination also. The Knox people, the Presbyterians, also a denomination. Then here came John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and they became a denomination. Likewise out of all this, was the formation of all the other denominations we have in the world today.
John Miller – began the Adventist movement in the 1820s Urriah Smith – leader of the Adventists in the 1850s Charles Taze Russell – broke away from the Adventist to start the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1870s
Look at the Jehovah Witness. Yes, they have a truth, but let me say this, The Jehovah Witness people saw, back in the 1800’s, that there is an hour of time coming when Jesus Christ will come, and will establish a one thousand year rule on earth, which is referred to as the Millennial reign of Christ. You try to teach that to the Methodists and they will say, We don’t believe any such stuff. The sad part of it was, it was started by the International Bible Students, which eventually became the Jehovah Witness, and all they believe today, is the Millennial reign and the second coming of Christ, but a born again salvation, which is being filled with the Holy Ghost, that is not in their scope of revelation. Therefore I ask the question, Where does that leave you, if you are a Jehovah Witness? I remember a few years ago, it has been about twenty years now, that there was a little church in Corydon, of Jehovah Witness people. One morning I was in the barn doing something when a car pulled up and a young man got out. I could see that he had some literature, so I figured he was a Jehovah Witness. He began to talk to me and said, I am from the Jehovah Witness group in Corydon: I have some literature I would like for you to take and read. I said, I am a minister, I do not belong to a denomination, but I do believe some of the same things you teach. You teach a Millennium, I do too. You teach the second coming of Christ, I do too. However I teach other things that you do not teach; and they are things you will never teach. He asked, What is that? I said, I believe there has got to be a genuine new birth according to the scriptures and a person must be filled with the Holy Ghost. I just got started explaining, when he just threw up his hands and said, I know all about that! He got in his car and left. The point is, Practically every denomination, no matter what its name is, They have closed the door to any further truth.
Charles Parham – Early leader in Pentecostal movement through until the 1920s William Seymour – Pastor who led Azusa Street revivals in 1906
I have a reason for saying that. When we come on down to the Seventh Day Adventists, God visited them with an essence of truth out of the scriptures. They would take this truth and would build around that. They would feel so secure in just that. The sad part is, they organized their fellowship just around that very thing. Then they just held on to other anti things that makes them just like all the rest. When I say that, I have the history of every last denomination on the face of this earth, what they teach, when they began to change, what they have done; and what they have not done. That is why I say, All the era of the Reformation that wounded the power of the papacy, as it is described in the scriptures, that was all done under this head of a man. How many realize that? No divine revelation ever dropped down, yet they began to go back and expose the evils and wrongs of the past. I have seen some of the writings of men in Methodism, Presbyterianism, how they could write and tell you how bad Catholicism was in its darkest hour, but then they leave their own system like it is, high and dry and very virtuous. All of that has been done under the inspiration of God through this head of a man era. How many understand that? Then when we begin to come into the time, which actually brings you within the last one hundred years of time, God began to set things in motion and prepare the stage for the time when He would begin to speak to His people on earth through the head and inspiration of the eagle. May I say, No revelation, out of the book of Revelation has ever come in any other period of time. God kept it all for the end time Bride. I will say also, The mother of all the systems was none other than Roman Catholicism. The Reformation was a period of time where God took the sword of the Spirit, and using educated man in his brilliance of learning, He inspired man to use that sword on that old system of religion. He hit that old system; and out came an element of people that hungered for more than Catholic dogma. On and on it went, but not one of those moves ever brought the gospel message back to its original structure as believed by the Church of the book of Acts. We do have to understand one thing, because, if we do not, when we get to the hour we are now living in, and look at the realm of religion out there, I ask you a simple question, Can you tell me how spiritual they are? No, you absolutely cannot. You can tell me how sincere they are, but do they have a revelation of anything at all? No. You try to present truth to them, of some of the things you see, they just totally shut the door of their understanding to everything you say. They are so pacified, they just close themselves away from everything their particular element does not have in their original statement of belief. When we do come to the hour of time we now live in, I want you to take a good look at yourselves, because you are a people that have been dealt with by the Spirit of God, to eventually become a part of the Bride of Jesus Christ here in the end time. You are no longer in denominations, because you have been called out of those systems of religion, to partake of the unadulterated word of revelation and made into a potential Bride people, if I may use that term. You were not brought out of the systems by the headship of man, but by the inspiration of that prophetic eagle. It started a few years back, when God had a prophet messenger on earth. That is why he came precisely as the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6, to turn the heart of the children, here at the end time, back to the faith of the apostolic fathers of the book of Acts. During his early days of ministering, there was not a denominational person anywhere that did not hear about how God was using him. Had they been sitting in those systems with a hunger in their heart, they could have experienced the same thing I did, because that was what was going on inside of me. If there had been a hunger there, once they would have heard about this man, they would have moved every obstacle to get to where they could hear him. Some actually did, only to turn away later on, saying, Well I don’t see anything of importance in his preaching. It just goes to show, they did not have that deep, indwelling presence of the Spirit of God dealing within, to inspire them and give them a revelation of what was preached and show them how to respond. This is why I say, All these denominations that have been in existence a long time, when we come to the beginning of this one hundred years, it had no effect on them. It only affected a few here and there.
FACING REALITY
Saints, the only prophecy in the Bible that tells you the wise will understand, is found in the book of Daniel, chapter 12, verse 10. Somebody please tell me, Who are these wise? Why did the prophet write it that way? Isaiah said nothing about it. But when Daniel saw this angelic being standing on the waters and an angel here and an angel there, (You can read this in the latter verses of Daniel 12) he begged that angel and asked him, What means these phenomena? Daniel was told these words, It is sealed up, it is not for you to know, but Daniel was very persistent, because it troubled him inside. He begged, but what means this? Then the man on the waters, through that angelic being, told him exactly, the signs of the end time. As we come on down through there, it gives you a natural background of society, knowledge will be increased. If we are not living in a day when the carnal side of knowledge is increased where are we? They cannot stop: there is just no end to it. The sad part is, they have left God out of all of it. That is why I have to say, What good is knowledge going to be for you if you miss God completely? Do you think your diploma in science or mathematics is going to save your soul? I tell you, It is not! It is only going to be your faith in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that is going to save you; and all who ignore that are on their way to a place many deny even exists, but I tell you, Hell is a very real place. Notice what Isaiah wrote about it, (Isa 5:14) “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” As we come to the close of that 12th chapter, just think of it, five hundred and some years before the advent of Christ, Daniel was told that the wise will understand. Understand what? The rocks on the moon? All about mythology? No saints, they will understand the plan and purpose of God, because God will have revealed His word to them. Bride: just take a look out there! Everything that is mentioned in this book (the Bible) is going on in the world at large. Every bit of what was going on in the days of Noah, is going on in the world today: It is simply a case of it not yet reaching the full scope of overall corruptness that it will come to before God closes the curtain on it all. You (all who love the truth of God’s word) are the only people on earth that potentially have an understanding of world conditions, and can say, I can see that we are living in the last days. Women like to go to church today, but they do not like to look like the holiness of saints years ago: They like to look like this modern bunch of females that are always pressing for top recognition. They have to let their breasts shine, to catch the attention of men who live to enjoy all such. Sisters, I am not standing here to belittle you, nor to make you feel bad: I am just calling attention to the reality of our day and hour of time. As for looking upon nakedness, I have spent time where they were completely naked, in some of the places I was stationed while I was in the army. Seeing this kind of scene every day for about two and a half months, living among them, you get tired of seeing so much nakedness, and long for the day when you can see people wearing clothes again. How many times have I heard G.I.’s say, I will be so glad to get back home where women wear clothes. They were sincere about that, only to come home and find out what has happened while they were away. Now they love to take their clothes off and show their flesh. This is a day when the devil is ruling the carnal minded human race; and except for the grace of God, we would all be just like them. He has stripped them down, making them bare naked; and if you say anything about it they will say, You are one of those bigoted, Holy Ghost fellows. Yes, I believe that when God came into the garden and found that Adam and Eve had tried to hide themselves, He was not pleased to look at that apron of fig leaves around their waists. He got some sheep skins and had them put them on. That was the beginning of humanity knowing they were supposed to clothe themselves. It is sad to see what the denominational world of religion has come to, as you look at them on the TV programs: The other night, I turned to a station while going through the channels; and came across a scene where an auditorium was filled with thousands of people singing a religious song, but when I looked over that crowd and saw them standing there with their jeans, and some of the ornaments they were wearing, I thought, My God, what has the human race come to? Yet they are supposed to be worshiping God. What a gross deception! That is every bit the result of the spirit of antichrist deluding people’s mind’s. Do not think it is anything else. All of those people would probably tell you they are expecting to go to heaven when they die. Why would they think so? Because Satan has worked on their conviction a little at a time, until they see nothing wrong with the way they conduct themselves. They would tell you, Oh God loves everybody: He is a God of love: All He requires, is that we love Jesus and love each other. That is a perversion of the truth, concerning the God that loved the world so much He sent His only begotten Son to die on that old rugged cross some two thousand years ago, to pay our sin debt and set us free from Satanic bondage. The devil does not mind hearing people quote scripture, if he can keep the true meaning of those scriptures hid from them and continue to direct their path in life. I realize some may ask, Bro. Jackson, what gives you the authority to say these things? Therefore I will ask you this simple question, When Jesus was telling His disciples, in Matthew 24 and 25, all that He told them, what hour of time was He pointing to? He was pointing to our very day, the hour of time when He could say, (Mat 25:1-4) “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (2) And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: (4) But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” What was His purpose in giving such an illustration? Did He literally mean there were only five people going to be saved? And five foolish are going to be lost? Why did He use such small amounts in His illustration? He could have said, then shall the kingdom of heaven be like unto ten thousand virgins, five thousand wise, five thousand foolish. Think it over saints, because I want to ask you a question. Can you, in your mind, put together a figure of how many would be wise in America, how many thousands in America are believing today, the same thing you are believing? I do not believe it is even in the thousands. I believe it is more than likely just in the hundreds. Will you agree with me? When Jesus spoke that, He knew exactly what He was saying. Therefore however small you see the figure to be today in America, of the wise, then do not tell me there is going to be ten million foolish virgins. Oh but from our carnal standpoint we might think, But I love many of those people out there: I have uncles and aunts and many friends that do not believe like we do, but I believe they are good people. I know that is true, but you cannot teach them anything, and God is not going to accept them just because they go to a supposed-to-be church somewhere. They do not want you to tell them anything. When you try you hear, Get away from me, don’t bother me, I know what I believe, and I believe that is all I need. Saints, no matter how much we may love our kin folks and friends, if they do not accept God’s only way of salvation, we have to face reality: Jesus also said this, In that day He will send forth His angels and gather the tares. What are the tares? The pretenders, suppositional Christians, ready to be bound in bundles, in denominational congregations all over this world. Oh Brother Jackson, God really blesses them: They sing and dance in the spirit and many of them get healed from terrible diseases and much pain. That is the sad fact: God gives everyone a chance to hear and follow truth, but the multitudes do not want anything more than the temporal blessings they enjoy so much. God’s true Bride Church saints, do not expect to escape all the trials and tests of this life. Through these things, God works perfection in those who love truth and righteousness. What can we do for those we love? Saints, just pray for them and leave the rest in the hands of God. You can try to teach them truth, but unless the Spirit of God is already dealing with them, they do not want to hear it. Why? Because they have no hunger for it. They are not beside their bed at night praying, Oh Lord, lead me: Help me to walk with you in righteousness. Those who pray like that from a true desire, are the ones God hears and leads. In (John 16:13-15), we find these words, “ Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. (How wonderful!) (14) He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (15) All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” Saints, can you even imagine the depth of reality there is in those few words? That was a faithful promise Jesus gave to those who believe the word of God and walk according to the revelation God gives them: He, the Holy Spirit, will do what? He will lead or guide you into all truth, He will teach you all things, and He will bring to your remembrance all things whatsoever I have spoken. That was a promise that cannot be broken.
SOME FAIL TO FOLLOW ALL THE WAY
There is not a thing in this entire Bible, that the Holy Spirit will overlook. I am saying this morning, Now that we are living under the eagle hour of time, the voice of that eagle rings loud and clear. Yes, there were many people in the denominations that heard about Brother Branham, as that eagle spoke through him, and many knew about him from personal contact with his ministry, but among the thousands that sat in his meetings, only a small percentage pulled out of their denomination to follow truth. In 1963, when that man stood over there in his little tabernacle and preached those seals messages during that wonderful week, we truly witnessed the supernatural power of God in revealing what the first six seals pertained to. Yet after he had passed away in 1965, I was told by an important figure that knew this, that Tommy Osborne, a man who God used as he was permitted in the early days to see Bro. William Branham in the healing ministry, and sought the will of God for the same in his ministry and God began to honor him in praying for the sick and so forth, as he began to go different places throughout the world, still he refused to go all the way with God. This person wanted Tommy Osborne to hear what Bro. William Branham said about the seals, so he took the tapes to him and asked him to listen to them. He took the seals tapes and went on a fast while he listened to them. When he had finished listening to them, he brought them back to the man and said, I want nothing to do with any of that. I can remember there at the Tabernacle during Bro. William Branham’s funeral, because I had a little part to say, and Tommy Osborne was sitting right behind me. His hair at that time was white. It was not long after that, until it was long and he had dyed it. It has been that way ever since. I am saying these things, not to be arrogant or foolish, but because you and I have been privileged to hear something that is precious; and it behooves us to make sure we treasure it and cultivate a proper attitude about it. Why do I say that? Because, when you look out there in the world of religion today, do not tell me they are all foolish virgins, because they are not. There are no more foolish virgins out there, than there are wise virgins ready to go in the rapture. Otherwise Jesus would not have used that parable making the two elements equal in number. Jesus was a man that did not throw His words out haphazardly. He made sure everything He spoke in those parables pointed to something that would be a reality in the proper time. I have to say, A lot of what we see going on out there, is none other than tares being bound in bundles. No wonder they can go to these big auditoriums and sing, Oh how we love Jesus, oh how we love Jesus, with tears streaming down their cheeks, because they have no revelation of how to present their bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. They have no conviction when they read in the Bible, what it says about presenting your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. The Reformation in its day, stood for a precious truth of the word of God, but today, the systems that have been formed around those truths, do not in any way reflect the image their founders reflected, as they were used by God in their day and hour of time. In the closing hours of this Laodicean era of time, every last one of those systems are as dead as dead can be. That is why the message came when it did, because it was God’s way of speaking to every religious system of Christendom, a message to call His seed out of them. That is why some of us are ex-Catholics, some are ex-Methodists, ex-Baptists, and so on. God knew who He was getting; and He knew exactly who He was speaking to during all that time. Look what all the rest have done with what they heard during those years. When we come to the year 1963, God really started speaking by the power and spiritual insight of the fourth beast, the eagle, as He projected revelation down here through His prophet messenger. When Bro. William Branham stood there at the Tabernacle during that week in 1963, the last part of March and into April, he preached those six seals and made them sound so unique, that you could not help but see what they were really pointing to. However, regardless of what some may say, he did not bring a revelation on the seventh seal, because that seal is still not broken open. It will not be opened as long as Jesus is still on the mercy seat. He just spoke of it, but did not present the revelation of its application like he did the other six. I will say it like this, The seventh one has not literally been broken, so that it can unlock the contents and revelation that is literally going to take place when it is fully opened. A lot of people will say, Bro. Jackson, don’t you think you could be wrong in this and don’t you think you could be wrong in that? I am very thankful to God for the fact that He allowed me one day, to come into possession of a certain book. I do not know to this day, where it came from, but I thank God for letting it come into my hands. It was Copyrighted in 1917. When I looked and began to read, I thought, The man that compiled this, must have been a Christian. Yet there is not one thing in it referring to scriptures at all. I want to show you something that is so plain. I was told by a Methodist preacher one time, when I had preached on the second coming of Christ and gave reference to certain scriptures in the book of Revelation, something that made me feel very disheartened. He said, You know Bro. Jackson, many of us believe the book of Revelation should never have been written. In my young heart I thought, Oh how can you say that? I feel like this book of Revelation was written specifically for a certain people right at the end time. Yes saints, they would read this and that and say, But it looks so mysterious, nobody can understand it. Well brothers and sisters I just have to say, When John was shown the 17th chapter of the book of Revelation, and presented with a picture that any spiritual person ought to be able to understand in this day and hour, he wrote it, but it was not for his day. Open your Bibles to that chapter and we will read something that can open your eyes.
A BEAST WITH ONE HEAD, BECOMES A BEAST WITH SEVEN
In 96 A.D., when John was on the Isle of Patmos and the book of Revelation was written, the Roman Empire had not yet evolved into the state of what we are going to read about. John could see the Roman Empire as what Daniel had prophesied, coming up out of the waters, having this gigantic head, and how it began to devour and stamp under its feet the residue. When Daniel saw it later, it had ten horns, but John lived when there was nothing like that in existence. Therefore when he is told to write, and he wrote the first three chapters, that was present tense as John lived, and as John had been in those churches, there is no doubt he would be a testimony and witness of the fact that those conditions were literally going on right then. When he finished with what is written in chapter 3, the seventh church, that brings us to chapter 4, where the entire scene changed. Notice how the voice from above said, “Come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” That means, we now know, way on out in future time, that John was being shown things that would come to pass in our day and hour of time. When he was taken up into heaven, it is recorded in the 4th, 5th, and 6th chapters, the wonderful sights his eyes were privileged to look upon. He saw the heavenly throne; and he saw Jesus Christ as the Mediator sitting there, holding a scroll in His hand. The King James translation of the Bible refers to it as a book, but we all know it was a rolled up document sealed with seven seals; and that is called a scroll. Chapter 6 opens up with John saying, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.” We must keep in mind, this beast system had not yet been explained, because down on earth it had not even developed at that time. That is what we have to understand. I want to show you exactly how precise it is in the Bible. In the 17th chapter there is an angel, which is none other than Christ in angelic form. Verse 1, “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; (The angel is saying this to John, while he is up there in the vision.) I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” Catholicism had not even come into existence in 96 A.D. We everyone know that, but John was carried into the future tense of time in a vision and allowed to view what would materialize later on. John was put into the future tense, right when the head of the eagle is initiating the revelation of it and it is being imputed down here on earth.
PLAIN SPEECH NO ROOM FOR DOUBT
I have had people say, Bro. Jackson, why do you use 1963 as a reference point? Because it is the only time that the revelation of six seals ever occurred. Nowhere back down through time had they even been touched, as far as explaining what they pertained to. They were carried through time in the prophetic scriptures. Nobody knew what they meant nor did anyone try to imagine what they pertained to. Then in 1963, God had a living instrument on earth that He could speak through. His Spirit in heaven, began through that prophetic realm, to project something to us, because there was a prophet on earth that He was going to speak through. I would like for us all to put ourselves in John’s place and try to imagine what that was like. He is in heaven, in a vision; and he is in the future tense, almost two thousand years into the future as he was allowed to view what he wrote about the seals. I will say also, the future tense he was projected into as he was carried along, was not just anywhere along here: there was a precise place in the future tense for each scene. The angel said, “Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” Remember now, the great whore had not even come into existence at the time of John writing this. Literally john was way back here, (96AD) but God was showing him something that would materialize in future centuries, and he was standing in the very time of the materialized objects and seeing them as those who would live in that specific era of time would see them. This whore he was being shown, is none other than Roman Catholicism. Let not any former Catholic person take offense at that statement, because we will now come to the Protestant denominational side of the picture. On down here it speaks of this woman being the mother of many harlots. Who are these harlots? They are these denominational systems that the Reformation period brought out of Catholicism. God gave a precious truth to each instrument of the Reformation, but as time passed their followers just stood still upon the particular revelation they were founded upon and they each became a system of religion, instead of a body of saints determined to move on with God. Each move would only go so far, because the people that had really benefitted by what their founder received from the Spirit of God just determined that they had all they needed and the rest of the move just died away. The people are still physically alive today, and they have religion, but they are just as bad off in their shape, as the Catholicism their founders protested against. There is no spiritual life in what they have. It just proves this very thing, If you refuse to move on with the Spirit of God, you die. Notice what verse 2, of that chapter says, “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, (At that time, Catholicism had not come into existence.) And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” That tells me, that at the time John was lifted up in the Spirit to view this, he was seeing the entire European system coming from 96 A.D., right on through to where it had already grown through time to produce its many images; and it is over here where it is addressed as having seven heads and ten horns. How many realize what that really shows? He is over here, in the Spirit, looking at it after it has gone through its many changes: I have to keep stressing, He was in the future tense, in the Spirit. He was not back there in 96 A.D. where he was a prisoner: He had been transported into the future, to view what was going on then. “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, (I will say this, We have been in the Vatican and seen what John is describing here. If you would go to the Vatican museum and library, you could see the very things described here. The elements of gold that have been sent to this system through the years by royalty, golden cups and all kinds of artifacts, it is all in the library and museum. It is hard for me to describe the wealth you would see, as you look upon all that collection of valuables. Yet I have to say, There is not one ounce of spirituality in any of it. When you read the scriptures, and read of when Jesus was born, in Bethlehem of Judaea, He was not born in a time when Judaism contained all the wealth and glory and pomp of her hour. Those things do not build spirituality. Nevertheless the carnal mind always measures success by that kind of material wealth. Yes saints, that old mother of harlots is arrayed in all these many colors and decked with gold, pearls and precious stones.) having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Notice, saints, she is not the mother of virgins, she is the mother of harlots. Who are these harlots? They are all these denominational systems of religion that the Reformation brought into being. As I have said, The truth they each one started with was beneficial for the first few decades, to get the spiritual ones out of Catholicism, but after we come into this twentieth century and the message of the hour came, (which was to give people an opportunity to come to the truth the Bride must have.) we have seen these denominational systems began to die. That is because they chose to try to exist on stale bread, rather than feast on the fresh meat of the word of God.