The Handwriting On The Wall

I'd just like to ask Brother Neville if he and his sister would sing a special for us just before. Would you like that? We all enjoy to hear them on the radio. All right. [Brother Neville says, “Is she here tonight or not?”] [Someone else says, “She's not here tonight, I don't guess.”]

She said, “She isn't here yet.” [Brother Neville says, “She didn't show up yet. She was supposed to be here.”] Well, if she shows up before we get started, we'll have her sing, anyhow. So we'd like that.

Well, we're happy to be in the house of the Lord tonight to be serving Him with all of our heart. We just want everyone to feel real free now, and we're to worship the Lord. That's what we're here gathered together for tonight, is for that one sole purpose: to worship the Lord Jesus.

And now, been having some wonderful times in the Lord, and the Lord has been blessing us in praying for the sick and the afflicted. Up in Saskatchewan, Canada, where we just returned from, our kind, heavenly Father answered prayer in a marvelous way up there. And we've had a wonderful, wonderful meeting among the people. And many people were saved and those who came back to the Lord who'd strayed away. And many great signs our Lord did in the midst of us. And so, we're happy for all of that.

I just left a pathetic case. Our Brother Burns that used to come here at the Tabernacle, they found him the other day with cancer in his body, and so we.... They didn't think he was going to make it just a few days longer. He will be in now to worship with us, maybe Wednesday night. And back again in the service of the Lord.

And we dropped by to have prayer for a little boy out here in the hospital. I believe.... Brother Curtis Hooper, I don't know whether he's here tonight or not, but he was....

And Brother Cox called me and a little boy that's been unconscious for ten weeks, that hit a place up here on Bull Creek hill, it was. His brakes failed going down the hill. And I talked to his mother, and they go to a church, but none of them had really, I don't believe, ever been borned again. And they made a promise to God if the Lord would let the little boy wake up, that they would serve the Lord with all their hearts.

So, that's a good thing. And I believe that God will let the little boy wake up now. He's just a lad, he looked laying there, and he's all fallen away. They can't eat, of course. He's been unconscious ten weeks. And his legs are broke, and they can't even set his legs or nothing, because he isn't conscious to set.

And that's a pathetic case. And think if that was your child. And it's something we ought to really think about that. And we are praying. And I want you to join with me now. The mother has give her promise to God that she will seek Him with all of her heart and will.... The little boy, as soon as he wakes up, I told her to call me. And if I wasn't here, to let me know soon as we got in. I want to go to the little lad to speak to him.

And I just can't think of his name just now. I had it in my pocket, but I forget. They live up somewhere up in North Charlestown, somewhere up that way. And it's a very pathetic case. So, pray for that little boy which I.... Or, let's just after we pray, let's just start thanking God, for He's going to answer the prayer.

You know, Abraham was strong, giving God praise for things that seemed to be impossible. And he got stronger all the time instead of getting weaker. He waited ten years, still the same, twenty years, still the same. And after he was ninety ... or, a hundred years old, and he was still giving God praise, because he knew it would happen. God said so. And that settled it. That's enough when God says so. That's enough to settle it.

Now, in the worship this afternoon, we.... Last Sunday I was here, but I was just so tired I could hardly get down. So, I thought I'd come tonight. Next week, we're going to California now to the old Azusa street rally.

And two years ago in California when we was at the Cow Palace in California in a meeting, why, I happened to think that Pentecost is fifty years old this year in America. This is fifty years of Pentecost. Fifty years ago, the Holy Spirit fell first at Azusa street in the old Azusa street mission in California.

And then, the Lord willing, I believe, maybe, if the Lord will give me to open this service on next ... the sixteenth. And then I have the first two nights. And then, Oral Roberts takes the next, and then, I think Jack Coe next and on down. So then, for several nights.

And I'm going just a little early, because Brother Espinoza who was my translator down in Mexico, a few weeks ago, where twenty thousand one night came to the Lord Jesus by the resurrection of a little dead baby, that had died that afternoon in its mother's arms....

And how many got the “Voice Of Healing” this month? I guess you seen the picture of it in there. And it's a.... He's got the Mexican people all of San Fernando valley gathered together up there under a tent or something for three days' meeting prior to the Azusa street rally. So, be much in prayer for me this week.

Then, the Lord willing, the following weekend be back here at the Tabernacle for another service here. And then we go from there up to ... up into Idaho, and then back down to California, in the tent over to Phoenix. And they're planning now on getting the summer season for overseas. And we're just rejoicing with you all in the blessings of the Lord.

Now, tonight I see it's communion night, and we love that. And we'll not speak too long, but just speak awhile, and then if there's sick here that.... I believe I see they brought a cot out to bring someone in. And so we will pray for those who are needy.

Some colored man asked me last evening over here, would it be all right for him to come over and be prayed for?

I said, “Certainly, my brother, everybody....”

He said, “Whosoever will, let him come.” May whosoever. Just your color don't make any difference to that. Your soul could be just as clear in the sight of God as a man of another color, you see.

God has made of one blood, all nations, one blood. Do you know that colored man is dying, he could give you a blood transfusion? You know the yellow man can give the brown man, the brown man the black man, the black man the white man? But don't you never put no animal blood in you, you'll die. So that shows.... So we never come from animals. We are human blood (That's right.) created by God.

And now, just for a little lesson tonight, I thought timely ... I wanted to ... over.... My subject tonight is The Handwriting On The Wall. And knowing that the time that we're living in, just before the coming of the Lord Jesus....

And seeing the old Azusa street, I come up now to a fifty years that the Holy Spirit has been in America, and to see the rejecting of it in the whole, I believe it would be very timely tonight if we'd read in Daniel and find out just some of the things that's been foreshadowed to us in this day. But before we open His book, shall we just bow our heads and speak to Him just a moment?

Our heavenly Father, to Thee we give praise tonight for all the goodness and mercy that we poor, unworthy creatures has received of Thee by Thy amazing grace. O God, when we're there ten thousand years, as the poet said, we'll have no less days to sing Thy praise than when we first begun. What a time that will be. Knowing that it's in the near future, that we have this great hope and wait with great anticipations on looking upon the face of Him who has been invisible in our midst and has blessed us so miraculously.

Will You just come tonight, Father? As we open up the Word, may the Holy Spirit get right in the Word and carry it right out into the audience, into every heart prepared. The ground's all laid; the seed fall into good ground and bring forth a hundredfold. Grant it, Father, for we ask it in the name of Thy lovely Child, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

In the way of reading the Word, I always feel that my own words is not much. But they will fail, because it's just a man's word. But God's Word never fails.

Was quoting to a man today that had kind of thought he'd trusted the Lord for his healing, and he had failed to receive his healing. And then become discouraged and said, “If I haven't got faith enough to be healed, maybe I haven't faith enough to be saved.”

I told him, I said, “The basis of divine healing is not on the same level as on salvation.” Divine healing is something that was throwed into the believer, but salvation, when you're ... when you receive Christ, and are born again, you have an immortal life that cannot perish or get old; it can never die. It can never.... It's just finished forever when you're borned of the Spirit of God.

But this body, it gets sick, and weak, and God helps us, and heals us, and we get sick again. It's just temporarily until the journey's finished. But salvation is permanent forever. Amen. That doesn't fail.

And now, in the Word, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing of the Word.” And over in the 5th chapter of Daniel, we read as a way for a text in the 22nd verse:

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, has not humbled thine heart, though thou knowest all of this.

And may the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word.

All the old things of the Old Testament was only a shadow of the new things to come. Those things happened back there to give us the foreknowledge of what we might expect in this day if we serve the Lord, and what we might expect if we do not serve the Lord, and if we serve Him half-heartedly or whole-heartedly.

In Hebrews, it said, “Seeing that we are compassed about by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every sin ... every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us that we might run with patience the race that's set before us.”

Now, all those old things.... Daniel, I chose the book of Daniel, like it very much, haven't taught on it for quite a little while, but because it was a preshadow of the great day that we're living in. And in Daniel's day was the issuing in of the Gentile age.

God had dealt with the Jews till this time, and now He's turning to the Gentile. And in this great prophecy, and visions, and dreams, of Daniel, and of Nebuchadnezzar, and Belteshazzar, and many of the characters that's in the book of Daniel was all set in order that we might see today.

And how that in the vision of Daniel, of seeing, the interpretation of the image of the beast and everything of the Gentile age, just how one kingdom would succeed another until it come down to the very end days that where we're living now.

And to see in the Middle East all these things rising up, these troubles. Little nations up there who has not been thought of or even spoke of for many, many hundreds, yes, thousands of years.... Maybe two thousand years or twenty-five hundred, nothing has been said much about those little countries, until just these last days.

And the very valuable things that we thought was insignificant, places like the Dead Sea, and we find out that the Dead Sea has got more treasure in it than all the rest of the world put together. And all the Iranian mines and everything else. Just a little thing that England was willing to submit back to the Arabs and said, “There wasn't nothing to it. What did they want them old rock lands?” But they failed to know the Bible said, that, she'd blossom like a rose and would bring forth her abundance.

How little, how men in days past and even in this day, how they misjudged things by not taking it from the Word of God. What a vital mistake England made then! What a vital mistake they give by giving back India her rights!

But they don't realize those things, because they do not read the Bible. And if that be true amongst nations, how much more is it amongst mankind tonight, who do not value their life day by day to read the Bible and see what God has laid in His Word for every man? And your attitude towards God and towards His Word....

During this time of the carrying away into Babylon was a very marking time. First, they were carried down into Egypt. Second, they were carried into Babylon, and the Gentiles was issued in. And then, the third, they were carried ... or, scattered by the Roman empire, and 1947 on May the seventh, they were once more recognized among the nations of the world for the first time for twenty-five hundred years, the Jews were.

The beginning of the end, the fig tree putting forth its buds. The old six point star of David, the oldest flag that's ever flown on the earth, rose to the flagpole again for the first time for twenty-five hundred years, marking a definite promise that God had said through the Hebrew prophets would take place: He'd raise up an ensign.

And when we see that waving over Jerusalem tonight, seeing God hardening the hearts of men like Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and all those to persecute the Jews and run them back to the homeland, we know the time is at hand.

Oh, what a day and what an opportunity that even the weakest of Christian has today to testify for the glory of the Lord Jesus. What an opportunity to do something that the prophets desired to do, and it's laid in the hands of the feeblest Christian, the little housewife. It's in her hands today to testify to the Lord Jesus and His resurrection.

And the Jews had gotten away from God, got cold, backslid. And God permitted a strange nation to come in (which had been prophesied by the prophets), and would scatter them, and carry them away, because they had got away from God.

And now, if God so loved the Jews, and were His first chosen as a people.... He called the Jews out, and yet when they sowed, they had to reap what they sowed.

And we're not expelled ... or, we're not immune from God's judgments when we disobey His commands. That's right. That goes for nations, or individuals, or churches, or whatever it is. When we disobey God, we will receive judgment for it. God's just and can do nothing else, but every man shall receive a just recompense of reward for his deeds that's done.

And now, how that in that great time of sliding away and the falling away of the Jews.... And God permitted a heathen nation to come over and carry away the chosen down into captivity, because they had not served the Lord with a full heart: very beautiful picture of the day we're living. Yet we had been a chosen and a selected people, a blessed people above any of the rest of the world, but when we forget God's commandments, and cause a great drinking, and rioting, and divorce, and adultery, and things that we are putting up and making it absolutely legal in this nation, God's got nations that can come and take it any time He wants to.

You heard that commentator the other day that just left Russia, said they had at least ten thousand jet bombers that can never even stop to fuel, and loaded in their hangers with atomic bombs that could fly over America and return back without even refueling. Think, each plane carrying at least eight or ten atomic and hydrogen bombs which could put a hundred and fifty million people to this nation to a total annihilation in one hour's time.

And we wade on in sin, corruption, forsaking the Lord, doing the things that's contrary to His will, and laughing, and making fun of those who are trying to do right. What else could we expect but a repeat of the carrying away into Babylon? Just right.

Notice in there, God had a servant down there by the name of Daniel, a young prophet about forty years old, who was serving the Lord with all of his heart. And God had a work for him to do.

And in the carrying away of Babylon.... Remember, if God has a work for you to do, all the demons out of torment can't take you. They just can't startle you in any way. God's got a purpose for the Holy Ghost church. And all the devils of hell will never be able to take it away. God's got a purpose for it. And it will never be destroyed until God lets it fulfill the purpose that He has ordained it to do, and it will.

And remember, as Daniel went with the Hebrew children down in there, I want you to notice, many of them already worldly minded, many of them didn't care, while they just go with the tide of least resistance. And isn't that just about the picture of our country today?

And this may be shocking, but it's about the picture of the church today, let alone the nation: just float with the tide of least resistance. Every way the wind blows, just set your sail, go right on.

Oh, God, give us men like Daniel. Give us Christians like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who are willing to sacrifice ... or, forfeit every right that they have to become a servant of the Lord.

Notice, Daniel, when he went down into Babylon, he knowed he was going among unbelievers, the uncircumcised. And when he went down there, he knowed he'd be entangled with them. Not because that he wanted to be, but because the nation had fell, and he had to go into captivity with them. But God was with him as an alien. I love that. Though we be an alien, God still will be with you.

The little story ... I don't know, I've told it so many times; I might have told it to the tabernacle, but it comes right into my heart as this time.

Here some time ago down into the Southlands, they used to buy slaves. And they would buy them, and have the brokers to go buy, just like they do a used car lot today: selling people, the colored race, for slaves.

And when they did, people would go by the old plantations and they'd see a bunch of slaves; if they looked like good workers, he would offer a certain price, buy these slaves, and take them, and sell them for good workers somewhere else and make a profit on the exchange.

Now, one day a broker came by, and he saw a bunch of slaves working on a certain plantation, a hundred or more slaves. And they were sad, because they were away from home. Many times they'd whip them because they wouldn't work. They thought they'd never go home again, babies they'd never see, papa and mama they'd never see, their relation they'd never see. And they were very downcast as it's so easy to become, especially when you're oppressed.

That's what the devil likes to work on you and oppress you. You know, that's a trick of the devil to oppress. But when the Christian knows his legal rights (Amen.), when you can quote God's Word, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,” that takes all the oppression away. And the clouds begin to clear back. But if you just know that God has promised and God's faithful, He can keep His promise or He'd never promised it.

And then this broker come by, and he noticed one of those slaves. Oh, my. He wasn't like the rest of them. You didn't have to whip him. He was right up with his chest stuck out and his chin up. And he was just willing to work or do anything, just real snappy, brilliant fellow.

And the broker said, “I'd like to buy that one.”

He said.... The owner said, “He's not for sale.”

He said, “Why, what is he?” Said, “Is he a boss over the rest of them?”

Said, “No, he's just a slave.”

Well, said, “Maybe, you feed him a little better than you do the rest of them.”

Said, “No, he eats out there in the galley with all the rest of them.”

Well, said, “What makes him so much up-and-at-it?”

Said, “I've always wondered myself, till I found out something.” Said, “You know what I found out? That his father is the king of the tribe. And though he's an alien, yet he knows he's the son of the king.” Amen.

Brother, though we be alienated in this world where sin and chaos is, yet stick out your chest and throw up your eyes; you're sons and daughters of a King. What kind of a person ought.... He did that to keep up the morale of the rest of them.

And that's what we got to do who's borned again of the Holy Spirit: keep up a good courage. What kind of a people we should be, knowing that our heavenly Father is the King. Only one thing the slave never knew, he'd ever go back home again. But there's one blessed thing, we know we're going home someday. Amen.

Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may be also; and don't let your hearts be troubled. Don't think about anything else, but keep your mind on these things.” That would make a mockingbird sing at the middle of the night when he can know.

I've often wondered.... I see Brother Wright sitting over here. I used to preach down at the Baptist church. I'd see that old mockingbird sit out there at nighttime and sing in that cedar bush. And I wondered what made him sing. And I got to reading up on the birds, and I find out that what he does.

I notice on a cloudy night, he would just sing now and then. He's watching for the stars. And every time he sees a star shining, he knows the sun's a shining somewhere. So he starts singing.

And I think that's the way it is with Christians. As long as we can feel and know that the presence of God is with us, a little glory falling down once in awhile, a good, old-fashioned revival, or an old, hallelujah song that makes us sing with all of our hearts, for we know the Holy Spirit's still falling somewhere. God's still getting glory. What a wonderful thing.

Daniel, an alien away from home, way down.... But watch what he did. He purposed in his heart that he wouldn't defile himself with the king's doings down there. All the king's fancy foods and all of his dainties that he was to eat upon and his wine, liquors, that he purposed in his heart, while he was an alien, he'd keep himself for God. Amen.

There you are. Though the world forsake you.... Yet, everybody laughs at you and calls you every fanatical name that could be called, purpose in your heart to do that which is right. Purpose in your heart that you'll have nothing to do with the world. We're living in the shadows of the coming of the Lord.

What can you promise yourself, anyone? What can any nation promise? There's not a promise left. Nothing's left. It's chaos and everything. There's nothing this way you can see, but look up that way. Every promise in the Word is true. Some glorious day, Jesus shall come and all these things will be taken away and Christ will reign.

Isn't it a wonderful hope to know that these old frail, fragile bodies that we're living in and these little, brittle threads of life that we're walking on, someday will give away, and every mortal wheel that's turning will stop, and we'll take a trip over to Zion's Hill to live in the presence of God forever, back a new man and a new woman, young and in the splendor of youth to be that way forever.

The old will be young there forever, transformed in a moment of time, immortal, shall shine in His likeness, the stars and the sun to outshine. What a glorious assurance we have of this, because God's eternal Word who's been true in all ages has promised it to the believer. What have we got to worry about? Not a thing, but just be happy about it.

Now, Daniel said, “I'm going to purpose in my heart. No matter how much pressure they put on me, how much they laugh and say I'm a holy-roller, that won't bother me a bit. That won't phase me one bit. I'm going to stay true to God no matter what comes to pass.” That's the way. Then you're going to get somewhere when you start with that attitude.

Remember, it's the motives that you have towards anything that determines what you're going to get out of it. It's your motives. If your motives is right, you'll be all right. But always make your motives right. Serve the Lord for one purpose: because you love Him; not because you're afraid of hell, not because you're afraid of dying, but because you love Him who loved you when you were unlovable. That's it.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood

shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God

be saved to sin no more.

That's right.

Ever since by faith I saw that stream,

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

What a marvelous quotation of the poet. And that's right. Take all of everything else, but give me love.

If I had every gift in the Bible and could exchange it for love, I'd never wink an eye. I'd take it right now. Let me feel the blessings of the Lord Jesus and His divine love into my heart that's shed abroad by the Holy Ghost, and I'll exchange any gift in the Bible for that. Yes, sir. I'd exchange a domain if I was a king and sitting on a throne, and the world was my domain, I'd give every penny of it and forfeit a million years on this life in this world here to have the love of Jesus Christ, that's shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. There's nothing to compare with it.

So purpose in your heart now that you'll serve the Lord, no matter what the world says. Oh, how tricky the devil is, how sly he is, friends. Watch him.

Out in the scope of the little ministry that the Lord has given me around the world in different nations, and seeing that sly hand of the devil, so tricky. How easy he could upset you and make it look like it's the truth. Yes, sir. The biggest lie was ever told had truth in it. The first lie was ever told had truth in it. The first lie that the devil told Eve had a lot of truth in it.

Said, “She'd be open-eyed, she'd be wise, she'd have more knowledge.” All that was true. And then he said, “Surely, you'll not die.” But God said you would die. So that just settled it. Keep true to the Word.

And Daniel was going to purpose in his heart, he'd be true to God and God's Word. And while he was down there, the Lord could use him. Why could He use Daniel? Because he had purposed in his heart. And if you want to be used of God, purpose in your heart that you'll love Him and serve Him, and everything will be fine.

The king dreamed a dream. And oh, how I would like to have time to go in.... I preached on this one time here at the Tabernacle for weeks after weeks after weeks, many years ago, some fifteen, maybe twenty years ago.

How that in this issuing in of the Gentile day, when God turned to the Gentiles there, and showed favor to King Nebuchadnezzar and give him a great throne.... The first thing happened, the king got exalted in his heart. That just runs in the nature of Gentiles to do that: Get puffed up, we're some big person.

That's what's happened to the churches. We've got puffed up: We're big denomination. That's what's happened to Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostals, and all the rest of them. You get puffed up, you're something big. It's just that time that God leaves you when you do that.

You become a mighty organization. But I'd rather be a humble servant of the Lord, than have all the organizations there is in the world (Yes), or go to the biggest church or belong to the majority. I'd rather be on the minority, anyhow, and be right with God (Yes), anytime.

And then, when we see this king then, King Nebuchadnezzar, how he got exalted in his heart, and God had to make him eat grass like an ox for several years, how his hair growed out like eagle feathers and his fingernails like claws of a bird. And how he had to ... till the king recognized in his heart that he was nothing. And it was the God of heaven who set up who He wanted to and taken down who He wants to.

And many times we may not have our hair to grow out like eagle's feathers, and our fingernails may not grow out like eagle's claws, neither may we eat grass like an ox; but sometimes God has to put affliction on us to let us know that He's still the ruler of our life. And we're only here because He permits us to be here, and it's His grace that we are here. And we want to serve Him.

Here sometime ago, I was talking to a man out in Idaho up here, and he said, “Well, Mr. Branham,” he said, “I raise hogs.” He said, “My grandfather had this herd. He educated us children. And the same herd, I've educated my children. And my children will come up and educate theirs by the same herd.”

I said, “That's very nice, sir. And that's a legitimate job is to raise stock.” But I said, “Did you know, God put you here for some other purpose besides raise hogs to educate your children? God put you here to be sons and daughters of God, and if you fail to get that, you fail to receive the very purpose God put you on earth to be.” That's right.

No, matter how honest, how decent, how moral you might be, how good you might be, what a fine sociable fellow you might be; you still miss the calling unless you serve the Lord Jesus and become a son and daughter of God. No, matter how good a neighbor you might be, how good a anything you may be, that's all good and we appreciate that. But my brother, until you become a son of God, you fail to answer the purpose that God put you on earth to be. That's right.

Now, King Nebuchadnezzar, he was a haughty man. He said, “Look what I have done.” Then the Lord give him a dream, and it troubled him. And when he did, he saw a great image. And we're well acquainted with that image. And notice the accuracy of God's eternal Word.

King Nebuchadnezzar seen an image with a golden head, and its breast in here was silver. And its thighs were brass, and its feet was iron and clay. Now, notice how those kingdoms.... The softest material is gold. The next come in harder than that is silver. The next is brass, and the hardest of all of them is iron. Iron is the hardest.

And notice how the Gentile world would start. It would start a soft. Then just keep getting harder and harder and harder and harder, till it finally went out into the clay and iron, mixed together. And each one of those kingdoms....

Now, think, twenty-five hundred years ago, a single person that purposed in their heart that they would serve the Lord and would not defile themself, foretold this day to the dot, and every other age coming down, perfectly: how that the Babylonian kingdom was to be taken away. The Medes and Persians taken that over, and Greece taken that over, and Rome took it over and broke into both feet which was eastern and western Rome.

And how that in the Roman they'd have the two different churches amongst the Gentile. One would be Catholic and one Protestant. The iron of the Roman Catholic church and the clay of the Protestant. How they wouldn't mix together, but when mingle them seeds one marrying into the other and trying to break the power of the other one. Just perfectly, exactly how God said would take place.

And that has come to pass just as perfect as it could come to pass. And every other promise of God will come to pass just as perfect as that was. Someday we're going home to glory. Someday Jesus is coming.

I believe (coming down to the text now) that we're living in the very day that God had promised that He'd pour out His Spirit on the Gentile church. He poured out His Spirit upon the Hebrew church back there at the beginning at the day of Pentecost. He said there'd be a former rain and the latter rain. The two different people, the Jew and the Gentile. And in this last days, He'd pour out His Spirit upon the Gentile church.

Now, I want you to notice. As soon as the king saw this vision and he made it, he forced every person in his kingdom in his domain to worship this image. He made an image. And it's believed by scholars—and which I do believe that a Spirit-filled person would see it—that that.... He worshipped Daniel is what he did. And he made an image to Daniel. And he called it Belteshazzar. He called Daniel, Belteshazzar, which was the name of his god. And he made an image and forced every person to worship that image.

I want you to notice that the beginning of the Gentiles, when God dealt with them, they got haughty in their heart and forced every man to worship the image of a holy man. And the Gentile age was issued in with that; it will go out in the same way.

The same way a boycott of the mark of the beast that will force people to worship images and to do the things that we've been taught that was contrary to the Word of God.

And, brother, it'll be so slick and sly until it will deceive the very elect if possible. So you better purpose in your heart tonight and be filled with God's Holy Spirit, that you'll be able to discern the right and wrong thing when the proclamation is issued. Hallelujah.

When we see all the eastern, middle-eastern powers, when we see the eastern and western world again uniting, see them two feet in Daniel's vision. See, it's just repeating again, and it's a revival of the old Roman empire coming up, as certain as I'm standing here. It's true. It's time for Daniels to rise. It's time for people who will purpose in their heart that they'll live true to God, and to the Holy Spirit, and to the principles of the Bible, regardless of what the rest of the world says.

Look what a great, big to-do they had. The first thing, it got worse and worse all the time.

Now, we see it coming to a head. And right down to the head of the thing, it come to a place where they begin to immorally, and they married wives, and they mixed mingled marriages, and everything. And finally the king became to a place until he called all of his wives, marrying and intermarrying. And he called all of his lords, and his concubines, and all together to have a big shindig one night; called them all together to have a big barn dance, as we'd call it today: nothing else in the world. Right.

A great, big jubilee when all the people and perhaps many of the Jews was right there with them. And they called them all in. And after they got drinking pretty well, they felt like that they would go in and get the religious things and make a little fun of it.

And when a man becomes intoxicated with whiskey or strong drink, he isn't mentally right. So, if he is mentally right, enough to know that he shouldn't do it, then he goes and does it anyhow; God will hold him responsible for it, regardless if he is drunk, 'cause He proved it that night He did. That's right.

You know better to do it in the first place. You know better than to commit adultery. If you're caught in the act, you're just guilty. And God will catch you. Don't you worry about that. That's right.

And if you lie or steal or anything else, God will catch you. Remember, your sins will find you out. It sure will. So, purpose in your heart tonight that you're going to serve the Lord.

And they had all the examples of what God was going to do. They had it foretold them through the king. Really, Belteshazzar is called his son, but it was his grandson. It was his daughter's.... Nebuchadnezzar had a daughter, and she married a general and this general's boy was Belteshazzar. So then, it was his grandson.

And he knowed what God had done to his grandfather for getting in that condition. And he had all those things that what he did, and yet he ignored everything that God had said. He ignored it and went ahead with his own way.

And brother, sister, if that isn't a picture of the country today, I don't know what is. When the Bible says it's wrong to do these things, and the church will continually go on and do it....

We make whiskey-drinking legal. We make beer-drinking legal. They let women....

Here the other day, me and my buddy back there was going squirrel hunting, and we got out.... And I've used guns all my life. And we put up a great barricade of steel and everything else and shot a couple of bullets in there to see if our sights was in, up there in a yard. And they called the police. And they come up there and said it was dangerous to live in the neighborhood.

I said, “I ought to call the police then and tell them, 'It's dangerous to have them naked women laying out there in that yard, the people driving up and down the street.'” They know better than that. Nature itself will tell you better than that.

But it's got to a day, they ignore every law of God. They make up their own man-made fences and serve that way. Brother, we've got nothing in the world but another Babylon. Just exactly. We've got a modern way of Babylon.

And a great, drunken party, lay out. And church, not only just the sinners, but church members do that on Sunday afternoon, riding away, drinking. Little old girls out on the street with a coat on like this so cold, nearly freezing to death with no clothes beneath.

There's only one thing and only one place in the Bible that has ever acted that made a person take off their clothes and they were devil-possessed. That's right. It's the truth, and there's no compliment on that ... compromising. It's the truth. It's the devil that gets into those people that makes them strip their clothes off. It's the devil. You don't mean to be wrong, but woman, it's the devil doing that.

It used to be wrong for holiness women to wear paint on their face. And now, they just gob it in on any way and sing and shout and praise the Lord like there was nothing to it.

Oh, brother, do you realize that that's the devil that's a doing that? Purpose in your heart that you'll live. If it's old-fashioned, live old-fashioned and serve the Lord God of the heavens and earth. Purpose in your heart.

Notice, how they'd got away. It used to be wrong for men to drink. Why, it's popular now. Everywhere you go. In the rooms.... I was in a Sunday school convention not long ago. In the room, the hotel room where we was staying, the awfullest drunken bunch I ever got into in my life. And they were riding up and down on the elevators in a Sunday school convention. And little boys and girls going in the same room together and staying all night. And their archbishop sitting there permitting it.

Brother, they're willfully ignorant. God's Word said separate yourself from such chaos and muck. And our American nation is higher rate in divorce courts than all the rest of the world put together. What's the matter? We're getting ripe for judgment.

You can preach the Bible, and the power of the Holy Ghost, and the resurrection of Christ, and the signs and wonders will follow the believer, speak the gifts coming back into the church, the restoration of all things; and preachers will even laugh at you and say you've lost your mind.

Brother, I've purposed in my heart, regardless of what on earth they've got to say, if I'd have to be excommunicated, I'd preach the whole Bible or none of it at all and stay true. Certainly. Purpose in your heart to do that which is right, think that which is holy.

I had a little cross hanging down in front of my car, coming down Sellersburg, the other day. There was a man got in the car. He said, “Billy, I want to ask you a question.” He said, “Did you know that's Catholic?”

I said, “What?”

Said, “The cross.”

I said, “Oh, no. When did the Catholics ever have the option on the cross?” Amen. I said, “That's an emblem of Christian faith.” I said, “Catholicism is worshipping dead people, such as Mary and Saint Cecelia, and all those other little, ten thousand little saints they got. That's Catholicism. But Protestantism is the cross and the Christ who rose from the dead and is alive tonight forevermore, and the only Mediator between God and man.” Amen. I said, “I will tell you why I hang it there.” I said, “It's because I might move some of these days. They tell me that the mayor of Miami is making a proclamation that every woman that comes on the street has to be covered from her neck to her knees.” I said, “I'll move to Miami, regardless of how I hate it.” Yes.

I said, “The reason, every which way you look, east or west or right or left, it's always some kind of vulgarity. It's before you always. And when I look at that cross, I can see something better, and I think of the ransom price that God Almighty out of heaven who saved my soul. And I think that on that cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. It was on that old cross that Jesus bled and died to save and sanctify me from the things of the world. And He's always before my face.” That's right.

Now, in the day that we're living and the things.... Notice, in all that chaos, they went and got the holy vessels of the Lord, and came out and drinking wine in them, and made mockery, and made fun of the holy things of God. That's just what they're doing today. That's just what they've done for fifty years. That's just what they've done since Azusa street. That's exactly what they're doing here.

They make fun of it, and they say, “There's nothing to it. They say, ”The divine gift of healing, the divine gift to speak with tongues, the divine gift to interpret, the divine gift of foreknowledge, of prophecy, all of that is soothsaying. There's nothing to it. It's all of the devil.“ And not realizing when they speak that word, they seal themselves from God forever.

Jesus said, “Whosoever shall speak a word against Me shall be forgiven: but when the Holy Ghost is come and does this same work, to speak a word against that will never be forgiven in this world or the world to come.” And she's weighed in the balance and found wanting. And the handwriting's on the wall tonight. Right.

Brother, we're sure to sink. I don't mean the church, I mean the nation. It's just as sure to sink as it's a nation. It's got to sink, because the whole thing has become stink in God's face. And the so-called religionists has become worse than the communists, 'cause they do know to do better and won't do it.

Just think of the day, just think. The backbone of this nation is those good old mothers and dads out yonder, and at their prayer meeting on their knees praying. It's the people who serve God that's the backbone of any nation. And yet, they're made fun of, made fun of, called everything there is under sun to call them that. And they make fun.

Remember, after a while the handwriting come on the wall, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN,” which means, “Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.”

Brother, when I see the ensign lifted yonder in Jerusalem, when I see the Jews returning back, when I see that middle eastern problem, little old India is laid down there all these years and now she's a keynote, illiterate people, but a keynote. We failed to preach the Gospel to them. We've done everything else. We've built great big churches and spent billions of dollars to put in a church, and missionaries can't go because they haven't got the finance to go on.

And we went over there. And what missionaries went over there and try to tell them about the Lord, here come the others over-falling in great big fine finery, and even making fun and shunning them. I stood and watched it with my own eyes.

Brother, we've been weighed in the balance and found wanting. The missionary had the penny march on the altar, and the beer company got the tithes money that should've went to God. Exactly the truth. That's exactly the truth.

We have absolutely donated to the wrong thing. We put everything into those so-called organizations, the little charities and things like that. When men rode around in great big green Cadillacs with stub rings on, a fifty cent cigar in his mouth, getting five hundred dollars a week to distribute to his friends. That's right. That's the backbone of all of it.

And the devil has come in from over in Paris where there was the lowest, filthiest, nastiest people there is in the world, and they come over here and we fashioned our people after them. All the women got their modernistic idea.

Do you remember I was reading the other day in some reports from Hollywood? And you know where the first song that ever was put on radio that begin to start the ball a rolling was uncensored? The first thing started was that little old song, “Roll 'em ... down your stockings and show your knees, girls.” Look at them now. They haven't got any stockings to roll down.

Look at it. Look at the dirt; look at the filth. Look what it's done. Look at the strip teases, look at everything else on the radio ... not on the radio, but on the television. You put in the movies and you try to keep your kids away from the movies—you holiness people, you good people, you people that's tried to preach the truth, you people that's tried to stand by it, and the devil is trying to get one jump ahead.

You know what he done? He put it right in your house in the name of television. Yes, sir. And now, we have got so low down and so corrupt and we have succeeded and went past Paris until now, they're fashioning after us. Oh, my.

When I think, when I walked the streets of Paris there and those old urinals, how they stunk on the street. I think the whole nation of America has become a modern urinal in the sight of Almighty God. When divorce and rape and crime.... And stop it if you can; you can't stop it. God said it would be so, and she's ripe for judgment. Purpose in your heart that you'll not defile yourself with the things of the world.

Ladies, let your hair grow out; take the paint off your face, and keep those dirty clothes off. Men, get away from them cigars, and cigarettes, and beer parlors, and pool rooms, and come to the living God and purpose in your heart [unclear] with God, that you'll lay aside every weight that so easily besets you and run with patience the race that's set before you.

What a day. What a time that we're living in: a modern Babylon. Then God who is just to pour out His judgment there, has got to be the same just God today to pour out ... here.

As the Gentile age was issued in under riotousness, and drinking, and women, and carousing, the Gentile dispensation is going out in the same manner. We're going out to chaos from drinking, drunken. Our little teen-age children out here in school, they start them off with smoking cigarettes, and they go from there to marijuana.

And many of the schools are permitting the children to smoke in class just before they have a test. And a few years ago when, “Roll them down and show the knees,” of the girls was a very immodest, shocking thing. And today, the women that's so-called Christian women walk out on the streets, disgracefully. I tell you, it would make a Archangel blush. That's right. What a chaos we're in. What a condition the world's in.

Now, friends, don't let these words pass foolishly. They are truth, and they are sound, and they are the Bible. And they are coming from my heart. If I know that I try to keep it open before God. And brother, sister, receive it in the name of Lord Jesus in the way it's supposed to be given.

And I want you to notice this now. I want you to listen close. Did you notice? Right before the very climax of all of it, when they got the handwriting on the wall, and said, “What's all this?” They went and got their wise men. They got the Chaldeans; they got the soothsayers. And no one could interpret that language. No one could know what it was.

There was only one man left in their kingdom that could interpret unknown tongues. God spoke in unknown tongues and wrote with His finger in unknown tongues. And there was a man there who had the gift of interpretation, and that was the man who purposed not to defile himself with the king's meat. Amen.

And he had the true interpretation. There's a false bunch (That's true), but there was one man had the article. And he could read it, and he interpreted what it was.

Notice, the Gentile age ceased with the supernatural gifts of God in operation. It began with the supernatural gifts. It ends with the supernatural gifts. And the supernatural gifts has returned to the Holy-Ghost-filled church, and it's in operation today. And they're reading the handwriting on the wall. We're in chaos. Amen.

Purpose in your heart not to serve no one else but the Lord Jesus. Purpose tonight that you'll live for Him. We're at the end time, friends: we're at the end day. Look what's happened.

I remember the first little vulgar song. And now, all you could turn on the radio.... If you don't get some good religious program, it's one of these old boogie-woogies or rock-and-rolls. That's right. Just think what's going on.

Look at the modern American home. You know where? Pop, where's he at? He's down to the barroom having a social drink with the neighbor. Where's mom at? Well, she's down at the stitch-and-sew party, playing cards. Where's junior at? In his hot rod, out racing on the street, dragging with everybody, with a girl wrapped in one arm and a cigarette in the other. Where's sis at? She's down at the canteen doing a rock-and-roll, out all night with a bunch of soldiers and everything she can run with.

That's a modern American home. Brother, the handwriting's on the wall. That's right. Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.

And great men has crossed this nation. Billy Graham, Jack Schuller, Oral Roberts, and them preaching the unadulterated Gospel of the Lord Jesus. And people has laughed at them and made fun of it and turned it down flatly. And there's only one thing left; that's divine judgment, and it's coming. And Russia's there sitting there waiting for you.

Brother, to realize that a hundred and fifty million people could die in one hour and that could be before daylight breaks in the morning. This whole nation could become annihilated. And what do you think will take place?

When, say at least; if ten thousand planes loaded with atomic bombs, if each one would drop an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb on this nation, the whole world would shake plumb from its orbit. What would that do? Fulfill every word God said would come to pass. What would it do?

In the time of the antediluvian world when they built the sphinx and so forth, those big pyramids, that we couldn't reproduce it today if we had to, back in that same country where the fuss is beginning now in Egypt, a very striking Bible prophecy if we had time to get it. But we haven't.

But notice, God prophesied over in Ezekiel about in the 9th or 19th chapter (I forget just now which it was), along there. That in the day just before the coming of the Lord, there would be a highway come out of Egypt and go up into Syria. And they just completed that highway after twenty-five hundred years of prophecy.

And at that day, how that Jerusalem: there'd be an ensign lifted up, the old six point star of David would fly; and how that it would blossom as a rose, and the Jews would return from everywhere, returning back to the homeland.

Here, the other day, Brother Arganbright showed me that picture, “Three Minutes Before Midnight.” That wasn't Christian, that was science said that. The old clock has beat away and the pendulum has went back and forth, back and forth through troubles and chaos, and Gospel sermons, and messages, until finally she's three minutes before midnight.

And I seen that picture. And I seen them bringing those Jews in, coming down from Iran, coming down from Egypt, coming down from all over the world. And they was packing them in: boys packing their old mammy on their back, and they went up to interview them.

When we landed just below, and I landed in Cairo, Egypt, I seen them big planes coming in, loaded with those people. Walked up and said, “What are you going back to the homelands for? Are you going back there to die so you can be buried in the homelands?”

Those old Jews with tears running down their cheeks said, “No, we're going to meet the Messiah.” Hallelujah! “We're going to see the Messiah. He will be there soon.”

And when the fig tree puts forth her buds, time is at hand even at the door, “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass until all be fulfilled.”

When we see America, the great last civilization, brother, as great a nation as it is, we've got to give away everything. Mortal has to give away to immortality.

I stood here some time ago up in the woods and cried like a baby. I went over here to my daddy's grave. I used to see him wash his face, his little short, stubby arms, a log man just stout as he could be.

And I'd see how Mr. Coots told me, said, “I seen your daddy single-handed, Billy....” Said, “You ought to be a stout man.”

I said, “But I'm not.”

He said, “I seen your daddy single-handed load an ash log that weighed nine hundred and fifty pounds.”

And I thought, “Boy, my daddy will live to be a hundred and fifty years old.” He died at fifty-two.

What was it? We have no continuing city here. Everything mortal gives way. I don't care how strong you are, how healthy you are; your breath lays in the hand of Almighty God. He might take it in the next second. That's right.

I stood by an old tree up here where when I was first saved. I didn't know how to talk to the Lord, but I wanted to get right. I never did speak to Him. So you know how I prayed my first prayer? I was going to write it out on a piece of paper. Being a woodsman, I always lived in the woods, mostly. And I noticed that I'd see Him in the woods. I could hear Him. I could hear His footprints, like, as He come through the nighttime in the whirlwind. Oh, He rides upon the whirlwind. Hallelujah! His wave is in a whirlwind.

I could see Him as He claps His hands with the leaves like that. Everything in a voice saying, “Adam, where art thou?” Oh, laying down under the blanket with my head sticking out, looking at the stars, I knowed He stayed in the woods.

And I wrote out my prayer. I said, “God, I've been an awful man. If You'll just forgive me.” I took it and tacked it on the tree. I didn't know how to ask Him. I thought if He come by, He could read it, and know that I was sorry for what I'd done. I didn't know how to pray. But the God of heaven understood that, and He saved my lost soul. Yes, yes, sir.

I stood with the old trees up there in the woods the other day and I started weeping. Brother Wood and I was out in the woods. And I noticed it. That great big tree had its great, strong branches out like that. I thought, “What a wonderful tree.” I used to break pieces off of it, (couldn't afford a tent), and make a little shelter rest to get back under it at night when it was raining when I would be fishing, staying out all night.

And when I, just as a kid, and I thought, “This tree will stand here for hundreds and hundreds of years.” It's nothing but a snag now. What is it? No, matter how strong and how powerful it was, everything mortal has to give away to immortality.

And brother, we've been a great nation. We've been a great people. We've been a great church. We've been a great everything. But I tell you, everything mortal has to give away. And the time is at hand. I tell you everything is laying, and the world has become to one great big chaos of this corruption and stink before God. This nation, its whiskey drinking, beer drinking, and our taxes is paid on this whiskey and stuff which supports our nation, and its blood money.

If you think it's wrong to drink whiskey and you say, “Leave it alone, preacher, you oughtn't to say nothing about drinking. It's our American right.” I know it's your American rights, but it's not your heavenly rights.

And brother, if you're willing before God, you will be ... you will in your heart forfeit every filthy right that you have to serve the Lord, and will purpose in your heart that you will not defile yourself with the things of the world.

You say, “Brother Branham, other Christians smoke. Why can't I smoke?” You might have a right to smoke as an American citizen, but you have not the right to do it as a Christian. Because it's a stumbling block in the other person's way. That's exactly right. And you shouldn't do it; you lay a stumbling block.

All these other things. And your dressing, you say, “Well, the rest of the women, they dress like this, the other girls. They dress like this, they do this, why can't I do it?” I know it's your American right. “The law don't say I can't do it.” I know that. It don't say hardly anything, you can do anything you want to. That's right, just about anything.

But brother, it's not in a Christian's heart to do that. If you'll purpose in your heart that you'll live clean and pure before God, nature itself will teach you that those things are wrong.

But here we are. We come into this place. What is it? It's because we're at the end road. Purpose in your heart tonight, never no more, never no more, as long as the world stands or as long as you live, that you'll never defile yourself anymore with the portion of the American way of life (Yes, sir.)—American way of life, so-called. Now, the old American way of life was fine. Be neighborly and honest and so forth, that's good. But this modern way of your nakedness, and drinking, and carousing, and separation, and marrying, and intermarrying, and all this nonsense. Purpose in your heart to abstain from all that as long as you live. Let us pray.

While we have our heads bowed, every heart before God, sincerely. I believe that we're at the end of the road. These signs always come at the junction time. Remember, just before the antediluvian destruction, God raised up a prophet. God sent angels to the earth. Great signs and wonders took place, and the rain come, and the world was destroyed.

Just before the coming out of Egypt, God sent a prophet. He sent an Angel in a burning bush. Signs and wonders were done. Oh, what a horrible thing. And Egypt was drowned in the sea behind, and the church went on to victory.

Just before the coming of the Lord Jesus, there was a prophet raised up, John the Baptist. The message went forth, angels appeared, signs and wonders were done, and Jesus came. And the Saviour of the world was crucified.

We're at the end road. We've come down through the age of Catholicism, fifteen hundred years of dark ages. We've come through the hundreds of years of Martin Lutherism. We come from that to Methodism from John Wesley. We come from that to Calvin, Knox, Finley ... Finney, all the rest of them, on down into Pentecostalism. And we're at the end of the fifty years of Pentecost, she's just as backslid as the rest of it.

She's gone out now. The women have become acting like the world. The men has become taking on the things of the world. The preacher in the pulpit is ashamed or afraid to tell, because he's afraid he'll get kicked out of the organization. [Blank spot on tape.]

God help us to have men that's free from every bondage, free from everything, that they can preach the Word without compromising and call black black and white white.

My friend, are you a Christian tonight? Are you saved? Do you know you're saved? We're at the end of the road. And some of these nights, it's going to be too late. He'll come, and the rapture might be at any time.

While we have our heads bowed, is there someone would raise up your hand and say, “Brother Branham, remember me in prayer tonight. I want to purpose in my heart from this night on, I'll never serve the world no more.” Would you raise your hand? “I'll quit my smoking. I'll quit my dancing. I'll quit my meanness of the world.”

God bless you, sir. God bless you, lady. Someone else? God bless you, sir. God bless you, buddy. Bless you here on the end, brother. Bless you back there, little lady.

Someone else, raise your hand, say, “By God's grace tonight, I realize I'm in Babylon. I realize that the condition that we're in. I hear it blasted everywhere, Brother Branham, and I know we're at the end of the road. I now raise my hand to Christ Jesus and ask Him to be merciful to me. And I purpose in my heart from this night on to stop all the filthy things that I've been doing and serve the Lord.”

God bless you, lady. God bless you, sir. God bless you. Someone else? Raise your hand, say, “I now refrain from all the things of the world, and I now serve the Lord from tonight on.”

Now, as we sing softly, with your heads bowed, if anyone feels convicted about it, I want you, if you wish to, walk up here and kneel down at the altar that we might pray with you. By doing this.... What did Jesus say? “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death to life.”

How simple it is. Men, women, could you afford to miss heaven? What is ... what's all when the ages are rolling by? Thousands and hundreds of thousands of years from tonight, when this old world's going to be blowed up, the Bible said so. Russia thinks so now. She's got the bomb hanging right there, with your name wrote on it.

Don't fear him that can destroy the body but He that can destroy both body, cast the soul in hell, see. Fear God; love Him. Purpose in your heart tonight to serve Him.

And sometime when this world's blasted with these bombs, she will fly right down in the sun. And the fervent heat will scorch the earth. And the world will be destroyed by fire, the burning of atoms: millions, billions times Fahrenheit. Will you do a simple thing while God is speaking to your heart? raise your hand to Him, say, “I'll serve God from tonight on. I'll serve God.”

God bless you, sir. God bless you. God bless you. That's fine. Now, let us bow our heads, now.

Kind, heavenly Father, rude, hard preaching of the Word. But, O Father God, I'm so tired of listening to little Hollywood babyfied, kid-glove sermons that don't go down into the people's heart but kind of coats it over: “Come and join the church.”

God, we want old-fashioned repentance. We want men and women to rise and come to the Lord Jesus. God, we want to see this thing settled, for this will be the last time that we'll ever be able to be mortal. This will be the last time and maybe the last chance that men and women here tonight will ever have of ever coming to You.

This may be the sealing time. There may not be a tomorrow for many. Then at that day, I'll have to stand when this great night here, it'll be on the recorder of heaven. And I'll have to give an account for what I've said. And the people will have to give an account for how they responded.

Lord, tonight dozen hands or more has went up seeking salvation. God, Thou art Christ. And we pray that You will receive them tonight, and bless them, and save them from sin just now. And in their heart, that they purpose as they go from this building, out into a modern Babylon, where someday she's got to be shook....

The Medo-Persians was waiting at the gate. He said, “Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.” And when we hear tonight, that a powerful nation that's got more bombs and more planes and thousands of times more men, and ready.... A ungodly nation who knows not God, that's ready to come from the east to the west, and are capable and able to do it.... And here we sit still wading in sin with a drunken party, with whiskey, beer joints open, drinking, carousing.

And the church being made fun of that's trying, that's washed her garments in the blood of the Lamb. They're making fun of it. But the gifts of God has returned back, the great signs and wonders that You said would follow the believer: “These signs shall follow them that believe,” You said. “In My name they shall cast out devils, and speak with new tongues, take up serpents, or drink deadly things it'll not harm them, they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.”

And them signs has come back to show the people that the handwriting's on the wall. The end time is here. God, wake up every unbeliever tonight to the realization of His soul's salvation, we ask in Christ's name.

And with our heads bowed, if any of you desire that's accepted Christ as personal Saviour tonight, if you would, I'd like you to come and kneel here at the altar and kneel down here and pray just a little.

Friends, did you know what happens? God bless you, young man. Would someone else follow him? A man laying on a cot raises his hand. A man perhaps crippled or something or sick, very sick, laying on a cot raises his hand. Maybe can't get up to the altar. God can take care of him right where he's at, not only that but heal him, too, and make him well. We're going to have a healing service.

Would you rise up from your seat and come up here just a minute? You who want to serve the Lord and is wanting to make a dedication? God bless you, my colored brother, as he walks to the altar now, to make his dedication. Another man walking from the back, come right on up. That's right.

There is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins,

When sinners plunge beneath the flood,

Lose all their guilty stains.

While we sing softly now, will you come?

There is a (It's open).... with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins,

And sinners....

Won't you come and kneel here just a moment to talk it over? Come on up now. Kneel down here.

Every Christian that knows the value of prayer, pray. Everybody that knows how to pray, be in prayer now. Remember, one man sitting by you, this may be his last chance. That may be the young lady's last chance. That may be that young man's last chance. Tonight God may be knocking His last time. “My Spirit will not always strive with men.”

Maybe, you'll never have the opportunity to come again. Here's three men knelt on the altar, all of them adults. All of them realize what they're doing, knowing that they're in the presence of Jehovah God right now. Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will no wise cast out.” Know that they've done wrong, know that they've transgressed God's laws. And they come here kneeling on their knees to say, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

What did Jesus say? “The publican no more could smote himself in the chest and say, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner.” He went to his home justified. Will you come and kneel? Go back to your home tonight justified. Say, “Let atomic bombs blow, let death strike, anything it wants to, nothing shall phase me, anymore.”

I'm looking back into a man's face sitting back there now. God bless his heart. He come here not long ago a dying man, cancer in his throat. I remember.... He don't know it, but I asked the physician who knowed the case. He said, “He ain't got but just a few days.”

And he come here, and I prayed for him here at the altar. The precious Lord Jesus healed him. Know him real well. Used to go with his daughter. Here they are sitting right here, he and his wife, tonight.

I met him the other day down mowing his yard. Seeing him out there, I just had to weep a little tear. When I seen him, I think, “If it hadn't have been for mercies of God, there'd he'd been laying up there in the graveyard tonight, but how God did spare him.”

I look at poor Brother Burns awhile ago. After the Holy Spirit come into the room where he was at, he raised up and smiled, said, “I'm coming back over to church, Brother Branham.” Watch him, he'll be here. Don't you worry. Not a doubt in my mind at all. He'll be here.

You come, make your way up now around the altar, the old-fashioned altar prayer. God bless you, little lady, as you come, kneeling right over here if you will. Who else will come at this time now? While we sing once more:

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

There may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

Will you sing it with me, now? Let's Christians pray. Come on now. Raise right up and come here. Want to come down and pray with you.

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That.......................

Won't you come? God's Word said, “Whosoever will, let him come.” Straighten up that ruined and lost life.

.....may I, though vile as he,

Lose all their guilty stains.

Lose all...................

Won't you come? This is your opportunity. I'm begging you now.

And sinners plunge beneath the flood,

Lose...........................

God bless you, lady. Won't somebody else come along, too? This is the hour and the time. God bless you, sister. Get right over here with these ladies if you will. Watch [unclear words] you come now. That's the way I like to see them come, weeping, sorry, coming to purpose in their heart. What did that? The Holy Spirit.

I feel really constrained. And you know me well enough to know that I.... If I'm a fanatic, I don't know it. And realizing that tens of thousands of people holding on to every word you say, better be careful what you're saying. God will make you answer for it.

I feel the constrain in my heart. There's many people here tonight that really wants to come right here. But the oppression of the devil is trying to hold you back. Won't you cut loose like this lady? Only thing she did just surrender one little will. That was her will, and God took His will and brought her up here. Right now, she has eternal life. It's because she's come to confess Him. Won't you come? Oh, I just feel.... Let's pray once more, will you?

Heavenly Father, knowing the great heavy pressure on my soul tonight, knowing that there's many here that should come. Many has even confessed it by raising their hands. I holding just a little long, Lord, knowing that maybe this is one more moment.

It meant something to this lady here. It meant the death ... the difference between death and life. She come. And You said, “He that comes will not be cast away.” But You will receive him.

Now, to know that we're at the end.... And God, I thank You for the little lady coming now. And I pray that others will follow. Grant it, Lord. Won't you come, sinner? Come on now, while we're just waiting in prayer. Prayer changes things.

Another young girl just at the crossroads of life where Satan could hold her there. Some of you people are aged and even gray-headed. You need to be here. Oh, brother, sister, your youthful days are gone. It's all over. If these children can come, why not you? Won't you come? I beg you in Christ's name.

Lord Jesus, once more I pray, I pray that not one stone, Lord, but what will be overturned, that everyone here might see. And may they come tonight and take on the form and the life of the Lord Jesus and may they be gallant soldiers of the cross, purposing in their heart to forsake the things of the world and to come to Christ tonight.

Grant it, Lord, while we're waiting patiently on the Holy Spirit to water that Word and to let them know that we're speaking the Son of God is coming soon. They see the newspapers and everything else, the radios a blasting it, and knowing that the big counsels and conferences are all failing. And Russia's marching right on like King Nebuchadnezzar of old.

O God, the Gentile day is ended. The handwriting's on the wall. The spiritual gifts is in the church to those who purposed in their heart: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. We have weighed in the balance and found wanting.

And God, as the Gospel's been preached right here in this tabernacle, hundreds of people who sat here, many are sitting here tonight who's had the Gospel preached to them. The altar call made then wrote them is MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. God, the altar call is given. Man is without excuse.

You foretold; You prophesied; You showed signs and wonders. You've healed cancers; You've opened the eyes of the blind. You made the crippled to walk; You made the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. You've done all kinds of signs right here at this tabernacle. And people are sitting here as witnesses right now.

O God, what will it be when the sun goes down? O God, what will it be when men are asked to give an answer? What will it be? Grant tonight, Father, in Christ's name that many will come.

Will you come now, while one more call, will you make your way to the altar? No, matter how long you joined church. Are you born again? Do you know Christ as your Saviour? Come, kneel down.

I just want to wait a moment. Let's pray, now. Do you hear that song that's playing? When you're asked to give an answer.... What if Jesus should come before morning now? What if on your road home tonight, a drunken driver would crash into you, and the glass would fly across the arteries of your body, and you'd be bleeding to death, and you have to stand before the judgment? You'll be asked to give a reason. What then?

What then? What then?

When the great book is open, what then?

When the one that's rejecting this message tonight

You'll be asked to give a reason, what then?

What then, what then?

When the great book is open, what then?

When the one that's rejecting this message tonight

Will be asked to give a reason, what then?

Won't you come? Don't reject Him. He's calling at your heart. It's the Saviour. Make up your mind while we pray for these at the altar. And everyone with your heads bowed and deeply in prayer.

There's six or seven souls laying at the altar tonight. Dear brother, you there on the cot, God seen your hand too. What have you done? Jesus said, “No, man can come to Me except My Father calls him first.” God spoke to your heart. That was God's grace to you. Then you come and Jesus said, “He that will come, I will in no wise cast out.”

Then what are you doing? Just ask Him to forgive you. That's all He asks you to do. Be sorry for what you done. He will take you. Say, “God, I'm purposing in my heart right now.” Young lady, you the same, both of you, all three of you at the altar: three men and three women. Just pray.

Dear heavenly Father, as I look down here and see men and women bow at the altar under the influence of the Gospel, oh, so happy, Lord that we have something that puts us under an influence. It isn't strong drink; it's the wine of Pentecost. It influences us to do right. It takes all the wrong away and makes it right. We're so happy for this, Lord.

These men have tasted of God. These women have tasted of God. Tonight, maybe for the first time in their life, something has spoke to their heart and said, “Child of Mine, I was the One who kept you from having that accident. I was the One who spared you here when you were dying. Now, won't you come and return and give your life to Me and let Me guide you and take you home? And I love you and I want to be good to you.”

And they've come, kneeling at the altar, accepting this promise, God, that Thou has made, that You would not turn them away. And I pray heavenly Father tonight, that You'll bless each of them. May they rise from here, knowing this assurance, that God who made the promise, keeps the promise. And may they have peace in their soul from this night henceforth.

Not only these, but those back there who raised their hand. God, I pray that You'll be with them. I pray that right now in their seat that they realize that they have made a mistake by not rising up. Then may they say that one eternal “yes” to God.

“Lord, I'll purpose in my heart right now, and I'll serve You from this night on. I promise You this, Lord, as I put up my hand. I'll do it for Your grace, God. I now believe in Jesus Christ. I now accept Him as my Saviour, my Guide. I'll not follow the leading of my own feeling. I'll follow the leading of His Spirit from this night henceforth, till I meet Him personally at the end of road.” Grant it, Father.

Now, I wonder while we have our heads bowed, if any out in the audience has made that dedication to God, that didn't come to the altar, that will raise your hands and say, “I made that dedication in my heart. God, from this night henceforth, I'm going to serve You regardless of the price. I'm not going to follow my own thoughts. I'm going to follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit.”

Would you raise your hand? say, “I did that, Brother Branham in my heart, tonight.” God bless you, mister. God bless you back there, lady. God bless you. God bless you, lady. God bless you, sir. That's good. That's good. God bless you over here, my brother. God bless you, brother, back there. I see you. That's right. Many of them.

Say, “Brother Branham, do they have to come to the altar?” No, no. No, no. It's in your heart. Your heart is God's altar. But it's good to come up, and kneel down, and pray like these. Yeah. They've come up to publicly confess it. I like to see them do this.

But this is just an old-fashioned way we have of doing it, coming to the altar, to make our confession. But as many that's believed on the Lord Jesus Christ was saved (That's what the Bible said) and accept Him as personal Saviour.

Now, to you that's around the altar, you men and you women here at the altar that believes that God sent you up to the altar, and He called you tonight, and you feel that God has forgiven you of your past life, and from tonight on, you've purposed in your heart to serve the Lord Jesus, and turn from your ways of sin, and you're going to serve Him from tonight on as long as life is in your body, by His grace, would you raise your hand? Any of you at the altar?

God bless you, brother. God bless you, brother. God bless you, brother. What about it, ladies? God bless you, sister. What about.... God bless you, sister. What about down at the other end, the other two ladies there? Ask God to forgive you, sister. All but two now, is saved at the altar. Now, what must you do? Nothing. Believe, accept. It's already been done. Jesus done it when He died at the cross.

Now, real reverently, let's sing softly.

There is rest for the weary.

There is rest for the weary,

There is rest for the weary

Since He set you free.

On the other side of Jordan,

In the sweet fields of Eden

Where the Tree of Life is blooming.

There is rest for you.

Now, Jesus breaks (That's what

He does) every fetter,

Jesus breaks every ... (All the

smoking, drinking, lying, stealing.)

Jesus breaks every fetter,

When He sets you free.

I will ever, ever praise Him,

I will ever, ever praise Him,

I will ever, ever praise Him

Since He set me free.

Anyone else now, with your heads bowed? What about you on the cot, brother, you accept the Lord as your personal Saviour? God bless you, my brother. Your sins are all under the blood now. I see you're laying on a cot, perhaps crippled. Don't worry. Christ will heal you and your life will be spared.

You back there, raised your hands now, say, “I've accepted Christ tonight.” And these two ladies at the altar, do you realize now, lady, that Jesus Christ saves you from sin? What do you have to do? Nothing. He's done done it for you. The only thing you have to do is accept what He done for you. Accept it, and then you're a candidate to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. God promised He'd fill with the Holy Ghost those who come.

Peter said, “Repent every one of you. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

We're in the days of the outpouring of the Spirit, great signs and wonders in the church. Everybody in prayer now. I want to go talk to these ladies just a moment. [Blank spot on tape.]

What is it?

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

All together.

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now, your attention just a moment. I want to ask you something. This man.... The reason that I did what I did to the crippled man, he was helpless. Knowing in the Spirit that the man, that this is his night to accept the Lord Jesus, knowing that he was a past hope, and to know that all this life that he's lived without Christ.... But if the man is present to hear my voice.... I wouldn't know him if I seen him now.

But knowing this that the last few weeks, this man has been seeking for God. And his daughter come and was saved. And the man.... That's the reason I did what I did.

The blind woman.... The reason I did that, because it was casting out an evil spirit. Now, the casting out of evil spirit.... My church knows this. I go very careful on those things when I'm not under the anointing for a vision, see. Because, first, if anybody's been in my meetings, you'll watch before I call over a demon like that, I have to know what I'm talking about. How many's noticed it?

It comb real close. But I asked the Lord, for the glory of God, that He would do this like.... The other night to the little lady up there that was deaf and dumb with her severed nerves, could never hear or speak again, and I asked Him.... I seen Africa come before me.

I said, “Lord, if it's You calling me back to Africa, heal this mute that had been in that wreck.” And she could speak and hear like anyone else.

Now, tonight when this blind woman was standing here, just coming into the Spirit, I noticed a shadow of darkness. Now, if the woman's still present, if she is or somebody knows her.... Now, right now, she can see better than she did a few minutes ago. In the morning, she will still see better. Is the lady back there? Is that.... All right, you see better, don't you, lady? That's right.

Now, in the morning, you'll still see better. Day after tomorrow, you'll still see better. But by the next day, it'll start going out again. You'll start acting like....

Remember, don't fail. It's them growths a swelling. They're dead. What it is, a growth over your eye like that is the ... it's a devil. And it's growing a body. And when that spirit life goes out of any kind of a flesh, it shrinks.

Kill an animal, lay it on the scales and weigh it tonight and don't bother it, lay on there in the morning, it'll be pounds lighter. Now, let it lay there a little while, like a little dog laying in the street. Let it lay there a little while before it deteriorates or rots, it'll swell up and get big.

Now, when it goes to swelling, your sight goes to getting bad again after about seventy-two hours; just praise God with all your heart. That's all. It's gone then, see. Just believe.

Now, blessed be the name of the Lord. Are you happy for the Lord Jesus? What it is, I have seen Him do the signs and wonders. And, friends, we don't have to guess anymore. Jesus Christ is here. He heals the sick; He makes the lame to walk. I've seen Him raise the dead from their cots. I know He's the Lord Jesus and I believe He's coming soon.

I'm so glad tonight that you accept Him as your personal Saviour. And how many Christians is in here now (Raise up your hands), that's waiting for the coming of the Lord? Bless the Lord.

Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee tonight for all these things. We thank Thee for the meeting, for the rugged Word of God, who really divides; and judgment begins at the house of God. We thank Thee for all these things. We thank You for saving the lost and for saving the different nations of people.

We seen You bring tonight to the altar, an Ethiopian boy, a colored brother and saved him here from sin, laid hands on him that the asthma wouldn't bother him. Here come one of his sisters along, blind, staggering in darkness. All at once, light flashed across her eyes; the demon had left. Oh, may he never return. God give her faith and may she stay healed.

We thank You for every soul that was at the altar. We thank You for this man who laid on the cot with the crutches around him, and then get up and walk away without the support of them: a saved man, a healed man. And his child around him, rejoicing in the glory of God. What a different home that'll be.

Oh, we thank Thee, Lord, for each and every one. We thank You for Betty's husband and for those who came. Now, God, get glory out of all of it. It's all Yours. And grant, Lord, that an old-fashioned revival will break out here around this tabernacle, Lord, that'll send people from around the world, and a great campaign be carried on here in Jeffersonville to the glory of God. Grant it, Father.

Now, we're just ready to break the bread and to take the communion. And we pray, Lord God, that You'll be with us and bless us and manifest Your love to us, as we do this for we ask it Christ's name.

Now, to you who must go, we're going to dismiss you. Brother Neville, I asked you to get the Scriptures ready for the reading of the Word for the communion.

And you who can stay, stay with us for the communion. You who can't, you're dismissed with God's blessings on you, and come back and be with us again at another time. It's now eight minutes after ten o'clock.

And, now, if you have to go, God bless you for coming, and we hope to see you again this side of glory; if not, on the other side. And you that can stay, you're welcome to stay for the next thirty minutes where we take the communion and have foot washing.

Now, to the strangers in our gates, shake, everybody shake one another's hands and bless the Lord while we sing, “Take The Name Of Jesus With You.” All right.

Take the name of Jesus with you,

Child of sorrow and of woe;

He will joy and comfort give you.

Take it then where e'er you go.