Escape Hither, Come Quickly

Thank you. Let us bow our heads now while we speak to Him who we've come to worship.

Blessed Lord, this is a great day for us, the Lord has made it. Let us be happy. We thank Thee for His grace that's been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. And now we become citizens of the kingdom of God. It does not yet appear just what we shall be in the end, but we know we will have a body like His own glorious body, for we shall see Him as He is. May that be the stay of our hearts and mind this afternoon as we meditate upon Thy Word. Bless every heart. Bless every believer here. And prepare us, Lord, for His coming. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

You may be seated.

That beautiful sunshine outside, it's too bad we couldn't have had this all week. But He knows just what to give us. He knows just what's best for us. That's the good thing about our blessed Lord: He knows what we have need of before we even ask Him for it.

And so, this week has meant many things to me. One great remembrance that I have of this week will be the visitation of the Holy Spirit the other night. I yet can't get over that. Oh, it was a grand experience. And it only happened once before in my life. Brother Woods here, and I and his brother was fishing down at the river. Many of you heard the story of it, I'm sure. And it came like that again.

The day before.... See, my friend Mr. Woods here, was a Jehovah Witness. And to you Jehovah Witness, God still has the Holy Spirit for you; He sure does. And so, he had a boy with polio. And he'd come down to Texas where the Angel of the Lord had the picture taken. And I went overseas and he came back. And was sitting in a meeting as long as this building is here, when the Holy Spirit called him out, healed his boy. You don't even know which leg it was now that was crippled. And he's just so perfectly well.

And then Mr. Woods, and all of his people being Jehovah Witness.... His brother came down. Well, they kind of excommunicated him from the family because he'd took up with this faith. His brother came down to see him one time, and the Holy Spirit just happened to just take him apart right there while I was out cutting grass. And come in, and revealed to him, and so he went and got his father.

His father on the road down—we'd come down—he said, “Let's go fishing.” So on the road down the Holy Spirit came and told him just exactly what would happen on that tour, just exactly what fish would be caught, who would catch them, how they'd be. It happened just as perfect as it could be. And it was quite cute: He talks way down in his ... deep here. And his boy asked him, said, “What do you think about that, dad?”

He said, “Well, if a fellow can see a fish before he catches him, I guess that's pretty good.”

Then a few days after that, Lyle, his converted brother, and I were together. And they were talking; we was fishing, down Kentucky lake. And he said, “Lyle, you know we ought to go up and tell a certain old woman,” that belonged to the Church of God. The Anderson Church of God. I believe it's called the First Church of God. She used to baby them and love them. They was little Jehovah Witness boys but.... “And we ought to go tell her,” said, “that we got saved.”

Well, as he said that, the Holy Spirit came. And I raised up in the boat where we were fishing, and said, “Thus saith the Lord, 'There'll be a resurrection of a little animal soon and you'll see it.'” I thought, “Little animal? Where did that come.... What would that be?”

The next day, we were fishing again. And we'd pulled up in a little cove to get some sunfish. And Mr. Woods' brother here, Lyle, caught a little sunfish about like that, a little brim, I think you call them here. And the little fellow had swallowed the hook all the way down. So he just got a hold of it like this, and just pulled him. He pulled stomach and gills and all out, the big hook, when it come out. He threw him out in the water. Little fish quivered a few times, and he made an expression like this, “Little fellow, you shot your wad.”

So, the little fish laid there on the water and the wind floated him back into a little cove. About a half hour, I was fishing, and all of a sudden, down through the hollow came the sound of a roar like come here the other night. Sun shining just as pretty as it is now. And when it struck where I was at, raised up and called to the little fishy. Something said, “Speak to that dead fish.”

And I said, “Little fishy, Jesus Christ has give you back your life.” He flipped over on his side and on out through the water he went, as hard as he could. So, you see the simplicity of God.

In Mark 11:24 and 25, we find out in there that He used that great power of God on a tree just to show the disciples a lesson. He used it on a fish. Many of you's heard about the possum, all things. God is so simple, works so simply that you go over the top of it as if it were some great, high, doxology somewhere, and you miss God. It's because you don't look in the simplicity to see Him. If you just get down and notice those things, God is right with you, moving.

And that was the first time that I ever heard that come. And then the other night, standing right on this platform, when I heard it, when I was praying. And now, I got one more message, that's tonight, before I leave the city.

And I want to say this. I do believe that shortly, that next step in my ministry is coming up right now, which will be far beyond this now. Is there anybody here that remembers the first beginning of my ministry when I put my hand on somebody? You remember that? All right. How many remembers that the Lord promised right then if I'd be sincere I would know the secrets of their heart? How many knows it was said back there? See it happen? Now, there's something else coming right now. It's coming right away now. And it's going to be still greater, and I think will be the last. It may not just.... All of it works together just the same.

But now, this afternoon, I would like to call your attention to some Scripture. Just for a few moments that we would speak, God willing, upon a subject here that we hope that the Lord will bless. And that will be found in Saint Luke, for a Scripture reading, Saint Luke and the 17th chapter and the 20th verse. I wish to read this as ... to get a context.

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

They did eat, ... drink, and married wives, and they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the floods came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did ... [Now, watch what they did.] they did eat, ... drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

And the day ... the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone—fire and brimstone, ... and destroyed them all.

Now, over in Genesis, the.... In the book of Genesis and in the, I believe it's the 19th chapter and the 22nd verse, I wish to get a text.

Hasten thee, escape thither; for I can do nothing till thou hast come thither....

Now, may the Lord add His blessings while we pray just a moment.

Now Lord, it's in Your hands, and take these words of Yours and make them light to our eyes this afternoon, and our hearts, for we're living in a great day. And we pray, Father, that You will manifest Yourself to us in a most outstanding way. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

God's Word never fails. Now, my subject that I have chosen for this afternoon is: Escape Thither, Come Quickly.

Now, I've been talking a few nights ago, upon the sputnik. And since I have been speaking to you three nights ago, the American government ... or, the army has launched them a sputnik that's going around the world about every hundred or two minutes, making a circle around the world. And it only indicates that what was said is closer at hand.

Now, I believe if there ever was a day when men and women ought to open up their eyes and look into the Word of God, it's today. This is the day, because there may not be a tomorrow. And if the church ever buckled on its armor, it should be today. Don't put it off one more day. If there's anything between you and God to keep you from going in the rapture, you better make it right now. Don't leave your seat. We're living in the expectations of the soon coming of the blessed Lord. And we're watching for that hour. Jesus said Himself, “When you see these things begin to come to pass, lift up your heads; your redemption draweth nigh.” Signs in the skies, fearful sights, men's heart failing for fear, the sea roaring—tidal waves—great things taking place.

And I know some might get in their head, “Brother Branham, why are you continually pounding at those things?” It's on my heart. And I know that it's supposed to be pounded at today.

Now, we was speaking on Babylon and the handwriting on the wall. And today, as we're here today, we can almost feel the hot winds of judgment blowing in our face. The world has come to its end. There's not a hope for the world outside the coming of the Lord Jesus. That's the only hope. You can put an Eisenhower in every county, and America will still wade in sin.

I am not looking for any great revival. The thing of it is, the revival has come and gone and you didn't know it. It's always been that. You look for something and Satan's kept saying, “There'll be greater over here, greater over here.” And it's passed right by you. Did not John the Baptist come on earth and even the righteous didn't even recognize him? Did not the disciples say, “When will Elisha come?”

He said, “He's already come and you didn't know it.”

The revival is just about over. Don't look for nothing greater. We've already got the greatest thing in heaven: the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself in this generation. There's nothing else that can be done.

But the oncoming judgments, the world is feeling it. The newspapers.... And I've heard that in the Pentagon, I don't know, but they say that they don't know what to do. Well, there's only one book can direct you on what to do, and that's God's Bible. That's the only thing that can tell you what to do: that's lift up your head, look up. There's no way of escape.

It's already come into the hands of men that they can destroy this world in an hour if they want to. What would hinder Russia this afternoon, some of those leaders to drink one can of vodka too much, and punch a button that would send the entire world out its orbit. And wouldn't contrary the Scriptures a bit. There you are. See, we're at the end time.

And I want to bring this to your minds, that all these things that we've seen happen this week, when a meeting like this in a place prepared, and people unconcerned, it's altogether indicating that that thing is at hand. And to see a little group that would faithfully, like yourselves, gather out, day after day, and night after night, because something is pressing to you. There's something in you. You Spirit filled people, there's something inside of you that's warning you.

Now, some great theologian might come to the city, that maybe had a lot of education and could speak their words real good and plain. And perhaps every church in the city would fully cooperate. And it would kind of be an honor to get to go out to hear the man which might be a marvelous speaker. But that's not what the church is looking for. The church, the real believer is looking for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, something in their heart moving. The children doesn't know what it is. But God help me this afternoon to explain to you what it is.

Not long ago it was my privilege to go to India, where I'd been led of the Lord. And it was striking enough, that when I got to India, they had just had an earthquake. And I got a piece out of the paper, which is in the Christian Businessmen's office tonight ... or, today, by my good friend Tommy Nickels, who's going to publish it.

And it was that a strange thing begin to happen. About two days before that earthquake shook that great nation that we carried it also over here, that there was a strange thing taking place, that all the cattle, and all the little birds that had their nests and their roosting places up in the chimneys, and in the great walls. In India they don't have too many just fences, it's big stone walls, that they pick up the rocks and make the wall. And little birds, that had roosted and had their dwelling in these places, all flew away, and went out into the wilderness to stay. The cattle that hung around the walls in the evening, out of the hot sun, went out and stood in the middle of the pasture.

What was it? There was not one material thing showing an earthquake. Scientists could not pick up this oncoming earthquake. But oh, may I say, “Blessed be His name.” The Creator knew it was coming and He moved His little creatures out from around those walls because they flattened out on the ground, and would've been killed.

And if a little bird, by instinct.... He has not a soul. And if a little bird, and a cow, could make their way by instinct away from the walls to keep from being killed, how much more ought the church, and this great oncoming judgment, to pull itself out from around its old haunts if you have to stand in the middle of persecution, and look up, for the redemption's drawing nigh.

God, as He warned His birds, He also warns His people. And that's the day that many people are leaving these great big cathedrals and social Gospel, to come out and to make their stand with the children of God. Though they be called fanatic, or whatever they wish to, they take their stand. It's the Holy Spirit warning them. Certainly it is. This oncoming judgment.... Oh, how I love God for doing this.

God hates sin, and sin must be judged. It's been said, that if God doesn't judge America pretty soon for its sin, He will have to resurrect Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize to them. Certainly. And we will reap what we sow, and everybody that's got any spirituality to them, is realizing that's the truth. We're at the end of the road.

And to know that you are in safety in Christ, and there's only one way you could be there; that was because God elected you to be there. “No man can come to me except my Father draws him first.” And all that God gives Him, He will raise him up at the last days.

Now, Jesus began to speak and say, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of man.” Now, notice some of the things He said. He said, “At the day of Noah, they were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage.” You know where the most divorces is in all of the world? In United States of America. It's got the highest divorce rate there is anywhere in the world.

And notice what He said as it was in the days of Lot. “In the days of Lot,” said, “they were eating, marrying, giving in marriage.” And they were building, planting. Did ever you see such a time of building, progress? Look at man a hundred years ago, he's the same man that he was six thousand years ago. But he never progressed very much till about a hundred years ago. It hasn't been much over that till the only way they could send a message was by a letter and a runner. Now, it's telephone, telegram, television. How quick around the world, in less than two minutes, a message can sweep the earth, when two hundred years ago, it would have to be packed by a runner.

Look at the difference. A French scientist said, three hundred and fifty years ago, that if a man ever went the terrific speed of forty miles an hour, gravitation would lift him off the earth. Now, they're going nineteen hundred miles an hour and still going on now with a sputnik at the rate of eighteen thousand miles an hour, whirling the earth. And it'll have a man in it before a year from now. Sure. Progress has picked up quickly; it's in a double headed speed. God said it would be that way.

Now, sometimes we wonder why we haven't got all these great things that the rest of the people have. Why we can't be up in the up and ups. I don't want in this earthly's up and ups; I want in God's up and ups.

Notice. In the beginning, when the two boys, both Cain and Abel, come to worship God, they both built churches, they both built altars, they both belonged to church. They both was respectable, they both had the same idea that God was God, and in sincerity they knelt down and worshipped God. One was just as fundamental as the other. If God only respects fundamentalism, He had to accept Cain just the same as He did Abel, or He would have been unjust. Notice it. Something happened to Abel, that he knowed what to do.

Watch those two trees growing now. They come on up; from Genesis they come up into Exodus. There was Israel, on his road, an interdenomination, on his road across over into a promise land. There was Moab, his brother, had a Bishop. They brought them out there, and both of them brothers, Moab and Jacob, both of them was fundamentally right. Moab had seven altars, seven sacrifices, seven bullocks, and seven rams, speaking of the coming of Christ. Down in the tent of Israel was seven bullocks, seven altars, seven rams. Fundamentally, they were both right. But Israel had the revelation. For with Israel.... Moab just had stiff starchy church, very fundamental. But Moab had fundamentalism, and a lot of nonsense too. But Balaam failed to see that supernatural sign among them, the Pillar of Fire. He failed to see that atonement. He thought that a holy God would curse such a people as that, just an outcast. But it isn't in your works; it's your faith that does it. And they had the supernatural.

The same thing in the days of Jesus, to the Pharisees, both of them, fundamentally right. But God was with Christ. And great signs and wonders followed Him.

Now, these two branches that come up in Genesis, that growed up into a place, they're both going to seed. And here they are today, the same thing, speaking, “We believe in the virgin birth. We believe in the sacrifice of Christ. We believe in the second coming.”

But, brother, God always vindicates Himself by being in the camp with supernatural signs and wonders. God always makes Himself known. He's supernatural and He cannot be anything or work any way but through supernatural. Do you see it? Oh, I just love it.

Now, I want you to notice, from Cain's lineage, Cain was religious. And he was just as religious as Abel was. He was just as sincere as Abel was. He was just as fundamental as Abel was. But here's where the difference was: he didn't have the revelation. That's been it all along. Jesus Christ said, Matthew 16, when He came down from the Mountain of Transfiguration, I believe it was, and He said, “Who does men say I the Son of man am?”

“One said, thou art the prophet, and one said, you're so and so.”

He said, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Now, the Catholic church says that He built His church upon Peter right there. The Protestant church said Christ built it upon Himself right there. I believe if you'll look in the Scripture, they're both wrong. He never built it upon Himself, neither did He build it upon Peter. Watch what He said, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.” You never got it through some seminary, where they both come through. “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven has revealed it to you. And upon this rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell can't tear it down.”

Spiritual revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ! There you are. That's always been His church. That's what Abel had. That's what the apostles had. That's what you've got. That's the church in itself, is God's spiritual revelation of His Son that's made manifest to you in the power and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. These signs shall follow them that believe.” A manifestation of the presence of the resurrected Lord Jesus. And people who are spiritual conceptions, receive it and believe it. There you are. “Upon this rock I will build my church.” And we're living in that day.

Notice Cain's people. Cain's people were the smart, scientist people. Cain's people was religious, had big church, big churches, educated, scholars. They went to working in science. They brought out metal. They built houses. They were great builders in great things. Look at it today. Look on that other side, how religious they are. But the people that went into the ark was the people who were humble, farmers. Right.

But the other side is the ... got the intellectual conception, when the true side of God has the revelation of Jesus Christ. Not by written word, but by spiritual revealed truth. Amen. Oh, blessed be His name. God reveals Himself to an individual, and quickly He becomes Deity on the inside of him. He's a son and a daughter of God. “Speak to this mountain; don't doubt, but it'll move.” You get it? It's the day, the oncoming judgment, the herding of His people into the places to get away from judgment.

Now, I want you to notice, in every place before the judgment

struck, there was always a supernatural thing taken place. And Noah, they come through a long time waiting. And then there appeared an angel, a prophet, Enoch, and so forth. And supernatural signs was done. And they went in.

Now, I want you to notice the bringing out the children of Israel: It was a long time, hundreds of years, nothing taken place, no supernatural since the death of Joseph, which was a type of Christ. But just before the judgment struck Egypt, when God brought His church out, there was a message, a prophet appeared, angels appeared, supernatural signs taken place; and the children of God was issued into Goshen where they were free from the plagues before their coming out.

The same thing in the first coming of Christ. And before the destruction came, He told them, “Let him that's on the housetop come not down. Let him that's in the field come not to get his things; but get out of the city.” That's where those Jews are. They're down in Iran now and so forth, it's turned back, and coming into Jerusalem. Not these Jews that cheats and steals and things makes up that hundred and forty-four thousand, but those true Jews down there, that escape in the days when Titus besieged the walls ... or, besieged Jerusalem. And they went into that great destruction there and Jerusalem was scattered, and the Jews, they never come together till just recently again to fulfill what God said would take place. We're on the end time, friends.

Notice, each time that the messenger come, the messenger was always rejected by the church. Now, you go back through history and find out. There never was a time that God ever sent a message, in any age, but what the church rejected it. It's true.

Look at Martin Luther, John Wesley. What about you Mennonite brethren, you Amish? When the message come forth, the church rejects it. Certainly it does. And we grow and grow and grow and grow, and that little remnant that's coming up into the seed form again. Oh, bless His name. We're at the end. That's right. Judgment is.... You can look out and see the handwriting on the wall.

And every time, the messengers that went forth, brought a message of love, grace and deliverance. God's message has always been a message of deliverance before judgment. Noah had deliverance. Lot had deliverance. And though it was a message of deliverance, the people turns it down. It's mercy and deliverance. And the people turn it down.

I want you to notice, in the days of Lot. That's the reason that I believe that the church will go before any missile ever hits the earth to explode it. I'm not a theologian. I can't read much, because I have no education. But I'm a typologist. And I noticed what the type was. If I see what my shadow looks like, I will have some conception of what I will look like.

Did you notice? Not one drop of rain could fall until Noah went in the ark. The clouds was hanging over. The thunder and lightning roaring, but no rain fell till Noah went in. And the angel said to Lot, “I can't do nothing till you come hither.” No fire could fall. Not one drop of that brimstone hanging in the skies, could ever fall on Sodom till Lot went out. That's correct. Jesus said, “Just as it was then, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man.” Certainly.

There'll be a going home of a church one of these nights, or mornings, or some time, before one missile can strike this earth in judgment. Before judgment comes, the church will go home. And if judgment's hanging so close till you can see it, the handwriting on the wall or in the sky.... Where they can get no sputniks, and two or three bombs would end the whole thing. And they could do it today if they want to. And we see it. How much more could Jesus come this very hour and take His church away. Not one thing left but His coming. That's right. And we sit as if, “Well it.... Well, I've heard that before.” See, rejected.

Now, I want you to notice. Just when.... Lot's time. God will burn this earth with fire. How many knows He said that? He will do it.

Now, I want you to notice the nature of that Angel just before the earth was burnt the other time in Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, you look at the morals of Sodom and Gomorrah, and compare it with the United States. Just compare it and see. Divorces, education, immorality. You see it?

Now, watch what taken place. God had a remnant. That was Abraham sitting out there. And watch. When the angels went and told Lot to get out of Sodom everything that he wanted, or could get to follow him, for they was going to burn. And Lot went through the street, through the night, to his families and everywhere, preaching as hard as he could. And watch what they said. The Bible said that they talked to him like he was one that mocked.

Now, look today. What do they say about the message today? “Oh, it's a make-up. It's a mock. You're trying to impersonate. You're trying to be different from the rest of us. It's a mockery.” It's the Holy Spirit and you're too blind to see it.

You say, “Brother Branham, is that Scripturally?” Let's go just a little deeper if you can stand it. Look at the Angel of mercy who came to Sodom, the one that was going to be burned, like manner he said it would be today.

The Angel come to Abraham in a form of a man. And Abraham spiritually recognized Him. And He sat down with His back to the tent. And Abraham fed Him. And He said, “Abraham, I'm going to visit you about the same time ... about the time of life.” Abraham was a hundred. Sarah was ninety. They'd been looking for that promise for years and years and years and years.

Them who are looking for the coming of the Lord is watching every move. Blessed be the name of the Lord. They're watching for something to take place. Just like a piece of metal to a magnet. They're watching for it to take place. Abraham was looking for it, that promise that God had made.

And the time drew near. And a man come up; it wasn't a man, it was an Angel. And the Angel was none other than Almighty God manifested in a man. Now, listen, you Bible readers. Abraham called His name Lord. Take that “Lord” and see whether it was Elohim, the Almighty, the Jehovah dressed in a man's clothes, and sat down with His back to the tent. He said, “I'm going to visit you about the time of life for Sarah.” Ninety years old.

And you know what Sarah done? Inside the tent, the man with His back turned, Sarah in her heart—not out loud; in her heart, inside the tent, and the man with His back to it—Sarah laughed in her heart. And the Angel, looking at Abraham, said, “Why did Sarah laugh?”

What kind of a mental telepathy was that? Aren't you ashamed? That same Angel of mercy comes to this building each night and performs the same things. It's before fire and destruction shall burn this earth. “As it was in the days of Lot, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man.”

It was an Angel with a message, that could discern what was going on behind Him, inside of a tent. And Sarah went out and tried to deny it. Said, “Yes, but you did do it,” with His back turned, Sarah in the tent, in her heart.

Can't you see the nature of that Spirit? That same Spirit was none other than Jesus Christ. And He done the same thing when He was in the form of the Lord Jesus here on earth in that body. He performed the same signs to prove that He was. And He's here today and tonight, and over the earth, performing the same things before fire and destruction. And people, why, it says here, “You're mocking. You're antichrist. You're trying to make fun. You're trying to impersonate. You want to be different. It's mental telepathy. It's a polished-up soothsayer.” And Jesus said, “One word against it, it will never be forgiven to a man, in this world or the world to come.”

What God does anyhow, whether the people receive it or not, the message has got to go on. They never received it then, they never received it in Noah's time, they didn't receive it in the days of the Lord Jesus, and they won't do it today. That's right. But it pleases the Father to give His warnings before judgment.

What will Sodom say when they come up? When just Lot went through the streets.... You say, “Just Lot?” The Bible said, that their sins vexed his righteous soul daily. It's true he was. The Angels anointed him and sent him out with the Gospel.

Oh, brother, what a day that we're living in. The Bible said in this day that, in II Timothy, “The Spirit speaks expressively in the latter days they'll depart from the faith, and will be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.”

I come to the church the other night, it was all together too snowy and bad to come here. But they had a basketball game, and they had to turn hundreds away. What is it? Their god is basketball. And what is your god then? A big blowed up piece of air. I'm glad that our God is the Lord Jesus Christ, in His person of His resurrection, a real living Creator who made the heavens and earth. But they want to see that. The kind of spirit in them draws for that. The Spirit in a Christian draws him to Christ. “How can a man come to me except my Father draws him.”

Oh, yes. Brother, I say this: Hurry, escape, you haven't got much more time. These great big old ecclesiastical walls are going to fall one of these days. You better run quickly while you got a chance. Get out of the world. Come into Christ. When you see the hot breath of judgment hanging on each side. Now, swinging eighteen hundred miles an hour around ... or, eighteen thousand miles an hour, around and around the world. And a sinful nation with their hand on a button that could send us all to powder in five minutes. Don't look for something great to come, a great revival; you look for the coming of the Lord. Be ready now. The devil's only blinding your eyes to these things.

Christ declared Himself to every nation, and through every generation. He's doing it today. The church nominal sits asleep. The church spiritual is awake. The sleeping virgin has went off to sleep, that'll take the tribulation period. But the one that had oil in her lamp is ready. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

How I love that parable of the virgin. You know the old coal oil lamps we used to have. We never had lights till just recently. And looky here. The oil's in the bottom of the lamp. And there's a wick that draws it up. Now, that wick has to be a special made piece of material. And the fire comes on the end of the wick.

And now notice, you couldn't put a pipe down in there, and it would draw it up; it won't come through iron-made, man-made things. It only comes through God's provided way. And the wick is faith. And the only thing that can pull the Holy Spirit into a light is the Holy Ghost itself. And when you got your faith, one end of it on fire for the glory of God and the other dipped into God's Holy Ghost oil, there's going to be a shining light just as certain as I'm standing in this pulpit. That's right.

But what if you got it down in oil mixed with water? You know what it'll do? It'll sputter. That's what's the matter with the lamps today of many. They're sputtering. It makes carbon over the top of it, and you have to rise and trim your lamps. And if there ever was a time that lamps ought to be trimmed, is right now. “Hasten, go hither; for I can do nothing till you come thither.”

Now, if we see that the judgment of God is so close at hand, and remember, at the judgment bar when I stand before you, and you see that these things that I have said.... You don't have to wait till then. Hour by hour, night by night, Jesus Christ appears here in every form that He did, outside of his corporal body, when He walked on earth. He reveals the secrets of the hearts. He come down the other night before five hundred people right here, just exactly the way it did on the day of Pentecost.

When a roar started from the skies, and everybody started looking, here it come like a great thunder, struck up here on the platform, and roared out over the building. Not a wind blowing, but like a rushing wind. What did we do? Instead of our hearts being afire to set around the town, we said, “It was pretty good, yeah, no doubt in my mind about it.” Oh, rise, trim your lamps. You got too much oil mixed up with your spirit ... or, too much water. It'll make carbon and your lights will go out and smoke your lamp chimney up. You won't be able to see the kingdom of God when it's at hand. We're at the end now, rise and trim your lamp, and let's be going.

Do you believe it? Remember, before this world meets its great disaster that's predicted in the Scriptures that it will come, God in His mercy shall take His church out of it, because the church will not be here to strike one speck of the tribulation.

Notice, Noah.... Lot came out of something that would destroy him. Noah went into something that kept him. What it together then ... put it together. We come out of the world, which we will be destroyed with it, and go into Christ, is the only thing that can keep us. Noah went in, Lot came out. He came out of the world, came out of Sodom. And Noah went into the ark that floated above the judgments.

And the only thing, brother, not one time in any age, when Christ destroyed a great people ... or, great things like that, until first He took His elected out of there, for how can God pour judgment upon a church that He's already pronounced to be perfect? We are the body of Christ. If we're dead in Christ, we take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise. How can God judge us when He's already judged us in Christ?

And if you're in Christ, Christ said, “These signs shall follow them. The works that I do shall you also.” The same works. “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” The branch that cuts itself off and lets some little denominational worm cut a ... run him and cuts the life stream off, and that branch withers and will be burned.

But when a good healthy vine ... or, branch, is flowed into the vine, the branch will bear the same kind of a life that's in the vine. If it's a peach tree vine, it'll bear ... the peach tree branch will bear peaches. If it's a grape vine, it'll bear grapes. If it's a pumpkin, it'll bear pumpkins. If it's a watermelon, it'll bear watermelons. The life that's in it proves what it is.

And you tell me that you can sit around in some man-made organization and call yours.... Let me tell you something. God never at any time or at any age ever accepted an organization. Tell me one place in history. The Catholic church is the first organized church that there ever was. And what does Revelations 17:17 say? That she was a prostitute and she had a lot of daughters. And the Protestant church come right out of the Catholic church and organized themselves right back and drawed fence lines, and, “We believe this and nothing else.” And leaving no room for the sheep to pasture. I'm nothing against your organization, but you're penning yourself up, men and women, and thinking that “My group knows it all.” Your group knows no more than God will let them know. And Jesus never died just for Methodists and Baptists and Pentecostals. He died for the entire body. And the worldwide vision is for the body of the Lord Jesus Christ to get ready for the rapture.

My prayer is, my dear friend.... Jesus sees every little move you make, He knows every little action you perform.

Some time ago, the queen ... or, the king, rather, before his death, King George of England, came over to Canada; and when he did, the teacher turned all the children out so they could go and give them little British flags to wave and show that they were glad and happy the king was there. And while they all gathered around on the streets with their little flags, and the king come down the street with his beautiful queen, and the people wept as he passed by. Everybody waved their flags and rejoiced.

The children was supposed to return back to the school after the king had passed. All of them returned but one little girl. The teacher couldn't find her. She went out on the street. She begin to look around everywhere. And after awhile, standing by a telegraph pole, with her little head against the pole, weeping just as hard as she could weep. And the teacher said to her, “What's the matter, dear? Did you not wave your flag at the king?”

She said, “Yes, I waved my flag at the king.”

She said, “Did you get up close?”

“Yes, I got up close.”

Well, said, “Did you see the king?”

She said, “Yes, I saw the king.”

Well, said, “What are you weeping about?”

Said, “The king didn't see me. I'm too little; he couldn't see me.”

But it's not so with Jesus. No matter whether you've got education, whether you've got clothes hardly to wear, every little turn that you make to Him, He sees it and He knows it. Why don't you today let the Holy Spirit move you closer to the cross? Why don't you get ready today? “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man.” We see every sign vindicating His soon appearing. Let us bow our heads just a moment while we think of it.

I wonder who would say just now, “Brother Branham, remember me in your prayers as you pray in this dismissing prayer. I want you to remember me, that I will get close to the Lord. That at that day, my little works and what ever I could do for Him, He will see it, and count it to me as for righteousness, as I accept His Son Jesus and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Will you raise your hand? The Lord bless you. God bless you. That's right, all over the place. In the balcony, God bless you. And to my left, yes. All right, God bless you. God bless you up there in the left balcony. Good.

All right, He's here. It's up to you now. What? Hasten. The message has always been an emergency. Quick, hurry. What Angel? The same Angel you see here. How many, with your heads bowed, knows that the Holy Spirit comes here each night and performs the same thing He did at Abraham's tent? Let's see your hands. There you are.

Then what is the message? What was His message? Hurry up and get out of here. Get away from these big denominational walls. Get away from these walls of sin that you been standing around. These old immoral television acts, and all this newspaper stuff, and all this true story magazines, get away from it. All these skeptics. “I wonder if it could be a telepathy? I wonder if it could be this?” Hurry, get away. Come out, and run to the middle of Christ's mercy. It's at the cross where there's room at the fountain for you. Think of it, and by faith receive Him as we pray.

Heavenly Father, Thou art the Son of God. And I'm so glad to know that in this last evil days that we're now living, shadowing the coming of our blessed King, that You've sent a Angel to the earth to declare the very same acts. If the spirit of evil would be in a man, he would do evil. And then how many of our brethren's eyes have been closed by thinking, “Well, I belong to a group of people. I belong to a great church.” And they don't realize that that same spirit was upon Caiaphas, the high priest, upon all the learned scholars of the days of our Lord. And He said, “You are of your father the devil.” Holy men, righteous men, scriptural learned men, but failed to get the revelation. Smart, intelligent, great men, but failed to see the simplicity and the working of the Holy Spirit. God, make men's hearts to be open and eyes to be open that they can see the hour we're living. How the message is predicted to come forth just exactly the way it is. And before judgment strikes, may they have mercy.

Grant this afternoon that everyone that raised their hands, that the Holy Spirit will come into their bodies, into their hearts, into their lives, into their innermost being, and regenerate them and make them new creations in Christ Jesus. May their eyes come open, say, “Why didn't I see that before?” Grant it, Lord. And they may be saved from this great hour that's at hand. For we ask it in Jesus' name, and commit them to Thee for Thy glory. Amen.

Do you love Him? Give us a chord “I love Him because He first loved me.” Let's raise your hands.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

I.... (Now, while we're singing,

reach around behind you, side of you,

in front of you, shake hands with

somebody as you do that.) love Him

Because He first loved me

And pur... (Doctor) my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

How many feels just all ready to go? Oh, isn't that wonderful? If the trumpet shall sound, what difference does it make? We'd drop a cross and receive a crown. We can't fail, God's already accepted us. He's sent His Spirit. His Spirit is here with us, doing, performing, acting, just exactly what He said would take place.

Aren't you glad that God called you? Then you can feel sorry for those—don't condemn them—but feel sorry for those whose eyes are closed and can't see it. They cannot see it unless God knew they would see it before the foundation of the world. “For all he foreknew, he called: those who he called, he justified: those who he justified, he hath glorified,” already. It's written in His books. Christ come to redeem those who God, by foreknowledge, knew that would receive Him. Amen. If that isn't a wonderful thing.

And to know that here we are this afternoon, just at the end time, and all these great things happening, and here we are safely in Christ. Your life proves it. Now, if your life don't tally up to it, you're deceived. That's right. But if you see it, understand, praising God for it, your life is full of righteousness of God, it ain't hard for you to do something that's....

You don't want to do anything's wrong. There's where the two great schools went off on the deep end, the Arminian doctrine. You've got to do a certain thing, and do a certain thing. That's works. And the other side, the Calvinists, went “Bless God, I'm saved, I do what I want to,” see. But the middle of the road's it. If you love Him you won't do anything wrong, like to your wife.

My little wife, I will go overseas quite often. When I go overseas I don't watch and get her and say, “Mrs. Branham, thou shalt not have no other husbands while I'm gone.” And she don't get me by the collar and say, “Young man, no other wives.” Wouldn't that be a home? No. We get down and pray. I kiss her goodbye. I say, “Sweetheart, pray for me.”

She say, “I will be praying every hour, Billy.” There we are. I don't worry whether she's going to have any husband. She don't worry whether I'm going to have another wife. Why? We love one another. And as long as we love one another, it'll always be that way. Certainly.

Now, what if I get overseas, or somewhere, and I would do something that was wrong. I would make love to another woman. I believe she'd forgive me for it. If I come tell her, I believe she'd forgive me. But that poor little thing at thirty-seven years old, and gray headed, that stood between me and the public, and become that way. I love her too much, if she'd forgive me everything, that I wouldn't hurt her for nothing. I love her. I love her. And as long as I love her like that, she hasn't got a worry in the world, on that.

And as long as you love the Lord with all your heart, you won't smoke any cigarettes, drink any whiskey, do anything that's wrong. You love the Lord. But you could quit smoking, drinking, and everything else, and don't love Him, you're still lost. That's right. “Not by works, but by grace are you saved.”

Now, if your life tallies up to the life of Jesus Christ, that is, He said in His Word there: “If you say to this mountain, Be moved, and don't doubt, but believe that it's coming to pass; you can have what you say.” What you say. The only way you could move that mountain would have to be Deity speaking. When you're a son of God you receive God, which is Zoe, God's own life in you, become a part of God. Then if your objective is right, and your motive is right....

[Blank spot on tape.] ... glory of God, speak and watch what happens. It has to take place. But how can you even believe in it when there's nothing in here to believe with? God has got to come in by the Holy Spirit. I know there's been a lot of bogus things. I know there's been a lot of sham, there's been a lot of go on. It is in every reformation. That's right. The question wasn't how Martin Luther could speak against the Catholic church and get by with it; the question was, how he had grace enough to hold his head up with all the fanaticism that followed it. It's been that way in every reformation.

That's the way it is today. There's a lot of fanaticism tacked on it called divine healing and signs and wonders, that's not so. But what does a bogus dollar represent? A bogus dollar speaks that there's a real one somewhere. Because God's Bible said so. I'm glad that we have found Him.

God bless you. Tonight, the Lord willing, at seven thirty, I want to speak on the subject, “The Door In The Heart Door.” God bless you now. Come tonight expecting God to save the lost and heal the sick. Dr. Vayle.