Who Is This?

It's so nice to get to come to the house of the Lord. I think that I was studying some Scripture some time ago, and it said that when Jesus drew near unto Jerusalem, that the disciples lifted up their eyes and they saw the holy city in the distance. And they begin to rejoice, and to say that “Now will the kingdom be restored?”

And this certain man that was telling ... or talking about a recent visit to Palestine.... And he said that people now in the last year has been coming to a place that when they come up from the valley and look around the bend, the same road that Jesus and the disciples were on at that time, that when they see the city, they start to weep.

You know, I believe there was something those disciples in those days felt, that the kingdom would be restored again, and now it's almost time. I believe that's the feeling that's on the people, that the kingdom is almost ready to be restored again.

Brother Neville, our gracious and blessed pastor, has just spoke to me about an oncoming revival effort here at the Tabernacle in a few nights, to be praying about it. And I told him I thought it would be a blessed thing. You just can't have too many revivals. And many times, we get the wrong opinion of a revival. A revival isn't so much as to bring in new members, but it's to revive that which we already have.

And I'm.... I like to say this, because I say it from the depths of my heart, that I begin to find a different feeling around the Tabernacle than what has been for a long time. A feeling of a deep spiritual sense, like that it used to be long time ago—that something that settles, and it's got a real foundation. And I trust that God will bless this little church. And [break in tape] again in its power. And I see the building program going on, and I think that's a great thing. For sooner or later we older people are going to take off the armor, and hand it back into the hands of our children, and walk up that golden stairway.

The other day I passed that halfway mark now of fifty years old. I just can't realize that. It don't seem like it's been no time since I was hauling groceries for Chris Misner—about eighteen, sixteen, eighteen years old. It just went somewhere. It just goes to show that here we have no continuing city, but we're seeking one to come. And that's the city where God is builder, and there will never be no end there.

This morning as I was speaking on the subject of Mother's Day, and trying to place mother—not as she really is in the old age with the wrinkles, and on her crutches, or an old wheelchair, or arm chair, and a little pot of flowers setting by her, but mother in the resurrection, restored back to her youth, and standing shining as a queen.

That's the way I like to think of my mother. I don't like to think of her as she is today, old; I like to think of what's coming. And I know you feel that way about your mothers. Think of her as she really is in her heart. Though many, as the poet says, “Life has not been easy for her, but she'd live it all over again, just to do something for you.” So God's going to make it a way so she can live forever with you. So, I'm glad of that.

I don't know why I made this announcement this morning that I would speak tonight, if the Lord willing, on Who Is This? Certainly don't know how I'm going to do it, but.... I've been busy up to about hour and ten minutes ago on interviews all afternoon. And had specials, and emergency calls; I couldn't make them.

I want you to continue to pray for Dr. Sam. He's coming along fine, and we're thankful. And Dr. Baldin and Mrs. Baldin are both recovering. They're getting along fine.

And I want you to put a new one on your prayer list this afternoon; that's Harry Leese down here, the druggist. Harry's a personal friend of mine. And as long as I've knowed him, I thought he was a Christian, till this afternoon when his brother made a request for the salvation of his soul. Brother Mike Egan brought the (our trustee here) brought the news. And Harry is in a serious condition out at the hospital. I didn't know he thought that much of me, but he turned his own pastor down this afternoon, the pastor of the church where he goes, and wanted me to come see him. And I want to go see him. So, pray for Harry.

We're glad here tonight to recognize my friends here from down in Georgia, Brother Welch Evans and his family. I see also other visitors that I didn't know them, probably was here this morning.

If I'm not mistaken, I see Brother, Sister Elmer Collins back there from Phoenix, Arizona. Oh, you haven't changed. Look like you ought to have on your railroad clothes and coming in from the track. And welcome back home, and.... I can't ask you to stay here, because you found a place better, see. That's very fine, Phoenix. Like to live there someday myself.

And then I see Brother Smith here from the Church of God out there. Brother Smith, it was given me your little book the other day, yesterday afternoon late. I haven't read it yet, but I certainly will endorse it. As long as I know you wrote it, it's got to be real true Scripture. God bless you, and I hope it's a success.

And many others I could say. You're all welcome here at the Tabernacle. And I enjoyed that song this morning of Sister Stricker, that sang, “He's Looking Through The Lattice At Her.”

My Mennonite brethren here, glad to have them in. Oh, all of you.

A friend here, I believe, from over in Illinois—his son's taking recordings in the back—get to meet them again.

And it's so many I might.... Don't think I'm slighting you, if I don't call your name. But I just welcome you all.

Now let us read tonight for a Scripture lesson out of Matthew the 21st chapter beginning at the 1st verse, and reading down in 11th inclusive.

And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

Let us bow our heads for prayer. O Lord, we wonder just what we would have said if we'd lived in those days. But we are living in a greater day, when we are looking for Him to come. And as we are making preparation, Lord, getting our hearts prepared, and bringing in all the sheaves that we can gather from the harvest fields, both at home and abroad, we are thinking and anticipating on the time that we shall see Him coming, riding on a white horse, coming down from the portals of glory to change and fashion these old corruptible bodies of ours into a glorious body like unto His own; where there can be no sin or no sign of death ever enter. And we shall see Him as He is, and live and love Him throughout all ages that is to come.

We thank Thee for this church, and for its pastor, and for the trustees, and the deacons, and for every person that comes here; and for the visitors that's in our gates, that's sheep of the same fold, but from another corral. We would ask that You would bless them tonight with Your presence; and feed us on Thy Word, that we might go from here tonight with a determination to be better Christians than we have ever been. May we go with a new hope in our heart, and with joy, waiting for His coming.

If by chance there would be some among us who are sick and afflicted, we would not forget to pray for them, that they, coming into the building tonight where we have gathered for the worship, coming in sick, may they go out well. And we would ask for those that are convalescing in the homes and the hospitals, and are on the beds of affliction. We pray, O God, that Your mercy will reach down to them.

We would pray for those that are indifferent tonight, that has not yet tasted and seen the Lord is good, that doesn't know what it means to be loved by God. They just don't understand what they are missing. O God, may some radio broadcast, or some way, touch their hearts, and their emotions may be turned to Thee before the door of mercy be closed and they be shut out to stand the judgments without mercy. Help us, Lord.

These things we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, and for His glory we ask it. Amen.

The people was so crowded around the gates, and the streets were jammed, and there was not even room for people to sleep. They were laying outside the wall, all over the grounds; because this was the Passover, and people come from all over the known world to worship at this time.

It was a time when the Pascal lamb was slain, and the.... It represented their deliverance out of Egypt, the bondage. And they kept this annually; every year this great Passover took place. And it was one of the most outstanding times of the ... or, events of the Jewish religion, because it meant the time they were delivered. All people love to think of that, the time they were delivered.

How that each of us tonight can go back to the time when we were delivered, what it meant to us. I can remember in my own experience, how my poor boy's heart craved to touch God. I thought, “Oh, if only I could go up and knock on His door and talk to Him a little while!”

And of course, you know my story. I got me a paper and pencil, and was going to write Him a letter, because I couldn't talk to Him. And I knowed that He lived in the woods, because I'd heard Him, and I'd seen His moving in the woods. And a certain old familiar path that I used to go down when I would be hunting or going fishing, I thought, “I'll just tack it on the tree and address it to Mr. Jesus.” Just some way, so that that burden could be from my heart.

Oh, that night down yonder! I might forget my age, I might even forget my name sometimes, but I can never forget that hour when He delivered me from sin. Something took place down inside me that it's helped me through the great hours and darkness —the hour of my deliverance. The weights of sin left me, and I was a new person. I've been a new creature in Christ Jesus ever since.

And these Jews, they come up each year. And there was a fountain inside the church. And they taken the bread, and the bitter herbs, and the lamb, and they drank from this fountain in the church. And they rejoiced together, because that God had showed them favor.

So, this being the Passover time.... And not only was it the Passover, but it was a special Passover.

You know, there's sometimes that we go to church, and we always love to go, but there's sometimes that something special happens. And this was one of those times. The air was charged with expectancy, just as it is today. All the eyes of those who loved Him was watching for Him to come into the gate.

And I believe it's a great deal that way today, for those who love Him are looking for Him. The air is charged with expectancy. When we're living in this day, when the earth is ... actually has become one great powder keg, and science is telling us it's just three minutes until midnight.

And I'm sure you was reading it, as I, the other day, that story of this general in the army. Said that if there was another war, it would only last just two or three minutes. The old days of battling, and shooting rifles, and digging foxholes, that's all over. They claim the next war will be just two or three minutes. Someday some topsy-turvy person's going to blow his lid off and fire one of those bombs. And when they do, we've got listening posts everywhere to fire it right back again. The world just can't survive that.

Everyone at the Passover knew something was going to happen, but they didn't know just what it was. And that's the way it is today. Most everyone knows that something's fixing to happen. Everyone knows that. You can talk to the sinner. You can talk to the merchants. You can talk to anyone that.... Oh, it's such an unresting time for the world!

But you can talk to a man or a woman that's looking for Him coming, and the glory is on their face, shining out. They're watching for that great event.

So, the whole air is charged again, expecting something to happen. The world doesn't know what's fixing to happen, but the church of the living God knows what's going to happen. They know that soon the trumpet will sound, and we'll see Him come riding out of glory on a white horse, and the armies of heaven following Him; and those that are dead in Christ will be raptured and took up to meet Him in the air. That's what we are looking for. We're longing for it!

And we're told that the souls of those mothers and so forth we spoke of this morning, just under the altar of God, are screaming, “How long, Lord, how long?” Mother wants to see you as much as you want to see her. And our loved ones wants to meet us as well as we want to meet them. What a reunion that'll be when He comes: to meet our loved ones and see them in their resurrection body, and glorified, and walking around with the air of the resurrection. Watching their character, how it's changed: the meekness and quietness. And it won't be a hustle and bustle, and jump and jerk, but we will have all eternity to live together.

Oh, this great neurotic age that we're living. Just not no time for nothing, just climbing and jerking and grabbing, why, it's a terrible day.

Then as they waited for something to happen.... It was too bad that many of those at the Passover never got to see Him. Yet, they knowed something was going to happen, but yet, they didn't get to see Him. So will it be at the coming of the Lord.

There's many restless people today that knows that something's fixing to happen, but they'll never see Him, for He will come in the stillness of the midnight to catch away that little church that's longing, and waiting, and expecting to see Him. That's the ones He will come and catch away. Many of the world who is living on the glamours, and feasting their souls upon the things of the world, will never know what happened until the church is gone into glory. For He will come as a thief in the night and catch them away. So we can see we're back again to the same place.

Now, we find out that this expectations that God comes to those who.... All through the Scriptures it's been the same thing, that they are.... He always appears to those who are expecting Him, always to those who are wanting to see Him. And I'm sure that that's the hope that's on our hearts tonight.

It's been about six months ago, I suppose, I was testifying to some people. And I said, “Oh, to think of it, that just most anytime He will come!”

And what caused me to say that, I was speaking of Brother Bosworth. When I went to see that old saint, when we heard he was dying, eighty-something years old, the wife and I going down there to see him before he died, I just had to say something to him! I like to watch saints when they're entering glory. And I had to see him, and we burnt the tires off of the car.

But when I got there and rushed into the door, in the little corner laid that old patriarch. He raised his head up when he seen me coming, his old feeble arms hung out with the flesh hanging down, and he reached his arms for me. And I grabbed him around the neck and screamed, “My Father, my Father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof,” for he was a sainted godly man.

And I said, “Brother Bosworth, I want to ask you something. Do you believe that you'll get well?”

He said, “Oh, I'm not even sick.”

I said, “Well, what's the matter?”

He said, “I'm going home.” He said, “I'm tired, and I'm wore out; and I just want to go home.”

I said, “Then you realize you're dying?” I said, “I want to ask you something. Back down through the seventy-some-odd years of ministry, what has been your most glorious minute? Could you speak to me, sir, and tell me what experience you had down along the line that you could count your greatest hour?”

If I shall live to see his age, I'd never forget, as those dark eyes caught me over the top of those glasses. He said, “My dear brother, this is the greatest moment of my life. I can't think of any time that was any more glorious than right now.”

I looked him in the face and I said, “Sir, do you still know that you're dying?”

He said, “Brother Branham, I'm laying here waiting every minute for Him to open that door and come take me home with Him.” That's the way to die. That's the way to go.

And as you know, that about two hours before he died.... He'd been laying in a coma for over two days, and when he come to himself, he raised up in the room and begin to speak to his wife. Then all of a sudden, he seemed to be transparent. And he shook hands for a solid hour or more with friends who's been dead for forty or fifty years, who was his converts in his church, shook hands with his mother and with his daddy until he was ... life was left his body. Laid down on the pillow and went to sleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus. There's nothing like serving Him, expecting Him.

And as I talked to this man about this, and told that experience, I said this: I said, “Sir, oh, won't it be glorious when we see Him? Oh, if He would come today!”

He said, “Brother Branham, don't scare the people like that.”

I said, “What do you mean?”

He said, “Oh, don't try to tell people that the world's coming ... or, Christ is coming. It worries them.”

“Oh,” I said, “no, I beg your pardon. To those who are looking for Him, it's the most glorious news that they could hear, that Jesus is just about to break through and to take His church.”

Old age will be changed for youth. Joy will be given in the stead of gloom. Life will be given in the stead of death. Immortality for morality will be exchanged. Oh, what a moment, to know that He shall come!

They were looking for Him. They were expecting Him. And when He come, we found that there was two factions. One group was for Him, and one was against Him.

And that's the way we find it today. That's what.... His coming always has divided the people. Every time, when you find Jesus, you find those around who would be contrary with it. That's Satan. And today, when we think of it, we don't see much change: just the same. The people has changed, but the spirit of people hasn't changed.

So, when they finally looked out the gate and saw Him come riding on that little white donkey, no wonder the disciples begin to just scream, “The kingdom of heaven is come.” The people run to meet Him, and all Jerusalem was stirred. There's something about it; when Jesus comes, it's always a stirring. And the whole city was stirred. And they can't hide it.

And the preachers of that day had to give an account for this stir, because it was at the feast of the Passover. And they screamed out, “Who is this?” When the air charged, and the coming of the Lord Jesus to Jerusalem had charged the air with expectations, it looked like that the teachers ought to know what was going to take place. It looked like that the high priest would've knowed it. It looked like that all of the other priests would've known it.

And it isn't changed any today, because the Holy Spirit is forerunning the coming of the Lord Jesus. And as the Holy Spirit begins to stretch out across the earth, revival fires are broken out everywhere, great signs and wonders has been done, healings has took place, prophesies has went forth. All the gathering of the apostolic blessings has come back to the church again. So as it was then, so is it now. The spirit of the unbeliever still cries out, “Who is this?”

Some of them believed on the Lord Jesus, to say He was a good man. Some of them said, “He's a good man.” That's what they say today. They try to place Him as a Napoleon, a warrior. They try to place Him as a George Washington, a truthful man. But He was more than that.

Did you notice the reading of the Scripture? They said, “This is a prophet that comes from Galilee.” And they try to say the same thing today. When they see this great move of the Lord to restore back to health the sick and the afflicted, to see Him use His Spirit in His church to discern the thoughts of the people, to see Him do just as He did when He was here on earth to fulfill what He said would take place, certainly the churches and the people has asking this: “Who is this?”

They didn't understand who Jesus was, because none of them could recognize Him by their schools. What seminary did He come out of? What school of theology did He come from?

And so is it today. Most of the people who are anointed with the Holy Ghost didn't come from any seminary. They are products of God's own choosing. But the signs, and the miracles, and the wonders that was promised in the Bible accompany this great Holy Spirit as it moves among the people. And they say today, “What school are they from?” Just as soon as you enter a city to hold a revival, “What denomination do you belong to?”

I had an interview Friday afternoon with the Roman Catholic priest from the Irish church in Louisville. And no more than I'd been introduced to him, a fine scholarly man, he said, “Mr. Branham, what denomination are you with?”

I said, “I'm not with any.”

And he said, “Then, were you ordained?”

I said, “Yes, sir.”

He said, “Who ordained you?”

I said, “The Lord Jesus gave me the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel, and gave me a commission.”

Well, that's the ordination that we need. Jesus never said to His disciples, “Go out to the....” I'm not criticizing those things, but they've lived their day. He didn't say, “Go, study to be a minister for so many years.” He said, “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high.” He said that to men who couldn't sign their own name. “And after this the Holy Ghost is come upon you, then you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the utmost parts of the earth.” That's the ordination.

We have no record of Jesus ever going to any school or graduating from any seminary. Yet there's been more seminaries erected in His name for religious causes than been for any other thing that's ever been in the world. We never had any record of ever going to school. But yet there's been more schools erected in His name than there is of any other kind of a name there is under the heavens—the schools. We never had note of Him writing a book, yet there's been more books wrote about Him than all the rest of the literature that's been written. And today, His Bible is the most popular book that there is in all the world amongst all the literature.

But, you see, in the day of the visitation, they cried, “Who is He?”

See, God takes something that seems like it's nothing to make something out of it. That's what makes Him God.

And when they seen Him come riding into that gate, some of them said, “He's a great man.”

They say that today. There are schools of theology that teaches today that Jesus was a great man, that He was a good man. Some of them even say that He was a prophet. Now, if He was only a prophet or a good man, we're in our sins. He was more than a prophet. He was more than a good man. Yet He was a good man. Yet He was a God-prophet. But He was more than that. He was God manifested in the flesh to take away sin.

And as He come riding in, lots of the people said, “He's a healer. Oh, we seen Him open the eyes of the blind. We seen Him make the crippled man to walk. We seen Him offer prayer and the fever left a child.” But then those type were only following Him for the loaves and the fishes.

And that's the way the crowds are today, many. If there's a healer, why, they follow him, and he's just a ... he's just an oasis. If they get sick, they run to say, “Oh, will you please pray for me that the Lord Jesus will make me well?” And as soon as they come out of the hospital or the sick bed, right back out into the world they go, like a dog to its vomit or a hog to its wallow, as the Scripture says. Just follow Him for what good they can get out of Him. They use Him just for a totem pole, or something that they can get from Him, and don't expect to serve Him. That crowd still goes on today.

There were nine lepers healed, and one returned to give Him praise. Or was it ten? One of them returned to give Him praise, and the rest of them went ahead ungrateful.

And if the people in America that's been healed by the power of God would turn their hearts to God, there'd be a revival strike this nation that would close every bootleg joint, that would.... Package stores and whiskey stores would be plumb out of the picture. The churches would be full; the theaters would be empty on Sunday night. And there'd be a revival break out through this nation.

But when they see it happen, the things that God does, they still scream, “Who is He? Who is this that comes? Where do they come from? Who is this? By what authority is this done?”

Never forget, at Johannesburg, South Africa. I'd just arrived about thirty minutes before on a plane. I'd been three days and nights in the air, so tired, I could hardly stand it. They'd taken me out to the fair grounds where some fifty or sixty thousand people were gathered.

And no sooner got on the platform till the Holy Spirit ... I seen coming across the place a bus. And it had a sign on it, “Durban.” I saw a young man, had to fuss and slip away from his father and mother, with one leg six or eight inches shorter than the other one. He was wearing a white shirt with suspenders holding up his trousers. And I noticed the young man. I looked back again; the vision was gone.

And then, just in a moment, I saw that light hanging over a young man way back in the audience. And I looked, and I thought I'd seen him somewhere. And I watched him, and that light kept holding over him a few minutes. And I was waiting for the interpreter to catch the next words. Then I seen that same young man stand up, throw down his crutches, and his six inches short leg came down normal with the rest. And I said to Mr. A. J. Scuman, who is in glory tonight, I said, “Mr. Scuman, just quote my words; it's a vision.”

He said, “Very well.”

And I said, “The young man sitting back there with a white shirt on and suspenders, he came from a city called Durban, some fifteen hundred miles across the country in a bus. And he had to slip away from his father and mother to come. But he believed on the Lord Jesus, and he's got one leg six inches shorter than the other.” And the young man jumped up. There he was standing, trying to feel for his crutches. And I said, “Young man, the Lord Jesus has healed you.” And immediately his leg come out six inches to the normal with the rest of him. And they brought the young man to the platform, and doctors examined him there. You see his picture in my book.

I'd been standing there just a few moments; I seen a little green car running down the road, and it slipped. It turned around backward and struck a tree. A young blond-headed girl had a broken back. And I said, “I see a little green car that slid into a tree, and a young blond-headed girl of about eighteen years old has a broken back. She's in a serious condition.”

No one responded, and I couldn't see her anywhere in that vast big audience of people. And I stood there just for a few minutes; I said, “Understand, it's a.... Don't be suspicious. It's the Lord Jesus. In the power of the resurrection He sent the Holy Ghost to continue His work.”

And there I seen the vision happen over again; and I couldn't see the young woman. Just then standing right in front of me here stood that light, as you see on the picture. And it stood there. And I walked up there and there she laid, down below the platform. I said, “Young lady, the Lord Jesus has made you well.”

And she started to cry. Her mother said, “Oh, no. Don't tell her to get up.” Says, “If she moves, she will die!” And the young lady jumped to her feet screaming and praising God, and the mother fainted and fell in the cot that the girl was laying in.

What is it? Just about that time, some critical man raised up back there, and stood with one foot on one seat and one on the other, and said, “You American, I challenge you to tell me what name you do this in, and what denominational church do you belong to?”

See, it's just the same. They don't understand. They're not looking for these things. The churches are not looking for the coming of the Lord. And the Holy Spirit is here to confirm His coming, to bring it to pass. So much, each one wants to take his own way. That's the way it was there, each group had their idea.

But that's not the question tonight. That's not what I'm talking about. But the question I'm asking you is, what do you think it is? It concerns you.

Who is this that's going up and down the nations? Not man; man cannot do those things. Who is it that's speaking and saying to the people in the audience that's sitting right here, over here, and different places in the meetings, when women and men are brought in here dying? Who is it?

That young woman that walked into the baptistery this morning, that three weeks ago dying with sarcomas cancer. Lives right here on Maple Street, Mrs. Batey. And I asked three doctors that was with her; she didn't have one chance to live, with four or five little children, and my mother trying to take care of them.

Mama said, “Bill, she will never come home again.”

And I went out to where she was, and the Lord Jesus spoke, “Thus saith the Lord, if she will go to the church and promise to be baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, and will serve God, she will go home well.”

And I asked her, “Will you do this, lady?”

And she said, “All that you say, I will do it.” Immediately the pains left. Three days later she was home, and the doctors can't find one trace of that cancer.

Who is this that cometh in the name of the Lord? Who is it? It's the Holy Spirit of God. What's your opinion of it? What's your opinion, knowing your pastor. And was sitting in these seats here people from out of town, sitting with epilepsy, sitting with.... Here sits a man, somewhere in here, a Mennonite brother, right here, a sufferer of epilepsy. Never knew him, seen him, nothing about him. And all of a sudden (about two years ago I guess, or something there, two years) the Holy Spirit called it and said, “Thus saith the Lord.” He's never had a spell since.

Who is it? Who is it? This woman was sitting here last Sunday, the last time I was here, had come down from somewhere in Illinois—the next day, with a great tumor in her body that was malignant, and some of the best medical science of Illinois was taking her to the great clinic to be operated on Monday—and she squeezed her way in. Never seen her or heard of her in all my life. And all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit shadowed her, and He told her who she was, where she come from, and she was going to be operated the next day. How many was here then to see that?

Seen the news flow back; the next day when she went to the doctor, they taken her from clinic to clinic, and can't find a trace of it. Who is this? Oh, God, be merciful!

Who is this that's doing this? Could you dare to say it was your pastor? Never. Could you dare to say men had anything to do into it? Never. It's the Holy Spirit. The Spirit that was on our Lord Jesus and is coming to unite Himself with His church is so close that He's spreading forth His great holy light to redeem and to bring into fellowship a church of the living God for the rapture that's near at hand. Amen.

Who is it? I can't answer your question. I can't answer for you, but I can answer for myself. And over this sacred desk tonight, in the ears of this, the company, and the purchase of the blood of our Lord Jesus, I say this from the bottom of my heart, not because that I'm one of you, not because that I'm just somebody different, but one of the redeemed that's washed by the blood: I believe that that same light that hangs in this church tonight, that same one shows by its nature that it's Jesus Christ in the form of the Holy Ghost.

Anyone who knows the Scripture knows that Jesus said, “I come from God and I go to God.” Before He was made flesh, when with Moses in the wilderness, He was a Pillar of Fire. And when Moses desired to see Him, He passed His back parts to him, and Moses said, “It looks like a man.” When He was here on earth, He was a man. He done the very same things that He's doing today through men that He has redeemed. There He comes and has His picture taken.

What is it? After His death, burial, and resurrection, Paul was on his road to Damascus one day, and a great light struck him down. Those men around him didn't see the light. But it struck Paul down, made him blind. He had trouble with his eyes the rest of his life. And he said one time, “Except I should be exalted above the abundance of the revelation, there was given to me a thorn in his flesh,” a messenger of Satan to buffet him, because it was the abundance of the revelation.

And when Paul was stricken down on his road to persecute the people that were making too much noise, the borned-again group, the people that were called “heretics,” Paul was on his road to persecute those, with papers in his pocket to arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem. And about middle of the day there come a light down that struck him off of his feet to the ground, and he fell into the dust of the earth. There come a voice from that light, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”

And Saul turned over in his blinded condition, looked up, and he could see That great glorious Light, and he said, “Lord, Who are You?”

He said, “I'm Jesus. I came from God; I went to God. I come from God; I return to God.” He said, “It's hard for you to kick against the pricks.”

One revelation on that sacred sand, one time upon that place, man can never be the same. A man, before he should call himself a Christian, before he can identify himself, he should first have that “backside of the desert” experience where he met God face to face.

For today, you can have any kind of an answer. You can see the Lord perform just exactly what He said do, and smart theologians will explain it away. They'll say, “That was for another day. It was for this, or it's for another age, or it's wrong.” Like they said of Jesus, “He's Beelzebub, the devil. He's a fortune-teller,” and all those things. They have an answer.

But when a man has ever come in contact with Christ, and seen Him as Paul did, or experienced Him, there's not enough theologians in the world to ever be able to explain that experience away from a man. That's the reason today they don't have the experience. That's the reason they can't say.... They all say, “Who is this? What is this? Where does it come from?” They don't have the answer. Why? Because all they know is the theology that some church has made.

Not “to know theology is life.” Not “to know the Bible is life.” But “to know Him is life,” to know Him as your personal Saviour, as the one who has filled you with His presence; you were there when it happened. There's nobody can take it away from you. There's no one can explain it away from you. When that experience happens to you, you know who He is. To me, He's Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Who is this that's performing these miracles? Who is it that's doing these great works? Is it the preacher? Is it Oral Roberts? Is it Billy Graham? Is it Jack Schuller? William Branham? Whoever it may be, they have nothing to do into it. They're instruments. It's the Holy Spirit coming forth with the Gospel in signs, and wonders, and miracles to make ready a people. The air is charged with expectation, with believers expecting Him to come. And others are saying, “Why these revivals? Why do we have it? Let's settle down to a church.”

Why, it's been said in the church, right here, that when we started to build a new church, said, “We don't need miracles. We don't need these things anymore. You want them, go on out on the field where they happen. We don't need them here.” When the Branham Tabernacle stoops to that low place, it's sunk. This church is founded upon the principles, and the power, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And as long as this Tabernacle stands, may the glorious Holy Spirit find access to souls to save and fill with the Holy Ghost and heal the sick. To me, it's Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Let us pray. If you do not know who He is, you do not know what all this is about, and you would like to know, would you just do so much as raise your hand? And say, by raising your hand, “Pray for me, Brother Branham, that I will know Him.” And the Lord bless you. All around, I see your hands.

Now, heavenly Father, we bring this message, and the fruits of the people raising their hands, that they would like to know who this is. They would like to be acquainted with this great Jesus, that His coming of the resurrection is so close, till the sick's beginning to be healed. And after that taken place, then prophecy came into the church, then gifts and miracles. Now, down to that last sign. The next will come the rapture, the church will be taken away. And we, Lord, who have claimed to know You in the power of Your resurrection, we are waiting, and longing, and crying, and begging, “Come, Lord Jesus, and rapture Your church, and get it away quickly, Lord.”

For soon men are going to blow up the earth that You created for them to live on, because they have disobeyed You. They have not studied peace, but war. They have not studied righteousness, but they've studied mischief. How that they would not all be power hungry.... Lord, that little spot in their heart that makes them hunger for power, they're trying to satisfy it in a laboratory somewhere to blow up their fellow man. God, if they could only realize that that power that they long for is the power of the resurrection of the Son of God, the power of the Holy Ghost to change their lives; not blow up nations, but change their lives and make them Your servants.

Many people stricken with wild craze, they identify us as a bunch of not-knowing-nothing, and as heretics, as they did in the early day. But as they returned rejoicing, thanking You that they could bear the reproach of Your name, that's the feeling of Your children tonight, Lord, everywhere. We're only happy.

Some in Your day tried to identify You. They said, “He is a friend of that wild man, John, who came out of the wilderness with hardly clothes on, just an old sheepskin wrapped around him. A wild man that flung the Word east and west, and said, 'The axe is laid to the root of the tree.'” Said, “He is a follower of him. He's a wild man. He's mad. He's out of His mind.” The supernatural ministry that was with You, O Lord, blinded the eyes of those, and so has it again today.

This great Holy Spirit, forerunning the coming of the Lord, as John did in his day, blinding the people, to those who do not want to see. But to those who are willing to see, Thou hast chosen them. “And all that the Father has given me, will come to me,” You said, “and none of them will be lost, and I will raise him up at the last day.” We thank Thee for this.

And those who have raised their hands tonight, we pray, O Lord God, that You'll make Yourself known to them in an experience, in the power of the resurrection. Grant it, Lord. And others may be here who did not raise their hand, but yet, in their heart they knew that they needed it. I pray that You'll bless them and give to them the desire of their heart.

When we leave the building tonight, may we go as different people. May we go with a different purpose than we had coming in, if it was contrary to Your divine will. May we go out with a determination to hold to the horns of the altar until our soul is satisfied that we have had an experience with You, and we know of Whom we speak because we have met Him, and know Him, and have fellowship with Him. Grant these things, Father.

Heal the sick and the afflicted. Bless our lovely and precious pastor. God, we pray that You'll be with him and these lovely sisters, as they sing the gospel and preach it in the radio. Bless the strangers that's in our gate. Lord, may they go out tonight with a charge in their heart, and a purpose that they, from this hour on, if they do not know You and have not served You before, may they serve You; knowing this, that all other things will come to naught, but the Word of the Lord shall remain forever. Grant it, Father.

Forgive us all of our sins, and may we meet at that great golden ... [break in tape].

Now, after the message, let's just bow our heads and worship Him as we sing to Him.

How many really love Him, raise your hand, say just by witness, “I really love Him.”

Oh, isn't He wonderful? You know, I just love to sit like this, and just drink in, somehow, His presence. His Word gone forth, it's falling into the hearts; it corrects us; it brings us into subjection to His Spirit. How lovely it is just to worship Him then.

Now, as you go from the church tonight, go worshipping Him. And remember, this week there's a prayer meeting here on Wednesday night. Don't forget Brother Neville's broadcast on Sunday ... or, on Saturday at nine o'clock over W-L-R-P. I just love to hear them, don't you? The quartet ... or, the trio sounds so pretty. Wife and I and the kiddies, we all get the little radio out and hover around it to listen to Brother Neville and his broadcast, and his wonderful words, of how he exalts the God that he loves and believes.

I don't say this.... To you strangers here, if you haven't a church home, come join with us. I tell you.... Not saying this and him sitting here. No, sir. I said this many times. I love Brother Neville. This person's a theologian. First thing, he's a child of God. The next thing, he's the same every day. I've knowed him for years; he's never changed one bit; he's still Orman Neville, a servant of the Lord Jesus.

And I think he's got.... The other night, I called up to ask him if he didn't in his program to make room for us to come down pray for the sick. There's some coming in, was this morning, you know. And his little wife answered the phone, and I was talking to my wife back there about it. And how we thank God for his lovely little wife and his family. That's very fine. When you see a minister and his wife getting along like that, in sweetness and humbleness, that just makes the church go that much better. That's just.... Sweeter as the days goes by.

Do you love Him with all your heart? All right. We got a dismissing song that we sing: “Take The Name Of Jesus With You.” And give us a little chord, sister, if you got it there in the book. And we're going to sing our dismissing song. And when we sing the first verse, we want to turn around, shake one another's hands. All right. Give us a chord.

(God bless you, brother.)

Let's take this verse now

(Won't that be wonderful?)

How many remembers our little song we used to sing, “Don't Forget The Family Prayer”? You remember it? I don't know if you know the chord or not. Let's try it once. How.... Don't you remember it? Maybe I could try it once with you.

How many has family prayer? That's good. Let's try it again. Get that back in here; I like that. All together now. Look.

O Lord, it is written in the Scriptures that they taken from the body of Paul handkerchiefs or aprons, and unclean spirits went away from the people and diseases were healed. We pray, O Lord, that like manner it shall be shown these tonight. As I send them to the needy and the sick out somewhere in the lands; there's someone expecting and waiting this to happen. I pray, Father, that You'll grant it in the name of Jesus, Thy Son. Amen.

I'm going to ask, as we bow our heads, if our most precious Brother Smith over there from the Church of God, who we have found—just like our Brother Neville here—to be a loyal, faithful servant of God, I'm going to ask him to ask the blessings upon you to continue through this coming week. God bless you till we meet you again.

Brother Smith. [Brother Smith prays.]

Shake each other's hands. Welcome back again to the Tabernacle. God bless you.