The Mark Of The Beast And The Seal Of God #1

Let us remain standing just a moment, now, for prayer. Our heavenly Father, we are grateful indeed for the privilege of assembling together in the name of the Lord Jesus. Now before us lays thy Word. And, oh, how we handle that quietly, Lord, and reverently, because it is the Word of God. And it's to be that ... be your will that I am to try to explain a great subject tonight. And I pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit'll give me words to say that would be beneficiary to the church, and for the good of the kingdom of God. Grant it, Lord.

You are our Father, and we love You with all of our heart. And we pray now that You'll bless us. And as I think what I would do if I had in my hands tonight, in a glass, just one drop of the blood of the Lord Jesus, how I would hold it to my heart, and just.... Oh, I'd be almost afraid to breathe. But then, Father, in your sight, You've given into my hands a greater: the purchase of your blood, your church that You gave your blood for, to save it. Now help, us, Lord, that we might feed the flock of God to which the Holy Ghost has made us overseers, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated.

We are trusting the Lord Jesus to send his blessings upon us. I was just in the room a few minutes ago, and something just shook me. How many knows Raymond Richey? He's sitting back there in the room. I just prayed for him. And he's overworked himself, and has caused himself to have a break, and a stroke ... terrible condition. lovely brother.

The time.... Brother Raymond was standing right there on the platform that night when the angel of the Lord came down before thousands of people, when I said if.... When Dr. Best was debating about ... with Doctor Bosworth about my ministry. And I said, “I don't claim to be a healer.” And I said....

He said, “Nothing but a bunch of holy rollers would believe that.”

I said, “How many Baptists here, that's members of these Baptist churches, can say ... that can prove that they've been healed by the Lord? Raise up your hand.” And about, oh, I guess three hundred, or more stood up. And I said, “What about them?” And so then he....

I said, “People believe in divine healing.” I said,“ I'm not a divine healer. I never claim that.” I said, “My literature is published in many different languages.” I said, “I never did claim to be a healer.” I said, “I only claim to be God's servant.”

I said, “Now, if the gift of God which He gave to me on the discernment,” I said, “now, if that's in question, God will speak for Himself.” About that time here He come down, come down like that. And that's when they took the picture of it.

And he said to me.... He got down on his knees back there after I prayed for him, put his arm around me, said, “I've got a message for you.”

“What?”

Said, “Stop preaching too hard and too long.” He said, “You're going to go right the same way I went.” I almost did it one time, anyhow. He said, “Brother Branham,” said, “in them visions and things, I see the way it works on you.” He said, “I just kept going on.” Said, “I had one break.” And then he started overseas, had another one, and there he's.... If God doesn't touch him, he's just finished for life.

So, he said, “You can't get no more done.” Said, “There'll be some will say this, that; or this, or that; or so forth.” Said, “That won't make it any better.” Said, “As long as you let the ... do your ministry, show the people that God sent you,” said, “then, that settles it. Just let it go at that.” Said, “If they won't,” said, “they don't....” Said....

He made me promise him there, with my hands in his, said, “Don't do it no more, Brother Branham. Remember, I'm warned of the Lord to tell you. You're going to sit the same road I am, see, if you do that any more, start doing that.”

And I said, “Okay, brother.” Don't tell my wife that. She's got Billy, and them staged around everywhere, and Leo, and Gene and all of them. If they see me the least bit weary, why, then they are supposed to take me from the platform, whether I want to go or not. If she knowed I'd stagger around over the platform like that, why, she'd be crying, going on. So we ... you just can do so much, you know. You can't do no more. That's all.

I remember one time, Paul Rader ... how many ever knowed him? Sure. Paul Rader was a great man of God. He told a little story one time. Said he was going on a train, and said he was with another man and said.... This man tried to get back at him because he slept in a Pullman that night. Sat at the breakfast next morning. A group of ministers was going somewhere for a convention. This man sat right next to Paul, and said, “Well, praise God.” He said, “I sat in a chair car last night.” He said, “I saved the Lord some money.”

Paul said, “Praise God. I took a Pullman, and saved the Lord's man.” Now which was He more interested in? His money or his man? His man, always. We're so glad for it.

And now, we had a glorious time last night, I thought, myself. And just as I was leaving, the pull of the people, of the Holy Spirit.... He dropped right down among the people and began to give discernment right in the meeting. How glorious that was! See, and to me that makes everybody at the meeting prayed for, see. See. Now, I said, “How many here... ?” Now, God promised He would do that. Now that's his Word, isn't it? Now God keeps his Word, doesn't He?

And I said, “Now, how many here that's believers put up your hands.” Everybody put up their hands. I said, “Now, lay your hands on one another.” Now, the Bible said, “These signs shall follow them that believe.” Then we prayed for everyone as a united hand, together, for the kingdom of God. Oh, my! To me, that's just perfect, see.

I was at a filling station today getting some gasoline, over here somewhere, and a little fellow come out and looked at me. Said, “You're Brother Branham.”

I said, “Yes.” About a mile over here, or something.

And, he said, “I'm Brother Roberts.” And he said, “My mother was definitely healed with heart trouble since you've been down there at the Assemblies of God Church. Said, ”She's took a bad cold.“ Said, ”She hasn't had one speck of heart trouble since she was called out [ever what it was, see], not one.“

Said, “She's got a bad cold.” And said, “If she knows that I met you down here, and she knows you're praying for her,” said, “she'll be on over to the meeting tonight.” Said, “She wants to try to get down for Sunday night, if she possibly could.” She probably belongs to another church, but she was healed here.

So we're glad of that,

and seeing testimonies coming in all the time of different ones. I meet people who was healed back in 1946 and '47, when we were here—way back in there, still going on, haven't had a bit of trouble since.

There's a lady somewhere ... I just got her letter, I believe, today. She's sitting in here, the church, I suppose, tonight. She come ... she was healed here when I was here in '46 or '7 somewhere, with a cancer. And then, later she took a great tumor, and the tumor was so big that they had to pack her everywhere she went, like this. And it was too big for operation.

So they brought her up to Jeffersonville. And I was in there at the little Tabernacle for one night, and some men had her sitting over in a corner, and said that I.... She just passed by a few weeks ago, and showed me what had happened. And she was so big, till some of the deacons and trustees of the church.... She wanted to be prayed for. At the Tabernacle I sometimes don't pray for the people, no more than just stand up on Sunday morning, maybe, when I'm there. Not there very often.

And they packed her around, and sat her on the ground, back out behind the place where I was going out. And passing by, the Holy Spirit happened to look sideways ... caused me to look sideways, and see her. Told her about it, laid hands on her, and she's just as normal as any other person.

And I got her letter. I wonder if the lady is in here tonight, would raise up her hand.

She was in church the other night, her and her husband. They are here, I believe. They come by in a trailer, and stopped outside my house just recently, and was talking to me. And I believe she said that she'd learned ... be a friend of Brother Mercier's mother, or something like that, she was telling me in the letter. And I thought maybe she would be here. The letter was wrote last week, but I....

Over in the right wing, the people are, Brother Mercier ... or Brother Goad, said. A lady is in the right wing that had the big tumor, was at home, and was healed. If she's over in the right wing there, somewhere, why don't you step out here, and let the people see what God can do for someone that's really been healed—when she was so big that she had to be packed around. Is that.... Not back there? Well, they must have just stepped out. Brother Goad said that they were sitting there a while ago.

If you watch them, I'd like for her to give a testimony—just as flat as I am. And she was just about like this, with a tumor. And how the Lord.... If we just....

Now look. Now what did I say about God? He'll ... if somebody else with a tumor that big will act in the same way she act, God's got to act the way ... the same way to you, as He act to her. If it didn't, He done wrong when He healed her, see. God can't make a mistake. So what He does to one, He has to do to the other. Now, there's only one requirement: if you'll just appropriate the same simple faith. That's all.

I had a little woman up here somewhere at a place called Eureka. I believe that's Eureka, California. I came down years ago, and I never seen anyone.... They couldn't even move her from the bed. Why, her little head, to where she was swollen out.... Excuse this, my sisters, if you will. The breasts of the woman was sticking right up like this, you see, from where she was swollen out with this tumor.

And her husband drove a cab. And I said, “Brother, I don't see how....” My faith even went down itself, when I looked at that. And I said, “Have you had a doctor?”

Said, “We don't believe in having doctors.”

I said, “Well, all right.”

Said, “If she dies, she dies. But we trust God.”

I said, “All right. That's really faith.”

Said, “The only thing I want you to do, is go in there and put your hands on my wife, and pray for her, Brother Branham. And she'll be healed.”

Oh, my! I'll have to admit he had a little more faith than I did. That's right. I'd just started out. I was ... about a year. I hadn't seen nothing like that done yet. I went, and laid hands on that woman. And you know what? Now this is her story, on a letter. (She may be right here now.) Her side split, and gallons of water poured out of her. It healed right back up again. And she's down to about a hundred-and-something pounds—105-10 pounds. She don't only do her own work, but she does all her neighbor's work, around up and down the street—go up and take care of their children, wash for them, and things like that. Just....

But now, if the same person ... another person, approaches on that same basis, He's got to do the same thing. Or if it didn't, then He did wrong. He did wrong then, when He healed that one woman, and healed her that way. Then He did wrong when He healed her, if He didn't do the.... If He did heal her, then if He doesn't heal you He acted wrong then when He healed the first one—if you'll meet the same requirements of faith that she did. It's only based on one thing, “I can, if ye believe.” That's all.

So, see, then, it all lays back.... No matter how much strain, or what we put on it, it's not that. It's relax, and believe. Say, “I....”

There I go again, Brother Roy, see.

Did you read the Scripture for me? I've been asked to speak on the subject—or I said, myself, that I would, rather—upon the subject of “The Mark of the Beast, and the Seal of God.” Now, it's a great subject, and I think that.... We may not get through it tonight; maybe have to carry it over until tomorrow night. And those that's got interviews now.... I believe Mr. Mercier said we was to begin at eight o'clock in the morning. Now, I have private interviews, where the people wants to see ... for the visions and things. That's where you all don't get it, you see, here. It's through the day also, see. And then on these private interviews so.... Now, remember, ever who's first in the morning, remember it starts at eight. Now he just told me a few minutes ago.

Now, on this great subject of “The Mark of the Beast, and the Seal of God,” we've heard so much about it. It's been ... I've seen charts that reach across this platform here, about the mark of the beast, and the seal of God. But to me, it's so simple. It's just such a simple thing, to look in the Word and see it, till I don't think....

Well, I've got about three or four pages of different scriptures I want to ... wrote out here, that I want to refer to for you tonight. I was thinking on it this afternoon. I put down scriptures here, and different pages, so I could find out, and you could write it down if you want to.

Now, it's a great subject, and I think that it is a ... one of ... an essential subject that should be taught on. Now, we've had gospel sermons, we've had divine healing, and now this ought to be the ... on, based like the second coming of Christ, on his second coming.

Brother Smith, is that your wife? Well now, how do you do, Sister Smith? I ... no wonder he's a fine man, such a fine-looking, godly-looking little lady as a wife. I may have met you before. They say behind every good man there's a good wife. That's very fine.

Well, I know my wife, if there's any credit to go to the Branham family, give it to her, because she's the one that.... But she is ten years younger than I am, and snow-white headed, and she's just ... because that she's stood between me and the public, and I don't know what I would do without her. God certainly gave me a wonderful wife.

They're a wonderful thing, Brother Smith, yes. Why, if He could give a man anything better He would have done it. That's right. That's right. That's the truth. Now he who has found a wife has found a good thing, says the wisest man we've ever had. I think that a wife is the best thing a man can have, outside of salvation. That's right. That's right. She's lovely.

Now, I'm going to base the scripture.... First, I'm going to tell you what I think the mark of the beast is, and what the ... I think the scriptures supports the mark of the beast to be. And then I'm going to tell you what I think the scripture supports the seal of God. Now, we know that these two great things are ending up soon, and to two great grips....

The world is gripped by these two things right now: The mark of the beast, or the seal of God. Some of them places it way over in the future, some says it's already been in the past, but I believe that there's just two answers to it. And that is, that the seal of God is the baptism of the Holy Ghost; the mark of the beast is rejecting it. Now, that's the only two things. I'm going to give you scripture why, now, as we go through.

Now, one of them is ... remember, all the peoples on earth in the last days is either going to be sealed by the seal of God, or marked by the mark of the beast. And He caused all—both poor, great, bond, free—all upon the earth to receive this mark who did not have the seal, and whose names were not written in the Lamb's book of life since the foundation of the world; from the foundation of the world when the Lamb was slain, and when their names were put on the Lamb's book of life.

Now—those two great things.

Now, we're going to start first upon the seal of God. Now, what is a seal? The first place, a seal in the Bible, back in days before people had educated like they are now, they usually.... Their seal was their signature, just like we use today as our name. Sometimes the Romans, and on back in Jewish ... and way back in the early Eastern countries, they'd have a ring that had their seal, and stamp it on something. If they couldn't sign their name, that sealed.

A seal was a bonafide statement. It was sealed by this seal. And to try to copy this was a capital fine, just like it would be now to try to forge a check—somebody's name on a check. It was a great fine, to try to copy this seal. And usually the man wore it ... had his seal, wore it on the back of his wrist, or either on his ring. And he would seal it, instead of signing his name. That showed that it was ... he had sealed it.

Now. Now, Jesus said that in the last days, according to St. Matthew, the 24th chapter and the 24th verse, that these two spirits—the ones that was sealed with God, and the ones that would be marked by the beast, the antichrist—would be so close together till it would deceive the very elected if it was possible, see. Now, they're going to be so much alike.

Now some people says, “Well, communism is the mark of the beast.” You're wrong. Communism is not the mark of the beast. Yet it is—but it isn't heading up.... The mark of the beast is of ... is a religious nature, very religious, so cunning and sly, until it'll deceive the very elected if it was possible—just so close, till it would deceive the elected, if it was possible.

Of course, Billy Graham said not long ago.... I was hearing him a few Sundays ago on my radio, coming down here, and he was preaching. He said, “You hear so much about cigarettes, and Viceroy (or ever what it was), and tips at this end, and fire at this end, and everything like that.” And said, “A man that would smoke them at all was a fool.” And I think he's about right. Said that even they got so much publicity on things like that until the devil had deceived the elected.

I don't believe Brother Graham meant it just like that, because the elected will not be deceived. No, sir! They will not be deceived. They were foreordained of God, and they will not be deceived. So, but Jesus said that it would be very close together, so close alike. Now, remember that ... be so close that the very elected could be deceived if it would be possible.

Now, we want to find out where they come from. Where did this all start? As I have told you, that every cult and every religion began in Genesis. Everything we have. The Assemblies of God began in Genesis. The Baptists began in Genesis. I can prove it. Yes, sir. Every cult even we have, I can prove it, it began in Genesis. That's right.

Just search Genesis, and then you got the rest of it. You see what kind of seed it is, you see where it is going to, see. And just watch it, and it will just vine its way right through the Bible. Just exactly. Both of them began in Genesis. And we find out that Genesis is the seed chapter.

Now, we find out that the first marking of a human being started in Genesis, Genesis 4:15. God marked Cain. That's where the first mark of the beast was ever put on, was put on Cain. He is the beginning of it.

Now, you say, “Cain having the mark of the beast?” All right. Let's notice. Now He said, “Thy seed shall bruise the serpent's head; his head shall bruise thy heel.” Watch the lineage of Cain. As Cain come down, become scientists, smart men, great men, on down like that; but the seed of Seth as it come down become peasants, sheepherders, farmers. So you see, there is....

Now watch. The Bible said, “I'll put enmity [God did] between your seed, and the serpent's seed.” Now, ministering brothers, just hold your peace just a minute now. I know they always climb down my neck on this. But the Bible said that the serpent had a seed. That settles it. The serpent's seed. Let it be any way you want to take it. We'll restrain from that—I've got my idea, too. But be whatever it will, the Bible said in Genesis I that ... the first of Genesis, that the serpent had a seed.

And now remember, the serpent was not a snake to begin with, a reptile. He was the next thing to a human being. Science has tried for thousands of years to find that missing link between man and beast. The closest they can come is to a chimpanzee. But they cannot get from the chimpanzee to the human being. Why? It was the serpent.

Now, if you notice, in Genesis 3 and 1, the beast ... “the serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field”—a beast, not a reptile. He was more like a man. He looked like a man. He was that missing link in between there, because that's the only way. The seed of a human will not coincide with the seed of a animal. But this fellow was the only one the devil could use, because it was just between man and beast in the genealogies.

I believe in evolution. The first thing, maybe when there was nothing but just plain chaos, volcanic eruption.... You know, God's a great contractor. Do you believe that? A great contractor always lays out all of his stuff when he builds his subdivision. God, when He was moving the earth around, creating calcium, potash, and petroleum and so forth, He was laying our bodies on the earth right then—material that we're made out of. And the great Holy Spirit went out from God to brood over the earth, or coo, make love, like a hen her brood.

And let's think He had wings. He did not, but let's think He had wings. Like a hen over her brood, He begin to brood over the earth. And I can see some calcium coming, running down a little place, mixing up with some moisture, and potash, and a little Easter flower come out. Now I can hear him say, “Come here, Father, and look at this.”

“Very good. Keep on brooding.” After a while, “Brood a little more.”

What come out next was probably the flowers, and the vegetations. And the birds flew out of the dust of the earth. And then come the animal life. And kept getting higher life, higher life, higher life, higher life until finally a man come up in the very image of God. Strange something didn't come up higher than that, wasn't it? Can't get no higher. It was the image of God.

So, as evolution brings it up like that.... But they can't cross to make themselves higher. God said, “Every seed brings of its kind.”

Now, in that come up, then, the man.

Now sin did not start in earth. It began in heaven. And he was kicked out of heaven, and came to the earth. There was nothing else he could get into. The animal would be too far from him—seed wouldn't mix. So he had to get into the serpent, which was a being more like a man. And when God cursed him, and put him on his belly, He changed every bone in him. Science, trying to dig up bones. Why, it's hid in the mysteries of God, and will reveal it to anybody that wants to know about it. Sure.

There is ... now watch. He was the most subtle, most shrewd, cunning, wisdom, smarter than the animals. He was right next to the man, see, “the most subtle of all the beasts of the field.” And now, remember that Cain was given a mark.

And now you say, “Satan could not've been that serpent.” If you'll go with me now over to II Corinthians 11:14, the Bible said he transformed himself into an angel of light. You just underestimate Satan. That's all, see. Yes, sir. he made himself into an angel of light. He could come in that kind of a substance, then why could he not come into a beast, next thing to a man?

Now, we find out that because that Cain listened to the enemy, then what happened? He become the first murderer. He become the first one that had jealousy on earth. Tell me where that pure line from God to Adam.... That's the only connection. Adam was the son of God. The Bible said so. Then where did that jealousy come from? Where did that murderer come from? Where did all that kind of a spirit come from? Out of Adam? It couldn't have. It come from Satan. That's exactly where it come from.

Now, we find out he was the first murderer, and he was the first one to have jealousy. Lucifer got jealous of Michael, brought it right down to the earth, and transferred it into man. And Satan came.... By taking on this evil, took the first mark—God marked him. No one was to kill him. Let him alone. But you remember, as soon as He marked him, he went out from the presence of God. Hold on to that now. Oh, we don't have time to give a real thorough study, because.... Oh, brother we could dig this here for six months, see, never touch the outsides of it, see.

Notice he went out from the presence of God when he was marked, went to the land of Nod, and got him a wife. Very type of the church—goes out from God, gets a wife of the world, see. Watch it, glorious! Now, we have to change quickly, now, that we don't take too much time.

Now we find out that then Abel, Cain's brother ... Cain slew Abel. And God gave Adam another son instead of Abel, whose name was Seth. And it was a sign, and a sign from God of death and resurrection. So Seth never went to the land of Nod to get his wife. God gave him a wife. But Cain, with the mark of the beast on him, went out and got him a wife from the land of Nod. And Seth took God's choice.

Perfect type of the denominational church today —going out, taking in anything. But the true church of the living God, Christ's body, only takes what the Holy Ghost seals. Perfect. God has set in the church.

What did the sign come by? What did the churches mark by? What was this sign? We know Cain had the mark.

Then, what was the sign of the resurrection? That's what the church is signed today by the sign of the Holy Spirit, that Christ is not dead; but He raised from the dead, and taken in the church. See? Sealing his church, that begins right with them two boys, right there in the garden of Eden, right outside the garden—the mark of the beast.

A wanderer, a fugitive, don't know where he's going, don't know where he's ... where he what he ... don't know what he does want. He's a fugitive.

But Seth stayed at home, and he was with his father. And God gave him a wife. There starts in the lineage. If you'd want to chase that down one time.... I'd better leave it alone. I'd just like to prove it to you over and over and over and over. Yes, sir. That's right. There's where it began.

Some people think that the ... taking apples in the garden of Eden, eat some apples, and the first thing you, know, that was the first sin. Oh, brother! Let me tell you. I don't say this for a joke. It's no place to joke. But if eating apples will cause women to realize they're naked, we'd better pass the apples again. I think so. I think we ought to do it. It wasn't apples. We all know that. No. We realize (in a mixed audience) what it was, and we see what it did.

Now, we find out then, that this was....

A mark is a distinction. It makes a difference. It separates something. But like.... You say you got one mark against you, a mark. But you never said you had one seal against you. You got one mark against you. And a seal is a sign of ownership; a mark is a distinction. And the church is sealed by the Holy Spirit, showing that ownership. God owns the church. But the mark of the beast is the wayward, the outcast, that refuse to take it, come God's provided way.

Cain, as soon as he was marked, was sent away. We get that. Abel died. And Seth, raised to take his place, was a sign of resurrection. All right.

We find out that these two—mark, mark and seal—begin in Genesis, and it comes down through the Bible, and ends up in Revelation. We also have a scripture here about that, where it started in Genesis, ends up in Revelation. It's always been in one form or the other coming up.

Like I was preaching the other night, on the blood offering, blood sacrifice. Babylon is spoke of in Genesis, the first of the Bible; Babylon, spoke of in the middle of the Bible; Babylon, spoke of in the last of the Bible—starts in Genesis, comes over to Revelation. Everything begins them two spirits.

Look here. Let's just take it a minute. Even in the ark, there was the dove and the crow in the ark. One ... both of them birds, both of them could fly, both of them....

You know the crow is a hypocrite. He is. He is just a dirty hypocrite. Now, a crow can sit down over there on an old dead horse, and just eat, and caw, and flop his wings, and have a big time. That poor little dove can't get near it. Why? It hasn't got any gall, see. It couldn't digest it. If it eat that, it would die. But the crow can sit there and eat dead horse half a day; go out in the field, and come home and eat dinner with wheat, with the crow ... with the dove. He's an old hypocrite. That's all.

Did you ever notice a dove has no gall of bitterness? Neither does anyone that's baptized with the Holy Ghost. All the bitterness is gone away. They were both in the same ark, like the hypocrite and the real believer in the same church, same denomination, sitting together, see—same pew, sitting together.

I want you to notice another thing. Oh, I like to talk about nature. The dove—did you know you don't catch the dove taking a bath? Why? He don't have to. He's got a oil inside of him, that goes out through his feathers and keeps himself clean all the time. That's the way a real church.... It don't have to be backing up and going back about this, that, and the other. But they got an oil, holy oil on the inside, every believer, that keeps him clean from the things of the world. Oh, if we could just preach on the lamb and dove some time.

The Holy Ghost inside the believer keeps him clean. Not from the outside, what he washes off; but it comes from the inside out. Amen! A lot of people say, “I have to go up, make a confession today. I have to say so-and-so, and I have to go, and make a confession. I have to do this....”

But you know, the Holy Spirit inside just works the oil out all the time, the atonement keeping the believer clean. For, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.”

How do we get into it? By one handshake? No. By one paper, by one denomination? No. But by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body.

Free from judgment? God's done judged that body. God judged it at Calvary. It won't have to be judged anymore. “He that heareth my words ... believeth on him that sent me, hath eternal life [There's not two forms of eternal life, only one.] hath eternal life and shall not come into the judgment, but has passed from death unto life.” “When I see the blood, I'll pass, will pass over you.”

Oh, my! That makes me feel religious. Why? Free from sin. That's right. He that's borned of God does not commit sin, cannot sin. Seed of God remains in him, he can't sin. It can't be me under a sin offering all the time, and then be a sinner. You cannot. You never seen a sinner-saint; you never seen a black-white bird or a drunk-sober man. No, sir. You're either a sinner, or a saint. That's all.

And if you're in Christ, there is a blood atonement offering all day long, crying, “Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.” Oh, then you can rest assured. Amen. I like that. So beautiful there, the Holy Spirit, how it seals us.

Notice. The crow, the dove. Let's notice from Cain and Abel. That was nothing in the world but Judas and Jesus. Certainly. Let's watch the smoke, as Cain killed Abel at the altar. Now Cain....

If righteousness is all that God requires, our being fundamental.... That's what I've always said about the two classes of people. I meet the fundamental, and the Pentecosts. The fundamentalists seem positionally, from their schooling, they know where they stand; but they haven't got no faith. The Pentecostals got the faith; but don't know who they are, see. Like I said, somebody's got money in the bank, can't write a check; the other one, write a check but got no money in the bank. Get them together.

Now, we see that the Pentecostals is the one that's got the faith. They believe, but.... They're full of fire, they're full of the Holy Ghost, but they don't know how to settle down on that Word, and say, “It's thus saith the Lord.” They blow it all out the whistle, with screams and shouts and runs. If they could ever bottle it down, you'd see a church stand on their feet in power and glory. There'd be a book of Acts wrote behind it.

Now notice. Yeah. I didn't mean that they.... They take it out in joy instead of power, faith—hold that there, and believe that it's God's Word, stay right with it.

Look at.... Cain come up, and offered an offering; built an altar, belonged to a church, belonged to a denomination, knelt at the altar and prayed, worshipped God, gave of his tithings. If that's all God requires, Cain was just as justified as Abel was.

But you see, the whole secret was, was the revelation. There's where the trouble is. People don't understand that the whole church of the living God is built upon a spiritual revelation of Christ. Jesus said so in St. Matthew 16. “Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah: ... flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And up ... thou art Simon. Upon this rock I'll build my church.” When the spiritual revelation of Jesus Christ.... And He is the Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And when that Word comes into you, it's sharper than a two-edged sword, even discerning the thoughts and the intents of the heart. There's the Word coming in the revelation of every word of God is true. Hang your soul on any phase of it. Revelation.

Oh, I like these things. My! I think it sets the church to where you could have a healing service, see. God said so—that settles it. That's all of it. God said so. Just stay right with it.

Now. But how.... There was no Bible in that day, so it must have been revealed to Abel. Hebrews 11 said, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, testifying of him that he was righteous.”

Now Cain said, “I guess my mother eat some apples, and she had to put on clothes.” But Abel knew that it was blood, life. There'd been something happen wrong, and he offered the blood of a lamb. I can see him coming with this little lamb.

Oh, Satan's altar was much more beautiful than Abel's. He had fruits, and flowers, and all pretty. But that's what I'm trying to tell the church. Sister, you don't have to wear manicure, and all prettied up, and wear a dress like the next lady, to be right with God. You don't have to have a church that's got thousand-dollar pews in it, and a pipe organ that costs several million dollars, and all this here fancy stuff. That come from hell. That's right. I can prove it by the Bible. That's right.

Cain thought these things.... “I'll offer these things.”

But I imagine Abel's offering wasn't so good. Probably didn't have any hemp in that day, so he must have had a grapevine wrapped around that little old lamb's neck. Led it up there, and laid it upon the rock. He didn't have a lance or a knife then so he must've took a piece of rock, pulled its little head back, and began to chop its little neck. And as it begin to bleat, and kick, and the blood going all over him....

Bleeding, bleating, dying on the rock, what did it represent? Four thousand years later the Lamb of God, hacked to death on the rock of ages—bleeding, bleating, speaking in tongues, as he was dying on Calvary. Oh, dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power, till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more. Our educational programs, denominational programs will mean not that [Brother Branham snaps his finger]. It will take the blood of Jesus Christ, and nothing else to do it. Yes.

Watch the smoke come up from there.

And remember, here it is, believer: Abel died on the same rock with his lamb. Every believer has to do the same thing—die on the rock with your lamb. A lamb don't have but one thing, and that's wool. And he has to forfeit all he's got. He don't kick up a fuss about it. You take the little fellow, and throw him up there like a lamb—dumb before his shearers. He gets sheared off. He don't fuss about it. The only thing he's got, he forfeits it, willing. And we say we're Christians.

Somebody wrote me a little letter the other day, a little note, put it in. I got it down there. Said, “I got a right. I'm American citizen. I'll wear any kind of clothes I want to.” Go right ahead. It's all right. That shows you're a goat. That's right. You just go ahead and wear them, if you wish.

But remember. If you're a lamb, you have got a right to it, but you forfeit your rights for Christ. I got a right to get drunk tonight, too. I'm American citizen. I got a right to smoke cigarettes. I'm American citizen. You have too. But we forfeit our rights, be shaved off of those things. Act like gentlemen, like ladies. Dress like it, and act like it, and live like it. Forfeit your rights.

Look at the smoke coming up from the altar, come right on up and settle down on Calvary. As Cain killed Abel at the altar, Judas killed Jesus at the altar. That's right. Notice. Again, you only see three crosses, don't you? There were four—four crosses. There was Jesus in the middle, a thief on one side, and a thief there on the other. And Judas hung himself on a sycamore tree. And Jesus was hanging on a tree, too. (Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree, and is made a curse for us.) Judas was on just as much cross as He was, because he was on a tree; Jesus on much tree as Judas was. Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree.

Watch here. There was the Son of God, God made manifest, came down from heaven, returning back to heaven, taking with Him the repented sinner. And there was Judas, the son of perdition, come from hell, returning back to hell, taking with him the unrepented sinner, going back again. Oh, it's beautiful.

As God opened up the side of Adam in the garden and took out a part to make a bride, God opened up the side of Jesus at Calvary, and took out the bride out of his side. Oh, it's beautiful. At the cross, how it is, and how them two spirits, how they come up through Cain, Abel, the crow, the dove.

And look. We think again. Cain, when he went over into the land of Nod he got himself a wife. And we find out that that wife.... I got the scripture wrote down. I won't go into that at this time.

Look at Israel. Israel, when it left out of there, like two vines we see it coming on up. It's always been that way. Look. Here come Israel, on its road to the promised land, like the church is today. What did it meet? It met Moab. And he sent up to his brother, and said, “Can we cross your land? If our cattle lick up any grass, we'll pay for it. If they drink any water, we'll pay for it.” And he refused to do it.

Now, looky here. There was Israel, a little bunch of interdenominationals riding around through the country, no place to settle down; but on their road home. Moab was settled down with the dignitaries, numbered amongst the nations of the world.

Notice what happened. Israel had the true blood stream. Remember how Balaam tried to marry in like that? And they had to oust off them women and all—teaching of Balaam, doctrine of Balaam.

Notice. There was Moab, believed in the same God that Israel believed in. For it was what? Another illegitimate, wrong wife—Lot's child by his daughter. Just exactly like the unborn churches today. The church natural is a church of the world, committing spiritual fornications with the world, and not living true to God. Very beautiful type.

Notice. Fundamentally speaking now.... Fundamental brother, I'm not ... I don't want to pinch you too hard, but I want you to feel it. Notice. Here come the bishop down, Balaam. And he got up there, and the king said, “Come down and curse this people.” Said, “I don't want them over here. They can't have one of them healing services over here. Why, they're always carrying on about healing.” And said, “They got a brass serpent down there that they all look at and get well. And say they're eating manna out of heaven, and I didn't see any of it. Oh, it's a bunch of nonsense.”

And said, “Now I want you to come down, and curse them. We don't want none of that stuff mixed up in our denominations over here. So keep them out of here.”

Notice, he was just as fundamental as Israel was. He built seven altars, seven sacrifices, seven rams —just exactly like they were doing down in the camp of Israel, see—just the same sacrifices. But what Balaam failed to see was that smitten rock, that brass serpent, the shout of the camp of the king. He failed to see that pillar of fire going before them.

That's what it is today. They say, “You belong to them Pentecostals? They're a bunch of holy rollers.” (They used to be, but they're not no more.) But, so they.... “Belong to them?” But they fail to see that pillar of fire. Now, so they can be sure to see it, we got a picture of it scientifically proved. Amen! Yes. They fail to see the pillar of fire, the shout of the camp, that there's a king among us [Amen!], King Jesus.

They failed to see it. He failed to see that blood atonement. They say, “I know a Pentecostal man run off with another man's wife.” I know a Baptist, and Presbyterian that done the same—Catholics and all. That's right. So sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Pot can't call kettle black. We're all human beings, and we're subject to all those things among our people. But God deals with us as individuals, whoever we are. So the Pentecostal blessing is right.

Notice Israel and Moab. Now it's the same. We find out that the church takes on a.... They go out and take on a denominational ... bring in anything they want to. They just say, “Well, now, if you'll come and be baptized in our church, and stand up and say you believe Jesus is the Son of God, then we'll baptize you in the church and put your name on the book.”

Now, do you know the devil believes, too? Sure he does. I explained to you the other night, too—like trying to immerse this old turtle. It didn't do anything to him. It didn't help him any. It took fire to make him move. And so that's what it takes for the church today is a little Holy Ghost and fire to make it move. But remember, the Holy Spirit will not take that unclean person into the body of Christ. That shows that the body of Christ is not a denomination. For it's a mystical body of Christ and by one Spirit we're all baptized into it.

I think.... We take women, men, and take them to the waters to baptize them. And we find out if they're really not Christians in their heart we should never baptize them. I was going some time ago with a woman to the river—group of them. One woman walked out there. She got out of her car, and come across fixing her hair up.

She said, “Going to take me down and duck me, Brother Branham?”

I said, “Not you. You're not fit to go in.” That's right.

They was going to have a singing at the church, and some girl, she didn't have enough money to get her some kind of hairdo like that she wanted to do, to get up on the platform to sing. And her poor old mother washed over a washboard to get that hairdo for her. When I found that out, I wouldn't let her sing. I said, “You're not fit to sing up there.” That should be kept clean.

That's what's the matter today with the churches—the corruption and stuff, right from the pulpit, plumb to the basement. That's right. Clean it out! That's right. We need the old-fashioned scouring pad again in the church.

Like, the little darkie was being ordained one day, and the elders stand around and said, “Lord, wrap him up in burlap sacks, and pour kerosene on him, and set him afire for the gospel.” That's what we need today: on fire! Turn him loose then, and let him run!

We used to brand calves. We'd take a calf.... I don't know what ... you've roped, and hog-tied a many one, I guess. We used to brand them down. Someone said to me, “Aren't you ashamed to pack that hot iron, and stick it on his side?”

“Nope.” I stuck it on his side. He had a kicking fit, all right. He squalled and bellowed. When we turned him loose, he had a spasm. He really run, but we knowed who he belonged to from then on (that's right), as long as he lives.

And I tell you, brother. It takes a lot of grace to come up to the altar, and stay there till the Holy Ghost burns a seal down in you. You may scream and cry and act funny, but you know where you belong from then on (that's right), for you're sealed in the kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit. It is the seal.

Remember, the Holy Spirit come to seal those who God foreknew. That's right. Right. He just didn't come down (Jesus), and say, “I'll die, and maybe somebody'll have pity, and look at me, and say, 'Well, I suppose....' Maybe if they'll think I suffered so much, it will break their hearts, and they'll come.”

No, no. You won't come anyhow. You can't tell a pig he's wrong by eating on a manure pile. He'd just tell you right quick, if he could talk, “I'll tend to my business. You tend to yours,” see. It takes a conversion. God has to do it. No man comes to Jesus except God draws him first. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to even turn your heart. It takes God.

Someone said, “I sought God and sought God.” No, no, no. God sought you; not you seeking God. God seeks you.

All right.

The Holy Spirit doesn't take in just any kind of a wife, doesn't take in somebody that smokes, and somebody that drinks, and somebody that lives immoral, and somebody that carries on with all kinds of worldly things; because He said, “If you love the world, or the things of the world, the love of God's not even in you.”

But the Holy Spirit come to seal into the body the wife of Jesus Christ that He foreknew before the foundation of the world, when by being God, in foreknowledge, He could see who would receive Him, and who would not. So the Holy Spirit comes and gets that bride. That's the one he takes in.

But the church said, “Oh, ...”

We used to sing a little song. I hope I don't sound sacrilegious. We had a little song we used to sing, “Come and dine, the Master calleth.” And we had a little song—we made it a little different. Forgive me, if I stumble you any way.

Said, “Come and jine,” the pastor

calleth, “Come and jine”;

You can have your ice-cream suppers

all the time;

Tell the dirty jokes, chew a cud,

and puff a smoke,

Oh, the pastor calls to the congregation,

“Come and jine.”

Instead of “Come and Dine.” What a difference!

Take a man, as long as he's got a little money and can pay in, put him on the deacon board. Got two or three wives, put them on there anyhow, because they're influential men in the city. I don't care if the city hates them; I want them influential in heaven, where the Holy Spirit ... where they can have some influence among the people. But it's just “Come and Jine.” Everything....

I asked a girl some time ago, “Are you a Christian?”, and she said, “I give you to understand I'm an American,” like that had anything to do with it. She was in Switzerland; like that had anything to do with it. Brother Bosworth said he asked a woman one time. She said, “I'll give you to understand I burn a candle every night,”—now like that's got anything to do with Christianity, burn a candle every night. Got to be borned into this, into the kingdom of God.

Now, we find those spirits.... Watch. Just about the time that Jesus came on the scene, Judas came on the scene. Just about the time Jesus went off the scene, the same day Jesus and Judas both went off the scene. Just about the time the Holy Ghost came on the scene, what happened? The antichrist come on the scene. John says so. Said, “Little children, be not deceived by it.” Said, “The antichrist that's already at work in the world....” See. It ain't coming in these last days; it's already there, then. It's always been.

And now you watch. Just about the time the antichrist is holding itself up now, and taking all the churches—even our Pentecostals—into the big morgue up here, you know U.N. churches.... You understand where I mean.

I understand some of our Pentecostal organizations is getting into that. Mmmh! How far away from the Spirit of God can you get, when you start wandering? Just slip off that narrow road, and you just keep sliding. That's right. You got to come back to where you left off. That's right. Confederation of churches, which will form the image of the beast, and we all know that.

See, there it is all working right around now, to bring all the churches together and unite ourselves together to fight communism. Don't you worry about communism. It ain't going to be the thing to fight. There's three curtains. I say this in the name of the Lord. Don't you forget it. There's an iron curtain, a bamboo curtain, and a purple curtain. Watch that purple curtain, see. Keep your eye on that.

Oh, my!

How we see now the antichrist beginning to unfold itself, taking a hold in the nation—even elect their own men—the other churches forming in with it, making one great big ecclesiastical head. All the Anglican bishops is going over now into Rome to consult with the pope the first time for hundreds of years. Oh, it's all taking head. And we Protestants sit back, you know, and, “Well, there you are, see. Just go ahead,” because it's cooled off.

We ain't going to stop it. It ain't going to stop. And it's going to get worse. The Bible said so, that the Pentecostal church in the last days.... We know is the Laodicean church age that gets lukewarm, and God spits it out of his mouth—makes him sick at his stomach. He just can't stand it the way it is.

Now, let's go on now, and get some of these seals and work them out for a next few minutes. We go over now, if you're putting the scriptures down, let's go to Ezekiel, the 9th chapter. And we find out the prophet foreseen the first coming of the church. Now we find that he seen ... called the prophet, and he looked up at the higher gates, and said, “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

And there come from the high gates four men with slaughtering weapons in their hands. You read Ezekiel the 9th chapter. Now remember, that slaughtering was designated only to Jerusalem. “Go through the city.” But before they went through the city, they found another thing happened. There came a man with ... in white, with a inkhorn at his side—a writer's inkhorn. And He said, “Stop these other men,” that they should not go into the city until first the man dressed in white with the writer's inkhorn would go through the city of Jerusalem, and set a seal upon, or mark, of those that sigh and cry for the abominations that's done in the city.

Now this one with the inkhorn at his side was the Holy Spirit. Now notice. After he went through, then he turned these men loose with slaughtering weapons. He said, “Utterly destroy all, both young, old, young maids, little children. Spare nothing. But don't come near any of those who have that seal upon them.” Notice it.

Now when did that take place? That was the early Pentecostal church, when the Holy Spirit went through and marked out the church. Now notice how history .... If you've ever taken the writing of Josephus, when he wrote of the great battle about ninety-six, when all the people....

When the Holy Ghost ... when Jesus came, performed the signs of the Messiah, proved that He was Messiah, after He left He transferred Himself into glory, sent back the Holy Ghost and anointed the apostles. They went forth doing the same signs that He did. They had the power of the Lord, they spoke in tongues, they shouted. There was a mighty rushing wind filled them, and they went forth with such a zeal until they burnt the cities with the Holy Spirit. And what did they do? They made fun of them. They laughed at them. That's right.

Jesus said, “You speak against me, I'll forgive you. But when the Holy Ghost is come, one word against it will never be forgiven.” And they sealed their eternal destination when they made fun of the people that was filled with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus told them, said, “Now the time will come....”

Now you have to notice, so many teachers there .... They asked Jesus three different questions in Matthew 24. He answered each one. That's the reason they get it them Seventh Day Adventists that.... “Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath ... on the Sabbath day, or winter time.” They was asking Him “When will these things be? What will be the sign of the coming of the end of the world?” Three different questions they asked Him, and He explained it just as they asked Him there. And it taken place. History shows it's right.

What would do ... what difference would it make if your flight now—running from the city—would be on the Sabbath day? Then the gates of the city was closed on the Sabbath day. What difference would it make? Showed it wasn't universal, because it'd be summertime in one place, and winter in another.

“Pray that your flight be not in the winter time, or on the Sabbath day” Because in that day.... See, they were warned. Said, “Let them that's in Jerusalem flee into Judea.” Judea was snowbound in the winter time. “Pray that your flight be not in the winter time, neither on the Sabbath day.”

But when Titus came up, and they seen.... Jesus told them, “When you see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, let him that's in the field don't return to get his coat, but hit for the hills of Judea just as hard as you can go.” Get out of there, because they're going to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. And if they blaspheme the Holy Ghost, they take the mark of the beast, and there's nothing but destruction left.

Those Jews, when they seen trouble coming, they said, “Now we will gather into the city, into the house of the Lord, and pray.” Doesn't that sound very religious, very sweet? Oh, Satan can make it look just so real. Sure.

But remember, Josephus said that those people that were cannibals.... Said, “There's a bunch that follows Jesus of Nazareth, who went around healing the sick.” Said, “Pilate killed him, and they stole his body away, and had it out somewhere, and cut it up and eat it. They were cannibals.” What they were doing was taking communion of the body of the Lord, see. And he said none of them was lost, because they hit out for Judea, just as the Scripture told them to do—like Jesus had told them to do it.

But those Jews, they all went into Jerusalem, and they said, “Now we'll gather to the house of the Lord, and great Jehovah, who's always been with us, will come down and He will drive away the armies of Titus. That's what He'll do.”

But what did they do? They had sinned against the Holy Ghost. They'd make fun of the power of the Holy Ghost in operation. They called Jesus Christ (who was performing and showing them that He was their Messiah), they called Him Beelzebub, called Him a devil; told Him it was some kind of a telepathy; said He was a devil, the works that He was doing was the works of the devil. They had it coming to them.

Now, brother, you just wait. We won't get time tonight. But tomorrow night I want to take you over, and show you that the United States has done the same thing exactly. I'll prove it to you by the Scriptures tomorrow night, the Lord willing, of how the United States has done the same thing exactly in these last forty years. They've made fun, and called them holy rollers, Pentecostal fanatics, and everything in the world—and God working with them with signs and wonders. And the big churches has sat off like this and made fun. And now in the last days what's happened? Let me bring the scriptures to you. Are you ready?

I differ with my precious brother David DuPlessis, going up there with Dr. McKyle and all these big churches. And now what are they going to say now? Oh, the Presbyterians are saying, “We need speakers in tongues. We need them, to get the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We need divine healers,” and all like that.

Why didn't they accept it forty years ago when it come out, instead of making fun of it? They'll never do it. They are dead, their denominations. And every denomination's dead. Exactly right. It'll never rise again. No denomination will never rise.

Assemblies, you've had your day. Oneness, you had your day. Foursquare, you had your day, time of Mrs. McPherson. The old-school Assemblies had their day. But what have you done? You've denominated yourself, and separated yourself.

You will never take a denomination in, because it was a Catholic order in the first place that God condemned in the beginning. It'll never go in—no Baptist, Presbyterian, or nothing else. But God will pull a hungry heart from every denomination that He can, for that's his body that He'll take in—them that are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

They've done took the mark of the beast. Look at it now. The Pentecostal church has done showed its colors. Now it's spewed out. Jesus on the outside knocking, trying to come in. What's He knocking? The very Messiahic knock, and everything else, and they still turn Him out. Certainly they do.

But what has happened? What day are we living in? Oh, my brother! What day are we living in? Don't think I'm crazy. I hope I'm not. If I'm crazy, just let me alone. I feel better this way than I did the other way. Yes, sir! I tell you, my brother and sister, what's this a sign of? It's a sign we're at the end time.

What did Jesus say about the sleeping virgin? Oh, you call them churches virgin? Just like Cain was, exactly the same thing. They worship. But the sleeping virgin had no oil in her lamp. Is that right? So when she found out she was later than what she thought, communism slipping up on her, she said, “Oh, give us some of your oil. How do you get this Holy Ghost?”

“You go buy it from the one that sells it.”

And remember, the very time that the sleeping virgin went to buy the oil, that's when the bridegroom came. That's right. Don't you see it? If the Presbyterians, and the Episcopalians, and those others are come seeking for the Holy Ghost, you better get your lamp trimmed! Trimmed. Trimmed. Yes, it needs trimming. Pentecost better be trimming some lamps. Amen. Get a lot of this world cut away from you. It done got corroded over.

The wick's got in bad shape. You know, that wick is a great thing. I used to watch.... What a real wick of God is! A believer is a wick. Look. He's got fire on one end up here, and the other end is dipped into oil. Joy and oil are making fire. What a church! What a power! What a place to be! Hallelujah!

Shining ... that same gospel light that's shined in the east is shining in the west. It shall be light in the evening time. Rise, trim your lamp, Pentecost. Trim off the world, trim off the fashions of the world, trim off the things of the world. Get ready, the hour is at hand.

Right. When they went to get this, what happened? What taken place? Then the bridegroom went in.

See, America has blasphemed the Holy Ghost. She's made fun of it ever since it come on the scene of existence forty or fifty years ago. She's constantly made fun. The other churches has made fun. They've showed themselves. Now they begin to stick their head out, and say, “We'd like to have a little of this.”

But just as they go to doing that, it's a sign that we should go to trimming our lamps. God, raise up some preachers that'll go to trimming lamps! I'm telling you what we need today is something that will trim a lamp, so the true Pentecostal fire....

You get an old lamp all ... to where the carbon gets on the lamp wick, it'll smoke your lamp all up. That's what's the matter with us. We got too much carbon on the lamp, too much carbon. The fire can't draw right. It can't get enough air from the bottom. What we need is a good breathing spell—a good breath, fresh breath from heaven of the baptism of the Holy Ghost over again; and the Holy Spirit working in the church with signs and wonders following—the true seal of God.

Not say, “Well, I'll go to the Assemblies. If they don't treat me right, I'll go to the Foursquare.” Oh! You carboned up. You're smoking your light. Trim your lamp. Get ready. We're at the end time.

But they will. Somebody will preach it. Somebody will tell it. Somewhere there'll be some of them that will get it. That's right. I don't know how many, because He says, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man, wherein eight souls were saved.” But ... I don't know how many will get it, but there will be some of them will trim their lamps. That's all there is to it. For lamp-trimming time is on.

And when the sleeping virgin went out, which had already received the mark of the beast....

You say, “Mark of the beast, that... ?” Yes, indeedy. So did Cain receive the mark, and went out. What was it? When the Baptist church, when the Pentecostal church, when the Presbyterian church took on the mark of the beast instead of receiving the Holy Ghost, they went out from God and made them an organization.

What did they do? Took them a false wife, a false wife, of the world—brought in painted-up Jezebels, and everything else, with short hair, and wearing shorts and skirts, and Hollywood fashion. And preachers got out to take them in with deacons with two or three wives. And a man....

You say, “You're always talking on our women, about our women.” All right, men. I'll comb you down once then. Let me tell you something. Any man that'll let his wife smoke cigarettes and wear shorts, I got little respect of him even being a man. He's so sissified he don't even know what he belongs to. He ain't a man! That's right. Oh, hallelujah! That's right. He's a poor excuse for a man. Oh, he may be six foot tall, weigh 200 pounds, but that don't look like a man to me. It shows who's boss around your house. She just stomp her foot, and say, “I tell you right now...!” and you bow down like you was a sick kitten.

What's the matter? We need ... what we need today is men. We need gospel preachers. And any preacher that'll stand in the pulpit, and hold back on those things, I got little respect of him being called of God. Right. A man that's ashamed to stand in the pulpit, and tell the God's truth, when he knows it's an immoral thing for a woman to cut her hair.... The Bible....

A man's got a right to leave his wife, and give her a divorce when she cuts her hair. The Bible said so. Who's the head of the woman? Her husband. And the Bible said if a woman cuts her hair, she dishonors her head. No dishonorable woman should be lived with. Amen. She cuts off her glory. And so does the church. When she does the same thing, she cuts her glory stream off.

O God, why do I say these things? But it's truth! No, we don't need compromisers. We need men and women who will stand for justice, and right, and tell the truth, regardless of what it is. Amen. The seal of God!

Trim your lamps, my brother. Let the light of the Holy Spirit burn out again, fresh. It's getting dark. Oh, it's such a horrible time. It's getting dark.

Here some time ago I went down ... I was coming from Dallas, and was flying over, and going to Indiana. And a storm come up, and the airplane had to go down at Memphis. And they put me up in that great big fine hotel down there. Told me.... They called me after awhile, and said, “We'll call you in the morning at seven o'clock. We'll have some limousine to pick you up,” because I'd already paid my way and they had to pay my way in the hotel that night. So I sat up and wrote some letters to my friends.

And the next morning I got up, and was going down to mail the letters, and I was going down the street. I thought“ I'll hurry up now, because that limousine is going to pick us up at a certain time.”

And I started down the street, walking real fast, you know. The Holy Spirit said, “Stand still.” I looked around, and ... big Irish cop standing there and looked over here, and I thought, “Surely that wasn't him that said that.”

And I started walking again, said, “Come aside.” And there was some fishing reels and things there. And I walked up like this, and thought, “I'll just act like I'm looking at that, so he won't think suspicious of something.” So I walked up there, and began to look at the reels. And I said, “Heavenly Father, was that You spoke?”

He said, “Turn and go north, and keep walking.”

I said, “Yes, Father.” I just started.... You believe children of God should be led by the Spirit of God? That's what the matter with us. We got our lamps so smoked up we can't tell nothing no more. And here we was.

I went walking. I walked, and I walked, and I walked. And I thought, “Well, my!” I looked. Time for the airplane to come, and He just kept saying, “Walk”; and I just kept on walking. I went over and got over on the other side, and I got in that ... in the colored district over there.

And I was going down.... Well, it was way high, the sun was way up high. And I thought, “Oh, I missed my plane. Well, if He said walk, I guess may be as well walk home. So I'll just keep on walking, leave my suitcase back there.” So then I went.... I had my suitcase still at the hotel, and I had these letters.

I kept walking along, and I thought, “Well, Lord....” Just something kept saying, “Keep walking, keep walking.” I just kept on walking. That's the only thing to do. No matter how it looks, just keep on anyhow. If God said do it, just keep on anyhow. That's the way you do it. That's the way you get well, see. Just keep on walking.

Say, “Yesterday, I couldn't wiggle my finger but that much; but today, I can wiggle it that much. Praise God. Tomorrow I wiggle it that much, and next day that much, and the first thing, I'm better.” Just keep on walking, that's all. Just keep walking.

Then, I got over there on the other side of Memphis. When I did, why, I was walking down through a big colored district there, little old shanties like out there. And I thought, “What am I doing over here?” I thought, “Well, He said keep walking. If He wanted me to turn some other way, He'd tell me.” So I just kept on walking.

And I walked, and I was singing that little song that you Pentecostal people sing, about.... Let's see if I can get the tune.

They were gathered in the upper room,

All praying in his name,

Baptized with the Holy Ghost,

And power for service came;

Now what He did for them that day

He'll do for you the same.

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

You've heard it, haven't you? Yes, sir.

These people may not learned be,

Or boast of worldly fame,

They have all received their Pentecost,

Through faith in Jesus' name;

And are telling now, both far and wide,

His power is yet the same.

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

I was going along humming that to myself. I looked. I seen an old colored woman, leaning out over a gate there like this, and just way up.... And, oh, it was beautiful springtime, and the honeysuckles.... You think orange blossoms smells good; you just wait till you smell honeysuckles in Indiana back there. So, and there was ... she was leaning out there, and she had a man's shirt tied around her head—great big fat face, you know.

And I was coming along, and I thought, “Well, you....” I see her standing there. I kept walking on like that. And when I got up close, she started laughing. Great big tears started coming down her eyes. I said, “Good morning, Auntie.” That's usually the way we address colored people in the south.

She said, “Good morning, Parson.”

I said, “Parson?” (That's a preacher, you know.) I said, “How did you know I was a parson?”

She said, “I knowed you was coming.”

I said ... stopped, kind of backed up, and I said, “Father, is this it? Did you send me down to this Negro woman?”

And she was standing there, and I said, “How did you know I was a parson?”

And she said, “Did you ever read that story about the Shunammite woman?”

I said, “Oh, yes.”

She said, “I's is that kind of woman.” And she said, “I didn't have any children, and I told the Lord if He'd give me a baby, that I would ... that I would raise it to serve Him.” And said, “I did that. The Lord give me a baby.”

Said, “I washed over a washboard to make a living for him.” And said, “He's been such a fine boy, but,” said, “he took a road that's wrong. He got out in the wrong company.” And said, “He....” And she was an old Pentecostal saint. And so she said, “He took the road was wrong, and,” said, “he got a horrible social disease.” And said, “I didn't know it.”

And said, “Now they can't do nothing for him.” Said, “His heart's done eat out.” Said, “He's laying in there dying.”

And said, “Last night I prayed all night.” Said, “He's been unconscious two days, Parson.” And said, “I prayed all night last night. And I said, 'Lord, you give me this baby. I is your servant.' Said, 'Where's that Elisha?'”

Said, “I kept on praying.” Said, “This morning I went to sleep on my knees,” and said, “about two o'clock.” And she said, “I dreamed that the Lord told me to come here, and stand on this gate.” And she said, “And he'll be coming down the street with a tan suit on, and a little tan hat.” And said, “I've been waiting here since before daylight, and I seen you coming.”

Oh, that's Pentecost. That's real Pentecost. I said to her, I said, “My name is Branham, Auntie. Did you ever hear of me?”

She said, “No, sir, Parson Branham. I never heard of you.” And she said, “I'm sorry, but I never heard of you. She said, ”Won't you come in?“

And I said, “Yes, ma'am. Thank you.” I never said another word. I thought this must be it.

So when I walked in.... They had an old plow point hanging on a chain on the gate, to pull it back together. Went in a little old two-room ... what we call “shotgun house” in the East, little long room.

And I've been in king's palaces. Went to pray for King George of England. I was with the ... Gustavus up in Sweden. And I've been in many king's palaces, and King Farouk, and many other places, and great potentates and monarchs. Some of the greatest the world has today, I've had the privilege of going in and talk with them, interviews. I've been in lovely homes. But I never was more welcome, or felt any more at home than I did in that little Negro hut that morning.

When I went in there, there wasn't a rug on the floor. A little old poster bed sat kind of that way, and they had a big sign up on the door there, said, “God bless our home.” I've been in people's houses who call themselves Christians, with pin-ups, and dirty vulgar pictures that hangs on the wall.

I felt really at home.

Looked there on the bed. There laid a great big, sturdy-looking colored boy, guess would weigh 170 pounds. And he had the blanket in his hand going, “Uh, uh.”

I said, “What's the matter, brother?”

She said, “Parson, he hasn't spoke for two days.”

And he kept saying, “It's dark in here. It's dark. I don't know where I'm going. Uh, uh.”

And the old auntie come over to me, she said, “Parson, he thinks he's out in the river somewhere, or sea. And it's dark, and he's rowing a boat, and he can't see where he's going.” And said, “He's been saying that for two days.”

And I said, “Oh, that's too bad.” And I said, “Well, Auntie,” I said, “my ministry.... I've just left Dallas, Texas. I pray for the sick.” She wasn't interested in that.

She said, “Just one thing I want to say, Parson. I want you to pray. And if God of heaven will just let me hear my boy say, 'Mama, it's all right. I'm saved,' ” said, “I'll be ready to let him go.”

Said, “But I've worked so hard, and prayed so hard for my boy,” said, “I just hate to see him die like that, and know he's going out lost, backslidden the way he is.” Said, “If I can just hear him say, 'It's all right, Mama. I'm ready to go....' Will you pray?”

I said, “All right, Auntie.”

And we knelt down on the floor. And I seen, I guess her son's, shirt tied around her head; great big old fat cheeks, like that, and she ... great big woman. She knelt down. I thought ... I said, “Auntie, you lead us in prayer.” Oh, brother! If I'd never knowed she was Pentecostal then, I'd have knowed it then. Talk about praying!

That old woman prayed a prayer that would just ... you could just feel your hair in the back of your neck stand up. She prayed like ... I tell you she talked to Him like she'd talked to Him before. She knowed who she was talking to, when.... Oh, such a prayer! She just wrang my heart. And when she got done, she reached over, and kissed him on the head.

She said, “God bless Mama's baby.”

I thought, “There it is. There it is, see. 'God bless Mama's baby,' though he'd brought disgrace upon the home, great big, burly-looking fellow like that. No matter what he's done, he's still Mama's baby, because that mother love still moves on to him.”

And I thought, “Yes, that's right. But the Bible said, 'Can a mother forget her suckling babe?' Said, 'She might do it. But I can't forget you. Your names are engraved on the palms of my hands.' ” What a great love, how God would ever forget us. Though our lamps are smoked up, He still loves us.

Let's just trim our feeble lamp, my brother. Let's stand out. Let's get ready to meet the Lord Jesus. Let's get cleaned up, let's get fixed up, let's get prayed up, let's get right.

There ... she kissed him like that. He said, “Oh, it's dark, Mama. Oh, it's dark,” pulling that cover back and forth.

And I took hold of his feet. His feet was cold and sticky, and I said ... just like he was dying. And I said, “Can you hear me, brother?”

He said, “Oh, Mama, it's dark.” He said.... And I tried to talk to him. He didn't know. He was shaking his head like that, and stuff running out of his mouth. He said, “Oh, Mama, it's dark, it's dark. I don't know where my boat's a-going,” like that.

And she started crying, wiping them big old cheeks like that. And she said, “You see what I mean, Parson?”

I said, “Yes, Ma'am.”

She said, “Will you pray next, Parson?”

I said, “Yes, Ma'am.” And I knelt down. I said, “You kneel with me.” And I put my hands upon his feet.

I said, “Heavenly Father, it's after nine o'clock now. My plane's been gone a long time.” I said, “I pray You to be merciful. I don't know why You led me over here. Surely this is the place. This is where ... because I wouldn't have come this way if You hadn't led me. And this woman standing here .... You never lead us in vain. You always show us what You're doing.

“So I pray, Father, if this is your will, that You'll let the boy ... grant the woman the request, and may he be saved. I pray that You'll heal his body.”

And while I was yet praying, he said, “Mama, oh, Mama! It's getting light in the room. It's getting light in the room.” You know, in a few minutes he was sitting up on the side of the bed talking to us, put that big black arm around me like that.

I said, “I must go.” I started down the street, and I caught a cab. Run down real quick, and got my suitcase. And I said, “Well, I'll go out and catch the plane some time tonight.” It was right after the war there, and it was awful bad to get a plane out. And just as I drove in, they said, “Last call for flight #172.” Oh! That plane stayed on the ground all that time. I got the same plane. See, God makes everything work right, doesn't He?

About a year later I was going

[A brother speaks in an unknown tongue. There is interpretation: Calling, calling, calling. Yea, the Spirit of God is calling. Even this hour He's speaking unto many. Hear ye the voice of the Lord. He's speaking unto thee in this hour. Wilt thou yield thy heart? Wilt thou give thyself unto Him? Oh, I say unto thee, the time is short. Jesus will soon return. Yield thy heart to Him. Give thine all to Him. Oh, I say to thee, He's calling thee, He's calling thee. If thou wilt yield, it shall be light. It shall be light. But if thou dost reject the Spirit, it shall be dark and how great is that darkness!]

God, O Father, how we thank You for this warning to us. Lord, I know it's not in vain. O God, let the people see we're only trying to get them to trim their lamps, to get ready. The hour is approaching, Lord, when all these signs, the sleeping virgin now hunting for oil, all these things ... to hear your Spirit come down and vindicate the message, that it's true.

God, I pray that You'll bless the people. Let them be warned of God tonight, and have no rest until they have trimmed their lamps, and got ready to meet the bridegroom. Grant it, Father. Amen.

How beautiful! Did you notice that man ... did you notice how them... ? You Pentecostal people ... letting discernment puzzle you? Look how much greater this is than that, see, how that that.... See the very sound of the voice that man was giving? See the interpretation coming the same, see, same way? Just about the same length, same amount of paragraphs, and everything? The Holy Spirit. I'm telling you the truth. It's true. Oh, sinner friend, seek the Lord now. Call upon Him while He may be heard. Hear Him, hear Him, is my prayer.

I want to tell you what happened. A year later I was going through on the train coming to Phoenix. If you was ever in Memphis coming from the east, you pull up like this. I got off of the train and started walking down through there. The train ... they give you ... they charge you fifty cents for a little bitty sandwich, and it real thin. And I waited till I got to a place where I could get off and get me some hamburgers, and I get a sack of them, there get back on the train. And see now, I can exist on that.

So then, I got.... (I couldn't.... I don't believe in taking the saints money, and spending it on stuff like that.) So then, I got me some hamburgers, and I was going down there, running down this way, towards where the stand was. I heard somebody say, “Hello there, Parson Branham.”

I looked around at a little red cap. And I said, “Hello there.”

He said, “Wait a minute.” He come over. He said, “How's you?”

I said, “I'm all right.” I said, “I don't believe I know you.”

Said, “Oh, yes, you do.”

And I said, “Maybe you just skipped my mind.”

He said, “You remember coming down the street one morning, and coming to a house where a boy was laying dying with a venereal disease?”

I said, “You're not... ?”

Said, “Yes, sir. I's him.”

He said, “I's not only healed, but I's saved now, Parson Branham.”

Oh, the half has never yet been told. What more can the kind, gracious, precious, heavenly Father do to warn us, and to get us right? What more can He do?

Do you love Him? Do you love Him with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind? How many sinners is in here now, as I ... we bow our heads just a moment? Raise up your hand, say, “God, put fire in my lamp tonight, Lord. Light my little candle, and let me burn for Christ till I die.” Say, “I now take my way with the Lord's despised few.”

Let me see your hands. Sinner friend, would you raise your hand, and accept Christ as your Saviour? Would you just raise your hand, balcony or bottom floor. We've combed through and through each night. There perhaps was another one or two in here tonight. Raise up your hand. Will you do it, anywhere, sinner? Say, “I want to receive the Holy Ghost.”

Now remember you'll either have the Holy Ghost, or take the mark of the beast. There's just two classes. We'll get to it tomorrow night. I just kind of throwed it out, and made a big foundation to cap it off on tomorrow night.

You raise your hand, and say, “I want it, Brother Branham.” God bless you, young man. The Lord bless you. That's very good. God give you the desire of your heart, son.

Someone else, just raise up, say, “I want to accept Christ.” God bless you, lady. That's very fine. A very gallant thing.

Someone else, raise up, say, “I'll accept Christ. I'll receive it.” In the balcony, way back in the corner, yes, I see your hand up there, my dear friend. And now someone else say, let me ... let's see now. Someone else say, “I'll accept Christ as my Saviour. I'll raise my hand to Him, and say I....”

Now remember, when you raise up your hand, you mean it. That settles it. It's done forever. God takes you right at your word. You just mean it, and raise up your hand, see what happens. All right, another one up in the balcony. God bless you. Yes, that's good. Just raise up your hand. Just see what a feeling comes over you.

If you're a sinner, raise up your hand. Yes, lady. A young lady sitting here in front. God bless you, sister dear. Another one? I'll be waiting. Christ is. God bless you up there. Another one? God bless you, back there, young fellow. God be with you, sonny boy. God will certainly do that. “I want to accept Christ as my Saviour.” God bless you, back in the back. Another one? “I will accept Christ as my Saviour. Now, upon this spot where I'm sitting, I'm convinced that I need Christ.”

I know that ... I've always believed that there'll come a time of separation, that God would separate the true church. He will. He'll take it home. He's getting it ready right now. Will you come join up with Jesus Christ by giving your heart to Him? Just continue on in the church wherever you are. Just continue on, but give your heart to Him.

Now the denominations, there's ... one's just about like the other. Wherever it is, wherever you got your fellowship, a group of people that you love, that's all right. If you belong to the Foursquare, don't change to the Assemblies. You belong to the Assemblies, don't change to the Foursquare. Just stay where you are, and love the Lord, anywhere you're at.

You're baptized into the body of Christ. So whatever organization you belong to, it don't save you or have nothing to do with it—just a place where people come. And real true brothers know that. We all know that. We know that. Certainly we do.

Will there another one raise your hand before we have prayer? God bless you, honey. Would there be another one? Raise your hand. Say, “I, upon the basis of the shed blood, what Jesus did for me.... And Brother Branham, what I've heard you say tonight, I don't believe that you'd tell us anything wrong. I certainly believe that you're God's servant. And upon the message that your faith cometh by hearing, hearing the word of God....” We get into that so sweetly tomorrow night, on finishing up the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the mark of the beast. Will you raise your hand, say, “Upon the basis of the shed blood of Christ, I raise my hand to Him, saying, 'I want You to be my Saviour right now.' ”

Is there any more before we pray? God bless you, young lady, back there. That's very fine. God be with you, my sister. Would there be another? God bless you, my sister, sitting right here. That's very fine. Would there be another? Way back in the back. God bless you, my brother. That just makes the difference between death and life.

Now, what ... you that raised your hand, what if tonight was your last night on earth? And if some time between now and daylight you'd happen to wake up in your sleep, and your heart stopping, veins are cooling off, your hands getting cold, you're pressing a pillow as you are dying? The doctor walks through the door, says, “No, it's a heart attack. They're gone.” See, you heard him say that. Won't it be wonderful when you know that you raised your hand? Oh, how sweet. How glad you'll be!

What if you have a wreck going home, and you're laying on the side of the road bleeding, hearing the ambulance coming, but know it's coming too late? And you know that you raised your hand to Christ. You say, “Let it be. I have to go some time anyhow, so I'm ready now. And now is the time to go.” Just raise your hand. Make that all one decision right now, will you, my brother, my sister? Raise up your hand.

You say, “Brother Branham, why do you plead with people like that? This is not your tabernacle. This is not your church.” I know. Brother Buntain, my brother, is the pastor here. The Assemblies of God this church belongs to, which ... this building here. The Assemblies of God is one of my greatest supporters in Pentecostal realms around the world. That's not.... But still all that, as much as I love them, that's not the reason. I love you. I love you as an individual. I don't want you to be lost.

I had a vision. I hope I have time to tell it to you, what happened a few nights ago. I seen glory. I seen people. I seen a woman run up and put her arm around me up there. And I've been a little rough on women anyhow, and I seen that woman ... the most beautiful thing I ever seen. And she called me her darling brother. And I said, “Why did she do that?”

Said, “She was past ninety when you led her to Christ.”

I said, “O God, if I can only go back. I'll persuade, I'll beg, I'll plead. I'll do everything.

Won't you raise your hand, and say, “I accept Christ as my Saviour”? Surely, if God lets me do what I do do for Him, I surely know ... have some conception of how to receive Him.

Would there be a lukewarm church member here now? Everybody with your head bowed. A lukewarm church member? Just ... you've professed you've knowed Christ, but really down in your heart you haven't. But you want to know Him. Raise your hand. A church member. God bless you, sir. Somewhere.... God bless you, brother. God bless you. Someone else? Just a church member, say, “I want to know Christ. I belong to church.” And I can say nothing evil against that. I'd sure rather you be on ... belong to the church than out here on the street, without anything. You go on to church. But I want you to please come and receive the seal of God, because if you haven't got it, well....

The Bible says there's only two classes. Wait till tomorrow night, and you'll see. Two classes: one'll have the mark of the beast, the other will have the seal of God. Just like Cain and Seth in the garden of Eden, it comes to that thing. Will you raise your hand, one more now, before we pray? God bless you, lady.

Our heavenly Father, I have seen many hands go up tonight. Most of them are sinners, and they want forgiveness of sins. Two raised their hands, said they were just church members, and yet didn't know You, and wasn't sealed into the kingdom.

Father, I bring these scriptures and hold them before You. You said in your Word, “He that heareth my word [and, Lord, with the best of my knowledge I've preached it], and believeth on him that sent me, has eternal life.” Now, You said that, Father. That's exactly what You said, and I'm bringing it right back to your memory. These people has heard that word, and has believed on Him that sent You.

Now You said they have now (present tense, hath, present tense) eternal life, and shall not come into the judgment; but has passed from death unto life. When did they do it? When they raised their hands, said they believed. Now, Lord, You said it, and I'm claiming those souls.

Satan, you can't hold them no more. They're God's children right now. I'm bringing that before you. You have to take your hand off their life. They belong to God now. I claim them for Him. I claim them as trophies of Christ's love at Calvary.

I challenge you in a debate. You don't have any legal power. You have no power over them. You don't have it in the first place. You was only bluffing them. You was only bluffing. Christ stripped you of everything you had at Calvary. He stripped every power that you ever had, and you're nothing but a bluff. And we've called your bluff. These are children of God now.

And Father, You said “He that will come to me I will in no wise cast out.” You promised it, and I know it's true. You said You'd give them eternal life, and raise them up at the last day. Then they're just as sure to come in the resurrection as they're sitting in this building tonight.

Now, Father, I ask this one more thing. Will you fill them with the Holy Ghost? Grant that, Lord. Oh, fill them with the Holy Ghost. Don't let their soul ease, Lord. May all night long their pillows be hard. May they feel like rocks, their beds, until they're out there on their knees saying, “God, fill me with the Holy Ghost.”

May they get the Bible, read it. May You come to them, and interpret the Word to them. And may they have no ease now. They're your children, and the hour is getting late. I pray that they will find that peace that passes all understanding by Jesus Christ.

These church members that raised their hand, Father, I thank You for them. They have professed and went into a church, but they realized just being a church member they would be marked in the wrong kind of a woman. We'll get to that tomorrow night, if You're willing, Father. Show them that how they're marked off on a false bride.

The true bride has the oil in her lamp. I pray, Father, that You'll give them oil in their lamp tonight. May those church members become filled with the Holy Ghost tonight. Grant it, Lord. I pray this not to be evil, but to be their brother, to know that to miss heaven is to miss all.

What's this little span of life be to what eternity is? It just melts out into a never-ending, because it never did begin. And Father, I pray that You'll pull them up at the last day into that eternal realms of glory with You. Grant it. They are yours. I pray, and give them to You, in Christ's name.

Now with our heads bowed, I'm going to ask every one that raised their hands just to stand on their feet. I'm not going to ask you to come up here. We don't have any room. But all that raised your hands, you're sincere with God, just stand up to your feet, just a moment. Every person that raised their hand, stand to your feet everywhere, in the balconies, everywhere. Just stand up.

Jesus said, “He that will confess me before men, him I'll confess before my Father, and the holy angels.”

Now I want you church members, and you Christians, especially, to look around, see who they are. Now I want you to take hold of their hand, and shake their hand. Stand there, and say, “God bless you. Welcome into the kingdom of God, pilgrim.” That's it. Turn right around, somebody shake hands with them, say, “Welcome into the kingdom of God.”

That's very fine. That's very fine. That's good. God bless you. The Lord be with you. That's so fine. Good. God bless you. Now you may be seated. That's very, very fine.

Now I'm going to ask you to do something now. Be sure to find some pastor. If you've never been baptized in Christian baptism, find some pastor—the church of your choice—and be baptized into water, into the fellowship of that church. Then when you do that, then you seek the baptism of the Holy Ghost until you're filled with the Holy Ghost.

And I'll meet you in the morning,

by the bright river side,

When all sorrows have drifted away;

I'll be standing at the portal,

when the gates open wide,

At the close of life's long, weary day.

I will meet you in the morning with a

“How do you do,”

And we'll sit down by the river and with

rapture “auld” acquaintance renew.

You will know me in the morning,

By the smile that I wear.

I will meet you in the morning,

in the city, city built foursquare.

Father God, they are yours now, sealed into the kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit dealing with them. Now I pray that they'll ... I'll meet them in the morning on that bright shining shore yonder, when all sorrows have drifted away. Won't it be wonderful, Father? Joy bells ringing, all the hearts light, singing. It'll be a glorious time. They're yours now. I pray that You'll keep them by thy grace, until we meet at that river that morning. Amen.

Now, don't you feel good? Don't it just make you feel real good? Say, “Brother Branham....” The young converts, now that just come into the kingdom, I'm going to ask the Father if He will do something. I have a right to ask Him now. Sinners came. I believe we find favor with Him, don't you? How many's sick out there? Raise up your hands—just sick and needy? All right.

I'm going to turn my back, to show you that we're in the last days. How many remembers our lessons, how the angel of the Lord... ? God came down and dwelt in human flesh, and eat meat—just an ordinary human being, talking like it. And yet, God was in human flesh just before Sodom burnt. And Jesus said it would be ... the same kind of a sign would take place at the coming of the Son of man. We believe that? how we've went through the lessons to show what He did.

Now, there's not a person here that I know. I believe I was hunting a few weeks ago with this young man sitting right here. Aren't you some relation to my good friend? You're Brother Norman's brother-in-law. I believe that's right, isn't it? All right. That's the only person ... and Brother and Sister Smith sitting here, Brother Gene. And that's all I know.

I'm going to turn ... and yes, Sister Upshaw. Bless your heart, Sister Upshaw. Oh, how I loved Brother Willy Upshaw. Your meeting that night, Brother Copp, when I looked there and seen.... I was trying ... talk and seen him, where he fell off that wagon, hurt his back and seems they couldn't do nothing for him. Never heard of him in my life, and there he was, Willy D. Upshaw. I said, “How...?”

Ern come to me, said, “What about that man?”

I said, “He run for President one time and would have had the election if it hadn't been his stand against whiskey, and the wrong things. The Democratic party would have elected him. But he took his stand.” And I said, “All these years ... sixty-six years you've been on these crutches and wheelchair. But God takes him off of it now.” And how sweet!

When I get up on the other side, I'll see a young, handsome-looking man coming down there, and say, “You remember me, Brother Branham? I'm Brother Upshaw.” See his little sweetheart there, all of them together. I remember how you cried that night, Sister Upshaw, when you seen him rise up, run to the platform, and touch his toes with his hands at about eighty years old. My! How God can do great things!

All right.

The angel of the Lord sat with his back turned. Now I hope you all get this. I am not the angel of the Lord. I'm William Branham, see. I am your brother. But He was dwelling in human flesh then, that He created Himself; and then just disappeared. Do you believe that? Now do you believe that was God? The Bible said it was God. Abraham said it was.

What was it? A sign that in the last days.... Now, remember, when He come in the days of the Lord Jesus, He, God, dwelt in Jesus. Don't you believe that? That was a virgin-born body, a seed that come from God Himself. And in that blood cell, when it was broke at Calvary for our sins, then it sanctified the church, that the Holy Spirit could dwell in the church and continue the works of God. “Ye are my witnesses after you've received power.” That's right.

Now, if this ... if I've told the truth, then let the Holy Spirit speak to you tonight. I'll turn my back. You pray. See if it's the same Holy Spirit. Now He has to work with you, the same as He works with me. Some of you brethren out here, pray for those out there in the audience—ministers, so forth. We'll have time. The heavenly Father knows that I do this for no other purpose but that the Word that I preached might be made manifest to the church in this day; that the Pentecostal church has gotten away from God. It must come back. It's the Laodicean age.

God, if I've said anything against anyone to harm, that wasn't You telling me, You forgive me, Lord. But I did it just the way you gave it to me. So I pray, Father, that You'll vindicate it. I've spoke of You; now speak that I've told truth, Lord. I commit it to You now, in the name of the Lord Jesus.

There's several hundred people sitting there, many of them sick. I don't know a one of them. You do. I pray that You'll make your word fulfilled. When You came here on earth, You said that You did it that it might be fulfilled which was spoke by the prophet Isaiah what the Messiah would do. Now, Father, may it be fulfilled again, for You promised it. That's the reason You permit it. In Christ's name, Amen.

Now there's many praying. If I can ... if somebody, like the little woman, can touch his garment .... Yes, right before me now is coming a vision, and it happens to be it is a woman. She's sitting ... the way I'm standing now, would be to my right, this way. She's suffering with a gall bladder trouble. She has heart trouble also. With my back turned, if I call her name, maybe she'd understand. Miss Hansen, stand up and receive your healing.

Now, I've never looked around yet. Now do you believe? Just have faith. Where was the lady at? She was back this way somewhere. Right there? Was those things true, lady? Are we strangers to one another? If it is, wave your hand like this. It's all true, wasn't it? Then the same angel of God that was sitting there at Sodom and Gomorrah, to give a sign to Abraham that the hour was drawing close for the burning of Sodom, is here tonight.

Just a gift to let myself relax.

I see Him on someone else. I hope.... (Now, don't let me stay too long.) Just watching a vision, a woman sitting here praying. She's got diabetes. Miss Finch, do you believe that God will make you well? If you do, stand up. Raise up your hand. I do not know you. Is that right? If that's right, wave your hand. Is that what's wrong with you? All right. You touched something, didn't you? You didn't touch me, did you? You touched God. God bless you.

What do you think, young man rubbing your nose? You're in need of God, too. You believe? God will describe to me what's your trouble. You don't have a prayer card. No, there's no ... that's right, there's no prayer cards.

Do you believe me to be his prophet? or his servant, I mean to say. Excuse me for saying that. I'm not a prophet. I'm just his servant. Bothered with nervousness; just so nervous you can't hold yourself together. Isn't that right? If that's right, raise up your hand. Do you believe what I'd say would come to pass? You believe it? Will you obey me as his prophet? Then I take that nervousness off of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Don't never speak of it no more. Go and be made well.

Did not our Lord say, “If you say to this mountain be moved”? If thou canst believe....

Man sitting right back there, looking at me, he'd like to come up here. He wants me to lay hands on him. That's right. That hardening of the arteries would leave you, if you would just believe it, right where you're sitting. Will you do it? Sitting right back there, kind of gray, with glasses on, sitting right back there, looking at me; if you'll believe with all your heart, and don't doubt. You believe it?

Now look. Circled right from that man.... Rubbing your eyes, and turned around, and looked with a little.... That's it, the lady sitting right here (it's right over you), with the heart trouble sitting there. Do you believe God will make you well? Right there. Yes. All right. You get the healing. It's yours. All right. God bless you.

Be alert. Be ready to catch it at any minute. Mighty sweet person, got a lot of faith. You're in good contact with God. I don't know you, but do you believe that God will heal that heart trouble you got, too? You got trouble with your leg, too, don't you have? Your limb? Yes. You got a daughter that's unsaved. You're praying for her. That's right. You're not from here. You're from North Hollywood. You know who I'm talking about now? Do you want me to call your name? Mrs. Beard. Stand up on your feet and accept it. Do you believe?

Now, what is it, friends? Is those things true, lady? If it is, wave your hand, see. That's right, see. Now do you believe? I never seen the woman in my life. Now, see, the whole building.... [Now they touched me. See, I know it's enough now. They watch me, you know, when I have enough.]

Now let me tell you, my friend. I've told you the truth. God's vindicated that I've told you the truth. The very anointing of God that's preaching this same Word, and saying these things, is the very anointing who declares that God is here doing the same things. Do you believe with all your heart?

How many of you want to receive the holy Ghost? Raise up your hand, say, “I'd like to receive the Holy Ghost.” The pastor tells me there's a room right down there, just waiting for somebody to come down to be ... going to be prayed for. Why don't you receive it? Go down there and receive the Holy Ghost. Let's all stand on our feet at one time. Let's raise up our hands, and give God praise, everybody in your own way. Don't.... Just believe.

Heavenly Father, I give praise and glory unto You for all the mighty works, all the things that You have done. You're the infallible God. You're the one that's the same yesterday, today, and forever. You never fail.

Now put your hands on one another, lay your hands on one another, to be healed and receive the Holy Ghost. Now pray for that person. Pray for one another, up in the balcony. Up there put your hands on one another. Pray for one another that you might receive the Holy Ghost. If you'll not doubt, God'll give every one of you the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and will heal every one.