Behold, A Greater Than Solomon Is Here

Good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be back here tonight, and to be in the service of the Lord. And we certainly enjoyed last night (just commenting) the message, a little drama. You never enjoyed it any more than I did—of trying to rehearse it to you, as I see it, the way the Lord did it, or they did it in the Bible. And tonight it's such a privilege to be back here tonight, and see all of you back again. That's mighty nice.

I want to say, that many times in the meetings that the ... misunderstood ministry of this type.... But it certainly seems to be well understood here. That shows that you've had good teaching. I appreciate that.

And now, always watch what He tells you, you see. I haven't time tonight to explain it, of how.... Just watch what it's saying, because it isn't me. I don't know, see. It's just, as I would try to say, just ... it's a gift. Like a gear you just pull yourself in. And you don't know it, but you're the one that's doing it. You're the one; it isn't me.

And those who travel along, and in the meet ... along the roads, and so forth, and at home, the visions that come there are not like they are on the platform. The one on the platform, you're doing it yourself. You don't know it, but you are. It's your faith doing. And the ones at home is the ones that God's doing it. And this is what you're doing.

As I would just briefly brief it to you, when the woman touched the garment of the Lord Jesus, she turned ... or He turned and said, “Who touched me?”, and He looked around. And the apostle Peter kind of scolded Him for making such a remark, and He said He perceived that He got weak. Virtue went out, from one little woman. And He looked around in the audience till He found her, told her her blood had stopped. Her faith—her faith had did it, see. Her faith.

Well, now, what about when He raised up Lazarus? How much greater that was, to call a man back after he'd been dead for four days. Wasn't a thing said about Him getting weak there, see. That was God doing it. Now, St. John 5:19, He said, “Verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in himself, but what he sees the Father doing first,” see. It was a vision. Not, “what I hear the Father saying,” but “what I see the Father doing.”

Now, the Lord had told Him.... We know the scriptures are not confusing, and they're not contradictory. They are the truth. So then He did not do nothing until the Father showed Him first by a vision what to do. “Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in himself, but what he sees the Father doing: That doeth the Son likewise. The Father worketh, I worketh hitherto.” In other words, it's just acting out a drama, what God told Him to do.

Now, God must have told Him, then, to leave Lazarus and go away because he was going to die. After so many days they'd send. Not go, because.... That lovely family sending for Him, and He went on.

And finally, Lazarus, when he died at the hour and so forth, Jesus knew it. And He turned, and said Lazarus was asleep. Of course, they didn't understand it. They thought he was taking a rest. Then He told them in their own language, “He's dead. And for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I'll go wake him.”

Now, watch Him at the grave. “Father, I thank thee that thou hast already heard me. But I say this for those who stand around,” see. Wasn't nothing said about Him getting weak. That was God using his gift, showing his Son what to do. But when the woman touched Him, that was a woman using God's gift for the faith that she had in it, see. That's the difference. See it's your faith; not mine, yours. You're the one who does it. It's your faith.

Such a short stay, and such a grand bunch of people that I kind of hate to leave though tired. But I got to.... Now I know tonight they got a baptismal service, and so forth, here at the church. Brother Ned Iverson, my friend and brother, is going to take over the service now, and carry on for awhile. And I certainly would recommend that you come hear him.

And so then, tonight after service.... We got to let out early enough for that, and I have to go to my motel, and get ready, and leave hours before day in the morning; and drive seven hundred miles in order to get started the next morning at home ... three or four o'clock at home, in order to be next week at the Cow Palace in Los Angeles.

Have to drive across with my family. Haven't got no more days, but just traveling one and two days between the meetings, until this coming September. And it's a pretty big order, so you pray for me.

And I'm not too big. If I was as big as your pastor, here, I believe I could just go day and night. I ain't saying you run him day and night. But little Brother Ned said today, when I was talking with him, the pastor, said, “I wish I could transfer some of my strength to you.” Well, that would be good, 'cause he's so big, and strong. And I was always little.

When I used to work for the Public Service Company, I'd come up the steps, and the operator at the top switchboard, Mrs. Ehalt, she said, “Billy, I can always tell when you're coming.” Said, “You're the smallest man that works for the Public Service Company, and the most noisy.”

I said, “Well, Edith, I have to make a lot of noise to let people know I'm around.”

Now, I believe all the brethren has been introduced, I think, all the way along the line. And one little brother that I left off at the other meeting, and that's the little Methodist boy that was a dyed-in-the-wool Methodist, out of the seminary. And got a brother that's a very prominent figure in Asbury, Wilmore, Kentucky. And this boy and his family has come out and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, preaching the Full Gospel. That's Brother Collins, Wilbur Collins.

Where you at, Wilbur? Wilbur Collins, somewhere back in the back. Would you just like to give us a word from there, or come up here? I'd like somebody to see a Methodist that's got the Holy Ghost, besides Brother Neville up here. Come here, and just say a word for us.

And I guess, Brother Junior Jackson. You've been introduced, have you, Brother Jackson? Another Methodist, dyed-in-the-wool, and with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Brother Collins, I've known him for a number of years—sweet precious Christian, a real man of God. He and his wife and family is all under the order of ... God's order of the Bible. Brother Collins. [Brother Collins speaks.] Thank you, Brother Collins, the Lord bless you. That's very fine.

Now, the Methodist people here, we don't mean that you're not a Christian, see. But you know what the Pentecostal church is? The advanced Methodist church, see.

And Jack Schuller—many of you know him—is a fine Methodist. Jack told me.... One time I come to Phoenix, and I was going to Madison Square Garden. He was out in the school auditorium. I called him up, I said, “Jack, I didn't know you were here.”

He said, “Brother Branham, I didn't know you were coming.” And he said, “I'd have got out of the way.”

I said, “I wouldn't have come if I knowed you were here.” I said, “Well, Brother Jack,” I said, “most of the people comes to my meetings are Pentecostal.”

He said, “Well, you got my group.”

I said, “Well, I thought you were Methodist.”

He said, “Don't you know what a Methodist is?”

And I said, “No.”

Said, “A Methodist ... a Pentecost is an orthodox Methodist.”

And all of you know ... well, many of you know Jack, and old man Bob, and them. They were real Christian people.

I was in a Lutheran college, Bethany, where I'd been called on the carpet. Oh, my! Just digging me up. He's the one that called me “a polished-up soothsayer.” And then the Lord kind of got after him about it a little bit, you know, and so he called me up to apologize. We went down into a basement where they set a nice big dinner. And he said to me, he said, “Brother Branham, I just want to ask you some questions. First, I'm sorry I said what I said in that letter.”

I said, “That's all right. Never even thought no more about it.”

He said, “I want you to tell me, what in the world...? Are we Lutherans in the race?”

I said, “Sure.”

He said, “What've we got?”

I said, “You got the Spirit of God.” And then, I said, “You know....” They ... for the students who couldn't pay their way through, so they had about a thousand acres there of corn. So they just worked their way through. So they....

I said, “A man one time planted a corn crop. And he went out, and the next morning there was two little leaves sticking up. He said, 'Praise the Lord for my crop of corn.' ”

I said, “Now, Brother Aegery, did he have a crop of corn?”

He said, “Well, not yet.”

I said, “Potentially he did, then.”

He said, “Yes.”

I said, “That was you Lutherans.” And I said, “By and by, them two little blades growed up, and after a while it made a tassel. That was the Methodist. They looked back down, said, 'No more use for you. You're just a leaf; I'm a tassel.'

“And after awhile some of the pollen fell off of there down back into the leaf again, and it brought forth an ear of corn, like the original grain that went in the ground.” I said, “That was the Pentecostal.” I said, “But see, it's got the original grain.” I said, “We got a lot of fungus on the ear, but yet there's some grains there too, you know.” And I said, “The Pentecostal church is the advanced Lutheran.” He saw it.

He said, “Well, Brother Branham, we read of it,” and said, “we went down.” And said, “We seen the Pentecostal jump, and shake, and kick over the chairs.” Said, “What they got?”

I said, “The Holy Ghost.”

He said, “Well, what makes them do like that?”

I said, “They have to let off the steam, see.”

And he said, “Do you believe in that?”

I said, “Sure. But, you see, the thing of it is, the Pentecostal church.... Well, the only fault I find with it is they let it out the whistle, instead of putting it on the wheel and making it roll. When somebody says something against you, let that grace of God stand there to love them anyhow. That's what ... let that steam work there, see, and going out in the street, and bringing others in, and so forth. Let the steam work right there.”

I like to hear it blow too, you know. But wait till you get to the crossing, and then we can blow it. Let's make it roll, running down the track real fast, so....

I've been graciously invited back by your pastor, and maybe, the Lord willing this fall when I come back, I can come up a few more nights this fall.

And Brother Bigby.... I asked him to get that article again that he wrote. Why, I've had everything said about me, you know. I've been called everything from an incarnate Son of God, to the lowest of the devils. And ... but I think his expression was just.... He expressed it from his heart.

It wasn't flattery; it was just what he thought, and I certainly appreciate that. I just ... about the best article I ever had of myself. And I had several of them there, but.... Each one come in, and said, “Can I take this, Brother Branham?” And the first thing you know, I'm out of them, see.

So, I asked him if he'd try to get me another one of those, 'cause there's some more books coming up, and they're going.... I want the article in there with his name.

And, by the way, I think they got some books out the back, Brother Wood and them, and the tapes, and so forth, as they ... out the back, as you go out.

And now, we're ... I'm soliciting all your prayers. I go across praying for people, and then, I'm the one that needs prayer. Maybe you wouldn't hardly understand that, but that's the truth. I need it probably worse than all of you and.... Maybe not in the way of sickness, but in the way of what I've got to meet day by day.

And each day.... There's people sitting right here now, looking right at me, I was on interview this morning with, and so forth, and knows that ... how it just takes the Spirit of God to move out in there, and find those cracks and corners in life.

This is the Word. We believe that. And that's the Word. But God sits in the church apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists. And all those things are the perfecting. And now, the teachers and the pastors and the evangelists, they're the ones who brings the Word. And the prophets are to comb in those little corners for individuals, you see, and foretell things that's coming, and so forth.

The apostles are actually missionaries. I believe, now ... my education is very limited, but I think the word “apostle” means one sent. Is that right? Doesn't missionary the same thing? One sent. So how you ever desire to be called missionaries, instead of apostles, I don't know. But either one of them's all right, as long as the Lord sent. That's fine.

Now, I am.... I won't take much of your time, for the baptismal service coming right up. I want to read some Scripture, and I hope it don't take me too long.

I said last night, “Give me thirty minutes.” And when I was going down the road, after I was trying to come back to myself from swinging from those spheres in there, my son said, “That was a good twenty minutes, Dad. It was just about an hour and forty-five.”

And I said, “Oh, I wasn't there that long. I couldn't have been.” And I looked around at my watch, and I said, “Yeah.” But you know, it's something about [thank you].... It's something.... They love me. They love me, and I love them too. I got to meet some of them brothers out there, and shake that hand of a real good old southern heart beating under there. I really like that.

But you know, sometimes.... Every minister knows when the Holy Spirit just seems to ... every word you say just sinking in. Isn't it a wonderful feeling? You just hate to stop, don't you? And yet, you know you're rude, and interrupting the meeting, but you just can't hardly stop.

It reminds me.... I got two little girls at home, and they're pretty good girls now—a pretty good size. One of them is sixteen years old, and the other one's twelve. One of them is Rebekah, and the other one is Sarah. And Sarah is the little fellow.

Well, a few years ago, and.... I was coming in from a meeting. They're both Daddy's girls. Oh, my! You know how.... And the little boy, little ... hmm, talk about a.... He said he's going to be a preacher. I said, “Honey, you got a lot of reforming to do.” And so ... Joseph.

And so, the girls were quite small yet, and they were waiting up till about midnight for me to get in. And I was tired—been driving all ... two or three days, coming in from California. And when I got home, 'course the little girls had got sleepy, and done gone to bed. Mother was waiting up. So I lay down, and tried to sleep, and I just couldn't do it. You know, shaky, and nervous, and things from the meetings, the impact—souls, and realizing all that responsibility—holding the purchase of the blood of Christ before you. It's not just a easy thing. Brethren here know what it is.

I think every minister should stay by himself a long time before entering the pulpit, to come out in the freshness of the Holy Spirit, because he's got the purchase. See, I've often thought what I would do with two drops of the literal blood of Jesus. And now here we have before us the purchase of his blood. He gave his blood for you, and we're handling that audience. Oh, my! Better be real sure, and just as reverent as we can be.

So I was real nervous, as we all know what it is. I couldn't sleep, so.... My wife waited up long, so she was sleeping. I got up, and went and sat out in the chair, out in the living room. About daylight I was sitting there, thinking about the meeting, and wondering back what some of the visions was, and so forth. And all at once I heard a turnover down there in the girl's room, right down a little hall there, at the parsonage. And I looked.

Becky, she'd woke up. Quickly she thought, “This is daylight. Daddy must be home.” And when she jumped up, she woke up Sarah, her little sister. And Becky is kind of skinny, and long-legged, and so she come running through the room. And Sarah, a little short fellow....

I kind of compare them, in thinking of it, as the church. You know, it's been a long time here, you know. It's got a lot of history behind it. The other one is kind of just a little, short, Pentecostal group, you know—kind of hasn't been around very long.

So then, Becky come running out real fast. She jumped right a-straddle on my lap, and she said ... throwed her arms around my neck, and began hugging me. You know how your heart feels. Well, little Sarah, she had on ... I don't know whether your children does or not, mine gets the hand-me-downs, the seconds. So she had on Becky's pajamas, and the feet were just like rabbit feet, you know, way too long. The little fellow was stumbling, falling, coming through the house. Finally she made it.

And just about the time she got there, Becky looked around, and she said, “Sarah, my sister, I want to tell you something. I was here first,” see. And said, “I've got all of Daddy, and there's nothing left for you.”

So little Sarah, her little lip dropped down, her little brown eyes kind of watered, and I stuck my other leg out and motioned to her. She just run and jumped right on, like she would a saddle horse. And she was kind of tottery, you know. She was about to fall off. She hadn't been around very long. Her legs wasn't as long as Becky's—she could reach all the way down to the floor, you know.

And so, Sarah was tottery, and I put both arms around her to hold her. She laid her head over on my bosom a little bit. Directly she snapped those little black eyes, and looked back to Rebekah, said, “Rebekah, my sister, I want to tell you something. It may be true that you've got all of Daddy. But I want you to know Daddy's got all of me.”

You know, when He gets all of us wrapped up in Him, we just don't care anymore, do we? Everything just fades all the way out. And that's what I want to do, and that's what we all want to do—just let Him get all we got, all of our time, all our senses, and just give over to Him. That's right.

Now let us read some of the precious Word, now, before we talk on it again, just for a little bit. And let's turn in the Bible now, over in the book of St. Matthew, you who wish to write down the text. Let's begin with the 12th chapter, and the 38th verse, down including the 42nd verse.

And there were certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

But he answered and said unto them, An evil and an adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

For as Jonas was in three days and three nights in the belly of a whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

If I should call ... a little word that I'd like to draw from that, “Behold a Greater than Solomon is Here.” He had been rebuking those Pharisees for their disbelief. They'd had the Bible down through the ages of scrolls, where all the prophets had spoke of Him coming. All the way from Moses when he wrote Genesis, spoke of the coming.

Messiah.

Moses described Him, just what He would be, how that.... And Isaiah described how He would be born, how his birth would be of a virgin. And Moses spoke that He would be a prophet, just like him. And all these things had been said about our Lord.

And yet, the system of that day had just made ... got away from the Word, and had what they were living by their tradition of the elders. And I hope our churches never get like that, to get away from believing God's Word, to traditions of the elders. Then we form dogmas, and then put things in our doctrine that really isn't in the Bible. And I hope we always stay full gospel, and preach the whole gospel all the time, all of it. That's the way I think that God meant it, for us to just preach the whole thing.

And now, as I have often said, I may not have faith to make every promise come to pass, but I sure wouldn't stand in the way of somebody who did have enough faith to do it. I've often said I'd like to have enough faith like Enoch did, that I wouldn't have to die when my time come—just take an afternoon stroll, and go up home with Him. But if I haven't got that faith, I sure hope I get to see somebody that has got it. And I'll trust that some day we'll all have that faith, that when He comes we can just take a stroll, and go home with Him.

Now, Jesus had strictly ... as we noticed last night in the little drama, that He would strictly perform, and did just exactly what the Scripture said He would do. And many of those had believed it because.... Even like the woman at the well, as soon as that Spirit and act had flashed upon her heart, she knew quickly that that was the sign of the Messiah. There was.... The Messiah, when He came, He was to do that manner of work. So she said, “You must be a prophet.”

Now, see, sometimes we disregard something that's real good, because it doesn't have the polish on it that we think it ought to have. I don't want to get away from my text, but here some years ago I was reading where that there was a man had done a crime. And he was being put in prison, and tried, and was found guilty of something that he had did when he was in the service. And it was during the time of Abraham Lincoln, and they were going to shoot the man at sunrise on a certain morning.

Some good friend had loved him, and he pleaded for him, and he couldn't get no answer. So he went to the highest source that he could. He went to Mr. Lincoln. They said that Mr. Lincoln was getting out of the carriage. And he fell down before him, and said, “Mr. Lincoln, sir...,” told the case. And he said, “He's a good man.”

I think he had run away in time of something, battle, or didn't obey his charge or something, and so.... And he said, “He was just nervous. He come out of a good home.” And said, “He was just nervous, and tore up. Mr. Lincoln, he didn't mean to do that. And day after tomorrow morning they are going to shoot him. He dies by a firing squad day after tomorrow morning.”

Said, “Mr. Lincoln, you are a Christian.” Said, “You ... one signature of yours would pardon that man's life.” And said, “He didn't mean to do that, I'm sure.” Said, “I beg for him as a friend.”

Mr. Lincoln picked up a piece of paper, and just wrote on it, said, “Pardoned by Abraham Lincoln.”

He taken it to the man in prison. He would not receive it. He said, “You present it.”

He would not receive it. He said, “No. If it was Mr. Lincoln, it would have to be sealed by the seal of the United States,” and so forth, and all like that. Said that how the polish would have to be on it. And because he rejected it, he was killed. Because he rejected that.... There was Mr. Lincoln's seal ... or, name signature, but he rejected it.

And then it was tried in court, because there was his name. Said that he pardoned the man, and the man was shot. So when it was tried in federal court, here was the decision of the federal court: A pardon is not a pardon unless it be accepted as a pardon. So that's the way God's Word is. It's the Word of God to all those who will accept it as the Word of God. If it's not, well then, it isn't.

So, we believe the Word, and that's the reason we're watching for the sign of his appearing. We don't want to be wrong in that. We don't want to take somebody's thoughts about it. We want to read it right out of the Word.

So Jesus had strictly, and straightly, performed every sign that he had supposed to be. Now we also know, before we leave this part of the subject, that the Jews seek signs, see; Greeks, wisdom. And Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified.” Now the Jews ... seeking a sign because they put the sign above their theology. And it was a good thing. If....

You might say, “Now that sounds kind of strange, Brother Branham.”

Well, Jesus said, “If I do not the works of my Father, then believe me not,” see. If He didn't confirm the Word of God, then don't believe Him. But He said, “If you can't believe me, then believe the Word.”

Now we notice in the Bible, if a prophesier, or a dreamer, had a dream and they was uncertain about it, they'd take them down to the temple and put them before the Urim Thummim. And you notice, if the Urim Thummim didn't answer back.... Now, the closest study that I can find on that, what that Urim Thummim was, was this breastplate of Aaron's. I picked it up the other day at one of the conventions up at the American Baptist grounds, up in Green Lake, Wisconsin, where the Full Gospel Businessmen was having a convention. And they had the pattern of the stones there ... all.

Now, and they took a dreamer, or a prophesier. No matter how well it seemed, if those mysterious lights like rainbow flickering on that Urim Thummim, then the dream wasn't accepted, neither the prophecy. It was tried by the Urim Thummim. So see, it was supernatural that always vindicated truth.

Now I think the same thing today. When we hear so much that the days of miracles is passed, and you Pentecostal and full gospel people have gone off on the wrong end, I think it's because they don't understand. After that Urim Thummim of that priest age, or that age ceased, and the Aaronic Levitical priest age, we have another Urim Thummim, and that's God's Bible, see. And if our signs and wonders are ... God's Word is reflecting them, then we can say “Amen” to it. It's God vindicating exactly what He promised to do.

He promised He'd pour out the Holy Ghost in the last days. So, it's just a reflection. It's this Urim Thummim reflecting itself in the people. I'm sure that's not hard to understand amongst this kind of a people. It's the Urim Thummim here, the Bible, reflecting God's promises.

And Jesus had reflected his office as Messiah, and they had disbelieved it. And in the following chapters we understand that they ... or the same chapter previous to this, they'd seen his works, and they'd called Him Beelzebub. Beelzebub is a devil, like....

They'd see Him doing those things, and they thought He was a fortune-teller, or a witch, or something. And He told them, “Now, you're speaking against this, and I'll forgive you. But when the Holy Spirit comes [perhaps to do the same thing, was his meaning], to speak against that would never be forgiven” them, see, because ... in this world, nor in the world that is to come.

Now. God in all ages, always had gifts in his church. He's always vindicated his people. Wherever you see the living God, you see the signs of a living God. Now, there was Moab upon the hill, and he was offering. He had seven altars, Balaam did, and he had seven bullocks. He had seven rams that.... Bullocks, a clean sacrifice; rams speaking of the coming just One. Fundamentally, he was just as fundamental as Moses was down in the camp of Israel.

But the only difference was that God was confirming Moses by a smitten rock, and a brass serpent, and a pillar of fire, and a shout of the camp, in the camp, of a King in there. And God was vindicating that down there. That's the difference. That shows....

Now, if we talk fundamentalism, now Cain was just as fundamental as Abel was. Both boys was wanting to find favor with God. Cain brought a sacrifice. Cain built an altar. Cain worshipped, just as much sincere as Abel was. But Abel, by spiritual revelation —on which the church is built, on spiritual revelation of the will and Word of God—offered a sacrifice that God was pleased with. And now, I believe that's the day that we're living in now also.

Now, God always had signs. Jesus here was speaking of ... upbraiding them cities, and saying, “Oh, thou Capernaum...,” and different ones. “If the sign.... If the mighty works had been done in you that ... was done in Sodom that'd been done in you, it would remain till this day. You're exalted into heaven, but ... be brought down to hell,” how would ... rebuking the cities that did not receive the message.

And look at the message today, how it's crossed the world—missionaries. Oh, I believe it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than it will be for the peoples and the cities today that's rejecting the gospel, when God with his Urim and Thummim is reflecting his last-day signs and wonders among his people. Just look what's been done in the last few years. Around the world revival fires are going with the great signs and wonders, and miraculous things. There can't be nothing follow that but judgment, after being rejected.

Now, Jesus was speaking here of some of the people in the days that God had showed signs. One He spoke of was Jonah, and Jonah was sent down to Nineveh. And I always felt sorry for Jonah, because many people, I think, misunderstood Jonah. Now, they said Jonah was backslidden, and he was this, that, and the other, and I've said the same. But let's just study Jonah for a minute.

I don't believe that he was backslid, because he was God's prophet. And he seemed to be walking out of the will of God, but the little story I want to tell you in a moment, I believe you'll see that God made it all work out just right.

You know the footsteps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord. That gives us ministers a time ... a chance sometimes to kind of catch our breath when we think we made a wrong move. But sometimes God's just moving with us. We think it's wrong, but maybe it's God moving.

Now Nineveh was a city much larger than this one—yes, about the size of St. Louis. And it was a city of heathens, and it was a great commercial city, and a great city of the sea coast. One of their main occupations there was fishing. And they were idol worshippers, and their sins had become so great until God just couldn't stand it any longer.

Remember, there was no sacrifice on the altar for them then, like there is for the world today. So God could not tolerate that horrible sin. So He told his prophet to go down to Nineveh (We're all acquainted with the story who reads the Bible.), and said, “Cry out against that city.”

And the prophet, when he got down to the sea coast.... Instead of going to Nineveh, he took a ship that was sailing out to Tarshish. Now, we've always thought that was a short cut, or dodging the duty. But I'm going to try to take up for that preacher tonight, and I'm going to say that I believe he was a prophet, and was exactly in the will of God. I believe he followed the leading of the Spirit. I believe he was led to go that way. He didn't understand it, after God had commissioned him one place, and here he found himself going another way.

He went down into the bow of the ship, or down in the hull, and went to sleep. And a great storm rose up. Well, we know that all of them cried out they was going to sink, and there was something wrong. And Jonah come up, and confessed that it could be his fault. He said bind his feet and his hands, and throw him overboard, because it wasn't right for all of them to perish because of him.

Now. God had a big fish (we call a whale) to swallow him, and the fish was feeding through the water in that storm. Many of you notice how a fish will surface especially in a storm to feed, because there's much ... the ocean's having a revival. You know, it's jumping up and down, having a big time. That's when it's.... That's a revival.

I remember when I stood by the side of the seashore the first time.... It wasn't the sea; it was Lake Michigan. I was just a boy preacher—went up to hear Paul Radar preach at the World's Fair, about 1933, I believe it was, when it was at Chicago. And I had my first opportunity to walk out and look at the large body of water—larger than the Ohio River. And it was just a-jumping, and a-going on, you know. And it was early spring—Easter sunrise service we were there. And I seen those great big white caps coming in, you know, and hit the bank, and roll out. And I thought of that song we sing, “Floods of joy over my soul like the sea billows roll.”

And I thought, “They roll in, but that's not the end of the wave. It goes back to roll in again, roll in.” And I thought, “Well, what's it jumping about?” And something just seemed to say to me, “It's having a revival, that's all.”

Well, I thought, “You know what? There's not one speck ... not one drop more of water in that place now, in that lake, than there was if it was perfectly quiet. There's no more water. Not a bit. Did you ever think of it? But it's just having a revival, see. Just jumping, and screaming, and shouting, having a revival.

I thought, “Well, what's the use of having a revival?”

There was a wind came down, a rushing wind, you know, as we believe it, and begin to stir it up. What's it stirring up for? And I happened to see that all the trash that was out in the lake, it washed it off on the shore. That's what a revival is for, to wash all the trash out, you see, to get all the world out, and just roll it up on the shore.

And now when we.... I hope our Pentecostal churches don't need one of them. We just have them to rejoice by, you know; our churches don't really need that. So we have a revival anyhow. So then, if the ... it's just jumping and frolicking out there in the waves.

So then, as this ship jumping, and the fish feeding .... And the first thing you know, a big whale came by and swallowed up Jonah. And I was talking to someone about that here, a few years ago, when they brought a whale to Louisville on a flatcar, just the skeleton of it. And this man made a remark about it.

He said, “Now, you know, you've heard the proverb in the Bible about the whale swallowing Jonah.” Said, “I want you all to notice that it ... he couldn't have did it. It'd be his ... oh, where the esophagus is here,” said, “the whale couldn't swallow much more than like a orange, or a grapefruit, where it goes down.”

And I was standing there, just as a boy, listening. You know, I happened to think.... Did you notice...? (I read that later on.) Listened, and I thought, “Surely the Bible wouldn't lie about that.” And I thought, “It couldn't be and remain in the Bible. And that's no proverb. I believe that's the truth.”

But did you notice, this was a special whale. God prepared this one. This was a special-built for the occasion. You know, God can do that. Yes, He can. He had Himself a sacrifice up there one time on the mountain, in Genesis 22. Jehovah-jireh could provide for Himself a whale. Don't you believe so? So, He got one big enough to swallow this prophet. And then when he went down after he fed....

Anyone knows when you feed your goldfish, well, you notice he goes right down to the bottom, puts his little swimmers on the bottom, and rests because he's got a tummyful. Well, there he is down there resting. And this old whale, perhaps, swallowed Jonah, and went down to the bottom of the sea—maybe many fathoms deep—and was resting. He had a whole tummyful. And then....

But you know, Jonah down there in the belly of this whale, with the seaweeds wrapped around his neck.... And he was in a bad shape. And he turned over on his back, and he was in vomit of the whale, and he began to look this way....

You know, people talk about, “Well, Brother Branham, I was prayed for last night, but my hand's no better.” You're not looking to the promise; you're looking at your symptoms, see.

“Well, I was sick last night when I was prayed for. I'm no better this morning. Pray for me again.”

That's all right. But if you accepted it the first time, there's no need of praying anymore, because it's already settled, you see. It's yours, see. No. And you look at symptoms. It depends on what you're looking at, see.

So, he was looking at symptoms.... Now, look. What if he would've looked at them down there? Well, if he'd look this way it was a whale's belly; look that way it was whale's belly; everywhere he looked it was whale's belly.

And he was in the bottom of the sea with his hands and feet tied behind him, in the bottom of the sea, on a stormy sea. Now, at the bottom of the sea.... Now, you talk about a case of symptoms! He really had them down there in the bottom of that sea in this whale's belly! And there he was, his hands tied, his feet tied, laying with the seaweeds, and what the fish had eat previous to this wrapped around him, and laying down in the bottom of the sea.

But you know what? He wouldn't look at that whale's belly. You know what he said? They were lying vanities. They just wasn't right. He was going to look at something else. He said, “Once more will I look to your holy temple.” Now, Jonah knew that when Solomon dedicated that temple that he prayed, and said, “Lord, if thy people be in trouble anywhere, and look toward this holy place and pray, they'd hear from heaven.” And he had confidence in that prayer.

And you know what God did? I don't know whether He put an oxygen tank in there, or what He did, but He kept him alive for three days and nights.

Now if Jonah could have faith, and under those circumstances, on a prayer that a man prayed (an ordinary man that later backslid) and God honored that faith, what ought we to do tonight? not looking at a temple made with hands but in glory, and not a man that backslid, but the Son of God sitting there with his bloody garments to make intercession upon our confession. How we should not look at our symptoms, but look at God's promise! Yes, sir.

“Ask the Father anything in my name, I'll do it.” That's all. He's the high priest sitting at the right hand of his majesty on high, to make intercessions upon our confession—what we have believed, and confessed. And anything that He did for us, we can confess it, and believe it, and He's there to make it good before the presence of God. How we ought to rejoice, and don't look at any symptoms. Look at what God promised. That's a promise.

Now we find out that ... strange.... Three days and nights that old whale just circled around and around in the water, somewhere out there, and Jonah was alive. Now, we're told that those people were fishermen for their living. How they made their livelihood was fishing. So, maybe all the fishermen out.... And one of their gods was the whale god.

So all of them out there fishing in the sea.

And all at once, up raised their god—run right up to the bank, and licked out his tongue, and the prophet come walking right out of the mouth of their god. How could they keep but believing, see? Sure. No wonder they put sackcloth on their animals, for the sea god had spit the prophet right out, and he told them to repent. Now you see, Jonah wasn't out of the will of God; he was right in the will of God.

And Jesus said that a wicked and adulterous generation will seek after a sign. Did you notice that? And they will receive it. He promised that they would receive their sign. He said, “As Jonas was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth.”

Now, this is a wicked and an adulterous generation. We know it. And what was the sign they was going to receive? The sign of the resurrection. Jesus is not dead, but He has raised again. Again, great commercial cities given over to the enemy, over to the devil; and marrying, giving in marriage, and adultery, and perversion, and all kinds of filth that's in the earth today; and unbelieving Christians—form of godliness, heady, high-minded, intellectual age.

The prophet spoke of it. The Holy Ghost said specifically that in the last days there would come an intellectual age. Men would be lovers of their own self, proud, blasphemers, disobedient, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good.

You say, “Them communists, Brother Branham.” No, sir. They're church members having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such.... So, are getting the sign of Jonas.

For Jesus Christ is with his people tonight, performing and doing the same thing that He did before He was crucified. He raised again, and is living with us. You don't understand who that is you're sitting with out there. That's a son and daughter of God.

Maybe it's a good thing we don't understand it, the way we do. Oh, while we are assembled in heavenly places, watching his Urim Thummim of this last day reflecting his presence as He's ready to come, He's making his appearance in the form of the Holy Spirit to hone out his church, to get it ready to be received. Amen. We are so happy to know it.

So I don't think that Jonah was out of the will of God. And I believe the wicked and adulterous generation seeks after signs. Now. And they.... God never refused, but He always gives them a sign.

Now, we find out that we come down to the next character, which was Solomon. Now all Bible readers know that the days of Solomon was the golden age of Israel. They prospered more under Solomon, because there was hardly any war. And they built the temple, and it was a great golden time for Israel.

And the reason....

When Solomon, the son of David, when he took the throne, well, he never prayed that God would give him so much, but just wisdom to know how to govern and hold the people together. Well, now, God worked with him, and He gave him a gift of discernment. True. Certainly did. And he could discern the right from the wrong, and so forth, and the news scattered everywhere, throughout all the world, of this great....

Do you know, if God in any age, when He sees the people ... and He gives them a gift, or a sign...? And a gift always produces a sign. That's the reason Jesus was rebuking them—because he was God's gift, and the sign of God's gift was being vindicated. He said, “If you can't believe me, believe the works, for they speak of me,” you see.

And now, wouldn't it be nice tonight if all America believed God's gift for this last days, the Holy Ghost? Sure, it's God gift. Now just think. If they turned that sign down and that gift, what happened? The nation went into chaos. If they accepted that gift, then the nation had a golden age. Now, that's the same as it is tonight.

Think. If every American tonight that professes to be a Christian and believe in Jesus Christ would accept and believe the gift that God has sent us in this last days—the Holy Spirit—why, you know what? They'd take every police off the force. They could just burn down the jails. We wouldn't need them no more. No, no. There'd be no more law offices, and things. We wouldn't need it. Why, the millennium would be on. Sure.

But what are they doing? They are turning down the gift of God. Not only that, but, like it was in the days of Noah, they're making fun of it, and scoffing at it. And we are sitting, sweating it out. That's right.

Noah had to sweat it out, too. Not changing from Solomon now to Noah, but did you notice God...? After Noah give his message, God told him to go in the ark, and He sealed him up in there. And the next morning he thought it would rain.

But you know, Noah went in there on the seventeenth day of February, but you know what? It never rained for a week. And the people sitting around there, they said, “Well,” the borderline believer said, “that old man could've been right. Let's go up and see if it does come. Science says there's no water up there; but he said that his God could make water up there if He promised it. So he might be. Let's just hang around the border.”

There's just so many of that kind today, just to see what's going to happen, see. So, the ... said, “If it really does start, like some water up there in the skies, clouds, or something, we'll knock on the door, and come in.”

Well, the first day Noah believed it was going to rain. So he sat, and looked out that window, and the sun come up, and crossed, and not a drop of rain. You know. And Noah begin to wonder, “Wonder if I'm right or wrong.”

So then, the second day passed, the third day passed. (Pentecost, don't never get in your mind that you're wrong. Just sit there and sweat it out.) He promised it, and He's going to do it.

Speaking the other night on “Presuming,” what if the apostle said, “We've waited here nine days. I believe we've got the Holy Ghost. I presume we've got it. Let's go on out, and start our ministry.” Oh, no. They waited till that Bible sign appeared over there. That's till it was right. Then they wasn't thinking nothing. They seen God vindicated, when his Urim Thummim begin to flash out in their lives.

Then Peter said, “This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel” (that's right), because he had a scripture to back it up. And that's God's church today.

And Solomon was God's great anointed one. How I'd imagine everybody in one heart and one accord, the whole nation with one heart and one accord. Wasn't that the way to be? What if all of the churches called the church of Jesus Christ tonight was just like Israel was at that time—one heart and one accord?

They didn't ... one come in and say, “Oh, well. I don't know about old Solomon. I don't know about that. I believe he's a fanatic. What do you think about it, Jim?”

“Oh, I believe he's fanatic, too,”—go out, and live under their own olive tree.

No. Everybody would come to the meeting. They'd say, “Oh, Pastor Solomon. I've never seen such in my life. Glory to God for sending the Spirit down upon us.” And you know, a revival like that gets scattered all over the world. Sure it does.

And now, in them days they didn't have television, and radio, and press, and so forth to scatter news. It was just from lip to ear. And the great camel caravans, and things passing through the different parts of the country, well, they'd take the news.

And after awhile it got way down in Sheba, way down there. And there was a little queen down there. Now, she was a heathen, but she began to hear someone coming in saying, “Oh, I just passed through Israel, and we picked up some stuff up there and we brought it down here. And, oh, you should see that country! You should see what kind of a meeting they got going on up there. They are just one person!

“And you know they got a God up there that they call Jehovah, and that Jehovah has selected Himself a man, and He's vindicating Himself to be Jehovah through that man.” Oh, my! Must have been a great talk.

You know, faith cometh by hearing the Word of God, see. That's right. So these people saying that, way down in the heart of this little queen, she began to wonder, “Wonder if all that is so. Well, wait till the next camel caravan comes through.” And so, the next one come through. “Have you passed through Israel?”

“Yes, I've come that way.”

“Is that so, they got a revival up there, the Pentecost...?” or, the ... well, the Pentecost of that day, see. “Have they got a real revival?”

“Oh, they are one heart and one accord.”

Oh, my! I just wish this group could get that way tonight. I tell you, Columbia would have headlines in the morning in the paper. I tell you....

“Yes, yes. Wonderful!” And said, “Oh, yes!”

“Tell me. Did you get to see that man they got up there, Solomon?”

“Yes.”

“Is it true that they've got a God that makes Himself known through them?”

“Yes, that's right.”

Boy, that little heart begin to beat. She wanted to go. Now, I think if we would start telling how good our people was, how wonderful this Holy Ghost is, instead of trying to run one another down, you see, to each other, I think it'd make every.... You're the salt of the earth, you see. But, the salt can only save when it contacts, see. So I think if we'd just get real salty, the world would get real thirsty. Don't you think so? That's right. Get real salty.

And now, we find out that Solomon was just having a great time. And so this little queen began to hunger and thirst. And I just imagine at nighttime she would wake up, and she would call her girls, and she would say, “Oh, I had a dream, and I dreamed that I ... somehow a strange dream. And I believe that.... Maybe it was because that leader of that band today was telling me about that revival up in Israel.”

Finally her heart began to beat, till she said, “Well, you know, I'm going up to find out for myself.” That's good. Make your choice. You know when something begins to beat, begins to thirst, it's time to go to hunting then. If you begin to think, “I may die one of these days. I don't know God,” you better get started, because that's God's red light. The signal's coming down.

So you'd better hurry if something tells you, tonight, “I believe there's a fountain for healing somewhere.” God's signal's ringing. Get in, right quick. The water's already troubled. All you have to do is step right in.

“When did it get troubled, Brother Branham?”

Nineteen hundred years ago on Calvary, the trouble. And then on the day of Pentecost, it really shook the whole thing. It really got troubled then. Now, all you have to do is step right into the waters of the Spirit, and get healed.

Now this little woman, she was hungering and thirsting to go up there. So now ... after all, she was a church member, so she had to go get a consent from her pagan priest, see if she could attend the revival or not. And so I can see her now go down, and she said, “Holy Father, I would like to ask permission from you, if I could.... They're having a revival over in Israel, they tell me. They got a God over there that, oh, He's living right in the people. And they are all one heart.

“And they tell me that man has got a gift of discernment of some kind. He knows the mysteries, and can foretell things that's coming to pass. And they say there's a great God up there that they serve. And you know, holy father, I would like to go down there and see if that's right.”

I can just imagine what taken place. I can hear him say, “My child! The dignity of a queen would ask to go amongst a bunch like that!”

You know, where God is pouring out his Spirit, they are always looked down upon somehow, as a bunch of know-nothings. Sure they don't know nothing of this world. They lose their own mind, that they might find the mind of Christ.

And so there it was certainly bad, evil, spoke of. I could hear him say, “Child, certainly not. If there was such a thing going on as that kind of a gift, it would be in our church here.” You know that still goes on. Sure. Said, “Why, sure.” Said, “It would be right here among us in our groups. That's where that would be going on.”

She said, “But, Father, it isn't so. And they tell me.... So I'd just like to get permission from you, if I could go up there.”

“Listen. You are a dignitary. You have a lot of prestige, and you are a noted person. You can't belittle yourself to go amongst a bunch like that.”

And so, she said, “But you know, sir, I want to go anyhow.” You know, there's something about it, when God goes to tugging at your heart, there isn't hardly anything going to keep you away from it. That's right.

So, begin to tug at her heart, you know, “You must go anyhow.”

“Well,” she said, “I've heard about it. [That's how faith comes.] Let me just go, and find out for myself. I'll come back, and bring you a report.”

“You shall never have my consent. Why, your old dead grandmother, and great-grandmother, and so forth, as queens before you, they'd turn over out there in their tombs, if they knowed you did anything like that.”

I can just imagine her little heart saying, “Well, they might as well get ready to turn over, 'cause I am going.” So....

'Cause why? Faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word. And when God goes to tugging at a heart, there's no way to get rid of it, only go do what He tells you to do. That's the only way to do. So here she was, tugging at her heart, and going....

He said, “Now look. Now, you just stay here at your church, and some day maybe great Dagon, or one of our gods here, will move.”

She said, “Listen here. I want to tell you something. I have lived my time out in this temple. And all my days you've talked about a god, and I heard my mother say the same thing. And you've got a book of rules here, and you got idols hanging around here, and I haven't seen one thing take place.”

There! That's what I like. And if there is such a thing as a God that can come into you.... Do you all know the form of pagan worship? I don't want to.... (I'm watching that clock up there, and I am going to get wrong on this one.)

So now, a pagan worship, way they do, they bring the idol and set it up. And then they get a priest, and they bless the candle. And they put this candle before the idol, and they bring him something to eat, and eat communion with him. And then they prostrate themselves before that idol, and just give in their mind in such a way, till they believe that they can hear that idol speak back to them. Now, that's pagan idol worship.

Now, that's contrary to God, see. God is not a idol; God is a Spirit, and we prostrate ourselves before that. And the Spirit don't come into some idol, as some so-called Christians would have us to believe; but the Spirit comes into you. You are God's power, living, walking around, manifesting the living God. For God dwells not in temples made with hands, “but a body hast thou prepared me.”

You are God's letter, a written epistle. God is in you, manifesting Himself through. If you could prostrate yourself before God, and say, “God, I'm a sinner. Come into me,” and then the Holy Spirit comes in, and then you're a living idol of God—living representative of God, walking around with God speaking through your lips to others.

Now, this little old woman says, perhaps, to this priest, said, “I've been here all these years. You've talked about all this. I haven't seen one time it spoke; I haven't seen one person that acted any different; it's always been the same old thing, and there's no life in it at all. And if there's somewhere that there is a God that can give life, I want it. [I say ”Amen“ to her. Yes, sir.] I want to find it.”

Well, first thing then, it cost her her membership. So she took her membership under her arm. So I think maybe she might have walked down the road. Now, that little lady had some things to confront her. And now ... to go up there.

And now, the first thing, she said, “I'm going up. And I've read all the books of what this Jehovah should be. And I'm going up to see for myself.” And then, she loaded down some camels with some gifts. And she said, “If it is so, then I'm going to support it. If it isn't so, I'll bring my money back.” Boy, she could teach some of us in America some lessons, couldn't she? Yes, sir. If there is anything to it, it's worth everything. If it isn't, it ain't worth nothing. Get away from it.

And she said, “If this thing that Jehovah claims to be.... If He's manifesting Himself, and I can see it with my own eyes, then I'm willing to give everything to it. But if it isn't, I can just bring my gifts back.” Now, remember, with all that gold and stuff on them camels.... She had hundreds of miles to go, and you know what? Esau's children was in the desert, and they were robbers. What an easy prey it would be, with all that money, for just a group of those robbers to fall in on that little lady, and slay her and them few little guards—eunuchs—she had with her, and take that money.

But you know something? When you are going out to meet Christ, and determined to meet Christ, there's no danger you understand at all. You don't care for nothing else. You've got one objective, and one achievement, and that is to meet Christ. Oh, if the world could get to hungering like that! She wanted to meet Christ, and that was her main objective, or, meet Solomon, the gift, and see if it was God. And she didn't know any danger. She didn't know.

Somebody said one time.... I seen a woman ... got up and started shouting, and she run around.... Honest, she hurdled about four chairs. Some of them said, “Looked like that woman would have broke her neck.”

I knowed her. She was a common little housewife down there. But I said, “She wasn't thinking about that.” She'd just crossed over, and she just couldn't sit down. That was all. She was running. She was on fire. I said, “She just had to run.” And so, she wasn't thinking about the danger; she was going on.

Like you'd say, “Well, now, if you don't do so-and-so and so-and-so, you are going to die.” You don't notice that. You take God's Word for it, and you just keep running on. And she had to go on.

And now, remember, if you'll draw on your ... watch on your map, from where Jerusalem was all the way down to Sheba—that's across the Sahara desert.... And it just takes a camel three months to get across there. Now, she didn't go across in an air-conditioned Cadillac, see. She had to cross on a camel, and taking three months to do it. Now that's when she was really hungry for God.

The trouble with we Pentecostal people today, we got everything laying right in our lap, and we just look at it, and say, “Well, I guess it's all right, see. That's pretty good.” But when you have to pay a price like that, you really enjoy it when you get it. That's right.

There she was. She had to cross the Sahara, and here it was. And these old camels, perhaps, travel at night—a few maids with her, and a bunch of little eunuchs along out there, not thinking of nothing else. But all through the days, sitting up on the oasis somewhere, reading those scrolls, what Jehovah was, 'cause faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God. She had got these scrolls, and was reading them. She wanted to know exactly what Jehovah was, and Solomon was manifesting Jehovah. So she went to find out.

Well, finally she arrived, and she got at the gate. When she got at the gate she unloaded all of her camels, and probably parked out there in the lot. And let's just give a little drama now. I can see the people from everywhere all around. And the next morning she cleaned up, and went over to the meeting. And she got to sit down.

And first thing you know, Pastor Solomon come out, and all the music played, and so forth. And Pastor Solomon come out. She got her.... She didn't have a prayer card, so she just waited way in the back of the building, you know. So, she waited back there for a long time. And when Pastor Solomon got to talking, she noticed that there was nothing but the wisdom of what she had heard.

And the next morning, when she come in I guess she got about middle way. And the first thing you know, it come to pass that she got right up close. And one morning she got in the line, and she got up before Solomon. She said, “Now I'll see whether it's right or not. Just something all over me tells me it's right.” And the Bible said there was not any secret but what God let Solomon know about. That's right. And when Solomon began to talk to her, and discern her heart and her desires, you know what she said?

She stood up before the people—look at this little heathen now—stood up before the people, and she said, “All that I heard is true, and more than I heard.” Oh, she was double convinced! So, she had seen like the rest of them had seen, and now it was working on her. Amen!

And if you don't believe the Holy Ghost is right, give it the same kind of try. You might hear it on others, but wait till it goes to work on you once. Then, you'll know for sure that it is the gift of God. It takes all temper, all sin, all unbelief, all doubts, all fears—even the fear of death goes away from you when the Holy Ghost comes in. Oh, it's real, friends! If you've never received it, don't let the night pass without receiving it.

What a great thing it was. That poor little lady was so thrilled, until she stood up there, and even wanted to take some ground back down with her. She was ... really become a believer.

And Jesus said, “The queen of the south shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she come all the way from the utmost parts of the known world of that day [a-back of a camel] to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and I say unto you that a greater than Solomon is here.” For Solomon was discerning—look how much greater that was.

And now tonight, after He has been dead, buried, and risen again into glory as a high priest for two thousand years.... And the infidelic world, communistic-inspired as it is tonight, in the midst of all of it, a greater than Solomon's standing here, a greater than all—the same God with the same promised gift, the same Holy Spirit with eternal life.

What was the matter with the little lady? She had seen something for one time in her life that was real, something that wasn't a put-on, a ritual, or a form or something. She had come to a church where she seen the moving of a living God. Now, if that little woman will raise in the day Jesus was on the earth, with that generation, and condemn it, what about today?

When she come two thousand ... no, about ninety days.... I don't know how many miles it was. It's way down. I did have it figured up once. But I know it takes a long time to get up there—about ninety days to get up there—three months through the desert, to hear the wisdom of Solomon.... And here in America we'll hardly drive across the street to see the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by a Bible, a Urim Thummim, that promised that it would reflect Him in the last days. And here it is by Bible evidence.

The Holy Spirit with Bible evidence has come into the church, and showing the signs and power of the resurrected Jesus right among us now, a greater than Solomon. The immortal Spirit of God is working not just with one; He's working in the entire church, showing signs and wonders, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils, speaking with tongues, giving interpretations, pouring down powers, converting sinners. Oh, He's showing signs of his being here, discerning the hearts and thoughts of the people that He had promised He would do. And remember, the last sign that Israel got was that. And that's the last sign promised now—the last-days sign. Here we are.

That little queen had seen something that was real, something that she could look at herself. And it was real. She could see the reacting of it upon that man. She knowed that it was something that....

People today.... I believe if the church, as I have said, wouldn't blow so much steam from the whistle, but would put it to work; and hunger and thirst to get the people around where such things are going on, see.... They want to see something real. They just don't want to come in, and put their name on a book. The people that are hungering and thirsting for God is coming to find something real.

I remember not long ago.... I might have told you this little thing.... As you know, I'm a hunter, or I just like to hunt. I'm not a hunter, but I hunt in Africa, India, and everywhere around the world. My mother was a halfbreed, and she ... and my grandfather was a noted hunter. And so, I always loved it. The first thing I ever bought.... I dropped sweet potato plants all day, and got a quarter. Bought me two steel traps, and I was in business. I caught me a possum, and sold that hide, and I got me some more traps. And I went in real business then. I was about eight years old, and I've been hunting ever since.

Now. I used to go up in the north woods and hunt, way up north. And I used to hunt with a good hunter up there, by the name of Burt Caul. He was a real hunter. Didn't have to worry about him. Many times you take a fellow in the woods, and if you don't watch ... if he don't really know the directions, and how to read signs—moss on trees and so forth—you'll have to look him up for a day or two. You get turned around, just right out a little piece.

But not Burt. And that flat country up in there, around Maine and so forth, he knowed just where he was at. We'd go hunting of a morning, and he ... you'd never have to worry. If we separated, Burt would be there that night. That's all. So we loved to hunt together.

There was only one thing against Burt that I had, and that was he was the meanest man I ever seen. He had eyes just like a lizard—you know, straight back, like some of these women try to paint their eyes these last days. You know, funny-looking things. It don't look like an ordinary human being. And he had kind of a slanted lizard-looking eyes, and he was mean.

And you know, he used to go out with me hunting, and he would shoot those little fawns just to make me feel bad. And I said, “Burt....” Now, it's all right. I ain't nothing against killing a fawn, now, you hunting brothers, you see. No, sir. If the state says you can have it, all right, 'cause the Conservation watches that to see if they got enough. They can let it go like that. And there's nothing wrong in the age of the animal.

Abraham killed a calf, and God eat it. That's right. So I don't think of the youth. But just to be mean, that's it. Just to do it to be mean, I think that's just murder, and I wouldn't kill anything like that. And so, Burt would see a fawn running. He would just turn him over, just like that. I'd say, “Burt, I love you. You're a good man. But you're the meanest man I ever seen.”

He said, “Aw, preacher, that's the way with all you guys. You're too chicken-hearted.” He said, “Get next to it.”

And I went up there one winter to hunt with him. It was kind of late in the fall, and there was a kind of.... Snow had already fell, and the hunting season had been out for a couple weeks. And Burt went up there to meet me, and we got to the camp. We got our hot chocolate. We'd put it in our thermos bottle. And then, if we got out, caught somewhere in the snow, and couldn't ... had to stay all night, build up a fire, well, we'd have hot chocolate to keep us kind of warm through the night—and maybe a sandwich, or something. And always carried dry matches to build a fire.

That morning we went up over Jefferson Notch, going into the Presidential Range. And so, we ... not even a track. Them little white-tailed deer.... You talk about Houdini being an escape artist, they are really good. And they can get under that brush, and you don't see them. Right late in the evening just before dark you'll see one just move. If it's moonlight you'll wait till it's nighttime to come out, see. Then after they're shot at, anyhow, they are very, very hard to find. We hadn't even found one track that morning. And it come about noontime, and.... Before we left, Burt said, “I got something for you, Billy.”

And I said, “What is it?” And he reached down in his pocket, and he had a little whistle. I said, “What's that? Coyote ... for coyotes?”

He said, “No. That's a deer call.” He said, “Listen at this,” and he blowed it. And you've heard a fawn cry, like a little deer, fawn, crying for its mammy.

And I said, “Burt, you wouldn't do that.”

And he said, “Oh, preacher.” Said, “You guys!” Said, “You're too chicken-hearted to be hunters.”

And I said, “Well, Burt, I like to hunt.” And frankly, I've had to get his deer a few times.

But, he said ... he said, “But you guys are too chicken-hearted.”

I said, “Well, don't shoot them little bitty fellows, Burt.” I said, “You oughtn't to do that.” And he ... I said, “You wouldn't blow that whistle like that.”

He said, “You just watch.”

Well, I'd forgot about it. It was about eleven o'clock in the day, and we come to a place about as big as this room in here, snow on the ground. It was a open place. And old Burt sat down, and he started reaching back like this. I thought he was going to take a drink of his hot chocolate.

So, he reached back like this, and when he did he brought this little whistle out. I said, “Burt, you wouldn't do that.”

He said, “Shhh.” He took that little whistle, and he cried out. Sounded just exactly like a little baby fawn crying for its mama.

And when he did, just across the opening a great big doe stood up. Now, that's the mother deer—those great big ears, big brown eyes, a beautiful animal. And she looked.... Old Burt stuck his head down below this little bunch of bush. Them lizard eyes looked up at me, you know, and I thought, “Oh, my. Surely he won't do that.” And he blowed it again.

Now, that's unusual, that time of day, for a deer to raise up, especially in hunting season. And when he blowed it again, she walked right out in that opening. Now, that's very unusual any time, for them to do that. But you know, she was a mother. And down in her heart she was a mother. She wasn't putting on anything to show off. She was actually a born mother, and her little baby was in trouble, and she didn't fear nothing then. She wanted to find where that baby was. I can see them big ears yet, just sticking out like that. You know how they do, that head up like that.

And all at once I seen Burt. We never put a hull up in the barrel, or a shell, until you see something to shoot at. So he put the shell up. He had a 30.06. I seen.... Oh, he was a dead shot. And I seen him level out like that, and I thought, “Oh, my! He'll blow that loyal heart of hers plumb through her. How could he do that? and that mother trying to find its baby,” see.

And he blowed it again. And the deer recognized when she got a whiff, the hunter was there. But you know, she never jumped. Usually she would. But that baby was crying so pitiful, that she didn't care if it meant death. She was going to find that baby in trouble. That's real genuine motherhood. Just nothing will take its place, hardly. Only God.

God said, “Could a mother forget her suckling babe? Yes.” Said, “She may forget her babe, but I will never forget you, for your names are engraved on the palms of my hands.”

So, I watched that hunter, and he turned around, and leveled that gun down. And I knowed that cross hair was right across her heart, that big 180 grain mushroom bullet. It would blow that loyal heart of that mother plumb through her.

I thought, “How can he do it?” I couldn't look at it. I just turned my back like this. Now, I kind of turned. I was behind some bushes. I just said in my heart, “Heavenly Father, don't let him do it. Don't let him do it.” And I, just to myself, I was just listening any moment to hear that gun fire. And I noticed it didn't fire.

I waited a moment longer, and it didn't fire. And I turned around to look, and the gun barrel was going like this. I watched him, and he turned around. The great big tears was running down his cheeks. He threw the gun on the ground, and he said, “Billy, I've had enough of it,” grabbed me around the trouser leg. He said, “I want you to pray for me, and lead me to that Jesus that you talk about.”

What was it? He'd saw something real. He saw something that wasn't put on. He saw something that was genuine. He was satisfied. That's what you'd want to know, something real—something not a form, put on, but a real God, real love, real action. Is that what your heart hungers for? Let's bow our heads and talk to Him just a moment.

I wonder now with our heads bowed just a moment, think just a moment. How many of you here tonight (now be honest), how many of you'd like to be the same kind of Christian in your heart, as much Christian as that deer was a mama? Just raise your hand, say, “I'd like to be that kind of a Christian.” God bless you. “Something that would drive me right into the jaws of death, and my love for Christ would move right along—undying love. I love Him with all that's in me.” He sees your hands.

Our heavenly Father, truly a greater than Solomon is here. A greater than any of the prophets is here. The Holy Spirit is here, the gift of God to the world. And He ... for hundreds and hundreds of years He could not get his way into the church. But in this last day He promised that He would have a church without spot or wrinkle. And we see Him tonight moving.

Now He come into us speaking with tongues, He came into us in joy, and now He keeps getting greater gifts. And He heals the sick, and now He's raised the dead. And here He is, the Word of God. He is the Word. The Word was made flesh. And now the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword. It's even going to the sunder of the bone and the marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts of the heart—the Holy Spirit.

Tonight this little story about Burt and I, up there, Father [break in tape] ... just live like the world. And the world can't see no difference from them and the rest of the run of the world. You are able to take an old mother deer, and bring one of your children to his senses. Thank You for it, Lord.

And I pray, tonight, that the Holy Spirit will just fill every heart with love and peace, and let us see the hand of our God. For truly, a greater than Solomon is here. And now, You promised in the last days that You would do this, as it was in the days of Noah, and as the days of Sodom. And then You dealt with the Jews and the Samaritans in that day. And the Gentiles has had two thousand years of training.

And now at the end time You couldn't be just, Lord, and then let.... The Jews just had to see that sign and had to turn it down; and then they were turned down. Now, Father, if You gave that to them, and let the Gentiles go in just on theology alone.... You are not that kind of a father. You are the same. You give one of your children the same as the other. You love them all. And each generation, each dispensation, receives its sign and gift to the age.

Now, Father, we know that.... We are thankful, tonight, to have the sign of the Holy Spirit—the resurrected Jesus getting his church ready. Bless us tonight. Give us of thy presence, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, with our hearts to Him.... Now, I'm sorry to have kept this long. I'm really a half hour late. I told Billy I'd be gone by nine-thirty so the brethren can baptize, and so forth. We got to crawl out in the morning about three o'clock. Now, that makes me ... to think that, it makes me nervous. And that's the reason I chop up my message the way I do. You forgive me for that. But I trust that the Holy Spirit has said something in your heart that will make you believe (that's right), make you believe with all your heart.

Now we could call ... I think we got a few prayer cards out. We could call those prayer cards up here, and pray for them. Or we can do any way we want, to close out the meeting. Or would you just rather ... to give everybody the equal chance? Let's just pray then, and ask the heavenly Father, that anyone out there that's got faith enough to touch Him....

Would you like to do that? Will you believe you got faith enough to do that? Raise your hand. Here we are. That's right.

You see, friends, where I'm sticking myself, sticking myself out here? Here it is. There's people. I don't know them. But now, I'm saying here that God knows them. And I ... when they come to see the wisdom of Solomon, and then when they come to see the working of Jesus....

Now, remember, God cannot change. He's God always. When God ever makes.... That's my faith in the Bible. If God ever makes a decision on any thing, it has to ever remain that way. It can never change, because He can't have today.... Every one of his decisions are perfect, because He's infinite.

You know what infinite means? You know, when you take your camera and put it at infinite? That just means from then on. Well, God is infinite, see. That's where the word infinite comes.

Now, He never did start, so He never does end. And anything that ever started, ends. So that's the reason we have to be born of the Spirit of God, to have God's life in us—have eternal life (which, the Greek word “Zoe” means God's own life) in us. And that life can no more die than God can, because it's a part of God, the infinite. That's right. And that's his Spirit.

Now, if his Spirit worked upon Solomon's age, it worked in the age of the Lord Jesus, and promised it here in the last days.... It's the same God. Amen. He promised it. You believe that? Do you believe it, my brethren? That's good.

I wish I could take all of you with me in these meetings, such good backing up as that. God will just do anything when He's got plenty around you. That's right. You all be sure to come back next fall. Come on over, every one of you. Let's have some fellowship again, have several nights of meetings. Till then, pray for me.

Now, here I am, standing here. How many people in this audience.... I recognize that, I'm not sure, this is Sister Bryant. These three people sitting right here, I know. Now, outside of that I don't see anyone that I know, but this brother right here. And he come down.... He was a Baptist. He come down, kept talking about the Holy Spirit, and everything. He couldn't quit smoking. He got on a couple of interviews, and one morning the Holy Spirit moved right down, and that was the end of it. He said, “I live up in Carolina. I don't....”

I said, “You find Brother Bigby, join his church, because that's the place to go,” I said, “ 'cause I know he is a real teacher. So ... and a man of God.”

So now, I didn't know many other brothers, but I knowed Brother Bigby. And I know there's other fine men. I met them here in the hall tonight. Look up and down here, and we're all God's children. That's all.

Now, how many people in here that is sick that I do not know and you want God to help you? And you know that I don't know nothing about you, nothing about what's wrong with you, or anything? You say.... Like I noticed, here somewhere, it might've been at the other meeting, a woman came across the platform, said, “Yes. I know you. I was in one of your other meetings one time, four or five years ago.”

My! Just think of that. How many tens of thousands I've met since then, see. Have no way of knowing you—just passing across the platform, or sitting out there in the audience. How many is sick now, and you know that I don't know what's wrong with you? Just raise up your hands, everywhere you are. Well, it looks like almost solid. And God surely will help us now.

Now, I want you to do this. I want you to quit thinking about we ministers, brothers here on the platform. Now, this is not back in some Ouija board, some dark room with the lights out, the devil's work. This is right out here in the broad open light, in the presence of Jesus Christ and his church, this holy Bible laying here declaring it. This is the Urim, the Urim Thummim. This is the breastplate. That's the fortified breastplate of every believer. That's right, see. And the Urim Thummim is that supernatural that went off of it, declaring it.

And you believe with all your heart. Don't doubt now. I want you to really believe. And you pray, and say, “Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful to You that You sent your Son, Christ Jesus. He died in my stead. We tell He was wounded for our transgressions; with his stripes we are healed by the things that He did. He is sitting at the right hand of the Majesty, tonight, to make intercession upon my confession.

“I just heard Brother Branham tell in the last couple of nights that the Word of God was sharper than a two-edged sword, and it was a discerner of the thoughts of the heart. Now, when You were here on earth You were the Word made flesh, and dwelt among us. We know that. You were the Word. And now we believe that the Word has come in the form of the Holy Spirit to vindicate the written Word, to make it right.

“Now, a woman touched your garment one time, and your Son, Jesus Christ, turned around and picked the woman out, and told her her blood issue. A blind man stopped Him, and so forth, and on, and on, and on, as we go through the scriptures.

“And now we see that You said, 'He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.'” Now that's what He said. Is that right, brethren? We want to believe that now. Let's all believe it with all of our heart, and all of you pray for me.

Now each one of you, just pull your unbelief out, put it under your feet, and curse it in the name of the Lord Jesus; and take the Word of God, and hold it up there and say, “I'm a believer, and I'm going to believe it with all my heart.”

I don't say that He will. If He doesn't.... I can't make Him do it, you know. He's God. I just believe it. And now, if He doesn't do it, then we'll ... I think there's a few prayer cards out in the building, maybe, here tonight. And if they are, well, we'll call them up, bring the minister brothers here, and pray for them. But I think the main thing for a Christian....

Look at that Roman that time. The Jew said, “Come lay your hands on my daughter, and she'll get well.”

The Roman said, “I believe better than that. You just say the word. That's all.”

Jesus turned around and said, “I haven't seen faith like that amongst Israel,” see. That's us Gentiles. We're supposed to know what his Word says is the truth. That's the only reason that I stand here like this tonight, because the Word has promised it. You know that. And the way I've been looking for years, for a great something to rise in the last days.... You know, we are promised that—that it would bring the faith of the children back to the original Pentecostal fathers. That's right. We are looking for it. He promised it, and we believe it.

Now just pray, and I will pray with you. And we believe that maybe God will help us. I hope that He does.

I see it's right over a woman sitting here. She's looking at me, but she's sitting right here. She's crying. She's got her hand up like this, up to her face. She's got a patch on her face. Now it could be a stick that hit it. It could be anything. You believe God can tell me what it is from here? Would you accept it? It's cancer. You believe that God will make it well? Will you accept it? All right, then. You can do it. Amen.

The little lady sitting there with the dark sweater on, put her hand down, had her finger up to her mouth. You had your hand up a few minutes ago, that you was here wanting prayer. Do you believe that God can reveal to me what your trouble is? You do? Then, if you'll believe it with all your heart then your heart won't bother you any more. Then you'll be well. You believe that your heart trouble's going to be all right? All right. Just the only thing you have to do is believe.

Now I didn't know those people. They're strangers. Now do you believe me? Here's my hands up, and my Bible here. As far as I know, I never seen them in my life. They're just people that's sitting there.

Here. Oh, what a feeling! Praise God! Brother, the Holy Spirit.... Look. I pray ... try to see this. Look out there beside that woman. Look at that light out there. See that kind of a milling, soft, glow-like, coming right down on her. Don't you see it? Look. Just this lady sitting right there. She's praying for a son, trouble with the mind. That's right, isn't it, lady? Raise your hand up if that's the truth. Just have faith.

That struck the lady next to you. There it moved right from that lady, over to the next one. You all got a prayer card? Do you have a prayer card? No. You don't. All right. You don't need one. The lady next to you there, the light's right over by her. Just look this way, towards me, sister, just a moment. You believe me to be his servant? Yes. It's your daughter just had an operation. You're praying about it. If that's right, raise up your hand. All right. Don't doubt. It'll get all right. Do you believe?

What you crying for, lady? You're all tore up, aren't you? You believe me to be his prophet? I'm a stranger to you. Don't cry. Hey, look, lady. Don't you do it. Don't do it. I won't say it, but you're fixing on to do something, and don't you do it. It ain't worth it. Right. Leave it alone. Don't you do it. Keep away from it. Get away, ignore it. It'll come out all right. Don't never take a life, 'cause it won't work. Stay away from it. You believe that I'm his servant? You don't live here. You're going to Charlotte now. That's right. Mrs. Mungo, you go back, don't do nothing about it, and God will be with you, and work it out all right. Do you believe? Just have faith. Don't doubt. Don't doubt. Just believe with all your heart.

Way back, way back, right at the back, there's a white man standing with a white shirt on, a woman with a skin trouble. You believe that God will make you well, lady? You accept it, believe it? That's right. There she is. Just stand up on your feet, so you can just praise God for it, and that'll leave you. Do you have a prayer card? You don't need one. When you've got faith like that, you don't need a prayer card. That's going to leave you, because the shadow that was standing right there over you has left.

Here's a lady sitting right down this way. She's.... God, may she not.... She's had trouble. She's had a wreck, and she's ... it's causing her to get weak spells, kind of blackouts like. She's not from here. She's from Georgia. Just believe, Mrs. Griffin, and you'll get well. I'm a stranger to her. I don't know her. Stand up, lady. Recognize the Lord Jesus as your healer. Do you believe, my friends?

A lady sitting right back here, praying. She's praying for a friend that's an alcoholic. Another with tumor on the brain. Say! You was in one of my meetings one time. You were healed of a cancer. That's right. You live in Charleston. Mrs. Meerlin, go home now. Jesus Christ gives you your desire. Amen.

Do you believe with all your heart? I believe the Holy Spirit has crossed the entire building. Are you believers? How many in here believes that a greater than Solomon is here? How many believes that He said this: “If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.”? Do you believe that? And you said you were believers. Now let's put our hands on one another.

Our heavenly Father, we are bringing this audience to You. We've been speaking of the great gifts down through the ages. And here we are, bound in heart by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is here with us, manifesting Himself, showing that the church is receiving its last sign, just before God turns and takes the church into glory.

Now, let these believers ... may the Holy Spirit look down on the hearts of those believers that's got their hands on someone else, praying for them.

You said, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick. God shall raise them up.” You said, “These signs shall follow the believers. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.” And we've been taught through the years that wherever two are gathered together, or three, You'd be in the midst of them. And here You are, tonight, Lord, just as real as You was when You come with Cleopas and them and broke the bread. And they recognized You by a sign that You did before your crucifixion. They knowed You had raised from the dead, and they went to their places light-hearted, rejoicing, and saying, “Truly the Lord has risen.”

Now, Lord God, I pray that You will go with us, Lord. May the power of the Holy Spirit free every person that's in here tonight that's bound by these afflictions, as I'm joining hands with this ministerial group here as your servants, believing for this audience. And we're in one accord, and one place, and the Holy Ghost is here to heal the sick and the afflicted. O God, may the power of the devil be broken, and the Holy Spirit lead all across this audience [unclear words] and cast away the evil spirit of unbelief, in the name of Jesus Christ.

I believe Him. I believe every one of you is healed if you'll just accept it. We ministers here on the platform will join hands together with one unit of prayer. We believe with all our heart it is Christ that's manifesting Himself here before us. What is it? It's the Urim Thummim being made manifest through the Word, the Holy Spirit in the last day's signs before the earth is burned.

Oh, hide yourself in Christ tonight, as He's promised, and be made whole, every one of you. All that will believe it, stand up to our feet now, as we raise our hands to Him with one accord. That's right. That's right.

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine;

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away,

O let me from this day

Be wholly thine!