Sunday Morning, May 18, 1996

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

The last few Messages we have focused our thoughts on Vindication and we showed by scripture that those who reject the Vindicated mindset that God has come to give us through His Prophet will actually be turned over to a reprobate mind concerning The Word of God. So we see that we either move into a vindicated mindset or a we must receive a reprobate mindset and there is no in between mindset.

[ 2 Tim 4: 3-4] NIV "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

Now this scripture tells us plainly that the people will come to the place that they will no longer put up with the True Doctrine. The King James version tells us they will not endure sound doctrine any longer. But I want you to notice that they will no longer endure the Truth. This tells us that to them The Truth is a real trial, and a painful experience to them. I suppose that is because it doesn't fit into their way of thinking. They have no use for it and it is inconvenient to their way of thinking and it is troublesome and maybe even boring. That's what to not endure suggests.

Now 2 Tim 4 was given to brother Branham by the Angel of the Lord as His commission and so in an indirect manner he was told that the people will come to the place where they will no longer endure the Truth, but they will allow themselves to be led into fables . Now we know that fables are only make believe stories. And so we see that is what the Gospel has become to so many in this day of Make-belief. Not only do the nominal churches play church with their 50 day spiritual adventures, (That's where the people are to imagine that Jesus is with them every where they go for a 50 day period). But we also see that even among those who profess this Message we hear fables and make believe doctrines coming forth such as Female Holy Ghost and Panty hose doctrines, and 6 inch picks that will twang you into perfection and even a bunch of little Rickies posing as Joshua's to lead the people into the Millennium. Fables. Playing church. Make-Believers. But it has to come this way because we also read in ...

[ 1 Tim 4: 1-2 ] There must be a falling away, and this falling away we are told is from THE Faith. And their is only One Faith...One Lord...according to [ Eph 4: 5 ] And so we se that the falling away will be from this Message. I know men who have served this message what seemed to be faithfully for 27 years and then turn and say they never really believed it and walk away from it? Ministers who understood vindication and preached it for years and suddenly plunging into polygamy, and adultery and fornication. And how many others who followed the message faithfully for years and then go back into the world.

In [ Luke 18: 8 ] Jesus asks the question, "When the Son of Man cometh, Shall He find Faith on the earth?" And that is what we are looking at this morning. Shall He find Faith? Shall He find Revelation? But what we see in the end time is a picture of men rising up who proclaim to be ministers of The Faith but as we see them manifesting themselves, we find they are actually impostors.

[ 2 Tim 3: 1 - 14] So we see the importance of knowing the one who is teaching you. Not just knowing the man but knowing what it is he is teaching you and knowing his motives for doing so. This is very important, because we know that these false teachers will be causing many to lose there place in The Faith and these men will cause a great falling away from THE FAITH. And notice that these men are not only deceiving, but they themselves are deceived as well. Sincere yet sincerely wrong. ( read again verse 8)

Paul told us in [ Gal 1: 6-8] That they are preaching not an altogether different Message, but a perverted one. And this word perverted that Paul uses is a Greek word Metastrepho which means to turn your mind from and away from. So what these men are preaching is a Gospel that will actually turn the minds of the people away from THE FAITH.

The scripture tells us that these men are men of corrupt minds, and they are reprobate concerning THE FAITH. Now I would like to ask you this simple question, what does it mean for these men to have reprobate minds concerning the Faith? [ Romans 1: 28 & Titus 1: 16] They say that they believe every word, but in their works they deny Him. Reprobate concerning THE FAITH. Now the word reprobate is a Greek word adokimos which means, "one who has been rejected not having stood the test and therefore unproved and unfit." And who could that be? Could God ever reject His own? [ 2 Cor 13: 5 ] We are told to test and scrutinize our own selves to see whether we be in THE FAITH.

And then he let's us know that we are to thoroughly acquaint our own selves and to know and understand how that Christ is in us, and if He is not in us then we are reprobates and fit only to be rejected, ad fit only for the burning.

I hope you can see that a reprobate mind concerning THE FAITH is a mind that shows that it comes from a certain lineage. It is a Serpent Seed lineage. We bear long with people I know and we hope for the best, but after two admonition we are told to simply reject or avoid those who just will not receive the Truth. Why? Because there is nothing in them capable of receiving the Truth. They have a broken cistern for a mind. You cram in to their minds the Word of God in it's Entirety and within days they have forgotten what they were excited about. Why? Because it all leaked out. Broken Cisterns. Now you say what does this have to do with this Message? Brother Branham is preaching Christ is Revealed in His Own Word, and thus I am trying to tell you that if you can not receive the Truth of the Message, What Paul calls THE FAITH then you can not be a part of God or a Son or Daughter of God. And if you are not One of His then you have got to be one of the Devils Kids. That's all there is to it. There is no in between place to hide.

You say, well there is certain parts of the word I just can't do, but I believe it. Then you don't pass the test. There's a leak in the cistern somewhere. Well I just don't have faith to pay my tithe. A broken cistern somewhere. [ Mal 3: 7-9] return unto Me and I will Return unto you. There you are. Then how can we say we believe when we don't do. James said, "what good does it do to say I believe and I have Faith when you don't do what you say you believe. He said show me your actions and I will know what you believe." Paul also warned us of this in the book of [ Acts 20 : 26 - 31] & [ Acts 13: 40 - 41] Here we find that Paul tells the people that God will bring forth a declaration to the people and this declaration they will reject. Now this is fitting because brother Branham said of His own Ministry the following words, " " This is my ministry, see, to declare Him, that He is here!" [FROM THAT TIME PP. 227]

The Bible tells us that at the end time people will be seduced away from the Truth by men of reprobate minds concerning the Faith. Men who can not in any way shape or form come to an understanding of the Truth because they are not ordained to understand it. And because they do not understand it they preach error concerning the Faith and therefore the Revelation of Christ. If brother Branham said, "This is my ministry, see, to declare Him, that He is here!" then we can be sure of one thing, and that is, those who are not ordained to understand this, will not preach this same Christ, and they will not preach that He is here. .As they did in the Alpha so shall they do in the Omega. They will bring in another Jesus, another Gospel message and therefore those that hear them will receive another Spirit. Now this brings us to this Message of Brother Branham's that we are studying Christ Revealed in His Own Word.

Now, I have said before and so say I again, the True Seed of God must receive the Truth, for they are ordained to receive it. But the Make-believer will only hang around long enough to find fault with it and then they will say, Aha! I knew there was something about these guys. But John said, [1 John 2: 19] They went out from us but, but what? But that's OK because they were not really of the same source as us. Period! Now Scofield noticed this and noted that this going out from among us is a doctrinal thing. He said, Doubtless then, as now, the deniers of the Son in Vs 22 & 23 still call themselves Christians. So let's read verse [22 & 23]. They don't understand Godhead and because they do not understand it they condemn the Truth of It because it didn't come according to their way of thinking.

27-4 THREE.KINDS.OF.BELIEVERS 63-1124E Now, the make-believer hangs around and acts just as pious as he can, but down in his heart he's trying to find what--what--see how you do it. Oh, if the country isn't full of that part of the hypocrite. That's a Judas. That's exactly. Hangs around, becomes part of the group, he was the treasurer. See? He stands around; he's always got his hand out for money. You can tell that one thing; he's always fishing for money, and got his hand out for this, and he is a make-believer. He acts like a believer, but down in his heart... You remember, he wasn't fooling

28-2 THREE.KINDS.OF.BELIEVERS 63-1124E There's that make-believer that's just waiting. He'll sing like that, "Oh, I believe this, and I believe this, and I believe this, but oh, you know I heard somebody say so-and-so times..." See? Just long with ears...

A real believer don't hear nothing but the Word. That's all. He watches the Word. He ain't looking for no loopholes; he ain't looking for no gimmicks. He believes God, and that settles it, and he just keeps going on. See? There's the believer. The unbeliever fills up in a minute, and he can't stay to listen to ten minutes to the message; he's got to get up and walk out. It's against his creed, and he just won't have no more to do with it, so he goes out. Then the make-believer hangs right on, that Judas. See? That's the deceiver. That's the--that's a rascal (if I have to say such a word). Judas, he hangs around.

28-4 THREE KINDS OF BELIEVERS 63-1124E This is the time... Sometime these make-believers are very popular with the people (That's right.), these make-believers. See? Some of them are mighty men, educated, doctor's degree, big pay, everything; some of them are great men, shrewd, just like sons of Satan would be. Look how Satan come right up there and agree with every bit of that Word. He's just waiting to find that weak spot in Eve to where he could show his power to deceive her, to betray her. That was--that was Satan, and here Satan is in a form of Judas in that age. That was Satan in the first age. What was he? Agreeing with the Word till just--just one little thing... He was just trying to find a place where he could get a weakness, and that's exactly what the Judas finds right now. He'll come right along with the meeting, and watch right around until he can find that little spot that he... "Oh, there it is; that's it. (See?) Oh, that's the way it's done." See? That's just exactly.

[ 1 John 4: 6] Now here we see that either John was arrogant, or perhaps we could attribute this boastful speech to his youthfulness, but we can't really do that because he was over 70 when he wrote this. So why can't we just admit that maybe, just maybe, He was right, and God told Him to write what He wrote here. Is this scripture part of the Word of God or is it not? Do we begin to rip out those parts that seem to be offensive to us, or do we learn to just shut up and accept whatsoever God gives us to feed on. You say, I don't like the way he preaches, he's too rough! Are you God? Did you commission him? Did you put your words in his mouth and he spoke them wrong? As Paul said in [ 1 Cor 14: 36] What? Came the Word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only? In other words, if it only came to you and not out from you, then shut up and listen . Because then Paul said, if any of you think yourselves to be some sort of a preacher or even spiritual, you had better acknowledge that what I am telling you are not my words but God's Words.

And this is where I have been driving home the point for the last few sermons. Those who fight against the Truth are not and can not be the Elect of God, unless they are found to be fighting against it out of shear ignorance like Paul did. But if they are Elect they will have to come to the Knowledge of the Truth and when they do they will stand for the Truth like Paul stood for it. So then what can we say for those who would oppose the Truth and lead the people into a bunch of fables? We know they can not be Elect if they are in the same group as Jannes and Jambres? Can they be the Foolish Virgin? Well, we showed you Wednesday night that they could hardly be the Foolish Virgin because the Foolish Virgin did not fight the Bride concerning the Midnight Cry. They asked about it and realized when they got the answer that they were missing the anointing upon the Word. And so when they went to buy the oil, that is when the Rapture takes place and the Wise Virgin caught away to the Wedding Supper.

156 Ten Virgins 60-1211M] Now, watch, they, both of them were virgins. Now, let me get this. Here, let's take these two right here. This is a virgin and this is a virgin. This was a foolish virgin and this was a wise virgin, but both of them are virgins. Now, if you'll take that name "virgin" and run it down, it means--it means "holy, clean, sanctified." The word "sanctify" comes from the word "sainted," which means "clean." Like the Hebrew word... Now, that's a Greek word; "sanctify" means "clean."

[ E-35 Sudden Secret Going Away of the Church 58-1012] How many of you, all perhaps, have read of the virgins? Some were wise and some were foolish. "Virgin" means "purity." They were all good people, everyone of them virgin, sanctified vessels of God. But those who had oil in their lamps went in. And the others was left out. They were all virgins, everyone people that you couldn't put your finger on for anything wrong. They everyone believed in the coming of the Lord. They were ready to go meet Him, but some of them let their oil go out. Don't let that be your case. Keep oil in your lamp. Oil is the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Never let it drain from you. When you feel your love dying away, your sincerity to Christ, and to the cause, quickly go to Him Who has the Fountain of Oil and buy for yourself a filling of the Holy Spirit.

Now how then do we go to Him and refill these lamps? [ Psalm 119: 105] Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. In fact we find brother Branham tell us the same thing in connection with his explaining this lamp the Wise Virgin had that was lit.

[73 Conflict Between God and Satan 62-0531] Fire is the confirmation of the Light coming from the Word. The smart virgin, the wise virgin, had oil in her lamp, and she trimmed her lamp and lit it. Now, what is it? Now, God is the Word; the Oil is the Spirit; and the Fire is the Gospel Light on that Oil. Amen. God said so. See? That's the vessel. All right. The Oil is in the vessel, and the Fire burning it, shows that it's reflecting the Light of what the Word said. See? That's the reflection. Now, that wise virgin could do that; but that other, foolish virgin, was on the outside, had no Oil. And they couldn't reflect nothing but just their church and their denomination. See? Now, "You say the Word... You said the Word was Spirit?" Yes, sir. God said, "My word is Spirit." That's right. The true Bride must be unified by the Word. Now, remember, if she is a part of Christ, she has to be the Word of Christ. In order to be the Word of Christ, you have to be baptized into Christ. And when you're in Christ, you believe Christ and Christ is the Word.

E-116 GOD HIDING HIMSELF IN SIMPLICITY 63-0412E Something happened the other day. You read the--or heard the tape, the seven thunders, "What Time Is It, Sir?" See? It happened the other day. You know these things... The time is at hand, church. The time is at hand. Don't--don't--don't wait any longer. See, how do you know the rapture's not going on all the time? First thing you know it'll be past, one disappearing here, and there. It'll be gone the first thing you know, and you'll--judgment will strike the world. You say, "Well, I thought this..." "It's too late now." You remember, they didn't know it until the day they entered into the ark, and then it was too late. The foolish virgin didn't know until she come back and found the wise virgin gone. Then she was left for the tribulation period.

1032-Q-306 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 64-0823E 306. After the Bride is raptured will any of the foolish virgin be saved or will they all be lost? No. See, everything will be finished for the Gentile church when the Bride is taken from the earth. The Spirit of God leaves the earth: "He that's filthy is filthy still; he that's righteous is righteous still; he that's holy is holy still." In other words the sanctuary becomes smoky, where the--the Attorney stands to plead the case. Christ leaves the sanctuary; His day of mediatorial is over. The rapture comes; He leaves from the sanctuary, goes forth and takes the Book of Redemption, and claims everything He redeemed. There's no more mediatorial work. How many understands that? I got it on one of the Seals--or one of the... Yeah, the Seals, I believe it was, that Christ comes forth to claim His mediatorial work., just a minute. "Will the foolish virgin be saved." No. Whatever happens, happens now. After that time she's in the state...

Now, she will have to go through the tribulation period. And the reason of it is, is because she has rejected the Atonement in Its fullness. She is a believer, a professed believer, but she will have to go through the tribulation period. The Bible said, "And the rest of them, the dragon spurted water out of his mouth to go and make war..." And what an hour that is. The... There's never been a time in history where that the nominal churches has become so hungry to find the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I--I speak for the Christian Business Men. Constantly, it's Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, and all, Baptists by the hundreds, Church of Christ, Nazarenes, Pilgrim Holiness, Seventh Day Adventists, every one of them flocking in trying to find... See? And I would like to add, Flocking into What? To this Message. We all came out from the denominations.

1164-Q-403 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 64-0830E When you use the expression that if we do not believe the Word, we will be eternally separated from Christ, do you mean the foolish virgin will live eternally, but they will be separated from the new Jerusalem where Christ will dwell with the Bride? Here are those who do not have the Holy Spirit, born again as the Scripture speaks of being born again. If the natural birth requires water, blood, and spirit, does not the spiritual birth require all three stages of grace before the person is truly born again? Absolutely, I just explained that this morning--the same, on the same thing. You've got to have all stages. You're begotten of the Spirit, just like a baby's begotten into the womb of a mother, but not born until they receive the Holy Ghost. That's right. You're born then; you're not converted. You're in the procession of being converted until that time. That's the reason that all these great mysteries could not be given to Luther, could not be given to Wesley, could not be given to the age that has just passed by us, the Pentecostal age. Why? It wasn't time. They were begotten. Now, the Person of Christ, Himself, the Son of man (You understand?) revealing Himself in human flesh, it could not have come till now

97 TOKEN THE 63-1128E Someone discussing that with me not long ago, said, "The church will have to go through for--for a purification." I said, "That is true, because she rejected the Blood." But if the tribulation period catches the Bride, His Own Wife, in the tribulation? No, sir. The Blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin, and there's no more purifying. And the Blood of Jesus Christ, and that Token, as identification that it has been purified (Amen.), that's the Token of the Bride wearing the ring.

129-1 {79} FIRST SEAL THE 63-0318 And how can a man say that the Bride of Christ goes into the tribulation? I can't understand it. See? She's took away from the tribulation. If the Church has been judged, and they have judged themselves, and have accepted the Blood, how can God judge a man that's perfectly, totally sinless? You say, "There's no such a person." Every borned again believer, true believer, is perfectly, absolutely sinless before God. He's not trusting in his works. In the Blood of Jesus that his confession's dropped into... The Bible says so. See? "He that--that is borned of God does not commit sin, for he cannot sin." How can you make a man a sinner when the bleach of the Blood of Jesus Christ is between him and God, that would scatter sin till there'd be nothing left of it. See? How can that pure Blood of Christ ever let a sin pass there? He cannot. Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." And how could we even start the thought of being perfect, but Jesus required it. And if Jesus required it, He's got to make a way for it; and He has: His own Blood.

35 PERSEVERANT 63-0802 Now, look. To those scribes... Can you hear me? Say, "Amen." [Congregation, "Amen."--Ed.] Those scribes, even those apostles, that their very last sign, was looking for Elias... Let me repeat it. The--the... The very elected, the scribes and the apostles, called of the Lord, were looking for the Messiah to come, but Elias to come and forerun His coming. And He come it, and--and did it in such humility, and till they even didn't recognize him. And may I say this, as my own thought. One of these days... You're looking for a lot to happen, that's happening and you don't know it. You're going to say before the rapture of the Church... Now, I'm not here preaching doctrine. There's ministers on the platform here, that would disagree probably with this. Most all ministers believe that the Church goes through the tribulation period, for purification; I can't see it. The Blood of Jesus Christ is our purification, nothing...?... See, see? I believe that the church, the denominational church and the sleeping virgin, does go through the tribulation, but not the Bride. There's a difference between the church and the Bride. The Bride goes in the rapture. That's where you Church of God of Anderson and all got mixed up there (You see?) is in that.

56-3 THE.PATMOS.VISION --CPT.2 But some day those feet of brass will stand upon the earth. And the Judge of all the earth He shall be, and with equity and perfection will He judge mankind. And there will be no evading that judgment. No turning of that justice. There will be no tempering of it. He that is unjust will be unjust still; he that is filthy will be filthy still. The Unchanging One will not change then, for He never has and never will. Those feet of brass will crush the enemy. They will destroy the antichrist, the beast and the image and all that is vile in His sight. He will destroy the church systems that have taken His Name only to corrupt its brilliance and crush them along with the antichrist. All the wicked, the atheists, the agnostics, the modernists, the liberals, will all be there. Death, hell, and the grave will be there. Yes they will. For when He comes, the books will be opened. That is when even the lukewarm church and the five foolish virgins will appear. He will separate the sheep from the goats. When He comes He will take over the kingdom, for it is His, and with Him will be the thousands times ten thousands, His Bride, who come to minister to Him. Glory! Oh, it is now or never. Repent before it is too late. Wake up from amongst the dead and seek God to be filled with His Spirit or you will miss eternal life. Do it now while there is time.

279-1 SARDISEAN CA --CPT.7 It is the second resurrection wherein the five foolish virgins come up. Notice that they were virgins. They did not have the Holy Spirit so they missed being in the bride, while the five wise who had oil became a part of that bride. But these people, being a separated, God-loving people, and trying to abide in the Word, according to what they knew of it, and being a help in the work of the Lord will come up at the end of time. They will miss the millennium, which you can begin to see by these truths is much more important and wonderful than we have ever thought or believed.

274-2 SARDISEAN CA CPT.7 As Israel (chosen people of God) in majority forfeited their rights in the Book of Life by rejecting Jesus, so the majority of the Gentile church will also come into condemnation with the resultant removal of their names from the Book of Life by rejecting the Word and thereby entering into the world ecumenical movement which is the image erected unto the beast.274-3 There is another point to see here. In the great White Throne judgment there will be a separation of people. The Book of Life will be opened and another book will be opened. Matthew 25:31-46, "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger and ye took Me in: Naked and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me:

I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered and fed Thee? or thirsty and gave Thee drink: When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: Naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not: Then shall they also answer Him saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison and did not minister unto Thee? Then shall He answer them saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not unto Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."275-1 Revelation 20:11-15, "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away: and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it: and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." There will be both the righteous and the un-righteous in this judgment. It says so. THESE RIGHTEOUS WILL NOT BE THE BRIDE FOR THE BRIDE SITS WITH HIM IN JUDGMENT. I Corinthians 6:2-3, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." See, the bride is with Him in the throne. As she is to judge the world she has to be sitting in the judgment with Him. That is exactly what Daniel saw. Daniel 7:9-10, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." See, it is the same scene, for the thousand thousands who are ministering to Him are the bride, for who ministers to the husband but the wife?

276-1 The question now arises, why are these righteous ones in the judgment? There is no other place that they can come up, for there are but two resurrections and since they could not qualify for the first resurrection they must come up in the second which is a resurrection unto judgment. The ones who qualify for the first resurrection (the bride) are not in the judgment. John 5:24, "Verily, verily I say unto you,

276-2 He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life (that is, the believer is already the recipient of eternal life which he has in his possession now) and shall not come into condemnation (shall not come into the judgment, is what it really says) but is passed (permanently) from death unto life." But notice carefully, Jesus must have yet another group in mind who at a certain resurrection will receive eternal life. They will receive it at the resurrection, NOT HAVING PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED IT AS A MEMBER OF THE BRIDE. John 5:28-29, "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which ALL that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Now we all know that John 5:28-29 is NOT THE RAPTURE for only the dead in Christ will arise from the graves at that time along with the living bride who still is on the earth. I Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." But it says in John 5:28-29 that ALL are going to come forth from the grave. This is the very same resurrection that is spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15 wherein THE DEAD were brought before the Lord and judged according to their works, and all whose names were not in the Book of Life were then cast into the lake of fire.277-1 We now face the question as to why they should be given eternal life at the judgment since the Epistles seem to conclusively point out that one must possess the Spirit of Christ or perish. Though it seems thus, we must not discredit the words of Jesus Who most pointedly sets forth that there are some found in the Book of Life who will either receive eternal life before the general resurrection or after it. Paul does not evade this truth for he most clearly says in Philippians 3:11, "If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead." Now this statement is most peculiar. We all know that we are ALL going to be in a resurrection whether we want to be or not. All will be resurrected. So Paul could hardly be saying, "If by ANY MEANS I might attain to a resurrection of the dead." The truth of the matter is, he is not saying that. The literal reading is, "If by any means I might attain to the `out-resurrection' from among the dead." This is not the attaining to the general or second resurrection, but attaining to the first resurrection, of which is said, "Blessed and Holy is he who hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years." The first resurrection has nothing to do with the second death. That is at the end of the thousand years when ALL THE REST of the dead live again. And in that day there will be those who come forth to eternal life and those others who are caught in the second death. Now we do not need to guess about those who in the second resurrection are given life. We are told it is given to them on the grounds that they have been kind and good to the "Brethren". Those who are raised and cast into the lake of fire will be so treated because of their mistreatment of the "Brethren". Since this is the Word of God we simply accept it. There is no argument here, just a simple statement of fact.

278-1 To further clarify, notice specifically the words of Matthew 25:31-46. It does not say that a shepherd is literally separating sheep from goats, but it is AS a shepherd dividing sheep from goats. These are not sheep in this particular area of time (White Throne Judgment). The sheep are in His fold, they heard His voice (Word) and they followed Him. THEY ALREADY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND CANNOT COME INTO THE JUDGMENT. But these do NOT have eternal life, and they are in the judgment. They are allowed to GO INTO eternal life. But upon what grounds do they enter into life eternal? Certainly not upon the fact that they already have His life as does the bride, but they receive it because they were kind to His brethren. They are not His brethren: that would make them joint-heirs with Jesus. They are NOT heirs to anything but life. They share no throne, etc. with Him. THEIR NAMES MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE AND NOT REMOVED. Now because of their love of the people of God they are recognized and saved. No doubt these served and helped the children of God. Perhaps like Nicodemus and Gamaliel they stood for the children in a time of trouble.278-2 If this seems to smack of "restoration," watch carefully now, for the wicked are NOT restored, but turned into the lake of fire.

278-2 The names of many of those destroyed were in the Book of Life also; but they were blotted out because they failed to honor the people of God who were the living manifested Word (living epistles) for their day.

278-3 Now let us be very clear here. These are not nations being judged and going into the millennium because they have harbored and helped the Jews. That is very clear because of the conclusion of these verses. "And these (the wicked) shall go away into everlasting punishment (lake of fire), but the righteous into everlasting life." There is no record of TWO judgments set where the wicked are cast into the lake of fire. Only the beast and false prophet are judged at the end of the great tribulation. No, this is the White Throne judgment, and they are judged according to what is written in the books.

278-4 It is the second resurrection that the "souls under the altar" as set forth in the fifth seal (Revelation 6:9-11) are given white robes, and of course eternal life, or there would be no point of white robes. "And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Now note particularly that none of these under the altar were killed for the testimony to Jesus. They were not like Antipas who was slain for holding fast His Name. These are not born again ones, with eternal life as their possession. They come up in the resurrection and receive life because of their stand on the Word. And notice how these are crying out for vengeance. They cannot be bride material. The bride turns the cheek and cries, "Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do." These are Jews. They have to be because they are in the fifth seal, and it is in the fourth seal that the Gentile bride is gone in the rapture. So these Jews aren't born of His Spirit. They don't even believe that Jesus is the Messiah. But as they were blinded by God for the Gentile's sake, God gave them eternal life on the grounds that though they could not come to Him, yet they were truly faithful to all the Word they knew, and died for it as multitudes died under Hitler, Stalin, etc., and will yet die.

It is the second resurrection wherein the five foolish virgins come up. Notice that they were virgins. They did not have the Holy Spirit so they missed being in the bride, while the five wise who had oil became a part of that bride. But these people, being a separated, God-loving people, and trying to abide in the Word, according to what they knew of it, and being a help in the work of the Lord will come up at the end of time. They will miss the millennium, which you can begin to see by these truths is much more important and wonderful than we have ever thought or believed.279-2 All these people had their names in the Book of Life and their names remained. But whose names did not remain? Those of the world system churches who fought the bride will be those whose names are removed. That is who will lose out. They will be cast into the lake of fire.279-3 Now let us go another step, but before we do let us review our case thus far. First of all we know most assuredly that the purpose of God stands in election. It was purposed in Himself. It was God's purpose to bring forth a people like unto Himself that would be a Word Bride. She was chosen before the foundation of the world IN HIM. She was fore-known and beloved before she was ever brought forth during the ages upon the earth. She was redeemed by His blood and can NEVER come into condemnation. She can never be in the judgment because sin cannot be imputed unto her. Romans 4:8, "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." But indeed she shall be with Him in His throne of judgment, judging the world and even angels. Her name (each of her members) was written in a section of the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. Secondly, there is another class. Their names are also in the Book of Life and they will come up in the second resurrection. Such are the foolish virgins and the righteous as are spoken of in Matthew 25. In this class also are those who do not worship the beast or become involved in the antichrist system but die for their faith even though they are not in the bride, not having been born again. But they will come up in the second resurrection and go into eternal life. Thirdly, there are the borderline Christians such as we saw in Israel coming out of Egypt. These had their names in the Book of Life and their works written in the books. These having failed to obey God and being void of the Spirit, though even the signs and wonders were amongst them, will have their names removed from the Book of Life. Amongst this group will be the ones like Judas who though entirely void of the Spirit, but are religious, will have manifestation in their lives, and though on the books were not the elected IN HIM. Such also as Balaam will be in that group.

Fourth and finally are the ones whose names have never been or will ever be written on the books. Such are found in Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not: and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." Jesus said that a certain group would accept one who came in his own name. That one is the antichrist. And that is exactly what it says of them in Revelation 13:8, and 17:8. These were ordained of God but not unto election. And with this group is such that are as Pharaoh. It says of him, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up. Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction." Romans 9:17 and 22. None of these would be placed on the records of life. I am not saying that there is no record of them. No doubt there is some kind of a record of them, but NOT IN THE RECORDS OF LIFE. Their purpose of existence has been dealt with slightly in the rest of this book but we can add two more Scriptures. Proverbs 16:4, "The Lord hath made the wicked for the day of evil." Job 21:30, "The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction, they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."

281-1 Since this portion of the Word is hard for the human mind to grasp, it must be accepted and believed by faith. Some will be offended by what I have set forth because they fail to understand the sovereignty of God which sets forth that GOD IS GOD, and because He is God one cannot defeat His counsels or thwart His will and purpose; but He, being omnipotent, is ruling in ALL affairs and is doing whatever He will with all His creation because all were created for His good pleasure. Therefore, as Paul says, "If God should take of one lump of clay and make of that same lump one vessel unto honor and another vessel unto dishonor, who can be offended and cry against Him?" That He has the right to do this on the grounds of creation alone, we cannot deny. Yet He went even further, for according to Romans 14:7-9, we have the irrefutable proof that Jesus paid the purchase price of the whole world, and therefore He can do as He wills with His own. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord BOTH OF THE DEAD AND LIVING." (Ownership; NOT relationship is meant here.) This is also set forth in John 17:2, "As Thou hast given Him power OVER ALL FLESH, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him."281-2 Now, if we impute omniscience to God, we must also accept that He is perfect in wisdom and righteousness. This plan of election and reprobation is the wisdom of God revealed in all ages even, as it says in Ephesians 1:3-11, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him. In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all WISDOM and prudence, Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him; In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will." Thus if God has so designed that there be those whose names are placed in a section of the Lamb's Book of Life and cannot be erased for they are the names of His bride, then we must accept that. If it also states that there are those whose names were placed in the record of the Book of Life but in the foreknowledge of God they were to fall and have their names removed we must accept that. And if there are those whose names were NEVER placed upon a record of life, we must accept that, also. And if there are those who will enter into life eternal after the White Throne judgment solely on the grounds of being good and kind and just to the elect of God who are His brethren, then we cannot but accept that. FOR WHO KNOWETH THE MIND OF THE LORD THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? Rather let us be subject in faith to Him Who is our Father and live.