Christ is the Mystery no. 63

Predestined to Know

February 13, 2013

Brian Kocourek

Matthew 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11  He answered and said unto the disciples, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

 

Now, in Verse 11 it tells us something was given to certain ones in order for them to know and understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them on the outside this thing was not given to them and thus they could not understand.

 

In other words, it is given to you as a gift to know, but to others it is not given to them as a gift to know. The word given here was translated from a Greek word didomi {did'-o-mee} and it means "to give or grant, of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage; to bestow a gift."

 

Notice then that the thing that Jesus is telling them is that these things He is telling them is for their advantage. It is for their benefit but it is not for the benefit of those on the outside.

 

12  For whosoever hath, (For whosoever echoes) to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, (echoes not) from him shall be taken away even that he thinks he is echoing.

 

Whosoever is made in such a way as to be able to reflect or echo back what is given to him, the same shall have more abundance, because an echo is receiving and giving back more than just once. It is a repetition of the same thing with the same accent over and over and over again. 

 

13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: Well, who is them that he is speaking of here?

 

In Mark 4:10-11 he answers that question for us 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

 

So the them he is referring to in both Matthew 13 and Mark 10 is the outsiders. Those he says are on the outside. And then he tells us why.  "because they in seeing in reality they see not; and in hearing they actually hear nothing, neither in either case do they understand what they saw or heard. 14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, "By hearing they shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing they shall see, and shall not perceive: 15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should have to heal them". 16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

 

Now, we see this same thought in what brother Branham's next few paragraphs tell us in Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed.

 

So let's turn to paragraph  159 or 333 in your book, and let's read.  "Look, John the Baptist would never had known Jesus if it hadn't been for the Holy Ghost pointing Him out. That right? John the Baptist, that great prophet that come forth and said, "There's One standing among you right now. There's an ordinary man standing here somewhere, that's the Lamb of God." John said then, "I bore record--I bare record I saw the Spirit of God (the Holy Ghost) descending from heaven like a Dove, and It went upon Him, and a Voice said, 'This is My beloved Son in Whom I'm pleased...'" What was it? The Holy Ghost said, "I'll point Him out."

160  That's the only way you'll know Him today, only way you'll get the threefold revelation of God is for the Holy Ghost... And the only way it can ever be, is you're predestinated to see it. If it don't, you'll never see it. If you're not predestinated to see it, you'll never see it, 'cause that Light can flash and you'll go away and make fun of it and explain it away by some intellectual conception when the very God Himself manifesting Himself and proving it. See? But if it ain't upon you to see it, you won't see it.

What brother Branham is talking about here is election pure and simple, for if God doesn't reveal it to you there is no way you will ever be able to hear it, recognize it, and then act upon the Word of God.

 

And remember, he's using these illustrations of John the Baptist to show you that concerning the three fold revelation of Christ, that unless God  has predestined you to see it, you will never see it.  and let us not forget that in the beginning of this study we saw where brother Branham said the three fold revelation of the Mystery of Christ is first God was in Christ revealing Himself to the world. second, he would come into His church and use them to reveal himself to the world. and third, to restore us back to that fellowship we had with him in the beginning where we walked together and talked together like it was in the garden.

 

  77   Now, if He had this threefold purpose... We want to find out what is this threefold purpose. The first thing was that God wanted to reveal Himself to the people. He couldn't do it as a great Jehovah God Who covered all space, time, and eternity. He could not. He's too great to ever be revealed to people, because it would be too mysterious. How could that great Being that never did begin, that after you went beyond the cycle of a hundreds of billions and trillions and trillions of years of light space, and on out into the infinite, into the eternity, and a great Creature that was all that, and still is... 78   But what He wanted to do, He loved Fatherhood, for He was a Father. And the only way that He could express it was to become a Son of man. That's the reason Jesus kept saying, "The Son of man." See, they didn't know what He was talking about, many of them. But now you get it? He wanted to express Hisself. That was His, one of His great threefold purposes, was to express Himself, identify Himself with human beings, to reveal Himself in Christ.

  79   Secondly: to have the preeminence in His body of believers, that is, His Bride, that He might live in people. Now, He could do that in Adam and Eve, but sin separated them, so now there had to be some way to get it back again. Oh, my. Oh, when I... This is rich to me, just to even think of it. See? See what God's purpose was?

 

And that is where we are at in this hour. That is where we have turned the corner from the others. They believe the first part, that God wanted to express Himself to the world so he used His son. They believe that. But the second fold part of the great revelation of Jesus Christ in this hour is that God wants to reveal himself in you, to live your life for you. And it took God to reveal this to you or you wouldn't be sitting here with me taking all the abuse that you take where they call you serpent seed, and say you are off the Word and all the other abuses you take. 

 

But God has shown you this Second fold part of His three fold revelation as brother Branham said in paragraph 79.   Secondly: to have the preeminence in His body of believers, that is, His Bride, that He might live in people.

 

Let me read from paragraph 81 Since it has been a few months already. 81 " When I see God's great purpose: revealing Himself, and having... First, to reveal Himself in Christ, the Fullness of the Godhead bodily, and then to bring that Fullness of Godhead bodily into a people that He could have the pre-eminences, the oversight, the leading... 82   And the other night... If you didn't get the tape that I preached here one night on "A Prisoner of Jesus Christ--Paul, a Prisoner..." See? When God gets you to be His prisoner, then you can't do nothing but what the Spirit says do.

 

So we see that is what this second fold purpose of God is, to get you to the place where you have given Him such pre-eminence that you have completely died to self, and His Spirit, His Life has taken over your body and is living your life out for you.

 

And hopefully we will not loose any more when we turn the corner again into the third fold purpose of God's great plan which he tells us in paragraph 85.

 

85 "Now, that's when He can express the pre-eminences. You see? He's got the man or the person so that he knows nothing but Christ. You get what I mean? All right. That's secondly. First, to express Hisself completely: God in Christ. Second, to have the pre-eminences by this in His Church (which is His Body, Bride) to... He could have the preeminence to express Himself through them. All right. And thirdly, to restore the Kingdom to its rightly position that fell by sin by the first Adam, back to where He walked in the cool of the evening with His people, talked with them, fellowshipped with them. And now sin and death had separated them from His Presence and His entire expression.

 

Therefore, tonight in order to focus on the thoughts he has given us in these two paragraphs 159 and 160 we are going to look at predestination and election to get a more doctrinal view at what brother Branham is talking about here when he said the only way we will ever be able to come to this place of knowing Him in such a way as to give him the full pre-eminence that he longs for is if we are predestinated to know Him  in this way.

 

So what does it mean to be predestinated in this way brother Branham is speaking of here.  well we have already established in Matthew 13 and mark 4 that either you are ordained to echo or you are not. Either you are ordained to reflect the Life of Christ or you are not. and if you are not, there is no way you ever will reflect that Life, because it can not be lived out by you or any other person except Christ Jesus, and it takes a complete death to self to let His Spirit live that same life in your vessel.

 

Predestinate:  pre meaning before, and destine meaning destiny. To determine beforehand. To Pre-determine. Pre-destiny. It means to mark out and determine beforehand. Therefore, chance is negated altogether. Design becomes supreme. Choosing beforehand is essential and indispensable. The word determine not only implies influence but the power necessary to control or enforce the outcome desired.

 

We can see by all these words that a Design, and thus a Designer is evident. Nothing is left to chance, which is chaos theory. Nothing is left to coincidence, nothing is left to will, nothing is left to the strength of the pre-destined, nothing is left up to the abilities of the predestined ones, but all by a great design is planned out and backed by a power to ensure it through it's final outcome. Hence all is under a continual enforcement and control  of the One doing the predestinating. Therefore, a plan is involved, and a destiny is set in stone.

 

God said in Isaiah 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 

Again we see in John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

 

I Corinthians 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

 

Romans 9:9  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14   What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16    So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

 

Then knowing we have a God Who is Sovereign, One Who changes not, and Who chooses right (Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?) One Whose Word is Eternal and immutable, One whose first choice is His best choice, then it is This One Who has Chosen. It is this One Who has planned out the destiny of all man. It is This One Who has pretermined our destiny, even before we had a chance to do good or evil as Paul speaks of in Romans 9.

 

Foreknowledge: What is it? The word foreknowledge is made up of two words. Fore being a prefix meaning beforehand, and knowledge meaning to know, hence to know beforehand.

 

I Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

 

prognosis    {prog'-no-sis}   1) foreknowledge  2) forethought, pre-arrangement

 

Questions and Answwers 59-1223  496-123 Before there was a world you were in God's thoughts to give you the Holy Ghost...

 

  497-124    And before one of those planets ever turned (Hallelujah.), God chose us in Jesus Christ. Now, how great Thou art. Yes, sir.  Before there was a world, before there was a planet, before there was a sun, before there was a moon, before there was light, before there was anything, when it was still God, God and His thoughts, the eternal thoughts of God chose you by foreknowledge, to know that you would be on the earth, ...

 

Why Cry Speak 63-0714M 7-4  I firmly believe in the foreknowledge of God, the predestination, not that God is willing that any would perish, but all might come to repentance; but being God, He had to know, and does know the end from the beginning. See? If He doesn't, then He isn't infinite; and if He is not infinite, He isn't God. So He wasn't willing, certainly, that any should perish, but He, knowing who would perish and who would not perish...

 

The Word Election means: To Select out, to choose, to appoint, hence to make a choice, To choose involves as process of  previewing or showing forth, then an assessment opinion or judgment is expressed and the selection then is made based upon the assessment, opinion or judgment. We see many Scriptures both in the New testament which speaks of God making the choice.

 

Isaiah 42:1   Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

 

Isaiah 45:4  For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

 

Isaiah 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

 Isaiah 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat:  for as the days of a tree [are] the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

 

Psalms 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16    Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them. 17    How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

 

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

 

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:   13    Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

Job 38:4   Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if you know? or who stretched the line upon it?  6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;  7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 

Matthew 25:34  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:

 

I Peter 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

 

I Thessalonians 1:2   We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4    Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

 

II Thessalonians 2:13   But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

 

I John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

Psalms 65:4  Blessed is the man whom thou chooses, and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

 

The next word we must consider is the word Predestinate..(greek) Proorizo = predetermine, determine before ordain, predestinate, to limit in advance. Which means to set the boundaries in advance.

 

Romans 8:29 For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers; 8:30 and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory.

 

Ephesians 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 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: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;    9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  10 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:  11 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:

 

Matthew 24:31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 

Mark 13:22  For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

 

Romans 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

 

Colossians 3:12   Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of maturity. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

 

Titus 1:1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;  2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

 

I Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

 

I Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

 

II John 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;