Desperation no 9

Resurrection

March 28, 2016

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the Parousia of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, (A kalusma, a Military command, a Message) with the voice of the archangel,(the resurrection) and with the trump of God: (the gathering and catching away because a Trumpet always designates a gathering in scripture) and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  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. 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Now, this last statement lets us know there will be some who actually come to the place where their belief is in vain, and they will fall away before this gathering to be caught away can take place. Now, we have already witnessed a great falling away in the last few years so that ought to tell us how much closer the gathering is. And this falling away was to take ordained to take place before we could actually be caught up in this gathering that will take place very soon.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the Parousia (Presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Notice Paul is warning us that the day of the Lord, which is the day when the trump shall sound and the resurrection takes place and the saints who have passed on, and those who are still alive will gather together during the time of the Resurrection, which then will get us ready for the catching away. And he tells us this gathering cannot take place until there is a falling away first. And with the falling away having already begun, it ought to tell us the clock is ticking closer to midnight all the time.

But remember, in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul told us By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain, and to believe in vain, means that your belief or your faith has not taken any effect upon you, which means it never made and changes in you.

The Message Bible puts it this way, "Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time, this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. I’m assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you’re in this for good and holding fast."

And I am so pleased to see so many of you are in this for good and holding fast., and are receiving a change already, not only in your body, and the way you magnify Christ in your lives, but knowing that your soul has been redeemed, which is a manifest token of your resurrection.

In Luke 8:13 Jesus speak of both kinds of these believers. Those who hold fast and those who fall away. "They on the rock are those people which when they hear, they receive the word with joy; but these are those who having no root, so they do believe for a short while, but when the time of testing comes they are the ones who will fall away."

So we see the Gospel which is the Good News, (the Message), is sown to many, and many at first believe, but when trials come because of the Word, those without any roots in the Word fall away, they lose sight of what the Message is all about, and they cave in to the pressures of the trial and they lose it all.

Luke 8:14 "But that Word which was sown among thorns are those persons which when they have heard the Word, go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to perfection."

Again we see that there is another group altogether who hear the same Word, the same Message, But their focus is not on the Message but rather they focus on the cares of this world. Therefore, God allows the cares of this world to overcome them. And these are the persons who bring no fruit to perfection which is maturity. They will sit in this Message a life time but because their focus is on things, and materialism, they lose site of the bigger picture, and never come to maturity and their fruit in their life proves it.

That's the one that is scariest because you can sit here and listen and rejoice but unless you take it home and make it a part of who you are, and allow the Word to change your life, you can lose it all. people focus on things, but you can't take things with you. Why do you think William Branham could turn down a check for $1.5 million dollars. He was fearful of what that could do to him and those in his family.

Luke 8:15 "But that which was sown on good ground are those persons which in an honest and good heart having heard the word, they keep it, and these are the ones who will bring forth fruit with patience."

Now, let's return to 1 Corinthians 15 and continue with the Apostle Paul's letter.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11  Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Now, notice in these few verses we see that there was a period of time that Jesus was seen after his resurrection, by various people, as many as 500, at one time. And the period of time of His resurrection ministry was somewhere between 40 and 50 days after his resurrection.

Now, 42 days is six weeks and 49 days would be seven weeks. I just say this for reference knowing that alpha must repeat in Omega.

If Jesus was crucified on Passover and ascended into heaven ten days before Pentecost which is fifty days after Passover, that leaves 40 days wherein he was seen by so many witnesses. Paul says as many as 500 for sure.

We all know the story of the Passover and hopefully we know what it means. For those who don't it was the day that Moses had commended the people to make bread in haste with no time to leaven, so no leaven or yeast was applied to the wheat, and the unleavened bread was cooked and they were instructed to eat it after the angel of death passed over. That is where you get the feast of unleavened bread or the (Pass-over) meal. They were also instructed to slay an innocent lamb and place the blood on the door posts and lintel of the door which represented the sign of a cross, which would signify which way Messiah one day would die.

Now, let me read a few Scriptures to make sense of all this.

Hebrews 11:24 24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

Mark 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2  Ye know that after two more days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man will be betrayed and crucifed. 3  Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4  And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5  But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

Notice that Jesus knew the day he would die on the cross. It was the same day, Passover that the people of Moses were to take an innocent lamb and slay it.

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

Luke 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.

Notice "the Passover that must be killed" is the paschal lamb. You do not kill a loaf of unleavened bread. And notice that God timed the death of His Son, the Lamb of God, with the feast of the Passover pronounced (pascha) when God saved Israel from the angel of death that swept through Egypt.

Notice the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:7b For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:

But in getting back to 1 Corinthians, we notice that Paul listed many believers. He says, "he was seen of Cephas, (That's Simon Peter) then of the entire twelve: (that included Peter and Matthias the one that the apostle drew straws for to replace Judas.) 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; (so that tells us that there was a great gathering that had taken place. Now, we do not know by scripture what took place when this 500 saw him. Could he have been teaching them things they needed to know? We just do not know, but whatever it was, there was a resurrection first and then a gathering together.) of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

We find others in Scripture who also met Jesus after his resurrection, such as the Two men on the road to Emmaus, and John and Mary and then twice in the upper room.

All of these appearances took place in his humanly form for about a 40 day period or approximately six weeks. Then a couple decades later he appears to Paul in the form of the Pillar of Fire while Paul was on the road to Damascus.

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, "When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."

Brother Branham explains this to us in his sermon The Rapture 65-1204 P:98 David said over there, "Lift up, ye everlasting gates, and be ye lifted up."He led captive captive and give gifts unto men. When the Old Testament saints went in with Him, they said, "Who is this King of righteousness?" "The Lord of glory, mighty in host--mighty host." Here they come in, marching. Jesus led captivity captive. And here He comes with the Old Testament saints, and went into the new gates up there, and said, "Lift up, ye everlasting gates, and be ye lifted up, and let the King of glory come in." The voice come from the inside, said, "Who is the King of glory?" "The Lord, mighty in battle." The gates flew open. And Jesus the Conqueror led captivity captive them that had believed on Him, and the Word had come to them. There the Old Testament saints laying in there waiting. He led captivity captive, ascended on high, took the Old Testament saints, and went in. There's one rapture already passed. The next rapture takes place is II Thessalonians for the church, the Bride, to be resurrected to be raptured into glory. "We which are alive and remain (That's the body that's left on earth.) will not prevent or hinder them which are asleep; for the trumpet of God shall sound first, and the dead in Christ shall rise. (See?) And we which are alive and remain shall caught up together with them."

In other words when Jesus raised from the dead the old Testament saints were raised from the dead as well.

So we see in Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Notice when Jesus cried with a loud voice just before he died on the cross, we know this is the same loud voice that called Lazarus out of the grave, because it had the same affect on Lazarus as on the dead saints. And the bible tells us the Old Testament saints were awakened, but they did not come out of the grave until after he arose because he is the first fruit of them which sleep as we see in 1 Corinthians 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.

And from the sermon, the Entombment 57-0420 P:44 brother Branham said, "Caiaphas standing there, saying, "You know what? There was something happened the other day, just look at this mess this temple's in. There's... We're going to have to get someone to sew that curtain up. Look at those, sacrifice box turned over. What happened? Was that guy an astrologer? Was He a witch? Or, what happened? Say, come here, Josephus, who is that young couple standing there?"Abraham said, "Sarah, we're recognized. We better get out.""Appeared to many." That wasn't all of it. In closing, watch. One day when after He had, they'd visit: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of them had visit the homeland. When Jesus ascended up...You say, "Brother Branham, is that mythical?" No, sir. I'll show you the Scriptures in a minute. When He begin to go up, they only seen Him, but the Old Testament saints went with Him, for the Bible said that He led captivity captive and give gifts unto men. And I can see Him as He goes up, and joins with His church.

And again from his sermon, Demonology 2 Religious 53-0609 P:100 brother Branham said, "I can hear Him say, "Come on. It's breaking daylight over in Jerusalem; you got to go out of here. We're going up, because you trusted in the blood of the bulls and goats, waiting for the time that My Blood. But My Blood's been shed up yonder on Calvary. I am the incarnate Son of God. All sin debts is paid; we're on the road out." Hallelujah. Glory to God. I can see Abraham grab Sarah by the arm, and here they come, right out. In Matthew 27 when he came out, I can hear him make a little stop around in Jerusalem there. And the first thing you know, I can see old Caiaphas and them standing on the street, saying, "They tell me that guy rose... Say, who is that guy going there, that young fellow, that young girl?"Not old no more, that was Abraham and Sarah. And they vanished. They looked, "Somebody's watching us." They could've vanished just like He went through the wall, the same kind of a body. Hallelujah. That's right. Here's all the prophets and them walking around, looking around the city. And Jesus led right on up in, or up over the stars, moon, clouds, and led captivity captive, give gifts unto men. Jesus sets today at the right hand of the Father, climbed up there, set down, till all His foes be made His footstool.

After Paul lays out the background of all those witnesses, he goes on to say, 12  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

That same skeptical spirit lives in our day as well. The mockers who question everything that took place in this hour, were ordained to their condemnation. They were ordained to fall away and now that the falling away has begun, the stage has been set for the resurrection and rapture. We've been waiting on this falling away to happen then cometh the end.

Paul said, 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. 21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Notice, Paul tells us about the order of the resurrection. 23  But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward (in the Omega) they that are Christ's at his (Parousia-Presence). Notice here that the apostle Paul is speaking of an order concerning the resurrection. And Just like God, there must be an order to all things because That is the nature of God.

So we see the first half of the first resurrection is when Christ raised up with the Old Testament saints, then he mentions the second half of the first resurrection when he says, and afterwards they that are Christ's at his Parousia.

Then he says, 24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Paul tells us who's placing all things under the feet of whom. 27  For he (God) hath put all things under his (the son of God) feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, (the son of God) it is manifest that he (God) is excepted, which did put all things under him. (The Son of God). 28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, (The Son of God) then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him (God) that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. Notice this gives evidence to his saying in Galatians 2:20 when he says I am crucified, present tenses, this here shows that it is a daily crucifixion. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.

In other words, if there's no resurrection from the dead, then what is our Life all about? Because this life is but a vapor compared to the Eternity we live after the resurrection.

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

The Paul adds, 33 Be not deceived: evil communications (living) corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Now, this next verse is important. He asks the question, 35  But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

Then Paul goes on to answer his question.

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Now, in getting back to the order of the resurrection, when Paul says "every man in his own order" he then explains how we have this earthly body that dies and is buried, like a seed buried in the ground. But just as a seed buried in the ground, it doesn't come up another seed, it produces a completed body full of seed life itself. And so then he compares the physical body to the spirit body. And he says we have both.

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."

In his sermon called the Seven Church Ages - preached May 12, of 1954 brother Branham spoke of this order of the resurrection, "Behold He cometh with clouds." Now, let me stop here just a moment. Clouds doesn't mean that He's coming on a big thunderhead as mama, bless her heart - she's sitting here somewhere. I remember her voice, she used to set and tell me, said, He's coming on a great big cloud, gonna raise someday and God's gonna come on. Now the Cloud that He's coming is, if we just had the time to get this back, and get the real background and the whole thing. Now the Cloud He's coming in is not a cloud, like a thunderhead, but it's a Cloud of Glory He's coming in. See? Now, when Jesus was overshadowed by God on Mount Transfiguration, Clouds overshadowed Him and His raiment. See? And when Elijah would come down, a cloud come down and received him up, not a not a thunderhead, but a Cloud of Glory. His great glorious Presence will strike the earth. He cometh in Clouds! Oh, I love that. Clouds, there'll be wave after wave of His Glory will come across the earth - and the resurrection of the saints shall come. That blessed Holy Spirit that's lived in their hearts and they're dried with their corpse laying there and the pierced veins over their cheeks and things like that and they're placed back in the graveyard. A great wave of that same Spirit and a sshhewww, wave after wave - "He that was last will be the first. He that was first will be last". I'm kinda see that way...that's the order of the resurrection. I won't know nobody in the generation before me or the generation after me. I'll know those in the generation with me. Every generation will come successfully right as it went down. They which were last will be first. Sure, that's me. See? I'll know my people, the next time my dad and his people, my grandfather and his people, on down like that, wave after wave after wave after wave. And the saints will rise from everywhere. Won't that be wonderful, Amen. That makes the old people feel young again, yes.

Now, think of each wave of glory raising up each generation as it went down, wave after wave after wave; generation after generation after generation coming up in the resurrection.

Paul also speaks of this order of the resurrection in I Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.

Notice he uses of this word first-fruits showing there is an order to the resurrection. Christ first, then the rest.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order:

So there's an order to the resurrection, and as each phase of the Appearing has taken a certain period of time to accomplish, so too shall the resurrection take a period of time. And notice what that order of the resurrection is? Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his (Parousia).

Now we know there was an order to the first resurrection, and as Paul taught, Jesus was the first fruit and then the rest could came up after he came out of the grave first. Each phase of this End Time Appearing takes a certain amount of time. Each is a separate End-Time Event within this End-Time Season. We have four season in the year and each phase is marked by certain events that take place, and the resurrection will be no different.

Remember, brother Branham taught us that the seventh seal brings Christ back to earth again. And the apostle Paul taught us in Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Now, Paul is not saying from faith to faith as though God is revealed a little differently from one faith to another faith, because faith is a revelation, and there is only one Lord and thus one faith and that is the revelation of Jesus Christ. But what He is telling us here is that the very righteousness, or the right-wise-ness of God is revealed from revelation to revelation.

In other words, we do not just stop once we have first received the revealed word. But as brother Branham taught us in the church age book about revelation, He said, it is like a roman candle that goes up and out from it comes another flame and from that another and from that another and another and on into eternity.

And this is the key to understanding our day and it's message. If Christ truly has come down in this hour, then the message is way beyond just "God sending a prophet". He said, "my ministry is to declare Him, that He is here".

Therefore if his ministry is to declare the One Who is here, then we must know what it means to declare something.

In 1897, the notable Christian author J. B. Rotherham of Cincinnati, Ohio, wrote a Bible translation he called The Emphasized Bible. In his translation he noted the following , "In this edition the word Parousia is uniformly rendered "Presence" ("Coming," as a representative of this word being set aside.)" He continued "The Parousia,... is still in the future, and may therefore be enshrouded in a measure of obscurity which only fulfillment can clear away: It may in fine be both a period, more or less extended, during which certain things shall happen, an event, coming on and passing away as one of a series of Divine interposition's, Christ is raised as a first fruit, that is one event; He returns and vouchsafes His "Presence," During which time He raises His own, That is another event, However large and prolonged; and finally comes another cluster of events constituting "The End." Hence after all, "Presence" may be the most widely and permanently satisfying translation of the looked for Parousia of the Son of Man."

Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Notice when Jesus cried with a Loud Voice the graves opened, and the saints which slept arose, but notice they did not come forth as resurrected beings until He arose first.

So the order of the resurrection is a very important thing. and we must look at the Alpha to understand the Omega.

Jehovah Jireh pt. 1 JJ 37-72 -- 62-0705 And then, remember, if we go before He comes, we will be up and in His Presence, or, raised before the others are changed. "The trumpet of the Lord shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which alive and remain shall be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, and then be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the air." Look at the order of the resurrection. See, God knows that we long to see our loved ones. And if we got there to meet Him first, we'd be looking around to see if mother or dad and the rest of them was there. But see how, the Holy Spirit in His wisdom? We meet one another first, and then when we get there and sing "Amazing Grace," that's when there's going to be a time of worship. You think I act funny now, watch me up There! It's going to be a wonderful time for me and all of us when we get There.

Now, here is what I want for you to understand. So far we've looked at the mechanics, the order and all. But now, we must look at the dynamics, because without the dynamics the mechanics won't work.

Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Easter Seal - 65-0410 And now, if that same Spirit that was upon Him to be the Redeemer in that age, that we have accepted... Now, the promise of in this last days what would take place, if you become part of that Word, you are redeemed with Him, because the same Spirit that dwelt in Christ is dwelling in you, quickening your life to this age. And it will also in the end time quicken your mortal bodies, resurrect them, bring them up again. That takes the gloom away when we look at it in that, and that's the truth. Romans here, Paul has proved it to us. See? "If the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will also quicken your mortal bodies." This is the same Spirit that raised Him up that quickened the true believer to Eternal Life. The Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells into the believer, quickens the believer to Eternal Life.

We also we see in Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Now, I want you to notice that Paul is speaking of a people who have been quickened. They have already been made alive to God and His Word, and His plan.

Now, Ephesians 2:1 should be read in the context of Ephesians one where Paul speaks of a people who are elect and were in Christ before the foundations of the world and who have been predestined to a great plan and purpose of God who wanted to have children, and these children would come in like fashion as His Only begotten Son came, which is also Roman 8 as we have read.

Notice Paul speaks of this plan which calls for a quickening by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which Paul calls the earnest of our inheritance, or the down payment.

2 II Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this earthly body we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Now, an earnest payment shows we have made an earnest or sincere commitment to honor a contract. And when we receive a portion of God's Spirit, by receiving His Word, we receive in us the earnest sincere pledge of God to finish the work that He has begun in us.

The word quicken Paul uses here in Ephesians 2 is the Greek word which means to restore again to life, to animate again or re-animate.

That's why brother Branham could say in the message, Future Home 64-0802 34-3 "You wasn't saved on any day. You was always saved. Amen. Jesus just come to redeem that, but you was saved from the beginning, because you had Eternal Life to begin with."

In fact the word "redeem" means to buy back, and how could it be redeemed or bought back if he didn't own it to begin with. And how could your Life and Soul be redeemed if you didn't have it to begin with. You see, brother Branham said, "what we are here is only a reflection of what we are somewhere else". I believe we are dealing with a dimensional principle that we know so little about. But, brother Branham said those very words.

Questions and Answers 54-0103E 143-191 What you are here... Get this in your mind now. I'm going to close. But what you are here is a sign that you are something else somewhere. You've always wanted to be in perfection, you Christians. There is a perfection, and that perfection is not in this life. But every man and woman here that is a Christian, every person that is a Christian here now is already glorified in the Presence of Jesus Christ. And you've got another body. You won't have some other time; you have right now. Right now there's another body waiting for you if this one should perish. Could you think of that. Study that just a minute.

The Entombment - 57-0420 Our own life is just a pattern. It's just a shadow, and not the real thing. It's the negative side. It takes death to develop the picture, to put us back in the theophany we come from. Then in the resurrection we come in His likeness, a resurrected body, what a beautiful, not only beautiful but it's the real, solemn truth of God's eternal Word, that we'll be like Him.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow (did is past tense and it means it is already a done deal), For whom he did foreknow he also did (another done deal) predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did (done deal) predestinate, them he also called (another done deal: and whom he called, (another done deal) them he also justified (another done deal): and whom he justified (another done deal) them he also glorified (another done deal) Therefore it is finished. It's a done deal. You can't change the outcome, no matter how hard you try.

The problem is we keep looking at the body of this death, this flesh, and that keeps us from really understanding who we really are, preventing us from victory that's already ours in Christ Jesus Who already paid the debt. He's paid the price for your sin and mine. He cried on the cross, "It is finished!". That means he cried out, "it's all done ", it is all over.

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.

Notice, now we are. Not in the future, but now (present tense), we are already sons of God.

Explaining Healing and Jairus 54-0216 37 The devil's just trying to scare you out of something. He's trying to put something off somewhere else, say, "Some of these days you'll be this." You are now. Now, we're sons of God. Now, we're seated together in heavenly places. Now, we have all powers in heavens and the earth. See? Now, we have it. Not in the millennium, we won't need it then. We got it now. We're... Right now we are the sons of God. "It does not appear what we shall be, but we know we'll be like Him." What you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else. "Those who He called, He justifies." Is that right? "Those who He justified, He has glorified." Already in the Presence of the Father, we have a glorified body. Whew! Wasn't that deep? All right. We'll find out whether it's right or not. "If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting." Is that right? That's right. So right now, and what we are there, is a reflection. Here, what we are here, is a reflection of what we are somewhere else. So if your deeds are evil, you know where it comes from. You know where your other body's a waiting.

God Rich In Mercy 65-0119 42 Now, if you've got Eternal Life tonight, if we have Eternal Life, then we always were, because there's only one form of Eternal Life. We always were. And the reason we were, because we are a part of God. And God is the only thing that's eternal. And like Melchisedec received tithes from Abraham, and it was 'lotted to his great-grandson, Levi, who was yet in the loins of Abraham; paid tithes, for he was yet in the loins of Abraham when he met Melchisedec. I want to speak on that over at the other place, one morning: Who Is This Melchisedec? Now, notice that. Way back, God knew this boy coming down. He knowed all things. Now, we are a part of God. You always was. You don't remember it, because you were only an attribute in God. You were only in His thinking. Your very name, if it ever was on the Book of Life, it was put there before the foundation of the world. He knew what you were. 45 I'm only saying this, not to mix up doctrine, but to straighten it out, that we might get away from this fear and scare: you don't know who you are. You are not going to be, but now you are the sons of God. See, you always were the sons of God. See? For when God had you in His thinking at the beginning, you have to be, some part of you, your Life that's in you now, had to be with God before there... Well, when you--before you even become material here on earth, before there was anything, but God, you were one of His attributes. He knowed what your name would be. He knowed the color of hair you'd have. He knowed all about you.

Now, we're still talking about the order of the resurrection, but what I want you that you have already been quickened. You have already received a spiritual resurrection which is an earnest or down payment of your body change. And the Paul says, "Them without us cannot be made perfect." They've got to have what we have, this message of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and adoption. So if they cannot be made perfect or complete without us first being made perfect and complete, therefore, it all lays in your laps, brethren.

Now notice closely, "for I come to you in a Cloud, and every eye shall see Him, no matter how far back they died, they'll see Him."

Again in the message Images of Christ 59-0525 61 Brother Branham speaks of the order of the resurrection. "Now, this is the order of the resurrection. "We which are alive and remain shall not prevent them which are dead; for the trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them..." Meet one another before we meet Him, meet one another before we meet Him... "Be caught up together with him--with them to meet the Lord in the air." All together. He knew that if we got there first to worship Him, and then we'll go to look around, wonder where baby is, and where mother is, and where this one or that one; but (You see?) He lets us meet one another first. So when you go up to worship before the Lord on that day, she'll be with you. See?

Now, if this cloud of Glory has already come, then how close are we.

Be Not Afraid 61-0311 …watch the order of the resurrection. The first thing, we get together, not until we get together will we go together to meet Him. Mothers and fathers will meet one another. Children and loved ones will meet one another, and then be caught up in the air to meet the Lord.

Testimony 63-1128M 7 "The trumpet of God shall sound; the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain..." Did you notice the order of the resurrection, "Shall be caught up together with them." We meet each other before we meet Him. "Be caught up together to meet them - with them, to meet the Lord in the air. See, He's God, and then when He wants to be worshipped, that's what His very nature is, is to be worshipped, because He's God. And He knows if we were there, be looking out of the corner of your eyes, see if the other one's there, but, and then it wouldn't be the complete way of free worship. When we stand there, and we know we've met each other first, and greeted each other, and then to stand by Him Who caused it all, and sing the songs of redemption. As Brother Jack has many times made the statement, "When Angels will circle the earth, with bowed heads, not knowing what we're talking about..." See, because they never been redeemed. But we had to be redeemed, and how we'll crown Him the King of kings and Lord of lords...

Uniting Time Sign-63-0818 We find that now the time comes when the Trumpet sounds, and those sleeping saints back there that could not be made perfect without us (there's many of those Hebrew brethren),(he's talking about Paul, and Peter and all them back there) and when they come together, they unite with the living ones. The Church uniting with the Word, then the Church and the Word uniting together, being come one. The dead saints with the living saints uniting together to be one; and all going together to unite with Christ yonder, for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. And to think of us standing, (in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, when the world won't know what's going on), but all of a sudden, you'll see appear before you, your loved ones that's gone on has come to unite with you again. And we'll be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye; and be caught up, together, to meet our Lord in the air.

Mother's Day 59-0510M 86 As that great light begins to spread all - as we begin to look around, and the great circle will be getting greater and greater; it's all just reflecting the approach of Jesus… …Then as we see Him...and we'll not be as we are now. We'll know how to love Him more. We'll not stand back with a little fear, because we'll be like Him. He'll be more of a relative to us than He is now. We'll understand Him better, because we're so far away in the mortal bodies. Then we'll have a body like His glorious body. We'll know how to worship Him. And when we see what the Presence of His Being has done to us, changed us, the old back young, all the deformed straightened out, oh, we'll understand then why His power healed us.

God In Simplicity - 63-0317 1M 58-5 God just speaks and the Rapture will come. It ain't going out there and them Angels come down and shovel out the grave and get out an old dead carcass here. What is it? It is born of sin to begin with - but a new one made in its likeness. If we have this, we will die again. See? Nobody can say, "The graves will open. The dead shall walk out." That may be true, but not open the way you say open. That's right. See? It won't be like that. It'll be a secret, because He said He would come like a thief in the night. He's already told us this, the Rapture, then judgments will strike - sins, plagues, sickness, and everything. The people will cry for death to take them from the judgment. "Lord, why is this judgment upon us when You said that there would be a Rapture first?" He will say, "It's already come, and you didn't know it." God hiding Himself in simplicity. Oh, my! All right. "It's already happened and you knew it not."

Questions and Answers - 59-1223 whenever God's people gets together completely, I believe the resurrection will take place then. There'll be a rapturing time when the Holy Spirit begins to gather it up. It'll be in the minority, of course, but there will be a great gathering. Let's get ready Let's get ready for this midnight cry. It's coming in a hour when you think not. There'll be a cry, not amongst the unbelieving world; it'll be a secret.

Going Beyond The Camp - 64-0719 2E And you know, we'll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Think of it! Missing people, they can't see you no more, but you're getting together with the rest of the group. "… "And the trump of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, appear to many.." And all at once you happen to stand and look, and "Well, there's a brother..." And you know it ain't long. In a few minutes we'll be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, and together with them be missing on earth, caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Questions and Answers - 64-0823 1M Now, the first thing happens when we're resurrected ... The ones which are a-living will just still remain ... 16   The resurrection will set in first, the resurrection of those that are asleep. There'll be a wakening time, and those which are asleep in the dust now ... will be awakened first, and they'll - these corruptible bodies will put on incorruption in the rapturing grace of the Lord. And then we'll all get together. And when they begin to get together, then we which are alive and remain shall be changed. These mortal bodies will not see death, but just of a sudden, there'll be like a sweep go over us, and you're changed. You're turned back like Abraham was, from an old man to a young man, from an old woman to a young woman. What's this sudden change? And after while you're traveling like a thought, and you can see those then who are already resurrected. Oh, what a hour! Then we'll gather with them and then be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. Yes, the Church will all be together, but after, after the resurrection and the rapture has set in.

So we're not to look for a great gathering before the resurrection begins. But there will be a great gathering at that time.

Questions and Answers - 64-0823 1M The time of the rapture will be the awakening of the dead and the get together with the living, for the rapture to take place. And Jesus cannot come until a church, a body of believers and the ministry that He once...?... will have to be the same as it was then to... And then, that brings... "Them without us is not made perfect," Paul said, Hebrews 11. "Without us they cannot be perfected." They must have this ministry to raise up the Lutheran, Wesleys, and all them down through their ages.

Questions and Answers - 64-0823 1M And then shall he send his angels, and ... gather together his elect from the four winds, and the utmost parts of the earth to the uttermost parts of heaven. That's talking of the resurrection, the translation, going up. He will send forth His angels to gather. Did you ever think what the angels are? Huh? Messengers. He will gather them together, congregate them together (see?), bringing them, bind them together from the utmost parts of the earth to the utmost parts of Heaven, the Word that was been made manifest on earth. See? Get it? The Word's been spoken; here It's manifested.

Rising of the Sun - 65-0418 1M 50-6 And now (see?), now you are already resurrected. When God raised Him up, He raised you; the Son is just now on you. And now you're growing into a blossom Life like He was, to be resurrected completely in that last day. Your potentials you have now. Why do you know? Your soul changed, didn't it? Your body come in obedience to It, didn't it? Into obedience to what? A Church? The Word, which is the Life. Then you are now resurrected from the dead. You potentially have the Earnest, the waiting. Now, when you get the Dynamics, you have been quickened from mortal to immortality. It makes the whole body come subject to the Word. It'll make you act different, look different, live different; It'll just make you different.

Then notice, it's just like a little seed laying in the ground. Now, potentially, you are resurrected. You're resurrected when you receive the Holy Spirit in you; you're resurrected right then. Your body's potentially resurrected.

Questions and Answers - 64-0823 remember, I'm saying to you in the name of a prophet (see?) - in the name of a prophet, the resurrection and rapture will be general all over the entire world! No matter where you're at, when that hour comes, you'll be caught up to meet Him! That's all! There's nothing going to stop you, no matter where you are.

Questions and Answers - 64-0823 1M Across the world, they won't be gathered in one place to have things in common. But little groups of them will be scattered all over the earth. I believe, maybe if the Lord permits, this is a little group of It. Maybe another little group in Asia, one down in Germany, one down somewhere else.

Letting Off the Pressure 62-0518 Can't you see we're at the end time? It's all over. The next thing will be a sweep of getting that little group together, and in a month or so she'll be gone - as soon as she's gathered together. We're at the end; there's no hopes left anywhere. Run to Christ, people!

Let us pray...