WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC #31
December 31, 2000
Brian Kocourek
REVELATION 13:8 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. 9
If any man have an ear, let him hear.
WHO IS THIS
MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 52 Now, we find Him at the beginning, His attributes. And now, you
were with Him then. Then is when the Book of Life comes into view. Now, we read
over here in Revelations the 13th chapter, the 8th verse, that the beast that
comes upon the earth in these last days will deceive all those people on the
earth whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the
foundation of the world.
This morning I would like to
look at this time of deception, that brother Branham is referring to and as we
see in the book of Revelations.
Notice the ones who will
fall for the deception are those whose names were not placed in the Lamb's book
of Life that was written before the world was framed by the Word of God. Now, this morning I want to look at this
deception that is to take place and I want to show how it can deceive all that
dwell in the earth with the exception of the Elect. Now we are warned by Jesus Himself that at the last days, it will
be a great time of deception.
MATT 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take
heed that no man deceive you. 5 For
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Notice in verse 10… MATTHEW 24:10 And then
shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one
another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But
he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Notice
this is a time when we should draw that much closer together, but because there
is so much iniquity, and we are so bombarded on a daily basis, we become
exhausted, and because we have such a daily struggle and daily fight with
iniquity, we are drained. And our love waxes, or hardens toward one another. Now, let's jump up to verse 21…
MATTHEW 24:21 For then shall be
great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or
there; believe [it] not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, (that means for the very
purpose of) if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret
chambers; believe [it] not. 27 For as
the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall
also the Parousia of the Son of man be.
HOW CAN I
OVERCOME 63-0825M 44 We see this age that we're living in. It's
one of the grandest ages of all ages. This Laodicea church age is the grandest
of all the church ages, because it's the ending of time and the blending of
eternity. And then, it's the greatest sinful age. There's more sin in this age
than there's ever been. And the powers of Satan is--is many times harder to
fight against than it was in any age. See? Here, back there in the early ages a
Christian could for his profession of being a church--of belonging to Christ
could be beheaded for it. He could be killed and put out of his misery, and go
to meet God quickly. But now, the enemy has come in in the name of the church;
and it's so deceiving. This is a great age of deception when... Christ said so,
the two spirits would be so close in the last days till it would deceive the
very elected if it was possible. See, see? See? And remember, Christ spoke of a
elected people for the last day. See? It would deceive the very elected if it
were possible, so close.
MARRIAGE AND
DIVORCE 65-0221M 20-2 Pretty... Did you know at the first
destruction internationally of the world (or worldwide) was because of pretty
women? "When the sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair, they
taken unto them women." Is that right? Have you noticed the increase of
beauty of women in this day? I have seen the picture of Pearl O'Brien, which
was supposed to be the prettiest woman in the nation at one time. There isn't a
teenage girl in this school but what would out-shadow her when it comes to
beauty. The increase of the beauty of women is showing the time of deception.
When did a church look any more prettier than it does today? Everything is
featuring great, big, fine buildings and millions of this and millions of that.
Don't you see, "she," the deception?
The better the church looks
the better the deception is, just like the woman, fashioned by satan to be
deceptive. If it wasn't a matter of looks, why we would all go for character.
Therefore the looks are there to deceive.
You see the trap. Don't look for beauty that's skin deep, but look for a
character that reflects an eternal life inside.
MARRIAGE AND
DIVORCE 65-0221M 22-7
Not pretty, but character, God looks at character. Man looks at natural
beauty. It's deceiving. And that's why a woman was given that beauty for
deception, to deceive. A beautiful woman, if she don't use it in the right way,
it's a curse to her. That'll send her to hell quicker than anything else I know
of. If she just--if... She could be pretty, sure; as long as she stays with her
husband and does what's right, and that--that's fine and dandy. But she can
take that same thing, and, my, how she can deceive with it, for it was give to
her to do so.
Again in the book of MARK 13:3 we see the same seen unfold and
the words of jesus warn us of this time of deception. ¶ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter
and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what [shall be] the sign when all these things shall be
fulfilled? 5 ¶ And Jesus answering them began to say, Take
heed lest any [man] deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
[Christ]; and shall deceive many.
Notice, the main
characteristic is not going to be wars or earthquakes, but the main characteristic is
deception. And what an hour of deception.
THINKING MAN'S
FILTER 65-0822E 51 As I stood there looking at it and thinking
of how deceitful it was, the question came to me and I stooped back, looked at
the pack again, and I could--just seemed like something said to me, "But
the slogan is all right: 'A thinking man's filter, a smoking man's
taste.'" It came to me that that deceitfulness also in the natural
realm there in the tobacco, is something on a order of the churches of today
(See?), a deceitfulness. It's come till the whole world has become a great
deception of what is really true and what's right. See, even in politics
and in social affair, in school, in everything, it becomes a deceitfulness.
Look at the deception in
politics, it's never been worse than in this age. Like brother Branham said, it
doesn't do any good to vote when they already know whose going in there. And
then the media, how it manipulates the minds of the people causing them to
think the way they want you to think.
Look at the advertisements,
and how deceptive it all is. We know the mainstream media is all polluted and
deceptive, and so many think they can go to the internet to finally get the
truth and there is so much garbage on it that no man can know the truth outside
of what has been vindicated by God Himself.
REVELATION 12:9 And the great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and
by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
REV 13:11 ¶ And I beheld another beast coming up out of
the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he
exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth
and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was
healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from
heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on
the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the
sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should
make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the
image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause
that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive
a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy
or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number
of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred
threescore [and] six.
SATAN'S EDEN
65-0829 5-6 People, ignorantly worshipping Satan,
thinking they are worshipping God. As we're warned by prophecy in II
Thessalonians that... Let's just read that: II Thessalonians, the 2nd chapter.
Let's just get it a moment, if I can right away. I'd like to read that just
a... I believe II Thessalonians. I got the Scripture here and
say... Now we beseech
you, brethren, by the coming of the Lord Jesus, and by our gathering together
unto him, And see the coming of the Lord and the gathering to Him, as God will
gather His people to Him in the last days: the gathering of the people to the
Lord, not to the church, to the Lord. ... gathering together unto Him That ye be not soon shaken in your mind, or
troubled--troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,
as... the day of the Lord is at hand.
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... (man of sin, watch what he is now) ... man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition, (That was Judas. See?) Who opposes and exalts himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God setteth in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
6-1
That deceitfulness of the church of today... See, the son of perdition,
the devil, the son of perdition, the devil... Then people worshipping Satan in
this day, thinking they're worshipping God... But they're worshipping him
through a creed, a manmade denominations and creeds that's brought the people
right down to the greatest deception that the world has ever knowed of. No
matter how much the Word of God promised for this day, is preached and
vindicated, they still won't believe It. They won't believe It. Then why? We
wonder why. Why doesn't it... Why won't they believe It, when God said He would
do a certain thing, and He does it; and still they turn their back from it, and
turn away from it? Just as Eve knew that what God said, God would do; but she
turned her back on it to listen to what he had to say. Just remember, in other
ages, it's always been the same thing. In every age it's always been that Satan
tries to pervert that Word to them, making them see some other age.
Now, let's look at this
scripture brother Branham is bringing out here in this quote from Satan's Eden.
Notice he quotes Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. so let's read.
II THESSALONIANS
2:1 ¶ Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the coming 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 (notice a false word or false letter, that's
deception working here), 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; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,
or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing
himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye
not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he
might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. 8 And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 [Even
him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they
should believe the lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Now the Wuest translation
says this: And
then shall the lawless one be disclosed in his true identity. Whom the Lord
Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth and render inoperative by the
sudden appearance of His Personal Presence, the coming and presence of whom the man of lawlessness is according to the
operation of satan in the sphere of miracles demonstrating power and attesting miracles and miracles of a
startling, imposing, amazement-wakening character which deceive, and whose coming and presence is in the sphere
of every kind of wicked deception geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing, this gullibility
being caused by the fact that they did not accept the love for the Truth to the
end that they might be saved. And because of this God sends them a deluding
influence resulting in their believing the lie,
(Notice it's the same one
told Eve) in order that they all might be judged, who did not believe the
Truth but took delight in wickedness.
ROMANS 1:28 And even as they
did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Now there is a point here I
do not want you to miss. And that point is that the deception comes from
within. It first comes from the people turning down the truth. Why? Because as
Jesus said in
JOHN 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me,
because my word hath no place in you 38 ¶ I speak that which I
have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto
them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But
now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard
of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they
to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God. 42 Jesus
said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded
forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye
not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a
lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And
because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not. 46 ¶ Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I
say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47
He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear [them]
not, because ye are not of God.
The fact is that to be
deceived, you have first got to turn down or turn away from the Truth, thus you
deceive yourself. You don't believe the Lie because you were an innocent
bystander who was tricked into believing it. You believe it because you want to
believe it.
MARK 7:7 Howbeit in vain
do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For
laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the
washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said
unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your
own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and,
Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man
shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by
whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free]. 12 And ye suffer
him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God
of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such
like things do ye. 14 And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said
unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand: 15 There is
nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the
things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any
man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And when he was entered into the house
from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he
saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that
whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; 19
Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into
the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the
man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile
the man.
HEBREWS 3:12 Take heed,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is
called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence
stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is
said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation. The
people leave the word on their own account. Because they have an evil heart God
says.
I JOHN 1:8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Notice, John tells us that we only deceive ourselves, we're not
fooling anyone else, we're not deceiving anyone else
JAMES 1:22 But be ye doers of
the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
JAMES 1:26 If any man among
you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own
heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
Notice, when you deceive
yourself, your religion is in vain.
I CORINTHIANS 3:18
¶ Let no man deceive
himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him
become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own
craftiness. (in their own false wisdom) .
Therefore people get what
they ask for.
GALATIANS 6:3 For if a man think
himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But
let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him
that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good
things.
ROMANS 16:17 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned;
and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but
their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of
the simple.
Now, these simple could not
be in the election, because they are able to be deceived. They are simple
minded people who are not out to hurt anyone, but they become deceived by what
they hear, but a s I have already shown you, they can only be deceived because
they do not have a love for the Truth. So they accept just anything that might
sound right, but it isn't.
Notice what Pal says in EPHESIANS 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon
the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For
ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as
children of light:
Notice, they have a choice
because they have been warned. You see, God always sends warning before
judgment, and when the people turn down his warning, all that is left for them
is judgment.
II TIMOTHY 3:12 Yea, and all that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men
and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];
Notice the ones who are
deceiving are deceived themselves, that is why they can be so sincere in their
deception.
II CORINTHIANS 4:1 ¶ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as
we have received mercy, we faint not; 2
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation
of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,
to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face (presence) of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
EPHESIANS 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on
high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he
ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of
the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we [henceforth] be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, [even] Christ:
II JOHN 1:7 ¶ For many deceivers are entered into the
world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a
deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those
things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth (goes beyond the limits of
true doctrine), and abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son. 10 ¶ If there come any unto you, and bring not this
doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed:
GOD OF THIS EVIL
AGE 65-0801M 56 The two spirits, one of them God's Holy
Spirit, the other one the devil's spirit working in deception. The people of
the earth are now making their choice. The Holy Spirit is here calling out a
Bride for Christ. He's doing it by vindicating His Word of promise to Her for
this age, showing that It is Christ. If the finger's supposed to move in this
age, the finger will move. If the foot's supposed to move in this age, the foot
will move. If the eye is to see in this age, the eye will see. See? The Spirit
of God, as It's growed into the full statue of God is... The age that we're now
living in, the Holy Spirit is here vindicating the Message of the hour. And the
Holy Spirit is doing this, so that the people that believe God will be called
out of this chaos. The devil's unholy spirit is here calling his church by the
error, as usual, by perversion of the Word of God like he did at the beginning.
See it coming right back to that seed time again? From Eden, here it is again.
II CORINTHIANS
11:13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if
his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.
ROMANS 3:11 There is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out
of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one. 13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their
tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:
14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and
bitterness: 15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery
[are] in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known:
COLOSSIANS 2:8 Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
I THESSALONIANS
2:3 For our exhortation [was] not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor
in guile: 4 But as we were allowed
of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing
men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we
flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God [is]
witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor [yet] of others,
when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
ROM 7:11 For sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].
I CORINTHIANS
15:33 Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good manners.
TITUS 3:3 For we ourselves
also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and
pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. 4 But
after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;