Preparation #7 ( The Rod of Judgment)

Wednesday March  3rd, 1999

Brian Kocourek

 

I would like to once again focus our thoughts on paragraph 12. I want you to notice that Brother Branham takes his text from Exodus 4:2 & Acts 1:8. Let me read to you the main focus of these two verses.

 

Now, he begins here by saying, E-12   Now, there's no man can open the Word of God. I can pull back the pages, read off of them, but it takes the Holy Spirit to open the Word of God. John saw Him setting upon a throne. No man was able to take the Book or look on it. And the Lamb come and took the Book out of His hand, set down on the throne, opened the Book and loosed the seals. So it's to Him we're looking for tonight. While giving out as going to speak for a few minutes, I thought of something maybe that would help while I was speaking these sick people that's setting along here. I don't know hardly what more to do than to first bring you this Word, God's Word, and then after that has been brought, then God's Spirit come down and confirm that Word: signs, wonders and so forth,(Vindication) telling the people everything, just exactly way Supernatural Spirit Beings does. …. And how we ought to love Him. How we ought to appreciate Him in His great power.     E-13   013   Now, I want to read from two places. One of them is from Exodus 4 and the other one is Acts 2. In Exodus 4 we read this: And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you... or to thee. The Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.  

 

I want you to notice here that his emphasis is Moses saying to God, I know that you have come down and Appeared unto me, but the people will not believe this thing has happened and is now taking place. And the Lord replied, then I will give you something that will catch the attention of the people that they might know that these things that you will do, can be done by no mere mortal man.

 

Now, remember the same rod that God used to bring deliverance to the people was the same rod God used to bring forth the judgment upon Egypt. The same rod that delivered the people from the hands of the Egyptians is the same rod that showed mercy to the children of Israel while in the desert thirsting when God commanded Moses to strike the Rock with the rod and water came pouring out. Now this had to be more than just a trickle in order to quench the thirst of 2 million people and their animals. But nevertheless, the same rod which brought mercy and deliverance is the same rod which brought on the plagues and judgment upon Egypt.

 

EX 4:1  And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.  2    And the LORD said unto him, What [is] that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3    And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

 

EX 4:17  And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

 

EX 4:20     And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.  4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

 

EX 7:10    And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.  11    Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.  12    For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.  13    And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. 14       And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart [is] hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.  15    Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. 16    And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.  17    Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that [is] in mine hand upon the waters which [are] in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

 

 

 

EX 8:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. 6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

 

EX 8:16       And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.  17    And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

 

EX 9:22     And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.  23    And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.  24    So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.  25    And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that [was] in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.  26    Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel [were], was there no hail.

 

EX 10:12       And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, [even] all that the hail hath left.   13    And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all [that] night; [and] when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.   14    And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous [were they]; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.   15    For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

 

EX 14:14     The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.   15       And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:   16    But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry [ground] through the midst of the sea. 17    And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18    And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.   19    And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20    And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night. 21       And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go [back] by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry [land], and the waters were divided.   22    And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry [ground]: and the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23    And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, [even] all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.   24    And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,   25    And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.  26    And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.   27    And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.   28    And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, [and] all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.   29    But the children of Israel walked upon dry [land] in the midst of the sea; and the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.   30    Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.   31    And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

EXODUS 17:3    And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore [is] this [that] thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4   And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.   5    And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.   6    Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.   7    And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

 

EXODUS 17:8         Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.  9    And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.  10    So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.  11    And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.  12    But Moses' hands [were] heavy; and they took a stone, and put [it] under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.  13    And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

 

NUMBERS 17:1  1       And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  2    Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of [their] fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.  3    And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod [shall be] for the head of the house of their fathers.  4    And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you .  5    And it shall come to pass, [that] the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. 6    And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, [even] twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron [was] among their rods. 7    And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.   8       And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.   9    And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10    And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

 

NUMBERS 20:2      And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.  3    And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!  4    And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?  5    And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it [is] no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither [is] there any water to drink. 6    And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.  7    And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  8    Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.  9    And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.  10    And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?   11    And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also]. 12    And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.  13    This [is] the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

 

 

 

PSALMS 23:4    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

 

PSALMS 89:30     If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;  31    If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;  32    Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

 

PROVERBS 10:13       In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod [is] for the back of him that is void of understanding.

 

PROVERBS 22:15       Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

 

PROVERBS 29:15        The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left [to himself] bringeth his mother to shame.

 

ISAIAH 11:  1       And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:  2    And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;  3    And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:  4    But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  5    And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 

REVELATION 2:26     And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27    And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

 

 

 

 

    E-14   014   Now, in Acts 2 and 8 we read. I beg your pardon, Acts 1 and 8 we read this: But you shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you:... you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria... unto the uttermost parts of the earth.  And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up in a cloud; and received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfast towards heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood with them in white apparel;  Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand here looking up into heaven? this same Jesus, which was taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven. May the Lord add His blessings to His Word. If I'd say a subject, I want to speak to you tonight...

     E-15   015   And now, mother, you here in the stretcher, and this dear loving person, mother here, and here, and all around over in the building now, what I want to do tonight, by God's help if He will let me, is to speak His Word to you, that'll prepare your heart for the healing service. Now, I want you to listen close. Now, "Preparation..." God, before He does anything, He always prepares for it. How could we... As it's spoke in the Bible, if we... Before we go over to fight a war, first we have to prepare for that war. If you're going to get married, why, you prepare for that time. And you have preparations. And before you come to church you made preparations, the ambulance to bring you, or your loved one to bring you, or you had to get a certain amount of money ready before you could come; it's preparations. And God is always prepares the people for the events that's just about to happen.

    E-16   016   And may I stop right here just a minute and say: I believe that the people are in the preparation of the last great destruction this world will ever know. I believe we're at the end. You can speak to people; you could put a Billy Graham in every city in the United States; they'd drink whiskey and smoke cigarettes and laugh at you and everything else just the same. They are in the spirit of the last days. And God cannot send destruction before the people are in the spirit for destruction. God never did--never did destroy anything. Man always destroys himself.

 

 

 

Now, this is quite a statement that we have just read here this morning. You know, many people do not believe that Y2K will amount to much because Brother Branham never said anything about it. Well, Y2K in itself is nothing but a date change. But there is plenty of things that brother Branham and the scriptures spoke of concerning this destruction that the world is about to receive. Now, what are these events which are yet to unfold themselves? Well, Brother Branham’s last vision, the seventh vision was a destruction of America.

 

321-2 LAODICEAN CHURCH AGE  -  CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 9  THE LAODICEAN AGE

The Laodicean Age began around the turn of the Twentieth Century, perhaps 1906. How long will it last? As a servant of God who has had multitudes of visions, of which NONE has ever failed, let me predict (I did not say prophesy, but predict) that this age will end around 1977. If you will pardon a personal note here, I base this prediction on seven major continuous visions that came to me one Sunday morning in June, 1933. The Lord Jesus spoke to me and said that the coming of the Lord was drawing nigh, but that before He came, seven major events would transpire. I wrote them all down and that morning I gave forth the revelation of the Lord. The first vision was that Mussolini would invade Ethiopia and that nation would "fall at his steps". That vision surely did cause some repercussions, and some were very angry when I said it and would not believe it. But it happened that way. He just walked in there with his modern arms and took over. The natives didn't have a chance. But the vision also said that Mussolini would come to a horrible end with his own people turning on him. That came to pass just exactly as it was said. 

 

The next vision foretold that an Austrian by the name of Adolph Hitler would rise up as dictator over Germany, and that he would draw the world into war. It showed the Siegfried line and how our troops would have a terrible time to overcome it. Then it showed that Hitler would come to a mysterious end. 

 

The third vision was in the realm of world politics for it showed me that there would be three great ISMS, Facism, Nazism, Communism, but that the first two would be swallowed up into the third. The voice admonished, "WATCH RUSSIA, WATCH RUSSIA. Keep your eye on the King of the North."

 

The fourth vision showed the great advances in science that would come after the second world war. It was headed up in the vision of a plastic bubble-topped car that was running down beautiful highways under remote control so that people appeared seated in this car without a steering wheel and they were playing some sort of a game to amuse themselves.

 

The fifth vision had to do with the moral problem of our age, centering mostly around women. God showed me that women began to be out of their place with the granting of the vote. Then they cut off their hair, which signified that they were no longer under the authority of a man but insisted on either equal rights, or in most cases, more than equal rights. She adopted men's clothing and went into a state of undress, until the last picture I saw was a woman naked except for a little fig leaf type apron. With this vision I saw the terrible perversion and moral plight of the whole world.

 

Then in the sixth vision there arose up in America a most beautiful, but cruel woman. She held the people in her complete power. I believed that this was the rise of the Roman Catholic Church, though I knew it could possibly be a vision of some woman rising in great power in America due to a popular vote by women.

 

The last and seventh vision was wherein I heard a most terrible explosion. As I turned to look I saw nothing but debris, craters, and smoke all over the land of America.  Based on these seven visions, along with the rapid changes which have swept the world in the last fifty years, I PREDICT (I do not prophesy) that these visions will have all come to pass by 1977. And though many may feel that this is an irresponsible statement in view of the fact that Jesus said that `no man knoweth the day nor the hour.' I still maintain this prediction after thirty years because, Jesus did NOT say no man could know the year, month or week in which His coming was to be completed. So I repeat, I sincerely believe and maintain as a private student of the Word, along with Divine inspiration that 1977 ought to terminate the world systems and usher in the millennium.  Now let me say this. Can anyone prove any of those visions wrong? Were they not all fulfilled? Yes, each one has been fulfilled, or is in the process right now. Mussolini invaded Ethiopia successfully, then fell and lost it all. Hitler started a war he could not finish and died mysteriously. Communism took over both the other two ISMS. The plastic bubble car has been built and is awaiting only a better network of roads. Women are all but naked, and are even now wearing topless bathing suits. And just the other day I saw in a magazine the very dress that I saw in my vision (if you can call it a dress). It was a plastic transparent type of cloth with three darkened spots that covered both breasts in a small area, and then there was a dark place like a small apron below. The Catholic Church is on the rise. We have had one Catholic president and will no doubt have another. What is left? Nothing except Hebrews 12:26. "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." Once more God will shake the earth and with it shake everything loose that can be shaken. Then He will renovate it. Just last March, 1964, that Good Friday earthquake of Alaska shook the whole world though it did not unbalance it. But God was warning by a world tremor what He will soon do on a greater scale. He is going to blast and rock this sin-cursed world, my brother, my sister, and there is only one place that can stand that shock, and that is in the fold of the Lord Jesus. And I would beseech you while God's mercy is still available to you, that you give your whole life, unreservedly to Jesus Christ, Who as the faithful Shepherd will save you and care for you and present you faultless in glory with exceeding great joy.

 

Mark of the Beast54-0513  Now, if you'll give me one more night, if God does, I'll prove to you that communism is working straight in the hands of Almighty God to destroy the Roman... And remember, I say this as God's prophet: The Russian empire will drop an atomic bomb of some sort on the Vatican City and destroy it in one hour. THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the Bible said that God took them cruel-hearted men and put them in His hands, and they were instruments in His hands to fulfill His will, and to bring back to her exactly what she had coming to her. That's exactly. That's the Word.

 

EVERLASTING LIFE 54-1231   It's our indifference towards God, has determined what we're getting today. We are going to receive Divine judgment. The whole world's shaking right now, under the impact of the on-creeping judgments.  One of the ministers will probably pick it up in a few minutes, on the oncoming judgments. And I hope they do, anyhow, on the oncoming judgment. Because the whole world is ready, it's quivering. Every nation is quivering. Don't you think that Russia isn't quivering too. The United States and the islands are quivering. Who's going to throw that first atomic bomb? When it does, it may throw the whole thing out of cater, and not be a... Who... Cobalt bomb, what's if a few of them is let loose? There won't be even a fly or an insect on the face of the earth left. 119   028   It's right now in the hands of wicked, sinful, hell-bound men. And your destination of this earth's journey (I said earth's journey.) is left to the hands of wicked and sinful men. You better watch where your soul's destination is pledged for. If it isn't pledged towards heaven and towards God, turn tonight with all your heart, and don't let the old year pass away without you turning to God. For your earthly destination is determined by the hands of wicked, and cruel, cold-hearted, atheotic men. That's where your--your body is determined. Whatever they want to do about it now, that finishes you up. God be merciful. And God in His loving mercy sending signs, and wonders, and miracles, and everything, and preaching the Gospel, and people constantly turning your face toward--away from it. Then how can you expect anything else but judgment? You must receive it.

 

WATER FROM THE ROCK 55-0224  The bomb that would probably burst every atom in the earth is hanging yonder in Russia tonight. It ought to a been fired a long time ago, but God's long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, past due.

 

BLUSHING PROPHET   56-1125E  E-26  Their great hangers are setting out in the ocean everywhere. And they're saying to Russia, "Dare you drop one bomb. Just drop one atomic bomb on the U.N., or somewhere there, and look what happens." What will it be? There'd be an onslaught go to Russia. And if they would do that and start dropping those atomic and hydrogen bombs, it would cause a chain reaction that would burn the earth to a--to a wisp, just melt. You know it wouldn't disagree with Scripture a bit. "For the earth shall burn, the heavens too." The atoms of the earth shall burn. We're living in a dangerous day. We're living in a day when men of the world are scared to death, the great men. They're afraid who's going to burst that first bomb. The first bomb that goes off, then the whole thing goes into a rally.

 

SECONDHANDED ROBE 56-1125M  E-9   009   A few nights ago I was talking to someone, was one of these here lookout agents that watches, and they said, "Brother Branham, we were just instructed by the government never to advise people anymore to lay down by... away from the window on the floor if the bomb hits, or never to go into a basement, because this new bomb that they could radio guide from Moscow to Fourth Street in Louisville and hit right on the street; shoot it up, it's got target things in it, that explodes it, takes it so many thousands, so many thousands, guided it by the stars and radar, and drop it exactly on Fourth Street in Louisville from Moscow, Russia. And when it would hit there, don't have to...?... and use the plane nor nothing, just shoot it off here and it'll land right there. And it will blow a hole in the ground of the area... the depth of a hundred and seventy-five feet for fifteen square miles either way it goes: fifteen square miles." There ain't nothing to do but get ready to take a flight upstairs, is the only thing to do when them times come. Just think, they can shoot fifty of them or a hundred of them at one time if they wanted to. It'd all be over within the space of, I believe it's a sixty or eighty minutes, or sec--seconds, rather, from there to here, to the entire annihilation of the whole thing would take place. There wouldn't be nothing left between Louisville and Henryville, and between Louisville and--and Bardstown, or down in there, but one hole in the ground with a bunch of dust laying in it; that is all would be left, besides the areas it would go out and burn for miles and miles and miles beyond that. And while one's a dropping there, another one's dropping over somewhere else to meet with it.

   E-10   010   I'm so glad that we have a shelter. "The Name of the LORD is a mighty tower: the righteous run into it, and are safe." No matter how many bombs, or how many anything else, we're safe there. So the world and the sinner not having this shelter, or this safety place, it's a shaking time. I believe if I wasn't a Christian, I'd go crazy, to thinking of what might happen at any time. And with a house full of little kiddies and everything, I wouldn't know what to do. But I'm so glad that I can stand in my house and introduce to them a shelter that no bomb could ever touch, or nothing else. Under the protecting wings of the Lord Jesus. "Not by power, not by might, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD." See? That is our protection.  And what a great, glorious time it is to know that all sin and struggles and trials of life will soon be over. It'll all finish one of these days, and we'll go home to be with the Lord. Now, what's left is a time to preach the Gospel and to bring into this great tower as much, as many as we can.

 

THEIR EYES WERE OPENED 57-0421E   78   Now, friends, my home town... And I want to say this now, before closing this revival. One of these days there won't be even an ash left in Jeffersonville; there won't be one left in Charlestown, won't be one left in Louisville. This world's ripe for judgment. They've got a hydrogen bomb now that Russia can shoot from Moscow, land it on Fourth Street, and take every one of these powder plants around here, and sink it seventy-five feet under the ground with one bomb: one bomb; fifteen miles square, it'll go to a hundred and fifty feet in the ground. The hand's on the trigger. The clock's ticking away. It's later than you think. Why wait till that time? 79   034   Remember if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting. Don't be scared of hydrogen bombs or no other thing. As long as you got Christ in your heart, that's the best bomb shelter I know of. It's made out of feathers: under His wings we'll abide. So don't worry about those things, if you're a Christian. But if you're not a Christian, you're certainly standing in an awful place. You don't know what minute your heart's going to stop beating. The Bible said men would die in the last days with heart trouble: "Men's heart failing, fear, perplex of times, distress between the nations." Look what more, ten times as many man die as women; the Bible never said women's heart would be failing, It said, "Men's heart would be failing." It's absolutely, perfectly.

 

Sirs we would see Jesus   57-0804E  E-47   047   Oh, for the sake of these Lord, some of them are--are a little feeble, maybe, in their faith, they're just a little wobbling along, going to church, seeing the great press of the Spirit. Today, knowing that we're living in the closing time, and we're aware that there's something going on. Yonder in Russia perhaps a bomb is already centered for the middle of this city, and also in the America, and around the world. But we also have bombs centered for the middle of their city. Just who pulls the trigger or presses the button first. There could be a total annihilation in five minutes. O God, no wonder the world has become neurotic. But You said when these things begin to come to pass, raise up your head, your redemption is drawing nigh. Oh, give us voice to cry out in the darkness, for the sake of lost souls. Grant it, Lord.

 

Will the Church go Through the Tribulation 58-0309E  E-24   024   And I want you to notice this now, 'cause we have to cut short here on account of the prayer line. Did you notice what the Angel said, "I can't do nothing till you come hither." What was it? Was a message of deliverance. And before one speck of fire could fall from heaven, Lot had to get out of Sodom. And before one drop of rain fell from heaven, Noah went into the ark. And before the atom bomb can strike this nation, the church will go in the rapture to meet the Lord Jesus. And if the sputniks, and the missiles are set, and the hammers are pulled back, the Angels are all standing in order. Hallelujah. The great corridors of heaven is crowded full. The harps are all in tune. The great bands are already practiced up. There's a homecoming time pretty soon, for the church of the living God, who's been waiting His coming. Everything's in order. I'm so glad. I'm getting so tired. Oh, for that great hour. And to think that we've had a part in this junction time. Remember, "So shall it be in the coming of the Son of man, when the Son of man is being revealed from heaven." Now, remember, before the rain fell, Noah was in the ark. Before the fire fell, Lot was out of Sodom, for the Angel said, "I can't do nothing until you come hither. I've got to lever in my hand to pull and make the fires fall from heaven." And I think that's exactly: the Angel of destruction is holding the hand of Russia, with the atomic bombs, until the church comes together as one great body of Christ. "I can't do nothing till you come hither." Oh, if that isn't a blessed assurance. And if we see everything set in order, the going home of the church is in order. Here's the Angel of God with the same message, performing the same signs, the same wonders; everything's set in order.  025   Branham Tabernacle, twenty-five years ago, nearly, I spoke over this same pulpit and told you these things are--be happening one of these days. Here it is. We're at the end time; the junction is here. It's near home-going time for the church. The critics, making fun, mock and scoffing, and as it was with king Nebuchadnezzar, and Belteshazzar, so was he is the days of Noah. So was it in the days of Lot, and their doing the same today. "I can do nothing until you come hither." I want you to notice, Lot came out of something that would destroy him. And Noah went into something that would save him. And that's a type of the church. We come out of the world and away from this Elvis Presley and Arthur Godfrey age that we're living in. Come out of the world and go into Christ. Come out of the world. They that are of the world, will perish with the world. Those that are in Christ will go home with Christ, "for those that sleep in Christ will God bring with Him when He comes." We come out of the world to go into Christ for the safety.

 

I Know  60-0417S 033   We're at the time of death. We're setting in the doors of death. The nations is in the doors of death. Russia has discovered a new weapon now, as you all heard on the radio and things. They don't have to come over here and blow it up with a bomb. They can just bring a little something over here, and get amongst their spies, and spurt a little stuff out in any nation, and everybody will be paralyzed for twenty-four hours. Come over and, when you wake up, there's a Russian kicking you in the side, a big Russian guard taking over your home, ravishing your wife, throwing your children out in the street, and taking your home. They can do it. They wouldn't lose one thing. They've got it. Nobody knows what it is. See, everything working up in... Now, they can use that and not be afraid of it, because no one else has it.

 

Jehovah Jireh  60-0802  046   Look, it could happen at any time. There's not one thing left. The coming of the Lord is at hand. We see in the hangars of Russia and all the different worlds, bombs and things that would destroy the complete world in one snap. The world could not stand it. And before that takes place, the Church is going to glory. Remember, before any rain ever fell, Noah was in the ark safety. Before any fire ever fell, the Angel said to Lot, "Get thee hence. Get out of here, 'cause I can do nothing until you've gone hence, got away from here." Church going out before the destruction comes, and the scientific world says, "It's three minutes until midnight." The clock's ticked away all the time. Eternity is fixing to set in. The world knows, the scientific world knows, that.. Said, "It would scare the people to death." You've heard the... If they'd put it out on radio and so forth... We know that time is at hand. And if it could happen before morning, and the going of the Church goes before that happens, how close is the coming of the Christ? Amen. Hallelujah. Brother, I'll tell you; you can't dig deep enough to hide from one of them bombs. They'll blow a hole in the ground for a hundred and fifty miles, two hundred feet deep. How you going to get down there? If you build a--a iron cage or a building, five hundred feet deep, the concussion would break every bone in your body. It's got in such a place, there is no hiding place down here. You could cry to the rock. But I'm telling you; there is a bomb shelter at that. It's made out of feathers, under His wings. Amen. That's the shelter, the everlasting shelters of His...?... in glory. That's the place of refuge, the place to flee to.

 

Greatest Battle Ever Fought 62-0311 180   In Russia... I want to say this for the benefit of the veterans, and so forth here, and you Bible students. What you fussing and hollering about Russia? You don't hear me telling you to build a bomb shelter, do you? What you fussing about Russia? Russia ain't nothing; she ain't going to win no wars; she ain't going to conquer no world. Communism isn't going to conquer no world. What's the matter with people? Can God's Word fail? Listen, it's on tape now. To the world I speak or wherever these tapes may go. And to you people here, no matter whatever happens to me, you believe this. Russia, communism isn't conquering nothing. God's Word can't fail. Romanism is going to conquer the world.

 

BIRTH PAINS 65-0124  God lets--always lets wisdom destroy himself. God doesn't destroy anything. Man destroys himself by wisdom as he did at the beginning, taking Satan's wisdom and--instead of God's Word.

 

Speak to this Mountain 57-1215  E-35  Now, remember, there's going to be millions of Americans meet their doom...?... What would hinder tonight for this whole nation to be destroyed within five minutes? What did science say the other night, this nation--nationwide broadcast on that? We're five years behind Russia. They got a sputnik, and they can put a man in it, dozens of them, send them up there in sky, and move right over this United States and say, "Surrender, or go to powder in a few minutes." 'Course, we would surrender to save our life.What would happen? Russian soldiers pouring in by the millions, running into the streets, and grabbing the women, ravishing young girls, sweethearts, whatever it was. Don't make any difference to them. Sure. They're communists, cold-hearted. What would happen? Go right into a nice home, kick you out of it. They'll use it theirself. It's Russia's then, and we're a satellite. Let me tell you: the Church won't see that. She's going to be gone when that comes. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD...?... It'll be gone by that time. Jesus is coming, and that's why these signs...

 

II Thes 1:7    And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10    When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed ) in that day.

 

HEBREWS 12:25    See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape], if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven: 26    Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.  27    And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28    Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  29 For our God [is] a consuming fire.

 

II PETER 3:9        The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.   10    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.   11       [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,   12    Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?   13    Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.   14    Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.                                      Revelations 21: 1-7.