Preparation #40 The Refining Fire of God

September 19, 1999

Brian Kocourek

EXODUS 3:1 ¶ Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 ¶ And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which [are] in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. Let's bow our head and pray

This morning I would like to continue with the Message preparation and paragraph 40 which is the number of testing, and since this is also number 40 in our series we shall look at this number, which has to do with the test which God places us through. In fact we shall see that he calls it a test by fire, or fire testing.

Brother Branham said in the Message, The spoken Word is the Original Seed Three is a perfect number. Five is the number of grace; seven - completion; twelve - worship; forty -tempted; and fifty is the jubilee.

In Paragraph 40 it is interesting that brother Branham speaks of God delivering the people through Moses after they had to wait 40 years while Moses was being tested in the wilderness. And notice what appears on the scene when Moses is ready for the test? The Pillar of Fire. He said in p. 40, It's Strange how God appears in fire. ( and I would like to add that the testing is considered the fire testing of God. There's your forty again, in paragraph forty, we hear brother Branham speak of God identified in the fire.

In the Book of Revelations when John sees Him standing there as Supreme Judge, We notice in REVELATION 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea, 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Notice the types that we see here. We see the Alpha and Omega Presence of Jesus Christ in the midst of seven Candlesticks, His Eyes as a flaming fire, His Feet were like fine-brass in a blazing hot refining furnace, seven stars in His right hand, and his Countenance or face is shining forth like the Sun in the fullness of it's strength. (The WEYMOUTH translation says, " "His feet were like silver-bronze when it is white-hot in a furnace, and his face shined forth like the sun in the fullness of its strength".)

So we see a picture of as fiery being, whose gaze would melt the onlooker even piercing through the flesh like a hot poker just taken from the fire.

Now, we know with His hair like wool that He stood there as Judge, and with all the other attributes of flaming fire which represents refinement, we see that this judge was to do 2 things. On the one hand He is to cast into the smelting fire those who are lost, but on the other hand he is here to use His fiery countenance to bring forth refinement in His Elect.

We see the same picture in the Book of Daniel. DANIEL 7: 9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire. Now, this wheel is not a wheel like you think, it actually means a whirl wind spinning in a circle. It comes from the Hebrwew word, galgal {gal-gal'} 1) wheel, whirl, whirlwind, whirling 1b) whirl (of dust, chaff) and comes from the root word galawl which is a verb meaning to roll.. So a whirl wind of world of wind is the best description that comes from the use of this word.

The same word is used in PS 83:13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. Notice, as the stubble before the wind. This pictures a whirl wind to us. How many have ever seen a whirl of wind pick up the dust and the grain that has been just combined. The combine comes and gathers and what is left over falls back to the earth and sometimes in the fall or harvest season you seen the combines go through the fields and behind them you see the whirlwinds blow and gather up the dust and small particles of grain and lift them up into the air. When it does, it reveals the form and shape of the whirl wind.

We notice the same word used in ISAIAH 5:28 Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

Again we see the same word used in ISAIAH 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but [God] shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E Now, remember, that Light that was in that cloud that gave the revelation... I was... My little girl was telling me, Sarah here, that when they... That school there in Arizona was looking up there on a cloudless sky and seeing this cloud mysteriously, in that mountain, going up-and-down with a Amber Fire burning in it. The teacher dismissed the classes and the school and brought them out front and said, "Did you ever see anything like that? Look the way that--is." Remember, that's that same Amber Light that's on the rock. See? So it's the same God, same revelation. Said, "Tell them to do this." It's what I told you this morning, so there it is.

EZEKIEL 1:4 ¶ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also out of the midst thereof [came] the likeness of four living creatures. And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7 And their feet [were] straight feet; and the sole of their feet [was] like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. 8 And [they had] the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9 Their wings [were] joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus [were] their faces: and their wings [were] stretched upward; two [wings] of every one [were] joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; [and] they turned not when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance [was] like burning coals of fire, [and] like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15 ¶ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work [was] like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work [was] as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel ( That's a a whirl wind within a whirl wind). 17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: [and] they turned not when they went. 18 As for their rings, (the rings is the outer surface of the circle) they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings (this outer surface of their circle) [were] full of eyes round about them four. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. (Just like Becky's class saw) 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither [was their] spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels. 21 When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.

22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature [was] as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament [were] their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

BE CERTAIN OF GOD 59-0125 119 046 In Germany once I saw a picture, and it always stuck with me. A German painter has painted the--a picture that's--that's called "The Cloud Land." And when you see it off at a distance, it's the horriblest looking gloom you ever seen, just clouds matted together when you're looking at it from a long distance. But when you get real close to it, it changes; it's angels' wings beating together, singing hallelujahs to the Lord. So that's what gloom is sometime. If you look at it at a long distance, it looks gloomy and dark; but take God at His Word and be certain that He's God, and move up close to it; you'll find out it's just angels' wings a-beating together.

GOD'S PROVIDED WAY 53-0613 E-29 029 But they stayed under the blood. God said when you go under the blood, stay there (That's right.), not in and out, in and out. Stay there. After while, it come midnight, great dark, roaring cloud come up. I can look, coming back through yonder, and I see two big black wings spread out across the nation. Here it comes. I can hear the priest of the family, the father, say, "There's the death angel sweeping the land now: too late now." And directly, I can see him go dip down on into a valley, hear a scream come up from out of that house. The son was dead. Away he went. Directly here he comes, right down to another house again, goes in. The big black wings close in around the house. A scream comes up, "The son is dead." I can hear the little boy say, "Daddy? Take another look. Be sure the blood's on there." Yes, sir.

DO YOU NOW BELIEVE 53-1206 094 Now, around her is a dark cloud. Seems to be about this square, when I look at her, it's coming in going [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.] That's a demon.

EXPLAINING HEALING AND JAIRUS 54-0216 Those spirits are just like a shadow, like a big dark cloud, and standing there just like a fog, cold, indifferent. I want you to be reverent.

Ez 1:25 And there was a voice from the firmament that [was] over their heads, when they stood, [and] had let down their wings. 26 ¶ And above the firmament that [was] over their heads [was] the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne [was] the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

• Show the picture of brother Branham and the licks of fire coming forth.

REV 10:1 ¶ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth , 3 And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

Patmos Vision 54-2 Daniel saw Him with that white hair. He was the Judge opening the books and judging out of them. Daniel saw Him coming in clouds. That is exactly what John saw. They both saw Him exactly the same. They saw the Judge with His judgment girdle over His shoulders, standing pure and holy, full of wisdom, fully qualified to judge the world in righteousness. Hallelujah. Even the world understands this symbology, for in ancient times the judge would appear and convene court, dressed in a white wig and a long robe that signified his complete authority (head to foot robe) to mete out justice. 2. His Eyes as Fire. Think of it. Those eyes that were once dimmed with tears of sorrow and pity. Those eyes that wept with compassion at the grave of Lazarus. Those eyes that saw not the evil of the murderers who hanged Him on a cross but in sorrow cried, "Father forgive them." Now those eyes are a flame of fire, the eyes of the Judge Who will recompence those who rejected Him.

FUTURE HOME 64-0802 175 Now notice, for in Isaiah 65:25 (where we just read) it said, "They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord." Oh, "all My holy mountain." Remember, it's always a mountain. If the walls were straight up and down, this City could only be seen from the outside--or from the inside. The throne can only be seen from the inside. But notice, it would be seen only from the inside, but now we see the promise of Isaiah 4:5. Let's just read it. 52-2… Isaiah 4:5. Now listen, he's talking of the coming of the Lord, how that women would be so immoral. Oh, he said, "Seven women..." 52-3 177 Listen, let's just read it. Look here. And in that day seven women shall take ahold of one man saying, We'll eat our own bread,... wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach... (That's the end time where we're living now: marriage, divorce, and prostitution, and whatevermore.) In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious,... the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely... them that... escaped of Israel... (How that you escaped all that damnation. See?) And it shall came to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that's a remnant in Jerusalem, shall... (Let's see.)... in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: (See?) Wherein the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion,... (Remember that's always the Bride. See?)... and shall have purified the blood of Jerusalem... (That's the remnant of the Jews plus the Bride. See?)... and in the midst thereof with the spirit of judgment,... (Fire, that's always God's judgment. When He makes His final judgment, calls you, justifies you, and brings you to redemption, then His judgment breaks forth upon you, and the Holy Ghost and Fire cleanses away the sin. Then you're His. Same thing He does to the earth when He purges it with fire.)... and by the spirit of burning. (Now look listen, are you ready? And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assembly, a cloud of smoke by day, and a shining of fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 53-1 178 The Lord in that day, upon the top of it, shall create a fire of light to burn, upon the day. And it goes ahead and says it'll be a shelter, a rest, a refuge. Notice, making exactly the speaking of the Bible, exactly. If the walls are straight up and down, you couldn't see it; it has to lean. "All of My holy mountain..." He will create this light upon this mountain, and it shall be for a defense. Oh, we have sang that song: Oh that city of Mount Zion, And as a pilgrim, yet I love it still. When I get to those ages... When I reach that city on the hill. (See?) 53-2 179 Notice, Mount Sinai was where God descended on top of it, when He spoke to Israel in a Pillar of Fire. He descended on top of a mountain, Mount Sinai. On the Mount of Transfiguration, when He declared, "This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him," He descended in a Pillar of Light in shining brightness upon top of the mountain before Peter, James, and John. And in there He was represented with both Moses and Elijah, the translated and the dead raised. Glory. 53-3 180 The new City and the new earth, the new creation, the City on the hill with the throne in the top of it: the throne up here in the top and the dwellers all up and down on this mountain, and the wall that's around this had twelve foundations, and each one of them had the breast--a stone was in Aaron, which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. And in the gate... They had four gates set just exactly like the temple in the wilderness, like the tent was in the wilderness. Notice, each one had--had the apostles, three on each side, twelve apostles. Each... And it was one hundred and forty-four cubits high. One hundred and forty-four cubits is exactly two hundred and sixteen feet, making each one of those big stones almost twenty foot tall... The breast plate, in that gate, making up that wall that was around the City. 54-1 181 Now, it... The City doesn't rest on top of the wall, 'cause a city fifteen hundred miles cannot do that. It's a wall here, that you enter in, like the gates of the old Jerusalem. You entered through the wall into that, and each one of these has the twelve foundations. And each one had the emerald, and the different stones which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. And there's apostles each... Over that big, one, solid pearl gate set a name of an apostle. And didn't Jesus said, "You'll set on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"? Who set at the gate to judge when they come into the City? Oh, my, there you are. The kings of the earth, entering into the City, comes before the apostolic judge, as Jesus promised. 54-2 182 Oh, my. On this throne, on the top of it, fifteen hundred miles high, the whole world will see the Light of the world, Jesus, setting on the throne on top of the world, top of the Church, top of Mt. Zion, which is fifteen hundred miles (half size of the United States) and it raises plumb up till you can see Him the world over, fifteen hundred miles high. And all up and down the earth will be the redeemed. 183 There will be the houses of pure gold. There will be avenues, and parks, and gardens, and the River of Life coming trickling out from the throne and running down through little chasms and, oh, over the terraces. And the Tree of Life will be blooming in every yard and bear Its fruits twelve times a year, change fruit every month. And the kings of the earth shall come into it and bring their honor... And the leaves are for the healing of the nation. When the kings are living in peace out there, when they go out, they'll pick a tree, a leaf off like that (like the dove come back, that the wrath of God had been settled, and brought the holly leaf into the ark), so when the king leaves by bring his glory into the Bride's chamber here into the City, he will hold a leaf to his neighbor king, and we're in peace forevermore. Amen. Healing of the nations. It's all settled. One time we fought for one another's blood, brother, and we cherished, and hollered, and shot, and burnt children and everything, but now there's peace. The healing, not disease healing, it's all done: healing of the nations. Amen. 55-1 184 City with the throne in top, Revelations 21:23, "And they need no light for the Lamb and the Lord God is the Light thereof." See? The Lord God is that Pillar of Fire that followed the children of Israel through the wilderness. And He is ascended upon the throne in that perfect Kingdom, when time--the Kingdom that Jesus is to surrender to the Father, that God might be all and in all. Jesus sets upon His throne here as our Joseph. Then the King is that Light that will be on top of Mt. Zion, and His holy Light will flood the entire City. Hallelujah.

Daniel 9:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

In ZECH 13:8 we read, And it shall come to pass, [that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.

Again we hear Peter speak of this testing by fire in I PETER 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 ¶ Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 ¶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

REVELATION 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Preparation 40 They say this is wild fire. Well, I admit we got some wild fire, but I'd rather have a little wild fire than no fire at all, wouldn't you? The trouble of it is with you teachers, you're trying to set back and say, "Back there on the day of Pentecost this happened, and back there they had this." You're trying to let the people that's cold, get warm by a painted fire. You can't warm by a picture. What they had was fine, but what you got now. That's it. You can't warm by a painted fire. Talking the theology, what they did back there... What He was there, He is now just the same. 041 Now, Moses, herding Jethro's sheep, and he said, "I'll turn aside to see what this strange thing is." Now, he never said, "I'm going to pick some of the leaves off the trees and take it down to the laboratory, examine it, and see if it's mental telepathy, or what's in the leaves, or whatever it is." He just turned aside to find out. Here he's telling us Moses did not approach the word in unbelief. He did not approach the Word Expressed or the Manifested Word in unbelief. He did not come doubting. If he had he would have said, "this is impossible, so let's examine it to see how it is done). In other words, he never fussed about the mechanics, He believed the mechanics and the mechanics led Him to the presence of the dynamics.) 41 And when he did, God spoke to him and said, "Take off your shoes, Moses; you're on holy ground." And He talked to Moses. And Moses was a murderer: come up out of Egypt from killing an Egyptian. But God said, "I'm going down to deliver them. I'm going to send you." Could you imagine an old man, as old as he was? Moses said, "I can't go; I--I--I stammer; I--I--I got an impediment of speech; I can't go." He said, "Moses, what's that in your hand?" He said, "A stick." "That's all you need."

CALLING JESUS ON THE SCENE 63-0804E 054 If a man walked on this platform tonight with nail scars in his hands, and thorn marks across here, that wouldn't be God. We've had so much of that in the last days. See? Well, any hypocrite could do that. See, any impersonator, impostor, could do that. But the only way you would know Jesus was by His works. And that man would be trying to make himself Jesus; and Jesus will not be seen in that kind of a body until we see Him coming, "There would be false christs rise in the last days," He said, "and would show great wonders, great signs," but still that isn't it. "For as the lightning cometh from the east, and shineth to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be." But how are we know then that He is with us in the--in what form? Not by intellectual conceptions; don't prove in your life. Not by saying, "I believe." That doesn't do it. It's got to be something happen in you, that the Holy Spirit Himself, that is God's vindication. And if you say you've got the Holy Spirit, and then don't believe every Word in here, there's something wrong with the spirit you got. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, and He can't say, "I lied there. I didn't mean that." Not Him; He's perfect. 055 Notice, how is He identified, what could He? If the Bible said, Colossians 1:15, that we--we are--we worship an invisible God. God is invisible. Do you believe that? Then this person coming around here with nail prints, and smoke, and blood, and everything else, that wouldn't make him God. We worship an invisible God. He's always been invisible until He identified Himself in Jesus Christ. Is that right? Now, the invisible God identifies Himself in you. See? You are His temple. "Ye are the..." Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture says so. The Pillar of Fire that Moses saw was not the invisible God. That Pillar of Fire was the Shekinah Glory that represented that the invisible God was at hand. When John baptized Jesus, the Son of God, God, the invisible God, come down in the form of a Light, shaped like a dove sailing down through the air, the invisible God identified in the Shekinah Glory. 056 The same invisible God identified Himself in the Pillar of Fire, a Shekinah Glory, when they dedicated the temple at Solomon's time. It come in and went... The Pillar of Fire went in behind the curtains, upon the holiest of holies. The Shekinah Glory was identified. Now, when Paul was on his road down to Damascus, the invisible Jesus Christ identified Himself to Paul in the form of the Shekinah Glory, a Light that put out that sinner's eyes. Amen. That same Shekinah Glory is here tonight, the same yesterday, today, and forever, representing an invisible God, confirming His Word with the same signs that He promised to be done. He's been called on the scene. 057 Now, can you call Him into your life and say, "Lord Jesus, I take Him--take You at Your Word. I believe that You're here. I believe that You're here tonight to help me. I want You in my boat. I want You, the great Holy Spirit to come to me. I'm in trouble. I'm sick. I'm a sinner. I--I want You to come to me, want You to help me. I realize that You're just laying there, waiting to be--me to call on You. And I'm going to call on You, with all my heart"? Now, let's bow our heads while we do that. Be reverent. Pray like never before. Everybody stop just a minute and think. Who are you? What are you? Where did you come from, where are you going? If you was a sinner in here tonight that doesn't know Christ, and would like for Him to come into your ship tonight and help you through the troubled waters, and you want to be remembered in prayer, would you raise up your hand? God bless you. God bless you, and you, you, and you, all around the building. Won't you just remember now when I pray for you, that you'll just open your heart. That's all there is to it. Just confess, "Lord, I'm wrong. I want You to remember me." 058 Lord God, You seen those hands. Those people, I believe, Father... I'm standing here between Life and death for them. And I realize at the day of the judgment I'm going to have to answer for what I do right now. And I'm asking in prayer for them, Lord, that the great Shekinah Glory of God will appear to them this hour. It'll never leave them the rest of their life. And all down through life in every little trouble, may that Shekinah Glory be there, and know It can be called on at any time. They said in the Scriptures, Father, that they took You, the way You were, and put You in the ship. Lord Jesus, You are Spirit tonight, here in the form and Name of the Holy Spirit. O God, by faith we take You as You are into our ship, Father. Help us, God. Let the Shekinah Glory appear to us and give peace. 059 I know nothing else to do, Lord, but to say this that You said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws Him first, and all that the Father has given Me will come to Me." And from the back of these hands, which I do believe that were sincere, that lifted their hands to You, I pray, Lord Jesus then, as Your servant, I give them to You, as the tokens of this meeting here in Chicago, charging the Devil not to touch them again. They're God's property. Hands off, Satan, until they're fully established and will know how to behave themself and to resist the enemy. I charge the enemy, through Jesus Christ to stay away from them, And may the loving Holy Spirit take them, lead them to water baptism, and to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then sealing them into the Kingdom of God until the coming and the appearing of the visible body of the Lord Jesus to catch away His Bride. They are Yours, Father. May the great God of the Shekinah Glory be with them now and forevermore. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

MARRIAGE.AND.DIVORCE.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-13 65-0221M

47-3 100 This is to my church only--not my church, the little flock that believes me and follows me; this is to them.

The other day, knowing that when I tell you anything it must come THUS SAITH THE LORD, then I had the Scriptures as He revealed it to me, but, "Lord God, what can I say to that congregation? I'll have separations. Men will be setting on the porch and out in the yard and everywhere else: 'Shall I leave her?' Women: 'Shall I leave my husband?' 'What shall I do?'" I said, "Lord, what can I do?"

Something said to me, "Go up yonder in the mountains, and I'll talk to you."

And while I was up in the mountain... Not knowing that down in Tucson they were seeing it, but even the teachers called the children from (my little girl and them)--from the schoolroom and said, "Look yonder in that mountain. There's a fiery looking amber cloud going up in the air and coming back down, and going up in the air and coming back down."

MARRIAGE.AND.DIVORCE.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-13 65-0221M

47-7 101 Mrs. Evans, are you here? Ronnie, you here? I come on back down to the station; this young boy (by the filling station, Evans' filling station there)--and before I knowed what the boy was going to say, he took me off my feet. He said, "Brother Branham, you was up in that mountain over yonder, wasn't you?"

I said, "What do you mean, Ronnie? No." (See? To see what he was going to do.) Lot of times things happen I don't--you don't say it to people. It becomes... The thing of it is, you see so much happening, it becomes common to you. See? I just don't tell the people. I said, "Ronnie, what was you..."

He said, "I can show you right where you were at." Said, "I called mama, and we stood here and watched that Cloud hanging up in here, going up and down. I said, 'It's got to be Brother Branham setting up in there somewhere. That's God talking to him.'"

And the whole city of people looked at it. On a bright day with no clouds nowhere at all, with this big amber Cloud hanging there, coming down like a funnel and going back and spreading out.

MARRIAGE.AND.DIVORCE.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-13 65-0221M

48-3 102 Friends (and then I'm closing, you can go from this), that's when this was being revealed to me, what I'm going to tell you right now. So don't miss it.

Now, I'm speaking to our followers only, who's following me and this Message only, not the outside. Bear me record of this before God: just to this group only.