Rising of the Son no 62

Raised together with Christ.

April 30, 2017

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

This morning we will continue with paragraph 126 of brother Branham's sermon Rising of the Son. here we will take for our subject raised together with Christ. We spoke a little on this last night but we will continue that thought into this mornings subject.

126 You love Him? Isn't He wonderful? Are you satisfied that you are a part of that Easter resurrection, that you raised with Him? Raise your hand. You are included."My little children," as Paul would've said, not trying to impersonate him, but the love, "I love you." I storm the roads and everything else to get here, to get to speak with you. Come up out of the desert, across the snow drifts, and so forth to get here. We fly in planes; you drive across the country, so we can get together. We love one another; we are part of one another. Don't you never let Satan tell you anything else. Being a part of one another, we are a part of Him, and we're fellow-citizens of the Kingdom, enjoying these blessings together of the resurrection.

127 And now (See?), now you are already resurrected. When God raised Him up, He raised you; the Son is just now on you. And now you're growing into a blossom Life like He was to be resurrected completely in that last day. Your potentials you have now. Why do you know? Your soul changed, didn't it? Your body come in obedience to It, didn't it? Into obedience to what? A church? The Word, which is the Life. Then you are now resurrected from the dead. It is Easter with Jesus and I. It's Easter with you and Jesus, and it's Easter with you, I, and Jesus. We are all--Jesus, you, and I--we're all resurrected together and we will rise at the last day even though our spirits leave our body, even though the bodies rust, may they go to dust, may they be burnt up, may they be in the bottom of the sea--the Bible said an Angel poured out his upon the sea and everything that died come up. There's nothing can hide us or separate us from that God that we love so well, that's raised us up together.

Now, we cannot read concerning our being raised together with Christ without our minds going to the book of Romans and the 8th chapter.

Last night we read for our text from Ephesians 2:5 where the Apostle Paul said, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved; 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

And from brother Branham's sermon An Ensign 62-0119 52 we read, "And a Christian that's dead, and buried, and raised with Him in His resurrection, in heavenly places... See, if we are dead with Him, then we're also raised with Him; for the body goes where the head is. And He is the Head, and this is the body. And not will be, but now we are seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, with every power of the devil conquered and under His feet. Authority, authority, there's the ensign. That's the hand that lifts up that counts 53 Moses went down into Egypt. There was the great seas out there. Lifted up the ensign, and what happened? They turned to blood. Lifted over the lands: frogs, lice, fleas, the sun refused to shine, death struck the land. Why? He lifted up the ensign of God's judgment. And when we lift up the ensign of God's judgment as a believer in Christ, with a crucified life to yourself and your own ideas, and raised, and His Word made alive among you, every devil's got to squeak at it (That's right), 'cause it represents Christ. See? He died. He's the one lifted up the ensign. And Moses, with his stick, it looked like a little bitty thing, but it was a stick. And it was God's ensign to Egypt, his judgment rod. And it brought judgment. God always gives something that you can look at, something you can put your hand on, something you can prove, something that's right, after you have accepted Him."

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

If you will recall last night we examined all these conjunctions with Christ, where we are complete in him, buried with him, risen with him, and quickened together with him. Therefore this morning I would like to speak on the subject of being raised up with Him, and I would like to tie this into the resurrection season that is about to take place.

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

In order to speak of being raised up with him, we will have to show that this speaks of resurrection. Therefore we will speak on the time of the resurrection and what we have to look forward to in this hour. But before we do I would like to read two quotes in particular from br. Branham that should put your heart to rest concerning whether you will be there to partake or not. Because this is the end folks. Once the resurrection begins its all over. And fortunately for those who have the Holy Ghost you are already included in the resurrection ministry.

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

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

And being that we follow the Message William Branham brought from God to help us in this last hour prepare for the time of the resurrection and rapture, we will perhaps touch on some subjects that seem to have worked their way into Message churches.

I know there are many misunderstandings people have concerning the Tent Ministry and what some call the return ministry. They base that name on something brother Branham said, when the dream of another man showed brother Branham coming from the West to the east. This is also what brother Branham told brother Collins, that the next time he will come from the West and go east.

Now, I do not use the term "return ministry" because brother Branham never used it. But we can see by understanding that Alpha Must repeat in omega that all we have to do is look back to the Alpha ministry of Christ and realize he had a resurrection ministry that lasted somewhere between 40 and 50 days. And if the God did that in the Alpha He must repeat it in the Omega.

Therefore, Brother Vayle and I have never called this the return ministry, but rather the Omega resurrection ministry.

Now, we find in Luke 13:23 Jesus tells us in a form of parable of the time when the Lord shall come. He says, ''Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (That's tribulation, and notice what Jesus says as He continues...), when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

Notice he is speaking of the time of the coming of the Lord when some are caught up and others are left behind for the tribulation period, and then he concludes, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. God's vindicated prophet told us that speaks of the order of the resurrection. The first age to go down, the Ephesian church age will be the last one to come up, and the last age to go down the Laodicean church age will be the first one to come up).

We know also that the Parousia involves a shout, a voice and a trumpet. And we are told by brother Branham in the Rapture message that the voice is the resurrection. And brother Branham taught us that there will be an order to the resurrection.

From the [Seven Church Ages] 5/11/54 he said, "He that was first will be last. ..That's the order of the resurrection. I won't know nobody in the generation before me or the generation after me. I'll know those in the generation with me. Every generation will come successively as it went down."

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

In Ecclesiastes 1:9 Solomon wrote, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

And in Ecclesiastes 3:15 we read, That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

Notice the Scripture reads, "That which hath been is now;" therefore, I believe the Alpha and Omega principle we have studied in this church helps us to understand what Solomon is saying here. Because he also said, "there is nothing new under the sun."  And then he said,  "and that which is to be hath already been;" but the thing that I do not want you to miss is his conclusion,  "and God requireth that which is past."

Yes, God requires that which is past.

And if God requires that which is past then all who claim to follow and believe the Message are going to be held accountable for what they claim to follow and believe. All that we know about the Message and Messenger of this day, and the great sacrifice he made on our behalf to bring to the world the revelation of Jesus Christ as given to him, and we will be held accountable for what we are doing with what we have been given.

God spoke in Deuteronomy 29:29 And said, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that wemay do all the words of this law."

You were not held accountable for the Message until God revealed it to you, and now that He has revealed it to you it has become your Message. Then what are you going to do with it. You all know what happened to the man that was given a talent and he buried it. That which was given to him was taken away and given to another to invest. So what investments have you made with what you have been given?

The problem that I see in many believers who claim to be following the Message is that they do not understand the Message. They know a few things about William Branham, God’s servant and Messenger, but they do not know what his Message was, "and God requires that which is past."

Yes, God will call the past to account, and he will enquire of what they knew about it and what they did about what they knew. And yes, they will be judged for claiming to believe the Message when they do not.

Oh, they know brother Branham had a Message, and they claim to believe that Message, but when it comes right down to it, they do not know what the Message is, and therefore do not believe it. And that is a sad indictment of the mainstream message follower today.

Now, I do not say all, but I do say many are in that condition and do not even know it. When we should be living our lives ever so carefully, not knowing if each heart beat will be our last, and yet we are so careless and carefree concerning the Message that has been given to us, and the prophet of God gave His life for you to receive this Word, and yet we take it all for granted everything that has taken place in this hour.

From his sermon I Know - 60-0417 brother Branham said, And if Job by a vision could stand so firmly upon a promise, how much more ought we to do, after Christ has raised from the dead and become the First Fruits of those that slept, and sent back the Holy Spirit as a seal of promise, upon us, that we too shall live. "Because, I live, you live also!" Seeing His great Presence among us, working, doing the same signs and wonders that He did on earth, giving us a hope. And we come to the resurrection, and then remain on our ash heaps? Let's get off the ash heap today, with a new vision, with a new Power, with a new determination that we see God in His Power. We see the resurrection of the things coming. 

Now, anyone who has read and heard brother Branham's Third Exodus sermon ought to understand the Alpha and Omega comparisons between the Three Exoduses under the Pillar of Fire. The First Exodus was the Pillar of Fire using Moses to take the people out of Egypt which was a type of the world church, and then we saw that same Pillar of Fire remain on the scene and using Joshua to bring the people into the promise for that hour, and to positionally place the people in the promise.

At the Second Exodus, we again saw the Pillar of Fire come on the scene and indwell Jesus, and through God’s Son, the people came out of that ecclesiastical system, but then God took Jesus off the scene just as He took Moses off the scene, and yet the Pillar of Fire did not leave, for we see that same Pillar of Fire that Indwelt Jesus remain and use the Apostle Paul to bring the people into the promise for the hour. And so Paul, just as Joshua had before him, positionally placed the People into the promise for that hour.

Now, we have seen the same thing repeat once again. That which has been is now. And at this Third Exodus under the Pillar of Fire, we saw how that God used the man William Branham to call the people out organization and after he delivered his message to come from among her and be ye separate saith the Lord, then God took that prophet off the scene, and yet that same Pillar of Fire has remained on the scene to bring the people into the promise for this hour which is the placement of sons.

We have a promise to be conformed to the image of God’ first born son, getting us ready for the change of the body which is the adoption as Paul called it.  That’s Romans’ chapter 8.

Now, this morning I would like to address another subject altogether, and that is a certain question that seems to come up no matter where I go in the world. As you are well aware, there are many people who follow the Message of Brother Branham who are looking for him to be raised from the dead and come back to finish his ministry. Those who teach this call it “The Return Ministry”.

Now, there are many different versions of “this Return Ministry teaching” but the main theme in all is that (1) “Brother Branham will come back from the dead”, (2) “he will have a tent meeting” and (3) “he will use the Third pull in this ministry”.

Now, that being the main threads that tie all versions of this doctrine together, let me say that some people go so far as to believe Br. Branham will need an airplane to move his tent around, because they had a dream about it. They say that Br. Branham told him this. I do not know what Brother Branham told that person and frankly I do not care, because all I really care about is what is on those tapes and in those visions. I have dealt with people in all walks of life for a long enough period in my life to know that what people think is said many times is only their own imaginations. For instance, you tell a person that you would like to do something. That person might say, well then do it. Now that does not constitute that persons approval of what you are doing. Billy Paul testified that his father gave a couple a certain advice on a certain thing, and then the next couple that came to his home he gave the opposite advice. When he questioned his dad, brother Branham told his son Billy Paul, "the second couple were going to do it anyway, so I just told them to go ahead."

The same way for a minister who felt led to go to Africa, when brother Branham said it would be the worst mistake of his life, and yet after the interview brother Branham told him to go ahead and do what he felt led to do. You see, you cannot interfere with the will of man. Man will do and say and believe what they are going to do and say and believe. You can give them advice but if you know they are not going to take it, and if you know they have their mind made up then why even bother. The same way with what they believe concerning the tent and resurrection period. If they have their minds made up they are going to miss it, because that is how they have always missed the working of God in every age.

And some even believe that the man will fly this airplane to Israel to get the resurrected saints and gather them up to fly them to the tent. Now, I never heard William Branham say anything about needing an airplane and his Vision never showed anything about an airplane, so people need to say what the tapes say and what the visions say and leave the rest to the speculators. 

The problem I see is that people are always looking forward to what God is going to do, and they are always looking back at what He did do, but they fail to see what God is doing right now.

In fact that is what brother Branham said in Identified Christ of all ages 64-0401 P:31 Man is always praising God for what He done, always looking forward for what He will do, and ignoring what He's doing. It's always been that same thing. And everybody's got his own private interpretation. God is His own Interpreter. God don't need no one to interpret. The Bible said It's without interpretation. It don't need man. God interprets the Bible Himself. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. That settles it. God said, "A virgin shall conceive," and she did. That settled it. When God says anything, and vindicates it, that's His interpretation of it. He said He'd pour out His Spirit in this last days, and He did it. There's no interpretation to it; it's already interpreted. Unbelievers might rise, and skeptics might stand, and whatever they might do, but God did it anyhow, because He said He would do it. He doesn't need anybody to interpret Him. He does His own interpretation. He made the promise, people believe it, and He interprets it to them. He's the Lord that heals all of our diseases. I can't tell you how He does it, but He does it. He said He would do it, that He would do it. So it's up to our faith.

Now the thing of it is, brother Branham said "that is the way people miss what God is doing. By looking forward and looking backward they miss what God is doing right now".

God in simplicity 63-0317M P:65 Many miss Him by the way He reveals Himself. Now, man has their own ideas of what God ought to be and what God is going to do; and as I have made the old statement many times that man still remains man. Man is always giving God praise for what He did do, and always looking forward to what He will do, and ignoring what He's doing. See, see?

Now, the next thing I would like to say is that this concept of a return ministry is not a new one. 2000 years ago in Jerusalem the disciples sat around doing absolutely nothing because they were looking for the return ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul on the other hand recognized the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Pillar of Fire that met him on the road to Damascus, and it was that same Pillar of Fire that had come to Moses and the children of Israel, and it was the same Pillar of fire that had indwelt Jesus.

We would see Jesus 58-0612 P:55 Look. When He was here on earth, how many knows that that was the Pillar of Fire that followed the children of Israel in the wilderness, that It was Christ, the Angel of the covenant? All right. And how many knows that that was Jesus in Jesus, that same Spirit? Look, when they questioned Him, Saint John 6, calling your  attention to it. They said, "You say you're greater than Abraham?" And said, that, "Why, you're only fifty years old, yet.” He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." I AM was in the burning bush. Is that right? A Pillar of Fire... When He was here on earth, He said, "I came from God, and I go to God." Did He say it? And then, if He came from the Pillar of Fire, He returned back to it again. After His death, burial, and resurrection, Saint Paul was on his road down to Damascus and a big bright Light struck in his face and blinded him. None of the rest of them saw It. Paul saw It. It blinded him; he fell on the ground. What is this Pillar of Fire, again? "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” "Who are You, Lord?” "I'm Jesus.” Is that right?

And That same Pillar of Fire was still on the scene in the midst of the people after it left Jesus and so Paul not only observed the return ministry of the spirit of Jesus in the form of the Pillar of Fire first hand, but he so entered into that ministry that the man and the ministry became one, and Paul’s ministry became the manifested Word for his hour. And God was able to use Paul mightily because he so recognized the Presence of Holy Spirit while the others just sat around bickering about who was in the Message and who was not.

You see, they were so focused on the man "the vessel" that they missed the God who had used that Vessel. 

Therefore the return ministry concept is not new to Christianity, and it is not confined alone to Christianity either. The Mohammedans have been looking for Mohammed to come back on a white horse and to conquer once again. And I believe that those extremist Moslems that are trying to conquer now in the name of Mohammed, are doing so with this in mind, hoping to set up his kingdom and to rule and reign once again.

But that does not concern me. What concerns me is what is taking place in this Message today. Now, I know that what I am going to say this morning will be misunderstood by some, but I am not concerned with that, what I am concerned with is this. If we are so focused on what is going to happen in the future, or what has already taken place in the past, then you are missing what God is doing right now. And since He is the God of the I Am or present truth, then if you are missing what he is doing now, you are out of the picture altogether. You’ve missed it. You are through, unless you repent and wake up to what God is doing right now. Now, we already read where Brother Branham said, Many miss Him by the way He reveals Himself… so if they miss Him they miss Him. And He said many will miss God that way, by looking forward or looking backwards.

Brother Branham taught us that God Interprets His Word by bringing it to pass. So if you do not want to be guilty of misinterpreting the Word, then be careful what you are saying about a Return Ministry.... 

Now, the question then arises, what do you believe concerning the tent and the time of the resurrection. Well, I believe exactly what William Branham taught about it.  As for the tent, he told his wife Meda not too long before God took him home, he said, “Meda, I am going to have that tent even if it is for one meeting.” So do I believe there will be a Tent? Yes sir! For how long? I don’t know but I believe it will be for at least one meeting.

Now, the best thing is that if we take everything back to Scripture then we can’t go wrong. Brother Branham said he checked every vision with the Scriptures, and if he had to then what about you and me?

Therefore concerning a resurrection ministry, we know Jesus had one.

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

Now, notice that when Jesus cried with a Loud Voice the graves opened up and many saints which slept arose, but notice they did not come out of the grave until after Jesus arose, that it might be fulfilled he led captivity captive. Jesus was the first fruits of the resurrection so the others would by necessity have to follow after he arose.

Now, do I believe that this will happen again? and if you believe that Alpha must repeat in Omega you will.

You see, in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of there being an order to the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his parousia. So if every man in his own order, then there is an order to how they will come up. Then Paul tells us a little bit more about the resurrection a few more verse into 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Now, what did brother Branham have to say about this? The same thing Paul said.

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

And from a sermon he preached called the From his sermon called The Seven Church Ages 54-0512 brother Branham said, "Behold He cometh with clouds." Now, let me stop here just a moment. Clouds doesn't mean that He's coming on a big thunderhead as mama, bless her heart - she's sitting here somewhere. I remember her voice, she used to set and tell me, said, He's coming on a great big cloud, gonna raise someday and God's gonna come on. Now the Cloud that He's coming is, if we just had the time to get this back, and get the real background and the whole thing. Now the Cloud He's coming in is not a cloud, like a thunderhead, but it's a Cloud of Glory He's coming in. See? Now, when Jesus was overshadowed by God on Mount Transfiguration, Clouds overshadowed Him and His raiment. See? And when Elijah would come down, a cloud come down and received him up, not a not a thunderhead, but a Cloud of Glory. His great glorious Presence will strike the earth. He cometh in Clouds! Oh, I love that. Clouds, there'll be wave after wave of His Glory will come across the earth - and the resurrection of the saints shall come. That blessed Holy Spirit that's lived in their hearts and they're dried with their corpse laying there and the pierced veins over their cheeks and things like that and they're placed back in the graveyard. A great wave of that same Spirit and a sshhewww, wave after wave - He that was last will be the first. He that was first will be last. I kinda see that way...that's the order of the resurrection. I won't know nobody in the generation before me or the generation after me. I'll know those in the generation with me. Every generation will come successfully right as it went down. They which were last will be first. Sure, that's me. See? I'll know my people, the next time my dad and his people, my grandfather and his people, on down like that, wave after wave after wave after wave. And the saints will rise from everywhere. Won't that be wonderful, Amen. That makes the old people feel young again, yes. Now notice closely, for I come to you in a Cloud, and every eye shall see Him, no matter how far back they died, they'll see Him.

And from Questions and Answers 1 64-0823M 982-Q-276 276. Brother Branham, will the Bride go through the persecution as the early apostolic church did? No, I just explained that a few minutes ago. No, next thing is a rapture now. Remember, we're at the promised land; we're at the border. You understand the march of Israel?

And his sermon Just Once More Lord 63-1201E 151 Brother, sister, I don't know, in my Bible, of any other thing God promised to do before the Rapture of the Church.. The next thing left is for the Rapture of the Church. It could come at any time, and not disrupt any Scripture in the Bible, as far as I know it.

Now, we know the Rapture is already in Process because a vindicated prophet told us that the Lord does three things in His descent, a Shout, A Voice and a trumpet. And he told us the Shout is the Message, that is the “Kalusma” which is a military command, all things in subjection. Well, frankly Paul said we are all things in Christ, and I do not see that we are all in subjection yet to God. The next thing is the Voice which Brother Branham said is the Resurrection, the same voice that raised Lazarus from the Grave. And that was not the voice of the Son of God, but God that was indwelling His Son. He said Lazarus come forth and he did.

The last is the trump which is the catching away. And that is what takes us out of here. So there is a time element to the three phases of the Rapture.

Rapture the 65-1204 P:75 Three things happen, a voice--a shout, a voice, a trumpet, has to happen before Jesus appears. Now, a shout. Jesus does all three of them when He's--He's--He's descending. A "shout," what is a "shout"? It's the Message going forth first, the living Bread of Life bringing forth the Bride.Now, God has a way of doing things, and He never changes His policy. He never changes His... He's the unchanging God. In Amos 3:7 He said He would do nothing on the earth until first He revealed it to His servants the prophets. And just as certain as He promised it, He'll do it.

Rapture the 65-1204 P:93 Therefore, the Message calls the Bride together. See? The shout and the trumpet, the same morning with a loud voice He screamed out with that shout, and--and voice and woke Lazarus. With a loud voice He cried, "Lazarus, come forth." See? And the voice wakes up--wakes up the sleeping Bride, the sleeping dead.And the trumpet, with the sound of the trumpet, and when it does, it calls... Always a trumpet called Israel to the Feast of the Trumpets (See?), which was the Pentecostal feast, the great feast in the sky and the Feast of the Trumpets... And now, a trumpet denounced a calling together, calling to the feast. And now that is the--the Lamb's supper in the sky (Now, watch.,)--the assembling together in the Bride, the Feast of the Trumpets, the Wedding Supper.We have seen it in types. Now, watch just a moment before we close.

Rapture the 65-1204 P:89 The next is what? was a trumpet. A voice--a shout, a voice, a trumpet. Now, the third thing is a trumpet, which always at the Feast of Trumpets is calling the people to the feast; and that'll be the Bride's supper, the Lamb's supper with the Bride in the sky.See, the first things comes forth is His Message calling the Bride together. The next thing is a resurrection of the sleeping Bride, the--the one that's died back in the other ages. They're caught together, and the trumpet, the feast in the heavens--in the sky. Why, it's--that's the thing that takes place, friends.We're right there ready now. The only thing, the church coming out has got to lay before the sun to ripen. The great combine will come by after while. The wheat will be burned, the stalks, but the grain will be gathered into it's garner. See?

God In Simplicity 63-0317M 42-1 {267}. But you know Jesus didn’t come contrary to the Word; He come according to the Word, But contrary to their interpretation. See? He taught things that was against their ecclesiastical training about Him.

Titus 2:11 11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Letting off the Pressure 62-0518 E-112 What's the matter with people? Can't you see we're at the end time? It's all over. The next thing will be a sweep will...?... that little group together. In a month or so she'll be gone, as soon as she's gathered together

So I do not look for a very long period of time when the resurrection begins. In the book of acts we see that it was about 40-50 days is all. And Alpha must repeat in Omega.

I was associated with the return ministry group 40 years ago and all this is nothing new to me. However, There is a danger in running headstrong after this teaching. Most of them professing the return ministry have rejected the doctrine that brother Branham taught and have almost deified Br. Branham as a man making him God. When you hear them talk, they do not speak of the Word of God or the doctrine that separated brother Branham from all other ministries. What they talk about is the supernatural. But, brother Branham made it very clear that the supernatural was only the bait to get us to see who is here.

But that is what they reject. If they believed The Presence they would not be looking down the road. They do not teach the Presence of  the pillar of Fire is here leading the Bride, nor do they understand and teach the Godhead right and thus do not understand their own relationship with God as sons.

And there are so many scriptures that are being fulfilled in this late hour that strictly concerns sons. So we ought to know, but do we?

Be very careful not to get yourself involved with this teaching on return ministry, because it is a very religious spirit and brings with it much fear and condemnation. In other words, if you do not say it the way they say it they will damn you to hell as an unbeliever.

I speak from experience. You know it is strange but when you listen to those men speak of Brother Branham coming back it is as though the Lord Jesus Himself is returning.  

Concerning brother Branham's coming back in the resurrection, we must never forget that what took place in the Alpha must be repeated in Omega. Jesus Himself did not have His own separate resurrection. When he arose from the dead, the old testament saints also arose, although he came forth first because he was the first-fruits of the resurrection.

Many who teach "The Return Ministry” as their staple are concerned about the tent, and yet brother Branham said he thought it looked more like a large auditorium, and you do not take a large auditorium from one location to another.

Brother Branham always taught us, "God interpret His own Word by bringing it to pass", and so we should wait on God to interpret it or we could miss it altogether"

So we must wait for God to bring it to pass before we go to preaching about it or we may find ourselves getting the people looking in the wrong direction and miss whatever God has for us.  therefore let me read to you some qotes from brother Branham concerning the time of the resurrection.

Mother's Day 59-0510M 81 And as the light begins to spread we'll know as we're known; we'll understand. And we'll remember our acquaintance and the ones that's been there. And there'll be many there that we didn't even think would be there, for you know it's at that time that I believe that the bread that we have cast upon the human troubled waters will return to us, on that day. When we see the effects of our testimony on people that we didn't understand their actions towards it, will probably be there. What a day that will be! And then the seeds that we sowed not even thinking what they would do, but here they are. They brought forth precious fruits and we'll see them on that day.

Mother's Day 59-0510M  86 As that great light begins to spread all - as we begin to look around, and the great circle will be getting and greater and greater; it's all just reflecting the approach of Jesus. And after while, as the song said, And I shall we see Jesus at last. He will be waiting for me,  Jesus so kind and true,  On His beautiful Throne, He'll welcome me Home  After this day is through.  Then as we see Him...and we'll not be as we are now. We'll know how to love Him more. We'll not stand back with a little fear, because we'll be like Him. He'll be more of a relative to us than He is now. We'll understand Him better, because we're so far away in the mortal bodies. Then we'll have a body like His glorious body. We'll know how to worship Him.  And when we see what the Presence of His Being has done to us, changed us, the old back young, all the deformed straightened out, oh, we'll understand then why His power healed us. The questions that's been in our mind, "How can He do it? What would this?" somehow, mysteriously, they'll all fade away. The knots that's been tied in the back of our minds, "Will it be this? How could it be?" somehow, or another, majestic fingers will just untangle, unravel those knots, and it'll all fade into the one big crown of love.

When Their Eyes Were Opened - 56-0420 Soon there's something greater that this coming; it'll soon be here. It'll be marvellous then, if the Lord willing. How many ever read my last vision that's been wrote up in the magazine? Wait till you see that take place. Then this'll be minor, what the Lord's fix - you'll just keep on and on, on and on. Jesus is coming. The time of the gathering of the people is at hand, and we must look forward to great things to happen. How many read the sermon, "When Omnipotence Speaks, Miracles Happen?" Did you believe that? Certainly! Omnipotence spoke at every junction. And when the church cooled off then Omnipotence spoke; miracles takes place. And this is the junction of all junctions; this is the end time. The end of the whole history of the world is right now at hand. So you can expect Omnipotence to speak, and you can expect the greatest and mightiest miracles that's ever happened on the earth will happen in the next few years to come, Jesus tarries. It will be!

So brother Branham himself was anticipating God to step on the scene and do great things. And what could be greater than for you to receive a change of the body?

Greater Than Solomon Is Here - 58- 0625 So I pray that someday I'll see that great uniting together of all the body of Jesus Christ coming together at one great big body; then the rapture shall come

What Is The Holy Ghost? - 59-1216  Now, the Spirit of God has worked under Justification under Luther, Sanctification under Wesley, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost under Pentecost; and here It is in the last day performing and doing the very same things that It did when It was in Christ! What is it? The Church and Christ has become One. And as soon as They connect together, that last link, She will go through the sky shouting. Up will come Wesley, Luther, all the rest of them back in those days there. He that's first will be last; he that's last will be first; and there'll come the resurrection.

Questions & Answers - 59-1223 Just now, Brother Mercier said he got the best out of the meeting where we explained that when that Holy Spirit came into the meeting and broke Itself up, and God dividing Himself amongst His people... Well, that's just what It does. And then, when God's people begins to gather back together, there's unity, there's power. See? And whenever God's people gets together completely, I believe the resurrection will take place then. There'll be a rapturing time when the Holy Spirit begins to gather it up. It'll be in the minority, of course, but there will be a great gathering.

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

How Can I Overcome - 63-0825 1M  Sooner or later we're going to have to give each other up. But that won't hurt the rapture now. See? No. They come first then. Them are privileged that's gone on. They come first, See, we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord will not hinder or prevent those that are asleep. The trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then when our eyes behold our loved ones, then we'll be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, and with them shall be caught up together.

Going Beyond The Camp - 64-0719 2E  And you know, we'll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. Think of it! Missing people, they can't see you no more, but you're getting together with the rest of the group. "They which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (or `hinder,' the word is) those which are asleep." Not dead, no, Christians don't die. They're just taking a little rest (see?); that's all. Oh, my! "And the trump of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, appear to many.." And all at once you happen to stand and look, and "Well, there's a brother..." And you know it ain't long. In a few minutes we'll be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, and together with them be missing on earth, caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

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

Questions & Answers - 64-0823 1M Luke 21:36  This the third pull and is speaking the Word. It seems entirely possible for you to speak the word and one would be completely and fully restored, placed entirely ready for the rapture in the resurrection, the Son of man. This is so, or is it not? And you would do this if properly pressed upon. Would you not "escape all these things (it's got a ditto there) escape all these things and stand before the Son of man"? Now, my dear friend. See? Now, I think here that you got a good statement. Yes, sir! Yes, sir! Now, that would be so. You said, "Brother Branham..." In other words, here's what I'm... I don't think that it's... I can... I believe I... Not polishing up what you said, but I believe I can make it a little clearer to people. See? You are believing, because of the Spoken Words and things like that that He said about. And all of you here witnessed the squirrels and all these other things that's been done. But did you notice, that was Sovereignly given! I never asked Him, "Lord, let me do this, speak these things in like that, do these things there." I never asked Him that. He by His own Divine will came to me and said, "You go do this."

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

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

Questions & Answers - 64-0823 1M Now, the Bible said ... And if you call me a prophet, I don't say I am; but if you call me that, remember, I'm saying to you in the name of a prophet (see?) - in the name of a prophet, the resurrection and rapture will be general all over the entire world! No matter where you're at, when that hour comes, you'll be caught up to meet Him! That's all! There's nothing going to stop you, no matter where you are. And I only hope that I'm there, one of them. I just only trust and hope in God that I'll be one of them and each one of you will be in the - in the same.

Questions & Answers - 64-0823 1M Across the world, they won't be gathered in one place to have things in common. But little groups of them will be scattered all over the earth. I believe, maybe if the Lord permits, this is a little group of It. Maybe another little group in Asia, one down in Germany, one down somewhere else. When I seen a vision of the Bride the other night, They was made up from the international. See? So the Bride won't be gathered from one place, It'll be gathered from all over the world.

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

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

Let us pray...