Spoken Word no. 232

“Precious in the sight of the Lord”

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

March 13th, 2011

 

Psalms 116: 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Now, this word precious was translated from a Hebrew word “Yaqra” pronounced yaw-Kawr and means costly, highly valued, valuable. So it does not mean that the Lord looks on with favor to the death of His saints, but rather that the Lord considers it very costly to Him when one of His saints dies.

 

Luke 10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

 

I Samuel 8:6  But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.  7  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8  According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9  Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

 

This morning I would like to read from Paragraphs 158 to 161 from brother Branham’s Message, “The Spoken Word is the original Seed” and I would like to examine brother Branham’s thoughts on why it is that God’s Messengers are always rejected.

 

This sermon this morning will be more of a history lesson than an inspirational Message, but I think it can inspire us to not be afraid when the time comes for the persecution or Squeeze of the bride, and for those who will have to go through the tribulation, perhaps it may help them to understand that dying for the Lord is a wonderful opportunity to be numbered among many who have done so.

 

Hebrews 11: 13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 

 

Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

 

158   Listen, let's bypass some of it. God's Messengers always has been rejected. You believe that? Moses was rejected. Is that right? Jesus was rejected. And Luke said in 10:16 (if you want to write that down, all right)--rejected; I Samuel 8:7, God's message was rejected. God had a messenger, a prophet called Samuel. You believe it? Rejected him and his message, they took the world. This is the law of God. This is going... I don't know whether to say this or not. This is a law of God. God's law is to receive a vindicated servant. Let's just prove that a minute. I want to take one of the Scriptures here: John 13:20. Let's just see; I got something wrote down here, I just kind of, I get in my mind just then. Oh yeah, here you are. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receives whosoever I send receives me; and he that receives me receives him that sent me.” A vindicated servant... Oh, brother, there's a thousand sermons laying right here now. See? That's right. Oh, my, it's a law of God; receive it.


  159   Samuel come down and said, "I want to ask you something. Have I ever told you anything in the Name of the Lord that didn't come to pass?" "No." "Have I ever took up any offerings to build big buildings and do great a lot of thing and glorify myself?" "Nope." "Has God proved to answer the Word that I've said?" "Yep." "Well, why don't you hear me?"


  160   Jesus said to the Pharisees which said, "We know you're born in fornication." He said, "Which one of you can condemn Me of sin? Let Me show you God's Word and see if you believe It. See if God vindicates It in you. And let Me speak of Myself. If I speak of Myself, I'm a liar; but if I speak of God, and God speaks through Me by His Word, then it's the Truth. Then who believes the Word of God, Me or you?" Aha. That had it. Jesus said, "He that receives them that I send, receives Me." And now... Them that He sends... "And them that receives Me receives Him that sent Me." Wish we had time to linger on that.


  161   You can only serve God as you do and believe the servants that God sends. You can only serve God on earth (See?) as God's servants that's sent on earth by Divine inspiration interprets the Word to you. You believe that? You want to put down some Scriptures for it? I Corinthians 14:16. Paul said, "You follow me as I follow Christ." Also, 11:1; 1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Luke 10:16. See what He said, what Jesus said there: Luke 10:16. Believe we're right close to it here. Let's see what it says one time here. Luke 10:16, while they're writing the rest of them down.

 

Now, that's I Corinthians 14:16, also 11:1, and Luke 10:16. Now, let's read. I'm getting to Luke 10:16 here just to read, while you all looking at the other now, just for a moment. All right, here we are. He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despises you despises me; and he that despises me despises him that sent me. That proves that God speaks His message through His servants: always has. That's right.

 

Now, there is quite a list of God’s Messengers that we could give you today so you will understand that God’s Servants are always rejected by the majority of so called believers.

 

Let’s go back to the first one, Joseph:

 

Genesis 37:1  And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2  These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. 4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.  …11  And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. 12  And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 13  And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14  And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.  15  And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16  And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17  And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18  And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19  And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.  20  Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21  And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22  And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 23  And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;  24  And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25  And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26  And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27  Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.  28  Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. 29  And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30  And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31  And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32  And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 33  And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34  And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35  And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 36  And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

 

Revelation chapter one 60-1204M P:114 Let me just take now and compare that with Zechariah the 12th, just for a moment. Now, we know that in type... If you teach types, then you always get it right, I think, in type. Now, Joseph when he was born, he was hated by his brethren. Is that right? Now, I want to show you: Joseph represents the Spirit-filled church. Joseph was hated of his brethren. Why? Because he was spiritual. Joseph could not help because he could see visions. He could not help because he dreamed dreams (See?) and could interpret dreams. That was what was in him. He could not display anything else but what that was in him. Well, then his brothers hated him without a cause. But his father loved him, because his father was a prophet. See how it was with Jesus? God loved His Son; but the brethren, the Pharisees and Sadducees, hated Him because He could heal the sick, and foretell things, and see visions, interpret. See what I mean? They hated Him without a cause.

 

Identified Christ of all ages 64-0409 P:38 Now, along come Joseph. Joseph, a perfect example, that was Christ in Joseph. Why, you notice he was loved of his father, despised of his brothers because he was a seer. They hated him without a cause. The man couldn't help what he was; he was. And the other brothers hated him, a very good type of all ages. Always when a seer comes on the scene, the rest of them hate him for the same cause as they did Joseph. He couldn't help it. He could interpret their dreams. Never was He wrong. He foretold things. Never was he wrong. And his brothers hated him without a cause. And notice, his life portrayed Christ to us exactly, even sold almost for thirty pieces of silver, taken up out of the ditch, and set at the right hand of Pharaoh, the ruler of the world at that day. And every time he left the palace, they sounded a trumpet and said, "Every knee bow, 'cause Joseph is coming," a perfect type of Christ in the millennium when the trumpet sounds, and He'll come forth, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to Him. Notice, in his prison he was a prophet. That's when he was sold, and put into prison on account of Potiphar's wife. Then we find that in there the butcher and the baker, they both had a dream. And he interpreted the dream, and one was lost and one was saved. So did Jesus on the cross exactly. One was lost, one was saved, when He was in His prison, tacked to the cross. Just a perfect example.

 

Faith 56-0427 P:47 In Egypt when the poor Jews were all beat... Joseph being a type of Christ born to be a seer. He saw visions. He was hated of his brothers, loved of his father. He couldn't help because he saw visions. He was a spiritual boy. God made him that way, and the father loved him; but his brothers hated him, a type of the Church today. The carnal thinking Christian hates the spiritual things, hates the phenomenal, hates the spiritual of born again, hates the great move of God, hate it without a cause. That's right. Don't un-christianize them, but they hate... Always the natural hates the supernatural. Amen.

 

Now let’s look at Moses: Exodus 17:1  And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 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.

 

Numbers 14: 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

 

Numbers 16: 3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

 

Numbers 16: 41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.  42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

 

Numbers 20: 2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

 

Exodus 15: 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

Exodus 16: 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

 

Exodus 16: 8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

 

Numbers 21: 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6  And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

 

Exodus 32: 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

 

Modern events made clear by prophecy 65-1206 P:32 That's right. The Word always comes to His prophet. So we can't expect It to come to theologians. We can't expect It to come to denominations. It's got to come God's channeled route that He foretold us about, and that's the only way It'll ever come. It'll be hated, despised, rejected. When It does come, It'll be thrown out to one side and everything, but God will do it anyhow. It was rejected in Jesus Christ; it was rejected in John; it was rejected by Jeremiah; it was rejected by Moses. It's always that way. But God moves right on in the way that He promised He would do it. Yes, sir. He never does fail to do it the same way.

 

Events made clear by prophecy 65-0801E P:37 Look at the age of Noah at the climax before judgment. What happened? Noah, it was only his own family that believed the man. The rest of them criticized him. And He destroyed the whole world. In the days of Abraham, only Abraham's group that believed... When the angels went and preached to Sodom, only Lot and his wife and two daughters come out, and she turned back to a pillar of salt. In the days of Moses, only the elected of Israel come out. And Pharaoh hated him. In the days of Elijah, everything almost but seven thousand man, every one of them hated him, the whole nation. In the days of Jeremiah, why, they thrown unripe fruit at him and called him a fanatic, because he laid on his side for so many days, and the other side, and--and taken things and made symbols. They hated him. Isaiah the prophet, he condemned that race so much till they sawed him in two with a saw. Right.

 

Does God change His mind 65-0418E P:47 Notice. And it's always caused the natural to hate the spiritual. It caused Cain to hate Abel; it caused Korah to hate Moses; it caused Judas to hate Jesus; and on and on it goes. It causes the natural to hate the spiritual, just as Cain at the beginning hated Abel, the one that God received the sacrifice from, and tries to destroy them. You... They try to destroy the influence; they try to destroy everything, because it's nothing but jealousy. It started in Cain and proved that it was jealousy, and it's still the same thing today when the natural, the carnal, and the spiritual meet together. It proves it's Satan, no other way, because jealousy comes from Satan. And then causes an impersonation of the truth: somebody to try to impersonate something that isn't--they are not ordained to do. How much of that have we seen in these last days? Oh, my. How much of it?So we see God does for--not forever change His mind about His original Word, but who He calls, that's who He ordains. No one else can take that place. No one could take Moses' place. No matter how many Korahs raised up and how many Dathans, it was Moses God had called, regardless.

And then what about Job: The book of Job was written around the time of Moses and the exodus so let’s look at Him.  Now, Job was not exactly a Messanger but he was a True servant and believer in God.

 

Job 2:1  Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2  And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.  4  And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5  But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.  7  So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

 

Job 32: 3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

 

Job 42: 7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

 

Isaiah: Since the Book of Isaiah nor any other books of the Bible specifically refer to the death of Isaiah we will use the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud for our information. Paul Mentions in  Hebrews 11:37 '....they were sawn asunder..' and since it does not say who they were it is assumed he is speaking of isaiah for one because it is a part of Jewish history.

 

According to both Talmud’s, Isaiah was sawn in half by the wicked king Manasseh who was the son of King Hezekiah. In the Bible Isaiah's prophecy ceased with Hezekiah after Manasseh succeeded him.

 

Isaiah 1:1 contains the list of Kings of Judah under which Isaiah prophesied. 1  The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. From : 2 and on we see how rebellious Israel had become against God and His servants. 2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.  5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.  6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.  7  Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.  8  And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9  Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.  12  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?  13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.  14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.  16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.  18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 24  Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: 25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:  26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.  28  And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.  29  For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. 30  For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. 31  And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

 

We also know that Manasseh shed innocent blood and he sacrificed living children into the outstretched arms of the idol Moloch. And also the execution of people like Isaiah who was obviously innocent. If the Talmud is accurate - and it is certainly possible from what we know of Manasseh plus the historical time-frame - then is a reference to this murderous crime.



Jeremiah: Who wrote 1 & 2 Kings, the Book of Jeremiah, and Lamentations. He is considered the 2nd of the major prophets by Judaism and Christianity. His death is said to have occurred after many years in prison in Babylon, and after that he went to Egypt and there died.  


Jeremiah   23: 2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

 

Jeremiah 23: 1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

 

Jeremiah 22: 22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

 

Jeremiah 17: 16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

 

Jeremiah 12: 10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

 

Jeremiah 10: 21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

 

Jeremiah 3: 15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

 

Jeremiah 2: 8The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

 

Broken cisterns 65-0123 P:11 Now, during the time of Jeremiah here, his prophecy, it had been about sixty years since the death of Isaiah. And they'd been about sixty years without a major prophet. There was Habakkuk and some of the small minor prophets, but Isaiah was the last major prophet. And the people had, during this time had had no one to call them out, they had drifted (Yet, they were God's people.), had drifted into this state nowthat we find them in, as Jeremiah came to prophesy to them. And Jeremiah also... He prophesied before the exile, and also he went into exile with them. And then, of course, Daniel come on after Jeremiah. And Daniel said that he had understandings by the Scripture of the seventy years that they was to be there.' Course, there was another prophet among them, that wanted to make this yoke, as he put it upon his neck, that it would be a small thing, that, "Within two years, well, God was going to bring them all back," but Jeremiah knowed different from that. And we know what happened to the prophet who prophesied wrongly; he died that same year. So God wouldn't let him stand.

 

Investments 63-0126 P:93 When the income tax put me under a burden the other day for checks that people had signed in a meeting to pay off the meeting... The income tax went back fifteen years, and made me pay to them forty thousand dollars. And I had to get men with collateral and things. And they're setting right in this building now, to sign a ticket, that I could pay it off at four thousand dollars a year, or be brought in before the courts. I said, "I don't owe it. Here's my sheets of my income tax." Said, "Yeah, but when them people sign that check, they had... You identified yourself when you signed it. It as yours, and then you turned it over to pay the price of the meeting." See? Is that justice? No, sir. No justice. I thought very bad about it. When... I looked over in the Bible and seen that every man that ever held a spiritual office in the Bible was connected with the government. The government got him, 'cause it's the seat of the devil. Take back... Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel, all the prophets, even to Jesus Christ, died under capital punishment by the government. They can't catch them in morals and anything else, so the devil in his main seat throws it on with the government. That's exactly right.

 

In Jeremiah 20:7 we hear some of his lamentations concerning all the mockery and persecution he went through.  7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.  8  For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. 10  For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.  11  But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. 12  But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

 

Ezekiel: was also hated by the people. Why? because God sent him to clean up the mess the people had gotten themselves into, and they refused to listen as always.

 

Joseph meeting his brethren 56-1230 P:62 The ecclesiastical sphere speaking of the world educationally and socially speaking, they are above them. And we are glad to be humble, because those that will humble themselves, God will someday come the second time in glory to exalt His Church. Until then, let's earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Let us pray. And now, with our heads bowed, I just wonder if there would be one this morning, or many I hope that has never yet accepted this Christ, and His great blessings, and His great powers; and we are wondering today, if you would make your choice today, and say, "Lord Jesus, it is I, and I desire to be Your servant with all my heart to take the way with the Lord's despised few. I see now, Lord, it's not what the world speaks of; it's what Your Bible speaks of. It's not what the world calls me. They hate me as they did Joseph. They hate me as they did Abel. They hate me as they did John. They hate me as they did Daniel. They hate me as they did Ezekiel, Zechariah. They hate me as they did Jesus. They hate me as they did the apostles and those who followed You without a cause. Lord, I pray for them."

 

Daniel: Thrown into the lions den. What a vicious way to treat any human being. And had it not been for the Holy Ghost coming in the form of the Pillar of Fire and preventing them lions from coming at Daniel, the story would have been very different. Men constantly conspiring against him because he was spiritual.

 

Shalom 64-0119 P:79 And when somebody begins to make fun of you, say, "She's old fashion. Look at him, he's... Oh, I'll tell you; he used to be..." All right, just remember, it's growing pains. That's that persecution's good for you. It's growing pains. Oh, yes, He permits crosses and crossroads and junctions. He always does that in order to perfect us for His service. He permits those things to happen. Can't you understand that? He does that so He can perfect you for the calling He's called you for. That's your growing pains. He did Daniel that way, you know. He did the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. What did the fiery furnace do? The fiery furnace only broke the bands that had them bound. That's all the furnace did, just burnt loose the bands.

 

Influence of another 62-1013 P:24 Every spirit-filled man of the Bible died or was persecuted under the federal government. Every one of them that you can think of: Moses, the Hebrew children, and Daniel, and Isaiah. Isaiah was sawed to pieces with a saw. And on down, John the Baptist, every one of the apostles, Jesus Himself, all died under capital punishment or punishment from the federal government. And according the way things are heaping up, there's going to be more testimonies added to theirs one of these days. See? And if there ever was a time that we must stick together, it's now.I guess you hear of the meeting going on in Rome, and we're having--they're having a great time over there. And they're going to start a revival. It'll be a worldwide revival, surely.

 

Making a way 56-0304 P:43 When Daniel stood there, and the lion's come running to him, there was not a fear in that old saint's heart. But he stood there, and God wasn't finished with him. And just before the lions grabbed him, a Angel spread before them. No doubt but the same burning Light that appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. A big Light shined out, and they looked, and they didn't know what was taking place, and Saul fell from his horse, and a voice came from the Light saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Said, "Who is it, Lord?" He said, "I, Jesus you're persecuting."

 

Zechariah: was stoned to death in the temple Matthew 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

 

Amos: Although the Bible does not tell us how he died, yet Jewish Tradition says he died a terrible death at the hands of Jeroboam 2nd.

 

Paul: was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in A.D. 67.  It is not so important how the apostles died. What is important is the fact that they were all willing to die for their faith. If Jesus had not been resurrected, the disciples would have known it. People will not die for something they know to be a lie. The fact that all of the apostles were willing to die horrible deaths, refusing to renounce their faith in Christ, is tremendous evidence that they had truly witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Peter also known as Simon: died 33-34 years after the death of Christ.  The time and manner of the apostle’s martyrdom are not certain. According to the early writers, he died at or about the same time with Paul, and in the Neronian persecution, A.D. 67,68. All agree that he was crucified. Origen says that Peter felt himself to be unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his Master, and was therefore, at his own request, crucified with his head downward." Jesus told Peter how he would die in John 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. It is believed that he was crucified because Jesus said they would spread his hands and carry him.

 

The only apostle whose death the Bible records is James (Acts 12:2). King Herod had James “put to death with the sword,” likely a reference to beheading. The circumstances of the deaths of the other apostles are related through church tradition, so we should not put too much weight on any of the other accounts. The most commonly accepted church tradition in regard to the death of an apostle is that the apostle Peter was crucified upside-down on an x-shaped cross in Rome in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy (John 21:18). The following are the most popular “traditions” concerning the deaths of the other apostles:


Matthew: was martyred in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound. He must have lived many years as an apostle, since he was the author of the Gospel of Matthew which was written at least twenty years after the death of Christ. There is reason to believe that he stayed for fifteen years at Jerusalem, after which he went as missionary to the Persians, Parthians and Medes. There is a legend that he died a martyr in Ethiopia

 

John: faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, God miraculously delivered him from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos where he wrote his the book of Revelations. He was later freed and returned to what is now modern-day Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.


James: the brother of Jesus (not officially an apostle), was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the temple (over a hundred feet down) when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a club. This is thought to be the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the temptation.


Bartholomew: also know as Nathanael, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed in present-day Turkey and was martyred for his preaching in Armenia, being flayed to death by a whip.

 

Andrew: was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers, they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died.

 

Matthias: the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

 

James the son of Zebedee:  He was put to death by Herod Agrippa I  shortly before the day of the Passover, in the year 44 or about 11 years after the death of Christ.  From Acts 12: 1-2.  Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

 

Andrew:  No accurate death date given. A variety of traditions say he preached in Scythia, in Greece, in Asia Minor and Thrace.  He is reported to have been crucified at Patrae in Achaia. 

 

Philip:  Again, the Bible does not say when he died nor do we have accurate information.  According to tradition he preached in Phrygia, and died at Hierapolis. 

 

Thomas: The earlier traditions, as believed in the fourth century, say he preached in Parthia or Persia, and was finally buried at Edessa. The later traditions carry him farther east.   His martyrdom whether in Persia or India, is said to have been by a lance.

 

James Alpheus: We know he lived at least five years after the death of Christ because of mentions in the Bible.  According to tradition, James son of Alpheus was thrown down from the temple by the scribes and Pharisees; he was then stoned, and his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club. 

Jude (Thaddeus) according to tradition Jude taught in Armenia, Syria and Persia where he was martyred.  Tradition tells us he was buried in Kara Kalisa in what is now Iran.