Seals 4: The Second Seal

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Good evening, friends. Let's all stand just a moment for prayer.
Our heavenly Father, we have assembled again in this solemn assembly tonight, in the service of the Lord. And Thou hast promised that wherever we would meet together, as many as two or three of us, that You would be in the midst of us. And we can be assured that You are here, for we have assembled in his name.
Now we pray, Father, that You will come tonight and will break this second seal for us. And as the poet has said, he would like to look a-past the curtain of time. That's our desire, Lord, is just to look a-past and see what lays ahead. And we pray that the Lamb that had been slain will come among us now and break the seal and reveal it to us, the things we have need to see.

2 If there be some here, Lord, who has not yet entered into this great fellowship around Christ, we pray that tonight that they'll make that eternal decision, be filled with the Spirit of God.
If there be any sick, Father, we pray that You'll heal them. Here are many handkerchiefs laying here that I'm holding my hands upon in commemoration of the Bible, of St. Paul, where they taken from his body handkerchiefs and aprons. Unclean spirits left the people and they were healed.
We see the near coming of the Lord. We know that time is drawing nigh. These things has returned again to the church after 1,900 years.
Now we pray, Father, that You will grant these things we ask for. Strengthen thy servant and help thy servants everywhere, Lord, especially we who are assembled here tonight, that we might be able to receive the Word. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

3 It's certainly good to be back in the house of the Lord again tonight. And I know, so many of you standing... I'm sorry about that, but there's just hardly anything more we can do. We've got the church ... just increased it to where we can get three hundred or four hundred more in. But in special meetings this way it carries a little heavier crowd.

4 Now, oh, I'm just having a wonderful time praying and studying these seals. I hope you all are too. I'm sure you are. If it's meaning as much to you as it is to me, you're certainly having a wonderful time.
And ... I got a ... I want to call a girl friend of mine after the service, and this is her birthday. She's twelve years old today---Sarah, my daughter. And next ... and then day after tomorrow I have to make another call 'cause it's Becky's birthday.

5 Now, tonight we are studying this second seal. For the first four seals there is four horse riders. I tell you, today something happened again, and I ... something that I... I go and get the old script that I had that I talked on long ago. And I just sat down there, and I thought, "Well, I did the very best I could." And many writers and things... And I thought, "Well, I'll read a little while and look over, and see this and that." And the first thing you know, something just happens, and it is altogether different. It just comes in different. Then I grab me a pencil right quick and start writing down just as fast as I can while He's there.

6 Oh, just something happened just about one-half hour ago. I was telling Brother Wood, coming down just a few minutes ago, just something, you know... You know there's a lot of things happen you just can't talk about, you know that ... just something just took place that just helped me so much.
I've got a friend here somewhere in the building... Of course you're all my friends. This brother is Brother Lee Vayle. He's a precious brother and a real student of the Scripture. Dr. Vayle is a Baptist with the Holy Ghost, and he is a... I don't say this complimentary. I just say it because I believe it. I think he is one of the best versed students that I know of among our ranks. And he just wrote me a little note here and sent it in there by Billy. And Billy couldn't hardly make it out to me. And I think---I haven't read it over---but I was just going to say what he said here. And I just read it (Brother Vayle, if you are here), I just read this about six months ago.

7 "I'm not positive," he said, "Brother Bill, I'm not positive, but I believe that Polycarp was a student of St. John. [That's correct, he was.] I think Irenaeus was a student of Polycarp. [That's correct, exactly.] Irenaeus said, 'Jesus will return when the last elected member of the body of Christ comes in.'"
That was Irenaeus, about four hundred years after the death of Christ. He said, "When this last age comes in..." Now that's in the pre-Nicaea Council. You fellows here that read and study the Scripture---I mean study the history of the Bible---you find that in the pre-Nicaea Council. I think it's the first book or the second book, you'll find it.

8 Now, he saw it years ago, that he said at the last one... Elected---that's elected. People think that election is something that's just been something hatched up here lately. My, that is one of the oldest teachings that we have---election and calling. So Irenaeus, certainly a real student of the Scripture, always believed in election. And so Irenaeus was one of the angels of the church age, as we've seen as we studied, we believe. Of course, now, they were all mysteries. They were all hid right here in these seals, and they are to be revealed in the last day. Now they started off with Paul and Irenaeus, and Martin, and so forth down, as it come on down to the last age.

9 We're trusting now that the Lord will bless us in our efforts tonight. Now. We've been... The first seal, I certainly enjoyed that---the first seal---the blessings that went with it to me. And now I don't want to keep you too long, but you see, I'll be going, now, just again in a few nights after this is over. And we have to just kind of suffer a little while.

10 I appreciate ... I see Brother Junior Jackson standing there, and I thought I seen Brother Ruddell a few moments ago, here somewhere. And them brethren... That's our sister churches that has let out, and the others. We certainly appreciate that. And I see Brother Hooper, I believe, standing up along the wall there, from Utica, the church there. And we certainly appreciate you-all's fine cooperation in this.

11 Now, last evening, as we always like in teaching on the seals, we teach it the same way you do on the church ages. When we got finished with teaching the church age, the last time---when I drawed them out here on the pulpit, on the board---how many remember what took place? He came right down, went right back on the wall, and the light, and drawed it off Himself, right there on the wall before us all. The Angel of the Lord stood right here before several hundred people. And now He's doing something real supernatural now, too. So we're just expecting great things. We don't know... Do you like to just wait for that great anticipation, just don't know what's going to happen next? you know, just waiting?

12 Now, how great God is to us! How wonderful! We so appreciate Him. Now the first and second verse ... I'll read it to kind of give a little background. Then we'll take the third and fourth verse for the second seal; and then the fifth and sixth verses is the third seal; and the seventh and eighth is the ... two verses to each horse rider.

13 I want you to watch how these fellows on this pale horse, maybe... Here it comes. It just keeps changing as it goes down. And then that great last seal to be opened, if God willing, next Sunday night, that when it happens the only thing that taken place was silence in heaven for a half-hour. God help us. Now, I'll read the third verse now.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
And there went out another horse [fourth verse] that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, ... that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

14 Now, a mysterious thing now when the beast told John, "Just come and see." And he didn't see what it was. He just saw a symbol. And that symbol, the reason it... He said, "Come see," but he saw a symbol, that he was to symbolize it to the church in a way that they would watch until it came to the last age. And then the seals would be opened. Now does everyone understand that now? See, the seals would be opened.

15 Aren't you happy to be living in this day? Not only that, friends, but always remember now last Sunday morning where the whole thing was based on: simplicity---simple, humble. It happens in such a way that people will just go right on by, and don't even know it happens. And remember, we are looking for the coming of the Lord any time. And when ... we made a statement that perhaps the rapture would be the same way. It will be gone---over ---and no one will know nothing about it. It'll just come like that. Usually...
Just go on back through the Bible and look how it happens like that---even as great a thing as the Lord Jesus coming. Nobody knew nothing about it. They thought, "That crank, somebody." The churches said, "Just a fanatic. He's really crazy." Said, "He's a mad man. We know thou art mad. [Mad means crazy.] We know you've got a devil, and it has run you crazy. You try to teach us, when you was born out there illegitimately? Why, you were born in fornication and try to teach men like us, the priests [and so forth] of the temple!" Why, my, that was an insult to them.

16 When John came ... been talked about down through the ages from Isaiah to Malachi. That's 712 years he'd been seen of the prophets coming. Everybody was looking for him to come, expecting it at any time. But the way he come, he preached, and done his service, and went on into glory, and even the apostles didn't know it. For they asked Him. They said, "Now, if the Son of man's going to Jerusalem, all of these things to be offered," said, "why is it the Scripture says that Elias is going to come first?"
Jesus said, "He has already come and you didn't know it. And he did just exactly what the Scriptures said he would do, and they did to him just what was listed." And they couldn't understand it. He said, "It was John."

17 Then, "Oh!" See, they woke up to it. Even at last, after all the things He had done and the signs that He had showed them; and had even called them, said, "Which one of you can condemn me of sin [unbelief]? If I haven't done just what the Scriptures said that my office would do when I come to the earth, then show me where I've sinned. Well now, I'll show you what you're supposed to be, and let's see whether you believe it or not," see. He would have come right back and said, "You are supposed to believe on me when I come."
They didn't do it. See? So they knowed better than to tie in on Him on that. But He said, "Which one of you can accuse me of unbelief? Haven't I done just what it was?"

18 And even the apostles going along stumbled. (We know how the Scriptures go.) Then finally, at last they said, "Now, we believe. We believe that no man has to tell you, for you know all things."
I would just have liked to have seen his face. He must've looked at them and said, "Well, do you now believe?" Finally it dawned on them. Well, it wasn't supposed to be, maybe, until that time. God works everything just right, you know. I love Him for that.

19 But now we are thinking of our age now, because ... I get to talking on that, we won't get into these seals at all. Now remember, I'm getting much requests for prayer for the sick. And I'm praying all the time for every request I get in for the handkerchiefs and things. And if we can get these seals finished up to the last seal Sunday morning, if it be the will of the Lord, we'd like to have just a good old-fashioned healing service here, you know, where you just take the entire morning for praying for the sick. And I'm pretty sure it will be a strange meeting. I just have a feeling about that. Not strange, but it may be a little strange to some.

20 Now, how great is God's grace to reveal his secrets to us in this day! Now we all will believe that we are living in the last day. We believe that. And remember, the secrets was to be revealed in the last day. And how does He reveal his Word, his secrets, the Bible? Would you like to read where He says it? Let's just turn over and see how He reveals his secrets.
Now I want you to read Amos ... turn over to the book of Amos, and I want you to read in the 3rd chapter of Amos and the 7th verse. All right, I want to read the 6th verse, too.
Shall a trumpet ... blow in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD has not done it?
Surely the LORD ... will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

21 Now. In the last days it is predicted to us that there will rise a prophet. Now we know that we've had all kinds... Now I realize, after looking around tonight I'm speaking, here, where students are sitting, and I'd like for you to understand me. And you realize these tapes cover the world---just about all the world. And I want you to not, by no means, think that I am trying to inject some kind of a cult of Elijah's blankets, or robes, and all those things. We've had plenty of 'em. But you know all those things are only a forerunning of the real thing that is to come, to throw the people off.

22 Did you know we had false leaders raise up---false messiahs---before Christ come? Did not the teacher of that day, that mighty teacher, Gamaliel, when the question came up about beating these men and so forth, he said, "Let them alone. If it is of God, why, you'll be found fighting against God; but if it isn't of God..." Said, "Didn't a man raise up not long ago and take four hundred into the wilderness, and so forth? We have those things." What was it? All forerunning the real thing when it comes.

23 Now, see, Satan raises those up. Watch the shrewdness of this fellow that we are talking about here (Satan), where we are unfolding him right here, just stripping him down by the Scriptures and letting you see who he is. That is what is supposed to be done. And he'll never ... he has not tried to go in and be a communist, Satan hasn't. He is an antichrist! "So close that," Jesus said, "would deceive the very elected..." And that's the ones that's hid down in these seals, whose names are on the book since the foundation of the world.

24 He is a shrewd fellow. When he sees this thing coming ... coming up, then he throws everything he can out there to upset it before it gets there.
Did you know there will be false christs arise in the last days? It should follow immediately after this great message that this brother will speak, that will actually come, be anointed in the spirit of Elijah---immediately. And they will mistake him. Some of them will think he is the Messiah, but he will strictly say, "No!" because it's got to be coming like John.
In the time of John the Baptist, when he came out there to preach, they said to him, "Aren't you the Messiah? Aren't you he?"
He said, "I am not! I am not worthy to loose his shoe. But I baptize you with water, but he will baptize with the Holy Ghost." And John was so sure that He was on earth he said, "He is among you somewhere, now." But he didn't know Him till he saw that sign come down upon Him. Then, when he seen that light coming down, spread out like a dove and lit upon Him, he said, "There he is. That's him." But John was the only one saw it, you know. John was the only one heard the voice. All of the rest of them there, no one heard it.

25 But then when the real true servant comes on, with all the impersonations to it, it's to upset the peoples' minds. Satan does that. Those who can't discern right from wrong, they just tumble over. But the elected won't do it. The Bible said he wouldn't be able to deceive the elected.
Now, just before the coming of Christ, the Bible said there would be false christs arise and would claim to be Christ, and would say... "Lo," the people would say, "he is in the desert!" Don't believe it! "Lo, he is in the secret chambers." Don't believe it! "For as the sun shineth from the east unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be," see. Yes, He will appear, and it will be a universal thing.

26 Now that will... Of course, when they find out that something has taken place, see, then they will... Now, remember, that will take place immediately after the going home of the church, after the rapture. Now there will be false impersonations all the time, and we do not mean to be connected in anything like that. No, sir.
And I believe when the person comes (this one that is predicted to come, I am showing you only by the Scriptures), that the man will have to be a prophet. He certainly will. And the revelation of God, because God... The Word of the Lord comes to his prophets. That's exactly right. And God cannot change, you see. If He had a better system, He would have used it. But He chose the best system at the beginning.

27 Just like, He could have chose the sun to preach the gospel. He could have chose the moon. He could have chose the wind. But He chose man. And He never did choose groups; individuals. And never two major prophets on the earth at the same time.
See, every man is different. He's got a different make-up. If God can get one person---that's all He has to have---right in his hand, He can do what He wants to do. He just has to have one.
In the days of Noah, days of Elijah, days of Moses... Many rose up in the time of Moses. You know how they did, and wanted to say, "You are not the only holy one in the bunch." And Dathan, and Korah...
And God said, "Just separate yourself, I'll just open up the earth and swallow them away," see. And so ... then the people got to complaining. He said, "I'll just take the whole thing away."
And then, Moses took the place of Christ, then, to throw himself in the breach and say, "Don't do it, Lord," see. Of course, after He had ordained Moses to do this, He didn't come over Moses, because he was acting like Christ in that time. It was Christ in Moses. Absolutely.

28 Now, we are so glad today that God is revealing Himself to us. I believe the great day is just begin dawning, breaking. The lights are beginning to flash. The birds of paradise are beginning to sing in the same part. They know that it isn't long now. Something is going to happen. It has just got to.
So if He does not do anything... Now, all Scripture is inspired. The Scriptures must absolutely be the truth. No way around it. That is why I differ with our friends in the Catholic church. I believe that it was not written by just mere men; I believe it was moved by the Holy Spirit. And all of these little things that's been added ... tried to add to it... Did you notice that in the solving-up, they was everyone kicked out? And these real true Scriptures dovetail one with the other till there is no contradiction in them nowhere at all.

29 Show me one piece of literature that can write a verse, hardly, without contradicting itself---write a verse or two. And the Bible does not contradict itself anywhere. I've heard the old critics say that, but I've had an offer for him for a long time to show me where it's at. It isn't in here. It's just because the human mind is confused. God is not confused. He knows what He is doing. He knows...
Look, if God is going to judge the world by a church, as the Catholic church says it is... All right, then what church is that? Just look at the churches we got. We got nine hundred and some different organizations of churches. Now how... One teaches this way and one that way. What a confusion! Then anybody just do anything they want to; you go on anyhow. God has got to have some standard---and that's his Word.

30 Speaking ... not throwing off to the Catholic now, because the Protestant's just as bad. But speaking with a priest, he said, "Mr. Branham," he said, "God is in his church."
I said, "Sir, God is in his Word, and He is the Word." Yes, sir.
He said, "Well, He's in ... the church is infallible."
I said, "He don't say that. But He said the Word is infallible."
He said, "Well, we used to teach that baptism that way," and so forth.
I said, "When?"
He said, "Back in the early days."
I said, "Do you allow that to be the Catholic church?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Then, I'm Catholic---old-fashioned Catholic. I believe the old-fashioned way. You guys today has got it all messed up. Hardly anything in the Scriptures you teach---intercession with women and dead people, and all these other things, and, oh, my, non-meat-eating, and I don't know what all." I said, "You find that in the Scripture for me."
He said, "It don't have to be there. As long as the church says so, that's it. It don't make any difference what that says, it's the church."
I said, "The Bible said that whosoever shall add one word to it or take one away, his part will be taken from the book of life." So it's the Word. I believe the Word.

31 Now, and then if Amos says---and the other scriptures that go with it---that if by... And you remember on this we are just striking the highlights of it. My, when I get in that room there and that anointing comes in, if I could write down what all goes on, I would be here for three months on one of the seals. So I just strike the places and let it out, just what it would seem to be that wouldn't choke the people; but yet not enough to hurt them, but just so that believing, it'd season the thing. You know what I mean.

32 Now watch this now! If "God does not do nothing," said Amos, "until first He reveals it to his servants the prophets," and then we see what He's doing, it must be that He's fixing to do something, what He is revealing now. God is fixing to move on the scene in judgment, I believe. He's fixing to do something. And one thing again, that testifies surely we are in the last days. We are at the end of the age, the Laodicea Church Age, now, for these things were to be revealed only at the last day.

33 Now, just think of that now! Let's just try to soak in what we believe that the Holy Spirit would have us know. Now remember, nothing could be revealed, God will do nothing at all until first He reveals it to his servants, the prophets. And before He does anything, He reveals it. And when He reveals it, you can remember this: something is on its road, see. It's being revealed.

34 And these things that we are talking about was to be revealed at the last day, just before the last trumpet, at the end of the message of the last church age. That's right. If you want to read that now, you can turn to... I referred to you last night two or three times, Revelation 10:1 to 7: And in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel's message, the mystery of God would be revealed and finished. And there's only one thing left when this seven-sealed book is opened. Then the entire mystery of God... Why, we probed it at through years, and according to the scripture then there was no way to understand it until this day because it's been hid. We have seen the symbol, what it was symbolized by, but it could not be correctly revealed until the last day, see. Now then, we must be there, at the end-time.

35 Now remember, and don't forget now, that He does nothing until He reveals it. And don't forget also, that He does it in such a simple way that the wise and the prudent miss it. Now if you want to mark that down, that's Matthew 11:25-26.
Remember, He does nothing till He reveals it; and He reveals it in such a way that the smart, educated people miss it. Remember, it was wisdom that the world desired instead of the Word, when the first sin did what it did. Don't forget that now. Oh, how grateful we should be to think that... Now just look at the things that happened. Look at the things that He has told us. Look at here in this Tabernacle, you people that we've been raised up here with.

36 Now I'm going to ask the tapes to... Well, go ahead, tape it. But look, I'm just going to say this to the Tabernacle people, you that's been here. I charge any of you in the name of the Lord Jesus to ever ... to put your finger on one thing of the hundreds of things that has been told before they come to pass, and say they did not come to pass. Tell me one time that on the platform, out there wherever it was, that He ever spoke anything that wasn't perfectly just exactly that way. How could a human mind be that way? Certainly not.

37 When He appeared down there on the river thirty-three years ago this coming June in the form of a light... You old-timers remember that I've told you, since a little boy, that voice and that light... And people thought you was kind of a little bit off of the head. Of course, I would have probably thought the same thing if somebody had said it. But now you don't have to wonder about it now. And the church hasn't wondered since 1933, down on the river that day where I was baptizing hundreds of people.
I remember that Mayer boy told me, "You're going down to dunk those people, Billy?" Little Jim Mayer down here, I think he's dead now. I think he got killed out there---some woman shot him. But he asked me, "Are you going down to dunk those people?"
I said, "No, sir, I'm going to baptize them in the name of our Lord Jesus."

38 And there was a woman going along in the group. She said, to another woman she said ... made a remark, something about it. She said, "Well, I wouldn't mind to be dunked." Said, "That's all right. I don't care..."
I said, "Go back and repent. You're not fit to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ."
This is not nothing to play with. It's the gospel of Christ, revealed by a commission---the Word. Now you saying, "Nonsense!" and "Foolishness!" you could've placed it somewhere else. But remember, it's promised in the Word that this would happen and just exactly what it would be---and here it is.

39 Then down there that day, when they were standing at the river, and the angel of the Lord, that I've told you that it looked like a star or something in the distance... And then it got close, and ... told you how the emerald light looked... And there it come right down on the river where I was baptizing, when businessmen down here in the city said, "What does that mean?"
I said, "That wasn't for me, that was for you. I believe. That was for your sake that God did that, to let you know that I'm telling you the truth." By being a kid (a boy, like) about twenty-one years old, they wouldn't believe that, you see, because it was too much for a kid.

40 Then I was thinking... Brother Roberson here, one of our trustees (I seen him here a few minutes ago), he was telling me the other day about being in Houston when the picture there was taken that you see. And I was on that debate. I started to say something about it the other night. Brother Roy was the only ... with one more man, was the only person in the group that had a recorder. It was one of those old-fashioned wire recorders. (I see Brother Roberson now, and his wife), and Mrs. Roberson was sick.
Brother Roy was a veteran---his legs blowed, and they laid him out for dead. He was an officer in the Army. The German 88 hit this tank that he was with and just killed the men, and blowed him to pieces and laid him out for dead for a long time. And they said he never would walk because both legs was severed---the nerves in them and things. My, he can almost out-walk me!
But what was it? There was something that he seen, and he went to Houston. And he was telling me about his wife. He's got the wire. He was going to fix it on a tape. And after the services is over here he's going to play it for you all, I hope. And on the old wire-tape there, he's got my services held in Houston. And then his wife, he said... He got it on there, and he never noticed it till the other day. She was ... oh, she was so sad. She was sick, and she wanted to get into the prayer line. They never knew me, and I never seen them in my life. So, she was sitting at a window that day looking out and so dreary, you know, and upset, and wishing she could get a prayer card to get in the line. And happened to be that night she got in the line, or the night after or something. I believe it was the same night.
And she got in the line, and when she got up on the platform, the Holy Spirit told her, said, "Now, you're not from here. You are from a city called New Albany." And said, "You were sitting at a window today looking out, and all worried about getting a prayer card." And there it is on the tape, years ago.

41 And then at the beginning of the meeting, when the Holy Spirit was there... That was the first of the meeting. We was only having about three thousand people. Then we went to eight thousand, then to about thirty thousand. So then, in the...
While I was speaking at one of the very first meetings, I said, "I don't know why that I'm saying this [now it's on the tape], but it, we are ... this is going to be one of the highlights of my time. Something is going to happen during this meeting that is going to be greater than anybody has seen yet." And it was just about eight, or nine, ten nights after that when the angel of the Lord appeared before around thirty thousand people, and come down. And the picture was taken, and there it is right now, which is copyrighted in Washington, D.C., as the only supernatural being that was ever photographed in the world.

42 And I talked about, you know, saying that ... sometime under the discernment say, "A person is shadowed to death. There's a dark hood of a shadow. They're fixing to die."
Up here at East Pines (or Southern Pines, I believe it is), just when I was there in the last meeting, a little lady sitting there, and something told her, "Take that picture right quick," when I was speaking to a lady. And there it was! I think it'll be on the bulletin board; it has been for quite a while. There is that dark hood hanging right over the lady.
She shot another picture as soon as the Holy Spirit announced it. It was gone. Said, "You're going to be healed. The Lord's healed you. The cancer is gone." There it was, and she was healed, see. There you are. See, it just goes to show that God knows what the time of day it is. We don't. We just have to obey Him.
Now, we can just keep on talking, but let's get down here now just a minute and touch this back seal so we can blend this one in with it. Now, just to review for a few moments the other---the first seal.

43 We notice in the breaking of the first seal, Satan had a super religious man. Did you notice that? White horse rider, which ... it was thought to be that that was the early church going forth. But, oh, my, that's been taught through the years. But it couldn't be! Just watch when the rest of them, when they get them all tied together. Then look where it's at, see. Now ... and I don't know what the rest of them is going to be as yet. But I know it's got to come just perfectly in there, because it's the truth. It's the truth. That was the hierarchy church of Rome. Exactly!

44 These people who think that the Jews are the antichrist, they are certainly a million miles off the line. Don't you never think the Jews are an antichrist. Their eyes were blinded purposely that we might have a way to get in, giving us a time of repentance. But the antichrist is a Gentile. Certainly it is. An impersonator of the truth, anti---against.
Now, this great superman---oh, how he become a great man, and then finally was throned. Then after throned, he was crowned. And now, he ... after that he was worshipped in the stead of God. Now look, before that ever come... I want to ask you something. Who was that? What was that on Paul in II Thessalonians 2:3, that said that man would come? Why did that man look down through the age and see it? He was God's prophet! Certainly.

45 Why was it he said the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter time that they would depart from the faith and would give heed to seducing (you know what seduce is), a seducing spirit in the church? That is clergy---seducing clergy spirit, workings of devils, hypocrisy in the church, "heady, high-minded [wisdom, you see---smart, intelligent], having a form of godliness [just go say, "Well, we are Christians, we should go to church."], having a form of godliness but denying the revelations, the power and the working of the Spirit. From such turn away."

46 Now notice he said, "For this is the sort that will go from house to house and will lead silly women [now that don't mean Holy Ghost women], silly women that are led away with divers lusts..." Divers lusts---they just like to get in every little thing that they can get into, and all kinds of societies, and live any way they want to; and still, "We go to church. We're just as good as anybody." Dances, parties, cut their hair, paint, dress anything they want to. Still "We're Pentecostals. We are just as good as anybody." Oh, your own works identify you!

47 Notice, but he said, "...men of reprobate minds concerning truth." What is the truth? The Word, which is Christ. "...concerning the truth."
"Oh, you are a woman-driver. You're a woman-hater. You do this, that."
No, sir! That's not right! That is a falsehood. I do not hate women. No, sir! They are my sisters---if they are sisters. But the thing I... Love is corrective. If it isn't corrective, it isn't love. If it is, then if it's love, it's phileo love and not agapo, I'll tell you that. They might have a little phileo love for some nice looking lady, but agapo love is a different thing. That's a love that straightens the thing out, and meet God yonder somewhere where we can live eternally. I didn't mean that, maybe, in the way it sounded. I ... but you know what I ... I hope you understand. All right.

48 Remember he said, "As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will they. But their folly was soon made manifest." Why? When Moses was commissioned to do something that seemed radical... But he went down there just as honest as he could be. And God told him to take this stick and to throw it down, and it would turn to a serpent. Then He did it to show him what would take place. And before Pharaoh he stood out there just as God had commissioned him, and throwed down his stick, and it turned to a serpent.

49 And no doubt Pharaoh said, "A cheap magician trick." So he goes and gets his Jannes and Jambres, said, "We can do those things, too." And he threw down their sticks, and they become serpents. Now, what could Moses do? What was it? It was to show him that every genuine thing of God, the devil's got an impersonator for it. He impersonates to throw the people off the track.
What did Moses do? Said, "Well, I guess I made a mistake, I had better go back."? He just stood still for he'd carried out his commission to the letter. Then the first thing you know, Moses' serpent ate up the other one.
Did you ever think what became of that other serpent? Where did he go to? Moses picked up the stick and went on out with it. He worked miracles with it. That serpent was on the inside of the other stick. That's wonderful, isn't it? Yes, sir!

50 Now antichrist comes in to life gradually. I want you to notice. Now, when you here... Now, to my Catholic friends, just sit still just a minute; then we're going to see where the Protestants, where we all are, see. Notice, the first church... When the Catholic church says that they were the first original church, they're exactly right. They were. They began at Pentecost. That's where the Catholic church began. Now I once didn't hardly believe that until I read history, and I find out it's right.
They began at Pentecost, but they began to drift. And you see where they're at? And if Pentecost drifts with the speed it's drifting now, they won't have to go two thousand years. In a hundred years from now they'll be farther away than the Catholic church is. That is right.

51 But notice how this white horse rider... Now, we're just backgrounding it a little till we hit this seal. Now, notice the white horse rider. When he went out he serves in three stages. The devil, as I proved to you the other night, is in a trinity just like God. But it's the same devil all the time in three stages.
Notice his stages. In the first stage he come in, the Holy Ghost fell and people had everything in common. And the Spirit of God was upon them, and the apostles went from house to house breaking bread with the people, and there were great signs and wonders wrought. And then the first thing you know, Satan began to cause a murmur to come up. Then after awhile these slaves and the poor of the land that received the Holy Ghost, they went out into different places testifying. They testified to their masters.

52 And after awhile there began to come, all ... like army captains, and different people. The celebrity began to see the gallantry, and the miracles and signs that these men done, so they accepted Christianity. Well then, you see, when he embraced Christianity, and go down there to a place where they are meeting ---in a little old dark, dingy, hall, and clapping their hands and shouting, and speaking in tongues, and getting messages---why, he could never take that to his competitor or whatever it is in his business. He would never believe it like that. Certainly not! So he's got to dress it up.

53 So they begin to get together and begin to think, "Now we'll form something a little different." And Jesus, right immediately after the first church age, He told them in the 2nd chapter of Revelation here, "I have somewhat against you, because ... these deeds of the Nicolaitanes." Nico---conquer the laity. In other words, they want to make (instead of everybody be one), they wanted to make some holy fellow. They wanted to make some kind of a... They wanted to pattern it in paganism from where they had come out, and they finally done it.
Now watch. First, Nicolaitane. The Nicolaitane was called in the Bible "antichrist," because it was against the original doctrine of Christ and the apostles.

54 I don't want to call this man's name. He is a great man. But I was at his meeting here a few years ago. And he knew I was there, because I'd shook his hand. He said, "You know, we have such today that they call Pentecostals." And he said, "They rely upon the book of Acts." And he said, "You see, the Acts was only scaffold work for the church."
Would you imagine a man that has studied the Bible, a gallant old man, and had studied the Bible the way that fellow has, and then would make a remark like that? It sounds ... it even doesn't sound like the Holy Spirit. It has got not to be, nowhere, because anybody with common understanding would know that the Acts of the apostles was not acts of the apostles. It was the acts of the Holy Spirit in the apostles.

55 Don't you know how we patterned it out in the church ages? Them beasts sitting there watching that ark there---Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, standing there watching that? And in there is what happened as a result of the writing of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. That's what ... the tree putteth forth its first branch, and that's what happened. And if that tree ever puts forth another branch, they will write another book of Acts behind it, 'cause you see, the same life has got to be in the same thing.

56 So now, today when we look over our denominational churches---Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Church of Christ (so-called), and Pentecostals and things---where do we find that? You don't find it. I will admit that the Pentecostals have the closest thing to it there is, because they are up here in the Laodicean church age. They had truth and rejected it. They got lukewarm with it, and God spewed them from his mouth. That is exactly according to the scriptures! You can't make them scriptures lie. They are going to be truthful always. Don't try to ... the only thing, don't try to line your thought up to the ... the scriptures up to your thought, but line yourself up with the Scriptures. Then you are running with God. No matter how much you have to cut away or lay aside, line up with that.

57 Look what it did the first time it fell. Well, if God acted like that the first time, He's got to act like that the second time. He's got to act like that every time or He acted wrong the first time. See, we as mortals, we can make mistakes. God can't. God's first decision is perfect. And the way He chose to do things, there can't be no other better way. He can't improve on it, because it's perfect to begin with. If it isn't, then He isn't infinite.
If He is infinite, then He is omniscient. And if He is omniscient, He's omnipotent. Amen! He's got to be that to be God. You can't say, "He learned more." He didn't learn more; He is the very fountain of all wisdom. Our wisdom here come from Satan. We inherited it from Eden, where we swapped off faith for wisdom. Eve did it.

58 Now, he was first called antichrist. The second stage, he was called the false prophet, because that spirit among the people become incarnate. You remember, the white horse rider, now, had no crown when he started. But then he was given a crown. Why? He was the Nicolaitane spirit to begin with, then he become incarnate in a man, and then he was crowned, and received a throne, and was crowned.
And then he served that for a long time, as we will see as the seals break. And then we find out after that a long time Satan was kicked out of heaven. And he come down, according to the Scriptures, and enthroned himself. Just think, enthroned himself in that man and become a beast. He had power, supreme power-like, that he done all the miracles and everything that ... killings and bloody fights and everything that Rome could produce.

59 All right. He killed by cruel Roman punishment. Just ... oh, how we could break in some scriptures here. Remember, Jesus Christ died under the punishment of Rome---capital punishment! The message that I've got in my heart to preach up here at this next meeting, on Good Friday afternoon, these three or four things, see: "There They Crucified Him." There---the holiest, religiousest place in the world was Jerusalem. They---the most holy (supposed to be) people in the world, the Jews. There they crucified---the most cruel punishment that Rome could produce. Crucified Him. What? The greatest person that ever lived! There they crucified Him! Oh, my!
God help me to swing it into that bunch of businessmen to let them see where they're standing---now, not to be different, not to be nasty, but to shake that, till them brothers can see that their dignitaries and holy fathers and things they are writing up in this "Businessmen's Journal" is nonsense. Christians are not supposed to call any man "Father." They start that... I've tried to help them in everything I can (you see where this tape goes), so I'm finished! I certainly won't have anything else to do with it. All right.

60 First... Remember Christ. First as Nicolaitane. And what did the Nicolaitane age ask for? It asked to get away from them bunch of people that shouts, and claps their hands and looked like disgracefully, like they did on Pentecost---act like drunk men, staggering in the Spirit and things. They didn't want none of that stuff. They said they were drunk.
And when the celebrity... Listen, don't miss this! It may sound crazy to you, but it's the truth. When the dignitaries began to come in, they couldn't stoop to that.
What makes God big is because He is big enough to stoop down. That's what makes Him big. There's nothing bigger. And He stooped the lowest that anybody could stoop, or any human being ever stooped. He was the King of heaven, and He come to the lowest city on the earth, Jericho. And He got so low till even the shortest man in the town had to look down on Him to see Him. Is that right? Zacchaeus. That's right. He was called the worst name that any human being could be called---a sorcerer, a devil, Beelzebub. That's what the world thought of Him.

61 He died the cruelest death. Didn't have a place to lay his head, kicked out by every organization. But when... God exalted Him so high, till He has to look down to see heaven. See how God's of humility? And He gave Him a name so great that the whole family of heaven is named after Him, and every family of the earth. All the family on earth is named "Jesus." All the families in heaven are named "Jesus," such a name that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is the Lord, either here or in hell. Hell will bow to it. Everything else will bow to it. See, but first it was humility; then it become great, see. Let God exalt. He that humbles himself, God will exalt, see.

62 Now, we notice this "Nico" spirit wanted wisdom, smarter. It had to reason it out, like it was in Eve---reason against the Word of God by the wisdom... And the church fell for it. What was it? Now just say take this church here, and take a bunch of people like we are. If you wasn't real Spirit-filled... And let us take, say... Nothing against the mayor of our city---I don't think I know him. Mr. Bottorff---is he still mayor? Mr. Bottorff is a fine friend of mine. But say the mayor of the city, and all of the police force, and all the marshalls, they all come here. The first thing you know, if they got just a little thing in their head, and begin to talk to the board and the people around here, and say, "Now you know what? This ought to be different." If you're not Spirit-filled and got a real Spirit-filled man behind the pulpit, the first thing you know you'll be catering to them. Maybe not this generation; maybe the next generation.

63 And that's the way it started in, see. Why? They were saying, "Looky here, it's reasonable." You would listen. Say a man come in here that could say, "This church is too little. Let us build a big church. I'll build you one out here that will be worth so much money. Half a million dollars will be put in there. I'll put the thing on a broadcast." When they do that then they've got a axe to grind, nine times out of ten. You know one of them kind.
The first thing you know, then if he does, he runs things to suit himself. You can't say nothing because Brother John Doe back there, he is the finance of this church. And then you get a little Ricky out of some seminary who knows about as much about God as a Hottentot does about Egyptian knights, and he'll come along there, and he'll cater to that guy, because he buys him a new car all the time, lets him ride around, and buys him this, that, and the other. Now, that's exactly how it started out. Right.

64 Notice, wisdom and smartness. They said, "Now look here. Isn't it only sensible... Our women, what difference does it make how they wear their hair?" But the Bible says it does make a difference. Just take that one thing, besides the hundreds of others, see. It does make a difference. God said it made a difference, so it is a difference. But you see, if they get that started (the trustee board and deacons and everything), the first thing you know the pastor either gets in or gets out. That's all. See, it's the people that's voted it in.

65 All right.
Now notice, that spirit begin to move and the church that's got so much dignitary in it, so much big things, and so much money, started, till after awhile they listened to it and fell for it---the crudeness of the devil! And that is the very thing that Eve done in the garden of Eden. Now, you hear that. That's right.
Look, the natural woman---Adam's bride---before he come to her as a wife, fell for Satan's scheme against the Word of God by reasoning. Before Adam lived with Eve as a wife, Satan beat him there. Right. You heard "The Bride Tree" I preached on, that taught that, see. All right.
Now notice, there Eve fell for reasoning. Now Satan tried to reason. She said, "But the Lord said..."
He said, "Oh, you know, but surely the Lord won't. You want to be wise. You want to know something. Why, you are nothing but a dumb child, see. You ought to know something."
If that isn't Satan! If that isn't some of these modern... "Oh, they're just a bunch of holy rollers. Don't pay no attention to them. Don't..."

66 Now, the natural first bride of the human race, before her husband come to her, she fell from grace by listening to Satan's lie after God had her fortified behind his Word. If she had stayed behind the Word, she'd have never fell. Now that's in the natural (notice), the natural woman. And what was the curse? The actual curse of coming out from behind God's Word...
Now remember, she believed about 98% of it. But you just have to let one thing go. She believed a whole lot of it. Oh, certainly! She said this, and Satan would admit that that was right. If he can just get you on one corner, that's all he wants. The only thing you have to do is give the bullet a little twist this way, and it will miss the target, see. That's all. Now she believed so much of it, but yet missed it.

67 And the results, because she left the Word for one little speck of a reason... You say, "What about the women? Why do you want to talk about something like that? You know, those little things. What's the difference whether it's initial evidence..." There's something to it! It's got to be straightened out! We've presumed at it through seven church ages almost, but the hour has come when God speaks it. And He don't only speak it, but He shows it and vindicates it, and proves it. That's right. If He doesn't do it, then it isn't God, that's all. God stands behind his Word.
Notice now. Now, the natural woman caused natural death, because she listened to reason to make herself wise---to make herself wise instead of staying behind the Word and doing what God told her to. She wanted wisdom and to be wise. And she listened to reason, and she lost the whole human race, see.

68 Now this time the spiritual woman, the bride of Christ, that started on the day of Pentecost with the early apostolic church, lost the same thing at the Nicaea Council (Lee, you know that's right), at the Nicaea Council when she swapped her spiritual birthright to take Constantine's big churches and things that he offered them there. And she sold out her scriptural birthright for a bunch of Roman dogma.
Now that's hard on the Catholics, but the Protestant has done the same thing! They are represented in the Bible here as a daughter of the ... harlot of the whore. That's exactly right! Every one of them! No excuses, but out of there has always been a little remnant---right along---that goes to make the bride. Notice, she lost her birthright. See, before her husband got to her, see, before the wedding she lost her virtue.

69 Now, you remember over there, she said, "I sit as a queen. I have no need of nothing," in that Laodicean age there. "I am rich and increased in goods," and so forth. "And oh, the whole world looks up to me. I am the great holy church," and so forth. "We are this way...," the whole age.
He said, "You don't know that you are naked, blind, miserable, wretched, poor and don't know it." That's the condition.
Now if the Holy Spirit said the condition would be that way in the last days, it's that way! There is no way of getting around it. That's the way it is.
Now watch. Now when she sold her birthright back there, her virtuous right of the Word, what did she do? When Eve did it, she lost the creation. The whole creation fell under her. Now notice. And when the church did it, accepted dogmas instead of the Spirit and the Word, it cursed the whole system. Every denominational system there ever was or ever will be was cursed with it and fell, because there's no other way.

70 When you get a bunch of men together to figure out anything, one's got a head this way, and one's got a head that way, and one's got a head this way. They put the thing together, and shake it up, and when it comes out that's what you have got.
That's exactly what they did at the Nicaea Council. That's exactly what they do at the Methodist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ and the rest of them. And no man... No matter what God reveals to him, you got to teach it the way their credentials, their creeds, says or they'll kick you out. Now don't tell me; I've been there, see, and I know it. And that's just exactly what's happened. So the whole thing's cursed!

71 No wonder the angel said, "Come out of her, my people, and be not partakers of her plagues!" because she's going to ... she's cursed, and she's got to suffer the curse of God's wrath upon her, because she sold her virtue and right. But ... oh, my! But remember, seeing all that condition, but yet God promised (in Joel 2:25, if you want to put that down) in the last days, when He said, "...what the palmerworm left the caterpillar has eaten, what the caterpillar left the locusts has eaten, what the locust has eaten..." Just on down, bug after bug had come and eat on that church until finally it was nothing but a stump.

72 Watch. What the Romans left, the Lutherans eaten; what the Lutherans left, the Methodist eaten; what the Methodists left, the Pentecostals eaten, see, until she's down to a stump. And do you know what? You take those worms in there---that locust and caterpillar and so forth---and you chase them down through the book and find out it's the same worm in just different stages.
Hold your point. So is these seals! It's the same worm! You are going to see it when we bring it out, so I'll tell you now. It's the same worm all the time. Four of those worms, four here, and there they are. They're the same thing. It's the same spirit. What one left, the other eat. What this one left, the other one eat---like that, till they brought it to a stump. But Joel said, "I will restore, saith the Lord, all the years the caterpillar has eaten."

73 What is it? How is He going to do it? If it started out antichrist by being against the teaching of Christ that accepted dogma instead of Word, and through the years the reformers have plunged at it as the Bible said, "...but in the last days, at the sounding..." Revelation 10:1-7, He said the mysteries of God would be finished in the last days at the sounding of the seventh angel.
Malachi 4 said that He would send Elijah before the evil day come upon the earth, when He'd burn it like a furnace. And He would restore and bring back the children to the faith of the fathers ---the original apostolic, Pentecostal faith which He promised to be restored. Now that's just as plain as scripture can say it. Now it's promised. And if we're in the last days, something's got to happen. And it is happening, and we are seeing it.

74 Notice Satan's trinity: same person coming, just incarnate from one to the other. That is the way them bugs did (them worms) one to the other. Exactly! Nicolaitane, spiritual antichrist; pope, false prophet; beast, the devil himself, incarnate. He can't do it. Now, you just keep that on your mind now. When you follow this, you are going to see these riders come right straight up to that. I'm laying you a picture here. If I had it up on the blackboard you could understand it better. See, I'm watching.

75 First... Now you remember this: the first thing he is, he's an antichrist spirit. John said so. "Little children, the spirit of antichrist ... already working in the children of disobedience." See, that thing begin to start. Then it become kind of a saying in the next church age. In the next church age it was a doctrine. In the next church age she was crowned. Isn't that just as plain as reading, any way you could read it?
There he come. Now first he was called what? Antichrist spirit, because he was against the Word. That is what started it. That's exactly what done the whole thing, was turning from God's Word. Not because Eve might have given Cain a spanking one day, see. That wasn't what done it. The first thing that done the whole thing was that she turned from the Word. She turned from the Word! And the first thing started the prostitution in the church of the living God, Christ's bride, she turned from the Word and accepted Roman dogma instead of God's Word. What's happened to every organization? It did the very same thing.

76 Now ... but promised that in the last days He would make a way to restore again. The Word of the Lord would drop upon the earth as He did it in the beginning, and will restore back what? What started it? Against the Word! And what is this fellow supposed to do when he comes anointed with God's Spirit? He just brings the faith of the children back to the fathers. That is how He restores.
And you get this same Word in the same place that it is here, it's going to do the same thing. Jesus said, "If any man be of mine ... he that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also." And when they asked Him to do certain things, He said, "I do just what the Father shows me. I don't do nothing until I see it first. What I see the Father doing, that I do also. The Father worketh, and then I work hitherto," see. Don't you see it? Why, it's just like reading a newspaper. Now.

77 Now first ... then he became a antichrist. Now, he couldn't be antichrist only in spirit. Then he became a antichrist, and that spirit took a man that taught the same things that that antichrist spirit was doing. And then he become a false prophet to the antichrist spirit, see. Now, what about a man in an organization? Suit yourself. I don't know what you think about it. All right.
Now finally he becomes a beast. Now wait and we'll get in that after awhile, see. All right. Now if Satan's trinity lays like that---Satan all the time... Satan: antichrist spirit (the antichrist spirit incarnate), false prophet, then becomes a beast, see. When ... not a demon that was in that antichrist, but when Satan himself is kicked out, he comes down and takes over the place where the demon was. The devil then ... then the devil is incarnate in a man. It is just repeating itself.

78 That is what Judas Iscariot was. And what did he do? Was he one of the fellows that was against Christ? Why, he was the treasurer. He walked with Him. Certainly. Walked right along with them, went out there, and cast out devils, and done just exactly what they did.
And Christ was the incarnate God---God, incarnate in flesh, Emmanuel. And Judas was the son of perdition, as Jesus was Son of God. Incarnate God; incarnate devil. Some people can see only three crosses at that time. There was four of them. There was three on Golgotha that we see. That was Jesus in the middle, a thief on his left and a thief on his right. And watch.
One thief said to the other one, or said to Jesus, "If..." Now you know He is the Word, but, "If thou be the Word, why don't you save yourself? Why don't you do something about it?" That's the same thing today.

79 Have you heard these old devils come and say, "If you believe in divine healing, here's somebody's eyes. Why don't you open their eyes? Smite me blind! Smite me blind!" That same old devil. "Come down off the cross, we'll believe you." "If you be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread." Same devil. Just walk away. That's the way Jesus did it. He didn't clown for any of them.
They put a rag over his head, over his precious eyes like that, and they took a stick and hit Him on top of the head, and said, "Tell us ... if you are a prophet, now tell us who hit you? [They changed the stick one to the other.] Now, tell us who hit you, and we will believe you are a prophet." He never opened his mouth. He just stood there. He don't clown. He just does as the Father shows Him. Let them go ahead. Their time is coming. Don't worry.

80 Now. They touched his garment. They felt no virtue. But a poor little woman ... had a need, just touched his garment, and He turned around and said, "Who touched me?" What a different touch! It depends upon how you're touching Him, see, what you believe. Now you see?
Now as Satan is going to ... has incarnated himself from antichrist to false prophet now, and in the days of the Jew is antichrist amongst the early church... In the Dark Ages he become a false prophet to the world. See where there's ... where a cup of iniquity? Now, that's to the church age.

81 Now. But in the age after the church goes home he becomes a beast. He becomes the devil incarnate, the red dragon himself. Oh, my! Can't you see what I mean? He is incarnate in his people then. He's got his people bound by his power. The false prophet has prophesied them right into it, give them over to strong delusions to believe a lie and be damned by it, denying the Word with a form of godliness.
God works his place in a trinity: justification, sanctification and incarnated Himself in his people with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The same thing, the devil is just in a type after Christ. Oh, Satan incarnates himself!

82 Now, watch. Satan... When Jesus incarnates Himself in his people, the very life that was in Christ is in this person. What would it do if you took the life out of a grapevine and put it in a pumpkin vine? It wouldn't bear pumpkins no more; it'd bear grapes. What if you took the life out of a peach tree and put it in a pear tree? Would it bear pears? No, it would bear peaches. The life tells what it is, see.
When you hear people say that they've got the Holy Ghost and deny this Word, there is something wrong. The Holy Ghost wrote that Word. Jesus said this: "If a man has my Spirit in him, he'll do my works." You want to read that, if you want to put it down, it is St. John 14:12. All right. "He that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also; even more than this shall he do; for I go to the Father."
Then He sanctifies and cleans him so he can stand before God. That drop of ink falls there, takes him across the chasm. See?

83 Now watch. Satan, when he incarnates himself in his subjects, they do the work that he did. Don't you see? What did he do? Come right to that innocent woman and deceived her. And that's exactly what some of these devils do. They come right into a place where a little pastor gets started out somewhere, and come in, say, "Oh, if you just join up with us..." It is the same devil work. Now, that is the truth!
When Satan becomes incarnate into his church, if there be a devil, then they are the ones that does the murdering and killing and so forth, because Satan is a killer in the first place, a liar and a thief. All right.
What does Satan do when he does, when he becomes incarnate amongst the people? It is his duty to be shrewd. He is shrewd. You search the Bible, and you show me where God ever dealt with intellectual people. Hunt for it and see if it isn't always the intellectuals that's devil possessed. It is a big word, but it's the truth. I challenge you to take the lineage from Abel to Cain, and them fourteen generations run them off, and see which ones was on the smart side and which ones was the humble ones.

84 Why didn't Jesus choose such people? He got fishermen and men that couldn't even sign their own name to put them the head of his church. That's right. Wisdom is nothing. It's against Christ. Worldly wisdom is against Christ, always. Jesus never did tell us to go build seminaries (never did it), having Bible schools. He said, "Preach the word, preach the gospel." Then if He said, "These signs shall follow them that believe..." See, you'll have to have the... In other words, He said, "Go demonstrate the power of God to all nations."
Now watch. Satan's duty is to pervert the Word of God to wisdom's reasoning. Oh, my! Oh, then he marks his subjects by rejecting the original Word. (Will you suffer with me just a little bit here till we get this? I don't want you to miss this.) Let me show you a type so you can see it---all in type and in word and everything. You can't ... you shouldn't go away confused.

85 In the Old Testament when a man had been sold to slavery, there come a year of Jubilee every fifty years (forty-ninth year and then the year of Jubilee). And when a slave heard this, and he wanted to go free, there is nothing that could keep him from going free. He could just throw down his hoe and say "So long"; go back home. The trumpet sounded. That's right.
But if he don't want to go, and he's satisfied with his slave master, then he's taken into the temple, and they take an awl (you know what an awl is), and they pierce his ear and put a hole in his ear. And it's a mark that he can never go back. Is that right? He has to serve this master for all time. I don't care how many more times the Jubilee sounds or whatever happens, he absolutely has sold out his birthright of being free.

86 And when a man turns down the gospel truth, Satan marks him. Where? In his ear. He deafens him so he can't hear the truth no more. He is finished! He stays with the group that he's with, if he won't hear the truth! "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The truth makes free.
God marks his when they come. God marks his by vindicating his promised Word through them. It's exactly! St. John 14:12. And another thing if you want to put down, Mark 16. Jesus said, "...these signs shall follow them that believe."

87 Now, let's just take that a minute. Was He joking? Did He just mean the apostles there, as some would tell us? Watch, read the background of it. "Go ye into [where?] all the world, ... preach this gospel to [what?] every creature." It has not even one-third of the way met it yet. These signs shall follow in all the world, to every creature, wherever this gospel is preached. "...these signs shall follow them that believe," not to just one little handful.
Like a fellow one time was telling me, "God only give the twelve apostles gifts of healing." Many of the brethren was sitting here when he raised up to say that. He got enough of it in a few minutes. So now notice, "...all the world, to every creature. These signs shall follow..."

88 Don't take Satan's unbelieving mark! Now, he will put it on you tonight if he can do it. He'll poke you up against the wall, and you'll walk out and say, "Ah, I don't know about that." You go home and study it. And then be sincere and pray, because everything is too perfectly scriptural at this very hour, this sacred hour of time. It's done been for years, proved. Come right up through it and this is the hour. This is the time!
Now don't let him poke that in your ear, his unbelieving mark, see---because he was an unbeliever to begin with. He doubted it. All right. Oh, don't let him take the Scripture with his wisdom and twist it and pervert it with his own wisdom into reasoning power. You just be humble and say, "God said so, and that's all there is to it." Now. Oh, listen. (We're going to get too late, so we'd better stop right here and start on.)

89 Now, let's go to the second seal, when the slain, risen Lamb opened it, and the second calf-life beast said, "Come see what the sealed mystery is." Now we get it. The Lamb, you remember, has to open every seal. And the second beast, if you'll notice in the routine of where we just went through with the church ages, the same thing. The 2nd verse was a lion; the next was like a calf or an ox or something. And this beast said, "Come see," when the Lamb opened the seal. And then he went to see.
And when he walked in, what happened? Let's see what he found. "Come see. There is a mystery sealed up here." It has been here now for two thousand years about. Let's see what it is. Now we find here that he saw what? A red horse go forward.

90 Now, to my understanding, this (to my understanding), this great sword that he had in his hand... Now we've got about three things to look at now for about the next fifteen, twenty minutes. Let's just read and see what He says here:
And there went out [4th verse] ... there went out another horse that was red [the first one's white]: and power was given unto him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and ... they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

91 Now. There's symbols here, and we want to look at them real close. But to my understanding, the best that I know now, you see, Jesus predicted the same thing in Matthew 24, see. He said, "Now you're going to hear of wars and rumors of wars, and just wars and rumors of wars and wars..." But said, "All these ain't yet," see. The time ain't yet.
See, they asked Jesus three questions, see, and He answered them in three questions. There's where a lot of our brethren got tangled up, trying to place ... the Adventist brethren, about the seventh day and so forth, back there. "Woe unto her that is with child that gives suck. And the gates will be closed on the Sabbath day" and things like that. My! That don't even pertain to the question at all. Not at all! He was answering what they asked, but he didn't apply it all to the last days.

92 He said, "You will hear..." (Now, we're working on this one thing here. We'll come to some more of it in a few nights.) Look. He said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, and so forth. All this is not..." See, "Then they'll go back again, and they'll deliver you up," and so forth like this and... Oh, oh, that's not right yet. But when He got to the time when He was going to talk to them about what they asked Him about the end of the world---"When will all these things be? When will there not be one stone left upon another? What will the sign be? And when will come the end of the world?"---they asked Him three things.
Then when He got down to the end of the world, He said, "When you see the fig tree putting forth its bud, now you know that the time is at the door. And verily, I say unto you that this generation shall not pass until all be fulfilled."
How the infidel without the interpretation likes to lay onto that. He said, "This generation." Not the generation He was talking to; the generation that seen the fig tree putting forth its bud.

93 Now I was going to ask you something. Just look at something right here in the face. Israel is now for the first time for 2,500 years a nation. The oldest flag in the world is flying over Jerusalem tonight. Israel is in her homeland.
There was a brother here one time that wanted to be a missionary---felt to go missionary to the Jews. I said, "You might get one now and then."
Oh, people thinks the whole nation... No, sir. Israel is converted as a nation, not as a person. "A nation will be born in a day." That's Israel. All Israel is saved. Just remember that. Paul said so. All Israel's saved. Now notice. All Israel. That's exactly right.

94 Now notice this. But He said, "When you see the fig tree and all the other trees putting forth their buds..." Now, watch. There has never been a time for 2,500 years that Israel has ever come to her homeland. We have got the little show of "Three Minutes Till Midnight." There she is, a nation, the six-point star of David flying, and all of these things.
Has there ever been a time that the denominations have had revivals like they have in the last few years? Now just study. We're at home. When did the denominations ever bloom out under any man's ministry like they have with Billy Graham's?---Methodists, Baptists, and so forth. When was there ever a man (search down your history) that ever went forth to the church formal by the name ending with "h-a-m" before? In succession, "A-b-r-a-h-a-m." Now look, Abraham's name has seven letters, A-b-r-a-h-a-m; but our Brother Billy Graham has G-r-a-h-a-m. Six, not seven (the world). That is where he is ministering to, church natural.

95 The church natural was Lot in Sodom. And when this fellow went down there and preached and blinded them by the gospel... But there was one who stayed with Abraham, and Abraham called Him "Elohim," "Lord." Now when Abraham seen three coming, he said, "My Lord." When Lot seen two coming, he said, "My lords." There is your difference. See your trinitarian word? Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Lot..." Do you see that?

96 Notice. Prophets. Now, there was one come to the church spiritual---the bride, Abraham---that wasn't in Sodom to begin with. Watch what He did. He never done no preaching like they did. He taught them, but then He done a sign before them. He done the Messiahic sign. He had his back turned to the tent, and He said, "Abraham..." Now remember his actual name a few days before that was Abram. But He said, "Abraham, where is your wife, S-a-r-a-h?" A few days before that it was called S-a-r-r-a.
Abraham said, "She is in the tent behind you."
And he said, "Abraham, I [there's your personal pronoun again], I am going to visit you according to the promise that I have made you." You see Who it was. See? A Man with dust on His clothes, eating the meat of a calf, and drinking the milk from the cow, and eating corn bread (Yes, sir.): God, Elohim, manifested in flesh. Promised in the last day to manifest Himself in flesh again.
Notice: "Abraham, where is your wife, Sarah?"
"She is in the tent behind you."
He said, "I am going to visit you."

97 And the lady, of course, being a hundred years old, she kind of laughed up her sleeve---back in the tent now, behind the curtains in the tent. She said, "Me, an old woman." It had ceased to be with them as husband and wife for years, you know, because he was a hundred years old, and she was ninety. She said, "That will never happen."
And He said, "Why did she laugh? [Whew!---with his back turned to the tent.] Why did she laugh, saying, 'How can these things be'?" See, He showed him a sign.
Now He promises that this will repeat at the end-time again. The two men went down there and preached the Word and told them to get out of there, the place was going to burn up and so forth. And it did. And Lot staggered out---the church natural down in sin in the mire, but yet struggling along in their organizational programs. But the bride... That one man never went to them. He went only and called the bride-type. Now, we are in the last days, see?

98 Now notice. You said, "There is God manifested in the flesh." Jesus said Himself, "How do you condemn me?" Said, "Isn't it written in your Bible, your law, that they, the prophets, who the Word of God came to..." (Jesus said the Word came to the prophets, because He was scriptural in all things). He said, "Now the Word of God says that the Word came to the prophets. And you called them gods, for the Word of God came to them." Said, "Then how are you going to condemn me when I say I am the Son of God?" When their own law... Oh, my, there you are, see. Now where are we at? We are at the end-time.

99 Now listen real close now. Now we find out that there would be wars and rumors of wars, and now we see that the fig trees put forth its buds, and the other trees put forth their buds---Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and all, put forth their buds---a great revival going on. Now I believe that God is gathering the bride for that last hour, the elect. Oh, my!
Now notice. Let us now consider what John saw then, as these things ... what he saw. A red horse and his rider goes forth, power given to him to slay with a great sword.

100 Now here is my revelation of it. This is Satan again! It is the devil again in another form. Now we know that seals pertain (as I said the other night), and trumpets pertain to civil wars, you see, amongst the people, among nations. But you find out here that this man has a sword, so he pertains to church political war. You might not think that, but just watch it a minute.
Notice the change of color of these horses---same rider, change of color of horses. And a horse is a beast, and the beast in the Bible under a symbol represents a power. The same system riding on another color power, from the innocent white to a bloody red, see. Watch him, now, how he's coming.

101 When he first started, he was just ... well, he was just a little doctrine called the Nicolaitanism. Of course, it wouldn't slay anything! That is Revelation 2:6, if you want to put it down. He wouldn't slay anything. It was just a doctrine. It was just a spirit amongst the people. That wouldn't slay nothing.
Oh, he was so innocent riding on this white horse. "Well you know, we could have a great world-wide church. We could call it the Universal Church." They still do! Oh, yes, see. Now. "We could have... Oh, it is perfectly innocent! And, oh, it's so innocent. It's just a group of men. We'll all get together for fellowship." See, it's very innocent. It's white, the white horse was, see.

102 Now. So the dignitaries and the better dressed and the educated, you know, kind of like "birds of a feather," you know, we kind of get things together. "That poor bunch, why, if they want to stumble along, all right. But we'll get a better class coming to our church. If we can just get ourselves pulled off out here, we'll be a bunch of Masons, or so forth, you know. We'll just have the things fixed up ... or odd fellows,"---like they are. Not the Odd Fellow Lodge now, but you know what I mean. It is odd to the real believer.

103 Otherwise, "We want a little group or little syndicate we can call our own. It is just a doctrine---very innocent. Brethren, why, we have nothing against you people. Certainly not. You are all right, but you know we feel that we have business and everything. We would be better off if we just had ourselves together," see. It finally went right on down till it happened. Yes, sir! Get together.
But when this awful deceiving spirit (oh, man!) incarnated---incarnate spirit, this doctrine spirit---became incarnated to take the place of Christ into a man, it must be worshipped then, turned to be a worship like Christ.

104 In other words, up over the Vatican (now, I have been right there) is wrote Vicarius Filii Dei, and it's wrote in Roman numerals. Now you just draw a line at the bottom of those Roman numerals, and it means "Instead of Son of God." In other words, he's a vicar. You know what a vicar is. Just takes the place of something. He is the vicar instead of the Son of God. And the Bible said, "Let him that has the gift of wisdom count the numbers of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666." Now, you take Vicarius Filii Dei and draw a line the Roman numbers---the V for 5, I for 1, and add it up and see if you haven't got 666.

105 The Bible said he would be sitting in the temple of God, worshipped like God. When that little doctrine become incarnate, it become a vicar, instead of the Son of God, see. Oh, my! That awful deceiving spirit! If you want to read that, read II Thessalonians 2:3. You can see where it's at.
Of course, you will remember Satan is the head of all political power of every nation! How many knows that? Do you want to put it down? Matthew 4:8. Satan took Jesus up to a high mountain, and he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world that ever was, or ever would be in a moment of time. Talk about a person! He said, "I will give them to you if you'll worship me." And Jesus knew that He was going to fall heir to them.

106 That's what they say, "Why, you bunch of poor holy rollers." Why, we get the world! "The meek shall inherit the earth." That's what Jesus said, see.
Notice, Jesus knowed that he'd fall heir to them so He said, "Get thee hence, Satan. It is written [right back with the Scripture again, see] thou shalt worship the Lord and him only."
Now when he, as his head demon, incarnate in this super-religious man (as the Bible predicts), then he unites his church and state. Both of his own powers unite together, see. When the antichrist spirit went forth, it was a spirit. Then it become what? It become then... Now watch this seal! When the spirit went forth it was antichrist, against the teaching of Christ.

107 All right. The next thing he did... What Christ set out for his church to do, it was against sin. "Oh, it don't mean that. It don't mean it. That was for somebody else. That's back a hundred years ago back yonder. That ain't for us." That's the anti---against. Then it become... Now the rider went out. He didn't have no crown, but he was given one ... that white horse. He had a bow, no arrow, see.
So then when he went forth... Then after awhile he was given a crown, because you can't put a crown on a spirit's head. But when this spirit become incarnate in the second work of his dispensation, of his mystery (the second work), he become a crowned false prophet to the working of the antichrist spirit.
Now, we see him now... Now he becomes that when he takes that... Then he is already... Satan controls the political powers of the world.

108 Now he gets into a place till he's going to make a universal church power, taking religious power.
And do you not understand, my brothers, that when this nation appears in the 13th chapter of Revelation, this little animal raised up like a lamb, and it's got two horns---civil and ecclesiastical power... But he done the same thing the beast did before him! It is strange, America is number thirteen and a woman. And it's strange that it appears even in the 13th chapter of Revelation. We started out with thirteen stripes in the flag, thirteen stars, everything thirteen, thirteen, thirteen, thirteen all the way down. And everything is a woman, woman, woman all the way down.

109 It will finally end up, I predicted, a woman will control her. Remember that was thirty years ago I said it. And the seven things that I predicted, five of them has done come to pass. And they've got the man right there now to bring her in. You voted him in through your politics.
All right. So much to say you can't hardly get to where you want to get to. Notice now. I won't keep you but a little bit longer, if I have to carry on tomorrow night.

110 Look. Notice when Satan ... now everybody that realizes that Satan controls all political powers of the world... He said so. Matthew the 4th chapter, you get it, and the 8th verse. All the kingdoms belong to him. That's the reason they fight, war, kill.
Now remember ... isn't that strange? They was given this sword to kill one another. Oh, my! Notice now. Now, when he did that he did not have the ecclesiastical power yet, but he started in with a demon of a false teaching. And that teaching became a doctrine. That doctrine became incarnate in a false prophet, and then he went just to the right place. He never went to Israel now, he went to Rome---Nicaea, Rome.

111 The council was held, and they elected a head bishop. And then by doing this, they united church and state together. Then he dropped his bow, he got off his white horse, he got on his red horse, for he can kill anybody that don't agree with him! There's your seal! Same fellow! Watch him go right on into eternity yonder with it, see. Unites both of his powers together---the same thing they are trying to do right now. Same thing.

112 Today and... It's a strange thing. Maybe you don't understand it. But today from a Baptist group in Louisville (you heard it on the radio), a speaker raised up and... How many heard it? See? All right, there you are. They want ... and asking the church now that we don't really have to, oh, just kind of join the Catholic Church, but we have to kind of fellowship with them. The same time that's going on in Louisville, over here God's unfolding the seals to his people, to show us don't do it! See them both working together? Remember, the crow and dove sat on the same roost pole. There you are, sure. Just remember.

113 Now, we find out he unites his power. Then when he becomes both state and church---the ecclesiastical---then what are you going to do? He forms his own religion, and now he can do whatever he wants to. Then he has the right to put to death whosoever will not agree with him.
That is exactly what he did, too. And he did that just exactly. And when he did it to the true saints of the living God who kept the Word and wouldn't agree with him on his dogmas, he put them to death.

114 Now, Brother Lee Vayle and you teachers here of the Nicaea age and the early church, I don't know if you read this or not. If you want to read it, you get it in Schmucker's "Glorious Reformation." And you find it that when St. Augustine of Hippo become a priest under the Roman church, had the opportunity to... One time the Holy Spirit tried to come on him, and he rejected it. How many knows that, as a teacher? He rejected the Holy Spirit.
That's exactly what the type of the Protestant church today that's rejected the Holy Ghost... He went back down to Hippo, and he was the very one that signed that paper that had the revelation from God that it was all right, and pleasing God, to put every person to death that didn't believe with the Roman Catholic Church.

115 Now listen. I am quoting from the martyrology: "From the time of St. Augustine of Hippo until 1586 on the Roman martyrology, the Roman Catholic Church put 68,000,000 Protestants to death." Was his sword red? Was he riding a red horse? What was it? The same power! The same rider. There is the seal! They admit 68,000,000 on the martyrology besides all those put to death outside of that. Oh, mercy! During the Dark Ages there were millions fed to lions and slaughtered in every way, because they wouldn't bow down to that Catholic dogma. You know that!

116 How much time have you got? All right, let me read something. Turn with me now. Let me show you something. Let's picture this thing just a minute. It just happened to come on my mind, and we'll just read it. Let's turn over in Revelation to the 17th chapter of Revelation. We've still got fifteen minutes. All right. Now listen real, real close now as we read. You who have your Bibles can turn. I'm going to give you just a little time so that you'll get it.
Did you get that, Lee? In Schmucker's is where I got it, see. "Glorious Reformation," that was taken straight out of martyrology of Rome at the Vatican.

117 That was down to the persecution of St. Patrick's people. And then they call St. Patrick their saint. St. Patrick was about as much Catholic as I am. And you know how much I am! He detested the doctrine of the church. He refused to go to the pope. Yes, sir.
St. Patrick even... Why, did you ever go up into northern Ireland where he had his schools? You know his name wasn't Patrick. How many knows that? His name was Suscat. That's right. Lost his little sister. You remember when they were...

118 All right. Now notice. The 17th chapter of Revelation. Now everybody just try to open your heart and let the Holy Spirit teach you now.
... there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, ...
Now you see the seven vials. You know these sevens as we're going through. They all happened right at the same time, following the plagues, following the church ages just the same, because it is all sealed up into that one book. Everything happens just in rotation, and one goes right into the other, and the other into the other. Two spirits are working---God and the devil, see.
... which had the seven last vials, and he talked with me, saying ... Come here; and I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

119 Now, look here, over here. That water ... whore. What is that? That's a woman. It can't be a man. And what is the woman's symbol in the church, in the Bible? Church. Why? Christ's bride, and so forth, you see. It's woman---the church.
Now, waters, what does that mean? Watch here. Read the 15th verse of it there:
And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, ... nations, and tongues.
This church was ruling over the whole world, see.. She sat upon many waters. [Verse 2:]
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [spiritual fornication, taking their doctrine, Nicolaitane doctrine], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. [Boy, you talk about a drunken bunch on it!]
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman ...

120 And did you know what? The Catholic's own writings admit this is their church (how many knows that?), right in their own writings. I've got "Facts of our Faith," they call it. It belongs to a priest. All right.
So he carried me away in the spirit unto the wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Now just watch that, that symbol. That's seven heads. Now, you see, here [verse 9] he said, "And the heads which thou sawest are seven hills on which the woman sitteth." Rome sits on seven hills, see. Now there is no mistake about it, see. Seven heads and ten horns, you know, are ten kingdoms, and so forth.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet clothes, and decked with gold and precious stones ... pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations of the filthiness of her fornication:
That antichrist spirit, fornication, that committing adultery with God, see. Now she's supposed to be a bride, and committing adultery just like Eve did---just like the church does there.

121 And upon her head was [written] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT [anybody knows Babylon is Rome], THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
[Listen to the 6th verse.] And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
She was such a beautiful thing with crosses and everything on her. How in the world could she be guilty of drinking the blood of the saints? It puzzled him. Now, he is going to tell him.
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, ... [Now this is not under one of the seals. This is something else. And he said] the seven heads and the ten horns.
The beast ... thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit [It has no foundation---the pope.], and shall go into perdition: and they that dwell upon the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Lamb's book of life [that's the elected seed] from the foundation of the world...
When was your name put on the book of life? At that revival you attended? No, sir!---from the foundation of the world.
... when they behold the beast that was, is not, and yet is.
See, the beast. One will die; another one take his place. He was; he was not. He was; he was not. He was; he was not. And she'll go plumb into perdition that way, see. All right.

122 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. [How many knows there are nine spiritual gifts, and one of them are wisdom? all right.] The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. [You would have to be totally blind, deaf and dumb not to get that.]
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is [Nero], and one is to come; and when he cometh, he must continue just a short space.
You remember what he done: burnt the city and laid it onto the Christians; and put his mother on a single tree of a horse and run her through the streets; and fiddled while Rome burned. All right.
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, ...
Pagan Rome brought into papal Rome. When the incarnate antichrist spirit become incarnate and was crowned, he was made a crowned king of Rome, both in state and church together. Oh, brother! It's just full of it, see.
... and is of the seven, and goeth [How long does he last? They never changed the system.] into perdition.
... the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [That is dictators, you see, of course.]
These have one mind, ... [Now look here. And then they talk about communism!]
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, ... chosen, and faithful.
And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, ... multitudes, ... nations, and tongues.

123 ... the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [when that covenant is broken that we talked about last night], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Don't you know the Bible says that the shipmasters and everything else said, "Alas, alas, that great city!"---how it's met its doom in one hour? See?
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom over to the beast, until the word of God shall be fulfilled.
... the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over all the kings of the earth.

124 Tell me what...? Russia don't reign over all. We don't reign over all. There is only one king that reigns over every ... like that Nebuchadnezzar's iron running out to every one of those toes. That's Rome! Rome don't do it as a nation; it does it as a church!
Every nation under heaven is to Rome. No wonder he said, "Who can make war with him?" He can say "Peace"; that settles it. Every Catholic says, "Don't fight." They don't fight. That's all. Who is able to do what he can do? Nobody. That's right. So they wondered at the miracles he can do. He can stop war. The only thing he has to do is just say, "Stop." That's all. But do you think he will do it? Certainly not.

125 Notice. That ... show they should kill one another, should kill each other. His bow had no arrows at first, but his great sword did. He done his killing later, and changed from white horse to red horse---the same exactly devil with his sword.
What did Jesus say? Jesus said, "They that take the sword will perish by it." Don't fight back, see. Jesus, that night when He told ... said that, when Peter took his sword. Just do like He did. Just go ahead.

126 Now. Now remember, he's got a sword. He's going forth with a sword in his hand, riding a red horse, wading through the blood of everybody that disagrees with him. Now do you understand it? How many understands what that seal is now? All right. Now what did Jesus say? "They that take the sword will perish by the sword." Is that right? All right.
All right. This rider and all of his kingdom subjects that are slain down through the age, that's drawed all of this blood of the martyrs of the saints, will be slain by the sword of Jesus Christ when He comes. "They that take the sword will be slain by the sword." They took the sword of dogma and antichrist and cut down the real true worshippers all down through the ages by the millions. And when Christ comes with the sword---for it's his word that proceeds out of his mouth---He will slay everything that is before Him. Do you believe it?

127 Let's go over here just a minute. Revelation ... we will see now if I am just saying that or whether the Word says it. Revelation 19:11:
And I saw heaven opened [Amen], and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head ... many crowns [Oh, brother! He's done been crowned by his saints.]; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but ... himself. [You remember, we don't know that, not yet.]
And he was clothed [let's see] ... and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called [not is, but called] The Word of God [for He and the Word is the same].
Now notice, it is not his names, but his name, called the Word of God. He only knows one name, no other name.
And the armies [of heaven] which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean [that's the righteousness of saints].

128 Now watch! What did Jesus say? "He that takes the sword..." All right, red horse rider, here's where she's coming! "He that takes the sword..." You might have killed 68,000,000 of them down through these ages since then, maybe more. But Jesus said, "He that takes the sword will perish by it." Now watch!
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword ...
Hebrews the 4th chapter said, "The word of God is sharper than a two edged-sword, cutting even to the marrow of the bones." And what else does the Word do? It's a discerner of the thoughts of the heart! That's right.
... out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

129 As the imposters against the Word of God, and because they wouldn't agree... And this thing Satan placed, united the political power which he held and the spiritual powers which he held together, and made a church that sweeps into every nation. And he put millions times millions ... after he had jumped off from his white horse onto his red horse, and he took his sword and went forth... But God said with the same thing that he perverted, or tried to---the false teaching---that same Word will rise in power, coming forth from the lips of Jesus Christ, and it shall slay him and everything before him. Amen! There is the second seal! Do you love Him? Oh, my! That is "thus saith the Lord!" Praise be to God!

130 With all these other revelations, and visions, and everything that's hit just exactly on the point... And how many knows that, raise your hands. Hundreds---everybody here with their hands up. That's right. So shall this be! Remember, it's so.
Oh, friends, come to the "fountain that is filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; where sinners, plunged beneath the flood, lose all their guilty stains."
Come believe on Him. If you've never ... don't take any chance. Don't... If there's anything in your life, friends, we're here... Something is fixing to happen. I don't know why; I don't know when. I know what's going to happen, but I don't know when it is going to happen. But it is bound to be, because He is revealing it right now.
He doesn't do anything unless He makes it known (Amos 3). He makes it known first, and He promised that these things would come in the last days. And the seventh church age at the end of it, when the messenger's arrived, there it would be.

131 They would be revealed. Those broken seals would be revealed, and here they are. Now, that's in the name of the Lord. Believe it, friends. Come out of Babylon.
I want to say something before I close, because I got ... I'm getting just nine-thirty, just right now time.
Billy and I, when we got off of the plane in India (our last trip there), I was looking at a paper that they brought, was written in English. And it said, "The earthquakes must be over. The birds are coming back." Then it give the details. There was something funny happened.

132 India don't have woven fences like we do. They pick up rocks and make their fences, and they build a lot of their houses out of rocks. Just place them up there and go on there around ... oh, anywhere, pretty near, in India, unless you get up in the mountains. And all down through Calcutta and things, the people just lay on the streets, starving to death, and so forth.
Now, they build their houses and towers ... their house... They run the fence right up here beside their house. Build the tower for their house, and the tower maybe when they got their well. They dug it for their cattle and things, and run the fences around.

133 And all at once something begin to happen. The little birds, you know, go into those rocks, and they build their nests and raise their young ones. And something begin to happen.
Every day when it would get hot, all the cattle will come around and stand under the shadow of those walls to keep cool. And all the little birds live in those places. And all of a sudden, all them little birds, for some unknown reason... Now you know what we said the other day about little birds, see? Some unknown reasons, they all took off, and they went out and didn't come back to their nests. They went out in the field, and they sat in the trees or wherever they could get, or right out on the ground.
The cattle wouldn't come around. The sheep wouldn't come around. They stayed right in the field and hugged up against one another---a good way to do. They knew that something was going to happen. Then all of a sudden a earthquake took place, and shook the walls down, and the fences down, and everything else.
Then the little birds began to come back. They didn't come back for three or four days, and then they began to come back. They said, "Well, the earthquakes must be over now. The birds are coming back."

134 Why? Don't you believe that the same God that could make them birds and cattle and sheep in the days of Noah go into the ark, He is still the same God that can make them fly to safety? Is that right?
Now let me say something, brethren. There's something fixing to happen. And all these big old ecclesiastical walls are going to collapse, and go right back over yonder and agree---'cause they are going to do it as certain as I'm standing here. There is an image to that beast just as certain as I'm standing here, and this nation's took it, according to the Word of the Lord.
Listen, when you feel that little funny feeling, you get away from them walls. Get away. You'll die there! Don't do it! Come out of it! Get away from all this stuff! Flee to safety as quick as you can! Ask God for mercy.
Don't just say, "Well, my mother was a Methodist, so I suppose I'll be."
"My papa was Baptist. I'll be." Don't you do that! Don't you take any chances! I don't care how simple and humble it seems, it's the Word of the Lord. You flee to Jesus Christ just as quick as you can, and stay there until God fills you with his Holy Spirit, for the hour is going to come when you're going to hunt for it, and it won't be there. So be sure to do it!

135 Let's bow our heads just a moment.
Heavenly Father, oh, I just sometimes, Lord, stand here, and I tremble. I think of that awful hour that's approaching, and there's no way to stop it. It's predicted that it would come. Now, I've thought of why don't the people come and listen, and why don't they come and accept it? But, of course I know that You said they wouldn't, so they won't.
But there is some that have got their names written on the Lamb's book of life. And when them seals are thrown open there, they see their name there, and the Holy Spirit speaks to them, they come. You can't keep them away. No one can, no one. They are coming anyhow, because You are leading them like You did those little birds, and the sheep, and the cattle. Thou art God. Some instinct that them animals have that they know that they must get away...
If instinct to an animal could warn him to flee from danger, what should the Holy Spirit do to a church that claims to be filled with it? God, be merciful to us!
Forgive us all, Lord, of our shortcomings. We don't mean to stand here in this pulpit and let these people stand around walls, and their limbs a-aching, and then just go away and say, "Well, that sounds very good."

136 Lord, we want to do something about it. We want You to search our hearts. And if there is anything wrong, Lord, let us know now. Please don't let us come to that hour yonder when it's too late. Search me, try me, Lord. Here I stand here, by the grace of God seeing those seals broke down there, and come telling the people, when You predicted that it would happen this way weeks ago. And now, Father, here it is right before us.
Now, Lord, try me. Search me. Search me in my heart. Lord, we want You to look into our lives, and if there is anything in there that's not right, just speak it to us, Lord. We want to make it right, right now---right now while there is a fountain filled with blood, while there is a bleach that can cleanse our sins and unbelief. We want to plunge our souls beneath that, all of our unbelief.

137 God, help our unbelief. Take it away from us, Lord. We want to receive rapturing grace. We want to be able when that mysterious thunder thunders out yonder and the church is taken up, we want to be ready to receive it, Lord. Grant it. Try us, Lord, by thy Word. Let us look into it, and if we see that we have failed...
If there are those here, Lord, who were baptized in titles, knowing nothing about the real true baptism, may I be as faithful as Paul. When he passed through the upper coast of Ephesus and he found disciples screaming and shouting and having a glorious time, he said unto them, "Have you received, then, the Holy Ghost since you believed?" They knew not whether there be any. He said, "Then to what was you baptized?" They had been baptized by that glorious holy prophet, but they were only baptized unto repentance. Then they were rebaptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And Paul commanded them to be baptized over again.

138 Lord, in the light of your Word, I command every person that's not baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to hasten to the water quickly while you have a chance. You who have not been filled with the Holy Ghost, I command you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, fall to your knees and don't get up until the Holy Spirit has sanctified you thoroughly, and filled you with his love and goodness until your soul is so satisfied in the presence of God that your whole desire is to serve Him, and walk for Him, and work with Him all the rest of your life. Grant it, I pray, that God will give you this charge, in Jesus Christ's name.
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me
(Do you really love Him?
Now, put your hands up.)
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.

139 If there's any sitting that feels their need tonight, feels that they need to be baptized, or need the baptism of the Holy Spirit... You know your need. It's been revealed to you, and you want to be remembered in prayer. There is none of us can give it to you. Oh, we can baptize you. But the only thing, we can't give you the Holy Spirit. God does that alone. But you feel your need that God is speaking to your heart that you need it, and you want us to remember you in prayer, would you stand up so we could know you, know who you are? God bless you. The Lord bless you.
I guess there's 150, maybe, standing here, maybe like that, if I can see all of them. I don't know what's in the rooms and around outside holding their hands up, so forth. But you have a need. Now let's pray.

140 Now, you who see those people that's standing by you, and they're standing as a witness before Christ, "I need You, Lord. I need You. I am trusting I'm one of those that's going to find my name tonight behind that seal yonder, that was put on there from the foundation of the world. Something struck my heart and I'm standing, Lord. Is it me? Are You calling me? I want You to reveal to me my name over there. Fill me and seal me into yourself by the Holy Ghost." You who have already been sealed in, I want you to raise up, turn around to them and lay your hands upon them to pray for them. Now be deadly sincere.

141 Heavenly Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, let the great Holy Spirit move upon this audience as a rushing wind. Call to every heart here, Lord, and send down the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon these people, and their water ways... "While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on them."