When their eyes were opened, they knew Him
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1 Our heavenly Father, we pray now that You'll receive glory out of our gathering together. We thank You for the opportunity. Bless thy Word, as it goes forth each night. Bless thy people as they hear it. And may the great Holy Ghost take ahold of the Word that falls into the heart, and make it to manifest itself---that literally hundreds of people through the country here may be saved; hundreds of them that are suffering, laying in the shadows of death, may see a great light spring up; and may they be healed and thy great name honored. That's why we're here, Lord. It's not for honor for ourselves, but to honor Jesus Christ among us, for we ask it in his name. Amen.
2 Now, as you get in your Bible just for few moments and... Each night, now, I'll just speak about twenty to thirty minutes---I have been for the last few weeks---and just speak a very few minutes. And then we'll call a prayer line, pray for the sick, or whatever the Holy Spirit leads. And how many will---you first-time comers tonight---and all of you together, will pray for the meeting? Will you do that? We're not here just ... we're here because we're trying to help.
Brethren, I believe, the Lord helping us, we'll have a great meeting to honor our Lord and Saviour.
3 We believe He's coming right away. If He isn't here tonight, I'll be looking for Him in the morning. If He isn't here by tomorrow night, I'll be here, the Lord willing. Then if He isn't here, I look for him tomorrow night. And then if He isn't here, I'll look for Him the next night. I want to... I've been looking for Him for thirty-three years now, big part of my life. And I'm not discouraged. I'm watching day by day, and hour by hour for Him to appear.
4 Now, as we turn in the Bible in the book of St. Luke, the 24th chapter beginning with the 13th verse, let us stand and honor the Word while we read. St. Luke 24, beginning with the 13th verse. Now, if some of you have your Bibles---some of them like to keep the minister's text where he speaks from... And now I want you to listen close, read with me if you can, to yourself while we read.
And, behold, two of them went the same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
And they walked together ... all of these things which had happened. [I beg your pardon] And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as you walk, and are sad?
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass ... in these days?
And He said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
Now the chief priests and the rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them ... all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
And they drew nigh unto the village, where they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened unto us the scriptures?
And they arose and went the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known to them by breaking of bread.
Luke 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
Luke 24:14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
Luke 24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Luke 24:16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
Luke 24:17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
Luke 24:18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
Luke 24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
Luke 24:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
Luke 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Luke 24:22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
Luke 24:23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
Luke 24:24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luke 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
Luke 24:29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
Luke 24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luke 24:35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
5 Let us bow our heads. Lord Jesus, we pray that You will make yourself known to us in like manner tonight, as we wait upon Thee. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Be seated.
6 For a subject from that, I would like to take these words: "When Their Eyes were Opened, They Knew Him." Now, we're speaking, of course, of the resurrection, which is believed amongst all Christian believers today. It's the hope of the church. If Christ did not rise, then we're lost. And Christianity is based upon resurrection---now, not replacement; resurrection. For instance, this motel key here: if I dropped that on the floor, and said, "Well, I dropped it. I'll place another one like it here." That isn't resurrection; that's replacement. See, resurrection is bring up the same thing that went down. And God raised Him up on the third day, and we believe that with all of our heart. And we believe the Bible story.
7 And notice, on this first Easter morning, Jesus is alive among them from among the dead. What a beautiful thing! How I'm so glad tonight, to punctuate that with an "Amen," that I believe He's still alive among us, in the springtime of the glorious gospel of Christ. I believe He's still alive. I believe that that's been a... That was a springtime of the resurrection, also of life of men. Men have always feared death. They had no assurance of ever coming back again after dying.
But seeing Him die at Calvary, then being raised up again, and was with them, walking among them on this glorious day after the heartaches and sorrows, and so forth, that they'd went through in them dark hours of seeing Him crucified, and spit on, and made fun of---and all that He'd went through in those three-and-a-half years---and them closing hours of darkness that made Him...
Those Pharisees: they hated Him anyhow, and they was rejoicing because they thought they had finished it. And here He appears among them. My, what a day!
8 Would you like to have took a trip with Cleopas and them on the road to Emmaus? I'd liked to have walked with them. And it's possible. I'm glad to be a-living today that I can still do the same thing, walk with Him today just the same as they did then.
The sad thought of it was how that... Jesus had raised up from the dead. But the sad part of it, some of them who loved Him didn't know it. And that is certainly a picture of today. There's many people who love Him who doesn't yet realize that He is alive. It's some kind of a history that they have learned in some school. It's some book of theology, some ethics, code of ethics that they studied somewhere. And Jesus is a historical figure to them. And yet in the history they love Him, and don't realize that He's alive with us, walking right around with us just as He always did. He's here just the same as He ever was.
9 Now, the reason they... Why didn't they believe it? Is because the resurrection was too unusual. See, there was... That hadn't happened before. So it was an unusual thing for them to believe something like that. And the unusualness is where God lays, see. Christ's birth was unusual. "A virgin shall conceive." God's always unusual; He does unusual things. But it's always according to his Word. He never does nothing outside of his Word. So unusual, because He promises it first, and then sends somebody to manifest that Word to make it real to people.
When you Pentecostal people first received the baptism of the Holy Ghost---that was an unusual thing. But yet God promised it: "...pour it out in the last days," and here it was. So no matter how unusual it was, it was a promise of God that had to be made manifest 'cause God promised it.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
10 Now, the resurrection was unusual to many of the people that loved Him. Yet it was a promised Word, but too unusual to believe. Divine healing today is so unusual to people till they don't want to believe it. And yet it's the promised Word. This thing that we're seeing taking place today is a promise of God. But it's so unusual to the mind who has never thought of it in that way.
That's the way the resurrection was to many people who loved Him. There were people who honored Him, and believed Him to be a prophet of God, and believed Him to be the Son of God, and so forth. But still, they ... the resurrection was too much for them to believe. It was too phenomenal.
11 And you take anything that's really way out in the phenomenal like that, always check it with the Word. If the Word promised it, then it's only God rising on the scene again. That's the way every promise is. And that's the way they should have seen it then, 'cause God promised He'd raise Him up the third day.
David said, "I will not leave his soul in hell; neither I'll suffer my holy one to see corruption."
Jesus said, "Destroy this body, and I'll raise it up again in three days."
See, it was a promise. And it was a phenomenon---very unusual. And many who loved Him could not understand it, because it was staggering to the whole world. For a man who had been crucified and a sword run through his heart, or a spear... Every drop of blood in his body had dwindled out upon the cross. And had took Him and sealed Him in a tomb, and rolled a rock over it. Taken a sentry, a man, to handle it then. Sealed it with a Roman seal. And then to say an angel come down and broke the seal, and rolled away the rock, and here He is alive among us---it was kind of a strange thing.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
12 And today, it's the same kind of phenomenon. When people think He died, that settled it---nineteen hundred years ago. And here He is today, after nineteen hundred years, still among us. Just as much as He was then, just as real as He was then, doing the same things he did then. It's too much of a phenomenon. The people can't understand it. It goes beyond their reasoning.
Certainly. Who can reason God? No one can reason God. No one can interpret God. God's his own interpreter. God speaks the Word, and they say, "Well, you got the wrong interpretation." God makes it come to pass. That's the interpretation. Don't need anybody to interpret it. I just spoke on that in the city below here.
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. That don't need any interpretation. There was light. God said, "A virgin shall conceive." She did. That settles it. So when He speaks anything, and then He's his own interpreter. He doesn't need our interpretation of it. The Bible said that the Scripture's of no private interpretation. It's God, Himself, doing the interpretation of it.
Notice. Many didn't see it because they hadn't searched the Scriptures. They hadn't listened to what He said.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
13 Many today hasn't listened to the message, hasn't listened to the Scripture, and what Christ promised in these last days. That's the reason that people are in the condition they are today, and the churches are all gaumed up among one another. They haven't noticed what the Scripture said for this day. They didn't notice these things had to be done. It's just the fulfilling of the Scripture.
Many people love Him. Many people believe in Him. But yet it's too phenomenal. They can't understand it. When you talk about Him, to being just the same as He was yesterday, doing the same things, they claim they believe that. But when it takes place, then they don't understand it. They just can't believe it.
14 Notice. They were talking of Him when He appeared. Now, that's a good thing. We notice here in the Scripture, it says, "and while they talked of Him..." While they spoke of these things, going along talking about Him, sad, when they find out that He appeared. And when He appeared, He appeared unto them while they were going along reasoning about Him. That's when He always appears, is when we talk about Him. Always through the Scripture is, when the people talk about God, that's when He appeared.
Luke 24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
15 Now we're too busy talking about other things. I think that's the reason many people who love Him fail to see Him. We're so busy with our creeds, and denominations, and business about the churches, and memberships, and getting more members, and things, we're too busy to talk about Him. He's the Word. We're too interested in what some creed, some textbook, or something else says. "How many members can we get in? Vote them in. Shall we take this one, that one, the other one?" We should be constantly giving ourselves to the Word of God in prayer, studying the Word. But we're too interested in something else.
16 These people were sad. They were talking, a great thing had happened. He had been taken away. But they were talking about Him, and there He appeared. And when He appeared, He was a stranger to them. They didn't understand it. First He... First we find out that He was ... as they walked along the road down to the little city of Emmaus (just a few ... a mile or two down there---a Sabbath day's journey or something), the first, He revealed the promised Scripture of Himself to them for that day.
Now notice. When Jesus comes on the scene, if we want to see Him and talk with Him after his resurrection, like they did, like they saw Him... The first thing He did to them was reveal Himself to them by the Scripture. Amen. That's to make it what? They were Hebrews. They believed the Word. And He revealed Himself, revealed the written Word of Himself---what He was supposed to do for that age. Amen.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
17 God, in Genesis and then, before the foundation of the world, He 'lotted it. And He spoke it, and said what would take place---down from the beginning to the end. Always the churches gets that all scrupled up. And they get out, and men has to inject what they believe about it, and this one says, "Well, I believe a little different than that," and he makes him something. And this one's got to do something.
Each one's got a tower, or city, or something that they got to build. Always trying to add something, or do something to say that, "We did this." Oh, that's the way you get confused. Get out of the picture. Let God do it, see.
Here's his Word, what He said He would do. Each age He sends a prophet on there with anointed... The Word of the Lord comes to the prophet, always to vindicate it in the age.
18 John the Baptist came on the scene. He was the prophet for that time. He was the light of the age, 'cause the prophet of Malachi had spoke of him coming. "I'll send my messenger before my face." Isaiah said 112 years before that, said, "... a voice of one crying in the wilderness. Behold, I ..." What he would do in the last days: make straight the path in the wilderness, and all these things was prophesied of him.
When he come on the scene, he was the prophet to manifest that promise.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
19 Jesus is the Word. And the Word always comes to the prophet. You remember when this prophet was prophesying making straight the path. And then, when the Word was on earth, the Word walked right out into the water, and come to the prophet. Amen. How perfect!
The Word comes to the prophet, and He was the Word. For, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld Him." No wonder He said "It's behooving to us that we fulfill all righteousness." The Word came to the prophet in the water to fulfill all righteousness.
Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
20 And we find out then, that He revealed Himself to Cleopas and his friend, here, that's unknown by name (the other party). But it was Cleopas, we know. And He revealed Himself to them by the Scripture. Notice how He said... Notice, they called Him a prophet. "Know not these things? Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet that God manifested Himself to," see, which before all the people, and so forth, He was called a prophet.
Then, if they had recognized the one they were talking about of being a prophet, looked like they would have seen right here, that same prophet picked up the Word again and began to reveal it; which He was the Word, and was revealing Himself by mouth, the Word that was written of Him. And He began and started from Moses, and explained to them all that the prophets had said about Him. Oh, my!
How He made it known for that age! "Fools, slow of heart ... know that Moses and all the prophets said that Christ must suffer, and enter into his glory," see. And for that age, that's what was supposed to take place. "Don't you know, He's supposed to do that?" See, revealing the written Word of Him---
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luke 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
21 that's the way Christ always does it.
God never changes his program. The way He does it the first time, that's the way He does it every time. He made a decision in the garden of Eden, when man was lost, to save him by shed blood. That's the only place He'd ever meet a man. That's the only place He's ever met a man since, is under the shed blood.
We've tried to educate them, we've built towers, we've built cities, we've built everything else, trying to get people together. We've tried to take education and run them together. We've tried to take military power and run them together. We've tried denominations, to run to them together. It's all failed.
God's got one place---that's under the blood. Under the blood, He'll meet man his blood-born brothers.
22 (I hope I'm not blasting at you out there, but it sounds like there's a rebound. If it is---can you hear me all right? If you can, raise your hands. All right.) Now, I just want to know that you're getting this. You must.
23 Notice. Now, when He said... Still, they failed to know Him by the written Word (Think of that!), when He come and revealed Himself by the Word to them. And they still failed to see it. If that ain't a picture of today, I don't know what is. Still failing, when the Scripture says these things. "It shall come to pass in the last days," saith God, "I'll pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Upon my handmaidens and maid servants will I pour out of my Spirit in that day. I'll show wonders in the heavens above, and fire and smoke, and so forth." Still, they don't see it.
Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man. They'd be eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man."
All these things they have spoke of, and the Word preached from the platform, and still many that love Him don't see it! They still grope on into darkness. Still they fail to know Him by the written Word.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luke 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
24 They take seminaries, and go off and misconstrue it, and everything, and bring it back. And they don't know what in the world to believe.
One says, "It's this way."
And one says, "It's that way." So just the written Word...
Jesus never told them to go into all the world and teach. He said "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." Lot of difference. Try teaching something, and preaching something. Preach is to make manifested. It has to do it---demonstrate the power of the Holy Ghost. "These signs shall follow them that believe."
Takes the Holy Ghost to manifest that Word. If it's the truth-Word, God will manifest it. If it isn't truth, God won't have nothing to do with it, 'cause God won't entangle Himself with lies ---you know that---because He's God. Now. Same now.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
25 They claim that they had believed, and they were his disciples. They loved Him. They believed it. And He was standing right with them interpreting the Word, who He was. And still they didn't know it. Just think of that. They didn't know it, and Him standing there, Himself. Written in the Scripture---goes back and picks up the Scripture, been written for hundreds of years concerning Him---and telling how He must do, and all these things like that. And walk around and say, "You don't say so. Well, what do you know!", and Him doing the talking. And they still didn't recognize it.
What a picture of this day! Same now. They claim they believe that He has raised from the dead. But when He appears to show Himself, they still don't believe it. Yet, they claim they believe it.
"Oh, yes. We believe He rose the third day."
Let Him do something to show He raised the third day. "Oh, I don't believe in that," see. There you are. The same thing.
26 Notice He said, "Fools, and slow of heart to understand the Scripture promised for this age." Fools!
Said, "Oh, He's gone. They crucified Him. And we understood He rose again. But, oh, my---that's just a mystery story that somebody said. We didn't know nothing about it. Oh, I'm telling you, it's the most miserable thing."
He said, "You fools, and slow of heart to understand what the Scripture has said for this age." Amen! There you are! I wish I could blast that to the ecumenical council. Yes, sir! Slow of heart, knowing the Scripture says these things, still don't understand it. There you are.
He said, "Fools, and slow of heart to understand the Scripture that's been prophesied for that day," and just exactly how it would happen. And here it's happened. Christ entered into his glory by suffering first, being buried, died, rose again the third day. Didn't ... that's the way the Scripture said He was to do it, raised up on the third day.
He said, "This is the third day since it has happened."
Said, "Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you."
And still they didn't understand it. Then He said, "You're fools, and slow at heart to understand all that the prophets have said, and the Scripture being said about this day. And here it's happened right before you, and you don't know it."
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
27 They said, "Well, what do you know." See, their eyes were blind.
You say, "Could it be blind in this day?" Yes, sir! It's as blind this day as it was then. Right. Didn't the Bible say they'd be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good; having a form of godliness, but would deny the power thereof---the power of the resurrection, and the manifestation of the Son of God? The Bible said it would happen. So it's got to happen just as He said.
Isaiah spoke and said, "You got eyes and can't see; and ears and can't hear." The same God said the same scripture.
Isaiah 2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
2 Timothy 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2 Timothy 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
28 We notice then, Paul---the great revelation he had of Jesus Christ, who He was. It was so great to know, well, God put it in the Bible. That's how great it was. That's the reason he was given a thorn in the flesh, to keep him down, so he wouldn't get big and exalted. God kept him down, small, so He could use him in different parts of the country---do for Him what He wanted to, because he had the revelation of Jesus Christ, who He was.
29 Then notice. There's the thing to do. Next thing, we find out they invited Him to come in. He got to the little place, the little inn where they were going to stay. It was towards evening, and they said, "Oh, come and abide with us." He made out like He was going on past. Oh, I've thought that many times. He's only wanting you to invite Him. He made out like He'd pass them on by.
He might make out like He's going to pass you by, sister in the wheel-chair; or you, sir, in the cot; or you, out there with the heart trouble, that can't live but just a little while longer. These people are perhaps crippled. They might live an ordinary lifetime. But somebody out there with heart trouble might die before morning, might die before tomorrow. He might act like He's going to pass you by. But He's only wanting you to invite Him in, see.
Luke 24:28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
Luke 24:29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 You might think, "Well, He healed so-and-so the other day. He... Last month... I know two years ago, I seen..." Yeah. He might act like He's going to pass you by; but He's only wanting you to invite Him. He makes out like He's going to pass. What He was then, He is today. What He does then, He does today. He said so. Notice. You must do the same thing. You've got to invite Him in. It was then, and only then, that He could reveal Himself. He couldn't do it by preaching them the Word. It went over the top of their head---Him walking there saying, "Well, you ought to know, you fools, slow of heart. The Bible said these things, that Christ was to do these things," and so forth, and walked on there. Well, looked like they would have seen that's who it was.
He never come right out and told them, "I am He." You get a guy does that, then you know there's nothing to him to begin with. But He just let the Holy Spirit reveal it.
31 He told the Pharisees, He said, "Search the scriptures. In them you think you have eternal life. And they are they that testify of me. They tell you who I am." They should know it.
So ought to know today. It's not a big bunch of racket, or a fuss, or a carry-on, or a lot of noise. It's Jesus Christ manifested among his people. The Scripture says so. Notice now. And that makes it true, when God says so.
John 5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
32 We find out the only way that He can reveal is to come into you. He is... He can... He is the Word, and the Word in you. Then the Holy Spirit reveals Christ through the Word, after He gets in you. He is in you. You must take his Word. Say, "Well, my church don't believe that." All right. He'll never get in, see. When you refuse the Word, you're refusing Him.
"Well, my church believes in doing it this way." But the Bible says do it this way. This is the way! Take it like it's written there. Not what somebody else has added to it; what God said about it. And then He can reveal it to you. But He's got to get into you first. Then, and then only, can He reveal it.
33 Don't stand and look at it, and try to figure it out like the Pharisees did. They stood and looked at Him there, and said "This man's Beelzebub." They couldn't figure it out. They had to give it a name.
They said, "This man does this by the spirit of the devil. He's a Beelzebub, a fortuneteller. Why, don't have nothing to do with this fellow. He was born in sin. He don't have our fellowship cards. He doesn't belong to us.
"And, oh my! We don't even know where He went to school. And He has no education. Why, well, where did this man come from? Now He says the Son of man that's going to ascend up, that descended down, is borned right here. He's crazy! And unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, drink his blood... He's a cannibal!"
And He did that just to make them say those things. They had to do it.
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Luke 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
34 And so is the Holy Ghost today, putting forth his Word in manifestation that men might condemn it---that God might put his judgment upon the earth as He promised He'd do. He hardened the heart of Pharaoh. Hallelujah! He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He changes not. He's God. His system is the Word of God. Shows Himself mighty with his Word, to manifest it.
He don't have to tell you all about it. You don't have to figure it out. You can't figure out God. You've got to accept it. Just invite Him in, and see what happens.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
35 Now. We notice again, how He made Himself known to them after He got in. How did He do it? He opened their eyes to who He was. When He got into them, then He opened their eyes to see. Now, when the Word comes into you, when you accept God's Word and it comes into you, then the promise of ... that promise that you've accepted manifests itself. And then you know who it is, by...
What did He do? How did He make Himself known to them? Because He did the same things that He did before his crucifixion. Then they knowed that that was Him, because He had raised from the dead. All the preaching, all the teaching, and everything else He had done, had failed.
But when He revealed Himself, doing the same thing He did before his crucifixion, they knew it was Him. It opened their eyes. Brother, sister, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He changes not.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
36 Just as He did the woman at the well, see. He never changes his program. Now, this little woman at the well, she knew the Scripture promise for that day. Notice when He come to the little woman at the well, He said---at Sychar---He said, "Woman, bring me a drink."
She said, "Why, it's not customary for you Jews to ask us Samaritans such as that."
He said, "But if you knew who you were speaking to, you'd ask me for a drink."
Well, then she thought, "Some smart-aleck. So, I'll just question Him a little bit." She said ... went to questioning Him.
After He said, "Go get your husband, and come here," she said, "I don't have a husband."
He said, "That's right. You've had five. And the one you're living with now is not your husband."
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
John 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
37 Watch.
Quickly, what did it do? It got in. Quickly, she knowed something. Said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet."
See, there was a seed laying there to come to life. There was a switch there that would turn on a light. To them Pharisees, it was darkness to begin with---no switch, no batteries, no nothing else. But to this (man), this woman, a little prostitute... She said, "Sir..." Why? She was looking for the manifestation of the Word. Four hundred years since Malachi, they'd had no prophets. And here was a man that manifested to be a prophet.
Quickly she knowed that was something. She said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." She said, "We know that when the Messiah cometh, that's going to be what He does."
He said, "I'm He that speaks to you."
Now he can reveal Himself. She's already received Him. He's on the inside now. He can make Himself known. That's how He made Himself known to the woman. Why? She believed the promised Word. And when she seen the promised Word manifested...
John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
John 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
38 Now, we know in Deuteronomy 18th chapter, 15th verse, Moses said, "The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet liken unto me," and she knew that that Messiah was going to be a prophet. And the last prophet had ceased many, many years before that. There had been no prophets, and here stood one. What was it? It was the next thing in line. That was the Word! What did He do? He revealed it to her by telling her---revealing that He was that prophet---by revealing her what she'd done. Oh, my! That settled it.
She left that water pot and run into the city, and said, "You come and see a man, who told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?" Stop her? Why, you couldn't do it. Looked like trying to put a fire out on a windy day, and a dry house on fire. Yes, sir! It was burning and blazing.
God had struck something home. She'd seen something. She knowed it was the truth. The Word had been made manifest before her, just exactly like it was to the disciples later on, see, when He was trying to show them the Word, then manifested the Word. And here she knew the Word. And when she seen it manifested, that did it.
Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
John 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
39 One day a man named Andrew, he'd been watching John, listening to him speaking of a coming Messiah. Peter---was his brother---wasn't interested. They had a godly old father that had taught them. "Now, son, we've trusted God for everything we need. Days when our bills couldn't be paid, we prayed, 'God give us a catch of fishes today.' We'd go out, and God'd give us that catch of fishes. And when we got that catch of fish, what would we do? We'd come in and give God praise for it, and sell our fishes. We trusted God.
"I'm an old man now. I probably won't see the coming Messiah. But watch. Before He comes, there'll be a lot of false manifestation."
And the Bible said there was---false Christs raised up. That's true. What was they doing? Trying to put out the light of that real one coming, see. We've had many cults, clans, and everything else, rise up, and take you over to Canada, and stick you in a shelter somewhere, up some other place. And lead a bunch off this way, and that way, just exactly repeating itself again. What's it trying to do? What is it trying to do? It's trying to shut the light of the truth out.
Now, we notice.
40 Then one day Peter came out on the banks to do some fishing, and was washing his nets. And Jesus came down. And the first thing we know, that as soon as He come up in the sight of where Peter was... He was well instructed what that Messiah would do. His old father said to him, said, "Now, Simon, the scriptures says here... Remember, you're a Jew. The Lord has told us if there be one among us who is spiritual or a prophet, I, the Lord, will speak to him. And if he ... what he says is the truth, manifested truth; and what he says constantly comes to pass, then you know he has the divine revelation of the Scripture. Now, you'll know the Messiah when you see Him."
So he walked right up to the face of Jesus, one day, thought He'd go see what Andrew was talking about. And as soon as he got to Him, He said, "Your name is Simon, and you're the son of Jonas." That settled it. That settled it, for he was taught in there that He'd be a prophet. He knowed it.
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
41 There was another little scholar---had been teaching when... Philip was standing there watching that ... things go on. He took around the mountain real quick, and got another man by the name of Nathanael, who had been a Bible student---a studier. They'd studied the scriptures 'cause they knowed the time was at hand. They were looking for Him to come. That's who He comes to: to those who are looking for Him.
And we find out today, He's not coming to those who's not looking for Him. There's no such a thing as divine healing to those who don't believe in it. There's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost to them who don't believe in it. It's just for those who believe it. That's right. That's all.
So then we find out, those who are longing to know the truth, God's obligated to reveal the truth. He says his word, then He comes and fulfills it, gives his own interpretation.
42 Now we find out, as soon as that little woman... She said... She couldn't understand how this man was getting smart with her. She said, about giving her a drink ... she said (or bringing Him a drink, and trying to act smart). And the first thing you know, why, she got to talking to Him. And come to find out, said, "We know the Messiah's coming. And when He comes, He'll tell us these things."
He said, "I am He that speaks to you."
Then her eyes come open. Her eyes was opened! What about? The Scripture promise. Her eyes were opened by the Scripture promise.
Peter knew that his father told him that that Messiah would be a prophet. And here John, or Andrew had told him about a prophet, John---was down there prophesying, and so forth, telling something would happen. So one day he went down, after Jesus come. When he come into his presence, He said, "Thou art Simon. You're the son of Jonas." What was it? His eyes was opened. He knew it.
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
John 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
43 Philip and Nathanael had been studying the Scripture about Him coming. Said, "Come see who I've found. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
"Oh," he said, "Nothing good could come out of Nazareth."
Said, "You come see Him."
And around the mountain they went. No doubt but what they rehearsed many things that Jesus had been doing, what He had said to Simon, what He had did, these things He had did. And as soon as Philip walked up into his presence with Nathanael, Jesus looked over to Nathanael and said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there's no guile."
He said, "Rabbi, when did you know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you."
His eyes come open. He said, "Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel." What was it? He seen the promised Word of that day revealed.
John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
John 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
44 Listen, brother, sister. The promised Word, to be promised to you, and you can see it's the hour for that; but when God reveals it, interprets it, then it's sinful to turn it away. Don't you never do that. God opened his eyes by showing him the manifested Word that He had promised, that it would take place.
Now. Always does that the same way. He does it. He never changes his system in doing it. No, sir, never. Always the same. He promised the Scriptures for each and every age. And when He manifests that Scripture promise for that age, the people who get their eyes open to see it are the one who receives it.
45 "Now, Brother Branham, do you say it's getting late? Now what are you going to say now?" What is the scripture promised for this age, so we can know what we're talking about here? What are we here for tonight? What good does it do? Are we living near something? Do we really believe it? Have we testified in vain? Do we say we believe He's coming? Do we believe his visible presence? Do we believe that He's coming the second time? Or are we just making ourselves ... being fooled, or do we truly believe it? Let's search the Scriptures then, and see what's promised for this day. Then we see like the woman at the well, Philip and the rest of them---we can see.
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
46 Remember, Hebrews 13:8 said, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Is that right? He promised that. That's the Scripture. St. John 14:12 said, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." I'm backgrounding something. Now, in Joel 2:28, and ... 2:28 and 30 and on down, He promised: He said what the palmerworm left, the caterpillar eat; and what the caterpillar left the so-and-so eat. Each one of those insects is the same insect, just changes its nature. The palmerworm is the caterpillar, and so forth. It's the different stages of its journey. And it's just eating, and eating, and eating. It'll eat that tree of God right on down to a stump. Then will that tree ever live again? It looked a hopeless case.
But God said "I will restore, saith the Lord. All the years the caterpillars eat, and the palmerworms, what they eat off I'll bring it back in its power again." What the Lutherans left, the Methodists eaten. What the Methodists left, the Pentecostal eaten. What the Pentecostal left, so-and-so eaten. Just on down, on down, on down---one with this, and one with this, and one with this, and one with this, one with this---till it faded out into just a bunch of isms. We know that's the truth. I stand between you, and love you.
Joel 1:4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.
47 But remember in Malachi 4 (not Malachi 3 now, Malachi 4) God promised to send the anointing again, and restore the faith of the children back to the fathers again! It's exactly what God promised Joel. How will it be done? We find out that Jesus said in Luke 17:26 to 30... He said in (27) ... in Luke 17 He said, "As it was in the days of Noah... They were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, and knew it not till Noah entered in. So will it be in the coming of the Son of man."
But He said also, "As it was in the days of Lot..." Did you ever go back? I wish we had time to go back and just reveal that. Go back in Genesis. That's the same book Jesus was reading. That's the one He was talking about. Go back there. Look at this ---He said, "And the sons of (men), the sons of God taken unto them the daughters of men." Women. The original translation of the Hebrew there, says it was women---taking women, see, unto them.
Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
48 Just look today. Look at the marrying, giving in marriage, and knew it not until... Looky here, look at England---this great disgrace. Look here, in the United States. Look at prostitution, look at everything. It's almost like the comedian said the other night: that women has got their clothes so tight upon them, so immorally, when they walk down the street... The next thing they'll be ... just have a spray job. They won't have to use clothes. It's just about the truth.
Look at them, how they go around---how immoral and dirty, and filthy. They go and ... you can take ... tell a joke, and sit among the men, and something or other like that. And said the only way you can tell... They dress like a man; and a man dress like a woman. You hardly ... cut their hair the same, same... Only way you can tell one from another: if you tell a dirty joke, a man will blush; a woman won't.
49 Then the daughters of Zion would walk haughty in the last days. They'd fail to walk after the Lord, no matter what you say to them. You can screech, and preach, and preach---it's like hitting against that wall there. It's a dense darkness upon them. There's no... Seems to be so hard to find a genuine man that's man; and to find a woman that's really a lady. Look upon the streets today, and upon their screens, and wherever it is---these uncensored programs---cigarette smoking, cussing, carrying on, dressing like men, and things.
Jesus said those things would be, and they're here! They don't need no revealing. They're already revealed.
Isaiah 3:16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
50 Now watch. He said, "As it was in the days of Lot..." Look at the setting of Lot. God come down. And the two men went down into Sodom and preached down in Sodom. One man sat up there with Abraham, the elected church---type of the Pentecostal, called-out today---not in Sodom out there.
Those who live among Pentecostals, and women who cut their hair, and men who carry on like that, and tell those dirty jokes, and carry on---they're not Pentecostals; they're just carrying the name Pentecostal. They're not Pentecostals. Genuine Pentecostal ladies are ladies! Genuine Pentecostal men are men!
The schools almost have to close, for young boys being perverts and things like that in the schools---homosexuals all over everywhere. It's just a sickening sight. "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man."
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
51 Remember.
Notice, right down in that 30th verse, "when the Son of man will be revealed." Did you ever notice that? Watch that 30th verse: when the Son of man will be revealed, in the days like it was before Sodom.
Watch what happened at Sodom. This man stayed back; two of them went on down, talked to Lot to get him out of there. They did no miracles there---just smote them blind. But this one out here did a miracle before the elect. He had his back turned to Sarah, and she was in the tent behind Him. Said, "Where is Sarah, thy wife?"
Said, "She's in the tent behind You." Remember, He called her Sarah, called him Abraham. Day before that he was Abram, and she was Sarai---not Sarah. And notice, he said, "She's in the tent behind You."
He said, "I'm going to visit you. [What was it? God in flesh.] I'm going to visit you according to the promise."
And Sarah laughed and said, "These things can't be so."
He said, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying these things can't be?" Told her what she was doing. Him, being the Word in human flesh, knowed the secrets of her heart. Said, "You did laugh!"
And when He was made flesh on earth that's exactly what He done. And what did He say? "...when the Son of man is revealed in the last days. As it was in the days of Sodom." If Sodomites are all over the country, the whole world's messed, and gone; and we see the church gone. Then it's time that the Son of man reveals Himself, the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's the promise of God.
Genesis 18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
Genesis 18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Genesis 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
Genesis 18:13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
Genesis 19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
52 Watch what He said, "A little while and the world sees Me no more. Yet ye shall see Me, for I will be with you, even in you. You'll see Me." The believer. The same yesterday, today, and forever. Yes, "A little while, and the world sees me no more..." It can't see Him. Their eyes are blind.
But when you see the Son of man revealed, the Word come back in human flesh---a man that eat the flesh of a calf, drink the milk from a cow, eat cakes that was made on the hearth, and was called Elohim... Amen! A man with dusty clothes on---God manifested in flesh. There He was on earth, manifested in the flesh, and said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, when the Son of man is being revealed in the last days," the world would be in a Sodom condition. And here it is!
Brother, sister, ladies and gentlemen, whatever you might be: this is the hour, and the interpretation belongs to God. May God open our blinded eyes to a Scripture fact, and know that we're living in the last days. Amen. Let us bow our heads.
Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
53 Heavenly Father, so much could be said. That's enough. I'll stop. Lord God, who made the promise, come on the scene, Lord. Reveal it. Our flesh is no good. Our flesh is weak, and it's poorly, Lord. There's not that there be anybody worthy---we're not worthy, Lord. But you promised it, and the hour is here.
The Word stands before us. Walk down with us, Lord, tonight, and do something like You did it when You was back there on the earth two thousand years ago, that this church might know tonight that You live forevermore; that You're the same yesterday, today, and forever, and have promised the works that You did would be repeated again.
The Son of man would be revealed in the last days as it was at Sodom. Lord, You never mentioned that about (Lot), about Noah. You never mentioned it to be revealed at Noah's time. But said as it was at Sodom, when the Son of man is revealed. Oh, can... Lord, let Bible readers here, tonight, see that truth. Let them see that Malachi 4---that this anointing is supposed to come, and to restore back again that faith that the fathers once seen, the revelation of God in Christ. Now may they see the revelation of God in human beings, Christ manifested in the flesh of his church, walking among us. Grant it, Lord.
The promises You made; and the promises You'll keep. And I commit myself with the Word, with the church, with all to you now. In Jesus Christ's name.
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
54 With our heads bowed, would there be some here, before we have the prayer line, would say, "Brother Branham, I'm not a Christian. I want to be saved. Pray for me, will you, Brother Branham?" Just raise up your hand. "I'll do it," if you're just here, and not a Christian. God bless you, sir. God bless you, young man. God bless you, sir. God bless you, lady. God bless you, lady. God bless you. That's right. God bless you back there, sir. God bless you. That's good.
Someone else? Just raise your hand, say, "I'm not a Christian." God bless you. I seen you back there, young man. God bless you, way back there and way over here in the corner. Yes. God bless you.
"I'm not a Christian, Brother Branham, but I do believe that you're telling the truth. I believe it's the truth. I believe the promise says that. I have read it, and I see that the promise promised that. I've never seen it, but I believe it." God bless you, young lady.
Just another?
55 When you raise your arm, that does something to you. It certainly does. It gives you a feeling that you've done something that's right. There ain't a person put up their hands... I see you, way back in the back, yes. There ain't a person that put up their hands, but... God bless you. I see you there again. You here, yes. My, that's good. Remember, if I miss seeing your hand, He'll see you. He knows all about it. Remember, He knows. God bless you, young sister. He knows it.
56 Our heavenly Father, they're yours now. They couldn't have raised that hand. There was something told them to do that. Yet, maybe none of them has ever seen the visible outstanding signs of your presence here on earth in the last days. But they see it here, the Scripture said so. May they understand, tonight, that even the Bible's been preached for all these years, and still people disbelieve. But when You got Cleopas and his friend, and then turned and did something---just the way You did it when You were alive on earth before the crucifixion---they knew that was the same Jesus. Now, Lord, do the same for us tonight. Do it tonight for these sick people, just like You did before your crucifixion. Then, after two thousand years, men and women will know that You live. We wait upon Thee, Father, through Jesus' name. Amen.
57 Now to you that raised your hands, I want you to sit real reverent for a few minutes. I'm going to call a prayer line. I don't say that God will do it. But I want to ask you a solemn question, people. As there's several hundred here, five or six hundred, or whatever it is---look, that's a whole lot of people. But look, I want to ask you something.
We're responsible to God. We are. And He's responsible for his Word. Now, if He makes that Word live again, you, you, I want each one that raised your hand, and you that didn't raise your hand, immediately afterwards come here and stand at the altar, just as soon as we pray for the sick.
58 Where's Billy? Prayer card D1 to 100? All right. We're in a hurry, so we'll just start from number 1. Prayer card D, number 1. Who's got it? Raise up your hand. Look in your prayer card, see what it is. If you can't walk, why, somebody get down there, so you... D number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, stand up right here, if you will. 1, 2, 3. If you can't walk, raise your hand, and they'll pack you. 1, 2. I only see one, so far.
Would you come quickly, just as quick as you can? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If somebody would speak it in Spanish, I see there's many Spanish people... D1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 1, 2, 3. There's 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. There's another one. Number 5? Who has prayer card number 5? Raise up your hand, somebody. How would you say it in Spanish? Is that prayer card number 5, sir? [Someone says "Numero cinco."] There we got it. Thank you. 1, 2, 3, 4. Then, which is missing? Yeah, I see now. I see ... standing. Is there five there?
All right, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. [Interpreter begins to call numbers in Spanish.] Stand here just a minute. That's it. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. That's good. That's good. Just a minute. Let's call a few more. 17, 18, 19, 20. 1 to 20. That's it. All right. That's fine. That's good enough. Let's start right there. Thank you, brother.
59 How many here doesn't have a prayer card? Raise your hand. And yet you're sick. Now, remember, you don't have to be up here. You don't have to be here. Just believe.
Now let everyone be real reverent. Now, I'm going to ask in Jesus' name, that nobody stirs for the next, about ten minutes ... fifteen anyhow---ten or fifteen minutes. Just let's give God that great respect. Everybody settle right down. Let's get real quiet. Now, just a moment, they'll have the line here. Now while they're waiting, now, listen close to me.
60 Now, do you realize where I'm standing here? How many understands what I preached about, and I've claimed that He's raised from the dead. Now, if He is raised from the dead, He's promised to do this. Now it hasn't been... Many years since the apostles until this time, as far as we know. But He promised it, this time, the Son of man would be revealed like it was at Sodom. Now, you read that Luke 17, about 20 to 30, and see if that isn't right. He promised it.
Read Malachi 4. Don't mix it with Malachi 3, now. Malachi 3 was John the Baptist. But Malachi 4, as soon as this is over, the righteous walked over the wicked and the world was burnt with fire, see. It never happened in the days of John's life. We're expecting that great anointing upon the church that will turn the hearts back to the original doctrine of the fathers, back to the real, genuine Pentecost.
Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Malachi 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Luke 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
61 All right. Be reverent. Billy, call as soon as you get them all lined up down there. All ready? Okay. Now, real reverent. Somebody's going to help over here on the side. Now if everybody'd be real quiet, just a few minutes...
I want you to make me a promise. I promise God that I... And He knows my heart, and He knows yours. Now I'm only obligated to say this, what's truth. That's all I'm obligated to do. God wrote it. I never ... it isn't me; it's the Bible. You know it. Now, if He will reveal that, won't that bring Him right here alive, among us?
62 What if you didn't have the sense of sight---nobody did---and you'd walk out into the sunshine. Sometimes you wouldn't know where you was walking, 'cause you was blind. And you walk in the sunshine, you feel real ... something around you real warm. And after awhile you'd walk into the shade. And you'd say, "It isn't there now." Nobody'd ever knowed what sun was, and never had that sense of sight, see. You wouldn't know what it was. Somebody'd say, "That's the sunlight." What is sunlight? What is light, and what is the sun, see? You never heard of it, see.
"Why, it's a light that comes down." What is a light? See,
63 now that's the way we feel the presence of God. Then we don't feel it, then we walk in that, see. If you're in a dimension that you see, you can say, "What is it?" See, you know what that is.
Now if God is raised up from the dead, then He's here tonight. He promised it. Now, his corporal body sits on the throne of God. He took ... sat down on the throne of God. But the Holy Spirit is here, which is Christ in spirit form. The word Christ means the anointed one. And that anointing was upon Him is upon the church, you all.
Now it just kept coming from justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost, restoration of the gifts, right down to the top of it. Right. It's coming in the minority all the time. It's gathering now. And now there's a church. Now a bride will come out of the church, see. Church goes through the tribulation period; not bride. Excuse me. I wasn't to preach doctrine. Sorry. All right.
This is the lady. Come here.
64 Notice, I don't believe there's a person in here that I know, that I'm looking at. If every one of you here is strangers to me, raise up your hands? You know I know nothing about you, so that the people are strangers in here. Now please, please, don't move around. Sit still, will you?
All that's in the prayer line that doesn't know me, and know I don't know nothing about you, raise up your hands. There we are. Now, here sits a group of ministers.
See, it's just right out here, where we can all look. See?
65 Now, this lady here is a stranger to me. Now ever who's on that---that engineer---watch that mike. All right?
Now I'm going to talk to her. Here comes back St. John 4, where Jesus talked to a woman, and told her what her trouble was. And she believed that was the sign of the Messiah. If that was the sign of the Messiah then, it's still the sign of Messiah, 'cause He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Is that right? Met like this... Now, I'm not Jesus, and no doubt this woman here isn't that type of woman. But what I am trying to say, it's the same.
Here's a man, meets a woman, and then ... something wrong there. And if something will come in here to reveal it, that shows it has to be God. Now, I wouldn't know, 'cause I never seen the woman in my life, see. And she raised up her hands that I didn't know her, and she don't know me. And here we just stand here.
Now, I just want to talk to you a minute, after being speaking like that, preaching, sister. If ... that's just ... see, one was a preaching, another one was an anointing. It's something else.
66 Now, if the Lord Jesus could explain to me, or showed me by a vision, something that you want, something that... Maybe it might be sickness, it might be financial, it might be domestic, it might be for somebody else. I don't even know, see. I don't have any idea. But if He will tell me something that's wrong, or something's wrong with your life, or something ... you're terribly sick or somebody else is sick, or something's wrong---if He'd tell it, you'd know whether it was the truth or not. You could say whether it was the truth or not.
Well, if He knows what has been, then he certainly knows what will be. If He can tell past, He can tell present and future. Now, will it make you believe with all your heart that you would get what you're asking for? Would it make the audience believe that they would get what they was asking?
67 [Statement not clear.] ... see what He'd tell me, 'cause I don't know.
I, just... Meeting after meeting you get nervous, you know, and preaching and hurrying up, and watching this, and watching... Promised that I'd get you out at nine-thirty. It's nearly that time now. Makes me nervous. So I'll just have to quieten myself, see.
A gift is not something like, you take a knife, and chop something. That isn't a gift. A gift is to get yourself out of the way, so the Holy Spirit can be used. And that's the only thing I have to do, is get William Branham from the scene, see, so God can come on.
68 Now, I, in the name of Jesus Christ, I take every spirit in here under my control for his glory, that the words that I've preached might be manifested. He's here now. I wish I could tell you how that is. My, oh, my! If He'd tell me tomorrow morning to go to the presidential graveyard and raise up George Washington, I'd say, "Come watch it." Just what He'll say now, see, I don't know what He'll say. But what He says, it'll be true.
69 The lady's suffering with trouble with her eyes. She's got trouble with her eyes that's bothering her. She's got back trouble that's bothering her. She's nervous, and strained her nerves. Isn't that right? If that's right, raise up your hands. Say, another thing. You are a minister of some sort. You're like... You're a woman preacher. That's what it is. Now, do you believe with all your heart? Go, and you can have what you ask for. Do you believe it?
Come, sir. We are strangers to one another, I suppose. The Lord knows both of us. You believe that God can tell me? ... That was a woman; here's a man. You believe that God can tell me what's your trouble? Would it cause you to believe? You suffer with a nervousness. You've also got trouble with your eyes, going dimmer all the time. It's been doing that for some time. Another thing, I see something over your arm. Oh, it's high blood pressure. That's what it is. You got high blood pressure. That's right, isn't it? Raise up your hand if them things are right, see.
70 More you talk to Him, the more it would be, see.
Now watch. Look, watch. Just take your hand down. We haven't got too many there. Just take your hand down. Now, I don't know what I've said to you, but it's on the record there, see. That's why it's on the tape. I don't know what He said. But let's see now. Yes, it's eyes, that's for one thing. And then, another thing, you got a blood clot, and that's on the brain. And you've had a stroke. That is true. Do you believe now? Do you believe you're going to be all right? Do you believe that's God talking, not me? All right, then. Go believe it. That's all you have to do. If they can just believe, that's all.
71 How do you do? Do you believe that God can reveal to me your trouble? And if He can, will it make you believe Him? It will? What you scared about? Can't help it. You got this nervousness. Then another thing, you've got trouble in your neck. That's right. Your trouble's in your neck. Then you got somebody on your heart, that you're praying for. And you're having a lot of trouble with it. And that's over alcohol. It's your husband. He's an alcoholic, and you're praying for him. Do you believe for him? Then I'll pray that Jesus Christ will do these things for you, and you'll get well. Do you believe? Now that practically, right ... those two, three, or four, whatever has went by, that's as much as Jesus did in the entire Bible, see. He done it to that woman, told that woman that one thing, when He went down in Sychar. He never said one more thing to anybody down there. But they believed, because of the woman's testimony. They don't have to testify to you. You stand there and looking at it yourself. You just must believe. 'Course some wouldn't believe. There's nothing in them to believe with.
72 How do you do? Now, we're strangers. Wouldn't I be a terrible person standing here with a lovely gray-headed woman like that... And think of it---same as my own precious mother would have been about that age. And she just passed on here a couple of years ago. And if anything I could do to help that poor lady, I'd do it. I would. If she's sick, if I could take and push a corn with my nose around this city, I'd do it. I don't care who laughed at me. I want her to get well.
If I could help her, I'd do so. But I can't help her, as much as healing her. God already did that. And He loves you more than I do. He died for you, and I never did that. But He loved you enough to die for you.
But then, He sent me back just a little gift. He sent your pastor, here, to pray and lay hands on the sick. And you see, that's been done so much in the revival, that's kind of in the past, you know. And now it's up in some other---you know what I mean---bracket, something else.
73 Now if the Lord will reveal to me what's your trouble... You believe me to be his prophet, or his servant? Do you believe that it's Him? You do? Well, thank you, sister. Now, I believe that kidney trouble you've been suffering with will leave you. Do you believe that, too?
You've got a request on your heart. You want to ask me. What if I reveal that request before you ask me? Would it make you believe more? You want me to pray for your daughter. She's not here. That's right. Now do you believe? And she'll get well. God bless you. If thou canst believe, all things are possible.
74 What does the Word of God? ... See, these ministers don't say this. The Bible said in Hebrews, New Testament, the 4th chapter: "The word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting asunder even the marrow of the bone; and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Is that right brethren? See?
What is it? It's the Word 'lotted for this day---the Word 'lotted for this day, fulfilling this promise, when the Son of man shall be revealed, the days of Sodom, all these other things promised. Here it is. It's the Word of God being revealed, 'cause it's the Word itself, discerning the thoughts that's in the heart. See, it's exactly right.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
75 Now, this lady, I know her not. Another kind-looking person. Wouldn't I be an awful person if I could help her and... Now, just a moment. Somebody else---it was a man. It was a man appeared, and somebody out there praying. Just have faith. See, I just have to say what I'm looking at. See, that's all I can say, just what I'm seeing. You are ... yes, you are suffering with a stomach condition. It's in your stomach. And you want to ask me a request, and that's for your mother. She isn't here. But she's sick. You want me to pray for her, isn't that right?
You got another request. It's for somebody that's not here. It's a way away from here. Now I'd say it's way ... it's in another country. It's way away from here. And it's a young person, a child suffering with some kind of a disease---tropical disease, South America. That's exactly. It's only ... that's exactly the truth. Believe with all your heart now. God bless you.
76 I don't heal. He's already healed. Did you realize what this presence means? Now, I could just keep going on, and on. Now it's beginning to blind me a little, see. You say, "That won't..." But brother, sister, Jesus... A woman touched his garment, and he turned around and seen what it was. And He said, "Virtue went from me." Is that right? Well, He was---that was God. What about me, a sinner? You must believe. Don't doubt; believe.
This is...
Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
77 Do you believe? Young woman, do you believe that God can reveal to me what your trouble is? Would you accept it, and believe with all your... You know it would be truth, isn't it? Now, the one thing that's your trouble is in your back. You have a back trouble. And then you have a great desire in your heart for something, and that is, you are seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's exactly right. Do you believe it? Well, you're going to receive it. Amen. Now go on, and believe it with all your heart.
Do you believe God can heal that arthritis, and make you well? Now just keep on walking, and thank Him. If you just can believe. All right, sir.
78 Would you come, lady? Just as you was standing there... Do you believe with all your heart? [Lady says, "How can I doubt it?"] That's the way. Then you won't have arthritis. You won't be crippled with it. Just go on your road, rejoicing. Your lady's trouble stopped also. Just go, thanking the Lord, saying, "Praise be to God." All right.
Now, do you believe sitting there, lady? Do you believe? All right, sir. Now, that lady's trouble---you've had female trouble for a long... Just believe with all your heart, and go, and you'll get well. And you won't have it no more, if you'll believe. You've got to believe it.
All right. Bring the lady with the little one. Come here, honey. Now just ... such a little girl. I'll take her hand. Come here, sweetheart. I thought that's what it was. Get choked up, sometime, don't you? Can't get your breath. Her asthma's awful bad. But God can heal you. Don't you believe that? Lord Jesus, I pray that you'll heal the child. Don't doubt, sister; believe it. Go and believe now with all your heart.
79 God heals diabetes. He can make anything well He wants to. Do you believe that? Do you believe He'll heal you? Why, you just say, "Thank you, Lord," and go right on rejoicing.
Just a minute. I keep feeling a man coming up here, see. Here it is---a little fellow sitting there, holding a little boy in his arms. You believe, sir? I'm a stranger to you. Do you believe God can reveal to me what you want? See, you touched Him. I don't know you. But you're suffering with a trouble---a bone disease. That is right. Your little boy there has got it. Your little boy sitting next to him's got it. That's your little girl sitting next to that... Her's is in her arms, and she's cross-eyed. If that's right, raise up your hand. Now do you believe? Don't doubt now. Have faith in God. Just don't doubt. Just believe. All things are possible to them that believe.
80 What you weeping for, little lady, sitting out here on the end with your handkerchief up to your face, crying? Do you believe me to be his servant? You believe God can reveal to me what your trouble is from here? You got a spiritual problem you're studying about. Is that right? It's all going to clear up. It'll be all right.
That lady sitting next to you there, it just caught to her then. She put her handkerchief up to her face. You believe God can tell me what's your trouble, sister? Will you believe me as his prophet, his servant? You will? All right. That sinus trouble's been bothering you, and it shall go away from you, if you'll believe it. Will you believe it? If you will, raise up your hand, and say, "I believe it."
You want to eat your supper with that stomach trouble, next to her, lady? You believe with all your heart too? The next lady's got a spiritual problem there. And you got a rash, too, that's bothering you. You got a daughter that's got a rash also. Isn't that right? Yes, sir. She's set in. Do you believe that? All right. Be healed, if you believe it.
81 What about the rest of you? Here, see this little Mexican man sitting down here on the end, looking right at me? Don't you see that light hanging over him? The man ... it's darkness above that. See what it is, there around there? That's epilepsy. You believe God can heal you of epilepsy, sir? You do? All right. He'll do it.
Say, the little man next to you there, little Spanish man---he has a rupture. Do you believe God can heal your rupture, sir? Do you believe that with all your heart? You do?
Next has got a stomach trouble---you that's nodding your head there, you have stomach trouble. Do you believe God heals you? Then go eat your supper. It'll be over with.
Tell me what they're touching, all the way across the audience. What is it? It's the manifestation of the Word of God. Do you believe it yourselves? Do you believe it?
82 First time... Here, here's a man laying on a cot. Sir, I don't know you. I've never seen you. Do you believe me? Do you believe what you've heard's the truth? You believe it with all your heart? If God could tell me, sir, what's wrong with you, would you believe it?
I'm going to tell you something now, and you know [statement not clear.] He's shadowed to death. It's cancer. It's cancer, and you're a minister of the gospel. I see you standing in the pulpit. That's right. You're from out of town. Now if you believe with all your heart, you believe with all your heart... One day we're going to die, see. You can't lose.
There was some lepers. You remember the story? Once when they seen... Them lepers sitting there, they said, "Why do we sit here till we die? If we sit here, we die. If we go to the city, we die." Doctor's done all he could do. Can't nothing be done. It's advanced from that. You've only got one chance. Them lepers had one chance. If they went down to the house of the enemy, if they saved them they lived. If they didn't, they was going to die anyhow. But you're not at the enemy's house. You're in the presence of your God. Won't you rise up, and take that cot and go home? Go believing.
2 Kings 7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
83 Will the rest of you believe the same thing? If you do, stand up on your feet. I'm asking those people who raised their hands if they wanted to be saved, and wanted to accept Jesus Christ, I want you to come up here and stand here by me, just a minute. Will you come now? Come up here, you that believe and want to accept Christ. You'll never be any closer to Him till you meet Him visible. Remember, the Word I have preached, God has confirmed it to be the truth.
Come on, come up this way, every one of you--- every one that didn't know Christ, that raised your hands---and come here. Said you were sinners, and you wanted to be saved. Come here, and stand for a minute for prayer. Will you do it? Will you come while He's so close?
84 You mean... You can see, hear the Word preached, see God turn around and say that Word is the truth---"That's Me. That's Me! I'm standing here," the very God that's going to judge you---and then hold back? Don't do it. You might cut yourself off forever, see. Here's three of them standing here. There was about two dozen. Come right now, will you? No song. You don't have to have a song. Christ is your song. Christ is your conviction. The Word is what tells it. That's right. Here comes two young men. Come right on out. You in the center, come right down here just a moment, will you? Right, while I just feel led to stop that prayer line for this purpose. Come right here now. Come right here. We'll get to the prayer line. That's right, ladies. Come right on down here, young ladies.
85 Right in this day, when these young folks are coming in this great hour, when there's still teenagers on the rampage with immorality, these people are coming to hear... I trust that God will make them such examples till the neighborhood where they ... will see that Jesus Christ still saves the lost. Won't you come? Come right out where you're at. Move down here just a moment. That's right. God bless you, boys. That's good. Come right up here just a moment. Come on. Come.
Way back there in the back, some people way back raised up your hand. Won't you come on down now?
"I'm almost persuaded. I'm..." The Word is standing on the outside, knocking, trying to get in. "Lo, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open and (come in), let Me come in, I'll sup with him and he with Me." Won't you come? Come right down now, and stand here.
Look, the Word has been preached. It's been proven Christ is raised from the dead. Here He is doing just what He said He would do---not connected with organizations, denominations to take you into something. That's your choice. I want you to take Christ now. Come, won't you? Is there another? God bless you. That's right. Bring him right on up here.
86 Brethren, will you walk down here now? These are going to be members of your churches. Come right here. Come on. Somebody else?
Right in the presence of Christ, I can just feel the Spirit just calling in my heart. Surely if that's doing that in my heart, there's somebody out there should be coming. Is there a backslider out there that should come? Come stand here. Will you do it, some of you? Backslider? Will you come? That's right. God bless you. That's right. Come right on down. Certainly. That's the way. Be a real man; real lady. God made you a lady; God made you a man. That's virtue. That's strength. Come now, won't you? Come stand around here. That's right, that's right. God wants you in his divine presence.
Remember, the very... Who's God going to judge the world by? Jesus Christ. Who is it promised to do this in the last days to reveal Himself? Jesus Christ. It's not me. It's Christ. Christ is the one that's here revealing Himself. Humility, like He was; coming out of nothing like He did; coming into us like He has. He's God.
87 Now each one of you ministers gather right down around these people. Right quick, now. Get right down among them here. Stand right around. We're going to pray for them. Someone else wants to come in this prayer, just a moment. All right. These will be members of your churches, friends. These will be... You have to take them from here on, now. They see the Lord Jesus in the power of his resurrection. They're here to become members of your church. You baptize them in Christian baptism. Take them into your fellowship. They're yours, now, from here on. You're the caretaker at the end. Let us bow our heads, every one. Each one, Christian out there, that's sincere, offer prayer for these people. If these ministers wants to bring them into the room where they can be instructed further, all right.
88 Heavenly Father, this is the response of the needy. Here come sinners, fifteen or twenty of them, gathering around the altar, wanting to give their hearts to you. I pray, Father, that You'll receive them. In the name of Christ Jesus, the Lord, I pray that You'll receive them. They're your heritage, Lord.
Each person in here that's sick now, lay your hands on one another. Reach over and lay your hands. Start praying, one for the other. Lay your hands on one another. Start praying, one for the other. The ministers, lay your hands upon these people here. That's it.
Power, and glory, and blessing upon you. Satan is defeated in the presence of Christ.