Mark 11 Temple priests love money not Truth

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A colt or young donkey carried the Word of God

MARK 11:1   And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

This sounds like they had got to the village of Bethany and two disciples were sent ahead to the village of Bethpage which is on top of the Mount of Olives. Bethany is about 2 miles from the Jerusalem Temple. The walk from Bethany to the Temple would take about 40 minutes.

Bethpage is about ¾ mile from the Temple which would take about 20 minutes to walk.

Bethpage means the House of unripe Figs. The children in the end time cannot ripen because they are tied to church traditions and doctrines.

We can only ripen when we turn back to the Scriptural beliefs of the first church age apostles.

Bethany means House of Figs. This is where Lazarus was resurrected.

So, to get the young colt at Bethpage to go to the Temple it must be loosed by the disciples and carry the Word, Jesus, not church traditions. That is how the children at the end time can prepare for the resurrection.

MARK 11:2   And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

A colt is a young ass (or male donkey). This represents any one individual of the children at the last church age who wants to return to the apostolic fathers of the first church age.

This young colt was tied to a church because whenever we get saved we believe that we must join some church. Forgetting that there are 45000 different types of churches. All are different but each claims to have the truth. So we have only a one-in-45000-chance that the church we chose is the right one. That simply means that no church has the right answers.

“As soon as ye be entered in” means the young colt was not deep inside the village (representing the church). It was at the edge, not too impressed with the church but not knowing the full truth itself.

“Never a man sat on him”. This colt had never been dominated by some human church leader.

He is enough of an individual to want to think for himself. He is not a parrot that just repeats what the church members say. Thus he is open to listening to what the Bible says.

The disciples, who wrote the New Testament, must loose him from his church opinions and traditions and take him to Jesus, the Word.

MARK 11:3   And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

Jesus deals directly with the young colt, without any permission from the owner. Nobody must stop you from being untied from church traditions and then you can be used to carry the Word.

MARK 11:4   And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

Two ways or paths meet. When God’s path meets your path.

“Tied by the door”. Christ is the true door. The young colt happily goes from the church door to Jesus Who is the true Door. From this picture, we can see that Christ is outside the church door in the age of the Laodiceans. If you want to carry the Word, you have to be untied from your church.

MARK 11:5   And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

People objected to the colt being loosed from the church traditions.

MARK 11:6   And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

But the disciples referred to what Jesus said, which is the Word. The people who were objecting could say nothing when the truth was quoted to them from Scripture.

For example.

Why are you leaving our Christmas celebration? Our church has always done it.

Answer: the Bible never asked us to celebrate the Lord’s birth. The 25 December date was invented as the birthday of the Roman sun god Sol Invictus (the conquering sun) in AD 274 by the pagan Roman emperor Aurelian. He did this three days after beheading the Bishop of Rome.

This pagan birthday was copied by the Bishop of Rome, Julius I, about AD 350. Catholics celebrate a Mass. Protestants do not. This celebration was called Christ’s Mass which became Christmas. So, it is a pagan festival and a Catholic Mass, both of which are unscriptural. The expression “Merry Christmas” is also unscriptural.

Thus, leaving the Christmas tradition is easy for a young colt who wants to be Scriptural and is not dominated by some man’s ideas.

Donkeys were used for work and horses were used for war. Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus as the Ox, the Servant, the Burden Bearer, the Worker.

When the young colt was brought to Jesus, the intention was to make him work. At the end-time, God expects the children to discover the truth of the revealed Word so that they can return to the beliefs of the apostolic fathers. Then God expects them to use the internet to spread the truth. Thus, they can also learn the truth from the internet.

Matthew 13 has 7 Kingdom of Heaven parables that represent the 7 church ages.

The last parable has a net sweeping through the sea.
MATTHEW 13:47   Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

The sea represents the restless nations. The net represents the interNET that sweeps through all the nations.

MATTHEW 13:48    Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

Certain websites give people the opportunity to learn the truth and to write the truth and translate the truth into different languages.

MATTHEW 13:49   So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

:50   And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Those who reject the revealed mysteries of brother Branham end up in great Tribulation.

These are the foolish virgins of Matthew 25.

A virgin is a clean woman representing saved people in the church.

The foolish virgins are saved from hell but fooled by false church doctrines so that they end up in the 3.5 years of great Tribulation where they are killed.

MARK 11:7   And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

They are the huge crowd that John saw in Revelation Chapter 12 that come out of great Tribulation. They had to be saved before great tribulation started as there is no salvation during that time because Jesus got off the Throne of Mercy in order to catch up His Bride (the wise virgins who were not fooled by the churches) to Heaven.

The colt only accepted garments (representing religious ideas) that were subject to Jesus, the Word of God. All the garments were beneath Jesus, meaning they were Scriptural and leading up to Him as the revealed Word. We must only accept what is Scriptural if we are to carry the Word in our hearts. Jesus alone must be glorified.

MARK 11:8   And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

The only way for the Word (Jesus) to return to the Temple (representing the Body of Christ) was for people to take their own garments (their own righteousness) and throw that down for the Word-carrying colt to walk on. No human righteousness can stand in the presence of Jesus. Their good works of cutting down branches were also thrown down to be trampled on. Our good works are meaningless when it comes to the Word of God returning. Our own ideas and efforts mean nothing in the face of eternity. All we can do is carry the Word, quoting the King James Bible to prove our beliefs are Scriptural.

64-0823M  QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.1

But those who can accept the Word in Its fullness,

not me preaching It, because It's the Bible says so.

Those who accept that is free, because the Word's already been judged.

AN EXPOSITION OF THE 7 CHURCH AGES. CHAPTER 9.  LAODICEAN CHURCH AGE

…for a true prophet will always lead one to the Word and bind the people to Jesus Christ and he won't tell the people to fear him or what he says, but to fear what the Word says.

The disciples led the young colt to Jesus, and then the colt carried Jesus.

Brother Branham came to reveal the Scriptures to us and then we carry the revealed Scriptures.

MARK 11:9   And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

This symbolizes the resurrected Bride at the end. Those who served God in the bygone church ages and the true Bride members who come after us all agree on one thing. All the praise goes to Jesus. He alone is to be glorified. No man can stand in the place of Jesus.

They were not Trinitarians who believe in 3 Persons and have no one name for their God. Three People cannot have one name.

They knew the name of the Lord was Jesus Christ. God is one Person, Jesus Christ.

“Hosanna” is our plea that God brings about our salvation. The crowds that surrounded the colt were joyful because they knew that God alone could save them. They could not save themselves.

MARK 11:10   Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

David was the great king of the Jews. Now a greater King was Coming.

“Hosanna in the highest”. The joyful expectation of salvation comes only from the Highest. They accepted Jesus as the Highest. Lord God Almighty. There is no Person above Him. Thus there is no Trinity.

The colt representing the individual end-time children is not part of a Trinity church.

The Passover Lamb was chosen on Palm Sunday

MARK 11:11   And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus entered Jerusalem in a triumphant humility. This was Palm Sunday when He was proclaimed as King by the crowd.

ZECHARIAH 9:9   Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

But Mark makes no mention of Him as King because Mark describes Him as the Servant.

Mark also makes no mention of the mother ass. The mother donkey represents the mother church. The original apostolic church of the first church age first carried the truth.

Mark is showing how we must serve God. We must carry the same Word that the first church carried.

EXODUS 12:3   Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

Choose a lamb for the house of the father of that house.

The fulness of God dwelled in Christ as God the Father. The Man Jesus that God dwelled in was the Son of God. The Bible never says “God the Son” because God is a Spirit, God is not a Man of flesh and bone.

COLOSSIANS 2:9   For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

The Temple was the House of God the Father.

Three times Jesus chased out the religious money makers

At His first Passover, Jesus chased out the Temple money-makers who were corrupting the Jewish religion with their greed. The love of money corrupted the Jews and the modern Gentile churches.

REVELATION 3:14   And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;

REVELATION 3:17    Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not ...

The modern church is obsessed with money-making.

But they do not know that there is a lot that they do not know.

JOHN 2:16    And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

At the beginning of His ministry, at the first Passover, Jesus had chased out the religious money-makers.

On Palm Sunday Jesus was acclaimed as King and chosen as the Passover Lamb by being led to His Father’s House, the Temple.

Mark deals with Jesus as a Servant, not as the King, so he does not mention that Jesus chased the money-makers out of the Temple.

Matthew deals with Jesus as the King and thus Matthew describes chasing out the money-makers on Palm Sunday. That was the second time that Jesus had interfered with their money-making schemes.

MATTHEW 21:7   And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

MATTHEW 21:11   And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Having been introduced by John the Baptist, that great prophet, it was easy for the people to recognize Jesus as a prophet.

Especially when John said that Jesus was greater than John the Baptist.

MATTHEW 21:12    And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

Mark leaves Matthew to describe the Lord’s anger against the religious money-makers on Palm Sunday when He had been welcomed as King.

The next day, Monday, sees Mark taking up the events that describe Jesus as a Servant.

MARK 11:12   And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

“The morrow” or the tomorrow after Palm Sunday would be Monday.

Jesus was hungry. This is typical of hard workers. They need to eat to keep up their energy levels.

MARK 11:13   And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

Bethany, the House of Figs was where the resurrection of Lazarus happened.

At the end of His First Coming there would be a resurrection of Himself and the Old Testament saints.

At the time of His Second Coming there would be a resurrection of the New Testament saints.

Figs reminded Jesus of a resurrection.

But the Jews were going to reject Messiah. They were not ready for the resurrection of the Old Testament saints. The Jewish tree had no figs.

At the time of His Second Coming the Gentile church will not be ready for the resurrection of the New Testament saints. There is not one parable nor one prophecy concerning the end-time church that says anything good about the church.

MARK 11:14   And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

The Jews as a nation were doomed. They missed the First Coming of Jesus. It was AD 33 and in AD 70 both the Temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed by the pagan Romans. The Jews would be scattered and would be alienated from the Gospel of Grace.

They would not benefit from the resurrection of the saints from the 7 church ages at the end. Instead, two-thirds of the Jews will be killed in the 3½ years of great Tribulation and Armageddon.

ZECHARIAH 13:8   And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

The foolish virgins are saved Christians that have been fooled by the pagan unscriptural beliefs like Trinity, Christmas, 25 December, Good Friday, and a seven-year Tribulation. They will miss the resurrection of the church ages saints. The Door, which is Jesus as the Word of God, will be closed to them because they cannot understand so many of the Scriptures. Sadly, they are bundled into the horror of great Tribulation where they will all be killed.

MARK 11:15   And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

The church leaders are priests, reverends, bishops, and pastors. They have dominated the churches and turned modern Christianity into Big Business. This is one of the biggest reasons why most Christians are not ready for the Coming of the Lord. The emphasis from the leaders is all about securing the tithes.

Jesus was so disgusted when He saw this attitude in the Temple that He whipped the money-makers out of the Temple on the next day, Monday. He had done the same thing the previous day on Palm Sunday.

The Gospel must spread by faith, not by modern business techniques.

So, for two days in a row, He whipped out the money-makers.

For the church leaders who were obsessed with money-making, this was the last straw.

America turned Christianity into Big Business

At the end of the church age of the Laodiceans, God prefers just to vomit out the whole church from His mouth.

REVELATION 3:14   And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;

REVELATION 3:16    So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Modern TV evangelists always have something to sell to bring in money.

Churchianity has become Big Business. Those with money can buy the truth.

Woe to the poor. They cannot afford to buy the truth. What happens to them?

MARK 11:16   And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

No business principles were allowed in the Temple.

Today, preachers emphasize the paying of tithes from the pulpit.

If a vising preacher or evangelist does not get enough money to come in, he is not invited back again. Collection plates are never mentioned in the New Testament but today they are mandatory in the churches. Some even use buckets. The success of the meeting is judged in terms of how much money came in. Televangelists have a half-hour slot that has to include a pull for money. Books and recorded DVDs are always up for sale. If you can pay, then they will show you the path to heaven.

MARK 11:17   And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

The spiritual aspects are now secondary. Drum beat music and the glitz and glamour of show business entertainment are stressed with all the hard-sell techniques of the marketplace.

MARK 11:18   And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

His doctrines were different to the usual church traditions. His preaching was Scriptural. But He put no stress on money. Consequently, the religious leaders wanted to destroy Him. The Word of God, the King James Version of the Bible, must be eliminated from the churches.

MARK 11:19   And when even was come, he went out of the city.

Evening time. In the end, the Word of God departs from the churches. In the church age of the Laodiceans (who make up their own church beliefs) Jesus stands outside the door of the church.

MARK 11:20   And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

Tuesday morning saw the fig tree dried up. The Jewish future was doomed. The fig tree represented Israel.

MARK 11:21   And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

Peter stated the obvious. Whatever the Word of God (which is Jesus) condemns, that will be condemned.

MARK 11:22   And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

We have to believe what God’s Word says. If the Bible rebukes our modern church systems, then it is no use hanging onto our modern church systems.

One day faith will move a mountain into the sea

MARK 11:23   For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

This has never happened yet.

But the two prophets Moses and Elijah will have great power over nature during the 3½ years of great Tribulation. They will possibly cause this to happen.

If the final Pope, the man of sin, sends a fleet of naval warships across the Mediterranean Sea to attack Israel then they could hurl a mountain into the sea. The resulting tidal wave will destroy the fleet. Such marvelous power over nature will protect the 144000 Jews until they are called out and accept Jesus as their Saviour as they are filled with the Holy Ghost.

Brother Branham has predicted that Los Angeles will sink beneath the waves when a big earthquake strikes. One of the nearby mountains may well slide into the sea.

MARK 11:24   Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

We can get what we pray for but our prayers must line up with the Will of God. So, it is important to know what God’s Will is in the end time. God wants the living Bride at the end time to spread the scriptural truth that William Branham revealed over the internet so that the end time children can be restored to the beliefs of the apostolic fathers of the first church age.

The ability to forgive is vital

MARK 11:25   And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Forgiveness is essential in this age of error. People will do us much harm and attack our beliefs. They know no better. But this opposition is essential to strengthen us and make us search the Scriptures to discover the revealed Truths of the Bible. Without that opposition, our own beliefs would have been far shallower. So, our opponents have played a great role in shaping our true beliefs and toughening us up.

We needed their input in order to develop ourselves.

MARK 11:26   But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

We have to forgive our enemies. Work can only be done if you are opposing some resistance. So those who oppose the Truth are essential for your growth. Struggle is the law of growth. Do not condemn them as they had to play that part. Forgive.

In the end, you will find that your enemies helped you to make progress.

John the Baptist and Daniel placed Jesus in His time

MARK 11:27   And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

It was Tuesday and Jesus would die on Thursday.

What were the church leaders of that day so violently against? Nothing that He had preached. They never criticized His teachings.

They were enraged by what He had done. He had attacked their income for two days in a row. This is the biggest downfall of religious leaders. Their love of money.

They have set up a religious system that secures their wealth and that gives them a position of power. Their love of wealth and power. The church pastors have the power to take your wealth. Jesus had threatened this power and for that, He must die.

MARK 11:28   And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Typical hypocrites. They were going to do the wrong thing and were now trying to justify their unjust actions. They did not attack His doctrines because they could not catch Him out for being unscriptural.

They had asked Him the same question at the first Passover when He cleaned out the Temple.

JOHN 2:15   And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

:16   And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

JOHN 2:18   Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

With what authority did He do these things?

Jesus knew that they wanted to kill Him because He had interfered with their money-making.

So He warned them. If they killed Him He would resurrect back to life in three days. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Then His resurrection would be early Sunday morning, while it was still dark.

The sign Jesus would show would be the sign of the resurrection. No religious leader had ever resurrected back from the dead in an immortal Body that could never die.

That made Jesus the Messiah.

JOHN 2:19   Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

So, they attacked His actions that were based on cleansing the Temple from money-making corruption. Yet they all knew that they were cheating the people by making excessive profits as they changed their money into Temple money. They forced people to buy the Temple animals for sacrifices. They condemned the animals that the people brought in as unsatisfactory. They were simply greedy and thoroughly dishonest.

MARK 11:29   And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The authority that Jesus had was that he was the Messiah.

Daniel had allocated 70 weeks or 70 x 7 = 490 days (or 490 years) for the Jews from when Nehemiah built the wall around Jerusalem.

DANIEL 9:24   Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

A day represents a year in prophecy.

GENESIS 29:27   Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

Every 70 Bible years of 360 days is 69 of our Gentile years of 365.24 days.

So,  490 /70 = 7 years less in our Gentile years.

In 490 Bible years there are 490 – 7 = 483 Gentile years.

But Messiah would come after 69 weeks, which is 7 years earlier than 70 weeks.

483 – 7 = 476 years

DANIEL 9:25   Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

7 weeks + 62 weeks equals 69 weeks to Messiah.

Nehemiah built the wall around Jerusalem in 446 BC. Jesus was baptized as Messiah about AD 30.

Time elapsed was 446 + 30 = 476 years to the baptism of Jesus.

So, when Jesus was baptized when He was almost 30, that was just the time that Daniel had predicted.

That was when the prophet John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. That made Jesus the Messiah.

That event had happened 3½ years before.

The people had recognized John as a prophet of God. If they listened to John then they would realize that when John baptized, it was just the right time for Messiah to come on the scene.

MARK 11:30   The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

Jesus asked the question. Was John a genuine prophet?

MARK 11:31   And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

If the religious leaders say, “Yes” then the dates are right and they must admit that John introduced the Messiah.

MARK 11:32   But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

If the religious leaders said that John was just a man, then the people would revolt as they considered John to be a prophet.

So, the religious leaders were scared to admit the truth and claimed that they did not know.

Today, the church pastors are scared to admit that the mysteries of Scripture have been revealed by the end-time prophet William Branham. They prefer to tell the people that they do not know what many of the Bible mysteries are. Or they totally misinterpret the Bible mysteries in many different variations. Either way, they increase the Bible-illiteracy of the church people.

MARK 11:33   And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

At the end of His First Coming, the religious leaders admitted that they did not understand the ministry of the prophet forerunner John the Baptist.

They then proceeded to reject and kill Jesus Who is the Word of God.

Today, as the Second Coming approaches, church pastors reject the King James Bible which is the only true Word of God. With over 100 different versions of the English Bible today, and with 45000 different types of churches and denominations, pastors also simply “cannot tell” what is the truth.

So, Jesus leaves them in the dark. They will never understand the revealed mysteries.

Soon they and their fooled followers, the saved foolish virgins, will be in the night of great Tribulation. This awful time is called the Day of the Lord.

AMOS 5:20   Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?