God Speaking from Between Cherubim

God Speaking and Worship Between the Cherubim

Bro. Lee Vayle - June 7, 1969

The title is: God Speaking and Worship Between the Cherubim

Let's pray just one more little time. Heavenly Father now we commit ourselves of the reading of Your Word, a little preaching thereof, and, O God, we're depending on You tonight to edify by the Holy Ghost in Jesus' Name. Amen.

1. Let's begin reading in the Book of Numbers 7:89

(89) And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one (that's the Him) speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim: he spake unto him.

Moses heard God speaking off the Mercy Seat from between the two cherubim.

Now in Isaiah 37:16

(16) O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, (which) dwellest between the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. (See?)

Now, over in Revelation 4:6-7 It says here:

(6) And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

(7) And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Now, these beasts of course according to Ezekiel, are the cherubim of Almighty God.

2. Now, according to our Scripture we see resides that God resides, or dwells as the Scripture said amongst, or between the cherubim. He speaks forth from their midst and He is also worshipped there. Because remember, the blood must be sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat before God can accept the people and their worship.

Now, this thought, or this Scripture of God dwelling amongst the cherubim on the Mercy Seat is not a figure of speech. You see, many people think it's a figure of speech, that He exactly doesn't dwell amongst the cherubim, but we proved that He does. And you know as well as I do, (maybe even more so) from your studies that the tabernacle of the wilderness wherein the Mercy Seat was, is a type of the church today in its pilgrim journey towards the Lord. And that type has to have a true antitype in the heaven, because God said to Moses, "See that thou make all things, (when He told him how to set the tabernacle up) see that thou make all things according to the pattern which you saw in the holy mountain." And Moses placed God, the Pillar of Fire between the cherubim. And of course, John saw Him there as we showed you in Revelation 4: in exactly in the same position. So, we see that God speaks and is worshipped between the cherubim.

Now to understand the heavenly, or the spiritual we would have to look at the types that we have in the Word of God as given to us by Moses. Now where are the cherubim? The answer is, the cherubim covered the Mercy Seat. That's right, that's the Bible teaches it. The question anyway, where is the Mercy Seat? And the answer is, it's covered as I read in the Scripture, it's covers exactly the ark of the testimony. And the ark is two and a half cubits, by one and a half cubits, and that's exactly the size of the Mercy seat with the cherubim, it also is two and a half by one and a half. Now what is the ark? (See?) It is the place where man can meet with God.

3. Now, let's go back to Exodus 25: and see this. Remember, I'm working on types here, which is absolutely scriptural.

Exodus 25:10-23

(10) And (thou) shall make an ark of shittim (or acacia) wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the...height thereof.

(11) And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

(12) And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

(13) And thou shalt make staves of (acacia) wood, and overlay them with gold.

(14) And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

(15) The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: (and) they shall not be taken from it.

(16) And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

(17) And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: (notice a mercy seat of pure gold) two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

(18) And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

(19) And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall (you) make the cherubim on the two ends thereof.

4. Now, according to history in Josephus there is absolutely no picture or anything in existence what these cherubim look like. The best record is in the Book of Ezekiel and over in Revelation, that's the best we can get.

(20) And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

(21) And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

(22) And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. (See?)

What is the ark? It is the place where God can meet with man, or rather I should say, where man can meet with God.

5. Now, notice here that the cherubim are guarding God. They are guarding God, and keeping man from God in order that he cannot have contact with God fulfilling what was said in the Book of Genesis 3:24. It says here:

(24) So he drove the man out; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (See?)

They were placed there, and God was running there and He's speaking from there, and man would have got to leave Him there, but the cherubim are guarding God, and keeping man from getting to God. (See?) That's actually a fact.

6. Now, man cannot just go to God the way he feels he wants to go, or anytime he wants to go in the sense as though man had sovereign rights, and God doesn't allow it. Because God is a Sovereign God. God has said how man is going to meet with Him, and man has to take the way the God allows. (See?) Now, God has made a way of allowance, even though the cherubim are there. (See?) Guarding God, and keeping man from God. Yet He's made a way for it. And it shall approach unto him by God's prescribed way. And in no other way is God accessible.

Now, that makes it a very rough statement here. (See?) It's a rough, tough statement, you've got to back up by Scripture, or back away, and tell you I'm telling you a lie. (See?) Because it's not laissez-faire, free for all. (See?)

It's like the old spiritual, everybody talks about heaven ain't a going there. (See?) Everybody's talking about hearing from God, and worshipping God it isn't necessarily correct. (See?) There is a prescribed way, because what Moses made was according to a pattern. So therefore, the pattern is type and antitype is in the heavenly. And if you don't believe it's true, how come it takes the Blood of Jesus to purify the heavenly? It is, can't deny, we're on Bible ground here. (See?)

7. Now, here is where many people go wrong. They say, "It is written, man has access to God by the Mercy Seat wherein is the shed Blood." Now, I can't argue with that, because of course, I will not argue. I can only say, "It is also written." (See?)

Remember, the devil came to Jesus and he said "It is written." [Mt 4:6]

And Jesus said, "It is also written." [Mt 4:7] (See?)

You can take the Word of God and pervert It. You can quote It. And by misapplying It, you are doing the same thing as perversion. (See?)

I say, "it is also written, you have left out something." (See?) You have left out something. Just like Eve trying to get you to a certain place without the right step. No matter how much blood you shed, and placed on the Mercy Seat, it won't do one bit of good, unless the Mercy Seat is on the ark. (Um?) So, let's take it off the ark. Nope, you leave it on the ark.

He said, "You put it on the ark." And when you put it on the ark and do what I tell you, He said, "You'll hear from me, I'll meet with you." You can hear from God and worship God if you go in God's prescribed way. See, now let’s weigh it down. Is, lay it down, no matter how cut the thing is, let it cut. (See?)

8. Now, the solid gold Mercy Seat of God's own grace is of no avail without the gold-plated ark. (See?) The solid gold Mercy Seat, it's solid gold. There's nothing there but unadulterated beaten gold. It's absolute beaten until it's perfect, there's nothing there but absolute perfection. (See?) But that's not the case with the ark. The ark is gold plated. It is acacia wood and gold. (See?) It is gold, it is the gold covering the acacia wood, signifies God covering man. (See?) Didn't catch that, did you? I hope you're catching it. I hope you're catching, because I said it's sitting on a ark, and the ark is wood and gold combined, and the wood is man, and the gold covering the man is God. You've got a combination. You see, that's where God sets the solid gold Mercy Seat, where you get to God. I know this is not too popular, but I think there's enough of us here who can be genuinely called followers of the Message of William Branham to understand what I'm talking about.

It is God covering man, manifesting in man before man gets to God. (See?) Flesh. He's got to do it this way, or man will not get to God. The breakthrough to God is the breakthrough by man. Now of course, the ark is Christ. But you don’t stop there and say, "Glory to God, I've got it, all I need is Jesus." Because It is written, "He that has the Son has Life."

"It is also written, accept you drink His Blood and eat His flesh, there is no life in you." [Jn 6:53] You don't come to Him just for Life of that Blood. But you've got to get that flesh. (See?) This is what the ark is all about. This is what worship and hearing from God is all about. It is what Jesus Himself, said. "They that worship Me, must worship me in Spirit and in truth." [Jn 4:24] (See?) One will not deal without the other.

9. Now, let's look at the ark. To begin with, it had just one thing. And I said, "to begin with." Didn't say, "to finish." I said, "To begin with." In the beginning when this ark was made, (see?) which is how you're going to meet with God. There was just one thing in that ark, and that was the covenant of God's Word, or the testimony, a testament, as God called it, which is a covenant. (See?) That's number one. Now remember, I read that to you. Then to it was added, Aaron's rod that budded. Now, that's found over here in Numbers 17:10

(10) And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to (keep) for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

10. Now, thirdly: the pot, the golden pot of manna that fell from heaven was also put in there. That's over here in Exodus 16:33

(33) And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. (See?)

In other words, to be kept for the Elect Seed.

11. Now, this is confirmed that this is the content by turning to the Book of Hebrews 9:4. Now, mentioning the holiest of all,

(4) Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein (the ark) was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

(5) And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

So, you see, we've got the perfect picture there. Now, what is the testament? The testament is the Word of Almighty God given by His ordained prophet. There is no other way to get a covenant, or a testimony from God. And I don’t' care if you've got preachers running around here saying, "I've got a covenant from God, if you give me twenty dollars, you'll get your prayer answered." That man is a liar from the ground up. He's an absolute liar. And you can tell him the Word of God says so, because there's no such thing as a covenant comes by anybody except by a prophet. And you women preachers who tell you been ordained to preach by your minister, I want to tell you, that's what the pope did. When he chose a priest go and do certain things, too contrary the Word of God.

12. Where do you get a covenant with God? When you can raise your voice in a...say a pulpit, or anyplace else and dare to take authority of a man, when that covenant did not come from a prophet, but it came from yourself. Shame on you calling yourself a Christian! You cut your hair and say you can stand up and pray! You cannot even pray, and speak to God with your hair cut!

You say the church allows it. I want you to find me anyplace in the Bible where God ever gave a covenant to anybody outside of a prophet. The covenant Word of Almighty God comes by a prophet. Never has come any other way. Never will come any other way, because that's the way God ordained it.

I know people don't like this. I don't like it. Certainly, they don't like it. See, I might not like it myself in spots. But I'll tell you one thing, I'm going to stick to it. There's one now standing for God justified in this one thing, I give my best to preach the Word to even if I cut my own throat, and I saw my own blood run. I want to be honest with the Word of God.

13. Secondly, what is the Manna? It is the Word come down from Heaven, spiritual food for the journey, (see?) into Eternity. The Word of God on which the children fed. For It says over here in Deuteronomy 8:3 over here,

(3) And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou (knew) not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread (alone), but by every word that (proceeds) out of the mouth of (God which comes by the Word of the prophet which lies in the ark, the way you approach Almighty God.)

What is this Manna? This Manna is the broken Word of God to the people, whereby they see it's the same Word that the prophet sees God. It's the same Word everybody sees God, it's one Word from one God to one people. Amen! Hallelujah! I feel real good now. Sure, this is the truth. What is the rod that budded? It is God's approval upon those who have the authority to break the Word, or the bread to the people. (Thank you for that little amen.)

14. I'll prove it to you. Numbers 16:41 to Numbers 17:13. Oh, this is precious as far as I'm concerned. I'm not trying to vindicate preachers, you may think the way I'm preaching. I just want to vindicate God's Word to set you right. According to God's Word, not according to Lee Vayle, or anybody running around telling you something different, if they're doing it. In verse 41

(41) But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, you) have killed the people of the LORD.

They killed the people of God? What man can cause an earthquake? Open up the earth and swallow a man. My, these people must have been blind, grossly blind. (See?)

(42) And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, (God came down, don't take a hand just now) and the glory of the LORD appeared.

(43) And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

(44) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(45) Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment... (and what happened? The two men) fell upon their faces.

15. Not the congregation. They stood back with a big sneer. (See?)

(46) And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put (in the) incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

(47) And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; (beheld), the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

(48) And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

(49) Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

(50) And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

16. [Numbers 17:]

(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.

And now remember, these are the twelve tribes.

(3) And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

(4) And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. (Notice, I'm going to meet with you. See?)

(5) And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

(6) And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

(7) And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

(8) And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

(9) And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man (took) his rod.

(10) And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, (where's the testimony? It's in the ark, see? Now:) to be kept for a token against the rebels; (rebels is what He called them, see?) and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. (See, rebels against God would die, because of this condition.)

[Verse 11 not read]

(12) And the children (said to) Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

(13) Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

17. Now, you'll notice here that these people, the Levites at this time were the ones qualified by God as the ministry that brought the Word of the prophet to the people. (See?) And they didn't want this. They were turning It down, but God told them, warning them, even with the strict, favored measure of the penalty of death upon them that they must not do it.

Now, we can see a pattern of worshipping and hearing from God. There is absolutely no way to take advantage of God's provided way which is Christ, unless we come as He prescribes. See now, that's true. Now see, look, always you can sell a fundamentalist person on the idea if you got to be born again. Oh yes, that's not hard at all. (See?)

But I'll tell you what, you go to anybody that doesn’t even know about being born again. You go to anybody that doesn't even claim to be nominal Christian and you say, "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?"

They say, "Yes sir, I believe He's the Christ."

"Well, my Bible says, 'Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God'."

Does that make that man born of God? Nothing to it. (See?) There's a whole lot more to Scripture written too, because the Bible distinctly said, "If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." [Romans 8:9b]

18. So therefore, if you believe that He is the Christ, you're going to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Because if you haven't got the Holy Ghost proves that you don't believe. That just boils down to the same thing. (See?) They don’t want God's provided way. They say they'll talk about Jesus. They'll talk about worship. They'll talk about hearing. They'll talk about many things that will put them right in the place where they feel is eternal life, and they're in the hand of God's salvation, and they're a million miles from truth. Why? Because they haven't come the prescribed way that God laid down. (See?)

Now, as I say you can see this pattern here evolving. And as much as you want to talk about God's provided way in Christ, which is true, because that is God's provided way. You have to come God's provided way, and God's prescribed provided way.

No man can ascend up to God, that Mercy Seat, see? And no man can ascend up to God, get above that Mercy Seat, except he comes by the broken revealed Word of authority over which God wants him. See, because God watches over His Word to perform it.

19. Now listen, where is that Word? The Word of God covenant is the Ark over which is the Mercy Seat wherein God is worshipped, and speaks. (See?) Now, that's what He said here. You've got to come in God's prescribed way, which is true, because that's what's in the ark. (See?) And what's in the ark, is where God meets with man in His prescribed way. Because in there is God, the Word, and in there is Aaron's rod, and then there is manna. (See?) That is two to one. God's Word, broken Word, and a man. (See?) Just like Christ, just like that, but Christ. (See?) The Word of God absolutely fulfilled. The Word of God, broken house, that came down in a man. And the pattern holds just the same today, you cannot change it. (See?)

He said, "I watch over My Word to perform It." Where is that Word? The Word is in the ark. You want to get to the Mercy Seat where God has mercy. What mercy? Where He showed in the Word, you’ve got to come by God's prescribed way. (See?) Which is how God wants it.

20. Now, notice carefully, Israel in the time of Moses desired to bypass all of it, and enter right into ceremonial worship of God and they died for it. Now remember, they are Israel. That's right, the only known of God. That's right, Israel was the only known of God. He said, "Of all nations, you're the only one I've taken to, the only one that worshipped Me, the only one that can do it. He said, "You are it."

Now watch, how they reject the one that God chooses to get the Word to. Now, over here in the Book of Numbers chaper16: (See?) Let's read the first three of four verses.

(1) Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

(2) And they rose up...

Now, who are these, these are Levites. Yes sir, Levites who are ordained to minister. And yet right of their midst, right of their group, these ones rise up. And what do they do?

(2) ...they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, ...

21. Now, you know as well as I do that a prince is a son of a king. But there aren't any kings in Israel. So, a prince reduced to our times, is like a tycoon, a business man. (See?) Right, a man that's noted, because of his renown. That's what we're talking about. Higher education, station, breeding, they’re looked up to. There's something here that makes them a leader, (see?) in the natural that men look up to, and desire, and love. And they come against Moses, the whole two hundred and fifty.

(2) ...(they're) famous...men of renown:

(3) And they gathered themselves together against Moses, (and then it consequently get's Aaron, because Aaron's a spokesman. And they said:) ... (You) take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: where- fore then lift (you) up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

(4) And when Moses heard it, (not Aaron, Aaron couldn't do a thing, he had to stand back,) Moses heard, he fell upon his face:

(5) And he spake unto Korah...(now, Moses talked now, see? doesn't need a spokesman on this trip) and unto all his company, saying, Even tomorrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. (And then He tells them how He's going to do it.)

22. Now, you see what happens here, Israel rejects God's ordained one to bring the Word to them, which is a testimony. Now, watch how they reject chosen ministers who break the Word, over in Numbers 17: (See?) You'd think they'd have learned a lesson by this time. You'd think that they have learned enough of the authority of God, and how God does things that they would listen now. You'd think they'd have enough warning by the fact that these men were destroyed. But no, that doesn't bother them, they're rebels. Sure.

Now, they come up and they say, "We will not take the tribe of Levi over. We’ll not have men that stand between us and God. In other words, it's not new leadership now, it's merely ministering. Because the blood takes care of the new leadership. (See?) There's no blood, nobody could approach. It'll wipe them out, nobody could get there. (See?) The blood makes the way, but you still got to be in the prescribed manner of the worship and hearing from God.

23. Now notice, turned down the one that brought the Word. Turn down the one who ministers, (see?) and thirdly, they loathe the manna, but they wanted a ceremonial worship. (See?) They say, "Look, we're going to get to God; we're going to hear from God; we're going to talk to God; we're going to worship God; we're going to make it to God; we're going to have it our way, and we're going to bypass this."

Now, you can't bypass it, because this is the type of the very heavenly, that we're looking for. You can't do it. (See?) You just can't do it. So many people think you can, and they said, "We loathe this manna. We loathe it. They don't want to hear the Word of God, only. Now, the worshippers of the one true God, which is Israel. They're the worshippers of the one true God, have a national history of rejecting the ordained source of God's Word.

24. Now, over here in the Book of Matthew 23: we're going to read about. Beginning in verse 29

(29) Woe unto you, scribes...Pharisees, hypocrites! (see?) because (you) build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

(30) And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

(31) Wherefore be (you) witnesses unto yourselves, that (you) are the children of them which killed the prophets.

(32) Fill (you) up then the measure of your fathers.

(33) (You) serpents, (you) generation of vipers, how can (you) escape the damnation of hell?

(34) Wherefore, behold, I send unto you ...

Notice what He said, and He said, "He that receiveth you, receiveth me." Because He said, "Whomsoever I send that you receive, receives me." See, that the whole picture now.

(34) ...and wise men, and scribes: (prophets, wise men, scribes. In another place He even mentioned apostles) and some of them (you'll) kill and crucify; some of them (you'll) scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

You won't take pity on the fellow, you'll just ...?.... All in the lovely name of the Lord too.

(35) That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom (you) slew between the temple and the altar.

(36) Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

(37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,...

Now, what was Jerusalem? It was the holy city of the holy people that met with the holy God.

(37) O Jerusalem, ...

25. Not just a town now, the people in Jerusalem, that makes a city. Just like New Jerusalem coming down is more Bride than city. Although, thank God, it's going to be building. There'd be no point in having the building without the Bride in there.

(37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and (you) would not!

Now, how does God gather His Children? Often! Not in the two resurrections. They`re resurrections, they're not gatherings. The gathering of God's children are those coming by the ordained prophetic Word of every generation. Because often, is often.

If I said, you said, "You come to my house often."

And someone say, "Well, how many times have you been to Vayle's house?"

"Oh, twice."

They say, "Often."

You got to be kidding. Well, you've got to go to Vayle's house often

"How many times?"

"Well, I haven't missed a day in years.`` Man, you live there. [laughter] Often is often. That's enough time for resurrection number one, and two coming up. And they're doing the resurrection. This is God's gathering by the ordained carrier of the Word to that Age. (See?) Because it's every generation God sent. Not just prophets. Apostles, wise men, scribes. Apostle is sent forth one. A wise man is a man that can get what the prophet said, and by revelation bring it to the people. And a scribe will repeat what the other man said. (See?) God's using His ordained method of gathering.

And you'll notice here that Israel's history was one of turning down Almighty God. (See?) Because when they checked, and turned down the one God sent, they turned down God. They deposed the priesthood for rabbinical order, (that's right) when they went into captivity, they went in with a Levitical order, a temple, and the Torah. They came back with the synagogue, the rabbinical order, and Talmud. A complete substitution in a Trinity, which shows a flat absolute rejection of God. Everyone's got a trinity in it? Your body, soul and spirit, it's just like Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The antichrist, false prophet and the beast. (See?) Right down the line, everything in a trinity.

26. Now, they did this, they deposed the priesthood for a rabbinical order, and with no revelation, (now get this, with no revelation) they voided the Word of God by their tradition. Now, that's Scripture in Matthew 15:1-9

(1) Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, ...

Now, let's pinpoint the thing: they came to Jesus, they were the leaders of the most holy place, where the holy God is worshipped the holy people, all, everything is 'so called', but the holy God. He is not 'so called', He is holy.

(2) Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

(3) But he answered and said unto them, Why do (you) also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

(4) For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

(5) But (you) say, Whosoever...

Notice, He said, "You said it. You say." Isn't that what the Book of Malachi said? 'You say. You say." And doesn't Revelation 3:14-22, which has already said, "You said." There you are, in complete sedition at the end time. If you can't see that brother/sister, you've got to be blind as a bat. (See?) There it is: "You say."

27. Can't you understand the Word of God is written in perfect triplets? Malachi here, now here. Three times, "You said."

(5) ...Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, ...

...?.... I don’t even know what that means. In honor and honor, I don't think they did either. It's father and mother who can be free.

(6) ...Thus have (you) made (notice, Thus you have made) the (Word) of God of none effect by your tradition.

The Word of God absolutely died, rot, decayed, and doesn't have one bit of power the minute your traditionalize It. (See?) Absolute rotten manna as it were. It's made it of none effect. In other words, the very thing that you're looking to see accomplished. You follow me? The very thing that you said you're depending on that covenant of God to produce, you have void it by making a tradition out of it.

You say, "Well, I'm going to get to God." You have a tradition there, brother/sister, you'll never get to God. You say, "I'm going to worship God." You have a tradition, you'll never worship God. You say, "I'm going to hear from God." No sir, you'll not hear.

28. Now, look at verse 7

(7) (You) hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

(8) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and (honor) me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

What's the heart? Where understanding lies. And notice:

(9) But in vain they do worship me, ...

But in vain, hasn't done them one bit of good. Why? Because they haven't come by that Word in the ark. Right. And they haven't come by the men that God ordained, when He put the Word in the ark. That's right. Now, that may sound awful corny, say, "Bro. Vayle you're preaching one of those kind, of priesthoods." I am not preaching of priesthood, I'm simply teaching you the Word of God as It says right here in the Book. And I said you don't have to believe me, that’s alright. No controversy. I just want to show you something here, because I'm well aware what's going on in the world today. And I think the majority of you are too,

It was supposed to be the priesthood of the Levitical order that fed the people the Word, not a self-appointed group, which were their Levitical order, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And they took over. (See?) They were the ones that dictated the policy, and they taught.

29. Now, thirdly, they rejected the Word for tradition. Deposed the authority of the man that God had placed over them, loudly acclaiming the allegiance to the prophet, that they did not believe. Worshipped God after the lust of the heart, and protested that they were the salt of the earth. That's exactly what they did, but it didn't do any good. Because the Bible says, "But in vain they do worship God." [Mt 15:9a]

For when He sat between the cherubim on the Mercy Seat, and concealed Himself in flesh. (See?) The Pillar of Fire, concealed Himself in flesh. He became a man, (which he was, He's in a man) and there this Ark, (which is Christ) hung upon the Cross, (see?) and the Mercy Seat came into full view, they turned down God's prepared Word, and they lost the Mercy Seat.

30. Now, why did they lose It? Because their God was veiled in the flesh of man. Now, I want to ask you, where was God veiled before? He was veiled in the flesh of Moses. And He was veiled in the flesh of the prophet. Because God is the Word, and the Word is God, and God stayed in the prophet. And He was the Word that spoke. And now when the Word came into absolute full view, all they could do was turn it back. Because they wouldn't come by God's prescribed way.

And so, what did they do? They were worshipping not the true God, but the god of their imagination, and they died in their sins, having crucified the true God that they thought that they were worshipping. You know it's a strange thing, it's hard for people to get this in their heads and their hearts that Israel was worshipping God. (See?) The only people that had any right to worship God. The only ones with any insight whatsoever. The only chosen people, they ended up crucifying the very God that they worshipped. And yet people say, "Well, that couldn't happen again." It's going to happen again. (See?)

31. Now, the New Testament church has done exactly what Israel did. In the First Century they were already repudiating Paul, and John, and Peter, and trying to make them set their guarantees out, to each other. "I follow Peter. I follow Paul. I follow this, I follow that." (See?) But these men were too shrewd, they were full of the Holy Ghost. They wouldn't allow this to happen. They wouldn't give up their creeds and dogmas and organization. (See?)

Jude spoke about it. James spoke about it. (See?) These prophets, who brought of God through inspiration. And when these men of God who brought us the Word passed on, to be with the Lord, others rose up to repudiate the Message of every Age. For God spoke from the Mercy Seat to the church in every Age by the ordained apostle. Because that's the best we can call them right now. The sent forth one.

32. Now, let's go to the Book of Hebrews here chapter 9: and see this how it was done.

(11) But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

(12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, (nor) by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, (See? Now, He's entered in that holy place) having obtained eternal redemption for us.

(13) For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, (sanctify) to the purifying of the flesh:

(14) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit...

What part of Him was eternal? The Spirit. You talk about eternal Son? That's ridiculous, it's eternal Spirit, not eternal Son. Sons have beginnings, see? See, where tradition goes, little phrases.

(14) How much more (then) shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(15) And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

See, we've got the same thing again. We got the Mercy Seat. We got the Blood. We got people meeting with Almighty God through the prescribed way that God has laid down.

33. Now, let's go to Revelation 1: where is He? On the Mercy Seat. Where? Between the cherubim, on the shed Blood. Where? Which is over the ark. What's in the ark? The Testament, Aaron's rod that budded, the Manna that came down from heaven.

All right, we know where it is in the New Testament era. Revelation 1:

(12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me...

Now, notice what It said, he called it a Voice. He didn't say, “I turned to see the man.” He said, "I turned to see the Voice." (See?) God speaking, God speaking now. Now remember, he turned to worship this one. He turned to see the Voice that spake with him, in conversation.

(12) ...And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (See?)

(13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps...a golden girdle.

Now, right away they said, "Now, just a minute, this one looked like the Son of man." What if you look like the Son of man, you're not the Son of man? Just a minute, the Greek has various expressions here. And the Greek...the word that says 'like unto the Son of man', in the Greek is, that gives the same word. So, John turned and saw the One who gives the same Word that the Son of man gave on earth.

"You hypocrite, (yeah) how often would I have gathered you." [Matthew 23:37] (See?) The very same One who does not speak two languages. He speaks the same Word as the prophet that’s God's Prophet, that spoke to the Lord Jesus Christ both here upon earth.

34. Now, yes, that's what It said. Like unto the Son of man, which is the One that speaks the same Word as the Son of man. Now, [Revelation 1:] verse 16. Now, this one…now notice in the seven golden candle sticks right to the Seven Church Ages, we will show you.

(16) And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

All right, verse 20

(20) (And) the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, ...

Now, what are stars? See, right away the average mind boggles on this. Because you think there were three stars in heaven and they met and that was the star over Christ. The word in the Greek, the word 'star' is where we got the thought of a movie star. A tennis star. A football star. It means; 'the pre-eminent one amongst many like him'. (See?) The pre-eminent one amongst many like him. This picture of Jesus is holding seven men, and they're just ordinary simple men. And they don't have to have a collar on backwards, and a gown on. And say, 'Aw-men'. [Amen] And read in that cultured monotone, lifeless in death.

35. They are just seven men, (see?) and they are just as common as season. Because there stood the Lamb of God, nobody by John knew it, because he's a man, "Thou being a man maketh thyself God." [Jn 10:33b] Okay. (See?) Didn’t want that, No, can't take that. (See?) So, these seven men just ordinary common men what are they? The plain English is, they are either apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, or evangelists, that's all they are. And out of them God takes one, and says, "This is the pre-eminent one, of all this Age this is that man. He is My messenger, he is my star.

Now, right away he's going to like that. Well now, Korah's bunch didn’t like that. Didn't want Moses to bring the Word. (See?) And then the other bunch goes up against Aaron who got the Word from Moses and was taught to preach the Word, because he was a mouth piece. In other words, you don’t get a prophet to come on the scene and he's the whole show.

Paul said to Timothy, "Keep faithful men who will disseminate this Word." (See?) It's got to do with the dissemination. (See?) There's got to be those scribes and those wise men. There's got to be those ministries in there. And they said, "Now, let's just get rid of that too."

36. Now, how are you going to do it? Because the one that said the same Word as the Son of man, the same right here, "I'm the voice in the church, I'm that One, and I've got seven men for seven Ages." Now, let's look at [Revelation 2:] and we'll get the history.

(1) Unto the (messenger) of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he (who is he?) that holdeth the seven stars...

Oh, that's that One. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever." [Heb 13:8] Whose words cannot change, because the Word of God can't change. That's exactly right, It can't change, it's irrevocable, He swore an oath, I'll abide by My Word. (See?) Swore by Himself.

Now, in verse 7

(7) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; ...

But, there's only one person, God talked originally, which is that messenger. And if you've got the Spirit of God you going to hear him to hear God. Oh, I know they don't want that, I know. Why you folk do, because you're, kind of unusual. I was kind of expressing it, I mean it. And verse 8, It says,

(8) ...the (messenger) of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, ... (See?)

And that's right, He is the first and the last. He starts it, and He's going to finish it. He starts the Bride, He'll end it.

(9) I know thy works, and ... (so on.)

(11) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; ...

But, He's only talking to one man in the second Church Age.

37. All right let's go to the last Age. [Revelation 3:]

(14) ...unto the (messenger, which is in the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, (the winder-upper) the beginning of the creation of God;

God creating Himself in the form of flesh. (See?) Now, all the way down the line, preaching and bringing His Word. And notice He’s saying here as I mentioned, you know:

(17) ...thou sayest, I am rich, increased with goods, ... (and so on, and don't even kow it that you're) wretched, miserable... blind, (and so forth.) (See?)

And he said, Here now:

(18) I counsel (you) to buy of me gold tried in the fire, ...and raiment, ... (and also the) eyesalve,.. (eyesalve is eye ointment.)

And the ointment is poultice. And a poultice is meant to remove a fragment, which is festered. The old bread poultice, you wrapped around your finger because you had a sliver in there, you couldn't get out, it was all festered. As Bro. Branham said, "The church it's eyes is full of matter." Like you used to go in the barn up there in the attic, and the wind blew in, and the eyes got all crusted with matter. And his mother come along and put coon grease on it. Tried coon grease on it, and get it out. (See?) But in the Greek there, it’s bread crust, cracker crumbs. And cracker crumbs is unleavened bread. Which is the unleavened Word of God for the end days. Rub it in your eyes. You don't want to rub it in your eyes, do you?

No, because you've got your creeds, your dogmas and your traditions. "I know, I don't need a prophet." You hypocrite. You wouldn't know split peas from buttermilk. You haven't got an ounce of vindication. And yet to turn around and say, "I know." What do you know?

38. I'm not trying to hurt anybody and make anybody feel bad. But the truth is, what do you know, where do you stand, you can prove anything? How many have ever had a vision in technicolor, and you sat up in bed at midnight, and saw the armies what God is going to do? Mike O’Connell, raise your hand, let me see your hand. You haven't to it. I've got it, and prove it to you. And he stood before fifty thousand, and prophesied. And seen the thunder. I’ve done it. I have like Abraham. I've said it, and I'm not vindicated, not the least bit vindicated.

I've never once came in the Name of the Lord with ''Thus Saith the Lord'. And neither have you and neither has anybody else, but an end time prophet. And I haven't even touch the subject yet. Hallelujah. And they say, "I'm going to turn down the anointing.” You haven't eaten his flesh, and drunk his blood, today. Yeah, anoint sounds pretty nice doesn't? Like a drop a little eye-drop putty. It says, you're blind and full of matter. Said, "It rubbed the blood bread crumbs in." The cracker crumbs, unleavened bread. The unadulterated, untraditional, Word of God has got to come back in the last day, or I missed the interpretation here, entirely. (See?) In the last day.

39. And It says here, there's only one thing that God requires, and that's repent. And you can't repent, unless you know that you've done something wrong. There's no repentance for anybody unless he's a sinner, so the whole lock, stock and barrel is branded in this end age. (See?) I don’t mean that, to get leave my subject and get off of it here, because I could preach another hour and a half on Laodicea alone, we're going to forget it. But, I want to show you this in every single Age brother/sister the Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ comes through the Seven Church Age messengers.

And if you want to hear God from between the Mercy Seat, that right, if you want to hear from God, they're going to have to go the prescribed route. Which is a route that God laid down a messenger of the Word of every Age. (See?) And in every generation, there will be men taking that Word. I said, "In every generation there will be men taking that Word." Thank you, got one or two of you believing it, because the Word can't change. It's still God's way. (See?) All right, the authority of those they have refused the authority of those who were sent to break the bread.

40. Now, let's go to Hebrews 13:7, It says:

(7) Remember them which have the rule over you, ...

Say, "Bro. Vayle, that's a dirty Catholic word. That's not a dirty Catholic word. That's a beautiful Holy Ghost, King Jesus, Word. Because, the trouble with the Protestant is, you don't know what the Bible says. Because the 'Douay' version says, "Rule my sheep, rule my sheep, rule my sheep." And your Bible says, "Feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep." You think it's feed, feed, feed, when it's not. "It's feed, rule, feed." Go and look at it. Don't believe in ruling? Let me read It the way it’s written.

(7) Remember him...

It doesn't say, "Remember him." It says, "Remember them." Bless God, I stand with the messenger, the Seven Church Age. Is he, a them? I only saw one when I saw Bro. Branham. There's him. Doesn't say him, It says, "them, which have the rule over you." Who has the rule? A man has the rule. When they say I can’t preach, because I don't rule over the men. The minute that you open your mouth to a man with the Word of God in the church of God, you're ruling over him. Because it's not the man that rules, It's the Word that rules, that God ordained. And men take that Word, and keep the authority of God within the church.

It says here:

(7) ...have spoken you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their (behavior).

And in verse 17

(17) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Men sent to die for sheep of Almighty God. Not for filthy lucre. Not for gain. Not for them, because any true man of God that calls to take care of sheep never wanted to take care of sheep. Never has, and never will. (See?)

41. Now, let's go back to the Book of Ephesians 4:11-17

(11) And he gave some, apostles; ...

When did He do it? When He ascended up on high? All right, that sounds very good. Sounds very good, because He did ascend up on high. But you know what He did when He ascended up on high, "He led captivity captive, gave gifts to men?" [Ephesians 4:8] And what about this One who ascended up on high? The One that ascended up on high says that He came down again. And He came down by the Holy Ghost. And what did He do?

(11) ...he gave some, apostles; some, prophets; (teachers) evangelists; pastors and (so on.)

Why?

(12) For the perfecting of the saints, ...

Say, "Bro. Vayle, I'm going to pray my way through. Glory to God. I could talk to Jesus, He talked to me, and I don't need anybody." Now, somebody messed up somewhere. Somebody's wrong, because the Bible doesn't read that way. The Bible said,

(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Say, "Bro. Vayle, I just ...?.... edify, bless God, I speak with those tongues, woo hoo. " All right woo hoo. Go ahead, I can do it, you can do it. The Bible distinctly said, Paul speaking the one who wrote this said, he said, "You don't get edified by speaking in tongues, except that small internal edification. But, if you want the real edification, you have got to come by the under-standing. (See?) Got to come by understanding. Why? Because there alone, is where God is revealed. God is not revealed by tongues, nor is anything revealed by tongues, the revelation of God comes by the understanding with the mind, the womb. Then the Holy Ghost lights upon like dew upon the grass, revelation breaks into full force, and the Word of God comes up vindicating that you're in Christ, and Christ in you, because you produce that Word. Just like God produced the Word, He produce you. Now, you'll produce that. (See?) Showing that God spoke to you, now you spoke back. If God placed you in the place you in the place of ...?.... now you go back to the Throne. Amen! It's got to be by the Word, as It comes and God ministers the Word. (See?)

42. Now, It says here

(12) ...(this) work of the ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ:

(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature... (that's at the very ending.)

Now, I'll tell you tonight, Laodicean people, you that would reject the ministry that God has ordained you're wrong! You're wrong! This is one of the things Bro. Branham knew would come. Yet people would accuse the ministry. I'm not trying to vindicate myself, I've been... Kipling wrote a book about me, it's called. 'The Cat that Walks by Himself.' That's right. I'd have wished to go down the road with nothing and trusting God to get the there. I'd have wished to give all we had and go bare, literally naked and trust Almighty God. I'd have lived for good years to trust God with nobody behind me. And I'm in debt to no man, except the gratitude of love trusting God.

You say, "Bro. Vayle, then what you need to do is come down." No, people support and He'll supply my needs. Because I took my step of trying to serve God's people. The way God called me to do. And It says, "This is going to endure until the end." Till it's all over. (See?)

You say, "I'm going to worship God, but I don't need anybody, I'm just going to do this on my own." (See?)

(14) That we henceforth be no more children, ...

This ministry was good to bring maturity to God's people. Can you find maturity in a pastor rejecting curfew. Never did and never will do it. Men rise up and reject the pastor and have no confidence.

43. Wouldn't it have been great of God didn't have confidence in David? He said, "David you spoke by My mouth, though wounded My hand-piece, I'm going to fool you. No hands, no feet David, no sign. Or else it would be, “We’ll, we try Bible.” (Uh?) Sure, that's how people would talk wouldn't it? God didn't talk that way. God never said He'd send you a race of supermen. God never said He gave you someone so perfect and so flawless, bless God that He was Jesus Christ Himself. He just said He'd sent men. See, fallible men. Not infallible. And amongst them He sent a man of pre-eminence was held in. (See?) So, they wouldn't be wrong. Why? Because we don't want children anymore.

(14) ...tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait...

You reject the ministry that God gave you, you're prey to the devil. (See?)

(15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

(16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

God says right there, the first step, is to take what He said was right. And then He said, "When they fulfilled the obligation evolved upon them by the offices that God gave, (He said) you'll come into a wonderful place.? And He said, "All the offices you wanted to come to this place, (He said) here's how you're going to get there." One of the first things the people do in every Age is to want to repudiate God's way of doing things.

44. Now, let's go back to Acts 20: just in case somebody just doesn’t understand the Word of God says, because recently I heard a person who didn't understand what the Word of God taught. In Acts 20: It tells you here the dangers they're in this world. In,

Acts 20:17

(17) And from Miletus (Paul) sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Now, there is no such thing as an elder in the five-fold ministry. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors. That's the way it is in the Book in 1 Corinthians 14: that's the way that Bro. Branham quoted it. "Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors," in that order. (See?)

The elder doesn't belong there. Why? Because the elder is the man that desires to be a worker in an official capacity in the Body of Christ. He wants the job. And if he can line up to a certain qualification, he can have it. And if he goes all the way they'll even give him tithes, and support him, he's worthy of double honor said Paul.

45. All right, [Acts 20:]

(25) And now, behold, I know that (you) all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

(26) Wherefore I take you to record (put it on a record said Paul, come on write it down. (See?) Put the challenge there. Make a record of it) ...I am pure from the blood of all men.

Why? Why are you pure, Paul?

(27) For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

"But Paul, you said so many things that are so hard to understand."

"I know it, I stick with it. But I did it and I sure, reference it ", said Paul.

How many people tonight can sit here and raise your hand and say, "I tell you Bro. Vayle, I believe everything that Paul said, because I understand it all?" Not one. You've either cut off your hands, or sitting on them. Never raise those hands.

46. Well, how many people say we don't understand we're going to throw it away. Nobody! Boy, you'd sure like to throw away the prophet's Message though, don't they? My, I tell you, I don't understand some things. This is one of them.

(28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock (of God) over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, ...

"Well, (you say) now just a minute. If the Holy Ghost made them overseers, and they wanted the job themselves, how come the Holy Ghost did it?" Because they wanted the job, so, God said “Go ahead. Now do it, and I'll hold you responsible.” You say, "Is that the way he does with women preachers? Could be, they know where they're going to go, anyway.

Now, he says, “To feed the church of God.” How do you feed the church of God? The Word. What's the church get fed by? The Word. Who's going to give the Word? Elders. If elders do, what about the five-fold ministry? They'll really do it. Here's where your mix up comes.

(28) (...which he) the church of God, which (God) purchased with his own blood. (See?)

(29) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter (Jesus called them, wolves in sheep's clothing.) not sparing the flock. (Amongst whom?)

The elders! Show me where Paul called them pastors. Show me where he called the apostle? And no, the prophets, and the teachers, the evangelists? Show me where he called them. He never called them. He called the elders. And he warned the elders.

47. And he said to the elders, Listen:

(29) ...I know...after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

(30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples...

Where do you find anybody ever...any prophet of God ever quoted this, as saying the pastors are going to do this, or the ordained men of God? He said, "Many shall rise up." And they're going to rise up too. Oh yes, they're going to do it. They're going to come and tell the people, "now don't do this and don't do that." They're going to stand against the ordained authority that God placed in the church, because God did it. I didn't write the Book. See, I know this sounds like defensive preaching, preaching this way. That's the furthest thing from my heart, because I don't need a defense. My life is my defense. If that's a rotten life I've got no defense. It'll hold up without a defense. If the Word of God says it, somebody's got to be in this capacity. Which is a true capacity. He's here, here's where your elder. creeps in. What is it? It's the un-ordained in the pew, that want an ordination. That's what brings about the trouble, and it has brought it about, see?

48. Now, he said here:

(30) ...of your own selves (they're going to rise up) to draw away disciples after them.

What? To draw away a little here a little group. (See?) Also connect,

(31) Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one (of you day and) night...

Paul for three years did it. We were warned by the prophet at the end time, of the same thing. Now, in the last days we have a repeat of a prophet messenger. The last day we do. The Bible says so. The Laodicean Church messenger is messenger number seven. "In the days of the voice of the seventh messenger, when he shall begin to sound, (see, they’re blowing themselves up) the mystery of God shall be finished, that's perfected and brought to consummation." [Rev 10:7] It'll be perfected, got to be. (See?) That's right. The Word of God must be... this is what God has declared. Because the word declare means, 'to announce the good news by His servants the prophets'. The actual record of the Gospel will be brought to perfection and a conclusion in this Age. (See?) Right, with what the Bible said.

49. Now, this happened according to the Word of God is specified in Malachi 4:5-6. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Before Christ can descend to pick up the Bride, Elijah has got to come and turn the hearts right back. How did he do it? The Book of Acts 3:19

(19) Repent therefore, (said Peter) and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing ... (which is Isaiah 28: That’s right. Exactly what it is) times of refreshing shall come from

the presence of the Lord.

(20) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

(21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of (restoration) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Who was the first holy prophets? God was, in the Garden of Eden. What did God do? He brought a covenant. So therefore, the covenant abiding God, will be fully exposed in this Age by the prophet of this Age, Which is Malachi 4:5-6, which is Elijah, which is Revelation 10:7. Which is also of course Luke 17:30, which we'll sort of bypass at this time without getting into the whole thought of It.

50. So, in the last days we have a repeat of a prophet messenger, (like Paul, like John, see?) who brings the Word of God by the Pillar of Fire. Because remember, the Pillar of Fire are the feet and it's the feet that's on land and sea. So, the Pillar of Fire, the Logos of God is now communicating to the prophet. (See?)

And when he comes, what will he do? There will be by the majority a complete rejection of the bringer of that Word, as in every Age there has been a rejection. And in this Age the gain-sayings of Korah, will destroy most of the people, because they'll listen to Korites. For what? The elders will rise up. (See?)

51. And amongst those who claim to believe, (see?) there will those with the Laodicean spirit upon them. That's right. Because Laodicea is anarchy. Because the word 'Laodicea' means 'people's rights'. "We've got our rights." That's right. They'll tell you that they're in the driver's seat. And they don't intend for one minute to give up either. See, people's rights. The so-called ‘day of man’. This is Laodicea. The United Nations know it is, because last year '68 was the second decree, that the twenty-second anniversary of the United Nations, and they said, "This is 'Human Rights' year, which is what Laodicea means. Human rights, is people's rights. You've had two tens now, it'll never go to third. We're in the third, that's of course when it happened. Always in the third.

You say, "Well, Bro. Vayle it's got to run its course." No sir. Because listen, when God calls it 'the third day', it could be one million 'third day' and God’s books, it’s the third day. That's how we have the three days and the three nights in the heart of the earth. It's got to happen in a certain time. Not overlap. (See?) So, we know it's got to happen soon the whole thing runs out. So, in this Age, it's this Age where people rise up from the pew and reject the authority of the five-fold ministry that is sent to bridge the Word of God to them. (See?)

52. Now, what happens? This is what Bro. Branham warned about in 2 Timothy 4:1-3

(1) I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

(2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Who's going to do it? Timothy is going to do it. Who's Timothy? He's the pastor. (See?)

(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound (teaching, that word 'doctrine' is teaching) but after their own lusts ...

Now, that word 'lust' is not as dirty word as you think it is. That's the tricky part of knowing what the Word really means. It' means 'pleasure'. See, the word 'lust' is too strong. It makes it, oh, somebody way out there so far removed such terrible thing is not, it's somebody who wants his own way. That's what it is. Pleasure. (See?) They won't endure sound doctrine.

(3) ...but after their own (pleasure) shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

It's not the teachers having itchy ears, it's the people got an itchy ear. The preacher's got an itchy mouth. That's his trouble. He wants to say what he wanted to say. (See?) And listen:

(4) ....they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Now, what's a fable? A fable is a story with a moral in it, that doesn't mean a thing more than a moral. And so the people will go to a certain moral type of preaching, and they'll forget the truth and it's nothing but a fable. (See?) Nothing but a fable. Something they want to believe in, but it's not the Word!

And Bro. Branham warned us, and warned us, and warned us that this is our lot in this Age. And he wasn't talking to somebody down the street, believe me. If you think he was, I think he was. I was going to bring some fruit, but it's not on the tape, so I won't bring the proof. Anything that's not on the tape, I'll bypass, because it must be true there. (See?)

53. Now, the whole world has its Laodicean trouble. Now remember, it's not just one place, it's every place. Because remember, when Christ condemned the Laodicean Age, (which He does) there isn't one good thing He said about it. Except, "repent." And He warns us, He said, "The boom is going to fall on you, because as many as I love, not that we love Him, election is, 'He loved us'. (See?) The Elect are not reciprocating, because they don't love the truth see?

Remember brother/sister, this the Age where they turn away from the love of the truth. And they believe the lie. When the man of iniquity...what's the word 'iniquity'? The word 'iniquity' is made out of two words in the Greek, the first one I can't remember, the next one has to do with 'sheep food', which means 'to take away the food from the sheep', which is the Word of God. You see, this is ...it ends up in that. (See?)

54. Now, let's look at the Roman Catholic church. The Roman Catholic church is a very good barometer what's going on, and you better watch it, because if this present pope they're mad at him, and they're saying he's got to go, he's crazy. And the reason they're saying he's crazy and got to go, is because they want birth control. And for the first time in centuries the pope is absolutely scriptural. I respect him for his decision, because it is scriptural. Birth control is out, except for very stringent reasons. Not in the Bible. It's God's ordained method which happens to be amongst ...?.... See, you follow me?

All right. They said, "Mr. Pope, I want to tell you something, if you say we can't do it, we're going to do it anyway, and it'll hurt our conscience. Now, we don’t want to hurt our conscience, because we're going to do it. Now, you tell us it's okay."

Now listen, this is serious, their own theologians are divided, the whole point is divided. And they say, "This is the greatest test since the time of Luther, the Reformation." And they say we're going to get rid of him. Now brother/sister, this could be later than we think. Because if he's going to hold his power, he may have to call in the money. He may have to call in the bonds. And when he does, it's curtains for the system. Because the whole world will go after the beast. So, it's nearer than you think,

See, what is it? It's this spirit, and this spirit is right in the pews in every single place. It sets amongst the little group that want to go God's way. (See?) They want to approach unto God, and hear from God, and they don't want to do it by tradition, but they want to worship right.

55. So, look at Jude over here. The Book of Jude, little tiny Book, 3-4, (and I'll get you out of here quick as I can now.)

(3) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that (you) should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Now, what faith? They come to hearing Him by the Word of God. The Word of God in its Christian purity.

(4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, ...

Now, notice how they come in, insinuate themselves then see.

(4) ... who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (See?)

He tells you this has to come to pass, which is coming to pass in this Age. What do they want? They don't want authority. They won't have authority over it. See, that's Laodicea. What in the world has the church just endorsed? They said, "Look, if you can't get your own way according to law, then break the law. Why? What kind of a system are they living in? We're living under the fruits of what's come up in the church. Because the church is the receptacle of God's law. And turned God's law into their own law.

Now listen, the man at the end time is also called 'that lawless one'. Right? Now, what is sin? Sin is lawlessness.

56. Now, listen to me: there is only one law, and that's God's law. Don't tell me God's got a law, and the devil got a law, for that's crazy. There's only one law, God law! The minute that you turn on God's law, you are without law, because there's no law but His. Because no law will stand, but God's law. No law, but God's law. Right?

All right, that is sin, that's lawlessness. The man of sin, see where we're driving you today? This is the spirit you've got to watch. And I'm going to God by law. And my... according to the Word, because I worship in Spirit and in truth, or am I outside of that pale. (See?)

Not coming by a man, you couldn't worship God through me. You could never come to... "Bro. Vayle, I'm going to worship God." You don't worship God through me. You don't worship through Bro. Branham. You don't worship God through any factor. You worship God by whispering ...?.... which is that Word, which we ordained how that Word is placed. Which Word is placed by the prophet, and by the messenger, and then scattered by the ordained five-fold ministry. Then the people meet Him on the Word, know the Word, has that Word, glory to God, those hear God between the Mercy Seat. And they worship God in the Mercy Seat, because you can offer back to God anything but God's Own Word. (See?)

57. “I'm going to worship God, yes sir. I don’t need to go church, I just sit back and listen to tapes." Well, let's just find out if we can check this by the Word of God here. The Bible says over here in the Book of Hebrews 10:25 It says,

(25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; ...

Now, he warned you, he said, "People are doing it." They refuse to come together. Now, what if they had a rosary, they had an epistle, they sit around and read their epistle. What they do? Sat in their own homes.

Now, brother/sister I said there's one law, and that's God's law. Is that, right? And then if you say, "You break God's law you're lost." We don’t have a law anymore. Why? Don't you see why Bro. Branham said, "The bottomless pit is where the antichrist comes out of, because there's no foundation for it." There's no word for it.

58. Now, you're lawless. What are you going to stand on? You’ve got to stand on a law. Because there is nothing that is without a law. Let me throw you my glasses out there and see what happens, they'd bust to pieces. Let me get exuberant, kick this pulpit, watch how she files. Let me clap my hands and try to fly, … can't do it, there's a law. There's a law. You sitting here now church, you're believing that there is a law that you're going to make it to God. That you're going to get there as part of that Bride. I say there's a law. You’re outside of that law, you'll never make it. You’ve got to get in that law.

You can bring your traditions get your church membership, you're lost. You can claim you love God and worship God. If I ever get another chance to preach a sermon on the Second Coming of Christ. I'll show Scripture, you've loved, you've quoted, you cried over It. You love It, but I'll cut your throat with It, and continue in the presence of God by the very Word that you've loved and mmm, you kissed It, just ate It up. Didn't know that Word of God would destroy you.

59. I'll prove it to you. See, I'm not boasting, I'm just telling you, I'll prove it to you. Because I got it by divine revelation that I preached over in Marion, Indiana. The southern hymn that I preached. You people might not sleep tonight, I might not either. I'm going to show you something, challenge you to prove me wrong. And I took them right down the line to what you believe that this is where you’re off It. (See?) Well you see what I'm trying to get at tonight brother/sister? 'God Speaking and Worship Between the Cherubim.'

For where are the cherubim? They're over the Mercy Seat, give glory to God, I like that. Just made aware, where's the Mercy Seat? Don't get placing It now brother/sister, leave it where it is. Don' try to get Christ away from there, put Him where He is. Where's your Mercy Seat? It's over the ark.

60. Now, what's in the ark? The Word, the rod, the manna. Now, do you want to get to God? You got to go over these, because that's where it is. "I don't need that prophet." You don't? Let's just find out. Let's go to the Book of Revelation, the very last chapter, by the way, of the very last Book. And let's find the very last thing that is said by the very last Voice.

[Revelation 22:]

(18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

Now listen, it's only happened one time, because the plagues are the great tribulation. Right? You know that. Is God going to raise everybody up from the dead, and put them in the tribulation? Aw, it can't be done. Now, there's a few sitting here tonight, have you added one word to God's Book? Have you got your creeds and dogmas? Have you talked about an eternal Son? Find me that in your Bible, you said I've got an eternal Son. Find me that in the Word would you please.

61. You talk about a Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Find me that in the Word, would you please. How can you have a Father and a Son, and the Holy Ghost, that's three members. When God was His Father, and yet He's begotten by the Holy Ghost. That eliminates one, or, Jesus had two fathers. Now, let's eliminate the Holy Ghost, because the One that ascended, came back. That's Jesus. Now you added two gods. And Paul warned you, he said, "If any man preach any other Jesus, (he said) there'd be another one." Or, another spirit, they called Him the second person… the third person, rather.

Yet, you'll sit here and say, “I didn’t add Bro. Vayle.” This says God will add the plagues, you'll see the tribulation. Not because I say so, because I don't want anybody have a plague any more than I want to have a plague. I’ve had boils, and they're bad enough. Ever had a boil, you know, how you can suffer. Some people have had carbuncles, that’s worse.

62. Now listen,

(19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

When did that happen before? In Psalms 69: where they crucified Christ. Now listen, the end time messenger the Bible said will bring to perfection the Gospel as annunciated by the prophets. Peter said, "From the first prophet to the last prophet, Elijah would restore," because Christ said he would. So, at the end time brother/sister, there's a man that came on the scene vindicated that brought the whole Word of God. You say, "I'm going to get to that man, and I'm going to get to God without hearing that man." You're wrong, because you're either taking or adding to It.

You say, "I don't need a prophet." You took from the Book, because Revelation 10:7 says there is one. (See?)

Say, "I'm going to have my creeds and dogmas, I believe my church says." You've added to the Book, the plagues will come. Not because I say, because it doesn't matter what I say, it matters what the Word says.

You say, "I'm going to worship God, I'm going to reach God anyway I want." Are you? The Bible says, “He that truly cares.” There's only one way you're going to get there, God's prescribed men.

"I'm going to get to Jesus Bro. Vayle." Prove it. Have you come the way he said? Have you repented and been baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ? You know that's the Word.

63. You know, nobody in the Bible got baptized in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Those are titles. He said, "Replace those titles, and then get the name, and the name's ‘Lord Jesus Christ’." What about that? Have you been baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ? "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" [Acts 19:2a] If you are, you'll be in the Word, (you know) because the Word and the Spirit are one. They just don't agree, they are. The Father, Word, and the Spirit, these are one. Those three agree. Although there's an agreement there, they're one. Or if you're one you've got to agree. I'm body, soul, and spirit, believe me I agree, I'm one.

There's an egg that got a shell, a white little skin inside, a membrane, and a white a bit of stuff on the outside and the yoke inside. That's one. They agree. Translation, called 'destruction'. Never bring forth life, just break it, it's got to come right. (See?)

64. All right, always, the Father, Word and Spirit they agree. What about that Word tonight? I can worship God anyway I want brother/sister. Listen to me, I'm going to tell you one thing, if I didn't know in my heart and understand what I'm giving across and hope you understand, that I have pinned my entire faith in the Message of this Age. It is not that Bro. Branham took the place of Jesus Christ. The man misunderstood it.

A very sweet man from Louisiana, he thought that I meant that. So, at a table out west a while ago, he said, "Christ is our righteousness." And I caught it. And I said, "But my dear brother, Bro. Branham is not my righteousness." He came to make sure the promise that God said, was mine. (See?)

Now, do you see where we going tonight? God didn't just say, "Worship Me." He said, "In Spirit and in truth." He laid down how it was done. He said it's based on this Word. "Look, (He said) I gave it to you, vindicated prophet. I gave you ministry. Come on ...?.... Don't separate yourselves and stay home, now you people don't do that, or you wouldn't be here.

65. Listen, do you know what this Message is for? To make you know why you come and worship the way you do. To let you know where your place, and how you stand. And then when somebody wants to throw you a curve, you know where the...you know exactly how to catch it. You may do would help somebody brother/sister. Because the Bible said, "This house...now stick with that Word tonight, brother/sister. Because nobody can have the Holy Ghost and go against that Word. Nobody can be in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and have a creed or a dogma. (See?) Nobody can say, "I've heard from God." And are full of creeds and dogmas, and you're not coming to God's prescribed way.

And nobody can say, "I worship God in Spirit and truth." And then bypass what God laid down. He said, and I want repeat it again, (and this is on tape) I am not preaching a priesthood, that you come to. I am preaching the Word of God that ordained that as a man who'll worship God in Spirit and in truth, he will have his life, as identified by the processes that God laid down. And those processes lie in men. I hate to hurt your feelings honey child. But, just as I stand here tonight, and I say, “Except for the prophet of God, I wouldn't know my left hand from my right hand. Amen.”

66. The Book of Malachi says, "In the end time you would not know righteousness from wickedness." You would not know who serves God, and who doesn’t serve God. And Jesus said, "Just at that end time when the judgment came, there’d be many come in that day and they have done miracles in Jesus' Name. They have cast out devils." And He'll say, "Depart you that work iniquity."

Now that iniquity is an unrighteous act, and they’re condemned for it. You say, "How can a man be condemned for using the Name of Christ in a glorious manner?" Because God said so! Because you did it apart from God's prescribed Word. (See?) See, what I'm preaching at? I hope I'm getting this across, if I repeat it until everybody goes out of here, and I am not preaching a priesthood when men come by men. There's only one Mediator. I preach one truth, and that is worshipping God in spirit and truth, must absolutely conform to what God laid down whereby men do it. Which is, God gave the Word by His prophet, and by His messengers in their day. Then the Word was disseminated and broken to the people, and they edified and brought into this conformed unity in Jesus Christ, built up, adding members and going on serving God. (See?) Amen.

Not trying to say anybody useful in the past, or this or that. No, not trying to say. God said he was. Not saying any man, any man couldn’t get to Christ, yet he comes through a preacher. No sir, he comes by God's prescribed channel of that Word emanating and doing disseminating. (See?)

67. Like that old Ethiopian eunuch, why, he didn’t even have the Bible. Why did God have to send Philip down there? When you take one out, take it all out. (See?) Take one out, take it all out. You got it. Leave it in brother/sister. Leave it in. Pray for your pastor. Pray for him. Hold him up in prayer. Pray for the men of God that try to serve you. (See?) Because they only try to do it for one thing, not to be heard, because who wants to be heard? Who wouldn’t even… that's not in a man's heart to want public views as a real man of God. See, that's not...

We're not trying to satisfy. You're not trying to satisfy. But, I hope it builds up in the Word of God you see tonight brother/sister. It's the right way of worshipping and hearing from God in the way God ordained. And in that way, coming to a place of the knowledge. What is that knowledge? Doesn't God's Word come to pass? For He said, "Let's there be light." Wasn't there light? If God Almighty put the ministry in the church and said, "This is what it would do." Don't you think that'll do? (Uh?) Then if that what He would do prescribed for His day, for His Own Bride, and it comes to pass, isn't that what you do? Amen. Let's do it brother/sister. (See?)

68. Now, I know what I'm talking about. Because look, I've preached that, I preached a lot. Preached a long, long way and all that sort of stuff, you know. I know what' he's preaching. And I'll tell you what, if you use your faith just to sit at home, "Well, I'm going to hear my tapes myself, and do this and that." But He said, "Don't you forsake It, and so much the more as that day approaches." [Hebrews 10:25] So, if there’s a camp meeting six days out of the week, bless God, let's work one day, and give God six. Well, it's not quite that, just trying to show. You Follow me?

The Lord bless you. I hope you understand. Hearing from God and worshipping God, you come to by the Word, the revealed Word of God, in God’s prescribed way. Amen. I like that brother/sister. I like that. Amen. The Lord bless you. Shall we rise, let's rise and be dismissed.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank You for assembling Thy people tonight to hear the Word of the Lord, God, knowing, Lord God, tonight we have not tried to worship, to put any man in pre-eminence. But, O God, they are members of Your body, and we know that everyone has a very definite wonderful little mission, so that the finger cannot say to the eye, “I'm not the eye, I'm nothing.” Over here just a part of the body, just as much a part of the body as the eye. Yes sir. Lord, tonight and let Your people be in that attitude, O God, we're all one. We're all needed. We're all something Lord, if somebody is given something to do it, to edify that body.

Lord in Heaven, I don't only pray for respect for that person, O God, it's because they’ve got to be said. The Lord, I pray when they are expected they'll be worthy of the acceptation. O God, help Your pastor. Help Your evangelists, and Your teachers, and Your prophets, apostles where they are this day, Lord. There's a little group, Lord, that's blessing them in the end time then help them, O God, I pray, anoint them by the Holy Ghost I pray in Jesus' Name, and give them the top Lord, as it was in Aaron's day, from the head down to the beard, down to the very pomen-granates, singing and riding there upon with the bells upon their material O God. Let down, let the oil flow down, making us one in the anointing. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray, Lord, for Your glory. Amen. The Lord bless you.