Resurrection

We pray, Heavenly Father, we're really grateful to be here standing in your presence, knowing that you know all about us. We do not know all about you, and we may never, but we know we have sufficient knowledge of you to know in whom we have believed and are persuaded this morning that what we've committed unto you, you'll keep against that very day. Our soul's keeping is in your power, and we know you cannot fail because... you lose none. We're grateful for that, Lord. But also you made a promise in your word to us that all your children should be taught of God. And we recognize how that is done by your prophets who bring the word and your prophets who interpret the word. And we're grateful for that too because we believe we have in this last hour a vindicated revelation of the word. And our prayer is this morning that you help us with that vindicated revelation, Lord, that we know exactly not only in whom we have believed, though that is the great and main thing, but exactly what it is we believe concerning those things which you have said that concern us, that you've given unto us, what our destiny, what our future is. We ask you to help us this morning. We'll give you the glory in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Now, this morning we're going to talk actually about the resurrection. And as we do, we recall... Of course, that the appearing precedes the resurrection. And it is said concerning the descent, the Lord descending from heaven with a shout, that that would be according to 2 Thessalonians, the first chapter, and about verse 7 or so, that Paul said, rest with us. In other words, there is a time of relaxation, which Brother Branham said was under the seventh seal. So I trust that we'll begin to relax with the Word and just relax in our hearts and minds this morning before we study so that we haven't brought anything in with our hearts that will stop us from knowing the truth and believing it and becoming a part of it. So we just want to relax this morning as we talk about the subject of the resurrection. Now, we're going to read about four different portions of Scripture. And beginning in Job 19, 25 -27, which Brother Branham quoted many, many times, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. And also over in Matthew, the 25th chapter, 51 to 53, And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. And then in John, the 11th chapter,

In verses 39 to 44, it says, And Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, that's Lazarus was dead, said unto Jesus, Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he's been dead four days. Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always, but because of the people which stand by me, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forward, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then in 1 Corinthians, the 15th chapter, we find verses 19 to 20.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of those of them that slept. Now, the reason I've used these four portions of Scripture is to set forth the simplicity of the resurrection as to actually or what it actually is. Now, I'm going to read quite a bit because I've got a lot of scripture. So I just kind of duck my head here and read. You follow along. And if I think I have to talk about what I've read and I'm into, I'll do that. Because I want to cut the service at least this side of two hours and a half. In other words, roughly one hour. All right, now it means for you yourself. What does the resurrection mean? It means for you yourself to come back to this earth in your own human particular body, personalized after your original special soul, and take up where you left off when you died and your body decayed. Now that sort of takes the glamour out of it, but that's the truth.

And if you're looking for something different, I have news for you. You are looking for what God did not provide for you. And you're like Paul the Apostle who said, if we say that God raised Jesus and God did not raise him, we lie. And so therefore many people have erroneous ideas of the resurrection. It simply means for you yourself to come back to this earth in your own human particular body, personalized after the original pattern and chromosomes and genes within your soul. And you're going to come back and take up your body that once decayed, the body you left. Now, naturally, you left your body. That's what it is. We're talking about you. As Brother Branagh said, who am I? My eyes, my feet, my ears, my hand, who am I? You left your body. That's your soul, because that's the intrinsic principle. Now you come back to it and take it up by moving into it and move about with it. and go about the business you were originally predestinated to be by what lay within your soul from the genes of God. Now, there again, see, well, if I've got the genes of God, hey, this resurrection must be something vastly different and superior, lying in many mysteries and great unfolding vistas and visions down the future. The answer is simply no. No. It's simply we left our bodies, we come back to them, we pick them up and go about the business to which we were originally predestinated by the very life, the genes and chromosomes that lay in that life from God because we were in him, passed on down through Adam. Now, once you, as an attribute of God, a germ seed life, of God, a soul. You built a house according to the genes of your soul. You built a house. You built a destiny according to what lay in God for you as a member of him. And on the other side, those from the other side, which are called the tares, serpency, they're not nice, but it's the word of God, so you're going to have to face up to it. They also, by what life they came from,

build their own predestination in their bodies. Now, if you want to see that, you're going to look in the book of Romans, the ninth chapter. And I'm not going to read the whole chapter. We'd be here too long. It simply tells you that God is a God of foreknowledge, election, and predestination. And he uses the case of twins, Esau and Jacob, who came from father Isaac and mother Rebekah. Isaac being the son predestinated through Abraham and Sarah. And it says, as it's written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will compassionate him whom I will compassionate. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Now he speaks of Pharaoh. Now he said, for the scripture saith unto Pharaoh. Now listen, for the scripture saith unto Pharaoh. Where does the scripture come from? It comes from God through vindicated prophets, so therefore this is thus. saith the Lord. Now, if this turns your stomach, your spiritual sensibilities, I'm sorry for you, but you just have to sit and take it. I'm not preaching tough. I want you to relax. I just want you to know what the Word says. Now, here's what it says. Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. And that's happened throughout all the earth. There's no place where it's not declared. There is no place where the Roman Empire isn't. That is the Savior, the Holy Roman, the papal system. There is no place where the Jews aren't.

Everybody knows this story. Not one place. They can deny it, laugh at it, criticize it, but the word of God came true. That's right. All right. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, in whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt then say unto me, why doth he yet find fault? How can he judge? How can he then condemn? For who has resisted his will? Nay, but O man, who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, one to dishonor? What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured his much long suffering, the vessels of wrath fit to do destruction, that he might make known the riches of glory on the vessels of mercy? whom he had aforeprepared unto glory. Now, you'll notice in here, and I don't know the Greek, but I read enough of those scholars who do, it is positively stated that those who are not in the election, that those like Pharaoh, they prepared themselves for this, but in the election, God prepared them only. Now, also, we go over here to Hebrews, the

11th chapter.

And we notice, beginning at the 8th verse, By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promises in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, and heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God. Now, with that, we look at Ephesians. And Ephesians, the first chapter and the third verse, Be blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed with all spiritual blessing in heaven and places in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, before there was a speck of dust that we came out of, that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love having predestinated us. Now, one place he talks of Moses, one place he talks of Pharaoh. It all has the predestinating power of God behind it. And he does what he wants to do and he will do it. Now that sounds like a terrible fatalistic proposition, but I'm not here to worry about what you and I think. I'm worried, concerned only with what God's word has said. In love having predestinate us unto the placing of children by Jesus Christ himself, that's redemption, according to the good pleasure's will, to the praise, the glory's grace.

He did this all by himself.

He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom also you trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and also after you believed, you are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. Unto the praise of his glory. Now, what you're looking at here is that God predestinated a family, a whole family on earth who would positively be with him, always in his presence, just as he started out in the Garden of Eden. But we know that death set in in Eden, and so the house grew cold as mankind began to move out one after another. But the Bible tells us we are to come back to this very same house, the very same substance, but this time it is not a building that our soul built for itself. No, it's not. Because in the beginning, as God purposed, that that life that came to Adam, that little tiny speck of life, particularly from the male, attaching itself to the female egg, bringing forth the life that lay, within that. Our soul life did that. And the very bodies we have, because of corruption, have deformities. Many are malformed, malfunctioning and all. But this body, the soul does not take that material and build that house. This is a house that God himself builds. This is not our building. This is strictly a building of God's and it will be waiting for us in the sense it's already ready to come out of the graves, and we will move into it, and we will move about our business as previously. It is a body fashioned by God, fully by the Holy Spirit. As Brother Branham said, God will create again, not by sex, but a creation. He'll take what he said was the calcium, the potash, and the cosmic light, all those things, he put them all together. And he said, God will bring forth those bodies which they will absolutely be brought forth by God. Now, in the scripture I read, you will notice that Job knew by revelation, being a prophet, that this is exactly what was going to happen. He said, I am going to come back. I am going to stand upon this earth. I am going to stand in this flesh. These eyes that are looking out are positively going to see the same as they're seeing now. I'm going to stand here with God and I myself am going to be doing it. Now that's exactly what he said. I read about Lazarus. You show me where Lazarus did anything different from what he used to do. Except he might have lived and no doubt lived a better Christian. But if he was a carpenter, he came back as a carpenter. If he was a fisherman, he came back as a fisherman. If he was a painter, he came back as a painter. Now don't take that too seriously because that was in that day and he didn't have a resurrected body like you and I will have. But his body was resurrected. And he went back doing exactly what he used to do. Now, let's just take a look and see how Jesus was. And we find Jesus in the book of Luke, the 24th chapter, verses 36 to 43.

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said, Peace be unto you. And they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Now notice, he did not separate the spiritual from the physical. And neither can you and I. And this is a tragedy that many people do not understand. And even people in this message, as we call it, which is vindicated, say there is really no resurrection or the resurrection is over. I don't know where they get it from, but I've been accused of saying the resurrection is over. Let me tell you this morning, that would be a lie from the pit of hell. The resurrection is not over. It is barely setting in on the grounds of the shelter which precedes it. So, all right. He said, handle me and see. For a spirit hath not flesh and bone as you see me have. Now, what did he have? He had flesh and bone. Didn't say blood. But he had flesh and bone. And he said, handle me and see. It is I myself. See, he said, behold me, handle me. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said to them, have you here any food? Well, they said, we've got a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. He said, give it to me. And he ate it. Ate fish in

a resurrected body?

Now, I know we've got ideas beyond that. Where do we get our ideas from? Well, see, I don't think that there's such a thing as maybe in the millennium we're going to eat fish. Maybe we will.

We're certainly capable of it.

I don't see any wrong with it if God wants it.

People get so messed up on their things and they become vegetarian. Because the colon of an animal is very short. And he can eat meat and digest it. Gone just like that. We've got these long colons. So, therefore, we're not supposed to eat meat. We're supposed to eat vegetables. That's a lie.

That's an absolute lie.

So don't get carried away with vegetarianism. Some people cannot be vegetarians. It's been proven. My brother -in -law tried and all his hair began falling out. And I happily ate meat and I kept mine for 75. So he had to get back eating meat. And the vegetarian hogwash artist said, well, Floyd, what you do is you put buttermilk compresses on your head so you end up smelling like a goat with the buttermilk compresses.

You're not supposed to be stupid. And get carried away with goofy ideas because somebody said, read your Bible. He ate honeycomb. He ate fish. And no doubt he ate a hunk of bread. Brother Branham called it a fish sandwich. I thought that was putting it right down. And he took it and ate before him. Then he said, the words I spoke unto you while I was with you, they're fulfilled. And he said, it's just too overcoming for you to see me come back like a human being. You thought I'd come back like an archangel with gossamer wings and flit around with harps. It was quite a shock, wasn't it, to come back and sit down and put on the chow with you.

The Old Testament bride came up right after Jesus and claimed their bodies and walked about on the streets. As it says in Matthew 27, 51, or a couple of verses in there, I've read it to you already. They were walking around. Again, we have an idea, and this is not far -fetched, because the bodies are of the highest vibration and intensity in the sense of energy that we could ever come to. And we say, Christ went through a wall, the door is being shut. I don't doubt that, but I find no scripture where we're going around going through walls, the door is being shut. Now, Brother Brannon did say we'll be able to travel with the speed of thought. I don't doubt that for one minute, but you know what? I don't know that we're simply going to be doing that. He himself mentioned he'd come and sit down and visit with us for a thousand years.

All right. Death or the inception of mortality, not immortality, death or the inception, that's the birth of mortality, as seen in Genesis 3 .19.

Now, we look at it. Genesis 3 .19. For thus thou art, and unto thus thou shalt return. Didn't ought to know. The truth of immortality, which is stated in verse 22. Behold, the man has become as one of us to know good and evil, and now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and become immortal. This inception or this plague of death caused an interruption in our lives. Now, what was the interruption? We go to Genesis 2, 5 and 6, and it says, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew. For the Lord had not caused it to rain upon the earth. And there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. There was not a man to till the ground. There wasn't. But the first thing you know, Adam and Eve are in the garden. And the Bible says this in verse 15, And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, and so on and so forth. Now, let's go to Isaiah chapter 65. And we shall see what we shall see concerning what I'm talking about in the resurrection. And beginning in verse 17, For behold, I create new heavens and new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come to mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. And the voice of weeping shall no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. And there shall no more hence be an infant of days, nor an old man that has not fulfilled his days. For a child shall die at a hundred years old. A sinner being a hundred years should be accursed. That I don't understand, but I leave it there. And they shall build houses and inhabit. And they shall build vineyards and shall eat the fruit thereof. They shall not build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat, for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring shall be with them. It will come to pass that before they call I will answer, and while they're speaking I will yet hear, and the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and the dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy, and all my holy mountains saith the Lord. Now, that's exactly what is in the future. And it's nothing but what was in the beginning. Now, there's a little different setting in there. Why? Because sin came in with its interruption and death with its interruption, but now there isn't any more. And when there isn't any more than the former premise having passed away, these people are now exactly where God wants them. Like Brother Branham said in Satan's Eden on page 10, talking about God bringing his children into this world. He said, therefore, that was God's purpose to display his attributes in fellowship. God wanted a family. And he says, when I was in my father, I knew nothing about it. But when I became his son and was born in him, I was an attribute, a part of my father, and you're a part of your father. And as children of God, we are a part of God's attributes that were in him, made flesh like he was made flesh, so we can have fellowship one with the other as a family of God upon the earth. And that is God's purpose at the beginning. Yes, sir, that is what God wanted at the beginning. He had everything under control. And he turned man over into the Garden of Eden on free moral agency. That is a principle of choice. And he said, son, it's yours. What a beautiful place. And that's exactly what you're going back to. Now, the strangest thing is everybody on earth loves the idea, hey, wouldn't it be nice if we didn't get sick? Wouldn't it be nice to just have our children with us and bring, you know, do so and so, and no problems, none of this sin and disease and all these things that wrack us and give us emotional problems, physical problems. You know, that's what man would really like. But suddenly, when he faces the resurrection, he said, hey, I don't think I like that. Isn't that strange?

Now, that is incomprehensible. You know what's wrong? Wrong teaching. Wrong teaching. Wrong understanding. Now, from what we see in these scriptures, which we read in Genesis 2 and Isaiah 65, where man starts interruption, first and second resurrection, going into the finality of God, and we see, a people engaged in agronomy. We see them with his own in the millennium, under his own vine, with his own fig tree. He is building houses. He is planting. They're eating. It's just a wonderful setup. No sickness amongst them. Everything is just right. So what we saw then in Genesis 2 here in Isaiah 65, it makes it very clear why Paul spoke as he did in 1 Corinthians, the 15th chapter. And in there, there's about... 19 verses if we read them. Now Paul says here, Now watch.

The gospel that was preached, that you received, and you stand in it, by which also you are saved. That's verse 2. If you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain. Now you notice in here that when real sheep hear the voice, they don't go switching around.

So if you're up and down and you're thinking, in this message there's something radically wrong, you better check and see if you're in the election. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, and that he was buried, and that he rose the third day according to the Scripture, and was seen as Cephas, then at twelve. After that he was seen. Of above 500 brethren at one time, of whom the greater part remain unto this present time, but some are fallen asleep, they're dead. And after that he was seen to James, then of all the apostles. And last of all, he was seen to me also, as one born out of due time. Paul did not see the physical Jesus. He saw him in the pillar of fire. He saw that one that followed Israel as a cloud and a rock. He didn't see the physical body, but he saw the one that was in the physical body at the time these others saw him. Now, for I am the least of the apostles, and I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecute the church of God. But by grace, by the grace of God, I am what I am, as I am a Christian now. And His grace which bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than you all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it were I or they, so we preach. And so you believe. He said, whoever it was that taught you, you believe the truth of the resurrection. Christ rose. Now, if Christ be pleased that he rose from the dead, how say some among you there is no resurrection of the dead? Now he said, this gospel that you say you believe, that you receive, that you stand for, now he said, it's all about the resurrection. That's

what he's telling them. He said, you guys are talking, talking, talking, talking about Christ. And you say you believe.

Now he said, hey, what's the matter with you? He said, you're not believing. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. Do you know there are millions of, I don't know millions, but there are many who do not believe in the resurrection?

It's rampant in some Pentecostal circles. They simply discredit it. They say, we're not going to be resurrected. Yea, and we are made false witness of God because we testify to God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain and you are in your sins. Now it tells you right there. The shed blood doesn't mean anything to anybody. You can talk all you want if you deny the resurrection. Because it says if you deny your own resurrection, you don't realize that you're denying the resurrection of Jesus. Then where's your mediator? Where's your intercessor? You haven't got one. It's finished.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

In other words, you have a religion entirely void. And those concepts that have made you walk a narrow line, where you thought you were pleasing God and abstaining from certain areas, you might as well have busted loose and done it.

So, what about it? Now, from what we see then in Genesis 2, Isaiah 65, it makes very clear why Paul spoke as he did in 1 Corinthians 15, 1 to 9, in spite of what he declared in 2 Thessalonians, I beg your pardon, 2 Corinthians, the 5th chapter, 1 to 5, and also 1 Corinthians 15, 44. Now, let's take a look at what he said in 2 Corinthians, the 5th chapter. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we already have a building of God and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this present house of earthly clay, we're groaning earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. Now, the body is not from heaven. It's dirt.

Not made out of heavenly particles. This is another kind of a house.

In other words, you go on from here to another body, which is not an earthly body. Now, let me go to 1 Corinthians 15, and I'll tell you what it is. It's right over here in verse 44. It says,

And there is a spiritual body. It tells you flat. Now, it doesn't say resurrected body. It says there's a natural body, a spiritual body, and a resurrected body. So you can leave here and go over yonder in a house that is more appropriate and commensurate with the royalty of your soul, which is of God. Now you could say, well, I'll stop right there. No. No. Paul does not say, I'm going to stop there. Paul said, if that's as far as I get, and that's now beyond the hope of Christ merely in this life, I'm going beyond to a dimension I really know nothing of, but I was caught up into it in the Spirit of God, and I saw it the same as John. But he said, I'm not stopping there, because I can't stop there.

Now, just a minute. How would you like to be in a body that you can see people the way they were when they were 16 years of age to 19, and they stand there perfectly as though they got arms and legs and everything else, and they really do, because they're fashioned in a spirit body, but they're not eating and they're not drinking. And they're standing right there, and it could be in an eternal state, because what they have... In the soul is eternal. Being a part of God, could never die, couldn't even sin. Trapped, yes. But of his own volition, didn't mess up. Now they're in this wonderful, beautiful place. And Paul said, if I don't come back, I don't even want what I'm supposed to have. See? Now that sounds strange, but true. Now also notice, we read in Ephesians 1, 13 to 14, which is based on Ephesians 1, 3 to 12. The whole family of God, the complete inheritance, the entire circle, takes the baptism with the Holy Ghost to make sure you will have a body, your same body, the particles of dust that you're in now, everything that seems so bad like aching and paining, that's all going to come back in another state, completely recreated, not by now the soul, but by God itself, for that soul, And that spirit body to slip into. You say, that sounds complicated. Who cares? I've got a very complicated car, but I can stand right here and flip this little thing and my trunk will open. I can hit this side and lock the doors. And I can hit this side twice and open all the doors. It's complicated. I don't care two bits, I can do it.

I'm born stupid, but not thoroughly stupid.

You know, it's the truth. People just don't understand many times. Let's go to Ephesians just for this little sake of it. Ephesians, that first chapter. And notice in here in verse 70, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. And notice verse 14, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. It speaks of blood in one place, and it speaks of the Spirit in the other place.

Now, if your soul has been thoroughly washed in the blood of the Lamb, and you as a person entirely exonerated, By coming to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, the Holy Ghost coming upon you guarantees that you will come back in the resurrection. Now, someone might say, I don't know if I want to come back. See, this is what I'm trying to get across. How much do we really believe the Word of God and apply it?

How much are we really relaxed?

Look what Job went through. He lost his possessions. He lost his family. His own wife criticized. I don't blame her. She was critical. And he's sweet as any man could be. He could have said, shut up, woman. You're just a fool. He said, now, honey, you're talking foolishly. And him dying with boils.

Oh, for the nature of Job.

He said, listen, I'm going to tell you something. I'm coming back.

I'm going to stand right here with my Redeemer. I'm going to be standing in the same flesh that's covered in boils.

I don't care how rotten it looks. This is exactly what's crying in me to come back. And you know something? This Laodicean age does not voice the same definitive faith as it should. That's why I preach the way I preach. I hope it will get a hold of me and get me out and just begin to smarten me up. So we know the sins of the doer washed by blood. Those who sin. The body redeemed or sealed, claimed by God. The vessel full of the Holy Ghost. All right. Let us notice clearly how closely man works with material nature. Because of his own physical destiny. Over here again in Genesis, the second chapter. And the fifth verse.

It says, there wasn't a man to till the ground. So that was the plan of God that the ground be tilled. But notice the same thing in Genesis 3, 17 to 19. Unto Adam he said, because you listen to your wife, the ground is cursed. Absolutely. In sorrow, you're going to eat of it all the days of your life. You're going to hoe it. You're going to till it. And instead of the good things coming up, there's going to be a lot of thistles and briars and everything else come up. And he said, your destiny, which was to do this in perfect peace and in harmony with nature, you will still do it, but in disharmony. You are going to be doing it. When man became a part of creation and the ruler of it, he was, yet he must work according to Almighty God. He was put in that garden to tend it and to prune it. Now this is why for 6 ,000 years man has been trying to overcome nature. All around us the people are testifying to the witness of the resurrection. They have been trying for 6 ,000 years. to break nature down and to overcome it. They send up airplanes in the eye of the hurricane, but all it does is tell the people where it's going and how hard it might strike. It's just like Mark Twain says, everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it because nobody can.

You see what I'm trying to show you? Man, in spite of his unbelief in the resurrection, because he is a part of nature, He is all the time trying to overcome that nature. Right? He makes plastics. He makes everything. He's a genius. He's trying to rule it. And the more he tries to rule it, the more it rules him. Oh, they said years ago, I'll tell you what the trouble is. You've got to get those smokestacks 500 feet up in the air. And then when it belches up all that stuff up there, it'll go shooming around and there'll be no stench down here. And we'll breathe good. And God fooled them. It all came back in acid rain.

Every time you make a move as a human being to think you're cooperating with nature, you're entirely wrong. But notice now the ecologists. And most of those are very clear ducks.

And the funny thing is the Christians who should have been really caused like this fellow Watts, the Pentecostal boy, he did his best to curse the ecology. Your rainforests are almost gone. Everything's in total disarray. Man trying. Now, these ecologists, they are a little minority, and they say, hey, hold it. We don't want this earth to be destroyed. Let's do something about it. Let's bring it back. You know, the strangest thing is, that's the voice of God in a minority of people who don't even know him. But they recognize their part. Of nature, there's a destiny there. When this world goes, man is gone. You can say what you want. Exactly thus saith the Lord. Where should the Christian be then in this?

Makes you think, doesn't he? He does his best with the rest to destroy the earth and goes along and eats too much of everything else. It isn't sensible. Now listen, man has tried to govern nature. He can't do it. But deep calleth unto deep. And God made a way for man to control nature, to get it back in his hands, to become the governor and the ruler of it. Now, watch what happens in Galatians 3. We read it on Good Friday. Verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it's written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. I talked about that, showed you. Back there when a man killed or did a sin worthy to death, they would stone him. or maybe stab him with a spear or something, then they'd hang him up.

Then you'd have to bury him before nightfall. That would make this curse that that person was bringing upon the earth to cease. And that's what happened to Jesus. He was hanged upon a tree in order that he take upon himself the curse that was falling upon the earth. Yeah. So that if he hadn't done that, God would have had to dissolve this earth, not in order to recreate it, but as an act of judgment. It would have gone out of existence. Why? Because it speaks of the inheritance of the land, and our bodies are part of the land. Don't ever think you're anything but dirt, because you are dirt. But on top, don't ever think you're not a son of God when you are. See, that's the trouble. We can't seem to bring them together. But we better begin learning, brother, sister, because this is part of the seven seals. I'm not lying to you. I'm telling you the truth. Now, the cruel death and burial of Christ was a price to be paid for the redemption of the earth. The curse not only removed, but earth restored, and we are part of it. Now notice how the kinsman redeemer in the book of Ruth paid a price for her land. He never paid a price for her.

He had to shell out the money, the mortgage. And it was owing on her land. She said, that's my land.

Now he said, I'm a near kinsman. And I've got it right to that land if I pay for it. And she said, yes, that's right. But you get me with it.

Well, don't you see what I'm talking about? Christ redeemed the dirt. The earth, we're part of it. And he gets us with it.

And the blood cleanses the soul. How

do you see why there's a resurrection? You feeling better already? Makes me feel real good to see the Word of God laid out. Because this is the hour when we have to notice it. Christ paid the price of Philippians. Look at it. In the Philippians, the second chapter, 5 to 8. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not a prize to be grasped and retained, to be equal with God. He knowing, Brother Branagh said, being a theophronic form, he was glad to listen to the Father's will. praying in the garden, Lord, restore the glory I had with you. I'll take the cup of suffering. I'll go through this. We didn't have that privilege. But it said, let this mind be in you now as sons of God. I'm glad he sent me this way.

I'm glad I'm a part of that earth even though I did fall. Be identified with Christ. What happened? He made himself with no reputation. What reputation we got? Took upon him the form of a servant. Was made in the likeness of men. Being found in fashion, man humbled himself. Became a beating dead, even to the death of the cross. See, that's exactly what happened. And notice the exact words of Peter concerning this in the book of Acts.

It's always good to find out what the saints of God have said about these things. Illuminated by the Holy Ghost. Acts 10. 38 to 40. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all the repressed of the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, not to witnesses chosen before God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. There you are. Paul, what happened? Peter preaches it the same as Paul did. Here was the great spectacle ashamed before the people, naked and alone, hanging on a tree, and then put in a grave to redeem the land.

He had to be buried in the ground. Then Christians say, well, I'm going to get cremated. My ashes scattered. Only the heathen ever cremated. And only a Christian was only cremated when the heathen did it to him. You can't find it in Scripture. He was put into the grave to redeem the land and remove the curse entirely. And that's exactly true. Now see what it says over here again in John 19 and 31, which is what we read the other night on the crucifixion.

And therefore, because it was a preparation that the body should not remain upon the cross the Sabbath day, for the Sabbath was an high day, they besought Pilate and so on to take body. You know something? Those Jews had forgotten the very word of Moses said, Anybody hanged on a tree has got to be put in a grave. But you know what? They didn't understand the revelation. Because, as I said in Deuteronomy, they killed the man and then they hanged him. They didn't kill Jesus and then hang him up. But nonetheless, he fulfilled the Scripture. They didn't know it. They would have let him stand there all night long. They wouldn't have cared. But God had it prepared because it was a Sabbath. And they said, now look, we've got to take that down off the cross. All right. We should notice something here from having read Deuteronomy 21, 23, which we did read. But the man hanged upon a tree. It was once that the person was buried. The curse was annulled. Nothing was said about the person rising again.

Nothing was said about the person rising in Deuteronomy. It just said the curse was gone. But you notice, this man died because of his sin. And the curse on the earth was abrogated. Okay? You're looking at a case of Adam. Adam sinned. He had to die within the day. One thousand years and he did die. And he went to the grave. Let's take a look at this in 1 Corinthians, the 15th chapter. And in verse 22, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all are made alive. Now in Genesis, the 3rd chapter, and the 17th verse, to the 19th again it tells you, From dust you came, and to dust you're going to return. But Christ abrogated, he annulled it. Certainly, Christ was a type of Adam. He was buried, and he took the curse from the earth, and now the curse can be renewed by the power of God. What man did was not perpetuated. What that man did there back when he died, they strung him up on a tree, on a cross or whatever it was they strung him up on, they put him up there. It was not perpetuated. Its action ceased to bring forth reactions upon others. He paid his own price and hanging up stayed the ground, a further curse upon him. What are we talking about? We're talking about the very fact that Christ having died and is now the mediator and intercessor and now power given unto him, he's going to redeem the earth and bring it back and there'll be no further curse. That's exactly what the Bible tells us. Look at Romans, the fourth chapter, verses 24 to 25, to get a better understanding. Being justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Him. So we're looking at a human being that is completely restored. We are looking at a universe. That's completely restored. To see that, look at the book of Joel, chapter 2, beginning at 21. Fear not, O land. Be glad and rejoice, for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, you beasts of the field, for the pastors of the wilderness do spring. For the tree beareth her fruit, and the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion. It tells you right here in the resurrection, all of the earth is going to be completely recreated. And we're a portion of that earth. Let's go to the book of Hosea. You've got to turn back. That's before Joel. The second chapter, starting at verse 16. And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi, and you'll no more call me Bailey. In other words, you'll call me husband. You won't call me just Lord. For I will take away the names of Balaam out of her mouth, and they shall no more remember it by their name. And that day I'll make a covenant for them with the beast of the field, the fowl of the heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground. I'll break the bow and the sword, and the battle... of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me forever. Yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord. It will come to pass on that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth. And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel. That's him that soweth. That's God. In other words, there's going to be a complete re -sowing again. That's exactly why we are re -sown in a new and glorified and wonderful body. Over here again, in Isaiah, the 65th chapter. And looking at verse 17. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. For the former things shall not be remembered nor come into mind. We've read that. That's a whole portion of Scripture. Now, along with that, We're going to go again to 1 Corinthians, the 15th chapter, because this is on the resurrection. And in verse 42, notice it says here, it is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. All right? In Acts, the second chapter,

beginning in verse 25, For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad. Moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope. Notice that. I can go to my grave peacefully. Of course, this is said of Christ, but it can be said of you and me too in the sense of taking from it. Because thou not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you the patriarch David. He's both dead and buried. His sepulcher is right here today. But being a prophet and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he had raised up Christ to sit on his throne. He, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised over all witnesses, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted. And having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which you now see and hear. In other words, the guarantee. of immortality has come back by the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Over here in Romans, the sixth chapter, and verses 9 and 10. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him, for in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Tells you right there what our port, we're identified. Completely identified with him all the way through. There is no other identification. Take that again to 1 Corinthians. The 15th chapter. And looking at verse 51. Behold, I show you mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. There you are. Resurrection. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. That's the last message. For the trumpet shall sound. There will be a last message. And the dead shall be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed. For this corruptibility that the living are now bearing must put upon incorruptibility. And this mortality that the living are now bearing will put on immortality. So when this corruptibility shall put on incorruptibility, and this mortality shall put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed. It's not destroyed. That's in the lake of fire. It's swallowed up. It's stopped. It's hindered. For that little tiny period. Then it comes back with a vengeance during the great tribulation when nobody will be standing upon earth. When the bride comes back to be all cleaned off with fire. Absolutely. So, oh death, where is your sting? Oh death, where is your victory? He said, it's all been gone. Now this is in spite of Hebrews 9 .27. It's appointed unto man once to die and after that to judgment. Why? Because Christ comes down in 2 Thessalonians, the first chapter, verse 10, as the judge. And there's a picture right there if you believe it or not. That's up to you. Comes down to indict the world and pass righteous judgment upon a bride that says, you are under the blood. You are free. There's a separation. Look it, I'll read it to you, man alive. There's no reason that anybody has to doubt the truth. Do you believe the word of God? It says right here. It says, And you are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be redeemed, remember these mighty messengers, these angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, the presence of the Lord, and the glory of His power, when He shall have come to be glorified in His saints, and be admired in all that they believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. It tells you right there, there's some clue in the Bible concerning the Apostle Paul, the word that he spoke. It becomes real and alive at this time that makes the people, separates the people.

One group is separated on the eternal life which they receive immortality. The other group will have to go to death as it says in the word of Almighty God. Now, the point I'm setting forth here is again that which refers to the body. We are a flesh people. There is nothing beyond that. Nothing beyond that whatsoever. So let's take a look at it. Again, we go to Luke, the 24th chapter, and verse 39. Behold my hands and my feet that I design myself. Handle me and see, for spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have.

That's the ultimate. You want to prove it? Let's go and take a look at it. Philippians, the third chapter, right after the book of Ephesians. Third chapter, and in verse 21. Who shall change our vile body that it might be fashioned like unto his glorious body, or the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Now what did God do when he came down? He put the church in order and he subdued it. The

word subdue means to put in order. It's the same word klusma. It comes from the same root. When the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, the klusma. The Lord shall descend and put his bride, his church in order. He's going to subdue it. And the subjection is not as a tyrant forcing things. It is one who is putting things in a due order. In other words, it is a restoration.

Elijah shall restore all things. You are looking today at a restoration. And out of that restoration, there is going to come a body of glory like unto Jesus Christ. Now, do you understand what I'm saying? Look, when you're dead and gone, you could walk up to God if you could, which you can't. And you could say, now look here, Jehovah, I want my body.

And he'd say, you'll get it when I create it anew out of the dust. In other words, I'm trying to show you something. You couldn't get that body if you tried. You are completely subject to whether God will give it to you or not. Understand what I'm saying? Now, the same thing with you and me standing here.

Now, what is it going to come out of? At the time when God starts subduing. The subjection starts with that word. The control, the restoration. In other words, God is beginning to take control again. And in taking control, he's got to take control of his own.

You understand what I'm saying? This message does it. As Brother Branham said, nothing outside of this message will come to life. But you better know what the message is. The message is the message of his presence. The next thing is, now that he's here, what is he doing? That's what you're looking at. Well, he's bringing the church into divine order. In other words, once more you are stuck. You cannot do it. But what he is doing will do it.

You see why I preach nothing but word here and preach the mechanics? Oh, I know. It's not easy. It's easy for me. I love it. Some of the things are very hard to take because we just don't want to say, well, God, this is what you really say and what you really mean. I like how Brother Brannon put it. He said, God just meant what he said and said what he meant. And he said, that's the simplicity that fools everybody. So he said, handle me and see. Here I am. Oh, they said, we thought that would be different. What do you mean? Well, you could have at least come with, well, let's put it very honestly. Didn't Elijah get taken away in a chariot of fire? Well, yes. Well, couldn't you have at least done that much? No, he said, tell you the truth, no. How

simple. He said, what gives with you guys? Come on, grab me. Put your finger in the holes. Go ahead. No problem. Give me something deep.

Now it's said about us that all we do is eat.

Looks like we're going to continue.

A little different diet maybe. I'm not even going to worry about the diet. You should have it all figured out. Well, I eat this kind of fruit and that kind of fruit and this thing. Hey, listen, I'm going to eat a fish sandwich. I'm not against, not that you're going to worry about cholesterol or anything else. Have to get your cholesterol down. Any problem at all? No. Now, the resurrection body is the ultimate. And the tilling of the soil and enjoying its fruit. Is a part of the great cosmos of God. And it's what we are looking forward to whether we know it or not. Again we find in Genesis 2 and 5 there was not a man to till the soil. So God says I'm going to put a man in there and he's going to till the soil. He's coming out of the soil. He's a part of this cosmos of mine. And he's going to fit right in. He's got a job to do. And he's going to do it. And he's going to love doing it because I'm putting him in perfect control. In Isaiah, the second chapter, and we read a couple of verses starting at one. The word that Isaiah, the son of Amos, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It will come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house should be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations. Now that's, we're looking at the new Jerusalem, which is going to be the place of authority like Eden was. And many people shall go and say, Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord shall introduce them. And a judge among the nations shall rebuke many people, and they will beat their swords into plowshares.

Well, who in the world wants a plowshare? I'm going to sit under the tree, and I'm a little lazy, I won't even wiggle it. I'll say, fruit, fruit, drop off my mouth.

That's the most I'll exert in my effort. Plowshares? Someone's going to plow.

And spears into pruning hooks? Someone's going to prune.

O house of Jacob, come ye, let us walk in the light of the Lord. The light of the Lord will put us back to being a people of the soil, of which we are a part. And if God's integrity, his omniscience, and his omnipotence could do it, this was the best that he could figure. then this is the best.

See, man looks out here and he figures, well, hey, I can make a nicer lily, I can make a nicer plant, I can make a better piece of wood, I can do this, I can do that, and I can do this, and I can do that, and he does it, and he messes everything up. And he gets a hybrid piece of material out here, a flower, and every bug and every disease jumps on top and chomps on it, and you spray it, and you end up with pesticide in your body, and you're dying.

It ain't worth it. It ain't worth it. A lot of you folk go to see Dr. Woodson. He's the fellow that does the chiropractic, the bone cruncher over here in Urbana. He told me somebody gave his wife a flower, a rose, and that rose never has any bugs on it. It never gets any disease, and it blooms continuously. It doesn't get frostbitten all to pieces. You should see my rose. I had 100 or 200 bushes one time. They called it the show place in DeGraff. It was, too.

You see, I filled the pots here with my flowers, and that's just jumped the last well since I was sick. I've got more pesticides in me. Bill Graham's the same way. He's full of pesticides. The great God's full of pesticides. One of these days, the Lord doesn't come, they're going to die from their pesticides and things. You know why? We messed with nature.

I think that's one reason we want to get away from nature, as it were. What we need is to get back with nature with God. Because that is the ultimate, see? Or let's go to the book of Ezekiel. We didn't go to that yet. Ezekiel, the 34th chapter. There's something in there I want to read, according to my notes. It says here in verse 22, Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey. And I'll judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David. He shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God. Ha ha. That's a father and son, eh? And my servant David, a prince among them, I, the Lord, have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beast to cease out of the land. And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them places round about my hill of blessing, and I'll cause the shower to come down this season, and there should be showers of blessing. Oh, my. Not floods and all this stuff. And you know why there are floods? Because man messed with nature. Why is Florida messed? Because you're engineers. What engineers? Army engineers. Oh, they're really going to save America, our armies.

You know, I was just thinking this morning, and I don't want to repent and change my ideology, but I've got to think of the old... FDR. I used to admire him alongside of Churchill until I got to realizing what FDR really did. But this morning, it's strange if you think these goofy thoughts, but maybe it's not so goofy. I'm lying there thinking this morning, doing the exercise and what have you, and I think of FDR and I say, hey, he was really a queer, cracked up guy, but you know he had a heart for the common man who really tried to help him? Now you look at all the presidents since him.

What did they really do?

Well, they took what FDR tried to do, I know, and they made it worth nothing but a pork barrel thing.

Until today, there's billions of dollars foisted upon every one of us, so some senator down there in Mississippi can get a pork barrel for a few of his constituents. Isn't

that funny? People. Here, look at what we're eating here. Blessings. The people. The common people. God loves the common people. He wants to do something for them. As the Father loves His children, His plans, His ambitions, everything for them. He's for His people. Showers of blessing. And the trees shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall increase. And they shall be safe in the land. And they shall know that I am the Lord. You know, listen. What happened in the Great Depression? There's some of you here who know about it. They burnt cotton.

They burned wheat.

That's why you've got communism. It's flunked the test. I

don't care where you go. Every record shows that man wants a resurrection whether he believes in it or not. He can't help himself.

Once in a while, someone gets real patriotic and real nice and says, well, you know, I never had it too well, so I want a nice for my kids. Now listen, fella, let's get right down to the nitty gritty. You'd like a nice for yourself too.

In other words, you want a system that's changed. Here's the only way to get the system changed. As Brother Brown said, let's pose the question. Will there ever be peace in the earth? He said, nay, not until the son of peace comes with healing in his wings. And he's already manifested himself. The increase.

Population explosion. People like Mudridge. He's a nice guy. He's become a Christian. He says there is no truth to the population explosion being a real problem. And I know. That if you take facts and figures, you could come up with an answer. If we all shared the fruit of life, there'd be no problem. But my Bible says, when Eve messed up with the serpent, multiplied conception came on the scene, and it is a problem. At least on the grounds that the wrong people are controlling the earth with

their pesticides and plastics. Even your plastic car is making you bankrupt. Plastic money. And the earth shall yearn to increase, and they shall be safe in the land. They'll know that I am the Lord. And when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that serve themselves of them. And you shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither the beast of the land devour them. But they'll dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I'll raise them up a plant of renown, and they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen anymore. Thus shall they know that I am the Lord their God, I am with them, and that even the house of Israel are my people, saith the Lord. Ye are my flock, the flock of my pasture are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord. God said, listen, I'm bringing a time upon the earth when there's harmony in every speck of dust and every ray of light and every beam in the land because I am coming back in control. That, my brother, sister, is the resurrection. Good Friday was last Friday. We commemorate the price for our offenses, the awful price of suffering and hanging on a tree and buried as though good riddance of bad rubbish. He wasn't nice to look at. What he said wasn't nice. We prefer the kind old priests with their nice gentle ways instead of his scourging ways. It was a cruel death, as Brother Branham said, the cruelest of all. And you heard what was read by Dr. Dobson and showed you the truth. But today, we don't celebrate his death. We celebrate his resurrection, the promise and hope. that we too will rise with him in immortal bodies in the paradise of God.

You know what? Because we are nearing the end time, and pressure and darkness is so great, and the light that came from heaven, though like a laser, a single solitary strand or beam of light that does not flare out like the sun, but zeroes in. That's the light you walk in. And it is so difficult to let the laser light of God circumcise our minds to begin to see that all this darkness out there doesn't need to overwhelm us. And we don't need to get into it. We don't need to think like it. But this morning we can zero in on the truth of the resurrection. And let me tell you this morning, you're about 200 people, let me tell you 200. You and I had better do it.

It's up to us to do it. You can't just say, now, Lord God, look, give me some special revelation. It's already been given. The prophet who brought it vindicated categorically said, I have one fear, the very fear that Jesus said. When the good seed was sown, the tares, the briars, the thorns began to rise up and to just crush them out by taking over. He said, so I am fearful that people who call themselves people of this message. Allow the carriers of this life to take over. In other words, the things out here that are so enticing. To get entirely wrapped up in it. And when you do, it's significant the fact that the revelation is missing. Because the material disposition always indicates the true spiritual. Read your parables. Read your gospels. You can't get away from it. It's time to realize paradise is at hand and immortality is with it. It's time to claim our own inheritance. That's right. To claim our own inheritance for Jehovah has already come to claim a brine for the Lord himself descended with the shepherds. Absolutely true. Therefore, I say it's time for us to claim our bodies for the resurrection. The son of righteousness has risen with healing in his wings. That's Malachi 4. It is time now for Romans 8, 15 to 39. And that tells you suffering humanity was suffering nature. are coming together in one last time. And at this time, we know the predestinating power of Almighty God and pardons by saying, nothing shall separate me from it.

Nothing. Couldn't say that before. You know why? Because death could. Death could. But not now. As I said years ago, I do not have a promise to die, though I'm happy to die. Hey, I've got to die anyway. I've committed myself as far as I know how to commit. I've opened my mouth as wide as I can. I've preached as loud as I can and as hard as I can. Everything I can that I believe the prophet said.

And if this isn't it, what

am I going to do? So if I die, I'm still coming back.

Whatever I got, I go to the ground with it. I'll come out of the ground with it. But you know, I don't have a promise to die. And that's bad. Because I could go and have some, you know, the best of two worlds. Interesting. Very interesting to go over there and see. But I don't have that promise. But I don't say I won't die because I couldn't die. But the promise today is to live.

And every Easter is that much closer. The quickening power of God. Malachi 4 has been fulfilled. It's all been fulfilled. And as spring is a significant sign of the resurrection, so one spring morning, because it was a spring morning, that Jesus Christ came forth. One morning, Brother Branham will also come forth because the last are first and the first are last. So the last one down is the first one up. So he will come forth to join with the seventh church aid bride.

Wesley will come forth with the sixth. Luther with the fifth and so on until you get down to the Apostle Paul. And when they come out of the ground, Apostle Paul will take his first group up with Christ to be presented. And so will be the last to go. And not too many will go. Changed in their bodies, but some will. We shall all be changed. This is what Job wanted. This is all that Job wanted. When I use that term all, I use it a little bit sardonically in the sense that if this is all you want, you are asking for everything.

Let me come back as a resurrected man.

That's all. You could hire me if you could, but you can't.

I could actually destroy every mechanism on every bomb.

I could turn every dictator. And every crooked politician into two ounces of jelly by scaring him from out of his wits.

There's nothing I couldn't do if

I could just come back as an immortal man. But there's a catch to it. When you come back, you're completely changed in your physical nature. So you wouldn't want to do anything other than the will of Almighty God. And you wouldn't be outside any thought, any precept, any desire except for God. And you wouldn't do anything but a gospel. I'm trying to show you the actual truth. When we come back, we've got it all.

And far beyond the imagination. Yes, it's Easter today. It's resurrection. And I hope you have caught what I'm trying to impart to you. I've taken a lot of words and taken a lot of time. I've taken a lot of sermons on the same thing. This is what spirituality, this is what God is all about. To bring the people back immortal on an immortalized earth.

And only then you'll be satisfied. Listen, let's face it. Not until that time. And only at that time will you be satisfied when you awake in his presence and in his likeness. Now, does that satisfy you? Well, it means, Brother Vail, then that I've got little funny feelings. Hey, you're not going to get over your funny feelings.

Long as you're here, you'll be tested. But listen, the morning's breaking.

And by the grace of God, day by day, minute by minute, we're being stabilized in the truth. He didn't come. Both sides of the picture's illustrated. Scientific pictures, you can't deny them. Prove the presence of Almighty God who descended with the message to put the church in order to get us ready so they could come out of the ground and we can be changed. And all go to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Let's rise at this time.

Heavenly Father, we want to just thank You again for Your kindness, Your love which You bestowed upon us. Your grace and Your mercy, O God, that You show us day by day and show us this morning. And I pray, Lord, I really sincerely do in this simplicity of this message, and I hope it was simple, Lord, going from Scripture to Scripture and just showing the one thing that this is the ultimate. This is that thing. Be sure we're in the first resurrection and that is it. Though you lose none, and you will lose none. And there is a second resurrection where the foolish virgin comes up. And that's true. You'll lose none of them either. But Lord, what a blessed thing it is for people to know at this end time that there is that great gathering of the elect, the true bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the greatness of it is the resurrection. And from that point on, yes, it's even from this point on, the actual fact of the matter is, for time and eternity have blended. and you're risen with healing in your wings, putting your church in order from this moment on, Lord, it is a sure and certain process to the ultimate, the ultimate of God. Lord, I just pray one little prayer this morning that you'll help us to take the simplicity of it all into our minds, deep into our souls, so that we can stand with Job when the earthquake, the hurricane, the fire begins to rend and tear. We'll hear the still small voice and stand with the still small voice, yes? I know that my Redeemer lives. I know He lives. And I know actually He's come down already here in the form of the Holy Ghost in the pillar of fire. And I'll go back with Him to descend again upon this very earth in the glorified form the same as He to be in that millennium until the time of the new Jerusalem when all things are completely enveloped in God, and the whole texture and fabric of what you wanted for us, O Lord, is in full manifestation. Lord, as Brother Branham used to praise him many times, let there not be one feeble man amongst us. May the sick be healed, Lord. May the sinner be roundly converted this morning to thee, O Christ. If there's anything in the heart, to lay it all on the altar. Say, Lord, I'm trusting you, no longer trusting myself. Because it's not what I've done, what anybody else has done, or whatever will do, or anybody else will ever do, Lord. It's what you've done. And what you are going to do. And I'm putting my faith in that. That's the way we stand this morning. Wouldn't want one heart any other way, Lord. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be all power and honor and glory through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Take the name of Jesus with you.