The Zoe and Cosmos of God

The Zoe and Cosmos of God

Bro. Lee Vayle – June 7, 1987

Shall we pray. Heavenly Father, we’re again a happy privileged people to not only be here in a house of worship which You’ve given us to use Lord, but above all our eyes have been opened to the truth of Your great Presence, which the prophet told us of and we saw manifested in signs and wonders, and also saw the picture taken Lord. And we are very grateful that You’ve honored us by Your Presence, and we trust Lord that we shall respond in like spirit Lord, for truly as the prophet said, You gained favor with us, literally ingratiated Yourself to us, and how much more ought we to do that back Lord, to offer it back to You, the same deference that You gave us Lord, the same honor, even – You’re even worthy of greater honor Lord than far than You ever gave us, and yet how are we going to equal what You gave us by way of honor and privilege. We cannot do it Lord, but we can somehow be a little deeper in our gratitude and our affection and setting You on high in our midst O God, and honoring and praising You.

We know Lord in this age of materialism, this age of looking at ourselves and congratulating ourselves and commending ourselves that we become farcical Lord, it’s abomination in Your sight, O God. We pray You’ll deliver us from it all, Lord we pray, to cut us entirely apart from the world, the flesh and the devil, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. All of these things Lord that are in the world, we don’t want anything to do with them other than to know they’re here and to help us to shun them and grow up in Your Presence Lord, as true children of God, ready for the Resurrection, the Rapture and that which is before us. Help us in the study of Your Word, Lord, may it be truly inspirational as well as blessing our understanding. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

Now the message this morning I wish to bring is The Zoe and Cosmos of God. And I’m just going to give you my understanding of it, taken I hope from many things that Bro. Branham said, and the way in which we’re being led, it’s a lot like the message we had at Good Friday. But we’re going to read certain Scripture, you won’t need to turn to it, or to them because they’re taken from several places; I’ll just read them off here. Beginning in Jn 5:26:

(26) For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

And John 6, several verses there:

(33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (That’s [verse] 33.)

[Verse] 51 says:

(51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

57 and 8.

(57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

(58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Jn 10:27-30.

(27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, they follow me:

(28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

(29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all: and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

(30) I and my Father are one.

Jn 3:16 of course you know:

(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And Jn [1:]1-3, which leads up to Jn 1:4-5.

(1) In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God.

(2) The same was in the beginning with God.

(3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

(4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

(5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

And of course again Jn 1:14.

(14) And the Word (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jn 1:18.

(18) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, hath declared him. (Or fully led him forth into a revelation by words.)

[1] Jn 4:12.

(12) No man hath seen God at any time.

Ex 33:18-20.

(18) And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

(19) And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and (I) will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

(20) And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for… no man (shall) see me, and live.

Col 1:15.

(15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Heb 1:1-3.

(1) God, who (in) sundry times and divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers (in) the prophets,

(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us (in) Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

1 Jn 1:1-4.

(1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

(2) (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

(3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

(4) And these things write we unto you, that your joy (might) be full. (Of course on condition they entered into that.)

Rom 1:18-21.

(18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (down) the truth in unrighteousness;

(19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the (earth) are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so they are without excuse:

(21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, their foolish heart was darkened.

And with that we want to read in Dt 5:26 and maybe a couple more places. All right.

(26) For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

And 1 Sam 17:26.

(26) And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? (Living God.)

Again in Ps 42:2.

(2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (That would be the living God.)

And in Ps 84:2.

(2) My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

And Jer 10:10 it says,

(10) But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not [be able] to abide his indignation.

And then one final verse, in Matthew, you can see the Jews still carried on their understanding, Mt 16:16.

(16) …Peter… said, Thou art… the Son of the living God.

Now with that it says in Jn 4:24 that:

(24) God is a Spirit:

Now having read the Scriptures which I have read, I think you have a pretty good idea as to what this message pertains. But before we go into it we must define ‘zoe’ and ‘cosmos’ because these verses pertain to the zoe or the life and the world order of God.

Now, ‘zoe’ is the Greek word for life, you all know that. It comes from the verb form ‘to live’. Same as ours does, living, life. It can refer to anything and everything that lives or has life. Now that’s what we’re looking at particularly, which makes this word so wonderful to me and I like to preach on it, because most everybody else says, “Well that always,” like Dr. Bosworth and Bro. Branham himself said, “Zoe always refers to the eternal life of God,” then he passed right on without saying anything more about it.

So it can refer to anything and everything that lives or has life, from the highest order which is God, the word ‘zoe’ is applied or used, until it becomes the common possession of all animals and men by nature. And that’s what you’re looking at, and you must keep in mind that very thought. It refers to it all. That it even refers to the plant life as seen in Revelation 22, where we hear of the Tree of Life. And we know that the tree is a plant. You might say, “Well, I think that’s typical.” Bro. Branham didn’t make it typical. He said, “The nations eat the leaves thereof in order to keep the peace.” So we put it down as what it is. It’ll be a tree. Zoe, the tree of Zoe, refers to botany life, animal life, human life, God life. Even would refer I suppose to angel life. This is not to suggest that God’s actual life is shared by all things that we describe as living, in contradistinction to what we know is inanimate or without movement and growth. So don’t think that God is actually sharing His life with all of this.

That His Spirit made all things by that same Spirit, which is life, see? The living God and He’s Spirit, that His Spirit made all things and by that same Spirit all things are maintained is the real truth of our proposition. In other words that is what you’re looking at. That because He has made all things and maintains all things, you’re looking at this proposition of all these other things share the same Word that He is sharing, that same – well just use it that Word, that life. It is that in His Spirit, that’s what we’re looking at, it is that in His Spirit He was able to bring forth life. Now that is what we’re saying here, and that is what I am saying. As far as I am concerned that is what the Scripture is saying. That this living God Who was Spirit was able to bring forth life.

Now next we think of cosmos or world. This word in the Greek actually means ‘order’. It means ‘an order’, ‘an arrangement’; it means ‘ornament’ or ‘adornment’. And of course the Greeks used this word in that sense as they observed the order in nature and the universe and saw that it was perfectly flawless.

We’ll get some Scripture on that. We go to the Book of Mt 13:35.

(35) That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Now you’ll notice in there the foundation of the world would actually mean the earth, what he’s talking about. And he said that there are things in there that have been kept secret. And you’ll notice the secrets are God’s secrets, they’ve been withheld from us. So therefore when you’re dealing with the word ‘cosmos’ or ‘world’ and you’re dealing with this thought here, you cannot deny the fact that God has a cosmos. It is God’s cosmos, His world, which is an order. God is actually talking about order. In His mind and His maintenance by His creative power there are mysteries that come forth from it. Now I hope you’re listening to what I am saying, I’m trying to get my words just right, speaking slowly. So you’re seeing this cosmos and you’re getting an understanding of it.

In 2 Corinthians 15, I believe it is here… no it’s not the 15th chapter. 2 Corinthians… no 15th chapter in that one. And it’s not the 15th the first chapter. I’ll take a little time on that one, but the idea is here that he’s speaking of the people, especially the Jew and the Gentile, as making up a world order in the matter of religion. Might even be 5:19, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. Yeah.

(19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

(19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world…

Reconciling the world. He’s speaking then of Jew and Gentiles, because that is your major formula of what the people of the earth consist. Though Bro. Branham did mention Ham, Shem, Japheth; Jew, Samaritan, Gentile. Paul reduces it here to the two because he’s speaking of those two.

Then in Jn 7:7, another reference we see here is:

(7) The world cannot hate you; but it hateth (me), because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Here we see human government in opposition to God, where we see righteousness and unrighteousness in battle.

Then there are some more verses on cosmos that I like in Peter. And we take those that are written in [1] Peter, just to look at them, which is 1:20.

(20) Who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

And you’ll notice in there that the manifestation of God bringing forth this Son, who was going to die for the world, came into manifestation for the world. So you understand that.

Then in 1 Pt 5:9.

(9) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

That would take living right here in this hour, this age, everything that pertains to anything that’s here upon earth. And going on in the heavens or anything else, it’s a very inclusive picture.

2 Pt 1:4.

(4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So you can see that there is something that you were born into by being born into this cosmos that you can get rid of by being reborn.

All right, 2 Pt 2:5. See what the world refers to there.

(5) And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Notice two worlds are mentioned there, one more in the physical, and one more in the governmental, which is populated by people.

[2 Pt] 2:20. That would be the same chapter, wouldn’t it?

(20) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

And so what you see here is really, as you look at world, cosmos, you’re seeing that God literally has a world that’s divided into two sections. He created both and they make one whole, but they’re very diverse as to who is literally operating to the fuller extent in either world, though God is over all. You can see that Satan and man and his perversion is doing pretty poorly for God in His realm, and it doesn’t look like God is getting too much satisfaction out of what lies in His realm, but it is nonetheless there.

All right, just remember the things then we have said about cosmos, a little bit, not too much, and about Zoe as pertaining to God. Now let it be known that though this cosmos order or cosmic or universal order is a fallen one, its arrangements, its adornments, its ornaments. In other words, exactly what all pertains to it and how it operates, because that’s the understanding we’re looking at, is an order, and keep that in mind very explicitly, an order. It doesn’t mean someone’s giving an order; it means that things are set in an order. There’s a certain place for everything and everything in its place.

Now be it known then that though this cosmos order or cosmic or universal order – you’ll notice that cults talk a lot about that – are misused and subject to judgment, yet God made it all and He still runs it all. Whether it’s completely head on or obliquely, He still runs it. Rev 10:5-6:

(5) And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

(6) And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

In other words, cosmos in that limited sense there is in position now, in its final stages, and it doesn’t have any time left in those final stages.

Okay, we go to Jn 1:3, which of course we read there, that:

(3) All things were made by him; and without him (nothing was) made that (we have here today). (There’s not anything but what He actually made it.)

Now also with that Psalms, we want Ps 24:1, I believe is what we’re looking for. And it says,

(1) The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; …and they that dwell therein.

So you keep that in mind, what we’re looking at. And in Ps 19:1.

(1) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.

(2) Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. (That’s in the zodiac.)

(3) There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Again that’s the zodiac. Which is the Bible written in stars, which is Bullinger and Seiss and other men have proven conclusively that there is no nation that does not have from the beginning the Gospel in the stars. So therefore there is no one that is not accountable to Almighty God in some way.

All right, we know a little bit now about Zoe and we know a little bit about Cosmos, because I’m not going to take the time I took in Sydney to go into it all. Now let us talk about it and see if we can put it all in a relationship with God, or into whatever relationship it has with God, and since we are a part of zoe and cosmos, we saw that, the world of the godly, the world of the ungodly, all of that, we might learn something about us or ourselves in that great relationship with God and His universe. And this is not just an idle statement of a cult in order to get you in cosmic harmony so that your body and your thoughts are all in balance, and now by that you are a part of God’s harmonious creation, and hallelujah, you’ve got God, and everything’s just fine; hogwash. That’s not my intention at all. I’m going to be very pragmatic as far as the Scripture’s concerned, as much as God helps me, to show you what it is all about in the sense of what we are defining as the Zoe and Cosmos of God, because it is the Zoe and the Cosmos of God, and nobody can deny it and we are in it. See? Okay. And you know that by studying the Book of Genesis, where God placed Adam.

Now to begin, let us talk about God, One essentially and definitely, to Whom or What are we referring when we say God? Well we can read it in Jn 4:24.

(24) God is a Spirit:

Now that’s final. God is a Spirit. Now the word for ‘spirit’ in both the Hebrew and the Greek is ‘wind’ or ‘breath’. It is used of both God and man when you talk of spirit. There’s no two ways about it. Wind is invisible, immaterial and powerful. Well, we use the word ‘immaterial’, it’s a gas. And if you don’t think a gas is material, you just start sucking up your nose carbon dioxide, or carbon better still monoxide, exclusively, and see what happens to you. But it’s called immaterial in that though it is able to bear upon our senses, it doesn’t bear upon all senses, it cannot be seen. So you say wind is invisible, immaterial and powerful. Breath is invisible, immaterial and also powerful in the sense of the specialty of drawing oxygen from the air and therefore giving us life.

Now God is Spirit. And we have read several Scripture that He is living, so therefore He is living Spirit or living Spirit God. That is the thing we’re talking about. He is living Spirit. So He is living Spirit God. But never forget He is not of any substance that we know as substance. But don’t think He’s not substance or material of some… but of a higher order entirely. Jesus set it apart and gave us what is the best we can understand by saying, “Handle me and see; a spirit hath not flesh and bone.”

So therefore though Spirit on a higher order, and one word from that Spirit could dissolve you into the infinite loss of nothingness. Oh He doesn’t do it at this time. He’s powerful, but He cannot be seen. And the Bible says, “No man hath seen God, and no man can see God or live.” He is invisible Himself. That is God Himself is invisible. But He created all things, both invisible and visible as it suited Him, according to His purpose and their cosmos or cosmic order with each other! Now get that. He created it all in order to be in a cosmic order.

Now you find that in Col 1:16.

(16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, (He created the wind. It’s invisible. You can only tell there’s wind there if something’s in it or you feel it.) whether they be thrones, (that’s there too,) or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

(17) (For) he is before all things, (in other words He created all things and He was there before any creation was.) and by him all things (are maintained).

The very thing that God says He’s going to destroy, He is now maintaining! Now you do what you want about it, but that’s the Bible.

(18) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

So there’s a linking here of everything wherein God by reason of Creator and Sustainer is bound to get a preeminence in the divine order of what He does with this cosmic order to get a preeminence. So don’t try to get rid of anything! See? Let God do the getting rid of, and let us find a place in the divine order. That would be the big thing.

Now this Spirit God is a one Spirit God Person. He’s a one God, a one Spirit God Person. Let’s understand that. And so that you will never be bothered again by Trinitarian thoughts, because you will be bugged by yourself and by everybody else. So you’ll never be bothered by Trinitarian thoughts, simply equate God back to the beginning when there was not even a speck of stardust, and the Scripture describes that.

So we go to Isaiah 40, we’ll take that to begin with, 6-8. Now with everything I read you, just keep in your mind, just kind of hold it there. Is it 40? Now let’s see… no. I’m going to get over here at 26. I’ll get 26-28, those over there I won’t use, it’s the grass withers, so it’s talking about God, what He’s doing here, but I don’t need that passage.

(26) Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for he is strong in power; not one faileth. (27)

(27) Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

(28) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Now you’ll notice here that what we’re looking at… well we’ll go up further there. Verse [25]:

(25) To whom then will ye liken me, or… equal (me)? saith the Holy One.

That’s what we read with these others, and I should have read first there, in verse 25, when he said, “The Holy One.” You’re looking at a one God Who created all these things and He arrogates to Himself the understanding that He did it all and nobody else did it. He is that Holy One. As He also says in other places, which we won’t necessarily take time to read, that He took counsel with no one. He didn’t ask anybody any questions; He didn’t bring anybody in on His judgment.

Now with that we want to read over in Colossians, which we had here a minute ago, 1:15-18.

(15) Who is the image (we read that) of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

(16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones… (and so on.)

And then in Eph 3:8-11, It says:

(8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

(9) …to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from (before time’s eternal) hath been hid in God, who created all things by Christ (Jesus):

(10) To the intent now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

(11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Now what you see here are verses that people will try to attempt to tell you that one is the Father and one is a Holy Ghost. But if you go back before there was a speck of stardust, you will find that God in His Word claims that He was alone, He was one God, there weren’t two or three of them taking conference, there was just One alone Who is the Creator of it all. And you’ll notice that therefore, even the Jehovah Witnesses they stumble over this a bit, but they do come up with the understanding that there is one God and Jesus is the agent of creation. That is not exactly true. It is the fact that as we saw from over in talking in Sydney, we may bring it out this morning, it doesn’t really matter, that what God did, He had the ability within Himself to take upon Himself a form, and it was in that form that His power was loosed and enabled Him to be a Creator. It is not necessary for us to believe that that is the only way that God could do it, if God was of a mind to do it another way. But God was not of a mind to do it another way, because He was integrating Himself harmoniously, with what we see Cosmos, the very Life of God doing it. So just try to keep these things in mind.

Now what I’m getting at here is that this living God, Who is invisible Spirit in both the Hebrew and Greek, is described as living in the same sense of all other life that is materially visible is living. But there has to be a difference between the Creator and the created. Now that’s absolutely factual. See anything else would bring Him into another realm entirely.

Now it is absolutely evident by Scripture that God is not pantheistic. Now that’s what you would have if you believed what the cults would have you believe. That’s why you see the Hindu will not kill an ant. He’ll brush it out of the way.

Joe and I were talking to the little lady down here in the …?... on the strength of her mother and her own revelation of her dad’s, he had appeared to her and told her he’s coming back in another form. Well she’s completely sucked in by the devil. And don’t think you can’t be sucked in.

There’s a kid in Virginia that says he absolutely encountered an apparition that told him that he was some big shot. In this Message. So he sent me a bunch of tapes, which I heard one and stopped the rest of them. Because he’s letting me know that he has a new revelation. His father-in-law said it’s the eighth time now he’s gone buggy.

Now that’s not typical of this Message but it is typical of this Message. Completely scrupled up with Pentecostal hogwash. Pentecostal bait as Bro. Branham warned. Because you think, “Well what happened to St. Martin couldn’t happen to this kid.” Oh you got to be kidding. Well say, “Satan didn’t get very far.” He never does. He just thinks he’s winning the race. When he goes down with six billion people in this last age. He hasn’t learned a lesson; he went down with six billion the last time under Noah. He never learns a lesson and these people never learn lessons either.

Now He is not even living in mankind as a whole. There’s no way that God is living in mankind as a whole, because the people have rejected God.

Let’s hear what Stephen had to say when they killed him, in Acts 7:47-53.

(47) But Solomon built him an house. (That’s Solomon built God a house.)

(48) Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

(49) Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what (place) is the place of my rest? (See? “What am I going to baptise with the Holy Ghost and get in there?”)

(50) Hath not my hand(s) made all these things?

(51) (You) stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, (you) do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do (you).

So how many people really get the baptism with the Holy Ghost? Very, very, very few.

So you see God is not living in mankind. But in spite of rejection that God goes through, through every generation by the billions, man is still dependent on Him and lives by Him! Now let’s find out, we know that to be true, but let’s read in the Book of Acts 17, where Paul is speaking on Mars Hill to the superstitious Greeks.

(22) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

I wonder how many people in this Message are superstitious. Superstition is over. There’s no mysteries left. You’re only superstitious if there’s some kind of a funny thing there. Or you’re trying to make something up kind of funny. You know.

(23) For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, (your worshipping) I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

(24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (See that’s what Stephen said.)

(25) Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needeth any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (Not just life and breath, but all things.)

(26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

(27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

(28) For in him (now that’s not in the body of Christ, not for one minute. That’s in His providence, in His creativity, in His power.) we live, and move, and have our being; certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Sure, every one is a child of God by creation and forces that God laid down. Like Bro. Branham said any ornery prostitute could have a child and say, “I got this child from God.” Because it’s a law of God. See?

(29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

(30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

So you can see there that He’s not even in everybody. Everybody then doesn’t have a divine spark. As people want to try to tell you. No way, shape and form. So that everybody could get saved. No way.

Now keep following me, see? I know this is slow, but you’ll get something here. Now this Great Spirit invisible, omnipotent God is also omniscient within Himself, so that He is able to conceive and bring to pass anything which He conceives and also to express Himself and whatever lies within Him. Do you understand what I’m saying? He can’t do all only this out here, but He retains to His right, which is His right, to express Himself Personally! Not just to express His abilities, but Himself Personally.

Irenaeus learned this from Polycarp and Polycarp got it from John. That’s from the Apostle John. And here’s what Irenaeus said, and it’s in the 3rd volume of the Anti-Nicene Fathers. No, volume number one, I beg your pardon. “God being a Savior, it was necessary to create a sinner in order to give God Himself reason and purpose of being.”

Or as it says in the Book of Heb 1:3, speaking of God in Son form:

(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…

Jesus was the expression of the Person of God, the invisible God. So therefore God can express Himself. And express everything that lies within Him, as well as all this out here that shows His creativity, His ingenuity, and all that. This says God expressed, therefore He expresses as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit! Now did you catch that? As Holy Spirit, Bro. Branham said so. Remember Bro. Branham categorically said to us, when he spoke of the Son of man, he said, “I am not the Son of man, the Pillar of Fire is not the Son of man It’s in the form of the Holy Spirit.” That’s right.

So He expressed Himself by the Holy Spirit through a man. We saw the expression, God expressing Himself in signs and wonders, prophecy. Shepherd, Healer, Provider, Nourisher, Lover, Husband, on and on and on. Lily of the Valley, Rose of Sharon, King of kings, Lord of lords. And every time those Names are brought out, almost to a hundred percent, but there’s a little percentage not, we will find ourselves absolutely identified with Him – now you put it all together, earth and us, that makes a hundred percent, but I’m talking about earth, because earth is not husband or wife. See? And we’re not certain things out there; we’re certain things in here. But you get those Names, I think you’d find, I’m sure, in fact you would find, the hundred percent of those Names and Titles have to do with this order. See? Okay, turn over. [End of side one of tape one.]

Now John said it and we read it over in Jn 1:1-4.

(1) In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And Bro. Branham said if you make Jesus the Word, you’ve got three gods. You’re Trinitarian. You’re an idolater. See?

(1) In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God. (Period.)

The great ability to express not only Himself inwardly, but actually what lay in there to be brought out apart from Himself, though from Himself, all this out here. Because look it, that tree is not a substance of God, it is a creation. You’re looking at things you want to watch there, see?

(2) The same was in the beginning with God.

(3) All things were made by (this God); and without him (there wasn’t) any thing made that was made. (And It says,)

(4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And here is where I am wanting to get to. This great One that has the ability in Himself to express Himself, and to make an expression out here substance wise of all of His ingenuity and His vast ability. And It says concerning Him, “In Him was life.” Now since God is the living God we know it would not be necessary to say of Him or anyone who lives, “There is life in him.” It wouldn’t be necessary. Do you follow what I’m saying? I’m playing on words here because you don’t get a redundancy of words; you get a description by words! You get an exegetical revelation.

So that is not what John is saying as I see it, especially to illustrate what I see, let’s put it this way: here is Abraham and Sarah at the age of eighty and seventy. Let us say they are old and thin and tired and they’ve fallen asleep. Someone comes by and looks at them and says, “Are they living? They look dead to me. Is there any life in them? Can they be alive?”

Now they are living but there is really no life in them, because they cannot now beget children! Do you follow what I’m saying? They’re living, but there’s no life in them. In a certain principle. They cannot beget children. The life principle to express themselves is gone! Now that’s what I want you to hear! The life principle to express themselves is gone! God was not in that category! Do you see what I’m talking about? And remember in your minds we read 1 John. The life that was in Him was manifested and it turned out a being! And that being He turned out was not specifically God! Do you understand what I’m saying? Because the Scripture is redundant with “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus said, “Worship God.” He said, “There is none righteous but God, none good.”

So we got to watch Scripture and understand we’re looking at something different from the Oneness bunch and the Trinitarians, so let’s keep it that way. And I’ve got to keep it that way because I can’t let my mind go any other way.

Now the life principle to express themselves is gone from Sarah and Abraham. Many people are that way physically. They are living but they cannot pass the life on! Barren or infertile. They themselves and in themselves are the only manifestation of life! And are not the source to manifest that life in them beyond themselves! Do you follow what I’m saying? I hope you are now, because these words are written down here and I’ve read them carefully. And we’re talking about God now. God has life in Himself, the living God. And you notice that that life became manifested and you still don’t see God! Because no man can see God and live. So the eternal, invisible Spirit, He had a way to do something!

Now that is how I see this verse in John 1:4.

(4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The living God desires to manifest Himself and after many manifestations of Himself in various forms! Pillar of Fire, wind, water, rock, light, and all of those are qualities for display. What does He do? He becomes a man, and by it a Son body! Not somebody but a Son, S-o-n body. Or by the body of Son. See? God is Spirit which cannot be manifested as to Its absolute nature and characteristics if It remains as Spirit life only. It needs a medium or a temple. So He creates the minerals, proteins, whatever, and He quickens it by His Spirit.

Now that’s what you’re looking at. And exactly what is in Him, as Spirit form, is now His absolute image and expression in flesh, which is His Son. Now you catch what I’m saying? Because an image is not the real thing. To have a reflection you’ve got to have something to reflect! And a means whereby you catch reflection! And reflection is dependent entirely upon light! And a retina or something like a mirror to catch the image! But the image is still the image!

Now watch what It says. [Hebrews 1:]

(1) God, (in many parts and many ways, Pillar of Fire, this that and the other,) spake in time past unto the fathers (finally did it in) the prophets,

As He said He would do it in Deuteronomy 18 and never ceased since. Right.

(2) Hath in these last days spoken (to) us…

Not by His Son, but in Son! In the form of a Son because the Son was only the mouthpiece! Because that’s what a prophet is! So if you’re going to have the perfect prophet in Jesus the Christ, he’s got to line up! Right. He said, “I only say what I hear my Father say.” So he was just a mouthpiece. He could say with William Branham, “I was just a voice of the One.” Okay.

(2) …in last days spoken unto us (in) Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

See? Let’s watch what we’re looking at here. Coming into a manifestation, God differentiates, now as far as I know He does, I can’t explain it otherwise.

(3) Who being the brightness (that’s the effulgence, the outraying,) of his glory, (even) the express image of his person,

Or the expression of His Person! What’s His Person? Spirit God, living Spirit God. A real person! Now keep alert, because I’m going slow and I’m taking you step by step. We will get excited after awhile. If there’s anything in you to get excited about. Because we’re taking our time on this. This one who took upon Himself flesh, River Jordan, came into it, this one in whom He came, is the outraying, the expression of His substance, which is Holy Ghost, which is life, which is Spirit. Living Spirit. See?

(3) …and upholding all things by the (power of his word), when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

This one here was a true Son of God and absolutely equal with God, according to the law of Father and Son, the first begotten. And the only one proved worthy, while living, so his Father could have His Name on the cheques and the Son at the same time. You can say what you want, but that’s some of the things the prophet taught us.

Every part of Jesus physically is a manifestation of the Spirit of God! Well they say, “Jesus had black hair.” Fine! It was in the Spirit. “Well he had black eyes, brown eyes.” I don’t care what he had! It was in that Spirit! But there was no way that it could be produced unless God had in Him life! Not just living God! See, I’m looking at a difference here. I’m looking at words. To exegesisize thoroughly what we’re looking at.

So every part of Jesus physically is a manifestation of the Spirit of God. God formed a body of flesh around His Spirit life and then came into His tabernacle Himself at the River Jordan. That’s right. And He said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am pleased to dwell.” Thus when the people saw Jesus, they saw God. He and the Father were one. And the God they saw was so different from their imagination; they denied him and killed him. When all man has the best he can produce away from the true influence of God, is to make a four-footed creature, or something with his hands, how in the world could they accept this, a like member of the human race? But he wasn’t. No siree, he wasn’t. He was a second Adam, brother/sister. Sure. Yup. He was the last man.

Now so when God had life in Himself, it was not just God living but God giving of His Own life for sinners! Thus the life given for you and me was actually the life of God. You can say what you want, but it was. See? That life could not die; It just left his body and comes back on us. Jesus said, “I’ve got power to lay my life down and take it again.” Why certainly. That wasn’t hard. His spirit didn’t die, only his body died, and God wouldn’t let that corrupt. See? You know why? Because that shows the perfection of this end time when our bodies won’t corrupt, they’ll stop corrupting and get changed, immortality, and yet it was a resurrection. That’s what you’re looking at.

Furthermore it says, “The life was the light of men.” Now life makes manifest. Now under the prerequisite of the essentiality of God, essentiality and definitiveness of God, the definitive, which is Spirit which cannot be seen, God had to and had the ability to do what He couldn’t do with man, because man couldn’t take it. So He puts a veil on him. And it’s the same life, because there’s only one life, and that’s Spirit, the living God Who is Spirit. But now He’s doing something about it. So in life, light makes manifest, that’s what you’re looking at. The Bible says it. For us.

So this life made God manifested. Not just nature out here, everything you would see in nature manifests God. In the sense it shows there is a God, and there’s a relationship to us because we are the only true sensate and reasoning intelligent people or things in the world. Nothing else is. So this out there is not in the image of God, this is a product of the smartness of God. But we are in the image of God. Because God made man in His image, which was a spirit being. And that spirit being, had Adam and Eve stayed there, was it really true then that in that form they would have reached down and taken dust and made children? The answer is no. …?... spirit beings. But when they were in the body form, they bypassed the form that could have done it! And they went to sex. That was God’s plan; Bro. Branham said they’d have come to that sometime, so let’s not fight it. I don’t understand it, but we just accept it, you don’t have to, you know, understand everything. I’m doing my best to break things down here; I hope I’m getting it broken down somehow.

Now so this Life made manifest our God. It revealed Him. And remember, also It says, “You are lights that are set upon a hill.” You are living epistles, read and known of all men. And hopefully they read Christ.

Now you can’t see God out there in that manifestation and say, “That is a manifestation of God.” No, not like we are a manifestation of God. We are the light. We are children of Life, children of manifestation. So you see we got a very strong link up to God right now, right to the most Holy God, Who is Spirit! Because He is not flesh! It was in His purpose that He could become flesh, a becoming process, coming on down.

All right, now listen. The life of Christ, Holy Spirit, in every age, in its measure has come up until the all, until all, the Holy Spirit and all the Word is at Headship, which is Christ and manifesting today according to Matthew 12. And that physically reveals His Presence and proves His Appearing in Eph 1:17, and then [1] Th 4:16.

Now let’s go over that again. Now I’ve just stopped my little thesis here and just jumped through the ages. All right? The great thing to watch for is not ages one, two, three, four, forget it. It’s five, six, seven. When the Church starts coming back. Because it started with Christ the manifestation of God and it will end with Christ the manifestation of God! And there It is right there by picture, and there It is right there! And other things also that you’re looking at and you have to watch.

Okay, the life of Christ, Holy Spirit in every age, in its measure, has come up until all the Holy Spirit and all the Word is at Headship, which is Christ, and manifested according to Matthew 12. Now let’s look at Matthew 12. And Matthew 12 is predicated upon where Christ healed them all! And in no time in history do we know of anybody by the power of God healing everybody, outside of the meetings of William Branham! Not one miss. All right. And he could guarantee everyone that come up.

Now, verse 17.

(17) That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,

(18) Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. (Now you notice in there he said, “My soul,” I believe that word could also be used as ‘life’.)

(19) He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. (Now that didn’t happen in Jerusalem.)

(20) (The) bruised reed shall he not break, (the) smoking flax he (shall) not quench, (that didn’t happen in Jerusalem, he smashed them.) till he send forth judgment unto victory. (Which is right there.)

(21) And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

And that’s what you find in Eph 1:17. Now let’s take a look at it.

(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (And so on down to the power of the Resurrection.)

Now there He is in the form of the Holy Spirit. Now with that you have Thessalonians, 1 Th 4:16.

(16) (The) Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:

Now, you will find then three manifestations at the last time. Number one: God in the prophet. Number two: signs and wonders. Number three: by the camera. And the manifestation of the prophet of course came with healing, number one, then it came with prophecy, number two, and then it came with revealed Word. Three again. Once again Christ the image of God has appeared. The outraying or anointing has appeared! See that’s what you’re looking at. The Omega image or reflection, which we now see in 2 Cor 3:18 by the Holy Ghost and by a prophet. Prophesied by the apostle Paul.

Remember you had the Ephesian church, which could have been raptured; it missed it. It wasn’t time. Now watch at the end time.

(18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, (now that’s Ephesians) are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Now you’re looking at an image. Now Christ was the perfect outraying of Almighty God. Now we are looking at the outraying of a Bride in the complete image of Jesus the Christ, because you’re dealing with the physical again! As Jesus dealt with the physical concerning God, what do you think we’re dealing with? We’re now dealing with the physical of Christ! He is the center! God, Christ, us! God, Zoe, Cosmos! Cosmos with Zoe! The Christ Who brings the Zoe together with the Cosmos! So as He was the image, we now become the image. We’re looking straight at immortality! And where bodies that don’t even die.

Now Bro. Branham said what a glory when Luther came. That transcended the glory of the Catholic, Catholic times of hundreds of years of death, as – oh look, how can you describe it? Transcends the glory, as though you saw the ashes, or rather the corruption of a stinking corpse, and then beside it a full grown person in the utterness of manhood. What would you sooner be? The complete utterness of manhood or the complete utterness of a corpse dissolving in its own fluids? Well you say, “I’ll take the living member.” Well that’s what you’re looking at. That’s Luther was so far ahead. Then Wesley was ahead of them, that was the glory. And Pentecost was a glory still further! But this glory won’t fade! How can you fade the Person of God!

Now what did He come for in the Presence of Jesus Christ for Whom we’re looking? In order to bring the cosmos by virtue of the Zoe into the order, which is cosmos, that God wanted! Now you’re looking at it.

Now when that glory manifests, as the prophet said, it cannot fade. Because under Moses it could fade. It brought forth death! Thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, but you can’t help doing the shalt not! But today it’s not death! It’s look and live! It’s completely revelatory as to what God was doing before there was a speck of stardust, and to what He’s doing now to bring it to the full consummation of what was in Him, so He transferred Himself! By His Spirit, a portion, to bring forth something. Then to bring forth a Son that He could indwell, and by that give a light that could reconcile us back to Almighty God.

So and when that glory manifests itself it cannot fail. As it did under Moses’ law, for the life has gone into the grain, the life has gone into the grain! In other words it’s come full cycle! Listen, it has come from the first chapter of Matthew, where the virgin conceives, to the fourth chapter of Luke, where he manifested himself in the temple, to this hour of Matthew 4 and 12 also, which is the best one, referring to His visitation to the Gentiles! It’s the same One! Don’t get confused about the body! People who don’t understand this get confused. “Is William Branham the body?” William Branham is not the body! He was a body. He was not the Son of God. He’s a son of God, just like you and me.

Now it has come to pass; John, now is coming to pass. Jn 11:25,26.

(26) …whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (See?)

(25) …I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

(26) …whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (Do you believe) this? (She said, “Yes, I do believe that.”)

Now listen, not only is that true, but also is John 5 true. I’ll read it now, though I was going to read it later on, likely. Verse 27:

(27) And hath given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man.

(28) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

(29) And (they) shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, the resurrection of damnation. (Everyone’s going to hear the Voice.)

Now the grain has come to full circuit. The life is here again. Why? Because it is manifestation time. Now people don’t understand Presence, that the mighty One that came down. You can certainly understand this then! That there is a living God Who is Spirit! And no way can you or a camera ever catch what’s spirit, intrinsically and wholly, without something covering it! So therefore basic, essential, intrinsic Spirit is here and since It is manifesting to be that Spirit that was in Jesus the Christ, who said, “My Father doeth the works,” by signs and wonders and camera you know that He is here! And He couldn’t be here before! Try, I don’t even try to understand people, why should I? See? It’s okay.

We’ve come to Jn 11:25,26, which is also 1 Cor 15 plus 20! Now let’s try to understand, I started this in the same building about eight years ago, or nine years ago. No, 1980, I guess it was, seven years ago. Okay:

(20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (We are looking now for a re-manifestation of the life.)

(21) For since by man came death, by man came the resurrection of the dead.

(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all (shall) be made alive.

(23) (And) every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his (presence).

Which is Matthew 24, when all those false ones come in, and they all speak for the devil while there’s a true one speaking for God.

(24) Then cometh the end,

Now notice what happens here. He leaps! Paul leaps! The same as all prophets do, there’s a space.

(24) Then the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,

When he shall have shows us the future perfect. So it’s not at that time. But it’s just the same as though it were at that time! Because the predication sets it! Now listen what I’m saying.

(24) …even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

And when is that? White Throne, Lake of Fire. Then where are we at today, brother/sister? Who understands the urgency as we do? We’re not flattering ourselves, I’m asking the question. Or do you understand the urgency? Do you know you’re just as prepared as you ever will be for the Millennium, for the White Throne? Do you know why? Because you and I cannot hide ourselves if we try! We can be ever so nice, so smoochy and everything else, oh yes we can! But we have already betrayed ourselves to each other, let us not ever kid ourselves. Because it’s manifesting time. I like what Lloyd said up here. You can snow the other guy on anything, but you can’t snow him on this business of what we believe.

(25) For he must reign, till he hath put all (things) under his feet.

(26) The last enemy (to) be destroyed is death. (That’s White Throne.)

So cosmos is returning to its divine order now by the Divine Setter in order! There’s your Church order, brother/sister! Bride at the Head! In the image of God, image of our Christ. Not just gifts in a little room, pah. When the devil out there can take every one of those gifts and use them flawlessly by the permission of Almighty God? I don’t throw them away and say, “Well phooey, phooey, the gifts are bad, there this and that, they’re …?..” No! They’re on the shelf as it were! Church order is not some little tripe fight about putting gifts in the church. Well this guy here wants them on the floor, and this guy wants them very blatantly spread around, and this guy said, “No, no, no.” We stand right here, and you want a room, I’ll put a room up, we’ll put a room – I’ll go in there with you and see what happens, that’s not my job, that’s your job. I’ve got my gift, you’ve got yours. But they’re on the shelf. The age of gifts is down. Without discernment, without absolute full control, you lay yourself plumb open to false anointed ones, then try to tell me you believe this Message. Well you can tell somebody else, but you’re not going to tell me. Not any way, shape or form.

(27) For he hath put all things under his feet.

That’s your future perfect. Right now in His Presence, this hour! That’s why Bro. Branham could preach as he preached, exactly as a prophet preached! In one blip jump a thousand years. Because it’s a now. White Throne is the day after tomorrow, brother/sister, honey get that flat. You sitting here, you think I’ve made up little cliché’s, you’re wrong, I have no cliché to give you, I’m giving you gospel honest to God truth. If William Branham is not a liar, if this is that hour, this generation will not pass away, and the day after tomorrow is the White Throne, because one thousand years is a mere twenty-four hours. You say what you want. Don’t think God’s dealing with cliché’s, brother/sister, or some little thing, you know, a little …?..., as the Frenchman would say. No, not some little trifling, that’s out.

(27) But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is (left out), which did put all things under him. (That’s God putting everything under the feet of Jesus.)

(28) And when all things shall be subdued…

Put in order. That’s the same word as your ‘kelusma’, for the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a divine order! That’s the divine order; we are part of the cosmos! And That is part of the cosmos! And we’re all a part of God! As to what? The intrinsic spirit! I’m talking of the essential intrinsic spirit concerning us, and that out there which is the ingenuity and the marvels of God. We are not conjured, we are born! We are not conjured, we are begotten! No conjured children! Conjured under a gooseberry bush, the stork brought you. How do you beget if you haven’t got a proper egg and a proper sperm? Children are begotten. There’s a difference, begotten of God. Not just by rebirth, way back in the beginning, and if we die, begotten out of the ground. Then put in New Jerusalem. After …?... is the constant begetting, begetting, begetting. Glory, glory, rising and rising, until just a step, and we can literally see the Pillar of Fire and the Lamb on the Throne, brother/sister. Not talking to you nonsense, I’m telling you truth.

(28) (But) when all things shall be subdued (by the Subduer), then shall the Son himself be subject…

That’s the idea, made subject, in divine order. And when all things shall become under the divine order, then shall the Son also be under the divine order!

(28) …unto him (Who) put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

God made this all that He can be all of it! And we all of it! We are the ones that the cult talks about. Yeah. We are the ones the cult talks about. Oh yeah, those rascals, and their father’s the great rascal. Came as an angel of light, the deceiver, he comes in a million forms, but God only comes in one form. We don’t have to worry about that one. See?

(29) Else what (say those that) baptized for the dead…

1 Cor [15:]49.

(49) …as we have borne the image of the earthy, we (bore) the image of the heavenly.

(50) Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Now just a minute, Tt tells you there’s something to be inherited! This is that Tree of Life! “Lest he stretch forth his hand and live forever!” So corruption cannot move into everlasting! Corruption shall be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, my brother, my sister. Don’t you talk to me about this junk hanging on, some Lake of Fire, forever and ever and ever. And God’s got an eternal Lake of Fire, like He’s got an eternal sun. How can suns be eternal? How can created things be eternal? The only reason we are is because we have eternality in us by that Spirit! And thank God in Him was that life that brought forth the manifestation of it all. Now,

(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; (you’re not going to go to the Tree of Life and eat in this condition. No, no problem there. We’ll not all die, even to get there), but…

(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, (within the atoms,) at the last trump: (under the Seventh Church Age apostle, or messenger,) the trumpet shall sound, the dead (are going to get) raised, (we’re going to get) changed.

Because corruptible cannot go in so we’ll make it incorruptible! In other words there’s no more mixing! No more mixing! You can’t go in as a hybrid! You better get back to the Word! Because Elijah’s going to come and restore It, and he’s a prophet. What’s he going to restore? All that spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets. What part to restore? That which went into error. That’s all. And that which was veiled. That’s all. No big deal. It’s too simple; it goes over people’s heads. They can’t take it.

Now let’s go to Phil 3:10.

(10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,

Of his resurrection, not the resurrection, his resurrection. That I may know him, not in his resurrection, but the power of it! Ephesians 1, we read it, 19.

(10) …and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

In other words, that’s a revelation also. To understand you fully paid for your sins when you were with him on the cross.

(11) If by any means I (may) attain (to) the (out) resurrection (from among) the dead. (Not get left laying there for the White Throne.)

(12) Not as though I had already attained, (or) were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which (I’m also) apprehended of Christ. (What was he apprehended for? The very thing you want, Deep calling to deep.)

(13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:

He hasn’t apprehended it. He spoke of the power to come. He knew he didn’t have it. He just saw it. Paul, the great one longed to see what you and I have seen, if indeed this is it! Say, “I don’t see nothing, I don’t…” Well are you blind this morning? What church do you go to anyway? Not this church for God’s sake. I can’t recognize you as my kids in the gospel. Because you’re blind, how can you be blind? Groping in the dark? Blind, groping, looking for light?

Listen, there’s light in and there’s light all around. And people claim that they have a light within and they can’t see the light all around, they’re liars! Do you know why? I don’t care how much you say your eyes see, if there’s not a mind to function with the eye with the optic nerve, pbbt, you’re gone. If the auditory nerve is gone, or the brain is gone that takes in the auditory nerve, you can’t hear anything. That’s proven. There’s nothing inside with light, you haven’t got light outside either. That’s why they couldn’t see the light outside. Who was this guy William Branham? Without a fellowship card, this guy that knocks down everything we stand for, this guy, this oneness bird.”

He said, “Look.” He said, “I haven’t got it. But when that hour comes, I’ve got to leave whatever I do have! And just cut off; forget those things that are behind.”

They say, “Well you know, I’m going to forget all those sins that bother me.

You can forget all the sins you want, some of you maybe this morning, myself included, can forget any old sin you want to forget, because we got a conscience that’s devoid of anything that’s got much of God in it. So it doesn’t really matter.

But he’s talking about this, here, in that last hour, the doctrine. Reaching forth to get the prize. Bro. Branham said press into It. Bringing about this hour. It is Rev 10:1-7, I don’t have to quote it, but you know it. The mighty Messenger Himself come on down, the Elijah ministry, the Seventh Church Age ministry.

It is Rev 20:10, based on 10:4, where the Book was closed, but now It’s open and It can never be closed. “Seal not the prophecy of the sayings, for the time is at hand.” What time is at hand? For the just to be just and the filthy, filthy. For to wash your robes, in the waters of separation by the Word and walk to the Tree of Life. To see the Alpha and Omega! “I am the One that was in the garden, I am here now! I am the One that started it! I am here as the Cornerstone, I am here finishing as the Capstone.” And He said, “I’m all of it.” All of what? Everything between God essential, intrinsic Spirit, Holy Ghost! And what’s all out here, especially you and me. “I started it. I’m the firstborn from the dead. I’m the beginning of the creation of God. I’m absolutely everything that God ever started when He started with that little beam of light that went out.” He said, “Let there be light,” and then he began to see like a child playing around the Father’s throne. I don’t understand it, but I’m talking and I believe it! I’m not some prophet. Barely a poor teacher. But I know this much, God’s Word’s truth. He said, “I’m the Alpha and the Omega.” [End of side two of tape one.]

Now He said, “Look, in the times between the Seals were opened and the righteous are righteous, and the wicked are wicked, and you really know that I am the Alpha and Omega, you know the whole of it, and you get to that Tree of Life and all of that, remember this one thing.” He said, “Behold I come quickly, I’m coming, after My Presence, right here, opening those Seals in Rev 10:1-7, I am literally going to come.”

And that’s what it says in Acts 3, “After the refreshing from the Presence of God, and Elijah comes and restores, then heaven will no longer keep Him.”

And I want to ask you then, if heaven’s got to keep Him at that time, Who came down here and what Lord do we meet in the air? Oh yeah, men have filled this pulpit, say behind my back, they say, “Lee Vayle has made a mistake, it is only Christ in you the hope of glory,” when the prophet himself… I can name his name if you want. I won’t bother. He’s nice to me, I’m nice to him. When the prophet himself said, “The baptism with the Holy Ghost gives way to the Baptizer.”

You do what you want with it, brother/sister, but I’m going to tell you something, you better start thinking, “What did the prophet say and what did he mean?” Who came down from heaven? “I was not the One that appeared down there, I was only one standing by when He appeared.” Who is He?

They still can’t tell the body from what Paul saw and called Jesus, the Pillar of Fire. Are you still stuck on that too, brother/sister? Are you either oneness this morning, complete Jesus Only, or are you semi-Trinitarian? What are you anyway? Aren’t you going to see Jesus? Who said, “Handle me and see.” Aren’t you going to be with him? How did he get here, who is he anyway? Who is this One here in a Pillar of Fire? That’s not the flesh. That’s the same Jehovah of the Old Testament that indwelt the Jesus of the New, and gave him his name, his birthright and everything. That’s the One that’s here this morning, and we’re waiting for the flesh. Oh yeah. Certainly.

It is the Judge in Luke 18 that Bro. Branham told us was the Judge in Rev 1:12-17, and then took Him right to the White Throne. And remember, the Judge in Luke 18 follows the Son of man revealed in Lk 17:20-30. And that’s not by accident. The same One there, Judge, revealed perfectly Who He was, the same One in that body of flesh. And because it manifested, that’s life! Holy Ghost it is, there’s no doubt Spirit, there’s no doubt. But you see, you can’t see that. And the minute it goes into manifestation, it goes into life. Sure. Doesn’t matter what it is. But this time it’s the Pillar of Fire. There’s a picture on the wall, but we saw the signs and the wonders.

This sets up Rev 20:11-15.

(11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, (that’s the Judge now,) from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; (now that’s the same One over there in Revelation 1, Bro. Branham said so. This is Daniel.) there found no place for them.

(12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;

And Who’s the One? God. The Ancient of Days. Looked just like that.

(12) …another book was opened, which is the book of life: (that’s the Book of Zoe.) and the dead were judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works. (Everybody’s got to do something in this life.)

(13) And the sea gave up the dead in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead in them: they were judged according to their works.

(14) And death and hell cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

(15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of (Zoe)…

You better have your name there. And it better not be there just by some minor fact, because names can be taken off the Book of Life. I don’t understand all that, but I know it’s true. But I know in the Lamb’s Book of Life, there’s no name ever taken off. Maybe the Lamb’s Book of Life has all the foolish virgins that will make it eventually, and all the others that don’t, I don’t know. But I know it’s the Book of Zoe. Now why would God have a Book of Zoe if Zoe wasn’t inexorably bound up with Him Who is the Judge? So all Zoe down here is accountable to God! Even if it’s not his fault! That’s a part of Zoe and a part of cosmos, because cosmos is responsible too. The whole world. See?

All right. This sets up Rev 20:11-15, which is twenty-four hours to go, the day after tomorrow. And notice, as we read verses 12 and 15, the Book of Life, the Book of Zoe. Now stop right here and get all my thoughts on Zoe. God is associated in His life with ours and all this is what came out of the living God. Not spirit beings but physical beings, no longer mortal. Even the animals and the plants and the birds, all creation take part in this glory of life that we see before us, absolutely manifested. God in manifestation, that’s right, God in manifestation, not previous, but God in manifestation, doing all these things, the divine order, is about to renew the earth and bring in the Millennium. That is what He is doing, Adam lost it.

In Gen 1:28, He said, “Take, multiply and cover and consider and take care of the whole thing, it’s yours. Do it, take care of it.”

In Gen 3:17-19, it says, “It’s taken from you, and now what is unto you is actually against you, and where you could rule over it, it’s ruling over you, because dust you came from to dust you go back. Briars and thorns will it bear, and you’ll not stop it, and it’ll be sweat, sweat, sweat till the day you die.”

All right, let’s look at Heb 2:6-13.

(6) But (in) one certain place (he certified), saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that (you visit) him?

(7) (You made) him a little lower than the angels; (you crowned) him with glory and honour, set him over the works of (your) hands:

(8) (You) put all things (subject) under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Now you see, that happened to Adam too. He lost it. Now it happens in Christ, but he hasn’t got it yet.)

(9) But we see Jesus, (right there, who took care of this whole prospect. I see a double understanding here.) made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every (not man, but every son).

(10) For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

There it is: the life of God did it. God Who is Spirit, Who is the living God, took a part of that Spirit, which has absolutely every single characteristic and the nature of God in it, and put it into a human form. And people say, “Then why didn’t Jesus create if God was there?” Because it wasn’t in the plan of God to do it. The only time he did create is when he brought forth a resurrection. And that’s a re-creation. That’s taking what was there, and could disappear into a gas and bring it right back. See?

(11) For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:

Tells you right there. Who shed his blood? Who sanctified? Who did it? Jesus, our older brother. All of one Source. How did it get here? Through the power of God being able to bring what we know as life, thoroughly, perfectly identified with God, because it’s roots are in God, when it comes to us. And when it comes to everything else, that was in God too, in His creative ability that He could manifest and perform. But we’re special; we’re talking about this special thing here.

(12) Saying, I will declare (My) name unto my brethren, (that’s being done right now,) in the midst of the church (I’ll) sing praise unto thee.

(13) …again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children which God hath given me. (And so on, right down the line, you see it being done there.)

Now, then at Millennium’s end, He recreates the whole universe and brings down the New Jerusalem. This is all because of Zoe! This is all because. See? Now what you’re getting the picture is here, that everything fell. And God is restoring everything in the original. And remember Satan was not original. No. Not when the earth was made, he came down previously, being in another era. And the serpent was what his host was, his temple. And he got to the woman through the serpent. Therefore the serpent was changed, and he will never come back to his original form! He’s gone.

Now there’s a picture right there, brother/sister, we’re looking at. What God had out here, for His plan, and dealing with that life that is in you and me, that little gene that came down through human instrumentality, passed on, as in Adam all died, every son of God died, it was waiting right there for the light and the life to strike it. And in union they came together in order to produce Christ, be formed in us, and the forming’s been going on and on, in each individual in every age, and coming up through the Church for the Seven Church ages, until its formed right back to the seed, the Cornerstone has become the Headstone. All things are now happening as they should happen, and coming to full fruition.

Listen, God giving us what lies in Him, all of this because of Zoe. God, not author of creation only, but a real part of it in the sons of God. Look what it says in Romans 8, and those tremendous verses, I suppose around verse 15, I’m not sure. Those verse, yeah.

(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, (our) Father.

(16) The Spirit itself bear(s) witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

(17) And if children, then… heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be we suffer with him, we may be glorified (also). (It lets you know that every child of God will suffer for this, for what your doctrine is and for what your life is.)

(18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this presnt time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

(19) For the earnest expectation of (creation is waiting) for the manifestation of the sons of God.

In other words, who the true sons of God really are, well they’ll appear in the Resurrection, every single one and at the Wedding Supper. And the earth has got to wait for it. And just as soon as we come back and take the whole thing over, God will recreate, either the whole thing, or a portion of it, renovate, that’s the word to use. Not recreate but renovate. Now,

(20) For (creation) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, (in other words it hadn’t got a thing to do with it,) but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Now the only part of creation that had a part in the fall was the serpent. That part came against God before man came against God. Man didn’t really come against God; he played the fool by listening. That’s all. Just spoiled the whole thing.

(21) (Now) the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty (or the glory of the liberty) of the children of God.

The only time you’re going to be really liberated, brother/sister, is in the Resurrection, liberation is going on now. If you believe it you’ll set your heart to go all the way. Say, “Look it, He took me this far, there’s only two things left, that’s the Voice and Trump, and if I believe the Shout, I’m sure to get in the Voice and the Trump.” That’s right.

(23) And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, (we that are born again, we are groaning) within oursleves, (we are) waiting for the adoption…

We’re waiting for the baptism with the Holy Ghost to peter out and the Spirit of God Himself come down at the last time. Baptism, justification, sanctification; baptism, it’s gone, the Person is here, we are waiting now, and that’s going to bring on the Resurrection. That’s going to bring on the change. And that’s where Zoe is just as good as God Himself; because there is no way that anybody will ever die. Eternal as God is, but remember, God leaves the body, goes back to Pillar of Fire, while all the children are around there and the great Lamb of God Himself in the throne of God. Yes sir, that’s what it is. See?

And all of this together is cosmos, reborn cosmos, the whole thing, reborn cosmos. It is going on now, absolutely, we read it in 1 Th 4:16, in 1 Cor 15:20, and it will soon be Rev 21:1-2. Now look, you got to believe this brother/sister, or you haven’t got the truth in you. I don’t care if you say, “Well that’s delayed.” That doesn’t have a thing to do with it. 21:1-2, here it is:

(1) …I (John) saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

(2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

A great City to come down for God’s great people to live in. And eternally right now will be. It started in Rev 21:23-27. So let’s read it.

(23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine: for the glory of God did lighten it, (God in full manifestation according to His Word brings about the perfect illumination, perfect everything.) and the Lamb is the light thereof. (God manifesting through him.)

(24) …the nations of them (that) are saved shall walk in the light of it: (that’s those outside of the holy City, maybe billions.) and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (Or unto it, not into it, but unto it, they bring it right there, because they can’t come in, see? As far as I know.)

(25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: (and) there shall be no night there.

It says, “For there shall be no night.” What’s that got to do with it? The gates of hell are open right now to receive everyone, it will go there, he can get in. You know why? Because there’s darkness out here. But I tell you there won’t be any gates and no need when there’s nothing but light. You don’t have to lock anything up.

(26) And (they’ll) bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

(27) And there shall in no wise enter (in) any thing that defileth, (that) worketh abomination, (that makes) a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Nobody can get in there but the Lamb’s Book of Life children. All the rest got to bring their glory and round about in there.

That’s what’s going on now, brother/sister, that’s what I want you to see about Zoe and Omega. We’re not looking anymore at the original, in the mind of God, that came down here in the negative. Because that’s what it is. The negative has run its course! As a roll of films, it’s run its course. And the last negative is being developed. And the final stages there’ll be one great picture we’re looking at. And we’re seeing it at this hour, this Church is, this Bride is, the people that believe this Message. There are many who say they believe it, but they don’t know the first thing of what we’re talking about. They got a smattering, but they don’t understand, and they could understand. I’m sorry for those people who are missing that little nudge to get the revelation, to get the help. For all the time I see people’s lives have changed, they write me, they tell me, it’s like a rebirth.

We know what’s happening. Sure. It’s just as sure, brother/sister, as the life of this Word, the power of God is being loosed. It is not being loosed, brother/sister, just for the sake of a power lying in a Word, it is a Word in a Bride. And when that part of Zoe cosmos, which is now under divine order, comes to the place that God says, “This is over, the work is finished,” and let me tell you something, all this here will go through its final cataclysmic seizures as you and I are doing now. As Bro. Branham said, the world going through birth pains. It will go through its final stage and we will come back to a repossessed renovated earth, which I know is better than what Adam and Eve gave up. And even that is going to be so, what you might call infinitely small, alongside of what God’s great plan is for the new heavens and the new earth, He’ll just wipe them out, dissolve them, and bring them back in its own perfect resurrection.

And that’s going to be a perfection, brother/sister, that you and I can only know as the prophet said, if you could be a pig wallowing in your mud, in your slop, in your filth, and suddenly become elevated to a man of elegance and stature, understanding with full capabilities, that’s billions of times better than being a hog, but that can’t even begin to touch the difference what it’s going to be when you and I get our change in God’s great change.

Oh yeah, Zoe and Cosmos. Look at it again today. Look out there and see how many butterflies are missing. When I first came in this area, took that house, there was a monarch butterfly tree. Within one year, maybe fifty appeared, and since then, none. Where are the monarch butterflies gone? Where are the bluebirds that I saw as a kid, sitting on the clothesline, always on the wires, always around? Bluebirds, meadowlarks, everywhere! Where’s the carrier pigeon? Thousands of species are gone already, thousands more are going. Where are those noble tigers? Not man’s enemy. Where are the noble wolves? Not man’s enemy. The only reason they’re man’s enemy is because man has become their enemy.

But look out there and see the beautiful nature. We’re maybe going to get lots over here, that land we’re going to look at today after we have dinner. One of the prettiest twenty-six acres in the country. Nothing. And yet it’s something. It is an undernourished, underdeveloped, diseased, germ ridden, deteriorated picture, and those words are very poor to describe the actual truth of it, of what’s there. What it was once and what it’s going to be. Oh my. You won’t see beauty as you see beauty now. You won’t look at people and say, “Well that’s a beautiful girl.” They’ll all be beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s character. You see that more and more as time goes on. So we should.

And so we should see once and for all, God, great Spirit. Sure He’s a living God, no doubt about it. But you know He was living all to Himself as just Holy Spirit. So one day He began to move out into manifestation. And He moved out until He made a man in His image, and put him in a human jacket. And that man fell. He didn’t understand really what he was there for. When he got a glimpse, it was too late, he couldn’t reach out and get it, it was too late. But now six thousand years later, God the ultimate – let me get this straight now – the ultimate God. The definitive, essential, ultimate God waited for this moment. When time and eternity would link, Elijah would come, and a Bride would be ready to get out of here.

You and I have a little record in Scripture, but sad to say – and it’s not so sad, it’s not going to really hurt – as Israel couldn’t begin to glimpse the majesty and glory of that One and Who He was, only a few begin feeling toward it, even they are reserved to this hour, no matter how much they know, because they, apostle John and Paul and Peter and all of it, Andrew, Thomas, all are waiting to come back on this earth. And bear it a little while, for one thousand years, until they get where God wants to place them, in the Zoe and the Cosmos of the living God.

Now I hope you got what I’m trying to say. We are the ones who are a part of God. And if you didn’t have representation back there, you haven’t got it now. I won’t take time to read out of Job 34, but you can read it yourself, when He said, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Where were you?” He said, “Look, I stood here all alone, but I had you in mind. I saw you as that perfect one down there. I saw you as Noah, the last perfect man genetically in his generation. I saw William Branham standing here, and I saw a little dump called Quincy, with about as awkward a building as any bunch of Nazarenes could concoct, without skilled labor and anything they could throw into it, and a bunch of jerks coming along, believing Bro. Branham’s Message and doing the thing all wrong on top of them, sitting there…”

Yeah, He saw us all this Sunday morning, foreknown, because I believe I’ve preached to you the Word of Almighty God, as delivered by the Holy Ghost to a prophet, to let you see, what he said, He became us that we might become Him. But I’m going to tell you before that took place, we had to be in Him. We had to be literally the Zoe of God coming into manifestation, coming into what He wanted. And as a Bride, brother/sister, there’s a perfect replication of Christ today, whether you want to admit it or not, because every one of us is contributing. You may with your soft gentle nature be contributing something by giving, giving love and forgiveness with a smile and a joy. And some of you may be sitting here very stern, you couldn’t crack a joke because it’s not in you, but you’re very stern and severe and concerned in this message. And some of you got this and some of you got that. As Bro. Branham said, “If the hand does it, the whole body…”

I’m trying to get across to you this: you may look at yourself individually and say you don’t qualify, but I’m going to tell you, God’s looking for a Bride who is plural membered, who meets His qualification, and He looks as her as one redeemed, although they’re many members, He’s got one wife. And He looks at her and He sees every perfection brought out somewhere, every facet, in somebody somewhere, through all those six thousand years. As every prophet had a bit of looking forward to that Christ, who would be the complete, as he gave a little part, so there’s a whole Bride in totality, I understand, every member giving forth what nobody else can give forth. But we’ve always looked around and have never believed God about that, have we? We’ve always believed we got to be the entire Bride! Don’t got to be entire nothing, my brother, my sister, any more than the prophet with God in him was the entire God. Now the entire God could be in him, but he wasn’t the entire God, he was just a man, and a very unentire man at that. He lacked. Only Christ didn’t lack, the only One.

But you see I took you to show you right up to New Jerusalem, a Bride singular adorned for her Husband. You won’t worry in that day, brother/sister. And you and I shouldn’t be worrying now. I’ve taken a long time, I said I would. And I said you wouldn’t need any inspired utterance before, as a little build up, you got it now. Stick with this, brother/sister, and understand what I’m saying. Because if we’re not Bride, there is a Bride out there somewhere. And she will be the Zoe and the Cosmos of God, eternally. Because she will be that life manifested from Him and the order will always show the genius and the majesty of the uncorruptible, omniscient, omnipotent God. Do you believe that? Then believe you’re a part of It. If you notice Bro. Branham said, “If there’s only one going to make it, you believe you’re that one.” That doesn’t put your brother, sister out, it just means you’re the one that’s standing there that’s going to make it, who’s supposed to be standing there in that spot, while your brother standing in that spot, he’s the one supposed to make it in that spot. So don’t get in his spot, right? Let’s rise and be dismissed.

Most gracious Heavenly Father, we thank You again for giving us strength to be here in a pulpit, giving patience amongst the people and trusting and hoping the joy to sit Lord in the congregation of the people here, knowing Lord that You knew this before the foundation of the world, and I pray O God that somehow we’ve given back to You what You gave us, and so therefore there is a merging of the mind, and being a merging of the mind, there is the faith coming into a place of rest, and a place of authoritative power, which You have Lord over us now, because we acquiesce to what You are doing now, which is putting all of us right under Jesus Christ the Lord, and we’ll rise like a pyramid form to meet Him in the air. And what a glorious day that’s going to be sitting down at the Wedding Supper. Lord, I admit right now I haven’t got a clue to it as far as I’m concerned in my own being, but I know that’s Your Word Lord, and we’re going to stand on It with the people here, that this is that spoken of in Your Scripture, and we wouldn’t know one thing about it, except we were ordained to it.

So Father we thank You for it, and just we cannot praise You enough Father, but may we Lord in heaven settle right down from this moment on as never before, to live a life in the place that You set us, unto the glory of God, for the manifestation of the Kingdom and the brotherhood of the saints, that Christ in our midst may receive the glory. Unto Thee Lord we give the praise and the honor, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

‘Take the Name of Jesus with you.’