Righteousness and Unrighteousness

Righteousness and Unrighteousness

Bro. Lee Vayle – November 16, 1970

Lord bless you, I’m very happy to be here tonight. And trust the Lord will give us a good service in the understanding of His Word. Now, last night we brought a subject, the same subject Bro. Branham taught on, in what he described is one of his most straight sermons. By that he meant that he laid out before the people the Word of God in such a way that they ought not to make any mistakes, but to understand what is going on in this Age. Now, we realize that many people did not take heed to the prophet's Message, they just didn't realize that 'Thus Saith the Lord', means that we are to listen to such a person. But, there are those few that who did listen, and they of course, understand the Message.

Now, tonight I want to continue not in the same subject, but I want to bring you a message relative to the same line of thinking, to show you the age in which we live and what is going on in our midst, that most people are entirely unaware of. And my subject is, 'Righteousness and Unrighteousness'. Righteousness and Unrighteousness as set forth in the Word of God. And we take our reading in Malachi 3:16-18, and then chapter 4 of the Book of Malachi in Its entirety. And before we read let's bow our heads once more in prayer.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we look to you know where help tonight, Lord, in every respect. Especially, Lord, we look to you for the unfolding of Your Word. Where Your prophet said so many times that anybody's hand can open the Book, but It take Your Spirit to open It to us by revelation, by understanding. And so, we pray that You'll open Your Word tonight to us, Lord, by special anointing upon the speaking of It, and the hearing of It, O God. And then, Lord, physically that there might be physical strength to give the Word and to hear the Word, so that there'd be nothing missed. Not one Word added to It, not one Word taken from It. Grant it, Lord, tonight that we be in enlightened spiritually, edified, enriched in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We'll be careful to give You the praise in Jesus' Name. Amen.

1. [Malachi 3:]

(16) Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

(17) And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

(18) Then shall (you) return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

[Malachi 4:]

(1) For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be (as) stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

(2) But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and (you) shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

(3) And (you) shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

(4) Remember (you) the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

(5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

(6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

2. Now, the text of course is [Malachi] 3:18

(18) Then shall (you) return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Now, this is quite an obscure text, I don't think I've ever seen a compilation of sermons that ever had it in it. It's one that people just glance at and pass over. Not only is it a very obscure text, but the translation in the King James version, is very erroneous. Because It does not say, "You shall return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked." But It actually says, "You shall return and discern between righteousness and wickedness. Between righteousness and wickedness, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not."

Now, to rightly understand these words actually brings us a great shock. For what kind of a person is incapable of knowing right from wrong, or righteousness from unrighteousness? And also, how can somebody be so spiritually darkened that is supposed to be spiritual, that he cannot tell who is a servant of God, and who is not a servant of God.

And this text sort of reminds me of the saying, "A man can't tell his left hand from his right hand." Or even worse, he cannot even tell his hand what it is, when it's in front of his face. But, the Bible says, "God says, that people are going to be that way." They are not going to be able to tell righteousness from unrighteousness, and tell who is serving God, and who does not serve God.

The Spirit says, "You shall return, and then you'll be able to do it, but not before." So, this tells us that there is a people who have turned away from God.

3. Now, if they've turned away from God, they are the people of God who have turned away from Him. And this is exactly what Malachi 3:7 says.

(7) Even from the days of your fathers (you) are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But (you) said, Wherein shall we return?

And you can see here the Bible teaches that to turn away from God, is to turn away from His Word. And so therefore the people at the end time have evidently turned away from the Word of God in mass, thereby turning away from God, and thereby do not know those who serve God, and those who don't serve Him. And even worse still, they can't tell righteousness from unrighteousness, or righteousness from wickedness, as God does.

Now, you'll notice that this is occur at the end time. So therefore, it is to the Gentile church. Because, It says it's to come at that time when the Lord makes up His jewels, and He will spare them, (now that's the Rapture, the First Resurrection) and He will spare them as a father spares his son that serves him. And then you'll notice It goes on to say that, " this is at the time of judgment, when God will destroy the chaff, and the stubble, (as It says in the Book of Matthew, in the synoptic*) whose fan is in his hands, he'll thoroughly purge his floor, gather the wheat in the garner, but the chaff, he will burn with unquenchable fire." And It says also that 'The Sun of righteousness, Christ shall arise with healings in his wings." [Mal 4:2] It also mentions that, "before the great and dreadful day of the Lord that He will send Elijah just before Jesus Christ comes." * [The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical wording. They stand in contrast to John, whose content is comparatively distinct.]

4. Now, you will notice here how the people are turned back to God. They are turned back to God, by being turned back to the Word, and there is a special person who's going to do it. Where the Bible says, that He will send Elijah, "and he shall turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers." [Mal 4:6]

Now, you will recall as It says in [Malachi] 3:7, "Return unto me, because you've got astray from the days of your fathers." So, therefore He is speaking to the children. And in Malachi 4:6, He is also speaking to the children) "that they shall be turned back to the fathers." So, this is the work that Elijah is supposed to do.

5. Now, you can trace this here in Scripture very easily by going first of all to Matthew 17:11. Now, Jesus gave Peter, James and John a vision of the coming Kingdom of which He was to the ruler as the Son of David.

(10) (And they said to Him, Peter, James and John) Why (do the) scribes (say, Elijah) must first come?

(11) And Jesus…said… (Elijah must) truly first come, (before this Kingdom) and (he will) restore all things.

6. Now, Peter preached a sermon in Acts 3: concerning the restoration of all things. And let us see what he said about It. Beginning in verse 19

(19) Repent (you) therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

(20) And he (God) shall send Jesus Christ, which (was appointed) … unto you: (Not preached. Jesus was not preached. He was there in the flesh).

You can tell right away that's an erroneous translation. It wouldn't hold water if you didn't even go to the Greek. But the Greek does not say He was preached, we preach Him in the sense of the historicity of Jesus Christ as a man. But Jesus, the man, was appointed unto Israel. That's right, that's what the prayer of Peter in Acts 4: during that time Peter was in prison, they prayed the same kind of prayer. (We won't go into it right now) But, It says, "Where that Christ Jesus was appointed unto them."

7. Now: [Acts 3:]

(21) Whom the heaven must receive...

No! He's already been received, retained, the heavens must retain Him, so He cannot come back in the flesh until the restoration, not restitution, but restoration. Which means, 'to bring back to a former state'. So therefore, if the children went back to the fathers, he'd be back to the former state. Now, Elijah…now It says here,

(21) …the (restoration) of all things…

Now remember, Jesus said, "Elijah shall truly come and restore all things." [Mal 4:11] So, who brings this restoration? Elijah brings this restoration. So, you can read It,

(21) (Whom the heavens must retain, until Elijah brings the restoration) of all things, which God (has) spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

8. Now then, listen, what was it the mouth of all the holy prophets spoke? They spoke the Word of God. So therefore, the Word of God must be restored to Its original state, just before Jesus Christ comes. In other words, there is going to be an absolute correction of the true teaching of Jesus Christ at this end time. Which teaching we know began to fall away from its original truth in the days of Paul, because he said, "Once I have departed, men will creep in and you of yourselves will teach perverted things to draw away disciples after them.

So therefore, the people at the end time who started out as the people of God, will no longer be the people of God unless they are returned to the Word of God, as It was in the beginning, (see?) by Elijah the prophet.

9. Now, we'll just take a second here and go back to Malachi 4: again. You will notice that the prophet said,

(4) Remember (you) the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

(5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet…

Now, Horeb is the same mountain as Sinai, Mount Sinai. It's the same mountain in the desert. And you'll remember that Moses was sent back to Horeb to get the law of God delivered afresh for the children. (See?) On Sinai the children's father hated that Word. (See?) Although they ran with the Word. Oh, my how they wanted law.

God said, "Look I don't want to give you law."

"Oh, (they said) we want law. We want to abide by law."

And so, God gave law by Moses, that's why He called it Moses' law. Now, this law, this Word was given the second time in the Book of Deuteronomy, because Deuteronomy means 'twice given'. And it was given to the children. That's why the Bible says here, 'Remember Moses in Horeb." [Mal 4:4] Moses in Horeb, (see?) was to bring the Word the second time.

10. Now, you got that sermon here, I didn't preach it here, but you've got it on tape, the 'The Former and Latter Rain'. Now, that falls right in line. But, remember also, Elijah also went to Mount Horeb in order that God could give him the Word for the seven thousand Elect that hadn't bowed the knee. And up in Horeb there was the whirlwind and the earthquake, and the fire and the still small voice which was repeated by William Branham's ministry in 1964-5. Because as he was in Arizona in the Sunset Mountain area. The Lord brought the whirlwind which gouged the Mountain, rent the rock, sent the earthquake, sent the Pillar of Fire, and brought the Word of forgiveness, (see?) to turn the people back. And he said, "You that heard this Message and follow me, you are forgiven especially of your marriages," which types spiritual fornication. I wish the church was ready, because they had been married to their creeds and dogmas, instead of Christ the Word. Now, you see a picture there.

Now, I mentioned that this period of spiritual blindness is just before Jesus returns, so He sends a man to bring us into spiritual life. They are so spiritual blind, they cannot tell righteousness from unrighteousness. Righteousness from iniquity, righteousness from wickedness. They have turned from God, just as It says in Revelation 3:14-22, when God gives the last Message to the last Church Age messenger. And He said, "You think you're wealthy, you say that you're rich and increased in goods and lack nothing. But I say, you're poor, you're wretched, you're miserable, you're blind, and you're naked and you don't even know it." [Rev 3:17]

11. That's what God said about this end time. And He's pronouncing this to the church, wherein the Bride also has her standing. This is to that seven thousand that haven't bowed the knee. This is for those that are going to turn back to God. He says it 'cart blanche'. He covers it from center to circumference, and He does not exclude one person. I don't care how righteous he thinks he is, or how godly they try to live, how perfect they try to be, God says, "They're wretched, they're miserable, they're naked, they're blind, and they don't know it."

Now, what kind of a people is that? They have turned so far from God, by turning so far from His Word, but they haven't got one thing to commend them. And Jesus said, "If I don't send Elijah to turn your hearts back to that Word, there's only one thing that I can come and do, and that is to destroy the whole bunch of you."

12. Now, notice what Jesus said about this end time Himself in the Book of Luke 17:26-30. He said:

(26) …as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be in the days of the Son of man.

(27) They (ate) drank, married wives, given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed…

Absolute spiritual blindness having turned away from God.

(28) Likewise, also as it was in the days of Lot; they (ate) they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

(29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

(30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man (is) revealed.

Now, I want you to watch closely here concerning this end-time period that Jesus spoke about. Now remember, when Jesus spoke about Elijah coming to restore, Peter gave us the full revelation, (see?) right at the end time and showed how things are going to be at the end time.

13. Now, let's turn to Peter and see what Peter has to say about what Jesus said here in Luke. Because if he explains Matthew 17: I have no doubts he explains Luke 17:

All right, 2 Peter 2:1-22

(1) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, …

Now notice, what is damnable heresies? The Word of God absolutely perverted.

(1) …even denying the Lord that bought them, …

Denying the Lord? Certainly, if you've got a Son of God as your Savior, instead of Almighty Jehovah God as your Savior, there's something wrong with you, because you're denying the God that bought you. Because God bought us, and It was God Himself. Even as Paul said, "We are bought by the Blood of God." Not a second one, not a third one, but one God Who manifested Himself in three ways. Now notice also:

(1) …bring(ing) upon themselves swift destruction.

(2) And many shall follow their pernicious ways; …

Now, you know what pernicious anemia is? No red blood cells. No life in you. You follow their lifeless ways.

(2) …by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

14. Notice, it's the way of truth, back to that Word.

(3) And through covetousness …

Covetousness of what? To make us show in the flesh, to get you on their side. To get you an organization, to get your money, to get your strength. In other words, to make you their pawn.

(3) …whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not…

This very same thing has happened through all the Church Ages, back under Israel is the very same thing that Peter speaks of in his day, and is going on in our day.

Now, verse 4

(4) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

(5) …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;

(6) And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto (us) that after should live ungodly;

(7) And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

(8) (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

(9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

(10) But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

(11) Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

(12) But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

(13) And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; (See?)

15. There'll be one mixture at the end time. One mixture. It's going to be one filthy mess.

(14) Having eyes full of adultery, (that's spiritual, more than physical) that cannot cease from sin; (that's unbelief) beguiling unstable souls: (see?) an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: (that's Cain's line.)

(15) Which have forsaken the right way, (the Word of God) and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (See?)

(16) But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

(17) These are wells without water, (not Holy Ghost baptism) clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

(18) For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

(19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

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

(21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

(22) But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing…

16. Now, you'll notice in verse 5, that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Now, what was his righteous preaching? The Word of God for that day, delivered to the people in order to save them. (See?)

Now also, in verse 13, It says:

(13) (They) shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, …

Which is the destruction that comes upon the earth, and then held in chains of darkness until the White Throne Judgement of Almighty God.

17. Now, notice in verse 9

(9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

You can see right there, because you can't talk of judgment until it's time for judgment. The Bible says, "Judge not before the time." [1 Cor 5:4a] You can't do it. But, at the end time judgment falls. So therefore, you can see these Scriptures speak of the very end time. And also you'll notice, that the righteous are saved, but the unrighteous (as I said) are destroyed in the Fire of God as the same time however, they’re kept in punishment in the place of detention.

18. Now notice in verses 13-16 that Peter comments. And he said:

(13) And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, (now) as they (gathered) pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

What are they doing? They're taking the Lord's Supper, they're going to church services, some are taking foot-washing, and they seem to be actually one part of a great company that are all proclaiming their going on into the Rapture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(14) (But they have) eyes full of adultery, (spiritual fornication, which is idolatry, organization, creeds and dogmas, and they) cannot cease from sin; (the original sin of unbelief) beguiling unstable souls: (How? By arguing the Word back and forth,) an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children.

Now, you know right away that those who are cursed are the line of Cain. Because remember, that God did not curse Adam. He cursed the ground for the sake of Adam. But, when it came to Cain, He cursed Cain. (See?) These are those that followed Cain, they're cursed.

19. Now listen:

(15) Which have forsaken the right way, (the way of righteousness) and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, …

Now, what did Balaam do? Balaam exercised a gift ministry as a prophet with a genuine gift, but led the children of Israel away from the Word of God. (See?) And this is exactly to repeat at the end time. Now,

(16) (He) was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the (prophet's) madness…

But at the end time, God will not use an animal, God is going to use the prophet Elijah. Forbidding those things. Notice what he said:

(17) (They) are wells without water, (they don't have the Holy Ghost) clouds carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

(18) (And) when they (have) great words of vanity, (and) they allure through the lusts of the flesh, … (that's pleasure.)

In other words, they've got a sensual, carnal religion in the Name of Jesus Christ. And they are worshipping God, but they don't worship Him according to the Word.

(19) (And) they promise liberty…

20. They promise them salvation, they promise them the Millennium. They promise Eternal Life, which they themselves do not have.

(20) (And) they have escaped (from the (pollution) of the world …

By the fact that they've gone as far as justification and sanctification, they never get to the baptism with the Holy Ghost, or they would not be, "wells without water, or clouds that are changed by a tempest." [2 Pet 2:17] That's impossible. They qualify for these terrible terms, because they do not go on to receiving the Holy Ghost. They simply do not.

Now, It says,

(21) …it (was) better for them (that they had never) known the way of righteousness, …

In other words, it was better that God had not brought a man like Noah on the scene. It's better for them, that God would not bring the prophet Elijah. Because you see, when they say, "We see," the Bible says, "Your sins remaineth." There is no hope for those who having come up against the Word of God and turned It down. Just like we showed you last night in the Book of Hebrews.

21. Not then, this is Peter's commentary. Let's get another witness, that witness is the apostle Paul in, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

(8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

(9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

(10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because… (See, all deceivableness of unrighteousness.)

You know what my text said? They won't know the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness, because they're deceived. They're deceived by unrighteousness. (See?)

Now, notice:

(10) …because they received not the love of the truth, …

They would not turn back to that Word. (See?) "Thy Word is truth." [Jn 17:17] And this is what would have saved them, turning back to that Word would have saved them. (See?) This is the church now we're talking about, because it took five years. Not talking about communism. Let's face it, communism is a part of the falling away, because it was the Roman Catholic church, and the Greek Orthodox church that brought about communism, because of the rottenness of the priesthood. The rottenness of religion has brought about communism. Therefore, don't fear communism, fear the rottenness of religion. It's supposed to be Christ's religion.

(11) …for this cause (if you won't hear the truth) God (will) send them strong delusion, that they should believe (the) lie:

(12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now, why did they take pleasure in it? Because they're deceived thinking it's righteousness. (See?) They think it's righteousness. It's unrighteousness.

Now notice, we've established this at the end time. The end time condition of Christianity. The Laodicean Church Age ends with such a great deception spiritually, that so blinds the people until they cannot tell righteousness from unrighteousness. They're so blinded they can't tell who’s serving God, and who’s not. They are so blinded, because of these two things they actually end up worshipping the antichrist thinking that he is God. How blind can they get? (See?)

22. Now, let's go over that again …?... in 2 Thessalonians 2:3

(3) …(the) falling away… (leads to the worship to the) man of sin.

There's going to be a falling away. And because of that in verse 10, "they perish." Why do they worship Satan? Because of the deception of unrighteousness. (See?) They think they're righteous, they are not righteous. They think they're doing righteously, but they're doing unrighteously. They don't know the difference between the two. (See?) Now then, how close are those two spirits at the end time? The very thing that Bro. Branham talked about. How close? They're so close that only the Elect will not be deceived.

23. Now notice: keeping your finger in 2 Thessalonians, (we're going to turn back to It) 2 Peter 2:4 says,

(4) For if God spared not the angels…but cast them down to hell, and

delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

(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; (Paul said, "That they all might be damned.")

Now, this shows us that this is the end time age of the great, great catastrophe when God will put the sickle in and reach the vine of the earth and destroy it. It's harvest time. Now, this is harvest time, and this is the spiritual condition at the end of the world.

Now then, comes the question: since this is harvest and the harvest is because of this unrighteousness that blinded spiritually blinded people. Since it’s righteousness, what was the seed sown that brought about this condition? You cannot have a plant without a seed. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul said, "You do not plant the plant, you plant the seed." And a body will be given the plant according to what's in the seed. What was that seed in the original beginning, that brings forth a people that are worshipping God, claiming they're living for God, and they can't tell righteousness from unrighteousness and thereby worship the devil thinking he is God in a church system?

Now, I just said a mouth full there, but there's hardly one person out of one million would even give it a second thought. That's right, because they'd think I was crazy. But I'm not crazy, I'm absolutely one with this Word.

24. Now, let's to the Bible and find out about this seed that brings us to the place where a man and a woman can't tell righteousness from unrighteousness, and can't tell and who's serving and who is. Okay, 1 John, everything we say we've got Bible for it, or we don't say it.

1 John 3:7-12

(7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as (Jesus) is righteous.

(8) He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

(9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

(11) For this is the message that (you) heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

(12) Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

Now, right there you know that his brother's work, one was righteous and one was unrighteous.

25. Now, verse 7 makes a dynamic statement about identification with Jesus. It said:

(7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as (Jesus Christ) is righteous.

Now, there is your identification with Jesus Christ. It says that you will do righteousness, because you are righteous. You follow me? Because you are righteous, you will be righteousness. Then if you be unrighteousness, you're not righteous. (See?) Now, the Bible says right here very thoroughly, "That if you do righteousness, you are righteous as Jesus Christ Himself is righteous. In other words, you have an absolute identification with Jesus Christ. If you do righteousness, you are just righteous as He is.

26. Now, keep your finger here, turn back to 2 Corinthians 5: and let's see what Paul says. Paul says in verse 21

(21) For he hath made (Jesus) to be (a) sin (offering) for us, (Jesus) who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God (by our union with) him.

Now, that word in Him in the Greek, means 'union' with Him. Remember, we have a union with Christ. "If any man hath not the Spirit Christ, is none of His." [Rom 8:9b] (See?)

Now, if we have the Spirit of Christ we are one of His. We are joined to Him. As Jesus said, "That they may be one as we are one." [Jn 17:21] I in them, they in us, (He said) I'm in the Father, the Father in me, and I in them, they're in Me." [Jn 14:20] It's an absolute union. Now, Paul gives us the doctrine which is our union with Him, makes us absolutely as righteous as Jesus.

27. Now then, John goes on to give us the manifestation, or evidence of the identification. (See?) Now, if we're joined to Him. One Spirit, "He that is brought to the Lord is one spirit." [1 Cor 6:17] If we are joined to Him, then we are in union with Him. If we are in union with Him, then we are as righteous as He is. Because remember, if my spirit was joined to Him, if His Spirit and my spirit makes His dirty, or did He make mine as perfect as His? (See?)

We're not identified any more in ourselves, we are identified in Christ. I said, Paul set the doctrine. John brings out the manifestation, or the evidence of our identification. That one is, "We will do righteous even as He is righteous." [1 Jn 3:7]

Notice [1 John 3:] verse 10

(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God… (See? But, he that doeth righteousness is of God.)

28. Now, let's take a look at that verse 9.

(9) Whosoever is born of God (the born one of God) doth not commit sin; (Now, that's a blank statement) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; … (He cannot sin, because he is born of God.)

Now listen, there is something in here that is very strange. Because in: [1 John 2:] It says,

(1) …little children, I write unto you, that (you cannot.) And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Now, It tells you here in one place that you can sin, and another place It tells you that you can't sin. So therefore, there's two different things here in mind.

Now, listen to me, if you are absolutely identified with Jesus Christ, if you are truly one of His, you're truly born of Him, you do not need an advocate here, because you're just as righteous as Jesus is, and you cannot sin. (See?) This is blind faith. Why? because how can you have sin imputed to you if you've got the righteousness of God by Jesus Christ? But, over here It says you need an advocate because, you will do a sin.

Now then, there's one place in here in this Book we find out that a Christian absolutely cannot sin. There's something you cannot do, and that is, you cannot do a thing called unrighteousness. Because he is born of God, and he cannot sin and the Seed of God is in him, and there is no possibility of this man sinning, so he doesn't need an advocate. You don't need a lawyer if you didn't do anything wrong. But, over here It says you do need a lawyer. And remember, we do have a lawyer, because Paul said so.

29. Now, just hold your finger in John there, and just work your way back quickly to,

Romans 8:34 we'll look at It.

(34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

How is it necessary for Him to be an Intercessor if we are as righteous as He is? Impossible. Not talking about that. He's talking about something else.

30. Now listen, let's go into it more thoroughly, (see?) we've got to find out what he means. Now, we can ..?... what he means, in [1 John 3:] verse 11, describing verse 10.

(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: (shows us exactly their color) whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

(11) For this is the message (we have) heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

All right, what's the beginning? Way back in Genesis. It's about Genesis.

(12) Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

Now then, notice what the Bible says here: the Bible says, that Cain slew his brother, because Abel's works were righteous, and Cain's works were unrighteous. It doesn't say that he slew his brother, and the killing of his brother was unrighteous, (although that's true) It says that he did an unrighteous thing, while Abel did a righteous thing, and because of the difference between the two of them, Cain killed his brother. (See?) That's what the Bible said. There were two acts by two men. (See?)

31. Now, let us go back to Genesis 4: and find that. Let's find out what it was that Abel did what was righteous, and what Cain did was unrighteous. Now, here's your picture, we're coming to it. See, we do not go by our imaginations where we teach the Bible. We go by the Bible. Every answer is in the Book. All right verse 2.

(2) …Abel was a keeper of sheep, Cain was a tiller of the ground.

(3) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

(4) And Abel, …also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

(5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

(6) And the LORD said (to) Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

(7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. (In other words, you're doing unrighteously) And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Now listen, that's the very first translation. And I'm going to use what the Septuagint said, and I'll prove it to you, this is actually by the New Testament, Itself. The Septuagint of course is the Old Testament written in Greek. It's what Jesus used. It's what Peter preached from at Pentecost, when he spoke on Joel. You won't find what Peter said in the King James version out of the Hebrew. The thing is the Septuagint where It is. Listen to Greek, a rendition of the Old Testament. Paul used It. They all used It. They did not use the Hebrew. They used the Greek. Now, listen to what the Greek says, this is the Bible, the literal Word of God, so don't worry about it.

32. Here's what God said to Cain.

"Thou has offered right, yet, if thou has not rightly divided, hast thou not sinned?"

He said to Cain, "You've offered right. You built a good offering. But, you didn't divide the Word of God right, when you offered it?"

Now, listen to me, what was the offering that Cain offered? The offering of the first-fruit. When did the first-fruit offering appear? After the blood. Therefore, as a man, is more of the blood, which is in the Word of God the other sacrifice, the paschal Lamb. And offers the first-fruit offering, which is also in the Word, he has wrongly divided, even though his offering was right. You follow me? You get the picture?

I don't care who it is that tries to serve God. I don't care where he perverts It, even though he was producing it from the Word of God, he is counted as being unrighteous thing. If you step outside of the framework of the Word of God to produce anything that the Word of God says to be produced. (You may have to get the tape on this, a couple of times, but just careful, it’ll work out.)

33. Now listen, let's go through this picture again. There were two acts by two men. One served God, the other served Him not. Even though he studied it, and tried to serve Him. What act was unrighteous, and lying? What act was righteous and why was it? I've explained it to you. They both did according to the Word. But, one was by a divine revelation, and he presented the blood first, then the first-fruit. He was serving God by the Word of God, in the frame work of the Word of God. And God called Abel righteous for doing it.

The other one was placing the Word of God, wrongly dividing the Word of God. Trying to serve God in his own way the best he could, and yet he was wrong in doing it, and therefore what he did was unrighteous. Now then, what about those that are baptized in Father, Son and Holy Ghost, instead of Lord Jesus Christ? (See?) Where do you stand?

According to the original precept of God, and this is the original, from which God cannot change. I don't care how you and I tried to serve Almighty God, and how successful we seem doing it if that Word is not rightly divided, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. God calls what we are doing as unrighteous, and we're not serving Him at all.

34. Now, this is exactly where we are getting our picture, you can't change it. Here is your evidence of identification with Jesus Christ. This is the evidence of righteousness, (right?) or the evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Not tongues. Nope, no sir. Not going out there as a preacher. No sir. Not going out there as a Bride, giving everything you've got to prove you love God. No sir! No sir! The evidence of being one with Jesus Christ, is to have the revelation of God's Word and serve Him, thereby, and no other service is acceptable. And there is nothing else which would indicate us as being righteous.

That's why we're getting so close to what we're talking about, that at the end time, where people will not know righteousness from unrighteousness, and they'll be worshipping the devil thinking he's God. Because they absolutely don't know what you and I are talking about tonight, what Bro. Branham taught us.

35. Now, listen Cain was a worker, a tiller of the soil. And as Bro. Branham said, "Those organized people, and those one in their creeds and dogmas, they'll outwork anybody." So, they should, because a real man of God goes by faith.

Now, Abel was a man of faith. Now, let's go to the Book of Hebrews 11: I'm going to prove my point here, what I said awhile ago. (See?) …?... verse 4. Now listen:

(4) By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which… (by what? Faith, faith, faith by a revealed Word.)

That's where his faith was, rightly dividing the Word of God, is the only place anybody’s got any faith. Don't say how hard you work. How hard you try. There's only one faith that God will honor, and that's the faith that's based upon the revealed Word. As Bro. Branham said, "Abel had a revelation." A revelation. Now listen, (you weren't listening. If you were listening you'd have caught something.)

(4) By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than (the excellent sacrifice of) Cain, …

Because if Abel had a more excellent sacrifice and it's compared to Cain's sacrifice, then Cain had an excellent sacrifice. (Yeah, sure did.) That's what the Septuagint said. That's what the New Testament said. "Thou as offered right." He did a good job. Sure.

36. That's exactly what It says over here… (keep you finger there maybe) in the Book of Romans 4: speaking of these men. Now Paul bringing this same thing out.

(1) What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Carnal division in the Word of God, that's your flesh, carnal division. That's what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2: He said, "it's spiritually revealed." What's Abraham found? Listen,

(2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Cain did a good job. Abraham did a good job. But, there is no such thing as your faith in reaching God, is a identification with Jesus Christ, except through the blessed revelation of the Holy Ghost, in God's Word, …(See?) …and It’s works. Now,

(3) (And) what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (See?)

Now, there's you picture. Abel divided the Word rightly. He served God according to the revelation by the Spirit. Cain took the Word without revelation and he interpreted It, and divided It wrong. Cain had the right offering, in the wrong place. That's exactly what Pentecost has with tongues evidence. They got the right thing in the wrong place, comes this WORD! It's a gift of the Holy Ghost. And you can be a …?... and have a gift, but you can't have the Holy Ghost. If, dividing that Word wrong…oh brother/sister, this is important!

37. This is exactly why God sent an end time prophet, with 'Thus Saith the Lord' vindicated, so you and I could sit back here with our mouths open for that rain to fall upon us. Not to have our own ideas, because God said at the end time, we would not know righteousness from wickedness. How wicked do you need to get? Somebody out there shooting up the town. Assaulting, robbing, murder, rape. That's not it. It's in the church. Spiritual people trying to do… just lovely, nice. Serving God, the best they can, but they're wrong. (See?)

Now, Abel had the Word right. (See?) Cain had It wrong. Abel loved his brother. There is no place where he said even fought against his brother. Cain had that Word wrong. It was wrong. And, when he had the wrong division he hated his brother. That's why there's such hatred in the world. You see where the hatred is? It's over the people in the church, because they're wrongly dividing the Word, the whole lock, stock and barrel. That's why Pentecostal's hate Nazarenes, Nazarenes hates Pentecost. Baptist hate Methodist, Methodist hate Presbyterians. The hatred lies in the fact that a wrong division of the Word! (See?) That's where we got the troubles, creeds and dogmas. The seed.

38. Notice the Word of God here. If we have the correct Word of God, then we have love. There is no such thing as God even crediting you with love as far as I can see, until you've got the Word right. Because, it’s have the Word right, then love. It doesn't say, "Love, then get the Word." It says, "Have the Word right then love." Why? Because your love will be like Christ bringing the correction, and the reproval to those who haven't got the Word right. Why? Because you see they are reforming themselves from not having the Word right. (See?)

Now, notice the criterion is what Paul said; is what John said; is what Bro. Branham said. Have the Word right, then love. Now, you see the picture. This is what the works of the devil are, … misinterpretation of the Word. So that men will try to serve God by creeds and dogmas. The very thing the devil perpetrated upon Eve. He perpetrated upon Cain. And now today, John says, "Listen, you are identified with Christ on the grounds that you have that Word right." Now, that's the message there.

39. Now, let us understand why. We go back to.

Hebrews 11:4 again. Now watch this:

(4) By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which (Abel) obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Now, you notice in here, two men had faith. (Right) Two men had faith. One man had the correct faith, because the Word was rightly divided by the Spirit. The other man had incorrect faith, and therefore he lost out with God. Now brother/sister, let’s look at this thing. How in the world could anybody, have a true faith in God unless he's got a correct revelation of that Word?

Back in Abel's day God showed His approval. No doubt the Pillar of Fire came down, but, God approved of Abel, he manifested it. Today there's going to be a manifestation of whose right, and that's by the Rapture, and by that time it's too late.

Remember, the five foolish virgins came to the door to late. We’re sorry, the door’s shut. You can't come now. This is what we're looking at, the seriousness of the day in which we live when the Bible says, "People are going to be worshipping and serving God in their own way, and they won't know the difference between righteousness and wickedness." And the righteousness is your faith in God based upon a true revelation by the Holy Ghost, whereby you try serve Him. Oh, they'll say you don't serve Him, they'll hate you. But that's alright.

40. Now listen, let's go back to John again to see how I line up with the Word. How do you line up with the Word? Okay, let's find out 1 John 4:1

(1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets (many false teachers) are (in) the world.

Now, what's this fellow doing? This fellow takes you away from God by perverting the Word. Lots of signs and wonders. Sure. Now, verse 6

(6) We are of God: (said John) he that knoweth God heareth us; (said John) he that is not of God… (does not hear me, said John.)

Jesus said, "If you were of God, you'd hear Me." John said, "If you were of God, you'd hear me," said John.

41. All right, let's get another witness, 1 Corinthians 14:36-37

(36) What? came the word of God out from you? (said Paul) or came it unto you only?

(37) If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of (God.)

Now, here was Jesus:

And He said, "If you line up with what I say, you're of God."

John said, "If you line up with what I say, you're of God."

Paul said, "If you line up with what I say, you're of God."

You say, "All right that's fine, that happened back in those days."

Listen, brother/sister, it happened in every Church Age, and it's happening right now today, that you can either line up with God by His Word, or you can get out and be lost. And I'm going to prove it to you.

41. Revelations 1:10,12-13 by the same man that wrote the Gospel, and the Epistle of John.

(10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Verse 12

(12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Remember, the true Church, (the Bride) is the manifestation of Jesus Christ in the flesh in every Age. Remember, the Church is supposed to be it. So, therefore, when John turned to see the Voice, he saw the Church, the seven golden candlesticks. One Church in every Age, until Seven Church Ages go by, and the Bride's taken. Church will be gone.

Now listen, looked at the Church, what did he see?

(13) And in the midst of the…candlesticks (the Seven Church Ages) …

Now, in the middle of it, means the continual line running from the Church Ages, to the Seventh Church Age in the midst of it. In the Bride the life stream, the life Blood of the Bride is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And remember, the Greek said, he said, "One like to the Son of man." The Greek said, "One speaking the same things as the Son of man." That same Voice is in the Church in Seven Church Ages.

42. Now listen, In His right hand, (right hand signifies authority) the authority (see?) in the Church in every Age is a Church messenger. Because in the right hand of Christ are seven stars. And those seven stars are seven messengers. And the word 'star' in the Greek is simply a 'light holder'. It is a pre-eminent One amongst many like Him. (See?) God raising up a minister, just like those who sit in the pews as human beings, He raises up a messenger in every single age. And His Voice is in the messenger. We'll prove it. Go to Revelation 2:1

(1) Unto the (messenger, which is in) the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he… (and so on)

Verse 7

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

Now, in verse 8,

(8) … (It mentions the messenger)…

In verse 11,

(11) He that …(heareth) …

Verse 12,

(12) … (A messenger) ...

Verse 17,

(17) … He that (heareth) ...

Verse 18,

(18) …(A messenger) …

Every single Church Age, God gives a messenger. He reveals Himself to the messenger. Gives him the Word for the day. And that man on fire, brings the Word of God for that day. And It says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear, what the Spirit says to the Churches." But the Spirit is saying, “It’s in the messenger. Therefore, John said, "He that hears me is of God and hears God."

And I say, in every single Church Age and right today, "He that hears the messenger is of God." And the other people don't want to hear and they're not of God. You can say want you want. If I'm denying the Word of God and blaspheme the Holy Ghost, I'm going on doing it, because I'm absolutely convinced this is what the Word of God says. There never has been a big group that ever heard the Voice of God, or wanted to hear It.

43. That religious bunch in the days of Jesus, in whom the devil got those Jews, He said, "You are of your father the devil." [Jn 8:44] He said, "You are of that wicked one. You are the first one, you are of Cain." And they were the religious ones. And Jesus said concerning them, "If you don't receive Me, who comes in My Father's Name, there'll be somebody come in their name and you'll take him." Absolutely an antichrist spirit, the religion spoken today.

That's what we have today brother/sister. We have got the Word of God in every single Church Age by a messenger. And those sheep hear the Word which comes by the messenger, and identifying with the messenger. Like Paul said, "Identify with me, (he said) if you got the Holy Ghost. If you're a prophet, if you think you've got everything (he said) you'll admit that what I say is the commandment of God."

And John said, "Listen, (to those children) I want to tell you something." He said, "I'll tell you what it is, (said) if you’re of God. As you know God, (he said) you listen to me." And in every Church Age you've had a man of that caliber.

44. But listen to me, in the Seven Church Age, God does something even greater. In Revelation 10:7 It says:

(7) But in the days of the voice of the seventh (church messenger), …

Now, why do I say Seventh Church messenger? Because there's only one place in the Bible where you learn about messengers that are on earth, and that's in Revelation 2:3, and the Church messengers. And the Seventh messenger is the Laodicean Church Age messenger, and he's the last one. And since God does everything is sevens, there is nobody else to follow him.

Now, here's what he said:

(7) …in the days of (that man's) voice…when he shall begin to sound, (and remember, the last trumpet is 1 Corinthians 15: when the living get changed, and the dead come up. Now It says;) the mystery of God should be finished…

That's perfected brought to perfection. Christ the mystery, Christ the Word. The same thunders, all of it, will come into absolute perfection. Whereas It says In Moses' day, "Upon Horeb you will not add one Word, or take one Word away from It." [Deut 4:2a] So, at this end time Revelation 22:18-19 will come to pass. That Word of God will be so perfect, if we add to It, or take from It, God will destroy you. Put you in the tribulation, or take your name out of the Book.

45. Now, listen to me, at this time when the Seventh Church Age messenger stands upon the ground here, It says, Revelation 10:1-3 takes place. The Mighty Messenger, Christ Himself descends from Heaven. And His feet are Pillars of Fire, and the feet stand on land and sea. So therefore, Jesus Christ descends as He descended for power as a Pillar of Fire.

Now remember, everything that God does in Alpha and Omega. And if we got a-b-c to z, it is a and z. What He does. So, as Jesus Christ appeared to Paul and gave the revelation by the Pillar of Fire, Alpha, He's got to be Omega again. Which is in the Seventh Church Age. Once more He appears as a Pillar of Fire, comes down to earth, and there tells a prophet. Isn't that what Malachi said. "Remember my servant Moses in Horeb?" What happened in Horeb. In Mount Horeb, you know what they said when that Fire came down, and God was going to speak? They said, "Moses, tell God that we don't want to hear Him again. When you go up there to get that Word, you go up there that you see the Pillar of Fire, and then you come down and tell us."

And in chapter 18, of Deuteronomy, God said, "They have well spoken, what they said. He said, "I'm going to do it, and I will raise him up a prophet like unto you, from midst of the brethren. And if you will hear him in every Word, and if you don't (He said) I will require it of him. I'll destroy him among the people."

46. And that's exactly what It says in Acts 3: when that man comes to his door, that Elijah comes to his door. (See?) If you don't hear him, why? because the Pillar of Fire, Christ the Word, the Logos is with him, and if you don't hear him, I'll destroy you. That is absolutely what the Bible teaches. Last message, never to hear the Word of God again. This is at our end time brother/sister. The demonstration of this Message was so great that people though they saw It, did not believe It.

How great was the vindication in this man's ministry that he was the one to bring the Word? Read Hebrews 6:4-6 I read It last night.

(4) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, … (see, the last time enlightening) tasted of the heavenly gift, (partake) of the Holy Ghost,

(5) …tasted the good word of God, the powers of the world to come,

(6) … (having falling) away, …

This is what has happened in our day. There will be such an absolute demonstration of God. The very ministry of Jesus Christ returns to this earth. As It says in Luke 17:26. They'll be in the enlightened. The Word of God come for the last time. "He has tasted the Heavenly gift, that we have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost. Have tasted the good Word of God. The power of the world to come, and they'll still fall away." They'll do it. Making them absolutely unrighteous and proving they're not of God, because they will not hear the Word.

47. Now, they turned It down. That's see where they turned It down. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

(10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness… (this thing is deceiving the people and they) perish; (why?) because they received not the love of the truth, …

(11) (Then…) God (sends) them strong delusion, (they'll) believe (the) lie:

Why? Because they took their pleasure in unrighteousness. They got everything that they wanted. Serving God here, worshipping God here, and believing they were right. They got it out of here, and they loved it. We go to Pentecostal church today, and we say, "Put you church in order, take those gifts in the private room like Paul said."

They say, "You got to be crazy." They're going to have them right on the floor.

We say, "Where do you get 'Thus Saith the Lord' ? You haven't got one 'Thus Saith the Lord' amongst you."

Why? Because they quote the Bible, that's not 'Thus Saith the Lord', that's 'Thus said the Lord', you've done said It already. Took place. They won't listen.

48. You go to a Melodist church and you tell them that sprinkling is no good. They'll throw you out the door. You go to the Presbyterian and you give them the truth, throw you out the door. You talk to the Baptist, they'll laugh in your face. Guess what, they're having a great time serving God, worshipping Him. They've got great drives on. They've got their altars filled with people. They believe they're born again, and they're not born again. They merely repent, and they call it rebirth. Repentance is not rebirth. (See?) Rebirth is rebirth, repent is just changing your mind.

What the man says, "I used to be an atheist." He changed him mind. That doesn't make him saved. He just changed his mind. What if I decided to buy a house today and change my mind tomorrow? That doesn't make me saved, just changed my mind. Repentance doesn't save you. Repent and be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, then get the Holy Ghost. Say, "What do they care about the Bible? But they're having a great time. They're praising God, they're worshipping God. They say, "Hallelujah, I love you Jesus." They're getting real, they're getting blessed, they're getting gifts. They're a million miles off the truth. The Bible calls it unrighteousness. It certainly does.

49. Now, listen to me, just like Cain. Just like Cain they take pleasure in their unrighteousness. They take pleasure in same, off the revealed Word of God. They take pleasure. Look at the Roman Catholic church, that's our day. Luther, come on the scene. They took pleasure in the Roman Catholic church. Their doctrine, their dogma, they laugh at Luther, and tried to kill the Protestants and killed millions of them. Millions and millions, they killed, and they took pleasure in it.

Just like said in John 16: (I think it was) …where He said they'll kill you, thinking they're doing God a favor. They took pleasure in it. Old Hippo, Augustine of Hippo, he said, If you deny the Catholic church they can kill you for own good, to make you a Christian. They take pleasure in doing it.

50. Now, after Luther came and went off the scene what happened? Wesley came along. What about them? They took pleasure in being Lutheran, they wouldn’t turn to Wesley. Then Pentecost came, the Wesleyans, what did they do? They turned on the Pentecostals, they took pleasure. Now, where are we today? God sends a prophet William Branham the 'Thus Saith the Lord'.

Now listen to me, I want you to get this straight, because this thing will really help you. If I were a prophet and I came before you and I said, 'Thus Saith the Lord', what kind of a God have you got anyway, to just sit there and it doesn't matter two cents whether the thing comes to pass or not? If God, is God, and it means anything, even a little more that a hair on a dog's back, he'd have enough guts and gumption when a man says, 'Thus Saith the Lord', and It wasn't God telling him to say it, he'd say, "That thing will not come to pass, because I'm God."

51. Now then, if a prophet's got 'Thus Saith the Lord', and any kind of a god at all, I'd say, "If God is any kind of a god at all, worth his salt to be called God, with even so much as one Word in adoration, do you think He's let anybody getting away saying 'Thus Saith the Lord' if He didn't send him?" No sir. Then when a man says 'Thus Saith the Lord', and it's exactly what he said, because it's not him saying It, it’s God saying It, then you better listen with every ounce you've got to make sure you're getting what He's telling you. Because the Bible said, "You hear him, you hear him, and if you don't God will require it and destroy you amongst the people." There's only one time to do that, and that's at the end time.

Now, listen to me, we've already had that. And what did Pentecost do? They had too much fun with their ladies cut hair. I use that word in a very, very loosely, (to call them ladies) because if they're ladies they wouldn't cut their hair. They're women, of some description. They laughed at him, and he had 'Thus Saith the Lord'. They wear those slacks and their shorts, but he had 'Thus Saith the Lord'. He told them to quit preaching, and he had 'Thus Saith the Lord'. He told them to put their gifts where they belong, (which is right in 1 Corinthians 14: anybody can read It, you just want to read It) but they wouldn't do it.

52. He told them their error, they wouldn't listen. You see where their unrighteousness is? I don't care if they're winning millions of souls, so called. I don’t care if they're raising the dead. The Bible said at the end time Matthew 24:24,

(24) …there (will appear) false Christs, (lying) prophets, (who will do great signs and wonders; … (and) deceive (everybody, but) the elect.

And the word 'elect' in the Greek is 'eke' and 'Logos'. Those who come out by the Word. What Word? The revealed Word of Almighty God. Not what somebody say It is, but what a vindicated prophet said It is.

53. Now, what about Matthew 7:22-23

(22) Many will say to me in that day, (and say) Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name, have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

(23) And… (he'll say,) I never knew you: depart from me, (you) that work iniquity. (I never knew you.)

Now, of course the Pentecostal's say, "Well, I used to know you." Well, what kind of a liar are you trying to make God? He never said, "I used to know you." He said, "I never knew you." And in Greek it's a triple compound. "I never, never, never knew you." Not just never.

Like It says, "And they shall never perish." It doesn't say, "They shall never perish." It said, "They shall never, never, never perish." Is what the Bible teaches. (See?) This is where we are today. You've got everybody, anybody can have signs and wonders by the Holy Ghost. But remember, Balaam a prophet who led the people into sin. Cain did it, and that's going on today. And it's all in the name of religion, because of the wrong division, of the Word of God.

54. Now brother/sister, get it tonight. How can you have faith that God is going to answer with a Rapture if your faith is not correct, with the revelation of God's Word? Remember what Paul said, he said, "If we say that God raised Jesus, and God raised Him not, your faith is vain." [1 Cor 15:17] (See?) Oh, I know people say, "Well, we've been fighting about this Word for years, so let's just all love Jesus." (See?) That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says, "Get that Word right, then love." (See?)

Remember brother/sister, it's the love of the truth, that people turn down, not Jesus. Nobody turns Him down. They turn down Christ the Word, but not Jesus. How can you turn down a little baby born in a manger that died upon the Cross? Nobody turns that down. They turn down the Word. Israel didn't turn down Jesus, they turned down the Word. Nobody turns down Jesus, they turn down the Word. That's why He's outside the door knocking wanting to get back in. They turned down that Word.

55. Now, like turning, they cannot take the Word. Remember, Jesus said, "Look, it's lying at your door, the sin offering's there. Do what I tell you." Turned It down. Right today, millions of people, they say they believe the Blood offering, the believe the sacrifice. They say, “Therefore, who needs Elijah? Who needs him to come?” That's nice reasoning. How come that blood sacrifice never put Israel into the Promised Land? Those two million people made a blood sacrifice.

And remember, the parents made the blood sacrifice for the kids, and they themselves failed to go into the Promised Land. Why? Because the Word given them was not mixed with Satan, when they heard It. They listened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram. They loved the gifts and the ministry. Just like Israel loved the loaves and fishes, but they wouldn't go with the Word.

56. Now listen, let's go back to 2 Peter 2:12

(12) But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Where is the corruption? Now get it brother/sister, get this understanding of corruption. Men of corrupt minds, lest your mind be corrupted. That's where it is, they perished in their own corruption. Why, because they don't have a true revelation of God's Word by the Holy Ghost. They want their own idea. What has Pentecost always sin? "I've got the Holy Ghost, I don't need any man to be to teach me." Especially the big mouth women say that. The smaller mouth men, say it once in a while, too. But it's the big mouth women that say it all the time. "I've got the Holy Ghost, I don't need a man." Then you're calling your God a fool! Because God placed teachers in the Body of Jesus Christ.

57. So, call Him a fool! Go ahead! Show what you are! You've got that spirit on you. You say, "Bro. Vayle, I don't have that spirit." Could be, it could be true, before I told you. That's why I'm nailing it down. Not trying to tease you, but trying to preach it in such a way as Peter did. He said, "I'm reminding you of the present truth. And when I'm gone you won't forget." Not the present truth, as though we're listening at someone here and we're examining it presently. You've got the Word of God for your day. (See?) Sure, going down that road, that highway. But their minds corrupted with their own reasoning and thinking.

And Bro. Branham according to the Word that God gave them said this end time prophet Elijah, was going to plant the seed of the entire Bible, from the serpent to the prophet in the former rain. They started with serpent, and he said the serpent was almost exactly like a man. He had a place for a soul, but he didn't have a soul. He was fine, he could talk, he was upright. He was like a giant, and the only reason you couldn't tell him from Adam, was because Adam was short little fellow, and the giant was a great big guy. That's why beware of these big muscle guys that go around…they're just crazy anyway. They’re sick. Yeah, look at him. Look, the go around these big shows, and they've got great big muscles, like cream puffs. I'm not going to talk about them, because it's disgusting.

58. Let me tell you something brother/sister, don't get fooled by the world. That serpent was just so close to a man, who could reason, who could think, but he knew something the man didn't know. He was sexual precocious, and he fooled the woman. Because, even Adam like little children. They didn't understand anything about sex, they could be naked and walk around. But the serpent knew, he had all the cunning and the instinct of the beast. Tough, smarter than a man.

Now we talk about the filth in taking Eve in seduction. You think that you can tell that to people? No, right away they light up like pin ball machines…their eyes, they get angry, and they ridicule it. You see, they speak evil of things they don't understand, but they go by their own corruption.

You say, "Bro. Vayle, if I turned down that Word of God would I lose out?" The Bible says, "you take away one Word, or add one Word." [Rev 22:19] Because the prophet has got to give an end time complete revelation. And we've got to stand on It, you don't have to understand It all, you believe It. I don’t suppose one minute, that Abel understood it all, but he did it. And brother/sister, I know what Abel did what God said, and took that revelation, God opened it to him. I never yet failed to find everything the prophet taught us, but I just believed it, and then waited for God to give the answer. That's the way it is. Because a brute beast corrupted, they shall receive the reward as unrighteousness. What's unrighteousness? Dividing that Word wrong, and standing on it, and trying to serve God by a wrong division of God's Word. Certainly. The Bible said, "At the end time this would be so rampant there'd be in the church, they sport themselves with their own deceiving." Yeah.

59. Not long ago a friend of mine, talking to a man who hated Bro. Branham, laughed at him. "Why, (he said) if Bro. Branham was a prophet he would come back," It's one of those Pentecostal churches, one of those oneness churches, organized, said that. And this friend of mine said, "Look it, (he said) believe me, that's wrong.”

“Why, (he said) if you try tell me (he said) I haven't got the Holy Ghost?"

He said, "That's right, I don't believe you got the Holy Ghost, or you'd listen to the prophet."

He's against speaking in tongues. "Now, (he said) tell me, have I got the Holy Ghost."

He said, "No, (he said) anybody can talk in tongues, you haven't got the Holy Ghost as far as I'm concerned."

Sporting themselves. Making a show. (See?) Not one had 'Thus Saith the Lord', except the prophet. That they stand up as though they’ve got it all.

60. You've seen that lovely film that Bro. Branham sent, and maybe the last one with Technicolor, you'll see it after awhile. Beautiful film. The man that made it will not release it, until his picture is taken from Bro. Branham, because Bro. Branham's false, and he's real.

I've talked to that man, I know him personally.

I said, "Brother, Bro. Branham was a vindicated prophet.”

“Why (he said) Bro. Vayle, I had vindication too.” And he told me about one little vision he had, that came to pass.

I shut my mouth, and I could have said, “Just hold it, right there, brother. I know you, but you forget who I am. You wanted me to go to your church, because I’ve got discernment also.” I had all kinds of it. “But I’m the man that’s seen visions in technicolor, and it came to pass.” Just as I felt my eyes wide open. A vision in technicolor. Not just one, either. I’m the man who stood before people time after time, and prophesied. And it came to pass just as I said, it. I could have matched him time for time, and made him look as though he didn’t have a thing. But I don’t have one ounce of vindication. Because I never had, nor ever will have ‘This Saith The Lord’, as the prophet of God at the end time. But they stand up against it. And they make mock of you, and the prophet of God. And they make themselves as though they are somebody. And I find a lot of them, are nothing but a bunch of conniving liars and cheap-skates. Because they’ll bow you and cripple you, for every cent you’ve got. Change another pocketbook, making sure they’re addressing somebody, to say they’re making some money, and make out as though they know you, and you know them, and you'd be doing God a service if you didn't get none.

Well, I've got news for you, just throw that in the fire, and hold your nose while you do it, because the fumes will overcome you. It's so rotten, it's pitiful.

61. The Bible says, "Their eyes are full of adultery." They're looking for those silly women, (the church) so they'll listen to them. "They cannot cease from sin, (unrighteous, unfaithful) beguiling unstable souls," [2 Pet 2:4] those that don't have the Word of God. Remember, the man that's got the Word of God by revelation, he's built upon the solid rock. "They got hearts exercised with covetous practices." [2 Pet 2:14] Oh how sweet they'll talk to you to get control in your life. The Bible calls them, "cursed children." They've forsaken the way of righteousness. They've forsaken the Word just like Balaam did, but they’re exercising the gifts, they’ll discern and anything else that they might make you a follower. But, the Bible said, "They're wells without water." [1 Pet 2:17a] There's no Holy Ghost there, there's just the anointing.

How deceitful is this age? No longer good people. As Bro. Branham said it's the truth. Not the people in the church, it's their leaders and the system. Good people, trying people, trying to worship and serve God by creeds and dogmas through a church system, end up worshipping Satan. How deceived can they get? Absolutely deceived. Because the Bible said, "they go back to the vomit." What's the vomit, Isaiah 28: "all tables are full of vomit." Will all go back. They'll all go back brother/sister, the pit where they had the original seed. God demands total separation.

62. In 2 Corinthians 6:14 God says this:

(14) Be (you) not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

How can you go wrong and be in a church where everybody really loves God, go to some church where they haven't got the Word God, they've got their creeds and dogmas, and they speak against the revealed Word, the vindicated Word to the end time? (See?)

(14) …what communion hath light with darkness?

What have we got to do with them? "What concord has Christ with Belial?" [2 Cor 6: 15] Remember, Belial, …the sons of Belial were those rotten fornicators. How can we be with those who are fornicating, going to organization their creeds and their dogmas? How can we be with them? You can't be a part. "What agreement has the temple of God, us, temple of the Holy Ghost got with the temple of idols?" [2 Cor 6:16] (See?) Falling down and worshipping their creeds and dogmas, like the Roman Catholic church today.

A year ago, or so, they were having miracles and signs and wonders in Notre Dame University. Go back today, still got their signs and wonders, and they're counting their beads and saying the rosary. (See?) There you are. But the Bible said would happen in the last day. That God said, "Come out of them My people, and be separate."

63. How wonderful it is for us who have the vindicated Word of the prophet. As I've often said, and I say it again: I would sooner be wrong the way I'm going, (because the other way has got to be wrong, no worse than mine) if I'm wrong the way I'm going, if my revelation is wrong the way I've got it, I'll still stick to it, because I'm banking everything I've got on a vindicated prophet, who gave me the start of what I believe I got to give.

He opened the Book. He's the one that showed 'The Anointed Ones for the End Time'. He's the one that taught the serpent seed, and what it was. He's the one that showed us exactly the truth. I know that he was the…I know he proved himself that he was that servant of God, because he had 'Thus Saith the Lord'. Thousands of times, and never failed. Never once did God fail to manifest Himself to the people through that prophet. So, I know that if I've got any hope at all, I'm going to have to stay with that Word the way he gave It. And remember, John said, "He that is of God, heareth us." [1 Jn 4:6] Why, because the sheep hear the Voice, and the Voice is in the messenger for Seven Ages.

64. Now brother/sister, quite a few years back Wesley was that messenger. I believe it all but died out, there's just a few maybe living in the old Age. Then they came to Pentecost. Pentecost never had a messenger, because the messenger had to appear at the very end, right before the Rapture, like Bro. Branham did. But you know what came to men? God restored the gifts. But they failed to hear the Voice of God in restoration. They organized It, and they went into sin. But, you know what? This group will never organize. And you know why? It can't organize. You know why? Because there's many of us who are Bride, and there's many who aren't Bride. And they'll always argue, as to exactly what the prophet meant when he said it, "Christ." So, they'll never get to the place where they can write a book, or agree together, it's a private revelation between me and God, between you and God.

And remember, the sheep, (individual) hear the Voice. You will, if you are real sheep, you don't need to worry. And don't worry anyway. As Bro. Branham said, "There's going to be somebody make it. And if there's two or more in town believe this Message, you believe that you're one of them." Not in competition, with the other fellow now… that you believe, you believe right. You believe your one of them. If there's only one of them is going to make it at that time, you believe you're that one. (See?)

65. We'll never organize. We'll never know… This is the end, it's the last Message. And God has poured His Spirit upon that Message. And one of these days there in the Bride, is going to fully manifest the Lord Jesus Christ. That Word is going to come forth. And when It does, they're going to come out of the ground. And the living, they’re going to be changed, and they're going to send them to heaven in ranks, one after the other.

Now brother/sister, that's the Word of the Lord tonight. And you can see where we're at, this Age does not know righteousness from wickedness. It doesn't know those who serve God from those who do, until the prophet came on the scene. And when he came on the scene, he knew, but not before. How deceptive is this Age. How close are those two Spirits. If you want to live tonight, there's only one place I know you can live brother/sister, and that's right back to this Word that was revealed for our day, by a man that was vindicated. And he was, and he was.

So, thank God, we're on the right trail. You see where you're identified tonight? You can see just what Bro. Branham taught. The evidence of the Holy Ghost is receiving the Word of God for your day. There's your difference between those out in the world, they don't want the vindicated Word, they want their own word. What do they end up as? They'll die to save themselves from the beast, or they'll end up worshipping him. Where will we be? By the grace of God through faith in a revealed Word, we're going to make that Rapture. You follow it tonight? That's exactly what's taught in the Bible, not something else. The Lord bless you. Shall we rise and be dismissed.

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us the Word of Life. Who has manifested Himself at the end time, showing Himself among us, proving He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Whereby we know It is the Lord Jesus Christ.

O Father, tonight we thank you that we have received the Word, and we stand on It. And, Lord God, I know that Your faithful Spirit, that's been given to us to reveal to us the whole truth, and to show us the things that are with us, and the things that are to come. O God, we know by placement already, that we are a part of the move of the Bride at the end time. And whatever we ask, Lord, at this time, we know that You said You'd make us up, make it up to us, because You're going to present us perfect, faultless, without spot, or without wrinkle and we thank You for it.

O gracious Lord, may the people rejoice in it tonight. Knowing that this is the great evidence, this is the identification, and this is where we stand against all the Cain’s, who stand like Abel, because the deed was is righteous, worshipping God in Spirit and in truth.

Lord, bless everyone present tonight. We pray, Lord God, that You sent Your Word to heal, but already that healing Word, Lord, is amongst us. One of these days, Lord, that same Word by the Spirit, is going to change it from mortal to immortal. Then, O God, how sure it is that there can be healing tonight in sick bodies, in …?... Lord, that need a touch. Touch our bodies we pray, O God, as a Token of the manifestation which is to come. I’ll be careful to give you the praise in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.