Ewald Frank

preached on 31. 05. 1992, 14:00, Zürich,

Topic: 2 Timothy 2:2-3: “Commit what you have heard of me among many witnesses—to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also!”

broadcast on 04. 10. 2026

This reminds me of our recent trip to Israel. Once again at every turn we saw the biblical events and the sites, and we are constantly reminded anew of what once was. And a great longing has surely arisen within us, that this should not have been merely a thing of the past, but that it is still true today. That we might not just say, “There it happened almost two thousand years ago”, or “That is what the Lord did back then”, but that we might say, “That is what the Lord has done for us now, in these days, in our time”. For He is the same yesterday, today and forever. [Heb 13:8]

I believe that the greater the length of time, the more a deep longing rises up within us for the Lord to speak out, for Him to stretch out His arm, and for Him to do once more all the works recorded in the Old and New Testament, the works He has done, and to prove Himself to be alive and present amongst His people.

In recent days we have once again been reminded of what took place in the plan of salvation, that after His resurrection our Lord spent forty days with His disciples, and then took them to Bethany, where He raised His hands and was taken up into heaven before their very eyes, and the words that were then spoken were: “This same Jesus, who has been taken up from your midst into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen Him go into heaven.” [Act 1:11]

And we know that this day must now truly be very near, as we have said several times before, and perhaps can emphasize once more for those who have been added. In previous generations people believed that the Lord would return. In our generation we know, because of the signs of the times, that His return is truly imminent. And I believe that we are a privileged people or generation, who are now allowed to live at the end of the time of grace, to recognize all that God has done and is still doing, and to share in it.

There are several scriptures that move me, particularly those concerning the Lord’s ascension, which after all guarantees our own ascension. Just as surely as He ascended into heaven, He foretold: “I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” He said it: “In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.” [Joh 14:2-3]

How grateful we can be that we are allowed to believe, and that reminds me of the return flight from Tel Aviv. I had two special people sitting to my right, conductors, composers, and all sorts of other things, one a Jew, the other a man from among the nations, both international figures, and they saw that I had a Bible in my hand luggage. Then one said to the other, in English: “That’s a religious man.” And as I can speak English too, I replied: “Yes, that’s right, I am, and more than that, a man who believes in the Bible.” And we introduced ourselves to one another. I said my name, and one of them said: “My name is so-and-so, and I’m an atheist.” And the other introduced himself and said: “My name is so-and-so, and I’m also an atheist.”

And I had to laugh out loud. I just laughed from the bottom of my heart, and I didn’t even know why I was laughing, but probably to challenge those two. And then, we got into a conversation, and I really gave them both a piece of my mind. They will never forget that flight for the rest of their lives.

In any case, we are truly grateful to God that we can believe. Just be honest. Could we imagine creation, that majestic creation, without a creator? Would that even be possible? See, the wise have become fools in their so-called wisdom. We believe that God is the creator of heaven and earth. We believe that He is a personal God, not some vague concept. He walked in the Garden of Eden, He spoke, He revealed Himself, He communed with the prophets and with His servants, and then revealed Himself here on earth in human form in Jesus Christ our Lord. He was able to say: “Whoever sees me sees the Father. I and the Father are one.” [Joh 10:30; Joh 14:9]

When we realize what a blessing it is to be allowed to believe so simply according to the Bible, and also as far as doctrine is concerned, not to follow our own thoughts, but simply to take in God’s thoughts as they are written down in the Word, and thus to be found in the divine thoughts, and to let His Word prevail in all things.

Let us read a few scriptures and comment briefly on them. In Psalm 68. Let us read Psalm 68. Perhaps a few verses from verse 7. And then from verse 18. Psalm 68, from verse 7:

[7] O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness,

[8] The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

[9] Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

When we reflect on how God cares for and looks after His own, I believe we too can speak from experience. How often have we, who have been believers for some time, grown weary and faint. And we recall the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; yet they shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” [Isa 40:30-31] We have experienced it and can bear witness to the fact that God is faithful. How often have we seen it and borne witness to it. Where we could see no way forward, He has cleared a path, has helped us, and has been with us by His grace.

Verse 18 reads:

[18] Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

He has led captivity captive, He has delivered, He has redeemed. It is also written in Isaiah 61 and Luke 4: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me to proclaim liberty to the captives.” [Isa 61:1; Luk 4:18] At that time it was still a proclamation, it was still a future event, but the moment redemption actually took place on Golgotha, it came to pass, it happened, He has accomplished it, He has saved the lost, He has set the captives free, He has reconciled and united those who were separated, it happened, hallelujah!

I believe that if we keep reminding ourselves time and again of what the Lord has done, then our hearts will be at peace, then we no longer see the hardships and difficulties that surround us, instead we will see the One who has put an end to every hardship and will continue to do so until the very end, until we too, with Him, the victor of Golgotha, appear before His throne as a multitude of overcomers.

In Psalm 47 it is written in verse 5. Psalm 47, from verse 5:

[5] God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

[6] Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

[7] For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

I am particularly drawn to the words: “God is gone up with a shout.” The work of redemption was accomplished. The resurrection was the triumph of this finished work of redemption. Having completed the work of redemption, the Lord was able to return in triumph to glory. We too, when the great day of His return comes, shall be taken up in triumph into glory.

The word from Luke 24, with which we are all certainly very familiar, yet let us rejoice in it. Let us thank God that it happened. He did not remain in death. He has taken away the power of death. He has risen and lives. He lives in our hearts and is in our midst.

Luke 24, from verse 50:

[50] And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

[51] And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

It happened. It is not merely reported; it actually happened. And we believe the testimony of Holy Scripture with all our heart and with all our soul.

I have already quoted the passage from John 14, where the Lord says: “I go and prepare a place for you, and I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” [Joh 14:3] I would like to read on and make a comparison, specifically Hebrews 10, Hebrews 10, verse 37. Hebrews 10, verse 37:

[37] For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

When we consider that this Scripture is almost 2,000 years old, and that it says here: “For yet a little while,” then we realize to whom this Word is addressed and who is being spoken to directly. We might read verse 35 to understand the exact context. Hebrews 10, from verse 35:

[35] Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

[36] For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

And then comes the verse we have just read:

[37] For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Never before have these words been read with such certainty as they can be read today in this day and age. If someone read these words 300 or 200 years ago, “For it is yet a little while,” that was all well and good. For there were always believers who awaited the coming of the Lord during their lifetimes, and who carried within them the certainty that they would be there when the Lord came to take his own home.

But today, in these days, at this time, we can say to one another, not only during the sermon, we can say: “Soon it will all be over, soon we’ll be going home, the time has come, the Lord’s return is imminent.” And as it is so beautifully put in the last verse of chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians: “So comfort one another with these words.” [1The 4:18] And this passage too relates to the Lord’s return, when the dead in Christ will be raised, and we who are alive and remain… [1The 4:16-17], this Word too, “we who are alive and remain,” how often has it been read over the past 2,000 years? Today we can read it quite differently, with such certainty: “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” [1The 4:15]

How personally we are addressed! How comforting it is for us when we can realize that we are living in the time when all this will happen, must happen, because God has ordained it so.

A few more wonderful thoughts from 2 Timothy chapter 1 and chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 1, from verse 3:

[3] I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

[4] Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

[5] When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee…

And so on.

Here the following struck me: Paul longed to greet a brother in Christ from the bottom of his heart. He recalls the tears that flowed when they parted. And as I read these words, I thought: What of us, of the deep bond between us? Perhaps some of us still remember the time when tears were shed at parting, when believers were so deeply united with one another and did not know whether they would ever see each other again. How often did we wipe away those tears then!

And I simply long for God, by his grace, to bestow this deep love and bond upon his people, so that we do not live our lives without truly connecting with one another, but are most intimately united with the Lord and with one another in God’s love; that everyone may wish well for one another, that we may bear one another’s burdens to fulfill the law of Christ [Gal 6:2], and that we may thus be restored before God and return to our first love. For this is what is written in the message to the church at Ephesus: “I have this against you, that you have abandoned your first love…” [Rev 2:4], this true divine love for the Lord and for one another, intimately united with him, intimately united with one another.

When Brother Kupfer greeted me today, he said two or three times: “How I have longed to see you again.” And you can feel it, you can feel it. Our bond with the Lord gives rise to a bond with all who belong to the Lord. And if in these days we are the people of God, people into whose hearts the love of God has truly been poured out through the Holy Spirit [Rom 5:5], then we love one another with the very same divine love with which God loved us in Christ and reconciled and united us to himself.

There are many other thoughts that could be highlighted from this chapter, including verse 9. Perhaps we might first read verse 7. One could read all the verses. Now I’m even looking at verse 6:

[6] Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

[7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

These words too are addressed to us all. I long for the day when God works through the laying on of hands as in the days of the Bible, when people are saved, healed, blessed, and receive the Holy Spirit, so that the entire book of Acts is repeated anew. There are testimonies of people who, when hands were laid on them, believed that God would answer their prayers and bless them.

I have indeed spoken here of that one case in Romania a year ago, a young man who had suffered from epilepsy all his life, but he listened to the sermons, he had faith that when I laid my hands on him and prayed for him, God would heal him. And when a year later he was able to report that he had not had a single seizure since that day, I rejoiced with him. Not because hands were laid on him, but it is after all biblical: “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” [Mar 16:18]

Oh yes, there are a number of living witnesses who can simply confirm that God has fulfilled his Word in their lives. And if in this place today we truly believe that the Lord not only sends his Word, but that he is present to confirm his Word to us as true, we too shall behold the glory of God and experience and receive what he has promised.

Verse 9 reads:

[9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

He has done it. As we have emphasized from time to time, God is not yet to do it; he has done it. It has happened. It is a gift from God, which you and I may accept and for which we may thank him.

Verses 10 and 11 read:

[10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ…

Do you see? Before, promised, bestowed; now:

[10] …made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death…

In Hosea it says: “O death, I will be a pestilence to you.” [Hos 13:14]

Here it says: “He has destroyed death.” He has done it. He has removed the sting of death. And his resurrection is the proof that it really happened.

I’ll read it again:

[10] …who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

[11] Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

God has His people, He has His messengers, He has His plan for the church, and He has it for Israel. And we may say out of conviction and from experience, God has revealed His Word and His will to us in these days in a most powerful way, very clearly.

I do not know how you feel about this, but do you think that God has forgotten anything? I believe that through Brother Branham’s ministry, every biblical theme, everything that was doctrinally intended for the church, has indeed been bestowed by grace through the proclamation of the Word. However, and we must keep on saying this, we must return to the Word of God in every respect.

In this context, I am reminded of an experience I had about 14 days ago. A brother from Australia sent me 12 or 13 cassettes, all of which were said to deal with the seventh seal. And I didn’t listen to much of them, just bits here and there. I did listen to bits and pieces whilst driving, just to get an idea of what was being said. And then finally, when the last cassette arrived, I did listen to it in its entirety. And then a deep pain seized me, such a deep pain.

And he said that there isn’t a single word in the Bible about the seventh seal, not a single symbol to be found, nothing at all. And then he gave a total of 12 or 13 sermons on the subject. And the whole misery of the world gripped me deep inside. And I had to write him a short letter.

Tactful as ever, I kept my place, but I wrote: “Beloved brother, you have not taken the Word as your basis at all, and have even said that there is absolutely nothing in the Word about the seventh seal.” And then I wrote: “No seal is spoken of as much or as clearly in the Bible as the seventh seal.”

And that is the truth. Most people actually only read Revelation 8, verse 1. I shall read it to you now. Revelation 8, verse 1. It may well be that brothers and sisters who are struggling with this will also hear this sermon, be it in Austria, here with us, or anywhere in the German-speaking world. Perhaps we do not have this struggle, but perhaps others do.

In Revelation chapter 8, verse 1 says:

[1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

This is where everyone stops, and then there is a great outcry over nothing at all. Instead of reading on to find out what is contained therein, the word “and”, as the second verse begins, links the first with the second and the second with the first. So:

[1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

[2] And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

[3] And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

Do you notice that Jesus is no longer shown here as the Mediator, because this refers to the period following the rapture, when the saints from Israel will bring their prayers before God, and when the mercy seat will then be turned into the judgment seat? I read this from verses 4 and 5, and perhaps also 6:

[4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Once again, the point is this. Today our prayers do not rise up before God from the hand of an angel. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant. He is the Advocate. But when He has finished interceding for the New Testament church, and the bride of the Lamb is perfected, He will rise, come to meet us, and we will be caught up to meet Him, so that we may then celebrate the marriage supper with Him. At that time, the Lamb will indeed be the Lord, the Bridegroom, with whom we shall celebrate the marriage supper. And the prayers of the 144,000 who come to faith through the ministry of the two witnesses will be gathered and offered up as incense, as in the Old Testament, and thus ascend to God and His throne.

Verse 5 reads:

[5] And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

[6] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Do you realize what the seventh seal is all about? Here we see the period following the rapture. Here we see how the seven angels to whom the seven trumpets are given prepare to sound their trumpets. And now something very important.

Brother Branham wanted to speak about the seven trumpets. Is that right? Who has read the sermons? Who knows it? Who can remember?

And the angel of the Lord said to him: “Do not speak about this, for they do not fall within the church age, but within the time for Israel.” For this reason, he also had to say that the seventh seal was not fully revealed, because it belongs to the period following the rapture. Have we all understood this properly?

For here, in 2 Timothy chapter 2, there is a very important reference. 2 Timothy chapter 2, from verse 1:

[1] Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

[2] And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

I believe it is very important that all of us who have heard and received divine teaching in these days should understand correctly what we have heard. As the Lord asked back then: “Have you understood what I have told you?” the disciples said: “Yes, we have understood.” [Mat 13:51] Here Paul writes to his coworker Timothy that what he has taught must be understood, and in such a way that those who listen are in turn able to instruct others and pass on the teaching they have received. [2Tim 2:2]

Are we all familiar with the things that have been preached to us from the book of Revelation? Do we have them, the phrase “under control” is not well chosen, but are they so clear to us in their specific contexts that even if we are not able to teach others, we can at least remain steadfast in what we have been taught from the Word?

I believe that the brothers who are indeed capable of teaching, that should be clear, right? I mean, when Paul writes here:

[2] And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

That we have not merely heard, but are equipped and able to instruct and teach others, so that if anyone comes along and puts forward lots and lots of theories about the seventh seal, we can simply say to them: “Please, come back down to earth.” We don’t need fantasy. We need a foundation on which we can stand, walk, and build, and that we simply say: “It is written here.”

In verse 1 of Revelation 8, it merely says what a surprise the whole thing will be for the whole of heaven, namely that suddenly everything falls silent. Before that, the cherubims and seraphims had been singing over and over again: “Holy, holy is the Lord,” and so on. [Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8] You know the word from the prophet Isaiah, and also from Revelation chapter 4, about how the Lord is sung to ceaselessly, and suddenly everything is silent. But it did not remain silent, only for half an hour. And then came the revelation of what the seventh seal actually contains.

And because Brother Branham was told directly: “You need not speak of the seven trumpets, for they fall within the time after the rapture, and are connected with Israel,” that is why we also know why he kept alluding to the seventh seal time and again, but could never speak about it in clear terms, precisely because it was not at all necessary, and in that respect it is not directly essential for the church to know.

But I believe that for us who have now advanced—I would like the term “advanced” to be properly understood—I believe I am justified in saying that we have all been strengthened in the things that have been proclaimed to us, that we have been granted greater clarity, and that we now see the connections more clearly than we did 20 or 10 years ago. I believe that in spiritual and doctrinal terms, we could already be described as advanced.

In any case, I dare to say in faith that no one who has heard and taken to heart the clear proclamation of the Word over all these years can still be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but specifically as regards the Seventh Seal, because so much nonsense is being made of it.

I have now experienced this myself. It is beyond belief how much imagination is being unleashed in people, and in what all directions they are heading. It occurred to me just how important it is to base everything, including the Seventh Seal, on the foundation of the Word, and the thought that Brother Goldner used to repeat time and again: “Why should I tell it? Scripture can do it much better.” Do you remember that? Some of you were with us after all.

We took that thought with us: “Why should I tell it? Scripture can do it much better.” “Why should I say anything at all about the Seventh Seal? Scripture can do it much better.” And he tells it exactly as it is, just as he does with the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Seals. Is it true?

And if we take this home with us today as something useful for us, that we simply say: “Not what anyone else thinks, but what God has told us in His Word.” Then let us repeat the sentence: “Why should I or you say anything about it? Scripture can do it much better.” Let us let Scripture speak on the matter. Then we will have the answer. And then we can move forward with God.

Then there will be no inner conflict. Then there will be peace and joy, a deep bond with God and with one another. Then there will be no self-importance, no know-it-all attitude, and no desire to make a name for oneself by claiming to have received a special revelation.

I can remember the day. It happened in Krefeld in 1977, when a colored brother—please forgive me, should anyone among us be colored, God created all people. And just as flowers come in different colors, so do people. Thank God, He is the Creator. And we are content with that.

But the brother, well, actually two of them, one from New York and one from India, both said: “You are not accepting the revelation because it comes from a dark-skinned man.” So I said: “If it came from God, then whoever brings it may bring it. But if it does not come from God, then I don’t care what color their skin is.”

You see, people have their ideas, they put them forward. And if you don’t then jump for joy and say: “It has now been given to you,” and pat them on the shoulder, then you are not well regarded by those people. Whether light or dark, it has to be right. And it can only be right if we can verify it in the Word.

And when someone delivers so many sermons and keeps saying: “There is no symbolism there, nothing has been said,” well, if God hasn’t said anything, then I can’t say anything either. I must remain silent where He has been silent and can only speak where He has spoken.

There is that wonderful verse which we read recently: “How can anyone command that it should happen if the Lord has not commanded it?” [Lam 3:37] Who knows where that is? Those words touched my heart. We considered them during a Bible study on a Wednesday evening in Krefeld: “How can anyone command something to happen if the Lord has not commanded it?” [Lam 3:37] Do you realize that only when God has spoken can we also speak and say precisely what He has said?

I must honestly admit that it filled me with deep joy and gratitude. I simply need an absolute, and that absolute can only be God’s Word. And when we have it in God’s Word, then it is right, then it is true, and then it also fits.

In fact, if we look at the sequence, particularly when we follow the seven trumpet judgments, as the first six are described in chapters 8 and 9, it is exactly as it is written there. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound their trumpets, in exactly the same way chapters 8 and 9 describe what will happen with regard to the first six trumpets, when these angels sound them one after the other. And then in Revelation 10, verse 7 comes the great announcement, because six have already sounded their trumpets, and the seventh is still to come:

[7] But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Then let us turn to chapter 11, verse 15, and there the seventh trumpet-angel sounds his trumpet, and immediately it is proclaimed:

[15] Now the kingdom has come to our God and to His Anointed One.

How marvelous, how clearly God has ordered everything in His Word!

I do not know whether you can empathize with and grasp this as I do in this instance, but I am very grateful to the Lord. And as I have often said, what we proclaim, we can proclaim in the presence of the Lord, and in the presence of all the prophets and apostles. And this certainty and this absolute do not lie in any human being; they lie in God and in God’s Word. And when we have taken God’s Word into our hearts, then we speak what He has spoken, and then we have that certainty, then we have that assurance, then we can rest in it. There is a rest for the people of God. [Heb 4:9] Then let whoever wishes come and make a great fuss and say: “The Seventh Seal is such and such,” then we can say: “The Seventh Seal is what it is, namely what is written therein.” And there you have it, look it up for yourselves.

Let us return once more to this thought that Paul expressed here to Timothy in verse 2. 2 Timothy 2, verses 2 and 3:

[2] And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

[3] Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Of course, true preachers will always be misunderstood. We have touched upon this subject here from time to time as well. The enemy has left the whole world in peace, but the bearers of the Word, the prophets, those sent by God, the servants who acted in His name, they have been persecuted, stoned, and killed, and then the Lord Himself, and later the apostles, and then throughout church history, it has always been those who at a particular time belonged to God, who had experienced a revival, who had found their way back to the Lord amidst apostate Christianity who have been persecuted.

You can see this for yourselves, whether it was the Huguenots in France, the Waldensians in Austria, or the Mennonites in Holland. In every persecution, it was always those against whom Satan’s fury was directed, those who had experienced a revival, a conversion, who had returned to the Lord, who had believed His Word as it was preached in their day. The same will be true now. Not all the denominations that are part of the World Council of Churches will face persecution. Who will it be? Think of Revelation 12: “And a dragon stood before the woman” to do what? To devour the one who was to come forth from her, who was to be born of her. [Rev 12:4] God always uses very natural examples that everyone can easily understand. And so, Satan’s fury will now too be directed at those who believe according to the Bible in these days.

The phrase “believing according to the Bible”—let me put it this way. Those who during the Reformation believed what was preached from the Bible, even if it was only in the beginning and consisted of partial truths, were nevertheless Bible-believing people who walked in the light that came at that time and trusted in the Lord. Thus, in every age there have been people who believed according to the Bible, insofar as light was granted to them by God through the preaching of the Gospel. It is exactly the same now, and we are no better or greater than they were, nor are they any less than we are today. In God’s sight all God’s children are equal. What matters, however, is that we walk in the light granted to us through the proclamation of the Word.

And so we believe that in this generation we truly count amongst God’s elect and beloved, amongst those who have the privilege, not merely of believing in something, but of believing the whole Word of God, as it was set upon the lampstand in a wholly new, prophetic, apostolic manner through the ministry of Brother Branham. And we, who have remained sensible and sober-minded, have been established and grounded in the Word. We have not sought after special insights. We have sought to be established and grounded in the Word of Truth.

Just one more comparison. Right at the end, there is a passage in the Psalms. One is in Psalm 103, verse 7, where it says that God made known His ways to Moses, and His deeds to the children of Israel. In Psalm 95, verse 10, it is written: “But they would have nothing to do with My ways.”

We can compare these two scriptures, Psalm 103, verse 7, and Psalm 95, verse 10. Please do try to find a common thread here. In one passage: “God made known His ways to Moses, and His deeds to the children of Israel.” [Psa 103:7] And in the other: “But they would have nothing to do with My ways.” [Psa 95:10] And the third passage, Hebrews 3, verse 10: “But they did not recognize My ways.”

Let us summarize. God has sent us a prophet in this last generation to clearly show us the ways of God, which He is now following with His people. As was said back then: “I will send My messenger before me to prepare the way for me.” [Mal 3:1]

There is a way of God. This way must not merely be preached and proclaimed and perhaps contemplated; it must be trodden, it must be walked in obedience. Proclamation alone will not save anyone.

We must recognize God’s way with the church and must ourselves walk in obedience along this path, on which the Lord is now leading his church in accordance with his Word. Today, obedience is required of us, complete obedience to walk the whole path in faith with the Lord.

May today’s meditation on the Word also be a blessing to us all. May it fulfill the purpose for which it was sent, that we may all find rest in God and be intimately united with him and with one another, as Paul was able to say here: “I remember your tears and long to see you again.” And here he writes: “I would like to be able to rejoice with all my heart.” [2Tim 1:4]

Let us also give thanks for one another. Feel free to say: “Lord, I thank you for Brother So-and-so, I thank you for Sister So-and-so.” There aren’t all that many of us after all. There is our beloved sister in Salzburg, who has, I don’t know exactly, but has written down some 300 names, and she brings them before the Lord every day. She has nothing else to do; she prays and prays for everyone. Whenever a name is mentioned somewhere in a gathering, one she hadn’t heard before, she writes it down on this prayer list, if I may call it that, and then she says: “Lord, remember Brother So-and-so and Sister So-and-so.”

Beloved, let us allow the Lord to bestow this divine love upon us. Let us be grateful for one another, grateful for the clarity of his Word, for the perspective he has graciously given us, for the absolute truth, which we are now truly permitted to have by grace.

And addressed especially to my beloved brothers: I place my trust and hope in you, with all my heart, that you too, who have heard God’s Word, are able, are able, whenever any question arises, to answer it from Scripture, in accordance with the doctrine we have received from the Lord. For truly, it was not men who were here, it was not Brother Paul, Brother Branham, or Brother Frank who taught us. We have been taught through the entire Word, through the Spirit of the Lord himself.

And when it comes to doctrinal matters, it is the brothers’ responsibility. When it comes to testimonies, every sister may bear witness to what the Lord has done, but when it comes to questions of a doctrinal nature, it is the brothers who should be called upon to answer them.

May the faithful God, who takes such care of us all, may he have his way with all of us. And may we, as the church as a whole, living now in the time before the Lord’s return, be enabled to stand together at the Lord’s disposal, so that the book of Acts may be repeated, the Spirit may be poured out, and we may be empowered to do in the Lord’s name what he would have us do. To him, the Almighty God, be praise and honor, glory and worship, now and forever. Amen.

Lord, our God, we come to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We now bring before you in faith all our prayer requests, every brother and every sister. You know each one’s needs, their hardships and their difficulties. Beloved Lord, we know in whom we believe. We know in whom we place our trust. In you, our Lord and Savior.

O God, be pleased today to confirm your Word to all. Make it come true, for you are present to answer prayers, to deliver, to save, to heal, to bless. Unite us with you and with one another through your deep, divine love. Oh, that we might miss one another so much and long to be in fellowship once more, that tears might flow once again, that the intimate bond with you and amongst ourselves might be revealed anew, and that we might return to our first love.

Faithful God, we are not here to play religion. We are here because these are hours of preparation, hours in your presence. And Lord, examine my life, my heart, my very being. Look upon us all, and you do so with grace. You have spoken to us. We have believed you and are now receiving what we have asked of you. And we thank you that you have already answered us and that we have been allowed to receive what we have implored of you.

Beloved Lord, thus it is written: “How shall God not with him also freely give us all things?” [Rm 8:32]

You have done it. We thank you for Golgotha. We thank you for your resurrection and for your ascension. And today, I would also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, in advance, for your second coming, which is, after all, drawing near.

You have prepared the place, the mansions. You have made everything glorious. I thank you. You are coming soon to put an end to all tears, all pain, all suffering, so that we may then be with you forever. Praise be to you.

I also give thanks for the prophetic message. I give thanks for the ministry of Brother Branham, your devoted and humble servant, O Lord. You have already taken him, as well as all the other servants, to be with you, but the Word which you entrusted to them has remained with us.

Oh, we let you have the say, Lord, Almighty God. Why should we explain it when your Word can do so far better? Thank you that we have reverence for you and your Word. Lord, our God, bless us and be with us all, by your grace. Amen.