Cluj, Romania, April 11th, 1992, 10:00
I am grateful to God, because we have the privilege to be at this place today. We believe from the bottom of our hearts that the Lord is present, and we believe that He will speak to us through His Word.
It is very important that we put aside our own thoughts and simply listen to the Word with open hearts. Sometimes, brethren come with their own thoughts and do not hear what is spoken to them, but only insist on their own opinions and then they cannot receive the Word in them.
However; it should not be so with us. I am sure that we have the desire to hear the true Word of God and not to mix His Word with our own thoughts, as we read in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
It should be our desire on this day that His ways become our ways and His thoughts become our thoughts, so that we become part of the Word, as He was the Word made flesh.
We have some questions that we would like to answer. The main question is always the one concerning the Godhead. Let me tell you this: God cannot be explained, God goes beyond our comprehension. No prophet was able to explain God, no apostle explained God: they all only passed on what had been revealed to them by God.
When Paul spoke of the mystery of God in 1 Timothy 3:16, he expressed the well-known Scripture: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…" That was enough, he did not have to say more, because that was the whole mystery of God revealed: God who is Spirit in His being was manifested to mankind in the body of flesh.
We will talk about how God has revealed Himself in various ways without trying to explain it. As I have already said, the mystery is beyond human comprehension or explanation through words, but it must be believed wholeheartedly.
Anything concerning God or the Word of God must be revealed through the Holy Spirit. And such revelation cannot be explained either. As far as the Godhead is concerned, we must distinguish between never-ending eternity and the beginning of time. In never-ending eternity, God was alone for Himself in eternal light and glory. No man could see Him. It is written in John 1:18: "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." In 1 John 4:12 it is written: "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
In this respect I would also like to read 1 Timothy 6:16. Here we read about the "Lord God", about "King of all kings" and "Lord of all lords": "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see…"
Now we come to the question: who did Adam see? Who did Abraham see? Who did Moses see? Who was the One who spoke to the prophets? Here is the great mystery: God who is the Spirit in His nature and cannot be seen by anyone came out of eternity and entered time. He took on Himself a visible form, and this revelation of God is called "Logos" in the New Testament.
There are two concepts: the word "Logos" and the word "Rhema". Jesus is not "Rhema“, but Jesus is "Logos". "Rhema" is what He spoke. When he said to the blind man, "Receive your sight"; that was "Rhema", but He Himself is "Logos", who came at the beginning out of the fullness of God.
In the Old Testament, God is called Yahweh and in the New Testament, He is called Yahshua. In the Old Testament, He was in a spiritual body, and in the New Testament He was in a body of flesh. He had to become man because of people.
I will read two Scriptures from Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. "God created man in His image, made in the image of God created He him…" [Gen. 1:27]. At that time, God had not yet appeared in the flesh, but in the spiritual body, as Logos, as the one who walked and was shown in a visible form. God as "Elohim" is invisible. According to John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." But He came and appeared in the bodily form. In this image (likeness) He created man, as we read earlier: "God created man in His own image…" It was not so in eternity, here the time already began. For this reason, it is written in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word…" Not in eternity, but "in the beginning", when God came out of eternity and entered time. He who is the Spirit appeared in the bodily form. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God."
It is very simple. If we read the Bible, we see there was no revelation in eternity. The invisible God existed eternally in the fullness of light and Spirit, but in the beginning, He came and appeared as the Lord – that is God’s own revelation.
Now I would like you to pay attention to something special: There are two accounts of creation: Genesis 1 ends with saying that God created everything. In Genesis 2:1-3 we are told – I read verse 1 and 2: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and on the seventh day he rested from all his work which he had made. God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Behold the heaven and the earth when they were created. The day of the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, the earth was still no shrub of the field and no herb of the field had yet sprung for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground".
Have you all read with me? In Chapter 1, we read: "God created man in His image, made him in God's image." We think this had already been done and come to existence. It did, but the first man was created in the spiritual body. This happened in Genesis 1. In Genesis 2, man was formed of the dust of the ground. The same man who existed in the spiritual body, had to be placed in the body of flesh. And so it was when Adam was created in flesh, then his side was opened and Eve was taken from him. Not when he was in the spiritual body, but when he was formed of the dust of the ground.
Here a great mystery is hidden. In 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus Christ is called "second Adam." When He was in the spiritual body, the Bride could not be taken out of Him. When He came in the body of flesh, the Bride could be taken out of Him.
On the cross of Calvary His side was opened and His blood was shed for our salvation. In Ephesians 5:32 Paul writes: "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
It is therefore very important to correctly understand the revelation of God.
One of the questions is: "What is the name of the
Father?" Because Jesus said in John 5:43 – let’s read it together, this is a Bible lesson, not a sermon – "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not". Here is a mystery. Some people say that name of the Father is Yahweh or Jehovah, but it is not so.
We must know the following: in the Old Testament there was no notion of "Father", there was only "God the Lord". For you to know precisely, I want to say this: In Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 up to verse 3, there is just the word "God", not "The Lord", but only "God" – "Elohim" in the original text. In the beginning, Elohim created the heaven and the earth, Elohim said and it came to pass, Elohim spoke and it was done. Only Elohim, not Yahweh.
From Genesis 2:4, where creation in the natural realm was concerned, when man was to be formed from the dust of the ground, from then we always find the combination " Elohim Yahweh" – this is very important as originally there was Elohim only. But from the moment that Elohim appeared in the visible body, He was visible in this body as Yahweh, the eternal One. This was the "Logos", which came out of God at the beginning. It means the One who spoke, who called things into existence and who walked in the Garden of Eden. He spoke to Moses, spoke to Abraham, revealed Himself to all prophets. It was a visible form of the revelation of invisible God, Who came out of the original fulness, so it was and thus we have to accept it.
Some people also argue: "Who died?". Some say that God died, God is immortal, God cannot die. If God had died, we would not have been here today. God cannot die, because God is the Spirit, He is the eternal Spirit. Who died? Jesus Christ.
I would like to read some Scriptures to show you this very precisely from the Holy Scripture, because I think it is very important. First in 1 Corinthians 15:48: "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthly…“ Hear what it says here: "and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."
Did you all hear it? Who was the heavenly man? Jesus Christ our Lord. He died. Here lies the great mystery.
God wanted to have sons and daughters for eternity, but man fell through sin and was doomed to death. Therefore, God had to make a fresh start and call a new generation into existence, and He made this new beginning with Christ.
Psalms 2:7: "You are my Son, today I have begotten you". God was not begotten, but it was Jesus who was begotten. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, as the angel Gabriel gave the promise: "Útherefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35)
In Revelation 3, in the last letter we read that Christ is "the beginning of God's creation." Let us read it so that you know it is truly so. Revelation 3:14 " And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God…"
Not the beginning of the creation of the universe or the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth, but "…the beginning of the creation of God.” God made the new beginning in Christ. He is "… the firstborn among many brethren". He is the beginning of God’s new generation. He was one hundred percent man. He ate and drank, cried, was tired, slept, was man – one hundred percent. He had to become one hundred percent man and thus be born into this world as we are so that He could save us and pay the price for sin, conquer death, remove "the sting of death".
Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 15:48: "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthly; as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."
I will also read in 1 Corinthians 15:20-21: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead."
Did you all hear this? It is the Word of God. There are many who believe in the unity of God and they are wrong, just as are wrong those who believe in the trinity. They say: "Jesus alone is God ", but this is not true. God is the only God and this only God revealed Himself in Christ. Just as in the Old Testament God was and is "Elohim" and revealed Himself as "Yahweh" and all those who saw Yahweh could say "I saw God", but they actually saw the revelation of God, because we read that no one can see God.
That is what happened in the New Testament: the invisible God revealed Himself visibly in Christ and therefore Jesus could say: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" [John 14:9]. "I and my Father are one" [John 10:30], yet there are two different revelations. "Father" is not "Son", "Son" is not "Father", but the Lord is God and God is the Lord.
If "Father" is written in the Bible, even if it is written thousand times, it must remain so, you cannot change it. If "Son" is written in the Bible, it must remain so, because it belongs there. These two words cannot be exchanged. This is very important.
For example, when we pray as our Lord taught us: "Our Father who art in heaven …", so it is written, so we believe it and so we do it. We cannot pray, "Our Son who are in heaven" or "Our Spirit who art in heaven", for it is written: “If you pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…"
We again go back to the name. The name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one and the same name. As I said before, in the Old Testament God had not yet revealed Himself as "Father".
Who among you is a father? You had long been men but had not been fathers. Just when one’s child is born, then the man has become a father. Do you understand it? Only when the Scripture is fulfilled: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten" [Psalm 2: 7] or "I will be his father, and he shall be my son" [2 Samuel 7:14], the Father-Son relationship becomes reality. Before that there had been "God the Lord", but not Father and Son.
No prophet of the Old Testament ever prayed: "Heavenly Father". It could not be because it was not reality. When we follow the revelation of God and His plan ordained before ages, we see that God had some qualities. It was His desire to become a father, He wanted to have sons and daughters. So He made the beginning in His son and said: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." So it is written in Matthew 3:17 and in Matthew 17:5 we read: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him".
So God did not die, but it was the Lord who died. It was not the Father who died, but the Son. As we read (I hope you do not forget this Scripture), He became man because of men. He had to be man to save us.
I read the verse again, 1 Corinthians 15:48: "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthly; as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." May the name of the Lord be praised for this wonderful revelation of God in Christ.
I would like to read from Romans 5, verses 12 and 15: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned… " Now verse15:" But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."
Did you all read with me? Through one man, Jesus Christ. This is about salvation and as surely as death came upon all men, so surely death had to be destroyed. And there was the only one that was able to do it and that is the Son of God.
We read here: "… much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ." I want to tell all ministering brethren that for a servant of God it is very important to respect every Word of God and to believe and preach it as it is written.
I have travelled a lot and come across many things: Trinitarians avoid every Scripture that testifies of God's unity. These Scriptures do not fit them because their concept is different.
Then there is another extreme: "Jesus Only"; these people do not want to use all Scriptures because their view of God’s unity is so narrow that it does not allow God to reveal Himself. God can reveal Himself as He wishes, in a twofold or threefold manner. He can be Creator, He can be King, He can be Judge, He can be anything. He can reveal Himself as the Father in heaven, on earth in the Son and in us through the Holy Spirit, but He always remains the same God.
The Scriptures that speak of our Lord as man are necessary, because we are humans and He became man because of us. The Lord that came out of the original fullness of God, "Logos", the Word, the God who speaks and acts: "And the Word was made flesh… and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father" [John 1:14].
These Scriptures are very important, and we are not allowed to ignore them. You can examine yourself, especially you, ministering brethren, if you have ever found Scriptures while reading the Bible that did not fit you. Has it ever happened to you? Be very honest. It must not happen! You do not need to raise your hands. Thank you, I have long been a preacher and I know that, do not worry. If you encounter such Bible scriptures, ask God to show you the connection and to reveal to you why they are so written.
For example, 1 Timothy 2:5,"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus".
I have not read a newspaper, I read the Bible, it is written in 1 Timothy 2:5. So the Lord became man.
I will read one more time from Colossians, but first Philippians 2:7-8: “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." He prayed as man, as man He wept, as man He said: "The Father is greater than I." [John 14:28], as man He walked on this earth. He was the "Son of man", He was "the prophet" that Moses spoke about, " The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" [Deuteronomy 18:15-18].
In Acts 3:21 we read: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
Jesus had to be a prophet and as the Son, He was man. He was the Prophet and that is why it is written in John 5:19-20: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth".
Prophets were first called "seers" because they saw visions and did according to what had been shown to them. So was the case with Jesus Christ our Lord. As the "Son of man" He was a prophet and people took offense at His prophetic ministry. He knew people's thoughts, He knew who they were, what their names were and where they came from. When Peter came to Him, Jesus said, "You are Simon the son of Jonas…" When Philip and Nathanael came to Him, He said to Nathanael: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." [John 1: 47-48]. He was a prophet.
He could tell the woman at the well: "For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband." " The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he." She went to the city and told all the people saying, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
He could tell the two disciples: "Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither." [Mark 11:2-3]. So it happened. He could tell his two disciples, " Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?" [Mark 14:13-14].
He was a prophet, but this prophetic ministry caused the division of spirits. So was the case with the ministry of brother Branham. Large crowds were gathered, millions of people were very impressed when they saw the many signs and wonders. They did not only hear brother Branham, but they saw the great wonders of God.
I was personally present among the many thousands in brother Branham's meetings in Europe and the United States. I saw that what happened through the ministry of brother Branham was exactly the same as took place in the ministry of Jesus Christ.
When the angel of the Lord came to brother Branham on May 7, 1946 at 11pm, the whole room was filled with light and brother Branham a saw the angel bodily. He described his appearance, height, weight, that he had no sandals, no beard. He described him very precisely. The angel told brother Branham: "I am sent to you from the presence of Almighty God to give you a commission." This angel who came from God explained brother Branham in detail what would happen in his ministry and mentioned the Scriptures from John 1 about Nathaniel and Peter, from John 4 about the woman at the well. The angel gave brother Branham a biblical foundation so that he had the absolute. When God speaks, then what He promises is always based on His Word.
There are many people who say, "The Lord spoke to me…", and when you hear what He was to say, then you know exactly that it was in their imagination or their heart. But the true servants of God have always received an exact commission.
When the Lord God spoke to Noah, He told him exactly what to do, how to do it, He gave him the dimensions. He had spoken very specifically in advance; and then it is written: "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." [Genesis 6:22].
When the Lord God spoke to Moses, we read in Hebrews 8:5 that he did everything according to what he was shown on the mountain.
When John testified, he said: "… but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he…'" [John 1:33].
All men of God in all times received a commission from God and knew exactly what to do. Elijah did not do what Moses did; each had his own commission. It is written about Elijah in 1 Kings 18 that he also did everything according to the Word of the Lord.
I want to especially emphasize that brother Branham's ministry is directly related to God's salvation plan. He was not only an evangelist; there are many of them; he was not just a Bible teacher, there are many of them, too; maybe there are many prophets, I do not know exactly. However, God said that He set in the church "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers." But brother Branham was not only a prophet in a local church. It is written about prophets in a local church that two or three should speak and if anything is revealed to one sitting there…
We’d better read it so that you know it is written in 1 Corinthians 14:29-30: "Let the prophets speak two or three and let the other judge. And if any thing is revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.”
This is not about a prophecy, here are New Testament prophets that differ from Old Testament prophets in the following: The Old Testament prophets foretold what would happen. The prophets of the New Testament place the prophetic
Word according to its fulfilment. And if a prophet speaks and fails to accurately express some point, then it may happen that it is revealed to someone else who will complete it and close the matter. Not a new theme, not a prophecy, but to supplement it through God’s revelation.
However we are not here to talk about the gifts of the Spirit. A lot could be said in that respect. Our main theme was the Godhead and we have already dealt with the notion of "Logos". We understand, even though we cannot explain it, that the eternal God was as the Spirit in the original fullness. And in the beginning, He came out of the original fullness. Not in eternity, but in the beginning. And therefore it is written: "In the beginning was the Word… ", not “in eternity was the Word”, but in the beginning was the Word.
When God began acting, when He appeared in a visible form, when He called the creation into existence – this original beginning – there is a Scripture in the prophet Micah 5:2. I hope it is also written so clearly in your translation. It is about Bethlehem and our Lord: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” He, Yahweh, eternally being, the invisible God revealed Himself in a visible form.
I have a large Bible at home which should be accurately translated from Hebrew. It may be true, because I checked some Scriptures and those were correctly translated. But on its cover there is the text: "Yahshua – Son of Yahweh". This is against all reason and against the Holy Scriptures. Jehovah or Yahshua is Yahweh. He is the Lord, He is the Logos, He is the Word. Elohim is God, Yahweh is the Lord and the Lord is the visible manifestation of God, just as the Son is the visible manifestation of the Father.
Concerning the name, I have already mentioned it. In the Old Testament, God was not the Father. In the Old Testament God was God the Lord, He was the God of Israel.
No prophet had ever said "Heavenly Father" until it was fulfilled: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." At that time it was also fulfilled: "I will be his father, and he shall be my son”, “I will make him the firstborn". This was the beginning, in this way God began a new generation. He, the Lord, as the firstborn.
Yet, regarding the name, I would like to read another Scripture from Exodus 6:2: "And God spoke to Moses and said:" I am the Lord/Yahweh." (“Yahweh" is in the original text here.) "I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name JEHOVAH (God the Lord) was I not known to them.” In the German translation, "Yahweh" is mentioned in the footnote.
God has a name and in that name He was manifested when Israel was delivered. "Yahweh" is the covenant name in the Old Testament, but we cannot say that it is the name of the Father, it is not biblically correct. We can only say that it is the covenant name in which God revealed Himself to Israel when they were delivered from Egypt.
In the New Testament it was about our salvation and therefore it is written: "… and thou shalt call his name Jesus (Yahshua), for He shall save His people from their sins" [Matthew 1:21].
So the Greek form of "Yahshua" is the covenant name of the Lord God in the New Testament. Therefore, the Father's name is the same as the name of the Son.
I would like to read some Scriptures to you in this respect, in the New Testament in John 12:28: "Father, glorify thy name! Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
In Hebrews 1:4: "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." He inherited this name.
My father's name was Frank, Frank was my great-grandfather's name and I inherited that name. The Son inherited the name.
It was in connection with salvation: "Yahshua”, “Yahweh”, “Saviour”. Yahweh of the Old Testament became the Saviour in the New Testament, "the same yesterday and today and forever" [Hebrew 13:8], "Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" [Revelation 1:8].
This theme is most often mentioned in John 17. Let’s read from John 17:6: "I have manifested thy name unto the men…" Which name did He manifest? The name “Jesus”. Do not take offense at the name of "Jesus" when it is not expressed in the Hebrew form as "Yahshua". We have different languages and what had first been written in Hebrew or Aramaic was later published in Greek, but we know the meaning of the name and God confirmed that name, even when it is pronounced in the Greek form. God knows who and what we mean. Please, remain reasonable and do not make a problem out of it. Because sometimes we create more problems than we can solve.
I mention brother Branham as an example. He prayed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; the dead were raised, the blind received sight, the lame walked, God confirmed it. We should never argue about such issues. I have a German Bible and preach from the German Bible, you have your Bible and you preach from your Bible. Everybody should preach from one’s own Bible and God knows all languages. For example, we call our country Deutschland, you call it Germany, but you know which country you mean, and we know which country is meant. Some say England, others say Britain, it is the same. Please, do not make a problem out of it, but remain under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and then God will bless you.
Let us go back to John 17:11: "I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me…" Verse 12 confirms this: "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept…" And verse 26: "And I have declared unto them thy name…" What name did He declare?
There is only one name that is given to people by God, in which they can be saved. We have the final assurance that the name of the Father and of the Son is the same, namely in Mathew 28:19, where the Lord said: "…and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." And all were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. That is God’s answer.
Please do not try to understand it intellectually, but let the Spirit reveal it to you. Paul writes to the Corinthians: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God…“ [1 Corinthians 2:14]. We could say a lot more, but our time has passed quickly. Did you understand really well the topic of Godhead? Amen. Everybody. And God will reveal it to those who have not understood it yet. But please, do not argue about it and do not debate about it. Those who debate have not received any revelation from God yet. Who received revelation from God will keep it in his heart, for it is a precious treasure that God gave to him. Who still feels like debating is not right with God. And some even add a bit of irony. And there are some who ask: "When did Jesus become Logos?" … Such questions are dangerous and do not come from the Spirit of God. Satan is involved there. We say what the Bible says: "In the beginning was the Word (and this was the Logos) and the Word was with God and the Word was God," and then we say "Amen", and “Amen” again.
We do not argue about the subject, we try not to rip these things apart, but we should say as Paul did: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit…" [1Timothy 3:6]
You all know this Scripture. Where the Bible does not speak, I do not speak either. Stay in the Holy Scriptures and do not deviate from them. Then you will keep unity in the Spirit. If you do not follow this, you will leave the ground of the Scripture and misunderstandings will arise followed by divisions and many other things.
Beloved brothers who are ministers of the Word of God, I ask you in the name of the Lord to keep unity in the Spirit, stay in the Word of God, not to go beyond the testimony of the Scripture and not to think: "I received a special revelation!". Believe that God has given the same revelation to all. And if it is a revelation coming from God, then it is already in the Bible. If it is not in the Bible, you can forget it. The sooner you forget it, the better. Do you understand it?
I am not here to teach you, but I have responsibility before God. I have not come here to be on holiday. I am here because of the Word of God. Take seriously what you have been told. Do not make divisions over minor matters. Do not pay excessive attention to them, they are not so important.
I repeat: only go as far as the Scripture goes and where the Bible stops, you should stop speaking, too. Then all things will be well in all local churches with all ministering brethren and all will be of one heart and one soul.
I beseech that no brother thinks he is above others. I am not above others either. There are different ministries, but only one Lord, one Head, and that is Jesus Christ. No brother is placed above another brother, but the Lord is above all of us. And when He gives various ministries, it is always in order to edify the church. He never gives a ministry to cause division. What comes from God leads us back to God. Therefore it is written: "…my word that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it…“ [Isa 55:11]
Brothers, take it seriously knowing that the time is short, the Lord's return is near, and we must redeem the time in the right way by bringing God's message to our fellow members. I hope you understand this correctly.
Now, there is one more important question regarding Daniel’s seventieth week. It is very clear, too, but some brethren do not understand it or consider it very important.
May I tell you something? The seventy weeks of Daniel have nothing to do with the New Testament Church. They are divided exactly into three parts and they only pertain to the people of Israel.
The prophet Daniel was told: “I will show you what will happen to your people and your holy city.”, Not nations, but the people of Israel. This is very important and if we know this, it helps us, because then we do not consider this question to be so important. We will read from the Bible and find out what God said.
I will read Daniel 9:24 and you should closely listen to what is written here: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…" Amen! "…thy people and thy holy city…" Not Germany, not Romania, not Bucharest or New York: "Your people, Daniel, thy holy city, Daniel."
When reading the Bible, it is important that we should not read it like a newspaper, forgetting what we read in a short while. We need to know first what was said, to whom it was said, who was addressed so that we could then receive revelation and could place it correctly in God's plan. Here the purpose is sixfold and it is in connection with the people of Israel.
You can count it on your own. Let’s read again from verse 24: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city", first; "To finish the transgression", second, "To make an end of sins", third, "to make reconciliation for iniquity", fourth "and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy"
We read on: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off…" So 7 and 62 are 69 and then the Anointed One was to die, so Christ was to be crucified.
I have church history books at home giving exact years, it is historically documented that it was exactly fulfilled when Christ was crucified. 7 and 62 weeks were completed, Christ was crucified as the Anointed One, so that what was promised here could be fulfilled. So, there is one more week left. As we know that our week has seven days, so this is prophetically a week of seven years.
I will now read five Scriptures from the Bible, in which the last week is divided, exactly into two halves. The first half is for the ministry of the two prophets.
I know there are some here who heard Brother Branham saying that Jesus Christ had already preached for three years and a half and that there were only three years and a half left. Now, I would not like to exalt myself, but I believe I am able to help you in this matter, too. And here we must listen very closely; brother Branham said that Jesus Christ preached for three years and a half and it is probably true, even though the Bible does not specify the time. There is no Scripture in the Bible saying that Christ preached for three years and a half. We believe it and it is alright. It is not important whether it was two years and a half or three years and a half; He preached and finished the work.
Now we come to this point: when Brother Branham made such a statement, we must know exactly what he wanted to say, i.e. that there are only three years and a half left for Israel. But he did not say that there are three years and a half left in total, but three years and a half for Israel, namely, for the ministry of the two witnesses.
I listened to all sermons preached by brother Branham and not just once. There is not a single sermon that I would listen to fewer than four times. I translated over two hundred of them, sentence by sentence. And when we translate, we cannot just read, but we must understand what we read to be able to translate it into the other language. I know brother Branham’s sermons very well.
I also know that he said something at first and later said something else. He was also led from revelation to revelation. Not all things came at once in his ministry, but as God gave them to him. In any case, there are seven years left after the rapture of the Church. This is that one week according to the prophet Daniel.
In the beginning of the seventieth week of years, the Vatican will make a covenant with Jews. The rapture of the Bride and the covenant with Israel will take place at about the same time. These two events are not far from one another. This will happen after the rapture; we will not live to see it unless we are left here. But God forbid! May He give us grace to be ready for the rapture when the Lord returns.
I will now read in Daniel 9:27 and I want you to pay attention to this: if we read the phrase "a time, times and half a time" or “42 months” or “1260 days”, it is always the same time period. We just need to distinguish whether the first half or the second half is meant. And it is very important that we do not exchange these things by mistake.
Now we read Daniel 9:27: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…" Do you see how clearly it is written? So, 7 and 62 weeks are complete. In the meanwhile, there is time for the Church. When the number of the Church is full, then Israel will be saved, Romans 11:27.
In Daniel 9:27 we read: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (meaning seven years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…" Why will it happen in the middle? The two prophets shall prophesy for three years and a half and 144,000 shall be sealed on Mount Zion through their ministry and at the end of these three years and a half they shall stand on Mount Zion. At that time the temple will be rebuilt, for it is written in Revelation 11, verse 1: "…measure the temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles…" This will be the time when the antichrist will come to sit in the Temple.
Only when the sealed 144,000 on Zion see Christ, Jews will recognize that the Pope is the antichrist and that he deceived them. When the full number of the 144,00 see the Lord on Mount Zion, they will recognize Christ and expose the antichrist. Then they will know who he really is. The covenant will be broken then and the two prophets will be killed, the time of great tribulation will begin and the second half of the fifth seal will be fulfilled where it is written: "a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
We also read about the antichrist in Daniel 7:25: "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."
It cannot be any clearer. Three years and a half for the two prophets, then the covenant will be broken, and the time of great tribulation will begin, which will last exactly three years and a half. Only then the time will be fulfilled.
Let’s read further from Daniel 12:7 concerning the three years and a half: "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half…" Exactly the same. Daniel asked how long it would take. A time, times and a half, again exactly three years and a half. I will read in Revelation 13 so that you see it confirmed in the New Testament.
Revelation 13:5: And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." Forty-two months is three years and a half. A time, times and a half.
So the Old and New Testament are in harmony.
We read in Revelation 11:2: "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."
It is exactly the same. So God's Word is very clear. The covenant will be made for the whole period and it will be broken in the middle. The first half includes the ministry of the two prophets, the sealing of the 144,000, then the covenant will be broken, the two prophets will be killed, and the great tribulation will begin. After the last three years and a half, God will execute judgement, destroy enemies and fight for Israel. Then the whole world will breathe a sigh of relief, for the whole creation awaits deliverance. I think that is quite clear.
I also want to tell you this: I hope you're not upset here in Romania that some brothers and sisters moved to our place. Be thankful to God for this, because they work so that you can have enough spiritual food; be glad about it and thank the Lord.
God makes no mistake, He leads all things in a wonderful way, even though we may not properly understand it at the moment. We are thankful to God for the brothers and sisters who came, because now translations can be made.
At this time I work on a new book about Revelation, chapter by chapter, without leaving anything aside. I am sure it will be a blessing for many of you. I admit that I would not have known many things if God had not given His blessing and used brother Branham. I may have missed a lot without his ministry, but God has given the rest and He will give even more because He has fullness.
May He bless all of you and be with you.
I beseech the brothers who are ministers of the Word: do not cause any divisions, do not argue about God and notions concerning God, preach what you can preach from the Bible and leave the rest alone; then God will be with you.
If anyone here today thinks he knows something more than everyone else, let him repent and bow down before God, for even the moment when we realize this is from God. We may raise first, but then we bow down before God and thank Him for His mercy. Revelation from God does not create any problems, such revelation solves the problems. God never sends His Word to us to make us sick, God sends His Word to heal us, to give us the correct Bible doctrine through His great mercy.
Receive this as if from your brother: Esteem others better than yourselves because so it is written in the Scripture. Then God will be with you. If you see that God uses someone, do not let jealousy or envy arise in you, but thank God for it, because then the time will come for you to be blessed through your brother.
May God bless us and be with all of us. Amen!