Death and Life Chapter 11 - Part 1

 

Congregation sings “Only Believe”.

Can we say we really believe tonight, and I know you do. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. Lord I believe.

Let’s bow our heads. Precious Lord, our God, it is a privilege tonight Lord, to be able to bow our heads toward the dust that our prophet said from where we come, calling upon the most Holy Name that could ever be named. The One in whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess. We know Lord, that You are God and we know that there’s none like You. We realize that You know our down-sittings, our uprisings and You know our thoughts afar off. You set a boundary about our life that we can’t pass over. We believe that. We know Lord, that there comes a time when we all will have to say good-bye to the things of this life and move in to another location. We realize that Lord, like Sister Long has slipped away from us. We’ve lost a good one. Ever since I’ve known her Lord, she’s been a virtuous woman, true to the message of the hour. I know that she’s basking in  the sunlight of Your love tonight and fellowshipping with some of the others, Lord, that’s gone on before. We thank You, Father, for that hope that lies within us tonight. Lord, we know that You weren’t resurrected in vain. We see the sickness that’s come around across our congregation, Lord. Satan must be having a field day. But Lord, we know that You’ve got Your hand right on us. You’re watching over us, Lord. You’ll not allow us to be tempted above that that we’re able to bear. You said with every trial and every temptation, You’d make a way of escape. And I believe there’s a way of escape for this sickness and suffering tonight. I pray Lord, that You’d minister to every one that’s here Lord. Let the coughing cease, Lord. Let them have some peace tonight, Lord. I pray Father, that You’d cool the temperatures. Just let the Holy Spirit move up and down the isles tonight, Lord, and grant the request that’s been given in. We ask now, Lord, that You’d be merciful to us as we take our place, Lord, of duty tonight in trying to fulfill our place here, in opening up the Word, Lord. Our prophet said that anybody can read, can read the Word, but only You, Lord, can interpret it. And I know that You come through that prophet, and You give us the revelation. I believe Lord, that You’ll unfold every bit of it for us, for the glory of God. Grant it Father, we ask it in Jesus’ Name, the Son of Man. Amen.

You may be seated.

It’s good to see you tonight. Brother Lanny called a while ago. He just can’t hardly talk. He said he’s running a real high temperature. In my 45, 46 years of pastoral work, I have never seen nothing like this. Even back during the Asiatic Flu, when so many people were sick, there wasn’t nothing like that in one little group of people, like this. It’s not only here, I mean it’s just all over. It’s everywhere. And we had a number of people out sick Sunday. Some of you are back tonight, Brother and Sister White, Brother and Sister Pressley, and some of the others were out sick. We’re glad that you’re back with us tonight. And I know that we’ve got some here that don’t feel like sitting on the pews, I know they’re sick. I’m still trusting God. Victory is on the way. Amen. There’s no doubt about it, victory is on the way. Sister Katrina and the baby’s sick tonight. It just seems like that... I told Sister Darlene, today, I said, “The more I pray the more he raises his bristles.” It’s the truth. It seems like the more you pray, the more he kicks his heels up and... He’s going to stop though. Amen. He’s defeated foe, amen, he’s a defeated foe. God’s got us in His hand.

 Now listen. Tonight, I know you all heard about Sister Long. I’ll tell you, I couldn’t grieve over her and I know... We’re going to miss her, you know that, but there’s no way that I could grieve over her and say, “Oh, I wish you’d come back Sister Long.”No, I couldn’t do that. I’ll tell you what. I’m going to tell you something and you all might think I’m crazy, but I’ve got some proof. I wasn’t the only one that saw it. But now, I don’t usually talk about dead people but she just went to sleep in the Lord, you know. We got there, of course, Darlene and myself, we got there before the family arrived. As soon as we found out about it, we went right on over to the nursing home. We didn’t go in the room where she was. We went on out in the lobby and sit and waited until some of the family got there. And when they got there, we went in. Well, Sister Long was laying there just like she was asleep. They never covered her head or nothing, you know. She was just, like she’s laying there asleep. Her mouth was open about half way and just a little bit of twist to her mouth over to one side, just a little bit. We’ve got two witnesses here tonight, I know. But you could tell she’d never went through any struggle. She just went to sleep. And it’s normal, usually, for a person’s mouth to be open when they die. Well then, about two hours later, I looked in there and the expression on her face had changed. Her mouth had almost closed almost, and it was opened just a little bit. And then I called Darlene and I said, “Look in there at Sister Long and see if you think her expression has changed.” She said, “It definitely has.” She said, “I didn’t know people could do that after they die.” And then it wasn’t but a little bit until I was looking at it. I was watching her. I saw her mouth close all except, just open enough for a smile and then a smile came on her face. This was happening while Sister Arcenia was having such a hard time. She fell out and she really had a rough time, Sister Arcenia did. We were concerned about her. It was a shock to her, naturally. She wasn’t there. She got the news on the road and she had to drive all the way down from Mt. Airy. We were waiting there for them. While she was recuperating, this expression changed on Sister Long’s face. I saw it and I don’t doubt it.

I used to talk to old brother I know. He said, “Brother Holmes, I used to be a mortician.” I said, “Is that right?” He said, “Yes, I was a licensed mortician before I come in the ministry.” He said, “Brother, you’d be surprised at what happens when we take those bodies in there.” He said, “We take them in there”, and said, “You think you’ve got them laid out and the first thing you know, one knee will come up, an arm will come up.” He said, “They move.” He said, “People don’t believe that but they move.” He said, “They move, their limbs move because their muscles are moving.” But, you know, her muscles in her mouth moved just right. I’m telling you, it was so pretty. I told Sister Arcenia, “Just look at your mother and you won’t cry any more. She’s happy, she’s gone.” So, the girls tonight, are not here because they’ve been going all day today. They had to go and try to get a lot to bury Sister Long and then they had to go pick out clothes for her funeral. They are tired and worn out, so they’re not here.

Tonight, I know you’re going to understand this message tonight. But you may think it’s just a little bit out of place but it isn’t. It’s exactly what was laid on my heart, so, it’s not. The little sub-title to this is, “God Keeps His Word.” “God Keeps His Word”. Now this is all under this “Life and Death is Set Before Us”. I want to turn to Exodus the 28th Chapter. You say, “He ain’t ever going to get out of Exodus.” Kind of like Brother Branham was when he got in Job. How many of you know that Exodus is the book of Redemption? That’s what Brother Branham said. Exodus is the book of Redemption. You can find types there that brings us on over in the New Testament and then on over in our day. I want to read, start in Verse 6 and I want to see how many of you will kindly understand where we’re going here before I get over in the quotes in the Seventh Seal. Alright.

Exodus 28:6

AND THEY SHALL MAKE THE EPHOD OF GOLD, OF BLUE, AND OF PURPLE, OF SCARLET, AND FINE TWINED LINEN, WITH CUNNING WORK.

IT SHALL HAVE THE TWO SHOULDERPIECES THEREOF JOINED AT THE TWO EDGES THEREOF; AND SO IT SHALL BE JOINED TOGETHER.

AND THE CURIOUS GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD, WHICH IS UPON IT, SHALL BE OF THE SAME, ACCORDING TO THE WORK THEREOF; EVEN OF GOLD, OF BLUE, AND PURPLE, AND SCARLET, AND FINE TWINED LINEN.

AND THOU SHALT TAKE TWO ONYX STONES,...

Now, I want you listen the this real careful and read along with me

...AND GRAVE ON THEM THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL:

SIX OF THEIR NAMES ON ONE STONE, AND THE OTHER SIX NAMES OF THE REST ON THE OTHER STONE, ACCORDING TO THEIR BIRTH. (Get that now, “according to their birth.” See? Alright.)

WITH THE WORK OF AN ENGRAVER IN STONE, LIKE THE ENGRAVINGS OF A SIGNET, SHALT THOU ENGRAVE THE TWO STONES WITH THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: THOU SHALT MAKE THEM TO BE SET IN OUCHES OF GOLD.

Now of course, I looked up that word there and I may not be pronouncing it correctly right. It’s o-u-c-h-e-s. I think it’s ouches, the way it’s pronounced. It means “settings,” “settings, to be set”. That’s what it means. So, they were to be set in gold; these stones.

AND THOU SHALT PUT THE TWO STONES UPON THE SHOULDERS OF THE EPHOD FOR STONES OF MEMORIAL UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: AND AARON SHALL BEAR THEIR NAMES BEFORE THE LORD UPON HIS TWO SHOULDERS FOR A MEMORIAL.

So now, you say, “Well, Brother. Holmes, I thought that the twelve tribes were in the breastplate.” Well, the twelve tribes were in the breastplate, in tribal order. But this is in birth order on the shoulders. Now, are you getting something? On the shoulders of the high priest were the birth order of them, like they were born, Rueben, Gad, and right on down, see, like they were born. Alright. But in the breastplate it was as they were serving in tribal order. Now, so let us go over here in… and we’ll see the difference here. I want to start at Verse 23 in that same chapter. You say, “Well, this don’t mean nothing to us.” It means more than you think. To know these things, it means a lot. It means a lot to me to go back and refresh myself on it because I went back and studied it when Brother Branham brought it out, you know. Now, it’s refreshing to me to go back and get into all this again.

AND THOU SHALT MAKE UPON THE BREASTPLATE TWO RINGS OF GOLD,...

Now, we’ve had the ephod, and we’ve had the onyx stone. Right? And we’ve had the curious girdle. Alright. Now that curious girdle is like a belt. It’s something like a belt that ties the two shoulder pieces, which is the ephod, together. These two shoulder pieces fit upon the priests. There are some rings there, (gold rings), in which we see the breastplate. All three of these things are one when it’s made up. All three is one. Now, you watch. Look.

AND THOU SHALT MAKE UPON THE BREASTPLATE TWO RINGS OF GOLD, AND SHALT PUT THE TWO RINGS ON THE TWO ENDS OF THE BREASTPLATE.

AND THOU SHALT PUT THE TWO WREATHEN CHAINS OF GOLD IN THE TWO RINGS WHICH ARE ON THE ENDS OF THE BREASTPLATE.

AND THE OTHER TWO ENDS OF THE TWO WREATHEN CHAINS...

Now, this is actually gold beaten out so thin until they made chains out of it, links, you know, chains out of the gold. Alright, that’s what it is.

...THOU SHALT FASTEN IN THE TWO OUCHES, AND PUT THEM ON THE SHOULDERPIECES OF THE EPHOD BEFORE  IT.

AND THOU SHALT MAKE TWO RINGS OF GOLD, AND THOU SHALT PUT THEM UPON THE TWO ENDS OF THE BREASTPLATE IN THE BORDER THEREOF, WHICH IS IN THE SIDE OF THE EPHOD INWARD.

So now, we’ve got the ephod, the breastplate, and the onyx stone all tied together.

AND TWO OTHER RINGS OF GOLD THOU SHALT MAKE, AND SHALT PUT THEM ON THE TWO SIDES OF THE EPHOD UNDERNEATH, TOWARD THE FOREPART THEREOF, OVER AGAINST THE OTHER COUPLING THEREOF, ABOVE THE CURIOUS GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD.

AND THEY SHALL BIND THE BREASTPLATE BY THE RINGS THEREOF UNTO THE RINGS OF THE EPHOD WITH A LACE OF BLUE, THAT IT MAY BE ABOVE THE CURIOUS GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD, AND THAT THE BREASTPLATE BE NOT LOOSED FROM THE EPHOD. (In other words, it’s got to be tied together; cannot be separated.)

AND AARON SHALL BEAR THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN THE BREASTPLATE OF JUDGEMENT UPON HIS HEART, WHEN HE GOETH IN UNTO THE HOLY PLACE, FOR A MEMORIAL BEFORE THE LORD CONTINUALLY.

Now you notice it didn’t say that these children of Israel here were the twelve patriarchs as they were birthed. You notice that? Not in the breastplate. Huh? Alright. No, there were twelve in there but it wasn’t the twelve as they were birthed. See? Dan and Ephraim were in this… In other words, the two sons of Joseph were put in in the place of Levi and Joseph. Right? So Dan and Ephraim was taken out of this thing. They were in here at the time when the ministering was going on at the time that the breastplate was made. But all of the children of Israel were born upon the shoulders of the high priest. See? Upon the shoulders of the high priest were all twelve of them. Alright. It don’t make no sense to you yet, does it? Ok. Alright. We’re going on now.

...WHEN HE GOETH IN UNTO THE HOLY PLACE, FOR A MEMORIAL BEFORE THE LORD CONTINUALLY.

AND THOU SHALT PUT IN THE BREASTPLATE OF JUDGEMENT THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM;...

Now, we don’t know until yet, exactly what that was. But this breastplate was made like something that would fold. It was made of a material that was doubled, like a pocket. It was like a pocket. The twelve stones were glistening across the breastplate, but the Urim and Thummim was in there, was in that fold, Urim and Thummim. Alright. Brother Branham said that that represented the Word, see, the Bible. Alright. So now, let us go on here and not take up too much time on this part.

AND THOU SHALT PUT IN THE BREASTPLATE OF JUDGEMENT THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM; AND THEY SHALL BE UPON AARON’S HEART, WHEN HE GOETH IN BEFORE THE LORD: AND AARON SHALL BEAR THE JUDGMENT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL UPON HIS HEART BEFORE THE LORD CONTINUALLY.

Alright, so what is represented in this breastplate is all of the tribes, the heads of the tribes of Israel, All of the heads of the tribes, so Dan and Ephraim was in there. So now, let’s just briefly go over this. I pulled out some history on this, some Bible history, and looked to see what each one of these things represented and then I’d go back to the prophet and see what he said about these things, you see, so I’d make sure that I’ve got the right steering wheel and I’m not on the wrong side. See. I never want to do that. Alright. But the ephod seems to have been made of two pieces and these two pieces were shoulder pieces, see, like we read in the Bible. And, of course, they were fastened together; these two shoulder pieces were fastened together by that curious girdle and this curious girdle was actually a belt that tied the two shoulder pieces together. Of course, that was the ephod. Then the onyx stone, of course, was something else, the onyx stones, plural, stones. Alright. How many of you ever noticed that these stones, that these tribes were split? Six of them on one stone and six on another and they were put on the shoulders of the high priests. Did you ever really study that? Anybody here ever study it? I see Brother T.B. shaking his head. You’ve studied that haven’t you? Alright. Anybody else ever studied it and wonder why those things were like that? So you see, these things have a meaning, they have a meaning.

Alright, now watch. Now, of course you’ll find that this was commanded to be a part of the dress of the high priest. You’ll find that in Exodus 25:7. These onyx stones, back then the onyx was one of the most precious stones that there was. It wasn’t like it is now, the onyx stone, now, is not such an outstanding precious stone but back then it was something very rare and special. Alright.

AND STONES TO BE SET IN THE EPHOD AND THE BREASTPLATE.

Alright. So, they were engraved with the names of the children of Israel according to their birth. According to their birth they were put in here in these stones, six on one side, six on the other. They were enclosed in these settings of gold and these onyx stones were fastened upon the shoulder pieces of the high priests. And then that was called the ephod. Now the breastplate was made of the same material and it was tied into that. And then, on the breastplate was twelve stones. Two stones on the shoulder, twelve stones on the breastplate. See? Alright. The two stones on the shoulder represented the twelve children of Jacob in their birth. Alright. Now the twelve stones in the breastplate represented them in tribal order, which Joseph and Levi were not there. You understand? Alright. So now, the breastplate… Actually when you get the interpretation of that you find out that really it’s an ornament. That’s what the breastplate was, it was an ornament. And in that breastplate was a double fold, like a pocket, and inside of there was the Urim and the Thummim. And so, the children of Israel actually had a double representation when they went in before the Lord. When the high priest went in before the Lord they had a double representation to them because there they were on the shoulders and there they were on the breastplate. Alright. So then, these chains, of course, were fastened and everything in order. All of it became just one piece, like one piece.

Now, I’ve got the names of these, the way they were set in on the shoulders. On the right shoulder of the high priest we find Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, and Naphtali. That’s on the right shoulder. On the left shoulder is Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. That’s the order in which they were born, see, the order in which they were born. Now, on the stones in the breastplate, we find it set in order like this, as their birthstone. And I’m not going to call their birthstone but you can find that. It’s all in there, the birthstone for each one of them. We find on the first row... Now if you’ll notice he said that they were set in four rows, three to the row in the breastplate, which would make how many? Twelve. So then on the first row we find Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. On the second row we find Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. On the third row we find Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. On the fourth row we find Dan, Aher, and Naphtali. We find here Ephraim and Dan but we don’t find Levi and Joseph. Right? They’re not there. Well, we know why don’t we? We know why. So to find out why they’re not there, let’s let the Bible answer for the sake of the printed messages. We’re printing these messages so we want this to be proof of what we’re talking about. In I Kings, Chapter 12, we want to read, Verse 25.

THEN JEROBOAM BUILT SHECHEM IN MOUNT EPHRAIM, AND DWELT THEREIN; AND WENT OUT FROM THENCE, AND BUILT PENUEL

AND JEROBOAM SAID IN HIS HEART, NOW SHALL THE KINGDOM RETURN TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID:

See? Now this is just about the time that David is fixing to take over the reign. Jeroboam knew that this thing was going to go back under God again.

IF THIS PEOPLE GO UP TO DO SACRIFICE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AT JERUSALEM, (See, he’s a hypocrite. Jeroboam is a hypocrite. Amen.) THEN SHALL THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE TURN AGAIN UNTO THEIR LORD, EVEN UNTO REHOBOAM KING OF JUDAH, AND THEY SHALL KILL ME, AND GO AGAIN TO REHOBOAM KING OF JUDAH.

Alright. So here is where the problem started, right here with Dan and Ephraim. Right here. Under this wicked backslidden king, Jeroboam, on Verse 28 it says:

WHEREUPON THE KING TOOK COUNSEL, AND MADE TWO CALVES OF GOLD, AND SAID UNTO THEM, IT IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM:...

Oh, how many people have said that, “Well, you wouldn’t have to travel so far to hear the Word. See. So why don’t we just have something here?” And a lot of people substituted something. I hope you get what we’re talking about. Alright. The types are standing so true, you have to say something.

...BEHOLD THY GODS, O ISRAEL, WHICH BROUGHT THEE UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.

That sounds just like it did over there in the wilderness, don’t it? Again. See? Alright.

AND HE SET THE ONE IN BETHEL, AND THE OTHER PUT HE IN DAN.

AND THIS THING BECAME A SIN: FOR THE PEOPLE WENT TO WORSHIP BEFORE THE ONE, EVEN UNTO DAN.

AND HE MADE AN HOUSE OF HIGH PLACES, AND MADE PRIESTS OF THE LOWEST OF THE PEOPLE, WHICH WERE NOT OF THE SONS OF LEVI.

Oh, how we could stop here. Do you see what we’re talking about? Don’t you see what we’re in again? Amen. You ought to read a letter I got here. Get them out there on the field, whether they’re called or not. See? Not the sons of Levi. He just picked up anybody and put them out there and made them priests, this wicked king. See? Alright. Brother Don I already had this message before I got that letter. This didn’t change a thing and the Lord knows my heart. I already had the letter. See? I’ve had this message before I ever got the letter. Alright.

AND JEROBOAM ORDAINED A FEAST IN THE EIGHTH MONTH, ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, LIKE UNTO THE FEAST THAT IS IN JUDAH, AND HE OFFERED UPON THE ALTAR. SO DID HE IN BETHEL, SACRIFICING UNTO THE CALVES THAT HE HAD MADE: AND HE PLACED IN BETHEL THE PRIESTS OF THE HIGH PLACES WHICH HE HAD MADE.

SO HE OFFERED UPON THE ALTAR WHICH HE HAD MADE IN BETHEL THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE EIGHTH MONTH, EVEN IN THE MONTH WHICH HE HAD DEVISED OF HIS OWN HEART: (See?) AND ORDAINED A FEAST UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: AND HE OFFERED UPON THE ALTAR, AND BURNT INCENSE.

Alright. Now, what happened there, Brother Holmes? Well, Dan and Ephraim fell for this. Do you remember that? Dan and Ephraim fell for this and so what did God do? God took them out, blotted their names out from under the heavens. From under the heavens. Alright. So they were not recognized any more. So if it hadn’t been for the stones of representation on the shoulder of the priests, they would have never been remembered again. But you see, those names were right there coming before God all the time, even though they were blotted out of the breastplate. Watch now. I’m going to the “Seventh Seal” and I want to read. This is on Page 554, I believe it is. He said:

“SEE? EPHRAIM AT BETHEL, AND DAN; AND they SET UP IDOLS AND THESE WENT OUT TO WORSHIP THIS. AND HERE WE ARE PLUMB DOWN INTO THE MILLENNIUM AGE, ALMOST, AND GOD STILL REMEMBERED THAT SIN....”

Right up here in the paragraph before that he’s reading those verses that I read to you in I Kings. And he said, “God still remembered that sin plumb on  down where we are now, plumb on down near the millennium, he still remembered it.”

“...THEY’RE NOT EVEN COUNTED IN THERE. AMEN! GLORY! JUST AS SURE AS HE REMEMBERS EVERY GOOD PROMISE, HE REMEMBERS EVERY ONE EVIL TOO...”

See? When God sets up a standard, He remembers the evil that is done against that as much as He remembers the good that’s done to it. See? Alright.

“...JUST REMEMBER... THAT’S THE REASON I BELIEVE, FRIENDS, I’VE ALWAYS TRIED TO STAY WITH THAT WORD NO MATTER HOW STRANGE  IT SEEMS.”

“SEE, NOW THEY WOULDN’T THINK ABOUT THAT THERE THEN. THEY DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT THEN...”

These little things sometimes, that you just ignore, that you just look over. You don’t think nothing about it, but there is something to it if it’s the Word of God. See, if it’s the Word of God it’s important to you. Every Word, not just leave one off here and down the road, maybe fifty pages, leave another one off or something. No, you don’t do that. You can’t... “If you’re guilty of one,” then, He said, “you’re guilty of all.” Now that’s the Scripture.

“...WHEN THEIR NAMES AND TRIBES ARE BLOTTED OUT FROM it, BECAUSE THEY SERVED IDOLATRY THAT GOD CURSED. DIDN’T HE SAY HE HATED THE NICOLAITANS AND THAT JEZEBEL? STAY AWAY FROM IT...”

Huh? Stay away from that stuff. That organized religion. How many of you remember not long ago?... Brother T.B., if you’ll go back and check you’ll find out that I mentioned that there is a great man that’s pulling all the people under him. How many of you remember that? Do you remember me making that statement? Some of you, I know, do. Alright. Well, if you read the letter today, that I got, you’ll know what I’m talking about. He’s trying to get all of them into one blanket. He used the term “framework of the message,” exactly what Brother Branham used in the Church Ages book. And said, “They would feel more comfortable in the framework of this thing.” It seemed so easy Brother Don, for them to worship down at Bethel and Dan. What was wrong with that? They didn’t have to go all the way up to Jerusalem. See it Brother John? Amen. It’s real serious, it’s real serious!

“...DIDN’T HE SAY HE’D KILL JEZEBEL’S DAUGHTERS WITH THE KILLING OF DEATH WHICH IS ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM HIS PRESENCE? DON’T TRUST IN IT AT ALL. GET AWAY FROM IT. SO GOD REMEMBERs.”

God remembers. Remember that little title, “God Keeps His Word”? Amen. Alright, now.

“Notice. But did you notice there, it was to be blotted out? ...UNDER HEAVEN (Under heaven their names were to be blotted out.) ...THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE SACRIFICE THAT COULD give him THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LET HIM SEE THESE THINGS,...”

See? He was ignorant to it, to a certain extent. Are you listening now? They were ignorant to it, to a certain extent so God still held their names in a special place but He blotted them out from under heaven. But He still held them in heaven. Alright, now.

“...HE SEES THEM AGAIN IN PERFECT ORDER...”

Well, now, I’m going to give you these Scriptures. I am going to read in Revelation 7 but I want you to read in Ezekiel the 48th Chapter, Verses 1-7 and also Verses 23-29. You’ll see them set there in perfect order like they’re supposed to be. This is a vision that Ezekiel saw after the sin had been forgiven, after the sin had been taken away. After the purging. See? Now.

“ALL RIGHT. AND ALSO, IN REVELATION 14, JOHN SEEN THEM AGAIN IN TRIBAL ORDER. THAT’S RIGHT. EVERY TRIBE TO HIS PLACE. WHAT HAPPENED? YOU REMEMBER, HE SAID, ‘UNDER THE HEAVENS...’”

Showing you that God don’t miss cue nowhere. He doesn’t miss cue. Amen. I don’t know if any of you ever shot any pool or not but the most embarrassing thing there ever is, when you know you’re going to make... And you forgot to put chalk on your stick. About the time, you know, you’ve got the sight just right and this ball means a lot to you  and you know you’re going to make it, and you miss cue. That is so embarrassing. I’ve done it. I’m not telling you to shoot pool, that’s the worst thing in the world you could do, not even have one in your house as a recreation. I don’t like that. Alright.

“...HIS NAME WOULD BE BLOTTED OUT OF THE TRIBAL AFFAIR...”

His name would be blotted out of the tribal affair. See? As the leaders of the tribe, they couldn’t do it no more. They wouldn’t be represented anymore.

“...As long as he was under the heavens, (Dan and Ephraim would not be in there anymore. That’s right. Alright.) THERE WOULD BE NO MORE, AND THIS 144,000 IS DOWN HERE IN THE TRIBAL PART YET. (Watch now.) RIGHT! BUT YOU SEE, THEY HAD BEEN BLINDED, (See?) THEY HAD ONLY THE SACRIFICE OF BULLS AND GOATS. SEE?”

This is some of your answer. “They had only the sacrifice of bulls and goats.” But God kept their names. Watch now.

“NOW NOTICE, HE BLOTTED THEM OUT UNDER THE HEAVENS. BUT, THE GENTILES IN THE DAYS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, (Now listen!) AGAINST THAT, YOUR NAME WAS TAKEN COMPLETELY OFF THE BOOK OF LIFE, AND Can NEVER HAVE FORGIVENESS IN THIS WORLD OR THE WORLD TO COME...”

It’s serious isn’t it? Really serious. Alright, you’ll see why a God-called preacher will keep hammering on little things to get you to see those things and get out of it before it becomes a doctrinal problem to you and you reject it, See? If you reject it, then, of course, it’s rejecting the Word.

“...now, THERE’S WHERE WE STAND. ISRAEL UNDER GOATS, SHEEP---THEY DID HAVE A PLACE, AS LONG AS THEY WAS ON EARTH HERE, THEIR TRIBES WAS MISSING. THEY COULD NEVER BE INCLUDED.”

“...NOW, WHEN HE CALLED them over there, THE hundred and forty-four thousand, THEY WERE MISSING. THAT’S RIGHT. THEY’RE NOT EVEN NUMBERED IN THERE. AND JOSEPH AND LEVI IS PUT IN THE PLACE OF DAN AND EPHRAIM...”

Let’s see if that’s true over here in Revelation, Chapter 7. Alright. Let’s see the sealing of the 144,000. They missed the millennium. That’s right. Dan and Ephraim will not be in the millennium. They’re blotted out. They won’t be there because of what they done. Wait a minute, I want to get this clear. I want to read it first. If I have to extract something... I’ve been studying so much today, if I have to extract something here on this, I want to make sure I get it right. I remember one time, I felt a little checked there. Brother Branham was talking, one time when I was there, on the Seals, on “Questions and Answers” and the Holy Spirit stopped him. He was answering a question wrong and the Holy Spirit stopped him and he said, “What’s wrong?” He read that Scripture wrong. How many of you read that? I was sitting there. He turned as white as a sheet and he said, “What’s wrong, brethren? There’s something wrong.” The prophet. And one of the brethren spoke up and said, “Brother Branham, if you wouldn’t mind, if you’ll just read the Scripture again.” And he read the Scripture and he had answered the question wrong. And the Holy Spirit would not let him do it. Amen. See? The Holy Spirit wouldn’t let him do it. That’s right, protecting that Word, not protecting William Branham, but protecting that Word. Amen. That Word is a serious thing. Amen. It’s Life or death. Alright, so in the 7th Chapter, now, let’s look. We’ll begin reading about the 4th Verse.

AND I HEARD THE NUMBER OF THEM WHICH WERE SEALED: AND THERE WERE SEALED AN HUNDRED AND FORTY AND FOUR THOUSAND OF ALL THE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

OF THE TRIBE OF JUDA WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND...

Now, you see, this is after all the sacrifices and everything is done away with. Alright. So now, Dan and Ephraim have gone through their purging. See? Do you understand? Alright. Now watch this.

OF THE TRIBE OF JUDA WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF REUBEN WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF GAD WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND.

OF THE TRIBE OF ASER WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF NEPHTHALIM WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF MANASSES WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND.

OF THE TRIBE OF SIMEON WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF ISSACHAR WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND.

OF THE TRIBE OF ZABULON WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND. OF THE TRIBE OF JOSEPH WERE SEALED TWELVE THOUSAND...

Now show me where Ephraim and Dan is in there. They’re not in there, see, they’re not in there because God could not come against His Word. So they could not go in the Millennium. I was correct. They could not go in the Millennium. See? But over on the other side now, if you’ll go back now and you’ll look... In other words, in the new heavens and new earth when everything is set up in division of that, then they’ll go back in the original order again like they were under the tribal order. Ephraim and Dan will be placed back in there. That’s what Brother Branham said.

Bringing this thing tonight, it was so real to me when I was studying it. I said, “Now this is what Brother Branham has been trying to get the people to see.” A lot of times, these little keys, like this, don’t mean much to people but they mean a lot to you if you’re going to carry the Scripture all the way through. If you’re going to carry it all the way through, it means a lot. You need to know that the sin that Dan and Ephraim did was not looked over. No sir, it was not looked over. God would not forgive them. Their names could not be recognized anymore under heaven. In this world they could not be recognized anymore in the sacrifices and so forth. See? They couldn’t be recognized anymore. But then after it’s all over then they’ll be set back in their original order again like they were before they were taken out. See? The merciful God will purge them and forgive them, and let them go on in. How many of you know that they didn’t have the new birth anyway? Huh?

How many of you know that the Jews, literally millions of them, will go into eternal life without the new birth? That’s under the 5th Seal. They were martyred for the testimony that they held just because they were Jews. They held that testimony that they believed in God. Amen. They were willing to give their lives. Six million of them were slaughtered under Eichman, Hitler, Mussolini, and so forth, Stalin. Amen. Their money was taken away from them and everything. The United States, I wouldn’t be surprised if they   didn’t… see, they rejected a place for them. Many of them could have escaped but the United States would not give them the opening. And the other countries, you’ve read about it. We’ve talked about it some. The other countries closed the doors to them. Why? Because it had to be that way. It had to be that way, they had to give their life. They said, “Let His blood be upon us and upon our children.” See? They had to die that way. Now they’re hollering for revenge under the altar and saying, “How long, oh Lord, will it be before You avenge our blood of those upon the face of this earth.” He said “Just a little while.” He gave them white robes and said just wait a while.” “They didn’t deserve them”, Brother Branham said. They didn’t have the new birth but they were Jews. Gentiles have to be born again. That’s right. They didn’t have no way in unless it would be mercy. He said, “Just hold a while and after while the rest of them is coming like you and there’s going to be more that’s going to have to be killed, that’ll come and give their life too.”

At that great judgment bar of God, in the 25th Chapter of Matthew, when all of these things begin to come up. When the righteous and the foolish virgins come up, you’ll see that that great number there will stand there. Amen. They’re righteous. Yes, God made them righteous. He gave them a robe, not even born again, He gave them a robe. Amen that’s right. They’ll have eternal life. That’s the ones that will go into eternal life.

Now, if you’ll go on in the 7th Chapter there,... I’m closing now, but if you’ll go on in the 7th Chapter of Revelation there you’ll find out that another number that no man could number. Brother Branham said, “John didn’t know who these were.” He said, “He didn’t know these because John was a Jew.” He said, “I don’t know who they are.”

Well the angel that was talking to him said these are they who came up out of great tribulation. See? You remember how we labored on that as the Lord revealed it and helped us to understand what Brother Branham was saying; unfolding it to us how that every age, after every message, after every messenger came a what? Tribulation period. After every message came a tribulation period. See? They went through those things and suffered. What happened? Look. When those Pentecostal people came out of Wesley they were persecuted, lost their jobs, and many of them lost their loved ones and everything else but they stood for the Word. See? There was a tribulation period going on through those things, in every age. He said, “They are they that came up out of great tribulation and had white robes on and palms in their hands.” Brother Branham said, “This is a part of the Bride.” How about that? That’s what he said.

I never will forget down in St. Augustine, I went down there. Somebody said that I misquoted something so I took all the tapes and I went down there. I called the brother over to the motel, Brother Ben and myself, over to the motel. He came over and brought two men with him. I said, “Brother, I was told that I had misquoted something that Brother Branham said. I came down here to get it straightened out.” He said, “You mean to tell me you came all the way down here to straighten…” I said, “Yes, sir!” He said, “Well, I don’t have it.” I said, “Well, I do. I got all the tapes right out here. Just tell me which one it was on, brother.” He said, “Well, I don’t remember.” I said, “You mean to tell me brother…” I said, “ Listen, you mean to tell me that I’m your brother and that I have misrepresented what Brother Branham said and you didn’t think enough of it to remember where it was that you could correct me and show me where I’m wrong?”

I’ll never forget I said, “Brother, I’m going to tell you the truth, you’re trying to put those foolish virgins in the 7th Chapter of Revelation and it won’t work. I’m going to read to you where Brother Branham said, “That was the Bride.” And I opened the Church Ages book and he jumped up and his veins, you saw it happen in India, same thing. He said, “Oh, you unmerciful preacher!” Talking to me and Brother Ben. And he got so hard on me and, bless his heart. He was really coming down on me, and Brother Ben said, “Wait a minute, this is my pastor. Don’t you come at him like that no more. I know this man and he won’t misrepresent what Brother Branham said.” Amen. So they got their little bags and left. They never showed me where I was wrong. Amen. Why? Because they couldn’t, that’s the thing, they couldn’t. Amen. So you see, what we need to do is to make sure when we are saying something that we’re saying what Brother Branham said. If we are paraphrasing, make sure that it’s not changing what Brother Branham said. Make sure that we’re in line. If you don’t have it verbatim and you’re not sure of what he’s saying, wait until you get verbatim and then say what he said.

I love you. May God bless you. Come on sister. Don’t you love Him? Amen! Oh, I appreciate Him. I got done right at 8:30 tonight. How about that? I just wanted to bring that little lesson to you to slip that in here to show you that God don’t forget these things. It’s so easy to be pulled off and not seem so important to even go to church anymore. That’s right. There’s a big thing going on now where people say, “Well, I pay my tithes to Jeffersonville, Brother Branham is my pastor.” Well, that’s not the way Brother Branham taught it. Is it? Let us stand.

This little song, “I’m On My Way To Caanan Land,”... Now just before we sing this song, before any of you get a chance to get away.

(Brother. Holmes announces funeral arrangements for Sis. Long.)

Congregation sings: “I’m On My Way To Caanan Land”.

Listen children. You know, the biggest mistake a person could ever make, is to let somebody else’s life hinder them. That’s the biggest mistake you can ever make. Amen.

Congregation continues singing.

Sister might not go, brother might not go. Amen. Deacons might not go. Brother Branham said, “You have to look at it like this. If there ain’t but one going in Jeffersonville, I’m that one.” That’s how positive you have to be. If there ain’t but one going from Coral Park, I’m him. Amen! And everyone of you think the same way. And in reality how many is going? Amen. Just one, and that’s the Bride. Not brides, not wives, just one. Amen. And I’m one of them. I’m one of them. Aren’t you glad? I love Him, and I appreciate Him so much. He’s so good to us. Amen. And we have so many things to talk about and to bring in these lessons. We’re just skimming the surface now, we’ll get on in there. Now we took time to take this little lesson tonight to let you see that God don’t forget these things, you know, and that He will remember and He will bring it to pass just like He said He would. Amen. He’s not going to forget. Brother Glenn, if you’ll come and dismiss us now.

Let’s everybody remember the family of Sister Long.

May the Lord bless you.

Brother Glenn dismisses the service with comments and prayer.

Listed below are the Scripture and Quotes that were taken from the Message of our Prophet for the basis of this sermon.

EXODUS 28:6 - And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

EXODUS 28:7-  It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

EXODUS 28:8 - And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

EXODUS 28:9 - And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

EXODUS 28:10 - Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

EXODUS 28:11 - With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

EXODUS 28:12 -  And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

EXODUS 28:23 - And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

EXODUS 28:24 - And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

EXODUS 28:25 - And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.

EXODUS 28:26 - And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which [is] in the side of the ephod inward.

EXODUS 28:27 - And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

EXODUS 28:28 - And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

EXODUS 28:29 - And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

EXODUS 28:30 - And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

EXODUS 25:7 - Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

I KINGS 12:25 - Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

I KINGS 12:26 - And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

I KINGS 12:27 - If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

I KINGS 12:28 - Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

I KINGS 12:29 - And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

I KINGS 12:30 - And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

I KINGS 12:31 - And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

I KINGS 12:32 - And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

I KINGS 12:33 - So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

SEVENTH SEAL THE  JEFF.IN  SUNDAY  63-0324E  
554-1  { 214}  - See? Ephraim at Bethel, and Dan; and they set up idols, and these went out to worship this. And here we are plumb down into the millennium age almost, and God still remembered that sin. They're not even counted in there. Amen. Glory. Just as sure as He remembers every good promise, He remembers every one evil too. Just remember when... That's the reason I believe, friends; I've always tried to stay with that Word no matter how strange it seems.

See, now, they wouldn't think about that there then. They didn't think about it then. They thought, "Well, they got by with it." All right, but here they are over here in this millennium age setting in, when their names and tribes is blotted out from it, because they served idolatry that God cursed. Didn't He say He hated the Nicolaitans and that Jezebel? Stay away from it. Didn't He say He'd kill Jezebel's daughters with the killing of death which is eternal separation from His Presence? Don't trust in it at all. Get away from it. So God remembers.

554-2  { 220}  - Notice. But did you notice there, it was to be blotted out? Why? Under heaven there was no immediate sacrifice that could give him the Holy Spirit to let him see these things, but he did it anyhow in his own selfish mind. But Ezekiel, in his vision in the millennium, he sees them again in perfect order: Ezekiel, if you want to read it. Just put it down and you can read it to save time: Ezekiel 48:1-7, also read 23 to 29. Ezekiel seen every tribe just exactly in order.

554-3  { 222}  - All right. And also in Revelations 14, John seen them again in tribal order. That's right. Every tribe to his place. What happened? You remember, he said, "Under the heavens," that his name would be blotted out of the tribal affair. As long as he was under the heavens, there would be no more, and this hundred and forty-four thousand is down here in the tribal part yet. That's right. But you see, they'd been blinded; they had only the sacrifice of bulls and goats. See?

Now, notice, He blotted them out under the heavens. But the Gentile in the days of the Holy Spirit, against That your name was taken completely off the Book of Life, and can never have forgiveness in this world or the world to come. Is that right? Now, there's where we stand. Israel under goats, sheep, they--they did have a place, as long as they was on earth here, their tribes was missing. They could never be included.

REVELATION 7:4 - And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

REVELATION 7:5 - Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

REVELATION 7:6 - Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

REVELATION 7:7 - Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

REVELATION 7:8 - Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

555-2  { 225}  - Now, all... When He called them over there, the hundred and forty-four thousand, they were missing. That's right. They're not even numbered in there. And Joseph and Levi is put in the place of Dan and Ephraim. Now, you can look at there; right there it is before you. See? And here's God's promise way back there hundreds and hundreds of years before that.