RAPTURE #7

Chronology

As a Thief in the Night

October 16, 1983

Shall we pray: Heavenly Father, we’re very happy to be in this house that You’ve given us to worship in. We’re grateful, Lord, for every move of Your Spirit, every insight that You give us. And we’re so grateful for it, Lord, that we cannot praise You enough. We only ask You now that You will abide with us here; that You will feed our souls with the Bread of Life; that you’ll break this Word to us that we might know the truth which sets us free—sets us free from sin, from guilt, from fear, from shame, all of those things, Lord, because You are here to do that. We know that literally we are passing from the death of mortality into the life of immortality. We have no doubts about that because we have seen with our eyes the fulfillment of Scripture for this hour. We praise Thee and give Thee glory. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. You may be seated.

1. Now this morning I want to continue with the study of the Rapture as we have been doing for quite some time. And we’ll just go over some salient points concerning It and try to fit in some Scripture that may be a little difficult to apprehend when we deal with that subject.

Now to begin with, of course, we know the word ‘rapture’ is not in the Bible. [ ] It is an obsolete word; it means a ‘catching away,’ or a ‘carrying away.’ Catching away, carrying away—it’s the same thing. And we do not use that anymore. We sing songs about raptures of glory which signify that people are caught away into a more spiritual realm which they like to have happen to them in their worship services and their song services.

2. However the Rapture, as we call it, is a major doctrine of the New Testament. And you find it enunciated or set forth or declared here in 1 Th 4:13:

(13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

(14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring forth with him. (Now that’s the Resurrection.)

(15) For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the presence of the Lord shall not prevent (take a precedence or a preeminence over) them which are asleep (Now here’s the verse we want to watch for—16, 17:)

(16) For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

(17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Now that’s the doctrine of the Rapture, which is the catching up or the catching away.

3. Now this no doubt is based upon the promise that Jesus gave to his disciples back in John 14, using the first four verses:

(1) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God believe also in me.

(2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

(4) And whither I go ye know, and the way (that) ye know.

Now very evidently, the Rapture here is the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise that says that “I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” And you’ll notice that the receiving is up in the atmosphere where the Saints rise to literally meet him to go into the Wedding Supper and then literally come back to earth with him. And of course from the time of the Rapture there is no cessation of really being with him in his glorified form and also those ones who died in faith and who live in faith also having glorified forms.

4. Now we also notice, having found this in 1 Thessalonians, that this promise of the Rapture follows after or is subsequent to the First Resurrection, and both those that are there living at that time and the dead that come out of the ground—speaking of the bodies that come out of the ground at that time—they are both going to be raised up to meet the Lord in the air. Let’s go over that again, so that we’re sure we have it exactly right. Now Paul speaking in 1 Th 4:13 right on through again:

(13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope.

Now you’ll notice that back here that the church was in error concerning this doctrine. They didn’t understand the Resurrection. They didn’t understand what would happen to the living. They didn’t understand what would happen to both of them. They knew a little bit about it. They had some information. But evidently the information that Paul gave originally was twisted and perverted some way so that he had to come back and correct it.

Now there is a book written to the Thessalonicans which we do not have possession of but evidently is not necessary according to God, because if it was necessary for us, we’d have it. And since this sets in order the understanding of what is necessary, you really don’t need the other book.

5. Now he says here that—concerning the living and the dead... Now there’s something the living need to know concerning themselves and concerning the dead which are going to appear on earth. Now he says:

(14) ...If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring forth with him.

In other words there is a literal promise to the true believer—that is the believer who has the definitive revelation, who has the truth, who has the reality of Christ. He said, “God is obligated to bring them forth the same as He brought forth Jesus.” And remember, Jesus said, “Handle me and see. A spirit hath not flesh and bone.” He didn’t say, “Flesh and blood”. He said, “Flesh and bone.”

6. And again Paul says in 1 Corinthians [15] concerning the same subject:

(51) ...I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

Why? “Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” But It does not say that flesh and bone does not inherit it. And remember, that when Jesus was on earth after his Resurrection, he was eating honeycomb and bread, and as Bro. Branham said, “a fish sandwich,” because there was fish broiled upon the coals.

That brings up a peculiar question, “What are you going to eat in the Millennium?” Don’t worry, just get there. Just get there.

You know when I hear about a good restaurant, I don’t worry. Well, I sort of worry what I’m going to eat, but the thrill of knowing I’m going to be there in a good restaurant having some of their goodies, that’s enough. Well all right. It is the same way here: there is much promise concerning eating and drinking in the Millennium. Get there to be a partaker. Go to the Wedding Supper. Make sure you make it. See? All right.

7. God is going to bring them forth in the same mold as Jesus, which was the Son of God, God’s Own Son who died and rose again. Now he says in verse 15 [1 Th]:

(15) For this we say unto by the word of the Lord, (This is THUS SAITH THE LORD—what God Himself has said through a prophet.) that we which are alive and remain unto the presence of the Lord shall not prevent (take a precedence or preeminence over) them which are asleep.

In other words, as Bro. Branham put it so succinctly and so truly, “What does it matter if you die or if you are standing here, as long as you make it?” See?

Somebody says, “Well, if I’m standing here, this is something that hasn’t ever happened before and never will happen again as far as we know, that a group of people just walking day by day and pounding nails and digging potatoes and eating away and sleeping away, and they’re going to be changed into immortality.”

“Well,” you say, “that makes us something special.”

The most you can say about yourself is this: that you are the Very Elect, and you won’t be fooled. Now let’s face it: those that weren’t in this position that died, they weren’t fooled either.

So how smart are you? Forget it; forget it. Just rejoice in the Lord, and be glad if you’re a part of the election.

8. (16) The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...

Now watch what this descent is and remember this descent is to the living. See? It’s to the living. And at the same time something is going on for the dead; and then it goes on between the living and the dead, which both are immortalized and glorified; and they’ll be caught up in the air. Now see what It says:

(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.

9. That word in the Greek of course is ‘keleuma’ which is a military command. Now let’s watch it. Joshua was the military commander in the flesh that was leading Israel over into the Promised Land, but suddenly there stood an angel by him, which was God in the form of an angel, and old Joshua walked over before the possession, and he said, “Who are you for? Are you for or against?”

He said, “Nay,” He said, “It is not a matter of being for or against.” He said, “I am It.” He said, “I am the leader of the camp of the host of Israel. I am the Great General.”

And so God Himself lets us know here—God coming down in the form of the Holy Spirit at the end time—that He is the Great General, and He is giving the orders.

Well, He has got to be the one to give the orders, because He has to order the dead out of the ground; He has to order us changed; He has to order gravity to break loose its hold; and He has to bear us up. That’s tremendous—absolutely fantastic. You see? That’s going to happen.

9. (16) ...The voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: the dead in Christ are going to go up ahead of us.

Why? Because they go up in their ages. They come out of the ground—age number seven to be with us. They come out of the ground—age number six, age number five, age number four, age number three, age number two, age number one. Then they reverse to form the pyramid: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and then we are caught up at the end. And there will be very, very few in this Rapture. They won’t even be noticed that they’re gone. We’re going to learn a lot about this today, if we can just make the time for it. All right.

10. We’re going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Now you say, “Now just what about that? I thought the Lord is going to descend down here. We’re going to meet the Lord in the air.”

Have you ever read the Scripture, “The Lord said unto my Lord: sit thou on my right hand”? Who’s God talking to? The Lord Jesus Christ. Who are we going to meet in the air? The Lord Jesus Christ. Who’s going to get us up there? God—form of the Holy Spirit. Remember, Jesus is not God until God incarnates him. We don’t have three Gods, two Gods... We have one God. See?

“And the Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit down on my right hand’.” And He said, “This day,” He said, “have I exalted Thee. This day do I declare that you are my Son.” See? And then He mentions the fact, He said, “You love righteousness; therefore the Lord thy God even thy God has anointed thee above thy fellows.” And Paul said, “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is not a mystery here. People just want to make it a mystery.

11. All you’ve to do is to see the Bible. Once you see the Bible, how the Bible runs in continuity, there are no big problems. The problem lies in the doctrine of man; it lies in the creeds and the dogmas that men have, and they bring it out of their churches with them. And then, of course, there’s a problem. Wouldn’t it be nice if we’d never ever gone to a church? and never ever had anything to do with all these things around about us, and we suddenly had the Bible given to us?

“Well,” you say, “I don’t know if I understand.”

Well, understand very simply. When I went to school, they took the galvanic battery, and they had that action...the galvanic action, and they had a little bit of juice flowing through the wire, and they took a dipping needle. And the dipping needle dipped down, and they said...when the dipping needle is down… I can’t remember to this day which way the juice was going, but you know they taught me a hundred percent opposite! Well, with that kind of teaching, I’m in trouble! What if I’d have got a hold of two hot wires? Zzzzzt! Forget it! Light up like a neon sign and stand there, you know...sparks going out of you like a cat when [there’s an] electric storm. Forget it. There are better ways of skinning a cat than that—if I’m the cat especially.

12. No! They had it wrong. Well a lot of people have a lot of these things wrong. And so they get a couple of Gods mixed up in here and there’s not… There’s only one God. And when that Spirit takes us up there, and we stand in the Presence of that Great One, our own brother in the flesh, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then that Spirit incarnates Himself in him and to us, the Marriage Supper goes on. You know it is very simple to understand this, if you just let your thinking go as Bro. Branham warned us. Now we’re caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

13. Now, I said that we were looking at the fact that the Rapture is subsequent to the Resurrection, and that’s what It puts here. It tells you He’s going to raise the dead, and then there’s going to be a Rapture. Now let’s look at this raising of the dead and what it comes into when we get up there—after we’re up there awhile—in Revelation 19. Let’s look at that and see where we are in Revelation 19. Now well, we’ll look at verse 7 first, instead of 11:

(7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.

Now this is a very unique Wedding Supper, because the Bride is not being toasted; it’s the Groom. You know, I get a kick out of this, and of course I like it, being I think I’m a man. Of course, you’ve got so much stuff out here—God knows anymore what goes on—but I think I belong to the male sex a hundred percent. And I understand all weddings I’ve seen and all the men sitting here; there’s no problem with you either. You go to the wedding, and it is the bride that is toasted and the bride is made a lot of ,and... That’s nice; but it’s all wrong. It’s the groom.

14. It’s the Groom. And of course the Bride is arrayed, arrayed in white linen and beautiful white and clean, and the fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints. And so they’re up there at the Wedding Supper. Now notice after the Wedding Supper, what happens?

(11) I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Now see, now listen: watch this one that’s Faithful and True. That’s a designation of the last description of Jesus the Christ to the seventh church age. He is the Faithful Witness, and He is the True One. He is the Amen. He is the Truth. Now He’s going to come here, and He’s going to make war. Now watch:

(12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

(13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. (Now notice his name is called ‘the Word of God.’ Doesn’t say that it is, because his other name somehow supersedes it, but at this time he is still fulfilling the Word. Okay.)

(14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Now who has the linen? The Bride—verse 8.)

So all right. This great company that was taken here in resurrection and transported up into the ethereal spaces up past the atmosphere, or into a dimension that you and I don’t know anything about this time, or really too much about it, we’re up there at the Wedding Supper. And when it’s over, you watch him and us, because we believe we’re a part; [we’re] coming back.

15. (15) And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: (That’s ‘to smash asunder’, ‘take completely over’.) he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (That is the war itself and that which comes out of it.)

(16) And He hath on His vesture...

Now notice ‘vesture’ is not the same as clothing.

You say, “Well, it is.”

No, it’s not. Because vesture stands for ‘an investurement’. So when we crown him, he becomes King of kings and Lord of All, but it is not manifested as to the power of this Potentate until this moment. So therefore, he is vestured to take complete authority over mankind and all that has ever pertained to mankind which is this earth here and all the influences of the universe upon it. All right.

16. Now we will read a little further. Well might as well read into Revelation 20.

(17) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

(18) That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

Now while the Bride is at the Wedding Supper, this is going on down here on earth. The destruction which is upon the earth wreaking havoc, wherein at one time one sixth of the population is blotted out, and another time I think it’s about a third. And so therefore, the seas, the oceans and everything is reeking with the decaying bodies of men and woman that are here during the terrible time of that great tribulation; and then at the end, it accelerates as more destruction is wreaked upon mankind for disobedience. We’ll go into that; just follow along. All right.

(18) ...The flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

(19) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (So you see, this is proceeding. What I said has preceded it. And what’s going to happen now.)

(20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

(21) And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Now let’s watch:) [Rev 20]

(1) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

(2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

(3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: (Now watch ‘a thousand years.’) And after that he must be loosed a little season.

(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Now see, there is your thousand years. Now what’s doing it? Who’s in this? This is the great august company that Jesus brings back here in glorified form.)

(5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

So you see, what we’re looking at is the fact that this Rapture is based upon the Resurrection. There has to be a Resurrection unto immortality. There has to be a change in the living unto immortality. They are caught up, and if there is no Resurrection, there will be no Rapture. So you see, therefore, the Rapture doctrine is a very important doctrine, and we want to look at it.

17. Now this Rapture doctrine, or the very event itself as we have already looked at it, has been placed in various positions by various students.

Number one: there are those that believe it takes place before the great tribulation—which we do...we here.

Number two: there are those that believe it takes place after the great tribulation and at the beginning of the Millennium. They believe you are taken away and then transported into the Millennium.

Number three: there are those that believe you’re taken up during the great tribulation. And they believe the great tribulation is seven years; and they believe after three and half, you are caught away before the very desperate part. We understand better here: there are only three and half years left. And so you get out of here at the beginning of the three and half years of great tribulation, because that’s all that’s left, because already three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel have gone by. Now that’s Scripture, right in the Book of Daniel.

Now there are those who believe that the Rapture takes place at the end of the Millennium. Yep. Now that’s pretty well the four major groups. And however, there are those, you know, that say there is no such thing as a Rapture. They deny it. But to deny it is pure ignorance. It’s pure ignorance, and it’s greatly... We might say it’s a terrible disrespect for the Scripture, because there is nothing you can do about it. There is going to be a Rapture.

18. Now I don’t think there is one church that calls itself by the name of Christ, whether it’s Roman Catholic, the Greek Orthodox, whether it’s Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian—I don’t care if they believe in one God, two gods, or three gods—you come face-to-face with the Scripture that says there is a catching up somewhere, somehow, sometime. But of course people disagree as to the actual way it is done and the actual time it is done.

19. Now concerning the actual time that it is done—that is chronologically in the Scripture— that’s what we want to look at. And there is much argument that the Saints go through the great tribulation. Now that’s where the argument lies with most people. It’s either before the tribulation or after the tribulation. Do they go through, or do they not? All right.

Let’s go to 1 Th 5:9. Now there isn’t any student of the Bible but who admits that 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians absolutely deal with the Second Coming of Christ. They deal with the return, the Rapture, the coming back to the earth, but especially in that facet concerning the time that the church ages have run out. Redemption is no longer available, and now it is a time of judgment; it is time of reckoning. Now they’ll admit that. See? All right.

20. This 1 Thessalonians then, like 2 [Thessalonians], has to do with the Coming. Now Paul in the fourth chapter, which I read to you and continued down to verse 18, he is dealing with the Rapture. Now then, he continues in chapter 5; and remember, chapters in the Bible are made by men. [In] the original writings there are no chapters. In the original there is not even upper and lower case; there’s not punctuation. The Hebrew is pictorial; It is a picture graph. The Greek has an alphabet. And you’d say, “Well, how are you going to interpret it?” Well, it’s not all that bad. It can be done. On the other hand God inspires people to know the Word of God, especially prophets. He said:

(1) But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

(2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Now he tells them: “On the one hand you don’t have to be worried. There is nothing to concern you. There is... It’s absolutely an open and bare case.” Some people say ‘open and shut’ in the sense that you have the understanding. It’s closed now—nobody can fool with it—you understand it.

Look at how he puts it, “As a thief in the night.”

“Well,” you say, “Man! That would give me something to worry about.”

No, no. Not if you are ready.

21. Let’s go to Matthew 12 and just take a look at it. Might as well go there now instead of later. I’m sorry...Matthew 24. It’s Luke 12 but Matthew 24:43:

(43) But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. (And so therefore, he was ready, because It says in verse 44:)

(44) ...Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Now there again It sounds like a complete contradiction, see, but It’s not. What he’s telling you... Well let’s go to Luke 12. Is it? Oh, it doesn’t really matter, I guess. It’s over here somewhere...about the thief—the same idea here, the thief cometh. I’ll let that go. I can’t put my... right at this point. Got it down here somewhere.

22. But anyway, the idea is: he says the very same thing at two or three places in the Bible, as well as over here, as well as in Peter. And he said, “Now look, you know perfectly well, you don’t have any trouble.” Who has trouble? The man that didn’t know the thief was coming. See? That is the only man that had trouble. The man that didn’t have trouble was the man that knew something. He knew when the thief was coming. So what he’s showing you here is: the Lord coming as a thief in the night is not coming upon a Bride in a state of anxiety and fear because she doesn’t know. There is no fear and anxiety, because she does know. And the preparation is in a knowledge. Now what does the Bride know that nobody else knows? Very good question. See what we’re talking about? Thief in the night. The thief in the night is only for those who don’t know, who don’t expect; who have other ideas and understanding contrary to what is the truth.

23. Now let’s get at the truth. We’ll take our time on this. If we don’t get finished this Sunday, we’re not going to get finished for seven or eight more Sundays anyway. Let’s understand that. There’s no way I can finish what I’m into for another month and a half at least. It’ll be a whole lot longer, if I go away for a little vacation, which I’m always promising myself. And I’m such a... I tell you, I can’t keep my promises to myself. For somebody else. I don’t do too bad a job. But to myself I haven’t done too good. All right. Now let me keep reading: [1 Th 5:3]

(3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; (We say, “No way.” Yeah. We say, “No way.”) then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

24. Now listen, let’s face it: women pretty well know when the baby is going to be born. Now I’ve been hearing recently though and seeing in paper quite a few cases where women didn’t even know they were going to have babies. One lady was so obese—I just read that recently—she woke up in the morning with the baby in bed with her. That’s the truth. Kind of startling, but startling things are going on.

(3) ...Shall not escape.

(4) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

25. So therefore, there is nobody can say if that person is a part of the true membership of the Body of Christ, a truly born-again Christian which is called ‘Bride.’ Now you’ve got to accept designations that God gives, because that’s all you can accept. If He said it, that’s the way it is. All right.

They are not surprised; they know; they are aware. And they are standing there smiling, because they know the watch. Now the day is divided into watches, and the Bible is in church ages. And the seventh age is the only age He can come. And the Bride somehow in the seventh age is well aware. She knows that He is coming, and it is no surprise. See? So what’s all this talk about “no man knows the day and the hour”? Who needs it? You know why people with money are scared? Because they can lose it. But you can’t lose eternal life. You can’t lose a genuine revelation. The true Elect cannot be deceived. Their lamps are trimmed and burning, and they’re ready to go. Now I kid you not. I give you Scripture.

(5) You are the children of light, and the children of the day:

26. What day? Oh, I’m glad you asked the question; you didn’t, but I asked it for you. Matthew 24! Now It says:

(23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

(24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (But they cannot deceive him, “I told you before…” That was in Matthew 7.)

(26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not (Why? Here is what it’s all about:)

(27) For as the lightning cometh out (That word is not ‘lightning’ like that which zaps across the sky. That’s ‘light’. See? That’s the epiphaneia—what we’re talking about) comes out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the presence of the Son of man be.

27. It tells you ‘light.’ What light? It’s dark. The thief comes at night. You mustn’t be one of those that’s disturbed. You mustn’t be fooled. Then what’s going to happen? You’re going to be told something—light! You’re going to be enlightened on the subject. You’re going to know.

Now come on; you just tell me I’m wrong. You just tell me I’m guessing. You tell me the Bride sits around guessing. I’m going to tell you you’re a liar, and the truth is not in you. I don’t care who you are. I’m sorry, but I’m a very blunt preacher. I don’t care what anybody says. If I miss it, there is one reason: I don’t have light.

You say, “Well, Bro. Vayle, the whole thing believes in me doing so and so.”

You’re a liar. You’re just plain liars, that’s all, and the truth is not in you. It’s not what you do; it’s what He does! The same One that said, “Let there be light” is the One that gives light. I get a little bit weary of people with their big mouths. I’m not trying to shout somebody down. I’m giving you the truth. [1 Th 5:]

28. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as others do; let us watch and be sober. (Be alert.)

That’s what Jesus said, “You Pharisees, you can discern the signs of the skies.” He said, “At night it says pretty, pink, red sky out there...”

“Oh, good day tomorrow.”

“Well, what if there’s overcast that night?”

“Well, let’s wait until tomorrow morning.”

“Sky is red.”

You say, “Ha ha! Watch it! There’s going to be a storm in the sea out there.”

Now he said, “Listen, you can discern the face of the skies, why can’t you discern the signs of your times? Why can’t you wake up?”

Those two signs, of course, are Israel in the homeland and the way the church is going.

29. Now right here [Taps on Bible] It tells you that you can know something. Starting from the Word of God you come to the place where you can know, and you don’t have to be fooled. You don’t have to say “When’s it going to take place? How does it take place?” You don’t have any facts anymore on the subject which aren’t a hundred percent correct, because you’ve got revelation, and you’ve got illumination. See?

I wish I had the tongue of an orator, and my mind could stay with my subject and hold you here for twelve solid hours, and weave this whole thing back and forth, until you stand and you know you’re looking out onto Resurrection territory, looking on a Rapture Land. You know you’re a part of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; you know you’re a part of God; you’re not fooled any more about something you think you’ve done. What has anybody done here, except make a complete fool of themself? And the only reason you didn’t was because you had your ma, or grandpa or somebody watching you....or the cop on the corner.

Now we’re getting down to where it is—not the politician, but the cop. And if you look close enough you find the cop is like the priest that stood out there in Vietnam. The priest stood by siccing the Catholics on to the Protestants. That was very nice of them. If you look close at the TV, and you know...and you get the films...which some do, you’ll find the cop is in there stealing with the rest of the guys. Shee-yi-yi! Thank God for Jesus. Oh, brother/sister, if I had to have my eyes on somebody and somebody looking out for me except God, I might as well… Forget it.

30. (5) ...We are not of night or of darkness

(6) Neither let us sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

(7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunk in the night.

(8) Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and of love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

(9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath...

He tells you. Then how are you going to be in the great tribulation? How are you going to be at the White Throne judgment? How are you going to make the Lake of Fire? How are you going to do it? God appointed you. You say, “Well, what happened, Bro. Vayle, I...I...I..unappointed.”

You can unappoint? Oh, come on; come on! You, just tell me... Just add a cubit to your stature. Somebody suddenly stand here and grow and inch. Of course I’ll see you swaying on your toes. [ ]

(9) ...But to obtain salvation—that’s deliverance by our Lord Jesus Christ.

(10) Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him.

And this has to do with the Rapture....whether you’re dead and are going to come out of the ground or whether you’re living. Now what wrath are the living going to escape? Great tribulation. And how are you going to be there?

31. Now listen. Let’s go to Jude 14 and 15. That’s a little tiny book before the Book of Revelation...just a few verses. It says,

(14) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.

(15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Now listen: something has been going on in the earth. Something has been going on in the age when the Saints are Raptured, which is contrary to what the Saints have said, which is contrary to the revealed Word of God, which has been argued about and fought about; and we’re going to come down and eyeball them.

“Oh,” you say, “now hold it, Bro. Vayle.”

You hold it yourself—I’m right. I’m not...just because I’m a preacher. I’m giving you God’s Word. You do what you want.

“Well,” you say, “I’m not coming back.”

I am. I’m coming back to eyeball them. That’s why I don’t have to worry right now, though I do fuss and stew quite a bit; and I don’t have any gloves to take off, because I never put them on. It’s always bare-fisted as far as I’m concerned.

32. It says right here, “We’re coming with tens of thousands to execute judgment; to show and to prove the Word of Almighty God; and to eyeball them.” That’s right. That’s exactly what the Scripture says. It says, “What are those people? Ungodly with ungodly deeds that they have ungodly committed, and all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” And He is the Light. See?

33. I want to tell you, brother/sister: this day in which we live is either the most glorious time of revealed Word and Light that the world has ever seen, or the Word of God lied. If this is not the hour of a group of people having Abraham’s faith, the full assurance of faith, then the Word of God is a lie. That’s right. If God does not reveal the truth of the Rapture, the literal time of the coming out of the ground, the raising of the dead, the changing of the Saints, and the ascent into glory...if God does not do that sometime, He’s a liar, because He lied in His Book.

And this is the age, because Israel is in the homeland. Now people can say what they want; but he said, “If you can discern the face of the skies and what is natural,” he said, “you can discern the times, and you can discern the Word.” He said, “They are one and the same.” Because it’s in there that you can understand them. We haven’t even got into much of that—go into Luke 21 sometime and show you many things in there by the help of the Lord. All right.

34. Now these verses that I read here are the abbreviated words that are found in Rev 19:11‑21 that I read. Now let’s go just back there for just a second. Now It tells you, “Heaven opened, Him that sat upon the white horse, Faithful and True, righteousness doth judge and make war.” Now notice: “Judge and make war.” In other words He decrees it’s time to come back and do His work of annihilation—not so much annihilation as much as destruction.

The die has been cast. As the judge, the decision was made...as the enforcer, the sovereign enforcer, because power lies in the state, and no state of itself has power. You go out here, this land doesn’t have any power. Couple hundred, two hundred and forty million people have got no real power. You know where it is? The people it is vested in. The kingdom of God is vested in God. So therefore, He comes down, and He makes war, because power lies in Him to make war. “His eyes…as a flame of fire,” and so on and so on. Now He comes down to smite the nations with a rod of iron. All right.

35. Let’s go to 2 Thessalonians—that’s the same book, as we mentioned in the books on the ‘Coming,’ the second chapter, beginning at verse 1 [2 Th 2:1-2]:

(1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (Now when are you going to gather? In the air. So he’s laying a premise concerning the Rapture.)

(2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Now here are people being scared ahead of time. Isn’t it funny that people would sooner have no faith than faith? Do you know you get into a rut until… I’ll put it this way: most of us feel so rotten so much of the time, that if we ever feel good for a few hours we say, “What’s going on? What’s the matter; what’s the matter; what’s the matter?” It’s like the guy that was in the roundhouse that used to sleep all through the noise: the banging and the hammering and the trains whizzing around and all the work going on and the steam whistles, everything going…and he slept like a log. And one day the power fell short and everything being dead silence, and he bolted right up in bed. “What happened? What happened? What happened?” It’s what goes on here. See?

36. “Now people,” he said, “there’s no need for you to be in any other frame of mind than knowing this: that you haven’t got one thing to do with that hour. There’s nothing out there that indicates it. So don’t listen to any letters or anybody that comes and tells you something. Forget it!” He said, “Don’t let any man deceive you.” He said, “Look, first of all, there has to come the time of the divorce”—the falling away. The word is taken from the word ‘divorce’ in the Greek. There has to be a divorce. It’s after the divorce the Son of Perdition is revealed.

Let’s find out about the divorce. How many are going to sit here for sixteen hours? Bring you a free lunch. Sorry, I’m not going to get anywhere, but it’s all right. When it is time to quit, we’ll quit. Don’t worry.

37. Now listen...about the divorce:

(1) ...The kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgins, (That’s Mt 25:1.) which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! [End of the first side of the tape.] Time for the Bridegroom, and they must know it! Something is going on. Now watch: two groups of people get aware of it. Now this is very peculiar—five wise and five foolish.

(3) They that were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them:

Now you notice they both had containers, but one container didn’t have oil. Now you’re talking about Bridegroom coming which is the doctrine of the Rapture. So therefore, He’s going to be somewhere in the vicinity. And people are going to be wanting to approach unto Him and get to Him. But there’s one group that doesn’t have in their containers ‘oil.’ Now what’s the container of the Rapture? Word! Because that’s the only place It is. So somebody has Living Word—a true revelation—and somebody has a phony. Now let’s find out.

(5) While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. (That’s fine. Paul said they would be too. This is Jesus talking.)

(6) At midnight a cry was made, Behold, the bridegroom, come out to meet Him

(7) ...All the virgins rose, and trimmed their lamps.

(8) And the foolish said…, give us your oil; our lamps have gone out. (Now, come on; let’s all make it together.)

38. And the wise virgin said, “Just a minute, what is your revelation on this, my dear?”

“Oh,” she said, “He’s coming at the end of the tribulation.”

“Well,” she said, “You don’t have any oil. I’m sorry. And I can’t give you any.”

Why? Because the woman started to argue... The church started to argue and said, “Now just a minute. I want to tell you, Scripture shows that a Saint is never taken out of anything. A Saint is taken through everything.”

I can go to Scripture and show you that too, except I can prove that it’s wrong by the same Scripture. Because when it came time for Jacob to have his brother slap his face and set him square, God came down and told Esau, “You keep you hands off of him.” And old Jacob came down, and Esau threw his arms around his neck, and he said, “Come on, brother, everything is fine.” And he said, “Look, I do not need your camels; I don’t need your oxen; I don’t need nothing.” He said, “God’s Word prospered me, and I’m not fighting with you. Let’s just be brothers.”

See? took the pressure right off. Got him where he belonged. You show me any pressure God put on Israel once He got them out. They brought the pressure on themselves. See? God’s not in that kind of business. See?

39. Now look: “Your oil,” he said, “we haven’t got any oil.”

The wise said, “No sir, we can’t give you any.”

“Let’s compromise! It doesn’t matter, you see, if the Rapture is at the beginning or at the end. It doesn’t matter where it comes, just as long as there is a “hallelujah! There is a Rapture!”

‘Hallelujah’ my foot! It does matter. And I’m not being sarcastic exactly. I’m not being foolish when I say that either…or sacrilegious.

He said, “I’m not going to give it to you. Tell you what you do: you better go and check again concerning your revelation, because you haven’t got a revelation founded upon infallibility, and we’ve had an infallible prophet—because Elijah must truly come.

40. How many people were running around and saying, “I’ve got something! I’ve got something!”?

And old John the Baptist stood there saying, “You ain’t got nothing,” he said.

Why they said, “That old goat out there in the desert, acting like he really knows something. Why, you can tell he knows nothing, because his clothes aren’t right, his speech isn’t right, nothing is right. He doesn’t even... He won’t even come and join us, and he’s a Levite. Well,” they said, “you talk about a turncoat and a traitor to Israel.”

And as old John just stood there chewing on his locust and wild honey, he said, “You bunch of rats.” You vipers. I know what you’re doing.” Read them like a book.

Then one day he said, “I’m going to tell you something. I’m here to tell you the Messiah is here, and I’m going to point him out.” See?

Elijah... The Bible said Elijah is going to come before that day to the Gentiles. People don’t believe it. They say, “I can’t believe that. I won’t do it.”

41. So you see, there is no use arguing, because you can’t give them a revelation anyway. You can’t bring the Word of Life to life...the Word of God to life to anybody. The herald doesn’t come to the castle and say, “Look, I have a word from the king, and I’m going to stand here and explain it.” He bangs on the door.

They say, “What is it?”

“I have a word.” Throws the thing over the wall and dashes off.

You do what you want, but that’s the Bible. You say, “What about that great prophet?” Well, he’s the one that has that scroll to open up and read you what is on there...tell you what it is.

42. Now the wise virgins said, “No, not so. Go buy of yourself.” And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came. Now why did they go and buy? They got together and formed a great organization, and they said, “Hey! We’ll figure the thing out. We’ll all sit down and pool our resources, and where it comes out in the plurality, in the majority, that’s what’s right.”

That’s always wrong. The most successful buyers in the world in stocks are those that go against present trend. One old fellow made money during depression. He made it on hogs. Said, “How did you it?”

“Well,” he said, “when everybody is selling, I buy; when everybody is buying, I sell.”

And to eat good in the depression is awful good. I was there. I know what I’m talking about. [ ]

43. Now while they went to buy and while all this was going on, gathering around their own understanding, It distinctly said that the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in. What was the readiness? Revealed Light. They had the Word, full of oil. They had the Word revealed to them, and they went in.

Now listen: afterwards the others came—the virgins came—and said, “Lord, Lord open to us.”

And he said, “I used to know you as my wife, but I don’t know you as my wife anymore.”

During the time of the gathering of the Bride to the Word, the divorce is going on. And it’s the Word that makes the divorcement. That lets you know that two deaf and dumb people that marry would never have a divorce, because they can’t talk. It’s always the talk that gets people into trouble. God talked and man talked back, and that’s always been the problem. Man doesn’t listen to God.

44. Now listen, I’m going to ask you a question here. At midnight a cry was made, “Behold the bridegroom.” It doesn’t say the bridegroom made the cry; somebody else made the cry. Who made the cry? You want to know who made the cry? Let’s go find out. Let’s go to Rev 18:4. You’ll find exactly what it is. And It says here:

(4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Who received the plagues? The foolish virgin received the plagues. Who did not receive the plagues? The wise virgin did not receive the plagues.

What was that angel?

(1) I saw another mighty messenger come down from heaven having great power the earth was filled with his glory.

What is that? That is Rev 10:1, the great One that came down; and remember Rev 10:1 has Rev 10:7, which is a mighty messenger which is a prophet. All right. There it is. Now you’re looking at the divorce. See?

45. Now let’s get back to 2 Thessalonians, because that’s where we were when I got...not exactly waylaid, but I thought I better bring it in. 2 Thessalonians 2. And here we are. We got to the place of the divorce. Now, of divorce:

(3) ...And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (That’s in the tribulation, because the Bride is gone.)

(4) Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, (or that is worshipped) so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (Now what is God? An object of worship and authority. See? An object of fear.)

(5) Remember ye not, when I was with you and I told you these things?

(6) Now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

(7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he that hindereth be, will hinder until he be taken out of the way.

46. Now he said, “It’s already started.” That was under the Seals: the four horses, the white, the red, the black, and the brindle, where they’re all poured into one. See? It already started. It went out. John says, “There’s antichrist among us.” They are anointed to error. And they come down through the ages, so they reappear. We’ll get that in Peter. I haven’t got that far yet. Now he said here:

(8) ...Then that wicked shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his presence:

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

Now why did I read that? I read It because it’s over there in the Book of Revelation. The same One on the horse, King of kings, with the Bride comes down and confronts the enemies upon earth, and there is a destruction. Now people say, “Hey! I don’t know I like that spirit.”

Well, I don’t either, to tell you the truth; except there is just one big difference. They’re getting confused with what is justice and what isn’t. Now look at it: we can get mad at people, and we ourselves will want to have some vengeance wreaked on somebody. What I’m talking about here: we are not mad at anybody; it is the course of justice.

47. A lot of people misunderstand when I talk about the spirit in the Lord’s day which is judgment—a judgment and a burning. And they think, “Well, old Vayle, he gets so mad at folks, he could just chew them up and spit them out and use them for cannon fodder.”

Not me at all! I wish they would mind their business; I’d mind mine. But I’m not a very nice fellow. You take a poke at me, and you get poked back. I’m sorry, I just was born wrong. You say, “Well, if you were a saint maybe you would be different.” Maybe I would. That’s my business and God’s—not yours. Anytime I don’t get on my high horse for the Word of God, there is something wrong with Lee Vayle...not to hit anybody on the nose about it but just to stand right here. Paul was set for the defense of the Gospel, and he died. And I suppose I’m supposed to back down for some mealy mouth that doesn’t know split peas from buttermilk. No way, brother/sister. You’re talking to the wrong guy.

No, not to make anybody fighters, but I’m going to tell you one thing: God has an army. And you’re not like some of these armies that people make joke of, like Beetle Bailey and some of those. We’re not in that kind of an army.

48. So there is a confrontation there. Now just a note as to why some believe the Rapture does not happen until the end of the Millennium. Now I am placing it right before the Millennium, right before the great tribulation, laying it right in there according to the understanding which we have been given by vindication, which was Bro. Branham; and he had THUS SAITH THE LORD.

Now why do people not agree? “Oh,” they say, “Bro. Branham, here is the thing about it, You forget that over here in Peter there’s something else said.” So let’s go to 2 Peter, and find out what’s been said. Now that’s the only way to do it; go to the Bible. Now 2 Pet 3 is where we’re going, and in verses 10‑13, It categorically says:

(10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

(11) Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (That’s behavior.) and godliness,

(12) Looking for and hasting unto the presence of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

(13) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

(14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

(15) And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

(16) As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures (not just this one, but others) unto their own destruction.

(17) Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

49. What’s he talking about? The same thing Paul talked about. And again he says, “The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.” But he says over here, “It doesn’t matter, because you’re ready.” What do I care?

I was mentioning a while ago I forget to bring my thought all the way through concerning money. People are so scared, you know, concerning worldly goods, but if you had your money really assured unto you, and you knew that the government couldn’t fail, you knew nothing could fail, and you sat there with enough money to take you and your family for sixteen generations down the road like a Rockerfeller.... Why, somebody come by and say, “Hey, I’m sorry, but you forgot to pay your delivery bill here.”

“What is it?”

“Well it is $80,000.”

You say, “Nothing to it. Write a check.”

Why? Because you’ve already made $180,000 that day or five million in interest. Why you can’t spend the interest. Just because our government spends million, billions, and billions dollars, people think a billion dollars... “Oh, nothing to it.” Who has a billion here? With interest at nine percent, how long would it take you to spend a billion dollars at a thousand dollars a day? Does anybody need more than a thousand a day?

“Well,” you say, “today I need $80,000; I’m going to buy a car.”

Fine. Buy your $80,000... What are you going to do tomorrow?

“Well, I won’t be spending tomorrow. I’m going to be driving my car for a hundred dollars a day.”

You’re not even spending a thousand dollars today. How long will that go on? That might go on for a year. So you’ve 360 days that you haven’t spent $80,000 in, and the interest is piling up. See?