Shalom #16

God’s Own Peace to Children of the Day

April 30, 1989

Shall we pray. Heavenly Father, again we want to express our gratitude and our joy to be in Your Presence, knowing it’s a Presence that’s different from what has been through two thousand years, knowing Lord Your vindicated prophet said the Pillar of Fire would lead us into the Millennium. We thank You for that. Now Lord, we just pray that the same Light that came through the Word to prepare us, may flood our hearts and our minds this morning in such a way that It will be bread to hungry souls, water to thirsty souls.

Whatever’s needed today, Lord, we pray that even though it just be a little seed, something, everybody might have a portion, have a share, have illumination, have an understanding, have something from You, O God, to help down the way, and to bring each one closer to eternity, and yes, Lord, even right into eternity which we know is going on in this very hour. Something has transpired, and something is transpiring, and the same thing is yet about to transpire, which will bring us right into that place that You mentioned, New Jerusalem, the glory which is pervasive: God Himself in a Pillar of Fire above the Lamb on the throne, and the Bride around the throne, and multitudes, millions, if not billions, of people outside the Holy City, all in one great Kingdom, all in one great family of God. Help each one here in divine Presence to feel right at home as a part of it, O God our Father. We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

You may be seated. 

1. Now I mentioned in my usual announcements, which I record and send out; because many pastors get a benefit from it, a little insight that I ran across and is good for them, about the fact there that many people do not really understand what I am teaching here, because I constantly refer to a vindicated minister, a vindicated prophet, a vindicated Word, and point to the pictures on my left and on my right, which would be your right and your left. The fact of the matter is that what I teach is not difficult to follow, if one understands certain salient factors that actually make up what is being taught.

Now it’s not difficult then to follow what I teach, which I believe Bro. Branham taught, based upon the fact that the major thrust of Bro. Branham’s Message is the Appearing and Presence of God, which foreruns the literal descent of God, Who incarnates Himself in the body of Jesus, which event is known as the Second Coming and takes place after the Rapture and Wedding Supper. Now, what I mean by that is, that it’s pretty difficult for anybody that understands anything at all about Christianity, has heard anything at all about the Bible, and not know that the Bible teaches the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As a child I didn’t know the Bible, and all I knew was, however, concerning the Second Coming of Christ, that it was more or less a cliché, where irreverently we’d say, “That guy’s slow as the Second Coming of Christ.” Or, “This event is as slow as the Second Coming of Christ.”

2. It was derisive, but nonetheless, as the apostle Paul said, that some teach Jesus out of contention, and some teach out of love; nevertheless, He is taught; He’s brought into focus before the people. So, I say this morning that you would have to be more than naïve, you’d have to be more than out of touch with religion, you would have to be somehow in a vacuum, not to know the _expression “the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.” Whether you know it in a sanctified manner, or an unsanctified manner, you would have to know about it. You cannot pick up any religious article but what there is that thought in there.

Now of the people who believe that, there are a certain number, but in no wise a majority, who also believe in what is called the Appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which takes place before the Second Coming of Christ. Now that’s in the Bible, because the Word of God talks about it. But it’s very obscure to people.

3. What we believe is this: that the Lord Jesus Christ has already appeared in the form of the Holy Ghost. Now, that picture there is what we’re really talking about. That, that Pillar of Fire, which is a supernatural picture and proven to be so by the best experts in America at that time, of which George J. Lacy was the head of the FBI—documentation, photography, so on. He said, “That is a supernatural picture, a picture of a supernatural Being, and the only one in the entire world.” So, we are looking at a supernatural element over the head of a natural element, which we believe to be a prophet, which we believe according to Scripture is Elijah the prophet, which was to come before the great and notable day of the Lord and destruction, (because that great and notable day of the Lord will bring the destruction) to turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers. So therefore, Elijah the prophet, so designated, would have to come before there was any catastrophe and do something that was necessary in order that the children of God would not be destroyed with the wicked.

4. That’s the long and short of it. Now, Bro. Branham said… And he’s vindicated, by everything he’s said, “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” came to pass with no failure. We call him vindicated. He said, “The Spirit of Elijah,” which is literally the Spirit of God in a certain ministry at certain times in certain people. That’s all. “Comes five times.” It came first in Elijah himself, who by vindication identified the God of Israel, Who could no longer be identified due to the insertion of heathenism and heathen doctrine. Now Paul warned the church would have three things go awry. They would have a wrong Jesus, a wrong spirit, and a wrong gospel. And they got it, even while Paul was living. What will be the condition today? The condition is: if God is ever going to come to this earth, and He’s ever going to take a people out of here, and ever have a Millennium, and ever have an eternal Kingdom with an eternal people according to the Word, He’s going to have to do something about it. Because there’s supposed to be a people standing here that don’t even die. So, something’s got to happen.

5. The first time the Spirit of God came to a man, his name was Elijah. Nobody knows anything about him. He was a mysterious person. You can’t find genealogy or anything else. You can find a little bit of geography, and that’s it. He identified the true God of Israel by a showdown on Mount Carmel. Elisha, upon whom a double portion of the Spirit fell (Spirit of Elijah), showed the grace of God by performing twice the number of miracles and keeping Israel as much as possible, within the channels that God had prescribed. Now the third time the Spirit of Elijah came was on John the Baptist. And, what did he do? By that Spirit, he identified the Lamb of God, pointed to Him, and brought a Message that got the children of God ready for the Messiah! That’s what he did. What will the fourth one do? The fourth one, because of a two thousand year interim, may have one or all of the preceding. He can have a showdown as to Who the true God is, how many are there, and all about it. He can show the grace of God by manifesting in a great healing ministry. He can turn the hearts of the children back to the parents, as it says the Spirit of Elijah will do, which John did not do. So, somebody’s got to do it. In other words, turn them back to the truth.

6. Now the point of the matter is, that that’s exactly what this Elijah did do. He thoroughly identified Who God was, which was one God, which is eternal Spirit. And he did it on the basis of only what a prophet is entitled to do, and only a prophet can do, which is to speak in the name of the Lord, and that God will back him up. Therefore, when God backs up a prophet, who comes in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and says in that Name those things which must assuredly come to pass—and do come to pass, then the integrity of God and His prophet and the Word have been vindicated. Now, if you don’t understand that, you are missing the basic truth of this age. Keep believing; you’ll get it. But, if you don’t get that, you will never know what I’m talking about.

7. Now you say, “Well, Bro. Vayle, our church has taught this for years and years, and we have been here for years and years. What have we got to say?”

Nothing. Shut up and sit down. Give me one “THUS SAITH THE LORD” by your pope or by your matriarch or by your president or by your elder or by anybody you’ve got. Give me one by your bishop. Bring them here to me. Bring them to me. Let me see God back him up, and I’ll listen!

You say, “Well, maybe this was the devil.”

Then, if the devil can use the Name of Jesus, the Kingdom of God is divided! And not only divided, the devil has taken over! Then, if the devil has taken over God, I’m going to serve the devil because he will force it!

You say, “You scare me.”

Not so! You’ve got no choice! Have you? Then, how can you sit here this morning and think your own thoughts and depend on a church or some teaching? You can’t do it and still be sensibly aware of the things of God.

You say, “Well, you just base it on that.”

What do you base it on? A bunch of Greek students?

8. In the first century they almost destroyed the first Christian church over a diphthong, which is a double vowel! And Paul stood there vindicated with the Word of God, right after the Lord Jesus Christ, the twelve apostles there, vindicated. Paul knew what God had told him. And he brought it in vindication. He said, “The Word that I brought, I never brought you with the talking of my mind and the clever summary, presenting you something as though you could fall for that and your faith depend on it.” He said, “I came in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let the man come in the power of Jesus Christ. Let him have the Word of a prophet. Anybody can have visions and say this and say that, but you follow Deuteronomy 18, and the Bible tells you there’s a specific thing that God lays down for a prophet.

And they say, “Well, how shall we know, then, whether it’s a true prophet or false?”

Because God talked about the false prophet.

He said, “That man will come in the name of the Lord. And the thing that he says, when it comes to pass, you better listen to him and fear him.”

Now what is a prophet all about? A prophet is all about the Word of God. That’s what a prophet is all about. And a true prophet can never be judged, and his Word can never be judged, because it’s “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” And, let every mouth be dumb before him; let every mind go into recession; let every mind draw a blank; let every mind go further; let it take up a manure fork and a manure shovel and shovel the manure out of your head, because that’s what Paul called it.

9. Oh, people don’t like my preaching. They get very vulgar when I say these things, because they use the four-letter word. I didn’t use that four-letter word. If you want to be vulgar and misunderstand what I’m saying, you go ahead. But Paul said, “I count it but dung,” d-u-n-g. Manure. Detritus, if you want to be a little nicer word, and that’s not either. That’s just a little bit of something in your bloodstream or someplace else. Trouble is, people don’t like a hard-hitting Word. Today, when youth is so devastated by drugs and every evil thing in this world, do you think I’m going to stand here and do a little party talk with people? Oh no. A vindicated prophet.

10. According to the Word of God in Rev 10:1-7, the same God that’s sitting on the throne in Rev 5:1 comes down to this earth. Not the Lamb, not Jesus, the body. He’s the One that took the Book out of the hand of the One on the throne, ripped off the seals, handed it back to the God on the throne. The God on the throne climbed off the throne and came down here. And in Rev 3:21, it’s Jesus saying to the last church age, “I am sitting on my Father’s throne!” So, He’s no longer on the Mercy Seat. He’s on the throne! And at the same time, that Pillar of Fire, which is not God, that Pillar of Fire’s known as the Shekinah glory, which is the glory attendant upon the personal presence of God! All you can see is the light! That is not God; that is not a picture of God, in the true sense of the word, because no man can see God. You can only see a manifestation as God allows in some little form that He puts in front of you that you can apprehend by your senses, and see.

11. So therefore, that mighty One came down to the prophet. And the prophet is in Rev 10:7. It says, “In the days of the voice of the messenger.” Let’s go back and take a look at it, so you can see exactly what he’s saying here.

(7) In the days of the voice of the seventh (messenger), when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as (God) hath declared (the good news of the Gospel) to his servants the prophets.

Now, listen; the Gospel did not go to the Jews. The Jews do not have the Gospel! So, this prophet is to the Gentiles! You say, “Well, the Jews should have taken the Gospel!” You are wrong! The Jews cannot take the Gospel; they were blinded so they wouldn’t get the Gospel! Don’t try to rewrite God’s Word this morning? That’s joining the druggist crowd. You’ll take a shot that’s going to destroy you. You’ll be in league with the devil and his doctors--his henchmen. The Gospel does not go to the Jews. It was to the Jew first, and they turned it down. God blinded their eyes! So, how can one change God’s Word?

Don’t say, “Lord, I’ve done the Jews a favor. I’ve taken off the blindfold. They’re no longer blind!”

That is sick! I’m sorry, but it’s sick. I hope you don’t misunderstand when I say things like this. I preach tough on purpose, to wake you up and to make you know: listen, all have got to get rid of these ideas. Your idea and my ideas don’t hold, as Bro. Branham said, “You ain’t got a think coming.” I love that. And I don’t have a think coming. I’ve got to watch my thoughts; I don’t fool myself. Paul the Apostle, what did he call them? He called them manure--dung. Now, if you want to know, if that isn’t a true statement, what are your kids being taught in school these days? My. What a mess. All right.

12. There’s a picture right there.

You say, “I don’t believe that.”

You don’t have to believe it. I’m telling you what I teach; and, if you like to come here and want to come here and be part of us, which is fine. But you’ve got to be a part of God. That’s the thing that really counts. But you need an understanding. This is what we’re talking about.

Now, listen. That God came down to earth according to 2 Thessalonians 2. But we better go to the first chapter, which gives the picture, first. [2 Th 1:7]

(7) And (unto) you who are troubled rest with us (relax).

The troubled people of this world that I read of in Isaiah 62, in my little prelude, you get a chance to relax, and it helps you relax by giving God no rest as you talk to each other! Doesn’t say you’re talking to Him! See? Now that’s really questioned from what you ever learned, isn’t it? What church do you ever go to, outside of this church, that ever taught that?

(7) And unto you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, [Bro. Vayle points to the picture of the Cloud.]

(8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Now that’s the end time, and that which is going to be finalized. But remember, in here It says, “You people rest when this takes place.” Now what’s going to happen with you?

(9) (These people are going to) be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power;

(10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints…

13. Now, look. He’s going to come to be glorified in His saints. But just a minute. The dead are dead. They’ve got to come with glorified bodies--get up out of the ground. We must have glorified bodies before we meet Him, before we go to the Wedding Supper. So, what’s he talking about? He’s talking about a pre-Second Coming visitation, and that’s it, [Bro. Vayle points to the picture of the Cloud.] where He comes down to do something for the Bride; and at the same time, He will do something for the wicked! Just as it was when Abraham stood before God, at the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, which this is that time according to Luke 17!

Will God destroy the righteous with the wicked? No, He won’t do that! What’s He going to do? He’s going to get the righteous out of the way. And that’s what He does. And He’s got to come down to do it, because the Bible never fails on how It acts; It acts the same over and over and over. The Book of Ecclesiastes tells you that. It says, “Neither God nor His ways ever change,” and what He’s doing now, He’s done previously, and what He’s done previously and doing now, He will do again! Do you understand what I’m saying? People don’t think that’s true, but that’s the Bible.

14. Now this Coming here, is the fulfillment of the prophecy of 1 Th 4:16--talking about the dead and living.

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

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

Notice. There are two Lords mentioned there. The Lord Himself shall descend. Then, we will meet the Lord in the air! The Lord said to my lord, “Sit Thou on my right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool!” Do you understand what I’m saying? Huh? You know you can do me and yourselves a big favor by talking this in your Friday night meetings and even getting on the phone and holding up the lines? It is Jehovah talking to Jesus.

Look, I’m going to tell you something right now. And, please don’t think I want to hurt your feelings. But over the years I’ve been with you, about eight solid years of teaching, I have gone with certain people for a ride and gone places. And my conversation, and theirs, has turned around to these Messages. And I have been utterly appalled at what little they knew after all the teaching. Now it’s not that hard. You are just not giving your minds over to the Word; you’re thinking your own thoughts. And, when you think your own thoughts you will crowd out the thoughts I’m trying to give you, which are consistent with what was “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” I’m not trying to deceive you and get you here! Look, except for the burden on my soul, knowing that I’ll be passing out of here shortly, and there’s so much work to be done, and what would I do? Retire and go out west and just sit around biting my fingernails? I’d sooner stand around here and give you a hard time by teaching, and bite my fingernails.

15. Let me tell you something. The Lord Himself shall descend with a Shout, and that word in the Greek is ‘Keleusma’, which is a command, which means you’re going to get people to do certain things, at your order, which means you will place them, and you will tell them what to do. That word is like the coxswain giving the time to the rowers. It’s the captain giving the orders. In other words Its authority comes down and takes authority!

Now, tell me what authority does God exercise over the people? His Word! It’s got to be His Word! Or authority denigrates into anarchy! You can’t just say there’s a God, and then everybody have his own understanding. You’ve got to have an understanding given by God Himself. That’s what Paul said. “My revelation came from God, Himself.” So, the Lord shall descend with a Shout.

16. Now all right, let’s go and see that descent. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is speaking of the Resurrection. And he comes all the way to verse 20.

(20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.

He’s the first one that came back changed, immortal to die no more.

You say, “What about Enoch and Elijah?”

You know something? Do you realize that they could have been caught up to heaven as human beings and never changed one moment from that time on and, then, only got their immortality after Jesus got his? Don’t let your thoughts wander and try to fight the Word of God. Just take the Word of God, brother/sister. It’s been vindicated. Now you might not like that, but I love It. I’ve got something to stand on.

17.  Now:

(21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

(22) For as in Adam die, even so in Christ all be made alive.

(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (That’s His Presence. So, He’s got to come down! Now, listen.)

(24) Then cometh the end (now watch the future perfect tenses, here), when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

And he’s not talking about Jesus putting down all rule and all authority and power! This is the One that came down! He is putting under the feet of Jesus all rule and all authority and power, until it’s time to turn it back to the Father! So, Who came down? The Father came down. So, the Lord said to my Lord, “Sit Thou on my right hand.” And the Lord that came down said, “Stay on the throne till I put everything under your feet.”

18. Now, watch.

(24) When he shall put down all rull and all authority and power. (In other words He’s going to take control.)

(25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

(26) (And) the last enemy (to) be destroyed is death.

(27) For he hath put all things under his feet. (Now, listen.) But when he saith all things are under him, it is manifest that he (that is putting all things under is left out—e-x-c-e-p-t-e-d—left out, that) which did put all things under him.

(28) And when all things shall be subdued unto him,

And that’s the word ‘Keleusma’! That’s the basic word ‘Keleusma’. The Lord Himself shall descend: that One! That One will come down and put the church in order. He’ll get it ready! Right. That’s what the Spirit of Elijah did in John: to make ready the prepared people, which was turning the hearts of the fathers to the children. Then, when the hearts of the children are turned back, what will It do? It will make the children ready! God’s elected sovereign people! Though it’s sovereign, they’re going to be there. They’ve got a part! And, what is your part? Your part is in this Message, talking It day and night. Don’t try to live It first. That’s the worst thing you can do. Talk It and understand It, and ask God to release the life in the Word that’s in you! That way you will become living epistles read and known of all men!

19. Now, brother/sister, listen, tell me, I want you to definitely get this. If you’re going to be living epistles read and known of all men, I want to ask you one question: who is going to write you? It had better be God, or you’ve got problems. And there’s only one thing God’s writing, and that’s Rhema. And that had better be this Word as the prophet brought It—revealed in our hearts, minds, and lives. And the Spirit of God, then, opens it up and the life begins to flow and you begin to stand with Abraham, that in spite of Sarah being dead and you being dead, that One is going to come regardless! In other words it’s entirely out of your hands, but you stand there ready to have it in your hands, because you’re the ones that are going to be changed! God’s got to do it, but He’s going to do it to us! That’s what we’re looking at, nothing else. If you look at something else, then you’ll miss it entirely.

Now all this is under the Shout that Bro. Branham said was the Message—standing there in the river in 1933, when hundreds of people saw that rainbow circle come on down. Went around the world in newspapers. Baptized in the Ohio River. The Voice that came to him, in speaking, it said, “As John the Baptist foreran the First Coming of Christ, so your Message will forerun the Second Coming.”

20. In other words, then, if there is a literal Appearing, there will be a Message, and the Bible says, “In the Appearing,” which is absolutely before the Rapture, which is before the bringing back to earth, there is a Keleusma, which is absolutely a God-given command. And I’m going to tell you something: a God-given command isn’t just in one word, unless you want to say that one word is ‘Listen to the prophet.’ But it’s the Message. That’s why to me it is so ridiculous when people say, “Well, Bro. Branham put the church in order.” I don’t want to make it sound too hard, but it is a little on the side of folly, as far as I’m concerned, the bizarre side, to say Bro. Branham put the church in order, when he said, “Put the gifts of tongues and interpretation and those things in a little room.”

Oh, come on, what’s that going to do for you, if you miss the Word of God, the Truth? That’s just a little thing you’re supposed to do. And, when you don’t even do that, how much point is there believing you’re going to get the true Word of God? This is ridiculous. It doesn’t add up, brother/sister. Not in my understanding, which I trust is spiritual.

21. All right, all of these things are under the Shout or the Message. This is all known to be correctly vindicated. In other words it is known to be correct by Bro. Branham saying, “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” certain things, they come to pass, never failing, that gives him the authority to speak the Word of God, and the people will listen. That’s how it always was, and that’s how it’s going to be. Now, once you get the simple doctrine, which we have enunciated this morning, to show you that we stand here, teaching exactly what Bro. Branham taught, based upon vindication, you are in position to follow the rest of the Word; which simply means this: I understand that this is something that God did and God is behind. God has spoken again. People don’t believe that God can speak. He certainly does. He speaks through prophets. And there’s always been key prophets. And there always will be, until time has run out.

So, that’s how we stand here this morning. We stand on the truth of how we claim that what we teach from Bro. Branham’s messages, absolutely a vindicated truth, and you can stand on it. You have no trouble. Now Bro. Branham here, this is number 16 on “Shalom.”

22. This Message here is a Message called “Shalom”. It was preached in 1964. The word ‘Shalom’ in the Hebrew, means ‘peace’. And Bro. Branham categorically said, “I bring you God’s Peace.” Peace from God. Not peace of God, although that is certainly evident. But it’s a literal peace from God. In other words it’s something like over here in Rom 5:1. So, listen to It.

(1) Therefore (having been) justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Now this in the Bible here, ‘peace with God’ means that God is no longer angry. God is no longer restive. God doesn’t have a bone to pick anymore. He’s completely reconciled through the Blood of the cross, to His people who went astray. He’s not angry anymore. He’s not at war. So, God is bringing in this end time, the same elements to you and me that we may understand the struggle is over. You don’t have to worry anymore. Is God angry? Is there a fuss going on? No. God is perfectly reconciled. As Bro. Branham said concerning the Mt 5:48: “Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

23. He said God gave the commandment; therefore God must give a way to obtain it. And he said, what is it? The Blood of Jesus Christ scatters sin until there be no evidence of it. How can you make a man a sinner, when there’s no evidence of sin? That’s why he said, “Little Bride, you are the virtuous, spotless, virgin Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. You didn’t even do it. It all fell back on Satan.” He said, “You were trapped into it.”

Therefore, there is now a peace from God to the Bride, and it’s God’s Own Peace. And God’s Own Peace comes by way of the Blood!

Then people try to say, “Well, the blood’s off the mercy seat.”

I don’t care if it is. Maybe it never even got on there; it fell on the earth. Look, don’t argue with me. All I can say is this: I honor the Blood this morning, because the blood has done it. You may say that’s a heathen superstition. Say what you want. I care little or nothing of what people say. I believe that we have the peace from God this morning—God’s Own peace and God’s Own rest—through the Blood of the everlasting covenant. If the blood and bulls and goats could do such and such, how much more shall the blood of the spotless Lamb of Almighty God? So, there is a peace that the prophet brings us as the mouthpiece of God, and he told us that that peace was ours.

24. Now he greets the people, then, with this peace of God, or God’s Peace. So, it seems to me that Bro. Branham has attempted to actually divide this sermon into three parts, at least up until now. Number one: he tells us about the darkness, because there’s gross darkness on the earth. Then, light appears. And it’s in that time of gross darkness. And remember, it’s not just dark, it is gross! And you can’t find a much grosser darkness amongst the people any time in history than it is today. Gross darkness. Number two: he taught us about the light that would come. Number three: in paragraph 136 on page 22 he then asks, “The new year, what about it?” He’s going to talk about the New Year. Thus, at this point we should be launching into some counseling concerning the year, not necessarily something highly prophetic. That’s not the idea, because that’s not what he’s been dealing with; he’s been dealing with the light. And whatever is to come in the year will be based upon the light. So, he’ll be giving us some admonition, some help, that will build us up spiritually, helping our attitudes, and our going on with God in the context of the ministry that God gave him for us, which was the Message, declaring the presence of Almighty God.

25. Now, let’s look at this peace of God and the influence it should have upon us in this coming year, which was 25 years ago, but still holds good every year. And we started this message in the New Year, didn’t we? So, we go to Colossians 3. And in Col 3:15 It says:

(15) Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also (you) are called in one body; and be thankful.

So, he’s telling you here, that there’s a possibility of an entire assembly! As Bro. Branham said, not only having all nine gifts, but literally having the peace of God—God’s Own Peace. Now, it is not impossible, but I say to this congregation this morning, this is exactly what is being preached here! Whether it gets into my heart or your heart is another thing! But we’ve got to be convinced that this is the peace of God. If we’re not convinced, then we’re entitled to find it in whatever direction we may wander. But Paul the Apostle brought this. And this was the peace of God.

26. And, notice; in there he said:

(13) Forbearing one another, forgiving one another, (and) if any man (has) a quarrel: (you simply forgive, because Christ did it).

This is the same thing I brought from Romans! God is at peace! He’s not engaging in wars. He’s not engaging in recriminations. He’s engaging in, “You are my children. I love you. I don’t see a spot in you!”

Now, Paul said, “Let’s take that to the whole congregation.”

You say, “Now Bro. Vayle, how’s that going to be? Because we are a diverse bunch of people.”

You guessed it. I concur with you thoroughly. You are a diverse bunch of people, and I have problems also. There’s only one way it’s going to be done. God’s got to do something about it. And there’s a cure at the end time, because he said, “You can have it at the end time.”

And Bro. Branham pointed directly to a vindicated Message. I keep preaching that there is only one solution as far as I’m concerned and that is the living Word of God in a Bride! And that will do exactly what it’s supposed to do, because the Word of God never fails! The life in the Word of God brought forth John the Baptist.

They said, “Who are you anyway?”

He said, “I’m Isaiah 40! I am the Word of God in Isaiah 40 that says, ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness,’ I am that part of the Word of God in human flesh standing before you!”

“Ohhhh,” they say. “Ohhhh!”

When I say that to people, then they look at me like I’m crazy, and they’re scared to death. If you can’t believe today that you are part of the living Word of God in flesh, let me tell you something: It’s over your heads! You’ve lost it! You’ve lost my preaching. I’ve lost you in the preaching.

27.  You say, “Well, just a minute. How can I presume?”

If God said It, you’re not presuming! This is past presumption! [Bro. Vayle points to the picture of the Pillar of Fire.] Don’t you understand that Abraham came to a place past presumption? Abraham had a promise that he was heir to the world. And after 25 years, he suddenly stood before God in perfect faith. He absolutely knew that he was. And he knew his seed would be. And he didn’t have any seed. And Sarah was too old, and he was no good, even if she wasn’t. But he absolutely knew that he and his seed were heir. And you know something? He still isn’t! Because he hasn’t come back to take over. But he stood there, knowing that God raises the dead, and calls those things which are not as though they were, And we’re in the same position, by a vindicated prophet, with manifestation of the proper signs and wonders. We know positively that this is ours! Will we stand with it? I may go down fighting and die. What’s the difference? Like Job I’m coming back. [End of side one of the audio tape.] Amen.

28. The peace of God; the love of God. Let’s go now to Eph 2:14, and see this Shalom, this Peace.

(14) For he is our peace (oh my! He is our peace), who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition;

Now, who did that? You say Jesus the man did it. I say you’re wrong! Jesus the man did not do it! Let me prove it to you by 2 Cor 5:18-19.

(18) All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ (He was the modus operandi; He was the channel), and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (Who did it? God did it.)

(19) To wit (how was it done?), that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,

Who did it? Who’s doing it? God. He’s our Peace. You say, “What God?” That One right there. That One right there that you and I cannot see, but the camera caught the supernatural light that attended His Presence. Absolutely, that’s the truth.

29. Okay, we’ve hardly got time for these things, but let’s move on anyway. Judges 6:11-24; the story of Gideon.

(11) There came an angel of the Lord, sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat (in) the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

They did that during the time of the Covenanters. If they went out at night, the Catholics killed them. You couldn’t get together. The Catholics put the night bolts on all the doors, had all the soldiers; any Protestant was killed right now. They’d destroy and destroy them. So, you see, they threshed their wheat. They got together, clandestinely, in secret. Like one little girl in… I forget which country. It might have been Scotland. She was going out to visit with her friends in the Gospel of Christ.

And the soldiers caught her, and they said, “Whence do you go wench?”

“Ah,” she said, “spare me. I go,” she said, “to commemorate the death of a friend.”

“Oh,” they said, “dear little girl, pass on.”

She was talking about Jesus Christ and taking the Lord’s Supper, or the Catholics would have killed her. You think they’ve changed? Not a bit. They just changed their methods. They’ll kill you anyway and pour death to your soul with their false doctrines and dogmas. Don’t sit here thinking that, because you’re in a Catholic Church or the Protestant Church, you’ve got something. The whole thing is condemned! It’s condemned right there. [Bro. Vayle points to the picture of the Pillar of Fire.] Show me one person can imitate that. Show me one “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” At least we’ve got something that looks like it might be a God. All they’ve got is a bowl full of slop! What have they ever done for the world, the church? What has it ever done? Nothing! Now it’s joined in politics to the nth degree, with a social gospel. God help us. Can’t you see the doctors and the unions are lobbying? And that’s exactly what religious organizations are doing, lobbying and taking over--forcing the government. Oh, you have to be blind not to see it, brother/sister.

30.  Listen, verse 12:

(12) The angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said (to) him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. (Said, “Who me?” Looked around, said, “What are you talking about? Who’s this mighty man of valor?” Who’s this virtuous wonderful Bride? Sure ain’t around here. Oh yeah. He’s talking to you.)

(13) And Gideon said, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? (and) now the Lord hath forsaken us, delivered us (unto) the hands of the Midianites.

Anyway, Gideon is destined to deliver Israel, in this terrible time of the judges, just like Laodicea.

31. Then, in verse 23, because you can read the rest when you go home:

(23) The Lord said, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. (“Even though I’m here and you can see My reflection.”)

(24) (And) Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

In other words, what we’re looking at, the time when God had this title, esteemed title applied to Him, God our own peace. And God is our peace in this particular hour, as He was back there in the time of the judges, when they were under the Laodicean condition, of where every man thought he was right, because It says, “You say you’re increased in goods. You don’t lack a thing. You’re wretched, miserable, blind and naked.”

32. Now, let’s go to John 14. This is the presence of God bringing peace as it did to Gideon and to Israel. And He did it through a messenger. God in Christ--God in a messenger. John 14:27-29:

(27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart(s) be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (Now that’s what He said to Gideon.)

(28) (You) have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If (you) loved me, (you) would rejoice, because I said, I go unto (my) Father: for my Father is greater than I. (Now this is the Only-begotten of the Father in the bosom of the Father.)

(29) And now (I’ve) told you before it come to pass, that, when it come to pass, (you) might believe.

(30) Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and have nothing in me.

Fine. Now we read this in the light of Matthew 12. This is where Jesus has promised to come back and do for the Gentiles what He did for the Jews. Matthew 12:17:

(17) That it might be fulfilled spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

(18) Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Now this has already happened there, but the Spirit is going to come to the Gentiles.

(19) He shall not strive, nor cry; neither any man hear his voice in the streets,

33. Now all that happened to Jesus. So, that’s not Jesus in the flesh. He strove. He cried. He’s in the streets. This won’t happen this time. It won’t happen this time. It’s going to pass entirely unnoticed, except by a few people.

(20) (At that time, the) bruised reed (he’ll) not break, (the) smoking flax he (won’t) quench (back there He did), till he send forth judgment unto victory.

He will come and judge, and the judgment will signify the victory, which doesn’t come at the time of the judgment! It’s unto it. Now, if you say somebody doesn’t have to come here, the Judge doesn’t have to come down in the form of the Holy Ghost and do something, you misread your Bibles. You’ve got the wrong teaching.

(21) And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Bro. Branham categorically, thousands of times, spoke in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it came to pass every single time. And we’re not looking at Jesus, in whom God incarnates Himself. We are looking at the God Who incarnates Himself. See? You’re looking at the picture.

34. Okay. Now, just let that lie there and go to Lk 17:20.

(20) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God come(s) not with observation:

He tells you right there the Kingdom of God will come, and you won’t even see it. It will be there, and you cannot see it!

(21) Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is (in your midst. Not within you, though that’s true. Christ in you, hope of glory. But it’s in your midst. Now, watch what He says about it.)

(22) And he said (to his) disciples, The days will come… (They’re talking about the Kingdom now.)

Now, listen to me! If I’m talking about a horse, and I say the horse is such and such, I do not suddenly start talking about a dog without warning you! Right? Neither does the Bible. So, He’s talking about the Kingdom--how it will come--and you won’t even notice and know it, even though it’s there to be seen! In other words you won’t understand it. You won’t get what you’re looking at. It will go plumb over your heads. Now, let’s read It.

(22) The days will come, when (you’ll) desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and (you) shall not see it.

35. And the Kingdom of God came to them when the devils were cast out. When spirits were taken in control, and they dare not voice anything! He said, “Shut-up and hold your peace. Come on out.” William Branham came and the spectacular ministry was over spirits! I know what I’m talking about, you see. I lived with him, brother/sister. You’re talking about a man who was there. I’m talking about: I was there. I ate with him, slept with him, know all these things. Others may believe what they want; I’m convinced and convicted. You’ll not see it. The days of the Son of man will return. Now, when?

(23) And they shall say to you, See here; see there: (Don’t listen.)

(24) For as lightning, that (lighteth) out of one part under heaven, shine(s) (to) the other part (of) heaven; so shall the Son of man be in his day.

Now that’s the ‘epiphanea’ in a fashion. This will be the greatest ministry of the Holy Ghost that has ever been upon earth, to the Gentiles. I can put in Gentiles.

You say, “I don’t think it’s as great as Moses.”

Moses never got them in. This one does. Lightning. The light shining. In other words the same One that was in Israel is going to be in the west.

(25) But first he (must) suffer many things, and be rejected.

So, this comes after the Resurrection, comes way down the road where he said, “I’ve told you, it’s going to happen again.” Now:

36. (26) As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of man.

(27) They (ate), they drank, they married wives, were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them. (So, that’s before the Great Tribulation takes place.)

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

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

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

It says He will be revealed! That’s what It says in Matthew 25, “Come out and meet Him! Behold the Bridegroom; come out and meet Him!” And it’s after the meeting and the beholding they go into the Marriage Supper, while the rest are in outer darkness. Put it together. It’s all chronological. Absolutely.

37. Now this brings us back to Jn 14:12. So, let’s look at it.

(12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, (that) He (singular) that believeth on me, the works that I do…

Now listen. He said, “I don’t do any works. It’s the Father in me. I don’t say anything. It’s the Father in me.”

So, how’s this going to happen? He’s not going to be here to do it. You’re not going to see Him. But the works are going to be there. It’s going to take a man: God in the prophets.

You say, “Well, I just don’t think I can take that.”

You think God was in that man? Sure He was. God Himself in a prophet. That’s what the Bible says. But only with the portion of the Word for the hour.

You say, “Well, I don’t like that!”

But you like the fact that God’s in you. You must be a hypocrite. You know, you’ve got to be a hypocrite—a elf righteous, pompous hypocrite. Who do you think you are? Give me one “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” Stand up and do one thing. I got a man sitting here right now. We prayed for him last Sunday. I didn’t have a thing to do with it. The brother is getting his healing. His hands are better than they’ve been in years. Just by prayer, nothing else. A sister tells me she’s feeling better. A brother tells me he’s feeling better. I’ve got no “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” nothing at all, and I’m not much in the sight of God or anybody. And yet, simple prayer will do that. I’ve got nothing to commend myself.

38. Then, will we stand here and say, “Well, I can’t believe God would go in a prophet,” when the Bible says He does! Something’s wrong somewhere.

You understand what I’m saying? I’m not hitting you. I’m just trying to show you what these pompous preachers have done to confront Bro. Branham and turn their backs on God. As Peter said, “They’ll deny,” (They’ll say no to) “the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the form of a Spirit.”

Oh, brother/sister, please understand what I’m saying. Understand this.

39. 

(12) He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater than these (more in number).

In other words God will have a greater ministry in this man, whoever he is, than He had in Jesus, who died for the sins of the world!

“Oh, I can’t believe that,” some will counter.

Then, why do you read your Bible and pretend you do believe it? Oh, I know it’s shocking! I know it’s hard! We’re used to saying Jesus is the great one; and he is the great one! But you make him a liar when you don’t believe this. Then he’s no longer the great one! Can you make a great one a liar? Can you take a liar and say, “He’s the great one?” You’re talking of the devil. You’re not talking of Jesus. You’re talking of Cain! You’re talking of the serpent!

Jesus said, “Somebody!”

And this is hard. I know it is hard.

40. I ask you a question. When did Jesus on record have six truckloads of equipment, the cripple use, after one meeting? Six truckloads in Durban, South Africa were in a parade. Wheelchairs, crutches. Thirty-thousand people came to Christ in one meeting. And, when they organized, even Daddy Bosworth was fooled by it!

They said, “Bro. Branham, with this ministry go to the interior, go to the natives, go to those people in heathen darkness!”

He said, “I won’t do it. God says no.”

They put the pressure on him, because they had the money, and Bro. Branham had nothing.

So, God says, “Okay you go and tell them this. Tomorrow morning as you go with Bro. Baxter down the road to meet the men, it won’t be the same car and the same driver; it’ll be a black car and another driver. And you will see a man in a white suit, beating a black man lying on a sidewalk, beating him with a cane.”

Then, He said, “The third thing you’ll see is a strange bird fly in the city, and Bro. Baxter will draw your attention. Let them know that’s “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” You must not go!”

They saw every sign and made him go anyway. And the most horrible storm broke out, and nobody got anywhere. Now, let your elder, your deacon, your metropolitan, your God-knows-what, your bishop, do that one. Greater works. Relax. He’s been proven. The greater works; more in number. Bro. Branham went literally around the world seven times. Jesus never got out of Palestine. The apostle Paul barely got anywhere.

41.  Let’s go to verse 28, same chapter. [Jn 14:28]

(28) (You) have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. (There it is. Watch what He says.) If (you) loved me, (you’d) rejoice, because I said, I go (to my) Father: for my Father is greater than I.)

And John says, “The Only-begotten is in the bosom of His Father.” He said, “I come from God and I go to God.” You think He wouldn’t do it again? Certainly. That’s the manifestation there; but people want to turn it down. [Bro. Vayle points to the picture of the Pillar of Fire and the picture of the Cloud (the Judge).]

Now, let’s go to Matthew 10. You see why these series always take me so long. It’s because, you see, I like to repeat everything and bring in new sidelights and lights on it, so that, if there’s any trouble, I don’t want it to be my trouble when I stand before God for you people. Now the world criticizes me for preaching so much on these things and taking so long. Well, I hope you’re not in that category.

42. All right, listen. Mt 10:33-34.

(33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

(34) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I (am come) not to send peace, but a sword.

Now we’ve been talking about a peace that is vindicated! The peace of God Himself! It’s here! But that same God brings a sword! The same as the same Judge exonerates a Bride and condemns the world church. You know what it said it’s going to do to you?

(35) For I am come to set a man against his father, (a) daughter against mother, daughter in law against mother-in-law.

(36) A man’s foes be of his own (house). (And so on.)

You’re looking at that peculiar situation.

43. All right. Back to Lk 17:20, for a second again.

(20) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, (and) he said, The kingdom of God (comes! It will be there to be seen, but you’ll miss it!)

Bro. Moore, in Los Angeles, with The Herald Of His Coming, was recognized to have the most spiritual magazine of the twentieth century. And it cried day and night, “O God send a prophet! O God send a prophet! O God send a prophet!”

And William Branham went right in the man’s house, ate at meal with the editor. But next month, “O God, send a prophet! O God, send a prophet!” God sent him, but no one knew it.

You think the Kingdom of God can come, and we are so clever and so spiritual, that we would see it?

Jesus said, “Isaiah prophesied. Those prophets prophesied.” And He said, “Their eyes didn’t see it.”

And many, many eyes didn’t see it!

But He said, “Your eyes see it.”

And one of the twelve is a devil. And Judas didn’t see it. And Eve didn’t see it. How many see it? How many can see what we’re talking about? Listen, if this is right, brother/sister, and that’s an actual photograph, untouched, verified. You tell me what it is. Shouldn’t the man know something about it, if anybody does? I’d certainly hope so. The man is the one that said all those “THUS SAITH THE LORDs,” but the man said, “I’m just a man, a brother like you. He’s the One that does it.” Well, Somebody’s doing it. And, if the devil’s doing it in the Name of Jesus, or if God’s allowing it, His Kingdom is divided. It is gone! You’ve got to understand that. You won’t even see it.

They’ll say, “Here, there and there.” They’ll miss it but keep looking.

44.  Let’s go to Heb 4:12.

(12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, (even) the joints and marrow, is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This same man here with the mighty ministry brought a sword. And the sword on one hand prepared a Bride by cleaving her away through the Word of God from the rest of the world. And he proved it by discerning the thoughts and intents of men’s heart, because he could go before a congregation, five, ten, fifty thousand, or one million, if he could have, you know, the telescopes, or the field glasses. Without it, he didn’t need it even. If your name was George Bush, and you were seated amongst one million people, and there were sixteen George Bushes there, he would send the ushers to pick you out amongst the sixteen or sixteen hundred George Bushes and bring you up and tell you all about yourself, because he could take every spirit under control. And nobody can do that in the name of Jesus Christ outside of a man that’s ordained of God to do it. He’d take every one in control. But it went over their heads. And the Word of God, which he brought, has gone over people’s heads. How sad.

45. Now with what we studied about light and darkness, as set forth by Bro. Branham, we have perfectly 2 Th 1:7, which tells about the mighty descent with the ring of angels. It’s what came forth to separate the people. It’s what came forth to bring the peace. I’m not reading this; but, if you want to go home, you’ll read this in 2 Th 1:7-10 to 2 Th 2:14. And in 1 Thessalonians It says here, at this time of the Appearing, when we’re going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air… Let’s read Chapter 5.

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

(2) For (you) know perfectly that the day of the Lord so come(s) as a thief in the night.

46. I want to ask you a question! When the thief comes in the night, and you don’t see him, does it mean that he’s not there? All right, think it over. The Kingdom of God cometh, but not with observation. The thief doesn’t want you to see him. He’s determined to do everything so you won’t see him! He’ll disconnect your burglar alarms! He’ll come in like a seducing friend or something else! But he’ll make sure that you don’t catch on to him! So the day of the Lord comes and they won’t even know it.

(3) (And they’ll) say, Peace and safety; (and) sudden destruction come(s) upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and (they’ll) not escape. (That’s the Great Tribulation.)

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

You are not one of the children of darkness. You are a child of light. And, when the Kingdom of God comes, you will know it, and the rest won’t!

Now they say, “Oh Lee Vayle, you and that crazy Branham stuff. You’re trying to make yourself somebody, as though nobody’s got anything.”

Bro. Branham already dealt with this in “Shalom.” He said: “We’re not saying these things as nobody else has got anything, we’re just telling you the Word of God for this hour!”

And I can miss it, and you can miss it! And you know what? If we’re not Bride, let me tell you something. We will get greater stripes and greater imprisonment in the Lake of Fire, until we’re annihilated, then those who had no chance to know anything about it. I’m going to tell you something else. If God brought us this far, we aren’t going to any Lake of Fire, because we’re plumb in over our heads in this Message.

47. Now he said, “Brethren, you’re not in darkness.” The Day Star has arisen, which is Christ in our midst, vindicating Himself, proving that that’s God there! And, if you can recognize that, what are you waiting for? Then recognize the rest. Oh, they’ve fallen away like flies from this Message. In 1977 they thought sure that was it. Bro. Branham didn’t say it. And there’s nothing in the Church Age book says that; they entirely misunderstood what was written. In that book the very words used are: according to William Branham’s own calculation and divine revelation, it should be by 1977. But that doesn’t mean that it would be.

48. Now I want to ask you this. Bro. Branham says, “I am not prophesying; I am predicting.” So then, predicting is not “THUS SAITH THE LORD;” is that right? So therefore, it is not a divine revelation that it would be in 1977. So, I ask you a question! What was the divine revelation that he used? You don’t know, do you? And I’m the only one that can tell you, because I wrote it. The divine revelation are the six visions that came to pass, because they were divinely revealed, and the last one was in the making. Bro. Branham threw them a curve, and I helped, because that book is “THUS SAITH THE LORD.”

You say, “Lee Vayle, who do you think you are aligning yourself with the prophet?”

Well, you better do it too. But you better do it in the place that God gave you.

(5) (You) are the children of light…

See? That’s what he says. You won’t be overtaken as a thief. No, that night won’t overtake you. It will be there. You’ll recognize it. You’ll recognize the Kingdom. You will know righteousness from wickedness. You’ll know your position.

49. (5) (You) are the children of light, (even) the children of the day (What day? Millennium. And beyond that where there is no setting sun; New Jerusalem.): we are not of the night…

In other words you will not go into another period of darkness. Eternity and time have blended! There is no going back.

(5) We are not of night, nor darkness.

(6) Therefore let us not sleep (in the night)…

(7) … And they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

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

Now this is not the armor of the Spirit, given previously. This is for this hour. Spectacular. Faith, love, earnest expectation.

(9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation…

Then, what were you appointed to? To the thing that keeps you away from the wrath! What is it? 2 Thessalonians 2: 9--the Coming.

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

(10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness (that is a false worship! And the whole church is going to get together on it.) in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

(11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, (they’ll) believe a lie (the lie):

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

(13) But we are bound to give thanks alway(s) to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God from the beginning (hath) chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

(14) Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (That tells you right there what it’s all about. You can’t miss it.)