Trees, Books, and Fountains # 1

Bro. Lee Vayle

June 18, 1989

 

 

          Shall we pray.  Heavenly Father, we would invoke Your Presence, Lord, to be a blessing to us, as the Word might be revealed to our hearts -- some of the things the Prophet taught us.  Those things which he brought to our attention, Lord, is what we want, we see in Your Word especially for this last day -- at the time when all the mysteries are revealed from even before the foundation of the world -- and many of these things are in parables (we know therein), figures of speech, but You made a way for us so that we are not looking in a glass darkly, but we’re looking at Truth.

 

          So, help us in our study this morning.  May it edify our hearts, our minds, our souls.  And with a prosperous soul, come down into the very reaches of our body -- even as John said, “... we may prosper and be in health as our soul prospers.”  And we know, Lord, there never was a more prosperous time in this six thousand years’ history; there never was a greater epiphany.  In this hour, Lord, we believe that; we saw it fulfilled.  We believe that, Lord.  So we believe that our soul is in a position to prosper, even to the point of immortality.  Give us Your blessing, then, Your help.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.  You may be seated.

 

          Now, I want to start on what is kind of a little… hardly a series (it’s not really that), but thoughts from the Word, entitled Trees, Books, and Fountains -- trees, and books, and fountains.  And I don’t want to particularly read any Scripture at this moment, but we’ll get to Scripture in each of the cases.

 

          Now, trees and books and fountains are three interrelated subjects in the Bible, with ‘trees and fountains’ being figures of speech only.  That’s what they are; they’re figures of speech.  They represent certain other particular things.  Whereas, ‘book’ is exactly what it says it is, in the fact that it is a record -- which record may be the prophetic future, or one that is already passed and is history.  (Which would mean the book, then, would contain the past, the future, the present and it would certainly have great revelation in it if the book could be open to us.)  So, we see the three things: trees and books and fountains.  And trees and fountains, of course, in just about every single case are figurative.

 

          Now, let it be known that we are viewing these three as being involved with humanity, but more especially with that part of humanity known as the ‘children of God’.  So, therefore, there is a lesson to be learned applicable to us (to all the world perhaps, but more especially to us) as we look at these various figures that are in the Word.  And of course our major interest is our own identity as to these figures.  In other words: Where are we in the book?  What is represented by tree and fountain ( if, indeed, it does represent us)?  And, what relationship would we have?

 


          Now, since the Bible mentions trees, first of all, in a relationship to man and God and life as part of zoe... Let me repeat that again: Since the Bible mentions trees, first of all ( that’s the first mention of any of these trees, books and fountain)... since the Bible mentions trees, first of all, in a relationship to man and God and life as a part of zoe, we can start there.  In other words, we know that zoe was in God.  He began manifesting Himself, showing Himself in nature (putting His sons here amongst nature) and all of these things are a part.  And you’ll notice in the Bible the word ‘tree,’ and trees hold a very great position.

 

          So, we’re going to start right back with trees in the Book of Gen 1:11-12.  And it says:

 

(11)    And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, (and) herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

 

(12)    And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

Okay.  We go to [Gen 1]:26-29.

 

(26)    And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, ... over the fowl of the air, ... over the cattle, ... over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that (creeps) upon the earth.  (So that would be animate, inanimate and so on.)

 

(27)    So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 

(28)    And God blessed them, and ... said ..., Be fruitful, and multiply, … replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that (moves) upon the earth.

 

(29)    And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

 

All right.  In Gen 2:7-9.

 

(7)     And the Lord... formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

(8)     And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden

          (... evidently that took place after verse seven) and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 

(9)     And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; (and) the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  (It was in the peripheral.  The Tree of Life was in the middle.)

 

Then [Gen 2]:15-17.

 

(15)    And the LORD God... took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

 

(16)    And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

 

(17)    But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day (of the eating) thereof (dying) thou (dost) surely die (... one thousand years; he never lived beyond that.)

 

Now, let’s go then to Genesis 3, and we read it all:

 

(1)     Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.  And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, (You) shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

 

(2)     And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

 

(3)     But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest (you) die.

 

          Now, you’ll notice where the woman placed that.  She put it in the center.  The Bible doesn’t say it was in the center.  According to my knowledge, you can’t have two things dead center.  So, she made a big mistake right there.  In other words, people think they’re zeroing in on God, and they’re not zeroing in on God; they’re in a peripheral or tangential, and they’re having a problem.  [Genesis 3]

 

(4)     And the serpent said... (You) shall not surely die

 

(5)     For God doth know that in the day (you) eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 

(6)     And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, ... it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband ... and he did eat.

 

          Now, you notice, “In her eyes”... it doesn’t say God said the tree suddenly became good.  This woman really blew it.  What kind of eyes did she have to see something good when God said it was evil?  Now, the Bible said the tree was evil.  Bible said it wasn’t good for food.  Anything that will kill you is not good for food.  “And she saw...”  Now, who anointed her eyes?  Now, a woman types the Church.  This is why you see what you see and why Bro. Branham taught what he taught.  (It doesn’t mean any sister, here; we are typing.) 

 

[Genesis 3]

 

(6)     ...(she) gave (to) her husband... and he did eat (also)

 

(7)     And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

 

(8)     And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.  (Now, you notice, they didn’t hide under the Tree of Life or the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  They went elsewhere.)

 

(9)     And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

 

(10)    And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

 

(11)    And he said, Who told (you, you were) naked?  (Have you) eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded (you, you should) not eat?

 

(12)    And the man said, The woman (that you gave me gave it to me, gave me of the tree, and I ate it).

 

(13)    And the LORD God said ... What is this (you’ve) done?  And the woman said, (Well, the serpent fooled me.  He beguiled me; he seduced me), and I did eat.

 

          All these people that don’t believe Serpent Seed ... they try to make that simply a case of mental seduction.  Hogwash!  You go to the Book of Timothy you’re going to find that women don’t get pregnant eating apples.  What she did in the Garden had to do with pregnancy.  So let’s not try to fool ourselves and be a bunch of stupid idiots, because they’re idiots out there.  Remember that ‘hinny’ [hybrid, whose father is a stallion and whose mother is an ass] out there, whatever he is, he doesn’t know who his mammy and pappy are. 

 

[Genesis 3]

 

(14)    And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, ... above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: ( He completely changed in every bone in his body.  That’s your boa constrictor.  He’s got remnants of hips, and so on.  Conducts himself like another animal.)

 

(15)    And I will put emnity between thee and the woman, ... between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

(16)    Unto the woman he said, (I’ll) greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow (shalt thou) bring forth children; ... thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.  (Eating an apple would do that?  It would have to be a mighty green apple just to get a stomach ache.)

 

(17)    And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and … eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.  (Now, that’s the ground he’ll eat out of ... what comes out of it.)

 

(18)    Thorns ... and thistles (it shall) bring forth to thee; ... thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

 

(19)    In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust (thou shalt) return.

 

(20)    And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

 

(21)    And unto Adam ... and ... his wife did the LORD ... make coats of skins, and clothed them.

 

(22)    And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever;

 

(23)    Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 

(24)    (And) he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

 

          All right.  Having read these Scriptures, it is very evident that the trees which were a part of the acceptable, eatable, palatable vegetation, as mentioned in Gen 1:29, ... let’s look at it:

 

(29)    And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of ... the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, (it shall be to you) for meat.

 

          So every single tree and herb on the face of the earth was palatable, and was required to sustain the two individuals.  So, we see, here, it is very evident that the trees which were a part of acceptable, edible, palatable vegetation (nutrition-wise) as mentioned in Gen 1:29 certainly do not include all the trees that are found in Gen 2:8-9, because every specie is there in the perimeter.  And in the middle, but particularly dead-center, is the Tree of Life and beside It is the choice of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is death.

 

[Gen] 2:8-9 ... read it again:

 

(8)     … the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 

(9)     And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; (... But there was a tree in there that could kill you!  So, it wasn’t good for food.  And there was a Tree in there that could give you Life.)

 

          Now, having read these verses, you can see that Adam and Eve were already given a source of food that would feed their bodies.  And this food was to be found world-wide.  We read it... “over the face of the whole earth”.  So there was something everywhere that people can eat in the providence of God.

 

          It is also very evident that some, or most, of all these trees that nourish the body were in the Garden of Eden.  And you will notice that the words in Gen 2:9 say the same thing in

Gen 1:11-12.  Okay, Gen 2:9, we read it.  The Lord God had all those pleasant looking and good trees in there to ‘wump up’ your appetite and you’d enjoy eating them.  The same as it says over here in [Gen] 1:11: The earth is going to bring forth grass, and the herb, and the fruit tree, and all those things, and they’re absolutely good according to Almighty God.  And in [Gen] 1:29, it tells you that Adam and Eve were supposed to eat them. (See?)  Now, they came out of the ground.  (See?)  They were told to eat it ... out of the ground.  But in Gen 2:9 we noticed that there are two trees that could not have come out of the ground because one of them could cause death, which would be in direct contradistinction to Gen 1:29.  Everything that came out of the ground in the original was absolutely blessed. 

 

And you’ll notice it was after the Fall that even the briars and the thorns and the weeds came out.  So don’t you try to think your own thoughts.  Here’s where everybody goes haywire.  They start questioning the Word of God.  And when you question the Word of God you destroy everything that God would ever do for you.  Here’s where the first seed of unbelief was.  The belief was: All this is good, but that is not good; keep your hands off of it.  And she stood there and even said it.

          Now, you’ve got young boys that want to start smoking, who have already started smoking.  The Surgeon General ... everybody tells you, smoking gives you cancer, but you’ll smoke anyway.  So, if you die of cancer, that’s your tough luck.  But just like Eve messed Adam up, kids mess up parents, society and everything else because they can’t be told anything.  I read this morning how God wants sons, and recognize Himself as Father to those who say, “Guide us”.  You can be so hog stupid and stubborn.  You won’t do these things you should do.  I’m just appalled; I don’t understand it.

 

So, in Gen 2:9 we notice there are two trees that could not have come out of the ground because one of them could cause death, which would be in direct contradistinction to Gen 1:29 that says, “All of these upon the face of the earth are good for you.”  And further to that, Gen 2:9, as we stated, speaks of a source of life.  And these two were already living and had everything they needed to keep them living through natural sustenance that God had provided.

 

          So, this must have been a life beyond this life as we know it … or have never known it. And it’s even apart from creation, because it’s something He did after.  Now, you’ll notice, as Eve was a by-product of man, she was not in the original creation.  Evidently, what we’re looking at here, although in creation, was not a part of the original plant life; it simply wasn’t.

 

          Furthermore, we want to emphasize the location of the two trees: They were in Eden only.  All the other trees were there, too, or in a sense representing all other trees.  But these two trees were no place else.  They were only in Eden, and no other place.  They were nowhere else but there. 

 

Then, notice ... in Gen 3:22-24.

 

(22)    And the LORD God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: (to become conscious of that particular factor which only God knew in His Sovereignty.  Only God understood that there could be a perversion, and now man knows it.  And it said ... unless) he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

 

(23)    Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 

 

Now, Adam was not formed out of the ground which was in Eden.  You’ll notice you’re talking now in terms of something that’s much higher, which you could honestly say was the Kingdom of God upon earth.  This would be the epicenter of the Kingdom of God upon earth because God was right there.

 

[Genesis 3]

 

(24)    So he drove out the man (from the Garden of Eden); and he placed (a cherubim there with flaming swords) ... to keep the way of the tree of life, (and Eden could not be invaded.  And so, therefore, the Tree of Life could not be taken.)

But then notice, we see, in Gen 3:22-24, man was dislocated from Eden.  But not solely because he ate of the tree of death -- no -- but actually (even more so), so that he could not get to the Tree of Life.  That’s what the Bible says; so I read what the Bible says.  And when he was dislocated, we note that he took the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with him, but not the fruit of the Tree of Life.  He did not; he couldn’t get it.  He was no longer to attain to it, so there’s no way he could take it.  And that’s the way man has been ever since.  In other words, it is not something natural that you and I can attain to by virture of the fact that we are children of God.  In other words, there must be a prescribed way, in God’s own time, to get there, or it to get to us. 

 

Did you hear what I said?  If you heard what I said, you are not thinking the way the fundamentalist does.  Because he said, “Hallelujah!  I’ve got Jesus.  I’m coming in the resurrection.  Glory to God!  Who needs a stupid idiot idea of any Elijah, the prophet?  Hah!”  What’re you going to do about it? Are you going to tell the world, and your testimony?  You’ll be called a ‘kook’ if you do.  But if you’re not called a kook and a heretic, then, you don’t line with the Apostle Paul.  You’re just a poor old seat-warmer, and I feel sorry for you because you ain’t gettin’ nowhere.  (See?) 

 

He truly lost something that he had access to, but did not avail himself of.  Yet it does not mean that the loss is irreparable.  Further more, we must most emphatically declare that -- since the Scripture reads (as it does in [Gen] 3:22) ... “lest he put forth his hand and (eat) of the tree of (the) life ... and live forever” -- it is absolutely true that Adam’s condition that was now in his flesh was no obstacle to immortality in itself.  And in his fallen condition, he could have lived forever.  Now, that’s true.  Thus, God removed him from Eden and then removed Eden which cannot come into view and occupancy by man until God allows him to come to a position before Him that opens the door to the Tree of Life, and live forever.  And he will be in that fallen condition.  In other words, you don’t become immortal to gain immortality.  Or you don’t come to a certain place through the law, or any effort that you might do on your own, to get it.  It’s going to be just as the old song writer [wrote]... “Just as I am with one plea, but that Thy Blood was shed for me, O Lamb of God, I come...”,  because it was the Lamb that opened the Book.  And it’s the same Spirit that stands at the door and said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  And if any man answer the door, I’ll come in and sup with him and he with me.  And he can sit upon my Throne with me as I am set down in my Father’s Throne.”

 

          So, let me say again, then: God removed him from Eden and then removed Eden which cannot come into view and occupancy by man until God allows him to come to a position before Him that opens the door to the Tree of Life, and live forever. In plain language, immortality -- unless forever denied by God -- can be obtained by sons of Adam at some time.  And that time is when they, regardless of physical condition (just like Abraham), are supplied with some antidote that counteracts and annuls the sentence of death in the flesh.  He must be supplied with something at that time.  Now, I know that everybody thinks, “Well, it’s just going to fall in due order, Hallelujah.”  But I’ve got news for you.  Let’s go to... (well, we’ll get this in Romans 8 later on, but I might not have time to read it) so I’ll go to Romans 8.  And I want you to notice something here in Romans 8.  Paul is speaking, and he says here, verse ten…

 

(10)    ... if Christ be in you, the body is (still) dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

(11)    But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall ... quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that (dwells) in you.

 

          So, therefore, it’s your body that has to have the baptism with the Holy Ghost in order to raise it.  The same as your soul has to be united in seed with the Holy Ghost in order to give you the right understanding of the Word of God to make you to know that you are that one who will come in the Resurrection.  So, the body is dead because of sin. It’s going to die unless God grants a reprieve through some special intervention to bring back the Tree to accessibility, because you’ve got to go by Alpha if you’re going to come to Omega.  And the Alpha was, “Yes, immortality is available -- you blew it.”  Now, what are you going to do to bring it into the position where you can now come to it?  And the answer is: Nothing.  It’s going to be by grace.  As Bro. Branham said, “If God ever sends His power back into the Church, it is going to be by grace and not by works.”

 

          All right.  In plain language, immortality -- unless forever denied by God -- can be obtained by sons of Adam at sometime.  And that time is when they, regardless of physical condition, are supplied with some antidote, or some screen or something, that counteracts and annuls the sentence of death in the flesh.  From the Word of God we know that to be true, for “the Son of righteousness will rise with healing (or immortality) in His wings.”  And at long last the sons of the first Adam -- Adam who was the son of God -- his sons can come and partake of the Tree of Life and live forever and go back home to Eden, which is now the greater Eden.  Remember, as Adam is the first man, Jesus the last man, Eden is the first ... the last is the Eternal Kingdom of God. 

 

We go to Rev 22:14.  And here’s what it says:

 

(14)    Blessed are they (who) wash their robes (... in what?... and) ... may have (the) right to the tree of life, (even) enter ... into the city.

 

(15)    For without are dogs... (for without is all the Serpent seed out there.  They are entirely out of the picture.  And this is just before the second coming of Jesus Christ.)

 

Rev 22:20.

 

(20)    He which testifieth these things (says), Surely I come quickly.  Amen.

 

So, immortality is acquired by us, given to us before the literal Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And notice the condition of mankind at the time of Rev 22:15:

 

(15)    For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.  (There they are.)

 

Also, Rev 18:23-24.

(23)    And the light of a candle (that’s Babylon, Church world system) shall shine (in thee) no more at all ...; and the voice of the bridegroom and ... the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; (Now watch this condition...) for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by (their) sorceries ...

 

          (See?) ... their prescriptions, their pharmaceutical doings (spiritual, now), the contrivance of everything man can make to attain to a good body -- or John says, “That your soul may prosper and be in health”, then your body follows suit.  So, then, there’s got to come a time when the soul is so set before God, by God, that the body comes to a place of immortality.  It’ll never die.

 

(24)    And in her was found the blood of prophets, and ... saints, and ... all that were slain upon the earth.  (Now, you’ll notice that the Bride and the Groom were in that dirty bunch of birds, until they came out.  Until a certain time, the Bride is in there.)

 

          All right.  Notice also over here in Job ... way back in the Book of Job, the thirteenth chapter.  ( I hope I got it right.) ... verse four.  Job says to these people, here, that come to him to comfort him (which they don’t.)  They try to make him a wicked person before God -- Job, the righteous.  And he said ... [Job 13]

 

(4)     Be (you) are forgers of lies, (you) are all physicians of no value. (That’s your preachers, your churches, and your system.)

 

          In this terrible time, the Last-Age Bride will come to the Tree of Life regardless of

Rev 3:14-22.

 

(14)    ... unto the (messenger to the Church which is in Laodicea) write: (I’m going to tell you your conditions) ... thus saith the Amen (that’s) the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

 

          Now, that word ‘Amen’ is Truth.  This is from Isaiah ... “Thus saith the God of Truth”.  And remember, the world receives the antichrist according to 2 Thessalonians 2, because ... “they received not the love of the truth”.  In other words, they would not receive the love of the Lover.  They would not receive the God of Love, who is the God of Truth, for Truth must come finally to this earth.  Why?  Because it was believing the lie that took Eve and Adam away from God.  Now, that’s what the Bible said.  The world follows the antichrist and goes to complete perdition, leaving neither root nor branch … because nobody is left living at the end of the Great Tribulation because they believed the lie, which was: “Thou shalt not surely die.”  The Bride believes the Truth which is: “Thou shalt surely live.  You’ll surely not be a part of those that do die.  But they will not believe the Truth as it is set forth.

 

          Now, these physicians, of course, are theologians and what-not who positively have led the church astray by their nostrums, by their prescriptions which are not of God. 

 

Now, notice, what it says over here in Jer 8:19-22 (hopefully):

(19)    Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the Lord in Zion? is not her king in her?  Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?

 

(20)    The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.  (Now, that sounds like the Foolish Virgin, and the rest of them.  Now remember, he’s telling you right here, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of this people.  Now watch... )

 

(21)    For the hurt of the daughter of my people (am) I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

 

(22)    Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?  Why then is not the health of the (people of my daughter) recovered?

 

Now, you can see right there that God is likening Himself to a physician and that the Church needs a physician in the time of her sickness because sickness is the result of sin (same as death is), and sickness is just the precursor of death, as it comes out of sin.  Now he said, “Where is the physician?” 

 

Now, notice how that Jesus says the same thing over here, in Mt 9:12, speaking:

 

(12)    But when Jesus heard (them) he said... they that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick.  (And remember, he was the healer.)

 

          And over here, in Lk 4:28, we see... (got the wrong verse there.  It doesn’t matter anyway.)  The same thought there is merely: Jesus Christ himself is the physician (...it might be chapter 14... I don’t know).  Now, what we’re looking at, here, is the person in the Bible, in the New Testament, is Jesus the Christ who is the same person over here in the form of the Holy Ghost.  Now, we’re talking about God incarnated in Christ; we’re not talking about Jesus the man under any consideration whatsoever -- that just is not true. 

 

Over in 1 Th 4:13, we see here Paul speaking:

 

(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.

 

(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 (take precedence, in any way, over) them which are asleep.

 

(16)    For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, ... 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: ... so shall we ever be with the Lord.        

 

          Now, you can see, here, that the condition of the people at the time of the coming of the Lord and the time of the resurrection, will be absolutely just like those who are going to be in the rapture, because they’ll be immortalized.  Now, what am I trying to say, here?  I’m trying to tell you that the very same God that is the Physician is the One that comes down as the Great Physician, here, in order to change the people’s body.  In other words, He supplies the antidote for the sentence of death, which is the sickness and disease that is in mankind. 

 

Now, let’s go to Ex 15:26.

 

(26)    And he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God …

 

And remember, in Hebrews 12, we get the One from Heaven speaking.  And remember in Rev 10:1, the same One that’s in Rev 5:1, comes down and begins speaking.  “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God” ... through what?  A prophet.

 

(26)    ... and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes.

 

Now, what’s right in His sight?  To receive those whom God sends.  That is the work of everybody that’s a seed of God.  You have to receive the one that God sends. 

 

Now, he said... [Exodus 15]

(26)    … I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

 

          Now, you notice, the sentence of death was not upon Israel as it was upon Egypt.  Now, what did it?  Only one thing did it: the Presence of God through the blood.  The blood, itself, would not have done it.  The blood was only that which allowed God to do it.  So, therefore, when you talk about ‘blood’ you realize, at the end-time, though the Blood that has been shed can be upon the Mercy Seat, except by the Presence of God.  Because, remember, it was the Passover when God stood guard over His Own people and destroyed the wicked. Now, when Abraham came, he said, “Lord, will You destroy the righteous with the wicked?”  He said, “By no means.”  And every time God appears -- let’s get this flat -- every time God appears there is life to somebody and death to somebody else.  And don’t you ever forget that!

 

          So, therefore, when He comes to avenge His Own, He comes to destroy the wicked.  And He does not destroy the wicked and take a few righteous with him.  There’s no way; it always kept apart. 

Now, notice the antidote to mortality -- the healing power of God , victory over death -- is found over here, right under our noses in the Scripture in [Rev] 22:14.

 

(14)    Blessed are they that (wash their robes), that they may have the right to the tree of life.  (So it tells you that.)

 

          All right.  Let’s take that and go back to the Book of John, the seventeenth chapter and try to get some sense out of it.  Now, Sanctification is a work of grace and a cleansing process.  So, therefore, the washing of water by the Word (according to Paul) is what we are looking at.  And it’s the same thing that Jesus said, because everything runs in threes and in continuity.

 

[ John 17]

 

(17)    Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  (Now, remember, it is the love of the Truth that saves the Bride.  It is the garment that is washed that saves the Bride.  It is the ‘Truth that sanctifies’ that saves the Bride.  Now, watch...)

 

(18)    As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 

 

          Now, when Jesus was sent into the world, you tell me how he was equipped?  “Well,” you say, “Bless God, he got the baptism with the Holy Ghost.  And anyone out there, don’t you know, in the wilderness ...”.  It was more than a baptism; it was actually God Himself came in and took up the vessel.  Now, when the vessel was taken up by God, he went out there into the wilderness.  And there he was tempted by the devil, after having fasted forty days and forty nights.  So, therefore, he was in a position for his flesh to go into sin.  Now, let’s face it, Eve was in a cycle of her life when the Serpent knew positively she would get pregnant -- let’s face it. 

 

I should stop right here and warn you women to get the little video cassette that I bought

-- Babies Now and Babies Later -- where you’ll teach your girls exactly the truth so they know all about themselves.  So they do not fall prey to some junk-heap out there.  And even some of you young boys learn to keep arms length around here, too.  You may claim to be saved but I don’t see much evidence of some of it.  And don’t think he didn’t know.  (See?)  Man doesn’t know.  He knows only within himself when he desires the act, but the woman is in the danger position because she is excited at that particular period.  (You know what I’m saying?)  Just telling you positively the truth.  So let’s get it down pat and start doing something about it,  because lives are at stake, families are at stake -- everything’s at stake.  It’s about time people did something.

 

          All right. It is the Truth that the Bride had that absolutely saves her.  It is the sanctifying Truth of the Word that puts her in a position of virginity, because Eve lost her virginity by having another man.  The Church lost its virginity by going to a false Jesus, a false spirit, and a false word.  How deep can you get?  That’s like being pregnant by a black man, a white man, and a red man (and you might as well go further... you get the brown man in there, too).  In other words, the Church became completely pregnant to bring forth all kinds of bastards and illegitimate children.  And we’ll see that it did.  Now, we’re talking about trees.

 

Now, [John 17]

 

(18)    As thou hast sent me into the world...

 

          Now, what am I talking about?  As God indwelt Jesus and He confronted the devil, He used the Word and the Word only.  Satan twisted every Word... “If you be the son of God (though he was), make these stones bread.”  He said, “It is written, ‘Thou shalt not live by bread alone...’”  When the Serpent came to Eve, Eve could have used the Word and she [could have?] said, “I’ve got my husband.”  That’s why the Bible said, “Let every man have his own wife”, if he’s the kind of man that needs a woman.  And you go snortin’ around, you deserve AIDS... and [if] you get AIDS, I won’t pray for you.  I won’t even tell you where you might go to a clinic and get some help. 

[ End of side one]

 

          They don’t call me ‘the mean old troll’ for nothing.  I don’t have any love for stupidity; I’ve ... [enough]?... love for myself.  I can, you know, cry my own stupid crocodile tears, but I know if I put my hand in a meat grinder, I’m the one that did it.  Now, if you shove my hand, that’s a different story.  You’ll answer to God.

 

          Okay.  Jesus, the vehicle of God, went and stood there with one thing -- Word!  That’s all.  Now, he said to the Bride, “As I’ve been sanctified by the Word, that’s all I’ve been given.”  Then, that’s all we need!  The big thing is: Where do you get a Word that’s not perverted?  You’d better find something or somebody that can do it!  And you’d better stick your neck out and identify.  And you’d better build yourself up in either your ‘most holy faith’ or your ‘unholy faith’ -- whichever that is.  Yah, I could say something, [but] what is the use. 

 

Let’s keep reading... [John 17]

 

(19)    ... for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

 

          The Truth was not what Jesus did!  The Truth is what it is, and then you stand with it, because Truth is as eternal as God!  And it’s as powerful as God.  That’s why God says,  “I am the Truth.  The God of the Truth at the end-time comes to Laodicea.  I was reading that and I got carried away.  (But I’m not carried away; I’ll get back to it.)

 

(20)    Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe ... through their word: (providing ... it doesn’t deviate).

 

          So, as Bro. Branham said, “The Bride of the First Church Age could have had the first resurrection and the rapture.”  Of course, it wasn’t in the plan of God because we were coming down the road.  That’s why Paul speaks to them as he speaks to them, in 1 Corinthians 1. 

 

He said, “Now that you’re full of the Holy Ghost your body is absolutely ready to come out of the grave, if you should go in there.  Now, there’s just one thing we need, and that’s the Spirit of God Himself for a further revelation.” 

 

“Well”, says the people, “Hallelujah!  I’ve got the Spirit of God.  I’ve raised the dead, and I’ve done this and I’ve done that.  Let me tell you one thing, you stupid Branhamite bunch of jerks: I’ve got it already, what it takes!” 

 

That person’s a liar.  That person’s a fool.  Now, maybe some of you don’t like my vulgar language.  Let me tell you something: They’re worse than that.  They have denied and said ‘no’ to God.  Now, you do what you want about it, because I intend to hang so tough until one day God does something to this vessel up here.  It won’t be you doing it.  It won’t be me doing it. 

 

Now ... [John 17]

 

(21)    That they may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee...

 

          Now, that’s a big thing isn’t it?  Now the Father’s in Jesus, and He’s got an actual confrontation with the purveyor of death -- which is Satan, the grand liar.  Now, here’s Satan come against Jesus, against our Christ (and God is in our Christ), and Satan says, “If you be the son of God, why don’t you make those stones into bread?”  And do you know all God did?  Stupid and foolish God!  Why, we’ve got Him beat a million miles.  We’d have come out slugging.  He just stood there [with] maybe a kind of silly grin on His face and said, “It’s written.”  Now, can you beat God at His Own game?  Can you tell the Master General, can you tell the King of kings, a better way?  Come on.  How do you get ‘one with God’?  I’ve been telling you: You just say what the Prophet said.  You don’t have to prove anything.  No sweat.  That’s where the rest is … based upon a vindicated faith.  Oh my!  Listen, this is fantastic. 

 

Now, he said... [John 17]

 

(21)    ... thou ... art in me, and I in thee, ... they ... may be one in us: that the world may believe ... thou hast sent me.

 

          Now, the world is not going to believe it at this time.  Don’t you ever kid yourself.  They didn’t believe Jesus.  They didn’t believe him there; they won’t believe you and me.  The only time they’ll believe you and me is if suddenly God allows us to be completely changed, with Bro. Branham and the Seventh Church Age people, and we start going through walls and driving the enemy crazy … because here we are, and here we aren’t; there it is and there it ain’t.  And you can travel like the speed of thought.  And who wants to do that?  I’m not interested.  I’m interested in this sanctification. 

 

Notice, he says here:

 

(22)    And the glory (that) thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: (“I’m giving them the same opportunity to stand with the Word and nothing but the Word.”  That’s real faith.  And it’s not difficult, if we ever get to understanding vindicated faith.)