by Richard l.s.Gan
“Now, we're promised a Church Age through Reformers, and we've had them. But He promised, in Malachi 4: He'd keep His pattern in the last days, what would take place, 'to turn the hearts of the children back to the Faith of the Apostolic Fathers' — for that very purpose! And the church is so broke up in denominations and isms, it's so tore to pieces till it's dead…”
[Sermon: I Have Heard But Now I See]“…I understand there'll be a voice come in the last days crying out of the wilderness, calling the people back to the Original Message, back to the things of God… Hear me! Thus Saith The Lord, God will not deal with His Church till She comes back to the Homeland, the Message of the hour! Come back to the Original! …Come back to the Homeland, to the beginning!… He wants us back to the Truth, back to the Spirit, back to the right life, back to the highway in Christ!…” [Sermon: Gabriel's Instructions To Daniel]
“Aren't you glad? Back to the Message, brother! Back to the Original! Back to Pentecost! Back to the real blessing! Back to the Name of Jesus Christ! Back to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost! Back to signs and wonders! Back to Pentecost! Away with your organizations! Back to the Holy Ghost! He is our Teacher! Back to the beginning! Back to what Paul taught!”
[Sermon: Seventy Weeks of Daniel]“That's why I know the Holy Spirit is my Compass that guides me. He is the One that makes me know this Word is true; He is my Absolute; He is my Sunshine; He's my Life; He's my Anchor! When troubles are on, He's my North Star. When I'm lost, the Holy Spirit is my Compass that guides me back to the place. Denominations are like other stars; they shift with the world. Other stars shift as the world shifts, but not the North Star… That's the way with the denominational churches. But Christ is the Absolute. He's the One you can put confidence in. …He is my Absolute.”
[Sermon: The Absolute]~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
These are the words of William Marrion Branham, God's messenger to this age. They are but some of his many repeated calls to God's children in this last days to return to the Faith of their Apostolic Fathers and to contend for that Faith which was once delivered to the saints in the days of the Apostles. Bro. Branham declared that his Absolute was Christ, the Living Word of God — not just the Person alone but the very Anointing of the Holy Spirit upon the Sacred Scriptures.
Now, for about three decades since the departure of Bro. Branham from this world into the realm of God's paradise, hundreds of thousands of followers of the Branham's Message have brought a reproach upon the very Message the prophet was sent to proclaim. The man and his message are generally misunderstood by the denominational Christians mainly because of the folly of the majority of his followers. Instead of believing and studying the Word of Life, they choose to believe that the oral words of William Branham, as recorded on the many magnetic tapes, are the absolute authority. Many claim that the taped sermons of Bro. Branham contain all the answers to their questions. Thus, they have literally rejected the fact that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim.3:16). “Lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD…” (Jer.8:9).
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
– Galatians 6:7Many times I have been told by some so-called Endtime Message preachers that “the Spoken Word is the Original Seed and is thus above the Written Word”. They believe that all the words spoken by the messenger are “Thus Saith The Lord” and that they are “The Absolute”. As such, the Bible, is almost completely forsaken by these people. They would only “say what the tapes say” — no more and no less — for fear of being called unbelievers. Those so-called leaders often clone other followers to be like themselves and lead them in a cultic direction. Yet, among themselves they often squabble over the words and statements of the messenger. They argue over the discrepancies in the oral words of Bro. Branham. And unbeknown to them demons are in their midst. (Remember: demonic spirits hang around false doctrines.) One such spirit is that which promotes the 'deity doctrine' that William Marrion Branham was either God or the Lord Jesus Christ. And since the death of Bro. Branham, many have publicly confessed to that belief. Many more will do so.
According to the Scriptures there is ONLY ONE ORIGINAL SEED. It is none other than the LOGOS that came forth from the Almighty Invisible Spirit — YAHWEH (Jhn.1:1,14). The Logos was the Spoken Word of God which created the Heaven and the Earth and all things therein. And it is by this Seed Word that we have our being and eternal life (1 Pet.1:23; 1 Jhn.3:9).
BEYOND WORDS
Without the revelation of the Word of God from the Holy Spirit it is impossible to understand God. Jesus the Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jhn.14:6 cf. 14:9). The Holy Spirit was given to the saints to teach them all things and to bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever God had taught them (cf. Jhn.14:26). And without the Holy Spirit one just cannot comprehend the Word at all. No wonder the Apostle Paul prayed earnestly for the saints at Ephesus “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph.1:17).
Today, the religious denominational Christians and the Branhamites alike are without any revelation from God as to what their Heavenly Father is doing in this hour. They may think they do but all that they have are their passionate indulgence in their own creeds, dogmas, books and consensus.
That you might understand what spoken words are and what spiritual revelation is to a Christian, let me share with you an adage from an oriental homily.
A group of disciples, with their wise teacher, was seated in a field. The wise man began the discourse by making a statement and asking a question, “'Two persons walking with raindrops falling from the sky, and heaven does not drench one person.' Can you explain this?”
For a moment there were whispers among the disciples. Then one of them stood up and answered, “Because one of them is wearing a straw coat and the other is not.”
Another disciple got up and responded happily, “Because the rain is scattered and does not fall onto both, so one of them got drenched but not the other.”
Seeing no reply from the wise man to the two answers, a disciple quickly jumped up and explained gleefully, “Because one of them is walking along the middle of the road while the other is walking under the shelter of buildings.”
A silence followed. The wise teacher then replied, “All of you based your answers on 'does not drench one person,' so of course you cannot figure out the meaning. Actually, by 'does not drench one person,' does it not mean that both persons got wet?”
The disciples were jolted by the words of the wise man. They were ashamed. Why didn't they think of it? Of course they didn't think of it. Why would they?
The adage is this: “A finger points to the moon, but the moon is not at the tip of the finger. Words point at the truth, but the truth is not in words. To seek illumination through words is to get lost in the web of words and not see the truth.”
Yes, as Bible Believers we must look beyond the written or spoken words and let the Holy Spirit lead us into the God-breathed Logos of the Sacred Scriptures and illuminate us with the light of His Truth. Many Christians are lost in the web of semantic confusions. It is particularly true of the Branhamites. They are groping in the dark when they search the words of William Branham instead of the Word of God. They get trapped in the web of semantic confusions when they begin to weave the words of the messenger as the Absolute Truth and the Authority of a believer's life that they fail to recognize the Truth of the Logos. Truly, they are lost in the midst of words just as the Scriptures say, “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive” (Matt.13:14).
TURNING THE HEART
The Old Testament ends with this prophecy:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” – Malachi 4:5-6Denominational Christians have fought tooth and nail against the Endtime Message believers over this prophecy. They contend that, like all prophetic books of the Old Testament, the Book of Malachi was also written to the Jews and for the Jews, and that the Elijah will be a Jewish prophet who will appear in the last week of Daniel's Seventy Weeks prophecy (Daniel chapter 9). Therefore, they claim that these last two verses have nothing to do with the New Testament Church, which comprises both Jews and Gentiles.
Contrariwise, the two verses certainly have everything to do with the Church! This Old Testament prophetic epilogue is a bridge to the fulfillment of the New Testament. It is not only a dual prophecy concerning the 'coming of Elijah', but it also contains a double reference — to the Church and to Israel.
The main theme of this prophecy is “the heart” of man. The Old Testament is filled with prophecies about the coming of the Messiah to redeem God's people. We call that 'Good News' — The Gospel. It is by this Gospel that the Word of God is to be engraved onto the heart of man. “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Cor.3:3). And in God's economy, He has ordained the spirit of Elijah to introduce that Gospel into the heart of man.
The arrival of John the Baptist marked the dawn of a new age — the Age of Grace. John the Baptist was the dividing line between the Old and the New Testaments. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God fulfilled the Law and the oracles of the Prophets. “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it” (Lk.16:16).
John the Baptist came in the power and spirit of Elijah the prophet and performed that which was prophesied of him. “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Lk.1:17). His ministry was to prepare the way for the Lord. His message was a call to repentance. John not only preached the 'Good News' of the Kingdom of God to the children of Israel, he also condemned the religious system of his days. In so doing, he hoped to cause the hearts of the religious fathers to turn from their traditions to the faith of the Gospel believers. There is no clear record in the Scriptures on the number of religious fathers whose hearts were turned to the faith of God's newborn children who believed John the Baptist's message of repentance and the coming Messiah. But evidently, people like Nicodemus, Saul (later renamed Paul) and Gamaliel were unquestionably influenced by John's message.
The converts of John the Baptist were “children” of the faith of the Gospel. Though only two were specifically mentioned to have turned from John to become the disciples of the Lamb of God upon his proclamation (Jhn.1:35-37), undoubtedly the twelve disciples of Jesus were either disciples of John or followers of his message and that all of them were definitely baptized by him in water unto repentance.
The disciples of Jesus Christ were later ordained APOSTLES. They became the spiritual fathers of the Faith. They were the foundations of the Church (Eph.2:20; 1 Cor.3:10; Heb.11:10; Rev.21:14). The Church began to grow but the enemy soon got into the field and sowed tares. Nicolaitanism appeared and controlled the believers. By and by the Church grew weaker. Man-made doctrines, creeds and dogmas were introduced and the Holy Spirit was ousted from the Church. Christianity has since become a formal religious order — “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Tim.3:5).
Then God sent that same spirit of the prophet Elijah on the scene at the close of the Grace Age. He had to because He promised it (Mal.4:6b cf. Matt.17:11). We are living in the last days of the Church Age. The White Robe of the Bride of Christ is badly stained with filthy man-made doctrines and traditions. To have a Living Bride fit for the Rapture, God has to clean her up completely with the water of His Word. Any man-made stuff is an abomination to God. It darkens His True Light. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jhn.1:5-7). That spirit of Elijah came to restore the Living Bride back to the Word. William Marrion Branham was that man anointed with the spirit of the prophet Elijah. He came to turn “the heart of the children to their fathers”. We, who are truly born of the Spirit and the Word of God, are the spiritual children of God in this hour.
Notice the difference between the phrases: “the heart of the fathers to the children” and “the heart of the children to their fathers”. In the first there was no relationship between the “fathers” and the “children”. They had different faiths; one was Judaism, the other was the Gospel of God. In the second, the “children” were related to the “fathers” by a common faith. But the hearts of the “children” also strayed from that faith into denominational darkness. For this cause God sent William Branham to turn their hearts back to the original faith of their Apostolic “fathers”.
LEARNING THE FATHERS —
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CHURCHThe Message of William Branham was to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers. Bro. Branham gathered together all the basic fundamental truths of the Scriptures and told the believers to stay on those truths. He was also given the revelation of the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation. Many believed in his teachings and came out of the various denominations. Unfortunately, many do not know their “fathers”, because either they have yet to learn their “fathers” or they simply refuse to learn their “fathers”. A large percentage of the followers of William Branham have openly (and foolishly) declared that they are the spiritual 'children of the Prophet Branham', but they do not really know the simplicity of his message.
For Bro. Branham's teachings to make sense to them, the believers have to come right back to the Homeland, the Sacred Scriptures of God and begin learning about the Original Faith from the epistles of the Apostolic Fathers themselves. The apostles founded the Church together with the New Testament prophets (Eph.2:20; 3:5; 1 Cor.3:10). They laid the foundations for others to build on them. We do not, and will not, have the Absolute until we come right back to the very faith that was once delivered to the saints. Only with the Absolute can we contend for the faith (Jude 3) and give an answer to all who ask us for the reason of our faith (1 Pet.3:15).
I would like to call your attention to the difference between 'Christ Jesus, THE FOUNDATION of the Church' and 'The Apostles, the foundations of the Church'. We know that our Lord Jesus Christ is THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH — “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa.28:16). The “precious corner stone” is also the Chief Corner Stone or Head Stone, (that is, the Apex Stone) of the pyramidal Holy City New Jerusalem (cf. 1 Pet.2:6-7). He laid down His Life as THE FOUNDATION (STONE) FOR THE CHURCH nearly 2,000 years ago. In fact, He was slain even before the creation of the world (Rev.13:8). The FOUNDATION (STONE) OF THE CHURCH is a SOLID and SURE FOUNDATION (Isa.28:16; 2 Tim.2:19) and It is IMMOVABLE. Upon this FOUNDATION STONE (CHRIST THE WORD) the first-century Apostolic Fathers FOUNDED the Church. The Apostles' revelations of the Word were the supports or footing for the Church. Hence, the Church was said to be laid upon the FOUNDATIONS OF THE APOSTLES. “For he [Abraham] looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:10). “And the WALL OF THE CITY HAD TWELVE FOUNDATIONS, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev.21:14). However, over a period of time, through the deeds of the Nicolaitanes (Rev.2:6,15), the Adversary subtly brought into the Church false teachings which soon replaced the Apostolic Teachings. These false teachings weakened the Church as they slowly ate away the Apostolic Foundations. As the Apostolic Stones were slowly removed one by one, the believers, as a Church, have but only weakened foundations upon which to build their spiritual lives. By the 4th Century, Christianity had become a religion of man-made traditions.
Man-made religious traditions, creeds and dogmas have actually destabilized the true foundations of the Church of God. They have actually become the foundations of the many religious sects within Christendom. Plainly, the religious sects within Christendom have either 'lost' the True Apostolic Foundations or been building on 'broken' ones because of traditions, creeds and dogmas. In some sects, such as the Roman Catholic church, they have actually destroyed the Apostolic foundations. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psa.11:3) And even though the Christian fundamentalists may insist that they are building on the true foundations, they are certainly not the foundations that the Lord had laid through the Apostles for His Church. Paul says, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor.3:10-11 cf. Lk.6:47-49). Today, the Neo-Pentecostalists and the Neo-Charismatics, who are practically impersonating the Early Church, are building on faulty foundations which will surely crumble.
GOD'S WAY
Let us study the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. These two Books (which are treated by the Hebrews as one Book) record the return of Israel to Jerusalem. In them we see how God restored His people to their place of worship, fellowship and blessing (1 Jhn.1:5-9) and how He provided a government to protect and give them victory over their enemies “that we be no more a reproach” (Neh.2:17). The Book of Ezra has been placed before Nehemiah because it deals with the restoration of the temple and the temple worship which were the focus and heartbeat of the Jewish people. The Book of Nehemiah deals with the rebuilding of the walls and the government of the city of Jerusalem.
What God did for natural Israel as a kingdom, His chosen people, He is now doing the same for spiritual Israel, the True Church, which is a holy nation (1 Pet.2:9). The Church must come back to THE WORD OF GOD and be restored to the right FOUNDATION. Then God will help build the WALL — the FIVEFOLD MINISTRY — to keep IT. It's a beautiful type.
THE BOOK OF EZRA
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.”
– Ezra 1:1-5The children of Israel were captives of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylon King, for seventy years. Israel's freedom came when the Medo-Persian Empire overthrew Babylon. And Israel was allowed to return to their homeland. “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” God's Word never fails. And we are living in an hour that the Word of God, by the mouth of the prophet Branham, will also be fulfilled.
We know that in every age there is a portion of God's Word that will be fulfilled. In the days of Jesus Christ, when the Word was fulfilled, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes just could not recognize the Christ. They could only claim that they had Abraham, Moses and the prophets. They could look back into history and judged the foolishness of those people who had rejected Noah's message of impending world judgment, and those who had rejected Moses' message of the blood token which would avert the slaying of their firstborn by the death angel. Yet, they could not recognize who Jesus was. Truly, they were not the seeds of God (Jhn.8:37-47). They had rejected the Word and crucified Him.
Likewise, in this hour, there are also groups of people who have come out of denominational prison cells and claim Branham as their prophet but have failed to recognize the Light of his message. All they know is “what the prophet said” and nothing else. They have made a mess of everything that Branham stood for and brought a reproach upon his message and the Word of God. They, too, have rejected the Word and crucified It afresh.
Cyrus was a type of Jesus Christ. He typed Jesus Christ as a liberator, a good shepherd, a conqueror of the enemies, a restorer of the city and one who glorified God. God moved his heart to make a written proclamation, throughout his kingdom, saying, “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” In type, God has anointed Jesus Christ to build a spiritual house — a temple and a city called the Holy City, New Jerusalem. [Note: The House of God is not just the Temple of God. The Hebrew word for “house” is “bayith” which means “family” whereas the word “temple” is “heykal” which means “large public building for worship, assembly, etc.”. In other words, the House of God is the whole City of God's people dwelling together with the Temple in their midst. You cannot have one without the other. Cyrus' decree marked the start of Daniel's 'Seventy Weeks' prophecy (Dan.9:24-27, cf. Isa.44:28; 45:1,13).] This New Jerusalem will become a reality in these last days. An elected group of people will be ordained and will be called out of the world and of all religious isms and sins, to the True and Living God and His Word.
THE TEMPLE
The Book of Ezra was placed before the Book of Nehemiah because the temple was reason enough for a spiritual people to build a city. God's true worshippers tend to gather in the temple to worship their Creator. A city without a temple cannot be regarded as a City of God.
Now spiritually speaking, where is the true Temple of God? Certainly, it is not the denominational churches where people congregate to worship in their traditions, man-made creeds and dogmas. The Roman Catholic church, the Protestant church, the Pentecostal church, the Charismatic church and all other churches by whatever names, can all claim that God is in their midst. But the truth is that the true Temple of God is Christ — the Word of God. God is not in the church, God is in His Word. Amen! That's the truth. God is in His Word, and if an assembly does not possess the True Word of God then God is not in their midst.
Look at the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Scribes. They were holy, weren't they? They said their prayers. They gave alms. They were very religious. But Jesus Christ cursed them and called them white-washed sepulchers (dead men's tombs nicely painted up), hypocrites and vipers (Matt.23:13-25). Why? Because they not only did not have the Word of God but they fought against those who had. Don't go around acting religious. Being religious is not good. You need to be spiritual and have spiritual discernment in this hour that you are living in. O, may God grant you “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him”.
“Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.” Yes, only God's people. Not the others. Yet not “all” did say, “Yea, yea, we'll go and build” for “many are called but few are chosen.” Only “the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:5). How true. In this hour it is only the true ministers and the little flock of Christ whose hearts God has quickened to build a Living Tabernacle of God. Nevertheless, let us not lose our vision for “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov.29:18a). “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Dan.11:32b). Amen.
Beloved, let me tell you something. If God had not called you to a ministry, you just can't do the work. The Psalmists declared in Psalm 127:1, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” If God had not raised you up to do a particular ministry, you will be laboring in vain. Everyone who is an elect of God has a part in God's ministry, contributing toward the necessities (1 Cor.3:9; 2 Chron.24:6; 1 Cor.16:1; 2 Cor.9:7) even if they are not ordained a gift to the ministry (Eph.4:7-13). Everyone is a part of the HOUSE. We are a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
Look at the denominational churches, God didn't build those churches. God didn't create those denominations. The people are deceived, they are bewitched by deceiving spirits to accept a Gospel other than the one that the Apostle Paul had preached. Look at how their preachers labour. They publish and sell for profits the 'messages' which they claim are God-given. (I believe that a message that is truly God-given cannot be sold for profit.) Simply because they have a PH.D., LL.D., Lit.D., D.D. or any of those great theological degrees, they are hailed as great men of God. They build schools, medical hospitals, universities and other commercial projects. What a shame! Christianity has become a commercialized organization — all bricks and money. And Satan is being worshipped right in it! It's the truth. But God's Church is not like that. Except God builds it, any one who tries to build a church for God labours in vain.
It's a very sad thing to hear of how Christians could believe that in Heaven the Church will be a conglomeration of Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Pentecostal, Charismatic and so forth, nearly two thousand denominational groups, coming together like colored pieces in a stained-glass window. O, how blind can people be! Saints of God, when you get to Heaven, you are not going to see a single denominational church in there, not a Methodist church or a Baptist church or a Catholic church. You will not be able to find even a Branhamite church in Heaven. You will see in Heaven only Christian people (and I mean true Christian people!) who are born again and possessing the Holy Spirit. You will see in Heaven only true pure white Bible-believing Christians. Because, figuratively speaking, before you enter the Pearly White Gate, the angel is going to ask you: “Are you born again?” He is not going to ask you whether you are a Methodist, a Lutheran, a Catholic, a Pentecostal or a Branhamite. He is not going to ask you that! No sir! He is going to ask: “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” Amen! Amen!
THE RETURN
“And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;
And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.”
– Ezra 3:1-6A decree was given because a prophecy had been uttered by God's prophet, Jeremiah. God had kept His promise. So, with one common faith, with one mind and one accord, a small number of the children of Israel got together and went to Jerusalem. After seventy years in exile, they returned to their homeland to rebuild their temple and to restore temple worship. Remember that Jerusalem was the only place that Jehovah had put His Name there since the day the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city by King David. The Glorious Temple of King Solomon was built there and the Shekinah Glory of God dwelt there between the two cherubim on the lid of the Ark in the Most Holy place within the temple. Now, spiritually this points to God dwelling in His Word in the Holy City, New Jerusalem, which is His Church.
Jerusalem was desolate and laid waste. The temple was destroyed and the city walls were broken. There was nothing left of the city but a pile of rubble. Strange people hanged around the place. The enemies were also there. Does it not remind you of how the Church of God had fallen into the hands of men and was made captive by Mystery Babylon and her harlotry system? All that the enemies wanted was wealth, fame and power. So, to get them they had to destroy and conquer, and made captives the souls of believers. But then, God's people were returning to rebuild. And they were afraid. Who would not? Are we not also afraid when we first left Babylon to return to the Word? But, if we people are of one mind, one spirit and in the unity of the faith, we will be able to do what God has called us to do. We don't have to worry about the strange people gathering around us, not even so-called Bible Believers who claim to believe the Word. Yes, they are the adversaries of our faith. They'll call us all kinds of names. But God is going to turn their accusations upon their own heads.
The first thing that the children of Israel started to do when they got to Jerusalem was to make an altar on which to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. They offered their freewill offerings willingly. They worshipped the Lord. They rejoiced being back in the place where God had put His Holy Name. “But the foundation of the temple was not yet laid.”
I remember when a few brothers and I first came into the light of the 'Message of the Hour'. O how, for quite some time, we rejoiced and gave thanks to the Lord even though we did not as yet realize the importance of getting the foundation of the Word of Truth for this hour laid down in our lives. (Today, the majority of the Endtime Message believers' still have not properly laid down the foundation of the Word in their lives.) Unless the foundation of the Word is properly laid in our lives, as an assembly of Believers, we cannot have true temple worship. We cannot have True Word and Spirit worship. “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (Jhn.4:23).
THE FOUNDATION IS LAID
“And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.”
– Ezra 3:10-13Hallelujah! The foundation of the temple was then laid by Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:8; Zech.4:9). Now watch. The priests and the Levites were all dressed up in their apparels and given trumpets and cymbals to praise the Lord. Now, as long as the priests ministered the music harmoniously, all the children of Israel could really sing at their best together. They sang and shouted and danced about, praising the Lord at the top of their voices. Those old folks, who had seen the first temple (which was built by King Solomon) and had the knowledge that God came and filled it with His glory, cried aloud and rejoiced. And the people could not differentiate between the crying and the shouting. Now, that was a great joy. “Because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” Beloved, you can't really sing and shout with true godly emotion when you don't have the truth. Sure, you can sing and shout in a certain way the religious people do in the churches and in the pagan temples, but without the revelation and understanding of the Truth you can't really sing and shout in the spirit of the Lord. Until you truly understand what you are doing and what you are worshipping you can never really worship God in spirit and in truth.
The lives of the Israelites revolved around the temple and the temple worship. That was why the foundation of the temple must first be laid before they could rebuild the wall of the city to protect the temple. They had to build a wall around the city because of the temple wherein God's presence dwelled. The WALL, as a bulwark, served two functions: firstly, to keep all the sacred things of God safely together inside, and secondly, to keep all unholy and abominable things completely outside. This is a beautiful type for the true worshippers of God in this hour. First, it shows that God's work in our life begins from our inner being. Our inner man, our spirit, has to be quickened and our soul reborn before our outer man can be changed. We need to have Christ the Word of God in our heart from which the Word can begin its work of transforming our whole person. Second, we recognize that unless the Church of Christ has the Foundation of the True Temple — the True Revelation of her “Zerubbabel”, Christ the Living Word — she cannot be built as a city. Without a foundation she has nothing to build on. However, if the Church has the Revelation of the Sacred Word then she has the foundation to build on, and a wall will be built to protect the sacred things — the Truths and the believing saints — and to keep out the abominable things — devilish doctrines and false believers — from contaminating the Revelation of the Word. The Wall of the Church is the Ascension Gifts ministry of Ephesians 4:8-16. That's the “Joshua” of our days (cf. Ezra 3:8; Hag.1:14; 2:2-9). Jeshua (or Joshua) was always seen with Zerubbabel. Hallelujah! And the latter TEMPLE, which is spiritual, is far glorious than the former.
In Ezra chapter 4, we see how the children of Israel were troubled by the adversaries when they began to build the temple and the city. Subtly the enemies came and ingratiated themselves with the children of Israel, “Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do.” But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the elders knew that the adversaries' motive was to hinder their work, and they replied wisely, “Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.” Amen. Though hampered by the enemies for many years the children of Israel perservered with their work. Praise God! Likewise, only God's spiritual elect of this hour themselves will build the house of the Lord as the King of kings has decreed.
In the 1950s, when William Branham began to preach the Revelation of the Word, his teachings were distasteful to the palates of the denominational churches. But they loved his dishes of signs and wonders which were easy for them to partake. But the main course of strong meat was too tough for their Protestant and Pentecostal baby teeth. It was too contrary to their denominational teachings and systems. They were unable to digest it.
Today, these denominational churches strongly support ecumenism — “Let us join hands together and build.” In the early 20th Century many of these churches were strong in their respective faiths. They fought against the movement of the World Council of Churches and contended for what little truths they had. Today, practically every church is a washout. They have all been seduced by the very ecumenical spirit that they had fought against. They are returning to the very system they had come out of — Papistic Romanism — Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Prostitutes. O how true is the Word of God! The Mother and daughters are gathering together at last. O God have mercy! We are living in a day of great apostacy. This is the hour of separation from unbelief. No wonder God's Word calls for a total separation from unbelief (Rev.18:4-5; Heb.3-4). Yes, the organized churches have nothing to do with us in building the House of God. Even those Endtime Message Branhamites have nothing to do with the True Bible Believers in building the House of God. They are an organized denomination of unorganized people.
The hour of restoration has already come and the rebuilding has already begun. God has restored us back to His Word. He has called us to His WORD, the TEMPLE of the Living God. The True Revelation of Christ is the foundation of IT. And it is around this Temple that we, the true worshippers of God, by God's grace, are building a City with a Wall to keep IT. We don't need any ism group to help us build. We don't even need the Branhamites to help us build for they are also our adversaries. They are very foxy; they'll present themselves in a comely manner like true believers, but their motive is clearly discernible — to subvert the work and the assembly of saints and to bring them under their ism — Branhamism. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The enemies may call us a city of “rebellious” people and the New Jerusalem we are building a “bad city” (Ezra 4:12). Obviously! Because it is not to their taste.
LITTLE FLOCK
Like the Hebrew children, we Bible-believing Christians were once in bondage. “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage” (Ezra 9:8). We, who have come out of the system of Mystery Babylon, now have “a little space” to get nailed down into God's Holy Word that we may be enlightened and revived from our bondage. Thank God for extending His mercy to us (cf. Ezra 9:9). However, we understand that only a little flock will escape from the hold of Babylonianism.
We are now in the 21st Century. Do we have to go another decade? I hope not. Israel has been a sovereign nation since 1948. How many more years do we have? How many more years is God going to give to the Gentiles before He turns to the Jews. The Bible says, “This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (Lk.21:32). A generation of people is about 70 to 80 years (cf. Psa.90:10). I believe that God is going to cut short the time and will be turning to the Jews.
God has shown many signs and wonders in this Endtime. Christians know that the time of the end is near and that Christ is coming. They expect to take the flight in the Rapture when Jesus returns. But how can they take that flight without preparation? There are things to 'procure' and things to 'set in order'. We need the token of the Holy Spirit and the revelations of the Word to be set right in our life in Christ. God has given us a message for that purpose to prepare us for the Rapture.
We have the Message. Like the Hebrews, we must stop trespassing against the Lord and we must stop committing spiritual fornications of His Word with the religious traditions of men. These things are abominations in God's eyes and He has delivered us from them (cf. Ezra 9:13-15; 10:2). If we go back to these abominable sins we would surely die in our sins (cf. Heb.6:1-8).
God has called us back to our HOMELAND. Our homeland is not in any of the denominational churches. Unless we come back to our HOMELAND we can never have a TRUE TEMPLE and TRUE WORSHIP nor can we ever build a HOLY CITY. That's the truth. But now that we are in our HOMELAND, God has also given us the TEMPLE with ITS FOUNDATION. O how precious is the Word of the Lord! Right now, we must build WALLS around this Word of God. We must have the WALLS OF THE TRUTH MINISTRY of the ASCENSION GIFTS of Christ — Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. What are the WALLS for? They are needed to keep the Word of Truth and the True Believers in the Revelation of Jesus Christ and to keep the enemies out. The holy things are separated from the unholy things (2 Cor.6:14-7:1). God is using the Fivefold Ministry to perfect the Bride. The message of William Branham can never perfect the Bride. His message was a “decree” for us to separate ourselves from man-made creeds and dogmas, and to restore us to the Word. When we are in the Word, God will raise up the Walls around the City and perfect us within the City while keeping out all the religious trash. Amen.
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
The Book of Nehemiah records history of the rebuilding of the walls of the city Jerusalem after the temple foundation was laid. It emphasizes on the leadership of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls “in troublous times” (cf. Dan.9:25). [Note: The Book of Nehemiah is not a 'sequel' to the Book of Ezra. Those who believe so follow the traditional chronology created by Ptolemy who placed the rebuilding of the walls some 60 to 70 years after the temple was completed and dedicated. (If the walls were not being built at the same time, what was there to prevent the adversaries from destroying the temple?) They have assumed the Artaxerxes of Nehemiah 2:1 to be the third or fourth Persian king to rule Medo-Persia after Cyrus. In contrast to Josephus, the Jewish historian, who gave only six kings, Ptolemy estimated that there were at least a total of ten kings from Cyrus to Xerxes, whose chronological positions were even questioned, and some time, reshuffled by other historians. These kings altogether reigned a total period of 205 years. But according to Jewish and Persian traditions, they were slightly over 50 years. The Bible, however, shows us that there were four more kings after Cyrus; the fourth being Xerxes who fought the Grecians (Dan.10:1; 11:2). The names Ahasuerus, Darius and Artaxerxes are all appellatives like the name Pharaoh and were used by the different kings of Medo-Persia.]
“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."
– Nehemiah 1:1-4The enemies had come and broken down the walls around the city of Jerusalem. They had also burnt the gates. As a result there were many breaches along the walls. When Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer to the Persian King in the palace of Shushan, heard the tragic news about the city of Jerusalem, he was so concerned that he fasted and prayed for several days. (Nehemiah often responded to problems with prayer.) Convinced of the promise of God in His restoration of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was thus concerned to seek for its fulfillment. (Likewise, we ought to fast and pray for God's Truth to be revealed to us in this hour.) His heart was crying out for the walls of Jerusalem to be restored that he was willing to give up his comfortable and stately position in the palace to return to his homeland to rally the people to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah typified our Lord Jesus Christ who left His glorious position in Heaven to come and serve His people. Like Jesus, he was made a governor of his people.
After a night survey of the city and the extent of the damage of its walls, Nehemiah began to share his vision with his people to encourage and inspire them to rebuild the walls: “Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach” (Neh.2:17). “So they strengthened their hands for this good work” (Neh.2:18b).
“ARISE AND BUILD”So, the small group of people of Israel got together and began to rebuild the walls. How ridiculous they must have appeared in the eyes of the world around them — a small number of Jews trying to rebuild those huge walls of the city of Jerusalem! Nevertheless, they knew God was on their side. When the devilish trinity of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem mocked and ridiculed them, Nehemiah replied, “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem” (Neh.2:20).
Hallelujah! The HOLY CITY of God must not remain in a disgraceful state! The religious Nicolaitane Babylonish spirit has broken the FOUNDATION of the GOSPEL TRUTH and caused it to lie in ruins for too long. But now that the FOUNDATION of the TEMPLE is laid, the WALLS of the HOLY CITY must be built up! Amen! But why is there a need to build the walls? Because our “Nehemiah” is concerned about the HOLY CITY. The WALLS are needed to protect the HOLY CITY from the adversaries' sneak attacks. They are needed to keep the sacred things of God in so that they will not be profaned or broken apart again to cause the sheep to scatter. You and I, who are the true elect with the token of the Holy Spirit, are part of that HOLY CITY. Therefore, we have a responsibility for rebuilding the WALLS of the HOLY CITY and bring glory to God and restore the reality and power of God's presence among His people. We must be dedicated to the task and be willing to work hard to accomplish the purposes of God. So “arise and build” and set the things of God in order that we will not be a reproach. Thus Saith the Lord.
SINFUL SHEPHERDS
Let us remember that, in this Endtime RESTORATION OF THE WORD, there are many sinful shepherds who shall have no part in the rebuilding of the walls. They are a cursed lot who is not worthy of the Gospel much less being preachers. They exploit the sheep in their folds and enrich themselves at the expense of their sheep. They care not for their sheep. Instead of feeding their sheep with spiritual food in due season from the ABSOLUTE SCRIPTURES of the Lord God, they simply feed them with a basketful of SERMON QUOTES of William Branham. Let's read what the Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy in his days.
“The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?
You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.
My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,
Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.
For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.
As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.
I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice."
– Ezekiel 34:1-16Praise the Lord! He's going to rescue His sheep from the snares of these evil shepherds and to bring them back to the Homeland where He will feed them rich Manna by the hand of ONE SHEPHERD — OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR, Jesus Christ. He will judge every evil shepherd, even other sheep, rams and goats that get into the fold and pollute the clear clean water of the pasture to the detriment of the weaker sheep.
“As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.
Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?
Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away,
I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.
I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.
I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.
– Ezekiel 34:17-24
THE WALL
In Nehemiah chapter 3, we have a record of the builders of the wall and the names of the gates that were repaired. There were ten gates. Spiritually, these gates reflect the life of Christ and the people in the Church — the New Jerusalem.
The “sheep gate” (v.1) speaks of Christ as the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd Who came to seek His sheep that were lost (Isa.53:7; Jhn.1:29;10:11). The “fish gate” (v.3) speaks of the saved ones as “fishers of men” (Matt.4:19; Prov.11:30). The “old gate” (v.6) speaks both of the old nature that is crucified and the choice of walking in the good old pathway of righteousness to find rest for one's soul (Rom.6:1-23; Jer.6:16). The “valley gate” (v.13) speaks of humility, suffering and testing (Phil.2: 3-4; 2 Cor.1:3-5). The “dung gate” (v.14) speaks of the Believers' need to keep clean from all filthiness of the flesh (Gal.5:16-21; 2 Cor.7:1).
The “gate of the fountain” (v.15) speaks of the Holy Spirit filling His people (Jhn.7:37-39; Eph.5:18b). The “water gate” (v.26) speaks of the constant need for the Word of God (Jhn.4:10-14; Eph.5:26; 2 Tim.2:15). The “horse gate” (v.28) speaks of the Believers' warfare and the good fight of faith (Eph.6:10-18; 2 Tim.2:3; 4:7). The “east gate” (v.29) speaks of the Son of Righteousness and His return (Mal.4:2; Ezek.43:1-2). And finally, the “gate Miphkad” (v.31) speaks of the saints' assignment and appointment before the Judgment Seat of Christ and their reign with Christ in the Age of Regeneration (2 Cor.5:10; 1 Cor.3:9-15; Rev.5:10).
Now, the wall was being built. The adversaries were furious and very indignant. “What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?” (Neh.4:2b). “Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall” (Neh.4:3b). They ridiculed and scorned the Jews: “What do these miserable Jews think they're doing, rebuilding the huge wall of the ruined city out of heaps of burnt rubble? Ridiculous! How strong could it be? Even a fox could knock it down! Will they offer their sacrifices again? Impossible!”
However, what is impossible with men is possible with God. In spite of the ridicule, the wall was soon half its intended height all around the city. It seemed to be an impossible task, but the work progressed well because the people set their hearts and minds on accomplishing the task. From the very beginning of the task, Nehemiah constantly prayed for God's help. The Jews were there in Jerusalem to rebuild what was once their glorious city, and to reconstruct the wall to protect their most precious possession — the temple. Yes, they were able to offer their sacrifices again. They completed the work of rebuilding the wall in spite of strong opposition and threats of attack by the adversaries who had vowed to “come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease” (Neh.4:11). They trusted God and at the same time kept vigilant WATCH over what had been entrusted to them. God was in their midst to protect for them. Nobody could stop the WORK of God. Nobody could fight the WORD of God. “Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded” (Neh.4:17b-18a). Hallelujah! The WORK and WORD (WEAPON) of God go hand in hand. Read Nehemiah 4:4-23.
When the Early Church fell into the hands of wicked men, the WALL (MINISTRY) was broken down and the people of God were taken captives into Mystery Babylon for a millennium of spiritual darkness. However, when God sent the Reformers, the people of God began to receive the LIGHT but the WALL was not properly built up as the CHURCH was much involved with rituals and politics. There were too many breaches and the enemies kept sneaking in. This condition persisted until the second “Elijah” of Malachi 4:5-6 came to turn the heart of the children of God to the Faith of their Apostolic fathers.
Beloved, God has a WALL built up in this hour for the Church which has returned to her Homeland where her TRUE TEMPLE (OF GOD'S WORD) is. God has also has SET A WATCH to protect that SACRED WORD and His saints. There are no breaches in the WALL for the enemies to sneak in to fluster the people with false teachings and cause disorder in the assembly. Every SEED-WORD child of God needs to have the breaches in his life closed up, or else the Devil will slip in and cause chaos to his life. Amen. We need to have the REVELATION OF GOD and know WHAT HE IS DOING IN THIS HOUR to close up any breaches in our live.
WATCHMEN
I believe the WALL of the New Jerusalem is built up. And our “Nehemiah” has placed WATCHMEN at strategic locations along the WALL. Although the WALL is finished, it is not perfect. God is still working on perfecting the FIVEFOLD MINISTRY which is the WALL of the Holy City. He is still enhancing the WALL and reinforcing the WATCH over it even as the Bride presses on towards perfection. He is leading the ministry to a place where the Spirit of God will have total pre-eminence in the watchmen's lives for the perfection of the saints. The Ascension Gifts will be under the full control of the Holy Spirit and will demonstrate the Revelation of the Spirit, as they did in the first two decades of the Early Church.
[Note: The word “perfecting” means “complete furnishing”. That is, the saints, under the present Fivefold Ministry, will be thoroughly shaped and equipped by God. This is a continuous process. In Hebrews 6:1, Paul used the word “perfection” to denote its consummation. That's why he said not to “lay again”. In simple terms, it means “don't stay put and keep going over the same things you have learned, but move on to something else until we are completely consummated in Christ Jesus.”]
Notice. On the wall of the Jerusalem, every watchman and builder had a weapon in one hand while they worked with the other. Amen. A true servant of God always carries THE SWORD OF THE LORD in his hand as he carries out the WORK OF GOD. THE SWORD OF THE LORD is THE WORD — “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, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb.4:12 cf. Rev.1:16). And, our “Nehemiah” is the DIRECTOR of the WORK (cf.Neh.4:18-20). He is the only One who is able to give the proper sound of the trumpet. Amen. A man is a liar who claims that God has called him to the wall but only carries with him a compilation of 'Sermon Quotes' of William Branham or any other persons. It's either THE SACRED (S)WORD OF GOD or not at all! “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Cor.14:8).
No matter how much one desires to be, if God has not called him, he cannot make himself a minister of the Gospel. There is order in the House of God. Amen. In the Fivefold Ministry, not everyone has the same measure of faith in any given ministry. We cannot compare one apostle to another apostle, or judge a ministry by another. We could and should check, by the Scriptures, whether a ministry is scriptural or not. The Scriptures is the only standard by which we can judge a ministry (cf. Acts 11:1-18). We should have enough God-given spirit and common sense to recognize the true ministry of God and to receive it (cf. Jhn.6: 28-29). A man, who is called to stand for the Word of God, is not going to spare the feelings of other people, especially those who go about distorting the truth. Open rebuke and reproof are often necessary (cf. Eph.6:19-20; 2 Tim.4:2; Tit.1:13; 2:15). The Holy Spirit, through the leaders in the church, disciplines the people with the Word. The Word judges everyone whether the cleric or the congregation. There is no hierarchy in the church.
“So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day."
– Nehemiah 4:21-22Beloved, you are not protected from your adversary the devil, who as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet.5:8) if you do not stay within the Wall of the City of God. Demons cannot penetrate the Wall of true fellowship which the Lord has assigned guards to constantly watch over the souls of them that dwell therein. Paul said, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb.13:17). How can believers be protected if they keep away from the assembly and fellowship within the Wall of the City of God?
EVIL REPORTWhen the adversaries knew that the wall of Jerusalem was almost complete, they planned to harm Nehemiah, the leader of the people. They had tried, many times, to distract Nehemiah and divert his energies from rebuilding the wall by inviting him to their 'convention'. Nehemiah rejected their invitations because he was able to discern their real motives. Amen, for how can two walk together unless they agree? Read Nehemiah 6:1-4. And when the adversaries failed in their efforts to stop the construction of the wall, they tried a new approach, centering their attacks on Nehemiah's character. They attacked him personally with rumours: “It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together” (Neh.6:6-7).
O, the craftiness of the enemies! Such is the subtilty of many Branhamites! Many of them have tried to invite me to their so-called Bible Conventions. Many of them have attacked me with rumours and false reports that “Brother Gan has made himself the 8th messenger. Like Brother – –, he has put himself above Brother Branham. He has compromised the Word”. Such innuendoes and rumours are aimed at causing misunderstandings and confusions among the believers who have returned to the FOUNDATION. They are also using these same rumours to put fear in the truth-seekers in their own assemblies to prevent them from leaving their Branhamite organizations. And like Nehemiah, I could sincerely say unto them, “There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart” (Neh.6:8). They have fabricated them out of their evil hearts. Several hireling 'prophets' of poor nations, who regularly receive a certain sum of money from their sponsors in rich nations like U.S.A., Canada and Europe, have even 'prophesied' against me and attacked me with evil reports. But, praise be to God! He is a Righteous Judge who will judge the evil hearts.
THE WALL IS FINISHED
“So the wall was finished…” (Neh.6:15a).
And Nehemiah appointed rulers/guards from among the residents of Jerusalem “every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house” (Neh.7:3b). Likewise, our “Nehemiah” has also appointed watchmen from their own places and assigned them to look after their own local assemblies in the New Jerusalem. Amen.
“Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded” (Neh.7:4). To paraphrase, this verse reads “Now the city was large and spacious: but there were few people living in it because not many houses had been built yet (that is, more houses could be built).” Yes, the Holy City New Jerusalem is also a large and spacious City and our Lord is building more houses in it — “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jhn.14:2-3). Jesus is still preparing houses for those who are willing to come into the New Jerusalem.
After the appointment of leaders from among the people, the children of Israel gathered themselves “as one man” and asked “Ezra the scribe to bring out the book of the law of Moses” and read to them. Beloved, it is not surprising that after so long in captivity when they could hardly get a chance to hear the Word of God for seventy years, they had the yearning to hear the Word again. During all those years in captivity, all they knew were some traditions mixed with Babylonish ideologies. How could they know what was in the Book of the Law of God when they (except for the very elderly ones) had never heard it read? Finally, they had the opportunity to hear the Word. Yes, and they listened attentively to the Word of God.
“And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.”
– Nehemiah 8:3If the wall wasn't finished, the people would certainly be unable to come together and listen to the Word. Why? Because of their enemies. But with the wall built, they were safe within the city from enemy attack. Likewise, in this Endtime Age, God has the WALL of His Holy City (Bride Church) raised up. Unless we have the revelation of the importance of this WALL and what God is doing in this hour of time we will never be able to really settle down to understand the Word of God.
Yes, God has given us a Prophet-Messenger, William Branham, with a message to bring us back to the Word. We have the Foundation of the Temple of the Word of God before us. Remember, we cannot approach God without His Word. Jesus said, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jhn.14:6). You cannot approach God without coming through His Temple — Christ Jesus, the Living Word. The Word of God is the Shekinah Glory of God. The Word that came forth from God in the beginning was God and was made flesh 2,000 years ago. The Invisible God became the Visible God. The great majority of Christians are lost in the various denominational traditions, thinking they could approach God in their own ways and on their own terms. Every denomination claims to have the Word, but when they mix traditions with the Word they can never approach God and worship Him in Spirit and in truth; for God is seeking such to worship Him (Jhn.4:23). The Bible said that “God is light, and in him is no darkness [tradition] at all” (1 Jhn.1:5).
Saints of God, we have been brought back to the Word by the Message and the Wall has been built. The WALL is the Work the Holy Spirit is doing through the Fivefold Ministry. It is to safeguard the sacred things — the Word and the True Worshippers of God — from the wicked works of the Evil One. As Eve was seduced by the Serpent before Adam could get to know her, the Early Church was also seduced and bewitched by the Enemy before Christ could bring her to perfection. The Church then went through a time of purging. With the Reformation, the Light began to pave the way for the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit and the sounding of the Message — “to turn the heart of the children to their fathers”. When the hearts of the children of God are turned to their fathers, then it is time for them to sit and learn their Apostolic Fathers' Faith. And, this can only be achieved by the Apostolic WATCHMEN who are assigned to the Wall of the Fivefold Ministry. Without true revelation of the WALL, many Christians have misinterpreted the purpose and position of the different ministries of the Ascension Gifts. Hence, strange doctrines abound.
THE WORD OPENED AND TAUGHT
“And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them."
– Nehemiah 8:5-12“Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.” Amen. There is no substitute for THE BOOK! A Gospel minister of God must open the Word of God in the presence of the congregation of God's people and preach from it. He must not only read from the Word of God, but must give a clear and detailed explanation of it so that the people could understand it. Supposing Ezra was 'a walking Bible' and could recite the law of Moses without opening the book. Would the people be moved with emotion? Would they respond with the same intensity of feeling? Definitely not. But when Ezra opened the Sacred Book of the law of God in the sight of all the people, they all stood up; they all lifted their hands; and they all bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground! “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psa.119:130). That's right. And besides Ezra, the rulers and leaders of Jerusalem also “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading”. O how the Jews went about rejoicing when they heard the Word! They rejoiced even more because they understood the Word of God.
Just as the denominations have their man-appointed and man-ordained ministers, the Endtime Message Movement has many self-appointed ministers. Some are 'loners', or 'drifters' — the 'come and go' preachers — who stand alone and do not associate with any assembly of believers. A Word-loving pastor should never let such 'ministers' pollute his pulpit. All these 'ministers' are a divided lot. Some of them preach only from the Sermon Books of William Branham while the others are often unable to make any sense of the subject they try to preach from the Bible. These are the foolish laborers who do not have the divine calling to handle the Fire of God's Word. They have neither the Spirit nor the Truth of the Word. They often leave their hearers more confused than enlightened. Saints, you ought “to know them which labour among you” (1 Thess.5:12). Avoid such preachers for “the labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to THE CITY” (Eccle.10:15). However, a God-called minister will not hasten to preach and teach the Word until he has a revelation of the Word as inspired by the Spirit. The Word must be rightly divided “for precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isa.28:10 cf. 2 Tim.2:15).
GIFTED MINISTERS
The watchmen of Israel were strategically placed on the walls of the city. Some found themselves on higher position than others because the city of Jerusalem was built on hilly land. There were also several watch-towers at certain strategic sections along the wall. These watchtowers were vantage points from where principal watchmen, who were placed there, could 'look out' to the farthest possible distance for any approaching danger. The moment the enemies were seen sneaking up against the city, these principal watchmen would sound the trumpet. As the warning sound echoed along and around the wall, through the other watchmen, all the citizens would be alerted and readied for battle.
Now, all these watchmen are a type of the ministers of the Fivefold Ministry, which is the WALL of the City New Jerusalem. Five is the number of God's Grace. We have five fingers on each hand. The Fivefold Ministry is therefore God's gift and grace to His Church. It is short of nothing. Jesus Christ has placed men of different gifts in different positions within the Fivefold Ministry — some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelist, some Pastors and some Teachers. This is God's perfect order in the Ministry. There are also different levels of anointing among similar gifts — some hundredfold, some eighty-fold, some sixty-fold, some forty-fold and some twenty-fold. Each of them is responsible for watching over the souls of the saints of God to keep them from sneaky and deceptive attacks of the Adversary of God. But the principal watchmen on the Wall/Ministry are the Apostles, followed by the prophets. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom.11:29).
God gives gifts to men whom He calls into the Church for the perfection of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ (cf. Eph.4:4-16). No special qualifications are stated in the Scriptures for one who is called into the Fivefold Ministry (or Ascension Gifts). God knows how to equip those whom He calls into His ministry. The gifts of God are divinely ordained before the foundation of the world. Whom God calls, God will surely supply all his needs.
The qualifications laid down by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:7-9 for Bishops and Deacons do not apply to ministers in the Fivefold Ministry. Bishops (or Elders) and Deacons are positions of leadership appointed by the Apostles to serve in the local churches. Normally more than one Elder is appointed to oversee the flock in each assembly. The ministry of Elders is restricted to their respective local assembly. There may, or may not, be a God-ordained Pastor in a local assembly. Many people tend to think that Elders are Pastors. Not all Elders are Pastors, although all Pastors are Elders. A Pastor is a gift within the Ascension Gifts Ministry. An Elder is appointed by the minister(s) of the Ascension Gifts Ministry (cf. Tit.1:5).
All true ministers of God are ordained of God and sent to perform the different functions in the Works of God. Pastors/Shepherds are called to feed and care for the flocks. The Teachers teach the Word of God. A teacher does not shepherd an assembly unless he is also an ordained pastor. A pastor, who is a shepherd, also teaches the Word. Evangelists bring or proclaim the 'Good News'. Because they move about from place to place to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, evangelists do not usually shepherd an assembly. The Apostles are sent forth, not only to preach the Gospel, but also to set the Church in order according to the Word of God, to establish the believers on the foundation of the Word and to defend the Truth of the Word (1 Cor.11:34b; Eph.2:20; Rom.1:11; 15:17-20; Phil.1:7,17). The doctrines of the Bible are also called the doctrine of the apostles (Acts 1:1-3; 2;42). The prophets have the gift of prophecies and some other spiritual gifts. They are also teachers of the Word (Acts 13:1; 15:32). They edify, exhort and confirm (i.e. to support further; to set steadfast) the teachings of God's Word and His Work. They may also bring personal messages and interpret dreams. The apostles and prophets are the plumb-line holders of the Word.
[Note: Many people tend to think that when a man is called into the ministry, his wife is also called. This is a tradition of the organized church with no basis in the Bible. The only ministry that God gives to a minister's wife (and any Christian's wife) is that of a good housewife. She is no different from the other believing women in the church, except that she be accorded proper respect as a minister's wife.]
APOSTLES AND PROPHETS
Today, the Christian denominations are divided over the existence and roles of apostles and prophets in this Endtime. Some fundamentalists and evangelicals teach that the apostles and prophets were used of Christ only in the beginning of the Church to lay the foundations of the Church, and with the completion of the canon of the New Testament, the apostolic and prophetic ministries ceased. On the other hand, the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have many apostles and prophets who pride themselves on their complete understanding, or revelation, of the Bible. Sincere Christians who follow such apostles and prophets are at the mercy of their authoritarian leadership and fanciful interpretations of the Scriptures. Unlike the Bereans (cf. Acts 17:10-11), they are often gullible and careless about the Scriptures to detect any unbiblical teaching. Therefore, these Christians are easily misled into a cultic direction.
Many books have been written about the Fivefold Ministry and the respective roles of the five 'Ministry' offices. The views of the writers vary depending upon their religious affiliations. Even in the Endtime Message Movement, the believers' views of the Fivefold Ministry also vary depending on their understanding of the 'Message'. The majority of them, especially the Branhamites, are vague in their understanding of this subject as they tend to rely only on the statements of William Branham. They believe that Bro. Branham alone held all the five offices of the Fivefold Ministry and that there was absolute authority in all his oral words which should not be questioned or judged. These believers also blatantly claim that there is nothing in the Scriptures that has not been revealed by Bro. Branham and that the answers to all Biblical and life questions can be found in his sermons. When they say to you, “Check it out with the Word”, they are actually telling you to check it out with the words of Bro. Branham instead of the Holy Scriptures. They are literally making him their pope.
Regardless of what have been written and said, the fact remains — that Christ Jesus “gave gifts unto men… And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph.4:8,11-13; cf. 1 Cor.11:28). Nothing can alter the simplicity of God's ministry in His Church no matter what. The organized churches may have their pompous hierarchical cleric system but the true worshippers will walk in the light of the humble ministry that is ordained of God to prepare the elect for the return of Christ.
BEYOND THE “ELIJAH” MINISTRY
As have been shown earlier, the MESSAGE of William Branham is a type of DECREE issued to call spiritual Israel back to her HOMELAND — THE WORD OF GOD — where she would be BUILT UP as a CITY for the glory of the Lord. Those who obey the DECREE are now under the leadership of “Nehemiah” — our Lord Jesus Christ who directs the building of the WALL (the MINISTRY) and set the WATCHMEN (the MINISTERS) in their respective offices — “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Eph.4:13-16).
The DECREE (MESSAGE) of the prophet-messenger, William M. Branham, does not perfect the Bride. The Bride must heed the DECREE and return to her HOMELAND where the WALL of the New Jerusalem will protect and keep her as she LEARNS OF HER FATHERS' FAITH. Only then can she “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3b) and be perfected. (Noah's message is a perfect type. Noah's message was a 'decree' of God's judgement on the world. Merely believing in the message could not save the believer; he must also obey the message and enter the ark to be saved.)
Much of what William Branham had said about 'prophet(s)' has been misinterpreted by many in the Endtime Message Movement. In the Old Testament time, God used a 'one man' ministry — the prophets — to proclaim His Word, a choice made after the event at Mount Sinai. Read Exodus 19-20. Each of the holy prophets reflected and manifested in part THE PROPHET whom God promised to send to His people Israel to redeem them. “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deut.18:15). That was why the Word of the Lord came only to the prophets. The prophets were the spokesmen of God, with a definite message, for their days. They boldly pronounced the Word of God and prophetic utterances with “Thus saith the Lord”. They were also seers who were given open visions foretelling coming events. Bro. Branham was such a prophet who brought a definite message for this age. That was why he often said, “The Word of the Lord comes only to the prophet.” He spoke like one and identified himself as one with the spirit of Elijah, one of the Old Testament prophets. However, the New Testament prophets rank lower in authority than the apostles. “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets…” (1 Cor.12:28). Apostle Paul even requested those who were prophets to acknowledge his revelations — “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Cor.14:37-38).
THE APOSTLES
In the Old Testament period the holy prophets were God's spokesmen. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets. But in the Grace Age, a new administrative order has been introduced and the apostolic ministry is placed above that of the prophetic ministry. The Word now comes to the apostles. The Old Testament prophets uttered Christ (cf. Deut.18: 15-18; Acts 3:22-25) but the New Testament apostles revealed Christ — as the SENT ONE. Even Jesus Christ was designated as THE APOSTLE instead of THE PROPHET in the Church of the Living God — “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (Heb.3:1).
The Greek word for “apostle” is “apostello” which means “one who is sent”. But the Lord did not send the apostles only, He also sent all the other ministers — prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. It is important to understand the Apostolic office. [Note: All apostles are missionaries but not all missionaries are apostles.] The Evangelical Christians, who fight hard against Charismaticism, hold the view that an apostle must not only be an eye witness of Christ (cf. Acts 1:22; 1 Cor.9:1) but must possess miraculous power of healing that will heal anybody who comes to him for healing (cf. Acts 5:15-16; 2 Cor.12:12). Knowing that visions of Jesus Christ, such as the one experienced by Apostle Paul, could be experienced by some Christians, they strain at a gnat and swallow a camel with such Scriptures as Acts 5:15-16 and 2 Corinthians 12:12. These texts do not conclusively prove that every one of the apostles demonstrated the power of healing and healed every sick person brought before them. [Note: There were other apostles besides the Twelve. Read Acts 8:1,14; 16:4 — the Twelve in Jerusalem and other apostles, cf. Acts 14:4,14; Rom.16:7; 1 Thess.1:1,6.] Our Lord Jesus, known among the Jews to be a great prophet (and Whom we know to be the Prophet of all prophets, and the Apostle of our profession), did not heal every sick person He came in contact with. John the Baptist, also a great prophet, did not even perform a single miracle or healing. How then do we recognize a true prophet? By which performance standard of the Old Testament prophets do we expect a true prophet to display? Moses? Jonah? or Hosea?
Many Christians seem to think that, to change the world, God has to send apostles and prophets with great signs and wonders. Such Christians, who are preoccupied with signs and wonders, are in danger of having their faith shattered. False apostles and false prophets, like Jannes and Jambres of old, could also perform signs and wonders. But, would signs and wonders really convert the world to Christ? It is doubtful that signs and wonders will cause the people of the world to change their lives and to walk in the saving light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, they may only heighten their carnality. Acts 14:8-19 and Exodus 32:1-7 contain two examples. What they really need is to receive the pure unadulterated Word of the Living God, clearly expounded to them, without It being cloaked in vague theological terms, that they may be convinced that salvation can be found only in the saving grace of CHRIST.
Basically the APOSTLES have two important tasks — founding of churches of God and setting the Church of God in order according to the revelation of the Word. Only some of the First Century Apostles were inspired of God to write the New Testament documents — 'new' revelations of truths hidden in the Old Testament books. Half of the original Twelve Apostles did not have any written contribution to the New Testament Scriptures. The activities of many of them are not recorded in detail in the Scriptures. But, that did not make any of them less of an apostle than Paul, Peter or John.
With the completion of the canon of the Scriptures, 'new' revelations ceased. Whoever preaches any other Gospel, adds to or takes away from the Word of Life, is accursed (cf. Gal.1:8-9; Rev.22:18). Through time, some of the revelations were 'lost' as churches began to organize under the headship of men who introduced traditions into their groups. In this Endtime age, these 'lost' revelations are being 'restored'.
The utterances of the Old Testament prophets contained prophetic revelation of Israel's coming Messiah. The people of Israel did not understand the prophecies. Even the prophets themselves could not fully comprehend the works and the purposes of God. John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it” (Lk.16:16). He came to proclaim the 'Good News' of God — the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was to herald a New Order of God for the human race, beginning with the New Birth. But when John and Jesus came upon the scene, except for a few Jews, the people were unable to recognize them. Israel, as a whole, failed to recognize the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies in the two men.
When Jesus started His ministry He chose twelve disciples, trained and anointed them as apostles. After His resurrection, He ordered them to tarry in Jerusalem so that they might receive power from above, and that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all things and bring to their remembrance all things that they had learnt (cf. Acts 1:1-8; Jhn.14:26). So, on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they started to speak in tongues, and the common people were confounded and accused them of being drunk with wine. However, Peter, who was not an intellectual person but a simple fisherman, possessing the keys to the Kingdom of God (Matt.16:18-19), stood up boldly to preach and proclaim to his hearers his revelation of what was taking place. He set in order the things of God that were being manifested. He quoted and explained to them the Old Testament scriptures concerning the prophetic utterances of Joel and King David. Read Acts chapter 2.
If no apostle was present, nobody would have understood what was going on. It took an apostle to interpret and set in order the Scriptures, and said, “THIS IS THAT which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” It took an apostle to answer the people's question, “What shall we do to be saved?” Peter, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, knew precisely what to tell them: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39). It took an apostle to understand that the NAME “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt.28:19b) was the NAME of “Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Act 8:12,16; 10:48; 19:5).
APOSTOLIC MINISTRY
Today, we need the apostles to break down the walls of confusion surrounding the Endtime Message churches by setting in order the Word of God that William Branham pointed out in his message. We need apostles to help believers establish their faith in the foundation of the true temple that they will truly become citizens of the Holy City of God. Remember Abraham — “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:10). We do not need any more 'new' revelation, for there is none. All the revelations of God have been penned down in Scriptures by the Original Apostles of Christ. But there are 'mysteries' which are not fully understood — these will be fully understood in due course through the revelation of the Endtime apostles of God.
The early Church “continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). But today, many Endtime Message believers are sticking steadfastly to the Prophet Branham's statements/quotes just as the nominal Christians do with their respective denominational dogmatic doctrines.
The apostle's doctrine is a set of beliefs, concerning the hidden mysteries in the Old Testament writings, that the first century apostles had laid down and set in order for the believers (cf. Eph.3:9-10; Col.1:25-27; Rom.16:25-26). Because of the ways they were uttered or written by the prophets, few understood the prophetic revelations of the Spirit. But, when the Lord Jesus placed the apostolic gift above the prophetic gift, the Word of the Lord came to the apostles and they expounded the scriptures and revealed the mysteries. The apostles were, and still are, anointed and specially equipped by God to handle His Word.
Like the thumb, which is more outstanding and important than the other four fingers of a hand, the Apostolic Ministry is still the main ministry that God uses in this Endtime to hold the plumbline of the Word. The Foundation which the first century apostles had laid is the same one that the Endtime apostles are getting the Bible Believers to build upon. The denominational churches have 'shattered' this True Foundation throughout the ages by their creeds, dogmas and traditions. In other words, they have gradually moved away from the True Foundation as they build on creeds, dogmas and man's ideas which have become their foundation. Right in these last days, many Endtime Message churches, too, do not have a proper foundation or have a 'shattered' one at best. The condition is caused by adding to, or taking away from, the Sacred Word and substituting the statements/quotes of Bro. Branham for the Word.
Although William Branham did, in a certain sense, perform the work of the various offices of the Fivefold Ministry, he did not belong to the order of Ephesians 4:11. Bro. Branham himself believed in a Fivefold Ministry that will perfect the Bride of Christ. Yet, there are many Endtime Message believers who insist that Branham's messages (about 2,000 on magnetic tapes) will perfect them. Some even choose to go against Apostle Paul's admonition by refusing to assemble themselves with fellow believers (Heb.10:25) but choose to stay at home and listen to the sermon tapes once or twice a week. A ONE-MAN MINISTRY has never been ordained of God to perfect His people. If it was ever so, it would have taken place in the Early Church. Yet, we see Paul, Peter, John, James and many others co-ministering in the Early Church.
William Branham was sent of God with the “spirit of Elijah” to fulfill the second part of the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6. He was the “star” (messenger) of Revelation 3:14 and 10:7. In God's will, he was born into a poor family and was uneducated. Therefore, his vocabulary was limited. Inevitably, words were often misused, or their usage incongruous or inconsistent with the thought he intended to convey. However, in spite of the misnomers, his preaching was unpretentious and his messages were true. God intended that His 'Evening Time Message' be preached in simplicity without the pomposity of an educated clergyman. As an Old Testament-type SEER, many of Bro. Branham's utterances could not be clearly understood. God's intention was to hide certain Truths from the so-called wise and prudent men. Of course, this has caused many misinterpretations of God's truth by different preachers, followers and non-followers alike. As a result, Bro. Branham's experience was branded as demonic, and that he was alleged to be the propagator of many aberrant teachings such as “Jesus Only”, “Two Souls” and “Other Than True Believers, All People Are Natural Serpent People”. (Were not the Old Testament prophetic utterances also misinterpreted by the different religious Jewish sects in the days of Jesus Christ? Did not the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Scribes judge our Lord's teachings to be aberrant? And, did they not call Him “a devil”?) Undoubtedly, our “Nehemiah” has to raise apostles to set in order the TRUTH of the Word which the Message is to point out to the believers. The believers who see the light of the 'Evening Time Message' must now come back to the Sure Foundation and be built up as a part of the True Church of God — the Holy City New Jerusalem. The apostolic teaching and instruction will lay out the Word in the proper order and put the believers on the Sure Foundation of the Word. Like the fragile church of the first century, the Endtime Church of Christ needs constant apostolic instruction, guidance, confrontation and direction.
Every assembly, or church, that is ordained of God, will certainly have access to the Apostolic Ministry. Some Christians may disagree but notice the group of true believers in Ephesus under Apollos' ministr
