Mystery of Iniquity Bro. Lee Vayle - January (??) 1971 A little free in a way, I wasn't really free, but I sort of decided I wasn't going to go all the way up to the…to Erie, Pennsylvania, whether I would come over here this morning, or get down into Kentucky. So, being lazy I came the short route. I use to like traveling anyway, it's kind of nice to not have to drive so far, either drive, or fly. So, I thought it would be kind of nice to be over here this morning to bring a message that I hope it's not garbled, but will be clear enough to help you understand a little more on the times in which we live. See, the first part of three sermons of the 'Mystery of Iniquity', but we'll see what we can cover with some degree of intelligence this morning. Shall we bow our heads in a word of prayer. Our Father, we ask you now to help us in the meditation, Lord, upon Thy Word that we might be instructed according to truth. Teach us, O God, that our lives may be filled with truth in our way, Lord, maybe not having error in it whatsoever. We ask You, Lord, to bless each ear to hear the Word this morning. But we know that could only be based upon the fact that lips, Lord, be giving the truth. But we pray, my God, that nothing shall be said or heard, but what is the truth of Your Word this morning. Lord, You're able to do this. You Who shut the lion's mouth, God, can shut our mouths this morning. And You, Lord, who can open deaf years, can open any ears go hear the truth. So, we just give ourselves over to You unreservedly, believing You've heard us now and have answered our prayer according to Your promise in Jesus' Name. Amen. 1. We got to the Book of 2 Thessalonians 2: just taking the one verse from this Scripture portion here, where: (7) …the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now (hindereth, will hinder) …until he be taken out of the way. Now, of course, this is spoken of the end time, that the mystery of iniquity will be in absolute full manifestation. Now, I believe that man is so engrossed with creation, because of what he can do with creation, and what he gets out of creation, that is, what he's able to derive from it, for his own benefit and own pleasure. That man today is pretty well lost sight of all reality as concerning God. Now, because of his scientific prowess, and that's what has brought us to this place, this scientific age of Twentieth Century age, I believe that man is living in a dream world of impending doom. I'm convinced that Bro. Walker's vision that he had of the scientist being shaken momentarily by what was going on, went right back to their test tubes, and their designs to formulate, or produce the better world, has left them in a dream world. The people as a whole are in a dream world. They don't realize that judgment is right around the corner. Now, the feel that something is there. They keep under this tension all the time and they don't understand it. But, they don't know that it actually is spelling doom. The ecologists are telling us we got ten to thirty years. And people think, "Well, that could be true." And it is true. There is nothing that really is crystallizing in their thoughts at this time that an absolute world catastrophe is right around the corner. 2. Now, this sin in not original to the Twentieth Century. This is the same sin that brought about the flood, and it's going to bring about the doom of our modern day, civilization. Now, to get this picture you can turn over here to, Romans 1:15-23, Paul says: (15) So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome… (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath (showed) it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, (that's reasonings, all scientific and all reasoning is in that word) and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Now, Paul is telling the heathen Rome here that they need a true revelation of Almighty God. He says here: "As much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel at Rome." And then he tells you what the Gospel is. "It's the righteousness of God revealed." It's God's own righteousness revealed to the people. And today in this modern century, (Twentieth Century) we need a fresh revelation of the Lord. Just like Paul was bringing Rome that revelation, because they were wrong in their understanding of Godhead. 3. Now, this revelation of course, came from God Himself according to the apostle Paul in the Book of, Galatians 1:6 Paul said: (6) I marvel that (you) are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Now, watch this carefully in view of what we said about Romans. Because Paul was going to go to Rome to preach the Gospel, which would bring a true revelation to the people. And he said here, (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (9) As we said before, so say I now again, if any (as the word 'man' is interpolated there, it could be an angel. It could be anything at all, would bring any type of a Gospel. He said,) if any preach any other gospel unto you than (you) have received… (didn't say that you produced it, you got it on your own.) Just as the same word that he said to the Corinthian church, "What came the Word unto you, or came the Word of God out of you." [1 Cor 14:36] Now, he said, "If it came unto you, then you better believe what I'm saying." He said, (9) …you have received let him be accursed. (10) For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (11) But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. (12) For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 4. Now, he claims here a supernatural revelation through Jesus Christ Himself bring this Word, which he is going to bring to Rome, which is the revelation of the righteousness of Almighty God to the people. (13) For (you) have heard of my (behavior, the word 'conversation’ is behavior) in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: (14) And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. Now, this is what he was doing, was preaching the traditions of Israel, which at that time was the only place… (if I can…Bro. Branham mentioned Jerusalem was the most holy place) it was the only place where you can any light of revelation at all. And you can see that it was no revelation. It was finished. It was nothing but the traditions of the elders. And Paul was converted to the true revelation of the Gospel, or Jesus Christ, by Jesus Christ Himself. Now, you notice what he was doing at the time that he received the revelation, he was preaching the wrong thing, and that this thing was causing him to bring people into the courts where they would be killed. Now, just keep all these things in mind. (See?) Yet Paul said, "I'm going to preach the Gospel to Rome." It's the revelation of the righteousness of Almighty God. Then he goes on to tell you what that revelation came by. It came by Jesus Christ Himself. Showed what it did, it changed him from tradition, which same tradition which he was zealous in was causing him to kill the very Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, himself. Now, you'll notice here as I said that the revealed Word, reveals the very righteousness of God. For therein this Gospel, this Word is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as It is written, "The just shall live by faith." [Rom 1:17] 5. Now, what is the righteousness of God? What is that revelation Paul spoke of? It's in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (30) But of him (that's of God) are (you) in Christ Jesus, (that's in union with Christ Jesus) who of God (that's Jesus of God) is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Now, what is the righteousness of God revealed? It is Christ revealed. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, again speaking: (21) For he (that's God) hath made him (that's Jesus) to be (made) sin for us, (become a sin offering for us) who knew no sin; that (He Himself had no sin within Him that) we might be made (or might become) the righteousness of God in him. Now, what is it? Christ is the very righteousness of Almighty God. And there is a revelation of righteousness in the Word which is Christ Himself Who is our own righteousness. 6. Now, let's go back to Romans again and watch this carefully. Everything I say here has a point to it, if you can just keep it in your mind, and then bring it all together as we go right from this place to the Twentieth Century. Now notice in [Rom 1:] 17-18 verses again: (17) For therein (the revealed Word of God, which is Christ revealed) is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: … Then in verse 18, (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (and the word 'kai', even) unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Now, you'll see that these two verses speak of two types of righteousness. That's right, there's two righteousness mentioned here in the Bible in verse 17 and verse 18. One is the righteousness of God, the other is the righteousness of men, which God called unrighteousness. (See?) There's two kinds mentioned here. You'll catch on that why I say the righteousness of man is mentioned here in verse 18. (See?) Just what Paul was doing. We'll catch it in a little while. Two righteousness mentioned here. One is a true righteousness, the other is an unrighteousness. But remember, the come from the same root. Because righteousness is righteousness regardless of whether it's got a prefix on it or not. See, one is righteousness, true, the other is unrighteousness, but it's this unrighteousness that God categorizes as unrighteous, really is the righteousness of man that Paul was trying to produce himself. And was leading him to destroy the very Bride. Follow me? 7. Okay, now both are explained here in the Word. God’s true, God's righteousness is a true revelation of Himself to us by the revealed Word. Now, let's get these carefully. See, if you don't see this, you'll never understand this end time Message. Now, let me show it to you again: [Romans1:] (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; … Believes what? (See?) Not just believe. Well, you can believe the moon is made of green cheese, that's not going to make it green cheese. Yeah, I know I'm saying silly thing up here, but I've got to do it, just snap [snaps fingers] your minds and just…in the gave away from what's wrong in our thinking today. Your thinking doesn't make a think a certain way, and your believing. You’ve got to believe the right way. And there is only one way that you can believe the right way, and that's to have your minds set on the thing that's right. (See?) Just like if you believe that this little light up here is a couple of neon blubs, you sure believing wrong, they aren't neon blubs, there's little filaments in there. (See?) Now, It says here: (16) … (to him) that believeth… 8. Where in? The Gospel which is what? The revealed Word of Almighty God Himself, which is God Himself revealed, or exegeted by the Word. And you'll never get a true revelation of God a part from Word. God's got to empty His heart by way of His Word to let you know Who He is. Absolutely. The only begotten Who is at the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him, which is exegeted Him. Which means 'to declare and expose fully' by Word. (See?) Now notice he goes on to say: (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: … Now, the righteousness of God is revealed in the Word. And the righteousness of God is Christ. So therefore, this revelation that Paul is bringing to the people, is Christ, or God Himself revealed. 9. Now remember, in the Septuagint, the Septuagint is the key is the key to the whole Bible. That's why I don't worry about the Hebrew anymore. The Hebrew can just sit there, because the Septuagint is what Jesus quoted from, and Peter, James and John, they all used the Septuagint. And if you'll go, you'll find that word 'Christ' in the Greek in many places, that same word that they used for 'Jehovah' and 'Adoni', and Jehovah is 'Elohim'. So, if you're going to get a revelation of Almighty God, you're going to get it through Christ, because God was in Christ. The Hebrew and the Greek are just the same. You can't change the Word of God. Now, therein is the righteousness of God revealed. How? The Gospel of Christ, God Himself revealed. And in there this revelation is revealed to us in order that we may have it. You don't get something revealed unto you, "the secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things that are revealed and what belongs unto us." [Deut 29:29] So, this revelation is ours, and it comes by the Gospel, the Holy Spirit giving it to us, and it is Christ Himself, as Bro. Branham brought out so many times, "what is Christ but the Word." 10. Now notice, the other type of righteousness. This is man's righteousness in here. And It says, (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (even) unrighteousness of men, … Because ungodliness and unrighteousness are not two different things. The same thing. So, that man's ungodly, he doesn't believe in God, he does this, he does that. Doesn't mean a thing. That doesn't mean a thing. As Bro. Branham said, "That's not sin, that's the attributes of sin, there's only one sin, and that unbelief." Ungodliness and unrighteousness is the same thing in the sight of Almighty God. Now, let's look at that unrighteousness: (18) …(the) unrighteousness of man, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Now, if that isn't the complicated sins right there. But, I like it, because it uses that same word 'unrighteousness', it just hammers it right in there. (18) …the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (even) unrighteousness of men, (and what is the) unrighteousness of men?) who hold the truth in unrighteousness; There's something there about the truth that they make the truth wrong. They got it held, and they're dealing with the truth, and this is what God hates and the wrath of God is revealed against this. Not to the guy that went out and got drunk. (You follow me?) You getting the picture now? God's not mad at these guys that are out here living in sin, and drinking their booze, and robbing a bank. Not mad at those fellows, what He's angry at is, (I'll show you in a few minutes) is this unrighteousness where men are holding the truth in unrighteous will bring all this other corruption in. 11. As the old fellow was praying, "Oh God, (he said) remove this spider web, remove this spider web." The woman said, "Oh God, kill the spider." The spider webs are these things you're looking at out there. The spider is holding the truth in unrighteousness. This is the trouble. (You follow me?) Getting the picture now? This is what Bro. Branham preached, and preached, and hammered, and hammered, and nobody paid any attention to it, because they don't want to, can't believe this. See, they go on and say, "I'm going to save that sinner from his sins. Why, he beats his wife and guzzles liquor and he's mean to the kids. Now, if I could get him away from that." Oh, you haven't got the least hope of doing anything, looking at it that way. You just made him a two-fold child of hell. Right, because now he's cleaned up. Oh, I hope you caught that. I don't expect you to catch everything, but I hope you're catching some of it. "Holding the truth in unrighteousness". This is the revealed, though of the truth and the repression of the same. Refusing the truth that's been revealed and requesting it. That's exactly what God hates. And that's what He's going to judge the world for. He's not going to judge the world because they're out there messing around. That's only incidental. (See?) This thing we look at wouldn't happened, if it weren't for what I'm talking about. "Holding the truth in unrighteousness." Dealing with it wrong and repressing it. Now, why do they do this? Because they want their own way, and they'll do anything to get it. (See?) Paul was doing the same thing before. This is not other than perversion. This is that great subject of perversion that Bro. Branham dealt with. 12. Now, let's go to 1 John and see this. (I dealt with this when I was here before. But, it's very good to deal with it again, because people missed it.) 1 John 3:7-9 (7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, … There you are! And he that doth unrighteousness is ungodly. He'll run the gamut. Okay, (8) He that committeth sin is of the devil; (that's a good strong state- ment, but) for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose (was) the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. It tells you right here, that those that are born of God cannot commit sin. They can't sin, because they're incapable of sinning. Just like little babies are not able to fly, the little bird babies can. Human babies can't fly, because they're incapable of flying. On the other hand, little birds can't talk, because they're incapable of talking. Neither can a child that's really born of God sin, because he can't do it. There's something in him that won't let him do it. 13. Notice in verse 10 (10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: … In other words, It tells you right here that they're the manifestation of this truth on record. The child of God can't sin, but the devil child can sin. (10) …whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (11) For this is the message that (you've) heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Now listen: (12) Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother… wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous 14. Now, you notice right in here, as I said the last time, everybody gets mixed up in their thinking here. You think that when Cain killed his brother, that was the evil work. That was not the evil work. He killed his brother because he his works was evil. He already had done something evil that brought about the killing of his brother. And what was it? Let's go back to Genesis 4: and find out. All right, Let's go back to Genesis 4: and find out. All right, verse 2 (2) …Abel was a keeper of sheep, Cain a tiller of the (soil). (3) …process of time it came to pass, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering (to) the LORD. (4) …Abel, he also brought of the…flock and the fat thereof. And (God respected Abel's) offering: (5) But (not) Cain…And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (6) And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? Now, here's what the Septuagint says: "Thou has offered right, yet if thou has not rightly divided, hast thou not sinned?" What does It say in the Book of Timothy? "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is . profitable, for correction, for reproof. The man of God may be thoroughly praised unto all good works." [2 Tim 3:16-17] But It also said here that you got to show thyself approved unto God of rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Now, this man here, Cain, right wrongly dividing the Word of God. Now, what was the right division? Bring the blood sacrifice, then bring the fruit of the ground. This Cain said, "I'll bring the fruit of the ground and refuse the blood." Now, you can't say his offering wasn't right. It was right, but in the wrong place at the wrong time. (See?) Because you have to give a fruit offering, that's the Bible. They're supposed to give a first-fruit. They're supposed to bring the wave-offering. Is that right? The first-fruits of the land. The wave-offering, the meal-offering, which is the ground up meal. See, you're supposed to do it. But notice what he did: He divided it wrongly. 15. Now, after he got through dividing wrong, what did he do? He killed his brother. What was it that brought out the criminal sin of murder? The wrong handling of the Word of God. (You follow me now?) I know this sounds silly, nobody believes but us who believe Reverend William Branham. Nobody would dare to believe what I preach. And no one would dare to believe what Bro. Branham taught, except you'd get a revelation of it. (See?) You won't, I don't care your background is so sick, it makes you so sick, I might just get ahold of you and shakes you, you'll never get it. I'm not hurting you I hope, I'm just telling you the truth. You say, "I don't see." Certainly, you can't see, because you're blind. I don't mean that as any-body here particular, I just mean that as a principle. See, I'm telling you what the Bible says here. "You have rightly offered, but wrongly divided. This is what made him kill his brother. You say, "How do you know?" Because he got mad at his brother? Why? Because his brother was right. For what? Having rightly, divided the Word of God. Cain did not have a revelation, but Abel did. And then God said, I'll take your Abel, I will not take yours Cain. And then what happened? His brother Cain got mean and dirty out there in the field, and he killed his brother. 16. Now, am I telling you the truth? I need to go further now. The apostle Paul was a Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin. Is that, right? He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. But he was there standing to fix the people on to kill his brother of the flesh Stephan. Now, why did he want Stephan killed? Because Stephan rightly divided the Word of God, and Paul didn't. And he said, "Kill him and kill every other guy, I don't care if [she's] my aunt, my uncle, or my cousin, or my twin brother, kill him! Well he doesn't believe like I believe." Paul was repressing the truth. He handled the Word of God wrong. And this is where we get all the crimes that God Almighty hates. See, the simplicity of the Gospel has escaped everybody, except the prophet. Except like in the case of Paul. Except like in the case of John. (See?) Cain was holding the truth in unrighteousness, and even repressed it how, he killed his brother. He was wrong in his decision, and his wrong decision led to murder. Just like Jesus said, "There's going to come a time when they'll throw you out of the synagogue, and they’ll think there doing God a favor by killing you." The Roman Catholic church has done the same thing for years, ever since St. Augustine of Hippo told them to. 17. Now, let's go back to Romans again here, chapter 1: reading again in 17-18 (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: … (18) (But) the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Now, I'm not going to read verse 19, just yet. Let's go to Romans 10: Now, (1) Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, they might be saved. Now, Paul is preaching this and saying, "I would my flesh were saved." And yet when he was in his own flesh, he was killing his brethren, just like Cain killed his twin Abel. Over what? The division of the Word of God. "Either you believe the way I believe, or I'll get you. Either you believe, or you're not part of me." That's right. It'll make even children hostile against their parents, and parents against their kids. (1) … (I'm praying, he said,) Israel (might) be saved. (2) For I bear them record they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They got a zeal alright, but it's not according to knowledge. What knowledge? They've got their own knowledge. What knowledge? Divine revelation. (3) For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves (to) the righteousness of God. 18. Is that what God said to Cain? "The sin offering lieth at thy door, and his desire is unto thee." [Gen 4:7] Why don't you go and do it? Why don't you take it? And Cain said, "I won't take it, and I'll kill the guy that does." He became a murderer. Why? Because of his hatred for the truth. And when you hate the truth, you'll do anything, but you'll justify yourself in doing it. Why? Because you'll go about establishing your own righteousness, which is unrighteousness. Why? For holding the truth of God wickedly, not taking the truth and then turning against it for somebody else can't have it. Now, am I telling you the truth? Word for Word what the Bible teaches. (4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Just keep that word 'believeth' in mind, we'll get to it in a little while. Now, (5) For Moses (describes) the righteousness…of the law, That the man which doeth (these) things shall live by them. Could they ever do it? The certainly couldn’t. They couldn’t do it. There's nobody ever lived by the Ten Commandments yet, all they ever did is bring death. That's why I laugh when people try to tell me that Jesus when He was crucified upon Calvary's Cross, nailed the law of the ordinances which was bring in your offerings and bringing the blood and all this, that's the biggest bunch of hogwash I've heard in my life. 19. Paul the apostle said, "I had not known sin, except the law said, "Thou shalt not covet." It was the Ten Commandments that condemned us. And those were the Ten Commandments that were a bunch nailed at Calvary. Ten Commandments couldn't save anybody. I don't care how hard you tried, there is no way for salvation outside of a revelation of Christ, which is the revealed Word. Absolutely none. Then you go from there. Anything else you tried before that, is pure poison. That's right, it's the arsenic in a little child's chocolate bar. I don't care how good it tastes, and how pretty it smells, everything else, it's death. (See?) (6) But (listen) the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) (7) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (8) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That nails it right down here to what it's all about. It's you agreeing with that Word one hundred percent saying what Paul said. There's got to be revelation of course, because it's in the heart. (9) …if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) …with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made (to) salvation. (1)1 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 20. All right, now that's not…watch the Word their believeth, believeth, believeth. Now, let's go and find believing. John 7:37 (37) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (38) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, … 21. It doesn't say you're going to believe according to your creeds and dogmas, but you're going to believe according to the Bible. What's the Bible? It's the revelation that God gave Paul. It's the revelation of the whole Word, because every prophet, every teacher, everybody said the same thing when this Bible was written down. Let's go to John 8:37-47, you're going to believe now, how the Scripture's written. Now, listen verse 37, Jesus speaking: (37) I know that (you're) Abraham's seed; but (you) seek to kill me, because my word (has) no place in you. Now, there you are. Why was it that Cain killed his brother? Because God's Word had no place in him. Is that, right? That's right, that's why he killed him. Now let's find out if that's true. All right, God said to Cain, He said, "The sin offering lies at the door." [Gen 4:7] He said, "You've wrongly divided, you did right, but you wrongly divided." Now, can you say…right here then that Jesus is speaking the truth when He said, "The reason you seek to kill Me, because My Word has no place in you?" Now, here It is, Cain, now right down here He tells them, "You are of your father the devil." [Jn 8:44] He nails them right down to who their father was, which was Cain. And He said, "You're going to kill Me, because My Word's got no place in you." That's the same way that Cain killed Abel, and yet God said to Cain, He said, "You are following My Word, but doing It wrong. 22. Now then, can you say God's Word has a place in you, if you're wrong, and your faith is wrong, and you’ve got a creed and a dogma there? Now, see look, you can't have your cake and eat it. This is the morning where we're going to cut and dry. We're going to make a ditch in this church of about ten miles wide and forty miles deep. And you can take your pick which side you're going to stand on, because I've got to go with the Word. Because that's all I care to preach, and nothing but this Word of God. I got one commission in life, God ordained me to preach the Word. And you got to take your stand this morning, whether you're going to be in this Word, or not in the Word. And you can't say, "Well, I tell you what, here it is Bro. Vayle, I've got part of that thing there, and I've got this far, and surely I'm okay." Then what about Cain my brother my sister? And what about the Scribes and Pharisees? Then you wonder why Bro. Branham had to keep jumping on the women, because they typed the church. They do, they don't want the Word. They don't want the Word, no, churches don't want the Word, nope. There is only going to be one little group of people that ever do want this Word, and they're going to be few and far between, you can count them on your hands pretty well. 23. Oh, let's keep reading. I'm not making this up, I'm just telling what Jesus said. He said, "You seek to tell me, because (He said) My Word's got no place in you." And they were reading the Old Testament every day and every night looking for Messiah, talking about God. And let's face it, the only people who was even near enough to God to be called God's people somehow, and to be credited anyway, and He turns right and He says, "You leaders here, (He said) you want to kill Me, because there's no place for in you for My Word." Just like old Cain. "I speak that which I have seen with My Father, and you do that which you have seen with your father." [Jn 8:38] He said, "We're looking in two different telescopes. I'm looking through the eyes of God, and you're looking through the eyes of the devil." And they said, "Abraham is our father." And Jesus said, "If you were Abraham's children, you'd to the works of Abraham." [John 8:39] What were the work of Abraham? Believing God! Certainly, you know that’s the truth, in Romans 4:[9b] Paul's got to say the same thing Jesus said. 24. You know, I remember years ago, I went six weeks to a Bible College in Canada. I was born and raised up there. A nice little place. But, you know what they said, they said, 'that Jesus never gave the revelation, and Paul had to come and produce it." You know I believed that for awhile. I began reading the Bible and I saw that was a lie. But Jesus did preach sovereignty of God, elected, predestination, foreknowledge and all those things. And right in here He's doing the same thing. (See?) No, Jesus preached this strong. He said, "If you're Abraham's children, you'd do the works of Abraham." [John 8:39] Which is faith, which is the same thing as Paul taught, which is true, if the Bible is the Word of God, then Jesus could not say one thing opposite to Paul. They both say the same thing, about the same thing. [John 8:] (40) …now (you) seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. (Certainly didn't) (41) (You) do the deeds of your father. Then said…We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Did they cotton right on to that? Why, they knew there were only two sources in Israel. One would have to be of Cain, and one would have to be of Adam. Or Abraham, would take you back to Adam, which takes you back to God. They caught on like that. [snaps fingers] They said, "We be not born of fornication." There's your serpent seed right there. And then people got mad at Bro. Branham, because he preached the… the serpent in the Garden had intercourse with Eve and produced Cain. That's been taught by Israel for centuries, and centuries, and centuries, and centuries. Israel has always believed that. The serpent who had coitus with Eve and produced Cain, and they also knew that they were twins. And we stand up on our hind legs and say, "What a dirty man, to preach a dirty thing like that." Somebody's wrong. It wasn't the preacher William Branham, the prophet. 25. Now, (42) Jesus said…If God were your Father, (you'd) love me: … What was He saying? He said, "If God was your Father, you'd have room in your heart for Me." Is that, right? That's exactly what He is saying. "Now you say you've got no room for the Word." How could people say they love Jesus when they don' t love the Word? How can they stand up today and deny what the vindicated prophet said, "Well, we love the Lord, hallelujah." (Uh?) My Lord, have pity the things they try to tell us. Now listen, (42) (He) said…If God were your Father, (you'd)love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; … Well, didn't the Word come from God? (See?) Now, this is just the Word made flesh. That's all Jesus is, is the Word made flesh. What are you talking about? (Uh?) Supposing I threw canvas over this microphone. It’s still a microphone under canvas. Now, I go up town and I get a bunch rose petals, and I throw rose petals over it, it's still a microphone under rose petals. That's what Jesus was, the Word of God, in flesh. Simple as a-b-c. (42) …He said, I) came from God, neither came I of myself, but he sent me. (43) Why do (you) not understand my speech? because (you) cannot hear my word. Hearing and understanding is the same thing. You say, "Why, I can hear the Word of God. Can you? You understand it, you understand …ears to understand. (44) (You) are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father (you) will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him…. How can he abide in the truth as John said, "This is the difference between the child of God and the child of the devil." He said, "One will abide in it, one won't abide it." How in the world can a grape abide in any place but a grape vine, he can't do it. 26. Now, He said: (44) …When he (speaks) a lie, he (speaks) of his own: (he's) a liar, and the father… (45) And because I tell you the truth, (you) believe me not. (46) Which of you (convinces) me of sin?... Which of you can confute Me. This is the Greek said, 'confute me' in one word. Show Me one Word I haven't fulfilled in the Word of God." said Jesus. "Show Me one place I've ever been out of line with what I said.?" One Word. (See?) (46) … if I say the truth, why do (you) not believe me? (47) He that is of God heareth God's words: (you) therefore hear them not, because (you're) not of God. Now, you know right away brother/sister. That doesn't mean they were hearing this Bible right. Or hearing the Bible, because they heard the Bible. They go from Genesis right back to the…all the way to the last chapter of Malachi, to read the whole thirty-nine Books. No problem. But they weren't hearing it. They were hearing their creeds and their dogmas, because they mixed up the Word of God. 27. Now, see what Israel did there in Jesus' day. They were just like Cain. (See?) Took the revealed Word of God and perverted It by their creeds and their dogmas. Isn't this what happened back in the Book of Genesis 2:9 (9) And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, (was there too.) Verse 17, (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof (dying) thou shalt surely die. Now, you know the Bible said, "God made everything good." Didn't He? And how could He just make a tree of good and evil? Ain't no such creature, no such animal. God never made one thing that was bad. So, He could not have made a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What it is, there is only one type of knowledge brother/sister, and it's what you do with it makes it good or evil. And all are original knowledge is good, because it all comes by the senses. Now, what are you going to do with it? 28. The Word of God is good. There is not one Word of God void of power. Yet, He said, "By your traditions you have made My Word void." [Mk 7:13] What is it? Perverting. Perversion wrong handling, misuse. That's why Paul said, "There is nothing evil of itself, all things are pure to the pure of heart." [Rom14:14] You know, we get to where it's "don't touch, don't take that, don't…" There's nothing to that nonsense. It's your motive, and love to handle the Word of God right, brother, is pure love, because that's motive. That's why you cannot be a child of God if you're not in the Message, and you don't love your brother. Just boils it right down to that. "Bro. Vayle, I've lived a good life." I don't say you didn't live a good life, we haven’t got… nope, nope, that's not it at all. But God's not angry against that. No sir, that's not it at all, the anger against God. 29. Now notice, what Eve did in chapter 3, she listened to the voice of the serpent. Now listen, who gave the Word to Adam? God did. Who interpreted the Word to Eve, the church? Satan did. And what did he say? "Why, (he said) you won't surely die." [Gen 3:4] Why he said, "God knows the day you eat, that you'd be like God knowing good and evil." [Gen 3:5] You know that's true. God knows when the thing’s perverted. We don't, it takes a revelation. In fact you get people sitting in church Sunday after Sunday, year after year, and they'll hear the most terrible things, they’ve ever heard; I just picked up a little thing in Bro. Miller's office this morning. (He calls an office, like a little cubby hole there.) And you know what it had a little triangle made up there, and it said…in the middle was an eye, (kind of a dismal looking thing, that silly looking eye there) and the top of it said, "God, (and said) Holy Ghost and Jesus." And the triangle had under it 1 Corinthians 6:17, what It said, "He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit." Trying to prove there is one Spirit, which is God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Have you ever heard such hogwash? It's concerning a man that's born again, is made one with Christ by the new birth. But they'll pervert anything. They'll twist anything. 30. And people will sit there and eat it, and wonder why they're dying. They wonder why they're going to miss the Rapture. You don't have to wonder, we're telling you this morning based on what the prophet taught. See, Eve took the wrong revelation. This is why Bro. Branham said in 'The Greatest Battle Ever Fought', [62-03-11] " page [19]. A man cannot sin until he first casts aside the Word of God." Then this morning brother/sister, if you and I do not cast aside the revealed Word of God, but relish It above our life, then we cannot sin. Amen, is that right? Amen, let's get the truth here this morning the way the prophet taught it. I don’t care what anybody else thinks, we're here to take the truth. Now, how was this originally done, casting aside the Word of God? By side-stepping It. (See?) Stepping aside, because that's what disobedience means. This is exactly what Paul is trying to tell us, disbelieve one Word, misplace It, misinterpret It, or misapply It as Cain did, and it spells unrighteousness, and spells death. (You follow me?) This should be clear as a-b-c, this morning. Every illustration, I said, the Word here just comes out exactly right. (See?) 31.Now, notice verses 19-20 back here in the Book of Romans [1:] (19) (But,) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Now, It says that they knew better than to do this, that God gave them a revelation. Now, did Cain know better than to kill his brother? He sure did. Did Cain know better than to put that offering in first place instead of second place? Sure, because God told him, instructed him. Did he take it? No, He did not instruct him. (See?) They knew it took a revelation from God. They knew that. They knew that they couldn’t tell from nature what God was. All you can tell from nature is that God is. But you can't tell what kind of a God He is. 32. Now, how did they get their revelation? Now, let's go back to Deuteronomy 18. Because remember, the Book of Ecclesiastes said, "Whatsoever God doeth, He doeth this forever. And no man can add to It, and no man can take from It, because God do with It." [Eccl 3:14] Now, what is it that God says over here? It says over here in the Book of Deuteronomy 18: 21-22 (21) And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken. (22) When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. And yet up here, It tells you that God is going to send you a prophet like unto Moses and you better hear him. And if you don't hear him, you're going to die. 33. Now, It tells you right here that the way the people knew the right revelation from God, was by 'Thus Saith the Lord'. A prophet would come in the Name of the Lord, and what he would tell them would come to pass. So therefore, they were to hear what Message he had from God, because the prophet giving you the 'Thus Saith the Lord', was to bring you to the Word. 'Thus Saith the Lord' is nothing in itself. So, what about… what if a man came with 'Thus Saith the Lord', 'Thus Saith the Lord', tomorrow you better not go down that street, because you'll be hit by a car? 'Thus Saith the Lord', your sister is going to be taken out of an institution tomorrow, she'll be perfectly normal." 'Thus Saith the Lord', you're healed with cancer." 'Thus Saith the Lord', what does that do for you? In the mean time, you can go to hell. 'Thus Saith the Lord', is only to bring you to the revelation of God's Word. Certainly. 34. So, God says right here, He said, "Look, (He said) I've always given you a revelation, and you turn it down." And He said, "You know better." I could go today to every church in America if they'd let me. And I could stand up and say, "Listen you people, before Almighty God have you ever seen that had 'Thus Saith the Lord'? They'd say, "No Bro. Vayle, we never had a man like that." And if I could bring Bro. Branham back here and say, "Bro. Branham, you're the man that's got it, stand up here like you've always done, and show them 'Thus Saith the Lord'." And he'd stand up and do it. Then I'd say, "What are you going to do about it now? Are you going to hear this man? He's got 'Thus Saith the Lord', you're supposed to listen to him, now. Now, listen to him." "Okay, what's he got to say?" "First of all, you let your hair grow." Ohhh, they're out the door right now like a thundering herd. "What's that got to do with my lovely Christian experience with Christ? Cutting my hair doesn't mean a thing. I'll prove it, I'll talk in tongues. Now, I've got the Holy Ghost evidence." You think they don't do things like that? They did it the last fifteen years, or twenty years Bro. Branham preached. 35. Now listen, God said, "You had absolutely the revealed Word, I showed It to you. I manifested It, and you turned It down." (See?) Right today even men of science know that there is a God, they can prove it by nature. But, they know that man's wisdom through the test tube, and the intellect, and the scientific, does not prove what kind of a God He is. They know that. In other words, brother/sister, this day is going to be judged just like the day of Noah. They knew back there, they know today, and God is angry with them. Now, by the time of the flood the scientific reasoning of men was so high, that they had developed the god of their imagination. That's right. Why? Because they never had a revelation of it. They've turned it down. What's the next step then? They're going to develop a god of their imagination. 36. Now, let's prove it to you back in Romans 1: again, see what they did here. You see, everything is step by step, just where we are today. Now: (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; they are without excuse: `Now listen, verse 21 (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, …but became vain… Now, the word 'vain' isn't just a matter of pride, but you can have a thing in vain which means it won't do you any good. (See?) (21) …vain in their (reasoning) and their foolish heart was darkened. That's right, no revelation. No light, nothing. Why? Because by their reasoning. Now, what did they do? They changed the glory of God into an image made like to corruptible man. What did they do? What's an image? An image is something like it. So, they organize their church order, and the put you through a religious system and they said, "That's God." Then they got worse still when they couldn't explain nature and understand nature, they began worshipping birds and beasts, and any-thing else. Then to have their own way, their own lusts. They began worshipping other things so they can indulge in greater physical pleasure. Even if that pleasure meant killing somebody. (See?) They did it. In other words, they had which you may call them 'a pantheistic religion', God everywhere. Until they say, "Well, it doesn't really matter what you think God is, just as long as you worship God." You got that right today. 37. Listen to me, when did America take a step down? America took its great step down in 1948 in San Francisco, at the birth of the United Nations when they let anybody worship God anyway they wanted according to their own ideas of God, and America stood for it. Until that time, you never had the diabolical perversion we got today. Sodomy, homosexuality, murder and rampant sin. All right let's find out what the Bible says when they believed God anyway they wanted to believe God. And they worshipped the god of their imagination. God gave them up to uncleanness, to the lust of their own hearts. To dishonor their own bodies amongst themselves, they changed the truth of God into a lie. They did! Because when United Nations came, changed the building which would have to put the image of the beast all the way into power. Because it's got to be political as well as spiritual power. And they worshipped, they changed the truth. They changed the true God, Not the truth of God, they changed the true God, for a lie. And worshipped and served nature instead of God. Now, what part of…are you a part of nature? You sure are. That's why you got nothing today but a worship of sex, cult. Today there is no amusement left in America, unless there's sex. Well you say, "There's football games." Yeah, well why do they got these little girls with their panties up over their heads just about, because it's about marching around. Try and buy a refrigerator without a naked girl standing by. Try and buy a car. Even try to buy an extra wig you'll find a naked Eskimo gal out there, at least taking off as much as she can. Yeah. 38. Worshipping, as Bro. Branham said, "Their God's America, is a naked women, they worship at her shrine." They're worshipping creation. They're worshipping what they can get out of nature. They can take and mine the land, and with their high hands, and their minds of science, they can bring forth wonderful gadgets and everything else, but it's destroying the people that do it. And like they say about women today. They've got a dishwasher, washing machine, and this and that in the house, and they've got less time, less rest, and less everything then they ever had with a thousand ways to make life better. They're thousand times more miserable, and so is the man. So is the man. Certainly. (See?) God came up to vile affection. Even the women could change their natural use into that which is against nature. Whatever that means, I'm not quite sure, but it sounds like some type of perversion, homosexual also. "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly." [Romans 1:27] And now you got unisex, you can't tell a man from a woman. You can't either. 39. And what are they now? "They're filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers. Back-biters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents," [Rom 1:29-30] right down the line. Where did they come from? It came right from men holding the truth in unrighteousness. Because when man leaves the Word he sins, but as long as he's with the Word he can't sin. He'll love his brother. You bet, how can you love your brother and be in that kind of a mess? Couldn't do it. Now, but remember, before the flood came God sent two prophets, Enoch, and then Noah. But they wouldn't believe, even though they brought to reveal truth for the day. They were taken in the flood. What came next? Then God began revealing His Word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the children of Jacob until He gave a national revelation of Himself through Moses. But what did Israel do? They sinned at Baal Peor, which is joining themselves to others, (which is a type of organization) because remember the sin of fornication in the flesh is spiritualized as to organization, that's right, sin of organization, living with it. Then under Kohah and Dathan Israel left the Word for the gifts, and they have seen the miracles more than the Word of God, so they could not enter in by faith to get to Palestine and they died. Read It for yourselves in Hebrews 3:7 to Hebrews 4:2. (See?) They died, kept going into sin. Then listen, taking this quickly now: but God then again sent them a messenger John the Baptist just before He revealed Himself in human form. For had God not sent John the Baptist to forerun Him, when He came suddenly to the temple, (which is Jesus) as He hung there was the dove preparatory to filling the temple, (which was Jesus) He would have destroyed all of Israel and the whole world. 40. Now, let us go first of all to Luke 1: (I'm going to prove my point here in a minute, just keep it in mind) Luke 1:13-17 (13) But the angel said unto (Zacharias), Fear not, Zacharias: thy prayer is heard; thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. (14) And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. (15) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. (16) And many (notice, not all, but the many which is the Elect) of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. Where were all the rest of them? Turned away. Israel, the only nation or people that God hath respect for, everyone was turned away from God. Now, let's go on further now: (17) And he shall go before (God) in the spirit and power of (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, (even) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; … And that word 'disobedient' means to 'side step' even through misunderstanding. It is not necessarily willful disobedience, by refusing to do what you know, but it's not being able to do what you should do, because you don't know. 41. Now then, let anybody try to get around this. "Well, I'm going to make the Rapture. You see, God won't hold me accountable, because I don't know." Oh, won't He? I've got news for you, you'll never make the Bride unless you are a Word identified, Word oriented, child of the Living God. (See?) There is no such thing as side stepping this Word. And this is what John the Baptist came to do. Was to bring them back to the Word, and It says here: (17) …to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. As I said before, "What's to make ready, that which is already prepared?" That sounds stupid. There's only one prepared vessel, and that's the Elect child of God, and God's Elect children were not ready to meet the Lord. And John the Baptist came and how did he do it? He came bringing them the revelation of the Word for that day. Now, I said a minute ago: that when that Spirit of God came upon Jesus, (He came as a dove upon Jesus) I said had it not been for John, then God, (the Holy Ghost, which is the Dove) would have destroyed the world at that coming. 42. All right, let's go back to Malachi 4: and find out. Because listen, He put the two of them right together. (5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: (Any time God comes is a great and dreadful day.) (6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, … That took place under John, is that right? So, the First Coming, and the Second Coming of Christ, is right here together. And He said, "If I don't sent Elijah, (which was John) I'll kill them, the whole bunch." Now, that would have taken place even when Jesus was here in the flesh, except for John. (You follow me?) Because the Word of God cannot be changed. (See?) Is that, right? You know it's right. Did God sent the Pillar of Fire before He sent Moses? No. Did God sent the Pillar of Fire before He sent Elijah? No. God has always had a prophet, or when He came He would destroy. He can't help it. 43. Let's keep on now: let's go back to Romans 1:18 (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and (even) unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Now, what was happening in the day when Jesus was here as on earth? This very thing was taking place. (Right?) Now then, It says, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven." Now, what is that wrath of God? It is not judgment, It is the personal anger and wrath of Almighty God, God's Own personal emotion aroused. And for Him to come on that scene, the Dove to fill Jesus before John got there, He would not even have filled Jesus. He'd have killed every single person but Jesus, and destroyed them all. (You follow me?) And the same thing has to occur at the end time. There is absolutely no hope of God descending, and coming, on that first of all somebody prepared that way. And you've got an Elijah at the end time, which we know it took place in the Twentieth Century. Now notice what happened under John. As I said the Elect came to the revealed Word of God. 44. Now then, let's drop down in history as ways further, go to Pentecost. After Pentecost, the same thing happened to the church, that happened in Eden, Paul said, "I am worried lest you as a virgin, become un-virgin through seduction of the mind." Eve became an un-virgin by a literal seduction intercourse from the serpent. But we commit intercourse through the mind. (See?) That's why Paul preached in the Book of Galatians. He said, "I would they were cut off that trouble you." [Galatians 5:12] What were cut off? Those that preach another Gospel. (Is that, right?) Now, what does the word in the Greek mean? I'm not sure, that once Strong's concordance, means 'amputate'. But Dr. Moffat says it’s stronger, it means 'castrate'. A castrated man cannot produce seed. So, Paul said, "I would they we're castrated." (See?) Why? Planting their own seed instead of a Seed of God. Where? In the mind. And people love that fornicating mind. (See?) Why do you think people never left their churches when Bro. Branham preached the vindicated truth? Because they love fornication. Doesn't almost everybody? Certainly. That's why the world today is so full of fornication, because it's a type of the people playing fornication with the devil. Where, there is no marriage vows left, or anything else. 45. Now, in Revelation 6: John saw the white horse rider looking so close to the real. In Acts 2:16, Peter preached what would happen in the end time. Two groups of people, both with the Holy Ghost. But, one for God, and one against God, both anointed. You know the story on that. I preached it so many times here. Paul gave the exact account over here in 2 Thessalonians now, we're getting right to it. That's why I said, I've got three messages on this subject, not just one. I going to just deal with this part. Now, Paul says here in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 (1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus…and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That (you) be not soon shaken in mind…neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter…(as so on) (3) Let no man deceive you…that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, (the) man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who (opposes) and (exalts) himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God (sits) in the temple of God, (showing) himself that he is God. (5) Remember not, when… I told you these things? Now, he said, "The thing that is holding It back is the mystery of iniquity is not yet been revealed, and can only be revealed at a certain time." And then of course, the Lord is going to destroy human, and so on, and so on. 46. Now, notice in here: And Jesus Said, way back in Matthew 7:21, and Matthew 24:24, that there would be people producing genuine signs and wonders, but were antichrist. False prophets, they're off the Word. Now, let us take a look at this. He said here, [2 Thessalonians 2:10] (10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; … Who's the antichrist going to take in? The unrighteous. Who are they? We know who the unrighteousness is, we know what it is. Handling the Word of God deceitfully, suppressing it. Receiving… refusing to accept the truth and profligating their own lies. It's right at the end time. And when that thing comes that to a head, and it's got to come to head, it's going to be the destruction of those who turn down the Word. It says they refused the love of the truth. What is truth? Christ is truth. What is Christ? He is the Word. Turn Him down. Turn down the manifested Word. (See?) 47. Now, this is called the man who heads up everybody who is in this mess, is called the mystery of iniquity. (Right) What is this iniquity? It is men and women worshipping God, doing the works of God, and claiming to be God's Own true Bride, and claiming to have God's Own true revelation, but they don't. Because the real revelation is missing. I want to go over that. Now listen, what is this group of people that are part of this mystery of iniquity? What is this man that heads it? Where is it coming from? It's coming from what I've been talking about all morning. It's now, it's up to the plagues according to Acts 2:16-17, at the end time. Men and women both doing signs and wonders. (Right?) One is of God, one is not of God. Matthew 24:24, men and women doing signs and wonders. One is of God, and one is not of God. Those that are with the Word, and those against the Word. Now at the end time, you got the same thing. You got men and women worshipping Almighty God, doing the works of God, and claiming to be God's Own children, but they are outside the true revelation of the Word. (See?) 48. This is that thing that is so simple it's fooling the people. And right today, I find many people who say, "I believe Bro. Branham, his Message," don't see this point I'm trying to drive home this morning. They just shrug, "What's the big deal?" They don't even mind the pulpit's filled with a man that doesn't say the truth. Says off what Bro. Branham said. They don't mind that at all. One man will declare that Bro. Branham had to change his understanding of the doctrine of the evidence of the Holy Ghost from love to the Word. Because he said, "What it was Bro. Branham saw the people, he didn't have any love." Bro. Branham said God gave him a vision. But the people don’t mind that… They're not worried about the Word of God. As long as you're nice and sweet and comfortable. Now, I believe in having love. You bet, I believe in love. What is love? Is doing the right thing. I went to Bro. Branham about that. He said, "Did you ever do those things you don't want to do, but you do for the sake of Christ? He said, "Sure, who doesn't?" He said, "That's love." It's not jumping up and down and showing a lot of stamina, it's doing what's right. You say, "Wants compassion?" He said, "Did Christ show compassion, when he missed forty thousand, and picked up one man and healed him?" Where's compassion in that? The compassion was doing what the Father told him to do. That sounds kind of flat, doesn't it? We'd sooner have compassion and some red hot little feelings. The prophet said different. 49. They don't believe what we teach this morning here, what the prophet stood on. Not saying you mustn't have love. Sure, you must have love. Must be tender, compassion, gentle. All of these things are part of it. But that's not what the Word says is the root. Brother/sister, if you want to kill stink weed, go to the root. You want to kill a tree, go to the root! You want to kill anything, go to the root. God says there's not going to be one plant that's not going to be uprooted that He didn't plant. Every plant He didn't plant is going to be uprooted. Go to the root. What's the root this morning? The root of the mystery of iniquity tells you, there is going to be an end time group of people. Now listen, this iniquity is going to be what we're talking about, which is men and women doing the mighty signs and wonders. Talking about God, worshipping God, but they're going to be outside of the revealed truth, because the Bible said, (as I read It to you) "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." 50. What is unrighteousness then? It's based in deception. Either you deceive yourself, (that what It says here) or somebody deceiving you. Where was the greatest deception? In the Garden, in the Word, right? My, I hope you're catching this. They wouldn't receive the love of the truth, and they were destroyed. "They can do everything, but stay with the Word," as Bro. Branham said. They say that they are in the Word, just like Cain. They act like Israel. They preach and teach. They carry out the commandments in their own ways, but they can't go Word by Word as It says in Isaiah 28: (9) (At the end time) Whom shall he teach knowledge? …make to understand doctrine? (And so on.) And establish other tongues. He said: (10) …precept must be upon precept, …line upon line, …here a little, there a little: And verse 12 (12) To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith (you) may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: (but) they would not hear. (13) But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. God at the end time absolutely bringing His Word. Word by Word by Word, all the way from Genesis right to Revelation, and they turned It down. And they're snared and taken, because they won't take that Word of God. They don’t want it Word by Word. "Oh, Bro. Branham, don't fuss at our ladies, tell them all about gifts." 51. You know something? I had a gift ministry for years, and it's the most carnal thing in all the world. If you want it be my guest. I taught it for years, until I had even the most subdued and humbled, and introverted person you could ever lay an eye on, believe in God and operating in that ministry; and it caused nothing but chaos and perversion, it's a mess. Why? Because the gift ministry was never meant to be the way anybody had it outside of Bro. Branham. "Put it in the little room at the back where it belongs." But no, people don't what that. It's just like prayer meetings, why did Bro. Branham say that you can't have prayer meetings outside of your own local group. If there's a prophet, call the church and let them pray. You know why? Little groups get here, little groups there, and then it perverts right away. There's talk, and there's feelings all come up, and then pretty soon you're all split fourteen ways. "So, Bro. Vayle, I can't believe." Then you watch, be my guest. Watch, I tell you right now, you got any nonsense just like that going on around here? You'll pay a price for it. "Well, I see, there is, always blessing." Don't you know what God said by His prophet is just the same as God Himself standing here and saying it? And He said to Cain, He said, "Listen, I don't care how right, what you're doing, is in the wrong place." Oh, I hurt people so bad preaching the other day preaching this way. They thought I was deliberately talking to them. 52. A lady had a prayer meeting I didn't know it. They were sure I was just trying to destroy her. I'm not trying to destroy anybody, you do what you want, be my guess. Say, "Vayle, you're mean and dirty." No, I'm not. God said the same thing to Naaman, the old Naaman. He said, "Don't go down there." He said, "I like yours." "Be my guest, go on down." "All flesh, if you get there." Sure, I’ll get Your prophet. I’ll anoint you, absolutely. But he said, "You watch it at the end of it what's going to happen to you." Fell in sin, fighting against Israel having led the children to fornication. A man with the anointed Holy Ghost on his lips prophesying, led the people into sin. You know why? Because they wanted it. You know we're in that same mess right today brother/sister. We had a prophet come, God speak to us by a prophet. "Thus Saith the Lord'. And who is listening? Who's listening? Where is the manifested power? You know why the power is missing? Because people never did what the prophet told them to do. That's not my job, that's for the people. It wasn't his job, that's for the people. (See?) They that said here, they fell back. It was Word by Word that the rest came, the rest of faith. (See?) The Millennium would come Word by Word. And instead It became a snare to them, and they were taken and they fell back just like Jesus…when they said…"Who would Have touched me?" He said, I am.." And they fell backward. [John 18:6] Because He was the 'I am', so this Word they'll fall back and be destroyed. But he that falls upon the Word will not be destroyed. 53. Now listen, 2 Thessalonians (again) What was Paul speaking to? The church. He said, "Listen church, (now listen now, let's get this) listen church, the mystery of iniquity is going to be in you." (Right) Where is the mystery of iniquity, down there at the pool hall? No. It's going to be right where? In the Laodicean church. What church is a major Laodicean church today? Pentecost, because they've got to produce the power but not the Word. Right today the Roman Catholic church has gift ministries. Lutheran's have it. Everybody's got it. You've got an absolute manifestation of a power ministry off the Word right today in the world. And the Bible said the antichrist is going to have that same kind of ministry. He's going to stand up and prove that he is God. You know, before it's over brother/sister, you may see a greater ministry then Bro. Branham had on this earth. I can't believe anybody would have 'Thus Saith the Lord', but that prophet. But it if came to a showdown of signs and wonders, there can arise a man on this scene that could well out produce anybody. Because It says right here, he's going to show himself that he is God. But that's in another sermon, we'll cover that later. I just wanted to drop it here now to let you know. So I said, I got something on that, I'm just not talking through my hat. 54. And who is this man that's going to do it? He is called: 'the man of iniquity'; 'the man of sin'; 'the wicked one'. Iniquity and wicked are both translated 'lawless', the lawless one. What's the lawless one? There's no such thing as lawlessness. He operates under a law of God, I operate under… Look at this morning brother/sister, if I got mad here and took a gun and killed you all and set your church on fire, I'm still operating under a law. And I'm not even breaking a law, because you can't break a law. How can you break the law of gravity? What you do, you pervert it, you use it wrong. I could use a bullet to kill, a match to burn, a passion to destroy, instead of love and hell. There's no difference. (See?) Everything made of this Word is absolutely perfect and pure. It's just what you do with it. That's all. 55. That's why it says about the devil, "Thou was perfect in all thy ways, till iniquity was found in you." [Ezek 28:15] Until you began doing something with yourself you shouldn't have done. This is the same thing we've got today in the church. (See?) Lawlessness, the refusal to go with the revealed Word of Almighty God. Because man is so taken up with his wisdom and his gift, and everything around here that he's forgotten about God the revealed Word. Remember brother/sister, that God has only one chosen place of worship, and this is Christ the Word. God has written His Name only in one gate that enters in to the Eternal City, and that is Christ the door, Who is the Word. All else that offends He’s going to gather up and burn. But the love we don't need to be in doubt about the end time. We don't need to worry about being caught up in perversion. Because God said in Malachi 4:5-6, that He was going to send Elijah the prophet, he would turn our hearts back the fathers. 56. God said in Revelation 10:7 that he'd send a prophet, (the Seventh Church Age prophet) and he would reveal all the mysteries of God. (Which I'll speak on, if I get back here and cover the other two sermons, and show you what it really is.) As Bro. Branham said, "That prophet would cast the seed of the entire Bible from the serpent to the prophet in the former rain." He did it. He fulfilled that in there which spoke in Revelation 22:18-19, that you cannot add to the Word, or take one Word from It. In other words, a perfect revealed truth for the day. And the Bible said the reason they went for the antichrist, the reason they went for iniquity, the reason they did it, because they were unrighteous. They’d got off of that Word, they turned down the revelation. The prophet said, "I believe God sent me to help dress the Bride." What was that dress? It was the robe of righteousness, which was the Word of God. 57. What was it that Eve laid down? It was that Word. What was it that Cain laid down? It was that Word. What did Christ excoriate those Scribes and Pharisees for? They laid down the Word. What did Paul say the virgin would no longer be a virgin from? Laying down the Word. What did Christ say He was coming for? A virgin, she's got to go back to the Word. So, simple the prophet said they'd miss It. Looking for some big thing. Folks, the big thing could come through the antichrist church system, it could. I never knew that until I began studying this last week on this subject…it could. As Bro. Branham said, "You watch, (he said) those men will outperform Moses." He said. "When I leave this thing, you watch how the reasoning will come in like a flood." Could it be we're going to see a man fill the antichrist's chair? Will it be that we will see a pope of Rome with a power ministry that you never believed possible? Controlling in peace and love and good nature the whole world to bring us to a place of one with God? Because He's going to have to do something brother/sister. And if I read my Bible right this morning, I know how He's going to do it, because it's all there in the Word. Stick with the Word brother, stick with the Word what the prophet said. That's why he said, "Don't add to It, don't take from It, don't change It." He said, "Say they way I say It." 58. I hope this morning I have said it exactly as he preached it on many tapes. I hope by the grace of God, and I trust with all my heart I have, because I cannot move from what I see this morning. Or I cannot believe what the prophet taught, and I've got to have faith. I've got to make everything that he said line up with this, or I don't know that I'm saying it right. When I can say what he said, with Scripture after Scripture, and somehow in my heart I've got to believe I'm right. And I stand here believing I've not told you one lie, but told you the truth, and the truth will set you free. It'll set you free from any antichrist haters. It may be a little hard on what you've been doing, and what you've been believing, because maybe don't feel good of breaking away. Brother/sister, break away this morning. And just stick with the prophet said, and do what he said. He said, "Believe this Word." Don't clan, love each other. Don't divide, don't throw this. See, because it goes hand in hand. And one day they'll be a Rapture. Believe me, I got a feeling and that feeling is got awful pressure brother/sister, that this Thing is so close, we just don't realize, it's so close. The Lord bless you. Shall we rise and be dismissed. Gracious Eternal…[blank spot] …maybe cutting some out, I trust that you'll fill in the little bit I cut out there, Lord, because I know that it all…it's just right, Lord, from the Word, and by Your Spirit we can see It, O God. How important, Lord, to take this Word and believe It and get right under It, and then know that as we direct our hearts in love, It's going to come forth absolutely, absolutely. O God, this morning, I believe that the sun-dial is reflecting the last rays of the Son of this Age. It's just about time to go away. Grant this morning, Lord, that none of us miss the glory which lies ahead. And unto the King Eternal, immortal, invisible the only wise God, be all power in honor and glory through Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless you. Mystery of Iniquity (0171) Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 1