I started off by saying I spent some time preparing because I think the only way we’re going to be able to reach for what we don’t know . . . and that’s what we’re reaching for - we want to understand what we don’t understand . . . is to again look at it in the parameter of what we DO know.

I learned a lot in studying and preaching and teaching what we DO know about the Seventh Seal.  That great, black, mystery hole that was out there for me - wondering and wondering and wondering - by just going through it, it was taken away.  And I know that it is more simple than what a lot of people have made it out to be.

So I’ve spent I couldn’t tell you how many hours before I went and while I was there.  My wife . . . even when we were there alone, my wife went off and spent one day away – mostly looking, thank God, instead of doing a lot of shopping.  She was mostly looking.  And then the family . . . she took the family, and I had time in the room to pray and to hear from the Lord and to put these things together.

And if anybody’s ever tried to do that, I’m telling you, you can really get in a bog.  Because you have to keep up with what year these things were said and you have to keep looking at the context and . . .

Many times in studying Brother Branham, you will find things that seemingly are direct contradictions.  So it takes the Holy Ghost to help us.  We need more of the Holy Ghost, don’t we?  We want to know the Word of God.

Sister Nancy sent an e-mail yesterday or today, and she’s trying to hear all of the sermons leading up to the end of Bro. Branham’s life.  And she was listening to one from the first part of December.

And I don’t remember the title, but in that sermon she posted the quote where Brother Branham said, “My time is short here.  I’ll be leaving you soon.  And it’s going to depend on those young men who will come . . .”

It’s not the same one we’ve used before.  It was another one.  I don’t remember reading it quite like this.  And that was the first part of December of 1965, just a few weeks before Bro. Branham passed away.

So I think he knew that the Truth was in there, but I think he knew that the Holy Ghost . . . it would take the Holy Ghost to help us all get to it - in the Word.

Can I just tell you one thing that you really need to think about?  Over and over and over and over again concerning those Seven Thunders . . .  Somebody said, “Why is it even important to know anything about the Seven Thunders?”

Well, in “The Third Seal,” Bro. Branham said . . . in “The Third Seal,” 1963, March of 1963 . . . in “The Third Seal,” Bro. Branham said, “The Bride has never had a revival yet.”  And then he goes on to describe what it would take to wake her up.  He said, “She’s never had a revival yet.”  He said, “It’s going to take those Seven Unknown Thunders to wake her up.”

Do you know, Bro. Branham was speaking prophetically that in the Last Days the Bride would fall asleep.  And she has.  Oh, yes.  I’m not looking for agreement.  I know what I’m talking about now.  She has.  And “it’s going to take those Seven Unknown Thunders to wake her up.”

Bro. Branham said, “It’s not the mystery of it - it’s that missing supernatural element.”  It’s not in being able to make a list, which I think we’ll be able to do, soon.  It’s not in making a list:

1. The first Thunder said . . .
2. The second Thunder said . . .

That’s good and I think we’re going to come to that place.  But Brother Branham said even in that, that wouldn’t be the key.  He said, “It’s that missing supernatural element.”

I know you’re not prepared for this tonight.  I’m not prepared to give it to you.  I’ll close in ten minutes, God willing.

But a few things that have struck me so powerful is the very word “Patmos” means “my killing.”  God had to place John, the beloved, on the Isle of Death.

After all, why did they put him there?  So he would die.  They banished him there to death.  And they placed him on the Island of Death.  But physical death escaped him, or should we say he escaped physical death.

But he must have died.  He must have experienced a death in his flesh because he did something that thousands of people have wanted to do, but missed their chance.

He not only heard the Voice and was able to distinguish what the Voice said, he was able to obey and to follow the Voice.  The Voice said, “Come up higher.”

John was not only obedient to hear the . . . or had the ability to hear the Voice, but he had the ability to do what the Voice encouraged him to do.  Somehow he was able to enter into the Spirit.  Right.  That’s not easy.

It’s not easy to enter in to the Spirit.  But I know John did.  The Bible tells me – Revelation, chapter 1, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”

Sunday Christians will always tell us that he was . . .  Isn’t it wonderful?  He was worshipping the Lord on Sunday.  Well, if he was worshipping the Lord on the Lord’s Day, the Lord’s Day would not be the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day would have been the Sabbath.

But a prophet . . .  Because, over and over Bro. Branham tells us in these messages, “It must be a prophet.  It has to come . . .  You can’t get it in the Spirit unless you get it through that gifting of a prophet.”

He said it.  Because he was able to read that and say, “Hey, that’s not Sunday.”  He even could say, “That’s not the Jewish Sabbath.”  The Lord’s Day is talking about this hour that we’re living in right now – the Time of the End.

Daniel . . .  This is another wonderful thing.  Daniel didn’t call it the End Time.  The Angel of the Lord, in dealing with Daniel, instructed him that He was speaking to him concerning the Time of the End.

Somebody said, “I think that’s just language.”  Oh, no.  There’s a message there.  God didn’t say to Daniel, “I’m talking to you about the End Time.”  He said, “I’m talking to you about the Time of the End.”  And we’ll look at that a little bit later.

But Bro. Branham said he was seeing this day – the day that God is revealing His Word to His people.  And these things are beginning to unfold that Daniel prophesied about and that John prophesied about on the Island of Death.

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.  I was caught up in the Spirit and I was able to see a day that was not the day that I was living in, but it was a time, an era, a season, where God’s Word was going to unfold and that God’s Word would be interpreted by events.”

That’s the thing that makes this so wonderful.  Bro. Branham said, “God always interprets His Word . . . (how?) . . . by bringing it to pass.”

You see, the Church has argued for years about the End-time events, but God’s getting ready to settle the argument.  He’s just going to do it.  God always interprets His Word by bringing it to pass.  And that’s what is about to happen.

So, John wasn’t seeing his day.  John was seeing our day, the Time of the End, like Daniel saw in his vision.

And how was he able to hear the Voice and to enter into the place of the Spirit?  He had to die.

There’s nothing like helping you to die like being boiled in a caldron of hot oil, beaten and banished and mistreated.  And when the oil wouldn’t fry you, like a French fry, they throw you out on the Island of Death.

And you and I think we have suffered.  I wished you’d listen.  God’s giving a foundation.

We think we’ve suffered.  But our suffering has not been the right kind of suffering.  Our reaction, our response to our suffering has not been the right response.  How do we know?  Because it’s not produced the same effect that suffering produced in Paul.

Suffering brought Paul into an atmosphere that he could hear from God and see into the Third Heaven.  Suffering brought John into an atmosphere where he could hear the Voice that said, “Come up higher,” and enter in by the Spirit to get into that place to hear what the Lord . . .

And do you know what is so amazing?  That after these Seven Seals were loosed (and they were loosed) . . .

Revelation 10:1 said, “And I saw another mighty angel (coming) come down . . .”

And the Bible specifically describes the Book that’s in His hand.  And Brother Branham specifically said 15 or 20 times in “The Seven Seals” series that this was the same Book.  It will be important as we study along.

He said this is the same Book – the Book that that mighty Angel . . . came down from heaven with a rainbow about His head, put one foot on land and one foot on the sea – which could not be speaking about the Second Coming nor the Rapture.

It has to be speaking about something entirely different.  It has to be speaking about Christ coming down in the fullness of His Word.

Because the Scripture has described to us what the Rapture would be like.  And the Scripture has told us what the Second Coming would be like – He’ll put His foot on the Mount of Olives.

But in this reference, He put His foot on the land . . . one foot on the land and one foot on the sea.  And God was telling us through John, this is not the Coming that you’ve been looking for.  This is a Coming that you’re not expecting.  But without this Coming, you won’t be able to prepare yourself for that Coming.

Without the fullness of the revelation of the Word of Jesus Christ in our lives, without God’s Word becoming a revelation and an open Book to us, we’ll miss it.

I mean, you know people . . . don’t you know people that are still waiting on Gabriel to lick his lips and blow the trumpet?  And they’re not going to know to get up on that Resurrection Morning if they don’t hear Gabriel blowing the trumpet.

But you know that’s not what the Word teaches.  And so this is a very important Coming.  And the Book that was once sealed is now an open Book.

And in case you thought it was a separate Book, Brother Branham specifically said, “This is the same Book that was in His hand and it was once sealed, but now it is an open Book.”  That’s good.  That’s important.

And John, with this open Book in his hand . . . (I’m closing) . . . John, with this open Book in his hand . . . he thought everything is going to be laid out on the table now.  What else could be kept from anybody?

And about that time he declared that “Time would be no more,” which in the original language, it does not mean this is the end of time.  Do you remember what it means?  It means that time will delay no longer, or tarry no longer.

This is the time, he’s saying – now.  He’s not saying that everything . . .  Because time doesn’t end at this point.  God keeps revealing Himself, and so forth.  So this is not talking about the end of the clock.

It means that time will tarry no more.  Time will delay no more.  “I’m doing what I said I would do - I’m bringing down this open Book.”

And do you know what the open Book was called?  What did the prophet call the open Book?

Two things.  He called it “The Book of Redemption” and he called it “The Title Deed to Heaven and Earth.”  That’s a powerful Book for God to place in your hands.

And what did John do?  He ate it.  And what are you and I going to have to do to be ready for the Rapture?  Eat the Book.

And are we going to eat a Book that’s all sealed up with mysteries that nobody can figure out what they’re saying?  No.  We’re going to eat a Book that’s open.

Is that Book always going to be sweet, and everything’s going to be beautiful and make everything wonderful in our lives?  No.

Will our belly have a different reaction from our taste buds?  Yes.

But will it produce something in us?  Yes.

What will it produce?  The character of Jesus Christ.

I’d eat this Book, right here tonight, if I thought that I could eat it, physically, and receive the character of God.  Wouldn’t you?  But we don’t have to do it literally.

And I’m not going to hold you longer, but God willing, if we can, maybe not, but I feel led to have an extra service.  I told you two weeks ago that we would have some extra services.  I can’t always plan things around your schedule.  You can’t always plan things around my schedule.  But I hope you’ll come.  Because I believe the Lord is going to help us to understand and see some things.

Somebody said, “I want to hear about revival. I want to hear about souls saved.  I want to hear about people being baptized. I want to hear about this and that and the other.”  I do, too, brother, sister.  I do, too.

But I heard him say that we cannot have a revival until the supernatural element that’s missing from this revelation is among us.  And then we will have what we need to have a revival for the Bride of Jesus Christ.

And God is surely laying the foundation and the groundwork for the whole world to hear it when it comes.

Let’s go with John to the Island of Death.  Let’s ask the Lord to let us camp out on the Island of Death until we come to that place where we can hear His Voice when it says, “Come up higher,” and we do it.

I believe God gave us a liberty.  Let’s stand.  Musicians are coming back.  I believe the Lord gave us a liberty in this house tonight to praise Him.

God made some precious promises December of 1995 - He was going to do some wonderful things in December of  2005.  Here we are ten years later – God has opened up the way.  Hallelujah.  Wonderful is the Lord.

And the last little thing I wanted to say was – here John comes down, or sees this mighty Angel, the Angel of the Covenant.

That’s why a lot of people believe he was only coming for the Jews.  But Brother Branham said that’s not so.  The Angel of the Covenant was also speaking about those who have been grafted in.

Notice this, as Brother Kary brought out last year, I think it was, while I was while I was in Israel.  Perhaps it was not last year but year before.  He brought out that Revelation 10:7 said, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished . . .”

He preached a message on that.  Anybody remember?  Do you remember what he said?  It’s not the first time it had ever been spoken here, but it made quite an impact.

He said, “That said . . . “  I used to preach it and I said it said “should.”  We need to see that it says “should” – should be finished, it ought to be finished, it ought to be over with.

But he preached it and he said, “it says “mystery” – “mystery of God” should be finished.  And that’s the simplest thing for me to define for you in the entire Bible.

That mystery is not Serpent Seed.  That mystery is not holiness.  That mystery is not Jesus’ name baptism, that a woman should cover her head with her hair.  That mystery is that God would open up the way for the nations of the world to be grafted in to His Covenant that He has made with Israel.

I can show you that . . .  Bro. Kary showed you some Scriptures . . . there’s a dozen more in the Old Testament and the New Testament . . . that clearly define that the last mystery, or the mystery of God . . .

Somebody said, “I think that’s a little contrary to what Brother Branham said.”  Well, he did often use some other examples, and sometimes he did quote it "mysteries," but it doesn’t say “mysteries” – it says “mystery.”

But he did say it this way.  He said, “All those other mysteries are caught up into that.”  All those other mysteries are caught up into this one great mystery.  And often times when he was preaching, he said, “And that mystery is one God.”

And somebody said, “What’s that got to do with anything?”  Well, that’s the key right there.  The only way the nations can come into this Covenant that God has made with the Jewish people is for them to recognize the Jew’s God – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And that is happening in our time.  It’s happening right now that God is bringing together that “one new man.”

And I want to give you one more little nugget.  I’m sorry.  One more little . . .  I’m not sorry.  You need it.  It’s good.  I worked hard to get it.

One other little nugget here that I like and Brother Branham said it many times.  I’ll show you all . . . I’ll give you the . . .  Before it’s over you can have the quotes in your Bible, take home with you, whatever.

But he said on more than one occasion – many times, in fact, that these Seven Thunders did not sound until after the Seventh Angel had finished.

That may not fit the chronological order of the verses, but he said, “This could not take place until after the Seventh Angel sounded.”

And here John sees . . . not the Seventh Angel . . . the Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, with an open Book in His hand and it begins to thunder – seven consecutive thunders.  I’ve heard them and counted them in the Spirit - “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,” consecutive thunders.

And John picks up his pen, as Daniel did before him, ready to write down . . .  Because the Thunders were what?  Voices.  Somebody’s been reading it.  Voices.  The Voices uttered.

It wasn’t just thunder sounding, but there was Voices.  Many occasions thunder and voices are connected in the Scripture.

Even in the Book of Acts “some said it thundered.”  It was God speaking.  What about in the Sinai when God was speaking and some were hearing only the thunder and the lightning?

But he said this had to happen.  And he said John, like Daniel before him, picked up his pen and was ready to write, and guess what a Voice spoke out of heaven and said?  “Write it not.  Seal it up.  It is not for this day.”

Brother Branham said in 1965 – ’63, ’64 and ’65 – “I believe that when we need it, it will be revealed.”  I’m counting on that.  I’m counting on that.  “When we need it . . .”  And he said, “Wait till that little church that stays with the Word . . . wait till she gets it.”

One day you’re going to be glad that you didn’t let the denominations suck you in.  One day you’ll be glad that you stood for the whole Word – even if you didn’t understand it all.

You’ll be glad you did – because of that very promise.  Whoo.  I’m already glad.  I’m already glad.  I don’t have to wait for some day to be glad, I’m already glad.  Hallelujah.

“Seal ‘em up.  Don’t even write ‘em.”  And Brother Branham said fifteen times or more, “They’re not even written at all.”  They’re not written at all.

That’s a big statement, isn’t it?  He said, “They’re not even written in the Bible.”  He said it.  I think we can say they’re not written in the Message.

But lest you think that we could ever come to the place of being guilty of doing what John put a curse on us if we did – “you’re cursed if you add to the Writings of this Book” . . .  You can’t add to the Bible.  So how do you get it?  How can you come here and say it’s not even written in the Bible, but God’s going to reveal it?  How can you do it?

Two times Brother Branham explained that very carefully, and he said, “It will fit the continuity of the Scripture.”

You may not be able to turn in your Bible tonight and say, “Okay, the first thunder sounded and the Voice said, ‘Blah, blah . . .’  The second thunder sounded and the Voice said, “Blah, blah . . .”  But he said, “It will fit the . . .”

Do you know why he said it wouldn’t be written?  Somebody knows the answer to this.  I know you do ‘cause it’s the same quote from “The Seventh Seal.”  What?  What did you say?  Who was that?  Who said it?  Was it you or Bro. Shaw?

He said, “If it were written, the devil could get a hold of it and imitate it.”  Whoo.  And that really makes a man think.  Because in order for you to be able to imitate something, it must be action involved.  You don’t just read something and imitate that.  It must be describing something.

Because he said, “If the devil got a hold of that . . .”  He said, “That’s the reason why the third part of the Seventh Seal went by me in an unknown language.”

He said the same thing about the Voices being sealed under the Seven Thunders.  Because he said, “If the devil ever got a hold of that he could make a big mess of things.”

Whoo.  I wonder, wouldn’t it be interesting to look around one day and know how close the devil has come.  I think the devil has come very close.  And that’s why the church world is in the mess she’s in.  Because the devil almost had it.

But almost is no good except in horseshoes, right?  Nearness, or how do you say that?  Closeness.  He didn’t get it.  But that little Bride has it.  And God’s going to quicken it in us very shortly.  Hallelujah.  Praise the Lord.

Let’s worship the Lord.  I’m sorry – a little bit, a little bit sorry.  I’m a little bit sorry.  Hallelujah.  We bless You, Lord.  Hallelujah.  Glory to God.

Oh yes, we want that revelation in our lives.  It still sounds mysterious and big to us, but we know You’re the faithful God who will break it down.

And somebody would say, “Why is it important to know?”  Well, how are we going to be ready to meet the Lord, if we don’t know the day we’re living in?  And how are we going to know the day we’re living in, if we don’t know the Message for this day, what God would speak to us for this day?

And as sure as we stand here, we’ve come to that place where we need You, Lord.  (Tongues)  We need You, Lord.  

And so, God, You’re doing one thing out there and You’re doing another thing in here.  Hallelujah.  While You deal with the nations, while You deal with people out there, You’re doing something else in here.

Lord, it all fits together. Yes, it all comes together in the end for the climax that You’ve promised.  How we praise You.  (Tongues)

Lord, I’m looking for deliverance.  I believe that preaching the revealed Word brings the atmosphere for deliverance to take place.  Some haven’t learned that yet.  But I believe there’s deliverance that comes by revelation.

And we stand here tonight confessing our need for deliverance.  And yet I saw some people entering in to a place of worship where they wanted to be tonight and I’m happy.  Glory to God.  (Tongues)  Hallelujah.

Feed us, Lord.

(Singing:)  “Yeshua, Yeshua, Come and Fill Your Lambs”