 Wounds of a slave. USA, 1863. Jesus began his ministry by reciting the following scripture from the prophet Isaiah:
- The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, (Isaiah 61:1,2a)
Jesus said to the people listening: "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." This was a true saying, as Jesus ministry was to the meek, blind, brokenhearted, and captives.
However, Jesus closed the book of Isaiah before finishing the full prophecy of the Messiah. The part that Jesus omitted was as follows:
- and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:2b,3)
By closing the book, Jesus was telling the people that the "day of vengeance" was still to come, and the promise to "comfort all that mourn" was still to come. In otherwords, there would still be suffering on the earth until the Messiah declared that the "day of vengeance of our God was at hand".
Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. ... Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (I Peter 4:19, 5:6-7)
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William Branham talks about suffering
The following quotes are a very short sample of what William Branham had to say about suffering. For more of his teaching on this subject, it would be best to read his life story, which tells of his own sickness, the death of his wife and daughter, his search for truth, and his childhood as the son of an alcoholic.
Working together for God
- Look at the world in the condition it's in: poor suffering humanity. Help everybody you can. Everything that helps is of God. Let's help; let's do everything we can and pray for men. The thing to do, brethren, is get our arms together, both medicine, doctors, hospitals, nurses, church, and all together, and put our faith in God and move forward. That's what we need. God's going to ask us why we didn't do it some of these days. (WHY_ BLOOMINGTON.IL THURSDAY_ 61-0413)
The price for rejecting God's word
- Now, then when Moses went down to deliver them, why, they--they refused him, rejected him. And it cost them forty years more suffering. (MOSES_COMMISSION HOUSTON_TX 01-10-50)
- God was "Long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance." {FOR_HIM_WILL_I_ACCEPT HAMMOND_IN 07-18-52)
Promise of freedom from a dying wife
- I said, "Hope, Hope, honey." I said, "Speak to me once. Well, just speak one time, won't you." I was shaking her. Friends, if I will live a hundred years, I'll never forget what happened. Those two big brown eyes looked up at me. She was so weak she couldn't say nothing. She was smiling. She took her finger and she motioned. And I got down, and she said, "Why did you call me, honey?" And I said, "Well, they..." I said, "I don't know." She said, "Oh I--I was in another land." She said, "It was so peaceful. I wasn't suffering." (LIFE_STORY LITTLE_ROCK_AR 02-00-50)
Promise of freedom from sickness
- There's a real power of the Holy Spirit that delivers the sufferer from his suffering. …It will change a cancer-eaten person, when a lovely doctor has done all he could do and burnt with radium and x-ray and everything; it'll bring that person to normal health again (I_WAS_NOT_DISOBEDIENT_TO_THE_HEAVENLY_VISION ZION_IL 07-18-49)
- What if the express agent would come down to your house and say, "How do you do, are you Miss John Doe?” “Yes.” “Well, I have something here for you." And you looked at it, it'd be a great big box full of rattlesnakes. Well, what a present. There's your name tacked on them. "These are yours." Are they? In one sense they're yours, in another sense they're not. Now, you say, "I don't want them.”
- “Well, they're yours; your name's on them." Well, that's one way it's yours, but still it isn't yours till you sign for it.
- And if you don't sign for it, he will have to take it back. You might see all your symptoms, the devil says, "Here it is; here's your cancer; here's your heart trouble; here's your crippled condition." Refuse to sign for anything the devil brings. He will have to take it back. Say, "I refuse to have it. I just won't have it, no, sir." He will have to take it back in the Name of the Lord. If you believe it, and confess it, and say, "I've accept Jesus Christ as my Healer," there's no affliction or disease can stay on you. Stay right with it. (The Second Miracle, Erie, PA, 07-29-51 evening)
Scriptures on Suffering
| For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:17)
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- Job 19:25-26 "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:"
- Job 33:12b-13; 34:7,9-10 God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters...What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? ... For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
- Job 40:2,8 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. ... Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
- Matthew 25: 34b-40 Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
- Luke 10:8-9 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
- I Corinthians 4:12b, 13a Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we intreat:
- I Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
- Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
- James 2:8 "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:"
- I Peter 2:21-25 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
- I Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
- Jude 1:21-24 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
- Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
The Infidel's Question
- The old infidel has said, many times, “Why would a just God do a thing like that, and had all the suffering that's gone through the age?"
- God didn't do that. Man did that, himself. God wasn't willing for him to do that.
- "Well then, if God was omnipotent, why did He let it even happen? Why didn't He make man perfect?"
- Because, in the beginning there was nothing but God. And in God was attributes, His attribute to be a Saviour. We know it's so. He is a Saviour, and that was in Him. And there was nothing lost, to be saved. In Him was attributes to be Father, and there was nothing He could father. In Him was attributes to be a healer. There was nothing lost, nothing sick. So the only thing He could do was make man on the basis of free moral agency, knowing that he would do it. God didn't do it, Himself. Man done it, himself.
- And you're the same way this morning. You can accept Life or turn Life down. But God made man thus, that he'd... knowing he would do it, not willing that he should do it, but knowing he would do it, that it would display His attributes. So there's nothing out of time. Everything is ticking just exactly according to God's great timepiece. See? And this only displays His attributes, to select His children who really love Him and believe Him. And every man has an equal right.
- God being infinite, knew from the beginning what would be and what wouldn't be. So therefore He wasn't willing that any... But being infinite He'd have to know. So, therefore, He could say that He would have a Church without spot or wrinkle, because He knew He would have it. He is God.
(CONFERENCES_ TUCSON.AZ SATURDAY_ 63-0608)
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