Question 14 (ABM) - What if a person rejects the message?: Difference between revisions

{{ABM Q&A}}

=Follow up question #1=

What about the people that believed in the Lord—believes in the Lord now and the way…and don’t believe the way you preach for this end-time-day Message? Will they be saved? And then the sister signed her name.  

Now, very good question. Now, the first place, the confusion is, is what I have said about the Gentile’s days be done when the tribulation…in the tribulation. Now, I do not see the Gentiles in the Bible…The Gentile Bride, Bride, not the Gentile church now, the Gentile church will go through the Tribulation Period (see?), but not for their…See, the Bride is the Elected; They go through nothing but the Rapture. They’re just changed and taken out of the world. See? Now, I’ll explain that in a further question here, bringing it from Luther up, and you’ll see then what it means; it’s the maturing of the Body. See?  

Now notice. Now, the Jews that’s left is the one who will be preached to by the two prophets, Elijah and Moses.  

Now, this is my own thoughts, minister brethren, in my own way that I feel the Holy Spirit has revealed to me.  

Now, the next thing is to happen is the Jewish, or, the Gentile, elected Bride to be caught up with the rest of the Gentile, elected Bride that’s been down through the ages, be caught up in the Presence of Christ in the heavens. The dead raises; the ones that’s alive and remain is changed; and they’re caught up together in the air to meet the Lord. Then, because…  

After the Wedding ceremony in Glory, Jesus, after that has caught up into the skies, Jesus returns onto the earth and makes Hisself known to His people, in the type like Joseph made hisself known to his brothers. And his wife, no Gentile was present, nobody but Joseph alone, when he made hisself known to his brethren. All understand that now?  

He sent…Even his wife was in the palace, the type that the Bride will be in the palace in Glory at that time. Then Jesus makes Hisself known to the Jews (see?) after the Wedding ceremony, the three-and-a-half years, and—and—and Jacob’s trouble, that three-and-a-half years, the end of the seventieth week of Daniel. The Messiah’s to be cut off in the midst of the…And He prophesied three-and-a-half years and was cut off. Then there’s three-and-a-half years left yet for their prophets, Moses and Elijah, and then at the end of their seventy days as yet determined upon the people, as Daniel said; then at the end of that seventy days, Jesus is to make Hisself known to them. He’s that Prince that should come to the Jews. See?  

Now, and then at that time…See, the Gentile Bride is in Heaven, and the sleeping virgin, the Gentile virgin, is not to be saved during that time; she’s already been saved, but has been rejected in the Bride. And she only goes through the Tribulation Period for the time of purification, because she has rejected Christ, the Word, for her purification. Then she has to suffer for her deeds, but the Bride who has become the Word, a complete atonement was made of Christ, ’cause He is the Word. That body was rended, and when that body was rended, the Bride was in that body, because It’s all the Word! Amen! You see it?  

When Jesus suffered in that body, He suffered…Cause a man and a woman are one person. Eve was taken out of Adam, and the Church…What happened? God opened up the side of—of Adam and took out of there a helpmate, the bride. And God opened up the side of Jesus at Calvary and took out the Bride. See? And when Jesus died at Calvary…Remember, the Bride was not taken from the body until the body was dead. He had already died, and they was going to break His legs. And the prophet said, “There’ll not be one bone broken.” So they done drawed back the hammer to break a leg, and a man went up with a spear and pushed it through His heart; and water and Blood came forth; He was already dead. She was already redeemed in the body by His death, so there’s no more suffering Tribulation Period for the Bride. See? She goes in. But the Gentile church that just believe on Him and take the denominational creeds and so forth, and still…  

Like this poor person said: “My husband and son, they still love the things of the world and things like that…” See, they haven’t accepted that redeeming, for when you do, it cleanses you automatically. “He that’s borned of God does not commit sin.” There’s no desire, nothing in him for the things of the world.  

Jesus said, “He that loves the world (Kosmos now), or the things of the world, the love of God’s not even in him.” He’s not in love with the Groom. See? Therefore, she has to pay that penalty, and not…She’s not saved during that time; she’s saved now from eternal death; but she will have to go through the Tribulation Period for the purification. See what I mean? Now, now, there, I believe that settles that question. (64-0823M - Questions And Answers #1, para. 144-154)

Now, the Rapture is only…This Rapture that we’re talking about, is only for the Bride. Remember, the Bible said, “And the rest of the dead lived not for a thousand years.” This great Rapture! If there’s not a Rapture, friends, where are we at? What are we going to do? What age are we living in? What promise do we have? There is going to be a Rapture. The Bible says there will be. And it’ll be only for the Elected, the Elected Lady, the Bride in this day, that’s pulled out, the Church. (65-1204 - The Rapture, para. 81)

=Follow up question #2=

 

You ask, "Is it possible for Christians outside the message to go in the "rapture"?" in keeping with my last answer, I say that is it quite unlikely that a Christian outside of the message could go in the rapture. I believe the quote you give in is keeping with my answer, as was the quote I provided in my last answer. In all of these, he states clearly, there are believers who will pass through the tribulations and still be saved, but only the bride will go in the rapture. This is all correct and scripturally defensible.

 

In Revelation 19:7-8 it states that the bride had made herself ready, which is comparable to the wise virgins of Matthew 25. And she was granted to wear a wedding garment, which is comparable to the Matthew 22:11-13. What was the wedding garment? It was the righteousness of a saint (sanctified person). What is the source of our sanctification? It is related to the extent to which our life has been brought into line with the word of God. We are sanctified by the word (John 17:17, Eph 5:26, 1 Pet 1:22) which results in christian perfection (1 John 2:5, Heb 10:14). These are not doctrines unique to Bro. Branham. Those who have satisfied the criteria of christian perfection will be eligible for the rapture. I do not mean to make this sound like something based soley on a person's own efforts, but I put it this way to explain the mechanics and the doctrinal precedence on which this rests. These are the teachings of John Wesley, not Bro. Branham. Bro. Branham is merely repeating them. So if you reject this doctrine, you are conflicting with core teachings of the Wesleyan and Pentecostal traditions.

So if the word sanctifies us and leads to our perfection, and thus also to our ability to go in the rapture, we much conclude that the word is a critical element in this process. If we believe the message is a part of the word, then to be completely sanctified we must as apply the word that came as a part of the message. If I have rejected or never received a potion of the word, then I do not have everything necessary to achieve entire sanctification. If I am not entirely sanctified, I am not fully a saint and have not on the wedding garment. Without a wedding garment, I cannot go to the wedding supper and am not part of the bride. Yet, I am saved by the blood of Jesus through faith and will not go to hell. There are so many scripture that this touches, I have only communicated some key ones.  

I hope you are following the scriptural logic. Bro. Branham here is looking at his own message through the lens of doctrine of christian perfection and entire sanctification, and he is using the rationale established in those doctrines to arrive at his conclusions here.

 

I want to point out a couple statements in Bro. Branhams quote as you gave them, just you show you how I read this.

What about the people that believed in the Lord—believes in the Lord now and the way…and don’t believe the way you preach for this end-time-day Message? Will they be saved? And then the sister signed her name.  

Now, very good question. Now, the first place, the confusion is, is what I have said about the Gentile’s days be done when the tribulation…in the tribulation. Now, I do not see the Gentiles in the Bible…The Gentile Bride, Bride, not the Gentile church now, the Gentile church will go through the Tribulation Period [ABM: In this message Bro. Branham is calling the saved who go in the rapture the Gentile Bride, and those who are saved but pass through the tribulation the Gentile Church.] (see?), but not for their…See, the Bride is the Elected; They go through nothing but the Rapture. They’re just changed and taken out of the world. See? Now, I’ll explain that in a further question here, bringing it from Luther up, and you’ll see then what it means; it’s the maturing of the Body. See?

Now notice. Now, the Jews that’s left is the one who will be preached to by the two prophets, Elijah and Moses. [ABM: Besides the "gentile church" who miss the rapture, the Jews who will be converted to the faith are also left behind and are not part of the rapture. This is also scripturally sound. Up until this point, his statements are fully with precedent in the teachings of others, primarily within Seventh Day Adventism and United Brethren eschatology.]

Now, this is my own thoughts, minister brethren, in my own way that I feel the Holy Spirit has revealed to me. [ABM: Note he is making sure he lets us know he is going beyond the doctrines that preceded him]

Now, the next thing is to happen is the Jewish, or, the Gentile, elected Bride to be caught up with the rest of the Gentile, elected Bride that’s been down through the ages, be caught up in the Presence of Christ in the heavens. The dead raises; the ones that’s alive and remain is changed; and they’re caught up together in the air to meet the Lord. Then, because…

 

After the Wedding ceremony in Glory, Jesus, after that has caught up into the skies, Jesus returns onto the earth and makes Hisself known to His people, in the type like Joseph made hisself known to his brothers. And his wife, no Gentile was present, nobody but Joseph alone, when he made hisself known to his brethren. All understand that now? [ABM: Here he points to Zech 12:10. He is looking into the revival which will occur in Israel in the future, this statement also proves to be scriptural sound, but is without solid precedent at the time he says it.]

 

He sent…Even his wife was in the palace, the type that the Bride will be in the palace in Glory at that time. Then Jesus makes Hisself known to the Jews (see?) [ABM: Zech 12:10 again, and related scriptures] after the Wedding ceremony, the three-and-a-half years, and—and—and Jacob’s trouble, that three-and-a-half years, the end of the seventieth week of Daniel. The Messiah’s to be cut off in the midst of the…And He prophesied three-and-a-half years and was cut off. Then there’s three-and-a-half years left yet for their prophets, Moses and Elijah, and then at the end of their seventy days as yet determined upon the people, as Daniel said; then at the end of that seventy days, Jesus is to make Hisself known to them. He’s that Prince that should come to the Jews. See? [ABM: This ends the portion where he going beyond what other men have already taught, and he resumes looking at what has precedent in other men's doctrines.]

 

Now, and then at that time…See, the Gentile Bride is in Heaven, and the sleeping virgin, the Gentile virgin, [ABM: Now he begins to refer to those saved but left behind as the sleeping virgin. The wise virgin was raptured, the foolish virgin left behind] is not to be saved during that time; she’s already been saved, but has been rejected in the Bride. [ABM: The ones who are sleeping\foolish are still saved, but not going in the rapture. He next states what will happen to them] And she only goes through the Tribulation Period for the time of purification, because she has rejected Christ, the Word, for her purification. Then she has to suffer for her deeds, but the Bride who has become the Word, a complete atonement was made of Christ, ’cause He is the Word. That body was rended, and when that body was rended, the Bride was in that body, because It’s all the Word! Amen! You see it? [ABM: They are all saved, but the wise were raptured and the foolish passed through the tribulation]

 

When Jesus suffered in that body, He suffered…Cause a man and a woman are one person. Eve was taken out of Adam, and the Church…What happened? God opened up the side of—of Adam and took out of there a helpmate, the bride. And God opened up the side of Jesus at Calvary and took out the Bride. See? And when Jesus died at Calvary…Remember, the Bride was not taken from the body until the body was dead. He had already died, and they was going to break His legs. And the prophet said, “There’ll not be one bone broken.” So they done drawed back the hammer to break a leg, and a man went up with a spear and pushed it through His heart; and water and Blood came forth; He was already dead. She was already redeemed in the body by His death, so there’s no more suffering Tribulation Period for the Bride. See? She goes in. But the Gentile church that just believe on Him and take the denominational creeds and so forth, and still… [ABM: He trails off, but he is merely repeating what he said in the last paragraph. Denominational Christians will pass through the tribulation - but do not to end up in hell]

 

Like this poor person said: “My husband and son, they still love the things of the world and things like that…” See, they haven’t accepted that redeeming, for when you do, it cleanses you automatically. “He that’s borned of God does not commit sin.” There’s no desire, nothing in him for the things of the world. [ABM: In this lady's case, her husband and son are not even denominational Christians. They are unbelievers. There is no hope for someone who has not repented. This is different than the scenario he has been talking about up until this point.]

 

Jesus said, “He that loves the world (Kosmos now), or the things of the world, the love of God’s not even in him.”  He’s not in love with the Groom. See? [ABM: He begins here to confusingly mix two ideas.. But he is returning to looking at the denominational Christians. Note the transition from He to She] Therefore, she has to pay that penalty, and not…  She’s not saved during that time [ABM: Grace to the gentiles is over, so only those saved before that grace ended are saved] ; she’s saved now [ABM: or this side of the end of grace] from eternal death; but she will have to go through the Tribulation Period for the purification. [ABM: Through the destruction of the flesh, the soul will still be saved. The result all who fail to be fully sanctified according the teachings of Paul] See what I mean? Now, now, there, I believe that settles that question. [ABM: Note that through all of this, he does not give the scriptural rationale behind his answer, he just gives the answer.] (64-0823M - Questions And Answers #1, para. 144-154)

 

 

[ABM: This is a separate quote and must be evaluated on its own. The context is different.] Now, the Rapture is only…This Rapture that we’re talking about, is only for the Bride. [ABM: View this in light of his other statements. The next sentence is a nearly complete change in topic.] Remember, the Bible said, “And the rest of the dead lived not for a thousand years.” [ABM: This has nothing to do with saved people who passed through the tribulation. This is related to the lost. He is not even considering them in these statements] This great Rapture! If there’s not a Rapture, friends, where are we at?  What are we going to do? What age are we living in? What promise do we have? [ABM: In other words, if there is no rapture and we all pass through the tribulation, then what is the point of even trying to live up to entire sanctification?] There is going to be a Rapture. The Bible says there will be. And it’ll be only for the Elected, the Elected Lady, the Bride in this day, that’s pulled out, the Church. [ABM: And the rest of them will pass through the tribulation, and the righteous will still be saved, though by fire] (65-1204 - The Rapture, para. 81)

 

The idolaters take what Bro. Branham says and make it something to be accepted verbatim and without question. The correct thing to do is to understand the scriptural and doctrinal basis by which he made the statement so you can properly understand his meaning. I believe I have given you that. He is following the scriptural logic established by other men, primarily men of the Wesleyan tradition here, and using it to arrive at the conclusion of who will and will not be able to go in the rapture.