Abraham And His Seed After Him
61-0416, Abraham And His Seed After Him, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, 116 min




I am sorry I didn't have more time to meet with these men, be at their churches, and so forth. They were just quoting to me a few moments ago of young people coming to Christ this morning, the power of God in their meetings. I trust that'll never die but will continue on forever until Jesus comes.
Many fine friends that I have met since I've been here, your memories will linger--linger on in my heart. Cooperation... Hard, bitter preaching sometime I have to do. I'm not a--I don't claim to be a what we call a preacher; I am... You know that already... But I--I claim that just knowing the Lord as my Saviour, so enthused with trying to--to do that which He has ordained to be done... And through this He has given me the opportunity by a gift to express to the people that... Where I don't have the education to do it, maybe the works will express that I--I am His servant, and--and you are my brother and sister, and that will do the vindication of it. And maybe that'll let you know that I love you, God loves you; and together we hope to spend a endless eternity together in a land beyond the river somewhere on.



So they--they're not ours. And we just bring them along, because we think it would help somebody. And buying them books at forty percent less, and maybe lose ten or fifteen percent, 'fore you get it to you; then you got to pay for these boys to sell these. The church gives them so much a week. And by the way, it isn't mine; it's the Tabernacle takes care of that.

Brother Leo Mercier does the field work. He was here just a moment of ago, his associate here. They... These boys work for the Branham Tabernacle, which I'm associated with, which is a independent sovereign church, chartered at Jeffersonville in Clark County. And it's a nonprofit foundation, and the money that comes into the church and so forth, is--goes into the foreign fields to sponsor poor people who doesn't have the money to send for me to come over there, but yet they need me real bad. And I take that money, as soon as they get enough built up and go over to the foreign fields to preach to those this same Gospel that you have a privilege of seeing. And therefore, I know as a steward of His money, I'm going to have to answer for it at the day of the judgment. And I take it myself as long as I'm young enough to go, and can go, I want to go and be sure that I preach and bring them the message that you donated for them to hear. The credit will all be yours at that day. I'm just His servant to pack the message.

One time while pastoring the Tabernacle, we as poor people, we run a little short in money. We all know what that is, don't you? We just had some debts we had to meet, wife and I. Billy was quite small then. And I--I said, "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to take up an offering tonight." That was the closest that I ever come doing it.
And an old brother that's in glory today, Brother Wisehart... We didn't have an offering plate, used to put it in the--in the papers in the city: "The church which has no offering plate."

But we had to get a little money. I needed about five dollars, and I'd made a promise; and a debt owning, I--I--I just didn't have it. And we couldn't get it. So I said, "I'm going to take up an offering tonight."
My lovely little wife... If there's any credit goes to the Branham family, let it go to her. She's the one who stood between me and the public. And all the things that's been done, let her have the credit. She said to me, "Billy, I'm going to go over and watch you do that."


"Oh," I said, "I was just teasing you; I just wanted to see what you would say. I was just going on with you." Brother Wisehart had my hat in his hand; "Oh," I said, "Brother Wisehart, hang my hat up. I was just teasing the church."


Write to me any time now that you wish. Call me on the phone. Many times I'm kinda not around Jeff very much. My address, Jeffersonville, Indiana, Post Office Box 325. If you can't think of the 3-2-5, just send it Jeffersonville. And if you want to call me, my number is BUtler 2-1519. If you can't get it to that number, then call BUtler 2-3826. Can't get it to that, call BUtler 3-6771, can't get it to that oh, better stop at that though. But anyhow the main number to call to get me: BUtler 2-1519; that's fifteen-nineteen. That's the office, and they can tell you about where I could be located. Any hour of the night or anything I can do to pray for you by the phone, send you a prayer cloth or anything, absolutely free, there's nothing to... Be glad to do it.

When the witch doctor is challenging me to a debate, when the demons of all sorts in the foreign fields if I shall be called, as they usually do, I'll remember over around Bloomington, Illinois, and its round about cities, I got a bunch of people on a Sunday afternoon who raised their hands, "I'll be praying for you." And when I have to walk out on the floor to meet it, I'll know that I'm covered by the Blood up in your prayers.

You have seen every little move, every little gracious move. You seen the mother, the daddy put in a portion of their living to support this meeting. They did it because that You were speaking to them. We could not give it back to them, and would not, because that we'd rob them from the blessing that lays just beyond. For one day we read in the Bible that where Jesus was watching the rich put a lot of money in the offering, but a poor widow came by and put in about three pennies. Lord, guess, if I'd have been standing there, I'd have run up and grabbed her hand and said, "Don't do that, sister. We got enough in here." But You were standing there, and You didn't stop her. For You knew what lay just ahead. You knew that You'd return it to her a hundredfold.
So, Father, I know that You--Your great eye watched every move that we made. We pray that whatever we have done, and the feeble efforts that we had, that it's been pleasing in Your sight.

Bless these ministers, these shepherds of Yours, that in the midst of criticism, when, Father, because of their true stand to the Word. My name's not too good among them, but they wasn't ashamed; they called me anyhow. O God, bless their ministry. May they realize that these things are only to bring the Church back to it's right standing, only to shake us back, Lord, to where the Holy Spirit can build upon a real true foundation, upon really borned again men and women. Father, not because I don't love their organizations, denominations, it's because I see the systems are letting the people get too loose. Help us, God. You know my heart, how I love them.

My heart still goes for that poor little girl I met there in the door a few minutes ago, setting twisted up in that wheelchair. How that You sprung down and told her how she become that way, what she was when she was a little girl, and told her the reason that she's not well, walking around right now. God may that never leave that child's heart. She typed a letter of invitation to me. I pray God that that child will be healed. Grant it. May it never leave her little heart, and know that was not me standing there, that was the Holy Spirit speaking through the servant of Yours, telling her exactly what was truth, what she was, what she is, and what she can be. May it never leave her, Lord.
Bless all who are sick inflicted this afternoon. As Your servants stand and we pray for the sick, may they all be healed; may the lost be saved, and God receive glory, for we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Have we any more of the books left from the Business Men's about the vision? They're all gone. If you, anybody here that never got a copy, raise your hand, never got a copy? A few. I--I suppose that if you would just write to the Christian Business Men's "Voice," Los Angeles, they'll--they probably have a few thousand of them left. They'd be glad to send you one free. I suppose if there--if there'd be a charge, it'd only be a dime or something. I don't know, just something for the printing cost.

I said when coming back, let me do all that I can. I can't quit. I'm not responsible for what others say. I have to answer for my own thing. I don't know what... You might say, "I've heard people say that." I--I hope that every bit of it was true. I hope that every bit was true. Brother, sister, before God, this is true. It is true.
I was just as I am now, only a young man again, standing somewhere looking at people that were from old had turned young, and there was no sickness, no sorrow, no death. They were different. And yet He told me it was greater than that yet to come. That would be good enough for me for all times.

But let's try to get now over to Genesis the 22nd chapter. And I want to read just a part of the 14th verse or quote it to you.
And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said unto this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
Genesis 14:22, or Genesis 22:14, pardon me. Now, I just want to get close--your close attention as I just teach this. And I'll be quickly; I've got three hundred miles in this blizzard to drive this afternoon to meet an obligation tomorrow. [Genesis 22:14]


And I guess you've heard their story how they become associates of mine, was because they come there to try to expose me, formed themselves a little FBI. They were coming there and didn't think that them visions were true. And come there investigating around, acting like they were ministers, and the Holy Spirit uncovered their life right before them. So they have become my associates. One of them a Catholic, a French Catholic, Mr. Mercier, just ere his conversion was a bartender. Mr. Goad setting here, I believe formerly, was a--from people from the Methodist church, wasn't your people? Backslidden Nazarene.

I found them to be a real gentleman, honest, real boys. When they asked me if they could make tapes... They have to have something to live by. Mr. Mercier's married now. Mr. Goad's in the making. If there's any young ladies that... If his face isn't red now...
Gene, I just did that so if would be a change from getting myself so that I could get back to the steps.
I'll witness he's a fine man. He's my buddy, a real brother.

Jehovah-rapha is Jehovah, the Lord our Healer. Jehovah-manasseh, our Banner, our Buckler, our Shield, our so-forth on, seven compound redemptive Names belongs to Jehovah. And His first name is Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice." [Genesis 22:14], [Exodus 15:26], [Exodus 17:15], [Judges 6:24], [Psalms 23:1], [Jeremiah 23:6], [Ezekiel 48:35], [Acts 2:36], [Hebrews 13:8]

Now, we're going to start back, go back in the back after we got here where I want to bring that sermon to the climax. Let's go back to Genesis the 12th chapter, if you want to write these places down, Genesis the 12th chapter.
And now, we're going to talk about Abraham. Now remember, that Abraham... The promise was made to Abraham. We're all acquainted with that. Is that right, my clergy brethren? The promise was Abraham, to him. And Abraham was not a Jew. Abraham was a Gentile. He come down from the tower, from Babylon with his father, and he dwelled in the land of the Shinar there, the valleys, and--and dwelled in the city of Ur, the land of the Chaldeans. And he... The--the Chaldeans dwelled in that land, and he was in the city of Ur, and perhaps, a farmer. And he was seventy-five years old before God called him. He had married his half-sister, and her name was Sarai; his name was Abram. And they were just two ordinary people. And one day God called Abraham and made a covenant with Abraham (Now, watch.) and his Seed after him. [Genesis 12:4-5]

Now, if we'll notice in Genesis 12 that God called Abraham by election, not because Abraham had done anything to deserve it, no more... He might have been an idolater. I don't know. And at Babylon, they worship roots and... If you ever read Hislop's "Two Babylons," the ancient history, you would find out, that Babylon found by Nimrod, it was just perfectly idolatry; that's all. And he was a... We find Babylon in the first of the Bible, in the middle of the Bible, and in the last of the Bible. And it was a--a organization system. Babylon was a leading city that made all the other little cities pay tribute to it (See?), kind of like a--a headquarters somewhere and where orders went out and all the rest of them had to pay in to that one place. And Abraham had come down from there with his father.

Now, many you people are writing me letters and saying, "Brother Branham, should we do this or do that?"
I always say, "Ask your pastor." See? Because I'll do anything I can answer you on the great fundamental evangelical doctrines of the Bible. But when it comes to about: "Should we do this and do that." I always refer to your pastor, because we might... Each man, there isn't two here, but what would disagree with one another on little technical things, whether we should comb our hair on the right side or the left. And mine, I have no trouble with that. So--so... But you know what I mean. We--we have those things, so I always just say that every congregation, "Ask your pastor those things." If he has led you far enough to be saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, can't you trust him the rest of the way through? If God honored him for that...
But on bringing this timely thought to the people this afternoon, I'm going to have to use just a little bit of doctrine, that might be said, or something like that, but if you don't think it's right, just lay it aside and go on. If the pastor teaches anything a little different, forget what I said about it. See? Because I'm trying to come to a point. I hope that's all right. I hope that's made clear.

Jesus said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that the Father hath given Me, will come to Me." That's the reason you just preach the Gospel in its plainness, yet the elected sheep of God would hear that, and catch it right quick, and they'll believe that the baptism of the Holy Ghost where others will walk away and make fun of it, because they were elected to hear it. That's all, see?
So you see now, why that the Church itself is an elected pre-elected by God. Now, let me take the Word out of I Thessalonians the--the 1st chapter there were it said, "Predestinated." Now that's not a good word to use before people, because predestinated is a... It would be better if we used it like this: that it was by foreknowledge, God by His foreknowledge could predestinate to His own glory. See? [John 6:44], [Romans 8:30], [Ephesians 1:11]


Now, now, the class that was elected before the foundation of the world, and were called in Christ before the foundation of the world... How many knows that Christ was the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world? Well, how was He slain? In God's great program He knowed that He would, He would project a Son, and that Son would be the Saviour of His people. Is that right? So when God speaks a thing, it's already finished. Oh, brother. If...
Where's that little sister that I had--the vision was over a few minutes ago setting right here in the wheelchair? If you could see that, sister dear, it would be over for you. See?

So God don't run His business... If He saved us here, and knowed He was going to lose us after while, He's a poor business man. And so therefore all that He foreknew He has what? Called. All that He had called, He has justified; all that He has justified, He has already glorified. Now, there's going to be a Church meet Him there without spot or wrinkle.
"Brother Branham, you in it?" I hope so. But we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. And when you see your life not coping up with God's Word, no matter what church you belong to, you know you're out of order. See? And if you'll just do your... If you do your religion because you know it's something that you're supposed to do, you're just playing the part of a hypocrite. If it isn't from your heart that you love God, then you're wrong to start with. See? You love... It's love that controls the whole thing. [Philippians 2:12]


"I have already done it; it's finished. I just want you to reach out here and get it. That's all." You see what I mean? Abra... Only thing that Abraham had to do was abide in His covenant. He didn't have to do nothing for the covenant; God done made that with him. He just had to stay put. Hallelujah. Now I begin to get religious. See?

Now notice, He perfectly typed Abraham and his seed after him. And I'm going to follow the junctions of Abraham's life, and then follow the junctions of Abraham's seed, and see if God kept His Word letter-by-letter.
Now, Abraham we know that there's only one way that we can be saved and that is being in the covenant with Abraham, because it was made to Abraham. But the Bible said, "We being in Christ, we being dead in Christ take on Abraham's seed and are heirs with Abraham." Is that right? Now, Christ is the royal Seed of Abraham. Out of Abraham come Isaac, out of Isaac come Jacob, out of Jacob come Joseph, out of Joseph, so forth on down, David, David on--on, so-and-so, till finally the royal Seed was born which was Christ, and in Christ made Abraham, the father of all nations. And the Abrahamic covenant is confirmed to the people un--or given to the people unconditionally. [Galatians 4:7], [Galatians 3:29]

But it was God saying, "Adam, Adam, where art thou?" See? So it's always...
Could you go out and tell a pig that he's wrong because he's eating slop? Would he believe it? No, sir. He'd tell you, "Tend to his own business." And that's the way with the sinner. You can't tell him nothing. He won't listen to you. He won't even sit in church five minutes to listen at you. He's a pig to begin with. He a scavenger, a vulture; that's his nature. See? So you--you can't tell him nothing, because that's just what he is. He's a vulture. He can't feed on good things.

Now, what was it? When God took a man and called him first, what was that? Justification. Abraham in regards of hearing the voice of God speak to him, believed on the Lord God. Is that right? Therefore, he was justified by faith, by believing on the Lord God. Is that what we are, seed of Abraham? Romans 5:1.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1.) [Romans 5:1]

He said, "I'm your Lord."
I said, "Then Lord let me come."
I never stopped and said, "Hey, Lord, hey, where You at? I want to talk to You awhile." See? No, you don't do that. It's God stops you. [Romans 4:22]

Now, now and then notice. As soon as Abraham believed God by justification (Believing on the Lord, we're justified.), immediately God called Abraham to total separation from all unbelief. That's the way He done you? Separate yourself from your kindred, from all your associates; come out of the pool room, come out of the dance hall; come away from the things of the world. God calls for a total separation to Abraham's seed, 'cause that's what He called Abraham. Are you patterning it? This instrument is Abraham. This instrument represents this seed after him. And the covenant was made to both Abraham and his seed after him. And as Abraham was called by grace, by election, so was his seed called by grace and election. See? They heard the voice of God and believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. Heard the voice of God in a barroom, everywhere It was at, and believed God, and Abraham was commanded to abstain and to separate himself from the things of the world, and so is the seed of Abraham: separate theirselves from the seed--of--of the things of the world.
Justification by faith, we could stay on that the rest of the afternoon, but we got to hurry. [Genesis 13:14-15]


Now, my Methodist brethren, I love you. My Baptist brother, I love you just the same as I love my Pentecostal brother or whatever it is. But you see, we're trying to pull the things of the world, and carry it right along with us like Abraham did. I'm not unchristianizing you by your organization. I'm only telling you, you're not fully obeying God till you separate yourself.

And listen. You my Methodist brethren, when about six weeks ago, my mother (She's a Methodist too.), when she called me down to the house. And here in Indiana they having a rock-and-roll dance in the Methodist church on television, covering up the orders of the things like that, and they ask that even the sponsor there the television man said, "Don't you think this ought... the--the people would criticize you..."
Said, "Too long has the Methodist church forgot the beautiful art of rock-and-roll." If John Wesley knew that, he'd turn in his grave. Too much have you went to the things of the world. You know what? You Methodists...


Now, you say, "Brother Branham, you get angry at us." Let the Lord be my Judge. See?


To make it quick now, I want you to go with me to the next place now to Genesis 15. A lot of things in there we could take weeks, and week, and week after week on. But just to bring these stages to you to show you what He did...
In the 15th chapter Abraham begin to wonder, "How will I ever know these things." Then God confirmed the covenant to him. He give him a confirmation of the covenant. In Genesis the 15th chapter we find that out; when he completely separated himself, Lot went down into Sodom, and the old man died, and Abraham separated himself and got alone, then God begin to speak to him. [Genesis 13:9-12]

Now, listen close all of you. Now there, Abraham in Genesis 1 was justified by faith. Now, here comes in your John Wesley doctrine. Here comes in your--your sanctification, or your confirmation of the covenant.


John Wesley preached sanctification, the second definite work of grace (Is that right?), separating himself from the things of the world.

Oh, listen, then He comes back to the sacrifice. Watch, let me take just a minute how the sacrifice was confirmed. And we'll hurry.
Now notice quickly. How do we do when we confirm a covenant? I say to this brother here. Stand up just a minute. You're a pastor, have the church? You say a... You have a church? All right. Say you got a church? All right, stand up just a minute. You have--you have a church. You say, "Brother Branham, let's go out and have a little lunch together."
"All right."
"Would you come to my church and hold a revival?"

Well, you know how they do it in Japan? They go out and have a little bite to eat, and when they come back, and they're going to make--confirm their covenant, they give a little cruse of salt, and they stand and throw salt on one another. That's salt is to contact, a savour (You see?), which means that they--that's how they confirm their covenant.

And then they kill this sacrifice; they come together, and upon the parchment which was the lamb's skin, they wrote: "I will agree to do so-and-so-and-so with you."
"Yes, we do that." All right. "Will you meet this obligation?"
"I will. I'll meet it." All right.
"Will you do such and such?"
"Yeah, I will, I'll meet it."

Now, what did God do? He was going to tell him what He was going to do, how He was going to do it through a Sacrifice, how He was going to make him a father of nations, and yet haven't given that name yet, but He was going to make him a father of nations, and he killed the sacrifice, speaking to him in this...
Now watch. What did Abraham see? The first thing after he killed the sacrifice, he kept the birds off of it until the sun went down. When the sun went down, what happened? A deep sleep fell upon Abraham (Is that right? Genesis 15), a deep sleep upon Abraham. What's that? Death to every human being, all Abraham's seed. [Genesis 15:12]

"I swear by Myself that I'll never vary one Word from My covenant with you or your seed after you." What about that, sister? What about that? "I'll keep My Word." Swore by Himself... The Bible said He did. "I'll keep My covenant. I'll swear to you, Abraham, I'll do it."
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Legalist brethren, I don't aim to pinch hard, but I just want to tell you one thing here, just a minute. Looky here, look what He done. How did He do it? What was He speaking of? Surely you're spiritual enough to catch it. What did He do? Christ was that royal Seed of Abraham that was promised. Is that right? What did He do with Him? He took Him to Calvary. He lived on earth. He proved He was the Messiah by signs and wonders, knowing the secrets of the heart, perceiving their thoughts, proving that He was the Messiah that was to come. Have we caught that this week? Has the Bible said so, God's Word said so? He proved He was the Messiah. What did He do with Him? He took Him to Calvary and He tore him apart, raised up His body on the third day for His part, and set Him on His right hand, and sent the same Spirit that was upon Christ down on His Church (Hallelujah.) to do the same work and same thing that He did. [Genesis 15:18]

If you different with it, read your Bible. Then the Spirit... The Spirit upon Christ is on the Church. "A little while and the world will see Me no more, yet you'll see Me, for I, ('I's' a personal pronoun,) I'll be with you, even in you. And the works that I do shall you do also. I'll be there until the end of the world. These signs shall follow them that believe." [John 14:12, 19], [Mark 16:17]

Now, let's go a little farther. What did He do? Justification then by faith, by believing: Justification to His seed (Is that right?) through Martin Luther. Sanctification by the blood, is that right? Sanctification to His Church by John Wesley... Now what? Abraham's a hundred years old.

Excuse me, young ladies, my sisters. "El," comes from the word "a strong One"; "Shad" means "breast." "Shaddai" means "breasted." God, He said, "I am Almighty God."
Now, if you got a "Scofield Bible," or if you got a "Thompson Chain," or if you get the "Emphatic Diaglott," or any commentary, you notice that that word broke down when he called Him that, he called Him El, and He appeared to Him in the Name of El-Shaddai. What a wonderful message to an old man that had been believing that promise now for twenty-four years. And the Bible said, "He got stronger all the time."
"How are you feeling, Sarah?"
"No different."
"Glory to God, we'll have her."
Fifteen years pass. "How you going to feel, Sarah?"
"Well, I--I--I just not a bit different. I..." [Genesis 17:1], [Romans 4:20]

And here it's got to happen in a moment or we say, "See, I told you, there ain't no such thing as Divine healing. I lost my healing." You're a poor excuse for Abraham's seed. Abraham's seed believes just like Abraham did. No matter what, how long, what anything says, it's so anyhow. God said so. Abraham and his Seed after him... [Romans 4:20]

Here, what if an old mare back in the Bible time, would've give birth to a little colt? Or had a... Say he had a mule. And this mule was born, and both ears was flopped down; his tail stuck straight up; his eyes was crossed; his knees was bowed together. Well, if he could look in a glass and think, he'd just say, "Woe is me. They'll never feed me. They'll just knock me in the head when they come out and see me."
But what if his mother was well instructed in the law? She'd say, "Wait a minute, honey. Wait a minute. I know you're a horrible looking creature. You're no good, but you're going to live. Because there is a law of God that said you are born under a birthright. You're my first." O God...

Say, "You were born under a birthright. I'll tell you: If you were born under a birthright, you know what's going to happen, what's going to take place? In the morning when they come out to the pasture to see you? You know what they're going to do? They are not going to knock you in the head, because you're going to live, but there's going to have reach over to get a lamb without a blemish on it. (Amen.) And they'll take that lamb that don't even have a blemish on it, and that lamb will have to die in your stead. The priest will never see you." Amen.


Now, we're on the... We passed the first junction, justification: justification; sanctification: sanctification. Now remember, that was things of God promised and did to Abraham, but here He said, "I am the breasted God. Now, you're old, Abraham. You're a hundred years old, but to Me you're no more than a baby. So I'll give you a promise, and I am the breasted God. I am the strong One. Lean upon My bosom now and nurse from Me My strength into your weak body," getting him ready for the miracle. That's what He done to the Pentecostals after Wesley age. He let the Pentecostals nurse His own strength, His own Holy Spirit as a baptism, back into their weak bodies to give them faith for the rapture, to give them faith for miracles. "I'm El-Shaddai."
What He did to Abraham and to his seed after him... Watch, believing confirmation, blood covenant, now injecting Himself, His strength into His people.

"Do you believe John Wesley?" Absolutely, he was the angel of the covenant of his age, the Philadelphian Age. Luther was one of the Sardis back there. That's exactly right.
And we got one coming which is going to be a prophet. He will be in the Elijah. Exactly.
"Oh," you say, "he spoke of John there."
No, no. That's Malachi 3, "My... I send My messenger before Me." But remember, the--the Elijah was to come, the world was going to be burnt with fervent heat before the coming of that great day of the Lord; and it didn't burn before, when John came. Read the Bible, brother. See? Watch what He will do, the--watch Him how that last part of Malachi 4.
"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children (Is that right?), and (conjunction) the hearts of the children to the father." See that dual coming of Elijah?


There's a little woman in there remember. And she had a husband, a man head. It died when the confederation of churches took it in. When Elijah come out, he was sent to her, and she was glad to receive the prophet's message then. So he sustained her by the help of God. [Matthew 3:9-10]

Not only is He the breasted One, but He's a Satisfier. The little baby when it's sick and real sick, the mother takes it up to her breast, and it begins to nurse her strength into the sick baby; and while it's getting well, it's satisfied. So is the real man that's got a hold of God and nursing in the Holy Spirit knowing that He's satisfied that God's going to make every word come to pass. It's Abraham's seed. That's the real true seed of Abraham. I don't care what anybody else says; he says, "If God said so, that settles it; I say, 'Amen' to it." And he's satisfied it's going to happen. You ain't buffeting him around.
The doctor might stand and say, "Let me take your pulse. You're dying."
"I'm not."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I've had a hold of El-Shaddai. Amen. Amen, I know where I'm standing." Every devil could stand and throw fire in his face. He still wouldn't doubt it. He'd go right into the fiery furnace like the Hebrew children. Why? He's the seed of Abraham. No matter how long it takes, and he's been prayed for, anointed with oil, or whatever the way he went through, he accepted; somehow faith give him that he believes he's going to be healed. He's going to be healed. That's all there is to it. He believes he's going into the rapture; nothing can stop it. He believes the Holy Ghost is in him, because he sees the literal signs of the Holy Ghost. You just might as well quit talking to him. You can just teach him... You can teach him all the theology in the world; he wouldn't do it, because... He wouldn't believe you, 'cause he knows what the Bible says. He knows that he's got a hold of Something that's real. That's when God gave...

How many understands that when He was El-Shaddai, that He gave His own strength into Abraham. He never done nothing but made him promises, promises, but here He's emptying Himself out into Abraham, literally. How many knows that? That was the Holy Ghost. Justification's what you believe. Sanctification is what the Blood did for you. You're sanctified by believing. But when you're filled with the Holy Ghost, it is the Person of the Holy Ghost Himself, oh, the Person, not imagination, not some kind of psychology, but the Person of the Holy Ghost.
And to you, my Christian Science brother, and you that don't believe the Holy Ghost as a Person, "he" is a personal pronoun.
The Bible said, "When He the Holy Ghost has come, He will testify of Me." He is a Person not a thought.
He nursed, not from the articles and from the promises, but He had now the literal Life of God flowing into him. That's what the Pentecostal age done. Now, what did he become then? A son. Amen.
Now, in the Old Testament we know... Now, we got just about fifteen more minutes. [John 15:26]

When a man was borned, or a child born into a family, he was borned a son? Is that right? But he had no inheritance yet. He had to be tutored. That right? Now, when you receive the Holy Ghost... There's where the Pentecost made a great mistake. Said, "Glory to God, we got it. That's all there is to it." No, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
In the Bible when a baby was borned on a man's farm, he went around and hired the best tutor he could find. I'll tell you a beautiful display of it, is the 17th chapter of Saint Matthew's, the Mount of Transfiguration, if you want to put that down and read it. How God did His own Son just exactly like... God don't... He has to keep His own laws. He can't defile His own laws or break His own laws. He can't be God and just and do it. And He has to keep them to be just, and holy, and righteous. Notice what He did now.

Now, what if the tutor come up... Now, remember the father found the... If he loved that boy, he'd give him the best tutor he could find. You believe that? That was His son. Now, he didn't want to buy a--get a tutor there would want to put a straw in his hat and tell him a lie about the child. He wanted to know exactly what was going on with that child. So he hired a real good tutor. And the tutor would come up. Now if the father...
If the boy was progressing and doing fine, how the tutor must have felt, walk up and say, "Say, fine." But what if that tutor would just, what if that boy was just a renegade, wouldn't pay no attention, wouldn't do nothing about the father, how the tutor must felt when come up and say, "Yes, sir, he's not doing too good. No, sir, he... I--I--I'm sorry, but he's not doing too good."

So how do you think the Holy Ghost must feel when He comes up before the Father and saying, "Your Pentecostal women cut their hair, Father. They're wearing makeup like the rest of them are. They don't go to prayer meeting no more. Your sons won't preach against it." What's the matter? What's the matter? "Oh, they've went the big building programs. And they won't realize that I said, 'I'm going to prepare a place for you.'" Yeah, they become earthbound. Yeah, they want to have the biggest organization, they want...?... Yeah. No, they--they--they won't tell the women that; they won't tell the men that; they're afraid to, 'cause they're good paying on the plate." How He must blush, the Holy Spirit walk away from God. Shame on us. How He must do it. How can He ever give that son anything? You know what happens to that son? He's always a son. Sure, yes, sir, but he has no inheritance.

Now, the father...?... and say, "Yeah, that's my son. That's my son." I'm still on Abraham's seed now. I ain't left that; I'm staying with that. "That's my son." You know what the father does after that boy becomes--proved to a boy?
"Well, say, the Bible said, this, but--but of course, now the--the state presbyter will put me out if I preach that. They--they--they... If I tell them to receive the Holy Ghost yet. Oh, oh...?..." It would do... They don't believe in that."
"I believe in sanc..." [I Corinthians 9:27]

Father said, "That's just the way I wrote My Word; that's the way I want It to be preached." That's right.

Now, God did the same with His Son. He took Peter, James, and John, and went on top the mountain. And when He done something major, He called three from heaven: Moses, Elijah, and Christ. And He give three witnesses. And when they said, "Let's build three tabernacles here; we'll have a denomination called the prophets. We'll have one called for the law, the Adventists. And we'll..." Before Peter got through speaking... When the supernatural's done, he's all excited; he wants to make a denomination.
That's where you Latter Rain brethren made your mistake. That's where you Assemblies of God made your mistake. That's where you Oneness made your mistake. That's where you Church of God of Prophesies, and all you made your mistake. You saw the supernatural done; you wanted to draw a little ring around it and say, "This is us." Why don't you leave it alone? If it's not of God, it'll come to naught. And if it is, God, how can you uproot it; it'll stand forever.

Let the Methodists drop their banners. Let the Pentecostals drop their banners. Let them both take a hold of the Holy Ghost and...?... Amen. You will see a revival that will shake this nation. You will see a revival like you never see... You think they will do it? No, sir. They won't do it. The Bible said they won't.

Notice. He placed His Son. The same thing He done with Abraham. He called Abraham out.
Now, listen. Now, I want you to put on your spiritual understanding and keep quiet just a moment. He called Abraham out then at the end of this 17th chapter, and the 18th chapter, rather, He called him out and made a placing to him.

And what did He do to Abraham? He give Abraham part of His Name: from Abram to Abraham, Elohim, because he too was a father (Amen.): placed him, positionally, give him a name: Abraham from Abram to Abraham: Elohim, Elohim, h-e-i-m: h-a-m, Abraham. [Genesis 17:5, 15]

Now, say that's wrong. Jesus said, "Does it don't stay in your own laws, 'Ye are gods'? And why do you condemn Me then, if Your own law says you're gods." He was given a domain; the domain was the earth. The whole earth is groaning, waiting now for the manifestations of the sons of God. If I'm a Branham, I'm a Branham; I'm part of a Branham. And if a man is a son of God, He's made in the image of God and given the domain here on earth to rule this earth like God ruled it. And the second Adam proved it. Amen. He stopped nature: "Peace be still." Amen. Cursed the fig tree... Certainly, He was a Man yet He was God; He was a manifested Son of God. That's what we're to be one of these days. We're just coming to it through justification, the seeds of Abraham coming up. [John 10:34-35], [Mark 4:39], [Mark 11:21]

Now, we're coming down now to the next thing. Now, watch our three classes. Now, there was... What does the word "church" mean? "Called out, called out." Israel was the people of God till they was called out of Egypt then they was called church of God. See? "Called out," the very word, go get your dictionary and find out if it isn't "called out."

Now, there was the Sodomites, the unbeliever. There was Lot right there with them in his lukewarm condition, but here's Abraham. Oh, my. So the time is drawing near to the end now. And watch close.
One day while Abraham was setting under his oak, he saw three Men come walking up, dust on Their clothes. And Abraham went out, and he said, "My Lord, will You come in? For this cause You come." Something within Abraham's heart made him believe there's something there about that Man. [Genesis 18:3]

Lot, the old backslider, said, "My lords." But Abraham seen three of Them and said, "My Lord," Elohim. See if the Bible doesn't say that. He knowed where he was at. He was Abraham's true seed. "My Lord, come in. Set down; I'll fetch You a little water; You can wash Your feet. And I--I'll give You a morsel of bread, and then You can be on Your road."
He set down, and I guess got the old flybush. How many of you knowed what a flybush was? Man, say how many times I've used it. And so he ran out in the herd, and got a little fat calf, and killed it and come, said, "Sarah," way back over there in the tent, "I want you to knead some bread." That's sifter it." Did you ever see a sifter? We used to have an old round sifter; mom had a wedge in it where the cornmeal'd get wet and sticks. She'd rub it through, 'cause you had make every little bit count, you know. And he rubbed it through and said, "Knead some and put it upon the hearth." They didn't have a bread pan; they just took the hearth there, a big rock laying out before the fireplace and cooked this bread right quick. [Genesis 18:6-7]

Now, if you want to argue about it, you just... Abraham talked to Him. He called Him Elohim, the Lord God Almighty. What was it? Showing what the seed's going to get. You watch now. God...
Some minister said to me one time when I spoke when I was here a few days ago; He said, "Reverend Branham, you're too intelligent a person to say that that was God."
I said, "Then I'm not intelligent enough to know the Bible said it was."
And he said, "Do you mean that God was there with the--with the clothes on and it dusty, Almighty Jehovah?"
I said, "Abraham called Him Elohim."
Said, "Who do you think the other two was?"
I said, "Two angels."
He said, "Well, how do you..."
I said, "As soon as He eat that He vanished." I said, "Why, you don't know Who our God is."

I said, "I haven't lost a one."
She said, "Pray tell me where they are."
I said, "All right sweetheart, I will. Tell me where they was before I got them? They were a substance. And wherever they was before I got them, they're there waiting for me to come to them." Hallelujah.
This body may not be a spoonful of dust; that's what is was to begin with, when the volcanic was erupting back there when my body laid there. The same God that brought me and fed me can raise me up again from somewhere." That's right.
I said, "We're made out of sixteen elements of the earth: petroleum, cosmic light, and calcium, potash."
God just said, "I've heard about the sins down in Sodom. I'm going to go down and I have to walk around and look on the...Pffft [Brother Branham makes a blowing sound--Ed.]," stepped into it, said... Got another handful of calcium, said, "Pffft. Come here, Gabriel. Pffft. Come here, Michael. Let's go down." Here They come down, walked down. "I'm going to show them what's going to happen in the last days to the seed of Abraham anyhow." Now listen, don't you miss this.


Notice what happened. And there was One stayed back to Abraham, and the other went down to preach to the lukewarm church, a modern Billy Graham.
Did you notice how strange in this last days, how A-b-e-r-h-a-m, the one the covenant was made with, and a man in his covenant preaching to the lukewarm church: G-r-a-h-a-m? Did you ever think how strange that was? Not Billy Sunday, but (See?) G-r-a-h-a-m, the messenger to the lukewarm church to call them out of Sodom... And One stayed back with Abraham. [Genesis 18:7-8]

"The days of miracles is passed, but He's still God and so forth."
"Get out of here, 'cause I'm going to burn it up. That's right."
Watch that One that stayed back with Abraham; He give--He give a sign back there too. O God...

The Angel set down and begin to talk to Abraham and said, "I guess you know why I come down." Now, watch. He didn't say, "Abram..." He said, "Abraham..." Why, just a few days before that he was Abram. "Abraham, where is your wife Sarah (S-a-r-a-h)?" See if that's right. Just about two days before that he'd just been given that name. How did He know that his name was Abraham, and how did He know that his wife's name was Sarah. See, she hadn't run out and got in her husband's business. So... See?
Abraham... Now, listen. The Bible, I'm quoting the Bible, said, "She is in the tent behind You." Is that right? Now, watch. [Genesis 18:9-10]

Sarah back in the tent, lovely woman, but she said, "Me, an old woman, nearly a hundred years old, and my lord (her husband) an hundred too, and I have pleasure with him again?" You understand what I mean, don't you? As husband and wife it'd ceased to be. See? Said, "Have pleasure as a young woman again with my--my husband out there?" When that may have been twenty years past before such family relationship. See? "Me, an old woman have pleasure with my husband, and him an old man too?" She said... [Brother Branham illustrates.--Ed.] [Genesis 18:10-12]

Now. Now, let's--let's go just a little piece farther. He said, "She's in the tent behind You."
Now look, God would've condemned that woman right there for disbelieving that Angel. Do you believe that? But He couldn't do it. And the way some of you Pentecostals, us Pentecostals are acting, we'd have been kicked out a long time ago; but God can't do it. Why? If He'd have kicked out Abra... If He'd kicked out Sarah, she was a part of Abraham. So she was heirs with him. So He'd have to kick out Abraham out too, so He couldn't do it on account of his wife, on account of the husband.
So that's the way. It's because of Christ He can't kick us out. We're His sons and daughters. Our unbelief doesn't mean nothing. The real true seed of Abraham will shine anyhow. There it was.
Listen close now. And the Angel said, "I'm going to visit you; according to the time of life, why, this things will happen." And Abraham went with Him, and He vanished and went away; out into the dark somewhere He went, turned back to God again. [Genesis 18:9-10, 13]

Now, watch. Immediately God did something to Sarah and Abraham. Now, you're not going to believe this, but it's so anyhow. You see, when--want read the Bible, you don't read It just like reading the newspaper. "And they had an explosion the other day, now, I don't know whether it's true or not." They tell us so many things that's wrong, you just can't pay no attention to it. But when you read the Bible, It's a love letter to the Church.
The Bible said Jesus thanked God for hiding it from the eyes of wise and prudent, and revealed it to babes such as would learn. [Matthew 11:25], [Luke 10:21]


The first thing, you know immediately Abraham and Sarah left that land and went down to Gerar. Is that right? Measure it on the map; quite a long ways for an old man, little grandma with a little bonnet on her head, you know.
Now, you say, "Oh, well, they just lived longer."
The Bible said, "They were well-stricken in age, and past the time of living in human life." Little grandma, here she goes.
They go down there, and when they got down there, there was a--a young king down there named Abimelech was looking for a sweetheart. And all them beautiful Philistine girls around there, when he seen grandma coming, he said, "That's the one for me." He fell in love with her and said, "You're fair to look upon." Shame on him, little grandma could not even live with her own husband, hadn't for years, and made fun of the Angel even saying she'd do it... He made her a young woman. She was beautiful and fair. [Genesis 20:1], [Genesis 18:11]

Look what He had to do to Abraham, his body as good as dead. He just changed him back. 'Cause He's showing him what He's going to do in the seed of Abraham. See?

And that night the Lord appeared to him in dream and said, "You're just as good as a dead man." That's right. I want to ask you something, whether you're--you're all right for your healing this evening or not. [Genesis 20:3]

Said, "That's a man's wife." Listen, here's the part. Said, "Her husband is My prophet. And I don't care how much you pray; I'll never hear you. Go, let him pray for you, and I'll heal you."
Setting out there lying, and a man that would say that against his wife to save his own neck... Are you worthy of that? See? What am I trying to do? Show you that it's God's grace that's made you worthy. You're no good; I'm no good; but He's the One that's good. Look to Him. He's the One that did it. That's different, God's grace. Abraham setting there lying... Was he lying? Did he do it? He said, "That's my sister." A little white lie: they're big black ones.
And she said, "That's my brother." And that was wrong. But he's telling in a round about way to save his neck. [Genesis 20:5, 7]

I want to notice. In closing I must say this. I can't get the rest of it; it's too late and then have a prayer line. I want to say this. What did He do to Abraham? Justification when he believed. Is that right? Say, "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Sanctification when He... What it was? Is that right? Abraham and his seed... Give him strength from His own body, same thing when He give him the Holy Ghost, strength from His Own Being. Is that right? Placed in the sons in the body--in the body with gifts. Is that right? And now manifested Himself as Jehovah, witnessed by Jesus Christ, to know the secrets of the heart just like Jesus said. [Genesis 20:7]

And look, what did He do? He had to change Abraham and Sarah's body. Was the next thing after that sign was shown that He knowed the secret of their heart, He changed... The next thing was the change of the body in order to receive the promised son. And that's the next thing in line now is the rapture of the Church, the changing. We which were alive and remain shall not prevent them which are asleep; for the trumpet of God shall sound; the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive will be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye." [I Corinthians 15:52], [I Thessalonians 4:16]

That's the next thing for the children of Abraham. The trumpet shall sound, the next thing. The real children of Abraham shall be changed, this body made light and we'll go right up. But if we go back to be young men and women, we'd still be earthbound. If Abraham and Sarah went back to be a young man and woman, they couldn't have the baby, 'cause they were still sterile. But He changed them in order to receive the promised son. And as He did with Abraham... Watch how He brought everything down through Abraham, everything through Abraham's seed, and here we are right here today waiting for the rapture...?... Immediately after that come the change and the son.

I got about ten or twelve more Scriptures here I should get to, but we haven't got time. I want you to have your church tonight. I should've been on my road home twenty or thirty minutes ago.
But do you see what I mean? What He done to Abraham, He did to his seed. Is that right? What was the seeds? The nation when it wasn't just the people. God deals with Israel as...
Here sets a man setting right here, that come to me the other day; he said, "I'm trying to get to be a missionary to a--the Jews."

But now, the Gentile church is finished. There is Billy G-r-a-h-a-m in Sodom, pulling out them Sodomites just as hard as he can. The Angel of the Lord here amongst the elected Church that's been called out, called holy-roller like Abraham, "Crazy, why don't you come on down to associate yourself and have fun with the rest of us; we're living here on the luxury," and things like that. But there's a true seed of Abraham who don't touch the world or the things of the world. What is it? What's the message going?

I said, "You, with a doctor's degree ask the servant of God to compromise on the Word of God." I can't even think of such a thing as that man. I said, "No, sir, there's no compromise in me at all." I said, "I believe God's Word teaches the coming of the Son of God. I believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I believe in the signs and wonders following the believers. That's exactly what God said. That's what I stand by. That's what I believe." And I know that it's true.
And we've come through Martin Luther's justification like Abraham did; we come through Wesley's sanctification; we've come through the Pentecostal age, and now we have seen the placing of the gifts into the church. And now what are we saying next? God manifest Himself in flesh, discerning the very thoughts of the heart, exactly what Jesus said when come to pass. And the next thing is to changing of the body to receive the promised Son.

Who was that Elohim down there? Why, it was You, Jesus, the anointed One that anointed the body of flesh to show that in the last day You'd make Yourself manifested in human flesh. And we see You do it every day and night. And this has been going on now for the first time for two thousand years. And here we are. We've come through Luther's age, like You took Abraham, through Wesley's age, like You did Abraham, through the Pentecostal age: it organized itself and denominated and set back on the shelf. Church moving right on, right on, little isms trying to come up, but every plant that my Father hasn't planted will be rooted up, dies right out.

One of these days we'll be setting in a meeting, some out in the field, some grinding at the mill, and all of a sudden there'll be a scream from heaven. "Behold the Bridegroom's coming." Then stand under there with our hands in the air and know that we're son's of God and joint heirs with Abraham through Jesus Christ, the royal Seed, know that the same signs that was done there to Abraham, we see it done today and promised by Jesus Christ, "As it was in Sodom, so shall it be."
Before Sodom was burned, the world be burned again... And before the burning the second time, the same thing will oc--occur again. [Luke 17:26-30]

God, how we could stay with this till in the morning, and tomorrow night, and the next morning, on and on: How that son came and how he was sacrificed; how that ram that was on top of the mountain... Not a vision, but a ram that God had Abraham to kill instead of his own son, and blood run out of it. And blood don't run out of a vision. It was a ram; Jehovah-jireh... [Matthew 5:28]

And I commit this audience to You. I commit my precious brothers here, who believes this same Gospel. God, I pray that You'll make them mighty men of God, O God, that'll lay it to the hewing line, the Gospel, and not compromising with anything, regardless of what it cost them. I pray that You'll do this wonderful people in here this afternoon the same thing.

[Someone speaks in tongues and another interprets--Ed.] Amen. Holy Spirit saying that Message that as He was there with Abraham and his seed, He's here, Abraham's seed today. Be reverent before Almighty God. I'll ask you if you might raise your head. I ask you to be reverent.

[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... That colored woman. And she's praying for a high blood pressure. She
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... From here; she's from Chicago.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... up, Mrs. Jones.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Mrs. Nola Jones, will you stand up? Is she up?
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... one another, lay you--wave your hand like this, so that the people know that you and I are strangers to one another. Go home. Jesus Christ healed you.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... another woman behind you
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... and the strength, the pull's coming from this way...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... with a throat trouble...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... got a colon disorder...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... stand up, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... lady setting at the end at that row out there...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... trouble you believe God will make you well, lady?
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... right go home; Jesus Christ healed you.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... faith in God...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... The little lady setting right there, kind of a pink looking long.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... with her eyes. You believe that God will make you well?...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Rheumatism, she's bothered with, do you believe with all your heart? You can have it also.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Man sitting over on the other side looking at me with the sinus trouble. You believe that God will make you well, sir? The sinus trouble? All right sir. Next to that you got stomach trouble. You believe with all your heart God will make you well? Got heart trouble next to that. You believe that God will make you well, lady? You believe? Next to that...?... arthritis. You believe that God will make you well? All right sir you can have it. Go home be made well.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... God will make you well? Up there in the last row? All right sir you can have it. Next to you got intestinal trouble. You think God will make you well? You go receive it.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... with all your heart? Have faith in God.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... A lump in the breast, Mrs. Cramer, stand up on your feet and be made well.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Seed after Him. God promised that it would be this way in the last days, children. Do you believe it?
Now, THUS SAITH THE LORD...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... The Word of God has proven it to be right. You're all becoming milky and everywhere now everything's happening.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... Here from St. Louis.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... eyes.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... Here's got asthma, if you believe you can go back and be made well.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... The Word has said so, the Bible has declared it from out of Genesis to Revelations. The Holy Spirit come down, placed His church, saved it, justified it, sanctified it, filled it with His presence and now You're here in Your church showing Yourself alive with Your people just before the rapture; the changing of the body.