God Being Misunderstood
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7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; But provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, That he might make his mighty power to be known.
Introduction
Introduction
GO FAST
Super salad- Soup or salad
161 You know, misunderstanding gets us in a lot of trouble. Many times that people say things that they repeat after somebody else, where, they misunderstood them. That gets a person in trouble. I believe it would be good for us if we just, well, wait till we understood what we was talking about.
Don’t you think so? I know it would be, for me, a very good for me to find out first and then say it. See? But we are always, seem to be, misunderstood. And here David is speaking of Israel, misunderstood His miracles when they were in Egypt.
162 Now, to misunderstand is just not to say, “Well, I didn’t hear what he said,” but to see something done and misunderstand what it’s for. That’s a…That’s, you’re missing the boat, all completely then. 61-0723E - "God Being Misunderstood"
Jesus was misunderstood.
When he prophesies to Peter how he would die, Peter wants to know about John:
20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
I wonder how this saying got started? Either Peter heard it wrong or was misunderstood.
Paul was misunderstood:
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
They thought it was right now.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
If you’re a dogmatic person Paul would have to be alive at the rapture. I’m sure some folks faith was shaken.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Many rumours circulated, there were even letters written that didn’t make it into the canon of Scripture, but what we believe is all in there.
Bro. Branham was misunderstood:
383 Why don’t believers believe the simple signs of His Coming?
Why can’t people believe the simple simplicity of a humble bunch of people, see, and the Voice of the signs of God? Why can’t they believe it? Just like it always been, a true Word of God being made manifest.
It’s, they’re too smart and too educated to believe the simple form of the written Word. They want to put their own interpretation to It. “It don’t mean this. It don’t mean that.” See? It does mean That.
386 Listen. May I say this, right quick, now. Even the visions that God gives here at the place, it’s so misunderstood. That’s the reason you hear me on the tapes, say, “Say what the tapes say. Say what the visions say.”
Now, if you’re wide awake, you’ll see something. See? I hope I don’t have to hold it in my hand and show you. See? See? See? You’re…It’s here. We’re at the end. See? Yes, sir. Smart educationals miss it.
The simple visions, when they are revealed in such simplicity, till it just covers over the top of people’s heads. 63-0317M - "God Hiding Himself In Simplicity, Then Revealing Himself In The Same"
God interprets His own Word by bringing it to pass. Period.
There are three things I want to deal with in particular:
The 1977 Prediction
The Brown Bear Vision
The Los Angeles Prophecy
1. The 1977 Prediction
1. The 1977 Prediction
If you were sitting in Branham Tabernacle and heard Bro. Branham preach Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, you would have believed that Bro. Branham felt that the Lord was coming before 1977, based on two things: The time God dealt with the Jews, and the seven visions he saw in 1933:
And then I predicted. I never said the Lord told me that, but, standing that morning in the church, I said, “The way progress…” I got back to one end of their wall, and run to the other end of the wall.
I said, “The way progress is going on, I’ll predict that the time…I don’t know why I’m saying it. But I predict that that’ll all happen between right now, 1933, and 1977.”
And not knowing it, God knows my heart, I never knowed it until yesterday, that 1977 is the jubilee, and exactly the same amount of time run out that He give with Israel, and everything at the end.
So we’re at…And here we are at the end of the age, at the coming in of the seventieth week. We don’t know what time that the Church will be gone. Oh, my! What can we do, friends? Where we at? 61-0806 - "The Seventieth Week Of Daniel"
227 Now, I do not want anyone to go away misunderstanding this. Tape is still playing. I don’t want anyone to misunderstand. Don’t misunderstand now, and say, “Brother Branham said Jesus will come in 1977.”
I never said no such a thing. Jesus may come today. But I have predicted that between ’33 and ’77 something would take place, that these things that I seen come to pass, in the vision, would take place. And five of them has already took place. 61-0806 - "The Seventieth Week Of Daniel"
We shouldn’t have misunderstood this based on what he actually said, but many did. Why? We colorized it.
When you add color to a black and white photo the photo is no longer original, something about it will be off.
The color we added was our own opinion.
2. The Brown Bear Vision
2. The Brown Bear Vision
If you were at Branham Tabernacle when he preached “Presuming” you would have thought Bro. Branham was coming back from his trip with a trophy:
83 Now, I’m going back into a country, that you might know, when I come back next year, I’m going to get a brown bear that’s almost twice that size. 62-0610M - "Presuming"
Bro. Branham goes on the trip and does not come back with a bear.
Watch what he says when he comes back:
16 And so far as I know, that every vision that He’s ever give me has been fulfilled, except the one that I’m a change in my ministry, to where I’m to pray for people in a little place like a little room under a tent, or a big auditorium or something. 62-0908 - "Present Stage Of My Ministry"
(He went on to say most of that was fulfilled in Mexico)
11 So I, in these thirty…going on thirty-two years of ministry, I have tried to stay true to the Word. I don’t know of one thing I’ve ever had to alter on, because I just read it out of the Bible, said just what the Bible said, and let it go like that.
And so I haven’t had to take back or rearrange, because I just said it the way that the Bible says it. And, I find out, if God has spoken anything, then we must go with that Word in order to make It be fulfilled.
We seen that, as I told you last night, of a vision just recently, see, that it…I had to be there, and warning to be there, and telling me six months before to be on that spot, and stand there and saying, “Go down there” (three times) “with them.” And I just walked on with the other men.
And the vision passed right through exactly, God’s part, and I was left standing. So we want to remember, you’ve got to stay on the Word, just stay right with the Word. And where the Word leads, you go right with the Word, and It’ll bring you out all right, I’m sure. 62-0909M - "Countdown"
Bro. Byskal came to my old church and described the hunting trip and exactly how that happened, it’s on youtube if you want to see it. He also later addressed it at his own church.
Both extremes, people who believe a prophet can’t make any mistakes and people who believe he was a false prophet have both taken this and ran with it.
We should have known already, but we colorized it. we added our own opinions to it.
You can trust a Prophet’s words, just be very careful about how you interpret them. Let God bring it to pass!
16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
Road to Emmaus
The absolute is what God says! Whatever He says is true.
This Message is right, just don’t assume that your understanding of it is right.
Even Bro. Branham’s understanding of the Message he preached had to be corrected at times. All prophets were that way. The difference in a prophet or a regular preacher is only God corrects a vindicated prophet.
Daniel
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
He did not understand what he was writing down. He never did.
123 You know, in the Old Testament alone, it’s more than two thousand times those prophets said THUS SAITH THE LORD. Now, if a man says THUS SAITH THE LORD, it’s not the man talking.
If he would, he wouldn’t be a prophet, he’d be a hypocrite, see, ’cause it wouldn’t (never) come to pass; one chance out of ten hundred thousand times, see, they might guess it. But if it’s THUS SAITH THE LORD, the Lord God has said it.
If I would say, “Thus saith Orman Neville”; my brother say, “Thus saith Mr. Mann”; I’d say, “Thus saith Brother Vayle,” out here, or some of these other brethren, any of you; I’m speaking what you said. If I’m truthful, I’m saying just what you said.
And these men, being prophets, said, “It’s not me. I have nothing to do with it, but it’s THUS SAITH THE LORD.” So the Bible is THUS SAITH THE LORD by the prophets.
124 Notice, they took Christ’s Spirit upon themselves, and forecast the events that would come to pass. Talk about forecasts!
They said what would take place down through the ages, as they set, stood, laid, walked with the Spirit of Christ upon them, insomuch that they acted like Christ. And the readers would read it and think that the prophets was speaking of themselves.
You remember the eunuch when he was reading Isaiah 53:1, about how, that, “He had wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, with His stripes we were healed”?
The eunuch said to Philip, “Who is the prophet speaking of, himself or some other man?” See, the prophet spoke as if it was himself.
So, the whole Bible is not the word of man, neither was It wrote by man, brought by man, or neither can It be revealed by man. It’s God’s Word revealed by God Himself, His Own Interpreter, Christ revealing Himself in His Own Word.
126 Look at Christ standing back here in David. David couldn’t even think now. His mind had gone from him, as it were. And He was hanging on the cross, like you see the statue here; hanging on the cross, crying, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? All My bones, they stare at Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet. They thrust My side.” See? “Why art Thou so far from Me? All the bulls of Bashan compass about. They wag their heads, saying, ‘He trusted in God, that He would deliver Him; now let’s see if He’ll deliver Him,’” speaking the same words.
So, you see, when God was made manifest on earth here, He said the same words David did. You get it? So, you see, It’s not the word of man; It’s the Word of God. There was God in David; that wasn’t David. He didn’t know what he was saying; he was just so in the Spirit.
127 God speaking, Himself, through the prophets. See, they, they’re absolutely…It isn’t the prophets; it was God. Cause, the prophet, of themselves, they couldn’t say those things.
“Who has believed our report?” Isaiah saying, you see. “Who has believed our report? To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? He shall grow up before us as a calf in a stall.
And how that, yet, He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, chastisement of our peace upon Him; with His stripes we were healed.”
We were healed, way over here in this age here; and Isaiah, back yonder eight hundred years before Christ. See? “By His stripes we were,” past tense, already, “healed.” Oh, my!
How, the Word of God, so perfect! Trust in It, folks. It’s the only thing that can save you.
128 All other words, I don’t care how well they are placed, how, who they come from, what denomination they come from, or how smart the man is, is to be absolutely ignored, anything contrary to the Word. 65-0822M - "Christ Is Revealed In His Own Word"
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
3. The Los Angeles Prophecy
3. The Los Angeles Prophecy
If you were sitting in Los Angeles when Bro. Branham preached “Choosing of a Bride” you’d want to pack your bags.
229 That is solemn warning. We don’t know what time, and you don’t know what time, that this city one day is going to be laying out here in the bottom of this ocean.
230 “Oh, Capernaum,” said Jesus, “thou who exalted into heaven, will be brought down into hell. For, if the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it’d have been standing to this day.” And Sodom, Gomorrah lays in the bottom of the Dead Sea. And Capernaum is in the bottom of the sea.
231 Thou city, who claims to be the city of the Angels, who has exalted yourself into heaven, and sent all the dirty, filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, to your fine churches and steeples, and so forth, the way you do.
Remember, one day you’ll be laying in the bottom of the sea, your great honeycomb under you right now. The wrath of God is belching right beneath you. How much longer He will hold this sandbar hanging out over that?
When, that ocean out yonder, a mile deep, will slide in there, plumb back to the Salton Sea. It’ll be worse than the last day of Pompeii. Repent, Los Angeles.
232 Repent, the rest of you, and turn to God. The hour of His wrath is upon the earth. Flee while there’s time to flee, and come into Christ. 65-0429E - "The Choosing Of A Bride"
Bro. Branham is very clear in the prophecy he did not know when.
(Bro. Branham tells about his sermon, Choosing of a Bride)
49 And while in there, Something struck me, and I didn’t know nothing for about thirty minutes. There was a prophecy went out. First thing I remember, Brother Mosley and Billy, I was out on the street, walking.
And It said, “Thou Capernaum, which calls yourself by the name of the Angels,” that’s Los Angeles, city of angels, see, the angels, “which are exalted into heaven, will be brought down into hell.
For, if the mighty works had been done in Sodom, that’s been done in you, it would have been standing till this day.” And that was all unconsciously, to me. See?
(He just got through exhorting the people)
51 And when I understood that, I went, I said, “There is a Scripture about that somewhere.” And I went and found it was Jesus, rebuking Capernaum by the seacoast.
That night I looked up the Scriptures. Come home, got the history book; and Sodom and Gomorrah was once a thriving city, a Gentile headquarters of the world.
And you know, that city, by an earthquake, sank into the Dead Sea. And Jesus stood, and said, “Capernaum, if Sodom would have had the works done in it that you’ve had done in you, it would have been standing today. But now you must be brought down to hell!”
And about two hundred or three hundred years after His prophecy, with all them coastal towns, every one of them still standing but Capernaum, and it lays in the bottom of the sea. An earthquake sunk it into the sea.
52 And then prophesying, “Los Angeles will be in the bottom of the sea.” And I come home, and went to Africa. And while I was in Africa, they had an earthquake.
(Bro. Branham tells about earthquake and scientist)
56 Said, “Well, course, will probably be many, many years from now.”
57 He said, “It can be in five minutes from now, or it can be in five years from now.” He just lotted five years.
58 But just as I sure was standing there under that Inspiration, put judgment on that West Coast, and then followed it right up here with the sinking of Los Angeles, she is gone! That’s right. It will happen. When? I don’t know. 65-0711 - "Ashamed"
Later on that year:
63 And you watch, the water will come plumb back into the Salton Sea. Los Angeles is doomed for judgment. I tell you before it happens, that you might know when it does happen.
I never spoke that by myself. And I’ve never had Him to tell me one thing but what happened. And you can bear record of that. That’s right. When? I don’t know. 65-1126 - "Works Is Faith Expressed"
How could we say we knew?
Maybe we misunderstood a prophet.
What about the sharks at the May building?
There may have been sharks swimming in the May building during Billy Paul’s lifetime, I can’t verify that, but I do know this, Los Angeles will fall. I will say this: Billy Paul is not an old man now.
According to a Prophet, he did not know when it would happen, God will interpret His own Word. How? By bringing it to pass.
Conclusion
Conclusion
357 All men are the same. All Christians are the same. There’s no great men among us. We’re not great men, not great women. We are all brothers and sisters, all the same, in the same bracket.
We’re no “great.” One don’t make one greater than the other one, not a thing at all, to do. No, sir. But we’re just all human beings.
358 Don’t try to interpret the things. Don’t try to do anything more than just live a close life, giving praise and honor to Jesus Christ. Everybody understand that now? And then love Him with all your heart. 63-0324E - "The Seventh Seal"