Signs of the End of the Ages The prophetic list of signs foretold in relation to the end of the world and the Coming of Christ for His Bride is quite lengthy, including an increase of knowledge, repetition of the circumstances of the days of Noah and Lot, the rise of anti-Christ, a flourishing global economy, wars and earthquakes. These conditions and the instability of world affairs, have convinced scientist, economist, politician and psychic, as well theologians, that a major catastrophe is imminent. I wish to alert you to one more vitally significant sign which, likewise, has found its fulfillment in our day. This sign is unique in that it is Gods essential warning before any major, scriptural happening. It is at once His most vivid yet most overlooked and misunderstood sign. Amos 3:7, Surely the Lord God will do NOTHING but He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Gods pattern of dealing with His people has always included sending prophets. Amos states emphatically that God does nothing without a prophetic forerunner. History also reveals that seldom was a prophet greeted without skepticism and abuse. No matter how great their Divine vindication, they suffered at the hands of those to whom they were sent. Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 23:3l-36, it was their forefathers who were guilty of the blood of ALL the prophets from Abel to Zechariah. Maintaining the consistency of His Word, God promised us a prophetic messenger to announce His second Coming. Only one ministry in this century could qualify as that messenger. William Branham was vindicated by god, and recognized by his contemporaries as a major prophet, then rejected by that wayward and arrogant Laodicean generation. Its commonly considered that since the first advent of Jesus Christ, God no longer uses prophets to minister to His people. A carnal interpretation of Scriptures such as Luke 16:16, The Law and the prophets were until John, and Hebrews 1:1, God, who at sundry times and in various ways spake in time past unto the fathers in the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us in His Son . . . is taken as proof of this. However these Scriptures do not point to a cessation of prophets. They state only that the partial Word of each Old Testament prophet was fully expressed in Christ, the Logos (or Word), when he appeared in flesh. The New Testament abounds with prophets after Christ, aside from the prophetic ministries obviously manifest in the Apostles Peter, Paul and John. Lets consider Ephesians 3:l-5: For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me toward you: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. [In other words, Im a vindicated prophet]). Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, (or prophets -- Ezekiel 2:1,) as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Here Paul shows that New Testament prophets not only exist but are ordained to carry the mysteries that the Old Testament prophets (sons of men) under the Law saw as a shadow. In THESE last days God has spoken unto us by His Son, defines the FIRST advent. The Son is STILL speaking through His ordained messengers. The Scriptures are equally clear that a PROPHETIC ministry would be focal at the END of the world; FIRST, to RESTORE the Gentiles to the TRUE Message of the Son, (the Logos or Word), and SECOND, to deliver the Message of the Messiah to Israel during the great tribulation (Revelation 11). The following Scriptures together, point to this Gentile forerunner: Amos 3:7, Surely the Lord God will do NOTHING, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets. Remember -- before any significant, Scriptural event, God ALWAYS speaks to a prophet. For example, Noah before the flood, Abraham before the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah; Moses to deliver Israel; John the Baptist before Christs first advent, Paul to the Gentiles, the two witnesses to the Jews of Revelation 11. Malachi 4:5-6, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. The Spirit of Elijah is here prophesied to PRECEDE the Day of the Lord. Any Bible student understands the great and dreadful Day of the Lord is the END of the age when plagues of Gods judgment are poured out upon the Christ-rejecting Gentiles (Isaiah 2:12,19; I Thessalonians 5:2,3; II Peter 3:10). Notice this TWOFOLD prophecy, Elijah WILL come: To turn the heart of the FATHERS to the children, To turn the heart of the CHILDREN to their fathers. In the following Scriptures we will see where this prophecy was PARTIALLY fulfilled. Luke 1:17, And he shall go before Him in the Spirit and power of Elijah; to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This speaks of course, of John the Baptist, but notice: the Holy Spirit DIVIDED the prophecy of Malachi and showed John fulfilling the FIRST part only; John did NOT precede the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. He preceded the EARTHLY ministry of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Matthew 17:10-12, And His disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must FIRST come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly SHALL first come, and RESTORE all things, But I say unto you, That Elijah is come ALREADY and they knew him not . . . Notice how Christ maintains the CONTINUITY of the previous Scriptures, also dividing the prophecy concerning the Elijah ministry. Jesus indicates that PART of the Elijah ministry is already fulfilled and part REMAINS to be fulfilled. In this further aspect of the Elijah ministry, He declares he will RESTORE all things. II Thessalonians 2:3, Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall NOT come, except there come a falling away FIRST and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Paul was stating that the Lords Day would not come UNTIL there was a FALLING AWAY. The Greek word is apostasia and means a FORSAKING of the faith. If we continue through II Thessalonians 2, noting particularly verses l2 to I5, it becomes evident that Paul was warning of a falling away from the WORD of God as delivered by the Apostles. This is precisely what ensued from about the fourth century, when Roman Catholicism gained pre-eminence, REPLACING the authority of Scripture with the authority of church dogma, marrying Christianity with PAGANISM. Acts 3:20-21, And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive UNTIL the times of restitution of ALL things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of ALL His holy prophets since the world began. That is, the FULLNESS of the Word. Notice the similarity to Matthew l7:11. Peter agrees that BEFORE Christs return, there must be a restitution or RESTORATION and identifies all things as Gods Word SPOKEN by the mouth of all His holy prophets. It is a restoration of ALL the Word of God and as the Word comes ONLY to a prophet, God must send US a prophet in THIS day (II Peter 1:20-21). Let us now APPLY this Scriptural picture to our concluding text to establish: Elijah is to restore ALL things (Matthew l7:11.) ALL THINGS are to be restored BEFORE the second PHYSICAL Coming of Christ (Acts 3:2l.) ALL THINGS refers to Gods Word AS it came through His prophets (Acts 3:2l; II Thessalonians 2:3; II Peter 1:20-21.) Revelation 10:7, But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the PROPHETS. The angel to the SEVENTH or Laodicean Church Age is identified as the messenger who would preach the mystery of God that has been declared to the prophets. This mystery is HOW God incarnate and gained the pre-eminence of Christ, HOW Christ redeemed His Bride in each age, and is gaining the pre-eminence of His end-time Bride, and HOW He will RESTORE us back to Eden. This incarnation of God in Christ and Christ in His true Church is the WHOLE Message of Gods holy prophets and apostles. This seventh angel then will REAFFIRM this SAME Word or Logos TO the end-time Gentile church. The end-time began when Jesus opened the Seven Seals and revealed them through this prophet (Daniel 12:4, 9; Revelation 10:4). The first three chapters of the Book of Revelation describe the CHARACTERISTICS and CONDITION of seven Gentile churches once located in Asia Minor typing Seven Church AGES to come. It is erroneous to presume that this discourse ONLY had an application to Johns day. The FIRST verse of the Revelation describes its contents as things which must shortly come to pass (in the FUTURE). Thus the ENTIRE Book is PROPHETIC, beginning with the IMMEDIATE future and continuing through the Gentile dispensation to the calling of the 144,000 Israelites, the Millennium, the White Throne Judgment and even the new Jerusalem. These seven churches then were ALSO prophetic and their characteristics applied to seven AGES within the dispensation allotted by God to the Gentiles. From Ephesus to Laodicea, EACH Age had an angel who would bring it a Message from God. These angels are NOT to heavenly but to earthly messengers through whom the Spirit speaks to the churches. Over the past two thousand years, God has raised up a succession of great, spiritual leaders such as Paul, Irenaeus, Martin, Columba, Luther, and Wesley to preserve the faith, from age to age. AFTER the Dark Ages, the reformers were anointed to BEGIN a RESTORATION. God blessed the ministries of Luther and Wesley with mighty revivals as the Light of His Word was reopening to them. The followers of these messengers, however, refused to KEEP ON walking in the Light AS God was CONTINUING to unveil it. They stopped at a partial restoration, organized, denominated, then died and assumed the formalistic characteristics of the organization from which they were once delivered. Revelation 10:7 states that the ministry of the seventh angel, or the angel to the Laodicean Church Age, would be to finish the COMPLETE mystery. This FINAL messenger will declare ALL the Word, from which the EARLY church apostatized, AND reveal the mystery surrounding the rapture and the second appearing of the Lord Jesus. * * * Ill warrant those who know only what organized religions teach know nothing of the prophet Jesus promised God would send us in THIS day. The MAJORITY is always wrong in Spiritual matters. So unless were constantly in the Word, we wont be familiar with what God is doing NOW? Unless were constantly in the Word, well have to rely upon what OTHERS say. IF those others are DENOMINATIONAL ministers and priests, theyre beholden to organizational creeds and the educated guesses of DEAD men, not free to follow the LEADING of the Spirit. Nations assume the authority of a god over their citizens, because they have the power to take their life. Denomi-nations have power to destroy their soul. Those who refuse to submit to their authority are branded heretics, or the ENEMY, and excluded from certain privileges reserved for those who yield allegiance and accept their mark. This happened to Elijah, Jesus, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and William Branham. Throughout history, ALL men who have been signally used of God were REJECTED by organization. Organized religion is NOT of God. In Isaiah 8 God calls it accursed; in Revelation 2 and 19, Jesus says its end is the Lake of Fire At the end of this GENTILE dispensation, ALL the organizations will UNITE and agree to give their support to the Beast. Therell be a BOYCOTT against the faith and the non-elect will receive their teachings and do their bidding or be KILLED. But following a brief and powerful display of the Spirit -- UNKNOWN to anyone except the end-time Bride, or TRUE Church -- God will take them Home for the Wedding Supper. FAITH is Spiritual revelation, or a clear understanding of Gods Word. As Gods Word comes only to a prophet, the unchanging God sent us a prophet to RESTORE the apostolic faith, FINISH the mystery of God, and call His elect OUT from all man-made systems into the UNITY of the faith for the MANIFESTATION of the Sons of God and the translation. His Sheep RECEIVE that revelation, but to the majority it REMAINS a mystery. In Acts 3:21 Peter prophesied, Heaven must receive Jesus Christ UNTIL the times of RESTORATION of ALL things, which God has spoken by the mouth of ALL His holy prophets SINCE the world began. Or, When That which is PERFECT is Come -- the FULLNESS of the Word (Christ)! This matches the prophecy of II Peter 3:2-4, REMEMBER the Words which were spoken BEFORE by the holy prophets, AND the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: knowing this first, that there shall come in the LAST days SCOFFERS, walking after their own CREEDS, and saying, Where is the promise of His (PAROUSIA) Coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. As Ishmael SCOFFED at Isaac, so these men of REPROBATE minds concerning the one and ONLY faith SCOFF at the RIGHTEOUS. Peter said they would. His prophecy is coming TRUE today. Denominational children of the bondwoman will NOT be heir with the Son of the FREE woman, or TRUE Church. Thats why Jesus promised faithfully in Gods unchanging Word, to send US a prophet in these last days to RESTORE the apostolic faith, FINISH the Mystery of God, and call His people OUT from the SIN of organized religion. Can you see It? The BIBLE promised us a genuine, vindicated WORD prophet in the Spirit and power of Elijah to RESTORE our heart to the understanding once delivered unto the saints? Peter prophesied the destruction of OUR world by fire as it was in the days of Lot. The destiny of denominational believers in THIS day is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 2:21-24; 19:20; 20:10). Revelation 10:7, promised that in the days of the Voice of the SEVENTH angel -- BEFORE he sounds his MESSAGE, Jesus will have opened the SEVEN SEALS, and the mystery God has already declared through His holy prophets will be REVEALED. This Voice IS Christ. If you can receive it, the revelation of the Seven Seals brought Christ back to earth in WORD Form in 1963. The Message of this prophet was the Shout of I Thessalonians 4:16 which AWAKENS both wise and foolish virgins as Jesus foretold in Matthew 25:6. BOTH trim their lamps. A lamp is something that gives LIGHT in the absence of the sun. But we walk by FAITH not by SIGHT, so the virgin trim their FAITH, circumcising their understanding of all denominational teaching, which Jesus calls SIN. The shout calls Gods elect OUT from UNBELIEF in the revealed Word and is the new birth of the WISE virgin in THIS day. Revelation 18:4, I heard another VOICE from heaven (this is the Voice of the Archangel, -- Christ, in the heart of the Bride, CONFIRMING the shout of the Prophets Message from Genesis to Revelation) saying, Come OUT of her (not everybody), MY people, that you dont partake of her SINS (or UNBELIEF), and receive not of her (Tribulation) plagues. The Trump marks the end of the Gentile dispensation, calling the Bride to the manifestation of the Sons of God during the resurrection of the Church Age saints, and calls the 144,000 to their Feast of Trumpets and Atonement. Now dont imagine Brother Anthony told you not to go to church. You MUST attend church, ESPECIALLY as you see the day of the Lord so close. Try to find a CHRISTIAN Church, one that believes and preaches the FULL Gospel -- and the PRESENT Truth. But if you CANT find such a Church, attend an organization. And live the Life as a TESTIMONY to the Hope within your soul. If you cant get a loaf you might find a few crumbs. But DONT receive their ERROR. DONT accept what Ive said just because I said It. TAKE what Ive said BACK to your Bible, and PROVE It. Make absolutely certain it is what Gods said. I want you to be resting on God and His promises for this day, and to know it by faith. God is only making epistles of the PRESENT Truth. We MUST recognize OUR day and ITS Message because Christians can only manifest the Word He is fulfilling NOW (I John 1:7). When we can see the PRESENT Truth coming to pass in OUR lives, we have found OUR position in the Body of Christ. We KNOW we are born again and sealed to the day of our redemption.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 03:36:15 +0000
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