The Contender Vol 7 No 5

Today we are approaching a subject about which for years I searched for the answer, tried to link together certain verses of scripture in the Book of Revelation. How often we read over something, never once laying any importance on some certain word (such as woe) when that may be the very word which holds the key to unlock the hidden mystery. The word WOE found in Rev. 8:12-13 under the fourth trumpet, certainly has no reference to the term Whoa used in the sense of stopping a team of horses. No! On the contrary, Webster's Dictionary defines WOE as relating to extreme sorrow; to extreme grief. As a matter of fact, WOE used here indicates to be immersed (covered) in grief or sorrow.

For ages, Christianity as well as the Old Testament Jewish saints have all believed that someday there would be a resurrection of the dead, but not until Paul’s revelation unto the church was it known the order of the resurrection and that God intended to have a translation (or catching away) of the living saints who were pleasing unto him. However, since Paul’s great revelation, the church now knows that the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) according to the revelation of scripture assures us, though our physical body be dead and decayed beneath the sod, when that hour arrives we have the blessed assurance our corruptible bodies according to Rom. 8, especially verses 11-23, as well as our spirits were included in the redeemed purchased price of Calvary and therefore also awaits the change from mortal to immortality! Somewhere before us, Paul’s revelation declares, there will be a “catching away” of a living realm of people. Just when, how or what all the glorious circumstances surrounding this event will consist of, I do not know! We only know what the scripture teaches and it teaches in many places since Paul’s revelation to the church, there is a resurrection for the dead saints and a translation for the living saints and both events are to transpire within the same time period.

N PART ONE OF THIS MESSAGE WE GAVE PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE IDENTIFYING OF VOICE, VOICES, TRUMPET, TRUMPETS, THUNDER AND THUNDERS FOR THESE WORDS HOLD THE KEY AS TO WHO IS DOING THE SPEAKING. WE ALSO PLACED SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT THEIR VOICES, AS FOUND IN REVELATION 10:3, DEFINITELY POINTS TO THE VOICES OF MORE THAN ONE, AND THE FACT THAT IT IS THUNDERS, UTTERING THEIR VOICES, LETS US KNOW THAT THE VOICES ARE SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF GOD. THE SCRIPTURES WELL ESTABLISH THE FAT THAT WHEN GOD SPEAKS SPECIFICALLY, BYSTANDERS USUALLY ALWAYS HEAR IT AS THUNDER, THEREFORE WHATEVER IS BEING SPOKEN BY THE VOICES (PLURAL) OF THE SEVEN THUNDERS, DEFINITELY IS THE WORD OF THE LORD COMING FORTH, BUT PLEASE DO NOT MISS THE KEY HERE: GOD IS ONE AND THIS VERSE TELLS US THAT SEVEN THUNDERS UTTERED THEIR VOICES.

For the basis of our study today we are discussing one of Christ ‘s most profound and puzzling parables recorded in Matt. 13:36. Isn’t it strange that no other parable of this segment of seven recorded here ever puzzled the disciples as did this second one concerning the wheat and tares growing together.

OUR MAY ISSUE ENDED WITH BRO. JACKSON SPEAKING OF THE DENOMINATIONS THAT WERE FORMED FROM THE TRUTH GOD HAD REVEALED TO THE MEN WHO WERE USED OF GOD IN THE REFORMATION, AND HOW THEY HAD JUST RESTED ON THAT ONE PARTICULAR REVEALED TRUTH AND NEVER MOVED ON WITH GOD BEYOND THAT, SO WE WILL INSERT THE LAST FEW LINES OF OUR LAST ISSUE, TO PICK UP THE THOUGHT AND CONTINUE ON.

Rev. James Allen, pastor of Faith Assembly Church, continues reviewing the book of Ezekiel describing the Third Temple which will be constructed one day in Jerusalem. He also reviews the scriptures concerning the future border of the nation of Israel which they will inhabit during the Millennium.

I remember when Bro. William Branham preached the seals. Shortly after the seals were preached he said, I plan to bring a message on the trumpets next, but when the time came he said the Lord told me it is not time. This morning I would like for you to turn with me to the 6th chapter of Revelation. We are going to take these verses of scripture and place them out on the chart where they actually fit into the time factor. If you notice the 6th chapter, this was a chapter from which Bro. William Branham took all the texts when he preached on the seals up and through the sixth seal. If you notice the seventh seal does not follow in succession, like four follows three and five follows four.

I want us to go back, and instead of leaving the Jews in Babylon and hurrying to the 70 weeks of Daniel, pick up the course the Jews followed and see how the ark of the covenant fit into the picture. We need to see what it symbolized. I touched on certain things earlier, to get certain things in your mind; but now we need to go back to Ezekiel, to the 11th chapter, and familiarize ourselves with the whole setting.