The gospel is not in words only, but also the demonstration of powers. If all you have is the word, you don’t have the complete gospel yet, if you have the power and the word is lacking, you don’t have the gospel also, but if you have the word and the power, then you have the gospel. For the true bride of Christ, they have the word, and the power and they are being perfected into the very image of Christ as they behold Him in the mirror of His Word. The word of God, therefore, is the dividing line, the separating tool between the bride and churchgoers.
Text: Jeremiah 7:25-26, Malachi 3:1-3, Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 4:21, 1Timothy 3:16, Matthew 17:10, Matthew 13:10-11, Isaiah 40:3, 1Corinthians 1:25-29, Matthew 11:10, John 1:6-10, Luke1:13
Should God do anything at any time, it was needed and they would have a pivotal role to play in His purposes. He sent the prophet Moses to the children of Israel whilst in Egypt, and from that time, He never ceased sending His children messengers to put them in His consciousness. The problem however is that the people He’s sending to can sometimes be too rigid to comprehend God’s instruction.
Lastly in the Old Testament, God sent Malachi the prophet, and He gave prophecies that are vital to the New Testament believers, we can say that, to us, Malachi was a major prophet. Let’s consider some of His prophecies.
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
It will interest you to know that Malachi is always speaking of two prophets at the same time, and sometimes, has twofold fulfillment. If we should consider carefully the scripture above, the first “messenger” that would prepare the way before “me” are two different people. The “messenger” is the office of John the Baptist, who prepared the way before Jesus Christ at His first coming. The “me” is Jesus Christ.
He also spoke about “the Lord coming into His Temple” which could signify twofold fulfillment: when Jesus Christ entered the synagogue and read a portion of the book of Isaiah, and said unto them that, “this day, this scripture is fulfilled before you”, that was a part of “the Lord coming into His Temple” and also, when He received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at river Jordan, that was another fulfillment of the same prophecy. This prophecy is very important to the New Testament Believers.
In Malachi 4:5-6, there was another important prophecy to the Gentile that Malachi gave;
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 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.
There are two ministries and fulfillment in this text: there are two Elijahs, the first Elijah would turn the heart of the Jewish fathers to the apostolic children (of Jesus Christ), and the second Elijah would turn the heart of the children to their apostolic fathers. The word “and” is the conjunction that separated these two events, which are far apart in fulfillment. The first would come at Christ’s first coming, the second would come at Christ’s second coming. This first Elijah was the one Malachi spoke of in Malachi 3:1, who would prepare the way before the Lord. He was John the Baptist. We should be able to bring perspective to this scripture with Jesus’ answer in Matthew 17:10:
10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
The disciples had an experience when Jesus was transfigured and they saw Moses and Elijah. Then they were forced to ask Jesus after the experience why the scribes said that Elias must first come. Jesus also spoke of two Elijahs here. Jesus spoke about a future Elijah who would restore all things. The word “shall” makes it obvious that “this Elijah” is in the future. Meanwhile, He answered their question by emphatically saying “That Elijah (which you ask me about) has come already but he wasn’t known.
John’s Prophesy and Ministry
John did come in the spirit of Elijah but his ministry was to prepare the way before Jesus Christ, he never restored anything. He only preached for 6 months. He was the bridge between the Old Testament and the Old Testament. His ministry was prophesied in Isaiah 40
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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. Luke 1
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
When the angel was explaining the ministry of John to his father, he made it clear that his ministry was the first part of Malachi’s prophesy in Malachi 4:5-6 -to turn the heart of the fathers to the children. This means that the Elijahs in that scripture is two, John the Baptist, with the ministry of preparation to turn the heart of the fathers to the children; and another man who shall come in the spirit and power of Elias, to restore all things -to restore the heart of the end time children to the faith of the apostolic fathers.
DID JOHN FULFILL HIS COMMISSION?
As said, before the first coming of the Messiah, there would be a forerunner who would come in the power and spirit of Elijah, this Elijah’s ministry is to prepare the way for the Lord. He is to point the people to the Messiah. Taking note of what this office holds, did John really fulfilled this ministry or not?
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Remarkably, between the Old Testament and the New Testament is a space of 400 years (that’s about 4 generations of human beings), and various waves might have blown, people claiming to be what they are not. Several people and books were written but God would not allow them to be written with His sacred books because neither were they His inbreathe nor are they proven. However, events are made clear by prophecies, whoever would fulfill this long-spoken prophecy of Malachi must fit exactly into the prophecy.
John came almost at the end of the 400 years gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and there was no way he could have read about the prophecy of Malachi because he went into the wilderness at the age of 9 according to history. He also did not preach the law of Moses, rather He was pointing to Messiah –“Behold the lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world”. This was the record that John bore.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. -John 1
John, without doubt, was the fulfillment of the first part of Malachi’s prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6. That was why when he saw his disciples leaving and going to Christ, he wasn’t angry -it was the fulfillment of his ministry.
35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
John did not go into the temple of Solomon because a greater temple is coming, which his ministry was to forerun. God, preparing a body for Himself, would dwell among men, to redeem them and pay the price of salvation. The temple would then change from a structural temple that Solomon built to the tabernacle, Jesus.
John was the only one that saw the Spirit descending upon Jesus from heaven, he was also the only one that heard the Voice that spoke to Jesus after his baptism. That was how God wanted to do His work, it doesn’t matter whether or not people believe it, He will vindicate His words in a simple way. Those who are destined for it would believe it.
Although God would use the spirit of Elijah five times, the Jews would receive Elijah four times: the first was Elijah the Tishbite, and when Elijah died, Elisha came forth in the same spirit of Elijah (2King 2:1). After this, Jews received John the Baptist, that Malachi prophesied. (We have taken the time to explain that). After the rapture, God will send His Two Witnesses to the Jews, who would come in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. Revelation 11 detailed this.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
WILL THE TWO WITNESSES RESTORE THE HEART OF THE JEWISH CHILDREN TO THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS?
No, the two witnesses will not restore the Jewish children to the apostolic faith, rather they will preach Jesus Christ to them. The Jews did not derail from the doctrine of One God to trinity, they would not have female Priests or High Priests, and they would not have female Prophets.
The Gentiles are the ones that deviated from the true doctrines of God to believe the dogmas of the Nicolaitanes, Jezebel, and other creeds of the great whore. Thus, the second Elijah in Malachi 4:5-6 would be to the Gentiles.
THE SECOND ELIJAH OF MALACHI 4:5-6
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 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.
We have successfully been able to divide that scriptural into its fulfilling part; part A was John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the heart of the fathers to the heart of the children. The fathers in this first part are the Jews. Romans 9 proved that.
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
The children in this first part are the disciples of Jesus Christ -the New Testament believers.
Now, we need to establish who the second Elijah is. First, let’s establish who are the fathers in this part B because they are different from the fathers of the first part. It is not possible for one Elijah to meet the fathers and turn their faith to the faith of the children, and at the same time meet the children and turn their faith to the faith of the fathers. To say it as it is, it is not possible for one Elijah to turn the Old Testament Jews to the faith of Jesus Christ, and then turn the faith of the disciples of Christ to believe the law of Moses. God was doing away with the shadow of the “good things to come” into the real thing, thus, what God is doing now cannot intermeddle with the shadow. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
…and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
The second part started with the word “and” which holds thousands of years apart between the fulfillment of the first Elijah to the second. That “and” holds the time of the seven church ages. The fathers in this second part are the children of the first part. With them, Christ founded the New Testament faith, and they became the fathers of the faith of the New Testament.
9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 1Corinthians 3:9-10
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2Peter 1:1
The apostles of Christ laid the foundation of the New Testament faith, through them, Christ sowed the seed of the gospel in the first church age. Meanwhile, we know that the Gentile dispensation is divided into seven dispensations. The light of the gospel which dominated the first church age was diminishing as the men who laid the foundation slept in Christ. Romanism almost squeezed the light out. She picked leaven and hid it in three measures of meal. Thanks to God for Martin Luther who again brought back the light in a little way to the Church, after which God used John Wesley. The culmination of the church ages will end in the seventh, and Christ leaves us with a promise in Revelation 10:7
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 mystery of God as revealed to us by Paul in the scriptures is the engrafting of the Gentiles into Christ -that the Gentiles would be fellow heirs of the promise (what we can call the time when the Jews will believe the true God). The Bible then reveals to us that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, which is the angel of the Laodicea church age, the mystery of God would be finished. This means that at the end of the sounding of the voice of the seventh angel, God would be done with the Gentiles.
To understand the significance of the seventh angel, it is important to say here that the whole Gentile time is “one day” that is not day or night -this paradox talks of the striving for light and darkness in the church ages. The devil was strategically fighting the gospel of God in all ages, riding on his deceptive horses. However, Christ would not leave Himself without a witness, He promised that in the evening time (the seventh church age), there shall be light. (Zachariah 14)
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
This is the age where God would again establish His truth as revealed by the apostolic fathers, and He would restore the heart of the end time children who are gone astray, back to the faith of the apostolic fathers. God will bring to light all the truth that has been hidden by Romanism. Let’s see this in Matthew 25:
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
This is the ministry of the seventh angel, it was a message of the SHOUT -back to the faith of the apostles. His ministry is to awaken all the slumbering virgins to trim their lamps and meet the Bridegroom -Jesus Christ -the Word of God.
DID WILLIAM MARRION BRANHAM FULFILL THIS COMMISSION?
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Thessalonains 4
The SHOUT is CRY in Matthew 25 that would awake the virgins, for Christ will not come and have nothing to harvest to Himself, this is why He would descend with these three things for the preparation and furnishing of the bride that Christ would rapture to Himself.
It was at the foot of Spring Street at Jeffersonville, Indiana when Willaim Marrion Branham was baptizing the 17th person at the Ohio river in 1933, a voice spoke from Heaven saying to him that “as John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, you are sent with a message that would forerun the second coming of Christ.”
This is the ministry of the second Elijah who shall restore all things as said by Jesus Christ and restore the heart of the children back to the apostolic fathers as prophesied by Malachi.
Events are made clear by prophecies, William Marrion Branham unequivocally was the one that fulfilled the ministry of the second Elijah. The baptism he preached was the same as what the apostles preached, his doctrines were from the Bible, to say it as it is, he preached what Paul preached. A perfect revelation about the church ages and their angel was revealed to him, more so, the revelation of the seven seals was revealed to him. Controversial people believe he derailed his ministry when he switched from healing the sick to teaching the word of God. This is not true. Miracles and signs are baits that the prophet, Branham used to invite the people to hear the word of the kingdom. The prophecy is to restore the faith of the children to the faith of the fathers, and you don’t do that with miracles. Faith is beyond signs and wonders. If all the prophet did was miracles, signs, and wonders, he can fit into that position. We are blessed to know better.
As the ministry of Elijah, the Tishbite gave birth to the ministry of Elisha; the ministry of William Marrion Branham produced the fivefold ministry. (Ephesians 4)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The fivefold ministry is not different from the SHOUT but a continuation, just as Elisha was to Elijah.
YOUR DILIGENCE IS UNDER THE SHOUT MINISTRY
In Matthew 25, when the SHOUT cried out, all the virgins arose and they begin to trim their lamps, putting their lives in order by the word of God. This is the responsibility of everyone who must overcome in this end time. Your diligence is required in the time of the SHOUT, that is the time to trim your lamps, that is the time to overcome, that is the time to make sure that you’re right with God because, after the sounding of that SHOUT, the mystery of God would be finished. There is no more time to repent, there is no more time to trim your lamps. All teachings and preaching will be concluded in the SHOUT.
Add diligence to make your calling and election sure. If you can make it at the SHOUT, you don’t have to worry about the last two phenomenal. God takes responsibility from there and perfects His work of grace. Your quest and your labor should be exerted in the time of the SHOUT. Labor to enter into God’s rest, Labor to overcome, then you are secured in the time of the VOICE OF ARCHANGEL, and the TRUMPET. (Zachariah 4)
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
What the SHOUT would teach, and all it holds are written in the Bible, but when that is over, what the VOICE of ARCHANGEL holds is not written in the scriptures. The VOICE is the VOICE of the MIGHTY ANGEL in Revelation 10:1
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
This VOICE is for the living saints, and it holds the ministry of the seven thunders. This Mighty Angel would minister something to the seven thunders that are for the bride. This we do not know, because it is not written in the scriptures. This is why you should not worry about it, just make sure you are right with God in paying diligence in the SHOUT, and it will be God’s responsibility to keep you through till rapture.
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
Stay in the middle of the line, stay with the word of God, even if it tarries, it will not fail, it will surely come to pass, says the Bible: Habakkuk 2:3
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
I Corinthians tells us of the hope that awaits the bride of Christ
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Shalom