“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (Jn. 14:3).

Brother Branham said, “There are three comings of Christ. He came once to redeem His Bride. He comes the next in the Rapture to catch away His Bride. He comes again in the Millennium with His Bride.” (Spoken Word is the Original Seed).

His first coming is sufficiently described in the four gospels, from the very birth of our Lord and Saviour right to His ascension to heaven.

According to Mt. 25, our Lord comes as Bridegroom to take His Bride with Him to glory: “… and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” (25:10).

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.” (1. Cor. 15:39-58).

In 1. Ths. 4 the Apostle Paul also referred to the Return of Jesus Christ and described the event in detail: “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. 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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (vv. 13-18).

The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1. Jn. 3:2). Every coming of the Lord is “Parousia” – bodily presence.

In 2. Ths. 2:1-2 the Apostle Paul warned the believers, saying, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us …”

Our concern is the Return of our beloved Lord and the direct warning given to all of us about His second coming: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”(2. Jn. 7). Right after this very strong statement we read, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (v. 9).

The denial of the bodily Return of our Lord and Saviour is the worst heresy and is placed into the same category as the Antichrist; therefore, it is immediately followed by the next admonition: “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed …” (v. 10). Try the spirits; try the teachers and their doctrines.

Quote of Brother Branham: “Now, we are looking forward for the coming of the Lord in our generation … the physical return of the Lord Jesus to take a physical people, glorified by His cleansing Blood.” (The invisible Union of the Bride of Christ, November 25, 1965).

Whoever denies the bodily Return of Jesus Christ is possessed by an antichrist spirit. This also applies to those who spiritualise the second coming and teach that the Lord has already come. They are blinded by arrogance and place themselves above God’s Word. At the Return of Jesus Christ, everything will come to pass exactly as it is written, namely: “… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Lk. 24:50; Acts 1:11). We must respect this, for it is Thus saith the Lord in His Word.

In like manner, all the Scriptures that deal with the different comings, which are no longer in connection with the Church and the Rapture, have to be viewed in the correct context. We know that the Return of our Lord, namely the Rapture, takes place before the great tribulation sets in. Brother Branham pointed that out repeatedly. Paul wrote to the believers: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming/return?” (1. Ths. 2:19).

There are still other comings of the Lord which are not in connection with the Church that are mentioned in various Scriptures, for instance, in Mt. 25, from verse 31: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory …” In 2. Ths. 1:7-8 we read, “… when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance …” Other examples are found in Rev. 16:15-16 and Rev. 19, from verse 11. It is imperative to always refer back to the Old Testament in order to know precisely what is meant and what the correct context is.

What about the coming of our Lord in Mt. 24:29-30? “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

That Scripture is not talking about the coming of the Bridegroom, but about the coming of the Son of man after the great tribulation, when the sun has turned into darkness and the moon no longer gives its light. This coming falls into the period of the sixth seal (Rev. 6, from verse 12). Rev. 1:7 also testifies of it: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

“… and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced …” (Zec. 12:9-10).

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:13-14).

Rev. 11, from verse 15, explains it even further: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

In this context we read about the seventh trumpet angel, who is also mentioned in Rev. 10:7. On March 17, 1963, Brother Branham said the following in reference to this Scripture in his sermon “The Breach …”:“I’m just not making that up … It’s thus saith the Lord. I’ll read it to you out of the Book: ‘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 thus saith the Lord of Brother Branham must not and cannot be touched. In the same statement he provided this clarification in connection with the seventh trumpet angel and the descent of the Angel of the covenant: “And when the Seals are broken and the mystery is revealed, down comes the Angel, the Messenger, Christ, setting His foot upon the land and upon the sea with a rainbow over His head. Now remember, this seventh angel is on earth at the time of this coming.”

Please, pay close attention: Not at the Return of Christ, when His Bride meets Him as the Bridegroom in the air, but when He comes down as the Angel of the covenant is this, not the seventh angel, but this seventh angel on earth. It takes place not at the opening of the Seals 1963, but after the seals are broken. “… 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.” (Mal. 3:1b).

The seven trumpet angels are introduced at the opening of the seventh seal. In his sermon about the seventh seal, Brother Branham only read the first verse in chapter 8 about the half an hour silence in heaven. But directly after this, John saw what is written from verse 2: “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.” In the Hebrew Bible the word shofar is used, which in our Bible was translated as “trumpet.” The word shofar is also found in nine other places (Rev. 8:6; 8:8; 8:10; 8:12; 8:13; 9:1; 9:13; 10:7; 11:15). This shows very clearly that the contents of the seventh seal are not in connection with the seven church angels (Rev. 2+3), but with the seven trumpet angels who stand before God.

After the first four trumpet angels have sounded their shofar, it states, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet/shofar of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” (Rev. 8:13). In chapter 9 the fifth and the sixth angel sound their trumpets and only the one of the seventh angel remains to be heard. The seventh angel in Rev. 10:7 is clearly not the seventh church age messenger, but the seventh trumpet angel. The thus saith the Lord of Brother Branham unmistakably refers to the voice of the seventh trumpet angel, for then the mystery of God will be finished.

When Brother Branham referred to Rev. 10 in connection with his ministry, he used the plural form — “mysteries.” This is a very important distinction because it was through the messenger of the Laodicean church age that all these mysteries were to be revealed, from Gen. 1 to the last chapter of the Bible. That is, indeed, how it came to pass. It was the task of the last messenger to bring the last message. Rev. 10:7 speaks about the “mystery of God” in the singular form, and it will come to an end when the seventh trumpet angel sounds. It is very clearly stated in the Holy Scripture. Christ is the mystery of God revealed (1. Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:2-3; a. o.): “… and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, … In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The mystery of God in Christ remained hidden to the Jews back then, but when their time comes, it will be revealed unto them as well.

In regard to this matter, God’s Word is also clear and cannot be misunderstood. The serious mistake that is being made is that the quotes and Scriptures which, in fact, speak of the different comings are only being applied to the Return of Christ — His second coming. It is essential to properly discern the Scriptures and to correctly place each one into its divine order. The moment is coming when everyone will have to agree with God and His Word. Blessed is the one who already does it in the here and now.

In the New Testament, only the first part of Mal. 3:1, which refers to John the Baptist, is mentioned: “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” (Mt. 11:10). The second part about the Angel of the covenant, who will come to His holy temple, was not mentioned there because it had not been fulfilled then. The promise of the Angel of the covenant was back then and is even now still in the future.

“… 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. 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. “ (Mal. 3:1b-2).

In Rev. 11:1 the rebuilt temple is being measured. According to 2. Ths. 2:4-8, the Antichrist will sit in the Temple of God, but at that coming to the Jews, the Lord will slay him with the breath of His lips (Isa. 11:4).

In Rev. 10 we see the Angel of the covenant coming down with a rainbow upon His head, clothed with a cloud (v. 1). Since this event takes place after the opening of the Seals, He has the open book in His hand. Then, as the rightful owner, He sets one foot on the earth and the other upon the sea (v. 2), “… And cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth …” That is the time when the seven thunders shall utter their voices (v. 3). What was said does not concern us, for it has no connection with the Church and was not allowed to be written: “Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” (v. 4).

We respect the divine decision and leave the things God will do solely unto Him. Only then will the Angel of the covenant, who will stand on the earth and upon the sea, lift up His right hand toward heaven and swear “… by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer …” In that instant, time will cease; there will be no further delay. “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.” In chapter 11, after the ministry of the two prophets is completed and they are taken up to heaven in a cloud (v. 12), the seventh angel then sounds his trumpet, as announced in Rev. 10:7, and the Kingdom of God is proclaimed. Absolutely everything is in perfect order.

The Prophet Daniel foresaw how the angel would lift up his hands and swear and wrote that from that moment until the commencement of the divine reign there would only be three and a half years left. “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” (Dan. 12:6-7). God could not have said it more clearly. Especially for this subject we could quote a number of applicable Scriptures that show when and in which context the Lion of the tribe of Judah will roar:

“The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice …” (Jer. 25:30‑31).

“They shall walk after the Lord: He shall roar like a lion …” (Hos. 11:10).

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem …” (Joel 3:15-17).

In Rev. 10:7 we have the announcement; in Rev. 11:15 we have the fulfilment. Whoever reads it carefully will recognise that at that very moment, when the seventh trumpet angel sounds his shofar and announces the Kingdom of God on earth, the mystery of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord, is finished. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” (Rev. 11:15-17).

It was a grave mistake to interpret the voice of the seventh angel in Rev. 10:7 as the Voice of God, even though there is no mention of the Voice of God or the voice of the seventh church age messenger in that verse. It is incontestably the voice of the seventh trumpet angel. Brother Branham had the right to refer to this prophetic Scripture in regard to his ministry. As we have seen time and again, prophetic Scriptures often have a twofold application. Please, compare the following: “… Israel is my son, even my firstborn …” (Ex. 4:22). “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hos. 11:1). “… that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Mt. 2:15). The key word here is “son.” The events that are described there are entirely different, but the same prophetic Scripture in Hos. 11:1 applies to both of them.

A brother who was only ten years old when Brother Branham was taken to glory in 1965 came up with the idea 20 years later to declare that the voice of Brother Branham is the Voice of God which everyone has to hear personally; therefore, all who believe it assert that only Brother Branham may be heard and that no one else has the right to preach. Due to the fact that they quote solely his statements without taking them back to the Scriptures and correctly placing them therein, they get pulled deeper and deeper into the quicksand of the numerous unscriptural interpretations, which they even rank above the Word of God.

We respect the unique, infallible ministry that God gave to Brother Branham in direct connection with His plan of Salvation. All those who are born of God will hear and believe the promised Word for our time. However, we categorically reject any interpretation of the Word and, likewise, the glorification of a man in any form, which is nothing else but idolatry. The Voice of God in the Word of God remains for all eternity. The honour and glory belong to God Alone through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Now that the Return of Christ is imminent, these matters must be clarified and correctly and scripturally placed in their divine order. All the untrue doctrines in the numerous denominations are based upon misunderstood and wrongly interpreted Scriptures; in like manner, every one of the false teachings within the circles of the message came into existence with the incorrect application of Brother Branham’s statements. Neither God’s Word nor the message that the prophet brought are at fault, but Satan, the deceiver, who has been twisting the Word of God since the very beginning.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (Jn. 14:3).

Brother Branham said, “There are three comings of Christ. He came once to redeem His Bride. He comes the next in the Rapture to catch away His Bride. He comes again in the Millennium with His Bride.” (Spoken Word is the Original Seed). 

His first coming is sufficiently described in the four gospels, from the very birth of our Lord and Saviour right to His ascension to heaven.

According to Mt. 25, our Lord comes as Bridegroom to take His Bride with Him to glory: “… and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” (25:10).

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.” (1. Cor. 15:39-58).

In 1. Ths. 4 the Apostle Paul also referred to the Return of Jesus Christ and described the event in detail: “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. 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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (vv. 13-18).

The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1. Jn. 3:2). Every coming of the Lord is “Parousia” – bodily presence.

In 2. Ths. 2:1-2 the Apostle Paul warned the believers, saying, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us …”

Our concern is the Return of our beloved Lord and the direct warning given to all of us about His second coming: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”  (2. Jn. 7). Right after this very strong statement we read, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (v. 9).

The denial of the bodily Return of our Lord and Saviour is the worst heresy and is placed into the same category as the Antichrist; therefore, it is immediately followed by the next admonition: “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed …” (v. 10). Try the spirits; try the teachers and their doctrines. 

Quote of Brother Branham: “Now, we are looking forward for the coming of the Lord in our generation … the physical return of the Lord Jesus to take a physical people, glorified by His cleansing Blood.” (The invisible Union of the Bride of Christ, November 25, 1965).

Whoever denies the bodily Return of Jesus Christ is possessed by an antichrist spirit. This also applies to those who spiritualise the second coming and teach that the Lord has already come. They are blinded by arrogance and place themselves above God’s Word. At the Return of Jesus Christ, everything will come to pass exactly as it is written, namely: “… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Lk. 24:50; Acts 1:11). We must respect this, for it is Thus saith the Lord in His Word. 

In like manner, all the Scriptures that deal with the different comings, which are no longer in connection with the Church and the Rapture, have to be viewed in the correct context. We know that the Return of our Lord, namely the Rapture, takes place before the great tribulation sets in. Brother Branham pointed that out repeatedly. Paul wrote to the believers: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming/return?” (1. Ths. 2:19). 

There are still other comings of the Lord which are not in connection with the Church that are mentioned in various Scriptures, for instance, in Mt. 25, from verse 31: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory …” In 2. Ths. 1:7-8 we read, “… when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance …” Other examples are found in Rev. 16:15-16 and Rev. 19, from verse 11. It is imperative to always refer back to the Old Testament in order to know precisely what is meant and what the correct context is. 

What about the coming of our Lord in Mt. 24:29-30? “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

That Scripture is not talking about the coming of the Bridegroom, but about the coming of the Son of man after the great tribulation, when the sun has turned into darkness and the moon no longer gives its light. This coming falls into the period of the sixth seal (Rev. 6, from verse 12). Rev. 1:7 also testifies of it: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

“… and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced …” (Zec. 12:9-10).

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:13-14).

Rev. 11, from verse 15, explains it even further: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

In this context we read about the seventh trumpet angel, who is also mentioned in Rev. 10:7. On March 17, 1963, Brother Branham said the following in reference to this Scripture in his sermon “The Breach …”:  “I’m just not making that up … It’s thus saith the Lord. I’ll read it to you out of the Book: ‘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 thus saith the Lord of Brother Branham must not and cannot be touched. In the same statement he provided this clarification in connection with the seventh trumpet angel and the descent of the Angel of the covenant: “And when the Seals are broken and the mystery is revealed, down comes the Angel, the Messenger, Christ, setting His foot upon the land and upon the sea with a rainbow over His head. Now remember, this seventh angel is on earth at the time of this coming.”

Please, pay close attention: Not at the Return of Christ, when His Bride meets Him as the Bridegroom in the air, but when He comes down as the Angel of the covenant is this, not the seventh angel, but this seventh angel on earth. It takes place not at the opening of the Seals 1963, but after the seals are broken. “… 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.” (Mal. 3:1b). 

 The seven trumpet angels are introduced at the opening of the seventh seal. In his sermon about the seventh seal, Brother Branham only read the first verse in chapter 8 about the half an hour silence in heaven. But directly after this, John saw what is written from verse 2: “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.” In the Hebrew Bible the word shofar is used, which in our Bible was translated as “trumpet.” The word shofar is also found in nine other places (Rev. 8:6; 8:8; 8:10; 8:12; 8:13; 9:1; 9:13; 10:7; 11:15). This shows very clearly that the contents of the seventh seal are not in connection with the seven church angels (Rev. 2+3), but with the seven trumpet angels who stand before God.

After the first four trumpet angels have sounded their shofar, it states, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet/shofar of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” (Rev. 8:13). In chapter 9 the fifth and the sixth angel sound their trumpets and only the one of the seventh angel remains to be heard. The seventh angel in Rev. 10:7 is clearly not the seventh church age messenger, but the seventh trumpet angel. The thus saith the Lord of Brother Branham unmistakably refers to the voice of the seventh trumpet angel, for then the mystery of God will be finished.

When Brother Branham referred to Rev. 10 in connection with his ministry, he used the plural form — “mysteries.” This is a very important distinction because it was through the messenger of the Laodicean church age that all these mysteries were to be revealed, from Gen. 1 to the last chapter of the Bible. That is, indeed, how it came to pass. It was the task of the last messenger to bring the last message. Rev. 10:7 speaks about the “mystery of God” in the singular form, and it will come to an end when the seventh trumpet angel sounds. It is very clearly stated in the Holy Scripture. Christ is the mystery of God revealed (1. Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:2-3; a. o.): “… and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, … In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The mystery of God in Christ remained hidden to the Jews back then, but when their time comes, it will be revealed unto them as well.

In regard to this matter, God’s Word is also clear and cannot be misunderstood. The serious mistake that is being made is that the quotes and Scriptures which, in fact, speak of the different comings are only being applied to the Return of Christ — His second coming. It is essential to properly discern the Scriptures and to correctly place each one into its divine order. The moment is coming when everyone will have to agree with God and His Word. Blessed is the one who already does it in the here and now.

In the New Testament, only the first part of Mal. 3:1, which refers to John the Baptist, is mentioned: “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” (Mt. 11:10). The second part about the Angel of the covenant, who will come to His holy temple, was not mentioned there because it had not been fulfilled then. The promise of the Angel of the covenant was back then and is even now still in the future.

“… 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. 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. “ (Mal. 3:1b-2).

In Rev. 11:1 the rebuilt temple is being measured. According to 2. Ths. 2:4-8, the Antichrist will sit in the Temple of God, but at that coming to the Jews, the Lord will slay him with the breath of His lips (Isa. 11:4).

In Rev. 10 we see the Angel of the covenant coming down with a rainbow upon His head, clothed with a cloud (v. 1). Since this event takes place after the opening of the Seals, He has the open book in His hand. Then, as the rightful owner, He sets one foot on the earth and the other upon the sea (v. 2), “… And cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth …” That is the time when the seven thunders shall utter their voices (v. 3). What was said does not concern us, for it has no connection with the Church and was not allowed to be written: “Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” (v. 4).

We respect the divine decision and leave the things God will do solely unto Him. Only then will the Angel of the covenant, who will stand on the earth and upon the sea, lift up His right hand toward heaven and swear “… by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer …” In that instant, time will cease; there will be no further delay. “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.” In chapter 11, after the ministry of the two prophets is completed and they are taken up to heaven in a cloud (v. 12), the seventh angel then sounds his trumpet, as announced in Rev. 10:7, and the Kingdom of God is proclaimed. Absolutely everything is in perfect order.

The Prophet Daniel foresaw how the angel would lift up his hands and swear and wrote that from that moment until the commencement of the divine reign there would only be three and a half years left. “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” (Dan. 12:6-7). God could not have said it more clearly. Especially for this subject we could quote a number of applicable Scriptures that show when and in which context the Lion of the tribe of Judah will roar: 

“The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice …” (Jer. 25:30‑31).

“They shall walk after the Lord: He shall roar like a lion …” (Hos. 11:10).

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem …” (Joel 3:15-17). 

In Rev. 10:7 we have the announcement; in Rev. 11:15 we have the fulfilment. Whoever reads it carefully will recognise that at that very moment, when the seventh trumpet angel sounds his shofar and announces the Kingdom of God on earth, the mystery of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord, is finished. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” (Rev. 11:15-17).

It was a grave mistake to interpret the voice of the seventh angel in Rev. 10:7 as the Voice of God, even though there is no mention of the Voice of God or the voice of the seventh church age messenger in that verse. It is incontestably the voice of the seventh trumpet angel. Brother Branham had the right to refer to this prophetic Scripture in regard to his ministry. As we have seen time and again, prophetic Scriptures often have a twofold application. Please, compare the following: “… Israel is my son, even my firstborn …” (Ex. 4:22). “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hos. 11:1). “… that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Mt. 2:15). The key word here is “son.” The events that are described there are entirely different, but the same prophetic Scripture in Hos. 11:1 applies to both of them. 

A brother who was only ten years old when Brother Branham was taken to glory in 1965 came up with the idea 20 years later to declare that the voice of Brother Branham is the Voice of God which everyone has to hear personally; therefore, all who believe it assert that only Brother Branham may be heard and that no one else has the right to preach. Due to the fact that they quote solely his statements without taking them back to the Scriptures and correctly placing them therein, they get pulled deeper and deeper into the quicksand of the numerous unscriptural interpretations, which they even rank above the Word of God. 

We respect the unique, infallible ministry that God gave to Brother Branham in direct connection with His plan of Salvation. All those who are born of God will hear and believe the promised Word for our time. However, we categorically reject any interpretation of the Word and, likewise, the glorification of a man in any form, which is nothing else but idolatry. The Voice of God in the Word of God remains for all eternity. The honour and glory belong to God Alone through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Now that the Return of Christ is imminent, these matters must be clarified and correctly and scripturally placed in their divine order. All the untrue doctrines in the numerous denominations are based upon misunderstood and wrongly interpreted Scriptures; in like manner, every one of the false teachings within the circles of the message came into existence with the incorrect application of Brother Branham’s statements. Neither God’s Word nor the message that the prophet brought are at fault, but Satan, the deceiver, who has been twisting the Word of God since the very beginning.