In reference to 1. Ths. 4:13-17, once again a few clarifying words have to be said and written. Individual statements made by Brother Branham in his sermon “The Rapture” have been interpreted to that effect that the shout of 1. Ths. 4, which is actually a “commanding shout,” is supposedly “the message” and that the Lord has been in the process of descending since 1963.

Let us all take a good look at the text from 1. Ths. 4:13-17 in order to determine unto whom this shout is directed.

Verse 13: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” So it is about the ones who died in Christ.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (v. 14). Again, it is about those who are asleep.

“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.” (v. 15). Once again, the ones who are asleep are mentioned.

“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.” (v. 16). Everything that is mentioned here in 1. Ths. 4 does not happen over a period of years, but directly at the Return of Jesus Christ, when the dead in Christ rise and those who are alive in Christ are changed.

These four verses are not about a message that is preached to all nations, but very clearly about the shout, the command which the Lord Himself directs to the ones who died in Christ, as He did with Lazarus.

Only in verse 17 those who are alive in Christ are addressed: “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.” Amen!

Brother Branham taught scripturally that there are three comings of Christ in connection with the New Testament Church:

“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.” (Only believe, April 27, 1961).

That is exactly how it will take place. Amen. Like the numerous other wrong teachings, so are the theories about the Return of Christ also the work of the enemy. Indeed, they are literally misleading fantasies caused by the lying spirit of deception. The supposedly “hard-to-understand” statements of Brother Branham are, if one reads on in the sermon, explained and made entirely clear by subsequent statements that are easy to understand.

The term “message” was so important to Brother Branham that he used it more than four thousand times. And since the biblical end-time message shall forerun the coming of Christ, it goes forth as a cry that is reaching the ends of the earth (Mt. 25:6). The same thing that was said regarding the ministry of John the Baptist, namely, “The voice of him that crieth …,” (Isa. 40:3; Mt. 3:3) now applies once again: The voice cries, “The bridegroom cometh!” In his sermon “The Rapture,” Brother Branham therefore went straight to Mt. 25 and said, “Now, lamp-trimming time. Rise and trim your lamps.”

At the Return of Jesus Christ, the shout will go forth as a command to the ones who are asleep in Christ, and they will rise instantly at that time. Then those who are alive in Christ will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (v. 17). Everything in the Holy Scripture is in the divine order and finds its fulfillment at the right time, according to the promise. Amen.

Due to the fact that the mighty experience that took place on February 28, 1963, is mistaken for the Return of the Lord, it is necessary that something is said one more time about the appearance in the cloud. Brother Branham presented the photograph and said in seven different sermons, “Here we see the Lord as Judge, Who appeared in the amber-colored cloud.” It is generally known that Brother Branham was shown in a vision where this great event would take place.

Being obedient to the instruction of the Lord, he moved to Tucson in January 1963, as had he told me in December 1962. At the end of February, he went up the mountain about 40 miles northeast of Tucson, which the Lord had shown him. There it actually happened that the Lord appeared in the supernatural cloud, and specifically as Judge, as Brother Branham repeatedly emphasized.

This event has the same significance for the Church as the appearance of the Lord in the pillar of fire in the time of Moses and as the appearance of the Glory of God in the cloud in Mt. 17:5. We have to understand that it was not Moses or John or Brother Branham who presented their programs, but that it was and still is God Himself, Who at various times reveals Himself according to His plan of Salvation. Whoever does not come to recognize that cannot correctly place the supernatural working of God.

When Brother Branham repeatedly emphasizes, “Here we see the Lord as Judge,” then it is of special significance. After all, that appearance took place at the time of the opening of the seven seals. Through the opening of the seven seals, the last biblical message went forth and the attention of the children of God was once again drawn to the thus saith the Lord of the Word.

We can see that it was not the bodily Return of the Lord, which we are still waiting for, but the supernatural appearance as the highest Judge in the cloud in order to show forth that “… judgment must begin at the house of God …” (1. Pt. 4:17) and that from then on everything in the Church of Jesus Christ must be correctly placed in its rightful order according to the Word of God. The highest Judge says, “The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” In regard to this appearing, Brother Branham said, “He is the Supreme Judge of the universe, Supreme Judge of heaven and earth. He is God, and nothing else but God. He is God expressed in human form called the Son of God …” (Trying to do God a service, November 27, 1965).

The photograph with the supernatural cloud is of the same significance as the photograph with the pillar of fire above Brother Branham. Here we are not dealing with the workmanship of men, but with the supernatural working of God. The pillar of fire was photographed by the press photographers Ayers and Kippermann on January 20, 1950, in Houston, Texas, and its authenticity was certified by Dr. George J. Lacy in Washington on January 29, 1950. Brother Branham could have said a thousand times, “The Lord is with us in the same way that He was with Moses and Israel in the pillar of fire.” However, if it had never been confirmed and not become visible, they all could have thought to themselves, “That may be what he says, but where is the proof? Is that really the case?” Yes, it is really the case!

Brother Branham could have also said a thousand times, “The Lord appeared to me in the supernatural cloud.” If there had been no evidence, then the people would have had an excuse. On February 28, 1963, the supernatural cloud was seen by many people in a cloudless sky. Dr. James McDonald of the Tucson University confirmed its actual presence after he had evaluated 82 photographs and even wrote an article about it, which was published in the “Science Magazine” issue of April 19, 1963. “Life Magazine” likewise reported on the phenomenon on May 17, 1963, and called it “A High Cloud Ring of Mystery.”

Those events were certainly no coincidence. God Himself wanted it that way and let it happen. The entire Christian world is informed about what God has done in our time, but only the true believers can properly place it within the plan of Salvation and recognize the message which since that time has been a forerunner to the second coming of Christ and is the last call: “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!”

No resurrection, no transformation, and no rapture took place on February 28, 1963. It was not the bodily Return of Christ, at which time the dead in Christ shall rise first and then those who are alive in Him will be changed and caught up togother in the clouds to meet Him in the air. Nevertheless, it was the most important event before the Return of Jesus Christ in order to direct our attention to the things that God is doing in our time according to His eternal counsel. We realize that the Lord Alone is the ultimate Judge and that He shall judge all things according to His Word and pronounce the final verdict, now and at the last judgment.

In reference to 1. Ths. 4:13-17, once again a few clarifying words have to be said and written. Individual statements made by Brother Branham in his sermon “The Rapture” have been interpreted to that effect that the shout of 1. Ths. 4, which is actually a “commanding shout,” is supposedly “the message” and that the Lord has been in the process of descending since 1963.

Let us all take a good look at the text from 1. Ths. 4:13-17 in order to determine unto whom this shout is directed.

Verse 13: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” So it is about the ones who died in Christ. 

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (v. 14). Again, it is about those who are asleep. 

“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.” (v. 15). Once again, the ones who are asleep are mentioned.

“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.” (v. 16). Everything that is mentioned here in 1. Ths. 4 does not happen over a period of years, but directly at the Return of Jesus Christ, when the dead in Christ rise and those who are alive in Christ are changed.

These four verses are not about a message that is preached to all nations, but very clearly about the shout, the command which the Lord Himself directs to the ones who died in Christ, as He did with Lazarus.

Only in verse 17 those who are alive in Christ are addressed: “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.” Amen!

Brother Branham taught scripturally that there are three comings of Christ in connection with the New Testament Church: 

“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.” (Only believe, April 27, 1961).

That is exactly how it will take place. Amen. Like the numerous other wrong teachings, so are the theories about the Return of Christ also the work of the enemy. Indeed, they are literally misleading fantasies caused by the lying spirit of deception. The supposedly “hard-to-understand” statements of Brother Branham are, if one reads on in the sermon, explained and made entirely clear by subsequent statements that are easy to understand.

The term “message” was so important to Brother Branham that he used it more than four thousand times. And since the biblical end-time message shall forerun the coming of Christ, it goes forth as a cry that is reaching the ends of the earth (Mt. 25:6). The same thing that was said regarding the ministry of John the Baptist, namely, “The voice of him that crieth …,” (Isa. 40:3; Mt. 3:3) now applies once again: The voice cries, “The bridegroom cometh!” In his sermon “The Rapture,” Brother Branham therefore went straight to Mt. 25 and said, “Now, lamp-trimming time. Rise and trim your lamps.”

At the Return of Jesus Christ, the shout will go forth as a command to the ones who are asleep in Christ, and they will rise instantly at that time. Then those who are alive in Christ will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (v. 17). Everything in the Holy Scripture is in the divine order and finds its fulfillment at the right time, according to the promise. Amen.

Due to the fact that the mighty experience that took place on February 28, 1963, is mistaken for the Return of the Lord, it is necessary that something is said one more time about the appearance in the cloud. Brother Branham presented the photograph and said in seven different sermons, “Here we see the Lord as Judge, Who appeared in the amber-colored cloud.” It is generally known that Brother Branham was shown in a vision where this great event would take place.

Being obedient to the instruction of the Lord, he moved to Tucson in January 1963, as had he told me in December 1962. At the end of February, he went up the mountain about 40 miles northeast of Tucson, which the Lord had shown him. There it actually happened that the Lord appeared in the supernatural cloud, and specifically as Judge, as Brother Branham repeatedly emphasized. 

This event has the same significance for the Church as the appearance of the Lord in the pillar of fire in the time of Moses and as the appearance of the Glory of God in the cloud in Mt. 17:5. We have to understand that it was not Moses or John or Brother Branham who presented their programs, but that it was and still is God Himself, Who at various times reveals Himself according to His plan of Salvation. Whoever does not come to recognize that cannot correctly place the supernatural working of God.

When Brother Branham repeatedly emphasizes, “Here we see the Lord as Judge,” then it is of special significance. After all, that appearance took place at the time of the opening of the seven seals. Through the opening of the seven seals, the last biblical message went forth and the attention of the children of God was once again drawn to the thus saith the Lord of the Word.

We can see that it was not the bodily Return of the Lord, which we are still waiting for, but the supernatural appearance as the highest Judge in the cloud in order to show forth that “… judgment must begin at the house of God …” (1. Pt. 4:17) and that from then on everything in the Church of Jesus Christ must be correctly placed in its rightful order according to the Word of God. The highest Judge says, “The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” In regard to this appearing, Brother Branham said, “He is the Supreme Judge of the universe, Supreme Judge of heaven and earth. He is God, and nothing else but God. He is God expressed in human form called the Son of God …” (Trying to do God a service, November 27, 1965).

The photograph with the supernatural cloud is of the same significance as the photograph with the pillar of fire above Brother Branham. Here we are not dealing with the workmanship of men, but with the supernatural working of God. The pillar of fire was photographed by the press photographers Ayers and Kippermann on January 20, 1950, in Houston, Texas, and its authenticity was certified by Dr. George J. Lacy in Washington on January 29, 1950. Brother Branham could have said a thousand times, “The Lord is with us in the same way that He was with Moses and Israel in the pillar of fire.” However, if it had never been confirmed and not become visible, they all could have thought to themselves, “That may be what he says, but where is the proof? Is that really the case?” Yes, it is really the case! 

Brother Branham could have also said a thousand times, “The Lord appeared to me in the supernatural cloud.” If there had been no evidence, then the people would have had an excuse. On February 28, 1963, the supernatural cloud was seen by many people in a cloudless sky. Dr. James McDonald of the Tucson University confirmed its actual presence after he had evaluated 82 photographs and even wrote an article about it, which was published in the “Science Magazine” issue of April 19, 1963. “Life Magazine” likewise reported on the phenomenon on May 17, 1963, and called it “A High Cloud Ring of Mystery.”

Those events were certainly no coincidence. God Himself wanted it that way and let it happen. The entire Christian world is informed about what God has done in our time, but only the true believers can properly place it within the plan of Salvation and recognize the message which since that time has been a forerunner to the second coming of Christ and is the last call: “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!”

No resurrection, no transformation, and no rapture took place on February 28, 1963. It was not the bodily Return of Christ, at which time the dead in Christ shall rise first and then those who are alive in Him will be changed and caught up togother in the clouds to meet Him in the air. Nevertheless, it was the most important event before the Return of Jesus Christ in order to direct our attention to the things that God is doing in our time according to His eternal counsel. We realize that the Lord Alone is the ultimate Judge and that He shall judge all things according to His Word and pronounce the final verdict, now and at the last judgment.