It has now been 59 years since the Seals were revealed, and they continue to be the most captivating and studied sermons that Brother Branham ever preached. We originally posted this article back in 2013, but as we go through the Seals over the next couple of weeks, we believe that it will be even more of a blessing to you today. The audio and the text is available on The Table app and at the Branham Tabernacle website.
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
There’s a lot to say about those two simple verses. What was that clap of thunder? What is the beast and what is its relationship to the horse rider? What about the horse, why is it white? And the crown, who gave it to him?
The First Seal can be streamed or downloaded in English, and the text and audio can be downloaded in 35 other languages. Here are a few quotes that will give you an idea of the revelations waiting for you in this message.
Oh, it's a great plan until it comes to that last angel. Now, he has no certain mystery, but he gathers up all that's been lost in them other ages, all the truths that wasn't truly revealed yet (See?), as the revelation come. Then he reveals those things in his day. If you want to read it, there it is: A Revelations 10:1 to--1 to about 4. You'll get it. All right. See?
Takes the Book and... of Seals and breaks them and shows the seventh angel, for this alone, the mysteries of God, is the ministry of the seventh angel. Now, we just come through the church ages with even history and prove that. See? It is the--the angel's message of the seventh church.
All right, reveals all the mysteries that's been in the past, all the things in the past: Revelations 10:1-7. That's to be.
What am I trying to say? I’m not trying to scare you, worry you. I—I want you to be on your toes. Be ready, watching, every minute. Quit your nonsense.
When the thunder... Remember, a loud clapping noise of a thunder is the voice of God. That's what the Bible said (See?), a clap of thunder. They thought it was a thunder, but it was God. He understood it, for it was revealed to Him. See? It was a thunder.
And notice, the First Seal opened--the First Seal when it was open in the symbol form it thundered. Now, what about when it's opened in its reality form?
The voice is a thunder. The voice came from where? From the throne where the Lamb had just left as Intercessor. Now, He's standing here to take His position and His claims. But the thunder came from the inside of the throne, thundered out. And the Lamb was standing out here. The thunder, where the Lamb had left, left the Father's throne to go to take His own throne... Glory. Now, now, don't miss it, friends.
Now, He's come to claim His Own. So He takes the Book, stands out there before John, and He pulls it back, and breaks the Seal, pulls the Seal down; and when He pulls the Seal down, a thunder clapped through the place. And when a thunder clapped, no doubt John might've jumped up in the air, when a thunder roared; and then one of the four beasts said, "Now, come and see what it is, what's revealed beneath here. (Oh, my.) John, write what you see."
So John goes to look, see what it was. John goes to see what the thunder said. It's then that this creature told John come and see what the mystery is under the First Seal. The thunder, the voice of the Creator has uttered it. Now, He ought to know what's there. Amen. Oh, my.
The rider has no name, but Christ is called the Word of God. That's what He is. He's called that. Now, He's got a Name that no man knows, but He's called the Word of God. This guy isn't called nothing (See?), but he's on a white horse.
The rider has no arrows for his bow. Did you notice? He had a bow, but there's nothing said about having any arrows; so he must be a bluffer. That's right. Maybe he's got a lot of thunder and no lightning, but you find out Christ had both lightning and thunder; for out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged Sword, and He smites the nations. And this guy can't smite nothing (See?), but he's playing the part of a hypocrite. He's going forth riding on a white horse, going out to conquer.
A white horse rider went out. See? Who is he? He's mighty in his conquering power, is a great fellow in his conquering power. You want me to tell you who he is? He's the antichrist. That's exactly what he is.
Now, because, you see, if an antichrist... Jesus said that the two would be so close together until it would deceive the very elected, the Bride, if it was possible. Antichrist, it's the antichrist spirit.
And then they crowned him. He had no crown to start with, but he got a crown later (See?), when that spirit become incarnate. See? He become a man. Nicolaitane doctrine become a man; then they could crown it. They couldn't do it because he was just a doctrine. Glory.
Now, notice, at the end time--at the end of the church ages, now, he is called--he and his children are called the antichrist, 'cause anything that's against Christ is antichrist. And anything that's against the Word is against Christ, 'cause Christ is the Word. Now, he's antichrist.
Then in Revelations 12:7-9, when Satan is cast out, the accuser... You want to put that down, 'cause I want to read it; we haven't got time now, 'cause it's twent--fifteen till ten. See?
But in Revelations 12:7-9, Satan the spirit, the devil, which is up there now, accuser of our brethren, all right; the Church is taken up, and Satan is cast out. When the Church goes up, Satan comes down. Then Satan incarnates himself in the antichrist and is called the beast.
Now, remember, the antichrist and the beast is the same self spirit. There's the trinity. Yes, sir. It's three stages of the same devil power. Remember, Nicolaitia (See?), it had to be incarnate before it could be crowned. See? Now, watch this. Three stages: first stage he's called antichrist; second stage, he's called the false prophet; third stage, he's called the beast.
Now, notice, in the same time this is going on, just before this takes place, rather, on the earth, God has promised, while all them scruples of denominations arguing their difference about their creed, God promised that He would send us a true prophet of the true Word with a message to return to the original Word of God and the faith of the fathers to bring down the power of the Holy Ghost amongst the people, with a power that will raise her above these things and take her in at the same time. Yes, sir.