1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
There isn’t a lot of information in that single sentence, but it is probably the most mysterious verse in the entire Bible.
The first six Seals go in order, starting at Revelation 6:1 and ending at Revelation 6:17. Then, there is Chapter 7, which makes no mention of the Seventh Seal. Brother Branham parallels Matthew 24 with the first six seals, but it doesn’t mention the Seventh. The only thing we know is that short verse in the 8th chapter that says there was silence. Why was there silence? What does this Seventh Seal mean?
Now, notice, Israel--Israel believes only her prophets, and after they are vindicated. And nowhere through the church age, since in the early apostolic church, has the Protestant church ever had a prophet. Tell me who it was, and show it to me: never. They had in the early apostolic age one called Agabus which was a vindicated prophet. But in--when the Gentiles came in into inheritance of God, and Paul turned to the Gentiles after Peter (as we read last night) had received from the Lord that he was taking a--a people from the Gentiles for His Name, His Bride, then there never has been on the pages of history, a Gentile prophet.
Now, you just go back through history and find out. Why? Exactly, it'd be contrary to the Word exactly. When the first went forth, it was a lion. That was prophet's Word. The next went forth was the work, sacrifice. The next come forth was the cunningness of--of man. But we are promised in the last day that to return to the church again for the benefit of straightening up all that has been misled--misundone--left undone, for it's predicted here that the seventh angel's message would finish the mysteries of God. And then we've went through it all. We see that it's perfectly in harmony with the Scriptures. That's the reason.
Now, could you imagine when this person comes on the scene--when he does, remember, it'll be so humble and things till the churches will miss it a long ways. And could you imagine the churches, still under the tradition of the reformers, would ever receive a prophet from God who would be firmly against their teachings and organizations?
Now, there's only one person could fulfill that, only one spirit's ever been on earth that I know; it would either be... It would have to be Elijah in his time. And it was predicted that it would be, which is nothing but the Spirit of Christ. When Christ come, He was the fullness; He was a prophet; He was the--the God of the prophets. See, see?
Now, watch here. See? "And He will send the angels with a trumpet and He gather the elect from the four corners of heaven." Now, He starts. See, He don't say nothing about the Seventh Seal here. See? He spoke of the Sixth Seal: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth, but notice.
Now, learn a parable of the fig tree; When its branches is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
So likewise ye, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door.
That last--that question they asked Him: "And what will be the sign of the end of the world?" When you see these Jews... When you see these other things taking place, you know what takes place. Now, when you see these Jews... Talking to the Jews...
Now, watch. What company is He talking to? Gentiles? Jews, Jews. See? Now, He said, "You'd be hated of all nations for My Name," and so forth like... Now, when He said... You see these Jews begin to put forth their buds over yonder, when that Israel begins to turn back, getting into her country, when she gets there, the Church is ready to rapture, and there's only three and a half years left unto the end of the old world, and she goes out into chaos, and in comes the Millennium to the new--new earth. Said, "Even at the door."
Now, one thousand years on earth is only one day with God. And three and one half years, what would it go to? So many seconds in God's time. That's the reason He said, "It is at the door." "Verily I say unto you that this generation shall not be consumed (done away with, this people) until all these things are..." what? What won't be done away with? They've tried to kill the Jew off the earth all the time. They'll never be able to do it.
But notice, the very generation of Jews that seen the return back into Palestine, that generation would see these things happen. And just the last two years she was fully become a nation with her own money and whatever. There she is.
Now, where are we at, friends? The Seals and everything opening, now we're getting this in between here. There it is. See where we're setting? I hope you get it. I haven't got no education. And I know what I'm talking about, but maybe I can't explain--explain it to make sense to you. But I hope that God takes the words that's mixed up and divides them out right (You see?), and lets you know what it is, 'cause it's--we're at the door. We're here at the time.
We must remember that this Seventh Seal is the end of time of all things. That's right. The things written in the Seven Seal Book (sealed up of the plan of redemption from before the foundation of the world), it every bit ends. It is the end; it is the end of the struggling world. It's the end of struggling nature. It's the end of everything. In there is the end of the trumpets. It's the end of the vials. It's the end of the earth. It's the...It's even the end of time. Time runs out; the Bible said so.
Matthew the 7th chapter--I mean Revelations the 7th chap--10th chapter and the--and 1 to the 7th verse. Time runs out. The angel said, "Time will be no more," when that--in the days of this great thing to happen. Everything runs out in this time, the end of the--of the--at the end of this Seventh Seal.
Notice, it's the end of the church age. It's the--the end of the Seven Seals. It's the end of the trumpets. It's the end of the vials, and even ends the ushering in of the Millennium; that's on the Seventh Seal.
And now, as certain as I stand in the platform tonight, I had the revelation that revealed... It's in a threefold manner. That, I will speak to you by God's help of a fold of it. And then you... Let's go over there first. Here's the revelation to begin what... I want to tell you what it is. What happens is that those seven thunders that he heard thunder and was forbidden to write, that's what the mystery is laying behind those seven consecutive thunders rolling out.
Now, why? Let us prove it. Why? It is the secret that no one knows about. John was forbidding to write about it, even, even write a symbol about it. Why? This is why there was no active in--activity in heaven; it might give away the secret. Do you see it now? If it's so great it must be included, because it's got to happen, but when the seven thunders...
Now, notice, when the seven angels come forth to sound their trumpets, there was one thunder. When Israel was gathered, there was a trumpet. When time shall be no more, the last trumpet... One thunder, but here is seven straight thunders right in a row: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, that perfect number. Seven thunders in a row, uttered not... making just--just one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, straight. Then heavens couldn't write that. Heavens can't know about it, nothing else, because there's nothing to go on. It's a relaxing time. It was so great till it's kept secret from the Angels. Now, why?
If Satan should get a hold of it, he might do great damage. There's one thing he don't know. Now, he can interpret anything he wants to, and impersonate any kind of a gift (I hope you're learning.), but he can't know this. It's not even written in the Word. It's a total secret. The Angels, everything shut up. If they made one move it might give something away, so they just shut up, quit harping; everything stopped.
Remember, Satan will try to impersonate. He will try to impersonate everything that the Church will do. He's tried to do it. We've noticed it through the antichrist; but this is one thing he cannot impersonate. There'll be no mimics to this (See?), 'cause he don't know it. There's no way for him to know it. It's the third pull. He just knows nothing about it. See? He doesn't understand it.
Oh, what a day we're living in, what a great thing. See the mystery and secret? The third... Standing there, when this left me, something just come to me and said, "Don't fear." Now, I didn't hear no voice, like on the inside of me spoke. I have to just tell you the truth, just exactly what happened. Something hit and said, "Don't fear. This is that third pull."
Third pull, you remember it? He said, "You've had so many impersonators on this, what you tried to explain." But said, "Don't even try this." Do you remember it? How many remembers that vision? Why, it's all over the tape and everywhere. That's been about six years ago--seven years ago: been seven years ago. Said, "Don't try to explain that." Said, "This is the third pull, but I'll meet you in there." That right? He said, "Don't try..."
There's no great man among us. We're not great men, not great women--we're all brothers and sisters, all the same in the same bracket. We're no great. One don't make one greater than the other one--not a thing at all to do. No, sir. But we're just all human beings. Don't try to interpret the things. Don't try to do anything more than just live a close life, giving praise and honor to Jesus Christ. Everybody understand that now? Amen. Love Him with all your heart. Do you do it?
I love Him (And I will) I love Him
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Praise God. Does everybody thoroughly understand? Does everybody believe? Remember when I first started: "Who has believed our report? to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Has He revealed to you His mercy, His goodness? Amen.
Just remember, love Him with all your heart. I'm going back home now; I'll be back here again, the Lord willing, around the first of June. Maybe if the Lord puts it upon my heart, maybe sometime this early summer, like in June or somewhere, maybe early fall, if the Lord tarries, I would like to come back and set another seven nights for the Seven Last Trumpets. Would you like that? Would you... Will you pray for me that God will help me? All right. Until I meet you again, remember this good old song.
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Now, I want you to bow your heads. I want to pray for you. Before the pastor dismisses, I want to pray for you.
Our heavenly Father, may the people, Lord, understand, which I'm sure that there's some that doesn't. But, Father, may they--they know the objective, and may they understand, Father, that--that it's Your grace to them that these things are revealed. And I want to thank You, Lord, for the knowledge of knowing these things that Thou has revealed to us. And I pray for every one that's here, every one that's attended the meeting.
If there be some who does not believe, may, Lord, they become believers. I pray for all that will hear the messages by tape. And if it falls, which it will no doubt, in the homes and places of many unbelievers that will different... But Father, I pray for each one that before they say any blasphemous words, that they might first set down and search the Scriptures by what's been said, and then say to You that they truly are sincere and want to know whether this is truth, or not. And I pray for them, Father.
And I pray for these who's stood along these walls, who's stood on the outside, who set in their cars, for little children, and for all that's been in--just all of them, Lord, I pray for them. And I pray that my prayers will be answered, that You'll bless them.
First, Lord, give every one Eternal Life. I pray that there'll not be one of them lost, not one. And now, Father, we don't know when this great event will be, but when we see these signs appearing and Scriptural happenings, it warns our heart above measure. And I pray, Father God, that You'll help us.
I pray that You'll help our dear pastor, Brother Neville. Make him, Lord, full of grace and full of power and with understanding that he might take this stored food and feed the lambs of God. Lord, I pray that You'll keep sickness away from us. May it come to pass that when people become sick that they'll remember the present and all-sufficient Blood of the Lord Jesus lays on the altar to make an atonement. And I pray that they'll be healed immediately. And I pray that You'll keep the power of Satan away from them to discourage them or to try to make them make cults or... Just keep all the powers of the enemy away, Lord. Sanctify us to Thy Word. Grant it, Lord.
Then, Lord, I pray that You'll help me. I--I--I'm beginning to fade away, Lord. I know my days can't be too many more, and I pray that You'll help me. Let me be true, Lord, and honest and sincere that I might be able to bear the message as far as it's ordained for me to bear. And when it comes to the time that I must lay down, when I get down to the river, and the waves begin to come in, O God, may I be able to hand this old Sword over to somebody else that'll be honest with It, Lord, and will pack the truth. Grant it, Lord. Until then, help me to be strong and healthy and courageous. Help my church. Bless us together, Lord. We are Yours.
We feel now that Your Spirit is among us. We believe that You will answer our prayers, for we commit ourselves to You with Thy Word for service for the rest of our days upon this earth, in the Name of God's Son, Jesus Christ, our beloved Saviour, for His glory. Amen.
I... (God bless you), I love Him (with all my heart)
Because He first loved me,