The Token 

"The Blood shall be a Token for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you, when I smite the land!"

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All through the Bible we see where God sends a Message and the church fails to see that Message. They end up rejecting the messenger along with the Message God sends, mostly because it doesn't agree with their own theology and traditions of the church. No matter how much God vindicates that Message and messenger, it's still rejected.

Many times we see it's rejected because the messenger cries out against the sin, worldliness and unbelief of their leaders. Many times they are jealous of the messenger's ministry and have to answer to the people for what he is saying and reject it to keep their standing in the church.

In Jesus' day, they were believing in a coming Messiah. They believed that there'd be a forerunner come first. But it was right among them and they didn't know it. They didn't recognize it. They believed there would come a forerunner to the Messiah and they cut his head off and then killed their Messiah. Hosea prophesied that they'd be blinded.

The same Holy Spirit that spoke through Hosea, spoke through John, and said the church in this last days they're naked, miserable, wretched, and don't know it. Day of riches, great theological teachings, great education, and now they have become hostile towards their Message. They want nothing to do with it, just like it was back in the days when Jesus was on earth. And put Him outside of the church, (Rev 3.) They failed to see those prophecies fulfilled. They seen that something was going to happen. They just don't get it. They don't realize it. Look how hostile those Jews were with John and his Message. Look how hostile they was with Jesus and His Message, when He was the very One they claimed they were looking for.

The reason people in Noah's day did not go into the ark was because they never recognized the message nor the messenger. That's the only reason they perished, is because they didn't recognize the hour that they were living. They didn't recognize that God would deal with sin as He promised He would. He'd destroy man from the face of the earth. He had prophesied it. He meant it. And he means it today the same as He did then.

But the people, instead of giving favor to Noah, they considered a wild man. They didn't believe him to be a prophet. Jesus told us how they scoffed in the days of Noah, made fun of him, called him a fanatic, and the like. But they didn't recognize their hour. They didn't recognize their day. They didn't recognize the sign. They didn't recognize the message. They didn't recognize the messenger, but put him from their midst and laughed at him. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of Man is revealed in these last days."

They didn't know their day. That's the reason they missed it, is because they didn't see it. They were like the people today, blinded by science, educational systems, theological seminaries. The things that blinded them in that day, has blinded them today. Also, they are blinded by the simplicity of the Message and the messenger.

Noah was a poor farmer, humble, with a simple message. It was too simple for their high learning. So is it today. God always makes it simple to get the people who will believe and trust Him. It's a different Message but the same God.

That's the reason that Pharaoh drown in the sea. He never seen his day and it's message. He never seen what was going on. He was too took up in the achievements of his scientific age to build cities with slave labor. He was too busy to see the opportunity he had, and he turned God's prophet messenger.

Moses recognized his day and his calling when he saw the promise of God's Word for that day vindicated. He knew then and realized what he was and what he was to do by the promised Word. He wasn't ashamed of his message and didn't fear what anyone else said, though every priest and every Pharaoh, every authority, disagreed with him. But he recognized when he seen that Pillar of Fire in the bush, and spoke to him the Word that was promised for that day, and said, "I've called you to go do it." He didn't fear the threats of the king. He went down to bring those people to an exodus like the Word of God had promised.

If Ahab had only seen his Message of his day, he would not have condemned the prophet Micaiah, with the Word of God to him.
They had 400 prophets out there prophesying, saying, "Go up, everything's all right. You made us a great church, we're a great people, a great ministry. We are four hundred trained in the Word and theology.

When Elijah, the man that they called a crazy, the generation before them, the true prophet of God, that prophesied, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, the dogs will lick your blood, Ahab.

But those priests, manmade prophets, thought they had all the answers. They didn't listen to what the prophet and his Message said before them. They said, "Brother Ahab, go up, the Lord's with you. You are Scriptural, because God gave this land to Israel.

But Jehoshaphat saw things a little different. He said, "Isn't there another one?" He said, "Yes, but I hate him." He doesn't do nothing but just condemn me all the time. And you know I'm a great man. I wouldn't have these churches down here if I wasn't a great believer. I've got well trained men. I set them down there with books, and Bibles, to teach."

But if Ahab would only known who he was, this poor little ragged-looking guy telling him "THUS SAITH THE LORD," he'd have never made the fatal mistake that he made. But he condemned Micaiah. He didn't see the prophet Messenger of that day and didn't listen to his Message. He looked back at what the prophet's Message before him said about Ahab, not his own ideas. We also need to see what's promised for our day!

The Laodicea age is supposed to receive a Message, Malachi 4 said they would. But what are they looking for? "Our denomination will produce it. And if it doesn't come through us, the Baptists, the Presbyterians, the Assemblies, the oneness, if we don't produce it, it isn't true," same thing they did in that day. And it come and went and they didn't know it. But it fulfilled every word. Jesus said, "They have did as it was listed that they'd do. So will they do the Son of man. He'd be rejected."

Restore the Pentecostal original feast like it was at the beginning. Restored before Israel's trumpet's feast shall sound. Malachi 4 said it would restore back the faith of the fathers to the children. The faith of the Apostolic fathers restored back to us children in the last days. But the mainstream church rejects it because it can't see it.

The woman at the well seen her Message in her day by the sign of the Messiah. She was in a bad shape. She didn't want to mess with the churches and what they were doing. They were living wrong. But she knew He would come someday. She found the thing she was looking for when He begin to reveal to her the secret of her heart, told her the sin that she was living in. She said, "Sir, I perceive that You're a Prophet." There was no prophet for 400 years before that. And I know that when the Messiah comes He'll do these things." He said, "I'm He." She seen it. There was no more question. If she can see it by the Scriptures, can't we see the sign of today? "We know when Messiah cometh He'll show us all these things. He'll tell us this."

No more questions or doubts, away she went. And she told the people, "Come see, here He is." It was settled, because she seen who the Messenger was of her day.

So did Nathaniel, a great Hebrew. When he saw that sign of the Messiah that was promised in his day, no matter how many ministers tried to talk him out of it. What happened? It disturbed the priests to see them people leaving the churches and following the Message. They said, "If any of you attend his meeting, you'll be excommunicated. We'll put you right out of the denomination." So is it today. They put them out of their organization for attending Bro Branham's meeting."

Back to Moses. The Lord said, "Moses, I'll be with you." He didn't only show Himself down in Egypt by miracles and signs, but when He got them all gathered together, He appeared to them again, and vindicated Moses' message before the elected and called out. Then the Pillar of Fire appeared again and on top of Mount Sinai. Parallel it with today and Bro Branham and the Angel of the Lord and the Pillar of Fire. God's standing there with a vindication of the Pillar of Fire, which hundreds and thousands have seen, and he even had his picture took with The Pillar of Fire by a camera time after time to prove it.

One time setting on Mount Olives Jesus looked over, said, "Jerusalem, oh, Jerusalem..." He wept. "Jerusalem, oh, Jerusalem, how oft would I have hovered you. But what did you do? You killed the prophets that I sent to you. You murdered them." And the Messages has been sent to the church today has been murdered by their denominational dogmas and leaning to their own understandings. Jesus said, "If you'd only known your day but it's too late now." So is it with the churches. Look and how the church has continually backslid since she has rejected her Message.

All through the ages when they failed to see their Message of the day, the church fell into apostasy. We just can't reject what God sends and expect to be in favor with God.

Bro Branham was one who God used in this last days in a ministry which has been unparalleled since the days of our Lord Jesus Christ! Christians from all religious backgrounds watched with astonishment as this Prophetic Ministry unfolded before them. In that ministry, Jesus Christ was proven to be "the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. As was written of the Prophet Ezekiel, so it can be written of William Branham: "...whether they hear or forbear, yet shall they know that there has been a Prophet among them." (Ezekiel 2:5).

Brother Branham lived in a different world than that of the average Christian. And in that world his spiritual senses have been quickened to a point that has enabled him to move further out into God, and caused him to be more conscious of heavenly realities, than any man that lived since Christ. The life of William Branham was a life that was lived almost continually in the supernatural realm. Truly he lived in two worlds at the same time - the seen and the unseen. It is this amazing spiritual sensitivity that had caused his ministry to be so revolutionary.

He brought to the church, a fresh revelation of the reality of the power of God and the intrinsic truth of the miraculous in the Scriptures. The Full Gospel Businessmen, in its February 1961 issue, wrote: "In Bible Days, there were men of God who were Prophets and Seers. But in all the Sacred Records, none of these had a greater ministry than that of William Branham, a Prophet and Seer of God, whose photograph appears on the front cover of this issue of Full Gospel Men's Voice. Branham has been used by God, in the Name of Jesus, to raise the dead!"

From 1947 - 1965, the powerful ministry of Bro. Branham was well known around the world and considered unparalleled in the history of gospel meetings. The impact of this supernatural ministry of this one man was felt not only in North America, but also around the world. God, in all Ages to ordained, commissioned and vindicated His prophet through the manifestation of the "Supernatural". The "supernatural" vindicates this Ministry which God has sent our way. To find comparisons to this Ministry we have to go back into the Scriptures - to the Personal Ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul and the Old Testament Prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. Such was the Anointing and Power upon the Ministry of William Branham.

Not unlike some of the Bible prophets, the birth of William Branham was marked by the Presence of the Supernatural.

He was born in 1909 in a humble log cabin. Even from birth he would be a peculiar child. On this morning, God Himself would confirm that this child was His choice. The young mother and father watched in astonishment as the Pillar of Fire came into the little cabin, moved across the room and stopped directly over the sleeping child.

Little did the mother know that this little five pound infant would be used of Almighty God to deliver His people from sickness and bondage. God would use him to carry the Gospel all over the world.

No wonder, the neighbors, who had gathered to see the new born baby, spoke of a strange feeling of awe in the room. No doubt it was caused by the Presence of the Angel, who would later speak to him and guide him through his life and ministry.

In the years to come God would use this child to cast out demons, bring sight to the blind - physically and spiritually, cause the deaf to hear, cancers to vanish, and thousands upon thousands to fall prostrate at altars in tears of repentance. They would come by airplane, boat, trains, busses and automobile, bringing the sick to him. They would come from all over the world to hear him tell the story of Jesus in his simple, humble way.

From an early age he had visions like the Biblical prophets and the Voice of God spoke to him several times out of a supernatural "wind" when he was a child before his conversion, saying, "Don't ever drink, or smoke, or defile your body in any way. There will be a work for you to do when you get older."

In June of 1933 another "Supernatural" event took place. But this time it would be witnessed by almost 4000 people. Bro Branham was baptizing in the Ohio River near Jeffersonville, Indiana, in the presence of all these people. As he was about to baptize the 17th person, he heard a the Voice of God say, "Look Up!" Looking up he saw It descending toward him - It looked like a blazing Star, the Pillar of Fire. It descended with the sound of "rushing wind".

Almost 4000 people witnessed this. They heard the wind and they saw the Pillar Of Fire. Many ran in fear while others knelt in prayer. This Supernatural Pillar of Fire hovered just above William Branham and a Voice spoke out of the Pillar of Fire saying, "As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the First Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, so you are sent to forerun His Second Coming." The incident caused such a stir that it was reported in the local paper and the report even found it's way into a Canadian newspaper in Ontario.

In 1946, while Bro. Branham was in prayer about what his ministry was, late that night he saw a soft Light appearing before him. He looked up and rose to move toward this Light and there hung that Great Star again. It didn't have five points like a star - it looked like a ball of fire, with little licks of fire shooting out from it. Then he heard footsteps, and a man of great stature approached him. According to Brother Branham, the man appeared to be about two hundred pounds in weight, had a dark complexion, no beard, with shoulder-length hair.

As the man caught his eye, Brother Branham became very fearful. But the stranger looked at him in a kindly manner and began to speak, saying: "Do not fear. I am sent from the presence of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar birth and misunderstood life has been to indicate that you are to take a gift of Divine healing to the peoples of the world. If you will be sincere when you pray and can get the people to believe you, nothing shall stand before your prayer, not even cancer. You will go into many parts of the earth and will pray for kings and rulers and potentates. You will preach to multitudes the world over and thousands will come to you for counsel."

This was literally fulfilled in the years that followed, for his ministry took him around the world seven times and many individuals of public influence, including Congressman Upshaw of the U.S.A. and King George VI of England, were healed as a result of his prayers.

And he said, "You will be given "Two Signs" as was the Prophet Moses. It shall come to pass that you will receive a sign in your hand and through that sign you will be able to know the sickness of the individual. Then it will be given to you to know the very secrets of the heart."

A supernatural sign had been given him for the purpose of encouraging the people to believe. Firstly, a physical sign in his hand would indicate a disease or healing. Later on in his ministry the secret thoughts and needs of individuals hearts were revealed, resulting in faith for deliverance. It became abundantly clear to any serious Bible reader, that William Branham was ordained a Prophet to fulfill the many scriptural prophecies concerning our time.

God not only sent an Angel to be with Moses, He also gave him two perfect miracles as signs and proofs to the people that God had appeared to him and commissioned him, under divine guidance, to be their deliverer ( Exod. 4:1-31). Moses' first sign was that of his rod becoming a serpent, and the second sign was that of putting his hand in his bosom and having it become "as leprous as snow," etc. God said to Moses, "It shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the latter sign" ( Exod. 4:8). In the last three verses of this chapter we read that when these two signs were repeated "in the sight of the people, the people believed...
and they bowed their heads and worshipped."

When God sent William Branham to this generation with a Message, He not only sent an Angel to be with him, but He also gave him these "Two perfectly miraculous Signs" as proof that God had commissioned him. These signs served a "Twofold Purpose". First, they have served to raise the faith of thousands to believe God for their healing. Secondly, the "signs" got the attention of the people that this prophet of God might give them "The Message" he had received from God.

The First Sign - with sign in his hand Bro. Branham was able to detect the affliction, disease or spirit that was troubling the individual. When the individual place their right hand in his right hand, Bro. Branham would feel a vibration in his own hand (something like an electric current) and certain swellings would appear on the back of his hand. This power was so real that it would cause his wrist watch to stop instantly. But after rebuking and casting out the evil spirit though prayer, his hand would return to normal. Of course Bro. Branham's hand would be numb for hours after he had finished praying for a number of people. At no time did this sign ever fail to be exactly right.

It most certainly got the attention of the people. Some recognized it as being God; others called it 'the Devil'. If it was the Devil then the Devil must have been converted because "The Voice" behind the sign constantly called out against sin, exposed Satan's influence on the people, and called men and women to turn from their sin and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

This Second sign was exactly as the Angel had said, "And it shall come to pass that you will know the very secret of the heart." This sign made William Branham "A Seer" before the people. This sign proved Jesus Christ to be "the same yesterday, Today, and Forever." Truly, the Son of Man, even Our Lord Jesus Christ was revealed in this sign. (Luke 17:30).

When the Lord Jesus was here 2000 years ago, He performed this same sign. He was the WORD made flesh to dwell among (WITH) us. NOW He is the WORD, by the Holy Ghost, IN us (John 14:17). In Hebrews 4:12 we read, "For the Word of God is quick (living), and powerful (vindicating itself), and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Jesus Christ has shown Himself alive in this age of the Resurrection, through His servant and Prophet, in this "Messiah Sign" - discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. Look at John 4:7, 14-19,25-26. It's the story of Jesus and the Woman at the well. He discerned the very thoughts and intents of her heart. She said, "I perceive that thou art a Prophet." As He continued to talked to her she called the others in the city saying, "...is not this the Christ?"

Bro. Branham said many time, as he stood on the platform, discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart, "This is not me, this is HIM."

Night after night on the platform, God's Prophet stood under the Anointing of Jesus Christ and discerned the 'thoughts' and 'intents' of the hearts of the people. By the Holy Spirit, he went back into their past life, bringing out things that wasn't 'under the blood' or revealing things that had happened to them, even from earliest childhood, even things they had forgotten. One vision after another came, showing the Prophet even the very INTENT of the hearts of the people. He would tell them what sickness they had etc. He saw into their future. Not one time did it fail to be right.

Time after time, when Brother Branham became conscious of the Presence of the Angel on the platform with him, he would make this statement, "I now take every spirit in this building, under my control, in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the Glory of God." At that moment he said, "You couldn't hide your thoughts, even if you tried".

This was more than the ministry of an Evangelist with a 'gift of healing'. Indeed this was the Ministry of a Prophet, one called from the womb to do God's bidding. Brother Branham is a channel for more than the mere gift of healing; he is also a Seer as were the Old Testament Prophets. He sees events before they take place. A Brother asked him, "What do you mean, 'you see these things'? How do you see them?" He replied, "Just as I see you; only that I know it is a vision." Just as clearly as one sees material things around them, Brother Branham, while in prayer during the day, would see in a vision some of the principal miracles before they take place.

There were times when he would (beforehand) tell certain people exactly what would take place in certain services: who would be there, where they would be sitting and what they would be wearing. He has seen people coming before they even got to where he was. Backed up by the vision, he would say, "Thus Saith The Lord!" Surely Brothers and Sisters, we know that God didn't just send this ministry for the sole purpose of praying for the sick. This ministry has a much greater significance than that.

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