“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

(Heb. 13:8)

CIRCULAR LETTER December 2008

I would like to send special greetings to all of the brothers and sisters around the world in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour with Eph. 1:4-14.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace … in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will …”

With those words the Apostle Paul pointed out the very core of God’s plan of Salvation. All sons and daughters of God have been foreordained from eternity to see His Glory.

In this exposition I wish to emphasise that the Church of Jesus Christ is called out of all nations. With Abraham begins the introduction into the plan of Salvation, which is placed upon the foundation of divine promises. As always, we shall cite a number of Scriptures for every subject so that all things are presented in their biblical order and basis. In regard to the election, the Lord God made the following statements:

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3).

“And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.” (Gen. 17:2-4).

“And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Gen. 18:17-19). In every one of these statements the prophecy is already pointing to Christ — the seed of Abraham (Mt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16) — and also to all those who are in Christ (Gal. 3:29).

On the day of Pentecost, people gathered from seventeen different nations to hear the Apostle Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2:1-12). In his second sermon Peter said, “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” (Acts 3:25).

The Apostle Paul confirmed it: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:16-17).

In Gal. 3:8 Paul again dealt with this important subject: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Before God elected the twelve tribes of Israel — through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — as His earthly covenant people, to whom he promised and gave an earthly territory, we already find the promises for the called-out Church from all nations that is predestined to be in the New Jerusalem. For Israel God chose the earthly Jerusalem and Mount Zion (Isa. 24:23). In either case it is predestination and for ever unchangeable.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Rom. 8:29-30).

The Apostle James showed the plan of Salvation first in regard to the New Testament Church, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” and then in view of Israel, “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up …” (Acts 15:14-17).

Paul spoke once again about this topic: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Rom. 11:25-27).

God designated the country of Israel to be His own heritage (Joel 3:2) and the people of Israel to be His firstborn son (Ex. 4:22-23). Since the 19th century the Jews have returned to their original homeland, as God promised it unto them, “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land …” (Isa. 14:1).

“But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jer. 23:8).

The following periods in the recent past are of significance for Israel:

1. 1917-1922 The Balfour Declaration of 1917 initiated the reconstitution of Palestine as the national home for the Jewish people.

2. 1922-1948 The British government was in charge of that part of Palestine, which then was called Transjordan.

3. 1948-1967 On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion declared Israel to be a nation; on May 15 the British Mandate came to an end.

4, 1967 – today After the Six-Day War took place in June 1967, the territory was divided anew, resulting in the borders that are in existence today. What will remain of Israel if they keep dividing the land?

Negotiations about the future of Israel and about the status of Jerusalem are currently taking place on all levels. In accordance with the treaty between Israel and the Vatican, dated December 30, 1993, which is comprised of fifteen articles and the corresponding explanations, two delegations — nine representatives from Israel and nine high-ranking diplomats from the Vatican — came together at the end of May 2008 in order to discuss these issues.

Parallel to the calling-out and the gathering of the natural people of God in the natural land promised unto them, the calling-out and the gathering of all those who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ and who are scattered among all the nations is taking place in the Word of promise. God has a plan with Israel, and He has a plan with the Church. Now, at the end of the time of grace, the ones who are the spiritual seed of Abraham will believe the divine message: “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal. 3:14). Only they will hear the last call: “… ye my people come out from among them, and be ye separate …” (2. Cor. 6:14). From within the Church, the Bride of the Lamb will come forth — they are the overcomers, the wise virgins filled and led by the Holy Spirit and sealed thereby until the day of their Redemption (Eph. 1:13).

Out of the twelve tribes of Israel, God will first call out the 144,000 (Rev. 7), who will then gather on Mount Zion (Rev. 14) before He reveals Himself to all of Israel (Rev. 11:15; a. o.) and there, on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, commences His reign as King over the entire earth.

The Biblical End-Time Message

The Word of God Remains For Ever

From now on, I no longer want to use the term “the end-time message,” as many do, but instead the designation “the scriptural end-time message” in order to emphasise that it is founded exclusively upon God’s Word. It cannot be stressed often enough: Only when God has given a promise in His Word will He watch over it to fulfil it at the right time. At the first coming of Christ, more than 100 prophecies were fulfilled; in the last 24 hours right to the crucifixion, exactly 24 of them came to pass. Brother Branham mentioned 17 of them in his sermon “Modern events made clear by prophecy,” preached on December 6, 1965.

We should think very seriously about the following: Since the scribes arbitrarily interpreted biblical prophecy and thereby led the people right past its true meaning and fulfilment, the entire nation consequently did not recognize the very fulfilment and missed the day of God’s greatest visitation (Lk. 7:29; Lk. 19:41-44). Man-made interpretations are the deceptions of Satan and were for Israel back then and are now for the Church the greatest obstacle between God and mankind that keeps the people from recognising the fulfilment of biblical prophecy.

The Apostle Paul summarised for us what happened back then: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1. Cor. 15:3-4).

Everything we believe and teach must be promised in the Scriptures, and there must be a corresponding testimony therein as well. Everyone must submit to the judgement of God’s Word, especially the ministering brethren. It does not suffice to simply make reference to Brother Branham and his quotes while, at the same time, neglecting what the Holy Scripture says. It is absolutely impossible to separate the scriptural end-time message from the Bible. Whoever still does that is under a curse because that person then preaches another gospel (Gal. 1) and another Jesus and is under the influence of another spirit (2. Cor. 11:1-4).

After the resurrection, our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples and to those who were with them, and He placed great emphasis on what had been written: “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.” (Lk. 24:44-45).

This is one of the most important Scriptures that testify unto us that the Lord only opened the understanding of the Scriptures to the ones who were ready to hear what God had to say therein. That is the way it is to this day. Only when one believes what the Holy Scripture says and teaches will the resurrected Lord open that person’s understanding to see the fulfilment of everything He promised. This also applies to the ministry of Brother Branham, just as it did to the ministry of John the Baptist. Everybody knows that John the Baptist was the promised prophet and forerunner according to Isa. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1. Our Lord confirmed this in Mt. 11:7-15 and in Mk. 1:1-3. The ministry of John the Baptist is placed in its biblical order right at the very beginning of the New Testament.

What does the Holy Scripture predict for the last time period allotted to the Church, the time in which we now live? What is going to happen now, at the end of the day of Salvation (2. Cor. 6:2; Isa. 49:6-8), before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes (2. Pt. 3:10; a. o.)? We have to constantly keep in mind that God always fulfils only His promises, not our wishes and imaginations. He promised in Mal. 4:5 to send the Prophet Elijah before the great day of the Lord would commence. Our Lord confirmed this in Mt. 17:11, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” Further confirmation can be found in in Mk. 9:12: “And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things.” With these statements our Lord Himself pointed out the special and, at that time, still unfulfilled prophecy, but then He also referred to the already completed ministry of John the Baptist (Mt. 17:12-13) in comparison to that of Elijah (Mk. 9:13). It is simply perfect!

The matter at hand is now the biblical end-time message, which was brought to us by the promised prophet William Branham. Through this ministry the Church of Christ is to be restored to her original state and the hearts of God’s children are to be returned to the teachings of the fathers at the very beginning (Acts 3:17-21).

Now God fulfils the promises given for this time, for it is written, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2. Cor. 1:20).

On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter showed forth that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the fulfilment of what God had promised through the Prophet Joel and then made this statement: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39).

The promised Return of Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:1-3) is imminent, but before the Return of the Bridegroom all the promises given unto the Bride in the Word of God must be fulfilled. The following remains true for ever: The children of promise (Rom. 9:8; Gal. 4:28) believe the Word of promise (Rom. 4:18-25) and receive the Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13). According to Heb. 11:9, Abraham along with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise, settled as strangers in the Promised Land. At the time of Joshua, all the tribes were assigned their territory in the Land of Promise. The fulfilment of a promise is the realisation of what God said. It is then no longer a theory, but a reality.

Misunderstood Statements of Brother Branham

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2. Cor. 4:5).

This statement by the apostle is very clear. We also do not preach ourselves or any prophet. In the light of the revealed Word, we preach Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Just like the scribes in Judaism, the pagan church fathers in the course of history have misunderstood Scriptures, placed them in the incorrect order, and have given their own interpretations thereof. Subsequently, there is nothing in today’s so-called Christianity that corresponds with the original teaching and practice of the original Church. That particular matter has been addressed comprehensively in previous publications.

Especially tragic is the fact that the same thing has happened within the so-called end-time message. After two thousand years, God has sent a man in our time to share with us the whole counsel of God. The same yardstick by which we measure all the churches and non-denominational assemblies has to be applied to each of us personally within the message circles.

When there are a number of groups in the same city, and they all claim that they believe in Brother Branham’s ministry but, at the same time, are at odds with one another and are going in different directions, then it must be clear to everyone that there is something amiss. The Apostle Paul wrote each of his epistles for one local church; the seven messages in Rev. 2 and 3 were also originally addressed to one local church.

Even in his time the Apostle Peter already pointed out that there are things in the Scriptures and in the epistles of Paul, “… which are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest … unto their own destruction.” (2. Pt. 3:16).

Exactly the same thing is being done with the sermons of Brother Branham. However, he very clearly stated what one must not do with the Word, and that also applies to his sermons: “You must not misinterpret, not misplace, not dislocate.” (V. 4, pg. 425).

It is not enough to simply refer to quotes. That is only justified when someone consults the Scriptures at the same time and is able to correctly place the particular quotes into their respective biblical order in not only one place, but every Scripture dealing with the same subject. So what happens when certain brothers no longer preach from the Bible and, instead, only quote excerpts from Brother Branham’s sermons and then provide their own commentaries?

Even if Brother Branham did not express or place all things with definite clarity, there still cannot be any misunderstandings when we find our orientation in the Word. Especially in regard to the Return of Christ there are many different theories in circulation. When Scripture speaks about the “appearing of the Lord” (epiphany) or of His “coming” (Parousia), it is imperative to always look it up and verify in what context an event is mentioned.

The very first generation of true believers was already expecting the Return of Christ. Paul wrote, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1. Ths. 5:23).

He also stated, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed …” Then comes a very important statement, which lets us know that the following event is not a lengthy process, dragging on for weeks, months, or even years, but something that will take place in an instant at the very moment when the Lord returns: “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1. Cor. 15:35-58). Amen!

In this context our Lord said, “But that day and hour knoweth no man …” “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Mt. 24:27+36). Amen!

Whoever asserts that the Lamb of God has already left the Mercy Seat and Christ has been in the process of descending since the opening of the Seals in March 1963 has completely lost the spiritual orientation. The Lamb took the book out of the hand of Him that sat upon the throne to open the seven seals (Rev. 5:7) — not to end the time of grace!

For instance, in the sermon “The Rapture” Brother Branham referred to Mt. 25, to 1. Ths. 4, even to Jn. 11, but one must carefully verify in the Bible where the message, going forth as the wake-up call for all the living in our time, is to be placed, namely with Mt. 25. One must further distinguish and correctly place the commanding shout in connection with His coming, that is with 1. Ths. 4 and 1. Cor. 15:35-58. At first it seems that Brother Branham connected the message to the commanding shout in 1. Ths. 4, but then he was led by the Spirit of God to Mt. 25 and said, “He ordained these things to be, and He must send this. The first thing comes when He starts descending from the heaven, there’s a shout. What is it? It’s a Message to get the people together. A Message comes forth first. Now, ‘Lamp trimming time. Rise and trim your lamps.’ ” (Mt. 25). After that Brother Branham once again came back to 1. Ths. 4, to the commanding shout in view of those who died in Christ and will rise first, and drew a parallel to the loud voice our Lord used when calling Lazarus from the grave (Jn. 11:38-44).

The Scripture in Mt. 25 applies only to the currently living, not to the dead, not to the resurrection, but rather to the wise and foolish virgins who go out to meet the Bridegroom. Therefore, we read about the cry at midnight, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” (Mt. 25:6). That is the message of the hour — the last call, through which the Bride is being prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom.

In 1. Ths. 4:13 reference is made initially to those who died in Christ and who will rise first. And then the Apostle Paul emphatically addressed us, the now living, with the Word of the Lord, “We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” (v. 15). Why not? Because it will happen on the same day, at the same time. At that time, the Lord Himself will appear, not a message. He will descend with a shout and the dead in Christ will rise first at that very moment. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (Jn. 5:25). Then those who are living in Christ will be changed, and together we shall be taken up on the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Is there any room left for an interpretation? Can this very clear description be misunderstood? Absolutely not! Amen!

Whoever makes a distinction between appearing and coming needs to notice that both designations are used to describe the same event. In 2. Tim. 4 the Apostle Paul used a third term because there are different comings. He spoke about both, first the appearing of the Lord in connection with His Return and then also about His Kingdom, which will be established for the Millennial Reign. “… at his appearing and his kingdom …” (2. Tim. 4:1). In 2. Tim. 4:8 the apostle referred to the day of the Return of Christ once more and wrote about the crown of righteousness, “… which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Paul wanted to remain steadfast with his preaching in the eyes of the Lord and also admonished his co-worker Timothy, “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1. Tim. 6:14). This verse is likewise addressed to all the brethren who are now, before the coming of the Lord, proclaiming the scriptural end-time message and giving out the spiritual food at the right time (Mt. 24:45-47).

There is a world of difference between the appearing of the Lord in the supernatural cloud on February 28, 1963, before the opening of the Seals and the actual, bodily Return of our Lord. Whenever Brother Branham was praying for the sick in his meetings, the light, the pillar of fire, came down each time. The supernatural presence of God was part of his extraordinary ministry. The personal, bodily appearing of the Lord, however, will be a reality when He returns (Acts 1:11).

The following Scriptures speak of that great event:

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Heb. 9:28).

“… who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time … That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1. Pt. 1:5-7).

“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1. Jn. 2:28).

“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).

“… so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Mt. 24:40-42).

Important clarification: When Brother Branham spoke about the seven thunders, he was quite often referring to the appearance of the supernatural cloud, at which time he heard seven mighty, successive thunderclaps. To clarify what he meant, he even knocked with his fist on the pulpit seven times. He reported that he then looked up and observed the supernatural cloud, wherein he saw seven angels in the form of a pyramid. Rev. 10, in contrast, talks about the seven thunders which will utter their voices (vv. 3-4) only when the Lord descends as the Angel of the Covenant to His people Israel (Seals book, pg. 72). There is no testimony in the Holy Scripture about any thunder doctrine.

Everything in connection with the ministry of Brother Branham has to be left with God. This also applies to the comparison with the ministry of John the Baptist, who brought his message and prepared the way of the Lord but did not live to see the crucifixion of the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world — the very thing he had foretold. It is incomprehensible for us that his life was ended so abruptly through his beheading, yet we know he had completed his ministry according to the plan of Salvation. It is equally difficult for us to understand why Brother Branham was so suddenly and unexpectedly taken home to glory after a car accident, but his ministry was done, and thus God’s wisdom was therein justified, once again. God does not make mistakes.

On June 11, 1933, he was told, “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, so you are sent with a message that will forerun the second coming of Christ.” The concern is the message that he was entrusted with, which was to forerun the second coming of Christ. We thank the Lord for preserving that message, which has now reached the ends of the earth.

The Apostle Paul expected certain things to come to pass already in his time, even the Return of Christ, but he went home to glory without witnessing their fulfilment. Brother Branham also hoped to see particular events take place in his lifetime. On October 15, 1961, he said, “I believe that we still have great Light coming on now that’ll just flood the earth one of these days for a short period, maybe just in a matter of months. But I believe that there’s great Light coming.” (Quotations, pg. 115). We believe that as well. However, Brother Branham never said that the dead would rise and then be among us for thirty to forty days.

On November 28, 1965, he said, “Why, me an old man, suffered all my life, why did He heal me now? I believe I’ll ride this trail again; I got to bring a Message.” (On the wings of a snow-white dove). At the end of his sermon about the seventh seal on March 24, 1963, he prayed, “Then, Lord, I pray that You’ll help me. 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.” The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).

In the sermon on January 18, 1963, Brother Branham said, “It may be my going-home time. It looks very much that way. If it is, there will rise somebody after this and take the message on. He’ll be an odd person, but he’ll rise after me that’ll take the message on. And you listen to it. As long as it’s Scripture, stay with it.” He that has ears to hear, let him hear. The message that he carries on is one hundred percent in agreement with the Holy Scripture. Amen.

We have to trust God and leave His final work unto Him (Isa. 28:21). “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Rom. 9:28). There is no need for the prophet to return or for an eighth messenger to appear — God Himself will finish His work of Redemption as He finished His work of Creation. Amen!

A Predestined Encounter

Since my conversion in 1948 during the tent meetings of a Baptist church and after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit during a Pentecostal conference in 1949, my entire life has been dedicated to my Lord and Saviour. Soon after, I was called upon by the ministering brethren to partake in the proclamation of God’s Word. In 1953, during the Pentecostal conference of the independent Full-Gospel Fellowships in Kassel, Germany, the leading brother asked me to be the main speaker. Then came the unforgettable meetings of Brother Branham in Karlsruhe, Germany, in August 1955, where I met him personally for the first time. I saw that God was with him, because no man could ever do the things that were happening there, and wanted to find out what he believed and taught.

For that reason I made the trip to Dallas, Texas, to attend the “Voice of Healing” convention in June 1958. There I noticed a great difference between him and all the other evangelists and wanted to know from him what his ministry was all about.

During our conversation he said to me, “Brother Frank, I have a message that I must bring.” It came as a complete surprise when he told me at the end of this talk, “Brother Frank, you will return to Germany with this message.” I had emigrated to Canada in the meantime and never intended to return to Germany.

Brother Branham asked me to see Leo Mercier, who was then recording Brother Branham’s sermons on tape, so that he could give me a few tapes to take along. I have those original tapes to this day. They are: “United under one Head,” “When love projects,” “Handwriting on the wall,” “Expectations and leadings,” and “God’s Eagles.”

Since then, every sermon preached by Brother Branham was sent to me. In December 1958 I translated them for the first time into the German language for a small assembly. I am well-acquainted with their contents; on account of that and my personal connection with him, I am very familiar with his commission, with his ministry, with all the things he believed and taught.

Brother Branham repeatedly said that every message that God gave him for the Church would be preached by him in Jeffersonville. Therefore, I first translated all the sermons he had preached in the Tabernacle. Later we printed every sermon he had preached since the opening of the Seals, regardless of where the meetings had been held. Over the years it added up to several hundred translated messages; consequently, I can say that I have served unto God’s people the spiritual food in its entirety, the full measure of the revealed Word of God.

In 1962 Brother Branham spoke four times about being advised to store up the food. Just as our Lord spoke about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God in natural pictures and parables, the same thing happened with Brother Branham and also with me in reference to the spiritual food.

On April 1, 1962, he mentioned some vegetables he had seen in a vision, which he was to store up in the Tabernacle. It was no coincidence that on the morning of April 2, 1962, the Lord God spoke to me about storing up the food and also named some of the same vegetables; it was part of His eternal plan of Salvation. The Lord gave the promise in His Word, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11). The time has come for the children of God to live by every Word that comes from God (Mt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3).

Without trying to compare myself to Paul, I can say before God Almighty that I heard the audible, all-penetrating Voice of the Lord in my mother tongue on April 2, 1962, when He called me to His service and gave me my commission. Brother Branham confirmed it by divine revelation, as most of you already know, on December 3, 1962, in the presence of two witnesses, Brother Wood and Brother Sothman.

I will ask no one to believe me or to accept the commission the Lord gave me. There is no need for that, as the Apostle Paul said, “… we do not preach ourselves …” Instead, he could confidently point to his calling and the direct commission he had heard with his own ears in his mother tongue, spoken by the Lord Himself (Acts 26:13-26). The following words of our Lord apply here as well: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” (Jn. 13:20). At the same time we see the fulfilment of what Jesus further said, “He that is of God heareth God’s words …” And the second half applies to the ones who do not listen: “… ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (Jn. 8:47). That is for ever binding, because a commission is God’s work. God does not make mistakes. He Alone designates the ministries (1. Cor. 12:28; a. o.). “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.” (Lk. 10:16). Those are the words of the Lord Himself. This Scripture pertains to His true messengers: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1. Jn. 4:6).

The divine calling distinguishes me from everyone else to whom Brother Branham told something. To this day, no one else — be it in the USA, Canada, or any other place on earth — can testify of having received a calling and commission by the Lord Himself. None of them can say, “This is what the Lord told me on such a day, in such a place, at such a time with an audible voice.” In perfect harmony, as only God can plan and accomplish it, I have carried the scriptural end-time message into all the world ever since Brother Branham went home to glory.

The brothers in the USA did not expect that there would actually be a burial on April 11, 1966, for they were counting on Brother Branham’s resurrection. I was the only European in attendance and witnessed it as the choruses “Only believe, only believe …” and “On the wings of a snow-white dove …” were being sung over and over for hours, until the coffin was finally lowered into the grave. If the dear Lord had not spoken to me in the evening of that same day, specifically reminding me that now the time had come to give out the stored-up food, then I would not have called the brothers in Jeffersonville together on the following days, April 12 and 13, 1966, to relay to them what must now take place. I insisted that all the sermons, which were only available on tape, must now be transcribed and printed so that they could be easily translated into other languages. On account of my suggestion, Brother Roy Borders was entrusted with that task. I say this in humility because that is how it was ordained by God Himself: If I had not been in the right place at the right time, then the whole world would have never heard of the biblical end-time message. All of them, even the ministering brethren, would have returned home disappointed, their hopes buried at the funeral as well!

Without delay I arranged 25 meetings in five Western European countries in 1966. In 1967/68 I travelled to the Eastern European countries, then to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and later to Africa and South America. It was obviously by the foresight of God that I had already established contacts in our neighbouring countries at the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s. At the convention in Dallas, Texas, I had also made contact with some of the other well-known US evangelists, thus enabling me to organise the European tour for the world-renowned evangelist T. L. Osborne in 1959/1960. By 1965 I had preached in most of the Western European countries, including Great Britain. Already in 1964 I made my first journeys to Israel, Jordan, and to India.

With profound gratitude we may look back on what God, by His grace, has done in the past fifty years. In August 2008 I set foot in the 140th country, namely Burkina Faso, West Africa, and there proclaimed the divine message of Salvation. In accordance with the Lord’s command, I have carried out my commission in two ways: Throughout all the years I have gone on my monthly missionary trips to preach the Word, and from the Mission Center I have given out the stored-up spiritual food.

I am convinced that my personal acquaintance with Brother Bran-ham was of great significance in connection with the plan of Salvation for the Church of Jesus Christ in the end time and that God had made provision for it in His counsel. Looking back, I can see that the protecting Hand of the Almighty has been with me throughout my entire life, even during the hardest trials. I know there is an eternal purpose connected to this ministry for all those who are part of the Bride Church, as it was with the ministry of Brother Branham. However, I want to strongly emphasise this: An encounter with Brother Branham is not enough; the encounter with my Lord and Redeemer was the essential one. If my testimony consisted solely of what the prophet said to me and would not include what the Lord told me, it would be truly deplorable.

Special Leadings

Special leadings and experiences, of course, are only of significance to the one who lived through them. After Paul had experienced his conversion and received his calling and commission, the ever-true God sent His servant Ananias to him to confirm the calling: “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14). What Ananias said to Paul was of no consequence to anyone else on earth. Likewise, many things that Brother Branham told me are only of importance to me personally. When we shook hands for the first time in August 1955, without knowing who I was, he said, “You are a minister of the Gospel.” In December 1962 he even asked me to preach in his stead at a meeting of the Full Gospel Businessmen in Los Angeles, arranged by Demos Shakarian. He also gave me the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of brothers living in California, USA, and in Edmonton, Canada, whom I did not know at that time, in order for me to get in contact with them.

It was of great significance for me when Brother Branham said, “Brother Frank, there is no curse upon Germany because of the millions of Jews that were murdered during World War II. God will only judge those that are guilty, not the whole nation.” When it became known what had actually happened in the Holocaust, special prayer meetings were held in all the congregations of believers; we wept, repented, and asked God to take that curse from us, which we thought had come upon the German people on account of the sin committed against His people Israel. The words Brother Branham spoke were not only the answer I needed, but they lifted a great burden from my heart.

It came as quite a surprise when he once told me, without being prompted, “Brother Frank, you should not worry about the journey of Paul to Jerusalem. It was in the Will of God.” This had been weighing on my mind because I simply could not understand why the Apostle Paul took a vow in the temple according to the Jewish law and even paid for his purification, although he already had experienced and was preaching the grace of God (Acts 21).

When I was troubled by the question whether I also had the right to pray for the sick, I once more received my answer through Brother Branham: “Brother Frank, the Lord has called you to preach His Word, and everyone that is called to preach the Gospel is also called to pray for the sick.” Afterward Brother Branham prayed for me.

With reference to the storing up of the food, he said, “Brother Frank, the food you are to put in store is the promised Word of God for this day and is kept in the sermons which are being taped.” Then he continued — and this was of vital importance to me as well, “… wait with the giving out of the food until you get the rest of it.” Notice, how precisely God speaks and works: Brother Branham was only given the commission to store up the food, but not a single time was he told to give it out. Everything has its divine order. When I came to know that Brother Branham had gone home to glory and I received his final sermon from December 12, I knew the time had come to give out the food as the Lord had commanded me to do on April 2, 1962.

In any case, I am not simply claiming this, but it is thus saith the Lord: My ministry was foreordained to be directly connected to the ministry of Brother Branham. On December 24, 1965, just after 11 PM, I saw Brother Branham being taken up on a cloud. I did not understand it at the time, until I later found out that it had been the very moment when he was taken to glory. Lest anyone should sin wilfully, I must now mention that we shall also be taken up on the clouds (1. Ths. 4:17). The two prophets of Rev. 11 will likewise ascend up to heaven in a cloud (v. 12). The following is written of our Lord: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9). “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him …” (Rev. 1:7).

During a prayer meeting on December 31, 1965, these words were addressed to me through a prophecy: “My servant, I have placed My Sword into thy hand …” Initially I could not understand it, for I knew that the Sword of the King had been placed into Brother Branham’s hand. Although I had seen him ascend, I still did not know at that time that Brother Branham had really been taken to glory on December 24, 1965.

When the Lord told me, “… I will send you to other cities to preach My Word …,” I was unaware of the actual magnitude of the commission. At the beginning of the 1970s, the Lord again urged me to proclaim His Word when he spoke to me in Marseille, France, and commanded, “Rise and read 2. Tim. 4 …” Connected thereto is the Thus saith the Lord that only those things which are written in the Word of God may be preached. At the same time, I received a direct answer regarding the seven thunders: “What the voices of the seven thunders in Revelation 10 had uttered was not written in God’s Word; therefore, it cannot and will not ever be preached.”

All these experiences have a lasting significance for me, even more so because they are directly linked to the most important ministry — the proclamation of the biblical end-time message that is now going forth as a forerunner to the second coming of Christ. I am very grateful to God Almighty for all the extraordinary experiences, for His speaking to me and for all the commands He has given me throughout the years. The fact remains that I may and will preach only the Word.

With godly respect we accept the unique ministry of Brother Bran-ham. He preached more than 1,000 sermons, wherein the thus saith the Lord came forth from his lips a total of 1,615 times. Each of those times he was shown a vision and connected thereto was the Thus saith the Lord. Never before had there been such a ministry on earth, which can only be compared to the one of the Son of man, Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:19-20). That was not the man William Branham, it was God’s supernatural doing through a human vessel in our time here on earth, which I personally witnessed. The fact of the matter, however, is that the bearer of the Word is not the actual authority — as Brother Branham was regrettably being portrayed by certain people — but the Word Itself is both, the seed and the divine authority.

Brother Branham was the promised prophet; he carried out his ministry, revealed all the mysteries of the Word from Genesis to Revelation, and proclaimed the biblical teachings anew, but he never went beyond God’s Word. He accepted the Word as his only and final authority in doctrine and in faith. He lifted up his Bible and said, “This is my absolute!”

Nevertheless, Brother Branham still had the right to be a human being. He was not only a prophet, he was also an evangelist and a preacher. For instance, on August 7, 1962, he expressed a desire of his heart, “I’m waiting for that great time when I will go to Israel to bring the Gospel to them.” (Supersign). After he had already arrived in Cairo, the Lord had to correct him and tell him that the time for Israel had not yet come. According to Zech. 4 and Rev. 11, two prophets will appear on the scene in Jerusalem at the appointed time.

I also know what he said about the seven thunders, about the 3rd pull, about the year 1977, about the 70 weeks of Daniel, about the tent vision, about the seventh seal, etc., but none of it would have caused any confusion if some of the brothers had not taken certain quotes out of context and then misused them to invent their own doctrines. I want to reiterate it once more: Only what is written in the Bible is biblical, and only if there is a promise in God’s Word can there be a subsequent fulfilment. Even Brother Branham, who had an extraordinary, infallible prophetic ministry, must be granted the right to remain a human being and, as such, express his expectations and hopes. The Apostle Paul, for example, voiced his opinion as well, in 1. Cor. 7:8-9, “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows …” In the verses 10 and 11, he emphasised the thus saith the Lord, “… And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord …” And in verse 12, speaking as a man again, Paul gave some good advice, “… but to the rest speak I, not the Lord …”

God allowed it that things were said which are difficult to comprehend, but He gave us understanding for them as well. Amen. No man may be glorified, let alone deified and thus considered to be infallible. That is how idolatry begins. God does not share His Glory with anyone. Only He and His Word remain infallible for all eternity.

By God’s grace, I did not misunderstand any of the delicate statements Brother Branham made, nor did I misconceive any of the difficult passages in the Bible. I only discern the divine harmony in all of them. When someone stirs up unsubstantiated hopes by reason of Brother Branham’s various statements and, as a result, even expects Brother Branham’s return, that person thereby diverts from the Return of Jesus Christ, bypasses what God is presently doing and, sadly, leads other believers astray.

The Word excludes the interpretations and the interpretations deny the Word. As light is separated from darkness, so is the truth separated from the lie. Whoever believes the Word of Truth rejects the lie; whoever believes the lie denies the Word of Truth. To all those people, even preachers, God shall send strong delusions that they should believe the lie (2. Ths. 2:10-12). One’s decision for the truth should not be delayed any longer, otherwise it could soon be for ever too late.

Two Different Seeds

In the course of human history, many things have happened that seem incomprehensible to us. It began in paradise and continued all the way to the present time. We know about the fact that every seed brings forth of its own kind (Gen. 1:12). After Eve admitted that she had been beguiled by the serpent (Gen. 3:13), God cursed the serpent and from that moment on it had to crawl on its belly (v. 14). Afterward God put enmity between the serpent and Eve, between his seed and her seed (v. 15). The Bible applies the word “seed” 213 times to indicate fleshly descendants. Every reader of the Bible will clearly recognise from the context — even though it is in the form of a parable — that Cain was the result of the beguiling. Then Adam knew his wife, “… and she … bare Cain … and she again bare his brother Abel.” (Gen. 4:1-2). For this reason the Holy Scripture never refers to Cain as Adam’s son and not once identifies Adam as Cain’s father. It is also why Cain is not mentioned a single time in the genealogies, although he had descendants, not in Gen. 5:1-7, not in 1. Chr. 1:1-5, not in Lk. 3:37-38. The Apostle John stated it clearly for all of us, “… Cain who was of that wicked one …” (1. Jn. 3:12).

Everybody who reads the Bible knows that Christ, the Redeemer, was the promised Seed (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 3:16; a. o.) who had to be born into this world by a woman. Satan misused the serpent, beguiled Adam’s wife, and sneaked into the human race through fleshly begetting. God chose Mary — the virgin who said to the Angel Gabriel, “… how shall this be, seeing I know not a man …” (Lk. 1:34) — as His vessel to come into humankind by begetting the Son of God through the Holy Ghost (v. 35) so He could redeem us out of the fall (Rom. 8:3).

On behalf of all of us, David cried out, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Ps. 51:5). Since we were all born in the original sin, we have to be born again by the Spirit of God (Jn. 3:1-8; a. o.), otherwise we cannot see the Kingdom of God. We were born into this world through natural procreation; by being born of the Spirit we are placed into the Kingdom of God and receive eternal life.

From the beginning, there are spiritually two different seeds in existence (Mt. 13:24-43). The Lord sows the Word, and the enemy sows the interpretation. The pure Word was sown in our time as well, but the enemy promptly sneaked in and sowed the seed of discrepancy into the end-time Church. Brother Branham saw in a vision that the Church in the USA was being led by a witch and drew the comparison to the deception by the World Council of Churches. He further observed how the Bride in Europe came out of step but that she eventually was brought back into step again (Masterpiece, July 5, 1964). God has to reveal unto us when and how this vision is being fulfilled.

On the subject of the spiritual seed, we shall call upon the Gospels in the Bible to provide the testimony. In Mk. 4:14 the Lord said, “The sower soweth the word.” And in Lk. 8:11 He explained, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” According to Mt. 13, the Lord as Son of man has sown the good seed, and that seed has come to life in all those who received it in faith (v. 23). Then we read, “He answered and said unto them, … The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” (vv. 37-38).

Only when someone by faith accepts the incorruptible seed of God’s Word into an honest and good heart can that person be born again (1. Pt. 1:23; Jas. 1:18; a. o.) and bring forth fruit with patience (Lk. 8:15). “… first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear.” (Mk. 4:28).

However, something very terrible happened, as our Lord stated in the same chapter, “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” (Mt. 13:25).

In Mt. 25:5 we are told what will happen in the last phase, “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”

Since the beginning of Brother Branham’s ministry, a mighty wake-up call has gone forth. Foolish and wise virgins took their lamps and set off to meet the Bridegroom. When the Bridegroom delayed His coming, they all fell asleep. We did not heed the admonition: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” (Mt. 26:41). The enemy used this time to mislead and to beguile (2. Cor. 11:3) and to sow his own seed. The enemy intended to for ever destroy the very goal of the entire scriptural end-time message by ruining the credibility of its bearer. He did not fully succeed, but many still succumbed to the influence of the evil one, and the seed of discrepancy, as Brother Branham called it, came up.

“And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.” (Jer. 1:19).

Consider what they did to our Lord, Who was the personification of the Word, what slander and hostility He had to endure from His birth to His death on the cross: He was labelled as born out of wedlock, deceiver, Beelzebub, possessed, seducer, etc. The prophets and apostles, the bearers of the Word, were also persecuted, even stoned to death, as our Lord announced it (Mt. 23:34). The Word that they left unto us is truly a living Word to this day, and it continues to accomplish what it was sent for (Isa. 55:11). Sadly, both seeds are on the same field, receive the same rain (Mt. 5:45), and seem to be granted the same blessings (Heb. 6); they grow side by side right until the harvest time (Mt. 13:30).

In the sermon “The anointed ones at the end time,” Brother Bran-ham reinforced his statement, “The anointed ones, the false christs and false prophets have received the same anointing of the Holy Spirit.” with the Thus saith the Lord. He spoke of the three “circles” — body, spirit, and soul — and said, “You can be anointed in the second realm with the genuine Holy Spirit without your soul being saved and born again.” This is shown to us very clearly in Mt. 7:21-24, when the anointed “gift-bearers” appear before the Lord and have to hear the words, “… depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Here is the distinguishing mark that we need to look for: “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?” (Mt. 7:16). It does not say that we shall know them by their gifts! A child of God can never have a satanic nature, and a child of Satan can never have the divine nature. This Word stays true for ever: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1. Jn. 3:15). Remember the example of Cain and Abel.

In God’s children the nature of Jesus Christ is manifested in the divine love with all of its virtues (2. Pet. 1), as it is also described in 1. Cor. 13. Thus, every individual can examine himself and determine whether a complete renewal and transformation has taken place and he now embodies the very nature of Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. A child of God will always examine himself according to the Word, and whoever carries the divine seed within his heart and life will never judge others and never manifest the nature of the enemy, the accuser of the brethren.

The following Scripture for ever retains its validity: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth … Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:33-39). Amen.

The Church – Stage of Spiritual Conflict

“… I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18). The Lord has redeemed His Church, and He builds it upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). He has revealed His secret about His Church to His holy apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:4). The people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem have been exposed to the destructive wrath of their enemies. That is how it is with the Church from all nations, which is founded upon the apostolic Word that came forth from Jerusalem. Jerusalem was destroyed 19 times, and the Jews were scattered throughout the entire world. They were persecuted and murdered. The earth is also soaked with the blood of the martyrs of Christ (Rev. 17:6).

In view of the internal situation of the Church, the Apostle Paul admonished the elders with these words: “… take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood …” (Acts 20:27-30). He foresaw that “wolves would enter in among them and not spare the flock” and that “from their own midst men would rise and preach heresies.” Both things happen: persecution from the outside and deception from the inside. The latter we experienced through Satan’s attack on the local church here, the place from which the Word went forth into all the world, when the evil one called upon all the forces of hell to destroy God’s work in 1979. We have already felt the effects of the foretold pressure and the religious persecution on certain occasions.

The mighty blessings we experienced here were almost comparable with those of the early church. The proclamation of the Word and the use of the spiritual gifts were in harmony. We often heard “Thus saith the Lord …” — and it was indeed so. There was an almost paradisiacal atmosphere in our meetings, and we were looking forward to the impending return of the Lord.

In the blessed time until Easter 1976, edifying and comforting prophecies came forth; for instance: “Behold, Thus saith the Lord: … My saints, my bride, gathered at this place where I have built my sanctuary … Behold, Thus saith the Lord: My people, I have chosen this place as my sanctuary … Behold, Thus saith the Lord: My people, oh, that your eyes would be opened and you could see the bow of my covenant which I have stretched out over this place … also in the pillar of cloud I am here and I am resting over the platform, I am with you …” Then the enemy sneaked in, beguiled and deceived.

During the meeting on June 5, 1976, I was compelled by another prophecy to ordain to the ministry a brother and his wife who had been mentioned by name. Thereafter, the thus saith the Lord still came forth frequently, but now it was the wrong inspiration under the influence of the serpent, as it came to light later on. It was not until that Saturday morning in November 1978, when the Lord urged me with an audible voice, “My Servant, search through the Book of Acts to see if ever a man and his wife were ordained to the ministry!” and I finally came to know that the prophecy, among other things, had been contrary to the Holy Scripture.

All of us, even the ministering brethren, were still greatly affected by the blessed time and certainly did not consider the possibility that the enemy would slip in under the cloak of piety and so cunningly avail himself of the same lips which had previously conveyed the Lord’s directives. Besides the spiritually gifted sister here, a supposed “prophetess” from Berlin and two esteemed brothers who did not attend the local church were also involved in this.

We shall not go into any further detail about the intentional destruction, the ensuing attempts at character assassination, the hatred and the enmity, which have torn apart marriages, entire families, and even congregations. The same sister renounced the church and took the written records of all the prophecies that had come forth from her lips, there were over 40 of them, tore them apart before my eyes, and threw them in the wastebasket. What followed must be left to the White Throne Judgement. Uncontrolled words were uttered, such as: “I must destroy you; I must destroy your work … if I stay with you, I cannot destroy you.” That was the direct influence of the enemy, who had enticed a woman to separate from her husband and choose to hire a divorce lawyer.

After the act of destruction, inconceivable words came from the same lips, even the statement: “Never again will I enter this building, not even if the dead should rise.” And behold, all who gave credence to this voice and let themselves get pulled into this gainsaying have separated from the church and are going their own way and have become despisers (Acts 13:41).

The enemy had come into the flock to smite the shepherd and to scatter the sheep. The worldwide effect thereof was that even ministering brethren became a prey to this corrupting influence, which explains why they are spreading corrupt teachings and participating in the character assassination of the one who bears the true Word of God. Still, this remains in effect for all eternity: “… the gates of hell shall not prevail against the true Church.” Now a new phase begins. The resurrecting power of our Lord will be manifested in His Own.

What happened in the Garden of Eden under the influence of the evil one in the natural realm and brought about the natural death, that also happened here in the spiritual realm and, God be merciful, caused the spiritual death of many precious souls. However, if the work of destruction had not taken place, then Satan as the angel of light would have continued his deception and the two different seeds would have never been manifested. God allowed the seduction in the Garden of Eden as well as here, for the sole purpose of putting an end to the intermingling. Nevertheless, we will only be able to correctly place it if we read Brother Branham’s sermon “Marriage and Divorce” once again and recognise why he had to go back to the beginning, to the beguiling of Eve and to what came thereafter, and why he had to confirm it with the thus saith the Lord.

We are confident that the heavenly Bridegroom will call out His earthly Bride and complete her preparation. God knew how He would carry out His plan of Salvation after what had happened in the Garden of Eden. He also knows why He allowed the events that unfolded here to come to pass. It was most certainly part of His perfect plan of Salvation for the end time.

Satan is obviously standing before the Church, as it is predicted for the last phase before the Rapture (Rev. 12). He initially succeeded in his ambition to bring irreparable reproach and shame upon the messenger and the message, for he was apparently permitted to sift out the Bride Church. However, we can rest assured that the wheat remains in the sifter. Only the chaff will be scattered in the winds of the many different doctrines. Everything that has occurred since the beginning of time is undoubtedly included in the plan of God, Who will now, at the end, destroy the works of the enemy, even bruise Satan under our feet shortly (Rom. 16:20), and victoriously complete His Work of Redemption unto the day of the Return of Christ. Jesus is the victor, and our faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1. Jn. 5:4); therefore, we expect His final work to conclude shortly in complete clarity and truth as the crowning ending to the plan of Salvation.

By God’s grace, all who belong to the Bride Church will listen solely to the voice of the Bridegroom, be brought back into the step, and thus experience their completion. A heavenly reward is awaiting the chosen ones for following the Lord under all circumstances to the very end. From now on, we shall no longer look back but rather declare, as Paul did in his epistle to the Philippians, “… I do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (3:13-14).

With thanksgiving I can testify as the Apostle Paul did, “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (2. Tim. 4:17).

A Life in His Service

“We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (Jn. 9:4).

I am very grateful to my beloved Lord for giving me the privilege to be in His service for more than half a century now, as it may never have been granted to any man of God in the past two thousand years. From the beginning, I was able to minister in three different languages. I was just as much at home in the Eastern European countries as I was in the West and in the entire world. In the past fifty years, I have preached over ten thousand sermons. In addition to that, there have been countless radio and TV broadcasts, which to this day still continue in various countries in the German, the English, and the Russian languages. Not once did I take a scripted sermon with me to the pulpit, only the Bible, and the dear Lord always gave His inspiration and placed His words into my heart and mouth.

Brother Branham’s sermons were translated by me personally into the German language, in print and in audio. Over the years, I have further published twenty of my own brochures, wherein I dealt with the most important biblical topics; they were first printed in German, then in English, and later in other languages. In addition, there were books and many Circular Letters issued that also provided answers to many scriptural questions.

Not wanting to waste it, I have been able to literally use all my time during the days, and often late into the nights, and devote it to His service. With a clear conscience I can say that I have made good use of the time before the night comes and no one can work anymore.

God has also given His grace for me to still continue with my monthly missionary trips. I have already visited some countries more than twenty and even thirty times. Since 1968, without fail, I have been able to hold meetings in Zurich, Switzerland, on the last Sunday of every month and also preach in Salzburg, Austria, several times a year. Here in Krefeld, Germany, we have international meetings on the first weekend of each month, which have been attended by brothers and sisters from many countries throughout the years. The two large mission buildings were constructed at the direct advice of the Lord in order to accommodate all the visitors.

The zebra skin that is behind me in the photograph is a very special keepsake for me. It must have been in 1978 when Brother Sidney Jackson and I once again had meetings in all the larger cities in South Africa. In Pretoria he introduced me to a crowd of about 600 people, who had gathered to hear the Word of God, by announcing to them, “I believe Brother Frank to be an apostle sent by the Lord ….” When I was in his home shortly thereafter, he showed me the zebra skin lying on the floor and told me, “Brother Branham stood on this skin with us brethren in 1965 when he prayed for Africa. He was sad, as he was not permitted to preach in our country. But now God has taken care of it, and the message has come into Africa.” He must have been the first one to remind me that Brother Branham saw the German eagle flying through Africa. Then he gave me the zebra skin as a present, and it has been hanging on my living room wall ever since.

On the African continent God has saved not only thousands, but hundreds of thousands and led them to the knowledge of the truth. I shall never forget when I stood in a stadium filled with 22,000 people — and it happened again in other cities where thousands of people had gathered — and I asked, “How many of you believe the message and are baptised in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ?” Thousands of hands were raised, and the arena resonated with a mighty “Amen!”

If I wanted to relate all of the leadings, directives, and the numerous experiences that God granted me, then they would fill more than one book. Trusting the Lord to watch over His work, I never took up an offering or collected donations for some program; I never solicited for money. From the beginning, He has always provided for all things: for the lot and the construction of the church and the large mission buildings; for the purchase of the equipment for the print shop, the recording control room, and the TV studio; and for all the materials required for sending out the tapes and the literature. Indeed, the Lord ensured that we always had what we needed for the missionary work.

Who would ten years ago have thought that we would be given the opportunity to transmit our services live via the Internet? God Himself has seen to it that there are brothers in our midst who speak more than one language, thus facilitating the simultaneous translation of the sermons into twelve different languages, ten of which can instantly be heard in the entire world. God has taken care of all aspects, even made sure we had a choir and instrument players. I am grateful for the elders and all the brethren who have dutifully served in their positions alongside of me during all these years.

This missionary work is being carried out in the direct Will of God and is unique in every way. For the first Circular Letter in 1966 I chose the title “The Word of God remains for ever” and concluded, ever since, with the words “by His commission.” I will not deny my calling and God cannot take it back. It is my desire to not only correctly serve the Lord, but to be found in the perfect Will of God right to the end. I know it will be worth it for eternity to have faithfully carried out His commission under all circumstances, as the Apostle Paul did in his time: “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness …” (Tit. 1:1-3).

Of particular value to me is the experience I had in January 1981, when I was taken out of my body and I saw and experienced the Rapture. I observed the multitude, all dressed in white; they were all young (Job 33:25). I watched as the New Jerusalem came down and the Bride was taken up toward it. Ultimately, the deplorable way that we had to walk will serve its divine purpose and fulfil its objective of purification and separation. “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10). We are coming down the final stretch of the road.

All brothers and sisters are given the choice to decide whether they want to belong to the misled church or to the restored Bride. Every individual must decide for himself and recognise where the Holy Scripture places him. Everyone will have to stand before the Lord with the decision he now makes. Who will believe God and stand on His side?

In conclusion, I would like to thank all of you, my beloved brothers and sisters, for keeping me in your daily prayers. I further wish to express my gratitude to all those who, in some capacity, work tirelessly here at the Mission Center or in other locations in this country or abroad. Likewise, I want to thank all the brothers and sisters who have faithfully supported this work of God throughout the years with their tithes and offerings. To all the ministering brethren who proclaim the Word of God in different languages in the various countries, I would like to offer the following words of encouragement from 1. Cor. 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

By His commission￼

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come … Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

In view of the past 50 years, we have many precious memories from meetings all over the world.

By 1979 I had visited 86 countries; now it is a total of 140. Satan wanted to prevent the calling-out of the last ones who are to complete the Bride, but God through Christ did not only triumph over the powers of Satan on Calvary, He also gives us the victory now. In every country people come together to hear God’s Word. It is the literal fulfilment of biblical prophecy: God has sent a famine of hearing His Word, and the spiritual food is being given out at the right time.

We also see fulfilled what the Lord said to me on that, December 28: “My servant, gather My people unto Me, those who made the covenant with Me by sacrifice.” (Ps. 50:5). All those who are part in the New Covenant now gather in various places in all the different countries to hear the Word of God. In the 1960s and 1970s, about four hundred people came together in the Mission Center, now there are often over eight hundred believers assembled at one time. God is for ever in control of all things. Amen.