Circular Letter December 2015

Heartfelt greetings to all of you with the Scripture from Acts 26:22:

“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come …” Amen! It has come to pass, in particular at the first coming of Christ, when more than 100 prophecies were fulfilled, and it is happening now, as the last prophecies are being fulfilled.

We know that God has a Plan of Salvation that He announced through His prophets and is bringing to pass in the day of salvation, in which we are living: “For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” (Isa 14:27).

Paul had a calling (Acts 9) and thus a direct responsibility before God, which is expressed in all of his Epistles. He was able to say, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27). And, in like manner, the entire Plan of Salvation was declared unto us anew through a divinely commissioned man and was revealed by the Holy Spirit in this time.

According to God’s promise in the Old as well as in the New Testament (Mal 3:23; Mat 17:11), the faithful Lord has sent a prophet before His coming as heavenly Bridegroom in order to restore all things in His Church and to return her to the original condition.

Let us note the biblical pattern of a divine calling and commission:

Moses could say, “… I AM hath sent me unto you” (Ex 3:14), for the Lord Himself had spoken to him: “… I will send thee into Egypt.” (Ex 3:10-12; Acts 7:34).

Isaiah responded unto the question of the Lord “Whom shall I send …?” with the words, “Here am I; send me.” (Isa 6:8). To Jeremiah He said, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” (Jer 1:7).

The Lord gave Paul the directive to set out, “… for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles” (Acts 22:21) “… to open their eyes …“ (Acts 26:17-18). This took place through the proclamation of the Word.

In John 13:20 the Lord Jesus emphasized, “… He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” In John 20:21 the risen Lord said to His disciples, “… as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

As Son of Man, He Himself testified more than 20 times from Jn 4:34 to Jn 17:8 that He had been sent.

In reference to His coming, the Lord said in Mal 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger, …” and in Mal 4:5 we find the next promise: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet …”

In all, Brother Branham referred in his 1,200 sermons about 200 times to Mal 4:5 with regard to his sending, where the Lord Himself said, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord …” This Scripture has been fulfilled in our time. Through the promised ministry, all things that were originally present in the Church in doctrine and in practice were to be restored; that is how the Lord confirmed it in Mat 17:11: “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.”

John the Baptist also knew which Word of God applied to him; therefore, he could say, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias (40:3).” (Jn 1:23). In Mat 11:10 the Lord Jesus Himself showed the context of his ministry: “For this is he, of whom it is written (Mal 3:1), Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”

In this exposition, it is neither about the ministries that God has placed into the Church, namely apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists, nor is it about the elders and deacons, or about the gifts of the Spirit in the Church, but instead about the last sending, the last message, which must be preached not only in a local church but worldwide so that the Church of Jesus Christ is restored into its original condition.

As certain as John the Baptist could testify, “… but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me …” (Jn 1:33), so could Brother Branham testify what was said to him on June 11, 1933, namely, “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!” He was able to bear witness to the direct sending and also to the supernatural experience on May 7, 1946, when he was commissioned for the ministry. The angel, who entered the room in the supernatural light, stood before him and said, “Do not fear; I am sent from the presence of Almighty God!” He gave him instructions and said, among other things, “You’ll be given two signs as the Prophet Moses was given two signs …” It was a supernaturally confirmed ministry through the extraordinary healings of the sick. The healing miracles were to direct the attention of the people to the presence of God and the message that he had to bring.

The special ministry of Brother William Branham has been the subject of our expositions many times. As an eye- and ear-witness, I can confirm that God indeed used and blessed him as an evangelist and prophet unlike anyone else in our time and confirmed His Word. However, now it is no longer about the time span from 1933 to 1946 or the period from 1946 to 1965, in which this man of God became known throughout the world on account of the special revival and healing campaigns that took place in 12 countries. Now it is about the special time period in which we are living. God, Who has purposed His Plan of Salvation from eternity, shall bring it to pass until the end according to His Will. The ministry of John the Baptist ended in a way that is incomprehensible to us, by being beheaded (Mat 14:1-12). Brother Branham passed away on December 24, 1965, because of the injuries he had sustained in a severe car accident on December 18, 1965, caused by a young drunk driver. God does not make mistakes. Obviously, whether or not we can understand it, the ministry of Brother Branham had been completed but not the calling out and preparation of the Bride Church. The message still had to be carried into all the world, and all peoples, tongues, and nations had to be reached.

Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow

Time and again I am asked in particular by ministering brethren how and when I met Brother Branham and which experiences were the most important to me.

In 1949, the well-known Rev. David DuPlessis from South Africa spoke during the Pentecost meetings of the Elim Pentecostal Church of Rev. Paul Rabe in Hamburg on Bachstreet, as well as a man from Los Angeles, USA, by the name of Hal Herman, who prayed for the sick. From him, I first heard the name William Branham in connection with the special gift of healing.

In 1951, I attended the meetings of the Free Pentecostal Church in Hamburg on Eimsbütteler Street held by Rev. Oscar Lardon. Other speakers included a German-American from New York, Hans Waldvogel, and the Swiss-American Richard Ruff, both of whom also mentioned William Branham because of his special gift of healing and prophecy. At that time, the worldwide healing revival, which had started with William Branham, began spreading everywhere.

In 1953, I received the German edition of the book William Branham – A Man Sent from God from Albert Götz, the founder of the publishing house “Mehr Licht Verlag” in Hamburg. The author was the American Gordon Lindsay from Dallas, Texas. What was reported in it made a profound impression on me.

When I learned that William Branham was going to have special meetings in Karlsruhe from August 12 to 19, 1955, I was certain that I had to attend. There, I became an eye- and ear-witness to his mighty ministry for the first time. What had taken place in the prophetic ministry of our Lord was being repeated before our eyes. As He could say to Nathanael, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee …,” and to Peter, when He met him for the first time, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona …” (Jn 1:42+48), or tell the woman at the well what had happened in her life (Jn 4), etc., that is how it came to pass in the prophetic ministry of Brother Branham: While praying for the sick, Brother Branham saw in visions things pertaining to the person for whom he was praying, things which he could not have known. When he told him or her what he had seen, the faith of the sick individual was strengthened in such a way that he or she walked away healed. In regard to this prophetic gift of a seer, he referred to Jn 14:12: “… the works that I do shall he do also …” and, above all, to Jn 5:19: “… The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do …” The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, was the promised Prophet (Deu 18:18). He saw in visions things which pertained to the individuals to whom He spoke, so did Brother Branham.

All of us were overwhelmed by the extraordinary, supernaturally confirmed ministry because, before our eyes, the blind received their sight, the deaf could hear, and the lame could walk. Jesus Christ manifested Himself as the Same during that time, just as He had done back when He walked on earth (Heb 13:8). Right from the first meeting I knew that this was a man sent from God, for nobody could do what was taking place there unless God was with him. Needless to say, I had the desire to meet this man of God personally.

On Monday, August 15, 1955, I was given the opportunity. Never before had I experienced such humility and sincerity! As I was standing near the hotel reception desk, Brother Branham entered the lobby, looked at me, and said while having his right hand raised up a little toward me, “You are a preacher of the gospel; your wife is standing there at the entrance.” This was followed by a handshake and a short conversation. The experience left such a deep impression on me that I wanted to stay in contact with the man of God.

Therefore, I took advantage of the opportunity to participate in the great “Voice of Healing Conference” in Dallas, Texas, in June 1958. Several world-famous evangelists spoke during the morning and afternoon meetings, and in the evenings Brother Branham was the main speaker. I could see the difference and addressed Brother Branham before one of the meetings. I wanted to know what his ministry was all about since it was unlike all the others. He replied, “I have a message that I must bring.” At the end of the conversation, he said, “Brother Frank, you will return to Germany with this message.” I had emigrated to Canada with my wife two years earlier, bought a house, and wanted to stay there for good; however, I accepted his words as “Thus saith the Lord.” Hence, we returned to Germany the following August. Brother Branham had also asked me during that same conversation in Dallas to see the “tape boys” Leo and Gene who recorded his sermons. I received five audio tapes from them and gave them my address. At the beginning of his sermon “We Would Like to See Jesus” from June 12, 1958, Brother Branham referred to our conversation by saying, “Just now, a man laid his arm around me from Germany, just now, where we had on the average of ten thousand converts every night: fifty thousand in five nights.”

From then on, all taped sermons of Brother Branham were sent to me. Thus I was able to follow his ministry without interruption until the end. In December 1959, I then started to translate the sermons in a small prayer group in Krefeld. On November 28, 1963, Brother Branham said in a meeting, “The tape ministry is a worldwide thing, everywhere. I think it’s one way God has got scattering the Message back into the heathen lands, back in where that it has to be translated. And in Germany, and so forth, they got tapes they go to their congregations of hundreds and hundreds of people; and put little things in their ears, and run it onto a tape. And just as I’m speaking, the minister stands there making the same expressions, and in the other languages, and bringing it out before hundreds …”

The Most Important Experiences

The special experience of my commission and sending to the ministry on April 2, 1962, is known to everybody. I had already been preaching since 1952 because I felt that I had been called to do so. However, on that day, I heard the all-penetrating, commanding voice of the Lord saying these words:

“My servant, your time for this city will soon be over. I will send you to other cities to preach my Word.”

I replied, “Lord, they will not listen to me. They have an abundance of all things and are living a life of comfort.”

Thereupon the Lord responded, “My servant, the time will come when they will hear you. Store in food and groceries, for a great famine is coming. Then you shall stand amidst the people and give out the food …” This was followed by the directive: “My servant, do not establish any local churches and do not publish a song book for it is a sign of a denomination.”

Since natural food products such as potatoes, flour, and oil were mentioned, we actually stored groceries in the basement. We expected a major catastrophe because it was the time of the Berlin Crisis, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the climax of the Cold War. After all, the Berlin Wall had been built in August 1961, and the people in East and West Germany and in all of Europe were anxious to see what would happen next.

As the months passed by and no famine came, I fell into such despair that I no longer wanted to preach. In November I called Brother Branham and urgently asked for a meeting. This took place on Monday, December 3, 1962, in the presence of the two brothers Fred Sothman and Banks Wood. I sat across the table from Brother Branham and could recognize that he was seeing a vision, causing his right eye to close slightly. At that time, he repeated the exact wording of my commission. Then he explained to me that it was not about the earthly food and famine, as I had assumed, but about the promised Word for this time – the spiritual food – which I was supposed to store in.

In his sermon on April 1, 1962, he spoke about having been commanded to store in food in Jeffersonville. This was taking place through the sermons, which were being recorded on tape. Therefore, every sermon was sent to me. He further told me that I should wait with the giving out of the food – not with the preaching of the Word – until I received the rest of the food that belonged to it. At the end, he also asked me whether I could speak in his stead before the Christian Businessmen Fellowship with Demos Shakarian in Los Angeles because he was preparing for his move to Tucson, Arizona. Since my return flight was planned via Los Angeles anyway, I readily agreed.

It means a lot to me that I was in personal contact with Brother Branham, visited his home, ate with him, and drove with him in his car. I also have fond memories of our phone conversations and treasure the 23 letters I received from him – the first was dated November 11, 1955, and the last one September 30, 1965. The most important thing, however, was the connection on the spiritual level, which God had ordained.

As for all those who were close to Brother Branham, his sudden death came as a great shock to me as well, even though I had seen him in a vision on December 24, 1965, as he was taken up on a cloud. One day before his burial, on April 11, 1966, I was allowed to see Brother Branham one more time in the funeral home: With a soft smile on his face, he was lying in the coffin, without any visible injuries. At the cemetery, the brother who officiated the funeral greeted the mourners with the words: “We are here because of the resurrection of the prophet.” The people who had gathered there on that Easter Sunday in 1966 were counting on his resurrection. But it did not come to pass, and so his mortal remains were placed into the grave while the crowd continuously sang “Only believe, only believe…” I felt as if my spiritual world and all my hopes which I had tied to the ministry of Brother Branham were falling to pieces. But when I returned to my hotel room, a profound peace came over me and it spoke in my heart: “Now your time has come to go from city to city and from country to country to preach the message.”

On the following days, April 12 and 13, I called the brethren in Jeffersonville together. All the others from out of town had left for home in disappointment after the funeral, except Lee Vayle, the author of the book The Exposition of the Seven Church Ages. In the English language, there were only the book about the Church Ages and the 48-page brochure “The Laodicean Church Age” at that time, as well as the books Twentieth Century Prophet and A Prophet Visits South Africa. Not a single sermon by Brother Branham had been printed yet, and it had not even occurred to anyone to do that. I suggested that Roy Borders, who had been Brother Branham’s secretary and whom I also knew personally, should take on that responsibility. We agreed that the taped sermons were to be printed and published as brochures so that they could be translated into other languages.

In the first brochure that I published in the English language, “Only Believe the Thus Saith the Lord,” I introduced the ministry of Brother Branham. The total print run of 85,000 copies was mailed out with the Jeffersonville address into all of the countries in which I had preached. In this way, all who were interested could get the printed sermons in English from the USA. In Krefeld we started with the translation and publishing of the printed sermons in the German language.

Already in 1966/67 I had meetings in 25 cities across Western Europe, in which also Brother Pearry Green, at my invitation, testified of what he had experienced in the meetings of Brother Branham. Thereupon, brothers began to translate into other languages as well. Thus the verbal dissemination of the message was accompanied by the circulation of the printed sermons after the passing of the prophet. Beginning in 1968, I also preached in all of Eastern Europe, including Moscow. Then followed Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, and many other places on all continents where I could preach the biblical message. Those 14 years were a blessed and remarkable time under the direct guidance of the Lord which brought forth much fruit for the Kingdom of God across 85 countries.

Then came the year 1979, when the forces of hell were unleashed to destroy me and the Work of God through the worst slander and deliberate character assassination. Even the divine commission was a target of blasphemy; it was called into question. But thanks be to God and His grace, the enemy was unsuccessful in destroying the Work of God.

A new chapter began during which it was manifested that two different seeds were coming forth: one of the Word-seed, the other of the seduction. Both pray to God, as Cain and Abel did; both sing the same spiritual songs. But the difference is plain to see: Some slander, the others are slandered; some hate, the others are hated; etc.

Under the wrong influence, there was confusion and division so that in some places even multiple so-called message churches emerged. A split is never caused by divinely appointed ministries. The distinguishing mark of the ones who are under the wrong inspiration and who present their own doctrines is that they draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:30). To justify their private doctrines, the advocates hide behind the prophet, who is always used as their excuse. “Because,” this is their argument, “all have the Bible, but no one has understood it.” Thus the things the prophet said are not taken back to the Bible and their correct, divine placement therein but are elevated above the Bible, even though the prophet strongly emphasized the words in Rev 22 dozens of times: “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city …”

No one could be more thankful for the ministry of Brother Branham than I am; after all, his ministry bore a resemblance to the one of our Lord. The man William Branham was the consecrated vessel which the Lord used. The infallibility and the supernatural that took place in his ministry can and may only be attributed to God; therefore, all the glory, all thanksgiving, all worship belongs to God Alone in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the teaching ministry goes along with the prophetic ministry so that everything is placed in its biblical context and divine order, according to God’s Plan of Salvation. It was the Lord’s decision to commission me to preach the revealed Word as the last message to all peoples. I did not want it and did not ask for it. But this must also be said once more: Just as there would not have been a message without a messenger, the world also would never have heard of the message without this divine calling.

Brother Branham left this earth 50 years ago; he himself cannot, as it is falsely being claimed, forerun the second coming of Christ, which we are waiting for. But the biblical message that he preached is being proclaimed to all nations. The Lord had taken His messenger, but the message was continuingly carried to all parts of the world. The message is that what is written in the Word of God – not the interpretations of what Brother Branham has said.

Naturally, even until the end he had great hopes to see fulfilled in his time the things which God is going to do, and we are going to experience all of this and see the fulfillment of what God has promised in His Word. Quote: “There’ll be a power put into the Church, and now is coming in, that the Holy Spirit will so anoint the people, till they’ll speak the Word and It’ll create Itself right there. ... the placing of the Church in position, where the fullness of the power of the Holy Ghost comes into the Church. … It’ll be a short time. … Notice, it won’t last long, but it’ll be here.” (March 13, 1960).

Quote: “But when that time comes, when the squeeze comes down, then you’ll see what you have seen temporarily, be manifested in the fullness of its power.” (December 29, 1963).

As it could be said in the time of Joshua, that is how it will be at the end: ”There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” (Jos 21:45).

The Ark of the Covenant and the Breast Plate

In Ex 25 we find the detailed description of the Ark of the Covenant. It belonged into the Holy of Holies because therein was the revealed Word of God. “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (v. 21). The Ark of the Covenant was of great significance for the people of Israel for it contained the binding law for the people of the Covenant. The Word of God was the record of the Covenant (1 Kgs 8:21) that God had made with His people.

Not in the court yard, not in the sanctuary, but in the Holy of Holies, directly from the Ark of the Covenant the Lord God spoke to His servant Moses: “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Ex 25:22).

In the same way that the High Priest offered the sacrificial blood on the mercy seat (Lev 16:14) so that the people would be forgiven all of their trespasses on the great day of atonement (Lev 16:17), our Redeemer sacrificed Himself as the Lamb of God for our sins and entered with His own blood the heavenly sanctuary and offered it upon the Ark of the Covenant; thus, the judgment seat became the mercy seat. “… but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Heb 9:12).

When He was dying, the Redeemer proclaimed, “It is finished …” (Jn 19:30). God has made a covenant with us; the way to the Holy of Holies has been opened.

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Mat 26:28).

When entering the Promised Land, the people followed the Ark of the Covenant, which was carried by the priests. The Jordan River parted when the carriers of the Word by faith in the Word of Promise stepped into the river and entered the Promised Land (Jos 3). Even the walls of Jericho collapsed when the people followed the Ark of the Covenant according to the Word of the Lord.

At the dedication of the temple, “… the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place …” (2 Chr 5:7). When the prayer of Solomon ascended unto heaven in unison with the worship of the people, the glory of the Lord filled the building.

The lesson here is: The Lord God had a divine order among His covenant people Israel, and His voice sounded from the mercy seat unto His servant, who passed it on to the people. Time and again, even at the consecration of the temple, the Lord warned His people against turning away from Him and His Word.

Sadly, the scribes later misled God’s people with their own interpretations so that the prophet had to rebuke them: “How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jer 8:8-9).

The same also happened in the course of the time of grace during the New Testament period and in our time as well. The Apostle Paul already announced it back then: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. … And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim 3:13+4:4).

The Ark of the Covenant and everything else that was part of the sanctuary and of the Holy of Holies had to be manufactured precisely according to the divine command. “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.” (Ex 25:40).

“According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.” (Ex 39:42).

Light and Right

Now we come to the second point.

In Ex 29 we find a detailed report of how the priests were appointed to their position. At the entrance of the tabernacle of the congregation, a ram had to be offered and its blood was to be applied to the tip of the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the priest. In this manner and through anointing with oil, the priests were consecrated to God from head to toe, with all their thoughts, works, and their entire lives.

God had the breastplate of judgment made, which the priest had to wear in the sanctuary, wherein also the golden candlestick and the table with the shewbread were placed. There were 12 precious stones set into the breastplate with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.” (Ex 28:29). In Ex 28:30 we read of the Urim and Thummim: “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.” The priest had to put on the breastplate each time he entered the sanctuary (Lev 8:8).

When a dream or a revelation was presented or when a special decision had to be made, it had to take place before the Urim and Thummim. The lighting up of all 12 precious stones was the supernatural confirmation. When it was true and God gave His consent, great rays of light shone from the stones; if it was not right, they remained dark. When the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, all things that belonged to worship were reinstated: “And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.” (Neh 7:65).

Brother Branham strongly emphasized the Urim and Thummim 138 times and applied it to the Word of God. Quote: “See, now, the Urim Thummim hung on Aaron’s breast here, and the Urim Thummim covered over that stone … And when they wasn’t sure, they’d go before God, in answer, and a light would flash on that Urim Thummim, which--whether it was God’s Will or not …”

“Now, and that priesthood ended, and the Urim and Thummim was taken down, but God’s got another Urim and Thummim. This is it: God’s Word is the Urim and Thummim. That’s God’s Word. “Let every man’s word be a lie and Mine be true,” said God. “Heavens and earth will pass away,” said Jesus, “but My Word shall never pass away.” (June 9, 1953; January 21, 1961; and others).

Only when the full light of the Word shines forth does the Word become a lamp unto our feet and a light that illuminates our path. Then it is true and is confirmed by the doctrine of the apostles in the New Testament (Acts 2:42).

As far as the ministry of Brother Branham is concerned, he has proclaimed all mysteries by the revelation of the Holy Spirit – whether it is in regard to what took place in the beginning in the Garden of Eden or the main teachings like Godhead, the biblical water baptism, even the difficult subject of marriage and divorce, up to the seven seals in the Book of Revelation. Everything that was revealed unto the prophet was also revealed to us so that we can now pass it on through the proclamation. In the end, the Church of the living God will be restored to her rightful, original condition because she is, after all, “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). That is the promise, and the message shall fully accomplish what it was sent to achieve (Isa 55:11) in the children of promise (Gal 4:28).

The Spiritual Orientation

The most frequently asked question at present is: Who are the foolish virgins? Before we consider the foolish virgins in Mat 25, we should first and foremost be concerned about being part of the wise virgins.

As is well-known, chapter 24 precedes the parable of the ten virgins in chapter 25. I ask all of you to conscientiously and prayerfully read Mat 24. There we also find mention of the last phase in which we are now living: of wars, famines, and earthquakes; also that false Christs and false prophets shall arise who will perform great signs and wonders that, if it were possible, would deceive the very elect. However, by the grace of God, this is not possible! Then follows the admonition from our Lord: “Behold, I have told you before.” He also said that the Return of the Son of Man will be “as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west …” – not over the span of weeks or years. After that, our Lord referred to the fig tree; already in the Old Testament Israel had been likened to a fig tree in Hos 9:10: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh …” (Mat 24:32). The people of Israel have returned home from more than 150 countries (Isa 14:1; Jer 31:10; Eze 36:24; Lk 21:29). The State of Israel exists since 1948. There are once again nearly 17 million Jews on earth, as before the Holocaust.

Again the Lord said, “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (v. 33). And the Lord continued and spoke of His Return: that then two will be in one bed (Lk 17:34) and two will be in the field (Mat 24:40); the one will be taken and the other will be left. Once more He emphasized, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” And, as a final warning, He said, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” “Be ye ready!” For they who will be ready shall go in to the marriage supper! Everything that the Lord foretold in this chapter is coming to fulfillment before our eyes, with Israel, in the Middle East, and worldwide.

In Mat 24:45-47 it is about the giving out of the food until His Return. The Lord Himself asked the question: “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” We know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God (Mat 4:4; Deu 8:3). God promised to send a famine to hear His words (Amos 8:11). Has the table of the Lord ever been as richly prepared as it is now? Is not the same spiritual food also being given out today by all of the ministering brethren? The Scripture is most certainly being fulfilled before our eyes.

Of course, the Lord had to also speak of an evil servant in the last verses of Mat 24:48-51. But it has always been like that. First God sends His servants who proclaim His Word, and then self-appointed men appear who present their own interpretations to the people, but who cannot report of a divine calling and sending. With God, the fact remains: Without a calling there is no commission, and no commission is without a calling. In Mat 13:34-43 our Lord spoke of the good seed, which He himself sowed, and that the enemy immediately followed and sowed the evil seed. And both sprouted up: The good seed are the children of God, and the others are the children of the evil one. There is no country on earth where the true message of the Word was not brought first. Only afterward was the evil seed of interpretations sown.

In Mat 25 our Lord continued, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Everybody must become aware of the fact that, directly after Mat 24, it states in chapter 25:1: “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins …” Not before and not afterward, but then, at the time when everything that belongs to it comes to pass from chapter 24 and when the true food is given out, the parable of the ten virgins shall be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. The sound of the message is growing ever louder: “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”

At first, all virgins go on their way. With their lamps in their hands, they go out to meet the Bridegroom. But the wise ones go all the way to the end. They bring along their vessels filled with oil. All of them fell asleep and all of them woke up when at midnight the call rang out, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh.” All virgins woke up; all of them trimmed their lamps, but in the decisive moment, the lamps – the light – of the foolish extinguished, and while they went to buy oil, the Bridegroom came. The wise go in to the marriage supper and the door is shut. The foolish arrive too late and cry, “Lord, Lord open to us.” But then the incomprehensible reply is given: “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Immediately afterward is this serious admonition: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” (v. 12). Let us reflect upon it once more: At the beginning, when the call goes forth, they are virgins who go out to meet the Bridegroom, and, at the end, the foolish cry before the closed door, “Lord, Lord open to us.”

The foolish whose lamps extinguish have the light initially; they experience their calling out but not the preparation (Rev 19:7). The Spirit of God leads into all truth and obedience. And only the ones who allow themselves to be guided into all truth by the Spirit of God are the true children of God (Rom 8:14). The wise also take along the vessels with oil. What the Prophet Elijah said back then still holds true today: “The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.” (1 Kgs 17:14). They have the bread of life and the fullness of the Spirit and will receive the full blessing of the latter rain. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” (Jas 5:7). The wise virgins form the Bride; they will reach the goal at the Return of the Bridegroom. The wise virgins believe absolutely every Word of God. Through the final ministry, they are directly connected to God, Who brings His Work to completion. They reject every interpretation and do not allow themselves to be seduced (2 Cor 11). Not the beginning, but only the end will be crowned.

How Did the Apostles Introduce Themselves?

Paul began his Epistle to the church in Rome with the words: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God …”

The Apostle James started his Epistle with the words: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” (Jas 1:1).

The Apostle Peter also introduced his second Epistle with the statement: “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith …” (v. 1).

Over the years, the faithful Lord has repeatedly given me instructions and addressed me with “My servant” each time, as already reported in various Circular Letters, also in the one from December 2005. The foolish scoff at this; they believe only in the sending of the messenger but not in the sending of the one who carries on the message by the same divine commission.

In reality, everybody has to face the final decision. The fact remains that Paul had to write the following in regard to his sending: “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom 10:15).

So, likewise, I can say by His grace, “He that sent me …, the same said unto me.” But that has nothing to do with me as a human being; I am also just a man, a pardoned sinner, as Brother Branham said of himself, “A sinner saved by grace.” What we are dealing with here is God’s Plan of Salvation and what He promised for this most important time period. The fact remains that our Lord said, “He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me …” And what is with the ones who do not receive him? “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” (Mat 10:14).

Whoever is of God will hear God’s Word, and whoever is born of God will believe it. The foolish are contemptuously bypassing what is taking place now. The following applies to them just as to any of the other despisers: “Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” (Acts 13:41). The wise have not only heard what God has done and is presently doing, they have a direct part in the work all the way until the completion.

Let us highlight the important thing regarding a sending one more time. In the first verse of Rev 1 we read: “… and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John …” In the last chapter it states: “… and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel …” (v. 6) and in closing: “… I Jesus have sent mine angel …” (v. 16). Whether it is a heavenly messenger or a messenger on earth, whomsoever God sends has a direct commission and speaks the words of God (Jn 3:34). In the ministry that is presently being carried out, it is also about a sending which is of significance in the Plan of Salvation.

Half of a Century

Filled with gratitude, we look back at what the Lord has done in the past 50 years since the passing of Brother Branham. The fact remains that Brother Branham was the promised prophet. Everything that was part of the exceptional ministry of the prophet and messenger has been fulfilled. His ministry has been completed. In regard to Brother Branham as a man, he had the right to be a human being. He had the right to express his expectations, whether it was about the “third pull,” the seven thunders, the tent vision, etc. The fact that he was a human being does not diminish his divine ministry. In some of his statements, there are things that are difficult to understand, and, sadly, what Peter wrote in reference to the Epistles of Paul still applies today: “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Pet 3:16).

There is absolutely no room for interpretations; they lead to one’s own downfall. When we take everything back to the Word and place it correctly, then even the hard-to-understand things become easy to understand. By the commission of God, I ask for respect for the Word of God. No scriptural prophecy allows any private interpretation, neither do the seventh seal, the seven thunders, and all the other things that were propagated among the people after the passing of Brother Branham and that raise false hopes.

No one will prevent me from believing God’s Word the way it is written and place what Brother Branham said in its correct scriptural context and order. As certain as the Lord completed His work of creation, so shall He Himself finish His work of redemption. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zec 4:6b).

We have a great sense of expectation that the Lord will shortly provide a tremendous breakthrough. Until then, let us persevere steadfastly, as the apostle wrote in Heb 10:36: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

It is written: “For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” (Isa 28:21).

This is not about what people expect and announce but what God has promised. “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).

In view of the seriousness of the time, Paul’s words of caution in Rom 16:17-18 apply today more than ever before: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” (2 Cor 13:11). Amen.

The International Mission Center

When I returned from Brother Branham’s funeral in April 1966 and fully devoted myself to the ministry, I did not foresee what kind of dimensions the missionary work would take on in such a short time. From the beginning, God has provided for everything that is needed so that we have been able to distribute every brochure, every book, every CD or DVD free of charge at all times. Even for the construction of all the buildings – the church building in 1973/74, the other buildings in 1977/78, and the last one in 1990 – we never had to take out a bank loan. Not once was money solicited; never were offerings collected for special programs.

I am especially grateful for the brothers and sisters who provide their diverse talents to the Lord: the brothers who support me in the proclamation of the word; the deacons in the local assembly; the choir leader with the singers and the orchestra; the interpreters who simultaneously translate into 12 other languages during the international meetings and the ones who translate all of the sermons on DVD and the printed materials; as well as all the others who work here in the Mission Center, be it in the office or in the print shop or in the shipping department; and also those who help clean and maintain the entire Mission Center inside and out.

The faithful God has not only provided us with a place of worship which includes a balcony, but also a dining room and Sunday School room so that we can accommodate more than 1,200 people at the monthly meetings.

The Lord has also equipped our brothers with all of the necessary technical skills and taken care of the technology. Thus, our meetings on the first weekend of every month can be streamed live on the Internet and viewed anywhere in the entire world in real time, and each month 11,000 DVDs can be sent worldwide. The shipment of the books, brochures, and Circular Letters runs smoothly with our team as well.

Here I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our Brother Paul Schmidt and all of the brothers who participate in the proclamation in the local church as well as all of the ministering brethren who preach the Word in all countries and who distribute the pure spiritual food. I would also like to sincerely thank all of you, brothers and sisters, for supporting the worldwide missionary work with your prayers and gifts. May God reward you, for you have done it for the Lord.

Once more, each of my missionary journeys in the past year was a triumphal march for the truth. The Lord said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Mat 24:14). By now, thousands of believers from 172 countries join us every month via the Internet to hear the sermons and follow the meetings live. Many countries have been broadcasting our TV program for years now, and, recently, a TV station in Lahore, Pakistan, has joined their ranks. To date, the number of stations in the Arabic countries across the globe that broadcast my sermons once a week has grown from 23 to 70. We also have regularly scheduled TV programs in Russia, Romania, and Bulgaria. It should not be much longer until even the last individual is reached.

Although 50 years have already passed since the Lord called home Brother Branham, every year that the Lord gives us is a year of grace. What our Lord said is valid until the end: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Lk 4:18-19).

The message is: The captives are set free; the debt is paid in full; all sins, provided that they are confessed unto Him and repented for, even the sins of unbelief and disobedience, are forgiven. May everybody take the present time and late hour seriously and say, “I have heard the trump of God, understood the message, and received the reconciliation with Christ and with one another.” God promised to restore all things in His Church and to return them to their proper condition. His promises are “yes” and “Amen” (2 Cor 1:20-22); He always keeps His promises. The Bride Church is being brought back into alignment with the Word and, at the end, will become of one heart and one soul in all locations, just as it was in the beginning.

As sure as God lives, I saw and experienced the Rapture in January 1981. All were young; all were dressed in white, and we were taken up and entered into the New Jerusalem. My prayer is that all who read this Circular Letter find grace in the eyes of God and let themselves be corrected and go in to the marriage supper of the Lamb at the Return of Christ (Rev 19:9).

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.” (Rev 22:17).

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20).

For the year 2016, we wish all of you God’s visible blessing, from the bottom of our hearts, no matter in which city or country you live. Together we look up for we know that the redemption of our bodies is drawing near.

In His commission

The picture of the Mission Center was taken on October 4, 2015, by our brothers Hans Hamestuk and Matthias Miskys, showing even the cars parked all around. On the first weekend of every month, brothers and sisters sometimes travel from more than 30 countries to the meetings, by plane, train, and car. Indeed, they come from the East and West, from the North and South to get prepared for the glorious day of the Return of Christ, together with those who join us online worldwide.

A view of the more than 600 sermon tapes of Brother Branham that were sent to me from June 1958 until the end of December 1965. The food was stored up.

“… I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” (Isa 49:6)

Part of the large crowd in attendance in Kinshasa, DRC, July 12, 2015

Meeting in Targu Mures, Romania, August 15, 2015

Meeting in Goiania, Brazil, November 15, 2015

Contact

If you are interested in receiving our literature, you may write to the address below:

Mission Center

P.O. Box 100707

47707 Krefeld

Germany

You can also tune in on the Internet for our monthly meetings on the first weekend of each month: on Saturday evening at 19:30 h (Central European Time), on Sunday morning at 10:00 h. The sermons can be heard in thirteen different languages worldwide. Have a part in what God is presently doing according to His Plan of Salvation!

You can find us on youtube.com under “Apostolic Prophetic Bible Ministry”

Homepage: http://www.freie-volksmission.de

E-mail: volksmission@gmx.de

Fax: +49-2151/951293

Copyright © by the author and publisher E. Frank