Transcript
It is time to begin service this morning. And I am so thankful that you are with us. I send my greetings to all our friends listening around the world, and especially all our friends at Faith Assembly and the other churches which we fellowshipped with for so many years. We send you our love and prayers. And I am very appreciative of all the kind feedback I have received over the past couple of weeks since we started this last series, especially from our friends we have known for so many years.
But we are praying for you, and we trust God to make a way. And if you have to live in Babylon, be a Daniel. Be a Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Do what is right, and God will protect you. I believe that. Amen.
And today, we are continuing what I am calling the William Branham series, and the topic today is “What is the shout of 1st Thessalonians 4.”
Our passage today will be from the book of 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4. I will read from verse 13 to 18 as our text. I invite you to turn there with me as I read it:
1 Thessalonians 4 King James Version
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Let us pray:
Lord God, we humbly approach you this morning. It is our heart’s desire to truly understand the scriptures. Lord, you imparted your holy spirit unto us at the moment we first believed in Christ. You promised us that the Holy Spirit was the spirit of truth and that he would lead us into all truth. Lord, I know today that some of our listeners may not yet have come to saving faith in Christ. Their hope of salvation may yet be in other things, and they may not have the Holy Spirit. I pray that people’s eyes may be opened to their true need for Christ and come to trust in him alone for their salvation. For those of us who have come to true saving faith, may your Holy Spirit enlighten us to the scriptures. I ask it humbly in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Introduction:
Well, brothers and sisters, we have an interesting topic here today. In case we have some listeners this morning who may wonder why this topic interests us, let me explain that I and most of our listeners here were formerly part of the cult following of William Branham, known as “the message.” We believed that parts of what I have just read from 1st Thessalonians occurred in the year 1963. Many of the things we believed when we were part of William Branham’s cult following were based on our belief about these things happening in 1963. When we found out that William Branham was not who he claimed to be and verses like this one did not actually happen in 1963 as we had been told, we naturally wanted to come to these scriptures and understand what is the correct way to look at these passages.
That is what we are doing today in this message. I will be dividing the message today into three different parts. First, I am going to examine these verses and explain how we interpreted them in “the message.” Second, we are going to point out what is wrong with the message interpretation. Finally, we will discuss what this shout from verse 16 actually is.
So, let’s begin.
Message Interpretation
To begin with, let me explain the way this verse is interpreted in “the message.” Specifically, I am using the explanation that was given by Raymond Jackson and was the accepted interpretation in my church and the different churches we fellowshipped with.
The explanation by Raymond Jackson is fairly similar to what the majority of people in “the message” believe. It is primarily based on what William Branham told his audiences while he was still living. William Branham told his listeners that his message – the sermons he was preaching – was the shout that is described in verse 16. He said the purpose of the shout was to gather the people and get them ready to meet the Lord. The shout is a message you need to hear to get ready for the rapture.
In 1963, he began to teach that his message was the shout. Quite literally, we believed that the body of our beliefs, which we called “The Message,” was this shout from verse 16. We would say, the message is the shout, and the shout is the message.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
So we believed that shout in verse 16 was the message of William Branham. He also taught that this shout was the same thing as the midnight cry in Matthew 25. In that parable, there are 10 virgins, and there was a cry at midnight to wake the virgins to prepare to meet the bridegroom at his coming. We believed that the midnight cry was the same thing as this shout. He also taught that this shout was the same thing as the voice in Revelation 10:7.
We believed the message, the midnight cry, the shout, and the voice were all terms that essentially meant the same thing. They overlapped, so evidence for one was evidence for the other. They are all the same event, the same message, and they were all carried out by William Branham. Most generally, they believed that this happened in 1963 or climaxed in 1963.
The reason we believed it happened in 1963 was because William Branham convinced his followers that Jesus had descended down out of heaven in that year and appeared over him in the form of a supernatural cloud while he was out hunting in the Arizona desert.
This belief led to a phase of getting ready for the rapture, believing that the shout would have its effect and then the resurrection and rapture would follow.
Over time, a subtle change happened. Around 1992, the preachers switched from talking about the cloud as the origin of William Branham’s authority to preach the seals and to deliver the shout, to talking about Sabino Canyon. This change led to three different schools of thought about the Lord’s descent from heaven.
One school believes that the shout happened in 1963 but the Lord never descended, so they are still waiting for that to happen. Another school believes that the cloud was Jesus descending. A third group believes that the Lord’s return was manifested as a special last days anointing on the church.
In conclusion, most of them believe the Lord descended from heaven in 1963, with differing views on the manner, whether it was through the cloud, a mystical way, or another spiritual manifestation. All of them believe that the message was the shout, and this belief is part of the Manifested Sons of God, a belief set that originated in the Latter Rain movement.
What is Wrong with the Message Interpretation
In this section, let’s delve into the issues with the message interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
To begin, let’s address the word “with” in verse 16. The verse states that “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.” The term “with” signifies a close connection, implying that the Lord’s descent and the shout occur together, simultaneously. Proposing that there was a shout, but the Lord’s descent happened separately challenges the intended meaning of the passage. This interpretation contradicts the straightforward usage of the word “with” and suggests a disconnect between the Lord’s descent and the shout.
Furthermore, the verse emphasizes the Lord himself descending. “Himself” conveys the idea of direct presence and immediacy. Yet, some interpretations suggest a mystical, unseen, or secret descent. This not only contradicts the literal reading of the text but also contradicts Jesus’ teachings about his return. In Matthew 24:23-27, Jesus warns against false claims of his presence in hidden places. He asserts that his return will be as evident and unmistakable as lightning illuminating the sky. Thus, the concept of an invisible spiritual return conflicts with Jesus’ explicit instructions regarding the visibility of his second coming.
Moreover, the message interpretation often cites various events and signs as proof of the Lord’s 1963 descent. One example is the cloud supposedly seen over the Arizona desert. However, investigations have shown that this cloud resulted from a rocket explosion and does not align with the grand and apparent nature of Christ’s return described in the Bible.
In essence, the message interpretation’s emphasis on an unseen, spiritual, or mystical return of Christ contradicts what Jesus and the Scriptures teach. The Bible underscores a corporeal, visible, and unmistakable return of the Lord, akin to his ascension and the instructions he provided.
It is vital to recognize that the message interpretation of these verses diverges from the clear message of the text and the teachings of Jesus. Rather than adhering to beliefs that conflict with the Bible, it’s imperative to reexamine and align our understanding with the true intent of the Scriptures.
60 Year Pause
Let me read it one more time.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
As we read this, as just normal people, is there anything here that makes us think there should be a sixty-year pause in the middle of verse 16? Because if you notice, the second part of verse 16 also includes the word “with.”
With the trump of God.
He did not just descend with a shout; He also descended with the trump of God.
The trump of God that will wake the dead, and that definitely never happened in 1963, which is why people in the message tend to put a pause in the middle of verse 16.
But I want to ask you, is that reasonable? Is there anything here that would give you an idea that there would be a 60-year gap in the middle of verse 16?
And the answer is a very solid no. There is no reasonable way to put a sixty-year gap into the middle of verse 16. And in the message, this thing has stretched so far that it really makes no sense anymore.
Because, we would be saying… the Lord descended in 1963 with a shout to get the people ready for the rapture. And then everyone who heard that shout in 1963, they all died. And we are not too far away from the point in time when all their children will be dead too. And you have to ask yourself, does that make any sense?
This was more believable 50 years ago, even twenty years ago, when most of them were still alive. But here is the truth, the longer time goes on, the more ridiculous this gets. Because if the shout was to get them ready for the rapture, then why did they all die?
If the shout was to get people ready for the rapture, but then every last one of them dies, then there was something wrong with that shout. It didn’t actually get them ready for the rapture.
Doesn’t that itself present a huge problem? Did God make a mistake? Did he give the shout too early? Was the shout not good enough?
How can it be the message to get everyone ready for the rapture when the entire generation of people who first heard it all died? And that is just about where this thing stands today.
This happened 60 years ago, this year. Any adult from that time is in their 80s or older. And any kids of that time are over sixty years old.
Brothers and sisters, this is no longer in the realm of making sense. It has already crossed the line into something that is obviously an error, and it’s just getting increasingly obvious. Time has proven this stuff to be a hoax. Time has proven that this stuff is wrong.
Jesus is still coming back. That’s for sure. But it has nothing to do with anything that happened in 1963. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.
And the older ones in there – time will almost certainly go on long enough that we will see them all die. And the older ones who brought all of us into this cult. They won’t have to live to see the ramifications of all the things they misled us to believe. Just like Raymond Jackson didn’t have to live with his prediction the week of Daniel would start in 2005. Just like William Branham didn’t have to live with the 1977 prediction. Just like quite a few of them won’t have to live with their false predictions they are making today.
But you and I will. And at what point do you look back and say, “This thing was wrong. It was repeatedly wrong. Over and over and over, it was wrong.”
Who has the moral integrity to actually be honest about this thing?
Time itself has proven the message wrong. If the message was right, Jesus should have already come. If Raymond Jackson and William Branham taught the truth, we should be living in the millennium now. Just like they all told us.
And you know they told us that because you who are in there now were the ones who had to revise all their predictions over and over again.
But these people in the message, with their failed return of Christ predictions, they are that unfaithful servants who eat with the drunkards and abuse their fellow servants.
They keep having to say, “My lord delays his coming,” because they set one date, and it fails. And they do that over and over. Over and over, my lord delays his coming. And now here is the new date. And they beat and attack and harass the godly servants who point out what they are doing.
If you point out that they keep saying “my lord delays his coming,” and they keep changing the date, they will attack you too. Just try it and see.
Their error is manifest to all who behold it. They are unfaithful servants. And just like Jesus warned us, the unfaithful servants very quickly become abusive to the people around them.
What is the Shout?
Amen.
Now, let me go to the last part of this message.
What is this shout?
Let’s just take our last few minutes, and let’s look at this whole passage in context, and let’s see what Paul is talking about here, with this shout.
And let me back up to verse 13, because Paul has written this section to the Thessalonians because of a situation in the church at Thessalonica. There have been members of their church who died, and Jesus never came back yet, and their church had some concern about what would become of those who died and were obviously not going to be alive at the second coming. So, Paul writes this to comfort them. Let me read from verse 13.
1 Thessalonians 4
King James Version
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
So, Paul is writing this passage about the dead in Christ, and the purpose of this section is to tell his readers what will become of them. That is his focus. His focus here is the resurrection. Verse 14 says,
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
So we see, very clearly, Paul is looking at the resurrection here. That is his context. The resurrection of the dead in Christ. And also notice there, in verse 15, he says he’s telling this to them “by the word of the Lord.” And of course, where we come from, we would say this was special divine inspiration. That God was delivering some new special revelation to the people in Thessalonica through Paul here.
But, I want to suggest to you that this does not mean that at all. And when he says the word of the Lord, he is referring to the things that Jesus taught. The word of the Lord we can open up and read in the Gospels. Paul is not referring to something new here, but he is expanding on the words Jesus Christ had spoken during the days of his ministry. And so you should not come to this passage and read it in isolation. Paul is actually expanding on the words of Jesus, and we can go back to read what Jesus said, in Matthew 24 for example, to place alongside this to understand where Paul is coming from when he writes verse 16. Let me read it.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
So, we see that very clearly, Paul’s aim here is to tell the Thessalonians how the resurrection will occur. His aim is not to tell them about a mystical coming of Jesus to the Arizona desert. That is not what this is about. His aim is to tell them how the resurrection will happen. That is what this verse is about. It is about the resurrection.
And to take these verses, and to twist them in such a way that you completely disconnect it from the resurrection and completely disconnect it from the word of the Lord in the Gospel, which Paul is expanding upon, that is a wicked and ungodly abuse of the Bible.
And so what is this shout?
It’s not the message of William Branham. It is something related to the resurrection of the dead.
Paul is just repeating what you can glean from the words of Jesus Christ himself in the Gospels. Paul himself having a copy of at least one of those Gospels in his possession.
**16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.**
Amen.
So what is the ultimate purpose here?
Paul wrote these words so people could be comforted with knowledge of the resurrection, and this shout in verse 16 is part of this sequence of events to bring about the resurrection.
And the proof that these verses have been fulfilled, the proof the Lord descended, the proof there was a shout, the proof of that will be the resurrection of the dead in Christ, which is something that would be as obvious as a bright light in the sky – seeing our dead loved ones again.
And that is the level of proof someone needs to show us. If you want us to believe these verses have been fulfilled, at any level, we need some solid proof – like the resurrection of the dead.
And for someone to tell us the Lord descended, and he gave the shout, and now there is a sixty-year wait before we see the dead arise from their graves, I have to say that is hogwash.
When Jesus stood at the grave of Lazarus, it says Jesus shouted at Lazarus. He shouted and said, “Lazarus, come forth.” And it didn’t take 60 years for Lazarus to come out of his grave.
Jesus shouted, and Lazarus came forth. Immediately. There was no sixty-year delay. That is ridiculous.
But that is exactly what the message preachers want you to believe about this verse – that the shout came, and sixty years later, we are still waiting for the rest of this to be fulfilled. Sixty years later, we are still waiting on the resurrection.
And today, if you are in a system that told you sixty years ago the Lord descended from heaven with a shout, and if you are here, sixty years later, and you are starting to wake up, you are starting to realize something is just not right here. If you are saying to yourself, something should have happened by now, then you are in good company.
The Lord has not delayed his coming, like those unfaithful preachers have had to tell us over and over. But he is still coming right on time. And they obviously had no idea what they were talking about the last dozen times they set their dates and time frames.
And if you are trying to pick up the pieces and decide which way to go, then let me be a road sign to you. Let me point you to the correct way, and his name is Jesus. And he was there all the time, waiting patiently for your attention to turn to him. And when you are ready to shake loose all the weights and all the nonsense, and when you are ready to grab a hold of something that is solid as a rock, Jesus is there waiting.
He said, “Whoso cometh unto me, I shall in no wise cast out.” His arms are open to you.
And he promised to come again and receive you unto himself, that where he is, there you may be also.
And if you want to go be with him, in his father’s house, all you need to do is follow him. He is the way, he is the truth, he is the life.
You don’t need all these extras that have been invented by men. Jesus is enough. And you will make it, if you just follow Jesus.
If you want to know the way to go, follow him. If you want to know the truth to believe, believe in him. If you want to know the life to live, live like him.
In context of the resurrection, he is the life. He will bring you out of the grave. The Holy Spirit will transform your mortal body. It’s not rapturing faith. It’s not special understanding. It’s not because you heard a shout from the voice of mortal man. It’s not because you heard an endtime message. It’s none of those things. It’s because of Jesus Christ. It’s because you heard the good news of the Gospel, and you believed on him as your savior.
And when he returns, he is not going to leave you out, he is not going to the desert, he is not going to the secret chamber. It will be like a bright light in the sky. You will see it with your own eyes.
And if you fall asleep, and if you are buried in the grave, that won’t hinder him either. And you can be comforted with these words.
Amen.
As I bring this message to a close, I have done my best to show you that this shout really has nothing to do with a man named William Branham.
And next week we will be taking the next topic in this series.
The title will be Who is the Son of Man in Luke 17:30?
And if you come back next week, we will examine that.
Who is the Son of Man in Luke 17:30?
Amen.
Let me close in prayer.
Lord, we thank you for your goodness. We thank you for the assurances we have in your word, for the peace you have put in our souls, for the strength to speak the truth, and for the leadership of the Holy Spirit to direct our paths.
Lord, I pray for all my friends, and especially those who are trapped in systems that won’t let them go. Lord, you know in our hearts, you know we forgive all those who have done us wrong, and they are many. But Lord, for the sake of innocent souls who are being tormented, we pray that you bring swift judgment on the wicked men who continue to spread lies, and who do harm and injury to others in the name of their lies.
Lord, I pray you silence the mouths of the false prophets and the false teachers who deceive many and lead them to destruction. Lord, you said these people who exist, you said they were foreordained to this task. Lord, I know some are innocent, they don’t know better. Please deliver them, we pray.
And those of us listening here today, many of us were those very kind of people. We just didn’t know better. Forgive us, Lord. And deliver our brethren who remain in ignorance. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.