The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The word, Asia, is actually Asia Minor. It is a small parcel of land about the size of Indiana. The seven churches there were especially picked from all other churches for their characteristics, which same characteristics would be found in the successive ages centuries later.
The seven Spirits before the throne is the Spirit That was in each of the seven messengers, giving them their ministries for the age in which each lived.
Now all these expressions, 'Him Which Is', and 'Him Which Was', and 'Is To Come', and 'Faithful Witness', and 'First-born From Among the Dead', and 'Prince of the Kings of the Earth', and 'The Alpha and Omega', and 'The Almighty', are titles and descriptions of the ONE AND THE SAME PERSON, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ, Who washed us from our sins in His own blood.
The Spirit of God in John expresses thusly in order to set forth the Supreme Deity of Jesus Christ and to reveal the Godhead as ONE God. Today there is a gross error. It is that there are three Gods instead of one. This revelation as given to John by Jesus, Himself, corrects that error. It is not that there are three Gods, but one God with three offices. There is ONE God with three titles, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This mighty revelation is what the early church had, and it must be restored in this last day along with the correct formula of water baptism.
Now modern theologians won't agree with me for here is what was written in a great Christian magazine. "That teaching (on the Trinity) is at the very heart and core of the Old Testament. It is every whit as much at the heart and core of the New Testament. The New Testament is just as much opposed as the Old Testament is to the thought that there are more Gods than one. Yet the New Testament with equal clearness teaches that the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and that these three are NOT three aspects of the same Person, but three persons standing in a truly personal relationship to one another. There we have the great doctrine of the Three Persons but one God."
They also state, "God, according to the Bible, is not just one person, but He is three persons in one God. That is the great mystery of the Trinity".
It sure is. How can three persons be in one God? Not only is there no Bible for it, but it shows even a lack of intelligent reasoning. Three distinct persons, though identical substance, make three gods, or language has lost its meaning entirely.
Just listen to these words again, "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, Which Is, and Which Was, and Which Is to Come, the Almighty". This is Deity. This is not simply a prophet, a man. This is God. And it is not a revelation of three Gods, but of ONE God, the Almighty.
They didn't believe in three Gods in the beginning of the church. You can't find that sort of belief amongst the apostles. It was after the apostolic age that this theory came in and really became an issue and a cardinal doctrine at the Nicene Council. The doctrine of Godhead caused a two way split at Nicaea. And from that split there came two extremes. One actually went into polytheism, believing in three Gods, and the others went into unitarianism. Of course that was a little while in coming about, but it did, and we have it right today. But the Revelation through John by the Spirit to the churches was, "I am the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am ALL of it. There isn't any other God". And He put His seal on this Revelation.
Consider this: Who was the Father of Jesus? Matthew 1:18 says, "She was found with child of the Holy Ghost". But Jesus, Himself, claimed that God was His Father. God the Father and God the Holy Ghost, as we often express these terms, make the Father and the Spirit ONE. Indeed they are, or else Jesus had two Fathers. But notice that Jesus said that He and His Father were One--not two. That makes ONE God.
Since this is historically and Scripturally true, people wonder where the three came from. It became a foundational doctrine at the Nicene Council in 325 A.D. This trinity (an absolutely unscriptural word) was based upon the many gods of Rome. The Romans had many gods to whom they prayed. They also prayed to ancestors as mediators. It was just a step to give new names to old gods, so we have saints to make it more Biblical. Thus, instead of Jupiter, Venice, Mars, etc., we have Paul, Peter, Fatima, Christopher, etc., etc. They could not make their pagan religion work out with just one God, so they split Him up into three, and they made intercessors of the saints as they had made intercessors of their ancestors.
Ever since then people have failed to realize that there is just one God with three offices or manifestations. They know there is one God according to Scripture, but they try to make it the fantastic theory that God is like a bunch of grapes; three persons with the same Divinity shared equally by all. But it plainly says here in Revelation that Jesus is "That Which Is", "That Which Was", and "That Which Is to Come". He is the "Alpha and Omega", which means that He is the "A to Z" or THE ALL OF IT. He is everything--the Almighty. He is the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, the Righteous Branch, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He is God, Almighty God. ONE GOD.
I Timothy 3:16 says, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into Glory". This is what the Bible says. It doesn't say a thing about a first or second or third person here. It says God was manifest in flesh. One God. That ONE GOD was manifested in flesh. That ought to settle it. God came in a human form. That didn't make Him ANOTHER GOD. HE WAS GOD, THE SAME GOD. It was a revelation then, and it is a revelation now. One God.
Let's go back in the Bible and see what He was in the beginning according to the revelation He gave of Himself. The great Jehovah appeared to Israel in a pillar of fire. As the Angel of the Covenant He lived in that pillar of fire and led Israel daily. At the temple He announced His coming with a great cloud. Then one day He was manifested in a virgin born body that was prepared for Him. The God that tabernacled above the tents of Israel now took on Himself a tent of flesh and tabernacled as a man amongst men. But He was the SAME GOD.
The Bible teaches that GOD WAS IN CHRIST. The BODY was Jesus. In Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead, BODILY. Nothing can be plainer than that. Mystery, yes. But actual truth--it can't be plainer. So if He wasn't three people then, He can't be three now. ONE GOD: And this same God was made flesh.
Jesus said, "I came from God and I go (back) to God". John 16:27-28. That is exactly what happened. He disappeared from earth by way of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Then Paul met Him on the road to Damascus and He spoke to Paul and said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Paul said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" He said, "I am Jesus." He was a pillar of fire, a blinding light. He had turned back, exactly as He said He would. Back to the same form that He was before He took on a tabernacle of flesh. That is exactly how John saw it. John 1:18 "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him". Notice where John says that Jesus IS. He is IN the bosom of the Father.
Luke 2:11 says, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, Which is Christ the Lord". He was born the Christ, and eight days later when He was circumcised He was named Jesus, even as the angel had told them. I was born a Branham. When I was born they gave me the name of William. He was CHRIST but He was given a name down here among men. That outward tabernacle men could see was called Jesus. He was the Lord of Glory, the Almighty manifested in flesh. He is God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He is all that.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are just titles. They are not names. That is why we baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for that is a name, not a title. It is the name of those titles, just like you take a new born baby who is a son and name him. Baby is what it is, son is the title, then you name him, John Henry Brown. You just don't baptize in 'Jesus Name'. There are thousands of Jesuses in the world and have been even before Jesus, our Saviour. But there is only one of them born the Christ, "Lord Jesus Christ".
People talk about Jesus being the Eternal Son of God. Now isn't that a contradiction? Whoever heard of a 'Son' being eternal? Sons have beginnings, but that which is eternal never had a beginning. He is the Eternal God (Jehovah) manifested in the flesh.
In St. John's Gospel it says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." He was the True and Faithful Witness to the Father's eternal Word. He was a Prophet and could say what the Father bade Him say. He said, "My Father is in Me". That is what Jesus the tabernacle said, "My Father is in Me".
God has many titles: 'Our Righteousness', and 'Our Peace', and 'Ever Present', and 'Father', and 'Son', and 'Holy Ghost'; but He has only one human name and that name is Jesus.
Don't be confused because he has three offices or that He has a threefold manifestation. On earth He was a Prophet; in heaven He is the Priest; and coming back to earth, He is King of Kings. "He That Was"--That is Jesus, the Prophet. "He That Is"--That is He, the High Priest, making intercession--One Who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. "Which Is to Come"--That is the coming King. On earth He was the Word--the Prophet. Moses said of Him, "The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like unto me, and it will come to pass if they don't hear the words of that Prophet they will be cut off from amongst the people".
Notice these facts about Jesus. On earth He was Prophet, Lamb, and Son. This did not make Him three. These were but manifestations or offices of the One Person, Jesus.
Now there is a very favorite portion of Scripture that the trinitarians think prove their point of more than one actual Person in the Godhead. It is Revelation 5:6-8, "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as It had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him That sat upon the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints". Indeed these verses, if isolated, would seem to prove their point. You notice, I said, these ISOLATED verses. However, read Revelation 4:2-3 and 9-11, "And immediately I was in the Spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and ONE sat on the throne. And He That sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him That sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him That sat on the throne, and worship Him That liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Carefully note in verse two it says, "ONE" (not two or three but ONE) sat on the throne. In verse three it says, "HE" (NOT they) was to look upon as a jasper stone. In verse nine it says that the beasts gave honour to "HIM" (not them). In verse ten it says that the elders fell down before "HIM" (not them). In verse eleven it says that they cried, Thou art worthy O LORD" (not Lords). Also in verse eleven it says this ONE on the throne was the "Creator", Which is Jesus (John 1:3), Which is Jehovah-Spirit-God of the Old Testament (Genesis 1:1).
But let us not stop there. Read now in Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." Also read Hebrews 12:2, "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Notice that according to Jesus, Himself, Who wrote the Revelation, He is set down WITH the Father. The Spirit in Paul (Which Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, for That is the Spirit of Prophecy whereby the Word comes) says He is set down at the RIGHT HAND of God. But when John looked he saw only "ONE" upon the throne. And it was not until Revelation 5:6-8 (which follows Revelation 4:2-3 in sequence of time) that we see the "Lamb" taking the book from "HIM" That sat on the throne, as indicated in Revelation 4:2-3 and 9-10. What is it? It is the mystery of "ONE GOD." He (Jesus), came out from God, became manifested in flesh, died and rose again, and returned to the "Bosom of the Father." As John said, "The only begotten Son Which is IN the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." John 1:18. It was now time for God (Messiah) to come back to claim His bride and then present Himself (make Himself known) to Israel. Thus we see God again stepping forth to assume a physical relationship to man as the "Son of David, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and Bridegroom of the Gentile Bride." It is NOT "Two" Gods, but simply ONE GOD manifesting His mighty triune offices and titles.
The people knew He was a Prophet. They knew the sign of the Messiah which could come only through the prophet. John 1:44-51, "Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of Whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." The ability to discern the heart-thoughts in men made the elect of God to understand that here was the Messiah, the anointed Word of God. Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
When the woman at the well heard Him discern the thoughts of her heart she acclaimed Him a prophet, declaring that Messiah would be known for that great ability. John 4:7-26, "There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat). Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who It is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast Thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said I have no husband, For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, Which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I That speak unto thee am He."
In Revelation 15:3 it says, "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the LAMB, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of Saints." Do you see it? The LAMB, the High Priest holding His blood as an atonement on the mercy seat for our sins is the Lord God Almighty. That is His present office. That is what He is doing now, pleading His blood for our sins. But one day that Lamb will become the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He will come forth in power and glory and take His authority to reign as King. He is the coming King of this earth. Of course, that does not say He is not King now. For He is our King, King of the Saints. Right now it is a spiritual kingdom. It is not of this world system even as we are not of this world. That's the reason we act different from the world. Our citizenship is in heaven. We reflect the Spirit of the world of our rebirth where Jesus is the King. That is why our women do not dress in men's clothing or cut their hair or use all those cosmetics and other things that the world likes so much. That is why our men don't drink and smoke and carry on in sin. Our dominion is the dominion over sin and it is in force through the power that is in the Spirit of Christ That in-dwells us. Every kingdom on earth is going to be torn down, but ours will remain.
Now we've been talking about the offices and manifestations of the one true God and beholding His glory in a Scriptural study. But He is not to be known intellectually. He is known Spiritually; by Spiritual revelation. This same One Who was known as Jesus after the flesh went back to the pillar of fire. But He promised He would come again and dwell amongst His people by the Spirit. And on the day of Pentecost that pillar of fire came down and it separated itself in tongues of fire upon each one of them. What was God doing? He was separating Himself into the church, giving all those men and women a part of Himself. He divided Himself amongst His church just as He said He would. John 14:16-23, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth: Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him: for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." He said that He would pray the Father Who would send another Comforter Who was WITH them (the disciples) already but NOT IN them. That was Christ. Then in verse twenty-three, speaking of Himself and the Father, He said WE will come. There it is: "The Spirit is coming, the Same Spirit of God that manifested as the Father, and as the Son, and will yet manifest in the many"--ONE GOD Who is Spirit.
That's why no man can ever come along and say the holy man is a pope or the holy man is a bishop or priest. The HOLY MAN is Christ, the Holy Spirit, in us. How dare the hierarchy declare the laity has no word to say? Each one has something to say. Each has a work, each has a ministry. The Holy Ghost came at Pentecost and separated Himself on each, that it might be fulfilled whereof Christ said, "At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me and I in you." John 14:20.
The Great I Am, the Almighty God, has come as Spirit to fill His true church. He has a right to move anywhere He wants to, and upon anybody He wants to. We don't make any "holy men" amongst us, but the whole true congregation of the Lord is holy, because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is He, the Holy Spirit, that is holy, not the congregation of itself.
Now that is the revelation: Jesus Christ is God. The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New. No matter how hard you try, you can't prove there are THREE Gods. But it also takes a revelation by the Holy Spirit to make you understand the truth that He is One. It takes a revelation to see that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New. Satan crept into the church and blinded the people to this truth. And when they were blinded to it, it wasn't long until the Church of Rome stopped baptizing in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I admit that it takes a real revelation from the Holy Ghost to see the truth about the Godhead these days when we are in the midst of the perverting of so much Scripture. But the prevailing, overcoming church is built on revelation so we can expect God to reveal His truth to us. However, you actually don't need a revelation on water baptism. It is right there staring you in the face. Would it be possible for one minute for the apostles to be led astray from a direct command of the Lord to baptize in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost and then find them in willful disobedience? They knew what the Name was, and there is not one place in Scripture where they baptized any other way than in the Name of Lord Jesus Christ. Common sense would tell you that the Book of Acts is the church in action, and if they baptized that way, then that is the way to baptize. Now if you think that is strong, what do you think of this? Anyone who was not baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus had to be baptized over again.
Acts 19:1-6, "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him Which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." There it is. These good people at Ephesus had heard about the coming Messiah. John had preached Him. They were baptized unto repentance of sins, looking FORWARD to believing on Jesus. But now it was time to look BACK to Jesus and be baptized unto REMISSION of sins. It was time to receive the Holy Ghost. And when they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Ghost came upon them.
William Branham, The Exposition of the Seven Church Ages, p17-27
