Jesus Christ is God
This article is an excerpt from a book entitled An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages, by William Marrion Branham.
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.
Oh, those dear folks at Ephesus were fine people; and if any one had a right to feel secure, they did. Notice how far they had come. They had come all the way up to accepting the coming Messiah. They were ready for Him. But don’t you see that in spite of that they had missed Him? He had come and gone. They needed to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They needed to be filled with the Holy Ghos ed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, God will fill you with His Spirit. That is the Word. Acts 19:6 which we read was the fulfilling of Acts 2:38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." See, Paul, by the Holy Ghost, said exactly what Peter said by the Holy Ghost. And what was said CANNOT be changed. It has to be the same from Pentecost until the very last elected one has been baptized. Galatians 1:8, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
Now some of you Oneness people baptize wrong. You baptize for regeneration as though being immersed in water saved you. Regeneration does not come by water; it is a work of the Spirit. The man who by the Holy Ghost gave the command, "Repent and be baptized every one in the Name of the Lord Jesus," did not say that water regenerated. He said it was only an evidence of a "good conscience toward God." That was all. I Peter 3:21, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." I believe it.
If anyone has any false ideas that history can prove water baptism in any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I would advise you to read the histories and find out for yourself. The following is a true record of a Baptism which took place in Rome A.D. 100 and was reproduced in TIME magazine, December 5, 1955. "The deacon raised his hand, and Publius Decius stepped through the baptistry door. Standing waist-deep in the pool was Marcus Vasca the woodseller. He was smiling as Publius waded into the pool beside him. ‘Credis?’ he asked. ‘Credo,’ responded Publius. ‘I believe that my salvation comes from Jesus the Christ, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate. With Him I died that with Him I may have Eternal Life.’ Then he felt strong arms supporting him as he let himself fall backward into the pool, and heard Marcus’ voice in his ear ---- ‘I baptize you in the Name of the Lord Jesus’ ---- as the cold water closed over him."
Right up until the truth was lost (and did not return until this last age ---- this is from Nicaea till the turn of this century) they baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it has come back. Satan can’t keep the revelation down when the Spirit wants to give it.
Yes, if there were three Gods, you might very well baptize for a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Ghost. But the REVELATION GIVEN TO JOHN was that there is ONE GOD and His Name is LORD JESUS CHRIST, and you baptize for ONE God and only one. That is why Peter baptized the way he did at Pentecost. He had to be true to the revelation which was, "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that SAME JESUS, Whom ye have crucified, BOTH LORD AND CHRIST." There He is, "The LORD JESUS CHRIST."
If Jesus is "BOTH" Lord and Christ, then He (Jesus) is, and cannot be else but "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" in ONE Person manifested in the flesh. It is NOT "God in three persons, blessed trinity," but ONE GOD, ONE PERSON with three major titles, with three offices manifesting those titles. Hear it once more. This same Jesus is "BOTH Lord and Christ." Lord (Father) and Christ (Holy Spirit) are Jesus, for He (Jesus) is BOTH of them (Lord and Christ).
If that doesn’t show us the true revelation of the Godhead, nothing will. Lord is NOT another one; Christ is NOT another one. This Jesus is the Lord Jesus Christ --- ONE GOD.
Philip one day said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and it will suffice us." Jesus said unto him, "Have I been so long with you and you don’t know Me? He that has seen Me has seen the Father, so why do you say, Show us the Father? I and My Father are One." I quoted that once and a lady said, "Just a minute, Mr. Branham, you and your wife are one."
I said, "Not that kind."
She said, "I beg your pardon?"
So I said to her, "Do you see me?"
She said, "Yes."
I said, "Do you see my wife?"
She said, "No."
I said, "Then that oneness is a different kind, for He said, ‘When you see Me, you see the Father.’"
The prophet said that it would be light at the evening time. In the hymn it is written:
It’ll be Light in the evening time,
The path to Glory you will surely find,
In the water way, that’s the Light today,
Buried in the precious Name of Jesus.
Young and old, repent of all your sin,
The Holy Ghost will surely enter in.
The evening Light has come ---
It is a fact that God and Christ are one.
Not too long ago I was talking to a Jewish Rabbi. He said to me, "You Gentiles can’t cut God in three pieces and give Him to a Jew. We know better than that."
I said to him, "That’s just it, Rabbi, we don’t cut God in three pieces. You believe the prophets, don’t you?"
He said, "Certainly I do."
"Do you believe Isaiah 9:6?"
"Yes."
"Who was the prophet speaking of?"
"Messiah."
I said, "What relation will Messiah be to God?"
He said, "He will be God."
I said, "That’s right." Amen.
You can’t put God into three persons or three parts. You can’t tell a Jew that there is a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Ghost. He will tell you right quick where that idea came from. The Jews know this creed was established at the Nicene Council. No wonder they scorn us as heathen.
We talk about a God that does not change. The Jews believe that too. But the church changed its unchanging God from ONE to THREE. But the light is returning at eventide. How striking it is that this truth has come at the time when the Jews are returning to Palestine. God and Christ are ONE. This Jesus is BOTH LORD AND CHRIST.
John had the revelation, and JESUS was the Revelation, and He produced Himself right here in the Scripture ---- "I AM He That Was, Which Is and Shall Come, the Almighty. Amen."
If revelation is beyond you, look up and seek God for it. That is the only way you are ever going to get it. A revelation has to come from God. It never comes by human, natural endowments, but by Spiritual enduement. You can even memorize the Scripture, and though that is wonderful, that won’t do it. It has to be a revelation from God. It says in the Word that no man can say that Jesus is the Christ except by the Holy Ghost. You have to receive the Holy Ghost and then, and only then, can the Spirit give you the revelation that Jesus is the Christ: God, the Anointed One.