Honouring the Resurrection
MATTHEW 28:1-7
1 ¶ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Honouring the Resurrection
MATTHEW 28:1-7 is the account of the resurrection of Christ..
1 ¶ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (Remember - the Sabbath was the seventh and last day of the week which was Saturday; the Sabbath commenced Friday evening at sunset and ended Saturday evening at sunset, “Evening” is when the sun becomes even with the horizon, what we call sunset, so the end of the Sabbath would be within the hours of darkness between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, and so it was these hours of darkness that proceeded the resurrection of Christ just like the seven church ages of darkness proceeded the resurrection of the word in this day)
This is Sunday morning at the rising of the sun, and Sunday is the eighth day of the week which is symbolic of eternity - so this event of the resurrection is happening right at this transition between time and eternity, between the keeping of a natural Sabbath under the law and moving into an eternal Sabbath which is the rest to the soul. And this is why we have church on Sunday and not Saturday, because we are honouring the resurrection and the dawning of a new day – we have moved from law into grace, and in this age we are moving from the 7 church ages into an eternal age which is the eternal word being restored to us in its fullness again by the opening of the seven seals)
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
Notice - The descending of an angel, and the opening of a seal, the resurrection of the dead, and a great earthquake – this is a direct parallel of this day because we have also seen an angel descend, and the opening of the seven seals, and a resurrection of a people out of dark denominational tombs, and we are also promised a great earthquake – so these events have repeated themselves again in this age at this resurrection of Christ the word.
Notice – That this is all taking place at the time of the dawning of a new day at the rising of the sun, because as the natural sun was about to rise over the horizon, we see that the SON light of God rose, because this would also be the breaking of a new day for the church, and so it has repeated the same in this hour.
SHALOM_ SIERRA.VISTA.AZ V-13 N-5 SUNDAY_ 64-0112
43 … That's what I want to bring to you this morning, for the new year's, not looking back, but we're looking forward to the breaking of a new day (When? – at the end of the night time of the darkness of seven church ages). Until, there is something great laying ahead of us, where the years has been the joy that we've looked forward to, the pressing, coming of the great Light. And now we can see it breaking over the horizona, horizonal realm, it's breaking between mortal and immortality. We see it breaking between heavens and earth, from an earth-bound sickness and troubled world, into a bright shining day of an immortal Life and an immortal body and an immortal earth that shall never pass away. It--it's "Shalom," unto the--unto the Church. Now, it's Light time coming for the believers, but a gross darkness for the people.
SHALOM_ SIERRA.VISTA.AZ V-13 N-5 SUNDAY_ 64-0112
88 The hour is upon us, darkness, gross darkness. Gross darkness on the people now, that's what it is. What does it all mean? Where we standing? What hour are we in? How close are we to the Coming? Well, you say, "When all they have a revival."
89 "Fear not, little flock, it's your Father's good will to give you the Kingdom." All right.
90 What does it mean? God has begin to separate the Light from the darkness, see, pressing it behind, like He did in the beginning, to show the dawn of a new day. The Church Ages are fading out. Pardon me. The Church Ages are fading out. God is pressing the darkness into a place, it has to do it, to fade out the church organizations, fade out the world.
After seven church ages comes the dawning of a new day – shalom, good morning friends, it is the rising of the SON, the resurrection of the fullness of the word again.
THE.FEAST.OF.THE.TRUMPETS_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-16 SUNDAY_ 64-0719M
207 While this group down here has got two thousand bond at the river Euphrates, and has been bound for two thousand years, also that church has bound the Holy Ghost for nearly two thousand years, under martyrdom back there, and under the church ages. It's been bound, not at the river Euphrates, but at the door of creeds and dogmas, that the Holy Spirit can't work in the church because of man-made systems. But She is going to be liberated, She is coming back, that's what the Bible said.
Honouring the Resurrection
To honour something is to show respects to something that you hold in high esteem. If you don’t show honour then it is because you don’t respect that thing.
And so we have had a great resurrection of the revealing of the word in this end time age – “at evening time it shall be light” and so when we talk about honouring the resurrection, it is not just about attending church on Sunday morning in respect to the resurrection of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago, but it also has an updated fulfilment in this hour that we are living in today under this end time revelation.
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.2_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0823E
1050-257 … but I believe we should honor that resurrection as a memorial. That's a memorial that I... If you honor any day, honor that resurrection.
Brother Branham is referring to Sunday, because this term “Honour the Resurrection” is normally referring to keeping Sunday as a sacred day with church attendance etc.
But if we look deeper into this, we will find that this is not just about being faithful with your church attendance on Sunday morning, because a lot of people can be faithful to go to church on Sunday, but yet many of them may not even be true believers.
***So we know that the natural day of the week that we call Sunday (the eighth day) is symbolic of the new birth by the revelation of the word for your age – that is the real resurrection in this hour, it is when the revelation of the word of this hour has risen in your heart, that is when you enter into an eternal rest, not a natural Sabbath day, but an eternal Sabbath, the Holy Spirit.
**And that is why that if you have been truly birthed by the word for your age, then you will also honour the resurrection in an outward manifestation, because the resurrection that has taken place on the inside of you will have an outward expression of that – works is faith expressed, so your faithfulness in your church attendance is simply reflecting your inward condition.
“Show me your faith by your works” as James 2:18 teaches us.
If our works don’t match our faith, then the only person we are fooling is ourselves – we are not fooling anyone else.
THE.EASTER.SEAL_ PHOENIX.AZ V-2 N-6 SATURDAY_ 65-0410
45 I'm wondering, today. It's what's happening. Are we really getting the people to God? Are we just getting them to church? We must get them to Christ, where this quickening power. It's good to go to church. Sure. If that's as far as we go, it's not far enough. When you come to church, that's good; but go on to Christ, from the church, because we must receive this quickening power, if we ever expect to be in that general resurrection, because it's the only thing that will ever bring us from the dead.
***So to truly honour the resurrection in this hour is to have respect to the word for this age, because it is the fullness of the word that has risen in this hour, and it is that word that has made itself known to you and that brings life to you. Life comes by light.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ would not have meant very much to his followers unless he had shown and revealed himself to them after the sun had risen on that first Easter morning.
Last week – “Faithfulness”
We showed how that faithfulness is placed before wisdom and is also connected to the second coming of the Lord.
REVELATION 17:14
14 ¶ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
3 things:
Called - their names had been called by the word for their age because they were “Chosen” in him before the foundation of the world.
And these same ones that were called and chosen revealed who they were by their faithfulness to the word for their age, that is what identified them in each age as being the elect of that age is because they manifested their faithfulness to the truth for that age, and this especially applies to this end time age at the second coming of the Lord.
*So we found that the second coming of the Lord in the scriptures is always connected to a faithful people.
GENESIS 5: 24
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Enoch = Dedicated – he was a man that was dedicated to the purpose that he had been raised up for, and he was also translated which is a type of the bride of this last hour. So we know by this the type of character that the bride will have to be in this end time age – these ones who are called and chosen would also be faithful and dedicated to the work for the age. And our work is to believe on him whom he has sent in this hour.
**But we see that many in this day seem to be becoming less and less dedicated to the message of this hour - it’s getting harder to get people to even come to church faithfully which is one of the first things that the world sees as a testimony and an identification of a believer in Christ.
It is not that people are not dedicated, because there are many people that are dedicated to many good causes, but the problem is that people are not dedicated to the word as first priority in their lives – and one of the examples of this is in their faithfulness in honouring the resurrection of their church attendance.
**Remember - Honouring the resurrection is not first about being faithful in church attendance, because going to church doesn’t save anyone, but when it comes to this message, it reveals a condition of the heart in respect to the revelation of this hour.
Word to the Church..
CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.OF.GOD.REVEALED_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-7 SUNDAY_ 63-0728
82 Now do you remember that? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] The enemy will come. And when he does, just cling that much closer together. And the one that the devil is using for an enemy will either get out or come in and be one of you. That's all.
83 Don't never clan among one, or--or talk and make yourself clannish. We are one. I couldn't say, "Left hand, I'm--I'm mad at you, I'm going to take you away 'cause you're not a right hand." He's my left hand. I want him to stay there. Even the little tip of my finger, I want to stay right there, every little part of my body stay right there. And God wants us, as a body of believers, to stay right exactly with one another, right at with one another.
84 And now you've got tapes on that. You've got tapes on what we believe. You've got tapes on discipline in the church, how we behave ourself in the church of God, how we got to come here together and sit together in Heavenly places. Don't stay home. If God is in your heart, you can't hardly wait for them doors to open out yonder, to get in here to fellowship with your brothers. If you don't, don't feel that way, then I tell you, it's time you got to praying.
85 Cause, we're in the last days, where the Bible exalted... or exhorted us to--to, "Much more as we see that day approaching," to love one another with Christian love and Divine love, "to assemble ourselves together in Heavenly places and--and--and Christ Jesus," and love one another. "This will all man know you are My disciples, when you have love one for the other." That's right. Stay right together.
86 If the brother, you think he's a little wrong, or the sister, say, "Lord, don't let me never have the root of bitterness spring up, 'cause it'll--it'll affect him, and it'll take the Christ right out of my life." That poison acids of malice, and jealousy, and hatred, that will just take the Holy Spirit right away from you. It will run Him from the tabernacle here. It'll kill the Spirit of God, or drive It away from here, hurt you pastor. It'll do everything. See? Don't you do that.
87 You just wax that much closer together. Draw up the... Take the buckle
WASHING.JESUS.FEET_ PHOENIX.AZ SUNDAY_ 57-0310A
E-30 …Jesus wants to come to your home. He wants to heal you. He wants you to love Him. But you won't let Him do it. He wants to come to your church. But, "Oh, that's something back." You set Him back in the corner. He will not always come, remember. But He's so good.
E-31 And some of you people that don't go to church, shame on you. Go to church about once a year and that's on Easter to show your pretty hat... That's right.
But you know what? You... God deserves the first place. Jesus ought to have the first place in every life. But we give Him about the fourth place. He deserves the first place. Well, you say, "I pray once a day." That's all right. He receives it. If you want to give Him fourth place, that's all right, He will take it. You only went to church once this year, maybe, and wore the new hat and everything, but He never condemned you for it. That's what makes Him God to me. If you want to give Him fourth place or fifth place, He will take it. He will take anything you give Him, but He ought to have the first place. He ought to have the best we can give. He ought to have our first, our best, our all. He's deserving of it.
NEHEMIAH 13:10-14
10 ¶ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.
11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. (This is taking place at the end of the seventy years of captivity in Babylon which is a type of the seven church ages, and Nehemiah is gathering a people together again by the message of that hour)
12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
There are offices that needed filling in the church at this time of the gathering after the seven church ages – in other words, there are responsibilities to be taken care of in this hour, and each one needs to find their position in that office.
45-5 PATMOS.VISION - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.2
The Sabbath, as we know it from the New Testament, is NOT the keeping of a certain day. We have no command whatsoever to keep Saturday for a Sabbath, nor do we have any commandment to keep the first day of the week, which is Sunday. Here is the truth of the Sabbath, which means "rest."
Hebrews 4:8,
"For if Jesus had given them rest (or rest day), then would He not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remaineth therefore a rest (Sabbath keeping) to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His."
Did you hear that key phrase in the last part of the verse?
"God ceased from His own works."
God gave Israel the seventh day for their Sabbath, in commemoration of His own work wherein He created the world and all that was therein, and then stopped creating. He ceased from His labors. He rested. Now it was fine to give a Sabbath rest to a people who were all in one place at one time, so they could all keep a certain day. Today half the world is in light while the other half is in darkness, so it wouldn't work at all. But that is just an argument from the natural.
Let's see what the Bible teaches us about this Sabbath rest. "For he that is entered into his rest." This entering in is not only entering in, but remaining in, the rest. It is an 'eternal rest' of which the seventh day is but a type. 'Seven' is completion. 'Eight' is the 'first' day again. Jesus' resurrection was in the first day of the week, giving us eternal life and eternal Sabbath rest. Thus we see why God could not give us any one certain day of the week as a Sabbath (rest). We've 'entered into' and do 'remain in' our rest, which Israel could not do, having only a shadow of the true substance which we enjoy. Why go back to a shadow when we have reality now?
How we receive this rest, or continuing Sabbath, is at the invitation of Jesus.
He said in Matthew 11:28,29,
"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;... and ye shall find rest (or keeping of the Sabbath, not a day, but eternal life, Sabbath) unto your souls."
No matter how long you have been laboring under your load of sin, whether it is ten years, thirty years or fifty years, or longer, come with your tired weary life and you will find His rest (the true Sabbath). Jesus will give you rest.
Now exactly what is that rest that Jesus will give?
Isaiah 28:8-12,
"For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people.
To whom He said, This is the rest (Sabbath) wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest (or keeping of His Sabbath); and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."
**Rest comes by hearing the word for your day by the Holy Ghost revealing it to your heart by faith.
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_ JEFF.IN COD THURSDAY_ 61-0112
555- ... We never put too much time in singing; it's the Word. If they have a hymn-singing, that's what they have these regular hymn-singings for. We're--we're... The Word's the main thing the people come there for; it's the house of correction.
TRYING.TO.DO.GOD.A.SERVICE.WITHOUT.BEING.THE.WILL.OF.GOD_ JEFF.IN V-4 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0718M
3 We realize that we're in that hour, when the nations don't know what to do. Another war coming up, looks like. What a horrible thing that would be! The earth pulling apart, scientists saying that something terrible is near. We see the Bible speaking of this. Then, Lord, help us today to stand in this house of correction, and take orders from our God, to go forward in this hour of darkness, to shine Light, for it may be our last opportunity to do so.
One of the hardest things for a person to do is to come into the correct channel of headship and submission under God.
*The whole problem for mankind began when a single woman got out from under the headship that God placed her under, and so it cannot be any different with anyone else that gets out from under their ordained position of headship under the word.
*God never designed a human being to operate outside of the headship of the word. That is why you will never be successful outside of being under submission to the word.
If you are your own personal leader, then you will end up in the ditch for certain.
God set an order of protection and blessing.
The children under the headship and protection of the parents,
The wife under the headship and protection of the husband,
The husband under the headship and protection of the word,
So a lack of Church attendance can actually be a headship problem, because the house of God is the place where the word brings correction and leadership.
I PETER 4:17
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
*People that sit at home where there is a good message church to attend nearby is often because they don’t want to be under headship and be corrected of their own false thinking – like Eve they want to be under their own leadership of what they think is right, and that is because they are still in the book of Judges where every man did that which was right in his own eyes, they have not come over into the book of Ruth yet where they are under the protection and headship of Boaz.
**If you are in this condition then you are not honouring the resurrection yet because your heart is not in the right condition – you are still in the days of man’s confusion of the seven church ages.
SHALOM_ SIERRA.VISTA.AZ V-13 N-5 SUNDAY_ 64-0112
231 God Who made the promise, in the last days these things would happen that we see happen! If He promised a son, and the son came; if He promised all these things that we see through the Scripture, and it did, let's get into the rhythm of it. He promised in the last days these things would take place, and we see it. He promised that He would send Jesus. Hallelujah. There will be a Millennium! There will be a new day. There will be a day that the sun will never go down no more, for the... we'll need it no more, for the Lamb is the Light of the City to where we're going. Amen.
232 The dawning of a new day, I feel it all over me now. The Light of a new day! The Light of a day where there is no night, there is no darkness, no shadows, no skies, no--no dim, dark skies, no midnights, no graves, no flowers on the hillsides, no funeral processions, no doctors, no morgue. Amen. I--I can feel the--the rays of His Light breaking through upon my soul. The new day! The old one is pressing away.
233 As I feel the mortal blood pouring through my body, I feel the surge of the Holy Ghost come in behind it, "Rise, and shine."
234 Something said, "Billy Branham, you're getting old, you're getting weak, your shoulders are dropping, your hair is turning gray and falling out." That's right. And darkness and gross darkness upon the earth!
235 "But rise, and shine!" I feel falling there the surge of Light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ which has made me a new creature in Him. I look for that day, amen, for the new day. I don't know what the future is. I don't know what it holds, 1964, holds for me or nothing else, but I hold the hand of Him that holds Eternity, Who is Eternity. Amen.
Honouring the Resurrection
We want to truly honour the resurrection in this hour by whatever way we can.
In our home life
In our work life
In our dedication to the message of the hour
In our dedication to hearing the word and prayer
In our church attendance and service and office and relationship with others in the church
In our dedication to our families to be an example to them of a real believer
Honouring the Resurrection