0:00

Pre-existence of the Son

0:02

of God . The

0:04

doctrine of the Logos is key in

0:07

properly understanding the Godhead . Historically

0:10

, when it was twisted from its original

0:12

revelation , the church bishops made

0:14

a second person of the Godhead . When

0:17

properly understood , the oneness of God is

0:20

maintained and the Lord Jesus Christ is

0:22

rightly understood as the Son of God . The

0:25

Arian or Jehovah's Witness viewpoint

0:27

is that the Son of God pre-existed his

0:29

human birth on earth as

0:32

an angel or an agent of creation

0:34

and that he was less than God himself

0:37

, that is

0:39

, that the Logos was less

0:41

than God and that the Logos

0:43

was the Son of God . Then

0:45

that Son of God changed forms from being

0:48

the pre-incarnate state into

0:50

the incarnation . There

0:53

are several points to consider regarding this

0:55

viewpoint . The Logos

0:57

of John 1.1 and

0:59

1 John 1.1

1:02

and 2 are both referred to as God

1:04

. In the case of 1

1:06

John 1.1

1:08

and 2 , the Logos

1:10

of life was with the Father

1:12

. If we take that terminology and combine

1:14

it , we see that the Word

1:17

was with the Father and the Word was

1:19

the Father . The Logos

1:21

is nothing less than God himself

1:23

having brought forth a portion

1:25

of himself out of his own

1:28

being in order to become visible

1:30

to his creation , the

1:32

same Logos that came in the form of Melchizedek

1:34

in the Pillar of Fire , came down

1:37

at the River Jordan and entered into the Lord

1:39

Jesus Christ . And that

1:41

same Logos that once anointed one

1:43

man now anoints a many-membered

1:45

bride . This is the

1:47

clear and precise teaching of Brother

1:49

Branham at the end of his ministry , when

1:52

his revelation was fully developed , as

1:54

Brother Branham said . But since the opening of those

1:57

seven seals of them angels

1:59

just behind the mountain yonder , this

2:01

has become a new book . I

2:04

want to give a brief description of his development

2:06

so

2:08

that it can be clearly understood . 1.1950

2:13

. Who is God ? In 1953

2:16

, q&a on Genesis . The

2:18

Logos that went out of God was the Son

2:20

of God . Now you've got two . Now

2:22

Let us make man his

2:25

Father and Son . 2.1957

2:28

, hebrews , chapter 1 and 4 . Out

2:31

of God went the Logos , or the

2:33

Theophany , which was the form

2:36

of a man called the

2:38

Son of God , prefigured . It

2:40

was the only visible form

2:42

the Spirit had . 3.1959

2:46

, a SuperSign . God

2:48

called the angels together and he said

2:50

Let us . 4.1964

2:54

, q&a . Voice of the

2:56

sign . The pillar of fire , the Logos

2:58

, god , the Father , which

3:01

led the children of Israel , came

3:03

down in the form of a dove and

3:05

lit upon Jesus . The Logos

3:08

was in and upon

3:10

Jesus , 1964

3:13

Q&A . Above the Lamb

3:15

will be the Father , which is the Logos

3:17

, god , the Great Light . I

3:23

do not believe these are contradictory thoughts

3:25

, but a revelation becoming clearer

3:27

and clearer . The connecting

3:29

thought that he gives is in 1957

3:31

, where he states that the Logos

3:34

was in the form of a

3:36

man called the Son of God , prefigured

3:38

. To prefigure something

3:40

means to show it is before it exists . We

3:43

certainly know that the life of the

3:45

Son of God and every Son of God

3:47

is in God for eternity . Because

3:50

we understand that Jesus did not

3:52

bypass his theophany

3:54

. We know that it was the same life

3:56

of the Son of God that came

3:58

forth and was in the Logos and

4:01

then later , in the fullness of time

4:03

, it came forth from the Logos

4:06

and was born in Bethlehem . Then

4:09

that Logos came upon him and

4:11

dwelt in him at the Jordan

4:13

River . Let's look

4:15

at the biblical message and

4:17

historical proof that Jesus came

4:20

into existence as a distinct

4:22

human being at his birth

4:24

in Bethlehem . Scriptural references

4:26

Luke

4:28

1.34 and 35

4:31

. Then said Mary unto the angel

4:33

how shall this be seeing ? I know not

4:35

a man . And the angel answered

4:37

and said unto her the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee

4:39

and the power of the highest shall

4:41

overshadow thee . Therefore

4:44

, also , that holy thing which shall be born

4:46

of thee shall be called the Son of God

4:48

. Let

4:51

us look closely at the wording of the Angel of

4:53

the Lord In answer to the question

4:55

of Mary . He states that the Holy Ghost shall come

4:57

upon you to bring forth this baby . Then

5:01

he says this Therefore , he

5:03

shall be called the Son of God . Therefore

5:05

means for this cause or

5:07

because of this fact , because

5:10

of the fact that the Holy Ghost will overshadow

5:12

you , he shall be called the Son

5:14

of God . It is not because of

5:16

some pre-incarnate state that he is the

5:18

Son of God . It is not because he existed

5:21

as the eternal second person

5:23

of the Trinity , or even because he

5:25

existed before his birth

5:27

in heaven , but because

5:29

the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary

5:32

. Literally , we can say that the

5:34

reason he is the Son of God is because

5:36

the Holy Spirit created a body and

5:39

put a life inside of that little body

5:41

, in the womb of Mary . This

5:44

is the basis of his sonship

5:46

, matthew 1.18

5:48

. Now , the birth of Jesus Christ was on this

5:50

wise when , as his mother

5:53

, mary was espoused to Joseph before

5:55

they came together , she was found

5:57

with child of the Holy Ghost . The

6:01

word birth in this verse comes from the Greek

6:03

word Genesis . The birth

6:05

or the beginning of Jesus Christ was in

6:07

this way Mary was

6:09

found with child of the Holy Ghost . There

6:12

is nothing about the birth of Jesus in

6:14

heaven before creation . Psalm

6:17

2.7 I

6:19

will declare the decree the Lord hath said

6:21

unto me Thou art my Son

6:23

. This day have I begotten thee . In

6:27

this verse we see that the birth of the Son is

6:29

not an eternity or before creation

6:31

, but was on a specific day

6:33

in time . I have begotten you on

6:36

this day . Paul applies

6:38

this both to the birth of Jesus and

6:41

his resurrection . Read Acts 1333

6:44

. Galatians

6:48

4.4 . But when the fullness

6:50

of the time was come , god sent forth

6:52

his Son , made of a woman , made

6:55

under the law . We see that

6:57

the Son was made of a woman . The

6:59

word made is gynomai in the Greek

7:01

and it means to cause , to be generate

7:04

, that is , reflexively

7:07

to become , come into being . So

7:10

the Son came into being or came into

7:12

existence through a woman . And

7:15

again the apostle writes that he came into

7:17

existence under the law . Some

7:19

might argue that , yes , it says he came into

7:22

existence through a woman and under the law . But

7:24

it says he sent forth his Son . So it

7:26

shows a previous existence . One

7:28

part of the verse cannot destroy another

7:31

part of the verse . Only a preconceived

7:33

notion would enter into such speculation

7:36

. He came into existence

7:38

through a woman and under the law . It

7:40

was the fullness of time that he

7:42

was sent forth . The word sent forth means

7:44

to be dispatched or sent

7:46

on a mission . This happened

7:48

when he was anointed at the Jordan River and

7:51

started his ministry to accomplish the work

7:53

of redemption . The

7:56

phrase made of a woman , made under the law

7:58

, is a parenthesis or a descriptive portion

8:00

of the verse . The thought is this

8:03

when the fullness of time was come

8:05

, god sent forth his son to redeem them

8:07

that were under the law that we might receive

8:09

the adoption of sons . 1

8:12

. Jesus is the Son of God

8:14

because the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary

8:17

. 2 . The

8:19

birth of Jesus Christ was when Mary

8:21

was found with child of the Holy Spirit

8:23

. 3 . The

8:25

Son was begotten on a specific

8:27

day in time . 4

8:30

. The Son came into existence

8:32

through a woman and under the law . What

8:36

Brother Branham said . Now

8:39

let us examine several thoughts

8:41

from Brother Branham that can perhaps shed

8:43

more light upon the subject . I

8:45

realize there are more references that we can look

8:47

at , but these are a fair representative

8:50

of the quotes we can find upon the subject

8:52

the

8:55

Holy Blood that was created by God , the Blood

8:58

, the Life , the Creation of God . Jesus

9:00

was the beginning of the Creation of God . Oh

9:03

, you see it , god made in creation

9:05

. He was Spirit . The Bible said he

9:08

is the beginning of the Creation of God . How

9:10

did he begin ? In the wombs

9:12

of a woman ? When

9:14

Jesus was manifested in the Old Testament

9:16

as we believe it now , you preachers

9:18

out there , you can argue with it , do whatever you want

9:20

to , but I am talking from my

9:22

what I think . See , when

9:25

Jesus was manifested in the Old Testament

9:27

in theophany , in

9:29

the person of Melchizedek not a priesthood

9:31

, but the person , the man , see , for

9:34

this man had yet not been

9:36

born , but he was in theophany

9:38

. So he had no father , no mother . He was

9:40

God himself . He was manifested

9:43

in the form of a man called King of Salem

9:45

, which is King of Peace and

9:47

King of Righteousness . See , he was Melchizedek

9:50

. He had neither father nor mother , beginning

9:52

of days or ending of life . See

9:55

, it was Jesus in theophany , in

9:57

the form of a man . Could

10:00

you go that ? All right ? Now

10:03

, if you'll notice , as we read the

10:05

next verse , see first being , by interpretation

10:08

, king of Righteousness . That's

10:10

not where I want to do the third verse , nor

10:12

end of life , but made like unto the Son of God

10:14

. Now , he was not the Son of

10:16

God , for if he was the Son

10:18

, he had a beginning , and this man

10:20

had no beginning . If

10:23

he was the Son , he had

10:25

to have both father and mother , and

10:27

this man had neither father nor mother . But

10:29

he was made like unto the Son of God

10:31

, a bideth , a priest , continually

10:34

. One Jesus

10:37

had his beginning in the womb of a virgin

10:39

. Two Jesus

10:41

had not been born yet , but he

10:43

was manifested in theophany form

10:45

in Melchizedek . Three Melchizedek

10:49

was not the Son of God because he had no beginning

10:51

and Jesus had a beginning . All

10:55

right , let us put this picture

10:57

together . Melchizedek

11:00

was not the Son of God because he had no

11:02

beginning and Jesus did . Yet

11:05

Jesus was manifested in Melchizedek

11:08

. This is why the scripture

11:10

says that Melchizedek was made like unto

11:13

the Son of God . Melchizedek

11:15

actually manifested what the Son of

11:17

God would be in the future a priest-king

11:20

. Even further than

11:22

that , it was the very theophany of Jesus

11:24

that was manifested as Melchizedek , even

11:26

though Jesus had not been born yet

11:29

. It is

11:31

important to take the whole picture that is being

11:33

painted here by the scriptures and

11:35

Brother Branham in order to see the entire

11:37

reality . We cannot take

11:39

one quote and make it fight another quote

11:41

. The whole picture reveals the truth

11:44

of the matter . Looking

11:47

at history , let

11:49

us bring some historical Jewish perspective

11:51

to this issue . It demonstrates

11:54

the thought world that was in existence at

11:56

the time of the Apostles' writings . The

11:58

apostles were immersed in this thought world

12:01

. Their understanding and teaching about the

12:03

origins of the Messiah is in line with

12:05

what was taught by the rabbis of their day . They

12:08

were Jews and they thought like Jews . Their

12:10

thought paradigm was Jewish and it was immersed

12:12

in the Bible . They had two

12:15

things in view God is one and

12:17

he calls those things that do not exist as

12:19

though they do . They had no knowledge

12:22

of a three-person God , but a simple , undivided

12:24

unity . God's thoughts are

12:26

real and they are infused with life even

12:28

before they come into existence in time and

12:31

space . Pesicter

12:33

, rabbi 152b

12:36

. The belief was

12:38

general that the sending of the Messiah was part

12:40

of the Creator's plan at the inception of

12:42

the universe . Seven things

12:45

were created before the world was created

12:47

Torah , repentance , the

12:49

Garden of Eden , ie , paradise

12:52

, gehenom , the

12:55

throne of glory , the temple and

12:57

the name of the Messiah . In

12:59

a later work there is the observation

13:01

from the beginning of the creation of the world

13:03

. King Messiah was born , for

13:06

he entered the mind of God before

13:08

even the world was created . This

13:12

was their point of view towards pre-existence

13:15

and I believe what Paul and John

13:17

had hidden in their hearts as they wrote he

13:19

that came after me was preferred before

13:21

me , for he was before

13:23

me and he is the image

13:25

of the invisible God , the firstborn of

13:27

every creature , for by Him were

13:30

all things created . Writing

13:32

under inspiration in the Gospel and

13:34

Epistles , they understood Jesus was born

13:36

before time when he entered

13:38

the mind plan of God . Messiah

13:43

was born in the mind of God before the creation

13:45

of the world and he was God's perfect

13:48

man . All things were made

13:50

by this perfect man , who was still the thought

13:52

in the mind of the Creator . This

13:54

Jewish understanding was lost and

13:57

thus ensued the Greek philosophical

13:59

trinity of persons . The

14:02

Greeks understood these scriptures in terms of a

14:04

pre-existent second divine person

14:06

, whereas the apostles that wrote

14:08

the words understood they were referring to

14:10

the pre-eminent thought and purpose

14:12

of God , the Messiah . Paul

14:16

said that God calls those things that are not

14:18

as though they were . Another

14:20

rendering of the verses calls the things

14:23

which do not exist as existing

14:25

. God's

14:27

thoughts are real and they have life in them , even

14:29

if they have not been manifested or brought to

14:31

pass yet . Thus , all things

14:33

were made by God through Messiah , who

14:36

was born in the mind plan of God

14:38

before creation . It is not

14:40

a contradiction to say that Messiah created

14:42

all things when , in fact , at the creation

14:44

of the world , he had not yet been born . He

14:47

was merely born in the plan or mind

14:49

of God before the creation of the world . Some

14:52

may say that Jesus is the Word

14:54

of John . 1.1 . Brother

14:57

Branham said that if you make the Word a separate person

15:00

from God , you make him one out

15:02

of three . Christ revealed in his

15:04

own Word . I want to take a

15:06

closer look at this From

15:08

the Encyclopedia Britannica . Word

15:10

in the Greek is Word , reason , plan

15:13

. In Greek philosophy and

15:15

theology , word is the

15:17

divine reason that orders the cosmos

15:19

and gives it form and meaning . Logos

15:23

can literally mean the divine plan . We

15:25

could render John 1.1.3 . 14

15:29

. In the beginning was

15:32

the Divine Plan and the Divine Plan was

15:34

with God and the Divine Plan

15:36

was God . The same was in the beginning

15:38

with God . 15 . In it

15:40

was life and the life was the light of men

15:42

. The Divine Plan became flesh

15:45

and dwelt among us and we

15:47

beheld his glory , the

15:49

glory as of the only begotten of the

15:51

Father , full of grace and truth . 16

15:55

. The great Divine Plan prior to the incarnation

15:57

was with God and was God Himself . 17

16:00

. God's revelation is God and

16:02

you cannot separate God from His self-revelation

16:05

and plan . 18 . God's plan

16:07

reveals Him and His nature and invisible

16:09

attributes . This Divine

16:11

Plan became flesh , that is , when

16:14

the Son was born , brought into existence

16:16

. The Plan was made flesh . All

16:18

the prophecies concerning Messiah and what God

16:20

planned to do through the Messiah became

16:22

flesh . The prophecies literally

16:25

took on flesh . This is not a second

16:27

pre-existent person , but rather the Divine

16:29

Plan or prophecies becoming

16:32

flesh . We read in Hebrews

16:34

1 , 2 , and 3 , that the Son

16:36

is the brightness of the Father's glory , the exact

16:39

imprint of His nature , and

16:41

that God planned the ages in the Son . We

16:44

must understand this is the entire concept

16:46

of Scripture . The Son had

16:48

a beginning in the womb of a virgin , but

16:50

he was the Word that went forth at the beginning

16:52

. The expression of God was

16:54

the Son who was not yet born . In

16:57

Colossians 1 , 15 to 17

16:59

, we read something very similar the

17:01

Son is the reason and purpose of creation . God

17:04

was going to express Himself through the Son

17:06

and then through the Bride , and

17:08

then bring it all back together , restored and eaten

17:11

. Brother Branham uses Philippians

17:13

2 , 5 through 10 , to show

17:15

that God changed His mask from spirit

17:17

to flesh . In John 17.5

17:20

, jesus prayed for the glory he had before the

17:22

world , and in John 17.22

17:24

, he states that the glory that was given to Jesus

17:26

is given to believers

17:29

. Jesus Christ was foreordained

17:31

before the foundation of the world , and so was the Bride

17:33

. The Bride was chosen in the

17:35

Groom . They were one in the mind of God

17:38

. The same Word that expresses the

17:40

Groom expresses the Bride . Conclusion

17:43

we see in this teaching

17:45

the clear development of thought that Brother Branham

17:48

had . At the end we see that the Son

17:50

did not pre-exist His birth in Bethlehem

17:52

, but rather he was prefigured

17:54

in Melchizedek and His

17:56

life was in fact there , expressed in that

17:58

theophany , that life that

18:00

was in that theophany became a man

18:02

and that pillar of fire came down

18:05

to indwell Him at His baptism

18:07

.