The Parousia of I Thessalonians 4:16

(Based upon notes compiled by Brian Kocourek)

Reflection – Section VI

I Corinthians

13:12, "For now we see through a dim glass obscurely, but then shall we see face to face:" (Emphatic Diaglott).

13:12, "For now we see in a mirror in an enigma; but then face to face" (Scofield).

13:12, "For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma,] but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly;) but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God.]" (Amplified)

I John

3:2, "Beloved ones, now children of God we are, and not yet was it brought to light, what we shall be; we know (but) that if He should appear like to Him we shall see Him, as He is" (Diaglott)

3:2, "Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter,] but we know that when He comes and is manifested we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He really is" (Amplified)

II Corinthians

3:18, "But we all beholding the glory of the Lord in a face unveiled, are transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as from the Lord, the Spirit" (Diaglott)

3:18, "And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit" (Amplified)

3:2-3, "The letter of us you are, having been written in the hearts of you, being known and being read by all men. Being plainly declared, that you are a letter of Christ having been ministered by us, having been written not with ink, but by the Spirit of God living, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of hearts fleshly" (Diaglott)

3:2-3, "[No, you] yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials,) written in your hearts, to be (perceived, recognized,) known and read by everybody. You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (Amplified)

I Corinthians

15:49, "And even as we bore the likeness of the earthy, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly" (Diaglott)

15:49, "And just as we have borne the image of the [man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image of the [Man] of heaven"  (Amplified)

Colossians

3:10, "And having put on the new, that being renewed by exact knowledge according to the likeness or image or (the one) having created him. (Him who created him)" (Diaglott)

3:10, "And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self,] which is (ever in the new [spiritual self,] which is (ever in the process of being) renewed and remoulded into (fuller and more perfect knowledge upon) knowledge, after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it"  (Amplified)

A prophet is a reflector of God. He is made so that he cannot speak his own words, it has to be God's words that he speaks. He's just like a reflector and he is God's mouthpiece. (Things That Are To Be - 65-1205.)

The Bride has to be molded and made into the image of Christ, and Christ is the Word. That's the only thing. See, it's in there, in the Word, it's just ... See, there cannot be one thing added. It can't be a woman with one hand like a man and the other hand with a paw like a dog; it's got to be exactly the Word of the Lord, like He is the Word. The Bride is a part of the Bridegroom. The woman is a part of her husband, 'cause she's taken out of the husband. Eve was a part of Adam from his side. And so is the Bride, not taken from a denomination, but taken from the bosom of the Word of God for this day. (Rapture - 65-1204.

The Dynamics of this Church will be a refilling of the Holy Spirit, that we have worked in a small measure, while the Headstone is coming down to unite with the Body. But when that Head and Body unites together the full power of the Holy Ghost would raise Her up just exactly like ... Even the dead, that's dead in Christ for hundreds of years ago, will rise in the beauty of His Holiness and take a flight through the skies. The Dynamics is the Holy Spirit. (What Shall I Do With Jesus Called Christ - 63-1124.1M.)

Then from a little group of the true Seed of the Word, God will present Christ a beloved Bride, a Virgin—a Virgin of His Word—and through them and by them will be fulfilled all that has been promised for His Word in the Virgin, who knows no man-made creeds or dogmas. The Word of promise in Himself like it was in Mary—God Himself made manifest. He will act, Himself, by His Own Word of promise so to fulfill all that has been written of Him. As He did when He came from the virgin womb (type of the spirit womb now), so will the Virgin now, accepting His Word: "Be it unto me as thou has said," though it was said by an Angel while it yet was the written Word. (Isaiah 9:6) They will love Him (love His -), and will have His potentials, for He is their Head, and they are His subjects, subject to His Head. Headship of Christ was His.

Notice, what harmony. Jesus never did anything until seen of the Father or the Father showed Him first. (Harmony between God and Christ, see. John 5:19) So will the Bride, and He shows Her His Word of Life (He shows Her), and she receives it. She never doubts it.

Nothing can harm Her, not even death; for if the Seed be planted the water will raise it up again. Amen. (Now, I got a great big Hallelujah!) Here is the secret: the Word is in the Bride and the mind of Christ to know what He wants done with the Word, and She does it in His Name. She has THUS SAITH THE LORD. (Spoken Word Is the Original Seed 62-0318.2E.)

And a true minister of God don't reflect some flashlight, some match stem, some shuck a-burning; he reflects the golden rays of Christ to the Church, that "He's the same, and He's alive, and He shine on me." Amen! That's the Light he reflects. The star reflects the light of the sun, see, so we're reflecting the Light of the Son of God. Doing the same thing He did, giving Light. What kind of light? Gospel light to those. (Patmos Vision - 60-1204.2E.)

The thing that's the matter with the Message today is, those who obtain It in their hearts must lay in the presence of the Son to get ripened. See? You can pick up the Message, and then let the Son bake all the greenness out of you (see?), make you matured Christians. You see what I mean? God's coming soon to receive His Church, and we must have that type of Christians for Him to receive. The wheat's got to get ripe. (Christ Revealed in His Own Word - 65-0822.1M.)

But it's the things you see in your spirit, through the Word, the Word is God's looking glass that reflects what He is and what you are. (Hebrews Ch 5&6 - 57-0908.1M.)

A prophet is God's reflector. How many knows that? The reflector doesn't reflect itself, the reflector isn't the reflection. There has to be something strike the reflector to make it reflect. So a prophet is a chosen vessel of God that cannot reflect nothing at all but he's in direct line with that reflection, God, to reflect the image of Christ the Word. See, nothing else can do it. You are a reflector, that's the reason the prophet had to eat the book. That's the reason he had to eat the scroll. He had to reflect that Word for that age. You got it? (God's Only Provided Place of Worship - 65-1128.1M.)

Now, the seed was already upon the earth. I believe God had planted the seed, and just as long as the sun could get to that seed, it begin to grow. And that's the reason it only taken days to bring forth these things, because the seed was already in the earth. All it needed was light. (Man That Can Turn On The Light - 63-1229.1M.)

And that's the way God has today. His Seed is already here, His Word. The only thing It needs is Light on It; and He is that Light, for He is the Word. The Word and the Light is the same thing. The Life in there is the Light of the Word (see?) is the Life. The germ of life lays within the grain, and the grain is—the life is what breaks forth and brings forth the life out of the grain. That's the way that Christ in the Word makes the Word do what It's supposed to do.

Light brings life. Plant the wheat out here, it'll ... You put it in a basement, cover it all over, and it'll never bring forth anything, because it can't; there's no light there. But as soon as light strikes it, then it'll bring forth life if it's a germitized seed. That's the same thing it is in the Word. See, the Word is God, and when the Light strikes It, it brings the Word to life again. Every age has always been that.

There's nothing can give you Life but the Spoken Word of God. Life only comes by Light. (Man That Can Turn On The Light - 63-1229.1M.)

Oh, God, if we can only—only understand that we are the reflection of Jesus Christ, His Word made manifest. You are the reflection of His Word. See? (Man That Can Turn On The Light - 63-1229.1M.)

And the Word is the Messiah. You believe that? Well, the reflection of the Word then is what? A reflecting of Messiah, which is the Holy Ghost among us. He's reflecting Himself, tries to, wherever He can find a lamp that He can look through, that ain't smoked up with creeds and things. He can give Light through. (Indictment - 63-0707.)

And now when I see, like if you were sitting out there; usually stand, talking—that means you're living, but it's only a shadow of life, because anything has got to have darkness in it to make a shadow. See, because a shadow has to possess so much darkness and so much light to make a shadow. And it can't be altogether dark, and it can't be altogether light. If it's dark, it's real dark. If it's light, there is no shadow, nothing to make a shadow, but if it's mixed with dark and light, it makes a shadow—so we are really shadows of light.

Now you are reflecting a light from somewhere. If you are a Christian, (this be your shadow) it only proves that there is a life where you can't die, because this life has death in it. See, but it is a shadow, because you're living, moving creatures with abilities to see, think, move, and talk,... (and the five senses of the body). But yet you know, you're dying—and there's so much trouble. You know, it can only be—it's a reflection, see, that there is Life and death mixed together.

The physical has to die, but if you are reflecting by your mortal Life, the light of Heaven, then you're reflecting the Eternal Life of God. Then when you die you can no more than go to that light, because that is what you have reflected. If you are of the dark world, you reflect that and you can do, go no other way but to darkness. See, so we are in a reflection. So, we see that as sure as the Holy Spirit reflects light and Life, so does death reflect darkness in here before God. (Paul A Prisoner - 63-0717.)

Now, the only way to live a life worthy, is to let Christ and His Word—which He is the Word—reflect Itself so perfect in you, till God vindicates what He said in the Word. For Christ died that He might present Himself before God a sacrifice, and it returned back in the form of the Holy Spirit to reflect Hisself through His people to carry on His work, reflecting Hisself through you to fulfill His promised Word in these future days, like John the Baptist heard when he heard Christ come. And Christ walked out into the water, and John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Nobody else saw It, but he saw It, that Light coming down from Heaven like a dove. (Is Your Life Worthy of the Gospel 63-0630.2E.)

You see, that little spark of life that you had in you from the beginning when you started your journey ... Many of you can remember it. You joined this church and joined that church, and try this and that; nothing satisfied. That's right! But one day you just recognized it. Right! (Melchisedec - 65-0221.2E.)

It's going to be the attitude of the people towards the Message. See how she said it? She said just the right thing. It's what you say, that does it. What you say! (Go Tell - 60-0417.2M.)

Now, you couldn't see the Kingdom of God, because the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. It's within you, the Holy Spirit, and you can't see that with your eyes. So see means "to understand."

But with your eyes you look at anything. But with what's inside of you, you understand with, you see with that. See? With the eyes of God you look. (C.O.D. - 59-1223.)

And one day you'll see that the One that you feeled in your heart and see His identification, will become personalized before you. Then you and He are One. You've united by the Word, and the Word was in the beginning will go back to the beginning which is God. (Doing God A Service - 65-0718.1M.)

All right. Now, here is what I'm trying to say to you: the law of reproduction bring forth of its kind (Genesis 1:11). These last days, true Church-Bride comes to the Headstone. Will be the super Church; a super Race as they near the great Headstone. They will be much like—So much like Him, even they will be in His very image, in the order to be united with Him. They will be One. They will be the very manifestation of the Word of the Living God. Denominations can never produce this. This will be—They will produce their creeds and dogmas mixed with the Word and brings a hybrid product. (Spoken Word Is the Original Seed - 62-0318.2E.)

Notice Enoch, God's perfect reflector in type. When God was through with him, He just translated him, took him up. The mechanics that he had reflected become dynamics with the Spirit, and took him up. Same in the days of Elijah. Elijah, even to his bones, where that reflector of God in his body being made manifest the Word of God. (God's Only Provided Place of Worship - 65-1128.1M.)

It's the Word reflecting and sparking off the age that you're living in. That's what He was, that's what Moses was, that's what Jacob was, that's what the rest of them was, sparking off that Word of God, the reflector that God was reflecting Himself. And come to that perfect image of God, Jesus Christ, God's Masterpiece; was struck that He might take the rest of them for a Bride that's been reflecting Him.

Moses was in Him. Joshua was in Him. And if you are in Him, you was in Him before the foundation of the world, the family of God; you suffered with Him, you died with Him, you went to the cross with Him, you raised with Him; and now you're still with Him, setting in Heavenly places, reflecting the Message of the age to the world, the Light of the world. "Ye are the Light of the world," but if it's hid by a denominational bushel basket, how are they going to see It? For your traditions, you make the Light of no effect! By trying ... You denominationals, trying to keep the Light away from your church; you won't go in, neither will you let them. Amen. (God's Only Provided Place of Worship - 65-1128.1M.)

And that Word is still the same Word. And tonight we see It revealing Itself in us, after two thousand years, because He wrote It on the paper and is here confirming it, showing it, that it's right. (He That Is In You - 63-1110.2E.)

See, they don't have understanding no more. The people just don't move by the Spirit of God anymore. God's Word is His Spirit, and His Word comes to His prophet. And the Word is supposed to transform you from what the things of the world are, into the image of sons and daughters of God. And the Word can only come through these prophets, as they spoke. (Power of Transformation - 65-1031.1M.)

Transforming yourself, His Holy Spirit transforms the seed Word into Its likeness ... His Word will bring forth sons and daughters of God. That's what it is supposed to do.

Then the Spirit moved on Him and sent Him to Calvary, to the cross, to bring Light in this day, and Light to all the predestinated seeds to the Church of this day, transforming sons and daughters of God, into His Presence. (Power of Transformation - 65-1031.1M.)

"Greater is He that's in you, Christ, than he that's in the world." Now, in the meeting, where we touch Him, He reflects Hisself back, as the woman touched God through Christ and reflected back her need. (He That Is In You - 63-1110.2E.)

And today, by the Light of the Gospel reflecting from a Light, a Pillar of Fire visibly among us ... Science has seen It; It's in the magazines and across the world; and It's both scientifically and spiritually recognized as the same Pillar of Fire, by the same signs and same things It did always.

When the Light struck the rich young ruler, look what he did. He rejected—a smart man. Paul, another smart man, the Light struck him. What did he do? He accepted It. He forgot it, all he every knowed, that he might know Christ. (Indictment - 63-0707.)

Lord God, I am asking the Bride tonight. The ones that I feel has pulled away and waiting; may they separate themselves from everything of the world. They must lay in the presence of the warm sun light of the Son of God, bathing in His Word and His love. Grant it, dear God. (Invisible Union - 65-1125.)

The moon reflects the light to the earth, which is a type of the church. And what a reflection, what a Message from God Himself, that these things are the Truth! Testified it first in His Word, then by the Spirit at the platform, and then declared it in the heavens. (Feast of Trumpets - 64-0719M.)

There's probably ten or fifteen man with him. Did any of those man see that Light? No, sir. Paul saw It! It wasn't designated for them man to see It. So, some people can see things where others don't. See? So Paul saw that Light, insomuch that It even blinded him. (Hebrews Ch 3 - 57-0901.1M.)

The churches makes just as fun of the true Bride of Christ as Rome ever did—just exactly, acts to the real Lamb's Bride just exactly like she did in Revelation 13:14. (Seals - 63-0321.)

Now there's no one that could see that Light that was hanging over Paul, but it was there. No one seen that dove coming down out of Heaven and that Light that formed and hung over Jesus but John himself. But it was there. See? And so, then later when I was telling the people about this Light being like a Pillar of Fire: no one wanted to believe it, but now the mechanical eye of the camera identified that.

The evil spirit is dark ... if our lives cope with the Light of the day, we're walking in light. It's just like you look out and say, "I see the sun" in the daytime. You see the shadow of the sun. It's a reflection of the sun. It isn't the sun itself, but it proves that there is a sun. (Paul a Prisoner of Christ - 63-0717.)

Christ is alive! He's in us, not some nail or piece of cloth or piece of bone, or something. He's the living God, living in us now, manifesting Himself. We only have one article of a memorial, that's the Lord's Supper, commemoration of His death. But as far as Christ Himself, He is with us and in us. And that's the thing that we want to wave (the glory of the Holy Spirit) to the world. Wave It until the Light goes out. All right. The ministers that kept and brought the Light, and held It back like the original at the beginning, and brought the Light through.

And, remember, the seven stars was in His right hand. Just think, they were drawing their current, their Light from Him. They were completely under His control, in His right hand. Oh! Every true servant of God is the same way.

In Revelations 21:23, if you want to put it down. In the New Jerusalem, 21:23, He is the Lamb that's in the City that's the Light thereof, shining; for they needed no light in the City, the sun shall not rise in it, because the Lamb which is in the midst of the City shall be the Light thereof. And the nations that's saved shall walk in the Light of the Lamb! Amen! He is the Lamb's Light.

Would you like to have His Life living in you, reflecting His Presence?

Christ standing in the midst of His people, them seven golden candlesticks reflecting His radiance like the sun in the middle of its heat. (Patmos Vision - 60-1204.2E.)

What type of people ought we to be? When we see the Great Jehovah come down and do the things that He does, and see them compared Scripture by Scripture, that they are the Truth. And we sit around sometimes like a warts on a log, and just so unconcerned. We ought to be busy every minute, trying to get people to Christ. We ought to be lively stones. We should never be slothful like we are. We'll go up to church, and we'll see the Lord Jesus do something, or bless us in such a way, and then we'll go back out and say, "Very nice meeting." (Hebrews Ch 2 #I - 57-0825.1M.)

Our name ain't nothing, it's His Name. Our life is nothing, it's His Life. Our desire is not to be glorified. Our desire is not some big name. Our desire is to see Him glorified. Glorify what? Not with self- pride, but in us, our lives, to prove that He is alive and living in us. If I can get myself out of the way, so when William Branham not even thought of, and you not even thought of, till we can see Jesus glorified among us. See Him, that's our desire.

I just want to see Him manifested. How can you do it? Call Him down? No! He's in you. See? He's in you. "Well then, Lord, if I can get myself out of the way, You can manifest... myself. How can You do it? Because You ordained it so: `All that the Father has given Me will come'" (Rising of the Sun - 65-0418M.)

And when God had taken Elijah up, He came back with a double portion of His Spirit. He was ready for the revival then.

Notice the man then, being just a plow boy before. God made his name immortal. All the prophets that stood around watching him had to bow to his feet because he had the power of God upon him. There's coming a hour when God shall make the whole world bow at the feet of man and women who have plunged through and crossed Jordan and separated themselves from the things of the world. (God Called man - 58-1005E.)

Just remember us, Lord, that we're human flesh in a dark world, a world of darkness and sin and chaos. And we're looking through a veil, as it was, over our face, and we only see and know as we do humanly here. But someday when that veil's lifted, we'll see You face to face and know as we're known. That's the day that we long for. (Questions & Answers 57-1002.)

Notice the Eternal sign, an unfailing sign, It will never fail. Man and... The Word and man become one. When God's Word and man become one, as St. John the first chapter 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." That's the super sign.

Oh, if that was the super sign of that day, when that same Spirit that was on Jesus Christ comes into His Church, to manifest the written Word for today, that is still the super sign. (The Super Sign - 63-1129.)

What called... is the Shekinah Glory? It's God's Presence. And when a man's walking, or a woman, he's reflecting the Shekinah Glory. He don't go into gambling dens and carry on, and go out here and deny the Word. No matter what the people says, he's got his heart set on one thing: God. And if he's truly called of God then Jesus Christ reflects Himself through him with the Shekinah Glory, doing the same things He did back there, manifesting the same Gospel, preaching the same Word, same Word being made manifest in the same measure it was then, just like it was truly at Pentecost it's measured back again. (Revelation Ch 4 #III - 61-0108.)

But now what... you start bringing the Word. Now, that's the thing that actually brings Life—is the Word—and that brings the joy of stimulation of new wine. And that's what it was on Pentecost when the Word was vindicated. (Seals - 63-0321.)

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