The Sixth Vial
Psalm 2:1-3, "Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and against His anointed, and the rulers take counsel together, saying, Let us break His chains, and free ourselves from all this slavery to God".
God Bless you in the wonderful Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please open your Bibles at Revelation Chapter 16 and follow as we study from verses 12 to 17.
Between the Sixth and Seventh Vials Brother Branham, the angel of Revelation 1:1, shows John who represents Christ's end-time Bride throughout this Book as Ezekiel represented Israel and Judah in chapter four of his Book, how the nominally Christian world, having forsaken its vows of separation, will become impotent like Samson and how God is gathering those who trouble us to the place of vengeance (Matthew 13:30, 40-42; II Thessalonians 1:3-10; Revelation 16:13-16).
Judaeo-Communism will destroy the apostate Judaeo-Christian image unto Papal Rome and raze Vatican City with nuclear fire as king Nebuchadnezzar destroyed and burned the Temple at Jerusalem. Under the Sixth Vial, the protection of what little Holy Spirit existed in denominational creeds and fear of Rome's superstitious traditions has atrophied. Her enemy is the political and military leaders east of the Euphrates whose godless propaganda invades the minds of sinful men, teaching "all men are created equal," stripping kings and popes of their authority and Rome of her religious power. However, with the indwelling Spirit as our defence we know Rome presents a far greater danger than Judaeo-Communism, Judaeo-Roman Islam and "the kings of the East," and that "the Holy Spirit who now withholds the advent of the Beast will restrain until He is taken from the earth in the Bride's translation."
As Brother Branham explained, "Joseph was sold for almost thirty pieces of silver by his brothers. The Jewish church betrayed Joseph. Today what is it in this church? A betrayal . . . you just keep this on your mind.
"They're going to have a confederation of churches . . . with the Protestant church and the Catholic church together. And the interdenominationals who stand out for the truth and get away from that dogma that they've got will be persecuted. The mark of the beast, the Seal of God, the showdown will soon come. And, brother, if That's not in there, you'll be deceived as sure as the world, 'cause it'll look so nice. You'll say, "Now, if Communism . . . let us make another agreement . . . and Christianize the world back." And . . . the people will jump into it. See? They'll confederate the churches, and bring, try to make Christianity one unit. And the Bible says in Revelation that he gave his power and everything, that he made an image unto the beast and exercised all the power the beast did before him . . . see where it's at. You're right here in the end of time, brother. We're at the end of the age" (Israel in Egypt, p. 26:166-167).
Revelation 16:12-14, "The sixth angel poured out his vial on the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the kings of the east could march westward. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of demons, working miracles, which confer with the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to muster them for battle on that great day of God Almighty." A trinity of demonic spirits like frogs.
Euphrates was the Eastern border and defence of the Roman Empire and the limit of Christian influence. Its source lay on Israel's Northern boundary and it flowed through Babylon into the Deep, which represents the abyss. Israel flowed with the river into Babylon and apostasy. Apostate Israel was the birthplace of Christian faith but the nominal church floated into "mystery Babylon the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" and is sinking into the abyss (Romans 11:32).
The drying up of the Euphrates signifies the departure of the Holy Spirit from Rome's once Protestant daughters, as Ezekiel's vision of the Shekinah leaving the temple signified God's departure from Judea. Like Judea, the nominal church surrendered her liberty in the Spirit. By organizing after each revival it was unable to receive further revelation from the Lord but constituted another Roman legion bound in its denominational city of refuge until the death of that Church Age and the Gospel trumpet to the succeeding Age (Numbers 35).
With the drying up of the great river at the end of Laodicea the denominations became "the dwelling place of demons, and prison of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." The "Shout" of the Message of the prophet of Malachi 4:5-6 and Revelation 10:7 called the wise and foolish virgin out of Babylon. Her harlot daughters were no longer a refuge for the Man slayer; the days of Christ's mediation for PART-Word were "done away" by the revelation of the Seven Seals which brought Christ back to earth as the fullness of the Word (Acts 3:21: I Corinthians 13:10; Revelation 10:1-7).
As God allowed Babylon to rise up and destroy apostate Judah, He has permitted Judaeo-Communism to arise for the destruction of the apostate church. Rome is no longer secure from attack by her barbaric enemies and must again resort to political and military force to reinstate her authority. This apostasy among the churches signals the imminent end of the Gentile dispensation (II Thessalonians 2:3-7).
These kings whose irreligious socio-political philosophy rules over the east are empowered through Roman apostasy, symbolized by the drying up of the Euphrates. The Seventh Vial is poured out into the air, upon which all creatures depend for natural life. It types the fourth dimension whence we draw our Spiritual Life which was obscured by the smoke of denominationalism's from the abyss under the Fifth Trumpet (Revelation 9:2-11). The Seventh Vial vindicates the three angels of Revelation 14 who warned of Rome's fall and imminent destruction, which will be lamented by the commercial world (Revelation 18:7-19).
The Zoroastrians of Iran believe the frog was a special agent of Ahriman, or Satan. Zoroaster taught 300 years before Alexander the Great, and is said to have founded the wisdom of the magi. These demons are likened to frogs which are abominable creatures (Leviticus 11:10).
As Rome is the "mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" it is appropriate that these demons should be identified with Rome and her image (Revelation 18:5). These evil spirits look back like frogs on three stages of Satan's incarnation: the Dragon of Imperial Rome, the beast or incarnate Pope, and the false prophet which was the first Pope. Spirits follow words, and Rome's doctrine is deceit and anathema to God's Word. In Revelation 17, the woman controlling the beast is the Roman Catholic church: "she had in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication," which is what came out of her mouth: her doctrine.
I searched the word 'abomination' in the Bible. Aside from foods proscribed by the Law it includes homosexuality, sex with women in menstruation, adultery, buggery, incest, the wages of sexual immorality, fornication, cross-dressing (Deuteronomy 22:5), idolatry, false teaching, atheism, rejecting the faith, and murder. According to Proverbs 6:16-19, "six things does the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, and sowing discord among brethren".
The widely-ranging activity of these spirits signals the spread of falsehood and mutiny against God among world leaders as they are drawn together into the culminating assault of creaturely defiance. Possessed of Satanic power they are able to perform wonders like uniting churches by interfaith unions such as the World Council of Churches, and nations through multiculturalism and miscegenation enforced by United Nations' treaties contrary to faith (Amos 3:3; Genesis 1:11; 6:1-13; Deuteronomy 32:8; Matthew 24:37; Revelation 13-14). Jesus gave believers "power against unclean spirits, to cast them out" (Matthew 10:1). These unclean spirits are only able to manifest through the words of world leaders because the people are not sanctified by God's indwelling Word (Matthew 17:21).
The key word is "sanctification," because the Token or evidence of the Life of Christ in the saints of the Philadelphian Church Age which began in 1750 was holiness through "experiential" faith in the Message of the "angel," John Wesley. The sixth angel's Vial was poured out at the close of that Age in 1906 to test the confession of the non-elect in order to distinguish the "saved" foolish virgin from the false church.
Rejection of holiness was the fruit of disrespect and unbelief in God's Word�in particular the Message and messenger to that Age. This manifested in careless speech and manners, immodest dress, the hubris of so-called 'higher' criticism of God's Word, pitting science against faith, experimentation with the occult, eastern religions, socialism, evolution, and "removing the ancient landmark" between East and West as elaborated by Henry Ford and later, God's prophet, Brother Branham:
"Readers of our articles will see at once that we are not actuated by any kind of prejudice, except it may be a prejudice in favour of the Christian principles that have made our civilization".
"There had been observed in this country certain streams of influence which were causing a marked deterioration in our literature, amusements, and social conduct; business was departing from its old-time substantial soundness; a general letting-down of standards were felt everywhere. It was not the robust coarseness of the white man, the rude indelicacy, say, of Shakespeare's characters, but a nasty Orientalism which has insidiously affected every channel of expression�and to such an extent that it was time to challenge it. The fact that these influences are all traceable to one racial source is a fact to be reckoned with . . . Our opposition is only to ideas, false ideas, which are sapping the moral stamina of the people. These ideas proceed from easily identified sources, they are promulgated by easily discoverable methods and they are controlled by mere exposure."
"When people learn to identify the source and nature of the influence swirling around them, it is sufficient. Let the American people once understand that it is not natural degeneracy but calculated subversion that afflicts us, and they are safe."
"The explanation is the cure. This work was taken up without personal motives. When it reached a stage where we believed the American people could grasp the key, we let it rest for the time. Our enemies say that we began it for revenge and that we laid it down in fear. Time will show that our critics are merely dealing in evasion because they dare not tackle the main question."
Seventy-three years since World War III we find any semblance of sanctification has disappeared even from the worship service. Looking back over the past century since the Sixth Vial was poured out we see in the conduct of the present generation proof positive that the blessings and curses of the Messengers to the seven Church Ages of Revelation 2-3 are cumulative. This falling away from once-accepted standards "prepared the way for the kings of the East." Men understood the 'explanation' but the 'cure' required they subject their natural senses to God's Holy Word. Discipline fell to compromise, and thought surrendered to sensation. The kings of the East infiltrated the Bible schools and taught men to make friends with the world. Man-pleasing ministers capitulated; fearing "the whole council of God" would scatter their Sunday Christians to rival denominations and upset their earthbound Head Office.
This new trinity manifested between the Sixth and Seventh Vials, just before the Seals opened to finish the mystery of God. That's when we saw Vatican II, and the ecumenical movement develop among Rome's Protestant daughters. The warning of verse 15, not to be caught "naked" places this at the end of Laodicea (Revelation 3:17; 19:8).
Words carry spirits. We receive the Holy Spirit through faith in the revealed Word of God. God's Word is Spirit in a form we can receive by faith. There is no other way. Demonic power is also incarnate by words. Curses, spells, incantations, hatred, lies and blasphemies are all invoked by words, as are truths, love, blessings, promises, confessions, healings and forgiveness.
Demonic spirits came from the mouth of the Dragon when Imperial Rome stood before Israel to devour Jesus (Revelation 12); they imparted lies through the mouth of papal false prophets, and will rule the NWO through the mouth of the beast or incarnate last pope of Rome.
Frogs look back through bulging eyes whereas God's living creatures have four heads that see in every direction while always looking forward. These demons look back to the First Nicaea Council where the world power of Imperial Rome was transformed into Papal Rome. Through ecumenism Rome will form yet another image, a 'front' or false face behind which she will enforce the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:11-18). The final incarnation of this demonic power, atheistic Judaeo-Communism, will burn Rome and her image and "gather the kings of the earth and of the whole world together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon".
These unclean and abominable spirits are uniting world leaders to take global domination. The UN is the vehicle by which they will achieve the first stage of one world government under Rome (Revelation 16:13-14). After the Seventh Trump the language changes from Greek to Hebrew, for after Rome breaks her agreement with the International Banksters in the midst of Daniel's Seventieth Week, Esau will destroy Vatican City and the United States to wrest dominion for Judaeo-Communism (Daniel 9:27; Genesis 27:40-41; Revelation 17:16-18).
Psalm 2:1-3, "Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and against His anointed, and the rulers take counsel together, saying, Let us break His chains, and free ourselves from all this slavery to God".
The kings of the East were the traditional enemies of Israel and of Imperial Rome, which became Papal Rome and divided between East and West. After the close of the Gentile dispensation and Russia's successful invasion of mainland USA, and after Rome and the rulers of the West have restored peace, they will form an alliance to establish a NWO, ostensibly to contain Communism from the East (Revelation 13; 16:13-14, 17). Through the UN, both Eastern and Western divisions of the old empire will participate. Already we see some of the satellite countries of the old Warsaw Pact have joined NATO and even the European Union.
Revelation 16:12-16 is a uniting time in the struggle of man against man against God, for the great eschatological battle of Revelation 19:11 � 20:10. This union of churches and institutions and nations built upon the shifting sands of nineteenth century rationalization against the faith has incarnate twentieth and twenty-first century atheism, Fascism, Nazism, Communism, Zionism, Humanism, Feminism, Unionism, Capitalism and a host of other "isms"�all born of the same spirit. But for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, God sent and vindicated the prophet William Branham, who said, "Watch Russia, king of the North"? How many has heard me just say this, wave that over, over? The old-timers (You see?), back in the early part of the church. Just stand there and wave it over and over, "Watch Russia, the king of the North. See, what he would do, for all those isms will heap up into Russia" (Laodicean Church Age, p. 501:44). That is, Judaeo-Communism.
Since that time, Christ has revealed the Seven Seals to call the children of Light out from all denominations, and gather us into the unity of the faith for the manifestation of the Sons of God and the translation, while this trinity of evil spirits "gathers the whole world to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. They gather the children of Darkness together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," impelled by a "strong delusion that they should believe the lie, so that all who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness should be damned" (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).
As the sinner receives the words of error and falsehood he receives the spirit of Satan "who is a liar and the father of lying" (John 8:44). Words carry spirits and those who are deluded are demon-oppressed, or possessed.
The narrative resumes in Revelation 19:19 � 20:3, "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of Fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant was slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh".
It is not the Salvation Army that makes war with the beast and slays the armies of Rome and the Judaeo-Communist forces, but the Word of God that proceeds from His mouth as the Sword of the Spirit. Words carry spirits.
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old serpent, who is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled, after which he must be loosed a little season".
Had they but recognized their day and its Message, they would have received their Lord. Let's turn back to verse 15, "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." They imagine they are Christians but they are "wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked [of the blood or Spirit], and know it not." Verse 15 warns Christ's people to be watching for His parousia. Like a thief, His manner in this Coming is unexpected and unseen. His people are admonished to be expectant, and to keep their clothes on, which men usually put off when they sleep, that is, to keep themselves unspotted by the world, and watching, clothed in the righteousness of white linen.
Jesus foretold that after His 'parousia' was introduced, "false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and show signs and wonders, to seduce if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22; II Thessalonians 2:9-12; I Timothy 4:1; II Timothy 3:1-13). These false anointed ones and false teachers, even within the circle of this Message, are gathering souls by a strong delusion that causes them to believe falsehood.
Revelation 16:16, "They gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," meaning 'hill or city of slaughter.' This verse is set right at the end of the Gentile dispensation, for when it has ended God will be speaking the Word of Life to an election of 144,000 blood Israelites, and Words of condemnation, even damnation, to their impersonators and enemies, as during the Church Ages the Spirit spoke expressly to the Gentile "churches," plural. To the elect and Word-born Bride He spoke Words of blessing and Life, but to the nominal church He spoke Words of correction and rebuke.
This victory will be the Lord's, and His enemies will be broken without hand, for it will be won by the manifestation of God's Word that has been spoken. From the sounding of Israel's Seventh Trumpet it will all be "third pull".
Zechariah 12:10-11 speaks of good king Josiah who was slain in the valley of Megiddon. "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon".
The place of conflict is likened in Joel 3:2 to the valley of Berachah (or "Blessing") where Jehoshaphat defeated the Gentiles. "I will gather the armies of all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will punish them there for harming My people whom they have scattered among the nations, and My heritage, Israel, which they have divided". Moab and Ammon with the Edomites (whom God would not permit Israel to invade on their journey to the Promised Land) invaded Israel. But God anointed a Levite, who prophesied "the battle is the Lord's", and when Israel goes to do battle, they should find their enemies have fought themselves to death (II Chronicles 20:22-30).
What a perfect type. This is God's prophecy for the end-time! "It shall come to pass in that day, that they will be seized with great panic from the Lord, and fight against each other in hand-to-hand combat" (Zechariah 14:13, Daniel 12:1, 12).
We read in Ezekiel 39:17 and Revelation 19:17-21, "I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, small and great."
"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of Fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant was slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh".
The scene of this final struggle of good against evil is also suggested by that battle plain of Esdraelon, which was famous for two great victories: of Barak over the Canaanites (Judges 5), and of Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7); and for two great disasters, the deaths of Saul and Josiah (II Kings 23:29). Hence in Revelation a place of great slaughter, and the scene of a terrible retribution upon the wicked. (There is a parallel between Judges 5 and Revelation 14 and 15. In Judges we find one of the two Old Testament triumphal songs of Israel; in Revelation, two more). But when we get to the battle in chapter 19, there is no contest. This is confirmed by Ezekiel 39:9. The Rider on the white horse simply captures the beast and false prophet and throws them into the lake of Fire. So what has been going on here is essentially the bluff which began with the anti-Christ spirit in the first Seal, and neither army stands a chance.
Rome will control her US image during the tribulation and deceive all whose names were not in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world: the Serpent's seed and the "kings of the East"! And all of Adam's race whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life (William Branham, An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages, p. 377; Revelation 13:8; 17:8).
Whose armies are these? People cannot imagine Rome ruling over the USA with ultimate power in a NWO, hence the call to remain watchful and alert in face of the natural might of the kings of the earth, who will give their power and strength to the beast for the coming NWO until the falling-out between Rome and the Jews who, in turning to Judaeo-Communism, will destroy Rome and the US (Romans 9:27; Revelation 17:16-18).
Insider, David Ben Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel, foresaw "Western and Eastern Europe becoming a federation of autonomous states having a Socialist and democratic regime. With the exception of the USSR as a federated Eurasian state, all other continents will become united in a world alliance . . ." (Look Magazine, January 16, 1962). Like Israel, Russia has become a safe house or refuge for the Man slayer (Numbers 35).
Echoing the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 and Daniel 11:40-45, Brother Branham prophesied in 1933, "There's three isms" trying to take ahold of the world today: Fascism, Nazism, and Communism." And what'd I say? They would all wind up in Communism."
"Now, I just had you all to repeat it over: "Keep your eyes on Russia." You remember that? "Keep your eyes on Russia. . ." (The Seventy Weeks of Daniel, p. 136:219).
"Now, we find out that the Angel poured out his vial upon the Euphrates river and dried it up, that the king of the North might come down. . . making way for the king of the North to come down, the kings" (Thy House, #61-0808).
Brethren who study the Message of William Branham understand who controls Russia, "the king of the North," since they were invaded from the East Side of New York in 1917.
The terror of the Roman Empire today is Communism. "Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, "Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with you" (Ezekiel 38:2-9).
Magog represents the Scythians, from whom after intermarriage with the Medes, came the Russians. Meschech is Moscow, Tubal is Tobolsk (or Siberia). "Gog" is their "chief" or principal man, the Czar or President of a union of several "lesser" princes, her Socialist Republics. It behoves us to take notice of the political situation in Russia.
Gomer and Togarmah are peoples who lived in the mountainous area southeast of the Black Sea and southwest of the Caspian Sea which is now central Turkey. This was the eastern extremity of the Roman Empire, and among the five toes of the left foot of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream which will hate and destroy the beast (Revelation 17:16; 18:17-18).
Revelation 16:17, "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done." It is the Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the judgment seat in the heavenly temple declaring Revelation 16:1 has been fulfilled, and "the Seven Vials of the wrath of God have [all] been poured upon the earth".
At this point in time Israel's Seventh Trumpet has sounded and the Gentile dispensation has ended. This is the order: a Seal is broken and the Messenger or angel to the Age catches the Message�not yet fully revealed. He sounds the Gospel Trumpet and all whose lives become written epistles of its Message are born-again�Hebrew or Gentile. A persecution falls upon natural Israel and a Church Age begins for the Gentiles. Then God pours out a Vial upon the nominal church to separate the foolish virgin from the false church and the cycle is repeated. But when the Seventh Vial is poured out, the days of man have ended and the great day of God Almighty begins with the resurrection of the sleeping Church, the manifestation and translation of the Sons of God, and the anointing of two prophets to Israel.
(Sinai and Palestine, by A. P. Stanley, p. 251-267 gives an interesting description of the geography and history of the plain of Megiddo (Esdraelon) which lay between mount Carmel and mount Tabor). bb960717.htm
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