Who Is This?

Song of Solomon 3:6
"Who [is] this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?"

This book is sacred to the Jews. It is held in awe and reverence. But, for all that, it has nothing to do with them. Though a part of the Hebrew text, written in Hebrew, by a Hebrew king, the son of David.........though it is a Hebrew song...it has nothing to do with the Jews. It is a song about a love affair...the courtship, relationship, and marriage of the King of kings to the Queen of heaven, the Bride.

So, now we wonder, Who Is This? Let's solve it out. Of course, it is all in symbols. The Bible is a book of symbols, as we know. So, to find out Who Is This? we must examine the symbols and solve the clues. First of all, where does this 'person' come from. Must, of course, be a person. "Out of the wilderness....coming out of the wilderness" Our first clue.

The wilderness in the Bible was called Zin or Sin. Did you know that? And, sin is unbelief. This 'person' is coming forth out of the wilderness. Oh, the wilderness of sin is a dry and stickery place. It's a horrible place! And there is another wilderness of unbelief. A deceptive wilderness called 'denomination.' Oh, there in that wilderness you live in a mirage. Yes, sir. It is a desert wandering. It is a place where you are easily lost. Sin...a wilderness.

So, we see that this 'person', whoever it is, is "coming out" of the wilderness. How encouraging! How hopeful! How does this 'person' do it?

"Like pillars of smoke", another clue. The Hebrew word there, for 'smoke', is "ashwan" and it denotes anger. But it is not the way we call angry. It is like the Lord God in wrath and power. Either or both.

Rev. 15:8 "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."

Here, in the pouring out of the Seven Vials, we see God's power and wrath portrayed as 'smoke'. Now turn to Joel 2:30. Let's read from verse 28.....let's see..........

"And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."

There, verses 28-32. And verse 30 said, "pillars of smoke". See the time of it. "Sun to darkness...moon to blood." the sun is same as S-O-N, son. The moon is the Church. {That right?} Sure. A day when the sun refuses to shine. A time of darkness with the Church reflecting 'blood'. My! {Don't you just love these symbols?}

Isaiah 60. Let's go there together. {We're just going to study and solve it out. See? Who is this?}

Here it is, what Day is this? Verses 1-3:
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.'

Well, there you are! Just as plain. Darkness everywhere, the only light the Church. The Bride! The glory of the Lord on the Church..............which is 'pillars of smoke'. The light of the world is the Bride in the Evening Time darkness. Who is the Evening Light? That's Jesus Christ, the Word. {Correct? Sure!}

Zechariah said, "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the light shall not be clear, [nor] dark:...a day....known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, [that] at evening time it shall be light." The Light of Christ's coming reflected in His Body, the Word Born Bride.

So, here we see the darkness of the Seventh Church Age.........gets darker and darker until it is 'gross darkness'. The light goes completely out at the end of it....when the Church, the Bride, is taken up from the earth.

Well, it isn't such a great mystery after all, is it? Let's prove it. Let's look closer at Isaiah 60.

"Arise, and shine." That's, 'rise up!'.........get up higher and 'shine'. Now 'shine' is to 'reflect'. You know the moon don't have no light of it's own. It's just a reflection of the sun. And it is the moon that gives light in the night time. {I preached on it recently, remember? The Two Lights! Greater and lesser light. Son and moon...Christ and the Church. When the sun is gone the moon gives light by reflection. But, when the sun comes up....on the Eighth Day, now; that's went there came a Sonrise..........when that Son rises His glory is seen and the moon blends right into It. Hallelujah!}

It's like Exodus 19. Let's go look. Oh, we are studying this morning! Exodus 19:6...no, 16-19.

"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.

And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice."

Brother, when God speaks is shakes the whole earth, causes folks to tremble......and when the prophet speaks, then God answers by a Voice. Notice. the prophet spoke first...then(after) came the Voice of God sounding back again. See? {How many knows it is also the Voice of God in the prophets? Certainly.} God first speaks through the prophet, then He answers back to His Own Voice with a Voice. Amen!

When did all this happen? "Third day in the morning." Jesus rose on the "morning of the third day". But, it was actually the 'first day of the week'...or the "Eighth Day" See how perfectly God spells it out?

Bro. Branham's text in Recognizing Your Day and It's Message {remember?} was Hosea 6:

"Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth."

Again, I have preached on it. Former and Latter rain..................oh, many times. But, we better read James right here.

James 5:7 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." Falling together, see? In the harvest they both fall together. Amen!

First rain is 'doctrine' {Deut. 32:2} which is the Malachi 4 'restoration'. {Better get it. Someone might not know. have to hurry, though.} Quickly!

"My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:" That's the tender 'former rain'.

And the 'power' rain comes with the King's countenance. Proverbs 16:15. "In the light of the king's countenance [is] life; and his favour [is] as a cloud of the latter rain." See? That's when the King comes. The 'latter rain'. See? same as Isaiah 60. {I wish we had the time.........but we don't.} Let's move on.

Who Is This? See? Coming out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke. The glory of the Lord coming forth to judge and make war. Rev. 19. Whew! it's all there...so plain!

Notice, on this wilderness. Watch that little Bride come out. Look in Song 3..our text Scripture. Look up above there........verses 1-4. "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me: [to whom I said], Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

[It was] but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go,..." And so forth. We keep reading we will be here all day.

Notice. There she was, wandering. searching...........going all over and around seeking Him. Methodist, Baptist, Pentecost. Searching in the Dake's and the Haley's and the Schofield.........but never finding Him. The bride seeking the her lord, the Word. And the watchmen couldn't help her...couldn't tell her where He was. they never seen Him theirselves. Like Isaiah described them as blind, dumb dogs. Oh, let's get it? Don't you just love to read the Bible?

Isa. 56:10-11. "His watchmen [are] blind: they are all ignorant, they [are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, [they are] greedy dogs [which] can never have enough, and they [are] shepherds [that] cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter."

Brother! That nailed them good. Blind, couldn't see. See means 'understand'. They are 'shepherds that cannot understand". They have not a "clear understanding".....which is the "evidence of the Holy Ghost' said Bro. Branham.
They are blind leaders of the blind going off into the great Whore. How many knows the Bible said, "A whore is a deep ditch"? And, they are 'dumb' dogs. They won't sound out a warning of danger. Hah! Some watchdogs! Humph!

But God sent a Voice of one crying the wilderness............"Come Out!" A Voice to announce the King's coming in power to 'judge and make war' on Sin (unbelief)

So, now Who Is This that cometh out of the wilderness? Watch......."perfumed with myrrh and frankincense."

Myrrh. That's 'death'. Oh, this one is smelling of death. But, myrrh is a sweet smelling savor. {Bro. Branham always said, 'saviour'!........."sweet smelling saviour". And so He is!} Hallelujah! this mystery 'person' is perfumed with the death of the sweet smelling Saviour! Whew! Ain't it wonderful?

And, this mystery person is 'placed into service'. That is what 'frankincense is. {WHY LITTLE BETHLEHEM, I think it is. You all know it!}

And, watch! "with all powders of the merchants". Now that ain't medicines, or 'love potions' like one guy said. "So, Bro. Paul, what is it?" Remember how those ancient judges used to powder their wigs? That was to make them pure white...........same all over. It showed the purity of judgement. White is both 'pure' and 'judgement'. {I got the quotes...better believe it!} Why powder? Oh, it's a great mystery. Wonderful! Women use powder to cover up their blemishes. And..........I'm so glad their was One Who covered all my blemishes! Hallelujah!

How's he do it/ With blood. Red on red makes white.........that what he said? Yes. And that's Bible! "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow'..........and 'snow' is 'powder! Blessed be the name of the Lord!
{It's so good I can't stand it! Glory!}

Now, I want to ask you a question? Do you think that this lovley, unblemished, perfect Queen is gonna walk out of the wilderness? No, sir! How did the queen's travel in those days? Why, they were carried everywhere they went! Here She is going to meet Her King! So, he sent a Palaquin for her. Watch!

Song 3:7-10: "Behold his bed, which [is] Solomon's; threescore valiant men [are] about it, of the valiant of Israel.
They all hold swords, [being] expert in war: every man [hath] his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
He made the pillars thereof [of] silver, the bottom thereof [of] gold, the covering of it [of] purple, the midst thereof being paved [with] love, for the daughters of Jerusalem."

This Queen is carried on the 'chariot' of the King. We'll see how it's made in a moment. But, first, let's look at how it is guarded.

Sixty valiant men. That's twelve sets of five. A five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Experts in war, 'special forces'. All of them 'night fighters'...trained and armed to fight in the evening time.
Each one with a sword on his thigh. See the symbols? Sword...that's the Word. What's 'thigh' mean? Covenant.
Yes, sir. Placing the hand on the thigh was making a covenant. {Remember the message, Upon His Vesture?}

So, these guards, unlike the blind watchmen of the last watch, are valiant men with a covenant to guard the Queen with the Sword of the Word....in the evening time. There's the fivefold ministry. No devil better disturb this Queen. Nope, if he does he's gonna have 60 sword thrusts right quick! Praise the Lord! She's secured by the King's men.

Now, Solomon's chariot. That word there is, in English, 'palaquin'.........or, that's what it was. A Palaquin. That's one of those beds that the Queen was carried around in. Look at it!

Made from the finest material. Cedars of Lebanon. That was the finest wood there was back then. And, 'cedar' is redemption. Yes, sir. here's Bro. Branham:

"And then cedar wood speaks of the cross. The cross, cedar wood, is white and got red streaks in it. And the white speaks of the righteousness of the cross. And the red speaks of the Blood that made it righteous. The cross was a curse. "Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree." The cross was a curse until the Blood of Jesus Christ poured down it. Then we embrace it to our hearts. For it's the righteousness of God. It was the red that's in the cedar wood that makes the white righteous. Cedar wood should be burnt with it." CHURCH.DEDICATION_

" burnt with cedar, scarlet, hyssop, and those three elements. And how... The same elements used, cedar wood, not a Dogwood bush that represented the cross: cedar, red, speaking of redemption." CHRIST {preached in Phoenix}

Alright! Then, "the pillars...of silver" And, silver, too, is redemption. The pillars is the framework. The elective love of the builder Who purchased the Bride's redemption with His Own blood at Calvary! This Eighth day Covenant is built on the revelation of Redemption....that's the entire framework of it. Amen!

Like Eve was taken out of the side of Adam in Eden, the Bride came forth out of His side at Calvary. But, Eve could not get back to the original condition. Eve was taken out and Adam's side was closed. Actually, she wasn't Eve until she conceived. See? Eve means 'mother of al living'. See? It was 'woman' at the first. Taken out of the side of Adam was the 'female' part of the original. There was no female 'man'. the 'woman' came later, after the creation. All the rest of creation was male and female...but Adam was both. Like God is both. He's 'father and mother'. Amen!

See, the 'woman' was a byproduct off the original. A 'secondary being'. Listen!

ONENESS_ JEFF.IN 62
"And if you'll notice how that Eve was united with Adam; she become part of him. God, did you notice in Genesis 1:27, He created man male and female, created He them. Now, the man was a--a--both male and female when it come to being in the spirit of feminish and masculine. Then God took from his side a--a rib. Did you notice, the body part was a byproduct, but not the spirit? The body part of the woman was a byproduct; after the creation had been finished, God took from the side of Adam a rib and made a woman. But not the spirit, the spirit was part of Adam, for he was both man and woman, fem--spiritually speaking both masculine and feminish.

"Now, don't you see the great picture? We in flesh are different. We're like a byproduct, a created being by holy wedlock. But in Spirit we are sons and daughters, not some other spirit, but the Spirit of the living God. We are in His likeness, in His unity, in the perfect image of the living God, because we become sons and daughters; not separated, but the same Spirit, the same God, the same Person, joined in wedlock to the eternal. See how God planned it that we should be, not a different, but Him, not some other being of some other tribe, but a real union and offspring of the Almighty done by a holy union."

Isn't that wonderful? Praise the Lord!

So, then we are separated by the sex birth to be different..a byproduct of the original. But, we house the original Spirit in germ form to be quickened as the 'new birth'. And, watch this.

When Jesus' bride came forth out of Him at Calvary he came back in the Ressurection and said, "Put your hand in My side" showing that His bride could get back "into" Him to become back to the full original. Amen!

And here we see her riding in Solomon's 'chariot'...framed with silver pillars, redemption being the framework.

And look what she is resting on. Gold..."the bottom thereof of gold". Gold is 'diety' and diety is God. And God is the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....made flesh and dwelt among us. The same yesterday, and today, and forever................the Word! That is what this Queen is resting on...the Word! There She is going forth, united as One with Her King; displayed before the public, yet hidden behind the veil, a purple curtain. Purple is 'royalty'. The Royal Queen, the Bride of Christ. Word Born Bride! Amen!

And, all around her is His Love. Surrounding her, enclosing Her, engulfing Her, completely covering Her is the Love of God, Her King. "the midst thereof being paved [with] love, for the daughters of Jerusalem." Jerusalem is Peace...Shalom. There She is the Queen in all her glory. Who Is This?...who came out of the wilderness reflecting HIs glory, perfumed in His death, in His service; surrounded by His perfect love that casts out all fear she is resting on the Word in a work of redemption. She comes forth to be displayed before the final judgement. She rides forth to prove His promise in the last Day. On the Eighth Day, which is the 'third Day morning of ressurection...........who is the "third angel sounding"? Was that not William Branham? He said it was.

MARK.OF.THE.BEAST
"Now, this is the third Angel's message to the world. And you know what the third Angel's message; it's going forth now in this day. This is the flying of the third Angel message, if you're a Bible reader." And, that third angel performed the Marriage of the Lamb. Yes sir! He spoke the Word to marry the Bride to Her Bridegroom. {So many types. My!}

Quickly now! there is more to the same mystery...same riddle. Chapter 8, verse 5. Let's read to verse 10.

{We'll hurry! But, I want you to get it all. Oh, it is so rich! Won't be long. I hope.}

Who [is] this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Same one. See?

Who Is This? We've already discovered that This is the Word Bride Bride. So, here She is again. "Cometh up from the wilderness. 'Up from', not "out of". This is a progressive journey. And, now She has "Come Up Higher" And She is leaning on Her beloved.

Who [is] this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?
I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth [that] bare thee.

"Did you know your little apple tree, when it was just about that big, it had every apple in it that you'll ever get off of it. When it was just about that high, it maybe had... Maybe that apple tree will produce a hundred or two, or three hundred bushel of apples. And there's two or three hundred bushel of apples in the tree when it's just about that big, a half inch high. Did you know that? Every leaf that'll ever be on the tree is in it right then. Every apple, every blossom, everything that's on the tree, that'll ever be on the tree, is in it right then. If it isn't, where does it come from? It's in the tree right then." SHOW.US.THE.FATHER.IT'LL.SATISFY_

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love [is] strong as death; jealousy [is] cruel as the grave: the coals thereof [are] coals of fire, [which hath a] most vehement flame.

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: {That's peoples, tongues, nations. Floods of waters} if [a] man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned."

Let's stop right here a moment. {Get the rest in a minute.} Set me as a Seal...upon the heart, upon the arm. The heart of God is the Word. Set me as a Seal on Thy Word. The 'arm' of God is His 'might'...His prophet's Seal to his ministry. His vindication is when the Word he speaks comes to pass.

"The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, [then] shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him." Jeremiah 28.9

"He went right on revealing His Word to the Body and vindicating His same by Himself. His children begin to kinda look more like Him because it's fully maturing, or they become children of the Word, not children of the church; children of the Word. And the Bride will be a lovely little Lady of the Word, unadulterated, not touched by any man's organization, any manmade theory. She'll be purely unadulterated Bride of the Word. Amen and amen."MARRIAGE.AND.DIVORCE

The Bride is "coming out" look at Joel 2, again. Joel 2:16; "Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet."

Now She is really coming forth. This is just before the "catching away". Over there in chapter three she clung to Him until they entered His chambers. Over there she was covered, hidden, by a veil.......but now She is brought forth fully matured and displayed for all to see. Soon the world will recognize that She is He and the dragon will pounce! But, he's too late! The perfect Word born product of the Virgin Bride, the manchild, will be 'caught up to God and His throne'. Then the dragon will turn his wrath upon the "remnant of the woman's seed". {We'll get it in a moment}

Look, here! "love is strong as death" Amen! His love is final. As final as death to the unbeliever is. jealousy is cruel as the grave. They'll hate you for His elective love. They will hate you and be jealous of you for that. It is His choice that takes the Bride. And others are jealous.........."as a vehement flame" they burn out. only His love will endure.

Verse 7: 'utterly contemned'..."What does that mean, Paul?" it shows two things. One, nothing of this world can compare......all that you have here, ever could have, is despised by God...which is what 'contemned' means. "Despised"...utterly despised. And two, it shows that you can't 'barter' for His love. "Works, sacrifice,offerings,...all no good. None of them means anything without GRACE.

And now, in closing, let's take a look at the natural church..............the foolish virgin church of the Seventh Day.

Verse 8. the Bride speaks from a heart of love.

"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: {Old and New Testaments} what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?"

A 'little sister'....undeveloped. She, too, is 'spoken for' but she wasn't ready for marriage. She was still undeveloped. Oh, what shall be done for her?
Here is what the Word says.........The Bridegroom answers Her. Verse 9.

"If she [be] a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver, and if she [be] a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar." IF she be............see?

IF. The biggest little word in the English language. God told Cain, "IF thou hadst offered right, thou would have been accepted." IF she were a wall...a door....we'll build her a palace of silver, enclose her with cedar. Both symbols for redemption. Oh, IF only she is.

Now hear the Word Born Bride. The Queen speaks. "I [am] a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour."

A wall...with breasts like towers". Fully developed and lovely in His sight.

Ever notice (my wife nursed her babies)....ever watch how a woman does that? She'll put the little fella on one breast for a while, then she will put him on the other. We feed a while on the Old Testament, then we feed some more on the New Testament. Nursing life from Jehovah Tsedkenu, the Breasted One.

"I [am] a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour." The Queen Bride is fully developed. Oh, what favour She has found in His sight! He has made Her His Queen.

She will redeem Her little sister with her Token and He will grant her all that She desires for She has found favour in His sight. Praise God!

The little sister, the natural church, undeveloped missed the marriage. While She was still trying to make herself ready, seeking the oil for her vessel after the light of the lamp (the Church of that age0 went out..........before she was fully developed the Bridegroom came and the door was shut. The marriage went on behind the Door and the little sister was left outside. She'll have to go through the Tribulation for she is the remnant of the woman's seed. But, that Queen Bride is the Original Seed, Christ Himself....for they two are One now. The Queen is the 'pattern' which is Christ. He is the Pattern. The little sister represents the 'remnant' left behind but of the same cloth. She is the remnant left over when the pattern is 'taken out'.

The little sister..............but, she is relation. She is of the same cloth, same material as the Pattern, the Word Born Bride. God chose where he took the Pattern from...He chose the Pattern. And it is a Perfect, Identical, mirror-image of Himself. The little sister is a 'relative'...sister, see? So, the Queen redeems her with Her Token Life over her. Oh, those natural elect out there are still part of the family. So, the Queen, having found favor says....."I am a Wall...I will speak the Word for her...I am the wall of her defense!" Do you see it?

The natural church, little sister, will suffer in the great tribulation, but, like Samson, she'll go out in a glorious moment of victory and sacrifice! She must be purged because she never developed in time to make a union with the male. He never took her into the union, but she will be redeemed throught the love of her sister, the Queen Bride of Christ.
Hallelujah! I hope you get it!

Who Is This! It's the Word Born Perfect Unblemished Fully Developed Virgin Queen of heaven. The Bride of Christ.
They Two are One. What a riddle! What a picture! What a beautiful love song! Oh, marvelous mystery of God!

WHO IS THIS? "the virtuous Bride of Christ, washed in the Blood of Christ: precious, virtuous, sinless, Son of God standing with a pure, unadulterated Bride Word that He washed by the Water of His own Blood that become flesh and manifested that He might take you, which were predestinated in the bosom of the Father before the beginning, the same as He was..." INVISIBLE.UNION.OF.THE.BRIDE 1965

Let's pray.