Here the Kingdom was in the herb stage, but Jesus said it was going to become a tree. On down here, towards the evening time of light, and he said when it became a tree, the birds of the air, or the fowls would come and lodge in the branches. Who are the birds? They are still the false preachers. He was giving us a prophecy here of Protestantism, which was to follow. When the seed began to be planted here by Luther, we will see in a greater way, the Kingdom began to come out, breaking out above the earth, if you please, and came out little by little and the birds of the air, which lodge in the branches were nothing more than the false ministry, Someone said, "How do you know? It is one thing, to be a part of the tree and another to be lodging in the branches.

Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches." Those who are in the Kingdom, are actually part of the tree. These 'old fellows' do not believe in a born again experience -- they are lodging around in the branches of it. Come on,=) we have got too many birds on the branch. God wants you to be a branch. They come and lodge in the branches of it and you hear them talk, "we are a branch off of the Church." Well, if they are a branch off of the church, they are a 'withered branch.' God bless your heart, they sit around in the branches of the thing. What am I talking about? Clear up through Protestantism, we will find out that they never did get to the root of the Gospel...the Bible foundations of the Church. They just played around in the branches of it up here. Somebody said, well, how can you tell who is a part of the kingdom and not? Shake the tree, the birds will get scared and fly, You are not going to shake any branches off. Shaking the tree, all you do is scare the birds out. That is why I like to shake the thing every once in a while.

We are in the 'last shaking time,' when God is shaking the tree and the birds are fluttering. I have seen them come in here and sit on a branch for two or three services. There was a shaking time went on -- and that was the last time I saw them. They never said, good-by Bro. Wilson, or nothing. You go back to the 8th chapter of Matthew. Take this for what it is worth and think it over and roll it around for a while, in the light of other scriptures. Matthew 8:19: The scribe said to Jesus, "I'll follow thee withersoever thou goest." They wanted to be disciples, but Christ, my friend, using symbolic language all through His expression said, "the birds of the air have nests, the foxes have dens." Someone said, "The Son of Man had no where to lay His head. A lot of people were thinking Jesus was wanting to go to bed and He had no place to lay His head. He was teaching a lesson. Here was a scribe that said he would give up all to follow Him, but Jesus knew he wasn't going to give up all. Who are the foxes that have dens? Revelation tells you who they are, the 6th chapter, when the sixth seal breaks over here those old fellows run for dens. Foxes stay in dens. Who are they? They are foxy fellows. Jesus called Herod a fox. Why? He said one thing and did something else. He said he wanted to come and worship the child, when be really wanted to kill it. Amen.

Jesus said, you go and tell that old fox I'll be here and doing cures until day after tomorrow and I am going to be perfected and I will be doing cures all over the country. The birds have nests. Who was He talking about? The scribes and the pharisees and the false sects of that day, that came up just like that scribe did and said, I will give up all. I will follow you whithersoever you go. He said, "the birds have nests." Who are they -- those old birds that have got their nests -- they have feathered them. It is just the same today; and the foxy fellows have got their dens that they go and hide in,but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. What Is He talking about? Christ, the head of the Church -- He cannot live on sadduceeism and phariseeism. He had to wait until He had a body to put His head on. Now you may not agree with 'that,' but Christ, just will not put His Head on any body. These scribes and pharisees were coming short of the requirements of discipleship. Someone says, "How do you know?"

Well, one said I'll follow you whithersoever you go. Jesus knew he wouldn't. Another spoke up and said, "I'll follow you, but let me go bury my father first." A dozen more said, "I'll follow you, just as soon as I…" The other poor fellow, he did not say, "Please excuse me," he said, "I cannot come, I have married a wife." So it is today, my friend, people all over the country are going to follow Jesus just as soon as "I." Well, there is the fellow that is giving you the trouble. You are going to have to deny this fellow if you are going to follow Christ. No, He will not put His Head on that kind of body. The body of Christ is made up of men and women, who have denied themselves, taken up their cross and are following Christ and truth where ever He leads.

The Son of Man hath no where to lay His head. Oh, God, help us to see that He could not lay His head on this business. The tree, the visible form of the kingdom, began to come out and many lodged In the branches, many false prophets lodged in the branches, but Christ never laid His head on this business. Why? If He did, He would have to have many heads because there are many bodies in 'that.' All right, may we go to the 'letter.' There is more to be said there, but I think that is plain.

The second chapter of Revelation, verses 12 to 17, "To the angel of the church of Pergamos write (Pergamos was the compromising church, Smyrna was the suffering church or the church in the suffering time) these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." Let's stop here.

Christ, writing to the church in this very dark age over here, just coming up to the place of Protestantism. What does He say to her? These things saith he that hath the sword, nothing more than the Word of God. Much could be said about its two edges. It has been preached to you many times--both offensive and defensive. There is an edge for the law and an edge for the Gospel. The same sword will save you or kill you. Paul said when he preached the gospel he was a saviour unto life to some and a saviour unto death to others, same message. Now, it is sharp. No heart is so hard, but what it is able to wound it. No knot is so closely tied that it is not able to cut it. Someone said, "Well, I'm pretty well tied up down in Babylon. Well, there is a sharp sword that will cut you loose. It is so sharp, the Word of God said it gets down between the marrow and the bone. It will come between the soul and the spirit; that shows me they are two different things. I hear quite a 'rumble' right around us that the soul and the spirit are the same thing. Well, I've got a Word of God that says there is a difference. It will come right down between the soul and the spirit. Amen. It is sharp.

We don't know how sharp this thing is. It is a sharp instrument. Listen to Him. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. Now, my friend, we want to see if this is the same period of prophecy. If this parable covers the same thing -- Turn to the 13th chapter of Revelation where it talks about the first beast. He said the dragon gave him his seat and his authority, God bless your heart, so this church, is another definite proof that these letters cover seven ages because Pergamos was living way over here. John wrote those letters in AD 96(?), but over here was where the condition was going on that John wrote to Pergamos about; you are dwelling right where Satan's seat is. Where is that? It is right 'down here' in papalism, where the dragon gave the first beast his seat and his authority. [ The End ]