FATHER DIVINE Rings the Bell,
Rockland Palace, NYC, 1935
"Behold, a King shall reign in Righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment", so says the Scripture, and the fulfillment of this and every Scriptural prediction must take place some day, somewhere and somehow, as saith the LORD, FATHER DIVINE. The time has come and now is, that the Book of Revelation is being definitely dramatized by the children of this people, as they cross the line of demarcation and leave the world of superstition, falsity and unreality and enter the realm of belief, of knowledge, of truth and reality.
A new world has been founded, according to Revelation twenty-one: "And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away"; and herein is established the Kingdom of GOD that was to come; the Kingdom for which Jesus the Son taught His Disciples to pray: "Let Thy Kingdom come" -- the Kingdom of GOD. And it has come, as it was to come, because CHRIST came and established it. Hence, the old things have passed away; behold, HE has made all things new.
In this great Presence, the Rev. O. S. Folmar, of the Zion Temple Church of CHRIST, Chicago, still found himself. The Elder had left the Peace Mission the evening before, bidding all "Peace", and stating that he was returning to his home, but here he was participating in the Banquet on the following morning, declaring that it was impossible for him to get away, despite the fact that he was down at the station in time and even had his ticket. He stated that he believed it was intended that he should be present once again with us before departing. He admitted that he enjoyed the Company of the LORD, FATHER DIVINE, more than it was possible to say, and that he could see, by ways and actions, that this must be a settled fact: this is none other than the gathering of that hundred and forty-four thousand. After a lengthy talk by the Reverend, FATHER sang the songs recorded below, and then it was the pleasure of the multitude to listen attentively to these wondrous Words of Life. Almighty King, we graciously thank Thee.
(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, after which FATHER speaks as follows, first singing:)
'It is something like the two small fishes,
It is something like the two small fishes,
It is something like the two small fishes,
when the five thousand were fed.
Jesus had them sit on the ground,
When the five thousand were fed.,
They all obeyed the LORD'S Command,
When the five thousand were fed.
So it is something like the two small fishes,
It is something like the two small fishes,
It is something like the two small fishes,
When the five thousand were fed.'
'Love is now the key of our heart, Love! Love! Love!
Love is now the key of our heart, Love! Love! Love!
Love will unlock the Heaven Door, Love! Love! Love!
Love has come to go no more, Love! Love! Love!'
PEACE EVERYONE! ("Peace, FATHER Dear!" replied the enthusiastic Assembly.) Here we all again; there I sit and stand. I AM still transmitting Myself, My Mind, My Spirit and My Life to the children of men, that I might be one with them, that they might be one with that One of Whom you would say "I AM." This is the Work of GOD among men.
How glorious it is this afternoon to stand, realizing, daily as I rise in your midst, I rise in new bodies who have not, or had not seen ME. Today there are thousands of others observing My Presence universally, for I have arisen as I have made the assertion:
'Here you all are, and there I AM; there I sit and here you stand.'
It was pre-ordained that this should and would be. GOD, through His Condescension,
imputes and reputes HIMSELF to you, that you might reckon HIM as One among you.
When you realize GOD'S Presence and live exactly according to same, an harmonious condition results, for such a recognition creates an atmosphere of harmony; for GOD is an harmonious Creator and an environment Creator of the desirableness of the desirable. For what said the Scriptures concerning the mystery?
'Where there is division there is strife, but where there is unity there is strength.'
Hence, the unity of Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose will so closely connect
you all together, it will be a matter of impossibility for anything to sever
you; and that is what it is all about.
It is as the Reverend said: men are stirred, and they are disturbed about this Movement; but they need not to be disturbed, neither to be dismayed, for that cannot prevent it. For this cause John declared concerning the mystery -- for John was also a "parable-speaker" as well as Jesus; John spoke in a parable, even if he himself did not understand it, "as GOD is His Own Interpreter, and HE makes it plain", I will give you the interpretation of it; he said,
'One cometh after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He it is that shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.'
It is burning up every low, every base and undesirable desire. It sets your heart
on a hallowed fire. It causes you to be filled with enthusiasm, such as the world
cannot give. That is why My Followers believed first in ME sincerely, because
they observed the blessings others were receiving; and after such, they believed
so vividly, they were convinced, they learned, and now they know definitely,
they are no longer merely believers, but they know the truth concerning the mystery.
Hence, they are with ME now, henceforth and forever.
The time has truly come, I do not have to say: "Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal." That iterated expression of the Commandment, as given to Moses in the wilderness, has been the transmission of the Spirit of which we are expressing; therefore, intuitively I AM telling you. I need not tell you Personally, neither need I to hang the Ten Commandments on the wall for you to read, but what said the Scripture, the "inspirationic" prediction of the apostle concerning the mystery?
I will no more write them on the tables of stone, but I will write them on the fleshly tables of the heart, with the Spirit of the Living GOD."
'I will place My Commandments upon your mind, and I will write them upon the tablet of your heart, and your sins and iniquities I will remember no more.'
Can you not see the fulfillment of the Scriptures right here among you all? You can see that the sins and iniquities of those of My Followers, they are not remembered. Although they have been committers of sin, of vice and of crime of every kind; yet they are lifted on the level with any other man, and are exalted among the nations, according to My Command, "for Righteousness exalteth the nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Aren't you glad?
Live in this recognition, and you will have the victory, for you are exalted through Righteousness' sake above your fellows. Oh, it is a privilege to live in the Actual Presence of GOD; to be in the Actual Presence of GOD, I say, where GOD is on active duty and at home at all times; where GOD is attending to His Own Business and leaving others' undone -- in other words, leaving others' alone. Aren't you glad?
Then I say, I shall not be discouraged until I shall have accomplished that for which I came; to bring about the Brotherhood of Man, and the conscious realization of the FATHERHOOD of GOD, and fulfill the "inspirationic" prediction of the prophet as he said,
'Behold, a king shall reign in Righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment, and a man shall be as an hiding place and as a covert from the winds and the tempest that blow.'
Aren't you glad? Can you not see you are hid from the winds and doctrines of
men? You are hid from the tempests and the criticisms of them, from their theories,
their doctrines, their versions, their ideas and their opinions, for I have emancipated
you from all such conditions as you had been undergoing.
I need not say anything Personally, for I have long since declared by composition, and I re-declare the same this afternoon,
'I will preach CHRIST in words, but more so in deeds and in actions, and I will continue to put My Spirit in them and cause them to walk in My Statutes.'
Aren't you glad? It is just beautiful! I do not have to say, "You must do
this", "You must do that", or "You must do the other",
but the transmission of My Spirit unto you and within you, It will cause you
to walk in My Statutes. Aren't you glad? That is what it is all about!
That little composition came forth for the consideration of the people. Although it came forth spontaneously in the beginning, they could not understand it, but it is plain to see the mystery of how My Followers do not steal. They do not kill! They do not commit adultery, even if they are married. I mean, My real Followers, they will not commit adultery, even if they are married. Now isn't that wonderful? I put My Spirit in them, and cause them to walk in My Statutes.
Now who can stop all of that? Men could not stop them from committing adultery without the law, but when you even have the law to commit those things, My Spirit will stop you from doing them.
'Behold, we put bits in horses' mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body about.'
GOD is on board the Ship, and HE is controlling it. Aren't you glad? Those who
are called young men, young women and others! It might apparently be possible
to stop men from committing crimes, when they do not have the law to endorse
them to commit them, but when you go and get the law to endorse you to commit
the crime, and the law tells you, it is all right, you can go ahead and do it,
and then someone comes along and can stop you from doing such things against
your will and against the will of the law, then who is it? ( "GOD!" shouted
all unanimously.) Aren't you glad?
This is not a supposition; that is why man is stirred among all of the nations and all of the denominations. They are stirred! They are worried because they know I shall not stop until I shall have all nations, and every man shall recognize the Presence of GOD, and GOD Alone shall reign, in the name of the King.
'A king shall reign in Righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.'
Aren't you glad? I will make you kings and princes unto GOD to rule, and you
shall rule in judgment -- have a righteous judgment to judge the people by. Then
I say, who can hinder ME?
Oh, it is something to consider! Just then My thoughts ran back to around about thirty years ago, when I went through -- or left up here and went to some part of the South, to carry the Message. I came -- CHRIST came to save you from the curse of Eve, and from the fore-runner of the curse of Eve; to redeem you from Adam's fall, from the sin of all they did. It is wonderful too!
The preachers did not like it because the desired to continue in sin. They endorsed sin and continued in it until now, those who have lived -- the majority of them. But CHRIST came to redeem you from the fall of Adam, from the curse of Eve, and from the fore-runner of the curse of Eve, whatsoever that means.
You know, when fishes are running at times, when they are running in the Spring, going from one part of the country -- one part of the ocean to the other, there come along some that are called "the fore-runner". They give you witness that others are coming. CHRIST came to save you from the curse of Eve, and the fore-runner of the curse of Eve, from the fall of Adam, and the cause of the fall of Adam.
Now whatsoever that means, that is what CHRIST came to save you from. CHRIST is doing it too. That is why they do not want GOD to reign on the throne of your mind, for "wheresoever a king reigns, that is where his kingdom is", and if GOD or CHRIST reigns on the throne of your mind, and has full control, HE will bring your kingdom, your dominion, under His Jurisdiction, and then you will be controlled only according to His Dictation and not by your conscious manner of thinking in your former manner of actions.
That is what it is all about. But I have millions and millions who are with ME, the great and the small, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the young and the old. Now you know it takes SOMETHING more than mortal to control those who would be called "young men", those who would be called "young women", and redeem them from sin and from sinning, from self and self-indulgence; to redeem them from those tendencies, fancies and pleasures. It takes nothing less than CHRIST, and nothing more than GOD.
You can come into any of My audiences, although they may be thousands, ten thousand together at times -- ninety-nine percent of My adherents will not indulge in even the lawful, human indulgences, such as may be even endorsable by the authorities and by those who call themselves teachers and leaders in the Gospel, and in Religion; yet, they would not indulge in such. It is not so much by My telling them, "Do not do this", nor "Do not do that", but automatically, not one of them would smoke a cigarette, even though thousands of them have been heretofore, cigarette fiends, liquor fiends and other fiends of crime through self-indulgence and from pre-natal influence and such like. My very Spirit and My MIND, by the concentration of their minds on ME harmoniously, it took, and it takes the very desire away from them to do those things.
Now just look over this vast audience! As I AM here in this dining room, even in all of the places where My Spirit and My Mind have full access, you do not see one of them smoking a cigarette, if he is a Follower of Mine, not one -- not even so much as a cigarette, much less than doing other things that are more offensive and more detrimental to their well-being.
How glorious it is to observe the mystery, and to see the way we will have a Righteous Government! Think of it! I believe ninety-nine percent, or the most of you all, would do whatsoever I want you to do! ("Yes, FATHER Dear!" loudly and firmly exclaimed the multitude.) Now do not say it unless you mean it! Because of this, naturally, I would believe if I did not know, since you have proven your faith and your devoutness to ME!
How glorious it is to believe, and how glorious it is to see! When this is fulfilled universally, we shall have an international Righteous Government, and the one Principle as a KING, shall rule and shall reign throughout all eternity, with or without a Bodily Form. I AM not advocating the visible observation especially, but with or without the visible observation as My Presence, which you may term to be "My Majesty" -- with or without the visible observation of It, I will accomplish all of My endeavors, for I speak and My Words will be fulfilled; for "it is not by power nor by might, but by My Spirit", declares your GOD.
Even if you do not know Who I AM, if you believe in the Scriptures -- all of the people, those who claim to believe in the Scriptures, even though they do not believe ME Personally -- remember, your GOD has declared, "It is not by FATHER DIVINE as a Person", if you might take it that way. "Well, He has power!" "Well, it is not by Him as a Person, the power that He is exerting, but it is by My Spirit!" Now, how can it be defeated?
Wheresoever GOD is, GOD has declared it:
'It is not by power nor by might, but by My Spirit.'
Then your God, the God of all Religions, according to the Scriptures, has declared,
'It is by My Spirit.'
Then I shall accomplish that by My Spirit, or by the Spirit of GOD, with or without
a Bodily Form. It is a matter of impossibility for ME to be a failure, for I
AM not depending on mortality, nor the mortal versions, but I AM depending on
My Impersonal Presence, the Spirit of the ALMIGHTY. That is what I AM depending
on.
Then I say, take all of the Religions and all of the alleged believers in God, tell them I say, it is written:
'It is not by power nor by might, but it is done by My Spirit.'
Aren't you glad? By the Spirit of the God of all of the Religions, by the Spirit
of the God of the critics, as they may call it, your GOD'S Spirit shall perform
My duty, for your GOD'S Spirit shall obey ME! Aren't you glad? Your GOD'S Spirit
shall do whatsoever I tell it, that is, to perform the act of His duty. Whatsoever
I have spoken into consideration, your GOD'S Spirit shall do it for ME!
As with the blessings of supply, so with the Spirit in expression from every angle; even so came I into expression this afternoon in My illustrations, to show you definitely the mystery of what will be accomplished with or without a person.
'It is not by power nor by might, but by My Spirit, declares the LORD.'
Now if GOD said that, it matters not where GOD is, by the Spirit of GOD it will
be fulfilled, and none can hinder it!
Jesus made it plain, when He said:
'If you have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, you could say to yonder sycamine tree, be thou plucked up, and cast in the depths of the sea, and it would obey thee.'
'It is not by power nor by might, but by My Spirit, declares the LORD.'
Then it would obey thee, if you would allow it to be, by speaking, and speaking
convincingly to yourself and to others. Whatsoever you speak, speak it definitely;
speak and say things definitely, knowing definitely that those things will be
even as I declared them.
Oh, it is a privilege to realize, the Spirit of GOD will confirm everything you affirm. If your affirmation is with the spirit sincerity, if you are conscientious and unselfish, why, the Spirit of GOD will perform it, by confirming it; and when it is confirmed, it is no longer merely an affirmation, but you can use it, and others may use it, for it is a declaration.
How glorious it is to get things changed! Eggs are changed from eggs to chickens. Things or words of expressions, such as your affirmations, they are changed from mere affirmations to confirmations by being confirmed by the CONFIRMER, through the confirmation of a declaration, and when you re-speak them or reiterate them, it is a declaration for others, for others will see they are confirmed, made real and are true even openly to others as well as they are to you.
Just behold the abundance of the fullness! You all can see the mystery definitely. You all can see definitely the limitless blessings bestowed upon you, in the fulfillment of the "inspirationic" prediction of John in the Epistle:
'Behold, what love the FATHER hath bestowed upon us, that we might be called the Sons of GOD; and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when HE shall appear, we shall be like HIM, for we shall see HIM as HE is.'
How glorious it is to see and know definitely, the Scripture is fulfilled in
your midst! Such a love the FATHER has bestowed upon us, and when HE shall appear
-- HE had not appeared to the children of men then: at that time, He had appeared,
or before that time, only as "the Son", for Philip could not understand
that he had seen the FATHER when he had seen Jesus. "But when He appears;
when HE shall appear", I say, "we shall be like HIM."
Who is that Who is going to appear? The Religions have made it out in their own versions, "when Jesus shall appear", but He said, "Behold, what love the FATHER has bestowed upon us, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know when HE shall appear" -- were they not talking about the FATHER? ("Yes, YOU, LORD!" exclaimed the Angels.) Aren't you glad?
'And we shall be like HIM, for we shall see HIM as HE is.'
Can you not see the "inspirationic" prediction of the apostle is fulfilled?
It is fulfilled this day in your hearing, for you are like HIM.
Now the abundance of the fullness in the way of supply -- men have said in times past and a good many of them say now from time to time, "Well, where does HE get so much money from?" They try to fathom out different ways, the way the money comes, but they do not stop to consider, "Where does HE get so many people from?" Why is it that all of you come around ME like this? This is merely My private Banquet; why is it so many come around ME like this? You just can't help yourself. You just cannot help it, because the Scriptures must be fulfilled
Oh, it is a privilege to observe it!
'The law shall nor depart from Judah, nor the law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh comes!'
Oh, it is a privilege I say, to observe the mystery. The Constitution of the
United States and the amendments, the statute book of our government, and all
the statutes books of our different states of the Union -- the law-givers would
not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes; but GOD through His Condescension,
through Love and Mercy, in meekness and compassion, has truly come. HE is not
taking the statute books away from the government; HE is not taking the Constitution
and its amendments away; HE is not taking the documents under the Constitution
and in the statute books away, but HE has come and the law did not depart until
CHRIST came into your consideration.
Since CHRIST has truly come into your consideration, I say the government of our country and all civilization should highly appreciate My Coming; for I have come in the fulfillment of the "revelationic" prediction of the prophet in the prophetic age, as he declared it,
'HE shall magnify the laws and make them honorable.'
I came to make the laws of GOD to be imputed to the laws of men, and that the
laws of men might be translated from vice and from sin and from selfishness and
corruption, that they all might be converted to Truth and Justice instead of
to violence. Aren't you glad?
The law did not depart until Shiloh came, and the gathering of the people shall be unto HIM. Can you not see the Scripture is now fulfilled? Can you not see it is fulfilled? Even if it were only from that angle of expression, it is so far reaching it should be convincing to any person to know that it is the fulfillment of the Scripture, for the law did not depart from Judah until CHRIST came. Now you can see the gathering of the people unto HIM wheresoever I AM. They just cannot stay away. That is the reason there are those who are willing to spend fifty thousand dollars to give ME -- fifty thousand dollars right now, to take a trip some place where I can draw a large audience, for they know definitely My Presence will attract and draw the audience, for I AM "the Life-Magnet of Salvation." Aren't you glad? They know the gathering of the people is unto ME; hence, there are those who would give ME fifty thousand dollars to just use ME for a little while. They know I will draw the audience, and they know that the gathering of the people being unto ME, they will adhere to whatsoever I say. That is what it is all about! I know it, and they know it, while yet I cannot be bought with price! Aren't you glad?
There are politicians who would be willing to give ME a hundred thousand dollars today, to just do what they say, and go their way; but a hundred thousand dollars does not amount to anything in My Sight, unless I know that the one hundred thousand dollars is received and spent right. That is the way it is. I AM absolutely independent without a penny, and yet having the whole universe under My Jurisdiction!
'The earth is the LORD'S and the Fullness thereof.",
declared the people, and you can verify the same by your past and present experiences.
Then I say, build upon this Foundation. You need not fret nor worry, for the gathering of the people is unto HIM. But I have not sought to do away with the law nor to do away with the Constitution, as said Jesus concerning the mystery:
'Think not that I have come to destroy the law and the prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.'
Can you not see the reiteration and the "repeation" (repetition) of
history in the FATHERSHIP Degree?
I did not come to destroy the Constitution and its amendments, but you see, I came to fulfill them. I came endorsing the Constitution and its amendments and the Declaration of Independence. I Am extracting and inculcating the very spirit and the meanings of the Constitution and its amendments in the hearts and lives of My Followers. I came quickening and awakening such documents as the Constitution and its amendments and the Declaration of Independence in the hearts and lives of My Followers, causing them to be converted to Righteousness, Truth and Justice, in short, law and order. Therefore, I do not think that I have come to destroy the Constitution and its amendments, neither the Declaration of Independence. I came to fulfill them. I came to fulfill both it and them, and to bring the spirit and the meanings of the Constitution and its amendments to fruition in the hearts and lives of the American citizens, that the Constitution and its amendments and the Declaration of Independence might be truly converted to Righteousness, Truth and Justice, and brought into subjection of the Righteous KING, Who is now reigning. Aren't you glad?
That is not a supposition: I AM about My Own Business. It is a reality. It is a living reality and it shall be universally established with or without a Body, for My BODY has been offered up thirty-two times for this purpose and for this cause. I still stand the same, as a Living Sacrifice to redeem all mankind. Aren't you glad?
Just think of it! Just think that the law could not do in that it was weak. It could not do it. The law said you should not steal. If you steal, they will send you to jail. They told you that, but it did not stop you from doing it though, did it? The law said you should not prostitute, but it did not stop from doing it though, did it? But then they said you should not do it unless you get a license. Some people say, it is all right. Some states and some cities permit public prostitution, and give a license to that effect; then it is all right, so long as you get the license to commit those crimes.
The law could not stop you from doing those things, but I did when I came; then do you think the law or anything else is going to hinder ME? I will not tolerate a law that will rise in opposition to the FUNDAMENTAL for which I stand; for I AM fulfilling the Constitution and its amendments, the Declaration of Independence and the spirit and the meanings of it, causing millions of My Followers the universe over, to heartily endorse the Constitution and its amendments, and to reincarnate and reproduce and bring to fruition within themselves, the spirit and the meanings of both it and them, that they might be real American citizens. Then how can anything prohibit ME? I know whereon I stand! I know from whence I came, and I shall not be discouraged, neither shall I be disturbed until I shall have legalized My every Idea and My every Opinion concerning CHRIST and the Church -- the Constitution and its amendments, the spirit and the meanings of the Declaration of Independence, and establish it through legalization of the states in the Union, even as I have it among you. I thank you.
**************