Branham Stories
The Sudden Attack On Pearl Harbor
I was reading an article sometime ago on the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor. That wasn't no exactly any unknown attack. They had already been warned that the Japs were going to do that. But the sad part was, they ignored that warning. They had seen signs, and the Japanese army assembling themselves together, and the big ships being loaded with ammunition, and the threat was in the air. And they were just exactly in line for the invasion. But they ignored it.
That's the way it is today with the Church. The Church is in line of judgment. But they are ignoring the coming of the Lord. So it... You can't blame Him.
They said when it was noised abroad around in Pearl Harbor that the Japs could attack at any time, and that their big fleet had set out in the waters of the sea and was moving slowly but steadily towards Pearl Harbor, that they only laughed at it, and said, "Oh, nonsense. You gloom builders, you worrywarts, all you think about is some trouble."
And on the night just before the great attack the next morning, there was a great dance, or a big party given in Pearl Harbor itself. And no matter how much they tried to say that the Japs were coming, they still would not take warning.
Let's just look on them for a few minutes. There's a little radio bulletin goes out, and a little piece in the corner of the paper, about like a healing campaign would be advertised, just a small place, that the Japs were on their road in the waters of the sea, a great fleet was headed that way. "Nonsense," says the others. "We don't believe in no such stuff as that. What are you trying to scare us about?"
And then we find, getting close to the night I can see at the home place instead of them preparing for--to get out of the city, why, the young girls were all putting on their new frocks and so forth; they were going down to this great big jubilee they were going to have. And also, the officers of the army were just busy writing little passes so that the soldiers could all attend this party--big drunken party. And the trucks were roaring and humming, bringing in their best of beer, and their wine, and stuff for this party. And all the time the Japanese fleet on its road there, and they failed to hear the warning.
As the sun begin to set, and they all gathered in these great tavern of a place; maybe on the side somewhere, the bartender polishing the bar, or something said something like this, "Say, did you hear the rumor?"
"No, I don't believe I did," said the man he spoke to.
"Oh, they say something about a Japanese fleet being coming this way."
And then someone else drops in on the conversation. And a young silly girl bounces up there, sticks her foot up on the bar, and said, "You gloomy headed warts, don't you know that we're here for a have a good time and not talk about war?"
If that isn't just about the way the world is the same today about the coming of the Lord. "You old fashion fogy, back numbers, what makes you dress and act and do the way you do?"
But we're looking for that secret sudden appearing of the Lord. For there's something in the air, a message of the Holy Spirit that tells us the coming is at hand.
Then when the big shindig went on, and oh, it must have been a horrible thing that night. For it said that sometime during the night, they took a young lady--a beautiful built young girl, and stripped her clothes from her, and put her in a little wagon with just one underneath garment on, and run her down the street and so forth, just having a big time. And all the time the Japanese was gaining grounds, coming right on.
And then the next morning when the man on the post of duty, and the airplane signal watching and so forth, had been out all night drunk and running around with these women and so forth, was so drowsy and upset the next morning from the big party until they were caught asleep on the job.
And I'm afraid that it's going to be likewise at the coming of the Lord. The Church is so took up and drunken with the cares of the world, till they're going to be asleep at the post of duty at the coming of the Lord.
And then, over the city flew the planes, and the bombs dropped. And they just battered out that city to the ground. Why? Because they wouldn't take heed to the warning. And that young lady, along with the rest of them, when those Japanese brutal soldiers, run in there, they ravished them in the street, and cut them to pieces with knives afterwards, and so forth. For if you won't heed to warning, there's only one thing left; that's judgment.
Oh, if there ever was a time that this America was ever at its lowest ebb right now of its immorality, of its indifference... The Gospel's been preached from shore to shore, and signs and wonders has been performed, and great miracles has been done; and they continually go on in their revelry, drinking, ignoring, making fun"
