William
Marrion Branham: His Life, Teachings, and Demonic Spirit-Guide
By Harry A. Peyton
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
DEDICATION; A WORD OF ADMONISHMENT (3)
PREFACE (10)
INTRODUCTION (13)
CHAPTER 1 BRANHAM’S LIFE STORY WAS COMPLETELY
ENTWINED WITH THAT OF HIS
SPIRIT-GUIDE (17)
Branham Did Not Know the Name of His Spirit-Guide and
Contradicted Himself Concerning His Identity (18)
Branham’s Spirit Guide Appeared as A Halo of Light
Over His Head at His Birth (19)
Age One and A Half: Branham’s Spirit Guide Gave Him
His First Vision (20)
Age Three and A Half: Branham’s Spirit-Guide Spoke
to Him Audibly for the First Time (20)
Age Seven: Branham’s Spirit
Guide Supposedly Kept Him from Sinning (21)
Age Fourteen: Branham’s Spirit
Guide Miraculously Preserved His Life from Death (22)
Age Twenty: Branham’s
Spirit-Guide Supposedly Gave Him A Vision of Light in the Form of A Cross (22)
Age Twenty-Two: Branham’s
Spirit Guide Called Him to Become His Minister (24)
Age Twenty-Four: Branham’s Spirit Guide Commissioned or Ordained Him
to Be His Minister (26)
Age Twenty-Eight: Branham Attempted Suicide (26)
Age Thirty-Seven: the Beginning
of the Healing Ministry of Branham’s Spirit-Guide (27)
CHAPTER 2 BRANHAM’S PROPHETIC BLUNDERS (34)
Branham’s Prophetic Blunder Concerning the End of
the World (34)
Branham’s Prophetic Blunder Concerning Los Angeles
Sinking into the Ocean (35)
CHAPTER 3
BRANHAM,
THE VERY FALLIBLE PROPHET, CHANGED
AND CONTRADICTED THE TEACHINGS OF HIS SPIRIT-GUIDE (35)
Branham’s Teachings on His Own Infallibility (36)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on the Riders of
the Seals (37)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on Salvation (38)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on the Salvation of the
Sleeping Virgins or Denominational Christians (41)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on Predestination (43)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on Eternal Security (44)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on Eternal Punishment (45)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on the Soul of Man (48)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on the Serpent’s Seed (49)
Branham’s Contradictory Teaching on the Seventieth or Last
Week of Daniel (49)
CHAPTER 4 BRANHAM’S ERRONEOUS DOCTRINAL TEACHINGS (50)
Branham’s Erroneous Teaching on the Seven Church Age
Messengers (50)
Historical Proof that God Had Many One God Jesus’
Name Messengers in Every Age (62)
Branham’s Erroneous
Occultic Teaching on the Serpent’s Seed (68)
The Biblical Refutation of the Doctrine of the
Serpent’s Seed (72)
CHAPTER 5 THE BIBLICAL NEW BIRTH (92)
True Faith Vs Easy Believeism (92)
The Importance of Water Baptism Toward Salvation in
the New Birth (105)
Baptism into the Name of Jesus
(126)
Baptism into the Holy Spirit (143)
CONCLUSION
(166)
ENDNOTES (169)
Copyright May 30, 1996 by
Harry A. Peyton under the title of “The Doctrines Of Christ.”
A Challenge to
Branhamite Pastors for a Public Debate: This book on Branhamism is
designed to help those who follow the teachings of William Branham, and those
who are thinking about becoming a Branhamite, to discover the real truth about
Branham’s life, teachings, and demonic spirit-guide, and
also to help them find true salvation by believing into our Savior’s death,
burial, and resurrection through the biblical New Birth of “water and
Spirit;” that is, by being baptized in
the precious holy sin cleansing name of the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving the
Holy Ghost with the biblical initial evidence of Speaking in Tongues as
Christ’s Holy Spirit gives you the words to speak.
Let me say
right up front, I love the Branhamite people, and in this book, I will do my
best to help them recover from Satan’s deception. I am not trying to be
unkind or harsh, but I must be honest, if I truly love you! My prayer for
the Branhamite people has always been that our Savior would open the hearts of
these good people to know and understand the truth! The author of this book is a one
God, Jesus Name, Apostolic Pentecostal Holiness retired Pastor, and he is
willing to meet with any Branhamite pastor in a public debate. If they truly
believe that Branham is the Laodicean
Age Prophet
of Revelation 3:14 and 10:7, then let them defend his
teachings!
A Note from the
Author: Since Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, gives His Salvation
and His Word to all freely (Rev 22:17, Mt 10:7-8), this book, and all other books, written by
Harry A. Peyton are given without charge, and can be accessed through the
Internet at the following address: http://www.DoctrinesOfChrist.com. Therefore,
fell free to copy it in digital or written form, and share it with others.
Since this book is copyrighted, the author forbids any alteration of its
contents, and the reproduction of it in any form for Marketing Purposes. This
book may be placed on anyone’s web page, as long as my website address is
attached to it.
The author believes that the Word of God is infallible in
the ORIGINAL LANGUAGE it was written in, and all translations of the Bible
regardless of how good they may be are NOT. Since the author has implicit faith
in the infallibility of the Word of God, the author has formed his
beliefs firmly on the truth of the Bible. This author uses the ancient
ANTIOCHIAN LITERAL-HISTORICAL METHOD OF INTERPRETING THE BIBLE, which was used
by early Christian Prophets and Apostles of the Bible.
I definitely believe that the ancient Alexandrian Allegorical Method
of spiritualizing scripture, which was made popular by the ancient Jewish
philosopher Philo Judaeus (13 BC – 50 AD) and later used by the Ante-Nicene
Catholic Priests, especially Origen and his student Clement of Alexandria (200
AD), is an abomination to our Lord. Therefore, all scriptures will be
interpreted in a literal exegetical fashion, unless the language used and the
context demands a spiritual interpretation.
All CAPITALIZATION and
ITALICIZATION in QUOTES used in this book is always MINE. All Biblical
quotes used in this book will be in dark red, and from the New King James version of the Bible,
unless another version is stated as the reference. The vast majority of all
translations of the Bible, as well as Hebrew and Greek Lexical definitions and
grammar, will come from BibleWorks
computer software program version 7.0. The author in
most places will quote verses from the Bible instead of commenting on a verse
and giving a reference; for He believes that the written Word of God’s has
greater power to inspire and enlighten a heart to understand and act upon
truth, than the elegant oratory or writings of any man.
If this book has been a blessing to my beloved
readers, and they would like to send an offering to the author, feel free to do
so. If anyone wishes to send any biblical or historical materials to the
author, my address is: 148 Little Creek Hills Rd.: Alto, NM 88312: Phone #
575-336-2800: Email address: DoctrineOfChrist@Hotmail.com.
This book is
dedicated to Reverend David F. Gray, an Apostolic Pentecostal pastor and
teacher, who asked me to write this book in 1985, after reading a small booklet
that I wrote on the teachings of William Branham. Brother Gray, like myself,
was deeply concerned that some of God’s children would fall into this cultic
trap. Therefore, after eighteen years of gathering materials on Branham’s
teachings, I finally finished the task Brother Gray asked me to undertake.
This
admonishment is given to encourage all of God’s children to become students of
the Bible. Beloved, permit me to ask you, why did some of God’s children in
Jesus’ day reject their Messiah and the truths He taught them?
Did they not have God Himself as their preacher or teacher? Did they not
believe in the one true God? Did they not believe that the Bible was God’s
Word? Did they not attend church every Sabbath Day? The answer is obviously yes
to all these questions, so why did they reject their Savior and His teachings?
The answer can be found in second Corinthians 4:4; this verse reveals that Satan blinds the
minds of those who do not believe the truth. There are thousands of truths that
can be found in God’s Holy Word, but the truths concerning Salvation in Christ
through the New Birth, and the Godhead in Christ are the two truths that Satan
blinds the minds of believers the most.
How did Satan
blind the minds of the believers in Jesus’ day, and in our day? He accomplished
this by using false prophets, who filled their minds with false beliefs. It was
for this reason, Jesus warned all believers to: “beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Mt 16:6). What did
Jesus mean by the term leaven? In verse 12, the Bible gives us the answer: “Then
they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of
bread, but of the [false] doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Even though
some of these false prophets may have dazzled and mesmerized God’s Jewish
children with their oratory and teaching skills, their doctrines were still false.
Our Savior spoke of these deceived prophets when He said: “in
vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men…. Making the Word of God of no effect” (Mk 7:7, 13). It is quite evident that these
men followed some the false traditional
teachings of their forefathers in their organization, and as a result, they
became deceived and went about deceiving others.
Therefore
beloved take heed, for even though a teacher may be able to paint beautiful
spellbinding word pictures, or a preacher may be able to speak very fast and
give fiery orations, this does not
necessarily mean what they are preaching or teaching is the truth! Evidently,
not everything these Doctors of the Law and pastors taught was a lie, for Jesus
told them: you “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good
things” (Mt 12:34)?
Since Jesus
was the new and unknown preacher in town, who resoundingly taught the Bible
antithetically or contrary to the accepted theologians, pastors, and preachers
of His day, therefore many of the God’s people chose to believe the teachings
of their pastors and religious organizations instead of His teachings. It must
have broken our Lord’s heart! It saddens me to say that this is exactly what
many sincere Christians do today, when they hear or read God’s Messages on the
New Birth and the Godhead in Christ that were taught by Jesus and His apostles.
When I
understood how Satan blinds the minds of believers, I soon developed a healthy
fear that maybe I was not studying the Bible with an open and unprejudiced
mind. I therefore reexamined all my beliefs. As a result, I discovered that
several of my beliefs were incorrect, and I needed to repent and change them.
Even though I was afraid to change my beliefs, being an Apostolic Pentecostal
minister with a BA in Theology, I made up my heart and mind to walk in the
Light as He is in the Light. I also came to the realization that I am not
married to the doctrines of any preacher, church, Bible College, or
denomination, but to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the infallible Word of God
and the Truth (Jn
1:1; 14:6).
Beloved, if
you and I expect to hear Jesus say to us “Well done good and
faithful servant” (Mt 25:21), then we must not be afraid to
change our beliefs, when we perceive that they are not in agreement with the
written Word of God; for the Bible, not men or organizations, is the only
source of absolute truth. Let us not forget, the people who hated the teachings
of Jesus and His apostles were not the sinners among the Gentiles, or the
Jewish people as a whole, but the Church Officials such as: the High Priest,
Doctors of the Law, elders (pastors), and priests, who were entrusted with
leadership positions. These church officials were more dedicated to the
traditions of their organization, than they were to almighty God and His holy
infallible Word.
Therefore, it
becomes very evident that none of these church officials was an infallible
teacher of the Bible, even though their followers thought they were. Because
many of God’s Jewish people blindly followed the teachings of the
officials of their church, they rejected their Savior and His teachings and die
lost. This cold but sobering fact should be a warning to all believers in
Christ today!
Therefore, it
is extremely dangerous for us to deify any man or organization by esteeming
them as our infallible teacher, regardless if they call themselves: the
Apostle, the Prophet, the Prophetess, the Pope, the Seventh Church Age
Messenger of the Branhamites, the Little Flock of the Watchtower, the Doctor of
Divinity, or the Pastor. Now, since my name, your name, your pastor’s name,
your church’s name, and the name of your denomination are not written in the
Word of God, none of us are infallible teachers.
Every
believer needs to love and respect their teachers, but they should never place
them on a pedestal and worship them as their infallible Pope, whereby
everything that comes out of their mouth is “thus says the Lord.” Most believers are not
aware that this is idolatry and God hates it. Beloved, when God saved me and
delivered me from this kind of idolatry I made a vow to God, i.e. after I came
out of Catholicism, that I would never again place my faith in any priest,
preacher, or religious organization, but only in the Lord Jesus Christ and His
holy infallible Word. I promised my God that I would not believe anything about
the Bible, until I could personally pray about it and search it out for myself!
Now God has
blessed me with some great pastors and teachers, whom I love and respect even
to this day, but I can honestly say that I never worshipped any of them by
making anyone of them my infallible preacher. Please do not take what I am
saying in the wrong way; I am not condemning or belittling the biblical and
holy office of a bishop, but I am placing it in a biblical and historical
context. Beloved, you may have a pastor who is a good teacher, or even a great
preacher, but I promise you he is not infallible, and I am happy to tell you
that neither am I.
Now someone
might ask me why I am happy about not being infallible. The answer is simple,
if I lead anyone to think my teachings or books are infallible, I cannot change
or correct them, if I later discover that any part of my teachings are
incorrect. Therefore, I do not want to place myself in a position, where I
cannot say: “I
am wrong, please forgive me. I make an honest and sincere mistake, and I will
correct it and teach it correctly.”
For the last 34 years, as an
author, pastor, an assistant to a pastor, an evangelist, and a student of the
Word of God, I have always admonished God’s people to become students of the
Bible. I challenged them to prove what I taught them was the truth. I did this
for two reasons: FIRST, I wanted their faith to be in the infallible Word of
God and not in fallible man. I knew that they could parrot what I taught them,
but I also knew that the Word of God could not get down deep into their hearts,
unless each of them prove to themselves by their own prayer and research, what
is truth and what is error. Every child of God needs to take their salvation
seriously, for it is too precious to place it in the hands of any man,
regardless of what title he may be called by.
SECOND, I
knew from the Word of God that I was not the only mouthpiece God
had in the Church. I knew every humble Holy Ghost filled child of God
was a Priest of God, and as such could receive revelation of truth from God (1Co 14:26).
Therefore, I knew that God placed them there not only for me, as their pastor,
to equip them “for
the work of the ministry,” i.e. to “become able preachers and teachers of the gospel”
(Eph 4:11-12), but also for me to learn from them (1Co 14:31).
Because some
of God’s Jewish children, in the days of the Lord Jesus, did not take their God
given responsibility of studying the Word of God for themselves seriously, they
rejected the truths He preached and died lost. They chose instead to follow the
teachings of their misguided Pastors and leaders, who may have been sincere or
insincere in their walk with God. Our Savior warned all believers in Him not to
follow their example. Jesus said it this way: “Many will say to
Me in that day [i.e. the Day of Judgment], ‘Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done
many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never [oudepote] knew
you” (Mt
7:22-23). Drs. Timothy and Barbara Friberg in their Analytical
Lexicon to the Greek New Testament defined the Greek word “oudepote” as: an adverb negating a
point of time never, not at any time (#20053).
Jesus did not
deny that these believers in Him, who acknowledge Him as their Lord, did
not do these miraculous works by faith in His holy Name, but He did
declare that these believers were never in a covenant relationship
with Him, whereby they became His children. In other words, false prophets
deceived them concerning the “strait and narrow way that led to the Eternal Life in Christ” (Mt
7:13-15). These believers in Christ evidently did not believe in or know
the biblical New Birth message (Jn 3:5 & Tit 3:5 cp with Acts 2:38; 10:44-48; 19:1-5),
which would
have placed them in the death, the burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the solid rock foundation all believers must build their
spiritual house on (vers 24-27). Therefore, if believers in Christ do not want to
die lost, they must get their nose in God’s Book and keep it there.
Let us always
remember, the Word of the living God commanded all of His Pastors and saintly
Priests to evangelize the world for our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible declared: “It
please God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe….
The preaching of the cross to them that perish is foolishness; but unto
us which are saved it is the power of God” (1Co 1:18, 21, KJV).
Jesus told His Church: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8); and “Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations” (Mt 28:19).
God commanded
all of His children to preach: “The truths found in His Holy Word not the lies of the Babylonian
Religion, i.e. Mystery Babylon (Rev 17:5); Jesus Christ and Him crucified not
the death of Zoroaster (one of several names for Nimrod); Eternal Life through
Christ not Lucifer’s doctrine of the eternality or godhood of man; the New
Birth not reincarnation; Water Baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ not
baptism in the titles of the Babylonian Trinity; Spirit Baptism of the Holy
Spirit not spiritualism. God’s people are ambassadors not diplomats, preachers
not philosophical puppets, prophets not greedy blind watchmen who are dumb dogs
that cannot bark (Isa 56:10-12).”
If any of my
beloved readers, would like to know more about the biblical and historical
truth concerning the Nicolaitan Doctrine, i.e. the Priesthood Ministry of all
Believers and how God set up the Ministerial structure of the Church, I invite
them to read my book entitled, “The Heresy of the Nicolaitans,” which is
given without charge on my website, along with other books on subjects such as:
the New Birth, the godhead in Christ, hell, the mysteries of the spirit and
soul of man, prophecy, and etc.
Biblical Rules for Interpreting the Bible: Since Pastors in the same denomination, and saints in the same church, differ from one another in their understanding of certain doctrinal teachings of the Bible, is not time for all of them to use the same rules for interpreting the Bible. This is the only way Pastors and saints can come to a real harmony or agreement on what is truth! This can only happen if all of God’s children are willing to love, respect, and submit to one another (Eph 5:21; 1Pe 5:3). Therefore, all of God’s children should lovingly admonish one another to walk in truth, and to repent of all false doctrines. This requires humility, this is why God commanded Pastors to be: “examples to the flock,” and for Pastors and Saints to: “submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (1Pe 5:3, 5).
Beloved, we
must beware that our hatred of false doctrine does not turn into hatred for
misinformed Pastors or individuals in and out of the church! If this ever
happens, we have turned our back on God’s way of love and have entered into
Satan’s ballpark, for he is the author of hate. If we venture to play Satan’s
deadly game of hate, we will find ourselves the losers when we stand before God
at the end of our life. Let us remember that God hates the sins that sinners
commit, but He loves sinners and pleads with them to repent. Let us also never
forget, that God
has appointed many Pastors, not one, in each church assembly to be the Judges
of Truth (Eph 4:11-15; 1Ti 1:2-4; 3:2-5; 4:16; 5:17-22; 6:3-11; 2Ti 2:24-26;
3:16-17; 4:2-5; Heb 13:17). Therefore, I humbly submit to you, for your
approval, some
biblical rules for interpreting the Bible that God has given me:
FIRST, God
gives revelations to us as we pray, love, keep, hunger,
and search for truth (Jn 14:15, 23; Psa 119:33-34; Pro 2:4; Mt 5:6; 1Jn 5:2-3)!
Beloved, we do not understand the teachings of the Bible by our intelligence,
regardless how much or little we may possess, but it comes by inspiration from
God’s Holy Spirit (Jn
16:13; 14:26; 1Jn 2:27). Either we will believe Satan’s lie that we can
not understand the Bible because of our lack of education in theology, or we
will believe what Jesus said: “If any man will do His [God’s] will, he shall know the doctrine, whether it
be of God” (Jn 7:17).
Therefore, we
must have our mind made up that we will settle for nothing less than truth in
our walk with our Creator and Savior. God never intended His Word to be
interpreted by the imaginations of the mind of mankind; it makes no difference
if they are called the Apostle, the Prophet, the Prophetess, the Pope, the
Seventh Church Age Messenger of the Branhamites, the Little Flock of the
Watchtower, the Doctor of Divinity, or the Pastor. I have discovered through my
own experiences that we are beings, who love to follow the traditions of our
elders, church, and organization. This is good as long as they are teaching
true, but if not, God told us to: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Pro 23:23).
If we do not buy the truth because it is not
popular, or because it offends our parents, relatives, friends, church,
organization, and so on, then we are selling our salvation for the favor and
praises of men. We become men-pleasers instead of God-pleasers. We will esteem
men much more highly than we esteem God. Pastors and saintly Priests, who
preach this great gospel, should always remember that there is a price to pay
to walk in truth! Rejection, loneliness, and heartache are often a part of this
great price; nevertheless, everyone who truly loves our dear Lord will always
be willing to pay any price to walk with Him in truth. If we claim to be
children of the Light: we must walk in the Light or darkness will overtake us (Jn 12:35-36,
46). Therefore, I encourage my beloved readers to open their hearts and
minds as they open their Bibles in search for the truth.
SECOND, we
must be willing to do our homework
and study the Word of God with an open, unbiased, honest, and humble spirit! The Bible is a
Book inspired with all of God’s children
in mind, and God intended that His
children should read, study, and understand it, for it is one of our
Heavenly Father’s great and precious gifts to us. Therefore, let each of us
become students of the Bible, and eat “our daily bread.”
Let us not be lazy; let us study the Word of God for ourselves every day.
A brother
whom I lead to God’s New Birth once told me that his dad, who was a Protestant
denominational minister, told him that he spent four years in Seminary School
so he could learn the Bible, and twenty years unlearning what he had learned.
In other words, because he was so thoroughly indoctrinated with the beliefs of
his denomination: it
was a real struggle for him to lay aside his biases and to study the Bible with
an open mind. This can happen to pastors who place their faith in their
denomination, and to saints of God who place their faith in the teachings of
their pastor. This can happen to both if they fail to study God’s Word with an
unbiased mind.
Because God
does not want His children to be deceived by Nicolaitan pastors, teachers, and
organizations, He commanded them to: “Prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God;” and “Prove all things, hold fast that which is
good;”
and “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
Word of truth” (Rom 12:2, 1Th 5:21, 2Ti 2:15, KJV). According
to the great apostle Paul, the Berean saints explicitly followed these God
given commands, for he wrote: “Now the Bereans were of more noble
character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great
eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if
what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11, NIB). In other words, these
believers did not allow their love and respect for Paul, or any other teacher,
to prevent them from examining their teachings with the written Word of God.
THIRD, we
must be willing to lay aside our pride, fears, and bias beliefs, whereby we can search for all the
scriptures on any given subject of the Bible. After we find them, we must meticulously examine
all of them and look for an interpretation
that will harmonize with all
of the evidence; for all scriptures in the Bible come from God
and not one can contradict another in the original language it was
written in (2Ti
3:16). After we have done this, then God will be able to open our
spiritual eyes and give us enlightenment.
Another way
of saying the above is: we must first find all the pieces to the
jigsaw puzzle, which is the hardest part of studying the Bible, but this is
where the real men and women of God become separated from the false prophets.
We must then put all the pieces together until we can see that one
and only perfect picture, which is the absolute truth. If we fail to
find most of the scriptures, we will see a picture using the scriptures we have
found, but it will probably be a distorted picture, even though we may think it
is the truth.
When one is
looking for a harmony in scriptures, and not for a debate, knowing that the Bible is
the infallible Word of God in the original language that it was written in,
it is not that hard for two people with opposing perspectives to come to an
agreement, if their true motive is to find truth. The Bible declares: “Only
by pride cometh contention” (Pro 13:10). Since none of us enjoys
change when it comes to our beliefs, we react very negatively when someone
disturbs our feelings of security. If we truly love our fellow man, then
we will not be afraid to humbly tell each other the truth, even if we
momentarily become offended. No surgery is pleasant while the doctor is cutting
us open, but after the tumor, cancer, or disease is removed, and our health is
restored, what joy good health brings.
FOUTH, I
furthermore admonish my beloved readers to believe that God said what He meant
and meant what He said; in other words, God intended that we believe and understand
“every word” in the Bible He used to express
His infallible thoughts or teachings (Psa 12:6-7; Pro 30:5; Mt 4:4). This means we must make use of Greek
and Hebrew lexicons (dictionaries). The reason for this is: Greek and
Hebrew words, like words in the English or any other language, have more than
one meaning. There is a literal meaning and there is also a figurative meaning.
Each Bible translator must choose the word that fits the context of the
scriptures surrounding the word. Hopefully, they can do this without allowing
their own religious beliefs to hinder them from choosing the correct word.
A good
example of translators missing the truth by using the figurative
meaning over the literal meaning of Greek words, and totally ignoring
the context, can be found in John 3:8, were most translators translated it
as: “The wind [Pneuma] blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound [phone] of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it
goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit
[Pneuma]” (NKJ; also see the KJV,
NIV, ASV, RSV, etc).
The true
translation, that is the literal translation, which is in perfect
agreement with the context is: “The Spirit [Pneuma] breathes where He desires, and the voice [phone also means language] of Him you
hear, but you know not where He comes, and where He goes, so is everyone having
received birth from the Spirit [Pneuma]” (Morris’ Literal
Translation of the Bible; also see The Interlinear Bible by J. P.
Green, and Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, etc).
In the following verse, the Greek word phone is translated language, and from
the context can only mean language: “if I do not know
the meaning of the language [phone], I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me” (1Co
14:11, NKJ; also see NAS, NAB, NLT, ESV, RSV).
Therefore, we must interpret the
Bible in a literal fashion. This is only way we can fulfill the
Bible command that we should not ‘wrest’ or ‘twist’ or ‘pervert’ the scriptures
to our “own destruction” (2Pe 3:16). All scriptures
must be taken literally, unless it is
a Jewish idiom, or the language and context demands a spiritual interpretation.
If a symbolic interpretation is what God intended, then God will interpret the
symbolic word or phrase somewhere in His Holy Word. God ordained that each scripture should be
interpreted in the light of other scriptures (1Co 2:11-13). Jesus taught
us that we would know false prophets by their fruits. The major fruit of
all false prophets in all ages is their frequent use of the allegorical method to
interpret the Bible.
A favorite
saying among those who have already been deceived by false prophets is: “I know this teaching is not
of God because it brings in confusion.” Therefore, many believers will
follow the example of their deceived teachers and place a literal meaning on
the scriptures they want to believe in, and a figurative meaning on the
scriptures that seem to bring confusion to them. Because they are not willing
to change their beliefs, they will not look for an interpretation that
will harmonize with all the scriptures on that subject, i.e. of course using
the literal method. Therefore, they would rather believe a lie and spiritualize away the scriptures that
seem to bring confusion to them. Beloved, if you are guilt of this sin, God is
calling you right now to repent.
Beloved, we
must learn patience, and wait upon our Savior with faith in our hearts,
expecting Him to give us enlightenment as we pray and study His Word. Let us
always remember that it is our God given responsibility to seek for truth, and
it is our Heavenly Father’s responsibility to reveal truth (Mt 7:7-8). Beloved,
do not be afraid to test or thoroughly examine your beliefs, for truth can be
placed under a microscope and thoroughly dissected and it will shine brighter
than ever; as long as we follow the biblical guidelines that are given in the
Bible for studying the Word of God. These are some of the biblical rules
that can be found in my book entitled How to Study the Bible, which is
also given away on my website.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the author of this book is asking his beloved readers to prayerfully
read this book to the end, so that they may comprehend the entire teaching.
After doing this, then dissect and examine this book by looking for a harmony
in all the scriptures that I use, and the scriptures you know of that pertain
to this subject, as both of us interpret them in a literal fashion. After you
have done these things, then judge for yourself the validity of this teaching.
As my beloved readers read the following study, I
challenge them to love God enough to prove this message either true or false;
for many, like myself, have discovered truth by trying to prove it wrong! I
rather you read this book and become either angry or glad, but please do not
become indifferent; for if you are angry you will try to prove it wrong, but if
you are glad, that means God has given you the revelation of this truth. If you
are unresponsive that means you do not take your salvation seriously!
I would much rather see someone fight against the
truth, as the apostle Paul did before God gave him understanding, than for that
person to be indifferent toward truth and die lost! I do not say this in
the spirit of pride or in claiming infallibility, but I put forth this
challenge in hopes that they will earnestly and thoroughly examine this truth.
If anyone believes he or she has found an error in any portion of the above
teachings, or in the following teachings, I admonish him or her to love me
enough to correct me, and to show me how their belief is in perfect harmony with all of
God’s reveal will on this subject. Please email your response to: DoctrinesOfChrist@hotmail.com
Beloved,
truth is the greatest gift of love that any preacher can give to those who
listen to their spoken message, or reads what he or she has written. The more
truth any child of God places in their heart, the more of Jesus they have, for
He is the Truth (Jn
14:6). Beloved, it is impossible for you to say you love Jesus and not
love the Bible, for Jesus is the Living Word (Jn 1:1), and every word in the Bible are
His Words. My prayer for you is that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both
the Son of God and the Almighty God, will open your heart and mind to
understand His message of truth. With all the above truths in mind, let us
begin our SEARCH FOR TRUTH!
Your Loving
Servant In Christ,
Harry A. Peyton
William Marrion Branham was without a doubt a self-proclaimed
prophet, who was injured in a head-on collision with a drunk driver on December
18, 1965, and died on December 24. Some of those who worshipped him actually
believed that he was an incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and others
believed that he would actually rise for the dead. All Branhamites believe
Branham was the Seventh Messenger to the Laodicean Church Period, and as such,
if a Christian did not believe he was God’s last day Prophet and follow his
teaching, then he or she would be lost.
This book will cover Branham’s life, prophecies, and
doctrinal teachings. Because Branhamites believe that every word
William Branham uttered was divinely inspired of God, they even wrote down his
stuttering. In this book the author will be
quoting directly from Branham’s own words, i.e. form the sermons he gave. Our
Savior once said: “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you
will be condemned” (Mt 12:37). Therefore, the author
will let Branham’s own words condemn him as a false prophet. There is old
saying: “a person who is a liar will be trapped by his own lies,” or “give a liar enough rope and he will hang himself with it.” In the case of Branham, this is especially true; for this
so-called infallible prophet of God definitely changed and contradicts
his own teachings from one year to another, and sometime from one sermon to
another! How can this be if he is a true prophet of God?
On September 25 of 1957, Branham defended his so-called
infallible teachings by declaring: I-I-I-I’ve twenty-six years in the ministry…. I had no
education, no ability…. I have never tried to present anything in my life
without first it being revealed. And I am so thankful that the angel of the Lord, which I had no education, no ability, and this angel
[has] come down and has been my help sent from God.
And he has never told [meaning taught] me one thing, but what
absolutely dovetailed from Genesis to Revelation. [1]
In fact, in one place Branham declared that he wrote down the things the angel
taught him! In another place Branham declared: I am God’s Voice to you... Now, see, I can say nothing in
myself. But what he [my spirit-guide] shows [or teaches] me. [2]
There you have it, Branham
clearly boasted that he taught nothing in 26 years of ministry, which was
not first revealed to him by his angel! Branham not only claimed
that he received divine revelation from this so-called angel of God, but also
brazenly placed his teachings on the same level as the great apostle Paul and all the other
apostles and prophets of the Bible. This can only mean that
he claims infallibility for himself! The pride of this man is unsurpassed by
any other being, excluding Lucifer and his son the Antichrist.
Therefore, Branham by his braggadocios exalted claims has
removed himself out the realm of a Pastor, who may change some of his
teachings, after he discovers he was wrong. Since this man
claims infallibility, he is denied the privilege to change his
teachings! Where in the Bible, can any
Branhamite Pastor find where the apostle Paul, or any other apostle or prophet
of God, change their teachings or made a mistake in their teachings. If these
Men of God made mistakes in their doctrinal teachings, then we would not have
an infallible Bible today; but thank God, these men were real Men of God, who
only spoke what God gave them.
Beloved, as we examine Branham teachings on different
doctrines, you will clearly see that he change and contradict the doctrines he
taught earlier in his ministry. This can own mean that he either backslid and
changed the teachings of his angel, or he did not believe his angel’s teachings
were from God so he changed them, or he lied and his angel never taught him
anything. No matter which of these statements are correct, they all declare
William Branham to be a false prophet!
In 1983, I attended a
Branhamite church for the first time, which was located in Arenas Valley, which
was on the outskirts of Silver City, NM. It was there that I was confronted
with those who proclaimed Branham to be a prophet of God. I was asked to come
back and preach for them, which I did. After that service these people told me
about the miracles Branham did, and wanted me to believe in him and confess him
to be God’s prophet for this church age.
Being a one God Jesus Name Pentecostal preacher, I
was deeply impressed by the fact that they baptism in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and believed in the Oneness of God.
Therefore, I told them that I did not know anything about what Branham
taught, and how it agrees with the revealed will of God, which is written in
the Bible. They then loaned me a two-volume set of books entitled, Conduct, Order and Doctrine, which were transcribed from tapes of his
teachings over the years.
After much prayer
and study of these books, for about two
months, I was totally convinced Branham was a False Prophet. I carefully
studied these books, I wrote down each of his teaching in a topical
arrangement, along with the date of the teaching and the page number. After I
did this, I compared his teachings on a given topic in one sermon with his
other messages; it was then that I discovered that this man was a False
Prophet. I knew this because his teachings not only contradicted the Word of
God, but also each other.
I thought to myself: “Branhamite pastors and preachers
must have a hard time choosing, which of Branham’s so-called infallible
messages of God, they are going to believe, for this man has definitely
changed and contradicted his own teaching over the years.” This is why Branhamite pastors and preacher are confused
about what Branham taught, some say he taught one thing and others says he
taught some different, and both will use his sermons as proof that their
doctrine is the doctrine that Branham actually taught!
I would hate to be a Branhamite pastor, and try to find a
harmony in what Branham taught on different subjects of the Bible, because
there is none, unless you are mystical allegorists, who can find harmony in the
teachings of God’s Word with the teachings of the Satanic Bible. However, like
all mystic religions, Branhamite Pastors look for some deep spiritual meaning
in the words their prophet uses in his teachings. Therefore, each pastor and
preacher interprets Branham’s teaching with his own mystical enlightenment.
Branhamites blindly believes Branham’s teachings because of
the miracles he performed. They usually read or listen to his sermons, but very
few have taken the time to compare his teachings on different subjects. As a
result, they do not know that Branham did in fact change and
contradict several of his own teachings, such as, his teachings on salvation,
predestination, eternal security, eternal torment, and so on. In addition, very few Branhamites have take the time to
examine Branham’s prophecies, such as: His prophecy that by 1977: all
denominations would be consumed by the World Council of Churches; or his prophesy that: the Rapture would take place
at this time, and that the world would be destroyed in that same year. [3]
Since these prophecies did not take place in 1977 or any year after, William Marrion Branham’s
own prophecies declared him to be a false prophet! These prophecies will be
examined in detailed in this book.
After I was convinced that Branham was a
false prophet, I went to pastor Perez whose church, as I stated before, was in
the Silver City area, and showed him these contradictions. Even though he had
no answer for these contradictions, this did not seem to disturb him, for he
was obsessed with the miracles that Branham performed, and this was all the
proof he needed. I told him the Word of God, not miracles, must be our final
authority in deciding who is a prophet or an apostle of God! He looked at me as
if to say: “If
you were spiritual you would know this man is a prophet of God.”
Shortly after this confrontation, I decided
to write a small booklet exposing Branham’s errors and contradictory
statements, which I did in 1983. In fact, this book is a direct result of that booklet. I then placed
an ad in the local newspaper challenging the Branhamite and other pastors in my
city to a public debate on the New Birth. After placing the challenge in the
newspaper, I went to this pastor and challenge him to meet me in a public
debate to debate the teachings of Branham. He still refused to accept my
challenge.
It was at that time Joe, one of they own
prophets, prophesied in one of their church services that they would meet me in
a public debate. Two years later, I saw Joe in the supermarket that I was in,
and I said: “Joe I heard you prophesied that someone in your church would meet me
in a public debate, do you know when this will happen?” Joe replied: “Peyton, Abraham had to wait
25 years before God’s prophetic Word was fulfilled in his life.” I told him: “Joe, if my sweet Lord does
not come for me in the Rapture by that time, I will probably be laying in a
coffin six feet under the ground, so if this debate is going to take place, it
need to happen quickly. Joe, if I am wrong in calling Branham a False Prophet,
then I need and want a Branhamite to rebuke me and prove me wrong publicly. Why
are Branhamites so afraid to inspect and compare the teaching of Branham, if he
is infallible, then you should be able to show a perfect harmony in all of his
teachings? Now if you cannot, then why do you believe he is infallible!”
It is now 2005, and 22 years have past since Joe gave his prophecy, and I am still waiting, and my
challenge for a public debate still holds! If William Branham was a true
prophet of God as he claimed, then let his son, grandsons, or a Branhamite
pastor accept this challenge! When a child of God knows he or she has the
truth, they are not afraid to face anyone and defend God’s Word; for you can
put truth under a microscope and the more minutely you inspect it, the brighter
it shines. King Solomon said: “The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Pro 28:1).
I say these
things in love, because I would rather have someone angry with me, in hopes that they will try
to prove this message wrong, and in so doing they will discover that I
have spoken the truth. Every honest hearted Branhamite, who truly believes
Branham is the Seventh Messenger to the Laodicean Church Period, should read this message and see if
I lied or misquoted what Branham said. I say unto all my beloved Branhamite
readers: “either
prove to yourself that this love message is false, or prove to yourself that it
is true, but I beg you do not be unresponsive like the Laodicean
Christians.” For God told these Christians: “because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of
My mouth.”
Since Branhamite Pastors claim that William
Marrion Branham was God’s messenger to the Laodicean Church Age, and that he
would usher in the millennial reign of Christ, it would behoove all Branhamites,
and those who are thinking about joining them, to thoroughly examine Branham’s
teachings. Branhamites believe Branham to be the Seventh Church Age Messenger
because Branham cunningly led them to believe that he was. Branham
declared that a so-called angel of God commissioned him to be the forerunner of
Christ’s return; in 1963, Branham
claimed that he was endowed with the spirit of Elijah. Everything Branham
taught about the Seventh Messenger fitted his own life and ministry perfectly;
therefore he willfully deceived and misled his followers to believe that
he was this suppose messenger to the Laodicean Church Age!
Branham deviously speaking of himself
stated: We are promised a return of that Spirit [Elijah] just
before the end-time. He won’t start another church, because there is no
more church ages to come, ...because the Laodicean Church Age is the last age,
and the messenger of the Seventh Angel… is not a reformer, he is a prophet! [4]
Branham then declared that the 7th angel of the Laodicean Church Age
was in fact the same angel as the 7th Trumpet angel of
Revelation 10. Branham supposedly prophesying and speaking as Jesus
said: I am here in the midst of the Church. The Amen of God,
faithful and true, will reveal Himself and it will be by my prophet.’ Oh
yes, that is so. Rev. 10:7 ‘And in the days of the voice of the seventh
messenger, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should
be finished as He hath declared to His servants the prophets….’ He is sending a
vindicated prophet. He is sending a prophet after almost two thousand
years.
Branham did not stop here, he then taught
that the 7th angel to the Laodicean Church Age, and the 7th
Trumpet angel, and the angel or messenger who would come in the spirit of
Elijah, which the prophet Malachi prophesied would come, was in fact the same
angel or messenger. Branham declared: He [God] is
sending someone who is so far from organization, education, and the world of
religion that as John the Baptist and Elijah of old, He will hear only from God
and he will have ‘thus saith the Lord’ and speak for God. He will be God’s
mouthpiece and he, as it is declared in Mal. 4:6, will turn the hearts of
the children back to the fathers. [5]
Without
doubt, in the above and following passages, Branham in a very deceptive and subtle
way declared himself to be the 7th messenger of the Laodicean Church
Age. Branham speaking about himself declared: This is the Laodicean Age and according to
the Word of God, this Age has [meaning right now as I speak] received a vindicated
Messenger and Message, forerunning the Second Coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I wonder
who this vindicated messenger can be, who will be a forerunner to Christ’s
return? Now you Branhamites do not have to worry, your prophet’s outlandish
pride will not leave you in doubt as to whom he is referring to! For Branham declared that his angel appeared to him just above
the waters of the Ohio River on June 11th of 1933, and vindicated and commissioned
him to be his prophet, and the forerunner to
Christ’s second coming. Branham said it this way: I was baptizing down on the
river my first converts, at the Ohio River…. As I started to baptize… ‘A voice
spoke from there [heaven], and said, ‘As John the Baptist was sent for the forerunner of the
first coming of Christ, you’ve got a--have a Message that will bring
forth the forerunning of the second coming of Christ.
[6]
It was at
this time that Branham claimed that his angel not only called him to be a
prophet, but also vindicated him as a prophet. Branham declared: I was getting too critical
on speaking with tongues. You see? But one day then,
how God vindicated that to me. In other words, Branham claimed that it was on this day, as he was
baptizing on the Ohio River, that his angel vindicated his teachings against
speaking in tongues as being the initial evidence of being born of the Spirit. Branham and his angel evidently did not
understand or rejected this great biblical truth (Jn 3:5, 8; Acts 2:38;
10:44-48; Isa 28:8-12).
Therefore, Branham in a very demonic and crafty way was claiming to be the vindicated
messenger to the Laodicean Church Age, who would be the forerunner
of Christ’s return.
Branham
evidently did not want to take a chance, that some of his simple-minded
followers would not be able to put the above passages together, and realize
that he was speaking about himself. Therefore, he declared that the 7th
Trumpet angel was the one designed by God, to open up and reveals the
mystery of the Seven Seals in Revelation the 6th chapter.
Branham said it this way: But in the last days, it will have to be a prophet to take up
the mysteries of God…. Do you see what I mean now? He can’t be a
reformer; it has got to be a prophet, because it has got to be somebody that is
gifted…. The original Bible faith is to be restored by the 7th
angel oh, how I love this! All of the mysteries of the Seals that the
reformers never understood fully. [7]
Branham also
declared: Now
this [7th] messenger of Mal. 4 and Rev
10:7 is going to do two things. One: According to Mal. 4 he will turn the
hearts of the children to the fathers. Two: He will reveal the mysteries of the
seven thunders in Rev. 10, which are the revelations contained in the seven
seals. It will be these Divinely revealed ‘mystery-truths’ that literally
turn the hearts of the children to the Pentecostal fathers. [8]
Now, do you
Branhamite Pastors know any so-called prophet of God, who has supposedly
restored the true doctrines of God, and claim to have a true revelation on the
seven seals? Gee, I wonder whom this supposedly modest and humble man
could be talking about. Well do not worry, for Branham’s pride will not leave
you in doubt! After all, his demonic spirit-guide would not want you to worship
the wrong prophet. After declaring that only the 7th trumpet angel could open the
Seven Seals, he then brazenly declared that God had commissioned him to
open the Seals; thereby boldly proclaiming to all of his worshippers that he
was the Seventh Messenger to the Laodicean Church Age, and the 7th
trumpet angel, and the Elijah to come.
Branham’s son, Billy
Paul Branham, spoke of this in the introduction of the book entitled, The
Revelation of the Seven Seals. Bill Paul wrote: Brother Branham was caught up in a constellation
of seven angels and was told to return to his church [Branham
Tabernacle] in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where the mysteries of
the Seven Seals would be revealed to him. Branham spoke of it this way: The angels
took me into that pyramid of themselves-the mysteries of God known only to them.
And now, they were the messengers that come to interpret that pyramid
or that Message of the secret of these Seven Seals, which lays with
inside the pyramid…. So, I could truly say that to the best of my
understanding and according to the word of God and the vision and the
revelation, the interpretation thereof is THUS SAITH THE LORD! [9]
Branham from that time on began teaching a message
entitled, The Revelation of the Seven Seals, also An
Exposition of the Seven Church Ages. Thus proving to all who worshipped him
that he had to be the 7th messenger to the Laodicean Church Age and the Elijah to come. One of Branham’s blind worshippers speaking of the three pulls
that Branham taught stated: In one of Brother Branham's sermons entitled,
‘The Anointed Ones at the End Time,’ he was endeavoring to explain the
significance of this latter part of his ministry…. The First Pull, healing:
Second Pull, prophesying: Third Pull, the opening of the Word, the
mysteries revealed… [that is] the opening of them Seven
Seals, to reveal the hidden Truth that’s been sealed in the Word.
Since Branham wanted all his worshippers to
know that he was the 7th angel or messenger, he told them about a so-called
vision he claimed to have. When he was teaching on the Pergamos Church Age,
he said: Now
each of these messages is directed to the ‘angel’ – (human messengers), a very
great responsibility as well as a wonderful privilege is his lot. To these men
God makes special promises…. One morning as I lay in bed and suddenly I was
caught up in a most peculiar vision. I say it was peculiar for I have
had thousands of visions and not once did I seem to leave my body. But
there I was caught up; and I looked back to see my wife, and I saw my body
lying there beside her. Then I found myself in the most beautiful place I have
ever seen. It was paradise….
As I wonder who all those
folks were, one beside me said, ‘They are your people.’ I was astonished I
asked, ‘Are all these Branhams?’ He said, ‘No, they are your converts….’
The man said, ‘We are resting here while waiting for the coming of the Lord…’
and you will be judged according to the Gospel you have preached, and we
will be your subjects. I said, ‘Do you mean I am responsible for all
these?’ He said, ‘Every one. You were born a leader.’ I asked him, ‘Will every
one be responsible? What about Saint Paul?’ He answered me, ‘He will be
responsible for his day [referring to Paul being the messenger to the Ephesian Church Age].’ ‘Well’ I said, ‘I’ve
preached the same Gospel that Paul preached.’ And the multitude cried, ‘We’re
resting on that.’ Yes, I can see that God is going to give a special reward to
His messengers. [10]
The devil must have been
filled with glee to see his deception working among the Branhamites, and
knowing now that he could keep all of Branham’s deceived followers in false
doctrine; for he had now vindicated his false prophet in the eyes of all
of them, who blindly placed all their faith in him. The devil must be rolling
over with laughter. Is it not a shame that these good, sincere, and holy people
are so willing to blindly place their faith in Branham because he could do
miracles, instead of placing their faith in Jesus and in His Holy Infallible
Word! It is enough to break your heart, and I am sure it must break our Lord’s
heart, especially when He has to judge them on the Day of Judgment!
Because Branhamite Pastors truly believe
Branham to be this supposed messenger to this Church Age, and an
infallible prophet of God, they have deified him to such a degree, far
above all apostles and prophets of the Bible, that they teach no one can be
saved unless they confess Branham to be God’s last day prophet and following
his teachings. It is for this reason why many Branhamites proclaim Branham to
be the prophet mention in Acts 3:22-23. Anyone who has an ounce of sense, and the
Holy Spirit of God in them knows this passage of Scripture is referring to our
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Prophet, Priest, and King (Jn 6:14, Lk
24:19).
The Bible called our Lord by this
title in several places, and acknowledged that He is the Christ, the prophet
Moses prophesied of. Philip indisputably declared: “We
have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote
-- Jesus of Nazareth” (Jn 1:45). Take note, Philip said Jesus
was the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy not Branham! The woman at the well not only
told Jesus: “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet,” but also said: “I
know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will
tell us all things” (Jn 4:16-19, 25); therefore she also must have
known the prophecy of Moses. Jesus speaking of himself said: “a prophet
has no honor in his own country” (Jn 4:44). Jesus told the Jews: “the Son of Man
be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him [not Branham] should not
perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:14-15).
If Branhamite Pastors refuse to
believe the Word of God concerning Jesus being the fulfillment of Moses’
Prophecy, than perhaps they will believe there own prophet; for even Branham
himself referred this passage in Acts to the Savior and
not to himself! Branham said: That is Jesus the Prophet…. On earth he
was the Word – the Prophet. Moses said of Him, ‘The Lord
your God will raise up a Prophet like unto Me, and it will come to pass if
they don’t hear the words of that Prophet they will be cut off. [11]
I am amazed that Branhamite Pastors missed this passage in their
infallible prophet’s teachings. Was this a sincere or willful oversight on
their part? It makes me wonder, if they even read or listen to Branham’s
sermons?
CHAPTER 1
BRANHAM’S LIFE STORY WAS COMPLETELY
ENTWINED WITH THAT OF HIS SPIRIT-GUIDE
As we examine
Branham’s life, which according to his own testimony was entwined with the
so-called angel of God, the author definitely believes from all the information
Branham gives concerning this spirit being, that Branham at some point in his
life became demon possessed, probably in his manhood. Branham claimed that his
angel was with him from birth, and continually manifested himself to him
throughout his life in dreams and visions, long before he even claimed to be
saved.
In the occult, a demon that was with a
person from childhood would be called a spirit-guide. Historians speak of others who
had demonic guardian angels with them throughout their life. Lactantius (AD 260-330), speaking of these spirit-guides
wrote: These
are the demons, of whom the poets often speak in their poems, whom
Hesiod [800
BC]
calls them guardians of men, for they so persuaded men by their enticements
and deceits…. Socrates [470-399 BC] used to give out that he
had a demon as the guardian and director of his life from
his first childhood and that he could do nothing without his assent
and command. [12]
Branham made
the very same confession as Socrates: While conducting healing
services, Branham would often fall into a trance, during which his angel would
work through him. Asked once if the healings were done by the Holy Spirit,
Branham replied, ‘No, my angel does it. [13]
Our sweet Savior warned all believers to be ware of false prophets, whose
demons would use them to do miracles and perform lying wonders.
Jesus said: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will
come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many…. For
false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and
wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told
you beforehand” (Mt 4-5, 24-25). Our dear Redeemer declared that
false prophets would deceived many to believe in a perverted
gospel of Christ, which would result in them being lost (Mt 7:13-15, 22-23).
The apostle Paul forewarned God’s Church
about false prophets, who would teach them a perverted gospel. The God’s
apostle wrote: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon
from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
which is not another; but there are some
who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed….
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the
truth” (Ga 1:6-8, 3:1).
This great apostle also told the Church that
these false prophets or ministers of Satan would preach holiness, in
order to deceive believers into thinking that they were true prophets of God.
Paul wrote: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles [or the prophet] of Christ. And
no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform
themselves into ministers of righteousness” or holiness (2Co 11:13-15). Therefore, before we examine Branham
intimate relationship with this spirit creature that dominated his life so
completely, let us find out who this angel was.
Branham Did
Not Know the Name of His Spirit-Guide
and
Contradicted Himself Concerning His Identity
Branham in his usual contradictory manner
declared in one sermon that his spirit-guide was the Lord Jesus Christ, and
this is what most Branhamites believe today, but in several other sermons he
definitely, positively declared that his spirit-guide was not Jesus, but
someone who would not identify himself! When Branham was asked by one of his worshippers
who this angel was, he replied: I believe it’s the same
Angel of Light that come in the - in the jail and come in to Saint Peter and
touched him, and went forward and opened the door and put him out into the
light. And I believe that it’s Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
today, and forever! [14]
In a sermon
entitled “How the Angel Came To
Me, And His Commission,” Branham
clearly and unmistakably declared that his spirit-guide was not Jesus.
Branham speaking of the above event said: “The angel of the Lord that comes [to me] is not the Lord
Jesus. It doesn’t look like Him in the same vision. For the vision I
saw of the Lord Jesus, He was a little Man…. [A] little Fellow [who] had His arms folded like
this, a beard kind of short, hair down to His shoulders. [15]
In his sermon on “The
Angel And The Three Pulls,” Branham still speaking of same event described
his spirit-guide as a large man who: weighed about two hundred
pounds, and kinda dark complected, kinda more like a--a Mexican’s
complexion, you know, like the Spanish, or some dark complected person,
smooth face, no beard, had dark hair down to His shoulders, [and] had a white robe on…. And He looks to be a man in
his thirties, I’d say, a strong looking man. [16]
The above quotes prove beyond all
doubt that Branham’s spirit-guide was not
the Lord Jesus Christ, for Branham unquestionably declared that he was not, and
dogmatically proclaimed that Jesus and his spirit-guide did not look anything
like each other. Therefore, what are you Branhamite Pastors gone to do with
your infallible prophet’s obvious contradiction? Will you take it out of your
books or change it, as the occultic Jehovah Witnesses do when they
discover their infallible Little Flock made a mistake?
In a book
entitled “William Branham, A Man Sent By God,” Branham declared: I do
not know who he [meaning his spirit-guide] is.
I only know that he is the messenger of God to me. [17]
This is impossible to believe, if this was God or even an angel of God. I could
believe that an angel might not identify himself if he appeared once or even
several times to an individual, but not hundredths of times, [18] that would be ludicrous.
Who could believe such a thing? One would naturally have to ask himself, why
did this angel not identify himself, if he was from God?
You certainly do not
find this so-called angelic behavior in the Bible! For when God sent His angel
to the lowly Jewish priest Zacharias, the angel introduced himself and said: “I am Gabriel,
that stand in the presence of God;” and in the “sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from God unto… Mary… and said, Hail, thou
that art highly favoured of the Lord” (Lk 1:19, 26-28, KJV).
God also sent Gabriel to the great prophet Daniel, whom Daniel knew for
he said, “while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel,
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning” (Dan 9:21, KJV).
If Branham
was really a great prophet of God like Daniel, or holy like the lowly priest
Zacharias, or even highly esteem as Mary, he should have rated some important
angel like Gabriel to be his messenger, instead of some spirit who refused to
tell him his name! If Branham’s spirit-guide was God, the Lord Jesus Christ, as he
once claimed, and then denied, why did the Lord not identify Himself to
Branham? When Jesus appeared in a vision to the great apostle Paul, He
definitely identified Himself, for when Paul asked: “Who are You,
Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus” (Acts 9:5). If Branham was equal
to Paul, as Branham and Branhamite Pastors claim, then why did Jesus refuse to
give him His name? This does not make any sense at all, if Branham spirit-guide was
God or even a holy angel of God.
Branham’s
Spirit Guide Appeared
as A Halo of
Light over His Head at His Birth
The author
believes that all the stories Branham gives concerning his childhood were
fabricated after he became demon possessed. These stories were given in order
that Branham could lead his followers to believe that he, like Moses, was
called by God to be a prophet from birth. Not only this, but he wanted his
followers to believe God was with him and protected him all through his
childhood. With these truths in mind, let us examine Branham’s birth.
On April
16, 1909, William Marrion Branham was born, on a farm near Birksville, Kentucky. He
was the firstborn of nine children. Branham claimed that God gave a
supernatural sign to his parents at his birth; for he declared in a sermon
entitled “My Life Story” that a: light in the
form of a circular halo, about a foot in diameter, came whirling in
through the window and was seen above the bed where he laid in his mother’s arms.
[19]
I believe Branham must have seen to many Catholic manger scenes, whereby
the baby Jesus is in a crib or in the arms of his mother with a halo around
His head; evidently, Branham believed this Catholic fairytale and
was trying to identify himself with Jesus.
Branham later identified this light in one
place as God, but in another place, he contradicts himself and
definitely declared it to be a manifestation of his spirit-guide, who
protected him throughout his life. He said: Now, I’d seen it in a whirlwind;
I’d heard it talk to me, and seen it in the form of a light, but
the first time I ever seen the image of it…. It walked up to me, real
close. Well, honest friends, I--I thought my heart would fail me… cause
after hundreds and hundreds of times of visitation,
it paralyzes me when he comes near…. So I was setting there and looking at Him…. And when He spoke, that
voice, that was the same voice that spoke to me when I was two years
old, all the way up…. [He said to me] I’m sent from the presence
of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar birth….’ That same
light hung over me when I was first born. [20] Therefore, Branham identified
the light that came from this spirit being with the light that appeared at his
birth. He said it was the same light.
Branham’s own words declare that
his spirit-guide was either Lucifer or a demon; for if it was the Lord
Jesus Christ, or one of His holy angels, why would anyone be terrorized
from a visitation from Him or His angel, especially after hundreds of visitations.
Where in the Word of God can you find any angel of God manifesting himself as a
halo of light over a baby’s head? The answer is obviously nowhere! Now, I do
not know about you, but to any Bible believing Christian, the very fact
that this never happen to Jesus, or to His apostles, or to His OT prophets,
would frighten me to death, i.e. if I was a Branhamite Pastor who believed
Branham was a prophet of God.
Branham
speaking of his parents said: Now, look, my people was not religious. My father and mother did
not go to church…. My father’s Irish and my mother was Irish…. But myself, we
had no religious training or teaching at all as children. But those gifts,
that visions, I saw visions right then just the same as I do now.
[21]
According to Branham,
his father drank alcohol constantly! Therefore, this supposed miraculous sign and all of his childhood
visions evidently had no effect on his parents at all, for they remained
unsaved as he was growing up. This definitely would be considered unnatural! If
Branham really had a halo of light above his head at birth, and constantly had
visions and dreams as a child, this would lead any normal parent to seek for
God, if these stories are true, unless one or both of his parents were in the
occult, such as an astrologer or fortuneteller. The reason why I say this is
that Branham, by his own testimony claims, that he had many encounters with
astrologers and fortune-tellers, who were always prophesying to him. [22]
Gave Him His
First Vision
Branham declared that God, supposedly
using his spirit-guide, gave him his first vision when he was a year and a half
old or in 1910. He stated: Now, in the beginning, the
first thing that I can ever remember is a vision. The first thing that I can
recall to my mind is a vision that the Lord gave me. And that was many, many
years ago, I was a little bitty boy. [23]
Where in the Bible does
God give visions, not dreams, to anyone who has not experienced His saving
grace? Now, I believe that God can save children at an early age, but Branham
did not claim to be saved until he was twenty years old. If Branham truly had a
vision at 18 months old, it must have given him a terrible fright for
him to remember it all of life. However this vision was about, it did not cause
him to repent of give his life to God as a child.
Age Three and
A Half: Branham’s Spirit-Guide
Spoke to Him
Audibly for the First Time
Branham continuing his discourse on his supposed
supernatural childhood said: And then the next thing I remember must have been
about two years later…. And that would make me about three years old. He went on to say that it was at that time,
in 1912 he heard the voice of his spirit-guide as it told him: You're going to spend a big
part of your life near a city called New Albany. Branham then stated: That's three miles from
where I was raised. [24]
According to Branham, it was not long after that his parents moved to
Jeffersonville, IN, which was a few miles from New Albany.
Of all the good and bad things that must have
happen to Branham in his childhood, why would he remember his so-called vision
and this voice telling him his family was going to move. What would be so
frightening about moving to a different city, that he would remember a voice
telling him this? I must say, Branham for being an illiterate man with no
education, sure had an outstanding memory of his childhood, or a great
imagination, one of two.
Age Seven: Branham’s Spirit Guide
Supposedly Kept Him from Sinning
In 1916, Branham claimed that
his spirit-guide spoke to him again. He said that he was passing: under a
great white popular tree…. I was crying, and all at once I heard something
making a noise like a whirlwind, something like this going ‘whoooosssh,
whooooossssh. Branham then stated that he moved away from the tree, and turned to look
at this sight again; when he did, he claimed he heard his spirit-guide
speaking to him again saying: Don’t you never drink,
smoke, or defile your body in any way. There’ll be a work for you to do
when you get older. [25]
One can not help
observing, as they read Branham’s sermons or listen to them on tape, that this
so-called angel of God uses the same illiterate way of speaking as Branham,
ever time he supposedly spoke to him. Now is that not strange? According
to Branham, he was a sinner at this time, whose supposed visions
and miraculous manifestations of his spirit-guide did not lead him to a
personal faith in Christ. Now is that not also strange? Nowhere can you
find Branham’s spirit-guide ever leading him to a knowledge of Christ, or of
the Bible in his childhood, or even as a teenager! Now this is unbelievable.
Branham’s fabrications did not stop here,
for he also declared that his spirit-guide supposedly supernaturally
intervened when he tried to disobey these instructions by smoking a
cigarette or taking a drink of alcohol. It definitely seems odd that an angel
of God would prevent Branham from smoking or drinking, when he was an unbeliever
in Christ. No angel of God ever stopped Samson, or the prophet David, from
drinking alcohol or committing sin. In fact, no angel of God ever stopped David
from committing adultery and murder. No angel of God ever stopped Paul
from killing Christians before he was saved.
Therefore, I would like to ask Branhamite Pastors,
if God uses angels to stop men from sinning, then why did He not use His angels
to stop the above prophets and the apostle Paul? Makes you wonder, does it not?
Now I know Branhamite Pastors will probably say: “the
answer is simple, Branham was greater than Samson, David, or even Paul.” Where in the Bible, can any Branhamite Pastor
find Branham’s name ever mention? You do not, do you! The truth is that God
will not rob anyone of their freewill, if anyone wants to commit sin, God will
not stop them. God will rob no angel or man of his power of self-determination.
This is why He did not stop Lucifer and the angels of God that fell with him
from sinning, and Adam and Eve from sinning in the Garden of Eden, and even the
prophet David from sinning. If any man or woman, sinner or saint, wants to
smoke, drink alcohol, steal, commit adultery, or even murder someone, God will
not stop him or her.
Age Fourteen: Branham’s Spirit Guide
Miraculously Preserved His Life from Death
According to Branham, he almost died in 1923. He said: I was shot, down in the
field, when I was 14 years old, And I was laying there. And my legs blowed over
me, like hamburger, from a twelve-gauge shotgun. And I screamed for water; Oh,
give me a drink! I numb; my lips was numb. [26] One of Branham’s followers speaking of
Branham’s accident said: Brother Branham almost died for the second time at
the age of fourteen. Accidentally shot, lying in his own blood with part of his
leg shot away where the blast of a shotgun had struck him, he had a vision,
or experience, where he himself faded away and he saw people in hell. He
saw things that were to take place among the women of the world in the 1960’s,
the grotesque use of makeup and the like. These women were in hell and
it shocked him to realize that there was such a place, yet
he resisted the call of God upon his life.
As one reads Branham’s
life story, one must logically conclude that all these fairytales
Branham told of the visions his spirit-guide, not the Holy Spirit, gave him before
he even claimed to be saved, were nothing but fabrications. For as I stated
before, I cannot find one place where Branham’s spirit-guide ever encouraged
him as a child, teenager, or as a man to seek God in prayer, read and study the
Word of God, or even led him to a saving knowledge of Christ as he was growing
up.
Not only this but after
hundreds of suppose visions, including his so-called vision of the horrible,
frightening torments of hell as he was laying in the field on the verge of
death, and none of this moved him to give his life to Christ, this is completely
unbelievable! It appears
that God must have been wasting His time by giving this sinner boy all
these visions, for they evidently did not lead him to repent or love Him. One would have to
conclude that this boy was either demon possessed and hated God, or he was
retarded and did not have a sound mind, or the whole story was a complete
fabrication.
I challenge any Branhamite Pastor to show me one
scripture where God gave a multitude of visions to anyone who was not saved, as
this man claimed to have! Where in the Bible can anyone find
these things happening to any of God’s prophets or apostles before they were
saved? You cannot, can you! This is just one of the reasons why I believe that William
Branham fabricated these stories, after he became possessed by
his demonic spirit-guide; just as the occultic leader Joseph Smith
fabricated his stories.
Age Twenty: Branham’s Spirit-Guide Supposedly
Gave Him A Vision of Light in the Form of A Cross
When
Branham’s brother Edward died, he attended his funeral in Jeffersonville, IN.
It was at this time, according to Branham that he started thinking about hell.
It is evident that someone must have told him that Edward went to hell, or he
would go to hell, if he did not believe in Christ, or it could have been both.
Sometime after this, Branham was working for a public service company in which
he nearly died from gas poisoning. Even though he did not die, he had stomach
problems thereafter. Therefore, it could have been a combination of all
these events that supposedly led him to seek God in prayer!
In 1929 at the age of
20,
Branham stated that he went to a wood shed to pray and seek for God. According
to the book entitled “Acts Of The Prophet,” Branham did not have
faith in Christ at that time. Instead of reading the Word of God, or going
to church and hearing the preaching of the Word of God, as any unbelievers
would do who wanted to know God, he prayed and asked God to give him a
miraculous sign, so he could know that He really existed. This was very similar
to the unbelieving Jews in Jesus day, who asked Him to give them a sign
so that they could believe in Him. However, what did Jesus tell them: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign” (Mt
12:39).
According to Branham, as
he was supposedly praying and asking God to reveal Himself to him
by giving him a sign of His presence, a light appeared to
him in form of a cross, and a voice spoke to him in a language
that he did not understand, and then left him. He then prayed: Lord,
if this is you, please, come back and talk to me again. [27]
The light re-entered the shed three times. Gee, does this not remind you of the
Catholic fairytale of the pagan Roman emperor Constantine’s
vision of a cross.
Eusebius, the ancient Catholic
historian, recorded Constantine’s supposed vision this way: Accordingly he called on him [God] with earnest prayer
and supplications that he would reveal to him who he was…. And while he
was thus praying with fervent entreaty, a most marvelous sign appeared
to him… a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the
inscription, Conquer By This. [28]
This supposedly vision led
Constantine to become a Christian, and to unite the Roman Empire with the
Catholic Church, which fulfilled Satan’s plan to attack God’s true
Church as heretics! According to history, any Christian who did not join
Constantine’s Roman Catholic Church could suffer: loss of citizenship, loss of
property, loss of employment, prison, and enslavement.
Now like Constantine, Branham’s supposed
vision led him to give his life to Christ! Therefore, it was not the preaching
of the gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection of our great
Savior) that brought him to
become a Christian, but this vision! The Word of God declared: “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching [not
visions] to save them that believe” (1Co
1:21, KJV). If I were a
Branhamite Pastor, I would have to say that this scripture applies to every
believer in Christ, except William Branham.
The question we now to
ask is: “if Branham’s spirit-guide really did give him
this vision of light in the form of a cross, than why did he?” It could have been that
his spirit-guide was planning on to use him to spread a perverted
gospel to the world, just as Satan used Constantine, and Joseph
Smith’s spirit-guide used him to preach a perverted gospel. It is
obvious that Branham was a Mystic and a Pharisee, for he was not
seeking God through His Word, but through signs and miraculous manifestations.
Therefore, it was not the Word of God that sparked Branham’s faith in Christ,
but these demonic signs!
Called Him to Become His Minister
In 1931 at the age of 22, Branham became a minister in the Baptist Church.
It was in this church that Branham was taught the doctrine of
predestination, and his mind was filled with demonic poison against
speaking in tongues. Every Branhamite, who believes in baptism in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ and in Jesus’ supreme Deity as God the Father, should
ask why would God lead him to a Trinitarian church, if this was God? Was God
confused? We both know that God did not lead him into a Trinitarian Church, for
God is not a deceiver, and He does not led honest hearted believers to go to a
Church that preaches false doctrine.
If it was not God who led Branham to a Trinitarian
church, was it Branham’s spirit-guide? If it was Branham’s spirit-guide, why
would his spirit-guide, his life long bosom buddy, lead him to become a
minister in a church that did not believe or stand for the truth on baptism in
Jesus’ Name, the power of the Holy Ghost, and the oneness of God? It makes one
wonder, does it not? It definitely makes one wonder if Branham’s spirit-guide
was really from God, does it not!
Did Branham do this on his own, when his
spirit-guide was sleeping or on vacation? If so, Branham’s
spirit-guide must not have taught him much about God or His Word. If
Branham was so close to God all of his life, and God had His hand on him throughout
his life, and God really gave him all those visions and dreams as an unsaved
child and man as he claimed, then why did God not show him the truth
right away in a dream or vision, or have Branham’s spirit-guide teach him the
truth? It definitely makes one wonder if Branham was really a prophet of God,
does it not!
It definitely leads one to believe that Branham’s
spirit-guide was of the devil, for according Branham, his spirit-guide took it
active interest in teaching him the Bible at this time. [29] If Branham’s spirit-guide was of God, why did he
wait for Branham to become deceived by Trinitarians Pastors before he started
teaching him the Bible? In other words, in twenty-two years of Branham’s life,
his spirit-guide told him absolutely nothing about the Lord Jesus Christ or His
Holy infallible Word, and now that he is a Trinitarian Preacher, he starts
teaching him different doctrines of the Bible, which Branham denounces as
heresy years later in his ministry, which I will prove later in chapter three.
Some time after this, Branham, the Trinitarian
Baptist Minister, encountered the true one God Apostolic Pentecostal believers.
I believe God probably started drawing Branham to the true gospel of
Christ at this time, and away from the false teaching of his spirit-guide. God
was leading Branham to believe His New Birth message of baptism in His holy and
sin cleansing name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the initial
evidence of speaking in tongues. Branham’s spirit-guide evidently was not very happy
with God’s drawing of Branham to the truth, for it did not last very long.
Branham’s spirit-guide, as a pit bull, had his deceptive teeth deeply buried
into him, and was not going to let him go; for he was going to use Branham to
pervert the true gospel of Christ.
Branham speaking of his brief encounter with God’s
Oneness Pentecostals people, said he was driving home from a short vacation,
when he saw many cars with large signs that had a logo that stated: Jesus Only’ on it, I
thought, ‘Well, wonder what that is?’ So I followed it around; come to find
out, it was a religious meeting, fifteen hundred to two thousand people
there…. So
I pulled it [my
car]
over to one side…. [I]
walked in, looked around, and everybody standing that could stand. I had to look
over their heads…. I thought, ‘Whew, uhm, what a people that is.’ But the
longer I stood there, the better I felt. I thought, ‘That seems pretty good.
Well, there ain't nothing wrong with them people. They ain't crazy.’
I got to talking to some of them, so they--they were fine people. [30]
Branham went on to say: So you’ve heard my life
story on those things, so I’ll stop here and tell you something that ‘I’ve
never told before…. Setting in the meeting that night, when they’d sing
their songs they’d clapped their hands…. And they would run up and down the
aisles, and everything, and just shouting and praising the Lord. I thought,
‘That sounds awful good to me. Branham then confessed that the Holy Spirit of God at
that time convicted him of his lost condition. Branham said it
this way: in their preaching, they was referring all the time to Acts, Acts 2:4,
Acts 2:38, Acts 10:49, all that. I thought, ‘Say, that’s Scripture. I just
never seen it like that before.’ But, oh, my heart was a-burning, [I] thought, ‘This is wonderful.’
I thought they was a bunch of holy-rollers when I first met them, and I
thought, ‘oh my now, they’re a bunch of angels.’ See? I changed my
mind right quick. [31]
Somewhere in that meeting, a one God,
Jesus’ Name minister prayed for Branham’s stomach problem and
he was instantly healed. Using Branham’s vernacular expressions, God was
confirming or vindicating the truth to him with signs and
miracles. Branham being ignorant of the baptism of the Holy Ghost said: One thing I couldn’t
understand was that speaking in tongues; that got me. Branham then confessed that he did not have
the Holy Ghost or was born of the Spirit. He said: After the service was over,
I looked around [and] I found one of them [meaning one of the leaders who gave messages in
tongues and interpretation], I said… ‘You people have something here that I
don’t have.’ He [the oneness preacher] said, ‘Have you got the Holy Ghost since you
believed?’ I said, ‘Well, I’m a Baptist.’ He said, ‘But have you received the
Holy Ghost since you believed?
And I said, ‘Well, brother,
what do you mean?’ I said, ‘I--I haven’t got what you all got, I know that.’
I said, ‘Because you’ve got something that seems to be powerful….’ [The Jesus’ Name minister] Said, ‘Have you ever spoke
with tongues?’ And I said, ‘No, sir.’ [He then] Said, ‘I’ll tell you right quick; you
haven’t got the Holy Ghost.’ And I said… ‘If that what it takes to get the Holy
Ghost, I haven’t got It.’ And so he said, ‘Well, if you haven’t spoke
with tongues, you haven’t got It. [32] Almighty
God must have brought deep conviction upon Branham for he asked: Well, where can I get It?’ [The oneness preacher] Said, ‘Get on in the room
there and start seeking the Holy Ghost. Branham said he had some doubts, but he knew that oneness Jesus Name
Preacher
was really a Christian. He was absolutely, rung out one hundred percent,
a Christian. That’s right. Well, I thought, ‘Praise God, here it is.
I—I’ve—I’ve got to get to that altar. [33][1]
According to Branham after he talked with
this one God, Jesus’ Name Christian gentleman, he talked to someone who he
thought was a hypocrite, because his demonic spirit-guide supposedly
gave him a vision while he was talking to this man. Therefore, he became
confused and when home without going to the altar and receiving the Holy Ghost.
God no doubt was calling him to salvation at this time, but his spirit-guide
used this vision to keep him in fear and in deception!
Evidently, Holy Spirit of God was trying to
reveal the truth to Branham by drawing him to that meeting, and by opening up
his heart, and placing him under great conviction by the anointing preaching of
His Word, and the pure, sweet, holy worship of God’s children, and even by
healing him of his stomach problems. According to Branham when he was 28
years old, he truly regretted not staying with God’s people at that
meeting, but this still did not lead him to repent of this awful mistake. I
will speak of this later.
Age
Twenty-Four: Branham’s Spirit Guide
Commissioned
or Ordained Him to Be His Minister
It is evident that Branham never received the
Holy Ghost, and from that time on, he rejected the teaching that speaking in a
tongue was the initial evidence of being born of Spirit. Two years later or in 1933, when he was 24 years old he declared: I was getting too critical
on speaking with tongues. You see? But one day then, how God vindicated that to
me. The day
Branham was referring to in which his spirit-guide, not God, confirmed
his teaching against speaking in tongues, was June 11, 1933. It was on this day that his spirit-guide
appeared to him and ordained him to be his minister.
Branham said it this way: I was baptizing down on the
river my first converts, at the Ohio River, and the seventeenth person I was
baptizing, as I started to baptize… ‘A voice spoke from there [heaven], and said, ‘As John the
Baptist was sent for the forerunner of the first coming of Christ, you’ve got
a--have a Message that will bring forth the forerunning of the second coming of
Christ. [34]
Gee, the voice from heaven, does it not remind you of our Saviors baptism (Mt 3:16-17); and by Savior I do not mean Branham, but
the only man and God any Christians should ever worship, i.e. the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Branham
speaking of this even in 1966 stated: When that angel, that you see in that picture over there,
come down on the river down there that day… thirty-three years
ago, rather, this June, and said, ‘As John the Baptist was
sent forth, the hour has come when your Message will stray the world.
[35]
There are two points that my
beloved readers should take note of in the above fairytale. First, Branham
justified his critical teaching against tongues by this light and voice from
heaven, which supposedly confirmed his ministry and teachings. He later claimed
that this light and voice was not God, but a
manifestation of his demon spirit-guide. Second point, according to
Branham, his spirit-guide was proclaiming him to be the prophet, who would
prepare the way for Christ’s second coming.
In 1937, Branham's wife and baby girl died. His baby died
from Tubercular Meningitis. In the book entitled “The Acts Of The Prophet,”
Branham believed that his wife and daughter died because he missed
God’s will by not believing God’s entire message of salvation, which
the One God Jesus’ Name Pentecostals preached. [36] He evidently believed in their message of the
godhead in Christ and baptism in Jesus’ name, but he totally rejected their
teaching on the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the biblical evidence of
speaking in tongues.
I believe Branham never
spoke in tongues through the Holy Spirit, even though he claimed he did,
for no one could preach and teach against this beautiful and glorious
manifestation of the Holy Spirit, as he did and actually have it. If he
actually did speak in tongues, it surely was not from the Holy Spirit of God,
but from his demonic spirit-guide. Branham often mocked speaking in tongues and
compared it to demonic manifestations. In one such denunciation, he claimed he
heard witches speaking in tongues in their rituals. In fact in one of his false prophecies Branham
said: The revival is over. America had her last chance
in 1957. Now the tongues are God’s sign of impending
disaster, even as they were when they appeared upon the wall at
Belshazzar’s feast. [37]
It was no
doubt this kind of satanic preaching that caused God to turn His back on
Branham, and turn him over to a rebate mind. Therefore, I definitely believe,
if Branham did speak in tongues, it was through his demonic spirit-guide. I can
remember a homosexual who was a female impersonator in a nightclub on Bourbon
Street in New Orleans, who came into our church in 1971. This man had ten lust demons in him.
After nine demons came out of him, the tenth started speaking in some language.
After the tenth spirit was cast out of him, Jesus immediately came into him,
and he began to speaking in tongues through the power of the Holy Ghost. It was
beautiful to watch the change that came over him, as the peace of God filled
his spirit and soul.
Therefore, I know that demons can speak in
tongues through sinners, and even imitate all the gifts of
the Holy Spirit, but I am very happy to know that God’s Spirit still
speaking in tongues today through His holy people in prayer and worship.
I have had this glorious experience for 34 years, and I can honestly say, I
would not trade it for all the money in the world, or anything else Satan has!
This is a real biblical experience with almighty God, and anyone who would
speak a word against it is on dangerous grounds, for they are probably blaspheming
the Holy Ghost (Mt 12:31)!
After the death of
Branham’s wife and baby, Branham became very depress and attempted suicide.
He claimed he put a loaded gun to his head and pulled the trigger, but it did not
go off. In anger, he threw the gun down and it fired. [38]
After this, he went to sleep and in a dream, he supposedly woke up in
heaven. There he saw his wife and daughter in a mansion. This according to him
gave him the assurance that they were saved. Therefore, he received assurance, not
from the Word of God, but from a dream that they were saved.
According to Branham, it was also this dream that gave him the assurance that the
Baptist teaching on believeism for salvation was a correct one. Can any
Branhamite pastor show me in the Bible, where it tells God’s children to judge
truth by dreams?
Age Thirty-Seven: the Beginning of the Healing Ministry
of Branham’s Spirit-Guide
On May 7, 1946 at age 37, Branham met his spirit-guide for
the first time. Branham declared that it all started when he walked beneath
a maple tree in his front yard, when his spirit-guide gave him another sign of
his presence. It was a whirlwind at
the top of the maple tree. This was the same manifestation that his
spirit-guide gave him when he was seven years old. According to
Branham, he went into his home and told his wife Meda, whom he married after
his first wife died: I can’t go on like this; I’m a prisoner.’ I said, ‘All the time,
when this thing keeps happening, and things like that, and these visions
a-coming, and so forth like that, or whatever it is….’ I said, ‘Them trances
like,’ I said, ‘I don’t know what that is. And, honey, I--I--I--I don’t want to
fool with it; they—they [the Baptist preachers he fellowshipped with] tell me it’s the Devil….
I said, ‘I’m going to my place in the woods. [39]
In one of Mr. Branham’s sermons, he described his
place in the woods as “a cave” and in another sermon, he contradicts himself by saying it was: “a
little old dilapidated cabin.” One of Branham’s
worshippers said that Branham declared it was a cave and he
described it this way: The cave is furnished by nature as though for
his [Branham’s] very own use. Inside there is a round rock shaped
like a table, another, shaped like a chair, and also a place for a man to lie
down and sleep. He [Branham] put none of this there - it
simply was there. It was to that secret cave he
went that eventful night.”
Branham in one of his moments of confusion called
it a cabin, he stated: And I went up there that
night, went back in a little old cabin… [and] prayed saying, ‘I don’t want
to be possessed with the Devil. I don’t want them things
to happen to me. Please, God, don’t never let it happen no
more….’ And all at once I seen a light flicker in the room…. I looked
around…. And I seen the foot of a man come in.” Branham in his
heart knew this was the devil, but somehow he did not want to believe it!
He had already rejected the truth about the Holy Spirit, and God turned him
over to his demonic spirit-guide.
Branham continued: It was dark in the room, all
but right here where it was shining right down. I seen the foot of a Man coming
in. And when He come into the room, walked on up, He was a Man about, looked to
weigh about two hundred pounds. He had His hands folded like this. Now, I’d
seen it in a whirlwind; I’d heard it talk to me, and seen it in the form
of a light, but the first time I ever seen the image of it….
It walked
up to me, real close. Well, honest friends, I--I thought my heart would
fail me…. Cause after hundreds and hundreds of times of
visitation, it paralyzes me when he comes near. [40]
It appears to me that Branham lived in fear
of his spirit-guide! Why would any Christian, who loves the Lord Jesus Christ,
and is living in holiness, be fearful of Him or one of His holy angels,
especially after Jesus or His angel was suppose to appear to him hundreds of
times? This is unbelievable, unless, Branham’s spirit-guide was not Jesus or one
of His angels, but Lucifer or one of his chief demons!
I know though experience that Lucifer can have a fearful
paralyzing effect on the body of man. In 1977, I can remember being in the upper room of our church in
Stockton, CA. As I was on my knees in prayer, a horrible, almost paralyzing,
icy cold feeling came over me, and then a voice spoke to me and said: “If you open
your eyes you will see Lucifer.” A great fear
then came over me as I felt the icy cold presence of Lucifer standing over me.
I was afraid to open my eyes. I then proceeded, for about 30 minutes, to tell
Lucifer how much hated him. As I was verbally pouring out my hate for him, I
could actually hear him laughing at me, which enraged me even more.
Then I said something, which I do not fully understand,
even to this day. I said: “Satan, even though you have brought
much misery in my life, I would not want to see anyone tormented in the Lake of
Fire forever.” As soon as I said this, Lucifer
immediately departed. It seems to me that he enjoyed me hating him, but he
could not bear me having compassion on him. I later realized, as long as I was
hating him, I was playing the game of life in his ballpark, and by his rules.
Thank God, I have never had another dreadful experience as this. Therefore, I
know the presence of Lucifer can definitely have a fearful paralyzing
effect on the body of a man.
After Branham described his spirit-guide
and the great horrifying fear that came over him when this demon
appeared to him, he then reveal the gifts this spirit gave to him. As I beloved
readers read the following passage, let them take note: this demon has the very same
illiterate way of speaking as Branham. Branham went on to say: So I was setting there and looking at Him…. He had a
real deep voice, and He said, ‘Do not fear; I am sent from the presence of
Almighty God…. Your peculiar birth and misunderstood life has been to indicate
that you’re to go to all the world and pray for the sick people…. If
you get the people to believe you, and be sincere when you pray, nothing
shall stand before your prayers, not even cancer. [41]
His demon then went on to say: As the prophet Moses was
given two gifts, signs (rather) to vindicate his ministry,
so will you be given two, so are you given two gifts to
vindicate your ministry.’ He then said: ‘One of them will be that you’ll take the person that you’re
praying for by the hand, with your left hand and their right…. Then
just stand quiet, and it’ll have, there’ll be a physical effect
that’ll happen on your body. Branham’s demon then told him that this “physical effect,” which was a “vibration” or a “discoloration” or “something like that” on his left hand, depending on what
infallible sermon you want to believe, would be a sign to him of the person’s
healing or lack of it. This demon said it this way: Then you pray. And if it [the physical effect on
Branham’s left hand] leaves, the disease is gone from the people. If it doesn’t
leave, just ask a blessing and walk away.
Branham’s demon then told him that the
second gift he would give him would be the gift of fortune-telling,
whereby he would help him to: know the very secrets of their heart. [42]
In other words, Branham’s demon would not only reveal the sickness to
him, but also personal things about that person. I challenge any Branhamite
Pastor to show me one scripture, whereby God healed anyone by the hands of an
apostle or prophet that way! You cannot, can you! This is nothing but the devil’s
perverted imitation of God’s gifts of knowledge and discernment.
One of Branham’s devoted worshippers
speaking of the above event stated: The angel told him that
under the anointing he would be able to take people by the hand, and the spirit
of disease in that person would cause such a commotion and a reaction when it
made contact with his spirit, that he would be able to feel this vibration
physically in his hand. By telling people what the disease was,
it would inspire the faith of the audience, and they
too, would believe…. When praying for the sick, he would
watch the Pillar of fire [meaning his demonic
spirit-guide] move around the building from one person to
another, revealing the thoughts and intents of the
heart [to him], the past, the
present and future. Fortunetellers do the very same thing using the same demonic powers
of their spirit-guides!
In 1972, I can remember casting demons out of a Catholic man who had the power
to heal, or curse someone with a disease. He, probably like Branham, really
though this power came from God. After a time, the demons in him spoke and
said: “I
love Rick, and Rick loves me, and Rick does not want me out.” These demons then promised to give Rick
anything in life he wanted, if he would let them stay. As a result, Rick sold
his soul to these devils and departed out of the church. Branham, like Rick,
no doubt loved the power and fame this demon gave him, even though he greatly
feared this demon.
In
the same year, there was a woman, who was in her later sixties, which claim to
be a prophetess. Sister Ryan and some of the elderly sisters in our church told
me about her, who heard her prophesying and saw her healing powers.
I told sister Ryan that I would like to meet this woman and hear her prophesy.
She evidently told this woman I want to meet her. Well one afternoon as I was
out in the field selling Family Bibles, I was inspired to called sister Ryan’s
home. As it so happen, this woman and some other sisters in our church was
there. As I was talking to sister Ryan, I could hear this woman say: “That is the young man you
told me about and he is coming over here.” I told sister Ryan: “That is right, I will be there in about twenty
minutes.”
When I arrived, this woman was prophesying
about events that would take place, and general things about the Bible. She
spoke for more than an hour, and all could tell she was speaking under some
kind of anointing. I could not tell by what she said if she was of God or the
devil. Therefore, after she finished, I walked up to her and said: “Mama, I am told that you
claim to be a prophetess of God. The Bible commands God’s children to ‘tested those who say they are apostles’ (Rev 2:2), which also
applies to those who claim to be prophetess. Now, the only way I know to test
anyone is by the Word of God. So, can you tell us how a person becomes saved,
and, is Jesus Christ God? If He is God, in which way is He God?” Immediately this woman began to cry, and
say: “You
are against me.” I said: “No mama I am not. I
sincerely want to know what you believe.” As she continued to cry, I said to all present: “Let us form a circle and
hold hands and worship our Savior.”
This woman refused to hold hands with us, or
worship the Lord Jesus Christ, but ran out of the house screaming as though she
was in great pain. Sister Ryan then informed me that this woman was afraid of
another woman down the block from her, whom she claimed had more power
than her, for this woman also could heal and prophesy. I
asked sister Ryan why this woman was afraid of her, and she replied: “She is afraid that she will
take her powers away from her.” I told sister Ryan: “If God gave her these powers no one can take it from
her; but if these powers came from the devil, than a stronger demon might be
able to usurp them.”
Let this be a warning to all Branhamites,
just because someone has the power of healing, prophecy, or whatever other
power, this does not mean it is coming from God. Now, I believe in all
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and I believe they are all in operation in
God’s church today. However, when it comes to knowing what is truth and what is
a lie, our faith must be totally in the Word of God, and not in some divine
healer, even if he has a halo of light hanging over his head.
Even after Branham’s spirit-guide promised to
give him all this power, Branham still had fears that his angel was
from the devil. Branham expressed his fears this way: Well, I said, ‘Sir [not LORD]… I have been told by my
clergymen that those things that’s been coming to me was wrong….’
What made me more scared than ever, every time I met a
fortune-teller, they would recognize [me]…. [They would] ‘Say, did you know
there’s a--a light that follows you? You were born under
a certain sign, [43]
which according to Branham was a halo of light above his head. Is it not strange that even these demonic
fortune-tellers had the same illiterate way of speaking as Branham?
Branham then went on to speak of an
astrologer he met. He said: One day while I was a game warden, I was going up on
the bus. And I got on the bus…. She [the astrologist] said, ‘I’d like to
talk to you a minute.’ I said, ‘Yes, ma’am?’ And I turned around. She said,
‘Did you know you were born under a sign
[a
halo of light]?’ I thought, ‘Another one of them funny women…. She said, ‘Maybe I’d
better explain myself.’ She said, ‘I’m an astrologist….’ And she said,
‘You were born on April the 6th, 1909, at
five o’clock in the morning.’ I said, ‘That's right.’
[44]
It appears from Branham’s own testimony that
the devil’s children recognized the presence of Branham’s
demonic spirit-guide, i.e. of course, if these stories or true. Some of
those who worshipped and followed Branham also claimed that they seen a halo
of light above his head. These Branhamite Pastors or worshippers of
men claimed that this halo proves that Branham was a true prophet of God.
I would like any
Branhamite Pastor show me one scripture, in which any of God’s holy prophets or
apostles had a halo of light
over their head, so that all may know that they were men of God. If any man
should have had a halo of light over his head or surrounding his body, surely
it should have been our holy Savior, and I do not mean Branham. Now, if our
Lord had a halo of light over His head, the Jews no doubt would not have
rejected Him or crucified Him. Well, so much for Catholic idolatry,
which shows images of our Lord and His apostles with a halo
of light over their heads.
Therefore, it is very evident that these demon-possessed
fortune-tellers not only recognize Branham’s spirit-guide, but also they
did not fear him. In fact, these fortunetellers were attracted to Branham’s
demon and even glorified him. These fortunetellers had the very same demonic
spirit of divination in them, as the woman in Philippi did who was delivered
and set free by Paul (Acts 16:16-18).
I do not find any place in Branham’s sermons,
whereby he cast the demons out of these fortunetellers or even tried to. In
fact, I have not found one place where he cast demons out of anyone. All he did
was run from these fortune-tellers like a scared rabbit. If Branham was as great as the apostle Paul,
as he claimed, or even had the same amount of
power in him as Paul did,
then why did he not cast the demons out of these fortune-tellers, who were
plaguing him? Something to think about, is it not?
Branham then went on to express his fears
that the demon spirits of these fortunetellers seem to be attracted to him for some
reason. Branham said: And every time any, I’d get around one of
them [fortunetellers
and astrologists], that’s the way it would be. And I thought, ‘Why does them devils
do that?’ Then the preachers, saying, ‘That’s the Devil. That’s
the Devil. It
appears to me that God is using Branham’s own testimony to help sincere
Branhamite to know that the spirit that followed Branham throughout his
life was an evil spirit!
Branham continued: And then that night up there
[meaning
at the cabin or cave, depending on what version of this fairytale you prefer]…. I asked him [meaning his demonic
spirit-guide], I said, ‘Well, why is it all them mediums and things like
that, and them devil-possessed people, that always tell me
about it [meaning my halo of light]; and the clergy that, my brethren, tell
me that it’s of the evil spirit? [45] Branham’s demon
then proceeded to take certain scriptures out of context, like Satan did to Eve
in the garden (Gen 3:1,4), and
to our Lord in the wilderness (Mt 4:6), and persuaded him that God’s sometimes uses demon-possessed people to
perform His will. According to this demon, God was just trying to
show Branham that He called him to be His end time prophet.
I
would like any Branhamite Pastor to show me one place in the Bible where God
sent a demon possessed astrologer or fortuneteller to any OT prophet or NT
apostle to tell them God had called, chosen, and ordained them to be a prophet
of God, or an apostle of God? It is not there, is it? I do find in the Bible
where God said: “Do not let your people practice fortune-telling
or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft,
or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits
of the dead. Anyone who does these things is an object of horror
and disgust [i.e. an abomination] to the LORD” (Deu 18:10-12).
Does any Branhamite Pastor really believe for one
moment that God changed His mind on these sinful demonic practices? Is there a
Branhamite Pastor anywhere that will tell his people it is all right for them
to be a fortune-teller, astrologer, a witch, a medium, or a sorcerer, because
God supposedly use them to call Branham to be His prophet. Gee, I wonder
why God did not use one of His millions of angels? Could it be they were all
only strike at that time? If anyone is naive enough to believe Branham’s
testimony, then they are naïve enough to believe angels of God in heaven go on
strike.
What were the results of this demon’s lies?
Branham said: he went home a new person…. [That is] when I accepted it. [46]
I assume it was at this time that Branham finally surrendered his mind and will
to this demon, which resulted in this demon coming into him and possessing him.
I assume Branham was tired of resisting this demon’s obsessive power
over his mind and life, and it also appeared to him that God had
abandoned him; and besides all of this, this demon promised to give him fame,
power, and who knows what else. If this assessment of Branham’s story is not
true, then will some Branhamite Pastor please tell me why Branham would panic
with fear every time his spirit-guide appeared to him, i.e. if
Branham truly believed he was Jesus or one of His sweet Holy
angels!
In the booklet, Twentieth Century Prophet,
the William Branham Evangelistic Association told of a vision Branham claimed
to have. It stated: It seemed that he [Branham]
appeared upon a green grassy hill, and just in front of him lay an
old-fashioned four-cornered candy jar. Inside the jar was a large tobacco moth
or fly trying to free itself…. Then out of the moth came swarms of flies, and one
of the flies flew in Brother Branham’s ear. The angel said
unto him ‘The flies which you have seen represent evil
spirits, such as spirits of divination and fortune-telling. [47] Who knows if God was warning Branham concerning his
spirit-guide being an evil spirit? One thing is for sure; I cannot find
any place where Branham ever declared that this evil spirit ever flew out of
his ear! Once this evil spirit came in, it evidently made his abode with
Branham, and no doubt gave him all of his power to become a fortune-teller and
a healer.
In a sermon
Branham entitled “The Angel And Three Pulls,” Branham described the
gifts his spirit-guide gave him as the three pulls. One of his worshippers
described these pulls this way: When I first saw Brother Branham, this was the phase
of his ministry, the [first] ‘pull, being manifested.
When people came before him, unless he could visibly see their ailment, like
blindness, being crippled, or paralysis, he would take them by the hand, and if
they had sin in their life, he told them first of their sin. The second sign,
or ‘pull,’ was to be his knowing the secrets of the heart. He would be able to
just talk to people and he would know their name and other facts about them….
Notice the very day when
this Messenger begins to declare his Message. See? The First Pull, healing:
Second Pull, prophesying: Third Pull, the opening of the Word, the mysteries
revealed…. And remember, the Third Pull was the opening of them Seven Seals to
reveal the hidden Truth that’s been sealed in the Word. Brother Branham’s third
pull was the teaching segment of his ministry. The first two pulls drew
attention to his prophetic ministry by the constant exercise of the
supernatural, but this generation needed more than a demonstration of miracles.
God's purpose was to send this Elijah with a Message of restoration.
Branham clearly and
distinctly gave the credit for his power to his spirit-guide, not to the Holy
Spirit of God; for Branham claimed that he
could do no miracles unless his spirit-guide was present. Kurt Koch in his book
entitled Occult Bondage and Deliverance confirmed this when he wrote: While
conducting healing services, Branham would often fall into a trance, during
which his angel would work through him. Asked once if the healings were done by
the Holy Spirit, Branham replied, ‘No, my angel does it. [48]
According to Kurt Koch,
Branham: told
his interpreter, Pastor Ruff, ‘If my angel does not give the sign, I cannot
heal.’ Ruff noticed several features of spiritism in the work of
Branham, and therefore stopped working with him. [49]
One thing that
characterized all of Branham’s meetings was his total dependence upon his
spirit-guide. Permit me to quote Lactantius’ (AD 260-330) statement again concerning Socrates’ total dependence upon his
spirit-guide for his anointing and power throughout his life. Lactantius
stated: Socrates [470-399 BC] used to give out that he
had a demon as the guardian and director of his life from his
first childhood and that he could do nothing without his assent and command.
[50]
In other words, Branham
was not relying on the Holy Spirit, or Its gifts, to heal those who attending
his meetings, but his spirit-guide. Where in the Bible do we see any of the
prophets in the OT, or apostles in the NT, telling those whom they prayed for
what sickness they had? You cannot, can you! Every Branhamite Pastor should
spend a very long time praying and meditating about this, for maybe God would
peradventure open their eyes to the truth. As I stated before, I love the
Branhamite people, and I am doing my best to help them recover from their
fallen state. I am definitely not trying to be unkind or harsh, but if I truly
love you, I must speak the truth!
When ministering to people, Branham would ask them
if they believed he was God’s prophet. When they answered yes, he would begin
to tell them what was wrong with them. It no doubt became evident to those who
followed Branham, that they had to believe he was God’s messenger to the
Laodicean Church Age, before his demon would reveal to him what their sickness
was, or something about their past, or something about their life. The Word of
God in no place reveals that any of Jesus’ apostles or prophets ever did any
miracle by the power of some angel. The Bible clearly reveals that they did all
miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because
of the signs and wonders performed in Branham’s meetings, Branham demanded that
his followers accept all of his teaching as the Word of God.
What does the Bible teach about those who claim to
be a prophet of God? “If there arises
among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he
spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’ [meaning false doctrines], which you
have not known – ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not
listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer
of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love
the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deu
13:1-3). God gave this passage
of scripture no doubt, so His people would not follow after signs and
wonders, to determine whether or not someone was a prophet of God. Miracles are
no guarantee that a man is a prophet or his doctrinal teachings are from God.
If signs and
wonders were the supreme test of infallibility, or that a man is a prophet of
God, then one would have to declare the future Man of Sin to be a prophet of
God, for the Bible definitely teaches that he, and his false prophet, will both
be able to do miracles that will deceive many. The Bible says it this way: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working
of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous
deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth, that they might be saved” (2Th 2:9-10; also Rev 13:11-14).
Now I ask
Branhamite Pastors, does this mean God has put His stamp of approval on the
Antichrist or his doctrinal teachings, because he and his false prophet will be
able to do miracles? The obvious answer is no, for we all know the devil can
also do miracles. Now, please do not misunderstand what I am saying, I am not
saying God does not do miracles today, for He certainly does; but Lucifer also
does miracles through his prophets.
CHAPTER 2
Branham’s
Prophetic Blunder on the End of the World
Branham speaking of himself, in a very
subtle, devious, and indirect way as the seventh messenger of Revelation 10:7 declared: He will have the office of a
prophet. He will have the prophetic ministry…. When he prophesies or has a
vision, it will always be Word oriented, and it will always come to pass. Branham continued by giving a prophecy
concerning the end of this age. He proclaimed: The Laodicean Age began
around the turn of the Twentieth Century, perhaps 1906. How long will it last?
As a servant of God who has had multitudes of visions, of which none
has ever failed, let me predict…. This age will end around 1977.
I base this
prediction on seven major continuous visions that came to me one Sunday
morning in June in 1933. The Lord Jesus spoke to me and said that the
coming of the Lord was drawing nigh…. Based on these visions… I still
maintain this prediction after thirty years…. So I repeat, I
sincerely believe… along with Divine inspiration that 1977 ought
to terminate the world systems and usher in the
millennium. [51]
I wonder if Branham ever read Jean Dixon’s book, I Predict; for
one thing is for sure, the spirit-guides of this well known astrologist
and this false prophet have made many false predictions.
Branham confirmed his
teaching that the world would end in 1977 by deceiving his worshippers
in thinking that he was Elijah. He declared: Elijah [meaning
himself] must come back for a work of restoration in the
church…. Now once again that Spirit [of
Elijah] will come back upon another man just before Jesus
comes. He will be a prophet. He will be vindicated as such by
God…. As a prophet, every revelation will be vindicated, for every
revelation will come to pass…. Immediately after the coming of
this Elijah [meaning himself], the earth will be cleansed of hate
and the wicked [will be] burned to ashes.” [52]
After
that Branham implied that Elijah has already come and the work of
restoration has already started. He stated: I’ve sowed the Seed everywhere,
my tapes – my message has going around the world. [53]
Branham
never mentioned these suppose visions in any of his sermons, as far
as I know, before the year of 1953. Therefore,
if he is telling the truth, which I definitely do not believe he is, he intentionally
hid them for 20 years. Now why did he do that, if these visions really came
from God? Let my beloved readers
take note: Branham based his false prophecies on his supposed visions
from God. He then prepared his followers to believe his prophecy by claiming
that all of his visions have always been fulfilled. Therefore, out of Branham’s
own mouth comes his own condemnation. Since world governments did not ended in 1977, and the millennial kingdom of Christ did
not start at that time, and the wicked did not burn to ashes that year
or any year after, every honest
hearted student of the Word of God must proclaim Branham to be a false
prophet.
Branham’s
Prophetic Blunder Concerning Los Angeles
Sinking into
the Ocean
William Branham told his
son Billy Paul, as they walked the streets of Los Angeles, “Billy,
I may not be here but you won’t be an old man until sharks will swim
right where we are standing. [54]
Well Billy Paul became 70 years old on September 13, 2005; he was born
in 1935. It appears that this prophecy also was another of Branham’s prophetic
blunders, for 70 is definitely in the over the hill category and
Billy Paul would definitely be classified as a senior citizen. When
Branham made this prophecy to Billy Paul, he no doubt was thinking about his
prophecy that California would one day sink into the ocean because of an
earthquake. Branham said it this way: And you don’t know what
time that this city [Los Angeles] one day is going to be
laying out here in the bottom of this ocean. ‘O, Capernaum,’ said Jesus, ‘thou
who exalted into heaven will be brought down into hell, for if the mighty works
had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it’d have been standing till this day.’
And Sodom and Gomorrah lays at the bottom of the Dead Sea, and Capernaum’s in
the bottom of the sea. [55]
There is not one
Scripture in the Word of God that reveals that Capernaum was ever destroyed,
especially by a flood, and is now lying at the bottom of the sea. A few months
later, Branham preaching about Capernaum declared: it lays
in the bottom of the sea. A earthquake sunk it into the sea. [56]
According to historians, Capernaum did not sink into the sea; there is no
historian that ever claimed it did. Most historians believe that Capernaum can
be seen in the ruins of Tell Hum today. Under the heading
of “Capernaum,”
Easton’s Bible Dictionary stated: This city lay on the great highway from Damascus to
Acco and Tyre. It has been identified with Tell Hum, about two miles
south-west of where the Jordan flows into the lake. Therefore, this is just
another example of Branham’s prophetic blunders.
CHAPTER 3
BRANHAM, THE
VERY FALLIBLE PROPHET,
THE TEACHINGS
OF HIS SPIRIT-GUIDE
If William
Branham was truly a prophet of God, and he spoke under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, he could never contradict not only the prophets and apostles of
the Bible, but he could never contradict any of his own teachings. If he had
the same Holy Spirit that God’s apostles and prophets had, then his doctrinal
teachings would be infallible and he could never changed or
contradict any of them!
Branham claimed to be instructed
or taught the Bible, not by the Holy Spirit of God, but by his fortune
telling bosom buddy, the spirit-guide. In fact, he claimed that he never taught
anything that was not revealed to him first by his demon. On September 25th of
1957 Branham
declared: I-I-I-I’ve twenty-six years in the ministry…. I had no
education, no ability…. I have NEVER tried to present anything in my life
WITHOUT FIRST IT BEING REVEALED. And I am so thankful that the ANGEL of the
Lord… [has] come down and has been MY HELP sent from God.
And HE
has NEVER
TOLD ME ONE THING, but what absolutely dovetailed from
Genesis to Revelation. [57]
According to Branham’s own
testimony, his ministry
began as a Baptist
preacher in 1931 at the age of 22.
Since Branham never seen his spirit-guide face to face until he was 37 years old,
i.e. in 1946, this must mean that this spirit being, who he called the
angel of the Lord, must have audible spoken to him in an unseen state.
Therefore, if Branham is telling the truth, this unseen spirit must
have began to verbally teach the Bible to this illiterate
young man of 22 in 1931. I do not know about you, but to me this entire
scenario seems very strange, even spooky!
In another sermon, the infallible one
spoke of the anointing that his spirit-guide gave him to teach. He declared: When the angel [not the Holy Spirit] of the Lord moves down [in me], it becomes then a Voice of God to you…. I am
God’s Voice to you... Now, see, I can say nothing in myself. But what he
[my
spirit-guide] shows [or teaches] me. [58] Branham was
not the voice of God, but the voice of his demonic spirit-guide; for if he was
the voice of God, he would not have taught false doctrine or changed his
teachings. God does not make mistakes.
Branham speaking about the difference between
a prophet and someone who has the gift of prophecy said: A prophet is born
from the cradle a prophet. They have Thus Saith The Lord! No judging
of them. [59]
In other words, you cannot judge a prophet because he is
infallible. Now, do you Branhamites know anyone who claimed to be born a
prophet with a hallo around his head? Gee, I wonder whom Branham
could be talking about. Therefore, Branham definitely claimed to be infallible
or the voice of God!
In March of 1963, Branham claimed to be an infallible prophet of God, who has restored
all of God’s truths back to the church. Branham proclaimed: Who then will have the power
of infallibility which is to be restored in this last [Church] Age, for this age is going
to go back to manifesting the Pure Word Bride? That means we will have
the Word once again as it was perfectly given, and perfectly
understood in the days of Paul. I will tell you who will have it. It will
be a prophet… thoroughly vindicated. [60]
Do you Branhamites know any infallible prophet who claims to be
thoroughly vindicated by God? I wonder whom Branham could be talking
about.
Listen to the so-called infallible prophet as
he admonishes his blind Pastoral worshippers not to teach anything but what his
demonic spirit-guide taught through him. Branham speaking as the 7th
messenger to the Laodicean Church Age shouts out to his followers: All those who go out don’t
always learn how necessary it is to speak only what the messenger
has spoken…. Oh, how important it is to hear the voice of God by way of His
messengers, and then say what has been given them to say to
the churches…. The proof of the indwelling Spirit was to
acknowledge and follow what GOD’S PROPHET gave for HIS AGE as he set the
church in order.
[61]
My beloved readers should be able to understand by now why Branham’s
Ministerial worshippers wrote down every word he spoke, even his stuttering
and illiterate form of speech!
If Branham’s statement of God’ Prophet for
each of the Church Ages had God’s message for God’s people in that age is true,
then Branham’s god must be very confused in the messages he gave to these
supposedly Church Age Messengers; because five of the messengers Branham names
were Trinitarians. The only messengers, who were ONENESS were the
apostle Paul and Branham. Not only this, but why does Branham need to restore
the truth back to the church, like the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith claimed to
do, if these Trinitarians Messengers were from God? This is something
Branhamites Pastors need to think and pray about! We will examine the teaching
of Branham’s Church Age Messengers later.
Since Branham claimed that he was
born from the cradle a prophet of God, and that he was taught the Word of God
by a so-called angel of God, this can only mean that he is claiming his
teachings to be infallible, or in other words, he claimed infallibility
for himself. Therefore, if Branham really were a prophet of God, he
could never change any of his teaching in any way; for if he did,
this would mean that God did not inspire his teachings, and he really was a
prophet of the Devil.
I plead with Branhamite Pastors
again to remember that none of the apostles of the Lamb ever claimed to be
taught by an angel or perform miracles by their power. Even the great apostles
Peter and Paul could not make this claim. Paul, through the Holy Spirit of God,
did warn God’s children to be ware of Satan’s angels, who would do signs and
wonders that they might deceive believers (Gal 1:6-8; 2Co
11:13-15). As
my beloved readers examines Branham’s teachings, he or she will definitely
notice that William Marrion Branham did in fact change and contradict his or
his angel’s teachings! Therefore, out of his own mouth comes his own
condemnation and judgment! Remember the words of our Savior: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words
you will be condemned” (Mt 12:37).
on the Riders
of the Seals
Branham teaching in 1963 stated: About 30 years ago [i.e. in 1933]… I got Smith’s book on
Daniel’s Revelation…. He said, ‘That man that sat on that white horse was
the Holy Spirit…. So I thought, ‘Well, if I don’t know, I’ll just
say what they said, try to teach their way, meaning the way the Adventists taught
Revelations. The infallible Prophet then went on in this same sermon to reveal
that his teacher, the spirit-guide, must have been a little confused
in 1933, for he now teaching him: The white horse rider went
out…. It’s the antichrist spirit. [62]
Some Branhamite Pastor might say: “Branham was young, only 24
years old, when he taught the white horse rider was the Holy Spirit.” I say Mr. Branham lied when you said in: twenty-six
years in the ministry… I have NEVER tried to present anything in my life WITHOUT FIRST IT
BEING REVEALED. And… the ANGEL of the Lord… has NEVER TOLD ME
ONE THING, but what absolutely dovetailed from Genesis to
Revelation.
[63]
I say: “Mr. Branham you lied.”
Mr. Branham how do you explain this apparent
contradiction? Did you teach something without your spirit-guide revealing it
to you first? Did your spirit-guide change his mind about his teaching because
he realized that he was wrong, so he gave you a new revelation? Did you
backslide and starting teaching something contrary to what your spirit-guide
first revealed to you, or did you come to the realization that your
spirit-guide was a lying demon? Mr. Branham, do you not know that your
followers will lose their faith in you as God’s infallible prophet, when you
contradict yourself and change your teaching?
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching on Salvation
Branham’s Teaching on the New Birth: On May 15 of 1954, age 45, the infallible Prophet teaching
on salvation made this statement: There’s only one way to be a Christian…. ‘Except a
man be born of Spirit and water he will in nowise enter the
kingdom,’ whether he’s a Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, or whatever. You’ll have
to be baptized in water for the remission of your
sins and receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, or
you’re lost. [64]
Let my beloved readers take note,
Branham emphatically, implicitly, indisputably connected water baptism and the
Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the New Birth for salvation. He declared that a
believer is lost if he or she is not born of both. Now I do not know what the
word “lost” means to a Branhamite Pastor, but to me it means: a person is not
saved and cannot enter into heaven. If Branham had cherished and continued in
this blessed truth, I probably would not be writing this book. I believe
the only reason why his spirit-guide allowed him to preach this truth is: Lucifer hoped to
draw some of God’s naive children into the Branhamite movement.
Seven months later on the December 31 of 1954, Branham’s spirit-guide
must have thought it was time to change his teaching on the New Birth, or maybe
it was the infallible Prophet who changed his spirit-guide’s teaching. Anyway,
the infallible one completely denounced and contradicted everything he taught
on the New Birth. He apostatized and reverted to his Baptist
teachings; for Branham definitely denied the essentiality of both water and
Spirit baptism in salvation. Branham speaking on salvation asked the
congregation, when is a person saved and filled with the Holy Ghost? The
fickle, erratic, infallible Prophet declared: When you believed. We
baptize so many that don’t believe. We hear so many speak in tongues, that
don’t believe…. When you believe, you receive Everlasting
Life…. When did you get saved? When did you get sanctified? When
did you get filled with the Holy Ghost? When you believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ. For you received there, Everlasting Life. [65]
On October 2 of 1957, age 48, one of his confused followers
ask him: when we receive the New Birth… is this the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit, or there a later baptism, or is it a filling? Branham answered: When you believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, you then have the new birth. When you believe on
the Lord, you receive a new thought, a new life, but it isn’t
the baptism of the Holy Ghost. See? You’ve got the new
birth when you believe, you’ve got Eternal Life…. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is a
different act from the New Birth. One is a birth, one is a
baptism. One brings you Eternal Life, the other one
gives you power. [66]
The infallible Prophet without a
doubt changed his former teaching on salvation, and he now taught the Baptist
doctrine that a person had the New Birth, Eternal Life, and the Holy Spirit the
moment he or she believes on Christ. He
then stated that a person does not become Baptized with the Holy Spirit until
sometime after; thereby making a difference between being born of the Spirit
and the Baptism of the Spirit. He claimed that these are two different and
separate experiences.
In March of 1963, age 54, the infallible Prophet changed
his teachings on the New Birth again! He denied the Baptist doctrine that a
person has the Holy Spirit, i.e. the New Birth, the moment he or she believes
in Christ. He also denied that the Birth of the Spirit and the Baptism of the
Sprit are not two separate experiences. Let hear what Branham has to say about
these things. The infallible Prophet proclaimed: To be born of the
Spirit is to be truly Baptized with the Holy Ghost. It is one and the same…. I have steadfastly
declared that the Baptists have missed it for saying you
receive the Holy Ghost when you believe, for
that is not so. You receive Him ‘since you believe.’
Acts 19:2-6… ‘Have
you received since not when you believe.’ And there is a great
difference there, for it is after we believe that we
receive. Eph. 1:13… ‘After that ye believed (not when ye believed) ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise…. What is the Baptism with the Holy
Ghost? It is the Spirit Baptizing you into the body of Christ. It is the new birth. It is the Spirit of God coming in and filling you after you have repented, (having heard His Word) and been
baptized in water as an answer of a good conscience toward
God…. Thus we are not born again by the Spirit of Life of Jesus
coming in, and then subsequent to that the Holy Spirit coming in to give us
power…. There aren’t two comings of the Spirit, just one. [67]
As one reads or listens to
Branham’s teachings, and answers to questions, it is very easy for them to
become confused. For this man changed his teachings like the wind, and
sometimes in the same questioning and answering period, as though he was in one
of his trances, or he had mental problems and forgot
what he taught previously. It is hard to believe that any man could be so
confused that he would contradict his own teachings as often as this man does.
In March of 1963 Branham’s demonic spirit-guide
must have shocked all of his worshippers by proclaiming through Branham, that a
multitude of Jews in the Tribulation Period will be saved, whom he claimed did not believed in
the Lord Jesus Christ, and were not born of God’s Spirit. The
infallible one says they will receive Eternal Life, just because they were martyred for their faith in
the Mosaic Law. The infallible Prophet
speaking of the martyrs mention in the six chapter of the Book of Revelations
stated: Multitudes who were not even born again will go into Eternal Life.
As strange as this may sound, it is certainly true…. These are Jews…. These
Jews aren’t born of His [God’s] Spirit. They don’t even believe
that Jesus is the Messiah. But as they were blinded by God for the
gentile’s sake, God gave them Eternal Life on the grounds that though they could
not come to Him.
[68]
This contradicted everything the
infallible one taught about salvation or Eternal Life being impossible for
anyone, who does not believe in Christ or receive the Holy Spirit, or is born
again of water and Spirit. Not only does Branham contradict his own teachings,
but also the teaching of the apostles of Christ. Branham lied when he claimed: ‘I’ve preached the same
Gospel that Paul preached.’[69] The great apostle
Paul did not teach the above lie concerning Jews could be saved without faith
in Christ or God’s New Birth.
God’s apostle wrote: “If our gospel
be hid, it is hid to them that are lost;” (2Co 4:3); and “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel
is that they may be saved…. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:1-4). Paul also declared that the Lord Jesus
will come back to earth “with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on those who do not know God [i.e. Jesus], and on those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction” not rewarded by
being given everlasting life (2Th 1:7-9).
Jesus told
the Jews: “if you do not believe that I am He, you
will die in your sins” (Jn 8:24). Let my beloved
readers take not, Jesus did not tell these Jews He would give them: “Eternal Life on the grounds
that though they could not come to Him.” The apostle John said: “God
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life…. But he who does
not believe is condemned already” (2Co 4:3; Jn 3:16, 18).
Branham’s backslid
from the message of Paul on the New Birth, for God’s apostle
declared: “not by works of
righteousness [i.e. the Law of Moses] which we have done, but according to
His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5; cp with Jn 3:5); also “He
saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the
Holy Spirit” (NIV). Paul reminded the Corinthian saints of
their New Birth when he said: “you
were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified
[how] in the name
of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1Co
6:11; cp with Acts 2:38). Paul
declared God’s people were washed, sanctified, and justified when they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and received God’s Holy Spirit.
Paul revealed in Titus, and Peter revealed in Acts, that this is the New Birth.
I believe that both Jews and Gentiles: will be
saved throughout the Tribulation Period by believing the Gospel of Christ and
receiving His New Birth. In
other words, after the Philadelphian Church Period closes with the Rapture of
the Church, the Laodicean Church Period will begin. Immediately after
the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of God’s Philadelphian Church: all of
Christendom will know the truth concerning the New Birth and the Godhead in
Christ, and will be given the opportunity to believe them and be saved. The Laodicean Church Period will last 7 years or
during the entire Tribulation Period. If Branhamites would like to know more
about this great truth, I invite them to read my book, The Mysteries of
Prophecy Revealed, which is given away on my website.
On August 23 of 1964, age 55, the infallible Prophet
completely denounced everything he taught on the New Birth in 1954. One of those who placed all their
faith and trust in him for their salvation asked: Dear brother
Branham, my question is on baptism. When is a person saved? Branham answered: I do not believe in
being baptized in water to regeneration, because when you
do that omits the blood. You are baptized in water to show the
regeneration has taken place…. There’s many people that are – say
they’re saved; many are baptized in Jesus’ Name; many speak in tongues, and
have all kinds of signs of the Holy Ghost, and still not even saved.
That’s right.
[70]
The apostle John contradicted
Branham’s erroneous teachings when declared there are three, which testifies on
the earth concerning salvation: the Spirit, water, and blood, and they all
agree perfectly in God’s New Birth Message. God’s apostle said it this way: “there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the
water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (1Jn 5:8). In other
words, no one can separate Jesus’ blood from water baptism in His holy Name, or
His blood from His Spirit; it takes all three to be saved. The reason for this
is that the New Birth is how: a believer in Christ enters into the death, burial, and resurrection of
our Savior. The blood of Jesus is applied to a believer’s heart when
the New Birth is completed! This is why God gave us the symbolism: of the blood of the
Passover Lamb being applied in three places on every
Jewish door in Egypt, which was how they were saved from death; and the blood
being applied in three places in the tabernacle on the Day of
Atonement, for the remission of their sins.
Just 7 days later or on August 30 of 1964, either the infallible one could
not remember what he taught a few days earlier, or he answered the question the
way he thought his follower believed. Someone asked him a well phrase
and leading question: If the natural birth requires water, blood, and
spirit, does not the Spiritual Birth require all three stages
of grace before the person is truly born again? This was probably a Pastor, whom the
infallible Prophet must have recognized, for Branham definitely shocked most of
his followers with his answered: “Absolutely…. You’ve got to have
all stages.
[71]
Branham definitely lied for this
is not what he believed throughout his ministry, as the above quotes prove. Let
us not forget what the infallible Prophet declared concerning his ministry: I have NEVER tried to
present anything in my life WITHOUT FIRST IT BEING REVEALED. And… the ANGEL of
the Lord… has NEVER TOLD ME ONE THING, but what absolutely
dovetailed from Genesis to Revelation. [72]
I say: “Mr. Branham you lied to all those who put their faith and
salvation into your hands, when you deceived them concerning the New Birth. You
are not the infallible Messenger of God, but Lucifer’s Prophet, who has lead
many good, holy, and sincere Branhamites to hell. Their blood will be on
your hands on the Day of Judgment. God made hell for Lucifer, his angels, and
False Prophets like you.”
I would like
to ask every Branhamite Pastor, how can Branham be an infallible prophet of God
and be so confused about God’s plan of salvation? Can any Branhamite Pastor
harmonize and make any sense out of all the above teachings of Branham on the
New Birth? By harmonize, I mean take everything he taught, and not certain
things he taught, about Eternal Life, and show how they do not contradict each
other. Even though Branham taught that there are two classes of the saved, the Bride
and Denominational Christians, there is only one New Birth, and both groups need it to be
saved! I will continue this topic in the section entitled: “Branham’s
False Doctrine of Salvation.” In this section, I will compare the false
teaching of Branham on the New Birth to what the Word of God actually teaches.
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching on the Salvation
of the
Sleeping Virgins or Denominational Christians
On July 23 of 1961 and October 15 of 1961, age 52, one of Branham’s followers asked the infallible one: What happens to the people
that are considered the sleeping virgins when they are judged at the judgment? The infallible Prophet answered: Well, the sleeping
virgins will be saved of course. She’ll never be the Bride, but she
is a saved group of people. [73] Branham in
other places called the sleeping virgins denominational Christians. I would
like any Branhamite Pastor to show me in the Bible where Jesus or His apostles
taught that there will be two different classes of saved Christians, and that
one or both are saved without the New Birth!
On March 24 of 1963, age 54, infallible one obviously could not remember what his lying
spirit-guide spoke through him about the sleeping denominational Christians
just a year
and 5 months earlier. One
of Branham’s worshippers asked him: After the Rapture has been taken place, will any of
the church be saved in the end who was not taken in the rapture? The infallible Prophet answered: NO. Huh-uh, because the Blood
has done left. You see, there will be no intercession-the Gentile age is
finished. [74]
Branham also
declare in the same
year, that all the people
in denominational churches are hybrid Christians and they will be lost, because these
churches are not pure Word churches, therefore they could never produce pure
Word Christians. The infallible one said it this way: When the church becomes
hybridized, will it produce pure Christians? It can’t. The life or seed that
brings Christians to birth is not in them. Like brings forth like…. It
hasn’t the seed of life. It is dead. It can talk about truth, but it
can’t produce it. It doesn’t have God in its midst…. You don’t redeem the mule [meaning denominational Christians]. There is no redemption
for him. [75]
In the same year again, the infallible one contradicted
himself again and taught that the sleeping denominational Christians will be
saved or had Eternal Life. He proclaimed: It is the second resurrection wherein
the five foolish virgins come up. Notice that they were virgins. They did
not have the Holy Spirit so they missed being in the bride….
All these people had their names in the Book of Life and their names
remained. The foolish virgins, and the righteous as are spoken of in Matt. 25… [and] those who do not worship
the beast or become involved in the antichrist system, but die for their
faith even though they are not in the bride, not
having been born again… they will come up in the SECOND Resurrection
and go into Eternal Life. [76]
Branhamite Pastors have a real resurrection
dilemma, for who are they going to believe, their infallible Prophet or God’s
infallible Apostle John. The Holy infallible Word of God declared that all
Tribulation Martyrs will come up in the First Resurrection and reign with Jesus
a thousand years. God’s true Apostle said it this way: “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not
worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their
hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years….
This is the FIRST Resurrection” (Rev
20:4-5), not the Second
Resurrection.
A year later, on August 23 of 1964, age 55, the infallible one totally contradicted his
own teaching again, for he was asked: After the Bride is rapture will any of the foolish
virgins be saved, or will they all be lost? The infallible Prophet answered: Will the foolish virgins
be saved? NO…! And the reason of it is, is because she has rejected
the atonement in its fullness. [77]
It must be very evident to my beloved readers
that the infallible Prophet obviously could not make up his mind, as to whether
the foolish virgins were save or lost. For a man who claimed to have the same
inspiration and equal authority with the great apostle Paul, this man constantly
change and contradicted his own teachings. If any of the apostles or prophets
of the Bible changed their teachings as this man, would we have a Bible that we
could believe? Would we be able to claim that the Bible is the infallible Word
of God? I do not think so! As my beloved readers should clearly perceive by
now, this man was not infallible, but he was extremely fallible!
I am so happy I am not a Branhamite Pastor, because they must live in a world
of confusion concerning what their infallible Prophet taught!
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching on Predestination
On July 29, 1953, age 44, Branham
taught that mankind existed as angels or spirit beings before they became flesh
and blood. The infallible one declared: When God created me, William Branham, I was before
the foundation of the world. He made my being, my
spirit…. Now, there was some part of me, Ornan Neville, and the rest
of you all here [meaning their spirit] that’s in Christ Jesus before the world ever
began…. [We] are possessed with this
spirit, or the spirit, [and we were] a part of these angelic beings, spirits which rotated
off God, that never fell in the beginning and resisted the
Devil’s lie in heaven. [78]
Did the Branhamite infallible Prophet learn this from the Mormon’s infallible
Prophet, for this doctrine is an essential teaching in the Mormon Church for
their Doctrine of Eternal Progression, i.e. the Godhood of Man.
Six years later or on
June 28, 1959,
age 50,
the infallible one changed his predestination doctrine, which completely
contradicted everything he taught before. Branham was asked: If we were save before the
foundation of the world… were we spirits then? The infallible Prophet
answered: NO,
we were not even nothing then, but in God’s mind… only
figurative in His mind. [79]
Branham must have repented of his previous heretical Mormon teachings on
pre-existence of the soul, and decided to trash Joseph Smith’s books.
In March of 1963, age 54, the
infallible Prophet declared: These who are of the Royal Seed are the elect of
God; are the predestinated, foreknown of God, and were in the mind of
God and His thoughts…. I know there is a question in your minds. You
will want to know if I believe in the doctrine of pre-existence. I
DON’T believe in that Mormon doctrine of the pre-existence of
souls any more than I believe in reincarnation or the transmigration of
souls. [80]
Branham should have said: You will want to know if I STILL believe
in the doctrine of pre-existence.
It appears that Branham’s pride as the
infallible Prophet, i.e. the Seventh Church Age Messenger, prevented him
from humbling himself and telling his worshippers: “I am sorry for teaching you
the false Mormon doctrine of pre-existence. Please forgive me. I am only human.
Please do not put your faith in me, for I do make mistakes every now and then.
Please put all of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His infallible Word.” If Branham had a humble spirit, I probably
would not be writing this book.
I would like to ask Branhamite
Pastors, did Branham’s spirit-guide change his teaching on predestination, or
did Branham change his spirit-guide’s teaching? Before you answer, remember
what your infallible Prophet declared: I have NEVER tried to
present anything in my life WITHOUT FIRST IT BEING REVEALED. And… the ANGEL of
the Lord… has NEVER TOLD ME ONE THING, but what absolutely
dovetailed from Genesis to Revelation. [81]
Therefore, whichever of the above
two statements are true, one thing is for sure, the infallible Prophet
definitely changed and contradicted his teaching on predestination. Which
teachings will Branhamite Pastors believe and teach as the truth, his earlier
or later teaching? I ask again, how can Branham be an infallible prophet of
God, equal to the prophets and apostles of the Bible, since he keeps changing
and contradicting his own teachings, or the supposed teaching of his
spirit-guide?
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching on Eternal Security
On September 8 of 1957, age 48, the infallible Prophet declare: If God ever saved a man, he’s saved for
time and Eternity…. Now, if you’re saved, you’re saved! If God saves you
tonight, knowing He’s going to lose you ten years from today, He’s defeating
His Own purpose…. It’s absolutely impossible, for a man that has
received the Holy Spirit, to ever fall away. [82]
Branham is evidently twisted the meaning of Hebrews 6:4-6, for the apostle Paul never taught that lie.
Branham continued his teaching on Eternal Security by saying: If God foreordained you to
Eternal Life, ‘All the Father has given Me, will come to Me.’ There you
are, can’t be lost. You’re secured forever…. ‘By one sacrifice
He’s perfected forever.’ There you are. There’s no way for us to lose. [83]
On December 19 of 1959, age 50, the infallible one confirmed his teaching on eternal security when he
was asked: Please
explain Hebrew 6:4 to 6?
The infallible Prophet responded: If God has give you Eternal Life, you’ve
got it forever. Because look. If it didn’t, Jesus is a –found a
false teacher. In St John 5:24 He said, ‘He that heareth My words and believe
on Him that sent Me has Everlasting Life, and shall never come to the judgment,
but has passed from death unto Life.’ Now argue with Him. [84]
On March
3 of 1963, age 54, Branham declared: But look, when God put a
name on the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation
of the world, there’s NOT NOTHING in the world can RUB IT OUT,
because it’s wrote with the ink of the blood of Christ…. The Lamb was slain to
redeem what was in the Book.
[85]
Seventeen months later, the infallible one must have had another
memory relapse, or maybe he was in another trance from a seance
with His spirit-guided, for he obviously forgot what he taught on eternal
security. On August 23rd of 1964, age 55, one of
Branham’s very confused devotees ask him: Was Judas Iscariot’s name
blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life, or was it on the Lamb’s Book of Life?
The infallible Prophet responded: YES, it was on it and was BLOTTED OUT…. Judas
had Eternal Life his name was written in the Book of Life,
but he sold his birthrights and his name was blotted out of
the Book of Life. So he lost his salvation. [86]
When Branham said this, it must have thrown
all of his worshipping Pastors into pandemonium and confusion. Someone asked
their Golden Calf: How can a person have their name on the Book of Life and
still be lost? Or why does God put persons’ names on the Book of Life when He
knows that they will be lost?” Their infallible Prophet answered: Because your name is
on the Book of Life (because it is in Heaven, your name has been
recognized), that still doesn’t means that you are Saved….
He [Judas
Iscariot]
has to stand the judgment. The Sleeping Virgins will stand there
under the same-same things. [87] Branham taught that the Lamb’s Book of Life
and the Book of Life is the same book. [88]
My beloved readers should be able to perceive
by now, why Branhamite Pastors are so confused about what their infallible
Prophet taught. As I stated before, one Branhamite Pastor will say Branham taught
one thing, while another will say he taught something different, and both will
use his tapes as evidence. Before
I state Branham’s teachings on hell, permit me to ask all Branhamites, has your
Pastor ever tried to explain or harmonize these apparent contradictions in the
teachings of Branham to you? Has he even mentioned them to you? I did not think
so!
My, my, what webs of confusion one weaves,
when one goes out to deceive. I thank God, I am not looking for some super star
or infallible Prophet to come and heal, deliver, or induce me to put my faith
in him, if I wish to be saved or stay saved. I am so happy that my faith is not
in Branham to save me, but it is totally, unequivocally in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and in His holy infallible Word and nothing else. My prayer for all my
beloved readers is that they will love our Savior enough to study
His holy and infallible Word with an open and unbiased mind.
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching on Eternal Punishment
Before we begin our study of Branham’s teachings
on hell, I must give a declaration of my belief, so my beloved readers will
understand some on the comments I will make in this section: “I believe at the Judgment,
the soul of every lost sinner will be raised out of their sleep in Hades\Sheol,
and they will be united with their spirit and body at this time. Therefore, all
three natures of man as one person will stand before Jesus to be judge by Him.
After Jesus pronounce a just sentence on each them, the angels of God
will violently cast each of them into a real Lake of Fire. The time they will
be tormented in the Lake of Fire will depend on the sins they committed in the
body, for Jesus is a God of justice. After they have been punished for every
sin, they have ever committed, they will be annilhilated.” The Bible does not teach Lucifer’s doctrine
of Eternal Torment!
On January 3 of 1954, age 44, the infallible one was asked: Does man at death go to heaven or – or to
hell immediately, or do they wait for the judgment? Infallible Prophet answered: If you’re a sinner
and your soul slips out, it’ll go yonder into judgment and will be
condemned. And then, you’ll be cast away, and you’ll be in torment until
the day you are brought back to this earth again. And you will receive
an immortal body, a immortal body that cannot die, and
will be cast away into outer darkness where there’ll be weeping a, wailing, and
gnashing of teeth…. You’ll be tormented through all ages there is
to come. [89]
Branham
probably received the above teaching on the immediate torment of the lost in
Hades\Sheol after death, and later Eternal Torment in the Lake of Fire, from
the Baptist Church, which received it from the Catholic Church, which received
it from Jewish Mysticism, which received it from the ancient Babylonian
Religion, i.e. when the Jews went into Babylonian Captivity in 606 BC. All false
religious doctrines come out of Mystery Babylon, which is the mother of all
false religious systems!
The Zohor,
which is a demonic book of Jewish Mysticism, which came into written form in
the thirteenth century, stated the above doctrine this way. As soon as sinner
dies: Demons
are at hand to drag him [the
sinner’s soul] to Gehenna and to deliver him into the hands of Druma, who
has been made chief of demons.... In Gehenna there are certain places and
grades called ‘Boiling Filth,’ where the filth of the souls that have
been polluted by filth of this world accumulates. There these souls are purified by
fire and made white…. Thus fire alone has the virtue of consuming every
pollution in the soul, and making it emerge pure and white [so it can be reincarnated]…. There are [however] certain sinners who pollute
themselves over and over again by their own sins and are never purified….
These are they who are condemned to remain forever in this place of boiling
filth. [90]
There is not
a lot of difference between Lucifer’s Babylonian doctrine of immediate torment
of the soul, and eternal torment of the soul in Gehenna fire, and Branham’s
doctrine. In 230 AD, a Pagan
Priest by the name of Celsus mocked Catholic Priests for stealing
their doctrine of eternal torment. Origen, a Catholic Priest, declared: Celsus
asserts that “our doctrines are similar to those
delivered by the [Pagan] Priests at the celebration
of the heathen
Mysteries [of Babylon].” Celsus told Origen: Just as you, good sir, believe in eternal punishments, so also do the Priests who interpret and initiate into the sacred
Mysteries [of Babylon]. The same punishments with which you
threaten others, they threaten you. [91]
On September 22 of 1957,
age 47, three years later,
Branham must have repented of Lucifer’s Eternal Torment doctrine, for he
definitely changed his teaching and taught annihilation. The infallible Prophet declared: And
there’s only one type of Eternal Life, we found. Is that right? God has that
Eternal Life alone. Is that right? Only one type of Eternal Life. There is
no such a word as ‘eternal punishment,’ cause if you’re to be
punished for eternity, you've got to have Eternal Life to be punished
eternally; you’d have to have Eternal [Life]. And
if you got Eternal Life, you can’t be punished…. So then, IF you’re going to
suffer in hell forever and forever, you got to have Eternal Life. But now, I
do believe that the Bible teaches of a literal burning hell. The
Bible teaches that, that the sins and wickedness will be punished, forever
and forever. That’s not Eternity now. [92]
The infallible Prophet intentionally or unintentionally stated a lie when he
stated: There is no such a word as
‘eternal punishment. I
will prove this following Branham’s next statement.
After Branham taught this, confusion must
have set in again among his worshipping Pastors, for three days later or September 25, one of his worshippers asked him: Explain what it means by
‘everlasting punishment’ in Matthew 25:46? The infallible Prophet responded by saying: Now I wanted to get this out
of the Greek lexicon also, so you get the – original of it…. You’ll never
find Eternal punishment, couldn’t be. See, if they got Eternal
punishment, they got Eternal Life; they got Eternal Life, they’re saved…. Now
if you’ll take it in the [Greek] lexicon, ‘And these shall go forth into ainion, cutting off…. Now, the word a-i-n-i-o-n means ‘a space of
punishment.’ In the Greek lexicon, right here, ‘space of punishment,’ or,
‘time of punishment….’ But then read the others, ‘But these shall go into eternal.’
That’s a different. See, Eternal Life. Eternal comes from the word
eternity, and eternity had neither beginning nor end. It is forever and forever. [93]
This
answer obviously did not remove the confusion, so another of his worshippers
asked him on that same day: When you say the wicked will
not burn Eternally, do you mean in hell or in the lake of fire…? If they [the lost] do not burn eternally, then
what becomes of them?
Branham responded: If you’ll just get here in the [Greek] lexicon, look up the Greek word Zoe. Zoe is
‘Eternal Life.’ Eternal Life is ‘God….’ They [the wicked] become extinct, there’s
no more to them; the soul goes, the spirit goes, the life goes, the body goes,
the thought goes, [and] the memory goes.
[94]
My beloved readers, I personally believe in
and teach torment for a period of time in the Lake of Fire and then
annihilation as I stated above, but I feel that I should say something about
Mr. Branham’s statement about the difference between the words “everlasting” and “eternal” used in Matthew 25:46 is an outright lie.
I challenge any Branhamite Pastor to examine any Greek Interlinear Bible or
Greek lexicon, and they will quickly discover that the words “everlasting” and “eternal” used in this verse is the very same Greek
word, which is “aionion!”
In the Greek Scriptures this verse reads this
way, “kai. avpeleu,sontai ou-toi eivj ko,lasin aivw,nion( oi` de. di,kaioi eivj zwh.n aivw,nion” (Mt 25:46). In this verse “aionion” in both places is use as an adjective, and in both
places it is in the accusative case, which in English is a direct object. Because the same Greek adjective “aionion” is used in this verse to describe both “punishment” and “life,” the NAS, NIV, ASV, and RSV translations of the Bible, all translated
this verse this way: “And these shall go away into eternal
punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.” I should also add that the Greek noun “zoe” or “zwh.n” does not mean eternal life but life; but
when the Greek adjective “aionion” or “aivw,nion”
modifies it, it then takes on the meaning of “Eternal Life.”
Evidently Branham did not realize that “aionion” was translated by the King James translators as: “eternal
(42 times)” and “everlasting
(25 times).” “Aionios” is the adjective form of the noun “aion.” Aionion could mean “a
space of time,” or “unending
time,” depending of the
subject it modifies; for example, who among the Branhamite Pastors would
dare say the words “everlasting [aionion] life,”
used in John
3:16, 4:14, 5:24, 6:40, & 12:50, means God’s children will “live for a space of time”
and then cease to exist? This would be preposterous.
I would like
to add that Matthew in the above
verse does not tell us what “eternal punishment” or “eternal penalty” God will inflict on lost sinners. Just as “eternal
torment” can be considered as
a punishment or penalty, SO IS “eternal annihilation.” For God to deny anyone of Eternal Life or an
Eternal Existence is definitely a real punishment, just as much as “torment
in the Lake of Fire for a short or long period of time,” or “eternal torment.”
One can surmise, if the Holy Spirit in Matthew
wanted him to teach “eternal torment” then why did Matthew not write “basanismo.n aivw,nion” instead
of “ko,lasin aivw,nion.” Matthew evidently knew the
Greek word “basanismo.n” means “torment,” for he used it in Matthew
8:29. Therefore, if
Matthew actually wanted his readers to understand that he meant “eternal torment,” he
would have used the Greek word that meant “torment,” but since he use the Greek word
that meant “punishment,”
he wanted his readers to know that God would pronounce on all sinners an “eternal punishment” not
“eternal
torment.”
Let us examine Matthew
8:29: “suddenly
they [the
demons in the man] cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You, Jesus,
You Son of God? Have You come here to torment [basani,sai] us before the time?” Let my beloved readers take note,
these demons expected to suffer torment at the hands of God later. This can
only mean when they are Judge by Christ at the Judgment and sentence to the
Lake of Fire. Now these demons did not say they expected to be tormented
throughout eternity. Any preacher who would interpret this verse this way would
be interpreting it by his biases. For at a different time, one of the demons in
another man cried out: “Let us
alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy
[avpole,sai] us? I know who You are; the Holy One of God” (Lk 4:34)! New
Testament, the Greek word “avpole,sai” means: to destroy i. e. to put out of the way entirely,
abolish, put an
end to, ruin: Mark 1:24;
Luke 4:34 (# 646).
As we examine both passages of scripture, we
encounter one group of demons pleading with our Lord not to “torment” them before time, and the other group begging Him not to “destroy” them before time. Now, what “sentence” will our Lord pronounce on these demons at the
Judgment: “torment,” “annihilation,” or “both.” If we are earnestly searching for
a harmony between scriptures, and determined not allow our biases to
blind us to the truth, we will have to declare that the “eternal punishment”
God will impose on all sinners will be “torment for a period of time” and then “annihilation.” For
this reason, it
cannot be
“eternal torment,” for then these two scriptures will contradict one
another, as well as many other scriptures on this subject will contradict each
other.
The word “destroy” or “avpole,sai” is translated as “perish” in John 3:15-16, and is used in “contrast” or as an “antonym” to “Eternal Life.” Paul used “avpole,sai” in his argument on the resurrection. Paul
declared: if there is no resurrection of the dead: “Then also those
who have fallen asleep [i.e.
died] in Christ have perished,” that is, “they have no more
existence” or “they no long exist” (1Co 15:18). No one can interpret
Paul’s argument to mean that God’s loving and saved children will “continue to be tormented or
punished.” The only interpretation that will harmonize with this
passage, and all other passages, is that they “have cease to exist.” This is why
Paul declared that sinners will: “be punished,
with everlasting [aivw,nion – eternal] destruction, from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2Th 1:9). In other words, Paul declared that one
of the punishments, God would impose on sinners at the Judgment,
would be “eternal
destruction” or “eternal annihilation.”
This is only a short exegesis of this subject! If my beloved readers would like to know more
about this subject, I invite them to read my book, What Is Lost Man’s
Eternal Destiny, which can be found on my website.
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching on the Soul of Man
On August 28 of 1957, age 48, the infallible
Prophet defined soul this way: God put a soul in a man and He
didn’t put it in the animal, because the soul that was in the man
is that theophany…. Theophany is a
human body that’s glorified. Not exactly with flesh and blood like it will
be in it’s glorified stage, but it is of a form of a human body that doesn’t eat,
neither does it drink, but it’s-it’s a body. A body that’s waiting for us, as
soon as we leave this one. [95]
On October
2 of 1957 Branham taught
the Soul of Jesus: went and preached to the souls that were in prison, that
repented not in the long-suffering of the days of Noah…. Here His body was, in
the grave; and His Soul was in hell, preaching alive! What about that? He
was in His theophany again. His Soul was down there with those people that
were in theophany also. And was witnessing to them, that they ‘repented
not in the long-suffering.
[96]
On October 15 of 1961, age 52, the infallible one changed his teaching on the soul being a real
personal glorified body to an impersonal attribute of man’s spirit, that is,
the nature or character of man’s spirit. Branham was asked: Please explain the
difference between the spirit and the soul? The infallible Prophet answered: You’re soul, body, and
spirit. But it takes those three to make you…. My body could be here, but me
could be gone, what I am. What-whoever I am inside of me has gone
on. That’s-that’s the part-part that is the spirit. The soul is the
nature [meaning
the character] of that spirit, that when the Holy Spirit [comes into a believer and]… changes or
converts your spirit to a different soul. First you were
mean, and evil, an hatred, and malice, and strife; now you’re loving, sweet,
kind, and-and see the difference. It’s your nature…. It’s your soul
that’s been changed. The old soul died, and the new soul which is the new
nature was borned into you…. And your soul is the nature of that spirit. That’s
the soul of the spirit that controls – the spirit that controls the body. [97]
How will Branhamite Pastors harmonize these
apparent contradictions? What is man’s soul? Is it a so-called theophany or a
glorified body that is in man’s flesh and blood body, or is it nothing but an
impersonal attribute of man’s spirit, that is, the nature or character of the
spirit in man? If I was a Branhamite Pastor, and thank God I am not, for I
would be afraid to preach any of the above Bible doctrines, in fear that I
would be sinning by taking the teachings of the infallible Prophet out of
context!
On September 27 of 1957, age 48, the infallible one was asked: Was
Cain an offspring of the Serpent? Is so, why did Eve not conceive until after
Adam [knew] her? Was it a – a literal tree
from which Eve ate the fruit? She saw that it was good for food. The infallible Prophet answered: This
first question first…. The tree was the woman [Eve]…. If
eating apples caused women to realize they’re naked… we better pass the apples
again…. It wasn’t a tree, a apple they eat, it was sexually…. Now
to prove to you that she was the tree, every woman is
a fruit tree. How many know that? Aren’t you the fruit of your mother? [98]
In March of 1963 or six years later, age 54, the
infallible one change and contradicted his former teaching, and now declared
the tree to be Lucifer. In a series of messages on An
Exposition of the Seven Church Ages, Branham declared: In the Garden
of Eden there were two trees. One was good; one was evil…. The Tree [of
Life] in the garden has to be Jesus. Alright. If the Tree
of Life is a person, then the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and
Evil is a person also. It can’t be otherwise. Thus the Righteous
One and the Wicked One [meaning Satan] stood
side by side there in the midst of the Garden of Eden. Ezek. 28:13 ‘Thou (Satan)
has been in Eden, the garden of God… We start with the fact that there
were two trees in the midst of the garden. The Tree of Life was Jesus.
The other tree is definitely Satan because of what came forth of
the fruit of that tree. Now then, we know that both of those trees had a
relationship to man or they would never have been placed there. [99]
Two years later or on August 29t of 1965, age 56, the infallible one, like a man with schizophrenia or multiple
personalities, changed his message again. This time he went back to his first
teaching that the woman Eve was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the fruit was sex.
Evidently Branham could not get his revelation from his spirit-guide straight;
for the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil cannot be Satan and the woman Eve at the same time, unless the
woman or Eve was Satan! If this is so, then Adam was married to the Devil, and
Lucifer can from Adam’s rib. This would mean that Lucifer had no prior
existence to the creation of Adam. O’ what webs of confusion Branham weaved,
when he and his spirit-guide went out to deceive!
The infallible Prophet proclaimed: Notice, now, the Holy Spirit
of God’s holy Word had a man and woman naked, and they didn’t know it…. God
said, ‘There is a tree in the midst of the garden the woman.
And in the midst of the garden is this tree [i.e. Eve]. Don’t even touch it, for
the day you eat thereof, that day you die.’ They were holy veiled from
it—didn’t know nothing about it…. Notice, she [Eve] pulled off the holy Veil to see
what sex really was, what lust really would do. She pulled the veil
from off her eyes. The holy thing that God had put over her eyes, she wanted
knowledge to know what it was all about. So she pulled the veil off to see
what it was all about. [100]
Some Branhamite might ask, whom did Eve have sex with? This will be discussed
in the section entitled: Branham’s Erroneous Occultic Doctrine on the Serpent’s
Seed.
Branham’s Contradictory
Teaching
on the
Seventieth or Last Week of Daniel
In March
of 1963, age 54, one of the infallible Prophet’s devoted worshippers
noticed that he changed his teaching on Daniel’s seventieth or last
week, and he asked this question: Brother Branham, I
noticed your referring to Daniel’s seventy weeks on the First Seal Message. I
understand on Daniel, on the tape of Daniel
[referring to what he taught in 1961], when the Gospel
returns to the Jews, the seventy week will begin. Is is
there one week, seven years, left for the Jews, or yet is there only
one-half week, one three and one-half years, left for them? [101]
The infallible Prophet
answered: Only one-half week. Branham evidently had another memory relapse,
for he could not remember what his spirit-guide taught through him just two
years before or in 1961. Branham’s devotee was
referring to a series of taped messages that Branham preached in 1961 on the “seventy
weeks of Daniel;” in which Branham definitely proclaimed that Daniel’s
seventieth week begins immediately after the Rapture of the Church, and this last
week consisted of a full seven-year period!
One
year later or in August of 1964, age 55, another very confused
worshipper, probably a Branhamite Pastor, asked: Brother
Branham, when you gave the message on the seventy church weeks—seventy weeks
(pardon me) of Daniel, I believe that you mentioned that the
full--the full last week or last seven years will begin when the Bride
was taken in the rapture. The infallible Prophet immediately realized that his
devotee caught him in a lie, and it shook him! Well, what did this
so-called humble man of God do? Did he confess to all of his worshippers that
he made mistakes?
The answer is NO! This can be seen in his response to this question. The infallible Prophet nervously responded, like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar: No, no, no, no, no, nah, nah, nah. You got that wrong (see?), not the full seven weeks [i.e. 7 years]. The--the week started when Jesus came on earth. He [Daniel] said, ‘The Messiah, Prince, shall come and prophesy, and in the midst of the seven weeks [meaning 7 years], He’ll be cut off.’ And Jesus preached exactly three and one half years, which is half of the seventy weeks [i.e. the seventieth week], the seven days, week--weekdays. See? And there’s three and one half years left…. Never did I believe that the whole seventy weeks [i.e. seventieth week]<