Humble Pie

This article is a formal apology for publishing and distributing false doctrine. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. ~ John 3:21 Dear Reader, From the start, the purpose of Believethesign.com has been to provide evidence to support truth. Having grown up in a Message Church, the truth being supported was naturally that William Branham was Elijah the Prophet in fulfillment of Malachi 4:5 and Revelation 10:7. In the fall of 2011, we changed the main scripture reference of the website to “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) in order shift the focus of the site clearly onto Jesus Christ. The driving force behind this change is that we have uncovered a number of significant issues with the evidence supporting William Branham’s prophetic ministry, as he proclaimed it. At the same time, we have not found any significant issues with the evidence supporting the healings and word of knowledge that brought attention to William Branham’s ministry. Humble Pie "If you find that the evidence on this site has misled you in the past, we apologize." In 1963, William Branham said: If I say anything that you don't believe, why, do it just like I do when I'm eating cherry pie. I love cherry pie. But when I hit a seed, I never throw the pie away; just throw the seed away. So you do the same thing. Eating chicken, when you hit the bone, you don't throw the chicken away, you just throw the bone away. If I say something you don't believe, just throw the bone away. (Conferences, June 8, 1963, Tucson, Arizona). What you now read on Believethesign.com should be an accurate historic account of William Branham’s life. By bringing to light supportable evidence, we hope that you find yourself in a better position to separate any pits from the pie. However, there is another analogy that concerns us even more. In 1965 William Branham said: We're in the last days. We're standing near the judgment. Why? They're trying to eat old manna that fell back yonder fifty years ago, the Pentecostal church. …They're trying to eat old manna. Oh, brother, that stuff is stagnated. It's contaminated. It's got…wiggle-tails in it, maggots. It'll kill you, to eat it. (Trying to do God a service, Jeffersonville, Indiana, July 18, 1965) While our responsibility is simply to present the truth in love, our concern is that fifty years later, the beauty of William Branham’s ministry has been consumed by impurities that were always present in his ministry. Some of these items are described in the pages that are linked from this page (just click on the colored headings to go to the detail pages). Why it took so long for these things to surface is not clear. You should be aware that, if you are a message believer, what follows may create something in you that is referred to as Cognitive Dissonance. That is only natural but please be aware that you may experience "disequilibrium" when you read this article: frustration, nausea, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, or other similar symptoms. If you find that the evidence on this site has misled you in the past, we apologize. Thankfully, humble pie is always fresh. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. ~ Hebrews 13:18 Problems With Prophecies Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. ~ I Corinthians 13:8a The following list contains the articles on Believethesign of prophecies made by William Branham. Beside the prophecy is a short summary of an issue that calls into question the validity of the prophecy. Some of these prophecies may still come to pass, while others cannot because they are in the past. The sad situation is it appears that William Branham was “hit some, miss some” with his prophecies. Click on headings if you want to read detailed commentary on a particular issue. Municipal Bridge Based on all public information available, there is no record of anyone dying during the construction of the Louisville Municipal Bridge (now called the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge). Photo: The USS Arizona sinks in Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941. In 1960 William Branham said, I speak this in the Name of the Lord. The president which now is, President Franklin D. Roosevelt... will cause the whole world to go to war... took America to England's tea party. That's right. Germany never picked on us; we picked on them, throwed the whole world into a war, to cause a world war. Franklin D. Roosevelt Part of William Branham’s 1933 prophecy was that FDR would pick on the Germans, lead the world to war, and run for four terms. While Roosevelt was inaugurated four times, he did not pick on the Germans and followed the world to war after provocation by the Japanese. William Branham called Franklin D. Roosevelt a “rascal” in 1960, which indicates that he just did not like him. The Voice on the Ohio River in 1933 Many followers of William Branham's message point to the voice that was heard on the Ohio River as proof that William Branham was to forerun the second coming of Christ just as John the Baptist foreran Christ's first coming. However, when closely examined there are a number of problems with this story, including the fact that the first accounts make no reference of a voice. After a great deal of research, we are now of the view that William Branham's story of the baptismal service changed over time to include a voice when, in fact, no one that was there actually heard it. Heavenly Vision William Branham published a tract entitled “I Was Not Disobedient To The Heavenly Vision”, in which he outlines the vision that started his commission. The problem is that this vision is not the angelic commission that he tells about in his recorded sermon titled “I Was Not Disobedient To The Heavenly Vision”. Piles of bread, a tent, and a tabernacle of people that would not eat the bread are later forgotten, and replaced with an Angel. No reconciliation is ever provided. Mussolini invades Ethiopia Part of William Branham’s 1933 prophecy was that Mussolini would rise to power, become a dictator, invade Ethiopia, and come to a disgraceful end. According to the vision, the invasion of Ethiopia would be his last. By 1933, Mussolini had already been a dictator for at least 8 years (he had already risen to power). His invasion of Ethiopia ended in May 1936 and was immediately followed by involvement in the Spanish Civil War starting in July 1936. During WWII, Italian troops helped Germany conquer France, and invaded Sudan, Kenya, British Somaliland, Egypt, Belgium, Greece, and the Soviet Union. Hitler and WWII William Branham mentions that this vision was “Thus Saith the Lord”, and that he wrote it down in 1933. This creates a problem as he identifies the Maginot Line, and says the vision occurred 11 years before it was fulfilled. Russia and the three ...isms Part of William Branham’s 1933 prophecy was that the three major “isms” of the world (Fascism, Nazism or Communism) would roll into communism, and then Russia would wind up in Catholicism. He prophesied that Communism would then burn the Vatican, and bring a persecution that would send Jesus Christ to the earth again. Unless Communism returns to Russia, an “ism” will not burn the Vatican. It makes no sense for Communism to wind up in Catholicism, and then burn the Vatican. In 1955 and 1961, William Branham said that these three isms were the three unclean spirits of Revelation 16:13. In 1965, William Branham said the three unclean spirits of Revelation 16:13 was the doctrine of the Trinity. It is unlikely that both explanations are correct. Driverless Cars While Google has recently received a license for autonomous driving in Nevada, the Nissan Cube, Toyota Scion, and Kia Soul indicate that cars and concept cars are no less round today than in the 1950s. However, when William Branham told this prophecy, he said it had “already happened”. Looking at articles in popular magazines of the 1950s, it is possible to find written and artistic concepts of driverless, egg-shaped, electronic vehicles by the time William Branham publicly disclosed this prophecy in 1956 (egg shape) 1957 (driverless) and 1960 (electronic). Morality While it sounds like a modern prophecy, women have been wearing fig-leaves since, well, Eve. Fertility goddesses have existed in almost every historic pagan religion, the nations around Israel often worshipped with temple prostitutes, and the Vatican has celebrated its holiness with statues of naked people for hundreds of years. A prophecy on the decline of morals in women is sensational, but misleading. Solomon said, “there is no new thing under the sun”, and the morality of the human race has never been great. Also, this part of the vision was never mentioned until 1964. Rise of a Woman in America There are a number of ways this prophecy could come to pass. Be it a physical woman, the Catholic church, or the women’s vote, this vision is sufficiently vague that it is likely to come to pass. In fact, William Branham indicated that this may have been fulfilled with JFK (a Catholic) in the White House. America in Ashes Every major empire in history has fallen, and it is likely that one day America will fall as well. The timing of this would be more helpful. However, 1977 didn’t happen as predicted. New Albany Prophecy The only source of this prophecy is William Branham. We have not found any third-party verification that this prophecy took place. Ohio river flood The only source of this prophecy is William Branham. We have not found any third-party verification that this prophecy took place. Star of light The Houston photograph appears to vindicate William Branham's statements in the 1940's that a "pillar of light" followed his ministry. However, the photographer's statement that it was a 'supernatural' light is based on William Branham's own recorded statement. Kari Holma While this prophecy was not recorded on the tapes, a boy was raised from a critical/dead state based on the testimonies of people who accompanied William Branham in Finland. Rattlesnake Mesa William Branham said that a group of angels met him during a hunting trip to “Sunset Mountain”, and pointed to a picture of a cloud published in the May 1963 issue of Life magazine as a testimony of this event. From the testimonies of his hunting companions Gene Norman and Fred Sothman, William Branham was on Rattlesnake Mesa a week after the photo of the cloud was taken when they heard a boom like a sonic blast. Regardless of how spiritual it sounds, William Branham was not on Sunset Peak when the cloud appeared. The “profile” of William Branham on the side of Rattlesnake Mesa resembles a face, but it is not necessarily an accurate profile of William Branham. William Branham’s retelling of the events related to this hunting trip and the appearance of the cloud are so inconsistent with each other, that it appears he stretched the story. This removes confidence in his testimony and, ultimately, in the sermons on the Seals that followed. World Council of Churches This prophecy appears to be an interpretation of the wording in the book of Revelation, as opposed to a formal prophecy. Destruction of Los Angeles There were numerous prophecies of LA sinking in Pentecostal circles in the 1950s, including the prophecy of Joseph Brandt originally published in 1937. William Branham would have known of these prophecies, and his own prophecy only occurred as late as 1965. Even in popular culture, the risk of LA sinking was known and discussed, as evidenced by the April 1, 1957 issue of Time Magazine that reports on this topic in detail. In this regard, the sinking of Los Angeles may still happen. William Branham also compared the sinking of Los Angeles to the sinking of Capernaum. However, Capernaum did not sink but was simply abandoned, and its ruins are still on the shore of the sea of Galilee to this day. Florida under water This prophecy has not been fulfilled to date. Also, a lot of Message believers live in Florida, and are apparently undaunted by this prophecy. Destruction of the Vatican This prophecy appears to be an interpretation of the wording in the book of Revelation, as opposed to a formal prophecy. If William Branham was not accurate with even one of his prophecies, then this calls into question his authority as an infallible prophet. While some of these prophecies may still come to pass, other have definitely missed the mark. In the end his prophetic scorecard appears to be “you hit some, you miss some”, and not something you can trust. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. ~ Deuteronomy 18:21-22 General Credibility We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT) Was William Branham honest? If he can be shown to have distorted the truth or if his stories are constantly changing over time such that he cannot be believed, this would cast doubt on virtually everything that he said. The following list contains issues that will raise questions regarding his honesty, integrity and truthfulness. Some of these concerns have only recently come to light but they are now sufficient in number to raise genuine concern on the part of anyone who is a follower of William Branham. When you read these concerns, please ask yourself this fundamental question - Why? Click on headings if you want to read detailed commentary on a particular issue. Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. Are you aware that William Branham stole multiple messages, doctrines and concepts from other ministers but never properly gave them credit for them. Are you aware that some of these stolen ideas he said came directly from God or the Angel? Why would he do this when God speaks against this practice in Jeremiah 23:30 - So I, the LORD, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me. (NET) Roy Davis There is a heartbreaking story that is familiar to all followers of William Branham. Bro. Branham first encountered Pentecostal people at a convention in Mishawaka, Indiana. While he was drawn to them and was invited to speak in their churches, he refused to join with them because he listened to his mother-in-law instead of God. And, as a result, his wife and daughter died as a direct result of his disobedience to God. But, is this the truth? According to Roy Davis and Douglas Weaver, William Branham attended a Pentecostal church pastored by Roy Davis well before Hope died. Roy Davis himself says that William Branham received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in his home. This all precedes the death of Hope and Sharon Rose Branham in July 1937. The Cloud Why did William Branham state that the cloud was directly above him while he was hunting, when it actually appeared 8 days earlier 200 miles away? Why did he say that Life Magazine said the cloud appeared at the same place that he was hunting when it clearly didn't? Why does William Branham state that the pictures in Life Magazine were taken on the day that he heard the blast when they were actually taken over a week earlier? The Explanation for His Poor Grammar Why did William Branham speak such poor English? His explanation was that when he was a boy, his father died. He had ten children to take care of, and had to work and support his mother and the children. But his father died when William Branham was 34 years old. Was he trying to make people feel sorry for him? 1933 Ohio River Experience Why was there no mention of the voice on the Ohio River by William Branham prior to 1952? Why did the books by Gordon Lindsay and Julius Stadsklev make no mention of the voice (both books were written based on information that came from William Branham)? Why is there no evidence of the newspaper articles that William Branham referred to? Prophecy of the Cloud On December 23, 1962, William Branham relates a vision in which he sees five angels in a constellation. One week later, he changed the number to seven. Why? Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. ~ Ephesians 4:25 Doctrines These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? ~ John 10:21 There are a number of William Branham’s doctrines on Believethesign.com that can be supported from the Bible. However, opposing views may be capable of being supported from the Bible as well, and may even constitute the better view. Additionally, a number of William Branham's significant teachings appear to have been borrowed in large part from other men. The details of our finding on this issue can be found in our article on Plagiarism. The primary purpose of this website is to provide a balanced, unbiased information on the ministry of William Branham. We therefore have a number of articles that discuss his doctrinal teachings. We have not removed them, but over time will be augmenting them with comments relating to how they relate to a more orthodox position. Some of these teachings include: Healing Jesus died for your salvation, and suffered for your healing. Accepting his sacrifice results in spiritual and physical blessings that are confirmed by scriptures. Water baptism The early church baptized (immersed) new converts in the Name of Jesus Christ. The book of Acts confirms this. In practice, however, William Branham would quote Jesus’ commandment to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit prior to baptizing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (unless the individual was already baptized in Titles). The Godhead The problem with William Branham’s teaching on the Godhead is that you can find quotes of William Branham clearly teaching both the Trinity or Oneness doctrines, and then denouncing both doctrines as false. The article on the Godhead that you will find on this site outlines a doctrine based on William Branham’s “body/spirit/soul” teachings, and is a bridge between traditional Trinitiarian and Oneness beliefs – which is how William Braham described his doctrine. Historically, this teaching is closest (but not identical) to Swedenborg’s explanation of the Godhead that John Wesley ridiculed. The Serpent's Seed William Branham taught that Cain and Abel were twins, yet Adam was the father of Abel and the Serpent was the father of Cain. While there appears to be some support in the scriptures for this doctrine, there are also a number of passages in the Bible that can be used to refute it. Additionally, it is not salvational, i.e. accepting or rejecting this doctrine does not impact one's salvation. However, even if one could trace their lineage back to Cain, Jesus still died for their sins. Angels This site also includes a study based on William Branham’s teachings on Angels. Seven Church Ages, Seven Seals, Mystery Babylon These articles each present an interpretation of scripture as preached by William Branham in the 1960's. While William Branham indicated that these doctrines were taught to him by an angel, ti appears that much of it comes directly from Clarence Larkin’s published dispensational teachings. Studying the church ages is a great way to learn Church history. Some items you may learn while studying the Church Ages as taught by William Branham are: The fourth church age messenger (Columba) died before the start of the fourth church age, and had a ministry as supernatural as William Branham’s ministry. How the white horse rider has moved throughout Church history, which will help you identify how it is moving in message churches today. The dates of the church ages are copied from Clarence Larkin's books. Charles Taze Russell (the founder of the Jehovah Witnesses) was the first person to assign names to the Church Age Messengers (including himself as the Laodicean Messenger). If you are curious as to a sample of William Branham’s doctrines that we feel cannot be supported by scripture (we hope to have articles on these issues in the future), they include but are not limited to: God only deals with one prophet at a time, Noah started building the ark after he saw Enoch go in a Rapture, Enoch was a type of the wise virgin, and Noah was a type of the foolish virgin, A seven letter word ending in “ham” is evidence of a spiritual man. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. ~ Hebrews 5:14 The Prophecy of William Branham's Death And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ~ Hebrews 12:27 Sometime in 1964 or 1965, a prophecy was communicated to William Branham that he would pass off the scene before the end of 1965 because of an error he would make. We have researched this prophecy as detailed by Kenneth Hagin and Gordon Lindsay’s wife, Freda Lindsay, and found that, according to Biblical principles, Kenneth Hagin accurately prophesied William Branham's death in January 1964. This should cause significant concern to anyone following William Branham's message. And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. ~ Ezekiel 14:9 Good Articles …approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. ~ Philippians 1:10 From our perspective, the information in the following links continues to provide good evidence that the healing and word of knowledge ministries of William Branham were genuine: Congressman Upshaw David Lunsford Daisy Osborn Sydney Jackson Leonard Bergen Doug McHughes Bud Southwick David Mamalis Brother Marathai Joe Riley Jack Moore Charlie Mitchell Dawson Riley F.F. Bosworth Jack Lunsford Pearry Green Ern Baxter Ernest Fandler Billy Paul Branham T. L. Osborn Edna Golden Tom Brown Howard Ervin Georgia Carter Gordon Lindsay Julius Stadsklev Herbert Graef Esther Massey Betty Daugherty Sunder Rao Damayanti Anchan Vatsala Arculi Florence Nightingale Kari Holma Sunworshipper Testimonies India Interviews The following books are also good information on the healings and miracles that followed William Branham’s ministry: Generation Book A Prophet Visits South Africa FGBMFI – Voice A Man Sent From God (print only) The various prayers linked to the healing lines article are also accurate historic accounts. These provide evidence to the accuracy of the word of knowledge. Based on the confirmation of the testimonies above, we do not have any reason to doubt that God honored these prayers with real healing. As you can read for yourself if you look at these articles, you will find that these people were healed by believing on the name and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; ~ Hebrews 12:1-2 Where do we stand now? Here are some simple questions and answers that will outline the perspective of the editors of www.believethesign.com: Was William Branham a Christian? Are Message Believers Christians? Did William Branham have the gift of healing? Did William Branham have the gift of knowledge? Did William Branham have the gift of prophecy? Are William Branham's prophecies reliable? Was William Branham the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Not to the extent he claimed he did. No. No. William Branham seemed to really, really want to be an Old Testament-style prophet. Sadly, the Old Testament prophets were not able to live up to the law that they were under. Solomon had the gift of wisdom, but ended up worshiping false gods. Samson had the gift of strength, but ended up powerless to temptation. Even Moses and David had faults that got them in trouble with God. To become an Old Testament prophet, William Branham had to start teaching the law. He began focusing on outward conformation to the “rules” in the Bible (tithing, hair, divorce), and eventually left the weightier matters. Let's be simple Christians who believe in Jesus - his death, his resurrection, and his power. A "mighty revelation" won't do us any good if we don't have the love of Jesus Christ, and love for others. Some followers of William Branham even preach a "Third Testament" doctrine, which replaces grace with revelation. A month before his passing, William Branham was teaching that Elijah was Jesus Christ. He had defined God into the box of his own life, and appears to have started exalting himself over the church of God. Today, if you go into a message church, you will often hear a fair Christian sermon. However, the sermon will likely end with a focus on outward conformity (proper clothes, hair, doctrine, pray more, be more sincere), the “vindications” (stories about his healing and discernment ministry) or comparisons (such as, "I’m glad we’re not like secular Christians who aren’t saved by knowing Message doctrine, like we are"). You will also find people who just can’t seem to conform to the preaching, others who can willingly meet all the rules but don’t understand why, and people who need (but are unable to access) the healing of the 2nd pull. The sad part is that these people are all Christians who have simply forgotten the power of faith in Jesus’ atonement, and replaced it with faith in a gifted man. William Branham said that every man will get caught by money, power or women. For him, what originated as a gift of healing became a display of power over diseases, which seems to have ultimately led to a desire for dominion over the church through his “my way or the highway” preaching. So, William Branham’s life may more closely parallel Solomon’s life, or Samson’s life, than Elijah’s life. The main question is where do we go from here? The answer is back to the grace of the New Testament covenant. Sound strange? If so, it’s because we as message believers haven’t realized (or forgot) that it was Jesus’ blood, and not William Branham’s doctrine, that has kept us clean before God. Even though we really know that in our hearts, we haven’t let it permeate our being like the scriptures teach. So, this letter is an encouragement to get back to our first love, Jesus Christ, and the Good News of his grace. May the Lord Jesus Christ lead you in his light, Jeremy Bergen, Editor Rod Bergen, Webmaster www.believethesign.com Navigation Home Our Podcast The List of Problems Life Story Prophecies & Visions Seven Seals Was William Branham Honest? Doctrines Church Ages Jesus Languages Videos Print Resources Help! Facebook Contact Us