William Branham and the nature of God

This article is one in a series of studies on William Branham and the Trinity - you are currently on the topic that is in bold:

• What did William Branham believe about the Godhead?
• William Branham and the Trinity Doctrine
• The Historic Doctrine of the Trinity
• Did William Branham Teach Oneness?
• William Branham and Arianism
• Did William Branham teach Nestorianism?
• Bible Study on the Trinity
• Q&A on the Godhead - Answers to emails we have received
• Christians that God required to believe the Satanic Trinity doctrine
• Other articles on the Godhead
• Giants of the faith who believed the doctrine of the Trinity

This is a summary of William Branham's teaching on the Godhead and also contains links to articles on various doctrines taught by William Branham with respect to the nature of God.

Godhead means “the nature of God”, but is usually a term for “what” God is, rather than “who” God is. At its greatest depth, knowing about someone is much less rewarding that knowing someone. Still, it is a start.

We do not spend time in this article highlighting the problems with William Branham's beliefs. That discussion is contained in other articles in this series, which can be accessed from the links at the top of the page and attempt to point out specific problem areas with William Branham's belief system. . The purpose of this article is simply to highlight what he believed.

The Godhead and Respect

In the past, some Christians in positions of power have persecuted heretics (or anyone who disagrees with their own favourite doctrine). But persecuting heretics is as spiritual as stoning the good Samaritan. The treatment of the Cathars at the hands of the Catholics, most notably in the massacre in Beziers in 1209 A.D., is a historic example of this persecution.

The Apostle Paul wrote about people who "hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1). He describes people who understand the Godhead correctly, but still choose to live a life of corruption. Paul’s final description of these individuals is ‘unmerciful’, which is an apt description of Arnaud-Amaury, the Catholic ambassador to the Cathars of Bezier, who declared “Kill them all, the Lord will recognise His own.”

Jesus taught that only those who had a pure heart would see God (Matthew 5:8). So even though what we are describing is heresy, there is no need to stone or persecute Branhamites. What there is a need for is to be merciful.

William Branham's Continuously Changing View

William Branham was ordained as an exhorter in the Pentecostal Baptist Church (see article on Roy Davis) and, early in his ministry, believed in the Trinity as evidenced by the following:

THE.RESURRECTION.OF.LAZARUS ERIE.PA 51-0729A

And now, there are those sitting here who are feeble this afternoon, that's in need of physical healing. And we have chosen these few words to read from Thine. And may the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, come in now, the Promise, the Comforter, that You said You would send. And He would take the things of God and would show them to us.

EARLY.SPIRITUAL.EXPERIENCES_ HAMMOND.IN SUNDAY_ 52-0713A

Truly, we're not much in this world, we're looked down upon, but, God, we believe we're accepted in Christ Jesus, and He in return, has give us the Holy Ghost. We love Him, that great, third Person of the Trinity Who burns through our hearts. And we love Him. O Holy Spirit, I thank You for Your Divine leading...

THE.TESTIMONY.OF.JESUS.CHRIST_ CHICAGO.IL SATURDAY_ 53-0829

The same God the Father was made manifest in flesh, and now in the Holy Spirit. That's the reason the baptism is in the Name of Father, Son, Holy Ghost (See?) the Trinity--the Trinity, not three gods, but three persons in one God...

In his early ministry, William Branham was very inclusive and extended open arms to both Trinitarians and Oneness believers (see the vision of the Plum and Apple Trees.

In his sermon, The Godhead Explained, William Branham tells of when he was confronted by ministers of both the Assemblies of God (Trinitarian) and the United Pentecostal Church (Oneness) and forced to clearly define his doctrine. At the end of their discussion, William Branham had both representatives acknowledge that the other had the Holy Spirit. He then explained his method of baptism, which both representatives accepted. In this same sermon, William Branham tells of another confrontation with a UPC minister. This minister said "You know what we are going to do? We are drawing a little ring and drawing you right out of our circle." William Branham responded, "If you draw me out, I will draw you back in."

While William Branham's view of the Godhead was hard to accurately pin down, he did appear to have changed his beliefs fundamentally on this subject in 1958, as his last reference to a Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead was in March 1958. He gradually became less and less tolerant of the Trinitarian view until he eventually classified anyone that believed in the Trinity doctrine as a non-Christian:

I said, "Then you have to refuse Jesus Christ, for He is the revelation of God, God revealed in human flesh." Unless you see it, you're lost. Jesus said, "Except you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." He is the revelation of God, the Spirit of God revealed in human form. If you can't believe that, you're lost. You put Him a third person, second person, or any other person besides God, you're lost. "Except you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." A revelation!

What William Branham Believed

William Branham's teachings on the Godhead were all over the map. As a result, this is one of the areas that most message believers apply the doctrine of Progressive Revelation.

William Branham stated many times that both the Oneness and Trinitarians were wrong and that the truth was somewhere in between.

Notice, the Book written... When this angel finishes all these loose-end ministries that through the battle they fought, Luther fought, and Wesley fought, and the Pentecostals fought, but there's coming one, says the Bible, that in the days of his sounding, all these mysteries... The Oneness run off on Jesus' Name. The Trinity went off on Father, Son, Holy Ghost, just like they did at the Nicaea Council: same thing. They both was wrong. But now, in the middle of the road, in the Scriptures lays out the truth.

There is God, see, not three gods. Oh, how many of you trinitarian people got that mixed up. And how you Oneness people got it mixed up, too, of Him being one like your finger. Uh-huh. See? They, they both of them got it mixed up. See? That's right. He's the one God like your finger, one, how could He be His Own Father? See? See, He can't be His Own Father. And if He had another Father outside of the Holy Spirit, and if God is a man, a person, then He is a... the Holy Spirit was His Father, and God is His Father, Matthew 1, so then He was an illegitimate Child. See? So you can't make it either way, you, it's both wrong.

William Branham also taught that Jesus Christ was part of God's creation.

He was God manifested in a flesh of His creative Son. See? Now, that's, God created the Son.

I said, "Yes, He was Divine. He was the created Son of God." And I said, "God was in Him reconciling the world to Himself."

Now notice! And after then the wise men identifying Him what He would be, and we find through the Scripture that's exactly what He was: Deity in service for death. What for? Deity in service to God for death. Jesus was Deity in service for death, to redeem the world. But what did the world do to It? They refused It. They rejected It. Why? Some of them, a big part of them, did that because this: because He did die! They said, "He couldn't be Deity and die." The Man (the body) was not Deity, but Deity was in the body. This body has to perish. The very Christ that's in you is the only thing that can raise you up. That's Deity, God in you.

William Branham and Nestorianism

Nestorianism is basically the doctrine that Jesus existed as two persons, the man Jesus and the divine Son of God, rather than as a unified person. William Branham's teaching on the nature of Christ was clearly tainted by Nestorianism. It is even more clearly developed in the teachings of Lee Vayle.

God was in Him. He was a man, but He was a—a dual Person. One, He was a man; the Spirit in Him was God.

Branhamism and Swedenborgianism

When you distill everything down, it appears that William Branham taught a view of the Godhead that was similar to that taught by Emmanual Swedenborg. The New Church (as followers of Emmanual Swedenborg have branded themselves) make the following claim about the Godhead:

There are not three gods, nor three persons in one God, but rather one God with three aspects to His being. Just as we all have a soul, a body and the actions of our lives (and are one person), so it is with God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are names given for the soul, body and activity of the Lord God Jesus Christ. ~ http://www.newchurch.org/beliefs/god

William Branham taught the same doctrine with regards to the Godhead:

Now, remember, you’re in a cycle of three, but you’re one person. Like Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, cycle of three, but one Person. …And you are: body, spirit, and soul. Now, the outside body has five inlets to it, to contact your earthly home: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. The inside, which is a spirit, it has five senses: conscience, and love, and so forth. But the inside of that, the soul, has one thing. That’s where you live. ~ William Branham, Sermon: Works is Faith Expressed, November 26, 1965

Jesus is the Name. And the Name was placed in a Man; not a church, not a denomination, not a creed, but a Man. He chose to place His Name in Jesus Christ. Now we find out that then He becomes the place of God’s worship, where you worship Him. ~ William Branham, Sermon: God’s Chosen Place of Worship, February 20, 1965

Swedenborg was also very against the teachings of the Trinity, as follows:

"The Church is now in so ruinous a state, that there are scarce any traces left of its ancient glory. And this has come to pass, in consequence of their dividing the Divine Trinity into three persons, each of which is declared to be God and Lord. This is the true source of all Atheism in the world. ...The Nicene and Athanasian ...doctrine concerning the Trinity, have given birth to a faith which has entirely overturned the Christian Church. ...He that confirmith himself in a plurality of Gods, by a plurality of persons, becomes like a statue formed with movable joing, in the midst of which Satan stands and speaks through its mouth. ...A Trinity of Divine Persons existing before the creation of the world, is a Trinity of Gods. ...The Lord received his soul from Jehovah, and the divinity of the Father was the Lord’s soul. ...The passion of the cross was the final temptation which the Lord endured as the Grand Prophet; and it was the means of the glorification of his humanity; that is, of its union with the divinity of the Father. ...God is one, in essence and person, and Jesus Christ is He.” (Emmanuel Swedenborg)

These statements are so similar to William Branham's tapes, that it makes you wonder whether the angel that appeared to William Branham was the same angel that appeared to Emmanuel Swedenborg. Or more likely, that William Branham again simply plagiarized his teachings:

...all who believe in the Trinity are possessed of the devil; that the Nicene Creed gave "birth to a faith which has entirely overturned the Christian church."

Swedenborg's statements above were all presented to John Wesley. His conclusion on these doctrines is as follows:

“The grand error which we learn from [this] whole work is, that there are not three persons in one God. …Notwithstanding all [these] new revelations, I believe, according to the old one, “There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit; and these three are one” For the term ‘person’ I contend not. I know no better: If any does, let him use it. …No there is not a word in all the Bible concerning any such union of the humanity of Christ with the divinity of the Father. He was then glorified, when he was received again into the glory which he had before the world began. …what heaps of absurdity are here! Only fit to have a place in Orlando Furioso. …Blasphemy, joined with consummate nonsense."

Lee Vayle, who edited William Branham's book "The Church Ages" held that the mystery of the seven seals was the restoration of the correct teaching of the Godhead. If this doctrine of Lee Vayle's is correct, then the correct teaching on the Godhead was actually restored 300 years earlier by Emmanuel Swedenborg and had nothing to do with William Branham.

John Wesley also wrote:

"O my brethren, let none of you that fear God recommend such a writer any more; much less labor to make the deadly poison palatable, by sweetening it with all care! All his folly and nonsense we may excuse; but not his making God a liar; not his contradicting, in so open and flagrant a manner, the whole oracles of God! True, his tales are often exceeding lively, and as entertaining as the tales of... the fairies! But I dare not give up my Bible for them; and I must give up one or the other. If the preceding extracts are from God, then the Bible is only a fable! But if all Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, then let these dreams sink into the pit from whence they came."

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