Women and morals
This is an essay analyzing William Branham's Seven Visions of 1933. It was written by a former message follower.
Click on the links below to go to a specific section within the essay. You are currently on the topic below that is in bold:
An Introduction to the Analysis of the Seven Visions of 1933
What were the Seven Visions?
How many Visions?
Why were the Visions given?
Why did the Visions fail to change men’s religious ideas?
A Comparison of the 1960 Sermon and the Church Age Book
A Critique of each Vision
- Mussolini
- Hitler
- Three ISMs
- Scientific progress
- Women and morals
- Powerful Woman in America
- America destroyed
The Prediction
The sequence of the visions
Two views of the Seven Visions
Summary of the discussion
Women and morals
| Church Age Book statement of the vision |
|---|
| The fifth vision had to do with the moral problem of our age, centering mostly around women. God showed me that women began to be out of their place with the granting of the vote. Then they cut off their hair, which signified that they were no longer under the authority of a man but insisted on either equal rights, or in most cases, more than equal rights. She adopted men's clothing and went into a state of undress, until the last picture I saw was a woman naked except for a little fig leaf type apron. With this vision I saw the terrible perversion and moral plight of the whole world. |
The first mention of this vision was in 1964. It is therefore post fact and is not a prophecy.
This vision concerned moral problems mainly to do with women. It showed a degenerating moral environment where the hallmarks were:
- Granting women the right to vote.
- Women cutting their hair and therefore rejecting the authority of their husband and claiming equal rights.
- Dressing like men.
- Having no dresses at all until they were just wearing a fig leaf.
Women’s suffrage has been embraced by most if not all nations. Some women were granted the right to vote (based on land ownership or tax paying etc) from 1689. Universal women’s suffrage was given in 17 countries prior to this 1933 vision. The first was New Zealand in 1893 then Australia 1902, and Canada, Austria, Germany, Poland, Russia, Netherlands, United States (1920), Sweden, Britain, Ireland, South Africa and Spain (1931).
But William Branham is suggesting that women, especially Christian women, shouldn’t vote because God doesn’t like it! How does that make any sense, where is there even any Bible for it! This view would sit well in a radical Islamic context where women are decidedly second-class citizens.
Making hair cutting into a theological point and implying that there was a time in the very recent past when they didn’t cut their hair is absurd. Women have probably cut their hair ever since they discovered that they had hair to cut!
The ‘no dress, instead, a fig leaf’ aspect of the vision has not been fulfilled and almost certainly will never be.
There are 16 other references to this vision and they are can be reviewed below.
| Sermon Statement |
|---|
| But it's women in politics. Didn't, twenty-five years ago, the Lord gave me a vision showing that the women, through permitting to vote, would elect--elect this ricky we got up here now, a modern Ahab setting there with Jezebel turning his neck? And you women fashion yourself after the same way, as she's a model of the world. Investments 26th January 1963 |
Here he is saying that the 1933 vision included the election of Kennedy to the presidency – it didn’t. He likens Kennedy to Ahab and his wife, Jacqueline, to Jezebel none of which was in the vision. He said the Lord showed this to him – he didn’t. This is just an attempt to drum up support on the basis of an assumed link to the scripture stories.
| Sermon statement |
|---|
| I said, "During that time... Now, they're permitting women to vote; and women, in voting, will finally..." I said, "This nation is a woman's nation; it's marked by a woman. It's a woman right down through prophecy, everywhere; and number thirteen everywhere in prophecy." And I said, "It's a woman's country; she has her liberties here. And she'll ruin it; she's the ruination of the world."
(And, Roy, I got your letters on that, that great woman that... "Every criminal case... We've X-rayed it down now to: every criminal case was ever done in this United States, a woman was behind it." That's exactly right. That's immoral women. You see?... and things.) Now, so then I said, "There will be in that time, during that time the woman will be permitted to vote, and they'll elect the wrong person (They did it on this last election. That's right.) which will start the stronghold. During that time it'll come to pass that--that there'll be a great woman rise up in the United States; she'll be beautifully dressed (And I got in parenthesis, perhaps the Catholic church. See?), that'll take rulership over the power, overpower the others in the United States. She'll be beautiful to look at, but she'll be cruel-hearted as she can be." Thyatarian church age 8th December 1960 |
The idea that women (and voting women) would lead the USA and the world to ruination is ridiculous. Of course, there is also no truth to the statement that a woman was behind every criminal case in the United States. This is an irresponsible claim which indicates a high degree of prejudice against women. It is quite unseemly and more than a little unnerving that such views could be espoused by one claiming to be a prophet and that they could be taken seriously by believers today.
| Sermon statement |
|---|
| Did you see the new bathing suits they brought out? Do you know my prediction that women would finally come to fig leaves, thirty-three years ago? And now they got them that's dressed in fig leaves, transparent skirts. The Word of the Lord never fails. See? And that was to take place just before the end time, come to a fig leaf again. I was reading it in Life magazine. That was said thirty-three years ago, before women took their fall. It was told how they would do it in this day, and here they are. How they'd wear garments like man, and how they'll... The immorals of the woman would drop in this nation Going beyond the Camp. 19th July 1964 |
While it is true that increased permissiveness in western countries as regards women’s clothing has been progressive since the middle of the 20th century, it is no more than could have been observed in 1964 (the first mention of this vision). The bikini (if this is his reference) was first marketed in 1946. Women have been putting on men’s clothes for millennia and in some cultures a woman’s clothing is regarded as a man’s clothing in others.
Mini-skirts were first popularized from 1960 but had been seen well before that even back to archaeological times. And, of course, the comment about women wearing nothing apart from a fig leaf has never transpired.
| Sermon statement |
|---|
| I'd like to read some things that I'd like for you to--to... This one first. I'd like to read something to you. 1932: (Listen to this.) As I was on my way... Or as I was getting ready to go on my way to church this morning, it came to pass that I fell into a vision. Our services is being held on Meigs Avenue at the old orphans' home, where Charlie Kern lives in part of the building." (He lives just across the street now, you know.) And it came to pass that while I was in this vision I seen some dreadful things take place. I speak this in the Name of the Lord. It shall--also has been an evil thing done in this country; they have permitted women to vote. This is a woman's nation, and she will pollute this nation as Eve did Eden. Now, you see why I'm hammering the way I do. I got, THUS SAITH THE LORD. In her voting she will elect the wrong person. …Women, given the right to vote, elected President-elect Kennedy--with the woman's vote, the wrong man, which will finally be to full control of the Catholic church in the United States; then the bomb comes that explodes her.” Condemnation by representation. 13th November 1960 |
Why was John F Kennedy ‘the wrong man’? He said that Kennedy’s election would ‘finally be the full control of the Catholic Church in the United States’. Kennedy’s election did not lead to the Catholic Church taking control of America but he said he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. His narrative is that the granting of the vote to women was an ‘evil thing’ and that the USA was a ’women’s nation and that women would elect Kennedy.
But according to the Gallup organisation, during the 1960 election, the votes of women were evenly split between Kennedy and Nixon. So, this, again, is a false prophecy. The election of Kennedy did not lead to any increase in the influence of the Catholic Church so his interpretation of the progress of the prophecy was wrong.
The vision is, again, a hodgepodge of changing detail. It is riddled with personal prejudice, makes no sense and, whatever it actually was, it has not been fulfilled.
The fifth vision had to do with the moral problem of our age, centering mostly around women. God showed me that women began to be out of their place with the granting of the vote. Then they cut off their hair, which signified that they were no longer under the authority of a man but insisted on either equal rights, or in most cases, more than equal rights. She adopted men's clothing and went into a state of undress, until the last picture I saw was a woman naked except for a little fig leaf type apron. With this vision I saw the terrible perversion and moral plight of the whole world. Church Age Book 1966
It shall--also has been an evil thing done in this country; they have permitted women to vote. This is a woman's nation, and she will pollute this nation as Eve did Eden. Now, you see why I'm hammering the way I do. I got, THUS SAITH THE LORD.
In her voting she will elect the wrong person. The Americans will take a great beating at a place that Germany will build, which will be a great wall built of concrete (The Maginot Line, eleven years before it was ever built.) But finally they will be victors.
Then when these women help elect the wrong person, then I seen a great woman rise up in the United States, well-dressed and beautiful, but cruel in heart. She will either guide or lead this nation to ruination. (I've got in parenthesis "perhaps Catholic church.") Condemnation by representation 13th November1960
Women, given the right to vote, elected President-elect Kennedy--with the woman's vote, the wrong man, which will finally be to full control of the Catholic church in the United States; then the bomb comes that explodes her. There's seven things predicted, and five of them has already happened. So you can judge yourself how far away we are. We're near the end. If them five things happened, these other two things are bound to happen. It's just got to happen. Condemnation by representation 13th November1960
Now, and you find out then that women given the rights to vote, and they elected a president that they should not have elected. See? That's that fall.
And the face of that, now, we're coming up to this next meeting, coming up. And be prayerful, and pray hard now that God will bless us and will open our understandings, that we might know the hour that we're living. Condemnation by representation 13th November 1960
Look at the prophecy the Lord give me in '33, how it would happen, "They'd permit women to vote; in voting they'd elect the wrong person." Seven things was given; five of them's already happened. The next thing was a great woman, a church, or power or something, to take over in this United States and rule. Then I seen it just like ashes laying, where it come to the end. It was the end time. The revelation of Jesus Christ 4th December 1960
How many remembers that vision here in the church? Sure. Said that how that even Kennedy would be elected in this last election. How that women would be permitted to vote. Ephesian church age 5th December 1960
I said, "During that time... Now, they're permitting women to vote; and women, in voting, will finally..." I said, "This nation is a woman's nation; it's marked by a woman. It's a woman right down through prophecy, everywhere; and number thirteen everywhere in prophecy." And I said, "It's a woman's country; she has her liberties here. And she'll ruin it; she's the ruination of the world." (And, Roy, I got your letters on that, that great woman that... "Every criminal case... We've X-rayed it down now to: every criminal case was ever done in this United States, a woman was behind it." That's exactly right. That's immoral women. You see?... and things.)
Now, so then I said, "There will be in that time, during that time the woman will be permitted to vote, and they'll elect the wrong person (They did it on this last election. That's right.) which will start the stronghold. During that time it'll come to pass that--that there'll be a great woman rise up in the United States; she'll be beautifully dressed (And I got in parenthesis, perhaps the Catholic church. See?), that'll take rulership over the power, overpower the others in the United States. She'll be beautiful to look at, but she'll be cruel-hearted as she can be." Thyatarian church age 8th December 1960
I said, "Then I seen a... They're going to permit women and are permitting women to vote. And by voting, they'll elect the wrong man some of these days." And you did at the last election. It was the woman's votes that elected Kennedy. We know that (See?), between the crooked machines and things fixed up, that F--FBI exposed. And how could anybody... Why don't they do something about it? Why ain't something said? Ha, afraid somebody'd lose their job. You see, it's just a bunch of politics, rotten to the core. That's all. Sure. Laodicean church age 11th December 1960
Now, it spoke in there that when they gave to the women rights to vote, that in... So I have nothing against... I've been called... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed. Turning northward 29th January 1961 I said, "Another thing, the nation has permitted women to vote, one of the most horrible disgraces they've done." And I said, "In voting they'll elect the wrong man." I'm neither Democrat nor Republican. I'm a Christian. Both sides is rotten. But they made their fatal mistake the other day. Women done the works.
And how you colored people, sell your birthright to such a thing as that, when the blood of Abraham Lincoln strain's up yonder on that dress. God have mercy. Help me, Lord. Oh, my. Maybe I shouldn't have said it. But I've done said it. Jehovah Jireh 12th March 1961
There'll come a worship of a woman in the United States, and that'll be Mary. I seen it, thirty--1931. Seven things happened. I got it right on paper here with me, wrote it in 1931. How that I said, "This President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, he will cause all the world, help do it, send the world to war." Hadn't come to war yet, during times of depression. I said, "Another thing..." And my mother, a square-back Democrat, if she didn't look at me hard when I said that. I said, "I don't care if there's a Republican or if he was a Socialist or whatever he is, this is THUS SAITH THE LORD."
And I said, "Doing this, they're permitting women to vote. And when they do that, they done one of the greatest disgraces this nation ever done." And I said, "Someday they'll pay for it." And they did at this last election. That's what elected him: women. Jezebel religion 19th March 1961
And then I said, "The women has been permitted to vote. Which is a--absolutely a disgrace upon the nation. And in voting, someday they'll elect the wrong man." And they did that in this last election. My, my. The seventieth week of Daniel 6th August 1961
I've got nothing against women, long as they stay in their place. If God could have give a man anything better, He would have give it to him. "But when she gets out of place, she is water in his blood." Solomon said so. He is the wisest we ever had.
But it's women in politics. Didn't, twenty-five years ago, the Lord gave me a vision showing that the women, through permitting to vote, would elect--elect this ricky we got up here now, a modern Ahab setting there with Jezebel turning his neck? And you women fashion yourself after the same way, as she's a model of the world. Investments 26th January 1963
1933, the Holy Spirit came one morning and told me seven things that would take place before this nation was destroyed. One of them is that. It's on old paper there at the church, many has looked at it. How that we would go to war with Hitler and they'd... How Germany would fortify and build a Maginot Line, or the Siegfried Line, I believe it was, eleven years before it was ever thought of. And how that automobiles would constantly shape like eggs. And how that they would permit women to vote, and, in doing so, they would elect the wrong President. And in this would be a woman stand up that would govern the United States; not actually a woman, but a church. Then I seen her with nothing but ashes. It's going to happen. Once more 17th November 1963
Did you see the new bathing suits they brought out? Do you know my prediction that women would finally come to fig leaves, thirty-three years ago? And now they got them that's dressed in fig leaves, transparent skirts. The Word of the Lord never fails. See? And that was to take place just before the end time, come to a fig leaf again. I was reading it in Life magazine. That was said thirty-three years ago, before women took their fall. It was told how they would do it in this day, and here they are. How they'd wear garments like man, and how they'll... The immorals of the woman would drop in this nation. Going beyond the camp 19th July 1964
Look at 1933, how it say the women would act in this last days…And how that women would wear garments and look like man, even like their underneath clothes; and would finally come to putting fig leaves, like, on them. How the immoral act, how they would act in this day. Look what they've done. And it's right before you, then… And I said, "Then the morals of our women is going to fall in such a degraded things, till they're going to be a disgrace to all nations. They're going to wear man's clothes. They're going to keep taking off their clothes till actually they come down like they got their underneath clothes on, that's all. And, finally, they'll come to wearing just a fig leaf." And if you notice, in last month's Life magazine, they had the woman with the fig leaves on. And that's the new evening frock, or gown, what they wear of the evening; transparent, can see through it, only the fig leaves just hides a certain spot of her body; with strapless, or strap, unstrapped bathing suits, the top of it, exposed body. And how that those things has happened! Broken cisterns 26th July 1964
Yes, that's... That's right, sister. Yes, sir. The women... I said the women would become so immoral in the last... Now, you know thirty years ago how they dressed. Said they'd become so immoral, till they'd walk down the street with--till like--just like their underneath clothes on. And I said, "Then will come to pass, that they'll even be so disgraceful, till they'll wear something look like a fig leaf." I saw it, and they've got it; and they're wearing it. Questions and answers #1 23rd August 1964