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| |{{Prophet Priest King}}
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| A '''prophet''' is a person who speaks by divine inspiration, revealing the will of God. | | A '''prophet''' is a person who speaks by divine inspiration, revealing the will of God. |
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| The message of a true prophet cannot contradict the word of God, or the message of other true prophets. The words of a prophet are to be tested and proved, and a prophet is identified as true after their first prophecy or miracle comes to pass. A false prophet is someone who either correctly prophecies and then leads people away from God (such as Balaam), or someone who speaks things in the name of the Lord that do not come to pass.
| | =What are the identifications of a prophet?= |
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| There are many types of prophets (groups may overlap):
| | The Bible contains some very clear identifications of a true prophet. |
| *Some prophets are called gods, as the LORD speaks directly to them. Examples include Moses and Elijah. (Exodus 7:1, John 10:35)
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| *Some prophets are called to be prophets from their youth to a lifelong ministry. Examples include Jeremiah, Samuel, and John the Baptist.
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| *Some prophets are anointed to deliver a prophecy under a unique inspiration, and may (or may never) prophecy or come under this inspiration again. Examples include Zacharias, Miriam, King Saul, and Caiaphas the high priest.
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| *A prophet may be directed by God through the visitation of angels. Examples include Daniel, Mary, and John the Disciple.
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| While on earth, Jesus lived as a [[prophet]], revealing mysteries to his disciples, prophecying, performing miracles, and raising the dead. With regards to whether William Branham was a prophet, this should be based on whether he led people to God, and whether he spoke things that accurately came to pass.
| | ==Performing miracles proves '''NOTHING'''== |
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| | Jesus said that false prophets can perform great signs and miracles, so we know that displays or manifestations of supernatural power do not necessarily mean that God has sent a prophet. In fact, the book of Revelation reveals that a time is coming when the devil himself will call fire down out of the sky to prove that he is God, and this overwhelming miracle will deceive most of the inhabitants of Earth. “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beat, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth…” (Revelation 13:13,14) So, the ability to perform miracles does not prove that a prophet is sent from God. |
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| | :''"For there shall arise false Christs, and '''false prophets''', and shall shew '''great signs and wonders'''; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.<ref>Matthew 24:24-25</ref> |
| |''Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.'' (Amos 3:7)
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| | ==The "One Mistake" rule== |
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| | A true Prophet must be 100% accurate. There is absolutely no margin for error. |
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| ''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)
| | The true Prophet of the Lord predicts that which does come to pass. If the Prophet's predictions fail, they are exposed as NOT of God. |
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| | :''The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.<ref>Jeremiah 28:9</ref> |
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| | |:''But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, '''that same prophet shall die'''. And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’ — when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, '''if the word does not come to pass or come true''', that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. '''You need not be afraid of him.'''<ref>Deuteronomy 18:20-22</ref> |
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| | style="background: #cedff2; padding: 3px 5px; text-align:center;" |Suggested Sermons by<br>[[William Branham]]
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| *[http://www.thefreeword.com/books/2862-L.pdf The Way Of A True Prophet]
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| *[http://www.thefreeword.com/books/1460-L.pdf Spirit Speaks Through The Prophet]
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| *[http://www.thefreeword.com/books/3364-L.pdf The Voice Of The Sign]
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| |} | | |} |
| ==Commentary by William Branham==
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| ===What is a Prophet?===
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| :''A "prophet' is "a preacher" under the English dictionary. But under the Hebrew or the Greek, a prophet is "a seer, one who foresees things and foretells things."''
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| ::Sermon: Q & A, Jeffersonville, IN, Aug 23, 1964
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| :''A prophet doesn't only mean "a seer, a forthteller," it means "a revealer of the Word that's written in his own life." His own works reveals and vindicates the Word of that day, like Noah building the ark, Moses down there, whatevermore, then you...?... the promised Word for that hour.''
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| ::Sermon: Feast of the Trumpets, Jeffersonville, IN, July 19, 1964
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| ===The Son of Man is the office of the Prophet===
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| :''And Jesus never referred to Himself as Son of God; He referred to Himself always as Son of man. And notice, He revealed Himself then as the Prophet, the seer. Said, "If I do not the works of My Father then believe it not. "He met every description that was spoke of Him in the Scripture, even to His death, burial, resurrection, His crucifixion, His birth, all. And in His work He met the description of the seer, the Son of man.''
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| ::Sermon: Feast of the Trumpets, Jeffersonville, IN, July 19, 1964
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| ===The rejection of the Prophets, speaks of the rejection of Christ=== | | {|style="background-color:#cedff2; border:1px #a3b0bf solid; text-align:center;" |
| :''That's right. The Word always comes to His prophet. So we can't expect It to come to theologians. We can't expect It to come to denominations. It's got to come God's channeled route that He foretold us about, and that's the only way It'll ever come. It'll be hated, despised, rejected. When It does come, It'll be throwed out to one side and everything, but God will do it anyhow. It was rejected in Jesus Christ; it was rejected in John; it was rejected by Jeremiah; it was rejected by Moses. It's always that way.''
| | |''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) |
| ::Sermon: Modern events made clear by prophecy, SBD, CA, Dec 6, 1965
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| ===Joseph as a type of Christ, the prophet===
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| :''Joseph, a perfect example, that was Christ in Joseph. Why, you notice he was loved of his father, despised of his brothers because he was a seer. They hated him without a cause. The man couldn't help what he was; he was. And the other brothers hated him, a very good type of all ages. Always when a seer comes on the scene, the rest of them hate him for the same cause as they did Joseph.''
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| :''He couldn't help it. He re--He could interpret their dreams. Never was He wrong. He--he foretold things. Never was he wrong. And his brothers hated him without a cause.
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| :''And notice, his life portrayed Christ to us exactly, even sold almost for thirty pieces of silver, taken up out of the ditch, and set at the right hand of Pharaoh, the ruler of the world at that day. And every time he left the palace, they sounded a trumpet and said, "Every knee bow, 'cause Joseph is coming," a perfect type of Christ in the millennium when the trumpet sounds, and the--He'll come forth, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to Him.''
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| :''Notice, in his prison he was a prophet. That's when he was sold, and--and put into prison on account of Potiphar's wife. Then we find that in there the butcher and the baker, they both had a dream. And he interpreted the dream, and one was lost and one was saved. So did Jesus on the cross exactly. One was lost, one was saved, when He was in His prison, tacked to the cross. Just a perfect example.''
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| ::Sermon: Identified Christ of all ages, Birmingham, AL, April 9, 1964
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| | William Branham’s gift of discernment came from God for the purpose of vindicating him as a true servant of God. |
| | My response: This is the only theory that matches all the facts: physical, spiritual and biblical. That’s why I believe it this way. Brother Branham never said he had the spirit of Elijah—but he did point out many of the scriptures this end time Elijah would fulfill—and guess what, Brother Branham’s life matched all those scriptures. |
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| |''And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.'' (Matthew 13:57)
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| ''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)
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