The Seven Churches Ages: Difference between revisions

no edit summary
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
__NOTOC__
{{Top of Page}}
{| style="width:800px"
|
{{Church ages}}
{{Church ages}}
Ages.  
Ages.  
Line 10: Line 8:


The problem with William Branham's doctrine is that:
The problem with William Branham's doctrine is that:
*Few of the Church Age Messengers lived in Asia.
*Only two of the Church Age Messengers set foot in Asia.
*The word "Ages" is extra.  Revelation 22:18 says, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."
*Revelation 22:18 says, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." The word "Ages" is extra. Its not found at all in Revelation 1:11.  So Ages may be a small word, but it's scary.  Go there at your own risk.   
 
*He copied this doctrine from Clarence Larkin.
So Ages may be a small word, but it's scary.  Go there at your own risk.   


==Where is Asia?==
==Where is Asia?==
Line 31: Line 28:




=Big WMB mistake=
==Messengers Outside Their Ages==
John was told to write to each churches. William Branham said that each church represented an age, and that each age had a messenger. So, you would expect that each messenger would have lived within the correct church age...but this is not the case.


Paul was martyred in approx. 73AD. John (in the book of Rev) was told (according to WMB) to write to each "church age messenger". The problem with this, is John was on the Isle of Patmos around 95AD, so Paul had been dead for over 20 years. WMB has John writing to a dead guy.....
====Paul====
*Paul was martyred in approx. 73AD.  
*John wrote the Book of Revelation from the Isle of Patmos around 95AD.
If William Branham was correct, then Paul had been dead for over 20 years when John sent him the letter. I guess he never got the memo. 
 
====Columba====
*William Branham said the Thyatira Age started in 606 AD.  
*William Branham named Columba as the messenger to the Thyatira Age.  
*Columba died in 597 A.D., 9 years before the Age was supposed to start.  


===The Message to the Seven Churches===
===The Message to the Seven Churches===
Line 44: Line 50:




<div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Jesus in the Candlesticks</div>
William Branham taught that by walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks, Jesus is demonstrating that he will be God to each of the pure Christian churches, and will not change (Hebrews 13:8).  He identifies himself by different attributes in each of these ages, but he is still the same God, the Alpha and Omega, and everything in between.
{| class="wikitable"
!width="100" |Age
!width="100" |Scripture
!Text
|- valign="top"
|Ephesus
||Rev 2:1b
||These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
|- valign="top"
|Smyrna
||Rev 2:8b
||These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
|- valign="top"
|Pergamos
||Rev 2:12b
||These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
|- valign="top"
|Thyatira
||Rev 2:18b
|| These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
|- valign="top"
|Sardis
||Rev 3:1b
||These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;
|- valign="top"
|Philadelphia
||Rev 3:7b
||These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
|- valign="top"
|Laodicea
||Rev 3:14b
||These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 
|-
|}
<div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">The Works Of The Ages</div>
William Branham taught that the works of the ages is the same work that began on the day of Pentecost: declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with supernatural signs following.  That Jesus specifically comments on works signifies its importance, not for salvation, but for 'His name's sake' - the testimony of Jesus Christ. Every age except Sardis and Laodicea received a positive report on their works: Sardis for a corrupt testimony, and Laodica for inaction.
{| class="wikitable"
!width="100" |Age
!width="100" |Scripture
!Text
|- valign="top"
| Ephesus
|| Rev 2:2,3
||I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
|- valign="top"
|Smyrna
||Rev 2:9a
||I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich )
|- valign="top"
|Pergamos
||Rev 2:13
||I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
|- valign="top"
|Thyatira
||Rev 2:19,23c
||I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first... and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
|- valign="top"
|Sardis
||Rev 3:1b,2b
||I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead…for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
|- valign="top"
|Philadelphia
||Rev 3:8
||I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
|- valign="top"
|Laodicea
||Rev 3:15a
||I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:
|-
|}
<div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">An Overview of the Ages</div>
William Branham taught that Christianity in the first century was dominated by Jewish converts, while Christianity in the second and later centuries has been dominated by Gentile converts.  As Christianity was Hellenized, Greek philosophy and Roman religion slowly began to influence doctrine and lifestyles.  Pagan religion (a belief in more than one God) offically merged with Biblical Christianity (a belief in One God) in 325 AD at the council of Nicea, when select bishops confirmed the doctrine of the Trinity with Emperor Constantine, joining Church and State.  Just as Eve had been beguiled by the serpent, Christianity exchanged its innocence for power. 
William Branham taught that despite Satan's influence, there has been an independant, Bible-believing church in each century.  Due to heavy persecution and martyrdom of millions of Christians, coupled with the removal of the Bible from the common people (most Catholic services were in Latin, which common people could not read or understand) much of the evidence of Biblical Christianity and the doctrines of Biblical Christianity were lost.
The following chart shows the development and persecution of Christianity from the time of Jesus until today, as taught by William Branham.  The previously pagan Roman empire, which persecuted the true Christian church, became the Catholic or papal Roman empire in 325 AD and has continued to persecute the true Christian church ever since.
[[Image:Christianhistory.jpg]]
{{Portal Navigation}}
{{Portal Navigation}}
|-
|-
|}
|}