Alcohol: Difference between revisions

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Alcohol refers to a fermented or distilled intoxicating beverage containing ethanol.  During the period known as Prohibition, from 1919 to 1933, it was illegal to manufacture, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States.   

The State of Indiana had already declared prohibition in 1916 when William Branham's father started operating a moonshine still. As a child, William Branham witnessed the drunken actions of the men and women who frequented his father's speakeasy. William Branham claimed that a voice spoke to him as a child, while he was hauling water used to cool the still, and said: ''"Don't ever drink, or smoke, or defile your body in any way. There will be a work for you to do when you get older."''     

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Alcohol (specifically wine and strong drink) is mentioned numerous times in the Bible, and is referred to as an intoxicant, medicine, beverage, and religious symbol.  

Jesus calls his followers "Kings and Priests" (Revelation 1:6). Looking at the Old Testament, it is very clear how God intended Kings and Priests to act around alcohol:  

William Branham said, ''"Cussing, swearing, drinking, that's not sin; that's the attributes of sin."'' <ref>March 26, 1953, William Branham </ref>  However, Jesus was a king and a priest, and he drank and created wine.  Jesus was also the sinless, spotless lamb of God.  If drinking is a sin, then Jesus was not a perfect sacrifice. So William Branham was wrong and drinking is not sin or an attribute of sin. Drinking just means you are drinking, just like driving means you are driving.  It is the purpose of what you are doing that defines your actions.  

William Branham said that he was "born under a Nazarite birth", similar to how John the baptist was instructed to "drink neither wine nor strong drink" (Luke 1:15).  However, William Branham did not observe the strict rules of a Nazarite in his lifestyle.  Some examples of this include:

Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, ate bread and wine (communion) with Abraham.  Jesus, the son of God and a priest after the order of Melchizedek, served bread and wine to his disciples. After this, Jesus said two things to his disciples:  

#''I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.'' (Matthew 26:29)

Martin Luther was known to drink, and promoted his love for beer.  He explained the entire Reformation as, '''''“…while I sat still and drank beer with Philiip and Amsdorf, God dealt the papacy a mighty blow.”''''' Luther’s letters to his wife Catherine lamented the fact he didn’t have her beer on hand to drink.  

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Wine is presented as a medicine or anesthetic by at least four people in the Bible: Paul, Solomon, Abigail, and Ziba:

*''Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.'' (Proverbs 31:6-7)

Alcohol has paved the way for the humiliating fall of the righteous since Noah's first hangover after the flood. (Genesis 9:24-25)  Lot was another man who felt its shame, as his daughters got him drunk in order to commit incest (Genesis 19:35-36).   

But the deception extends from those innocently shamed, into a tool for the cruel and ungodly.  Isaiah calls certain spiritual leaders "greedy dogs" who say ''I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink'' (Isaiah 56:11-12).  But Isaiah goes further, cursing the shepherds who drink wine, saying ''Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.'' (Isaiah 22:13-14) Finally, God told his prophet Hosea to marry a harlot to show God's shame towards Israel for their love for "flagons of wine" (Hosea 3:1)

Innocence and wine do not naturally go hand in hand.  Which is why Hosea says ''Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.'' (Hosea 4:11)  

Alcohol can lead to despair just like driving a car can lead to an accident.  

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Wine was inseparably linked to promises of prosperity in the Old Testament, and a blessing from God.  Many of these scriptures can be read as prophecies of the Holy Spirit descending, which was fulfilled in the New Testament.  

*II Samuel 6:18-19 ''And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.''

After the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost, those on the streets mocked them, thinking that they were drunk. (Acts 2:13)     

In comparison, Peter said that before his conversion it was not unusual for him to get drunk (I Peter 4:3).  After his conversion, however, Peter encourages Christians to "be sober". (I Peter 4:7).   

Drinking is not a sin, or Jesus could not have been the spotless lamb.  If you were raised in the prohibition of the Message, that sentence may take some time to process.  What is condemned in the scriptures is drinking to excess (getting drunk) because it leads to actions that could negatively impact you and others.  So any caution in the scriptures not to get drunk is for your benefit.   

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