Fifth Seal
The Fifth seal is souls under the altar, slain for the Word of God. These souls called for judgment, were given white robes, and told to wait while their fellowservants on earth were killed.
Because there is no beast (lion, ox, man and eagle), William Branham concludes that the church is raptured at the time of the fifth seal. He says, “These beasts are correct. It’s THUS SAITH THE LORD. See?” Instead, he identifies non-Christian Jews as the souls under the altar, and says that more will be martyred when Rome breaks its covenant with Israel.
William Branham then tells a story of how he went to a heavenly place, and saw his own converts under the altar:
- ’’Tells of the white-robed saints in “that heavenly place” that he saw in a vision. But Jessu was not there! It was a mixture of purgatory, and souls under the altar. “I want to see Jesus…You can’t see him now, He is still higher….You mean, by being a leader, that He’ll judge me? Said, “Yes” I said, “what about Paul?” He said, “He’ll have to be judged with his.” “Well” I said, if his group goes in, so will mine, ‘cause I’ve preached exactly the same Word.”…and millions screamed out, all at once, said, “We’re resting on that!” …See, we was right under the altar.”
The most notable person absent from this place was Jesus, making “that heavenly place” a waiting place, or purgatory, while the people wait for William Branham to be judged.
But later in the sermon William Branham backtracks and tries to differentiate between the two altars:
- “The Bride, she was not under the martyrs’ block, not, the sacrifice altar of the martyrs; but had received white robes, by accepting the pardoning grace of the living Word.”
What William Branham does with this statement is commit some major errors:
- He ignores the fact that Revelation 6:9 says that the souls were under “THE” altar (there is only one).
- He ignores the fact that there were many Christian martyrs, and that the Bride will include many people who were martyred, and who were not martyred.
- He ignores that he says that the souls were Jews, and
- He refers to the “pardoning grace of the living Word”. One night prior, he had called his own words “spirit and life” as evidenced by his ability to create squirrels (though no-one was around to witness this). That means he is making his own words the door to pardoning grace.
In this sermon William Branham ties Jesus’ warning about “False Prophets” to the time after the rapture. As such, this scripture naturally does not apply to him. William Branham also tells a story about Joseph giving his brothers white robes in this sermon. It is likely from this story that some Message Believers think that Moses and Elijah will arise and translate the sermon of the Seven Seals into Hebrew after the rapture. So, perhaps his message really is one of the false ministries to watch for.
William Branham also makes some off-topic statements during this sermon that are very strange:
- He reveals that he is a Mason talking to other Masons in the crowd: “You Masons, I’ll call your attention. You remember the sign of the cross? Now you – you know what I’m talking about. “
- He brings out a non-Biblical doctrine that Moses resurrected. “Moses actually died. But he rose, ‘ cause he was a perfect type of Christ. ”
- He denies that his vision of heaven was like the Mormon version of Soul Sleep.
- He states that children are bundles of muscles until just before birth, at which time they are given the breath of life. This doctrine is why many Message Believers think that still-born babies will not be in heaven, and why the anti-abortion movement isn’t worth their voice.
Plagiarism
William Branham’s secret source of information for this sermon was the writings of Clarence Larkin. Here is a comparison:
| William Branham tells that he understood the Fifth Seal that morning: “Today, not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak.”
Then he asks God to break the Fifth Seal that evening: “O Lamb of God, come forward, we pray. We call on You, Lord, the great Redeemer. Come forth and show us Your plan of redemption that’s been hid through the years, breaking this Fifth Seal for us tonight, Father.” Why did he ask God to break the Seal when he already knew what he was going to say? Why are the Seals God’s plan of redemption, when Jesus already redeemed us on the cross? Why is he calling on the Lamb of God the way a Magician would call out to a spirit behind a curtain? |
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William Branham preached a series of sermons in March 1963 on the Seven Seals of the book of Revelation. This article contains a summary of these sermons as taught by William Branham, who taught that each seal identifies a religous disturbance. Much of William Branham's teachings on the Seven Seals can also be found in the works of Clarence Larkin, a dispensational Baptist author. Each seal opens a new chapter in the book sealed with seven seals. This page reviews William Branham's commentary on the Fifth Seal as found in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh verses of Revelation Chapter 6. Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 9
The Lamb opens the Fifth SealJesus Christ, the Lamb of God, opens the fifth seal. Links to other articles in the seriesThis article is one in a series of studies on the Seven Seals - you are currently on the topic that is in bold:
Absence of a beast to announce the SealThe four six-winged beasts guard the throne of God in heaven. One beast looks like a lion, another like an ox, another like a man, and another like an eagle. William Branham taught that these beasts parallel the four gospels in the New Testament, which protect the testimony of Jesus Christ on earth, and vindicate the Holy Spirit in the Church in the book of Acts. These beasts are absent in the fifth seal as the Holy Spirit has been taken off of the earth, and those who were filled with the Holy Spirit have been "raptured", or taken into heaven without having to die. As the Holy Spirit has left with the Church, there is no further use guarding this testimony on earth.
Souls under the altarThese souls were slain for the "Word of God, and for the testimony that they held". William Branham taught that these people were not slain for the testimony of Jesus Christ, but they did have the Word of God. These are the Jews who remained loyal the their cause, preserving and protecting the Jewish race and the word of God throughout Church history.
Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 10
A cry for judgementThese people didn't ask for forgiveness for their persecutors, like Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Instead, these people are calling for judgement, not grace. William Branham taught that these are people who received the judgement of God when they cried (or their fathers' cried) His blood be on us, and on our children (Matthew 27:25), and are now demanding the same judgement on those who brought them pain.
Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 11
White RobesAccording to Romans 11:25, the Jews were blinded so that the Gentiles could receive the grace of God. William Branham taught that, though blinded by their own father, these Jews are also granted white robes by the mercy of God.
Those who will be killedWilliam Branham taught that the season of killing is the last three and a half days of Daniel's 70th week, which translates into three and a half years. During this time the two prophets and the 144,000 will be killed.
Plagiarism
Footnotes
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