Question 1 (BM2) - What is a prophet?
The following are a series of questions and answers between one of our editors (referred to as BTS Editor 2 or BTS 2 in the discussions) and a message minister from the progressive revelation sect of the message (referred to as BM2 - Branham Minister #2). Click on the link to go to the specific question and answer. You are currently on the topic that is in bold:
Question 1 - What is a prophet?
Question 2 - Was William Branham a prophet?
Question 3 - Moving on to other issues... like the Bible
Question 4 - The Trinity and other issues
This is the second in our series of questions and answers with ministers of the message. Please click here to go to the first in our Q&A series.
Question 1 - What is a prophet?
By the way, BM2, Paul was an Apostle, not a prophet.
Romans 1:1-4 (HCSB) 1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for God’s good news— 2 which He promised long ago through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures— 3 concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh 4 and who has been declared to be the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness.
1 Corinthians 1:1-2 (HCSB) 1 Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother: 2 To God’s church at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord—⌊both⌋ their Lord and ours.
2 Corinthians 1:1 (HCSB) 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother: To God’s church at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.
Galatians 1:1-2 (HCSB) 1 Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia.
Ephesians 1:1 (HCSB) 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.
Colossians 1:1-2 (HCSB) 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother: 2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, ⌊who are⌋ faithful brothers. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
1 Timothy 1:1-2 (HCSB) 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope: 2 To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:1-2 (HCSB) 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the promise of life in Christ Jesus: 2 To Timothy, my dearly loved son. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:1-2 (HCSB) 1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
And as you know from scripture, an Apostle is a different office than a Prophet:
Ephesians 4:11-13 (HCSB) 11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, ⌊growing⌋ into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
I await your response.
BTS 2
BM2 reply
You said >>>> By the way, BM2, Paul was an Apostle, not a prophet.
I say.....Evidently/obviously....you seem to be quite myopic in Scriptural teaching/understanding of a Prophet's identification. I also noticed a slant in your posits to me....that tips/leans towards the serious error.... of John the Baptist being the LAST PROPHET.
IF.....that is what you are suggesting....may I make you aware...that if John the Baptist was the LAST PROPHET....then the LORD JESUS could not have been a PROPHET afterwards. Another glaring example..... of not rightly dividing Scripture.
That would also nullify the setting in order.... of the TRUE New Testament church.....making the advocates of those thinking/teaching John being the last Prophet..... anti-Christ.... in/on its very premise.
Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Acts 11:27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Revelation 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Brother BTS 2.....Do note !!!!!.....GOD HAS SET IN THE CHURCH! Anyone/those who take them out....either suggestively or literally....are against GODS WORD!
Let's take a little deeper SCRIPTURAL LOOK....into PROPHETS and the different LEVELS of their identification and operation!
I will skip over Abraham and many other Old Testament Prophets and their Scriptural identification as Prophets and start with David.....since this time frame introduces a distinction of administration. David was a Prophet....yet he had over him..... a Prophet named NATHAN... on a different (HIGHER) level.
David under inspiration while singing psalms....would prophesy future events and that...only in part. Those future events were many times in symbolic or poetic form and mixed together.... with non prophetic content. Nathan....David's personal Prophet....had .....by a HIGHER GIFT....the ability to have direct contact with GOD and get an immediate direct answer from GOD. David had to consult a Prophet on a higher level of GIFT..... to hear directly from GOD...than just in singing and then inspiration filling the utterance with scattered phrases of prophecy....yet the LORD JESUS declared David to be a Prophet.
Nathan.... the Prophet of the day....as a direct example.....told David to build the Temple and after he went out from telling David to do so....was CORRECTED by GOD....BY SUPERNATURAL VISITATION and was emphatically told...... "Go back and tell David NOT TO BUILD THE TEMPLE!" That didn't in any way make Nathan a FALSE PROPHET....but does in pattern and spiritual wisdom let us know...that Prophets OF GOD....can give an opinion based on inspiration..... as in 1 Chronicles 17:2..."Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee." Nathan's opinion...was based on his understanding....by previous inspirational record....that GOD was with David....but his opinion was not a PROPHECY...just an opinion based on the inspirationally given promise to David.
We also have Amos....who denied being a Prophet in 7:14...yet he is included by GOD....in the Books of the Prophets. What were his qualifications?
John....the New Testament Prophet..... who wrote the Book of Revelation....was a Prophet after Paul....who met every criteria of a Prophet. Paul..... a seer Prophet.... by Visions.....was the teacher of New Revelations...taught the mysteries and on and on. Certainly he was an Apostle. Not only was he an Apostle...he was a Pastor....a Teacher...a Missionary...an Evangelist and on the highest level of callings....a Prophet.... that GOD CHOSE....to set in order the New Testament church...even so much so...that he said that an angel from heaven couldn't teach contrary to his Revelations!
Just how do you judge the prophets of your church affiliation....or do you even have prophets in your group? If not...then your group or groups....DO NOT represent the TRUE New Testament church and would be found outside the parameters of Scriptural representation.....to speak for the LORD JESUS. As it is WRITTEN.....the TESTIMONY of JESUS CHRIST IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY.
On a side note...... I would hope that you wouldn't have to go back to the Old Testament LAW....(GASP!)....to be able to identify a Prophet. Your contention is ....that we are not under the LAW but under GRACE......ISN'T IT?
MORE LATER ......ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF GRACE AND ITS APPLICATION/MEANING)
Response from BTS 2
Thanks for the response. Again, forgive the lengthy reply. I am sure most of this is redundant for you as a minister of the Gospel. It is for those who will read this who don’t have your benefit of knowledge and understanding.
What is interesting about your response is that you have not chosen to identify your scriptural definition of a prophet. I remember that I asked you to do that so we could stand on common ground.
If you believe that William Branham, and for that matter Paul, was a prophet, then you must have some notion of what a prophet is and how scripture teaches about a prophet.
And this is essential for the remaining questions concerning William Branham being a prophet of God or a false prophet. So, I would ask you again… what is your scriptural definition of a prophet of God in the Old Testament sense, and in the New Testament sense?
We are keenly aware that there are those which possess and have possessed the Gift of the Holy Spirit called prophecy. I think we pointed that out to you when we showed you this verse:
Ephesians 4:11-13 (HCSB) 11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, ⌊growing⌋ into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
And so, we see that there are those which possess the Gift of Prophecy even today. But we also know from scripture the differences between those of the Old Testament who were charged by God Himself to carry God’s Word to His people and others, and those in the New Testament who possess the Gift from the Holy Spirit.
First, I want to directly address your scripture from Matthew. You provided it out of context. Here is the context of the scripture and what Jesus says:
Matthew 23:29-39 (HCSB) 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins! 33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? 34 This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and hound from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I assure you: All these things will come on this generation! 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!”
Here Jesus, whose ministry on earth was to turn the Nation of Israel towards God and the Messiah (and as you know they rejected him) admonishes the Jews and specifically the Pharisees for various behaviors. He speaks to them as “sons of those who murdered the prophets” in verse 31, and goes on to tells them that they too will destroy great men of God in verse 32 when He says “32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins!”. And we see the martyrdom of many after Christ’s death and resurrection such as Stephen in whose persecution and death the Apostle Paul is said to have participated.
So, we are clear. There were, are, and will be those with the gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit. But again, we look to scripture to help us understand the Old Testament prophet and the New Testament person with the Gift of Prophecy, and how they are different.
In the Old Testament, we see that God instructs the prophets to say exactly what He commands, and only what he commands, because they were one of two direct connections between God and His people:
Exodus 4:12 (HCSB) 12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.”
Deuteronomy 18:17-18 (HCSB) 17 Then the LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
Jeremiah 1:9-10 (HCSB) 9 Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with My words. 10 See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant.
Ezekiel 2:7 (HCSB) 7 But speak My words to them whether they listen or refuse ⌊to listen⌋, for they are rebellious.
The Old Testament is full of books that start with the declaration that the prophet speaks with God’s Authority:
Hosea 1:1 (HCSB) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.
Joel 1:1 (HCSB) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel
Micah 1:1 (HCSB) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Zephaniah 1:1 (HCSB) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.
And so, we see that the function of a prophet in the Old Testament was to serve as the ambassador, the representative, of God to His people, or to whichever people He wished to speak.
And prophetic ministry was not restricted to men in the Old Testament. There were women such as Miriam, Deborah, Hulda, and others spoken of in the Old Testament as prophets of God.
In the New Testament the divine authority of Old Testament prophets is clearly affirms by Peter the Apostle as he wrote these words:
2 Peter 1:20-21 (HCSB) 20 First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Interestingly, in the next chapter Peter goes on to instruct us about false prophets:
2 Peter 2:1 (HCSB) 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves.
There is something in what Peter says here, I think.
In the New Testament, there is of course John the Baptist.
Matthew 11:7-10 (HCSB) 7 As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. 10 This is the one it is written about: Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You; he will prepare Your way before You.
And naturally, Jesus Christ is considered the Greatest of all Prophets:
John 4:19-26 (HCSB) 19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, yet you ⌊Jews⌋ say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus told her, “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” 26 “I am ⌊He⌋,” Jesus told her, “the One speaking to you.”
While Jesus did not correct her when she identified Him as a prophet here, he also revealed Himself to her as The Messiah.
Chiefly Jesus was considered a Prophet among the Jews who while rejecting Him as the Messiah saw him as speaking prophetically. And today religions like the Muslims, Hindus, and others, consider Him nothing more than a prophet because they cannot rationalize Jesus as Messiah which would put a lie to their beliefs.
It was at the moment of Christ’s death on the cross when the NEW COVENANT was ushered in as discussed in my previous email (I will refrain from repeating it here). At that point, the entire Economy of God changed. There was, as was pointed out, no longer a requirement for a human intercessor, a prophet of God, to carry God Word to His people. We will see in a moment how that manifested itself with the appearance of the Holy Spirit.
But I would like to say that to fail to emphasize, to minimize, this point actually minimizes the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross with His death as The Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice. If after Christ’s death and resurrection for our sins there is a requirement for a prophet to carry God’s Word, then His sacrifice was reduced, even nullified. This would be a most unfortunate conclusion.
And so, we see that on the day of Pentecost, Peter tells us that unlike the more limited exercise of prophecy during the time of the Old Covenant, God would pour out his Spirit “on all people”:
Acts 2:17-18 (HCSB) 17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy.
And so, we see the broader Gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit. We also look to scripture to see how that Gift is to be controlled and used as Paul the Apostle tells us about church order and discipline
1 Corinthians 14:26-33 (HCSB) 26 What then is ⌊the conclusion⌋, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, ⌊another⌋ language, or an interpretation. All things must be done for edification. 27 If any person speaks in ⌊another⌋ language, there should be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and someone must interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, that person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate. 30 But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. 32 And the prophets’ spirits are under the control of the prophets, 33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace…
But the Apostle Paul is also very clear about from whom prophecy originates:
1 Corinthians 14:36-40 (HCSB) 36 Did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only? 37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. 38 But if anyone ignores this, he will be ignored. 39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in ⌊other⌋ languages. 40 But everything must be done decently and in order.
And he admonishes them that they should not forget that he gives them instruction from the Lord.
So, clearly, we are aware that there are those which possess this Gift of prophecy. But we also see that prophecy is no longer narrowly constrained to individuals who have the singular authority to carry God’s Word as Branham intimated and stated that he was gifted:
“This is the last sign. Remember, THUS SAITH THE LORD! Did you ever hear me say that but what it was true? You are seeing your last sign. That's Scriptural. You've seen your last sign, Pentecost.” 64-0411 - Spiritual Amnesia
“Let me tell you. THUS SAITH THE LORD, you're receiving your last sign. That's according to the Scriptures and the revelation of God that's in my heart, that speaks that this is the Truth. And I trust that you will believe it to be the Truth.” 65-0426 - Proving His Word
Once again, we point out that Branham taught that which is not scriptural. We can respectfully disagree about whether Branham was a man of God in any sense, a minister, a teacher. But because we know that true prophets of God do not teach that which is not aligned with scripture, then we can correctly and confidently discern that Branham was a false prophet as scripture tells us here:
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (HCSB) 1 “If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us worship them,’ 3 do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the LORD your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.
Because Branham taught that he was the “last sign”, the final prophet who was singularly responsible for carrying God’s Word to His people, we know through scripture that this is not true. It isn’t us who would assert that Branham is a false prophet, it is the very Word of God.
We believe that Christ’s sacrifice was not minimized because we know that God is not confused about His Word. That is why we know scripturally that there is no requirement for a prophet of God as Branham declared himself in the Old Testament definition of a prophet to carry God’s Word to His people.
So, thank you for your response. And I eagerly await your scriptural definition of a prophet of God so we may begin the discussion of how you believe William Branham qualifies.
Thank you for your time.
BTS 2
Post Script: An Apostle may well have the Gift of Prophecy, and Paul certainly spoke with God’s Authority, but as an apostle not merely as a prophet. Just as Jesus was a Prophet to the Jews, He was also the Messiah.
Follow up from BTS 2
I noticed after re-reading your reply that you DID identify by name some prophets, but you haven’t provided the scriptural definition of how to examine someone who proclaims that they are a prophet of God to determine that they really are. God has a scriptural definition, and there are several attributes and characteristics of a prophet of God. We can use three or four of those attributes with regard to Branham to speak about his qualifications as a prophet of God.
So, if you wouldn’t mind please include your scriptural definition of a prophet of God with your next reply.
Thank you,
BTS 2
Response from BM2
You said >>>>I noticed after re-reading your reply that you DID identify by name some prophets, but you haven’t provided the scriptural definition of how to examine someone who proclaims that they are a prophet of God to determine that they really are. God has a scriptural definition, and there are several attributes and characteristics of a prophet of God. We can use three or four of those attributes with regard to Branham to speak about his qualifications as a prophet of God.
So, if you wouldn’t mind please include your scriptural definition of a prophet of God with your next reply.
I say.......Not only did I give my Scriptural definition of a Prophet....but spent some time...... explaining the differences in administrations of the TERM. If you want to go to Deuteronomy 13 or 18.....it doesn't apply to our discussion. William Branham DID NOT TRY TO LEAD ANYONE TO FALSE GODS. Those kinds prophets were to be put to death.....THEN/IMMEDIATELY.....because it was under the LAW! On the other hand....if a prophet said thus saith the LORD and it didn't come to pass.....they just ignored him with no fear. I well understand where you want to take the discussion....but I am not going to allow you to TWIST the Scriptures and misapply them.....to make them fit your agenda. If the application under the LAW....pertaining to leading to other gods is applied today....then every TRINITARIAN minister would be required by that LAW....to be taken out and killed. The TRINITARIAN concept is...... that there are 3 PERSONS in the Godhead and multiple GODS (PERSONS).... is the very basis of the LAW'S warning!
Besides that....every minister that teaches false doctrine...would be included in the death penalty....since in FACT....ANOTHER GOD...other than the BIBLE GOD....would be represented/described... by their description of their god.
You Brother...... are the one who started in the beginning of our discussion.....volunteering an opinion on the LAW v/s GRACE and how that we are NOT UNDER THE LAW .....but under the New Covenant of GRACE! Which is it..... that we are going to base/substantiate our discussion on? GRACE doesn't annul the LAW...but it does provide time to repent...under the shed Blood of Christ and by and through that..... receive the power of the Holy Ghost dwelling within....so the individual can conform to the LAW of GOD.
I might mention that you previously said Brother Branham contradicted Paul....in saying that JESUS MAGNIFIED the LAW. JESUS did MAGNIFY the LAW...in saying that the LAW commanded not to commit adultery...but JESUS said .....that if a man LOOKED ON A WOMAN TO LUST AFTER HER....HE WAS GUILTY OF ADULTERY!!!! That's the meaning of MAGNIFY....is it not! JESUS also said that if you hate your Brother without a cause....you are a murderer! I think that well applies..... to the destroy William Branham's ministry groups! When those groups with that agenda....have won millions to Christ JESUS and had results with/of millions of testimonies of healings as did William Branham's ministry....they might have some credibility to criticize.But being as it is a FACT...that they haven't produced one vindication/confirmation...except innuendo and unprovable events. I think they would be better off...joining with those who are still trying to prove the U.S. never landed on the moon. It can't be proven or disproven...yet countless hours and manpower are wasted on both sides....IN VAIN!
My idea of discussion...is to respond directly to my comments in detail as I have responded to your varied comments in detail.
You folks seem to want GRACE to be applied to yourselves....so your sins won't condemn you...but when it comes to someone who disagrees with you......GRACE NO LONGER APPLIES. I will continue to try to keep your RULES OF LAW in our conversations....but I would ask to receive a communicable full response to my comments and not just you having control of all the subject matter. Kemo Savvy?
BM2
Final response from BTS 2
Where to start with a reply. Your email has several threads of thought, But I will do my best to respond to them all.
Your discussion about the Godhead and the Trinity are interesting. That could be a whole series of discussions. May I suggest that we stick with William Branham and how he qualifies as a prophet of God for the short term? With your acquiescence, I will leave that for the moment and move on to other points in your email.
I would like to start with an apology. There is no intent by me to control the conversation. My replies are long for two reasons: 1) There will be people who read these emails which aren’t formally trained as ministers of God like you are. I want to be clear for them about the topics we discuss. That’s why it’s important to go back so far in scripture to speak about topics and carry it through using scripture so we can all be communicating with an equal understanding. We would prefer that people not take giant leaps of faith but have a clear grounding in a topic as we discuss it so they can thoughtfully and prayerfully consider their own position with the Guidance of the Holy Spirit; and 2) There are items that you put in your emails which mis-represent not only our position but also mis-represent the Word of God. It is therefore really important to clarify using scripture where the misunderstand or mis-statement is to be located in scripture. In this way people will have an opportunity to study along with us and not be left behind. So, I apologize if you feel I am controlling the conversation. That’s not my intention, and I will work to shorten responses on a topic moving forward. Unfortunately, I am unable to make this reply much shorter. Your response deals with many topics which are vital to understanding whether William Branham is a true prophet of God, or a false prophet.
As to the definition of a prophet of God and whether Deuteronomy chapters 13 and 18 apply, the shortest answer I can provide is this: William Branham proclaimed himself a prophet in the caste of an OLD TESTAMENT prophet several times. That is to say, he himself told us in many of his over 1100 sermons that he was the prophet messenger who was charged by God to carry God’s Word to his generation just as the Old Testament prophets were charged by God to be an ambassador, a representative of God’s Word to His people. If you caste yourself as an Old Testament prophet, then the Old Testament examinations of a prophet of God apply.
In this quote, Branham refers directly to Deuteronomy Chapter 18 and declares that this IS the appropriate examination of him as a prophet of God:
“God said, "If there be one among you, who is spiritual or a prophet, and what he says comes to pass, then hear him, for I am with him. But if it don't come to pass, well, don't hear him." And it must not just be once, it must continually all the time; from prophets.
There is a gift of prophecy, that's in the church, which is to be examined by the--by the examiners, before it can be told to the church, of course. "Let it be before two or three judges, and then it's told to her." But a prophet is borned a prophet, predestinated, foreordained.” PERSEVERANT_ DALLAS.TX V-19 N-9 THURSDAY_ 64-0305
William Branham also said this:
“The only thing, that, we're so dull in faith, till we fail to see Him. That's the reason God sends prophets to the earth. See, people won't read their Bible. And they--they don't. They just go, so God always sends them a sign. And usually a prophet is a sign. See? And today the Holy Ghost is our Sign, 'cause He is God's Prophet moving through us. He is God's Prophet, a Sign of the last days.” 62-0123 FORSAKING.ALL_ TEMPE.AZ TUESDAY_
“...She said, "Reverend Branham, if I want somebody, talk to me about like that, I'll get somebody that's got some sense; not you." I said, "Very well. I have done all I can do. Remember, sister, you--if you blaspheme the Holy Ghost, you'll never be saved.”” 53-0611 SHOW.US.THE.FATHER.AND.IT'LL.SATISFY.US_ CONNERSVILLE.IN
“Testament seer was a man who had "the Divine interpretation of the Word," and was proven by the Word coming to him and foreseeing it. That was what...[8]
But, Lord, You promised that You would be the Word, and You are the Word. "And I will come to you, and make Myself known unto you." We find that Your systems, Your system, never changes. When You come in the Old Testament, You said, "The Word came to the prophets." And when It did, they prophesied and It come to pass, because It was God.” THE.WORLD.IS.AGAIN.FALLING.APART_ SHP.LA V-17 N-4 WEDNESDAY_ 63-1127
“When God makes a promise and God says... In--in the beginning, in Genesis, He lotted His Word to each age as It come down from the beginning to the end. And, down through these ages, the church world has got all these things all mixed up by traditions, and so forth, and God always sends on the scene, down through the Old Testament and New, prophets! And the Word of the Lord comes to the prophet.” GOD.IS.HIS.OWN.INTERPRETER_ BAKF.CA V-8 N-6 WEDNESDAY_ 64-0205
“...Hebrews, 1st chapter, "God, in sundry times and divers manners spake to the fathers by the prophets." And those prophets! The church got all so twisted up that when... Those prophets, those daring messengers of God, come without church, without denomination, without organization, without anything; defied kings, kingdoms, churches, and everything. When the priests was brought before... They was brought before the priests, they wasn't ashamed, because they had directly THUS SAITH THE LORD. If you notice, the prophet, in one sense of the word, in the Old Testament, when he said THUS SAITH THE LORD, now watch him, he goes right into the phrase of taking the place of God. You notice, when he placed out before him, THUS SAITH THE LORD, he fell right into God, and he acted as God. Then he gave his Message, which was God speaking through him, "THUS SAITH THE LORD!"” ASHAMED_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-9 SUNDAY_ 65-0711
“I'm going to say this for my first time, over the pulpit [he'd actually already said it many times]. I've stretched out farther tonight, on This, than I have on anything else, any time, anyhow, before the public, because I've had a great freedom in these meetings. If you believe me to be God's prophet, you listen to what I've told you.” 65-0429E - The Choosing Of A Bride
You see, BM2, we can only examine what Branham said in his own words against the Word of God. That’s what scripture instructs us to do in order to determine whether these things are “actually so”, just like the Bereans did:
Acts 17:10-11 (HCSB) 10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
We see that Branham inappropriately placed himself in the position of an OLD TESTAMENT prophet carrying God’s Word and singularly representing God to the people. In previous emails, I included quotes from Branham where he stated that he was the “LAST SIGN”, and he told us in his sermons that his interpretation of the Bible was correct including those things which I just quoted:
“Now, let us all pray. Lord, with our heads bowed, just now, it's got to be known that Your Scripture's the truth, and I've told the truth of It, or either, I am wrong and a false prophet, or Your Scripture has misled us. Now, Lord, we know that that's not so. We know that Your Scriptures are Truth.” LED.BY.THE.SPIRIT_ LA.CA TUESDAY_ 59-0407
When we examine Branham against the Word of God, what other possible conclusion are we to make? He considers himself a prophet in the cast of an OLD TESTAMENT prophet. Isn’t it appropriate for him to be examined against how an OLD TESTAMENT prophet is examined in the Word of God?
Had Branham said he received a Word from the Lord, had what he said aligned with scripture, had he not lied in the Name of the Lord (THUS SAITH THE LORD), and had two or three other prophets confirmed what he said, then we would have reason to examine him as a minister of God with the Gift of the Holy Spirit of prophecy.
1 Corinthians 14:29-33 (HCSB) 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate. 30 But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. 32 And the prophets’ spirits are under the control of the prophets, 33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace…
Then we could respectfully disagree or agree that he was a man of God. But since Branham improperly placed himself in a different role, we must examine him according to the position in which he cast himself.
This scripture tells us that the prophets are under the control of the prophets. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to clarify for us the prophet’s role in the NEW COVENANT of God after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. Branham tells us that he is not under the control of the prophets in the NEW COVENANT:
“Look what it puts me before, when I'm up there before the public. Look at that. What about one error on that? See? Because I trust Him. See? I trust Him. Someone say, "You afraid of a mistake, Brother Branham." No, no, huh-uh, ain't afraid of a mistake. I believe Him. He is my Protection. I'm ordained to do this, so I'll stay right there. If God's ordained you to do something, then He's your Protection. See, He will protect you. If He's sent you, He'll back up your word. You're an ambassador then. You're ambassador with the gift of tongues; you're ambassador with the gift of interpretation; you're ambassador with the gift of discernment, the three of you. See what I mean? Then what have you got? You got a solid church. You wouldn't fear standing yet no more than yesterday.” QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_ JEFF.IN COD THURSDAY_ 61-0112
Using Branham’s own words, we see how he would suggest that we are to examine him against scripture. Deuteronomy Chapter 18 does indeed apply.
As far as Branham teaching other Gods, we see that Branham minimized the sacrifice of Jesus Christ when He died as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and our eternal salvation. If Christ and the Holy Spirit are not all sufficient as the Apostles and Disciples stated, and we need a human intercessor in the person of a prophet messenger to carry God’s Word to the people such as William Branham claimed to be, then Jesus is nullified. The Apostle Paul tells us this in his letter to the Colossians:
Colossians 1:16-20 (HCSB) 16 For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased ⌊to have⌋ all His fullness dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross— whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Colossians 1:27-28 (HCSB) 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
The Apostle Peter tells us this in his second letter:
2 Peter 1:3-4 (HCSB) 3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 4 By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.
And Jesus Christ Himself said this:
John 19:28-30 (HCSB) 28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
It is interesting that this scripture starts with the words “WHEN JESUS KNEW THAT EVERYTHING WAS ACCOMPLISHED THAT SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED…”
If we are of the position that Christ is all sufficient as scripture tells us here, then who is someone who claims to come AFTER the death of Jesus Christ who proclaims to carry God’s Word? We look to scripture to discover that Jesus Christ is all sufficient without the need for someone to help.
If you take Branham’s position that you NEED HIM as a human intercessor to carry God’s Word to the people, then you teach a different God than is taught in the scripture. So indeed the 13th Chapter of Deuteronomy does in fact apply.
Again, I apologize for the lengthy answer. But it is important to compare what Branham himself said to the Word of God.
You mentioned that Jesus MAGNIFIED THE LAW and so he didn’t contradict the Apostle Paul. Here is the scripture to which you refer (I use two different translations here to show that they are materially the same):
Matthew 5:17 (HCSB) 17 “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Matthew 5:17 (KJV) 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Jesus here confirms an Old Testament prophecy about Him:
Isaiah 42:21 (HCSB) 21 The LORD was pleased, because of His righteousness, to magnify ⌊His⌋ instruction and make it glorious.
Jesus used the word “FULFILL”. What does it mean to “FULFILL”?
“Fulfil. To render full, to fulfil, i.e., to perform perfectly.” Greenfield's Greek Lexicon.
Christ, then, came to perform the law perfectly in all its parts, but not as the Jews interpreted it.
Recalling the Words of Christ as he was on the cross preparing to give up His Life for our sins:
John 19:30 (KJV) 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
John 19:30 (HCSB) 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
In this moment, we see that Christ FULFILLED all that He was sent by God to FULFILL. Now we can circle back to the discussion concerning Law versus Grace. AT THIS MOMENT, the NEW COVENANT begins.
When I asked about attributes, characteristics, and examination of a prophet of God, I was looking for how God demands that we make sure we know what we believe and why it is that which we believe. We are exhorted to examine those who come in His name to make sure they are from Him, as Jesus Himself warns:
Matthew 7:21-23 (HCSB) 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ⌊only⌋ the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’”
Matthew 24:24-28 (HCSB) 24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
There are many characteristics which we can use to examine a prophet of God. There are THREE which are unequivocal, totally objective, and provable beyond doubt. They are:
A prophet of God ALWAYS teaches that which aligns with the Word of God.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (HCSB) 1 “If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us worship them,’ 3 do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the LORD your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.
A prophet of God NEVER lies in God’s name.
Ezekiel 13:1-9 (HCSB) 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the LORD! 3 This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. 4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You did not go up to the gaps or restore the wall around the house of Israel so that it might stand in battle on the day of the LORD. 6 They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘⌊This is⌋ the LORD’s declaration,’ when the LORD did not send them, yet they wait for the fulfillment of ⌊their⌋ message. 7 Didn’t you see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you proclaimed, ‘⌊This is⌋ the LORD’s declaration,’ even though I had not spoken? 8 “Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: I am against you because you have spoken falsely and had lying visions.” ⌊This is⌋ the declaration of the Lord GOD. 9 “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not be present in the fellowship of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.
When a prophet of God speaks a vision or prophecy, that vision or prophecy must ALWAYS come to pass.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (HCSB) 20 But the prophet who dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’ 21 You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the LORD has not spoken?’ 22 When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
I have included these again for clarity. Examining Branham’s own words, we discover that he frequently violated all three of these objective and scripturally based examinations.
BM2, I want to be sure that I clarify our purpose. It is not to destroy people’s faith in God that we speak about William Branham. On the contrary, it is to point back to the ONE TRUE GOSPEL of salvation through the ALL SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE of Jesus Christ. Through proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we are saved. As promised in scripture, through the obedience of baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit which has been promised in scripture to everyone who believes, we are joined with Christ in eternity. We wish this same simple truth, this same salvation through Jesus Christ WITHOUT human intercessor for each and every person. It is not to take people’s faith away, it is to show the TRUE Jesus Christ of Scripture, not the one which was nullified and diluted in His sacrifice by a false prophet messenger proclaiming wrongly that he carries God Word to the people.
Again, I apologize for the length of this response. It is not my intention to be so lengthy. Your email dealt with a lot of issues, and the very words of William Branham, and the Word of God, bear significant weight to these issues. I appreciate that you give me the opportunity to make our position perfectly clear.
In closing, I would say that Jesus tells us that HE is the way:
John 14:6 (HCSB) 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Branham told us that HE was required:
“And I want all you dear people, setting out in the audience there, I want you to believe me with all your heart. Now remember, that’s the only way I can help you. How many believes God? Let’s see your hands. How many believes the Son of God? Believes the Holy Spirit? That’s fine. That’s good. But now, friends, you can believe that, which you have to, to be a Christian. You have to believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in order to be a Christian. But believing that still won’t help you in this gift. You’ve got to believe that I’ve told you the truth, not believe me as Them, but believe that They have sent me for this purpose. Now, you could be a renowned Christian, and fail to believe what I’ve told you to be the truth, and you’d never be able to reap a bit of benefit from it. Now, I’m sorry to have to say that, but it’s the truth. When Jesus was on earth, the people that killed him, believed in God the Father, and were great worshippers of God. Is that right? But He could not help them, because they did not believe in Him. Is that right? And He said with His Own mouth, “As you have believed in God, believe also in Me.” Is that right? Now, if you have believed in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I want you to believe that He sent me here to pray for you, and He will testify whether He has or not. And if He testifies, then you believe it.” 50-0713 - Obey The Voice Of The Angel
And later, Branham told us he was infallible:
“BUT I DENY UPON THE INFALLIBLE EVIDENCE OF THE WORD THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MAJOR PROPHET-MESSENGER WHO WILL REVEAL THE MYSTERIES AS CONTAINED IN THE WORD, AND WHO HAS THE MINISTRY TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN TO THE FATHERS. "Thus saith the Lord" by His unfailing Word stands, and shall stand and be vindicated. There is one prophet-messenger to this age. On the basis of human behavior alone, anyone knows that where there are many people there is even divided opinion on lesser points of a major doctrine which they all hold together. Who then will have the power of infallibility which is to be restored in this last age, for this last age is going to go back to manifesting the Pure Word Bride? That means we will have the Word once again as it was perfectly given, and perfectly understood in the days of Paul. I will tell you who will have it. It will be a prophet as thoroughly vindicated, or even more thoroughly vindicated than was any prophet in all the ages from Enoch to this day, because this man will of necessity have the capstone prophetic ministry, and God will shew him forth. He won't need to speak for himself, God will speak for him by the voice of the sign. Amen.” An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages - Chapter Nine - The Laodicean Church Age
We believe Jesus Christ. And we speak so that others may also believe in Salvation through Jesus Christ alone, without the intercession of a false prophet.
God bless you BM2. And thank you for your patience.
Footnotes