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First Seal: Difference between revisions
→Where did William Branham say he got his revelation from?
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:''I'm as positive as I'm standing here tonight that this is the Gospel Truth that I'm going to tell you about. I just know it is. Because if a revelation's contrary to the Word, then it isn't revelation. And you know, there's some of the stuff can look so absolutely true, and yet isn't truth. See? It looks like it is, but it isn't. <ref>William Branham, 63-0318 - The First Seal, para. 35-39</ref> | :''I'm as positive as I'm standing here tonight that this is the Gospel Truth that I'm going to tell you about. I just know it is. Because if a revelation's contrary to the Word, then it isn't revelation. And you know, there's some of the stuff can look so absolutely true, and yet isn't truth. See? It looks like it is, but it isn't. <ref>William Branham, 63-0318 - The First Seal, para. 35-39</ref> | ||
If he got everything from the Holy Spirit, then why | =William Branham's Revelation of the First Seal= | ||
William Branham’s essential explanation of the first four seals are that the four horse riders represented four different stages of the spirit of Antichrist throughout church history and continuing until the tribulation. It is true that most teachers of bible prophecy believe the four horse riders represent events that will occur in the future. | |||
From the First Seal: | |||
:''A white-horse rider went out.” See? Who is he? He is mighty in his conquering power. He is a great fellow in his conquering power. You want me to tell you who he is? '''He is the antichrist.''' Exactly what he is. Now, because, you see, if an antichrist; Jesus said, that, “The two would be so close together until it would deceive the very Elected (the Bride) if it was possible.” '''Antichrist, it’s the antichrist spirit.''' Remember, in the church ages, when we opened the first church age back there, we found out that the Holy Spirit was against a certain thing they got started in that church age, and that was called “the deeds of the Nicolaitanes.” You remember it? Nikao means “to conquer.” Laity means “the church,” the laity. Nico-laitane, “to conquer the laity.” “Take the Holy Spirit out of the church and give It all to one holy man. Let him be the boss of all of it.” You’ve went through it, see, Nicolaitane. Notice, Nicolaitane was “a—a saying,” in one church. It become “a doctrine,” in the next church age. And in the third church age, it was “a forcement,” and '''they had the Nicaea Council.''' And it was then made a—a doctrine in a church. And what was the first thing happened? An organization from it! Now, is that right?<ref>William Branham, 63-0318 - The First Seal</ref> | |||
==Comparison to the teachings of Charles Taze Russell== | |||
[[File:Russell Laodicean Messenger.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Charles Taze Russell, | |||
b. 1852, d. 1916, | |||
Jehovah’s Witnesses Founder]] | |||
The early Jehovah’s Witnesses who followed the teachings of Charles Taze Russel taught essentially the same thing about the first four seals. William Branham’s next-door neighbor, Banks Woods and his wife, were former Jehovah’s Witnesses. They shared many Jehovah’s Witness ideas and material with William Branham. William Branham is recorded on tape explaining that he had read the books of Charles Taze Russell. He even compared his sermons on the seals to Russel’s teachings on the same subject: | |||
:''Now, I have many fine Jehovah Witness friends sitting here, that’s all…or have been. Maybe some of them is still Jehovah Witness. But they’ve always applied, Mr. Russell did, this hundred and forty-four thousand, to being the supernatural Bride of Christ. See? They…It’s not. It has nothing to do in the church age, at all. They’re absolutely Israel.<ref>William Branham, 63-0324E - The Seventh Seal</ref> | |||
William Branham used Clarence Larkin’s interpretation of the fifth and sixth seals. But he primarily used Charles Taze Russell’s interpretation for the other five seals and used some of Clarence Larkin's teaching to fill in. While William Branham gladly pointed out that he disagreed with Russel’s interpretation of the 144,000, he failed to explain to his listeners that he was heavily relying on Russell’s teachings for the seals. Why did he omit that fact? Russel’s teachings on the 144,000 are in the same chapter as his teachings on the seals. Surely he read the entire chapter. | |||
Compare William Branham's teaching on the First Seal above to what Charles Taze Russel said in the 1918 book, ''The Finished Mystery'': | |||
:''And behold a white horse.—The doctrines, teachings of the Lord and the Apostles recognized as the one and only rule of faith and practice of God's Church. | |||
:''And he that sat on him.—'''The Bishop of Rome, the embryo Pope, the personal representative of Satan.''' | |||
:''Was given unto him.—“Under the reign of Constantine (who murdered his own son in the same year in which he '''convened the Council of Nice''') the opposition of the empire to Christianity gave way to favor, and the Imperial Pontifex Maximus became the patron of the professed but really apostate Church of Christ...<ref>Russell, C. T. (Charles Taze), The Finished Mystery, Brooklyn : International Bible Students Association, 1918</ref> | |||
==Comparison to the teachings of Clarence Larkin== | |||
If he got everything from the Holy Spirit, then why did he also plagiarize things from Clarence Larkin's works as detailed below. Why does he mention Dr. Smith but not Russell or Larkin? | |||
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