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List of Issues with the Message: Difference between revisions
→Are William Branham's teachings in agreement with the Bible?
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This page | This page summarizes virtually all of the research we have conducted since 2005 with respect to William Branham and his message. Click on any of the questions or colored links to read further details on the issue. | ||
= | =What is the motivation for this website?= | ||
A number of years ago, we received a sincere question in an email regarding the message of William Branham. We diligently tried to answer the question. | A number of years ago, we received a sincere question in an email regarding the message of William Branham. We diligently tried to answer the question. | ||
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Paul considered those that searched scripture to prove things true to be more noble than those that did not: | Paul considered those that searched scripture to prove things true to be more noble than those that did not: | ||
:''The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. | :''The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ac 17:10–11.</ref> | ||
The answer to the question | The research we did to try answer to the question raised even more questions, '''so we set about to prove that the message was correct and that William Branham was a true prophet of God'''. The ongoing results of our research raised even more questions. We spent several years researching these issues which in turn raised even more questions. | ||
=What happened next...= | ==What happened next...== | ||
Our biggest problem was that '''no one in our church''' was prepared to sincerely consider our questions and try to answer them. We talked to many well known ministers that also followed William Branham, but they didn't have any answers either. A few of the more honest ministers actually admitted that we had stumbled onto some questions that they couldn't answer (at least in a way that reflected positively on William Branham). So we kept searching for answers. | Our biggest problem was that '''no one in our church''' was prepared to sincerely consider our questions and try to answer them. We talked to many well known ministers that also followed William Branham, but they didn't have any answers either. A few of the more honest ministers actually admitted that we had stumbled onto some questions that they couldn't answer (at least in a way that reflected positively on William Branham). So we kept searching for answers. | ||
What was important to us was the Bible and it has always been our sincere desire to follow Christ regardless of the cost. That is more important to us than family, friends or work. Our questions were driven by our desire to know Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. | What was important to us was the Bible and it has always been our sincere desire to follow Christ regardless of the cost. That is more important to us than family, friends or work. Our questions were driven by our desire to know Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. | ||
=What does the Bible say about sincere questions?= | ==What does the Bible say about sincere questions?== | ||
[[Reason and the Message#Jesus' reaction to someone who questioned him|What did Jesus say about asking questions?]] | [[Reason and the Message#Jesus' reaction to someone who questioned him|What did Jesus say about asking questions?]] | ||
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This page consists of our list of questions. Each question contains a link which, if you click on, will take you to our detailed research on the specific issue. | This page consists of our list of questions. Each question contains a link which, if you click on, will take you to our detailed research on the specific issue. | ||
=Fear not= | ===How did Jesus deal with questions arising out of doubt?=== | ||
There was a person in the Bible that thought that Jesus was the messiah but later on he began to have some doubt. | |||
How did Jesus deal with this man's doubt? | |||
Here is the story about John the Baptist from Luke 7:18- 23: | |||
:''John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ” At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” <ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Lk 7:18–23.</ref> | |||
Jesus did not say, "How could you doubt me, John?" He did not condemn John for doubting. What he did was point to the evidence and to tell John's followers to go back to him and tell John the Baptist what they saw. | |||
Jesus did not condemn doubt and he simply pointed to the evidence. | |||
==Fear not== | |||
If you are a message believer, the list below is frightening. You may get angry. Some have become physically ill. They are going to raise a lot of questions. '''But please just take your time.''' Think about the questions that we are asking and the facts that we are presenting (click on the highlighted text to go to the specific research on an issue). | If you are a message believer, the list below is frightening. You may get angry. Some have become physically ill. They are going to raise a lot of questions. '''But please just take your time.''' Think about the questions that we are asking and the facts that we are presenting (click on the highlighted text to go to the specific research on an issue). | ||
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<br> | <br> | ||
= | ==A Challenge and A Promise== | ||
The following is a '''master list of all of the issues and problems that have been raised by us and others in respect to William Branham and his message'''. | The following is a '''master list of all of the issues and problems that have been raised by us and others in respect to William Branham and his message'''. | ||
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The purpose of this list is to provide a short concise summary of all known issues that can be used as a quick reference guide when discussing these concerns. Our aim is to provide a detailed explanation for each problem, and the research we have uncovered, when you click on them. To the extent that the specific problem does not link to anything, it simply means we have not had the time to research the issue as yet. | The purpose of this list is to provide a short concise summary of all known issues that can be used as a quick reference guide when discussing these concerns. Our aim is to provide a detailed explanation for each problem, and the research we have uncovered, when you click on them. To the extent that the specific problem does not link to anything, it simply means we have not had the time to research the issue as yet. | ||
''' | '''THE CHALLENGE''' - If you disagree with our conclusions on any of the issues we have raised below, '''[[A Scriptural Challenge to Followers of William Branham|please prove us wrong]]'''. Honestly, we don't want to have anything incorrect on this website. | ||
'''THE PROMISE''' - If you are aware of any errors/problems/concerns with information on this list or in the related articles on our website, please let us know [[Contact information|by email]] or by [https://www.facebook.com/BelieveTheSign a message to us on our Facebook page]. We will correct any factual errors as quickly as possible. | |||
=Was William Branham really a prophet?= | =Was William Branham really a prophet?= | ||
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The scriptural test of a prophet is clear as outlined by Moses in Deuteronomy 18: | The scriptural test of a prophet is clear as outlined by Moses in Deuteronomy 18: | ||
:''But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. | :''But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. Now if you say to yourselves, ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the LORD?’—18:22 whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.”<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Dt 18:20–22.</ref> | ||
While at first we found this almost impossible to believe, '''we have been unable to locate a single unambiguous prophecy that was made in advance in a public forum (on tape) and that was later clearly fulfilled.''' However, there are numerous examples of visions that were made publicly which failed (were not fulfilled) and prophecies that changed drastically over time. If you click on the individual lines below, they will take you to a detailed explanation of each issue. | While at first we found this almost impossible to believe, '''we have been unable to locate a single unambiguous prophecy that was made in advance in a public forum (on tape) and that was later clearly fulfilled.''' However, there are numerous examples of visions that were made publicly which failed (were not fulfilled) and prophecies that changed drastically over time. If you click on the individual lines below, they will take you to a detailed explanation of each issue. | ||
''' | |||
How can William Branham be a true prophet of God if he failed the test of Deut 18:20-22?''' | '''How can William Branham be a true prophet of God if he failed the test of Deut 18:20-22?''' | ||
#[[Proof of the Prophetic|Did William Branham make any '''REAL''' prophecies?]] '''(We can't find any ''before the fact'' prophecies on any tape!)''' | #[[Proof of the Prophetic|Did William Branham make any '''REAL''' prophecies?]] '''(We can't find any ''before the fact'' prophecies on any tape!)''' | ||
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#[[Destruction of Los Angeles|Why is Los Angeles still above water if Billy Paul is an old man?]] '''(Failed Prophecy)''' | #[[Destruction of Los Angeles|Why is Los Angeles still above water if Billy Paul is an old man?]] '''(Failed Prophecy)''' | ||
#[[The Seventh Angel is on the Earth at Christ's Coming|Was William Branham's death before the Rapture a failed prophecy?]] '''(Failed Prophecy)''' | #[[The Seventh Angel is on the Earth at Christ's Coming|Was William Branham's death before the Rapture a failed prophecy?]] '''(Failed Prophecy)''' | ||
#[[Racial Violence in America|Why did William Branham | #[[Racial Violence in America|Why did William Branham state that Martin Luther King, Jr. would cause the death of millions, when this didn't happen?]] '''(Not a prophecy)''' | ||
#[[The Marilyn Monroe Vision|Was William Branham's vision of Marilyn Monroe's death accurate?]] '''(Failed Prophecy)''' | #[[The Marilyn Monroe Vision|Was William Branham's vision of Marilyn Monroe's death accurate?]] '''(Failed Prophecy)''' | ||
#[[Prophecy of the Cloud|Why did William Branham change the vision of the angels appearing?]] '''(Prophecy Changed)''' | #[[Prophecy of the Cloud|Why did William Branham change the vision of the angels appearing?]] '''(Prophecy Changed)''' | ||
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#[[1933 Ohio River Experience|Did anyone hear the voice on the Ohio River in 1933?]] | #[[1933 Ohio River Experience|Did anyone hear the voice on the Ohio River in 1933?]] | ||
#[[The Cloud|Why did William Branham say that he was under the cloud when they took its picture, when he clearly wasn't?]] | #[[The Cloud|Why did William Branham say that he was under the cloud when they took its picture, when he clearly wasn't?]] | ||
#Did William Branham travel [[William_Branham's Travels#Around the world seven times?|around the world seven times?]] | |||
#[[Bible saved from the flood|Was William Branham's Bible saved miraculously in the 1937 flood?]] | |||
#[[The Man from Windsor|Why did the story of the man from Windsor change so drastically over time?]] | #[[The Man from Windsor|Why did the story of the man from Windsor change so drastically over time?]] | ||
#[[Plagiarism|Why did William Branham say that he received his revelations from God when he took many of his doctrines from other men?]] | #[[Plagiarism|Why did William Branham say that he received his revelations from God when he took many of his doctrines from other men?]] | ||
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#[[William Branham's Double Standard#Trimmed Hair & Short Skirts in the Branham Family|Why did William Branham criticize women that cut their hair and wore short skirts, when his own family did?]] | #[[William Branham's Double Standard#Trimmed Hair & Short Skirts in the Branham Family|Why did William Branham criticize women that cut their hair and wore short skirts, when his own family did?]] | ||
#[[Arvel Mosier|What actually happened to Hattie Wright's boys?]] | #[[Arvel Mosier|What actually happened to Hattie Wright's boys?]] | ||
#[[William Branham on Suicide#Inaccuracies about William Cowper's death|Why did William Branham say he went to William Cowper's grave when he didn't?]] | |||
#[[William Branham on Suicide#Inaccuracies about William Cowper's death|Why did William Branham say William Cowper committed suicide when he died of heart failure?]] | |||
#[[William Branham on Suicide#Stephen Foster|Why did William Branham state the Stephen Foster committed suicide, when this is not true?]] | |||
#Was there really a connection between [[The Pope and the Lunar Eclipse|the Pope visiting israel in 1964 and the lunar eclipse that preceded his visit?]] | |||
=Are William Branham's teachings in agreement with the Bible?= | =Are William Branham's teachings in agreement with the Bible?= | ||
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If you study the message, you will find that William Branham departed significantly from the plain meaning of scripture in many things that he taught. If you click on the individual items below, they will take you to a detailed explanation of each issue. | If you study the message, you will find that William Branham departed significantly from the plain meaning of scripture in many things that he taught. If you click on the individual items below, they will take you to a detailed explanation of each issue. | ||
#[[Christians that were required to believe Satanic doctrine|Why were | #[[Christians that were required to believe Satanic doctrine|Why did William Branham teach that some Christians were required to believe Satanic doctrine to be saved?]] | ||
#[[Revelation 10:7| | #[[Elijah and Elisha did pray|Elijah and Elisha prayed. So why did William Branham say they didn't?]] | ||
#[[The Prophet and The Eagle| | #Why did William Branham disagree with the doctrine of [[The Clarity of Scripture|the clarity of scripture]], a long held doctrine of the church? | ||
#[[Marriage and Divorce| | #[[Revelation 10:7|William Branham believed he was the fulfillment of Revelation 10:7. Was he correct?]] | ||
#[[Marriage and Divorce| | #[[Did God change Saul's name to Paul?]] | ||
#[[The Prophet and The Eagle|William Branham taught that eagles typed prophets in the Bible. Where is this found in scripture?]] | |||
#[[Marriage and Divorce|William Branham believed that if a wife cuts her hair, her husband divorce her. Does the Bible teach this?]] | |||
#[[Marriage and Divorce|William Branham believed that a man can remarry after divorce but a woman can't. Why did william Branham preach something that neither Jesus or Paul did?]] | |||
#[[THUS SAITH THE LORD|Were there any times when William Branham's "Thus Saith The Lord" actually failed?]] | #[[THUS SAITH THE LORD|Were there any times when William Branham's "Thus Saith The Lord" actually failed?]] | ||
#[[King Saul - The Peoples' Choice?| | #[[King Saul - The Peoples' Choice?|Why did William Branham disagree with the Bible and teach that the people chose Saul as King of Israel?]] | ||
#[[Three holy words|What are the three holy words of the Bible?]] | #[[Three holy words|What are the three holy words of the Bible that William Branham spoke of?]] | ||
#[[Prophets that ministered at the same time| | #[[Prophets that ministered at the same time|Why did William Branham say that 2 major prophets were never on the scene at the same time when the Bible doesn't teach that?]] | ||
#[[Q&A on the Godhead#Did God leave Jesus Christ on the cross?| | #[[Q&A on the Godhead#Did God leave Jesus Christ on the cross?|William Branham said that God left Jesus when He was on the cross. Does the Bible teach this?]] | ||
#[[William Branham and the Zodiac|Does God really have '''THREE Bibles'''?]] | #[[William Branham and the Zodiac|Does God really have '''THREE Bibles''' as William Branham taught?]] | ||
#[[Temporary Salvation|If you don't feel saved, are you still a Christian?]] | #[[Temporary Salvation|If you don't feel saved, are you still a Christian?]] | ||
#[[Twisted Theology#Lilies work hard|How hard do lilies work?]] | #[[Twisted Theology#Lilies work hard|How hard do lilies work?]] | ||
#[[ | #[[The Reason John Wept|Did John weep for joy or because no one was worthy?]] | ||
#[[Women were designed by Satan|Were women really designed by Satan?]] | #[[Women were designed by Satan|Were women really designed by Satan?]] | ||
#[[Can you lose your healing?]] | #[[Can you lose your healing?]] | ||
#[[Enoch and Noah#The Seventh from Adam|Was Enoch the seventh from Adam]]? Is this proof of the Serpent Seed doctrine? | #[[Enoch and Noah#The Seventh from Adam|Was Enoch the seventh from Adam]]? Is this proof of the Serpent Seed doctrine? | ||
#[[Mystery Babylon#The Identity of the Woman|Is the harlot in the Book of Revelation the Roman Catholic Church?]] | |||
#[[Are Christians considered amateur gods?]] | #[[Are Christians considered amateur gods?]] | ||
#[[Michael the Archangel|Is Jesus Christ the same as Michael the Archangel?]] | #[[Michael the Archangel|Is Jesus Christ the same as Michael the Archangel?]] | ||
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#[[Amos 3:3|Can any two walk together unless they be agreed? Did William Branham understand Amos 3:3?]] | #[[Amos 3:3|Can any two walk together unless they be agreed? Did William Branham understand Amos 3:3?]] | ||
#[[Amos 3:7|Was William Branham's understanding of Amos 3:7 correct?]] | #[[Amos 3:7|Was William Branham's understanding of Amos 3:7 correct?]] | ||
#[[1 John 1:7]] | |||
#[[Fallen From Grace|What did William Branham teach happened when someone "fell from grace"?]] | #[[Fallen From Grace|What did William Branham teach happened when someone "fell from grace"?]] | ||
#[[The Sin in the Wilderness|Were the Israelites that died in the wilderness eternally lost?]] | #[[The Sin in the Wilderness|Were the Israelites that died in the wilderness eternally lost?]] | ||
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#[[Eternal Sonship|If the Son is not eternal, can the Father be eternal?]] | #[[Eternal Sonship|If the Son is not eternal, can the Father be eternal?]] | ||
#Is there a difference in the meaning of [[Q&A on the Godhead#Eternal vs. Everlasting|Eternal vs. Everlasting]] | #Is there a difference in the meaning of [[Q&A on the Godhead#Eternal vs. Everlasting|Eternal vs. Everlasting]] | ||
#[[Sex was not in God's original plan|If sex was not in God's original plan, how come he made us as | #[[Sex was not in God's original plan|If sex was not in God's original plan, how come he made us as sexual beings?]] | ||
#[[Gifts and callings are without repentance|Are people born with spiritual gifts as William Branham taught?]] | #[[Gifts and callings are without repentance|Are people born with spiritual gifts as William Branham taught?]] | ||
#[[Q&A on the Godhead#What is the meaning of "begotten"?|What is the meaning of "begotten"?]] | #[[Q&A on the Godhead#What is the meaning of "begotten"?|What is the meaning of "begotten"?]] | ||
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#[[A New Thing|Is the message "stale" manna?]] | #[[A New Thing|Is the message "stale" manna?]] | ||
#[[Alcohol|William Branham and Alcohol]] | #[[Alcohol|William Branham and Alcohol]] | ||
#[[Can you tell if someone has the Holy Spirit?]] | |||
#[[William Branham on Suicide#Saul didn't commit suicide|Why did William Branham say that Saul did not commit suicide, when the Bible says he did?]] | |||
#How could [[Open-toed shoes|open-toed shoes]] be immoral if virtually everyone in the Bible wore them? | |||
=Other strange, bizarre, or false beliefs of William Branham= | =Other strange, bizarre, or false beliefs of William Branham= | ||
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*[[An Uncertain Sound|I am God's prophet... I never said I was a prophet.]] | *[[An Uncertain Sound|I am God's prophet... I never said I was a prophet.]] | ||
*[[How many will be saved?]] | *[[How many will be saved?|Millions will be saved... or maybe only 50.]] | ||
*[[Are you going to the wrong church?|Don't leave your church... No! Leave your church now!]] | |||
*[[Can you tell if someone has the Holy Spirit?|You can't tell if someone has the Holy Spirit... Yes you can! Only people that beleive me have the Holy Spirit!]] | |||
*[[Did he blow the horn?|Did William Branham blow his horn... or not?]] | |||
*[[The confused teachings of William Branham|Other confused teachings of William Branham]] | |||
=Other Issues Relating to William Branham's Message= | =Other Issues Relating to William Branham's Message= | ||
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#The use of red herring arguments when [[Failed Prophecies]] are pointed out (see video) | #The use of red herring arguments when [[Failed Prophecies]] are pointed out (see video) | ||
#[[The Message|The message]] is Jesus Christ. | #[[The Message|The message]] is Jesus Christ. | ||
#[[Access to the blood]] can only be achieve through the message of the hour | |||
#[[Progressive_Revelation|The doctrine of progressive revelation]] | #[[Progressive_Revelation|The doctrine of progressive revelation]] | ||
#[[Vaylism|The heretical teachings of Lee Vayle]] | #[[Vaylism|The heretical teachings of Lee Vayle]] | ||
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#[[Reason and the Message#Jesus' reaction to someone who questioned him|What did Jesus say about asking questions?]] | #[[Reason and the Message#Jesus' reaction to someone who questioned him|What did Jesus say about asking questions?]] | ||
#[[Here we stand, corrected|'''You are not alone!!!''']] | |||
#Further research on William Branham - [[Research Sources for William Branham and His Message]] | #Further research on William Branham - [[Research Sources for William Branham and His Message]] | ||
#[[A commentary on Christian cults|A video commentary on Christian cults]] | #[[A commentary on Christian cults|A video commentary on Christian cults]] | ||
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#[[If you need help]] | #[[If you need help]] | ||
#[[What should we believe?|So what should I believe?]] | #[[What should we believe?|So what should I believe?]] | ||
#[[BelieveTheSign:What We Believe|What we believe]] | |||
#If you want to ask us a question, you can [[Contact information|email us]]. | #If you want to ask us a question, you can [[Contact information|email us]]. | ||