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There are a few problems with these explanations: | There are a few problems with these explanations: | ||
==William Branham will return to fulfill this vision== | |||
William Branham died in 1965, and a large stone pyramid now sits on top of his grave in Indiana. However, followers of the [[The Returned Ministry Sect|the Returned Ministry sect]] believe that William Branham will raise from the dead to travel to South Africa to hold meetings and accomplish the other unfulfilled visions (such as ''[[The Brown Bear Vision]]''). | |||
This is not only a foolish concept but also completely unscriptural. | This is not only a foolish concept but also completely unscriptural. | ||
'' | ==William Branham's failed vision was no different from Jonah's failed prophecy== | ||
''“God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon”'' the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10) because they repented. Applying this scripture to William Branham’s life might make sense in the context of the vision of the destruction of Los Angeles (although there was no mass-repentance in L.A. as there was in Nineveh). However, this scripture does not work in the context of a vision of holding meetings in South Africa, as the meetings were to be held to allow people to repent. | |||
Years before the Jonah went to Nineveh, the prophet Jeremiah said that God would withhold his judgement to a Nation that would repent. ''"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it."'' (Jeremiah 18:7-8) There is no scriptural precident that says God will relent of a vision that involves the holding of meetings to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. | Years before the Jonah went to Nineveh, the prophet Jeremiah said that God would withhold his judgement to a Nation that would repent. ''"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it."'' (Jeremiah 18:7-8) There is no scriptural precident that says God will relent of a vision that involves the holding of meetings to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. | ||
==William Branham was disobedient== | |||
'''''“Thus Saith The Lord”''''' should be stronger than an individual’s lack of obedience. | |||
Does God permit a prophet to say, ''"I did something wrong personally and that is why the vision did not come to pass"''? There is no example in scripture that suggests that this is the case. | |||
There is only one exception for a prophesy not to be fulfilled – and this involves repentance by the person (or nation) being judged. If it was acceptable for one prophet to say "Oops! I made a personal mistake, and that’s why the vision was not fulfilled," then every false prophet would claim this easy-out excuse. For this reason, the Word of God only permits one explanation for a failed vision, because repentance satisfies the wrath of God. That is why Ezekiel says, ''“Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”'' (Ezekiel 18:30) | |||
==The vision was fulfilled== | |||
Owen Jorgensen in Book Four of his series, ''[[Supernatural: The Life of William Branham]]'' effectively states that the vision was fulfilled in William Branham's trip to India in September 1954. | |||
However, this is unacceptable for the following reasons: | |||
#William Branham did not believe that the vision had been fulfilled; and | |||
#There is no support for this outside of William Branham's own statements (which as indicated support the fact that the vision was not fulfilled); | |||
#William Branham was known to wildly exaggerate the number of people attending his meetings. | |||
==Conclusion== | |||
So what will you do with this failed vision? Will you succumb to [[Cognitive Dissonance|cognitive dissonance]] and trivialize | So what will you do with this failed vision? Will you succumb to [[Cognitive Dissonance|cognitive dissonance]] and trivialize a vision that even William Branham thought was unfulfilled? | ||
=Quotes= | =Quotes= |