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| | William Branham preached a series of sermons in March 1963 on the Seven Seals of the book of Revelation, and said that each seal identifies a religious disturbance. William Branham compared Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:9-11 with the Fifth seal. |
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| | {|style="width:800px; background-color:#cedff2; border:1px #a3b0bf solid; text-align:center;" |
| | !Matthew 24:21 - 24 |
| | !Revelation 6:9-11 |
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| | |For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. |
| | |And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. |
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| 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. | | 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. |
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| 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. | | 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. |
| | | {{7 Seals}} |
| William Branham then tells a story of how he went to a heavenly place, and saw his own converts under the altar: | | 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.” | | :’’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.” |
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| #He denies that his vision of heaven was like the Mormon version of Soul Sleep. | | #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. | | #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. |
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| ==Plagiarism== | | ==Plagiarism== |
| William Branham’s secret source of information for this sermon was the writings of [[Plagiarism|Clarence Larkin]]. Here is a comparison: | | William Branham’s secret source of information for this sermon was the writings of [[Plagiarism|Clarence Larkin]]. Here is a comparison: |
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| |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.”
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| 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.”
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| <div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 9</div>
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| |''And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:''
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| ====The Lamb opens the Fifth Seal====
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| Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, opens the fifth seal.
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| {{7 Seals}}
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| ====Absence of a beast to announce the Seal====
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| The 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.
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| 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.
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| *'''I Thessalonians 4:17''' ''Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.''
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| ====Souls under the altar====
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| These 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.
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| :''For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:'' (ROMANS 11:25-26)
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| <div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 10</div>
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| |''And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ''
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| ====A cry for judgement====
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| These 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.
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| <div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 11</div>
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| |''And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. ''
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| ====White Robes====
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| According 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.
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| ====Those who will be killed====
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| William 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.
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| :''And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.'' (REVELATION 11:7)
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| {|style="width:800px; background-color:#cedff2; border:1px #a3b0bf solid; text-align:center;"
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| !Matthew 24:21 - 24
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| !Revelation 6:9-11
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| |For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
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| |And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
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| ==Plagiarism==
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| | ==Questions== |
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| | |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.” |
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| | 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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| {{Bottom of Page}} | | {{Bottom of Page}} |