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The Seven Churches Ages: Difference between revisions
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{{7 Church Ages}} | |||
:''...What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto [[Ephesus]], and unto [[Smyrna]], and unto [[Pergamos]], and unto [[Thyatira]], and unto [[Sardis]], and unto [[Philadelphia]], and unto [[Laodicea]].'' | :''...What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto [[Ephesus]], and unto [[Smyrna]], and unto [[Pergamos]], and unto [[Thyatira]], and unto [[Sardis]], and unto [[Philadelphia]], and unto [[Laodicea]].'' | ||
:''The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.'' | :''The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.'' | ||
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==Where is Asia?== | ==Where is Asia?== | ||
Asia Minor is located in the country of Turkey. | Asia Minor is located in the country of Turkey. | ||
*Paul grew up in Asia Minor, and established the church in Ephesus. | *Paul grew up in Asia Minor, and established the church in Ephesus. | ||
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==Messengers Outside Their Ages, Messengers Confronting Heresies== | ==Messengers Outside Their Ages, Messengers Confronting Heresies== | ||
John was told to write to each churches. William Branham said that each church represented an age, and that each age had a messenger. So, you would expect that each messenger would have lived within the correct church age... but this is not the case with William Branham's "messengers". | John was told to write to each churches. William Branham said that each church represented an age, and that each age had a messenger. So, you would expect that each messenger would have lived within the correct church age... but this is not the case with William Branham's "messengers". | ||
====Paul==== | ====Paul==== | ||
*Paul was martyred | *[[Paul the Apostle]] was martyred between 68 and 73 AD. | ||
*John wrote the Book of Revelation from the Isle of Patmos around | *John wrote the Book of Revelation from the Isle of Patmos around 95 AD. | ||
If William Branham was correct, then Paul had been dead for over 20 years when John sent him the letter. I guess he never got the memo. | If William Branham was correct, then Paul had been dead for over 20 years when John sent him the letter. I guess he never got the memo. | ||
====Irenaeus==== | ====Irenaeus==== | ||
Message Believers cringe when people speak against William Branham's doctrines. A common complaint is, '''"don't | Message Believers cringe when people speak against William Branham's doctrines. A common complaint is, '''"don't judge".''' What they do not realize is that [[Irenaeus]] taught against the Serpent's Seed doctrine. He labeled it a heresy. And William Branham said you had to believe the Messenger for your Age in order to be saved. | ||
====Columba==== | ====Columba==== | ||
*William Branham said the Thyatira Age started in 606 AD. | *William Branham said the Thyatira Age started in 606 AD. | ||
*William Branham named Columba as the messenger to the Thyatira Age. | *William Branham named Columba as the messenger to the Thyatira Age. | ||
*Columba died in 597 A.D., 9 years before the Age was supposed to start. | *[[Columba]] died in 597 A.D., 9 years before the Age was supposed to start. | ||
====John Wesley==== | ====John Wesley==== | ||
John Wesley labeled William Branham's | [[John Wesley]] labeled William Branham's understanding on the Godhead as ''"...Blasphemy, joined with consummate nonsense."''<ref>~ Thoughts on the writings of Baron Swedenborg, by John Wesley, Wakefield, May 8, 1782.</ref> We know this because William Branham's doctrine on the Godhead was very close to Emmanuel Swedenborg's doctrine on the Godhead, and John Wesley also concluded the following about Swedenborg's doctrine: | ||
:''"O my brethren, let none of you that fear God recommend such a writer any more; much less labor to make the deadly poison palatable, by sweetening it with all care! All his folly and nonsense we may excuse; but not his making God a liar; not his contradicting, in so open and flagrant a manner, the whole oracles of God! True, his tales are often exceeding lively, and as entertaining as the tales of...the fairies! But I dare not give up my Bible for them; and I must give up one or the other. If the preceding extracts are from God, then the Bible is only a fable! But if all Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, then let these dreams sink into the pit from whence they came." <ref>~ Thoughts on the writings of Baron Swedenborg, by John Wesley, Wakefield, May 8, 1782.</ref> | :''"O my brethren, let none of you that fear God recommend such a writer any more; much less labor to make the deadly poison palatable, by sweetening it with all care! All his folly and nonsense we may excuse; but not his making God a liar; not his contradicting, in so open and flagrant a manner, the whole oracles of God! True, his tales are often exceeding lively, and as entertaining as the tales of...the fairies! But I dare not give up my Bible for them; and I must give up one or the other. If the preceding extracts are from God, then the Bible is only a fable! But if all Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, then let these dreams sink into the pit from whence they came." <ref>~ Thoughts on the writings of Baron Swedenborg, by John Wesley, Wakefield, May 8, 1782.</ref> | ||
==The Value of History== | ==The Value of [[Church History|History]]== | ||
If there are no Church Ages as William Branham talked about, is there any value to learning about Paul, Irenaeus, Martin, Columba, Luther, or Wesley? '''Yes!''' There is great value in knowing the history of the Christian Church! When you approach their lives to learn, you will find much to gain from their wisdom and experiences. | If there are no Church Ages as William Branham talked about, is there any value to learning about Paul, Irenaeus, Martin, Columba, Luther, or Wesley? '''Yes!''' There is great value in knowing the history of the Christian Church! When you approach their lives to learn, you will find much to gain from their wisdom and experiences. | ||
However, we have found that most Message Believers and Message Ministers have not studied the lives of their "Messengers" outside of William Branham's sermons. This means that great books like: | However, we have found that most Message Believers and Message Ministers have not studied the lives of any their "Messengers" outside of William Branham's sermons. This means that great books like: | ||
*[http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Irenaeus#Against_Heresies Irenaeus' writings Against Heresies], | *[http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Irenaeus#Against_Heresies Irenaeus' writings Against Heresies], | ||
*[[The Life of Saint Martin - Part 1|The biography of St. Martin written by his friend]], | *[[The Life of Saint Martin - Part 1|The biography of St. Martin written by his friend]], | ||
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*[http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Martin_Luther#Preface_to_the_Letter_of_St._Paul_to_the_Romans.2C_by_Martin_Luther.2C_1483-1546 Martin Luther's Preface to Romans], or | *[http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Martin_Luther#Preface_to_the_Letter_of_St._Paul_to_the_Romans.2C_by_Martin_Luther.2C_1483-1546 Martin Luther's Preface to Romans], or | ||
*[[John Wesley on Money|John Wesley's sermon on Money]] | *[[John Wesley on Money|John Wesley's sermon on Money]] | ||
sit collecting dust on Message shelves... if they even get there in the first place. We challenge you to take a step and learn what these men had to say for yourself. | |||
==Who is Clarence Larkin?== | ==Who is Clarence Larkin?== | ||
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===Plagiarism in the Church Ages=== | ===Plagiarism in the Church Ages=== | ||
NOTE: William Branham's book "An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages" (which is commonly referred to as the "Church Age Book" or the CAB) contains all of the plagiarism noted in his sermon series on the Seven Church Ages which were delivered in December, 1960. Most of the references in this article relating to the church ages are primarily to the actual sermons and not to the CAB. While the CAB contains all of the plagiarized text referred to here, some have said that the plagiarism in the CAB was the direct result of the involvement of Lee Vayle and, therefore, cannot be attributed to William Branham himself. The quotes contained below, however, clearly show that William Branham was the one that plagiarized Clarence Larkin's works. | NOTE: William Branham's book "An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages" (which is commonly referred to as the "Church Age Book" or the "CAB") contains all of the plagiarism noted in his sermon series on the Seven Church Ages which were delivered in December, 1960. Most of the references in this article relating to the church ages are primarily to the actual sermons and not to the CAB. While the CAB contains all of the plagiarized text referred to here, some have said that the plagiarism in the CAB was the direct result of the involvement of Lee Vayle and, therefore, cannot be attributed to William Branham himself. The quotes contained below, however, clearly show that William Branham was the one that plagiarized Clarence Larkin's works. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||