Jump to content

Hierarchy in Heaven: Difference between revisions

no edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Top of Page}}
{{Top of Page}}
William Branham believed that his followers would not get into heaven unless he did.
 
Will William Branham rule over people in heaven?  Will message pastors rule over their congregations in heaven?


=What William Branham taught=
=What William Branham taught=


This message concept comes from a fairly innocuous phrase in the OT. It is the phrase “and he was gathered to his people.”  
William Branham believed that his followers would not get into heaven unless he did and that, in heaven, his followers would be his subjects.  Some message churches now teach that this also applies to a church's pastor.
 
This message concept comes from a fairly innocuous phrase in the Old Testament. Referring to Abraham, the Bible states that when he died "he was gathered to his people.”  
 
==What message churches teach==
 
There is a doctrine in the Message that those who go to heaven will be presented to the Lord by the Angel of their age. At this time, they will be represented in groups under their pastor. The hierarchy of the earthly church will become the hierarchy of the heavenly church, and those that rule on earth will rule in heaven. Because of this doctrine, some message pastors teach that attending a church is like a marriage, and attending another church is like spiritual adultery.


Tom Rae, pastor of [[Cloverdale Bible Way]] in a sermon preached in Surrey, BC on March 9, 2014 stated that "we will be standing at the gate of heaven under our headship, Brother Byskal, who will be standing under the headship of William Branham."


=What the Bible teaches=
=What the Bible teaches=


The Bible refers to being gathered to his people in the following passages:  
We will look at what the bible is referring to when someone is gathered to their people and also what heaven will be like.
 
==Being gathered to your people==
 
The Bible refers a person being gathered to his people in the following passages:  


:''Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and '''he was gathered to his people...'''”<ref>Gen. 25:8</ref>
:''Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and '''he was gathered to his people...'''”<ref>Gen. 25:8</ref>


:''“Altogether Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and '''he was gathered to his people'''...”<ref>Gen. 25:17</ref>  
:''“Altogether '''Ishmael''' lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and '''he was gathered to his people'''...”<ref>Gen. 25:17</ref>  


“Then he [Isaac] breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him” (Gen. 35:29);
:''“Then he [Isaac] breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him”<ref>Gen. 35:29</ref>


“When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people” (Gen. 49:33);
:''“When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people”<ref>Gen. 49:33</ref>


“Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites” (Num. 20:24); and
:''“Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites”<ref>Num. 20:24</ref>


“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was” (Num. 27:12–13).
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was”<ref>Num. 27:12–13</ref>


Many Old Testament scholars regard the phrase “and he was gathered to his people” as being nothing more than a conventional way of saying that he died. It is to be explained, so they say, by the thought that the individual was being placed in the same graveyard as those who had died before him. But this is hardly satisfactory in the case of the Bible stories involved. When Abraham died he was buried in a cave at Machpelah in the land that was to become Israel, but it was not the burial place of his ancestors. They had been buried back in Ur of the Chaldees, and his father had been buried at Haran. Moreover, in reading the account of his death, it is hard to overlook the fact that Abraham is said to have been gathered to his ancestors in verse 8 of Genesis, but to have been buried only in verse 9. Consequently, the phrase “gathered to his people” cannot refer to the burial but must refer to the death itself as a result of which Abraham joined those who had gone before him.<ref>James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 1071.</ref>
Many Old Testament scholars regard the phrase “and he was gathered to his people” as being nothing more than a conventional way of saying that he died. It is to be explained, so they say, by the thought that the individual was being placed in the same graveyard as those who had died before him. But this is hardly satisfactory in the case of the Bible stories involved. When Abraham died he was buried in a cave at Machpelah in the land that was to become Israel, but it was not the burial place of his ancestors. They had been buried back in Ur of the Chaldees, and his father had been buried at Haran. Moreover, in reading the account of his death, it is hard to overlook the fact that Abraham is said to have been gathered to his ancestors in verse 8 of Genesis, but to have been buried only in verse 9.  


There is a doctrine in the Message that those who go to heaven will be presented to the Lord by the Angel of their age. At this time, they will be represented in groups under their pastor. The hierarchy of the earthly church will become the hierarchy of the heavenly church, and those that rule on earth will rule in heaven. Because of this doctrine, some message pastors teach that attending a church is like a marriage, and attending another church is like spiritual adultery.
Consequently, the phrase “gathered to his people” cannot refer to the burial but must refer to the death itself as a result of which '''Abraham joined those who had gone before him'''.<ref>James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 1071.</ref>


But the scriptures tell a very different story of what heaven will be like.
==What does the Bible say about the hierarchy in heaven?==


Jesus said that anyone who is “least in the kingdom of God” will be greater than Elijah the Prophet (Luke 7:28). Paul wrote that in Christ Jesus, there is “neither Jew nor Greek…bond nor free…male nor female” (Galatians 3:28) so in heaven there will be no hierarchy or divisions like we have here on earth.  
Jesus said that anyone who is “least in the kingdom of God” will be greater than Elijah the Prophet (Luke 7:28). Paul wrote that in Christ Jesus, there is “neither Jew nor Greek…bond nor free…male nor female” (Galatians 3:28) so in heaven there will be no hierarchy or divisions like we have here on earth.  
Line 37: Line 49:
=Quotes of WMB=
=Quotes of WMB=


''I've got to leave here. You've got to leave here. And if I go as a false prophet, I'll lose my own soul and lose yours with me.<ref>59-1219</ref>
''I've got to leave here. You've got to leave here. And if I go as a false prophet, '''I'll lose my own soul and lose yours with me'''.<ref>QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.ON.THE.HOLY.GHOST JEFF.IN 59-1219</ref>


''And I set there, and then a voice said, "You've been gathered to your people like Jacob was gathered to his people."
''And I set there, and then a voice said, "'''You've been gathered to your people like Jacob was gathered to his people'''."
I said, "All these my people? Are all these Branhams?" He said, "No, they're your converts to Christ."
I said, "All these my people? Are all these Branhams?" He said, "No, they're your converts to Christ."


Line 55: Line 67:
''I thought, "Oh, my, and I was afraid of this. Why, these people are real." They--they wasn't going anywhere. They wasn't tired being there. And I said, "Well, why can't I see Jesus?"
''I thought, "Oh, my, and I was afraid of this. Why, these people are real." They--they wasn't going anywhere. They wasn't tired being there. And I said, "Well, why can't I see Jesus?"


''He said, "Well now, He will--He will come someday, and He will come to you first, and then you'll be judged." Said, "These people are your converts that you've led."
''He said, "Well now, He will--He will come someday, and '''He will come to you first, and then you'll be judged'''." Said, "These people are your converts that you've led."


''And I said, "You mean by being a leader, that I--that--that He will judge me?"  He said, "Yes."
''And I said, "You mean by being a leader, that I--that--that He will judge me?"  He said, "Yes."
Line 61: Line 73:
''And I said, "Does every leader have to be judged like that?" Said, "Yes."
''And I said, "Does every leader have to be judged like that?" Said, "Yes."


''I said, "What about Paul?"  He said, "He will have to be judged with his."
''I said, "'''What about Paul?'''"  He said, "'''He will 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." I said, "Where he baptized in Jesus' Name, I did too. I preached..."
''"Well," I said, "'''if his group goes in, so will mine''', 'cause I've preached exactly the same Word." I said, "Where he baptized in Jesus' Name, I did too. I preached..."


''And the millions screamed out, all at once, said, "We're resting on that."
''And the millions screamed out, all at once, said, "We're resting on that."
Line 70: Line 82:


''And then, and he said, "Someday He will come, and then... Now, in here we neither eat, drink, or sleep; we're just all one."<ref>THE.FIFTH.SEAL_  JEFF.IN  FRIDAY_  63-0322</ref>
''And then, and he said, "Someday He will come, and then... Now, in here we neither eat, drink, or sleep; we're just all one."<ref>THE.FIFTH.SEAL_  JEFF.IN  FRIDAY_  63-0322</ref>
''He said, "No, they are your converts." He then pointed to one lady and said, "See that young lady that you were admiring a moment ago. She was 90 years old when you won her to the Lord."
''I said, "Oh my, and to think this is what I was afraid of."
''The man said, "We are resting here while waiting for the coming of the Lord."
''I replied, "I want to see Him."
''He said, "You can't see Him just yet; but He is coming soon, and when He does He will come to you first, and '''you will be judged according to the Gospel you have preached, and we will be your subjects'''."
''I said, "'''Do you mean I am responsible for all these?'''"
''He said, "Every one. You were born a leader."
''I asked him, "Will every one be responsible? What about Saint Paul?"
''He answered me, "He will be responsible for his day."
''"Well," I said, "I've preached the same Gospel that Paul preached." And multitude cried, "We're resting on that."<ref>PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.5</ref>


=Footnotes=
=Footnotes=