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...ng the truth, even when it seems sure they must have known that they faked the evidence. Sincerity, my dear Julia, is a quality not to be trusted.'' ::Sarah Caudwell ''The Sibyl in Her Grave''

=Trying to put out the light?= ...ight being his message but we have since realized he and his following are the little birds!!!

|'''''If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.''''' - Mark Twain ...ieve in the moment that he is the Prince of Denmark, though when he leaves the stage he will usually remember who he really is.''

...Instead, he chose to give up his royal privileges and become a servant of the King of kings, and a missionary to Scotland.<ref>{{Wikipedia Reference}}</r ...es from Clarence Larkin]] including virtually all of the supposed dates of the seven ages. Clarence Larkin's exact words were as follows:

...aul wrote that he was not taught the Gospel by anyone, but received it "by the revelation of Jesus Christ". ...cast out devils, and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to believers and the heathen.

...uld cancel his meetings and that this would mark the end of the revival in the United States. '''What did William Branham actually say? Did Billy Graham c ...ed a passage in the Bible - "As it was in the days of Sodom..." - but does the Bible say that anywhere?'''

...message follower, it's the trump card that settles the issue and silences the critic. However, to those outside the message it's an abstraction that impedes dialogue.

*The angel sent to the Church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14; *Responsible for the opening of the seven seals of Revelation 6; and,

=Question 18 - Why do we need the message?= ...comprise the message?”, I would say, with respect, that you did not answer the question. It is my view that WMB’s message is completely inconsequential

...'''[[Are Christians required to tithe?]]''' and '''[[Church Governance in the Message|Church governance]]''' ...nd not authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.''''' (Lord Acton)

...m Branham borrowed a number of doctrines from the Jehovah's Witnesses (aka the Watchtower Society). These include: *[[Michael the Archangel]] is Jesus Christ

William Branham taught that Judas Iscariot was given the gift of healing by Jesus Christ. William Branham taught that Judas Iscariot cast out devils and healed the sick.

...liam Branham's followers who had migrated together to a place they called "The Park". ...ccused of molesting and abusing children at The Park in testimony given in the Supreme Court of California.

:''What are you offering as an alternative to the message that he has brought? This is really another way of asking whether the Church, the Bride of Jesus Christ, needs a special message from God.

...is from a talk that [[Joseph Branham]] gave in Arizona in 2004 with Catch The Vision Tour (obtained from WMB1.com). ...See that's the promise. And if I got to stumble I want to stumble here in the flesh. God knows that. He knows that I can fail Him and that I'll make mist

...paper, all discarded efforts to put on paper something I could share with the people I one time preached to. ...icing the fragile emotions of people while they dig their feet deeply into the soil of their steadfast opinions.

...ema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”<Ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001 ...ft Jesus because he had to die as a sinner. William Branham stated that on the cross:

...his is a response to a supposed prophecy that William Branham made "before the fact." In 1962, William Branham related the story of the prophecy of Joseph Branham's birth by stating:

=Video - The death of William Branham's father= Here are the ages of the Branham children at the time of Charles’ death:

{{Template:Reason and the Message}} ...the offshoots of blind faith is anti-intellectualism. This is rampant in the message.

Human excrement is mentioned a number of times in the Bible. Some of it relates to prophecies about Jesus. ==The Shame of Jerusalem:==

=Question 31 - What is the significance of a Seven-Lettered Name?= ...aying and doing. I believe the third option, obviously. And if you believe the third option, you can find his exaggerations likewise have a sincere motive

Many people have asked us, both those in [[The Message|the message]] and those that have left off following William Branham: "What do Those inside the message expect that we are looking for followers (we're not) and those who

...shelf" until such time as God revealed to them the proper understanding of the scripture (which was always in agreement with William Branham's teaching). Is this the correct way of approaching scripture?

...ader, so these churches cannot be understood without clearly understanding the pastor. ...uasive skills which are more important to the longevity of the church than the pastor’s charisma.

...se they believe that he was infallible. These groups would include most of the followers of Joseph Branham. ...ave never put Brother Branham's teachings above the Bible! He told us that the Bible is our absolute and that is what I believe.

...God was the baptism of the Holy Spirit; and to prove that we could grieve the Holy Spirit away by various means and might be doomed if we did so! But was :''And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.<ref>Ephesians 4:30 English Standard Version (ESV)</ref>

=Did William Branham travel around the world seven times?= ...issue. There are minor occurrences in the Old Testament but this is under the new covenant.

...y in the established Church that sparked the creation of these groups over the years. ...adopted the Nicene Creed (in support of the Trinity), and acknowledge that the patriarchs of Alexandria and Rome had exceptional authority over their resp

...thumb|right|250px|This DC-7C was sitting in Arizona for years, waiting for the resurrection of William Branham]] At the Goodyear Field in Arizona is an old DC-7C airplane that has been sitting un

|Jesus said '''''"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."''''' Below is an excerpt from David Martyn Lloyd-Jones se [[Image:Baptism Sakhalin.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The joy of Baptism in Sakhalin Island, Russia: a clean heart and identification

People, and particularly preachers, in the message often state something similar to this: ...that appears to be filled with hatred. This attitude comes directly from the teachings of William Branham (see quotes below).

...e claiming that William Branham predicted the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the globe in 2020. Is this true? =The prophetic quote?=

William Branham basically adopted the baptismal formula of [[Did William Branham Teach Oneness?|Oneness or "Jesus ...the Lord Jesus and was required to baptize the person again in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

...country too. I know, Jesus, when... Matthew 17, when they asked Him, "Why the Scribes say, Elias..." :''Watch what He said, "Elias truly must first come." Past, present--in the future tense, but then He give John as an example. John wasn't Malachi 4. J

*Noah and Enoch were preaching at the same time; ...type of the Bride of Christ that went in the Rapture and is also a type of the seventh church age; and,

...ranham's many failings have unnecessarily put their eternal destination on the line. They point their fingers and say, "What if you're wrong?" ...rlying emotion is that of fear. It is interesting that in virtually all of the emails that we have received from message believers, fear is what they try

{{Template:The Message}} Those who leave the message but remain Christians are generally viewed by followers of William

What is legalism? Did William Branham teach a legalistic version of the Gospel? Are his followers legalistic? Are there specific rules that message beli ...il and the New Testament does indeed deal with it, even if it does not use the word.

...lieved that she was not in the original creation and was a perversion from the beginning. However, this is not what scripture teaches. William Branham taught that the woman was designed by Satan for filth, unclean living, and deception.

...pective on the Godhead that closely ties the God of the Old Testament with the person of Jesus Christ. |'' Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.'' (II Timothy 2:7 ESV)

=Question 17 - The Mystery of the Empty Cornerstone= ...exhausting the many issues surrounding WMB's prophetic ministry (or rather the lack thereof) and also his credibility.

...folk mentioning that they have '''access to the blood through the Word of the Hour'''. Is this correct? If not, why? The word “access” is found only three times in the New Testament. (Rom. 5:1–2; Eph. 2:18, Eph. 3:12). These three passages t

=Question 15 - What doctrines comprise the message?= This is a follow-on question from “What is the message?”

.... He believed his faith was perfect. And he believed that magicians have the same kind of faith. But that is not the New Testament version of faith.

...as a great shining light. The Word of God is both the promise of God and the manifestation of God. ...Jesus returned to Heaven, to the glory that he had with the Father before the world was.

...was ordained as a minister by William Branham on November 21, 1965 and was the pastor of [http://www.tucsontabernacle.com/ Tuscon Tabernacle] in Tucson, A ...ing him on various hunting trips. He also wrote a book called "The Acts of the Prophet" about William Branham, and Sarah Branham (William Branham's younge

...ve the message and the not-so-special sons and daughters that just believe the Bible? What does the Bible teach on this issue?

...g and vindication of William Branham are under intense scrutiny. People in the message are asking questions and are not satisfied with being ignored. ...at are questioning the message that there is a deeper understanding of the Gospel and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ that is available for them.

...ories that were experienced by ex-message believers while in [[The Message|the Message]]. ...g true stories raise serious questions about the integrity of ministers in the message.

|'''[[Glossary]]''' <br> Do you want to understand the Message? Here are a list of important terms. '''[[The Message]]''' <br> Learn more about The Message.

...William Branham while he was alive. Everyone was afraid of the "angel of the Lord" that stood with him and his critics only raised concerns against him Controversy surrounded Branham right from the start of his public ministry.

...tements he made we have to ask whether William Branham actually understood the New Testament concept of marriage? ...e ministers in Africa see polygamy as being acceptable to those who follow the message.

...er, he changed his mind several times as to what he truly thought it was. The questions is - Did he get it right? ...n a Christian's life, following justification and sanctification. This is the traditional Pentecostal understanding of scripture.

The doctrine of the Trinity requires agreement with the following three statements: :B. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.

...f Man]], the [[Son of God]], the Son of the Blessed, the son of peace, and the [[Son of Mary]]. ...o hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, '''and what [is] his son's name''', if thou cans

Click [ here to listen to part 7 of the Debate on the Off The Shelf podcast]. {{The 2020 Debate}}

William Branham said this about his "revelation" of the first seal: ...aking it from an old context. '''I had nothing on it.''' I don't know what the Second Seal is no more than nothing, but I'd got some old contexts of somet

=William Branham's version of the story= ...lace, but his mound is nothing but a snake mound. And no matter, even into the fall and winter, serpents still crawl from his grave. A memorial! God forbi

...-the-2020-debate-part-2/ here to listen to part 2 of the Debate on the Off The Shelf podcast]. {{The 2020 Debate}}

...reator of the world.<ref>Philip Schaff and David Schley Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910), 649.< ...Jesus Christ. It is clear that Lee Vayle took his doctrine directly from the teachings of William Branham.

'''The Bible includes''' many promises of healing. Some scriptures give details o The power over disease and death is God's alone. Although it is man's curse, i

...is a response to his letter from Luca Freeman, a former Message believer (the complete text of his letter can be found [[A Biographer Answers Critics of ...William Branham, and in doing so, a defense of his own book, Supernatural: The Life of William Branham.

...effersonville, Indiana, during which time he introduced William Branham to the Pentecostal religion. "I am the minister who received Brother Branham into the first Pentecostal assembly he ever frequented. I baptized him, and was his

...ceive you...<ref>The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 200 ...d I’ll receive you”? “Touch not her unclean things, and I’ll receive you,” the Holy Spirit speaking.

{{Template:Reason and the Message}} People in the message have said to us when confronted with errors in William Branham's me

There is a lot of attention in the media being given to '''Blood Moons''' and we have received several emails ...un and the moon and the shadow of the earth causes the moon to grow dark. The moon appears red during a total lunar eclipse.

...he Scriptures except the Father of all, and the Son, and those who possess the adoption.'' ...no one as Father, except Him who is in the heavens, who is the one God and the one Father;

One of the "keystone" verses in the message is Luke 17:30: :'''''Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.''''' (KJV)

...hen condemned the man to suffer from the sicknesses that he had written on the card. =Problems with the Story=

...message group would say of themselves. Personally, I do not think that is the goal of a true Christian. ...of the legalistic nature of William Branham’s doctrine, I want to move to the next logical question: Is it OK for a woman to wear pants?

=Question 30 - The Mans from Windsor= ...e to ask the question – did it actually ever occur? Personally, given all the changes, I don’t think it did. And if it did, why did he change it to ma

=Question 2 - The Billy Graham Prophecy= ...ival would die. I just count back and see. We got that on record. See? And the revival is gone. (62-0628 - A Greater Than Solomon Is Here, para. 8)

Message followers often tell us that they will not look at the evidence because they have been called to "only believe". But what does the Bible say we should look at?

...Spirit." The Bible records that the apostles baptized all new converts in the name of Jesus Christ. [[Image:Baptism Siberia.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Baptism in Siberia through the ice]]

...ctrine and culture of the Lutherans and Protestants traditions, as well as the course of Western civilization. ...rg/ "Slight Increase] Pushes LWF Global Membership to 66.2 Million", <cite>The Lutheran World Federation</cite>, accessed May 18 2006.</ref> with some fou

This article examines the response of people in the message to the failed visions. =The use of red herring arguments by message followers=

Bill Ivy is the pastor of Living Word Tabernacle, a message church in Gibson, Missouri. On December 24, 2019, he posted an article on the website of Living Word Tabernacle which we strongly disagree with. While h

...0's and throughout the 1920's, and ran for the office of the President for the Prohibition Party in 1932. ...yed for Upshaw, who was instantly healed, and had full use of his legs for the remainder of his life.

..., [[Financial accountability in the message|'''Financial accountability in the message''']] *Does the tithe belong to the ministry?

...hat the word "Trinity" does not appear in the Bible, but then neither does the word "rapture" which is used regularly by message followers. The doctrine of the Trinity is shown in John 14:23, when Jesus says:

The following tract, entitled '''''"Jesus Christ the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever"''''' was written and distributed by Wil This book tells how He chose a poor boy and called him to his ministry, how the boy ran from Him for awhile and then whole-heartedly turned to Him.

...re Christians required to tithe?]]''' and '''[[Financial accountability in the message|Financial accountability]]''' #The local church was sovereign

...t's one thing we all have in common, that God sent a Messenger to call out the Bride of Jesus Christ. And by His mercy and grace, today I can tell you, th ...Lord toward our bodies. We ask it Father in thy precious and lovely name, The name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen.

...nd all the believing church, including the raising of the dead, healing of the sick, prophecies, and visions. :''So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the '''Nicolaitans''', which thing I hate.<ref>Revelation 2:15 (KJV) </ref>

...at all subsequent generations would call her blessed, and Jesus was called the "son of Mary" by others around him. ...al child birth, and by this, God became a kinsman with Adam's race through the Son of God, Christ Jesus.

...am taught that in the last days there would be people who were anointed by the true Holy Spirit but were not Christians. Is this teaching biblical? In his sermon, The Anointed Ones At The End Time (65-0725M), William Branham quoted Matthew 24:24:

...and to the disciples in private. Most of this discussion can be found in the book of John. ...estroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. …But he spake of the temple of his body.

[[Image:CadillacProphet.jpg|thumb|400px|William Branham accepts the keys to a free Cadillac in front of his free house.]] ...1962, William Branham complained that he didn't have enough money to cover the expenses of his meetings.

|And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. =Examination of the Seventh Seal=

One of the controversial teachings of William Branham is the subject of [[Marriage and Divorce]]. William Branham was of the view that the following were grounds for a man to divorce his wife:

{{Template:The Message}} ...f William Branham as "Branhamites" or members of the Branham cult. But is the message really a cult?<br>

The Off The Shelf podcast did a [http://offtheshelf.life/podcast/episode-42-how-to-defe Pastor Gwena responded in a series of comments on the podcast website, which we have provided for our readers below. We have als

...-the-2020-debate-part-4/ here to listen to part 4 of the Debate on the Off The Shelf podcast]. {{The 2020 Debate}}

...rical fact have so little perceived its bearings upon Roman pretensions in the Middle Ages and modern times. ...ewarned the churches of "the grievous wolves" which were to make havoc of the fold.

[[Image:WPCbranhamdurban.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The 1951 Durban meetings]] =The Vision of the African Meeting=

...llment of Malachi 4:5-6. This is a foundational doctrine of [[The Message|the message]]. ...ountless people email us asking the question: '''''"If Bro. Branham wasn't the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5, then who is?"'''''

{{Template:The Message}} People that follow William Branham's message can be recognized by the way that their women dress - long dresses and [[Long Hair or Uncut Hair|lon

=Question 20 - The Vision of the Meetings in South Africa= ...red thousand people''." He also said that the vision was "'''''THUS SAITH THE LORD mark it in your book.'''''"

...ould expect that his healing ministry would be similar to that of Jesus or the apostles. ...was healed that Jesus prayed for. We read this in a number of passages in the Gospels: