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{| style="width: | Followers of William Branham refer to their denomination as the '''Message''' or the '''Message of the Hour.''' It is also how they refer to themselves generally as a movement. If you are "'''in the message'''" then you consider yourself a true follower of William Branham and a true follower of God. | ||
|'''[[Glossary]]''' <br> Do you want to understand the Message? | |||
=What is the Message?= | |||
{| style="width:30%; border:1px solid #E8B399;background-color:#F0DCC8;vertical-align:top; float:right; text-align:center; padding: 0.3em;margin-left:5px" | |||
|'''[[Glossary]]''' <br> Do you want to understand the Message? Click above for a list of important terms. | |||
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'''[[Message Urban Legends|Urban Legends]]''' <br> Everyone loves stories that are vague on facts. Here are a few popular Message stories. | '''[[Message Urban Legends|Urban Legends]]''' <br> Everyone loves stories that are vague on facts. Here are a few popular Message stories. | ||
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'''[[Is the Message a Cult?]]''' <br> | '''[[Is the Message a Cult?]]''' <br> It's a hard question if you're in the cult. | ||
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|} | |} | ||
Many people ask us the question - how do I identify someone that follows William Branham? It is interesting to witness the diversity of doctrines among the groups that claim to follow the message of William Branham. Many of the groups vehemently oppose other groups that also claim to follow William Branham. Yet, they all claim they have a revelation of the Word and they believe the Bible. | |||
But......how do you know you the person you're chatting with is a message believer? | |||
These are the visible hallmarks of a message believer: | |||
#They are convinced that most Christian denominations believe in THREE GODS. This is based on William Branham's [[The Trinity#William Branham's Critique of the Trinity|straw man argument against the doctrine of the Trinity.]] | |||
#They baptise in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. This is a strange doctrine given that [[William Branham's Teachings on Water Baptism#The Challenge from William Branham|no one in scripture was ever baptized using this formula]]. | |||
#They believe William Branham was the end time prophet according to Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 17:30, Revelation 3:14 and Revelation 10:7. (see details below) | |||
#They believe the Serpent had sexual intercourse with Eve in the Garden of Eden, and that act caused the fall of mankind. This is a doctrine that has been repeatedly rejected by the church starting with Iranaeus. | |||
#They believe hell is not eternal but everlasting. | |||
#They believe William Branham was the seventh church age messenger according to Revelation 3:14 and Revelation 10:7. | |||
#They believe Jesus is the Father. | |||
#They believe if you do not accept William Branham's message you are not part of the Bride of Christ. | |||
#They believe William Branham is waiting beyond the curtain of time for all his followers who he will present to Jesus. | |||
#They believe William Branham's interpretation of the Bible as the Word of God for today. | |||
==Is it a denomination?== | |||
Message followers will deny that they are a denomination. But how is a denomination defined? | |||
A denomination is a faction of the church, out of fellowship with other factions, holding to some “distinctives” of doctrine, practice, worship, ethnicity, style, history, social class, etc. Denominationalism is any attempt to justify and maintain the separate existence of a denomination.[1] | |||
On the basis of this definition, it is clear that the message is a denomination. | |||
==Doctrines or interpretations based on William Branham pointing to himself== | |||
The message is a collection of doctrines promoted by William Branham that largely involve William Branham pointing to himself as a prophet. Some of the specific doctrines whereby William Branham '''pointed to himself''' are as follows: | |||
*[[Revelation 10:7]] | |||
*[[The Fulfillment of Malachi 4:5]] | |||
*[[The Laodicean Church Age Messenger]] | |||
*[[Matthew 17:11]] | |||
*[[Luke 17:30]] | |||
*[[Matthew 24:28]] | |||
*[[Zechariah 14:7]] | |||
*[[Joel 2:25]] | |||
*[[1 Thessalonians 4:16]] | |||
*[[The Importance of a Seven-Lettered Name]] | |||
*[[The Prophet and The Eagle]] | |||
*[[The Sign of the Messiah]] | |||
*[[Prophets that ministered at the same time|Two major prophets never ministered at the same time]] | |||
*[[William Branham's View of Himself]] | |||
==Plagiarized doctrines== | |||
Included in the set of doctrines that constitute the message are a large number of teachings that were [[Plagiarism|plagiarized from Clarence Larkin]] and from the [[William Branham and the Watchtower Society|Jehovah's Witnesses]]. These plagiarized beliefs include William Branham's teachings on the seven church ages, the seven seals, the gates to the soul and the token. He also plagiarized from Billy Graham (thinking man's filter) and C.L Franklin (the eagle in the chicken coop). | |||
=What do followers of William Branham think that the message is?= | =What do followers of William Branham think that the message is?= | ||
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A message pastor expressed it this way: | A message pastor expressed it this way: | ||
:What is the message of William Branham? The entire message of William Branham was sent to expose all heresies and establish God’s children upon Truth, and the basis of all messages that were sent upon earth, and all revelation sent to mankind by God through his prophet, were to expose heresies and heretics, false prophets, and establish the elect upon the truth.<ref>Robert Lee Lambert, Grace Covenant Church, Middletown, Connecticut</ref> | :''What is the message of William Branham? The entire message of William Branham was sent to expose all heresies and establish God’s children upon Truth, and the basis of all messages that were sent upon earth, and all revelation sent to mankind by God through his prophet, were to expose heresies and heretics, false prophets, and establish the elect upon the truth.<ref>Robert Lee Lambert, Grace Covenant Church, Middletown, Connecticut</ref> | ||
When you point out to message ministers that William Branham actually didn't bring anything new but, in fact, [[Plagiarism|plagiraized]] most of his teaching, they respond: | |||
:''William Branham's ministry was designed to tie up all of the "loose ends" in the Bible. | |||
'''In the end, the "message" is simply a collection of William Branham's sermons and therefore, his teachings. It is not Jesus Christ, it is not the Word of God. The message is William Branham's take on the Bible and it is filled with error.''' | '''In the end, the "message" is simply a collection of William Branham's sermons and therefore, his teachings. It is not Jesus Christ, it is not the Word of God. The message is William Branham's take on the Bible and it is filled with error.''' | ||
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#They believe that you could never look into the eyes of William Branham and tell a lie. | #They believe that you could never look into the eyes of William Branham and tell a lie. | ||
=Is the "Bride" a special category of Christian?= | ==Is the "Bride" a special category of Christian?== | ||
William Branham was not the only one in our age to use the parables of Jesus to split the Church into various groups, such as the bride, the friends of the bridegroom, the virgins, the guests, and the servants. Many exclusive groups do this to make themselves feel special. But this is pressing the analogy too far. We must be careful that we do not become like Nicodemus when he pressed the analogy of birth too far by asking how we could go back into our mothers’ wombs and be born again (John 3:4). | William Branham was not the only one in our age to use the parables of Jesus to split the Church into various groups, such as the bride, the friends of the bridegroom, the virgins, the guests, and the servants. Many exclusive groups do this to make themselves feel special. But this is pressing the analogy too far. We must be careful that we do not become like Nicodemus when he pressed the analogy of birth too far by asking how we could go back into our mothers’ wombs and be born again (John 3:4). | ||
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Some have suggested that John refers to an elite group of Christians who have reached a special status in which they no longer sin. But the text does not restrict godly living to a special group of Christians but rather claims that all believers without exception — anyone born of God — do not sin. Hence, a spiritual elite cannot be in view here. <ref>Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 567.</ref> | Some have suggested that John refers to an elite group of Christians who have reached a special status in which they no longer sin. But the text does not restrict godly living to a special group of Christians but rather claims that all believers without exception — anyone born of God — do not sin. Hence, a spiritual elite cannot be in view here. <ref>Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 567.</ref> | ||
==Other beliefs== | |||
There are a group of other doctrines that are largely unscriptural which William Branham promoted as part of his "message": | |||
#[[Christians that were required to believe Satanic doctrine|Some Christians were required to believe Satanic doctrine to be saved.]] | |||
#[[Marriage and Divorce|If a wife cuts her hair, her husband can divorce her.]] | |||
#[[Marriage and Divorce|A man can remarry after divorce but a woman can't.]] | |||
#[[Three holy words|The three holy words of the Bible.]] | |||
#[[Prophets that ministered at the same time|No 2 major prophets were ever on the scene at the same time.]] | |||
#[[Q&A on the Godhead#Did God leave Jesus Christ on the cross?|God left Jesus Christ when He was on the cross.]] | |||
#[[William Branham and the Zodiac|God has '''THREE Bibles''']] | |||
#[[Women were designed by Satan|Women were designed by Satan.]] | |||
#[[Can you lose your healing?]] | |||
#[[Are Christians considered amateur gods?|Christian are amateur gods.]] | |||
#[[Michael the Archangel|Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel.]] | |||
#[[Enoch and Noah|Noah started building the ark after he saw Enoch go in a Rapture]] | |||
#[[Enoch and Noah|Enoch was a type of the wise virgin, and Noah a type of the foolish virgin.]] | |||
#[[Illegitimate children]] cannot be part of the rapture. | |||
#[[Reason and Faith|Christians should "cast down reasoning".]] | |||
#[[Can the Holy Spirit abandon you?|The Holy Spirit can abandon you.]] | |||
#[[Long Hair or Uncut Hair|Long hair mean uncut (i.e. no trimming of split ends) for women.]] | |||
#[[Long Hair or Uncut Hair|Does God hear the prayer of a woman that has cut her hair]]? | |||
#[[The Midwives of Egypt|The midwives in Egypt were actually witches.]] | |||
#[[Hierarchy in Heaven|Your admission to heaven is conditional on William Branham's judgment.]] | |||
#[[Matthew 27:46|Jesus died screaming for help, crying for mercy because He was separated from God.]] | |||
#[[John 18:6|When Jesus died on the cross, he simply died as a man.]] | |||
#[[The Serpent's Seed|The Bible teaches that the serpent had sex with Eve.]] | |||
#[[The Sin in the Wilderness|The Israelites who died in the wilderness were eternally lost.]] | |||
#Was William Branham guilty of [[Theological Trespassing]]? | |||
#The evidence of [[The Baptism of the Holy Spirit|the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is believing in William Branham]] | |||
#[[The Body of Christ|The Bible teaches there are two tiers of Christians.]] | |||
#[[The Message#Is the "Bride" a special category of Christian?|The "Bride" of Christ is a special category of Christian.]] | |||
#[[Destruction of Los Angeles|Capernaum is under the sea.]] | |||
==What William Branham taught== | ==What William Branham taught== | ||
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:''Abraham was '''A-b-r-a-h-a-m, seven letters'''. See? Look at the setting of today, and look what's taking place. Abraham had seen many signs and wonders, and everything that God had done. So has the Church. You've received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, done all these signs and wonders. But you're promised, "As it was then, so shall it be again." "It shall be Light in the evening time." Jesus Christ, the same; same Son will appear again on the scene, in His Church, and will do the same thing that He did then, showing that He is the Word made manifest. See? Knowing the secret that's in the heart, revealing and doing the things that He is supposed to do. That's exactly the Word of God.<ref>CHRIST.IS.IDENTIFIED.THE.SAME.IN.ALL.GENERATIONS TAMPA.FL 64-0415</ref> | :''Abraham was '''A-b-r-a-h-a-m, seven letters'''. See? Look at the setting of today, and look what's taking place. Abraham had seen many signs and wonders, and everything that God had done. So has the Church. You've received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, done all these signs and wonders. But you're promised, "As it was then, so shall it be again." "It shall be Light in the evening time." Jesus Christ, the same; same Son will appear again on the scene, in His Church, and will do the same thing that He did then, showing that He is the Word made manifest. See? Knowing the secret that's in the heart, revealing and doing the things that He is supposed to do. That's exactly the Word of God.<ref>CHRIST.IS.IDENTIFIED.THE.SAME.IN.ALL.GENERATIONS TAMPA.FL 64-0415</ref> | ||
:''And then the church natural is just a bunch of people in denominations, that joined. It's no more... I don't even no more call it "church." I don't like to refer to it. I like to refer to it as a "lodge," Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, Pentecostal lodge. But the Church is the borned-again that's in Christ Jesus, that's new creatures. And so we still see that, that God keeps His Word.<ref>DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND LA.CA 65-0427</ref> | :''And then the church natural is just a bunch of people in denominations, that joined. It's no more... I don't even no more call it "church." I don't like to refer to it. I like to refer to it as a "lodge," Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, Pentecostal lodge. But the Church is the borned-again that's in Christ Jesus, that's new creatures. And so we still see that, that God keeps His Word.<ref>DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND LA.CA 65-0427</ref> | ||
:''Because, the pyramid's Writing on the outside, as the brother had the dream, I interpreted it to you. That's the entire interpretation. Now, all the mysteries of justification, sanctification, baptism the Holy Ghost, was done explained. Now picking up t'''he loose ends''' of that, which was concealed in the Seven Seals, not the seven churches. The Seven Seals reveal the mysteries. And then He opened this thing up, at the top, and found a Rock in there, white, but had never been wrote on. It was a mystery.<ref>William Branham, 63-0630M - The Third Exodus, para. 274</ref> | |||
:''Just exactly like He showed us the Seven Church Ages, what would come. Just exactly what He showed us what would come when He set that Light up there, in revelation to it, to show the world. When He sent the seven Angels to reveal the seven messengers that had been down through there, and show '''the loose ends''', each Angel coming each day and revealing the loose ends that Luther left, and Wesley left, and Pentecost left, is all represented in there. And in the very type and shadow of the great Shalom, Jehovah, Yahweh. See? Exactly. Throwed It in the skies, and there is the mechanical eye taking a picture of It. See? Thank the Lord!<ref>William Branham, 64-0112 - Shalom, para. 158</ref> | |||
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{{ | [[Category:Doctrines]] | ||
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[[Category:Critical analysis of William Branham]] | |||