What were the Seven Visions?: Difference between revisions

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    ==What were the Seven Visions==
    ==What were the Seven Visions==
    It may seem peculiar that this section is headed, ëWhat were the visions?í rather than ëThe visions wereí but determining exactly what they were, turns out not to be problematical.
    It may seem peculiar that this section is headed, 'What were the visions?' rather than 'The visions were'  but determining exactly what they were, turns out not to be problematical.
    There are five avenues that can be explored:
    There are five avenues that can be explored:
    #The original written record made immediately after the receipt of the visions.
    #The original written record made immediately after the receipt of the visions.
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    #William Branhamís book entitled ëAn Exposition of the Seven Church Agesí (the Church Age Book).
    #William Branhamís book entitled ëAn Exposition of the Seven Church Agesí (the Church Age Book).


    =The original written record=
    ===The original written record===
    There are no existing, original records of the seven visions of 1933.  This is astounding and akin to the situation with the Book of Mormon where the original golden tablets from which it was translated were claimed to have been returned to the angel Moroni.
    There are no existing, original records of the seven visions of 1933.  This is astounding and akin to the situation with the Book of Mormon where the original golden tablets from which it was translated were claimed to have been returned to the angel Moroni.


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    But William Branham claimed that a written record was made!
    But William Branham claimed that a written record was made!
    *I've got it wrote, old yellow paper still waiting in a Bible. I saw the end time coming.<ref>''Teaching on Moses 1956''</ref>  
    :*''I've got it wrote, old yellow paper still waiting in a Bible. I saw the end time coming.<ref>''Teaching on Moses 1956''</ref>  
    *Yeah, I know that, see, just exactly what's wrote on my book of prophecy in 1933, that would take place<ref>''Souls that are in prison now 1963''</ref>   
    :*''Yeah, I know that, see, just exactly what's wrote on my book of prophecy in 1933, that would take place<ref>''Souls that are in prison now 1963''</ref>   
    *I've got it wrote out here in the Bible. Just like laying yonder in the cornerstone, that what would take place in the last days; and everyone knows what that was; it's been just exactly the Word. It will be just this way<ref>''Israel and the Church 1953''</ref>   
    :*''I've got it wrote out here in the Bible. Just like laying yonder in the cornerstone, that what would take place in the last days; and everyone knows what that was; it's been just exactly the Word. It will be just this way<ref>''Israel and the Church 1953''</ref>   


    If the visions were real then the fact that all of these documents, yellow pages, prophecy book and Bible, do not exist today or, at least, have not been published, is unbelievable.  
    If the visions were real then the fact that all of these documents, yellow pages, prophecy book and Bible, do not exist today or, at least, have not been published, is unbelievable.  
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    Following William Branhamís death, none of these records were produced by the family or executors.
    Following William Branhamís death, none of these records were produced by the family or executors.


    This means that the primary record of the content of the visions is missing and that secondary records need to be found to attempt a reconstruction.  
    This means that the primary record of the content of the visions is missing and that secondary records need to be found to attempt a reconstruction.


    =Affidavits from the 1933 meeting=
    ===Affidavits from the 1933 meeting===
    William Branham claimed on many occasions that there were people in the congregations who were present in the meeting that he held in 1933 on Meigs Ave in which he explained the visions and the 1977 prediction e.g. in reference to that meeting:
    William Branham claimed on many occasions that there were people in the congregations who were present in the meeting that he held in 1933 on Meigs Ave in which he explained the visions and the 1977 prediction e.g. in reference to that meeting:


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    He is talking about the 1933 meeting.  But there are no testimonials from that meeting of what he said about the visions.  There is no list of the visions or details of their content.  Again, we are asked to accept that there were visions and that they were related to a congregation, but with no corroborating evidence.
    He is talking about the 1933 meeting.  But there are no testimonials from that meeting of what he said about the visions.  There is no list of the visions or details of their content.  Again, we are asked to accept that there were visions and that they were related to a congregation, but with no corroborating evidence.
    =Copies of the original record=
    ===Copies of the original record===
    William Branham also said that he had made copies of the vision statements for later publishing:
    William Branham also said that he had made copies of the vision statements for later publishing:
    *Itís already in print and went out around the world<ref>''Seventieth Week of Daniel 1961''</ref>  
    *Itís already in print and went out around the world<ref>''Seventieth Week of Daniel 1961''</ref>  
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    Not only does this close off any chance of obtaining corroborating evidence of the visions from copies made for publishing, it introduces a severe credibility problem as regards the visions themselves and why he said that these copies existed. We need to pause here ñ there are no written records, no verbal affidavits, no acknowledgment of their enunciation to a congregation in 1933, but he claimed that all of these existed.  How could he claim all of this without providing the corroborating evidence?
    Not only does this close off any chance of obtaining corroborating evidence of the visions from copies made for publishing, it introduces a severe credibility problem as regards the visions themselves and why he said that these copies existed. We need to pause here ñ there are no written records, no verbal affidavits, no acknowledgment of their enunciation to a congregation in 1933, but he claimed that all of these existed.  How could he claim all of this without providing the corroborating evidence?


    =William Branhamís sermons=
    ===William Branham's sermons===
    A main source of a description of the visions are in the recorded sermons. When making reference to the visions in a sermon it would be expected that his description would always be consistent ñ after all, the visions were only received once, there were no additions and no updates.  And yet in the sermons, one is presented with partial descriptions, with descriptions that contain conflicting information and with changing detail.  
    A main source of a description of the visions are in the recorded sermons. When making reference to the visions in a sermon it would be expected that his description would always be consistent ñ after all, the visions were only received once, there were no additions and no updates.  And yet in the sermons, one is presented with partial descriptions, with descriptions that contain conflicting information and with changing detail.  


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    The arguments presented in the ëCritiqueí section will also demonstrate the impossibility of confidently constructing a list of the visions and their content from the sermons.
    The arguments presented in the ëCritiqueí section will also demonstrate the impossibility of confidently constructing a list of the visions and their content from the sermons.


    =ëAn Exposition of the Seven Church Agesí ñ William Branhamís book=
    ==='An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages' ñ William Branhamís book===
    This is the last possible source of a description of the visions.  Fortunately, it suffers from none of the drawbacks and uncertainties of the other four sources.
    This is the last possible source of a description of the visions.  Fortunately, it suffers from none of the drawbacks and uncertainties of the other four sources.


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