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Many followers admit that their "prophet" did  make mistakes, but these were all minor.  They also state that we must avoid examining those mistakes and simply look at the prayer lines, where William Branham was supernaturally vindicated by his Angel. 
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Some of his followers, having been exposed to several critical flaws in the fundamental teachings of William Branham, even acknowledge that the sermons themselves contain several errors, but the prayer lines were "God's Voice to us."  So let us turn our attention to the prayer lines.
This article deals with one specific '''discernment from the audience in 1959'''.


=William Branham's claim to speaking in tongues=
=Calling a person out of the audience - April 11, 1959=


William Branham related a time when he spoke in tongues in a prayer line to a woman in her own Finnish language:
At a meeting on the evening of April 11, 1959 in a meeting in Los Angeles, California, William Branham calls out a person from the audience


:''Visions to me are just like a trance. And they were telling me of a woman that I had called back in--somewhere in the audiences, and had told her that a certain affliction had gripped her. But she was--couldn't understand me because she didn't--she was from a--another country, '''a Finnish woman'''. And then the Holy Spirit, to show that He's no respect of person, spoke through here, and called her name, and told her to bless God. Spoke in a language that I didn't know, and called the woman, and give who she was, and something about to--the Lord's blessings upon her, something another, in Finnish language. I don't even know English, let alone Finnish. So it goes to show that God speaks in all the languages and all human beings belong to Him. How wonderful.<ref>William Branham, 1959, 59-0412A</ref>
:''Right straight back, the back of this place here, about middle ways of this aisle, there's a little--there's a woman, and she's suffering with a high blood pressure. She--she's not from here, she a Finn. She's from Finland. If you believe, sister, you receive your healing. '''"Jumalan rauhaa,"''' rise up to your feet and accept your healing and be made well. God bless you. '''"Kiitos Jesus."''' Hallelujah! '''What was I saying?'''<ref>William Branham, 59-0411E</ref>
 
=William Branham retells the incident in the next service=
 
The next evening, April 12, 1959 (also in Los Angeles), William Branham relates what happened the previous evening:
 
:''Visions to me are just like a trance. '''And they were telling me of a woman that I had called back in--somewhere in the audiences''', and had told her that a certain affliction had gripped her. But she was--couldn't understand me because she didn't--she was from a--another country, '''a Finnish woman'''. And then the Holy Spirit, to show that He's no respect of person, spoke through here, and called her name, and '''told her to bless God. Spoke in a language that I didn't know, and called the woman, and give who she was, and something about to--the Lord's blessings upon her, something another, in Finnish language. I don't even know English, let alone Finnish. So it goes to show that God speaks in all the languages''' and all human beings belong to Him. How wonderful.<ref>William Branham, 1959, 59-0412A</ref>


But is that what happened?
[[Image:1 Timothy 4 1.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
=What actually happened=
=What actually happened=


While William Branham described this event as an astonishing display of God's power to speak through his prophet in the Finnish language, any who examine the "supernatural" event are a bit shocked at how little "God" actually spoke.  
While William Branham described this event as an astonishing display of God's power to speak through his prophet in the Finnish language, any who examine the "supernatural" event are a bit shocked at how little "God" actually spoke.  


When you review this event on the night prior to Branham's claim, '''we only find two phrases Branham spoke in English, "Jumalan rauhaa," and "Kiitos"'''. And during the course of these words coming out in the sermon, Branham claims not to have known what he was saying:
But when you review the details of this event on the night prior to Branham's claim, '''we only find two phrases Branham spoke in Finnish, "Jumalan rauhaa," and "Kiitos"'''. And during the course of these words coming out in the sermon, Branham claims not to have known what he was saying.
 
:''Right straight back, the back of this place here, about middle ways of this aisle, there's a little--there's a woman, and she's suffering with a high blood pressure. She--she's not from here, she a Finn. She's from Finland. If you believe, sister, you receive your healing. '''"Jumalan rauhaa,"''' rise up to your feet and accept your healing and be made well. God bless you. '''"Kiitos Jesus."''' Hallelujah! '''What was I saying?'''<ref>William Branham, 59-0411E</ref>


There is just one problem with William Branham's claim - He had been to Finland. And these words, which he claimed not to have known, were repeatedly used throughout his ministry when speaking to those who knew the Finnish language.  Eight years earlier, in 1951, William Branham referred to his trip to Finland. Interestingly, he mentioned learning the exact words that he claimed to have came to him in an "unknown language" in 1959:
There is just one problem with William Branham's claim - He had been to Finland. And these words, which he claimed not to have known, were repeatedly used throughout his ministry when speaking to those who knew the Finnish language.  Eight years earlier, in 1951, William Branham referred to his trip to Finland. Interestingly, he mentioned learning the exact words that he claimed to have came to him in an "unknown language" in 1959:
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=The only conclusion one can make=
=The only conclusion one can make=


William Branham was  
When William Branham stated that he spoke to a Finnish woman in a language that he didn't understand.  He was telling the truth.  But the truth was also that he did know three Finnish words and those were the only words he spoke. 
 
The question has to be asked - Why was William Branham intentionally deceptive?


=Thanks to the former message minister how discovered this=
#Although William Branham did not know the Finnish language, he did know 3 words.
#He gave away that he knew exactly what he said in Finnish when he told the audience that the "Holy Spirit" ''told her to bless God. Spoke in a language that I didn't know, and called the woman, and give who she was, and something about to--the Lord's blessings upon her, something another, in Finnish language.''
##How did William Branham know she was Finnish?
##How did he know what the "Holy Spirit" said in an unknown tongue?
#When William Branhan asked the deceptive question - ''What was I saying?'' - he knew the answer.
 
Paul rejected this kind of deception:
 
:''But '''we have rejected shameful hidden deeds''', '''not behaving with deceptiveness''' or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), 2 Co 4:2.</ref>
 
Was Paul referring to men like William Branham when he stated this?
 
:'''''I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.'''  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery '''they deceive the hearts of the naive'''.<ref>Romans 16:17-18, ESV</ref>
 
The more difficult issue is the doubt that this incident casts over William Branham's entire discernment ministry.  It is obvious that he lied about his "speaking in tongues".  But how did he know that the woman was Finnish?  Did he make that up too?  Or, as some have supposed, did Billy Paul work the crowd as they entered prior to the service and simply supply his dad with the information.  Did this information come from the prayer cards or from talking to people in the audience prior to them taking their seats?  We will never know for sure but this kind of evidence throws significant doubt on an important aspect of William Branham's "supernatural" ministry.
 
=Thanks to the former message minister who discovered this=
 
We want to thank the former pastor of a message church for bringing this to the attention of the world.


We can only imagine how hard it must be for a pastor who has preached these things for decades. To have preached from the sermons is to have examined them. And to have examined them is to have encountered many problems such as this. To have preached them to their congregations in error is a huge burden to bear after leaving. It is a pastor's duty, as shepherd, to lead the sheep in the right direction.
We can only imagine how hard it must be for a pastor who has preached these things for decades. To have preached from the sermons is to have examined them. And to have examined them is to have encountered many problems such as this. To have preached them to their congregations in error is a huge burden to bear after leaving. It is a pastor's duty, as shepherd, to lead the sheep in the right direction.
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Do former translators suffer the same emotions as former pastors? Do those currently trapped in the message battle a "tug-of-war" in their minds as they translate that which they know is not true?
Do former translators suffer the same emotions as former pastors? Do those currently trapped in the message battle a "tug-of-war" in their minds as they translate that which they know is not true?
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[[Category: Critical analysis of William Branham]]
[[Category: Honesty and Credibility]]
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