More on William Branham

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

...
What was Mr. Hagin talking about in his reference to the doctrinal confusion allegedly started by William Branham?

I don't know.
My guess (and that's all it is --a guess) would be that it is either serpent seed or the idea that there have been seven angels/prophets/messengers for the whole church age and that William Branham is the angel/prophet/messenger for the last church age.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Sam

Lindsey also accepted the interpretation of Kenneth E. Hagin—father of the Word of Faith movement—who had prophesied two years before that the Lord was “removing the prophet” from the scene. Branham died exactly when the Lord told Hagin he would. According to Hagin’s prophecy, William Marrion Branham, the “father of the healing revival” had to be removed from the earth because of his disobedience to his call and the creation of doctrinal confusion.

Hagin wrote a booklet entitled UNDERSTANDING THE ANOINTING. He did not name Branham, but anyone who was familiar with Branham knew it was about him when Hagin said a man who was greatly used as an evangelist thought he could be a teacher, and missed his calling. Hagin taught about how Uzziah was a great king and desired to act as a priest. The high priest rebuked Uzziah and said it was not his calling, but Uzziah insisted. And God smote the king with leprosy.

Hagin said this was what happened to this "Evangelist". He said the man got into bizarre doctrines and simply was not called to teach. Like Uzziah, he got out of his anointing, and went into heresy. Hagin said Gordon Lindsay tried appealing to the brother that he was not anointed to teach, but the man responded saying he liked to do it anyway. Hagin then related how he was in a restaurant and a spirit of prophecy came over him. They rushed out and went to their hotel room and he prophesied something like this... "So-and-so's works have gone before him and he is saved, but 'ere '66 he shall die." Branham died in Dec, '65.

Hagin felt Branham missed it since he was not anointed to teach and therefore went into error when he did something he was not anointed to do. He felt God took Branham.

Hagin obviously referred to the serpent seed issue and the seventh angel of Revelation issue when he talked of bizarre doctrines, as Sam noted.

[Sam]

I would think some of us here would agree with this message of William Branham. There is no information given as to where and when it was preached.

Jesus Christ is God

Now that is the revelation: Jesus Christ is God. The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New. No matter how hard you try, you can’t prove there are THREE Gods. But it also takes a revelation by the Holy Spirit to make you understand the truth that He is One. It takes a revelation to see that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New. Satan crept into the church and blinded the people to this truth. And when they were blinded to it, it wasn’t long until the Church of Rome stopped baptizing in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I admit that it takes a real revelation from the Holy Ghost to see the truth about the Godhead these days when we are in the midst of the perverting of so much Scripture. But the prevailing, overcoming church is built on revelation so we can expect God to reveal His truth to us. However, you actually don’t need a revelation on water baptism. It is right there staring you in the face. Would it be possible for one minute for the apostles to be led astray from a direct command of the Lord to baptize in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost and then find them in willful disobedience? They knew what the Name was, and there is not one place in Scripture where they baptized any other way than in the Name of Lord Jesus Christ. Common sense would tell you that the Book of Acts is the church in action, and if they baptized that way, then that is the way to baptize. Now if you think that is strong, what do you think of this? Anyone who was not baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus had to be baptized over again.

Acts 19:1-6, "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him Which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." There it is. These good people at Ephesus had heard about the coming Messiah. John had preached Him. They were baptized unto repentance of sins, looking FORWARD to believing on Jesus. But now it was time to look BACK to Jesus and be baptized unto REMISSION of sins. It was time to receive the Holy Ghost. And when they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Ghost came upon them.

Oh, those dear folks at Ephesus were fine people; and if any one had a right to feel secure, they did. Notice how far they had come. They had come all the way up to accepting the coming Messiah. They were ready for Him. But don’t you see that in spite of that they had missed Him? He had come and gone. They needed to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They needed to be filled with the Holy Ghost. God will fill you with His Spirit. That is the Word. Acts 19:6 which we read was the fulfilling of Acts 2:38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." See, Paul, by the Holy Ghost, said exactly what Peter said by the Holy Ghost. And what was said CANNOT be changed. It has to be the same from Pentecost until the very last elected one has been baptized. Galatians 1:8, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

to be continued in part 2

[Sam]

continued from part 1

Now some of you Oneness people baptize wrong. You baptize for regeneration as though being immersed in water saved you. Regeneration does not come by water; it is a work of the Spirit. The man who by the Holy Ghost gave the command, "Repent and be baptized every one in the Name of the Lord Jesus," did not say that water regenerated. He said it was only an evidence of a "good conscience toward God." That was all. I Peter 3:21, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." I believe it.

If anyone has any false ideas that history can prove water baptism in any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I would advise you to read the histories and find out for yourself. The following is a true record of a Baptism which took place in Rome A.D. 100 and was reproduced in TIME magazine, December 5, 1955. "The deacon raised his hand, and Publius Decius stepped through the baptistry door. Standing waist-deep in the pool was Marcus Vasca the woodseller. He was smiling as Publius waded into the pool beside him. ‘Credis?’ he asked. ‘Credo,’ responded Publius. ‘I believe that my salvation comes from Jesus the Christ, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate. With Him I died that with Him I may have Eternal Life.’ Then he felt strong arms supporting him as he let himself fall backward into the pool, and heard Marcus’ voice in his ear ---- ‘I baptize you in the Name of the Lord Jesus’ ---- as the cold water closed over him."

Right up until the truth was lost (and did not return until this last age ---- this is from Nicaea till the turn of this century) they baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it has come back. Satan can’t keep the revelation down when the Spirit wants to give it.

Yes, if there were three Gods, you might very well baptize for a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Ghost. But the REVELATION GIVEN TO JOHN was that there is ONE GOD and His Name is LORD JESUS CHRIST, and you baptize for ONE God and only one. That is why Peter baptized the way he did at Pentecost. He had to be true to the revelation which was, "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that SAME JESUS, Whom ye have crucified, BOTH LORD AND CHRIST." There He is, "The LORD JESUS CHRIST."

If Jesus is "BOTH" Lord and Christ, then He (Jesus) is, and cannot be else but "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" in ONE Person manifested in the flesh. It is NOT "God in three persons, blessed trinity," but ONE GOD, ONE PERSON with three major titles, with three offices manifesting those titles. Hear it once more. This same Jesus is "BOTH Lord and Christ." Lord (Father) and Christ (Holy Spirit) are Jesus, for He (Jesus) is BOTH of them (Lord and Christ).

If that doesn’t show us the true revelation of the Godhead, nothing will. Lord is NOT another one; Christ is NOT another one. This Jesus is the Lord Jesus Christ --- ONE GOD.

Philip one day said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and it will suffice us." Jesus said unto him, "Have I been so long with you and you don’t know Me? He that has seen Me has seen the Father, so why do you say, Show us the Father? I and My Father are One." I quoted that once and a lady said, "Just a minute, Mr. Branham, you and your wife are one."

I said, "Not that kind."

She said, "I beg your pardon?"

So I said to her, "Do you see me?"

She said, "Yes."

I said, "Do you see my wife?"

She said, "No."

I said, "Then that oneness is a different kind, for He said, ‘When you see Me, you see the Father.’"

The prophet said that it would be light at the evening time. In the hymn it is written:
It’ll be Light in the evening time,
The path to Glory you will surely find,
In the water way, that’s the Light today,
Buried in the precious Name of Jesus.
Young and old, repent of all your sin,
The Holy Ghost will surely enter in.
The evening Light has come ---
It is a fact that God and Christ are one.

Not too long ago I was talking to a Jewish Rabbi. He said to me, "You Gentiles can’t cut God in three pieces and give Him to a Jew. We know better than that."

I said to him, "That’s just it, Rabbi, we don’t cut God in three pieces. You believe the prophets, don’t you?"

He said, "Certainly I do."

"Do you believe Isaiah 9:6?"

"Yes."

"Who was the prophet speaking of?"

"Messiah."

I said, "What relation will Messiah be to God?"

He said, "He will be God."

I said, "That’s right." Amen.

You can’t put God into three persons or three parts. You can’t tell a Jew that there is a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Ghost. He will tell you right quick where that idea came from. The Jews know this creed was established at the Nicene Council. No wonder they scorn us as heathen.

We talk about a God that does not change. The Jews believe that too. But the church changed its unchanging God from ONE to THREE. But the light is returning at eventide. How striking it is that this truth has come at the time when the Jews are returning to Palestine. God and Christ are ONE. This Jesus is BOTH LORD AND CHRIST.

John had the revelation, and JESUS was the Revelation, and He produced Himself right here in the Scripture ---- "I AM He That Was, Which Is and Shall Come, the Almighty. Amen."

If revelation is beyond you, look up and seek God for it. That is the only way you are ever going to get it. A revelation has to come from God. It never comes by human, natural endowments, but by Spiritual enduement. You can even memorize the Scripture, and though that is wonderful, that won’t do it. It has to be a revelation from God. It says in the Word that no man can say that Jesus is the Christ except by the Holy Ghost. You have to receive the Holy Ghost and then, and only then, can the Spirit give you the revelation that Jesus is the Christ: God, the Anointed One.

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This Message by Rev. William Marrion Branham is an excerpt from his book entitled An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages, and is printed herein unabridged and distributed by Voice Of God Recordings.

[Sam]

Notice the quote by Bro. Branham from Time Magazine:

If anyone has any false ideas that history can prove water baptism in any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I would advise you to read the histories and find out for yourself. The following is a true record of a Baptism which took place in Rome A.D. 100 and was reproduced in TIME magazine, December 5, 1955. "The deacon raised his hand, and Publius Decius stepped through the baptistry door. Standing waist-deep in the pool was Marcus Vasca the woodseller. He was smiling as Publius waded into the pool beside him. ‘Credis?’ he asked. ‘Credo,’ responded Publius. ‘I believe that my salvation comes from Jesus the Christ, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate. With Him I died that with Him I may have Eternal Life.’ Then he felt strong arms supporting him as he let himself fall backward into the pool, and heard Marcus’ voice in his ear ---- ‘I baptize you in the Name of the Lord Jesus’ ---- as the cold water closed over him."
---------

I remember reading that article in Time magazine in 1955. I was in the 11th grade and in the High School library and looking at the magazine. I had recently (October 27, 1955) been rebaptized in Jesus' name after having been baptized by immersion in a lake in the traditional trinitarian formula by my Baptist pastor during the summer. I perceived the article in Time as a confirmation to the step that I had recently taken and that using the name Jesus in water baptism instead of the more commonly used FS&HG formula was closer to the historic pattern --that some researcher had verified that before it was included in the magazine.

This is more of the quote from Time Magazine...

(See Cover) The deacon raised his hand, and Publius Decius stepped through the baptistry door. Standing waist-deep in the pool was Marcus Vasca the wood-seller. He was smiling as Publius waded into the pool beside him. "Credis . . . ?" he asked.

"Credo," responded Publius. "I believe that my salvation comes from Jesus the Christ, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate. With Him I die that with Him I may have Eternal Life." Then he felt strong arms supporting him as he let himself fall backward into the pool, and heard Marcus' voice in his ear—"I baptize you in the Name of the Lord Jesus"—as the cold water closed over him.

Gasping for breath, Thomas Dewey Davis, Jr., 25, of 6757 Dartmouth Avenue, Richmond, came up into the light and air again. He stood waist-deep in the electrically heated water of the tiled, floodlit baptismal pool. Above him was a stained-glass window showing Christ and John the Baptist. Next to him in the pool stood a friendly-looking, greying man—the Rev. Theodore Floyd Adams of Richmond's First Baptist Church. There was organ music, and then both the pastor and the new Christian went to change into dry clothes.

Between these two baptisms—in Rome, A.D. 100, and in the U.S. last week—stretch nearly 20 centuries of Christian history. Through holy wars and heresies, corruptions and reforms, the triumphs of saints and the victories of skeptics, the little company of faithful has spread across the world. Christians have given themselves strange names and have worshiped the Father, Son and Holy Ghost with commissions and omissions that would have shocked Rome's primitive Christians. The big brick church on Richmond's statue-stippled Monument Avenue, where Thomas Davis was baptized last week, would not look to Publius like a church at all. But the ceremony was the same, and the first-century Christian, generally unaware of baptism by sprinkling or pouring, would likely feel at home at the immersion ceremony of the Baptists.

[Apocrypha]

Here are some of his audio sermons if your curious. I've never listened to him but I am gonna listen to some tonight just to see what all the hubbub is about.

http://www.gostape.co.nz/resource/williambranham.html

[Ferd]

I would urge anyone about to listen to William Branham that you pray and that you be prepared for a spirit of delusion.

There is a strange and powerful spirit attached to some of these teachings and I have seen too many fall by the way because of it.

I have myself experienced this and if it were not for being prepared and a very strong doctrinal standing, I don’t know what would have been the result.

There are some things that are just bad teaching. Other things that are heresy and still yet other things that are damning to the soul. I cannot explain the strong deception that is associated with Serpent Seed doctrine but it is real. It is powerful and it is dangerous.

I don’t mean to speak totally against WB. The man clearly had the hand of God on him for the majority of his ministry, but he did fall into utter heresy and delusion. There is a wickedness here that you had better be ready for if you start listening to his messages.

Those that know me on AFF, know I don’t get all “spiritual” but I feel in my spirit the need to issue this warning. William Branham’s teaching is strange fire. You will get burned if you get too close.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Ferd

I would urge anyone about to listen to William Branham that you pray and that you be prepared for a spirit of delusion.

There is a strange and powerful spirit attached to some of these teachings and I have seen too many fall by the way because of it.

I have myself experienced this and if it were not for being prepared and a very strong doctrinal standing, I don’t know what would have been the result.

There are some things that are just bad teaching. Other things that are heresy and still yet other things that are damning to the soul. I cannot explain the strong deception that is associated with Serpent Seed doctrine but it is real. It is powerful and it is dangerous.

I don’t mean to speak totally against WB. The man clearly had the hand of God on him for the majority of his ministry, but he did fall into utter heresy and delusion. There is a wickedness here that you had better be ready for if you start listening to his messages.

Those that know me on AFF, know I don’t get all “spiritual” but I feel in my spirit the need to issue this warning. William Branham’s teaching is strange fire. You will get burned if you get too close.

This warning will either be a stimulus for some to listen to his teachings, or for others, good advice not to waste our time. I hope it will be the latter.

[rgcraig]

WB did take a SHARP turn south -- many feel he let his ministry got to his head and that's when things changed.