Examining the Message of William Branham

    ExaminingBranham.com

    An examination of the prophecies, teachings and experiences of William Branham
    from the perspective of a former follower who has found new life in Jesus Christ

    The first to plead his case seems right,
    Until another comes and examines him.
    (Proverbs 18:17)

    William Branham

    William Branham*

    "I've got to leave here. You've got to leave here. And if I go as a false prophet, I'll lose my own soul and lose yours with me."
    — William Branham ("Questions and Answers on the Holy Ghost," tape #59-1219)

    "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
    — Jesus

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    Dear Reader,

    If you are a follower of William Branham’s Message, have you ever thought about what precisely is your absolute authority? Is it the Message? Is it the Bible? Is it your belief that William Branham was a prophet? Or is it your own personal revelation that the Bible is true and that William Branham was God’s “divine interpreter” of the Word? What is the foundation for what you believe? You must have settled this in your mind if you are staking your eternal destiny on the teachings of William Branham. Please be thoughtful as I ask a few more questions.

    If you believe that William Branham was a prophet who brought a Message from God, what led you to that conclusion? Was it his teachings? Certain signs of prophecy or healing? Were you convinced by biblical evidence? Have you ever considered exactly what the Bible says about how we are to know whether a man is truly a prophet and whether his teachings are true? Have you searched the Scriptures for possible reasons why William Branham might not have been a true prophet of the Lord? After all, God Himself gave us tests for judging whether a prophet was really from Him or not. It is just as important to know the biblical characteristics of a false prophet as it is to know those of a true prophet. Please consider the following:

    If the answer to one or more of these questions is yes, then please consider carefully what Jesus said:

    Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.
    (Matthew 7:15-20)

    It isn't always obvious that false prophets are deceivers. Jesus said they would appear as sheep, but inwardly—in their secret motives and ambitions—they are ravenous wolves. False prophets might actually appear like humble, sincere servants of the Lord. We cannot judge their hidden intents, but we can judge what they are by their fruits. A "yes" answer to any of the above questions identifies bad fruit in the Message—a Message of which William Branham often said was one and the same as the messenger.

    Every predictive prophecy made by a true prophet would be “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” whether he uttered those exact words or not. Everything a true prophet teaches is an implied revelation from God to his followers. As Jesus said, a true prophet cannot produce bad fruit. Only wolves in sheep’s clothing produce bad fruit—fruit that identifies them as false. We cannot judge William Branham by his motives and ambitions, but Jesus said we can and must judge him by his fruit. **

    To follow a false prophet and his teachings after we see elements of error in his message is sin, because Jesus told us to beware of them. "But Brother Branham was such a humble man!" Jesus did not say that humility was a defining test of a true prophet. As humble and sincere as William Branham may have seemed, he attributed false prophecies and teaching errors to God while leading people to believe they were true. That is the definition of a false prophet.

    True biblical prophets were not sinless. The Bible doesn't hide their sinful nature. Therefore, sin in a prophet's life cannot be an indication of his being false. For that reason, this website does not delve into reports of any alleged deviancy in William Branham's private life or associates. It is the content of his Message that reveals whether he is a false prophet.

    The purpose of this site is not to ridicule William Branham, his Message, or his followers. It is not simply to convince people that the Message is wrong. And it most certainly is not to draw people from the Message as a broken form of Christianity only to lead them into another, such as "easy believism". Its purpose is twofold:

    1. To warn people about a man who distorted the character and nature of God, undermined the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, prophesied falsely in God’s name, and caused many to doubt the integrity of the Bible through his poor theology.
    2. To lead Message believers and others to the Bible as God’s true written authority which reveals the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

    Study your Bible. Believe what God has spoken through it, and do not let what you perceive as humility in William Branham’s personality impair your ability to objectively discern truth from error in the Message.

    Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
    (Hebrews 1:1-2)
    All the prophets in the Bible, from Genesis to John the Baptist, foretold the coming of God's own sinless Son; and then Jesus came "in these last days" fulfilling the words of all those prophets as the ultimate prophet. Now consider this: If Jesus Christ said that no one comes to the Father but through Him, who was William Branham—a sinner and lesser prophet than the One of whom the prophets foretold—to say that only his "end-time Message" can more fully explain Jesus' message?

    Please examine the Message of William Branham through the filter of God's Word before you filter God's Word through the Message!

    Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
    Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.
    (Hebrews 13:8-9a)

    For the Glory of God,
    John Kennah
    Webmaster, Examining the Message of William Branham
    Email me at: JohnK63@comcast.net
    Because I see this website as a work the Lord has graciously allowed me to be part of, anyone is welcome to use, copy, or distribute anything I have authored here without permission or restriction, except for the article, "What Was the Attraction on the Mountain?"

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    * Still shot from the Voice of God Recordings film, "The Twentieth Century Prophet" (1953).

    ** Could William Branham have been legitimately sincere in his desire to save people through his Message while intentionally faking his gifts of healing and discernment? In the 1960s TV series called, The Outer Limits," there was an episode titled, "The Borderland." In it is a scene where a medium is holding a seance and is caught faking a supernatural act. When she is accused of deceiving those at the seance for money, she justifies her sincerely motivated actions, saying, "I did not mean to trick you, Mr. Hartley. A medium must have the belief of those around her. I would do anything to increase that belief because out of it comes hidden energy." Remember what William Branam said his angel told him when he was a young man: "If you can get the people to believe you..."

    Ultimately, we must leave the salvation of those to whom we witness up to God. It is God's power and grace that saves people, not our efforts. While it is good and wise to be prepared to give a vigorous defense and have knowledge of false beliefs, neither of these things will result in the conversion of those trapped in the lies of the cults and false religions. The best we can do is pray for them, witness to them, and live the Christian life in front of them, trusting that the Holy Spirit will do the work of drawing, convincing, and converting.
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/cult-evangelism.html)

    Two wonderful ministries well worth your time: Living Waters Movies and The Singing.Bible

    Living Waters Movies Living Waters Movies

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    — Adoniram Judson

    May God use this website to reach Message believers who the Father is drawing to Christ.
    To God be the Glory!