“What is this modern Babylon that we're trying to build a machine to take us to the moon? You'll never make it.” – William Branham
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When you get into a conversation about the message with Message Believers, they often resort to the statement that ‘everything the prophet said was accurate, since it was directly obtained from God.’ For this reason, when they come across a clear discrepancy between what the Bible says and what Branham said, they will go with what the prophet said since they deem Branham as supreme interpreter of scripture for this age; in other words, he had power to override scripture and come up with a new interpretation since he gets his material directly from God. He exercises this power for instance when he interprets verses from Genesis into a totally new meaning: that Eve was involved in sexual intercourse with a snake.
William Branham tells us that he used to receive his material directly from heaven:
“Angel of God, You Who came into the room that night, and told me these things... I've tried to live true to it.” (EXPERIENCES.3_ PHOENIX.AZ SUNDAY_ 47-1221)
“Now, you--you--you believe in God, don't you? Now, you have believed in God, you believe in me, that that Angel of God came down and told me that.” (ANGEL.OF.GOD_ PHOENIX.AZ THURSDAY_
48-0304)
“Now, that come through the "Reader's Digest." You see? And Mayo Brothers called me in on an interview for that. Said, "Reverend Branham, what did you do to the baby?" I said, "Nothing, I never touched it. I only told what God told me to tell it. The man obeyed it."”(DEMONOLOGY.2.RELIGIOUS_ CONNERSVILLE.IN DE 41-78 TUESDAY_ 53-0609)
It is therefore not surprising that Believers will take what Branham had to say as the literal truth even when it is in direct contradiction with the Bible they claim to believe in – after all, he was downloading the material directly from a heavenly server. This very belief is the cornerstone of Branhamism: that what the prophet preached was directly inspired of the Lord and he therefore should be taken at his word. For this very reason Believers read message books far more than they read the Bible itself. This is not a debate on whether doing this is right or wrong; it is a reminder that if you are a Message Believer, you hold everything he said to be the absolute truth.
If something is not true, it only follows that it is false: there are no two ways about it. This chapter will definitely be very discouraging to the lifelong Believer who has never taken the initiative to investigate everything the prophet said, since what you’re about to go through is a demonstration of pure falsehoods and statements totally lacking even tiny bits of truth. Normally when these things become apparent to the average Believer, the common reactions would be to invoke the beliefs that ‘the canal mind in incapable of fully understanding spiritual matters’, ‘We will understand it by and by’ and ‘you should not subject God’s matters to reasoning.’ It’s important for the reader at this point not to forget the powers of cognitive dissonance that were discussed in the second chapter of this book, A Little Thought Into the Matter.
But guess what, I kind of agree with you on the last one: If you tell me that the capital city of USA is Paris, need I invoke any hard reasoning to figure out that it’s not true? Some things the prophet said were outright falsehoods; you do not need any hard reasoning to figure out the lies. In multiple instances Branham tells the-capital-city-of-USA-is-Paris kind of lies and Believers totally swallow them.
63 Stop nitpicking? C’mon!
If I am beginning to convince you, maybe I should give you a little foresight into what Message Believers will reply back after you start showing them the absurdities that the prophet used to tell people from the pulpit. It’s their favorite word: nit-picking. In summary, they claim that non- and ex-Message Believers go through the sermons and when they find an error, they use it to attack the prophet. This, they say, is unfair since the prophet was human. One of them says: “Give me 1100 plus messages of the critic and see if I can[t] catch a mis-quote here and there. No one is perfect, in fact Brother Branham's simple mistakes such as these simply show that he is human.”
How convenient. When Branhamite pastors for instance don’t like something that’s being done by folks, they also go through the message, pick a quote that says you shouldn’t do so and then proclaim that
‘the prophet said so, and that settles it.’ It is generally known - Message Believers take every spoken word as God’s voice – except of course, when he’s proven false. Again, how convenient.
When Branham is caught in a lie, we’re quick to point out that he was human. When Branham is saying any other thing, we’re quick to point out that everything he said was given to him by the Holy Spirit.
We’ll have to make a choice here because we can’t have it both ways. Consider the following quote:
“Here not long ago there was a man in a certain meeting just didn't believe in my teaching on the Bible. And he goes to a meeting, a certain fellow did, and not knowing that I'd know about it, 'cause he's no more than saying it, and I seen it in a vision in my hotel room. I don't see how some people can do that, and come up, and say these things, when you know you know better. See?
So he said, "Now, Brother Branham is a prophet of the Lord," he said, "but don't listen to his teaching, because he's wrong."
The same Holy Spirit that preached the service tonight, the same Holy Spirit preaches all these things is the same Holy Spirit that discerns the thoughts of the heart. Certainly.”
(QUEEN.OF.THE.SOUTH_ SHREVEPORT.LA SUNDAY_ 60-1127E)
The prophet says here that the Holy Spirit preached the service that night. That’s why Branhamite pastors use quotes such as this to enforce each and every instruction that Brother Branham gave to the church. And this is why we also will use quotes such as this to scrutinize everything the prophet said.
And something else - when he repeats an absurdity many times over, the nit-picking argument bites the dust. Now remember all that when someone accuses you of ‘nit-picking.’
After you read this chapter, it will fall on you whether to continue embracing a dishonest man as your prophet or to declare that you deserve better.
“And you be sure to say just what the tape says. Don't say nothing else (See?), 'cause... I don't say that of my own. It's Him that says it.” (GOD.IN.SIMPLICITY_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317M)
With the above statement, Mr. Branham has given us the justification to scrutinize each and every word in the tapes. Carefully note that he says that it was God who was speaking through his mouth. Therefore if Branham tells a lie, we may safely conclude that God is a liar. If we are not willing to accept that God is
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a liar, then we’re going to have to conclude that the liar is Branham. We can’t have it both ways after this. Which way will you go?
The world will end in 1977
“Based on these seven visions, along with the rapid changes which have swept the world in the last fifty years, I PREDICT (I do not prophesy) that these visions will have all come to pass by 1977.
And though many may feel that this is an irresponsible statement in view of the fact that Jesus said that 'no man knoweth the day nor the hour.' I still maintain this prediction after thirty years because, Jesus did NOT say no man could know the year, month or week in which His coming was to be completed. So I repeat, I sincerely believe and maintain as a private student of the Word, along with Divine inspiration that 1977 ought to terminate the world systems and usher in the millennium.” –William Branham (LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.9)
A common argument usually raised to justify this failed prophecy is that Branham, by saying ‘I predict, I do not prophesy,’ meant that this was his personal opinion, not from God. This is easily debunked by the same quote above where he invokes God and says that his prediction had divine inspiration. Therefore Branham’s statement that ‘I do not prophesy,’ is useless in this context.
William Branham predicted with divine inspiration that the world would end in 1977. In short he told us that God told him that the world would end in 1977. It didn’t happen. So here we have two possibilities:
It was indeed true that God told Branham that the world would end in 1977. Given that it didn’t, God lied to us. The other possibility is that God did not tell Branham that the world would end in 1977.
Branham lied to us. Why don’t I leave you now so that you can make the choice? Remember it’s either one or the other.
We’ll never make it to the moon
The man who is God’s voice for the age, William Branham, declared that man would never make it to the moon:
“What's the meaning of these sputniks in the skies? What's the matter? What is this modern Babylon that we're trying to build a machine to take us to the moon? You'll never make it.”
(HANDWRITING.ON.THE.WALL_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 58-0309M)
“Oh, now they're all wanting to make a whole lot of these astronaut cans so they can get into it.
And the--the atomic age comes, they're going to bust up the world; they just pull this and all go over on the moon, taking a trip to the moon, and have it all over with, and so they'll just make them another economy on the moon. They ain't going to get there. I don't believe, with all my heart, they'll ever get there. See?” (COUNTDOWN_ JEFF.IN V-11 N-3 SUNDAY_ 62-0909M)
“And I tell you now, it's a program that'll take you a hundred billion, billion, million light years beyond the moon. That's right. And there if you go to the moon you couldn't set down because see, you'd jump right back up unless you had some magnet to hold you there. You couldn't stay overnight; you'd freeze to death. In the daytime you'd burn up. What you going to do when you get there?” (BASIS.OF.FELLOWSHIP_ LONG.BEACH.CA TUESDAY_ 61-0214)
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On 20th July 1969, several years after Branham’s death, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed on the moon. Man kept trying and eventually managed to a build a machine that took him to the moon, her name was Eagle and this was accomplished during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. In total, 24 American astronauts have travelled to the moon. Half of them have walked on its surface.
Recall the quote presented earlier in which Branham says: ““And you be sure to say just what the tape says. Don't say nothing else (See?), 'cause... I don't say that of my own. It's Him that says it.” Here we see the tape saying that we’ll never make it to the moon. God told us that we’ll never make it to the moon.
But we did. Therefore God lied to us. If you do not agree with that, then start demanding better from Branham; declare today that you’ll not continue believing his lies.
Los Angeles will sink into the ocean before Billy is old
William Branham and his son Billy Paul were standing somewhere in downtown Los Angeles when the prophet told him:
“Billy, I may not be here but you won't be an old man until sharks will swim right where we are standing"
You may confirm this by reading Acts of the Prophet by Pearry Green. Billy was born on September 13, 1935. As I write this, Billy is 75 years old - definitely in the over the hill category. Los Angeles may or may not ‘sink’ (however absurd that notion is) into the ocean in the future, but what we do know for sure is that the above prophecy has failed.
The Bible says that Eve had sex with the serpent
Let’s shift our discussion for a moment and talk about the forbidden fruit. Although the discussion on the serpent seed will also be mentioned in sections to come, I find it fitting that the fact that Branham said that Eve had sex with a snake should be included under The Very Fallible Prophet. The prophet tells us that the Bible was telling us in a hidden manner that Eve had sex with the snake. Let’s consider it for a moment.
The serpent’s seed doctrine is probably the most superior example that exposes Branham as an extremely bold liar. He tells us:
“Ain't a woman a fruit tree? Aren't you the fruit of your mother? That was the fruit that was forbidden to be taken.”
“What did he do? *The serpent+ He begin making love to Eve. And he lived with her as a husband.
And she saw it was pleasant, so she went and told her husband; but she was already pregnant by Satan. And she brought forth her first son whose name was Cain, the son of Satan.”
“"And I will put enmity between thy seed and the serpent's seed." What? The serpent's seed. She had a seed, and he had a seed. "And he shall bruise thy head, and you shall bruise his heel." A
"bruise" there means "to make an atonement."”
“And He said, "Who told you you was naked?" Then they begin to--in army fashion, passing the buck. Said, "Well, the woman You gave me done it. She was the one who persuaded me." And she
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said, "The serpent give me an apple." All right, preacher, get next to yourself. She said, "The serpent beguiled me." Do you know what "beguile" means? Means "defiled." The...?... The devil never gave her an apple. "The serpent has beguiled me."” (SERPENT'S.SEED_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-4 SUNDAY_ 58-0928E)
Let’s break down Mr. Branham’s assertions. He says that the Bible tells us symbolically that:
1. The tree of knowledge of good and evil was the woman 2. The fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was sex
3. When Eve was eating the fruit (sex), she lived with the serpent as a wife 4. Eve had sex with the serpent; she became pregnant and bore Cain Let’s now turn our attention to what the Bible says about the forbidden fruit:
“The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil..” (Genesis 2:9)
“The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say,
‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2)
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)
“After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)
“Adammade love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said,
“With the help of the LORD I have brought fortha man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
“(Genesis 4:1) – NIV.
From the above verses we may break down the Bible’s assertions:
1. The trees of life and knowledge of good and evil were grown off the ground 2. Both trees were grown in the middle of the garden
3. Their fruits were edible since Eve saw that the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was good for food and she ate it.
4. When Eve was eating the fruit she was with her husband, as we see on 3:6.
5. A cherubim and a sword were placed to guard the way to the middle of the garden after they were thrown out.
6. 4:1 above makes it clear that Eve became pregnant by Adam and gave birth to Cain.
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Now if Branham’s assertions are correct - that the tree was the woman, the fruit was sex and that the snake impregnated Eve and she bore Cain, then the following statements should also be correct going by the Bible’s assertion above:
1. Eve was grown off the ground
2. Eve was planted in the middle of the garden 3. Sex is edible and good for food
4. Adam watched as his wife had sex with the serpent after which he had sex with her (3:6 says she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her)
5. A cherubim and a sword were placed to guard the way to where Eve was planted (the middle of the garden) so that Adam and Eve may not gain access.
The above statements are laughable, but they represent Branham’s description of the state of affairs at the Garden of Eden. If the dose of satire has not yet convinced you, Harry A. Peyton observes the following:
Eve could not have been the fruit of knowledge of good and evil as Branham claims since the tree of knowledge of good and evil was created and placed in the middle of the garden even before Eve was created.
Also Eve could not have been the fruit of knowledge of good and evil as Branham claims, since:
(Genesis 2:9) The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Carefully note the words in bold.
Eating the fruit could not have represented sex, since if it did, then this would imply that Adam was allowed to have sex with everyone except Eve (2:16-17): And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Also the ‘tree’ and ‘eating the fruit’ could not have represented a woman and sex, since if they
Also the ‘tree’ and ‘eating the fruit’ could not have represented a woman and sex, since if they