William Marrion Branham - As It Was in the Days of Noah

Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 1

Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................ 3 Scofield Reference Bible .............................................. 11 The Flood ........................................................................... 17 The Covenant .................................................................... 23 Altering Scripture ........................................................... 28 Burning World ................................................................. 35 New Freedom ................................................................... 41 About The Author ........................................................... 45


Introduction


I escaped from a cult. A cult that had chains of fear and oppression, gripping its followers with invisible bonds that held mental captives. One that resurrected false teachings from the old world and branded it “new revelation.” The roots of this cult stem from Gnostic text – Dead Sea scrolls and other ancient manuscripts – that crept into Christianity from Pagan worship of Baal. The same belief system that held captives in the days of old was re-‐used to hold captives in the new world through cult leaders. These Gnostic texts, deemed as heresy long ago, contain many stories that do not align with the Scripture. They contain interesting ‘mysteries’ that catch the attention of the weaker-‐minded, but they do not contain Truth. They contain fiction. This fiction, unfortunately, is mistaken for “truth” in the Branham cult churches. In level of magnitude, the greatest story in the history of the ancient world is also the story that has been the most tainted from Gnostic text. As a former Branham cult follower, I remember all too well the fictional story of fear that gripped the hearts of the poor and oppressed followers. This is the story of Noah and The Flood.


The Gnostic book of Enoch is filled with worship of angels, elemental spirits, sun, moon, and stars. It is a book of heresy that can lead hearts astray by mistaking fiction for Truth. In the Book of Enoch, the angels are ‘gods’: And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-‐cuttings, 'Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . . And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed


upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. Most translations of the Book of Enoch also contain fragments of the “Book of Noah,” which is also both Gnostic and heresy. In the Book of Enoch, Noah conversed with Enoch. According to the fictional story, Enoch lived to be five-‐ hundred years old, and Enoch warned Noah of the coming flood. And in those days Noah saw the earth that it had sunk down and its destruction was nigh. And he arose from thence and went to the ends of the earth, and cried aloud to his grandfather Enoch: and Noah said three times with an embittered voice: Hear me, hear me, hear me. And I said unto him: Tell me what it is that is falling out on the earth that the earth is in such evil plight and shaken, lest perchance I shall perish with it? And thereupon there was a great commotion , on the earth, and a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face. And Enoch my grandfather came and stood by me, and said unto me: Why hast thou cried unto me with a bitter cry and weeping


The Book of Enoch is also a book of fear. The destruction of the world is magnified in the story, God’s faithfulness to Noah is lessoned. The angels are given power to become “gods among us.” They are all referred to by name, associated with both astrology and elemental spirits, and are captivating in their power and awe. As a fictional sci-‐fi novel, it would be captivating, but as a religious work it is heresy. Many fire-‐and-‐brimstone false teachers combine verses to invent new ‘scriptures,’ and even add elements to the story that spell impending doom. These are nothing more than fear tactics. One of the worst additions to the story of Noah and the Flood by William Branham is blasphemous. Branham altered God’s covenant with Noah! In his fire-‐and-‐brimstone theology, he decided to add the destruction of the entire earth by fire into the covenant that God made with Noah. William Branham said this: And God made His covenant with Noah, for no more water (but the fire next time), He give him the rainbow sign, and we still have it. Is that right? 53-‐0325 ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH


I thought, "O God, looky there at the great eye of Jehovah setting yonder looking across the mountain there with His rainbow, His covenant. He will no more destroy it with water, but fire next time." 53-‐0513 GOD'S.PROVIDED.WAY In the days when the-‐-‐Noah, God said He broke up the springs of the-‐-‐of the mighty, and it sprung up lots of water, and helped destroy the world. And the sign today, that He will no more destroy it with water, but will burn it with fire, and the thing's drying up, getting ready for a burning time, for the judgment is at hand. 54-‐0718A THE.GREAT.COMING.REVIVAL AND.THE.OUTPOURING.OF.THE.HOLY.SPIR IT

Branham would often incorporate this fear tactic into introductions to his prayers and prayer lines. Followers would listen as he described a terrible event that would instill fear into the hearts of men, women, and children – not knowing that his addition was not scriptural. Had they known that he put words into the mouth of Jesus Christ, most would have rose to their feet and walked out, never to return.


I truly say this from my heart. I believe the next great event in the world is the second coming of the Lord Jesus. When, I do not know. No one else knows. But I can't see nothing left but a hydrogen explosion and-‐-‐ and the end time, the world rocked out of its orbits, like it was in the antediluvian, that throwed it away from the sun, and the heat and the moisture, or the heat and the cold coming together make a moisture that flooded the world.

And this time no more water, but fire this time into the sun, to blow it right straight back out of its orbit again into the sun, to destroy it the second time. Think on these things while we minister now in His Name. Let us pray. This fictional story we were taught had absolutely nothing to do with the Bible. While the biblical story of Noah points to Christ, the Gnostic version of Noah points to hell. 57-‐0114 THE.INFALLIBLE.PROOF.OF.THE.RESURRE CTION

William Branham taught straight out of these Gnostic texts, teaching that Enoch lived five-‐ hundred years and walked with Noah, that other


Christians – those who believe in Jesus Christ but not in his Gnostic theology – need be fearful of the impending doom. It’s time we hear the real story of Noah, the one that is described in the Bible.


Scofield Reference Bible


From the early Church until the Reformation, Christians generally accepted the view of Bible prophecy wherein Revelation was in the process of being fulfilled. Most Bible prophets, mouthpieces for God, spoke the Word from the Lord about current events, past events, and messages from God about both. There are future prophecies, but for the most part, the prophecies of the Old Testament were messages to a group of people who were going astray for idolatry. This was the common viewpoint that was also taken for the Book of Revelation. But in the 16th century, a Jesuit priest introduced a new view of Bible prophecy to stop the Reformers from teaching that the Catholic Church was the “whore of Babylon” from Revelation 17. The “futurist” view was first introduced in 1591 A.D. Though most of the events described in the book of Revelation are significantly aligned with the events of Rome during the reign of Nero, the Jesuit priest named Ribera started claiming that the prophecy from the book of Revelation would not be fulfilled until the End of Days. He also introduced an idea that would later be known as “The Rapture.” Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 12

In his writings, Ribera started claiming that the church would be taken to heaven 45 days before the end of the three and a half years when the books of Daniel and Revelation would be fulfilled – which he started proclaiming to be far in the distant future. Later, in 1767, a Catholic Priest by the name of Manuel de Lacunza y Diaz wrote a book entitled “The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty,” where he described Ribera’s viewpoint as being truth. Lacunza described how the Church would “go with the Lord” to escape the reign of Antichrist about 45 days before the return of Christ. During that time, he described how the wrath of God would destroy the wicked while the righteous are safe and secure in another place. Afterwards, this new theology spread through two cult leaders known to be extremists. But finally, it rested with John Nelson Darby who is credited to have been the father of dispensationalism. From 1876 to 1897, Darby spread his new theology of dispensationalism and “the rapture,” and it started gaining interest. In 1879, a man by the name of Cyrus Scofield, behind bars for swindling money, forgery, and scheming, claimed to have converted to Christianity. Recently divorcing his wife and


leaving his two children behind, he overheard women who were witnessing to others in prison. It was then that he started studying the writings of Darby, and decided to become an evangelist. Though he wanted to become an apostle, Scofield did not follow Paul’s instruction to be the husband of one wife. Scofield started sleeping with a mistress from the St. Louis Flower Mission, and abandoned her for Hettie Hall von Wartz, and married her while not yet even filing divorce from his first wife. Nor was Scofield living a Christian life when he produced his first bible: One of Scofield’s first moves in producing his reference Bible was to take a trip to the British Isles for research. He immediately sought out the controversial scholars Westcott and Hort in London. Hailed as Bible scholars, both men were very active in occult rituals. Westcott had formed a secret club called "Hermes," noted for aggressive homosexual activities between its members. http://proliberty.com But like William Branham, Scofield had a new idea to sell – one that many had not heard


before: The Rapture. It was the perfect get-‐rich-‐ quick scheme. And it was successful. Royalties from the Scofield Study Bible were substantial, and Scofield quickly became very walthy. He held real estate in Dallas, Ashuelot, New Hampshire, and Douglaston, Long Island. He also joined the prestigious Lotos Club -‐ an elite gentleman’s club. Also like Branham, Scofield decided to produce fictional stories about himself to make him seem like a great Christian leader. During the early 1890s, Scofield began styling himself Rev. C. I. Scofield, D.D – but there is no record of any academic institution having granted him even an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. With each Scofield Study Bible that was produced, a new faithful Christian was mislead. As they studied their Bibles, the footnotes taught them unscriptural ideas from a man who did not live a Christian life and is said to have been linked to the occult and homosexual behavior. So while William Branham was teaching his Masonic viewpoint that Catholicism was Antichrist worship, he was also teaching a false


doctrine that came directly from the Catholic church! And the reference bible containing the false teachings from the Catholic Church are re-‐sold by the denomination headquarters today, since this particular Bible was used by William Branham.


The Flood


Genesis 5 gives the generations from Adam to Noah. When it comes to Enoch, it says this: When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5 Enoch did not live five hundred years. Enoch did not walk with Noah. Enoch did not warn Noah of the flood, as the book of Enoch and the false teacher, William Branham, taught. The world was becoming corrupt. Men and women had multiplied, and the planet was filling quickly. There was another being on the planet at that time, the Nephilim, who existed both before and after the flood according to scripture. It is believed by some that these beings are connected to the giants who lived at that time, like Goliath. It is also believed that the huge elongated skulls have been found in archaeological digs in several parts of the world are that of Nephilim, and it is also believed that these are the “gods” worshipped in mythology.


Some believe that the combined human-‐ Nephilim offspring produced the “demigods” that are described in many pagan religions. Either way, mankind was increasing, and sin was abounding, and the human race was failing. Something had to change. Until that time, men lived several hundred years. But God was so displeased with the human race that He decided to limit man’s lifespan to 120 years. Every intention in their hearts was continually evil, and it grieved the Lord that he even created them. So God decided to cleanse the earth. But there was one man that was righteous: Noah. Noah was blameless. Not a fault could be found in Noah, and he walked daily with God. Enoch did not warn Noah of the impending doom as William Branham claimed. There were no archangels involved in the message as the Dead Sea Scrolls suggest. The Bible says that God Himself told Noah that He was going to destroy the earth and all that lived on it. God loved Noah, and Noah loved God. But God is a loving God that loves all mankind. He does not love sin, and many times man would rather live


in their sin than turn to God. God also loved men and women that were destroyed in the flood, and was patiently waiting to destroy the earth until every last soul that could be turned to God for salvation was saved. Sadly, this number only included Noah and his family. 1 Peter says this: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 1 Peter 3 God tried to let Noah’s testimony turn their hearts and minds back to Him. But when they refused, Christ ministered to their spirits in prison. Noah likely did not know this at the time, but he and the entire earth were an example that


pointed to Christ, His undying love for man, and forgiveness of sin. He was not being used as an example for fear and oppression, or an example of how some elite group of ‘Christians’ is better than everyone else. His example was not meant to instill fear in the hearts of the righteous, but instead for the unrighteous. Paul continues to say this: Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 1 Peter 3 When the people of the earth did not listen to Noah, and after God had waited patiently for them to change their hearts and minds to righteousness, God decided to start anew with Noah and his family. God instructed Noah to load the animals into the ark, some by seven, and some two-‐by-‐two. Every


living creature that was not in the ark would be destroyed from the face of the earth. When Noah was six hundred years old, the floodwater rose up from the deep. For forty days and forty nights, the rain fell from the heavens and the fountains of the deep brought forth water. There was very little Noah could do about his condition inside the ark. Like Jonah in the belly of the fish, Noah was shut in by God and relied on God to protect both him and his family. God had shut the door to the ark, the ark was covered, and the raging flood consumed the entire face of the planet. It is a miracle in itself that the ark was not destroyed – God was faithfully protecting Noah and his family even though the entire earth was being wiped clean! This was Noah’s baptism, according to Paul. This is the time that Noah became fully lost to himself in his faith for God. Noah lost his own life by handing it over to God, but he also saved his life and the lives of others by giving his life to God.


The Covenant


After the flood subsided, and Noah once again set his feet upon the ground, the first thing Noah did was worship God and give thanks to Him for his undying love and mercy. He built an altar, and prepared a sacrifice from the clean animals that were with him on the ark. This aroma pleased God, and God decided that he never again would do this to mankind. The Bible says that in his heart, God said, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Genesis 8 This thought, in the heart of God, is entirely different than what the false teachers would have us to believe. They routinely teach that the ground is cursed, and that this is “Satan’s Eden.” They teach that the world will be cursed by fire, and that God told Noah that he would destroy the world next time by fire instead of water.


But God said that he would never again curse the ground, and never again strike down every living creature as He had done in the days of Noah. God gave His blessings to Noah and his family. He told them to be fruitful and multiply on the face of the earth. God gave mankind dominion over every living creature on the face of the earth, and every single fish, plant, animal, fruit, and more were given to them for food and drink. God gave one exception: they were not to drink of the life – the blood – that is associated with Pagan worship. Even among man, God established a plan of limiting corruption. To any man who takes the live of another man, God instructed the death penalty: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. Genesis 9 Genesis repeats the statement of being fruitful and multiplying, and then describes the covenant that God made with Noah:


Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9


In this covenant, the covenant that God established between Him and all flesh that is on the earth, God said that he would never again destroy the life on the planet by water. Combine this with God’s words that are in the previous chapter, and we find that adding an additional curse to the covenant God made with Noah changes the story completely: “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Genesis 8 Regardless of whether or not you believe fire will consume the whole earth, we find that William Branham altered the covenant God made with Noah. Fire is not mentioned.


Altering Scripture


We have already established that God is faithful to those who love him, and that His faithfulness to Noah and Noah’s family is prime example of this. To them that love the Lord, the Lord is gracious. And while The Flood is a story of baptism, of faithfulness, and of God’s love and mercy, The Flood is also an instruction to be ready. We do not know the day or the hour when our time will be no more, and we must remain faithful to God. In the days of Noah, there were many who knew of the One True God, and had become so consumed with sin that they did not turn back to righteousness before it was too late. Noah had brothers and sisters, though they are not named in the Bible. They did not survive the flood. Noah’s grandfather also bore children, which would have produced aunts, uncles, and cousins. All were children descended from Adam, and all were likely to have known about the One True God. Jesus used this as an example when describing the coming Day of the Lord:


“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Many who believe in the ‘Rapture” theology that William Branham copied from Scofield use this chapter to describe an unscriptural event where the ‘little bride’ is called away before the judgment, however the two-‐verses-‐two described in this story match the prophets’


description of when half of Jerusalem is taken. He continues, giving a parable describing how we should be watchful for we do not know the day or the hour: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24 But the words of Jesus Christ were not good enough for William Branham. Nor were the intentions of the writers in the Bible Cannon that we accept as the inspired Word of God.


Peter’s reference to The Flood was speaking of God’s faithfulness to Noah, and specifically to baptism. when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 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 1 Peter 3 Peter’s reference speaks to the souls being saved by water, however Jesus is referring to the swift destruction of the wicked by that same water. The water that offered salvation to Noah also brought death to the wicked. But though these two scriptures are speaking of two polar opposite topics, one the righteous and the other the unrighteous, Branham decides to combine them into a brand-‐new “scripture!” He claims that Jesus said something entirely different:


“Remember, He said, ‘As it was in the days of Noah, wherein eight souls were saved, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man.’”

On the surface this may sound like scripture, but it is ever so slightly twisted into a different meaning. When combined, these two scriptures sound like Jesus is saying that only eight souls will be saved at the Second Coming! And in the context Branham uses this combination of two polar-‐opposite scriptures, he uses this new “verse” as a fear tactic to lead the listener to believe that it will ONLY be a tiny group – which he claims to be his own followers! Sometimes, Branham adds Sodom to the story – another scary event: Now, He never give that number, but He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, eight souls. As it was in the days of Sodom, three." 59-‐0301M STRAIT.IS.THE.GATE Coincidentally, Branham also combines this statement with the pyramid worship theology that came from his Masonic background – pagan theology that is linked back to worship of Baal:


Now, He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, eight souls were saved by water." Well, you see where the minority is going to be before the Cap's put on, the Stone, comes back. Now, that Chief Cornerstone goes into the building and fits it together. Now, He said what that would be. He said what they were doing in the days of Noah: eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. See? 60-‐0311 MARY'S.BELIEF But when he preached the sermon entitled “A Greater Than Solomon Is Here,” the sermon that sounds suspiciously as if he is claiming that he is the one “greater than Solomon,” Branham uses this new verse he invented to describe the condition of those who did not ascribe to his false teaching: Just when the revival's going, and the Spirit of God is moving, God is moving with the people, then when He gets that crop out, weeded out, that's it. That's for that generation. Remember, He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, wherein eight souls were saved, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." See? Each generation will just produce so many. And that's the way you see it today. Everywhere it's just a


dying away, a falling away. Sin is collapsing in everything. 62-‐0628 A.GREATER.THAN SOLOMON.IS.HERE

Burning World


It is a standard viewpoint, both mainstream and cult, that there will be an unquenchable fire called hell. This place is described all throughout the scriptures, and is very evident. While scriptures tell us that this place is both everlasting and eternal, Branham tries to make hell sound not so bad. In fact, according to Branham, it might just be five minutes of pain and suffering. Now, "hell," we'll go back to that awhile. I tell you that-‐-‐that there cannot be... I do believe in a burning hell. Yes, sir, the Bible said so, the lake of fire. Now, but that cannot be an everla-‐... it cannot be an Eternal. It could be... The Bible never says it's Eternal, It says "everlasting" hell. Don't say the word Eternal, it says an "everlasting" hell. Now, it's prepared for the devil and his angels; an everlasting hell, not an Eternal one. Now, after... That soul may be tormented there for its doings for ten million years, for all I know. I don't know what everlasting might be in God's sight. It might be for five minutes 60-‐1206 THE.SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE


The authors of the Bible, however, stress the importance of avoiding this place. Each description of hell tells us of a place we definitely do not want to endure – weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. To think that a pastor who claims to be a Christian would try to simplify this awful place is beyond belief – most pastors would want to make it sound WORSE than it is to keep their sheep from the gates of hell. To push this theology, Branham used a difference in translation – not a mistake but a difference in wording – of the King James Version. To the average person who knows and understands the English language, the word “everlasting” and “eternal” mean the same thing. But ignore syntax. Matthew 24:26 in the King James Version says this: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Branham saw his opportunity, and he took it. The translator of the King James version felt that the language was more fluent by using both the words “everlasting” and “eternal,” however the original translation uses the SAME word for both


words: aiōnion, which literally translated means “eternal.” Some of the newer translations use the word “eternal” in both places, which eliminates false doctrine from teachers who use the Bible as a book of spells. Most of the Bible passages speaking of the fire that is coming speak only to those in Jerusalem – it is the location described at the end of days that will be made desolate and burnt by fire. And Jerusalem has been burned before, as other prophecy has declared. There are many prophecies describing the burning fire that will one day rage through Jerusalem, and God’s vengeance that both has taken place in the past, and will take place in the future. Of Jerusalem, God speaks this through Ezekiel: Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. Ezekiel 14


None of the verses describing Noah and The Flood describe a fire that will burn the entire earth. There are many that describe the burning of Jerusalem, and verses in the book of Revelation that describe the burning of a third of the earth – but none that describe the entire earth being consumed by fire. One might say that if it did, it would conflict with the book of Genesis, where God declared that he would never kill all life from the face of the planet! Though it is very dangerous to take a single passage of scripture and form a doctrine from it, 2 Peter 3:10 sounds exactly like it is speaking of the entire earth burning by fire: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. But remember, all descriptions of the End of Days speak of the unrighteous taken before the righteous. The tares are taken before the wheat. The weeds are taken first. The vultures are eating the carcass of the dead. The list goes on throughout the Bible.


It is very interesting that the phrase “shall be burned up” derives from the Greek word “heurethēsetai,” which literally translated means, “I find, learn, discover, especially after searching.” (Strongs 2147). The passage could also be translated, “I will heat things up and expose the hidden elements of the earth.” – but, of course, I am not an expert translator. Either way, this seems to be the only passage that describes a burning earth before a burning hell. If this single passage were not translated correctly, then it would invalidate Branham’s end-‐of-‐the-‐world prophecies that are already common theology, and not really prophecy anyway.


New Freedom


I am no longer bound by the chains of a cult leader who incorporates false teaching from ancient heretical scrolls and fortune hunters with occult backgrounds. While the first thirty-‐ something years of my life were constant fear of “questioning the prophet,” or watching over my shoulder to make sure my steps had aligned with the teachings of this man I thought was the closest thing to Jesus Christ Himself, I now am free. I am free to study the Word of God for myself – not through the lenses of men who deny the Truth to make a buck. I am free to research the ancient cultures and learn exactly why the writers of the scripture described ways of life that seem distant and vague. I can study their way of life in comparison to their current events all while learning how the scriptures apply to my life, as they should. While most children and even some adults in the cult were paralyzed with fear over the “Rapture,” I now have the freedom to deem this as false doctrine since it does not align with scriptural Truth. …And even if this teaching is somehow accurate, I will not be denying some false teacher by disagreeing with it, and I won’t be cast down to hell for what the cult called “blasphemy.” Copyright 2013, www.seekyethetruth.com 42

Instead, I live my life like every single day could be my very last. Jesus said that we should be ready, and though William Branham twisted His words to mean something else, I want to be ready. I’m no longer paralyzed with fear, I’m over-‐ anxious with excitement that we will soon see the King! I no longer worry about when the ‘Rapture’ will happen, how the current events apply to the cult leader’s “roadmap” to the Rapture as he thought it was in days gone by, or which “laws” I must abide by to make sure that I will not miss this event that does not seem to even be in the Bible. I am free to read the story of Noah without fear, and see how the entire story is an example of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mankind was becoming worse and worse, and sin was taking over. Good men and women were falling to sin each day. Noah had faith in God, and so God sent him the master plan to build a boat. Noah was made worthy by his faith in God, and that Faith in God raised him up. He was baptized in The Flood, and started a brand-‐new life with his family in what seemed like a whole-‐ new world.


This is exactly the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it applies to my own life. Living in a world of sin, worshipping in a cult that worshipped a man, and everyone around me was so consumed with worship of the cult leader that they could no longer even see the discrepancies between his false teachings and the scripture. But I had faith in Jesus Christ, and he already had the master plan. I had already been baptized, and he had already been crucified, but once I accepted my salvation through faith in Christ rather than association with my denomination of cult faith, he raised me up. I am no longer the man I used to be.


About The Author


John Collins is the author and Webmaster of www.seekyethetruth.com. Almost 36 years in “the Message”, the name of the group of people (cult) following the teachings of William Marrion Branham, John has dedicated his life towards helping those who are still in this cult, and to those who are no longer bound but serving Jesus Christ with many questions. His goal is to remind both groups that we serve a living God who does not look to any organization, doctrine, mystery, or gift of the Spirit; we serve a God who looks at the heart. His main purpose is to point others back to the Bible, which is the Absolute. All words of men may fail, but the Word of God will never fail. We should put our hearts and minds back on Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that ALL could be saved by grace through faith. Seek Ye The Truth is dedicated to those who are following the Message, and to those who are no longer in the Message but serving Jesus Christ. Our goal is to remind both groups that we serve a living God who does not look to any organization, doctrine, mystery, or gift of the Spirit; we serve a God who looks at the heart.


Our purpose is to point others back to the Bible, which is the Absolute. All words of men may fail, but the Word of God will never fail. We should put our hearts and minds back on Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that ALL could be saved by grace through faith. Seek Ye The Truth started as a central place for all Message believers to ask the questions openly and anonymously, many of which they had in their hearts and minds for many, many years and were afraid to ask. The original goal was to go "hand in hand" with the local pastors in Jeffersonville, spreading the answers and vindicating the teachings of William Marrion Branham. After a conversation with the local pastor regarding those who had fallen into worship of William Branham and those who had fallen into worship of Branham's son, it was evident that it would not be a joint effort. The conversation did not match the sermons preached by the same pastor, and could only lead to confusion. Research began for a book, which was to include all of the many things William Branham preached that were doctrinally and historically sound. The goal was to show the people who


followed Branham that though he was a prophet of God, he was still a man. He was not an object of worship, and the people had turned to idolatry in placing his every statement equal to the "Voice of God." This website first contained a very small list of discrepancies, and only for a few days. Within only two days time, it was identified by someone within the Organization, and broadcast quickly to pastors across the nation. One pastor felt it his duty to threaten using a family member as a mouthpiece, while another local pastor called to threaten directly. The local pastor was one of the key founders of the following of over two million people. When he made his threats, one phrase stood out above every other word in the conversation: "People have known about these problems for years. What does it hurt you to believe it anyway?" It appeared that the pastor was hiding something. Something had been uncovered, something that was large enough to have the nation of followers in an uproar if discovered. Something that needed research. As research started to progress, more false teachings were found than truths. More


prophecies had failed than had succeeded. None could be proven. Bible teachings came from Gnostic texts and other strange beliefs, and did not line up with the Word of God. Scriptures were invented. Local pastors had no answer. It is believed that other key figures in the following also hid these things from the people. Magazine articles uncovering the "cloud hoax" were discussed in private and hidden from the people with all traces of evidence removed. Failed prophecies about a bridge that was built long before Branham was alive were discussed in private and hidden from the people. Works of Clarence Larkin were plagiarized, and proclaimed as "Divine Revelation" for teachings such as the Seven Seals and the Seven Church Ages. False bibles were promoted as scriptural accuracy. False prophets were promoted as "having the same anointing as Moses." Other cults were spun off. And people had "known about these things for years," expecting us to believe them! While some live normal lives walking "middle ground," many are starting to become very hurt and abused. Many suffer depression. Physical and sexual abuse, and self condemnation.


Before long, it was found. There wasn't a single prophecy! All prophecy was given after the event happened! Most of them didn't happen at all! Every prophecy changed over time! Because of the research that followed, the biggest scam in the history of mankind had been uncovered. One that had gained over a hundred million dollars in assets for just one of the hundreds of organizations involved in the scam around the world. All the while, helpless and poor followers had no clue what was going on. Life's savings were donated to Lincoln Navigators, a tour bus used for vacations, and more. Money donated was untraceable, spread across the entire world in assets. Money was grown in foreign exchange as additional profit. The perfect breeding ground for the perfect money laundering scheme, with not a single church or organization that could be accused; people willingly gave their hard-‐earned pay! Over time, this site slowly transformed into a site of questions into a site dedicated to help those in need. There are far more than two million followers of William Branham around the world, making it larger than some of the other cult followings, and there are almost no support


groups for those desperately seeking help. Please join us as we help others. As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord. God Bless You!


William Marrion Branham - As It Was in the Days of Noah

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