People ask questions, God answers by His Word
Question 30: Can something that was shown in a vision remain unfulfilled?
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Answer: It is understandable that the people, especially those he personally spoke to, expected to see the fulfilment of Brother Branham’s visions while he was still alive. However, a vision can be or maybe already has been fulfilled in an entirely different manner than expected. Brother Branham mentioned “the tent” in connection with Abraham and Sarah a hundred times up until the opening of the Seals in March 1963. He usually did that when starting the prayer line, emphasising that the same sign was being repeated in our time. In Gen. 18 the tent is mentioned five times. Sarah was in the tent when the Lord God gave the promise about the birth of Isaac. At times Brother Branham turned his back to the audience during a prayer line to prove that the same God was present Who knows and reveals the secrets of the heart, as it happened back then with Abraham. However, I have to warn everyone to not make a doctrine out of it. We have to leave the entire matter to God.
Spiritual things can be shown in a natural symbol, like when Brother Branham saw himself in a vision carrying all kinds of vegetables into the Tabernacle, for instance. The actual meaning was to put in store the spiritual food, the revealed Word of God for our time. The Apostle Peter also saw a very natural picture of a great sheet with all kinds of creeping things, etc., in it. The spiritual significance of it was that the gentiles have also been given salvation (Acts 10:9-22). Our Lord used only natural symbols and parables when speaking about the Kingdom of God, and thereby He proclaimed the “… things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 13:35).
Those brethren who still hold on to an actual fulfilment of the tent vision with Brother Branham have absolutely no promise for it in the Bible. There is furthermore not a single example in the Holy Scriptures where a prophet returned to continue his ministry. No wonder that such brethren do not wish to have any fellowship with us, because we must truthfully declare that Brother Branham’s ministry ended with the moment he was taken from earth to glory. Since they do not accept that fact, they have to reject the one who claims to be called by God to take the message to the nations. They even go so far as to brand him the Bride’s deceiver and the antichrist, who must be rejected, since he is against all the thunder doctrines and supposedly “against the prophet”. In fact, the statements go to the extent of saying, “No one has the right to claim a commission to share God’s revealed Word with God’s people.” For, as their teaching goes, everything ended with the ministry of Brother Branham and will start again with him. The “meantime” is being used for fruitless discussions about the prophet and what he said and for spreading destructive teachings. What tragic developments within the message!
In fact, all these expectations have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is not mentioned even a single time in all of the things that they proclaim and await to be fulfilled. False hopes are being nurtured which will inevitably lead into utter despair. Please, acknowledge the fact, dear Brethren, that things pertaining to the Kingdom of God are not connected to any private interpretation.
Now we are going to take a look at Moses and the commission given to him to lead the people into the Promised Land. He was not allowed to enter therein along with the church of Israel. According to Deuteronomy, chapter 34, he was only permitted to take a good look into the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, but could not enter in. Together with Brother Mehnert I took a taxi from Amman to Mount Nebo. We had a wonderful view, overlooking Jericho to our right, En Gedi and the Dead Sea to our left, and right before us was Jerusalem. How well I could understand how Moses must have felt! God’s ways are beyond our understanding. To the natural eye it seemed as though Moses had not completed his commission. We need spiritual understanding to respect the ways of God and His decisions.
We do believe that God Himself will finish the work of Redemption, the way He planned it before the foundation of the world. The main thing is that we are ready to partake in the Word promised for this day, for true faith is anchored only in the promises of God.
In reference to God’s promises we read, “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest unto His people, Israel, according to all that He promised; there has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses, His servant.” (1. Ki. 8:56).
“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen unto the glory of God by us.” (2. Cor. 1:20).
At the first coming of Christ, the promised prophet was the forerunner, but the Lord Himself accomplished the work of Redemption on the cross of Calvary. That is also how it is now: Brother Branham was the promised prophet sent to restore all things back to the original state and the message is the forerunner, but the Lord Himself will be the One to finish the work of Redemption.
“For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Rom. 9:28).
Answer: It is understandable that the people, especially those he personally spoke to, expected to see the fulfilment of Brother Branham’s visions while he was still alive. However, a vision can be or maybe already has been fulfilled in an entirely different manner than expected. Brother Branham mentioned “the tent” in connection with Abraham and Sarah a hundred times up until the opening of the Seals in March 1963. He usually did that when starting the prayer line, emphasising that the same sign was being repeated in our time. In Gen. 18 the tent is mentioned five times. Sarah was in the tent when the Lord God gave the promise about the birth of Isaac. At times Brother Branham turned his back to the audience during a prayer line to prove that the same God was present Who knows and reveals the secrets of the heart, as it happened back then with Abraham. However, I have to warn everyone to not make a doctrine out of it. We have to leave the entire matter to God.
Spiritual things can be shown in a natural symbol, like when Brother Branham saw himself in a vision carrying all kinds of vegetables into the Tabernacle, for instance. The actual meaning was to put in store the spiritual food, the revealed Word of God for our time. The Apostle Peter also saw a very natural picture of a great sheet with all kinds of creeping things, etc., in it. The spiritual significance of it was that the gentiles have also been given salvation (Acts 10:9-22). Our Lord used only natural symbols and parables when speaking about the Kingdom of God, and thereby He proclaimed the “… things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 13:35).
Those brethren who still hold on to an actual fulfilment of the tent vision with Brother Branham have absolutely no promise for it in the Bible. There is furthermore not a single example in the Holy Scriptures where a prophet returned to continue his ministry. No wonder that such brethren do not wish to have any fellowship with us, because we must truthfully declare that Brother Branham’s ministry ended with the moment he was taken from earth to glory. Since they do not accept that fact, they have to reject the one who claims to be called by God to take the message to the nations. They even go so far as to brand him the Bride’s deceiver and the antichrist, who must be rejected, since he is against all the thunder doctrines and supposedly “against the prophet”. In fact, the statements go to the extent of saying, “No one has the right to claim a commission to share God’s revealed Word with God’s people.” For, as their teaching goes, everything ended with the ministry of Brother Branham and will start again with him. The “meantime” is being used for fruitless discussions about the prophet and what he said and for spreading destructive teachings. What tragic developments within the message!
In fact, all these expectations have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is not mentioned even a single time in all of the things that they proclaim and await to be fulfilled. False hopes are being nurtured which will inevitably lead into utter despair. Please, acknowledge the fact, dear Brethren, that things pertaining to the Kingdom of God are not connected to any private interpretation.
Now we are going to take a look at Moses and the commission given to him to lead the people into the Promised Land. He was not allowed to enter therein along with the church of Israel. According to Deuteronomy, chapter 34, he was only permitted to take a good look into the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, but could not enter in. Together with Brother Mehnert I took a taxi from Amman to Mount Nebo. We had a wonderful view, overlooking Jericho to our right, En Gedi and the Dead Sea to our left, and right before us was Jerusalem. How well I could understand how Moses must have felt! God’s ways are beyond our understanding. To the natural eye it seemed as though Moses had not completed his commission. We need spiritual understanding to respect the ways of God and His decisions.
We do believe that God Himself will finish the work of Redemption, the way He planned it before the foundation of the world. The main thing is that we are ready to partake in the Word promised for this day, for true faith is anchored only in the promises of God.
In reference to God’s promises we read, “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest unto His people, Israel, according to all that He promised; there has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses, His servant.” (1. Ki. 8:56).
“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen unto the glory of God by us.” (2. Cor. 1:20).
At the first coming of Christ, the promised prophet was the forerunner, but the Lord Himself accomplished the work of Redemption on the cross of Calvary. That is also how it is now: Brother Branham was the promised prophet sent to restore all things back to the original state and the message is the forerunner, but the Lord Himself will be the One to finish the work of Redemption.
“For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Rom. 9:28).