Since the passing of the man of God William Branham in December 1965, on the one hand, the continuation of the proclamation of the true message of the Word is taking place; on the other hand, religious fanatics have been and still are spreading interpretations and heresies. Some of them shall be mentioned here.

It began with quotes from Brother Branham that in 1977 everything would be over and the Rapture would take place. Further interpretations followed, for example,

1. that the resurrection would take place and that the prophet would then complete his ministry in a tent within 30 to 40 days.

2. that the Redeemer allegedly left the mercy seat in 1963 at the opening of the Seals and came down to claim the Redeemed.

3. that the LORD has already descended in the shout of the message.

4. that the marriage of the Bride and Groom is now taking place and that the marriage supper will be later in heaven.

5. that the seven thunders bring about the rapturing faith and that seven men would loudly proclaim the seven thunders.

6. that the Angel of the Covenant in Rev 10:1 supposedly already came down to earth during the lifetime of the prophet.

7. that William Branham was the voice of the seventh angel in Rev 10:7 because he often referred to it;

8. and later, that he was actually the Voice of God, which everyone would have to hear on the tapes.

9. that with Brother Branham everything has come to an end for the Church because he himself foreran the second coming of Christ.

However, already on January 12, 1961, he emphasized, “It’s the message that will forerun the second coming of Christ. That’s what the Angel of the LORD said.”

The list of heresies and interpretations could be continued. It is inconceivable what men, who have not received a divine commission, have spread and are spreading as “message” by misappropriating quotes of the prophet! The important passage in 2. John, verse 7, is addressed to all deniers of the bodily Return of Christ: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh (Lk 24:51; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:39-58; 1 Ths 4:13-17; and others). This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

Upon closer examination, the heresies are only about Brother Branham and what he said – not once about Jesus Christ or what the Bible says. Every heresy has brought about a new schism, and yet they all refer to the prophet. They have misunderstood a great many things because they do not go back to the Bible as the first and last authority. The self-proclaimed preachers do not even consider verifying the validity of the statements with the Bible. Brother Branham, who was primarily an evangelist and prophet, repeatedly said in his humility, in fact, a total of 21 times, “I’m not a teacher…,” but emphasized the admonition: “Do not accept anything unless it’s written in the Bible.” I have been translating his sermons for 60 years; therefore, I know them well.

In the prayer lines, he saw in visions details pertaining to the sick who stood before him: It was revealed to him what kind of illness they had, oftentimes even their name and place of residence. In his ministry with the gift of prophecy, he was able to say time and again: “THUS SAITH THE LORD: You are healed.” Many times the healing took place immediately. I witnessed this with my own eyes in his meetings in 1955 in Germany and later also in the USA. The same ministry that our LORD carried out (Jn 5:19) has been repeated in our time. Thank God for the unique ministry, which I was privileged to experience personally!

But just as the Old Testament prophecy found its divine placement only in the Gospels and in the Epistles of the New Testament, everything in the message must now also be brought into the scriptural context with regard to doctrine. For example, Brother Branham quoted the Scripture from Zec 14:7, “…at evening time it shall be light…,” a total of 258 times, simply because it was so important to him that now, in the evening of the day of salvation, the full light of the revealed Word shines brightly once more, before the dark midnight hour takes over. Whoever reads the entire chapter will find out that it is about the beginning of the Millennial Reign, when the LORD God will stand with His feet on the Mount of Olives (v. 4). In verse 9 it states: “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”

The same holds true for the much-quoted verse in Lk 17:30: “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Whoever wants to know exactly what verse 30 really refers to must first read verse 24: “For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day” and then continue reading until verse 36. The correct answer is always in the Word Itself. It is clearly stated in verses 34-36 what shall happen then: “… in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” We all know when that happens: at the Rapture.

Revelation 10 was obviously of special significance for Brother Branham. He referred to it 86 times. But also in this case, one has to read the chapter all the way to the end and then chapter 11 in order to see exactly where everything belongs.

In March 1962, Brother Branham had the well-known vision of the appearance of the supernatural cloud and the storing in of the food. He spoke about it at the beginning of the sermon on April 1, 1962.

In December 1962, he told me what he had been shown and told in the vision: “When the city council surveys and widens your road and the fence is laid on the lawn, then you shall move to Arizona.”

In December 1962, I saw the fence on the lawn with my own eyes, and Brother Branham told me, “I have to pack up and move with my family to Tucson, Arizona.” That was why he asked me to preach on his behalf in Los Angeles and Oakland, California.

As is widely known, Brother Branham gave the following account on April 24, 1965, about what had happened on February 28, 1963: A strong storm arose that twisted the treetops; an earthquake shook the whole region as seven mighty thunderclaps sounded. The supernatural cloud came down over the mountain. There he was instructed to return to Jeffersonville, for the seven seals were to be opened. I later visited the area personally, 40 miles from Tucson, and saw the bent treetops and the rocks that had rolled down the mountain.

Brother Branham also made reference to this special occurrence in his sermon about the seventh seal on March 24, 1963, when he pounded on the pulpit seven times with his fist and said, “The seven thunders were so mighty!” He repeatedly mentioned those seven thunderclaps because they sounded in connection with the opening of the Seals.

There are some things in the sermons of Brother Branham that are hard to understand, about the seven thunders, the third pull, the tent vision, etc., but we have to leave them as they are and not twist them to our own destruction. Peter already said that about the Epistles of Paul (2 Pt 3:16). The ministry of Brother Branham is in the past, but the message shows us the way into the present time, all the way up to the Return of Christ.

Since the passing of the man of God William Branham in December 1965, on the one hand, the continuation of the proclamation of the true message of the Word is taking place; on the other hand, religious fanatics have been and still are spreading interpretations and heresies. Some of them shall be mentioned here.

It began with quotes from Brother Branham that in 1977 everything would be over and the Rapture would take place. Further interpretations followed, for example,

1. that the resurrection would take place and that the prophet would then complete his ministry in a tent within 30 to 40 days.

2. that the Redeemer allegedly left the mercy seat in 1963 at the opening of the Seals and came down to claim the Redeemed.

3. that the LORD has already descended in the shout of the message.

4. that the marriage of the Bride and Groom is now taking place and that the marriage supper will be later in heaven.

5. that the seven thunders bring about the rapturing faith and that seven men would loudly proclaim the seven thunders.

6. that the Angel of the Covenant in Rev 10:1 supposedly already came down to earth during the lifetime of the prophet.

7. that William Branham was the voice of the seventh angel in Rev 10:7 because he often referred to it;

8. and later, that he was actually the Voice of God, which everyone would have to hear on the tapes.

9. that with Brother Branham everything has come to an end for the Church because he himself foreran the second coming of Christ.

However, already on January 12, 1961, he emphasized, “It’s the message that will forerun the second coming of Christ. That’s what the Angel of the LORD said.”

The list of heresies and interpretations could be continued. It is inconceivable what men, who have not received a divine commission, have spread and are spreading as “message” by misappropriating quotes of the prophet! The important passage in 2. John, verse 7, is addressed to all deniers of the bodily Return of Christ: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh (Lk 24:51; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:39-58; 1 Ths 4:13-17; and others). This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

Upon closer examination, the heresies are only about Brother Branham and what he said – not once about Jesus Christ or what the Bible says. Every heresy has brought about a new schism, and yet they all refer to the prophet. They have misunderstood a great many things because they do not go back to the Bible as the first and last authority. The self-proclaimed preachers do not even consider verifying the validity of the statements with the Bible. Brother Branham, who was primarily an evangelist and prophet, repeatedly said in his humility, in fact, a total of 21 times, “I’m not a teacher…,” but emphasized the admonition: “Do not accept anything unless it’s written in the Bible.” I have been translating his sermons for 60 years; therefore, I know them well.

In the prayer lines, he saw in visions details pertaining to the sick who stood before him: It was revealed to him what kind of illness they had, oftentimes even their name and place of residence. In his ministry with the gift of prophecy, he was able to say time and again: “THUS SAITH THE LORD: You are healed.” Many times the healing took place immediately. I witnessed this with my own eyes in his meetings in 1955 in Germany and later also in the USA. The same ministry that our LORD carried out (Jn 5:19) has been repeated in our time. Thank God for the unique ministry, which I was privileged to experience personally!

But just as the Old Testament prophecy found its divine placement only in the Gospels and in the Epistles of the New Testament, everything in the message must now also be brought into the scriptural context with regard to doctrine. For example, Brother Branham quoted the Scripture from Zec 14:7, “…at evening time it shall be light…,” a total of 258 times, simply because it was so important to him that now, in the evening of the day of salvation, the full light of the revealed Word shines brightly once more, before the dark midnight hour takes over. Whoever reads the entire chapter will find out that it is about the beginning of the Millennial Reign, when the LORD God will stand with His feet on the Mount of Olives (v. 4). In verse 9 it states: “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”

The same holds true for the much-quoted verse in Lk 17:30: “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Whoever wants to know exactly what verse 30 really refers to must first read verse 24: “For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day” and then continue reading until verse 36. The correct answer is always in the Word Itself. It is clearly stated in verses 34-36 what shall happen then: “… in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” We all know when that happens: at the Rapture.

Revelation 10 was obviously of special significance for Brother Branham. He referred to it 86 times. But also in this case, one has to read the chapter all the way to the end and then chapter 11 in order to see exactly where everything belongs.

In March 1962, Brother Branham had the well-known vision of the appearance of the supernatural cloud and the storing in of the food. He spoke about it at the beginning of the sermon on April 1, 1962.

In December 1962, he told me what he had been shown and told in the vision: “When the city council surveys and widens your road and the fence is laid on the lawn, then you shall move to Arizona.”

In December 1962, I saw the fence on the lawn with my own eyes, and Brother Branham told me, “I have to pack up and move with my family to Tucson, Arizona.” That was why he asked me to preach on his behalf in Los Angeles and Oakland, California.

As is widely known, Brother Branham gave the following account on April 24, 1965, about what had happened on February 28, 1963: A strong storm arose that twisted the treetops; an earthquake shook the whole region as seven mighty thunderclaps sounded. The supernatural cloud came down over the mountain. There he was instructed to return to Jeffersonville, for the seven seals were to be opened. I later visited the area personally, 40 miles from Tucson, and saw the bent treetops and the rocks that had rolled down the mountain.

Brother Branham also made reference to this special occurrence in his sermon about the seventh seal on March 24, 1963, when he pounded on the pulpit seven times with his fist and said, “The seven thunders were so mighty!” He repeatedly mentioned those seven thunderclaps because they sounded in connection with the opening of the Seals.

There are some things in the sermons of Brother Branham that are hard to understand, about the seven thunders, the third pull, the tent vision, etc., but we have to leave them as they are and not twist them to our own destruction. Peter already said that about the Epistles of Paul (2 Pt 3:16). The ministry of Brother Branham is in the past, but the message shows us the way into the present time, all the way up to the Return of Christ.