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Decoding Rick Joyner’s “THE FINAL QUEST”
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Full version of Chapter 8


8) Examining the spiritual experiences of William Branham: - Summarised Version:

Liardon, (whose book “Gods Generals” I am using for quotes), believes that the spiritual phenomena that took place in Branham’s childhood is evidence that he had been especially chosen and called by God to ministry. Branham was told by his parents that a spiritual light had appeared at his birth. Aged seven a terrifying spiritual wind then blew and a voice from within this gave Branham legalistic rules to live by concerning never drinking or smoking. Whenever Branham was about to break these rules he would hear the same fearsome wind blowing causing him to run away in fear. Because of this other children viewed Branham as an oddball and he had a lonely life growing up as a result. These experiences continued into Branham’s adult life and were foundational to his ministry. Since these experiences weren’t linked to him gaining an understanding of the gospel or finding salvation and instead only terrified and confused him I don’t see how they can have been from the Lord. Branham had fourteen years of these spiritual experiences before he found faith in Christ and even then the wind remained a mystery to him for many years. All the evidence suggests to me, therefore, that these were occult spiritual experiences sent to deceive Branham, to prepare him for ministry and pave the way for his emergence as a false prophet later on. Towards the end of his life Branham appears to have viewed himself as a Messianic type figure and even claimed that “the spoken word from his mouth would change physical bodies into glorified bodies for the rapture,” (p. 340). His family and cult like following refused to bury him after he died believing he was about to be raised from the dead and they still await his return today. During his ministry Branham also had an angelic encounter which provided him with spiritual gifts that do not appear scriptural but instead seem occult in nature to me. This appears to have been a fallen angel, therefore, sent to deceive Branham further. Since this (fallen) angelic encounter also launched Branham into his healing ministry it appears to me that his healing gift was also from an occult source. The fact he couldn’t move in this or any other gift without an “angel” by his side suggests the same. The Christians in the New Testament and other healing ministries in Branham’s day all trusted in God to move in the gifts of the Spirit not in angels. Even Liardon acknowledges that, “That gift was misleading people, causing them to follow Branham’s doctrine,” (God Generals, p. 343). I believe Satan targeted Branham from his birth, in 1909, in order to raise him up to spread deception into the rapidly growing Pentecostal movement which had started just six years earlier during the Welsh revival of 1903-4. During prayer, though, I felt the Lord show me that things were not straight forward concerning Branham, he appears to have had integrity and I see him as a well intentioned victim of deception himself.

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Full version of Chapter 8

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