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    {{7 Seals Top}}
    |Each seal opens a new chapter in the book sealed with seven seals.  The contents of the book under the fifthe seal are revealed in symbol form in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh verses of Revelation Chapter 6. 
    <youtube>https://youtu.be/IyrV4OSJ0wA</youtube>
    =Where did William Branham say he got his revelation from?=


    William Branham said this about the source of his understanding of the fifth seal (all quotes from the Fifth Seal):


    <div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 9</div>
    :''And now coming especially on these lessons where we’re just waiting; '''if He would not reveal It to me, I could not give It to you. I’m not trying to use any of my own thoughts or anything; just as He will give It.''' That’s right. And I—I’m sure, '''if I don’t use my own thoughts, and It comes in the way It has. And all through life It’s never been wrong. It won’t be wrong this time.'''


    {|style="width:800px; background-color:#cedff2; border:1px #a3b0bf solid; text-align:center;"
    :''And I want to say this, and I want to give thanks to Him Who is omnipresent. And, that, '''today, not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak, when I was out in prayer.''' And today…  I have just set these last five or six days, just in a little room, don’t see no one. Just go out and eat my meals with a—with a friend, with some of my friends here. And, course, you know who that friend is, it’s Brother and Sister Wood. Yeah. And—and you know, and I went over there and—and stay with them, and everybody has been nice. And there hasn’t been anything, just simply…  I’m trying to stay right with that Message of these Seals. Its important. I believe it’s—it’s the hour of Its revealing time, of revelation of It.
    |''And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:''
     
    :''But I’m just taking It from the inspiration, which completely changed my view of It. See?<ref>William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 5, 26-28, 40</ref>
     
    ==He definitely didn't get it from men!==
     
    William Branham said that ALL of the authors that he read agreed that the souls under the altar were Christian martyrs:
     
    :''Now notice, now, in the 9th verse, “Souls under the altar.” Now, here is where I’m going to get some real disagreeings. But you just watch just a minute. And just…See? I thought that, too, but it didn’t come that way. We have… '''I have always thought that these souls under the altar were the—the—the martyrs of the early Church'''. And I’m sure that, well, '''<u>Dr. Uriah Smith, and every one of them, says it is.</u>''' See? But, I thought so, myself. '''But when the Holy Spirit showed the vision to it, it wasn’t'''; it isn’t the souls.<ref>William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 215</ref>''
     
    =William Branham's Interpretation of the Fifth Seal=
     
    William Branham’s essential interpretation of the fifth seal is that the souls under the altar represented past Jewish martyrs and their fellow servants and brethren were Jewish martyrs who would die during the tribulation. His basis for saying they were Jewish martyrs was the fact that the fifth seal was in the sixth chapter of revelation, but the rapture of the church had happened in the fourth chapter.
     
    William Branham explained it as follows:
     
    :''Now, for they, at this time, if you notice, '''this Fifth Seal being opened, see, the Church is gone. It just can’t be, the souls under the—the early Church.''' Now, now, please, if you ever did give this attention now, ’cause this is a great controver… controversy, so I want you to listen real close now. And you got your papers, and things to write with. Now, I want you to notice. Now, these cannot be them souls. Because, the—'''the souls of the—of the righteous, martyred, and the righteous people, the Church, the Bride, has done been took up''', so they wouldn’t be under the altar. They would be in Glory, with the Bride. Now watch. For, '''they are gone in the Rapture, in the 4th chapter of Revelation. They was taken up.''' Now, who are these souls, then? That’s the next thing. Who are they, then, if they’re not the early Church? '''This is Israel that’s to be saved as a nation''', all them that are predestinated. That’s Israel. That’s Israel, itself.<ref>William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal</ref>
     
    ==Comparison to the Views of Clarence Larkin==
    [[Image:Clarence Larkin.jpg|right]]
    William Branham taught the rapture took place in chapter 4 of Revelation many times, including the quote above from the Fifth Seal. In ''The Book of Revelation'', published in 1919 by Clarence Larkin, note the exact same essential interpretation as William Branham:
     
    :''The removal of the Church at the end of the third chapter opens the way for God to renew His dealings with Israel, and take up the broken thread of Jewish History. That the portion of the Book from chapter three to the end of chapter nineteen is largely made up of symbols taken from the Old Testament, as the Tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant, Altar, Censer, Elders, Cherubim, Seals, Trumpets, Plagues, etc., is conclusive evidence that we are here back on Jewish ground, and that the Parenthetical Dispensation of the Church is complete, and that the last or “Seventieth Week” of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” is in course of fulfilment.<ref>Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 32.</ref>
     
    Larkin also taught that souls under the altar were the souls of Jewish Martyrs:
     
    :''The fact that their “SOULS” were under the “Sacrificial Altar” is proof that they had been offered as a “Sacrifice,” that is that they were MARTYRS. But '''they were not the Martyrs of the Christian Church''', for they had been resurrected and taken up with the Church. These Martyrs are those who will be killed for the “Word of God” and their “testimony” after the Church is caught out.  …Their cry is that of the Imprecatory Psalms (Psa. 35, 55, 59, 94, etc.) and indicates that '''these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS'''. This is still more likely when we consider that the “Gospel of the Kingdom” is to be preached to the NATIONS, and '''Israel''' has never been numbered among the Nations.<ref>Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 59.</ref>
     
    William Branham and Clarence Larkin have an identical interpretation of who the souls under the altar are. They both say those are the souls of Jewish martyrs waiting for their brethren and fellow servants (also Jews) to be killed during the tribulation. William Branham and Larkin both use the exact same reasoning to explain how they know they are Jewish martyrs and not Christian martyrs. They both explain the rapture has already happened before the fifth seal, in the fourth chapter, so these souls could not be Christians who were part of the rapture. It is identical. '''How did Clarence Larkin get that revelation in 1919 when the fifth seal was hidden until 1963?'''
    [[File:WMB Library.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]
    William Branham also stated multiple times he spent significant time studying Larkin’s books. Here is an example of William Branham explaining the amount of time he spent studying these books:
     
    :''This has been a week of tremendous study. Yesterday, all day, I hardly moved from the room, trying to study. And it’s something in the last time, a many of the old-timers here, that I taught, I just said, “In here belongs the seventy weeks of Daniel,” but I did not try to attack it, to explain it. But this time, by the grace of God, I have taken upon myself to try to ask grace before God, that I might bring it to the people. And in here I’m finding things that I do not know one thing about. And, then, I—I’ve been reading '''Dr. Larkin’s book''', Dr. Smith’s book, Dr. Scofield’s notes, different commentaries from men everywhere…<ref>William Branham, 61-0730M - Gabriel's Instructions To Daniel, para. 32</ref>
     
    Please note the picture of William Branham’s personal library which includes a clear picture of Larkin’s books: The Book of Revelation and Dispensational Truth. This photo is from Only Believe magazine published by Rebecca Branham Smith when the library was being turned into a memorial after William Branham’s death.
     
    We have overwhelming evidence that William Branham read and studied the books of Larkin and other men from whom he copied his sermons on the seals. Yet, William Branham goes on to make statements like the following when he preached the seals:
     
    :''Now notice, now, in the 9th verse, “Souls under the altar.” Now, here is where I’m going to get some real disagreeings. But you just watch just a minute. And just…See? I thought that, too, but it didn’t come that way. We have…I have always thought that these souls under the altar were the—the—the martyrs of the early Church. And I’m sure that, well, Dr. Uriah Smith, and every one of them, says it is. See? But, I thought so, myself. But when the Holy Spirit showed the vision to it, it wasn’t.<ref>William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal</ref>
     
    ==Conclusion==
     
    William Branham misled his audience. Did “every one of them” say the souls under the altar were martyrs of the Christian church? No, and he knew they did not all say that. William Branham was dishonest during the sermon on the fifth seal. He knew Clarence Larkin taught the souls under the altar were Jewish martyrs. Why was he pretending he was teaching the people something never known before? Why was he pretending that he received this knowledge from Holy Spirit when he was clearly repeating what he read in one of his library books.
     
    =Clear Examples of Direct Plagiarism=
    William Branham’s secret source of information for this sermon was the writings of [[Plagiarism|Clarence Larkin]].  Here is a comparison:
     
    {| class="wikitable"
    !What William Branham Said <ref> William Branham, March 22, 1965, The Fifth Seal </ref>
    !What Clarence Larkin Said <ref> Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture, 58-59 (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919) </ref>
    |-
    | style="width: 50%; background-color: white;"|
    | style="width: 50%; background-color: white;"|
    |-
    |They were '''killed for the Word of God's sake''', not for the testimony of Christ. Did you understand that? But remember, the church come in. Also the martyrs of the church was for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. How many knows that here too? All right now...  But these didn't have the testimony of Jesus Christ "… Now, notice. These Jews... I have to do this in order to--to let you see the revelation of this Seal, see what it is, these souls under the altar and who they are.
    |When the Lamb had opened the “FIFTH SEAL,” John saw under the “Sacrificial Altar,” corresponding to the “Burnt Offering Altar,” the “SOULS” of them that were slain for the “Word of God” and for the “testimony they held.” The fact that their “SOULS” were under the “Sacrificial Altar” is proof that they had been offered as a “Sacrifice,” that is that they were MARTYRS. But they were not the Martyrs of the Christian Church... These Martyrs are those who will be '''killed for the “Word of God.”'''
    |-
    |Notice, they asked for revenge. See? Now, if that had been the Bride, it'd been like '''Stephen''': "Father, forgive them," you know. See? But these are Jews that just come in. See? They asked for revenge.
    |“How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost Thou not judge and avenge our BLOOD on them that dwell on the earth?” The character of their cry is further proof that they are not the Martyrs of the Christian Church, for they would not cry to be avenged, but like '''Stephen''' would say—“Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Acts 7:60.
    |-
    |for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held," as Jews.
    |Their cry is that of the Imprecatory Psalms (Psa. 35, 55, 59, 94, etc.) and indicates that these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS.
    |-
    |Now, notice. In the time of Daniel, now, the second half of the seventieth week... Now, remember, Messiah was to be cut off in the midst. That's the middle. Well, what's half of seven? Three and a half... But there's determined yet to the people what? Another three and a half year.
    |These martyred SOULS were comforted, and told that they should rest for a “little season,” about 3½ years, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren (Jews) that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled.
    |-
    |It disproves it, the opening of this Seal in this last day; it just takes  '''soul sleeping''' plumb out of the way. See? They're alive. They're not dead.
    |That there is no such thing as '''Soul Sleep,''' and that disembodied SOULS are conscious and can speak and cry, is clear from what John saw and heard, for these “SOULS” cried with a loud voice
    |-
    |-
    |}
    |}


    ====The Lamb opens the Fifth Seal====
    =Questions to ask yourself=
    Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, opens the fifth seal.  
    '''William Branham tells that he understood the Fifth Seal that morning:'''
    {{7 Seals}}
    :''“Today, not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak.”''
    ====Absence of a beast to announce the Seal====
     
    The four six-winged beasts guard the throne of God in heaven. One beast looks like a lion, another like an ox, another like a man, and another like an eagleThese beasts parallel the four gospels in the New Testament, which protect the testimony of Jesus Christ on earth, and vindicate the Holy Spirit in the Church in the book of Acts.
    '''Then he asks God to break the Fifth Seal that evening:'''
    :''“O Lamb of God, come forward, we pray.  We call on You, Lord, the great Redeemer.  Come forth and show us Your plan of redemption that’s been hid through the years, breaking this Fifth Seal for us tonight, Father.”''
     
    '''Why did he ask God to break the Seal when he already knew what he was going to say?<br> 
    '''Why are the Seals God’s plan of redemption, when Jesus already redeemed us on the cross?<br> 
    '''Why is he calling on the Lamb of God the way a Magician would call out to a spirit behind a curtain?
     
    ==Jesus' Warning of False Prophets==
    In this sermon William Branham ties Jesus’ warning about “False Prophets” to the time after the rapture.  As such, this scripture naturally does not apply to him. 
     
    William Branham also tells a story about Joseph giving his brothers white robes in this sermon.  It is likely from this story that some Message Believers think that Moses and Elijah will arise and translate the sermon of the Seven Seals into Hebrew after the rapture.  So, perhaps his message really is one of the false ministries to watch for.
     
    =Other issues=
     
    ==Confusion - Christians under the Altar?==
     
    William Branham then tells a story of how he went to a heavenly place, and saw his own converts under the altar. He tells of the white-robed saints in “that heavenly place” that he saw in a vision.  But Jesus was not there!  It was a mixture of purgatory, and souls under the altar:
     
    :''I want to see Jesus... You can’t see him now, He is still higher... You mean, by being a leader, that He’ll judge me?  Said, “Yes” I said, “what about Paul?”  He said, “He’ll have to be judged with his.” “Well” I said, if his group goes in, so will mine, ‘cause I’ve preached exactly the same Word.” ...nd millions screamed out, all at once, said, “We’re resting on that!” …See, '''we was right under the altar.'''<Ref>William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 391, 401-404, 410</ref>
     
    The most notable person absent from this place was Jesus, making “that heavenly place” a waiting place, while the people wait for William Branham to be judged. 
     
    ===It must have been another altar?===
     
    Later in the sermon William Branham talks about two altars in heaven, to diffuse the confusion between the Jews and his followers:  
    :''“The Bride, she was not under the martyrs’ block, not, the sacrifice altar of the martyrs; but had received white robes, by accepting the pardoning grace of the living Word.”''
     
    What William Branham does with this statement is commit some major errors:
    #He ignores the fact that Revelation 6:9 says that the souls were under '''“THE”''' altar (there is only one altar mentioned in this scripture, and a 'martyr's altar' is never mentioned in scriptures);
    #He ignores the fact that there were many Christian martyrs, and that the Bride will include many people who were martyred;
    #He ignores what he previously said about the souls being Jews; and
    #He refers to the “pardoning grace of the living Word”.  Just one night prior he had called his own words “spirit and life” as evidenced by his ability to create squirrels (though no-one was around to witness this)That means he is making his own words the door to pardoning grace.
     
    ==Other controversial comments==
    William Branham also makes some off-topic statements during this sermon that are very strange:
    #He talks secretly to the [http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Was_William_Branham_a_racist%3F#KKK Masons in the crowd] when he says, “You Masons, I’ll call your attention.  You remember the sign of the cross?  Now you – you know what I’m talking about.“
    #He brings out a non-Biblical doctrine that Moses resurrected.  “Moses actually died.  But he rose, ‘ cause he was a perfect type of Christ. ”
    #He denies that his vision of heaven was like the Mormon version of Soul Sleep. 
    #He states that children are bundles of muscles until just before birth, at which time they are given the breath of life.  This doctrine is why many Message Believers think that still-born babies will not be in heaven, and why the anti-abortion movement isn’t worth their voice. 
     
    ===Why is William Branham always pointing to himself?===
    In his sermon on the Fifth Seal, William Branham stated:
     
    :''You know, a angel is a messenger, but do you know the messenger was a prophet? You believe that? Let's prove it. Revelation 22: let's see if it was a eagle. See, he was… Sure he was an angel; he was a messenger. But it was a prophet that revealed this whole Book of Revelation to him. Revelation the 22nd chapter and the 19th verse, I believe that's right if I've got it written down here: 22:19. I may be wrong. No, 22:9. That's what it is, I was looking at 22:9. That's right. Oh, yes, here.
     
    :''Then said he to me, See thou do it not:… (No true prophet would be worshipped or messenger of any kind. See, see?)… Then said he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them that keeps the sayings of this book: worship God.
     
    :''Now, watch. Isn't the prophet that we're looking to come, some man anointed with the—with the Spirit like Elijah? It won't be Elijah, of course, but it'll be a man like that will come down, and his very ministry is to send, to restore back to this fallen people through these denominational twists, back to the original faith of the fathers.<ref>William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal</ref>
     
    The KJV is the easiest to be twisted; therefore it is often used by self-appointed "prophets". Here is a more accurate translation:


    These beasts are absent in the fifth seal as the Holy Spirit has been taken off of the earth, and those who were filled with the Holy Spirit have been "raptured", or taken into heaven without having to die.  As the Holy Spirit has left with the Church, there is no further use guarding this testimony on earth.  
    :''But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Re 22:9.</ref>


    *'''I Thessalonians 4:17'''  ''Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.''
    This Angel simply compared himself to other servants, prophets, and ALL WHO OBEY what's written in the book; thus declaring that he must not be worshipped.  '''Scripture never says that this angel is a man and never states that he is a prophet who walked on the earth either in the past or future.'''  Why would William Branham think that this was referring to him?  Doesn't that come across as being just a little presumptuous?


    {{7 Seals}}


    ====Souls under the altar====
    =Video Transcript=
    These souls were slain for the "Word of God, and for the testimony that they held".  These people were not slain for the testimony of Jesus Christ, but they did have the Word of God.  These are the Jews who remained loyal the their cause, preserving and protecting the Jewish race and the word of God throughout Church history.


    :''For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:'' (ROMANS 11:25-26)
    In the introduction to his sermon on the Fifth Seal, William Branham clearly states the source of his revelation:


    :''...if He would not reveal It to me, I could not give It to you. I’m not trying to use any of my own thoughts or anything; just as He will give It. That’s right. And I—I’m sure, if I don’t use my own thoughts, and It comes in the way It has. And all through life It’s never been wrong. It won’t be wrong this time.


    <div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 10</div>
    :''...today, '''not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal''', It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak, when I was out in prayer.<ref>63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 5, 26</ref>


    {|style="width:800px; background-color:#cedff2; border:1px #a3b0bf solid; text-align:center;"
    He also makes it clear that his revelation disagreed with everyone else and with everything he had read on the subject:
    |''And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ''
     
    |-
    :''Now, here is where I’m going to get some real disagreeings. But you just watch just a minute. And just... See? I thought that, too, but it didn’t come that way. We have... I have always thought that these souls under the altar were the—the—the martyrs of the early Church. And I’m sure that, well, Dr. Uriah Smith, and '''every one of them, says it is'''. See? But, I thought so, myself. '''But when the Holy Spirit showed the vision to it, it wasn’t; it isn’t the souls.'''<ref>63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 215</ref>
    |}


    ====A cry for judgement====
    William Branham wanted his followers to clearly understand that he received his revelation directly from God and didn’t get it from someone else’s book.
    These people didn't ask for forgiveness for their persecutors, like Stephen, the first Christian martyr.  Instead, these people are calling for judgement, not grace.  These are people who received the judgement of God when they cried (or their fathers' cried) ''His blood be on us, and on our children'' (Matthew 27:25), and are now demanding the same judgement on those who brought them pain.


    So what was the revelation that came to William Branham?


    <div style="border-bottom:1px #B87333 solid; text-align:center; font-size:140%; padding:1px; margin:1px;">Revelation Chapter 6 Verse 11</div>
    :''Now, these cannot be them souls. Because, the—the souls of the—of the righteous, martyred, and the righteous people, the Church, the Bride, has done been took up, so they wouldn’t be under the altar. They would be in Glory, with the Bride. Now watch. For, they are gone in the Rapture, in the 4th chapter of Revelation. They was taken up. Now, who are these souls, then? That’s the next thing. Who are they, then, if they’re not the early Church? '''This is Israel''' that’s to be saved as a nation, all them that are predestinated. That’s Israel. That’s Israel, itself. <ref>63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 220-221</ref>


    {|style="width:800px; background-color:#cedff2; border:1px #a3b0bf solid; text-align:center;"
    It is interesting that William Branham states that he looked at all of his books and none of them had his understanding.
    |''And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. ''
    |-
    |}


    ====White Robes====
    We have seen that William Branham had Clarence Larkin’s booksLet’s take a look at what Clarence Larkin had to say:
    According to Romans 11:25, the Jews were blinded so that the Gentiles could receive the grace of God.  Though blinded by their own father, these Jews are also granted white robes by the mercy of God.   


    :''The removal of the Church at the end of the third chapter opens the way for God to renew His dealings with '''Israel''', and take up the broken thread of Jewish History.<ref>Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 32.</ref>
    :''The fact that their “SOULS” were under the “Sacrificial Altar” is proof that they had been offered as a “Sacrifice,” that is that they were MARTYRS. But '''they were not the Martyrs of the Christian Church'''...<ref>Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 58</ref>
    :''...these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS. This is still more likely when we consider that the “Gospel of the Kingdom” is to be preached to the NATIONS, and '''Israel''' has never been numbered among the Nations.<ref>Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 59</ref> 


    ====Those who will be killed====
    William Branham and Clarence Larkin have an identical interpretation of who the souls under the altar are. They both say those are the souls of Jewish martyrs waiting for their brethren and fellow servants (also Jews) to be killed during the tribulation.
    The season of killing is the last three and a half days of Daniel's 70th week, which translates into three and a half years. During this time the two prophets and the 144,000 will be killed.  


    :''And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.'' (REVELATION 11:7)
    How did Clarence Larkin get that revelation in 1919 when the fifth seal was not opened until 1963?


    How do we mesh this with William Branham’s statement that all of the theologians that he had read taught that the souls under the altar were martyrs of the Christian church?  We know William Branham read Clarence Larkin. 


    {{Portal Navigation}}
    Was William Branham intentionally misleading his listeners?
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    Latest revision as of 18:06, 22 August 2022

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    Seven Seals: IntroductionFirstSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthSeventhVideos

    Where did William Branham say he got his revelation from?

    William Branham said this about the source of his understanding of the fifth seal (all quotes from the Fifth Seal):

    And now coming especially on these lessons where we’re just waiting; if He would not reveal It to me, I could not give It to you. I’m not trying to use any of my own thoughts or anything; just as He will give It. That’s right. And I—I’m sure, if I don’t use my own thoughts, and It comes in the way It has. And all through life It’s never been wrong. It won’t be wrong this time.
    And I want to say this, and I want to give thanks to Him Who is omnipresent. And, that, today, not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak, when I was out in prayer. And today… I have just set these last five or six days, just in a little room, don’t see no one. Just go out and eat my meals with a—with a friend, with some of my friends here. And, course, you know who that friend is, it’s Brother and Sister Wood. Yeah. And—and you know, and I went over there and—and stay with them, and everybody has been nice. And there hasn’t been anything, just simply… I’m trying to stay right with that Message of these Seals. Its important. I believe it’s—it’s the hour of Its revealing time, of revelation of It.
    But I’m just taking It from the inspiration, which completely changed my view of It. See?[1]

    He definitely didn't get it from men!

    William Branham said that ALL of the authors that he read agreed that the souls under the altar were Christian martyrs:

    Now notice, now, in the 9th verse, “Souls under the altar.” Now, here is where I’m going to get some real disagreeings. But you just watch just a minute. And just…See? I thought that, too, but it didn’t come that way. We have… I have always thought that these souls under the altar were the—the—the martyrs of the early Church. And I’m sure that, well, Dr. Uriah Smith, and every one of them, says it is. See? But, I thought so, myself. But when the Holy Spirit showed the vision to it, it wasn’t; it isn’t the souls.[2]

    William Branham's Interpretation of the Fifth Seal

    William Branham’s essential interpretation of the fifth seal is that the souls under the altar represented past Jewish martyrs and their fellow servants and brethren were Jewish martyrs who would die during the tribulation. His basis for saying they were Jewish martyrs was the fact that the fifth seal was in the sixth chapter of revelation, but the rapture of the church had happened in the fourth chapter.

    William Branham explained it as follows:

    Now, for they, at this time, if you notice, this Fifth Seal being opened, see, the Church is gone. It just can’t be, the souls under the—the early Church. Now, now, please, if you ever did give this attention now, ’cause this is a great controver… controversy, so I want you to listen real close now. And you got your papers, and things to write with. Now, I want you to notice. Now, these cannot be them souls. Because, the—the souls of the—of the righteous, martyred, and the righteous people, the Church, the Bride, has done been took up, so they wouldn’t be under the altar. They would be in Glory, with the Bride. Now watch. For, they are gone in the Rapture, in the 4th chapter of Revelation. They was taken up. Now, who are these souls, then? That’s the next thing. Who are they, then, if they’re not the early Church? This is Israel that’s to be saved as a nation, all them that are predestinated. That’s Israel. That’s Israel, itself.[3]

    Comparison to the Views of Clarence Larkin

    Clarence Larkin.jpg

    William Branham taught the rapture took place in chapter 4 of Revelation many times, including the quote above from the Fifth Seal. In The Book of Revelation, published in 1919 by Clarence Larkin, note the exact same essential interpretation as William Branham:

    The removal of the Church at the end of the third chapter opens the way for God to renew His dealings with Israel, and take up the broken thread of Jewish History. That the portion of the Book from chapter three to the end of chapter nineteen is largely made up of symbols taken from the Old Testament, as the Tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant, Altar, Censer, Elders, Cherubim, Seals, Trumpets, Plagues, etc., is conclusive evidence that we are here back on Jewish ground, and that the Parenthetical Dispensation of the Church is complete, and that the last or “Seventieth Week” of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” is in course of fulfilment.[4]

    Larkin also taught that souls under the altar were the souls of Jewish Martyrs:

    The fact that their “SOULS” were under the “Sacrificial Altar” is proof that they had been offered as a “Sacrifice,” that is that they were MARTYRS. But they were not the Martyrs of the Christian Church, for they had been resurrected and taken up with the Church. These Martyrs are those who will be killed for the “Word of God” and their “testimony” after the Church is caught out. …Their cry is that of the Imprecatory Psalms (Psa. 35, 55, 59, 94, etc.) and indicates that these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS. This is still more likely when we consider that the “Gospel of the Kingdom” is to be preached to the NATIONS, and Israel has never been numbered among the Nations.[5]

    William Branham and Clarence Larkin have an identical interpretation of who the souls under the altar are. They both say those are the souls of Jewish martyrs waiting for their brethren and fellow servants (also Jews) to be killed during the tribulation. William Branham and Larkin both use the exact same reasoning to explain how they know they are Jewish martyrs and not Christian martyrs. They both explain the rapture has already happened before the fifth seal, in the fourth chapter, so these souls could not be Christians who were part of the rapture. It is identical. How did Clarence Larkin get that revelation in 1919 when the fifth seal was hidden until 1963?

    WMB Library.jpg

    William Branham also stated multiple times he spent significant time studying Larkin’s books. Here is an example of William Branham explaining the amount of time he spent studying these books:

    This has been a week of tremendous study. Yesterday, all day, I hardly moved from the room, trying to study. And it’s something in the last time, a many of the old-timers here, that I taught, I just said, “In here belongs the seventy weeks of Daniel,” but I did not try to attack it, to explain it. But this time, by the grace of God, I have taken upon myself to try to ask grace before God, that I might bring it to the people. And in here I’m finding things that I do not know one thing about. And, then, I—I’ve been reading Dr. Larkin’s book, Dr. Smith’s book, Dr. Scofield’s notes, different commentaries from men everywhere…[6]

    Please note the picture of William Branham’s personal library which includes a clear picture of Larkin’s books: The Book of Revelation and Dispensational Truth. This photo is from Only Believe magazine published by Rebecca Branham Smith when the library was being turned into a memorial after William Branham’s death.

    We have overwhelming evidence that William Branham read and studied the books of Larkin and other men from whom he copied his sermons on the seals. Yet, William Branham goes on to make statements like the following when he preached the seals:

    Now notice, now, in the 9th verse, “Souls under the altar.” Now, here is where I’m going to get some real disagreeings. But you just watch just a minute. And just…See? I thought that, too, but it didn’t come that way. We have…I have always thought that these souls under the altar were the—the—the martyrs of the early Church. And I’m sure that, well, Dr. Uriah Smith, and every one of them, says it is. See? But, I thought so, myself. But when the Holy Spirit showed the vision to it, it wasn’t.[7]

    Conclusion

    William Branham misled his audience. Did “every one of them” say the souls under the altar were martyrs of the Christian church? No, and he knew they did not all say that. William Branham was dishonest during the sermon on the fifth seal. He knew Clarence Larkin taught the souls under the altar were Jewish martyrs. Why was he pretending he was teaching the people something never known before? Why was he pretending that he received this knowledge from Holy Spirit when he was clearly repeating what he read in one of his library books.

    Clear Examples of Direct Plagiarism

    William Branham’s secret source of information for this sermon was the writings of Clarence Larkin. Here is a comparison:

    What William Branham Said [8] What Clarence Larkin Said [9]
    They were killed for the Word of God's sake, not for the testimony of Christ. Did you understand that? But remember, the church come in. Also the martyrs of the church was for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. How many knows that here too? All right now... But these didn't have the testimony of Jesus Christ "… Now, notice. These Jews... I have to do this in order to--to let you see the revelation of this Seal, see what it is, these souls under the altar and who they are. When the Lamb had opened the “FIFTH SEAL,” John saw under the “Sacrificial Altar,” corresponding to the “Burnt Offering Altar,” the “SOULS” of them that were slain for the “Word of God” and for the “testimony they held.” The fact that their “SOULS” were under the “Sacrificial Altar” is proof that they had been offered as a “Sacrifice,” that is that they were MARTYRS. But they were not the Martyrs of the Christian Church... These Martyrs are those who will be killed for the “Word of God.”
    Notice, they asked for revenge. See? Now, if that had been the Bride, it'd been like Stephen: "Father, forgive them," you know. See? But these are Jews that just come in. See? They asked for revenge. “How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost Thou not judge and avenge our BLOOD on them that dwell on the earth?” The character of their cry is further proof that they are not the Martyrs of the Christian Church, for they would not cry to be avenged, but like Stephen would say—“Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Acts 7:60.
    for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held," as Jews. Their cry is that of the Imprecatory Psalms (Psa. 35, 55, 59, 94, etc.) and indicates that these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS.
    Now, notice. In the time of Daniel, now, the second half of the seventieth week... Now, remember, Messiah was to be cut off in the midst. That's the middle. Well, what's half of seven? Three and a half... But there's determined yet to the people what? Another three and a half year. These martyred SOULS were comforted, and told that they should rest for a “little season,” about 3½ years, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren (Jews) that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled.
    It disproves it, the opening of this Seal in this last day; it just takes soul sleeping plumb out of the way. See? They're alive. They're not dead. That there is no such thing as Soul Sleep, and that disembodied SOULS are conscious and can speak and cry, is clear from what John saw and heard, for these “SOULS” cried with a loud voice

    Questions to ask yourself

    William Branham tells that he understood the Fifth Seal that morning:

    “Today, not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak.”

    Then he asks God to break the Fifth Seal that evening:

    “O Lamb of God, come forward, we pray. We call on You, Lord, the great Redeemer. Come forth and show us Your plan of redemption that’s been hid through the years, breaking this Fifth Seal for us tonight, Father.”

    Why did he ask God to break the Seal when he already knew what he was going to say?
    Why are the Seals God’s plan of redemption, when Jesus already redeemed us on the cross?
    Why is he calling on the Lamb of God the way a Magician would call out to a spirit behind a curtain?

    Jesus' Warning of False Prophets

    In this sermon William Branham ties Jesus’ warning about “False Prophets” to the time after the rapture. As such, this scripture naturally does not apply to him.

    William Branham also tells a story about Joseph giving his brothers white robes in this sermon. It is likely from this story that some Message Believers think that Moses and Elijah will arise and translate the sermon of the Seven Seals into Hebrew after the rapture. So, perhaps his message really is one of the false ministries to watch for.

    Other issues

    Confusion - Christians under the Altar?

    William Branham then tells a story of how he went to a heavenly place, and saw his own converts under the altar. He tells of the white-robed saints in “that heavenly place” that he saw in a vision. But Jesus was not there! It was a mixture of purgatory, and souls under the altar:

    I want to see Jesus... You can’t see him now, He is still higher... You mean, by being a leader, that He’ll judge me? Said, “Yes” I said, “what about Paul?” He said, “He’ll have to be judged with his.” “Well” I said, if his group goes in, so will mine, ‘cause I’ve preached exactly the same Word.” ...nd millions screamed out, all at once, said, “We’re resting on that!” …See, we was right under the altar.[10]

    The most notable person absent from this place was Jesus, making “that heavenly place” a waiting place, while the people wait for William Branham to be judged.

    It must have been another altar?

    Later in the sermon William Branham talks about two altars in heaven, to diffuse the confusion between the Jews and his followers:

    “The Bride, she was not under the martyrs’ block, not, the sacrifice altar of the martyrs; but had received white robes, by accepting the pardoning grace of the living Word.”

    What William Branham does with this statement is commit some major errors:

    1. He ignores the fact that Revelation 6:9 says that the souls were under “THE” altar (there is only one altar mentioned in this scripture, and a 'martyr's altar' is never mentioned in scriptures);
    2. He ignores the fact that there were many Christian martyrs, and that the Bride will include many people who were martyred;
    3. He ignores what he previously said about the souls being Jews; and
    4. He refers to the “pardoning grace of the living Word”. Just one night prior he had called his own words “spirit and life” as evidenced by his ability to create squirrels (though no-one was around to witness this). That means he is making his own words the door to pardoning grace.

    Other controversial comments

    William Branham also makes some off-topic statements during this sermon that are very strange:

    1. He talks secretly to the Masons in the crowd when he says, “You Masons, I’ll call your attention. You remember the sign of the cross? Now you – you know what I’m talking about.“
    2. He brings out a non-Biblical doctrine that Moses resurrected. “Moses actually died. But he rose, ‘ cause he was a perfect type of Christ. ”
    3. He denies that his vision of heaven was like the Mormon version of Soul Sleep.
    4. He states that children are bundles of muscles until just before birth, at which time they are given the breath of life. This doctrine is why many Message Believers think that still-born babies will not be in heaven, and why the anti-abortion movement isn’t worth their voice.

    Why is William Branham always pointing to himself?

    In his sermon on the Fifth Seal, William Branham stated:

    You know, a angel is a messenger, but do you know the messenger was a prophet? You believe that? Let's prove it. Revelation 22: let's see if it was a eagle. See, he was… Sure he was an angel; he was a messenger. But it was a prophet that revealed this whole Book of Revelation to him. Revelation the 22nd chapter and the 19th verse, I believe that's right if I've got it written down here: 22:19. I may be wrong. No, 22:9. That's what it is, I was looking at 22:9. That's right. Oh, yes, here.
    Then said he to me, See thou do it not:… (No true prophet would be worshipped or messenger of any kind. See, see?)… Then said he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them that keeps the sayings of this book: worship God.
    Now, watch. Isn't the prophet that we're looking to come, some man anointed with the—with the Spirit like Elijah? It won't be Elijah, of course, but it'll be a man like that will come down, and his very ministry is to send, to restore back to this fallen people through these denominational twists, back to the original faith of the fathers.[11]

    The KJV is the easiest to be twisted; therefore it is often used by self-appointed "prophets". Here is a more accurate translation:

    But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”[12]

    This Angel simply compared himself to other servants, prophets, and ALL WHO OBEY what's written in the book; thus declaring that he must not be worshipped. Scripture never says that this angel is a man and never states that he is a prophet who walked on the earth either in the past or future. Why would William Branham think that this was referring to him? Doesn't that come across as being just a little presumptuous?

    Links to other articles in the series

    This article is one in a series of studies on the Seven Seals - you are currently on the topic that is in bold:

    Video Transcript

    In the introduction to his sermon on the Fifth Seal, William Branham clearly states the source of his revelation:

    ...if He would not reveal It to me, I could not give It to you. I’m not trying to use any of my own thoughts or anything; just as He will give It. That’s right. And I—I’m sure, if I don’t use my own thoughts, and It comes in the way It has. And all through life It’s never been wrong. It won’t be wrong this time.
    ...today, not knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, It came in that same mysterious way, this morning, just about an hour before daybreak, when I was out in prayer.[13]

    He also makes it clear that his revelation disagreed with everyone else and with everything he had read on the subject:

    Now, here is where I’m going to get some real disagreeings. But you just watch just a minute. And just... See? I thought that, too, but it didn’t come that way. We have... I have always thought that these souls under the altar were the—the—the martyrs of the early Church. And I’m sure that, well, Dr. Uriah Smith, and every one of them, says it is. See? But, I thought so, myself. But when the Holy Spirit showed the vision to it, it wasn’t; it isn’t the souls.[14]

    William Branham wanted his followers to clearly understand that he received his revelation directly from God and didn’t get it from someone else’s book.

    So what was the revelation that came to William Branham?

    Now, these cannot be them souls. Because, the—the souls of the—of the righteous, martyred, and the righteous people, the Church, the Bride, has done been took up, so they wouldn’t be under the altar. They would be in Glory, with the Bride. Now watch. For, they are gone in the Rapture, in the 4th chapter of Revelation. They was taken up. Now, who are these souls, then? That’s the next thing. Who are they, then, if they’re not the early Church? This is Israel that’s to be saved as a nation, all them that are predestinated. That’s Israel. That’s Israel, itself. [15]

    It is interesting that William Branham states that he looked at all of his books and none of them had his understanding.

    We have seen that William Branham had Clarence Larkin’s books. Let’s take a look at what Clarence Larkin had to say:

    The removal of the Church at the end of the third chapter opens the way for God to renew His dealings with Israel, and take up the broken thread of Jewish History.[16]
    The fact that their “SOULS” were under the “Sacrificial Altar” is proof that they had been offered as a “Sacrifice,” that is that they were MARTYRS. But they were not the Martyrs of the Christian Church...[17]
    ...these Martyrs whose SOULS are seen are mainly JEWS. This is still more likely when we consider that the “Gospel of the Kingdom” is to be preached to the NATIONS, and Israel has never been numbered among the Nations.[18]

    William Branham and Clarence Larkin have an identical interpretation of who the souls under the altar are. They both say those are the souls of Jewish martyrs waiting for their brethren and fellow servants (also Jews) to be killed during the tribulation.

    How did Clarence Larkin get that revelation in 1919 when the fifth seal was not opened until 1963?

    How do we mesh this with William Branham’s statement that all of the theologians that he had read taught that the souls under the altar were martyrs of the Christian church? We know William Branham read Clarence Larkin.

    Was William Branham intentionally misleading his listeners?

    Footnotes

    1. William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 5, 26-28, 40
    2. William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 215
    3. William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal
    4. Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 32.
    5. Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 59.
    6. William Branham, 61-0730M - Gabriel's Instructions To Daniel, para. 32
    7. William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal
    8. William Branham, March 22, 1965, The Fifth Seal
    9. Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture, 58-59 (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919)
    10. William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 391, 401-404, 410
    11. William Branham, 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal
    12. New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Re 22:9.
    13. 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 5, 26
    14. 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 215
    15. 63-0322 - The Fifth Seal, para. 220-221
    16. Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 32.
    17. Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 58
    18. Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Philadelphia, PA: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919), 59


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