_4. A Brief, Recent History Of The Progression
WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING by Pastor Bill Randies A Brief, Recent History of the Progression of Pentecostal Error
Shifting Hope
We can start by looking at hope. What is it and how does it affect us? Hope is your favorable expectation, what we have to look forward to. What you hope for determines how you will live, relate to others and receive from the Lord. Though we all may have several hopes of differing degrees of intensity, everyone’s life has an ultimate, overriding, expectation, either a hope or a dread. What is your ultimate (bottom line) hope? What is the hope of the church? This is a very significant question, worthy of our attention, for it will determine much of the character and effectiveness of the church. What is it that we are to look forward to?
Traditionally, the Pentecostals and Evangelicals have hoped in the bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ, to "rescue us from the evils of this present world." We looked forward to the "gathering together" unto Him, the Rapture of the church, to be with the Lord in the air. We realized that any day could be the last day of possible impact for us on this earth. Consequently, the Pentecostal Movement has had one of the greatest missionary thrusts of any movement ever. The heavenly minded, contrary to popular opinion, have always done the most earthly good! The Pentecostal Hymnedy has been an example of this hope. Songs like, "I’ll Fly Away," "Changed in the Twinkling of an Eye," "Victory in Jesus," "When We All Get to Heaven," "We Shall See the King," and "I’m Getting Ready to Leave This World," have helped to both reflect and nurture this cherished hope. We have been pilgrims, passing through this world.
But, our hope has shifted, and this shift has brought consequences. As one California pastor with a nationally known ministry has said,
"I used to sing all those unscriptural songs..." This world is not my home, I’m just passing through; My treasures are laid up away beyond the blue.., "Did you ever sing that one? I’ve got news for you. This world is your home. Forever, according to the Word [of God]...Our final home is right here on earth." (1) We have shifted from a God centered heavenly expectation to a man centered,
"We [the church] must conquer for Christ" before Jesus comes back. The hope has shifted from expecting God to complete our redemption and judge the world in righteousness, to the church rising up in "power and glory" and doing exploits!
Triumphalism The above mentioned shift in hope, began as a trickle in Evangelical and Pentecostal circles, but has been steadily gaining momentum, to the point where triumphalism in one form or another is now the predominant view in the church. To people who hold to this view, the idea of a "Rapture" is an evasion of our responsibilities, a "defeatist," helicopter escape theory, (the idea of being rescued from heaven, somehow unworthy of overcomers).
There are two major forms of triumphalism that have captured the popular Christian imagination at this time. The Evangelical form is the "We’ve got to take back our country from the humanists" variety. We are "taking dominion" over every aspect of our culture and ruling and reigning for Christ. Art, politics, education, communication, all are "ground that needs to be taken" for Christ, and controlled by Christians. Allegedly, we are the leaven, which ultimately effects the whole lump (society) for Christ! This belief has been confusingGenesis 1:26withMatthew 28:18-20, telling Christians we have a "dominion mandate" to exercise over society. This movement has touched Pentecostals, but its primary appeal is to the non-Charismatic oriented Evangelical. Authors like Gary North, Gary Demar, David Chilton, and others have brilliantly set forth both their doctrine and agenda for the reconstruction of society. This movement received great impetus in the 1980’s, both with the political dissatisfaction of American Christians, as well as, the failure of Jesus to return by 1988 as many Christians expected. (Popular prophecy teachers had interpretedMatthew 24:1-51(Matthew 24:1-51;Matthew 24:23-51)to teach that within 40 years of the establishment of national Israel [May, 1948], Jesus would return, 40 years being a generation). The reconstruction movement and its wider implications have been well documented and discussed in Dave Hunt’s excellent book, Whatever Happened To Heaven?
Pentecostal Triumphalism
There is another side of triumphalism however, a supernatural as opposed to political/cultural dominionism. For at least 40 years, but undoubtedly longer, there has been an alternative hope fostered in Pentecostal circles. It is the hope of a "Great End Times Revival," which would "shake the whole world," and bring whole nations to Jesus! The church won’t be a "whipped, sick, defeated little group huddled in the corner, hiding from the Antichrist," but rather, a might army, ruling the nations, displaying raw power, emptying hospitals, filling stadiums, the awe of the whole world! And the kicker is that all of this takes place, allegedly, before the return of our Lord. The question ofLuke 18:1-43(Luke 18:1-43)is almost irrelevant, in this view. Will the son of man find faith when He comes to earth? Of course, He will, more faith than ever ! A man centered hope has replaced for us the old hope of the church.
Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.Titus 2:13
I believe that it is only in this context that you can ever begin to understand what is happening in Toronto and other places all over the world. Please allow me to take you back about 40 some years. The Evangelical Awakening of the Late 40’s
All kinds of good things were bursting forth from the kingdom of God, in the post World War II years. It seemed as though God was blowing aside the strife and death lingering over the globe, with a fresh breeze of His Spirit. Between the years of 1946-1956, there was simultaneously an Evangelical Awakening as well as a Pentecostal Healing and Deliverance Revival. On college campuses all over the country in the late 40’s and early 5O’s spontaneous, sovereign revivals sprung forth. God was doing "terrible things, which we weren’t looking for." Just two random examples, Wheaton College in Illinois and Asbury Seminary in Kentucky, in February 1950, both had revivals, which were reported on in Life Magazine, Time, and numerous other national news sources! It was in 1948 that Billy Graham gained national prominence as an evangelist, Bill Bright began campus work in those days, Fuller, his seminary in 1947, World Vision started in the early 1950’s.
Even internationally, the times were marked by an unusual degree of God’s graciousness. Astounding revivals broke out in the British and Scottish Isles, particularly in the Isle of Lewis and Harris in 1949, also known as the Hebrides Isles. To give you a taste of the evangelical awakening, here is an eyewitness account of the Hebrides Revival of 1949.
"The service closed in a tense silence and the building emptied. As he came down from the pulpit, a young deacon raised his hand moving it in a circle above his head, whispered, ’Mr. Campbell, God is hovering over. Be is going to break through. I can hear the rumbling of heaven’s chariot wheels.’ Just then the door opened and an older beckoned, ’Come and see what’s happening!’ The entire congregation was lingering outside, reluctant to disperse, others had joined them, drawn from their homes by an irresistible power they had not experienced before. There were looks of deep distress on many faces.
"Suddenly, a cry pierced the silence. A young man who had remained in the church, burdened to the point of agony for his fellow man, was pouring out his desire in prayer. He was so overcome that he fell into a trance and as he lay prostrate on the floor, the congregation swept back into the church. The awful presence of God brought a wave of conviction of sin that caused even mature Christians to feel their sinfulness, bringing groans of distress and prayers of repentance from the unconverted. Strong men bowed under the weight of sin and cries for mercy were mingled with shouts of joy from others who had passed into life."
Now that is revival! Based on the preaching of the Word, attended with "solemn conviction," initiated by the sovereign God, bringing repentance! Glory to God! The Pentecostal Revival of the 1940’s-1950’s
(Although I disagree with what Pastor Randle has written in this following section I have left it in. I would argue the credibility of the mentioned men, but this is not the proper place. Roy Lister) The post World War II years were a tremendous time of awakening for the Pentecostals as well. It was during those years that God graciously granted a tremendous visitation of healing and gifts of the Spirit, according to His will. These were the days when men like Oral Roberts, Jack Coo, David Nunn, A. A. Alien, and T. L. Osborne were launched into powerful healing ministries that absolutely astounded the multitudes. Reading the accounts of T. L. Osborne in his chapter, "The Results," from his book, Healing the Sick, is like reading the Book of Acts on an even larger scale! Here are some excerpts,
"February 9, 1949: Kingston, Jamaica, one deaf mute was healed. Two blind were healed, they could see my hand and count my fingers. Many stroke victims and lame and sick folks were healed...As I left the auditorium, I met a blind woman in the street. She heard my voice and begged me to pray for her. I did and she was completely and instantly healedM She could count my fingers out in the dark, could see the stars in the heavens and walked away in the night unaided, praising God..." (2)
You get stories of this kind, over and over again and not just in the Third World countries, but everywhere in the world. I have no doubt that these things happened either, for they are completely scriptural and we can expect "these signs and wonders to follow those who believe." God is ever gracious and it pleases Him to reveal His healing mercy to the world. The effect of the great healing ministries began to wane toward the late 1950’s and to many, the healing ministry came into disrepute. Of course, divine healing itself is scriptural and above reproach no matter what anyone says, however it is in the vessels of mercy that there are problems at times. All that our loving Father has chosen to work with is men, sinners. Just because a man has been gifted by God, it doesn’t mean that he will always exhibit the character of Christ, or even remain true to Jesus, for that matter. As it is written, The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Like Samson, there have been a few notorious examples of healing evangelists falling prey to their own desires.
Three Messages of the Healing Movement
I believe that the primary aspect of every movement has to be, not the manifestation, but the message that it presents. The healing revival brought three major messages to the body. Supremely, was the message of the importance of unity in the body of Christ. They often preached that, "for this cause many are weak and sickly and die early," because they failed to rightly discern the mystical body of Christ. In those gigantic tent meetings, God showed people that he is no respecter of persons, nor denominations. Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and even Catholics (gasp!) as well as some Pentecostals were healed by the hand of the Lord. The healing ministries saw in this a day coming when the denominational system would give way to "one body in Christ." This message has remained a supreme aspiration for many to this day, and the desire for unity at almost any cost is at a zenith!
Another message that was stressed was the restoration concept. The idea was that since the days of the early church, various truths of Christian experience have been lost. But, even as Luther was used to restore justification by faith, Wesley, the sanctification message, the Baptists, the return of Christ, even the Pentecostals were used to restore the baptism of the Holy Ghost and divine healing. The anticipation developed that, before Jesus returns there would be a complete restoration of New Testament Christianity, including restoration of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. This doctrine has subsequently taken on a life of its own and produced a variety of errant views, of which much of today’s error springs from. I think that the premise is wrong. Who says that the true church lost any truths that need to be restored? The third message stressed is that these are indeed the final days befiore the return of Jesus Christ. "Get ready everyone, Jesus is coming, and these healings are a sign to you of this fact!" To which I say, Amen!
ADeuteronomy 13:1-18Test
(I say without hesitation that the man spoken of here, William Branham, far from being a man of God, is the spirit of anti-christ. Please see. (Watching the New Wave} I will post more material on this man at some stage. Roy Lister In those days also, a simple, obscure man rose to prominence in healing ministry. Eventually, he came to be regarded as a prophet of God. His name was William Branham, and I believe that his unique life marks a turning point for American Pentecostalism. It is my opinion, that he represented a test from God. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) The kind of test in which we, in failing, have to a degree lost our eyesight (discernment). I’ll tell you why i’ve come to believe that, after we look together at his interesting and unusual life.
William Branham was born 100 years and 10 miles from the time and place that Abe Lincoln was born, deep in the hills of Kentucky. He was born to very simple and poor parents. His mother was only 15 and his father was 18 years old. It has been reported that when visitors and well wishors came to the log shack to see the child, they also saw an otherworldly light resting over the babe.
Branham, who was the first often children, reports of his early life that, "There was always a peculiar feeling, like someone standing near me, trying to say something to me, and especially when I was alone." In fact, when he was seven years old, he had a strange visitation.
"I was on my way one afternoon to carry water to the house from the barn, which was about a city block away. About halfway between the house and the barn stood an old poplar tree. I had just gotten home from school and the other boys were going out to a pond to fish. I was crying to go, but Dad said that I had to pack water. I stopped under the tree to rest when all of a sudden I heard a sound as of the wind blowing the leaves. I knew that it wasn’t blowing any other place. It seemed to be a very still afternoon. I stepped back from the tree and noticed that in a certain place, about the size of a barrel, the wind seemed to be blowing through the tree leaves. Then there came a voice saying, "Never drink, smoke, or defile your body in any way for I have a work for you to do when you get older." (3)
Now this visitation scared Branham greatly, and it would be some time before he was converted. In his early 20’s, after being healed of a life threatening condition, Branham gave his life to God. After a time, he became a Baptist preacher, held a tent meeting in Jeffersonvilla, Indiana, and started a church there, the Branham Tabernacle. As a young preacher, he one day wandered into a tent meeting of Pentecostals, who asked him to preach, recognizing the call on his life. That tent meeting had an impact on Branham, for as he later said, he could see that they had something he lacked! After excitedly telling his wife, her family and his friends of the experience, people talked him out of mingling with "those folks," so he backed away. In 1937, while he was both pastoring and working as a game warden, the Ohio River flooded, killing both his wife and young baby. Branham believed that it was a judgement from God for refusing to join the Pentecostals. Shortly after that, he did join them, particularly the United Pentecostal Churches, the "oneness" people (as in Jesus only). These are people who believe that the doctrine of the trinity is "of the devil." There is an incident from this period in his life that underscores the unusual quality of it. He was preparing to baptize 130 people in the Ohio River. According to Gordon Lindsey:
"As Brother Branham was about to baptize the 17th person, he heard a still small voice which said, "Look up." Three times the words were repeated. He looked up and there from the sky appeared a bright star. After a few seconds had passed, the people looked up and many of the people saw the star also. Some fainted, others shouted, and still others ran away. Then the star apparently was withdrawn back into the sky. The incident created such an interest that an account of it appeared in the local newspaper. (4)
Branham’s whole life was marked by strange episodes like this. More than once, people reported either seeing a halo, or his head bathed in a strange, intense light! I have in my files two copies of photographs taken, which capture this phenomena. One photograph was taken by a man hired by one of Branhamls detractors. When the photo was developed, a halo appeared above Branham’s head! That’s right, a halo! The photographer was so impressed he immediately took the photo to the hotel that Branham was staying at. The Branham people had the photo examined by a professional investigator of questionable documents, who signed an affidavit attesting to the fact that the photo had not been tampered with. How do you question a man with a halo?
One of the strangest experiences happened in May of 1946, while Branham was still an obscure pastor, working also as a game warden to make ends meet. On that day, as he relates, "While walking...under a maple tree, it seemed that the whole top of the tree let loose. It seemed that something came down through the tree like a great, rushing, wind..." (5) When she heard the sound, his wife came rushing out of the house to ask the badly shaken Branham what was happening. He realized that it was his crisis time, finally, the time had come to find out his life’s calling and to confront "the presence" which had followed him through his life. Branham went off to a cabin in the woods to pray, (in his own words).
"Then along in the night, at about the 11th hour, I had quit praying and was sitting up when I noticed a light flickering in the room. Thinking someone was coming with a flashlight I looked out of the window, but there was no one, and when I looked back the light was spreading out on the floor, becoming wider... As the light was spreading... I became excited... as I looked up, there hung that great star... looked like a ball of fire or light shining down on the floor... coming through the light I saw the feet of a man coming towards me, as naturally as you could walk towards me. He appeared to be a man who... clothed in a white robe, he had a smooth face, no beard, dark hair down to his shoulders, rather dark complexioned, with a very pleasant countenance... Seeing how fearful I was, he began to speak, "Fear not, I am sent from the presence of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar life and your misunderstood ways have been to indicate that God has sent you to take a gift of divine healing to the peoples of the world. If you will be sincere and can get the people to believe you, nothing shall stand before your prayer, not even cancer." (6) The angel went on to tell Branham that he would have two sign gifts, the ability to tell people the secrets of their hearts and past life and the ability to detect diseases by the vibrations of his left hand. This visitation would mark a turning point for his ministry. It was shortly after this that Branham was catapulted to national prominence.
Signs and Wonders
Branham’s ministry was nothing short of amazing. I have seen video tapes of Branham, one in particular was a Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship meeting in the mid 1950’s. Branham and the crowd were obviously waiting for the sign gift ministry to begin. "You know what I’m waiting for, the angel of the Lord, I can’t start without him." Gradually, he would say something like, "Now he’s here," and the sign gift ministry would start, as he calmly called individuals out of the crowd, tell them the secrets of their heart, the diseases of their body, what the doctor said, what they said to their wife the previous night, and then calmly pronounce them healed, and often they were!
People who knew Branham are all agreed on at least two points. One, his genuine character of humility and compassion. Branham lacked hype or any showmanship at all. The other thing all agreed upon was his absolute accuracy, in words of knowledge and wisdom. The late Ern Baxter (commonly known as one of the Fort Lauderdale Five, shepherding leaders of the 1970’s) was a teacher traveling with Branham for some years. Baxter has made the comment that he never heard Branham give an inaccurate word of knowledge to any person. And Branham ministered to tens of thousands, perhaps 100’s of thousands! F.F. Bosworth, a pioneer healing evangelist and author of Christ, the Healer said of Branham,
"At these times, he can say with absolute certainty, "Thus saith the Lord," and he is never wrong. He told me last week he simply acts out what he already has seen himself doing in a vision. The success phase of his ministry is exactly 100%. (7)
I could go on and on about Branham, for truly his life and ministry were astounding. Calmly and deliberately, he would affect incredible healings and deliverances. Over and over again he would tell people what their name, address, conversation, troubles, diseases, sometimes sins, friends, etc., by the Spirit, with complete accuracy! There were also incredibly dramatic showdowns with crazed lunatics, who would be allowed to get to Branham, spewing out blasphemies and threatenings and yet be unable to actually do anything except either shirk away or repent, all in front of huge audiences. Pentecostals have never seen anything like it before or since! To this day, the Pentecostal media hold him up in a reverent light. When he died on Christmas Eve, 1965, at the age of 56, his followers wouldn’t allow him to be buried, believing that he would be raised from the dead on Easter, 1966! Eventually and reluctantly, he was buried, but his death, of a car accident, rocked the Pentecostal world!
One "Small" Detail Have you noticed one detail in this brief biography I have left out? Think about it.
I told you of the signs, wonders, humility, character, accuracy, renown, of the man but I saved one aspect for last. His teaching.
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shah not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your godproveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shall thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.Deuteronomy 13:1-18
Now is the time for us to reexamine both Deuteronomy 18:1-22 and Deuteronomy 13:1-18. The teaching is that if anyone calls himself a prophet and is inaccurate at all, speaking in the name of the Lord, you are not to fear him. {Deuteronomy 18:1-22} But, Deuteronomy 13:1-18 tells us that a prophet can arise, who is accurate in his gifts, but still is a false prophet. Why is this? Because God can allow the accuracy to test the loyalty of His people. The question is, will we live by bread alone? Or by every word that comes from God? Will we be dazzled by powerful signs and wonders? Or do we loyally uphold the truth of God? If false prophets can have accurate gifts, where people get healed and predictions come to pass, how can you tell if they are false? By examining the content of their teaching. This is the test we keep failing. We get so intoxicated by signs, wonders, prophecies, words, healings, crowds, and personality, we overlook doctrinal error. After all, we don’t argue over "doctrinal gnats," do we?
Branham’s Teaching
What did he teach? For that matter, what does Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, Bob Jones, John Wimber, Bill Hamon, Roger Forester, Gerald Coates, or anyone else who is part of the "prophetic move" teach? For the teaching is much more significant then the manifestation. The teaching is one of the fruits you can "know them by."
Branham believed that we are in what he called, "God’s seventh church age," based on the letters to the church in Revelation. According to Branham, "the angels of the churches," were different men down through church history, who brought the church along, through new revelation. In fact, his tombstone, in Jeffersonville, indiana, is shaped like a pyramid. On one side are the names of the seven churches. On the other side are the names of the messengers to each church, Paul, Irenaeus, Martin, Columba, Luther, Wesley, and of course, Branham. The impact of the United Pentecostal Church is evident in his teaching, also. Branham believed that the doctrine of the trinity was Babylonian and even "of the devil." (8) To him, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are three different "attributes" of Jesus.
Stranger yet, Branham taught that the Word of God was given in three forms, the zodiac, the Egyptian pyramids, and the written scripture. Another strange doctrine, was his teaching on the "serpent’s seed," the idea that Eve had sexual relations with Satan and produced the line of Cain, an evil "seed" which is continually being propagated to this day. The effect of this doctrine has a tendency towards misogyny, making women responsible for keeping the "seed" alive.
It is my conviction that the Pentecostal movement stood at a crossroads in regards to Branham. Would we judge the heresy in loyalty to the truth of the gospel? Or, would we look at it in a pragmatic way, "Look at the crowds! He brings people to God! How could this be of Satan? Would Satan heal? We’ve been begging God for signs and wonders, they’re here! His critics are nothing, they don’t"produce the goods, "they’re probably not even spirit filled, no anointing, just criticism." Though there were no doubt many voices raised against Branham’s heresies, by and large, Branham enjoyed great acceptance by the truly influential leaders of Pentecostalism. (To this day, he is regarded by many as a prophet and pioneer of the signs and wonders movement.) It is true that at the time of his death, his popularity was waning and his teaching became more obvious, but to the Manifested Sons of God Movement, as well as much of Christian media, and even the current "miracle ministries" and Charismatic leaders, there is a profound respect for him and in many cases a desire to emulate him. As Al Dager says, "To date, William Branham’s body is still in tile grave. But, his occult methodology of healing was picked up by hundreds of pastors and teachers upon whom he had laid his hands and who have traded on it to a greater or lesser degree." (9)
End Notes 1. Gary Greenwald. "End Time Eschatology: The Rapture Rip Off Sermon preached at Eagles Nest. February 4, 1987.
2. T.L. Osborne. Healing the Sick. Harrison.
3. Gordon Lindsey. William Branham: A Man Sent From God. Page 30 31.
4. Ibid. Page 71.
5. Ibid. Page 76.
6. Ibid. Page 77.
7. Ibid. Page 172-173.
8. Al Dager. Vengeance is Ours. Sword. Page 55.
9. Al Dager. Vengeance is Ours. Sword. Page 59.