Questions presented to
Brother Ewald Frank
by Ministers from Various Countries

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose him; if God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (2. Tim. 2:24-26).

In this exposition we are dealing with life and death. In the Word is life, in the interpretation there is death. Every interpretation is a snare that the enemy places around the neck of the people. He does not always tighten the noose right away, but nevertheless keeps these people captive and enslaves them unto his will, as the aforementioned Scripture clearly states.

Since I have been in God’s service for well over half a century, a certain confidence has been established with many of the ministering brethren worldwide by God’s grace. They have recognised that God has ordained me to take the everlasting Gospel to the nations of this world. After the ministry of Brother Branham it is now my task to share the true Word of God with God’s people, in co-operation with all His faithful servants. As it was in the days of our Lord and in the times of the apostles and prophets, so it is with the message today, “… some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2. Pet. 3:16). This has been the case throughout all the ages. The diverse interpretations have caused many divisions and a doctrinal confusion, even within the message of the hour. Ministers who are truly concerned about the spiritual welfare of God’s people no longer want to accept the present situation and are asking for clarification in regard to the various points in question. All true children of God have the right and the desire to know the correct answers that are based solely on the Holy Scriptures.

I knew Brother Branham personally and was a witness of his extraordinary ministry. In August 1955 I attended his meetings for an entire week. From September 1958 I started receiving the tapes of the sermons he preached in the USA by mail and began translating them into the German language regularly. In December 1962, during a personal conversation with Brother Branham, I explained to him how I did that, namely by using a headset to listen to the sermon and simultaneously translating it into the German language for the assembled audience. In 1963 he remembered this and spoke about it,

“The tape ministry is a worldwide thing, everywhere. I think it’s one way God has got scattering the message back into the heathen lands, back in where that it has to be translated. In Germany they got tapes they go to their congregations, of hundreds and hundreds of people; and put little things in their ears, and run it on a tape. And just as I’m speaking, the minister stands there making the same expressions, in the other languages, and bringing it out before hundreds. And hundreds are being saved and healed, just through the tapes going out across the world. All in English, but being translated in many, many different languages (Europe) in tribes (South Africa) around the world. We hear from them, back through the mail.” (Testimony, Shreveport, LA,
V-17-N-5; Thursday, 63-11-28). It is obvious that Brother Branham was referring to Sidney Jackson in South Africa and to me, as we were the only ones translating his sermons at that time.

Over the past forty-seven years I have read and listened to his sermons repeatedly as well as translated them, therefore I can say that I do know the end-time message as hardly anyone else. I have also been very familiar with the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, since the early days of my youth. The fact that so very few pastors asked, “What does the Scripture say?” when posing these questions was very disconcerting to me, for the answers I give must be according to the written Word of God, which remains for ever (Isa. 40:8; 1. Pet. 1:23).

Question 1: What is your position today towards Brother Branham’s ministry?

Question 2: What is the actual wording of the commission given to William Branham?

Question 3: What is your conviction in regard to the “end-time message”?

Question 4: Do you correct the prophet in certain points?

Question 5: What is your absolute, the Bible or the message?

Question 6: Are you teaching differently in comparison to what Brother Branham taught?

Question 7: Do you believe in the opening of the seven seals?

Question 8: Was the seventh seal also revealed?

Question 9: Do you believe that Rev. 10:1-7 was fulfilled in 1963?

Question 10: Do you believe that Brother Branham received the revelation of the seven thunders?

Question 11: Why did Brother Branham repeatedly speak about “the third pull”?

Question 12: Why did Brother Branham frequently refer to Rev. 10, verse 7?

Question 13: Do you believe in the ministry of an eighth messenger?

Question 14: Do you believe in the “parousia” teaching?

Question 15: Do you believe that the Son of man has already come according to Lk. 21:27?

Question 16: What about your ministry? Is it found in the Holy Scriptures?

Question 17: Do you preach Brother Branham’s sermons?

Question 18: What is the spiritual food, Brother Branham’s sermons or the Bible?

Question 19: Who will present the Church of the last days to the Lord?

Question 20: How do you react towards those who slander your name?

Question 21: Did Brother Branham teach “polygamy”?

Question 22: What is your teaching on marriage and divorce?

Question 23: What about the family of a servant of God?

Question 24: What about the Seven Church Age Book?

Question 25: Was the duration of each of the seven church ages revealed to Brother Branham?

Question 26: Did Brother Branham prophesy that 1977 would be the end?

Question 27: Did Brother Branham see a calendar that ended with the year 1977?

Question 28: Is the baptism by the Holy Ghost the same as the new birth?

Question 29: What about the tent vision that Brother Branham had?

Question 30: Can something that was shown in a vision remain unfulfilled?

Question 31: What comparison do we have between Israel and the Church?

Question 32: In what phase are we now according to the plan of Salvation?

Dearly beloved Brethren in the Lord,

Dear Children of God,

May I first say this: I wish to make it clear right from the start that, as you will later see, it is absolutely not permissible to base a teaching on one single Scripture or on one single statement that our Lord, an apostle, or a prophet made. It is a divine must that all things have to be founded on two or three witnesses (Dt. 19:15), upon two, three or more Scriptures. We do not have just one gospel, but we have four gospels, to provide the necessary confirmation and completeness. For instance, if you do not take the Great Commission as found in Mt. 28:16-20, Mk. 16:15-20, Lk. 24:33-53, and Jn. 20:19-31 as a whole, you do not have it in its entirety. And if you do not then take these four parts of the one Great Commission to Acts 2:38 and all the other applicable Scriptures, you still do not have a complete insight into this subject, you do not have the actual answer about the correct administration of water baptism.

Whoever really wants to know everything about the birth, the life, the ministry, the suffering and the death, and also about the resurrection and the ascension to heaven of our Lord and Saviour must read all of the four gospels. And whosoever would like to know that the Lord taught His Apostles about the Kingdom of God for a period of forty days before ascending to heaven must even read Acts 1:1-3. Some things that are not included in the four gospels you find further on, for example, that our Lord was taken up to heaven on a cloud you can read in Acts 1, verse 9. And then in verse 11 we are told that He will return bodily, in the same manner in which He was taken up to heaven (Lk. 24:50-51). In 1. Jn. 3 we read, “… when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” Amen!

Whoever wants to learn about the conversion of Paul and his commission and ministry cannot simply read Acts, chapter 9. You must also include chapter 22 and chapter 26 to gain a comprehensive overview, and then even 1. Cor. 15:1-11, for it was the Apostle Paul — not Peter — who reported that the Lord Jesus appeared to more than 500 brethren at the same time after His resurrection. From these examples we can clearly see that it is not sufficient to take just one Scripture, but we have to include all of the Scriptures that pertain to the same subject.

We also have to heed the warning given by the Apostle Paul in 2. Cor. 11:1-4, about how Satan, the old serpent, beguiled Eve. When he addressed Eve, he simply added the single word “not”, as found in Gen. 3:1, to what the Lord God commanded Adam in Gen. 2:16. That is how he brought her under his direct influence and took her captive unto his will. The enemy always continues to debate the subject the Lord spoke about, but never keeps the exact wording — he never remains in the truth of the original Word. The statement was very clear, “Of every tree in the garden you mayest freely eat …” The enemy sowed doubt by saying, “Yeah, has God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” That one word which was added to what God had originally said became the poisonous bite of the serpent. Thereby the first couple and then all of humanity were sentenced to death and separated from God. First the Son of man sows the pure, original seed of God’s Word and then the enemy immediately comes to sow his own seed of discrepancy by way of the interpretations (Mt. 13). That is how he takes them captive and submits them to his will. This is the time for God’s people to be delivered out of all the snares of the enemy and to be brought back into the Will of God.

Any deception is made believable to the human mind by adding to and then misconstruing and misinterpreting a single statement. The warning to not add to or take away from the words of prophecy of this Book must be taken very seriously (Rev.
22:18-19), because the consequences are indeed for ever irreversible. To every biblical question, to every subject there is only one true answer, which can be found in the applicable Scriptures. The many various interpretations are the work of the enemy — the consequence of eating from the tree of knowledge. The same applies to the numerous different teachings within the end-time message. If we take all things back to the Scriptures to find the one true answer, no misunderstanding is possible. The attention of all the ministers and all the congregations must once again be focused on the harmony with and the full respect towards God’s Word, which is the only absolute in heaven and on earth. In the longest sermon that Brother Branham preached, “The Spoken Word is the Original Seed” (March 18th, 1962), which altogether lasted more than six hours, we see the pre-eminence he attributed to God’s Word. “… if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa. 8:20).

Admittedly, there are difficult statements in God’s Word and in the message as well, statements which we must put into the correct divine order. For instance, our Lord said back then, “… Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come …” (Mt. 10:23). He also said, “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.” (Mk. 9:1). We have to view such statements in the correct context according to the plan of Salvation and in their fulfilment. The law and the prophets were until John (Lk. 16:16), from that time on the Kingdom of God was being preached. On the Day of Pentecost it came down with power, as it had been announced by John the Baptist in Mt. 3:2 and by our Lord in Mt. 4:17: The Church was born, received spiritual life, and the glorified Saviour walked in their midst. In Rev. 1 John saw the Son of man walking in His glory in the midst of His Church, represented by the seven golden candlesticks.

The Apostle Paul included himself when he said, “Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” (1. Cor. 15:51). We are now expecting the fulfilment thereof. The Apostle Peter made the declaration about the Scriptures and the writings of the Apostle Paul, saying that some things are difficult to comprehend (2. Pet. 3:15-16). No one should dare to explain or make a doctrine of what Brother Branham said in the hard-to-understand statements. He said, for instance, “And when the seals are broken and the mystery is revealed, down comes the Angel, the messenger, Christ, setting His foot upon the land and upon the sea with the rainbow over His head. Now, remember, this seventh Angel is on the earth at the time of this coming.” Brother Branham was on earth when the “Angel of the Covenant” revealed Himself in the supernatural cloud. Quote: “That great Angel of the Covenant, that One Who was with Moses in the wilderness, that One Who come to Paul on the road to Damascus, that same One permitted His picture to be taken with us; the same One that was in the picture in the Life magazine the other day, the same Word by the same God …” (Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed, pg. 92).

He furthermore said, “And here He returns back in the 10th chapter after the coming time …” What does after the coming time signify? Which coming is being referred to? And what does returns back in the 10th chapter after the coming time mean, and so on? Just a few minutes later Brother Branham stated, “He has taken a gentile Bride and will take her from here to the palace, to His Father’s house in Glory for the wedding supper and will slip back down to make Himself known to His brethren, the 144,000.” Preachers should pay attention to the particular statements, correctly place them with the event that they pertain to, and immediately stop presenting their own views! For no Scripture, no statement of the Apostle Paul or of Brother Branham allows any private interpretation. God is His Own interpreter, He watches over His Word to fulfil what He promised. God’s people should forthwith cease to believe any of the interpretations that are in circulation! The Bride Church must now be brought back into step in order to once again walk in perfect harmony and unity with the Bridegroom, whose Return is imminent, and in agreement with every Word of God! The hour of decision has come.

Question 1: What is your position today towards Brother Branham’s ministry?

Answer: I believe in the divine calling and commission of William Branham, whether he refers to June 11th, 1933, or May 7th, 1946, or to other supernatural experiences. In 1933 the main issue was that the message given to him would forerun the second coming of Christ. We see the worldwide fulfilment thereof over the past forty years and to this day.

In the experience he had on May 7th, 1946, the main point was that Brother Branham was given two supernatural signs, like the prophet Moses, to divinely convince the congregation of his direct commission (Ex. 4:1-9). Hundreds of thousands experienced the first sign, which happened with his hand, in the late 1940’s, when the patient could see his own illness — the tumour, cancer, etc. — on the back of Brother Branham’s hand. At the moment the healing took place, it vanished from his hand. The best witnesses that I met were Rev. Gordon Lindsay and Sister Lindsay, who told me personally how they repeatedly saw the manifestation of that gift during the three years when they frequently travelled with Brother Branham.

Millions were witnesses of the second supernatural sign, which is known as the “Sign of the Messiah”, in the 50’s and 60’s (see Circular Letter, Spring 2005). I am also an eyewitness, for I attended Brother Branham’s meetings in Europe and in the USA and I can testify of that extraordinary ministry before God and mankind. The infallible prophetic gift that God granted to this man was divinely confirmed. Brother Branham led millions of souls to Christ and thousands were healed and delivered because of their faith.

Question 2: What is the actual wording of the commission given to William Branham?

Answer: “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, the message that is given you will be a forerunner of the second coming of Christ.”

The same statement came from the lips of Brother Branham forty more times. Why, then, was it changed into the following statement: “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of the Lord, so are you sent to forerun His second coming.”? The altered text was even carved on the inside of the front door of Brother Branham’s new home in Tucson.

Who on earth is authorised to make such a change and thereby deny the original commission, that the message would forerun the second coming of Christ? Such brethren prefer to impute this untruth to Brother Branham forty-one times, even though he said himself that the message would be the forerunner. He even emphasised it when speaking of this great commission, “Not that I would be the forerunner, but the message was the forerunner!” (Testimony, Puerto Rico, 2-10-1959). Now, who is telling the truth? Those men, who knew Brother Branham personally, or William Branham, who knew the Lord personally? What is motivating these brethren to mislead the people and bind them spiritually to their views? They point to the past ministry and to the supposed future ministry of the prophet, all the while bypassing what God is presently doing.

Question 3: What is your conviction in regard to the “end-time message”?

Answer : I believe with all my heart and all my soul the true Word of God as proclaimed by William Branham under the term “end-time message”. Just as the Apostle John in his time, I can also say, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you …” I believe the “end-time message” in accordance with the written Word of God a hundred percent. The message is God’s original Word revealed, with all the promises given to the Church of Jesus Christ. However, I do not believe a single one of the various interpretations and versions presented by some individuals under the wrongful label “the end-time message”. Everything that comes from God will only be within the boundaries of God’s Word. It will never cause a split, on the contrary, it will further the unity of the true believers in every city and in every country.

Question 4: Do you correct the prophet in certain points?

Answer: How could somebody even think that I would dare to touch the infallible prophetic ministry! However, when it comes to the teachings and I then, for instance, have before me more than seventy different statements about the seven thunders and the many statements he made about various subjects in his sermons at different times, I have no other choice but to take each matter back to the Word. There can be only one correct answer to a biblical question. The varying statements indicate that the matter had not yet been fully revealed and therefore could not be correctly placed.

We see the perfect prophetic ministry, confirmed by visions that Brother Branham saw, and we also see that he continued as preacher with the evangelistic ministry. Likewise we can see that he was expectant of the great things that God would do. He was indeed the promised prophet of Mal. 4:5-6, confirmed by Christ, our Lord, in Mt. 17:11 and Mk. 9:12. He was to turn the hearts of God’s children back to the original teachings of the apostolic fathers and to restore all things within the Church of Jesus Christ back into the original order. The prophets had announced all things, but only the apostles and teachers could place them according to the plan of Salvation. We must respect God’s decision to ordain the different ministries for the edifying of the Church (Eph. 4:7-16; a. o.). Only now can all the loose ends be properly tied up and fitted into the divine pattern.

Question 5: What is your absolute, the Bible or the message?

Answer: What a question! My absolute is the same as that of Brother Branham – the Word of God, which remains for ever. Brother Branham even stood before the congregation, lifted up his Bible and said, “This is my absolute!” Such a question really is senseless: The true essence of the message is the revealed Word of God, it contains the entire plan of Salvation from beginning to end, especially the promises for our day. Therefore the message is the Word of God and the Word of God is the message. Whosoever tries to separate them is utterly deceived and outside of the divine order. When preachers put words into Brother Branham’s mouth that are contrary to what Scripture teaches, they are making him a false prophet and their disregard for the Bible becomes obvious. Their supposed “revelation” is exposed as foolishness.

Question 6: Are you teaching differently in comparison to what Brother Branham taught?

Answer: Some people might get the impression that I teach differently, but, as I said before, in the final analysis the truth is that I always have to be in agreement with all of God’s Word. I am in possession of his sermons and I have heard them, therefore I know the varying statements that were made in reference to the same subjects.

For instance, Brother Branham spoke about a seven-year period, especially in the three sermons on the “Seventy Weeks of Daniel”. He had the whole congregation repeat out loud, “One week equals seven years.” (pg. 108), and then again he emphatically spoke about three and a half years. In a case like that, I am forced to verify it with the Word of God directly. When he was referring to the entire time period between the rapture and the millennial reign, then he spoke of seven years, and when referring to the ministry of the two prophets, which is promised unto the Jews, he spoke about three and a half years.

When we are teaching, just quoting the statements does not suffice, we must also place them into the correct context shown forth in the prophetic Scriptures. Please, regard this quote: “The moment He starts that seventieth week or seven years, the Church is gone. Can you see it, friends? Raise up your hand if you can see it. … The moment He starts the seventieth week, or seven years, the Church is gone. Now, listen, I’m quoting again — re-quoting, so you won’t forget. This is what the Holy Spirit put upon my pen while I was writing …” (pg. 140, pars. 189-192).

Now, consider question 18 in the English edition of the Seals Book, pg. 492, “When was the covenant of Daniel 9:27 confirmed for a week?” Answer: “One half of it was confirmed, to covenant, when Jesus Christ was on earth preaching to the Jews.” Here he just repeated what others had said before him. Let us take a clarifying look into Daniel 9:24-27, where we are actually told about the seventy weeks, which are divided into three phases: 7 + 62 + 1. The Thus saith the Lord in the Scriptures about Christ, the Messiah, is as follows, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself …” Of course, it was done for us on the cross of Calvary. Right after this statement we read in the second part of verse 26, “… and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary …” That refers to Titus, who came with his Roman army and destroyed the city and the temple in the year AD 70. In verse 27 the following is said about the antichrist, not about Christ, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease …”

Our Lord made an eternal covenant with us by the blood of the covenant shed on the cross of Calvary (Mt. 26:28; Mk. 14:24; a. o.). Anyone who, for example, reads the 431 “Questions and Answers” in the COD Books will find that Brother Branham made varying statements in different sermons. The Scripture states that the Messiah would be cut off after the 62 weeks, which were preceded by the first 7 weeks (Dan. 9:26). The first part of this verse, as we have shown forth, applies to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and the second part to the Roman prince. Daniel 9:27 refers exclusively to the antichrist, and the seven-year covenant spoken of here will be a “Roman treaty” over Jerusalem. In the first half of the seventieth week, the two prophets will have their ministry (Rev. 11), and in the second half, after the covenant is broken, the antichrist will reign for forty-two months in all his brutality and wage war with the saints (Rev. 13:1-10). During that time of persecution the Jewish martyrs will have to give their lives in fulfilment of the second part of the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11). This is according to the Thus saith the Lord in His Holy Word.

Question 7: Do you believe in the opening of the seven seals?

Answer: Yes, I believe in the supernatural opening of the Seals. Brother Branham told me personally at the beginning of December 1962 that he was moving to Tucson with his family in January 1963. He was told in a vision that when the city would start working on the road he resided on, when the garden fence would be placed on his lawn and when the graders and scrapers would move up and down the lane, that would be the time to move to Tucson. I saw with my own eyes the fence lying on the lawn and the bulldozers moving up and down Ewing Lane. On December 22nd, 1962, Brother Branham had the vision about the appearance of the supernatural cloud, which he referred to in his sermon on December 30th, 1962. It was then on February 28th, 1963, when he was told from the supernatural cloud to return to Jeffersonville for the opening of the Seals.

Question 8: Was the seventh seal also revealed?

Answer: Whoever carefully reads or listens to what Brother Branham said will find that he always read the complete text pertaining to each of the first six seals. The only exception is the seventh seal, where he just read the first verse of chapter 8, about the half an hour silence in heaven (March 24th, 1963). He connected the seventh seal to a number of different events. He spoke about the end of the church age, the end of the trumpets, the end of the vials, right to the end of all these things. Anyone who reads the text in Rev. 8, from verse 2, will find out about the contents of the seventh seal, especially about the seven angels, who are getting prepared to sound the seven trumpets.

There are seven angels for the seven churches (Rev., chapters 1-3).

Then there are the seven trumpet angels (Rev., chapters 8-11).

And there are the seven angels pouring out the vials of wrath (Rev., chapters 15-16). All of them are placed in their divine order.

Quote: “The first three chapters of the Book of Revelation reveal all the happenings unto the Church. Then from the 3rd chapter unto the 19th chapter of Revelation there is no more seen of the Church. The Church goes up at the 4th chapter of Revelations and returns back at the 19th chapter of Revelations, the Bride and the Groom together coming to the earth. And then, from the 19th chapter to the conclusive of the 22nd chapter, it’s all on the Millennium and what will be in the years that is to follow. During the 4th to the 19th, God is dealing with Israel.” (Feast of the trumpets, pgs. 6+7). Brother Branham emphasised that repeatedly. Please, make a note of this in capital letters, “Chapters 4 to 19 include chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11.” There is nothing in those four chapters that pertains to or deals with the Church, as Brother Branham said several times.

When the mercy seat changes into the judgement seat according to the seventh seal (Rev. 8:2-5), there is no longer a mediator, no advocate to receive the prayers of the saints. Then the fire from the golden altar is cast upon the earth. Thereupon follow the thunderclaps and lightning, etc. (v. 5). Brother Branham was told that the seven trumpets do not pertain to the time period of the church age.

Quote: “… Immediately after that the angels of the Lord appeared and told me about the seven trumpets — or the seven seals. … It was there that the Holy Spirit opened up this to show me the reason it is not profitable even for the Church at this time, because it has nothing to do with the Church at all. … The gathering of Israel is the trumpets. The trumpets are to Israel. … Remember, every trumpet sounded under the sixth seal. … How perfect then the seventh trumpet and the seventh seal.” (Feast of the trumpets, July 19th, 1964, pg. 8).

Question 9: Do you believe that Rev. 10:1-7 was fulfilled?

Answer: Rev. 10 is not fulfilled yet. As we have seen, it has no connection to the Church at all. Brother Branham was the messenger for the last church age (Rev. 3:14-22), not the seventh trumpet angel. He referred to Rev. 10 because it is the only Scripture that talks about seven thunders. But we recognise the prophetic nature of the two special events, which nevertheless remain separate from one another. For example, Matthew showed the fulfilment of Hosea 11:1 in chapter 2, verse 15, when referring to Jesus, “Out of Egypt I called my son …”, but that did not invalidate Ex. 4:22-23, “Israel is My son, even My firstborn … Let My son go, that he may serve Me …” Prophetic Scripture allows a dual application, but each time must be left in the context where it belongs according to the plan of Salvation. The actual fulfilment of Rev. 10 was foretold, as we can see from the following passages that testify of that special event. Once again we are shown the divine must that everything has to be founded upon more than one Scripture.

The first keyword is “roar”.

“He shall roar as a lion!” (Rev. 10:3).

“… the Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar …” (Jer. 25:30).

“They shall walk after the Lord; he shall roar like a lion; when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.” (Hos. 11:10).

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of His people Israel and the strength of the children of Israel.” (Joel 3:16).

“… the Lord will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem …” (Amos 1:2).

The next keyword is “swore”.

“And the Angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever and ever, Who created heaven and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things which are in it, that there should be time no more.” (Rev. 10:6).

“… and I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him who liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times and a half …” (Dan. 12:7). It could not be stated more clearly that from the moment this event takes place there are only three and a half years left until the end of the last time period. It is absolutely perfect timing!

When the Lord comes down as the Angel of the Covenant, He will set His right foot upon the sea and His left foot on the earth to stake His claim as the original owner. Only then will the seven thunders utter their voices. We have to acknowledge that every Scripture must be fulfilled literally, including the second part of Mal. 3:1-2, because it was not fulfilled at the first coming of Christ and therefore is never mentioned in the New Testament. At the time when this great event takes place, it will be fulfilled, “… and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, who ye delight in; behold, he shall come, says the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap …” This coming as the Angel of the Covenant, which is described in detail in the aforementioned Scriptures, must be placed precisely where the Bible puts it — with Israel. For at that time the Temple will already have been rebuilt and measured according to Rev. 11:1-2, into which the Messenger of the Covenant, Who is the Lord of hosts, shall come. Amen.

Question 10: Do you believe that Brother Branham received the revelation of the seven thunders?

Answer: Here is what Brother Branham said about that subject in one of his last sermons on August 15th, 1965, “… just wait till we get in to open those plagues and seals and them seven thunders.” He spoke about the seven thunders, especially in connection with the extraordinary event which took place on February 28th, 1963, when he heard seven thunder-like sounds and the supernatural cloud appeared. Dr. James McDonald of the Tucson University evaluated the numerous photographs that were taken and the magazines Science (April 19th, 1963) and Life (May 17th, 1963) published his articles. With reference to this experience Brother Branham spoke about the rapturing faith, the new name that will be revealed, and also connected it to other important events.

The seven thunders of Rev. 10 must be left in the context into which they have been divinely placed, because they will utter their voices only when the Angel of the Covenant comes down to Israel (Seven Seals, pg. 72). The teaching that the seven thunders are “the seven virtues” or “seven great men” or any other interpretation must be rejected, because they simply are certain individuals’ self-serving explanations and arguments and they do not have any scriptural basis.

After Brother Branham had preached the seven seals, he was told to go back to the Tabernacle and say a few important things, among them is the following statement, “… no one would know His coming; they also would not know about this seven thunder mystery.” (Seven Seals, pg. 576).

Preachers, take your hands off that subject and leave the matter to God! John was forbidden to write what the seven thunders had uttered, it did not become part of the written Word of God and therefore cannot be preached on. That is thus saith the Lord in His Word. We are commanded to keep only those things which are written (Rev. 1:1-3) and are forbidden to add anything to the words of prophecy in this book (Rev. 22:16-21). Is that not a clear enough warning?

Question 11: Why did Brother Branham repeatedly speak about “the third pull”?

Answer: The term “third pull” denotes the third and last phase of his ministry. Quote: “The first pull — healing, second pull – prophesying. Third pull, the opening of the word, the mysteries revealed …” (Golden Nuggets, pg. 158). On February 28th, 1963, Brother Branham experienced seven mighty, thunder-like sounds, which he repeatedly called seven thunders or seven thunderclaps. In fact, he knocked on the pulpit seven times with his fist and said, “The seven consecutive thunders were so mighty and they were trying to spell out something.” (Seventh Seal, March 24th, 1963). Then he spoke about the mystery that Satan does not know and also about the third pull — the preaching to the eternally lost. He spoke about the Sword of the King that was placed in his hand and made the statement again, “This is the third pull.” He also referred to the spoken word ministry.

Most importantly, we should differentiate between the seven thunders which audibly occurred when he was on Sunset Mountain before the opening of the seven seals and the seven thunders of Rev. 10, which can only happen when the Angel of the Covenant comes down with the open book in His hand. The Voice of God rings out with a mighty thunderclap, “He thundereth with the voice of His excellency … God thundereth marvellously with His voice; great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37). (See also Ex. 20:18; Jn. 12:28-29; Heb. 12:18-19; a. o.)

Question 12: Why did Brother Branham repeatedly refer to Rev. 10, verse 7?

Answer: It is quite strange that nearly half the questions are in one way or another related to Revelation, chapter 10. We once again have to pay close attention to what was actually said. When referring to Rev. 10:7, he always spoke in the plural, about the “mysteries”, not about the one “mystery”, which is the “mystery of God”. Brother Branham did that because he was the messenger to the last church age, through whom all the mysteries hidden in the Word were revealed. In his sermon “Sirs, is this the time?” (December 30th, 1962), he specifically mentioned seventeen of the mysteries that were revealed, starting with “the mystery of the Kingdom of heaven”, and ending with “the mystery: The Pillar of fire returning back.” Jesus Christ is the mystery of God. This we find confirmed in 1. Tim. 3:16, where we read about the “mystery of God” — in the singular form. The Jews did not accept the revelation and manifestation of the one true God in Jesus Christ and they still do not see it until this day, whereas the New Testament Church knew the mystery of God from the beginning (Col. 2:2-3; a. o.).

At the moment when this great mystery of God is finished, the Jews will be included, as it was revealed to His servants, the prophets. When the New Testament Church is being addressed, we read about apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:5; a. o.), because the Church of Jesus Christ is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). When something is meant for the Jews, then the following especially applies, “… as it was revealed to His servants, the prophets.”

After the announcement in Rev. 10:7, John had to eat the open book and the command was given, “Thou must prophesy again …” In chapter 11 the two prophets to Israel prophesy for forty-two months in Jerusalem, that is for three and a half years. Is that not plain enough?

In chapters 8 and 9 the first six trumpet judgments are described, in chapter 10 the seventh trumpet is announced. The actual fulfilment follows in chapter 11, from verse 15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.” We must respect the divine order shown to us in God’s Word. Right after the seventh trumpet sounds, we read about the wrath to come and about the time of judgement and also about the reward to be given unto, “… thy servants and prophets and to the saints …” (chapter 11:15-19).

It is noteworthy that in connection with the seventh seal and the seven trumpet angels the Hebrew word “shofar”, translated as “trumpet”, is used eleven times from chapter 8, verse 2, through chapter 9 and chapter 10, verse 7, to chapter 11, verse 15. The last three trumpets are announced in Rev. 8:13 and are called “voices”, like in Rev. 10:7, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound.”

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel …”

Question 13: Do you believe in the ministry of an eighth messenger?

Answer: No, I certainly do not believe any man who claims to be the eighth messenger, nor do I believe what he says. According to Rev. 1:20, there are only seven stars, the seven angels to the seven churches, and they were in the right hand of the Lord. Any eighth messenger can therefore only be in the left hand or left pocket of someone else, because there is no promise for him in the Holy Scripture. There is furthermore no promise to the Church of a Joshua or Elisha or of any other prophet. All true servants of God at this time stand on the same foundation and they proclaim the true Word — the message of the hour, which foreruns the second coming of Christ.

Question 14: Do you believe in the “parousia/coming” teaching?

Answer: To this question I always give the same answer: When the Lord comes I will ascend to Glory together with all the saints. Each coming of the Lord is a reality, it is in person, a bodily presence. The term “par ou sia” in itself means coming in bodily presence. As long as the Bride Church is on earth, the Bridegroom has not yet come. When the Lord comes as Bridegroom, the dead in Christ will rise first and we, the living, shall be changed and together we shall be taken up to meet the Lord in the air (1. Thess. 4:13-18). There is absolutely no promise in God’s Word that Christ would come and be on earth with us for a period of time before the rapture takes place. In fact, we are warned, “… then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not!” (Mt. 24:23). For it is written, “… as the lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Mt. 24:27). There is also no promise that His descent would start at the time of the opening of the Seals or that the mercy seat would change into the judgment seat at that time.

The unscriptural teachings are based on misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Brother Branham said, “It’s the message going forth first, the living bread of life, bringing forth the Bride … It’s a message to get the people together. A message comes forth first. Now is lamp-trimming time. Rise and trim your lamps. What watch was that? The seventh, not the sixth, the seventh. Behold the Bridegroom cometh. Raise and trim your lamps!” Notice, how the Holy Spirit led from 1. Thess. 4 to Mt. 25, where we read about a cry at midnight. It is a wake-up call, for all ten virgins fell asleep. And according to verse 10, those who are ready when the Bridegroom comes will go with Him to the marriage supper. We can read about the marriage supper in Rev. 19:1-10. Anyone who is separating wedding from marriage should first read Mt. 22, where the words wedding and marriage are alternately used seven times for the same event. The marriage and the wedding supper take place in heaven (Rev. 19:1-10), not on earth. The Bride Church from all the ages will be present at the wedding supper, along with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the redeemed.

Question 15: Do you believe that the Son of man has already come according to Lk. 21:27?

Answer: No, I certainly do not believe that the Son of man has already come. I do believe that the Son of man has revealed Himself in the same way and with the same sign of the Messiah through the prophetic ministry, as He did when He walked on this earth (Lk. 17:30). In Jn. chapter 1 it happened with Nathanael and Simon Peter; in Jn. 4 with the woman at the well; in Mt. 21 with the disciples, who brought the foal and the ass to Him, so that Zech. 9:9 would be fulfilled. The coming that is spoken of in Lk. 21:27 is not at all in connection with the coming of the Bridegroom to take the Bride home before the great tribulation. That coming of the Son of man will take place after the tribulation, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light … and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven (not on earth) and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and great glory.” (Mt. 24:29-30; Mk. 13:24-32; Luk. 21:25-33). This certainly has not yet happened. This coming must also be compared with Dan. 7:13 and Rev. 1:7, “Behold, He cometh with the clouds and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” This great event will include all the nations and especially the Jews, as they are the ones who will look upon Him Whom they have pierced (Zech. 12:10).

Question 16: What about your ministry? Is it found in the Holy Scripture?

Answer: If the ministry the Lord has ordained for me could not be found in the Scriptures, I would not have the divine right to be in His service. “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers …” (1. Cor. 12:28). Brother Branham said, “No man has a right to preach unless you’re like Moses, meets Him out there on that sacred ground …” (Future Home, pg. 37). Every man called by God knows the day and the hour and the place of his calling and the precise wording of his commission. My testimony is known all over the world. It was published in the German edition of the “Voice of Healing” in March 1963. Two witnesses, Fred Sothman and Banks Woods, were present on December 3rd, 1962, when Brother Branham by divine revelation repeated word for word what the Lord had spoken to me on April 2nd, 1962. I shall for ever remember that moment, when the prophet said, “Brother Frank, you misunderstood what the Lord said. You thought there would be a natural famine and you stored in natural food.” Then he continued, “The Lord will send a famine to hear His Words. The food you are to store in is the promised Word for this day … it is in the messages that are being taped … but wait with the giving-out until you get the rest of it …” The commission I received is of a two-fold nature: First, to go from city to city and preach the Word and second, to give out the spiritual food.

By God’s providence it came to pass that Bro. Don Bablitz came to see me during my stay in Edmonton at the Wittmeier’s home on the 137th Avenue in August 1976. He was the one who, together with a team, for years had been sending out Brother Branham’s printed sermons to all the addresses I was receiving during my visits to numerous countries. On that Saturday morning he suddenly said, “Brother Frank, we see Brother Branham’s ministry in the Bible. What about yours? Is it also found in the Scriptures?” I interrupted him and said, “Please, stop. Do not say that. How can my ministry be in the Bible? …”

You may believe it or not, but the next morning I woke up early, got dressed, sat down on the edge of the bed and reached over to get my Bible, when to my right side – as it always happened – the Lord spoke these words to me with great authority, “My servant, I ordained you to give out the food according to Matthew 24:45-47.” Until then I had not been aware of that Scripture, let alone placed it in connection with the giving-out of the spiritual food for this time. God said He would send a famine to hear the Words of the Lord (Am. 8:11). That is why Brother Branham was told to store in the spiritual food, which is now being distributed. Thus the God-ordained ministry given to me is directly connected to Brother Branham’s ministry. It is one thing to store the plentiful food in baskets, as it was shown to Brother Branham, and a different matter to share the prepared meal with the people at the Lord’s Table. All brethren who actually have received a divine call to serve in the household of God stay with the Word and have a part in the giving-out of the spiritual food worldwide.

Question 17: Do you preach Brother Branham’s sermons?

Answer: No, I do not preach Brother Branham’s sermons, they have already been preached. I translate and publish them. They can be read or listened to by all those who desire to feed their soul. I preach from the Bible, but I also refer to statements that Brother Branham made in his sermons, according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Question 18: What is the spiritual food, Brother Branham’s sermons or the Bible?

Answer: Who would ask such a question? It remains for ever true that the spiritual man cannot live by the natural bread, but by the bread that came down from heaven (Jn. 6:32-59). The spiritual food is the Word of God, it strengthens us to do the Will of God (Jn. 4:34). Whether we read the Bible or preach from it, the Word will always accomplish in the faithful elect what it was sent for. In Brother Branham’s sermons we find the revealed Word, which is the fresh and hidden manna for the elect. Thereby the divine purpose connected to this ministry is accomplished, namely to include the prophetic as well as the teaching part.

Question 19: Who will present the Church of the last days to the Lord?

Answer: It was the desire of the Apostle Paul to present to Christ a victorious Church already in his time (2. Cor. 11:2-4). However, he feared that just as the serpent beguiled Eve, likewise the minds of the believers would also be corrupted in regard to the simplicity that is in Christ. Then he shows how the deception is being introduced by those who preach another Jesus, who have received another spirit, and who proclaim another gospel. According to Eph. 5:26-27 Jesus Christ Himself will be the One, “… that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle.” The greatest man of God can only preach the Word, but the Lord Himself is the Word. He has purchased His Church, He calls out the elect, and He is the One Who will complete the work of Redemption. Those who preach will be judged in the presence of the ones they have preached to, according to what Brother Branham experienced when he was taken beyond the curtain of time. That is in agreement with Rom. 14:7-12 and 2. Cor. 5:9-10. The Apostle Paul said, “For we shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ.”

Question 20: How do you react towards those who slander your name?

Answer: Not at all. That gives me the chance to bless those who cannot control their jealousy. My fate is no different than that of all the servants of God who preached the Word. As the Apostle Paul writes, “… by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true …” (2. Cor. 6:8). When, for instance, untruths and slander are being circulated in the publication “Contender”, or in a book about the seven thunders, or in open letters, or even from the pulpits and in the internet, with the sole purpose of undermining the divine influence of the God-ordained ministry, then I know that Satan is using those people. He did that with all of God’s servants.

The Lord Jesus Who called me gives me the strength every day to share the true Word of God with all the true believers. In spite of all the reproach I must bear, I can only wish well to the old and the new enemies of the truth. Those who in their day persecuted the prophets, the Lord, and the apostles, were the religious leaders, but in reality they were spiritually blind and tried leading the blind.

The actual nature of the seed will manifest itself. You can never pick figs from a thorn bush, nor can you draw sweet and bitter water from the same well. Some love in the way of Cain (1. Jn. 3:11-12), which manifested itself in murder back then, and today it appears in the form of character assassination. Cain, with his jealousy, and Abel, who was pleasing to the Lord, are very exemplary placed before us. Envy and jealousy produce hatred and hatred leads to fratricide.

Quote: “You don’t have to stick a knife in a man’s back to kill him; you can break his character and kill him, kill his influence. Speak against your pastor here, say something bad about him, you just might as well as shot him; told something that wasn’t right about him, will, it’ll kill his influence with the people and things like that, and you’re guilty of it.” (Golden Nuggets, pg. 167).

Isaac and Ishmael were born of the same father, but he that was born after the flesh hated the one that was born according to the promise, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now.” (Gal. 4:23-30). It can never be the other way around. There is no cover-up possible. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1. Jn. 3:15). That is the plain truth. Whoever hates and thereby kills his brother actually commits spiritual suicide, for that person loses the eternal life.

Question 21: Did Brother Branham preach “polygamy”?

Answer: What a question to ask in a civilised world! No, certainly not. Some brethren in the African countries, where polygamy is still being practised, emphasise the statements the prophet made in this regard, in order to accommodate their own lustful ways. They refer to Abraham, Jacob, Elkanah, Gideon, David, and Solomon, etc., emphasising that David committed adultery only when he took Uriah’s wife. This subject is most delicate and easily misunderstood. Brother Branham said, “But now, that the Seals are opened, the Spirit of truth directs us to the Word. That explains why all the mistakes have been down through the ages because the Seals were not opened. This was not revealed. It’s true.” (Vol. 3B, pg. 92).

Brother Branham used the term “polygamy” a number of times, especially in his sermon “Marriage and divorce” (February 21st, 1965), pointing to the Old Testament. He most certainly did not intend to establish a harem for the brethren. Without giving a reason, God said in the law, “If he take him an other wife …” — not many wives (Ex. 21:10). In that case the man had to take full responsibility for both of them. God even gave advice about the birthright of the firstborn in such a case (Dt. 21:15-17).

The Apostle Paul clearly writes that every man should have his wife and every wife her husband (1. Cor. 7). Brother Branham, in essence, only meant to point out that the woman was created for the man and not the other way around (1. Cor. 11:9). That is the reason why the man is allowed to remarry after a divorce without becoming guilty towards his ex-wife. However, if the wife remarries she is then living in adultery, because she is bound by God’s law to her vow for as long as he lives (Rom. 7:2; 1. Cor. 7:39). That is what was revealed to Brother Branham from the same supernatural, amber-coloured cloud which was also present at the opening of the Seals. These words came from his lips, “Notice, it’s stated that he cannot remarry, only a virgin. He can remarry, he can marry — he can marry again if it is a virgin; but he cannot marry somebody else’s wife. No indeed, and if he does marry a divorced woman he is living in adultery … Notice, he can, but she can‘t. Like David, like Solomon, like the continuity of the whole Bible …” The difference becomes evident! “… she must remain single or be reconciled back to her husband (1. Cor. 7). She cannot remarry. She must remain single. But notice, he never said about the man. See, you can’t make the Word lie.” (Vol. 3B, pg. 91).

Everybody should understand it perfectly on account of the clarification Brother Branham gave after receiving the direct answer to the problem of marriage and divorce. This scriptural revelation is completely different from the inherited traditional thinking and what is being taught in the denominations. All those who claim that they already knew everything about this important subject must be told that God cannot even speak to such a person. This matter was so important to God that He appeared personally in the supernatural cloud to give the final revelation to His servant and prophet. All who rightfully claim to believe the message of the hour will respect that.

Question 22: What is your teaching on marriage and divorce?

Answer: I have no teaching of my own on any subject. Moses, our Lord, the Apostle Paul, and Brother Branham taught about this subject in detail. There is actually no need for anyone to write about it, except to properly place the things which have already been written. It is indeed, as Brother Branham said, the ancient problem and so complex that, “You don’t know it until it is revealed to you.” When the Lord God gave the commandments He certainly did not forget this topic, for He spoke about adultery, “Thou shalt not commit adultery … Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife …” (Ex. 20).

In the sermon on the mountain (Mt. 5:27-32) our Lord also spoke about adultery and divorce, “Thou shalt not commit adultery … even not to lust after another man’s wife …” Thereupon He says, “If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee … And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee …” Then He addresses the man who could — not should — divorce his wife only if she commits fornication (v. 32). Otherwise he causes her to commit adultery, if she remarries, and most certainly will be held responsible for it.

In any culture on earth, even with atheists, marriage is generally respected as part of the natural family life and order. The burning question is this: What is adultery, whereupon both had to die according to God’s law? What does the Scripture say? Adultery is when a man has a sexual relationship with a married woman, the wife of another man. “If a man be found laying with a woman married to an husband then they shall both of them die …” (Dt. 22:22).

In Mal. 2 the Lord first admonishes the priests and the tribe of Levi because of their false teachings. Then He speaks of the covenant of our fathers, which Judah desecrated by marrying the daughters of a foreign god. This prophetic chapter is very deep and leads to the main point, “… that He might seek a godly seed …” That seed is the promised seed from the Garden of Eden, which is Christ (Gal. 3:16). Then we read about divorce being an act of violence. When a man divorces the wife of his youth he breaks the covenant with her (v. 14). It was never in God’s thinking that a wife would divorce her husband, just as Israel could not divorce God. Therefore it only states that in certain cases the husband could give his wife a writ of divorcement, but a wife could never present her husband with divorce papers. Quote: “Brother, look, let me tell you, she’s going to sue you for a divorce; that’s Satan.” (COD, Vol. 2, pg. 981).

Before any man or woman even thinks about divorce, this will for ever be my conviction, he or she should first consider cutting off a hand or a foot before going to the solicitor to begin divorce proceedings. Divorce is murder in disguise, when all satanic forces of hatred are manifested. It really destroys not only the marriage, but also the family, the church, and society. There is no other act of violence as satanic as a divorce. It is murder for life. To then cover it with a fig-leaf garment of self-righteousness is a mockery.

Satan, the deceiver, hides behind every plausible argument that is presented. A wife beheads herself by rejecting and leaving her husband. At that moment she loses all spiritual and natural orientation and becomes vicious with a poisonous tongue, as she moves out of the divine order of marriage, family and church life. In that case she sins wilfully, crucifies the Son of God anew and brings public shame upon Him, all the while thinking she is getting revenge and destroying her husband. The characteristics of the actual guilty party are these: No grace, no forgiveness, no reconciliation — only accusations, enmity, and uncontrollable hatred, which even goes beyond death. At the same time that person presents convincing arguments to calm a guilty conscience and to justify the wrongful actions before the family, the believers, and the public in general.

Question 23: What about the family of a servant of God?

Answer: Once more we need to ask what the Scripture says about this. In Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7, the Lord preaches the all-encompassing sermon on the mount to the multitudes. At the conclusion of that long sermon we read, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings the people were astonished at His doctrine.” (7:28).

In Mt. 10 the Lord addresses the twelve disciples whom He calls apostles, not the multitudes. When addressing them He said, “… whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” (Mt. 10:14).

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves …” (v. 16).

“… But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another …” (v. 23). The Lord also made this important statement, which might very well decide someone’s eternal destiny, “He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.” (v. 40). Everyone should read with great care what our Lord said about those He had commissioned. They were to go from city to city, whether they were married or single. The calling is the command.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, addressed the following Scripture to the ones He had called to proclaim peace, “Think not that I come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother … and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household … “ (Mt. 10:34-36). That is the foretold family turmoil, which can also happen in the house of a preacher. Nevertheless, a servant of God must continue to preach. The servants that He sent were not promised a harmonious family life or a pleasant ministry. Never did God say that an apostle, a prophet, or a teacher had to be married. Whatever the marital status of a servant of God might be, he must be obedient to the divine commission.

Watch, how totally different the words addressed to the elders in a local church are. According to 1. Tim. 3 and Tit. 1, the elders and deacons had to be married. The statement, “They must be the husband of one wife.” does not imply that all the others could have as many wives as they wished. It simply means that a man who has certain responsibilities in the local church has to be married, because he must deal with the problems which arise in that local assembly. Quote: “The Bible requires a deacon to be a married man. He must be the husband of one wife.” (COD, Vol. 1, pg. 354).

What about the Son of God? In spite of His supernatural ministry, the multiplying of the bread, the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead, the calming of the storm, etc., we read, “… neither did His brethren believe in Him.” (Jn. 7:5). They knew Him after the flesh, not after the Spirit. According to Mt. 13:53-58, the Son of man could not accomplish anything in His own city because of their unbelief. They said, “We know Him, He is the carpenter’s son, we know His mother Mary, we know His brothers, we know His sisters.” And they were offended, because they judged according to what their eyes beheld and what people were saying. Then follows the statement in Mt. 13:57b, “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”

It hurts us to read what the religious leaders of that time were saying about our Saviour. The Pharisees and Scribes told Him to His face, “We are not born in fornication … Say we not well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon?” Just imagine for one instant, our Lord, the only begotten Son of God, was labelled a Samaritan, accused of being born in fornication. That was the moment when He made the statement, “… I proceeded forth and came from God … ye are of your father, the devil.” (Jn. 8:41-48).

Can a servant expect to be treated differently than his Lord? It shows that the Saviour did neither come to establish a natural family, nor to turn His ministry into a profitable business. The same applies to His servants. They do indeed have a higher calling to serve the Body of Christ, a calling which goes beyond the natural family ties.

There is also no promise in God’s Word for the sons of a prophet, or of an apostle or teacher, to be the heirs of a commission or calling. The prophet Samuel meant well when he appointed his two sons as judges, but, “… they turned aside after money and perverted justice.” (1. Sam. 8:1-5). Even a well-meant decision of a prophet can fail, but what God ordains can never fail. It can also happen that a son of a prophet, of a king, or of a man of God can assume a position and exalt himself, drawing the people in to follow him. One such example is recorded in 1. Kings, chapter 1, when Adonijah, the son of David by Haggith, was, “… exalting himself, saying, I will be king … and he prepared chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.” God’s decision had already been made: Solomon was to be the successor on the throne of David. His brothers, however, did not think that he should assume the throne.

It is furthermore possible that sons will say to themselves and to others, “I will be the president!” “I will be the leader!” “I will take charge!” “I will arrange meetings!” “I will have a church …” “I will …” “I will …” Regardless of their personal circumstances, from the beginning of time all true servants of God have obeyed their commission, which God can never take back. No servant of God ever said, “I will … I would like to be … I want to do this or that!” Many of them were not willing to go at first, but they had to, because God’s callings are without repentance. So, family or no family, married or single, a divine commission is part of the plan of Salvation and must be carried out under any and all circumstances.

Question 24: What about the Seven Church Age Book?

Answer: I brought the two brochures “Twentieth Century Prophet” and “ The Laodicean Church Age” and also the book “An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages” back from the USA in April 1966. Being under the impression that Brother Branham was the author of that book, I translated it and published 10,000 copies in the German language. Then I found out that the small, 48-page booklet “Laodicean Church Age” is in its entirety, from the first to the last word, found in the Church Age Book, pgs. 319-365. Later I noticed that there were many discrepancies between the original sermons preached by Brother Branham and the contents of the Church Age Book. There are even a number of unscriptural teachings in that book which Brother Branham never preached. It states, for instance, that people who were not born again would receive eternal life because they had extended some kindness to the brethren. This is absolutely contrary to 1. Jn. 5:11-12, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Another example is the inconceivable statement about the tree of life and the tree of knowledge, “… thus the righteous one and the wicked one stood side by side there in the midst of the garden … and no doubt their very branches intertwined each other.” (pgs. 92-98)! The book does not even differentiate between Mt. 25, from verse 31, when the nations will be gathered and judged, which takes place before the millennial reign, and then the white throne judgement of Rev. 20, from verse 11, when the last judgement takes place after the Millennium. I refuse to deal with the various points that are not rightly presented in the said book. I beseech everyone to use the original messages.

When inquiring about it, I was informed that Bro. Lee Vayle was actually the author of the Church Age Book. Brother Branham specifically said that he personally had never read it. On February 17th, 1965, in his message “Running from the presence of the Lord”, pg. 6, he stated, “And then the seven Church Ages … I think, our precious Brother must have picked up a little extra inspiration somehow, and he said, he was going to write a couple of books of his own off of them like. And so he wrote one called, I believe, “The twentieth century prophet” and another “Laodicean Church”, I believe, or something like that … I have never read it myself. If I’d read them I might change my mind about that.”

Since some of the teachings therein cannot be reconciled with the Holy Scriptures, I must suggest that it should only be used for the historical background, but not as an authority for teaching purposes.

Question 25: Was the duration of each of the seven church ages revealed to Brother Branham?

Answer: There was no revelation necessary to determine the church age periods. Brother Branham mentioned the historian Dr. Clarence Larkin a number of times. In his book “Dispensational Truth” you can find the precise itemisation on pages 130 and 131, which Brother Branham copied. The names of the messengers were chosen by Brother Branham, of course. The chart that Brother Branham used, with the church ages and the seventy weeks of Daniel, I brought with me from Jeffersonville. It shows exactly what his teaching was on this subject. We find this confirmed by his statements.

Question 26: Did Brother Branham prophesy that 1977 would be the end?

Answer: Brother Branham never made such a prophecy. He did, however, mention the year 1977 in several sermons. The statement found in the Church Age Book, pg. 322, did not come from the lips of Brother Branham, namely that 1977 ought to terminate all worldly systems and usher in the Millennium. Therefore that statement is not found a single time in any of the recorded sermons. It actually originated word for word from the pen of Bro. Lee Vayle, the author of that book. The same statement can also be found on page 7 of his brochure “The Laodicean Church Age”. On January 17th, 1972, Bro. Vayle answered my question about 1977 as follows, “I believe with the prophet that 1977 ought to wind it all up and put us in the Millennium …” This was obviously the personal opinion of the author, not of the prophet.

Question 27: Did Brother Branham see a calendar that ended with the year 1977?

Answer: No. To my knowledge, as of yet no one has found a corresponding statement from Brother Branham about having such a vision. It can no longer be determined who originally came up with this story. We first came to know about the supposed “calendar vision” in 1966. Later on, the calendar vision was published and I mentioned it in my Circular Letter of February 1967. Then I began having certain doubts in regard to the year 1977, so, as I previously mentioned, I asked Bro. Lee Vayle for clarification. In the same letter, dated January 17th, 1972, he wrote the following about the calendar vision, “Now, Brother Frank, due to people publishing that Brother Branham saw a calendar flipping over by hand until the date 1977 came into view, and finding that was not his vision at all, but merely something someone made up, we discussed this very thing …” The tragic part is that no correction was ever made by the responsible parties in the USA, and to this day we are left with the lie that Brother Branham made that prediction. Therefore his enemies use it to their advantage and declare that he was a “false prophet”, because the prediction was not fulfilled.

Question 28: Is the baptism by the Holy Ghost the same as the new birth?

Answer: No. That statement in the Church Age Book did not come from the lips of Brother Branham, but from the author of that book. Therefore it is not found on any taped message, and furthermore, it is not scriptural.

One is the new birth by the Spirit and the other is the infilling with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 8 the people believed the sermon of the evangelist Philip and were baptised. Then the apostles came from Jerusalem to pray for them, so they would receive the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10 full salvation was experienced in one and the same service: repentance, forgiveness, justification, new birth, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through the new birth we become sons and daughters of God. By the baptism with the Holy Spirit we are placed as members into the Body of Christ, and we receive power for the service (Lk. 24:47; Acts 1:8; Acts 2; 1. Cor. 12; 1. Cor. 14; a. o.).

The main thing is that both experiences, whether they happen separately or all at once, do not simply remain points of discussion, but that they become our true, personal experiences by the grace of God. Brother Branham said, “When you believe on the Lord, you receive a new thought, a new life, but it isn’t the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. See? You have got the new birth when you believe, you have got eternal life … But the Baptism of the Holy Spirit puts you into the Body of Christ, subject to the gifts for service.” (COD Vol. 1, pg. 269, pars. 363 + 364).

Question 29: What about the tent vision that Brother Branham had?

Answer: In 1958 I first found out about the tent vision that Brother Branham saw in 1955. My written inquiry was answered by Roy Borders, Brother Branham’s manager, on May 18th, 1965, and therein, among other things, he stated the following, “… I will endeavor to, in few words, answer as I have been instructed by Brother Branham … Regarding the tent, it is quite possible that the tent will be used in Europe and other countries outside the Unites States …” Brother Branham was expectant of the fulfilment of the tent vision right to the end. But since he was taken home to glory, the matter has settled itself.

In the course of time, a number of things have been pushed into the limelight, maybe not intentionally, but certainly to support the respective teachings. In regard to the tent vision some people teach and believe that Brother Branham will rise and have a tent ministry for a short period of time. The dangerous part lies in the fact that those brethren hide themselves and their teachings behind William Branham under wrongful pretences. Otherwise they could not convince anyone and would not have a following.

This I say as a Word of the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ: When there is no promise for something in God’s Word, then subsequently there can be no fulfilment. That is the plain truth.

Question 30: Can something that was shown in a vision remain unfulfilled?

Answer: It is understandable that the people, especially those he personally spoke to, expected to see the fulfilment of Brother Branham’s visions while he was still alive. However, a vision can be or maybe already has been fulfilled in an entirely different manner than expected. Brother Branham mentioned “the tent” in connection with Abraham and Sarah a hundred times up until the opening of the Seals in March 1963. He usually did that when starting the prayer line, emphasising that the same sign was being repeated in our time. In Gen. 18 the tent is mentioned five times. Sarah was in the tent when the Lord God gave the promise about the birth of Isaac. At times Brother Branham turned his back to the audience during a prayer line to prove that the same God was present Who knows and reveals the secrets of the heart, as it happened back then with Abraham. However, I have to warn everyone to not make a doctrine out of it. We have to leave the entire matter to God.

Spiritual things can be shown in a natural symbol, like when Brother Branham saw himself in a vision carrying all kinds of vegetables into the Tabernacle, for instance. The actual meaning was to put in store the spiritual food, the revealed Word of God for our time. The Apostle Peter also saw a very natural picture of a great sheet with all kinds of creeping things, etc., in it. The spiritual significance of it was that the gentiles have also been given salvation (Acts 10:9-22). Our Lord used only natural symbols and parables when speaking about the Kingdom of God, and thereby He proclaimed the “… things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 13:35).

Those brethren who still hold on to an actual fulfilment of the tent vision with Brother Branham have absolutely no promise for it in the Bible. There is furthermore not a single example in the Holy Scriptures where a prophet returned to continue his ministry. No wonder that such brethren do not wish to have any fellowship with us, because we must truthfully declare that Brother Branham’s ministry ended with the moment he was taken from earth to glory. Since they do not accept that fact, they have to reject the one who claims to be called by God to take the message to the nations. They even go so far as to brand him the Bride’s deceiver and the antichrist, who must be rejected, since he is against all the thunder doctrines and supposedly “against the prophet”. In fact, the statements go to the extent of saying, “No one has the right to claim a commission to share God’s revealed Word with God’s people.” For, as their teaching goes, everything ended with the ministry of Brother Branham and will start again with him. The “meantime” is being used for fruitless discussions about the prophet and what he said and for spreading destructive teachings. What tragic developments within the message!

In fact, all these expectations have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is not mentioned even a single time in all of the things that they proclaim and await to be fulfilled. False hopes are being nurtured which will inevitably lead into utter despair. Please, acknowledge the fact, dear Brethren, that things pertaining to the Kingdom of God are not connected to any private interpretation.

Now we are going to take a look at Moses and the commission given to him to lead the people into the Promised Land. He was not allowed to enter therein along with the church of Israel. According to Deuteronomy, chapter 34, he was only permitted to take a good look into the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, but could not enter in. Together with Brother Mehnert I took a taxi from Amman to Mount Nebo. We had a wonderful view, overlooking Jericho to our right, En Gedi and the Dead Sea to our left, and right before us was Jerusalem. How well I could understand how Moses must have felt! God’s ways are beyond our understanding. To the natural eye it seemed as though Moses had not completed his commission. We need spiritual understanding to respect the ways of God and His decisions.

We do believe that God Himself will finish the work of Redemption, the way He planned it before the foundation of the world. The main thing is that we are ready to partake in the Word promised for this day, for true faith is anchored only in the promises of God.

In reference to God’s promises we read, “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest unto His people, Israel, according to all that He promised; there has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses, His servant.” (1. Ki. 8:56).

“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen unto the glory of God by us.” (2. Cor. 1:20).

At the first coming of Christ, the promised prophet was the forerunner, but the Lord Himself accomplished the work of Redemption on the cross of Calvary. That is also how it is now: Brother Branham was the promised prophet sent to restore all things back to the original state and the message is the forerunner, but the Lord Himself will be the One to finish the work of Redemption.

“For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Rom. 9:28).

Question 31: What comparison do we have between Israel and the Church?

Answer: The answer to this question is especially found in Acts 15:13-18. First God, by His grace, visits the nations to call out a people for His name. After this He will turn to Israel and rebuild the tabernacle of David. The apostle also devoted the entire chapter of Rom. 11 to this subject. We do indeed have a complete overview of the plan of Redemption in regard to the Jews and the gentiles, in view of Israel and the Church. The main point is this: The twelve tribes have returned to the Promised Land from 143 countries. Why? Because they must be in Jerusalem, in Israel in order to be sealed during the ministry of the two prophets.

In like manner all true believers scattered throughout the Christian denominations must now be gathered and come into the promised Word for this day and be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). Otherwise they cannot partake in the rapture. Faith without a promise of God is religious illusion. True faith is therefore anchored in the promises of God. Abraham believed what God promised unto him and saw it fulfilled. Now the true seed of Abraham believes the promises for this day and shall see them fulfilled.

Question 32: In what phase are we now according to the plan of Salvation?

Answer: We certainly have entered into the very last phase of the church age — into the Bride age. The Return of Christ is indeed imminent. We can see that by the signs of the time and by the prophecies of the Scriptures predicted for our time, which are now coming to pass, especially with Israel. The end-time message is the important cry at midnight, it is the calling-out for all who are part of the Bride Church. What the Apostle Paul stated in his day also applies today. Only those elected by grace will obtain it and inherit all things, as they are the only ones who hear and obey what the Spirit says unto the churches. Of course, the greatest work God has ever done on earth will also be His final one, namely the complete restoration of all things. Part of that are the spoken word ministry and the mighty working of the Spirit, which will lead to the manifestation of the sons of God, the resurrection of the dead, and culminate in the Return of Christ.

Summary

With gratitude I look back at 54 years of preaching the Gospel and 42 years of being in the international ministry, during which I had the privilege to share the true Word through meetings and via radio and TV broadcasts with millions of people in over 130 countries. Perhaps it helped especially the brothers on the African continent that Brother Branham saw the German eagle flying through Africa. In every country, in every city I introduced the prophet, but I always preached Jesus Christ as Saviour, Who is the same yesterday, today, and for ever, and, of course, I faithfully only taught from the Word of God. I have never dealt with the controversial subjects in public, never mentioned a brother by name who propagates false teachings. However, since the glorification of a man has reached a magnitude that idolatry is being practised with the person of the prophet, with relics like pictures, crucifixes, pieces of fabric, and special sites like the grave, etc., that are being turned into places of pilgrimage, I have no choice but to speak up, whether my voice is going to be heard or not. The final push to deal with these much-debated issues was given to me by a parcel with four CDs and DVDs sent to me by a brother from the USA. It arrived just as I had finished answering these questions, a task I had actually hoped to avoid. The DVDs turned out to be yet further confirmation of the importance and urgency to show some of the controversial things in the light of the everlasting Word of God.

All that it seems to have come to is a Branham-centred message which is no longer in agreement with the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is being heard over and over, “The Prophet said …”, “The Prophet told me …”, etc., etc. Jesus Christ is not mentioned by these people any more. He no longer has a part in what these brothers are sharing in their testimonies. The concern is the prophet and what he said, but what Jesus Christ said is not taken into consideration. Life stories, hunting stories, tent stories, airplane stories, and so on, are the contents of their testimonies and what Brother Branham said as a man is declared to be Thus saith the Lord. Is this not a complete deviation from the real Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it was preached by Paul (Gal. 1), a tragic apostasy that is leading to all kinds of idolatries?

Now, after more than forty years, his life story is being propagated and new versions are emerging. Do we have a life story about John the Baptist, about Peter or Paul? Or do we have the words of life that God spoke through them? William Branham left unto us a crystal-clear proclamation that has brought us back to God. Did not Brother Branham himself say in regard to the human aspects in his sermons, “If eating a cherry pie we just put the seed aside and keep on eating the pie.”? Did he not say, “Eating a chicken you just put the bones aside.”? Precisely those minor things, which are beside the point, are being made the main issues — the “bones” of contention are fiercely being fought over. Today we have to ask, “Which message do you believe? What gospel do you preach?”

In the beginning was the Word, not the interpretation! In the beginning was the unity, not the divisions! A compromise or a commingling is not possible. In the very beginning God separated light from darkness. Thus it remains for ever. Whoever does not unconditionally accept the truth of God’s Word as the only absolute is betraying the truth and thereby condemned to believe the lie and will be judged (2. Thess. 2:10-12). All the difficult general statements Brother Branham made and also the ones in reference to his ministry must be left to God. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever …” (Deut. 29:29).

Brothers worldwide have expressed their concern about what is going on in the USA. I am not a judge, but by virtue of the divine commission I would like to clearly state my position: My “headquarters” is not on this earth, it is in heaven. And the “Voice of God” is heard through God’s holy Word, which is being proclaimed worldwide. The following admonition is still valid, “Today, when you hear His Voice harden not your hearts!” (Heb. 3). Just as all the prophets, the Lord, and the apostles in their times had their ministries in different places, so also did our beloved Brother William Branham have his ministry mainly in the Jeffersonville Tabernacle. But no one has to travel to Jerusalem, even though the Word came forth from there (Isa. 2; Acts 2).

I already had all the sermons before Brother Branham was laid to rest and thereby was in possession of the precious spiritual food many years prior to the opening of “Voice of God Recordings” in Jeffersonville. The revealed Word is not placed under any human‘s supervision, instead it is readily available for everybody. As far as I am concerned, the entire Holy Scripture remains valid for ever, which includes the warning, “Seek ye Me, and ye shall live. But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Bersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. Seek the Lord and ye shall live …” (Amos 5). All of these were special places where God revealed Himself in an extraordinary way, but later they led to the fateful undoing of God’s people. Jerusalem, the city chosen by God Himself, was therefore destroyed several times. On Mount Moriah, which later became the Temple Mountain, the Muslims have built the Al Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. As long as God is present in a certain place through a ministry, that place serves a divine purpose. As soon as the ministry ended, those areas inevitably became pilgrimage destinations for superstition and idolatry. Right to the time of Hezekiah the Israelites worshipped and brought sacrifices to the brasen serpent that Moses put up. Hezekiah had no choice but to beak it to pieces (2. Ki. 18:1-8).

Today the Lord would say unto us, “Seek Me and ye shall live.” He cannot say, “Go to Jerusalem or to Jeffersonville.” He cannot say, “Make a pilgrimage to the grave of the prophet, or to Sunset Mountain.”, for He has said unto all of us, “… believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father … the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth … God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth!” (Jn. 4:19-24). All that our Lord said is still valid today and will be for ever. Amen! Amen!

I, too, knew Brother Branham as a human being, I ate with him at the same table, drove with him in his car. He told me things that only very few people know. I have kept his 21 letters from our correspondence during the years 1958 to 1965. Twice I preached in the Jeffersonville Tabernacle at his direct request. He was the one who asked me to speak in his place to the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship at Clifton’s Cafeteria in Los Angeles. There are many things which I remember with gratitude. He even told me about the brother who paid off the remaining revenue tax debt of 40,000 dollars, so that his passport would be returned to him. I had tea in his home. After he went home to glory, I was allowed to stay in his apartment several times during my visits to Tucson. But what do all these private things have to do with the divine counsel of God?

Even Brother Branham was only human. When he said 700 instead of 7,000, or when he made the statement that Enoch walked with God for 500 years, even though he was only on earth for 365 years, it simply shows how human a slip of the tongue is. And when he said, for example, “The wheat will be burned.”, then he immediately corrected himself, “… the stalks will be burned, but the grain will be gathered into the heavenly garner.” When he stated that Noah preached for 120 years, then he only repeated what other preachers had said. That was the period of a lifetime set forth by God (Gen. 6:3). Noah was 500 years old when his three sons were born (Gen. 5:32) and he was 600 years old when the flood came upon the earth (Gen. 7:6).

There actually are quite a few statements which show that, in spite of his infallible ministry as a prophet, he still remained a normal human being. For instance, as a man he said the following in his sermon “The Rapture”, referring to 1. Thess. 4, which speaks about the Return of Christ, our Lord, “… Three things that has to happen before the Lord Himself appears … a shout, a voice, a trumpet … Jesus does all three of them when He is descending …” Brother Branham obviously meant to say: These three things will happen when Jesus returns. “For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep. For the Lord Himself (not a message) shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who 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 for ever be with the Lord.” (1. Thess. 4:15-17). This will happen on the same day, in the same hour, at the same moment. “Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1. Cor. 15:51-52). Brother Branham very clearly stated, “A message comes forth first. Now is lamp-trimming time. Rise and trim your lamps …” That is not 1. Thess 4, that is Matthew 25, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Unintentional and incomplete statements are misused for the teaching that since the opening of the Seals Jesus has left the mercy seat, which has already changed into the judgement seat, and is in the process of descending. What a tragic reasoning and heresy!

Many more things should actually be dealt with, but I must stop here for now with the following declaration: During the first 14 years since 1966 there was a wonderful harmony within the fellowships of the message. In 1979 Satan tried to destroy the work of God and kill the influence of this ministry. From that time on, all the wrong teachings and all the various movements took their course. Most of the brethren today do not even know how the new beginning was 40 years ago and the continuation after the passing of Brother Branham. Brother Branham saw that the Bride fell out of step, but he also saw that the Bride was brought back into step with the Word once again.

As long as the sermons were left the way they are, there were no divisions. The splits only happened in the 1980’s, after the brothers gathered the quotes, taking them out of context, and introduced special doctrines with expectations that do not coincide with the Holy Scriptures. The Word takes us into the Promised Land, the interpretation into no man’s land. Looking at the situation now, we must admit that no human being, but only God can resolve the problems within the end-time message. They all say, “The elect cannot be deceived.” — even though they are deceived themselves and are deceiving others. Deception never comes from the outside, but rather from the inside (Acts 20:30) and it is amazingly close to the original. Special doctrines are being called revelations, but they are not confirmed by the written Word. We tragically find repeated in our midst what has already happened with all the denominations, which point to their “prophet” or “prophetess” or their founder. Their confession is, “We believe the Bible and our prophet!”

I say this again in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: The correct standpoint is to respect God’s Word and to acknowledge Its sole validity. Just like every denomination misunderstood and misinterpreted one single Scripture that was especially important to them and whereupon they built their church and denomination, the same also happened within the message with Revelation, chapter 10. Every wrong teaching within the message of the hour came forth in one way or another because Revelation 10 was misunderstood, misinterpreted, taken out of context and incorrectly placed.

Brother Branham has reintroduced us to the basic and fundamental teachings of the Scriptures. They are in complete harmony with the entire Word of God. We do not believe blindly, but we search the Scriptures to verify whether things are so (Acts 17:11). We have to correctly place Brother Branham according to Malachi 4 as the promised prophet. He was the messenger for the last church age. Amen.

It is my desire to serve the Lord in such a way that all who are part of the Bride Church of Jesus Christ are brought into the unity of the faith. Forty years have passed since Brother Branham was taken to glory and we are now expecting a turnabout — along with the mightiest work of God that ever happened on earth.

Job is an example for us in the Bible — he endured all things until he received a double portion of all that he once had. Satan had destroyed everything around him. Even his wife turned against him and said, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.” (2:9). His closest friends rebuked him and did not believe him. But then came the moment when God Himself spoke to Job and that changed the entire situation. Job prayed for his friends and received twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10-17). This experience is left unto us as a promise in connection with the early and the latter rain and also the final work of God before the Return of Christ. At the moment Job received the answer, everything that Mrs. Job and his friends had said was forgotten. That is how it will be in our case as well. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord … Ye have heard of the patience of Job …” (Jas. 5:7-11).

The second example is Joseph, who was thrown into the pit by his own brothers and who was unjustly imprisoned because of a woman — those were the valleys he had to go through before he could give out the food to his brothers during the time of the famine. He never made an allegation towards them, on the contrary, he said, “Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: For God did send me before you to preserve life … So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God …” (Gen. 45).

If it had not been for Job, we would never have known about the twofold restoration. If there would not have been a Joseph, we would not have an example for the giving-out of the food in the time of famine. If the ministry of John the Baptist would not have happened, the way of the Lord could not have been prepared. If there would have been no Apostle Paul, the gentile nations would have never heard the Gospel. If the ministry of William Branham would not have been, we would have no end-time message. And some say, if Brother Frank would not have received a direct commission, the world would have never come to know about the message. In all these cases we are not dealing with ministries in a local church, but rather with ministries that are directly connected to the realisation of the divine plan of Salvation.

In accordance with the Scripture quoted at the very beginning of this brochure, I have written this exposition with a good conscience. I sincerely wish that all would free themselves from any snare of the devil and no longer remain captive in the interpretations to do his will. As certain as the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and guides us into all truth (Jn. 16:13), there most certainly are seducing spirits in all the heretical doctrines which originate with devils (1. Tim. 4:1). The jubilee has come and divine liberty is being proclaimed for all (Lk. 4:17-21). Everyone can return to the Lord and to His Word and receive the promise according to the Will of God (Heb. 10:35-38).

By God’s grace I shall bear my cross — but no longer the weight of the misunderstandings and misinterpretations — until I receive the crown of life. I have to bear the reproach of Christ, the reproach of Brother Branham, and especially my own reproach until I shall reach Glory. It was not given to me to live above reproach, as was the case with most of God’s servants. That even increases my desire to serve God’s people with a faultless proclamation of God’s whole counsel. May God grant it until my last breath. Just as my Lord and Saviour said of Himself, “… for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice.” (Jn. 18:37), I, like every true servant of God, can say this, “I am born again by the same Word and the same Holy Spirit unto a living hope to testify about the truth.” I can say before God, as the Apostle John did, that no lie is of the truth (1. Jn. 2:21) and that, “… he that knoweth God heareth us … “ (1. Jn. 4:6). “… he that is of God heareth God’s words …” (Jn. 8:47). In the beginning was the Word — the same Word is now, at the end. Every interpretation is a poisoned illusion of the devil, who always presents himself as the angel of light.

What God has set out to do will come to pass with the Bride Church worldwide: She will come forth prepared to meet the Bridegroom when He comes. I claim before God every soul that was foreordained to be part of the Bride Church, and call the elect to come out of all confusion, to line up with the Word of God and to come into the unity of the faith. I declare that no man has the right to keep them captive in all the different camps any longer and therein enslave them to believe various interpretations, so that they forthwith may be free to believe only what the Scriptures say. Amen!

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely …

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:17-21).

Content

Questions presented to Brother Ewald Frank by Ministers from Various Countries 5

Question 1: What is your position today towards Brother Branham’s ministry? 13

Question 2: What is the actual wording of the commission given to William Branham? 13

Question 3: What is your conviction in regard to the “end-time message”? 14

Question 4: Do you correct the prophet in certain points? 15

Question 5: What is your absolute, the Bible or the message? 16

Question 6: Are you teaching differently in comparison to what Brother Branham taught? 16

Question 8: Was the seventh seal also revealed? 19

Question 9: Do you believe that Rev. 10:1-7 was fulfilled? 20

Question 10: Do you believe that Brother Branham received the revelation of the seven thunders? 23

Question 11: Why did Brother Branham repeatedly speak about “the third pull”? 24

Question 12: Why did Brother Branham repeatedly refer to Rev. 10, verse 7? 25

Question 13: Do you believe in the ministry of an eighth messenger? 26

Question 14: Do you believe in the “parousia/coming” teaching? 27

Question 15: Do you believe that the Son of man has already come according to Lk. 21:27? 28

Question 16: What about your ministry? Is it found in the Holy Scripture? 29

Question 17: Do you preach Brother Branham’s sermons? 31

Question 18: What is the spiritual food, Brother Branham’s sermons or the Bible? 31

Question 19: Who will present the Church of the last days to the Lord? 31

Question 20: How do you react towards those who slander your name? 32

Question 21: Did Brother Branham preach “polygamy”? 33

Question 22: What is your teaching on marriage and divorce? 35

Question 23: What about the family of a servant of God? 37

Question 24: What about the Seven Church Age Book? 41

Question 25: Was the duration of each of the seven church ages revealed to Brother Branham? 42

Question 26: Did Brother Branham prophesy that 1977 would be the end? 42

Question 27: Did Brother Branham see a calendar that ended with the year 1977? 43

Question 28: Is the baptism by the Holy Ghost the same as the new birth? 44

Question 29: What about the tent vision that Brother Branham had? 45

Question 30: Can something that was shown in a vision remain unfulfilled? 45

Question 31: What comparison do we have between Israel and the Church? 48

Question 32: In what phase are we now according to the plan of Salvation? 49

Summary 50