One thing that I have noticed in my dealings with message people over the last seven years is that we tend to fall into two extremes. There are those among us that use quotes almost exclusively and ignore the written word. And those that use the written word only and don’t know much of what the prophet said.

Both of theses extremes are detrimental to spiritual growth. We should look at the spoken and the written word as the two sights on the shotgun, if the gun is true and you line them up, you’ll hit dead center every time.

Once the government built a harbor for ships. It was called Omega harbor because of its shape. There was a dangerous and narrow entryway into the harbor. The channel was rocky on both sides. To assist the mariners that steered into the harbor they built two lighthouses. The only way to steer safely into Omega harbor was to line up your boat so that the two lights became ONE light. These two lights type the written and the spoken word. If we interpret the written word by the prophet and also take what the prophet said and confirm it in scripture, it becomes ours forever and we will not be moved from it.

This is the reason for this paper, I wanted to give an intelligent and straightforward SCRIPTURAL argument for what we believe so that we may witness more effectively. As the scripture says:

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

So here I will give a scriptural argument for the message. And a Scriptural defense for the common objections to it. Now we know there are SOME that will reject it and call you a devil even if you CONCLUSIVLY PROOVE the truth. But I give EVERY denominational or fundamentalist or charismaniac the same challenge…you take this little blue book here…[the church age book]…and if you can use the standard rules of bible interpretation and the laws of evidence that stand in our courts, and if you can show me by the KING James bible that this book is NOT absolutely thus saith the lord I’ll become what you are whether Baptist, Pentecostal, charismaniac or whatever, I’d even become [God forbid] a Roman Catholic if THEIR truth can disprove OUR truth! To date, nobody has ever taken me up on the challenge or even tried yet because they KNOW it can’t be done.

OUR message is 100 percent truth. What fascinates me is that everything else points to it and proves it true again. You look to the stars and the message is there. If you count the numbers, the message is there. Every historic fact types it. Every newspaper proclaims the message of the hour daily without even knowing it. Holy ghost eyes see Christ everywhere. He shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Today he shows himself alive, speaking this WORD in this hour. HE is so alive in it and it’s truth. He is showing THIS living word to be alive! What a day we live in!

So lets begin with the basic truth we believe that William Marrion Branham fulfilled all the scriptural requirements and that HE alone is the Elijah prophet predicted in Malachi FOUR. So let us examine it!

Malachi 4:1-6

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The traditional denominational interpretation is to call this “Elijah prophet” John the Baptist, or to say this scripture refers to that future Elijah prophet that comes to the Jews during the tribulation period. But if we LET SCRIPTURE INTERPRET SCRITURE we see that neither one of these can be correct!

What else does the scripture say about the “Elijah prophet?” Here is what Jesus had to say about it:

And his disciples asked him, saying, why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

LOOK AT IT! ELIJAH SHALL COME and ELIJAH HAS COME! This was spoken AFTER the Baptist had been killed. Jesus refers to the coming of Elijah in FUTURE tense and also gives us ANOTHER CLUE in that he says that the Elijah that is to come will RESTORE ALL THINGS! So what is Jesus saying? There are either TWO Elijah’s he speaks of OR Jesus is a liar!

So Jesus says that Elijah will restore all things. What is THIS event called “the restoration of all things?” Here is the prophet Peter in Acts 3:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Peter tells us about the same event that Jesus spoke of called the “restitution of all things.” Jesus told us the WHO and peter tells us the WHEN of this event. Jesus said that the ELIJAH prophet that is to come would be responsible for this ministry? Peter said that this ministry would happen BEFORE the return of Jesus Christ. SO could the prophet of Malachi four POSSIBLY be John the Baptist? NO! Jesus said Elijah would restore all things and Peter tells of the same restoration as a future event, several years after the Baptist had died!

So what is this restoration of all things? The word in the Greek is “Apokatistasis,” which is a combination of three Greek words; apo, to separate or “pull out,” Kata, which means to set down, and stasis, which means to stand up.

So here we have a prophet like Elijah, which will “pull out” a people from an established belief that is wrongly held to be correct. THAT SOUND LIKE AN EXODUS!

You have to have a falling away then FROM the truth before there can be a restoration TO the truth. This is the falling away that Paul spoke of in Thessalonians Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [meaning the day of the LORD] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

So remember that JESUS said that ELIJAH would restore all things BEFORE the Lord comes. Peter said heaven must receive JESUS until the times of restitution of all things, or Jesus WONT return until the restoration. ELIJAH does HIS JOB or Jesus won’t come!

So we place this Elijah type prophet in time SCRIPTUALLY after the falling away of the church from the truth. And BEFORE the “great and dreadful day of the LORD.”

So then WHEN is this day of the LORD? IS it a 24-hour day? NO!

Remember this: when the Hebrew scripture use the word we call “day,” it is the word “YOWM,” and it can refer to a 24 hour day OR a space of time. We use it the same way when we say for instance back in grandpa’s “day.” We don’t mean grandpa lived his 70 years in a 24 hour day! When the Old Testament places a DEFINATE article in front of the word “yowm” it means a literal 24-hour day. But when it does NOT have a definite article day means a space of time or an age.

So we see that “Elijah” of Malachi four comes before a day of the Lord, or a space of time that is called both great and dreadful! This could ONLY BE THE GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD!

But lets remember the rules use SCRIPTURE to interpret SCRIPTURE because NO scripture is of any PRIVATE interpretation! So what does scripture say about the “day” of the LORD?

It is “GREAT,” meaning large or “noteworthy” and it is “dreadful” meaning it is a FEARSOME time of GREAT judgment. Jeremiah said of it in Chapter 30:

 Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

So we see THAT DAY is a span of TIME, which is called Jacob’s Trouble.

Zephaniah calls it the day of the Lords wrath,

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

WHAT ELSE COULD THIS BE BUT THE GREAT TRIBULATION?

So then This “Elijah” of Malachi four, which Jesus said would restore all things, COMES BEFORE THE TRIBULATION PERIOD! Therefore this “Elijah” prophet CANNOT be the Elijah that most bible scholars agree comes DURING the tribulation period.

For one thing look again at Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The word said HE not THEY, when it refers to the prophets of the tribulation it ALWAYS refers to TWO of them as in Rev. 11:3;

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

The prophet of Malachi four comes alone and comes BEFORE the awesome day of the LORD. Also the “Elijah” prophet of the time of wrath will not restore anything. The ministry of the two witnesses in the tribulation is the death witness required by law in Deuteronomy 17:6

At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

This is the reason that God send Two major prophets at the same time, ONLY IN THE LAST DAYS, WHEN MEN HAVE TOTALLY REJECTED HIS TRUTH. God is not going to break his own law and put MILLIONS to death at his coming without sending two witnesses!

Therefore the “Elijah” of the tribulation does NOT have a restoration ministry, but rather a DECLARATION ministry. This Elijah is a tormentor, not a restorer. In Revelation 11:10 said that the tribulation Elijah would be killed by the antichrist and that mankind would rejoice over their martyrdom. HOW could this be a restoration of all things?

Now go back to what PETER said about this restoration of all things

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Peter then in perfect agreement with Jesus ties this future restoration of truth to the ministry of a prophet

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

What doest it mean to be a “prophet like MOSES?” WHAT DID MOSES DO? He called a people out of a people!

So this “Elijah” of Malachi four will call “a church out of the church” as a part of his restoration of all things. Remember the word “restitution” means to call out to set down and to rise up. And remember where scripture places this “Elijah” AFTER THE FALLING AWAY OF THE CHURCH and BEFORE the great tribulation. Therefore THIS “ELIJAH”MUST BE A PROPHET SENT TO THE CHURCH AGE!

Moses was vindicated by the presence of the pillar of fire! So then the Malachi four prophet will have to be vindicated by the presence of the pillar of fire!

Moses was opposed by the people of God on this basis; the people REJECTED HIS MINISTRY, claiming that God does not use a single man to lead his people. Therefore all the followers of this “restoration prophet,” of this “Elijah” prophet who peter calls a prophet “like Moses” will be falsely accused of following a man instead of God. This false accusation will come FROM within THE CHURCH!

Now, Lets look at some of the other things that the Malachi four prophet would do: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Notice that it said unto you “that fear my name,” this is a phrase that is exclusively used of the believing gentiles. As the Jews say, “house of Aaron, house of Jacob and all those who ‘fear his name.’” Therefore we can assume that the Malachi Four prophet is SENT TO THE GENTILES!

Look at the phrase “those that fear his name” from the context of Malachi 3:16   Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

This is obviously the bible we have today because the Jews did not have a book, and they did not baptize in the name.

And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

The day that he makes up HIS JEWELS is the church ages according to peter  “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

So the book was written in the day that God made up his “jewels.” His jewels are those who offer spiritual sacrifices BY JESUS CHRIST. Therefore the ones that  “Fear his name” in Malachi 3:16 are the gentile bride!

So the argument that Malachi four is sent to the Jews is invalid in its context. The “you” to whom Malachi four is sent is to the gentile bride of the church age!

There are two other things to note in Malachi concerning this prophet. He would be sent WITH A HEALING MINISTRY! But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.

This further rules out John the Baptist because John 10:41 said the Baptist “did no miracle.” The Sun of righteousness did not rise with healing in His wings” on the ministry of the Baptist. The Elijah of the tribulation could not have a healing ministry either. If God sent healing to a people he intended to judge in the day of his wrath he would be a double minded God!

Note also that “the people of God who feared his name” would “grow up as calves of the stall” Calves in the stall refer to cattle that are NOT allowed to graze. These are cows that ONLY eat STORED UP FOOD. Therefore since food is a type of the “Word of God,” we see that the spiritual nourishment of the followers of the prophet of Malachi four would “eat food” that is stored in the silo. This means that the “Elijah” prophet of Malachi four would have some kind of record of his sermons made. Malachi four would then have to have his messages either written or recorded for his followers to use after his departure.

So we have learned that the malachi four prophet is:

Not john the Baptist

Not the Elijah of the tribulation

He would come with a healing ministry

He would restore lost truths

He would come to the gentile bride in the church age

He would call out a people from the established church

Who else could Malachi four be but William Branham?

So there you have it, the ministry of William Branham, preached from the bible only, without a single quote to give an answer to your denominational friends.

See “How did he do it”

Unknown Writer