Branhamism and the Latter Rain of today

Some of the largest churches today are what is called Latter Rain churches, or now known as third wave as named by Wimber and Wagner. But many do not know that it was Branham who began this whole movement in the late 40’s.

Whether you know it or not there are those wanting to transform your church into being part of the Latter Rain, 3^rd wave and come under their new apostles and prophets.

Rodney Browne who began the laughter movement “The Healing revival was awesome. It was followed by the Latter Rain Movement in the fifties. Then, in the sixties, we saw the Charismatic movement break out…” (p.14 The Coming Revival).

     Richard Riss writes: “By 1952, the Latter Rain as a recognized movement was clearly beginning to fade, although a number of strong congregations continue into the present day. Also, a number of Latter Rain teachings became major parts of the Charismatic Renewal movement that blossomed starting about 1967” (Riss 1987:140-43).

Bill Hamon one of the few that were there at the Latter Rain of the 40’s in His book The Eternal Church states that the Charismatic movement IS the extension of the Latter Rain Movement (“Eternal Church” p. 239, 1981). Therein lies the problem.

The Charismatic Movement was said to have begun by a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the late 1960's Roman Catholics started receiving what was believed to be the spirit baptism and the Catholic / Charismatic Movement was born. It was accepted as genuine by certain Charismatic Protestants. At the time the Roman Catholic Church taught salvation-by-sacrament, people who were practicing idolatry, who believed they were "born-again" by "baptism" into the church as an infant, were now baptized in the Spirit.

Except their Spirit Baptism (the Spirit of Truth?) led them to say prayers to Mary and "saints," participate in the reoffering of Christ in the Mass, praying to the Eucharist, a greater veneration of the Pope, and a greater submission to the Catholic Church. Nothing changed.

Today the same people in the Latter Rain movement find unity with those Catholics who they see as gifted who are Unsaved, and unreceptive to the gospel of grace getting baptized in the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues.  Rodney Browne comments  “Many Pentecostals couldn’t swallow that. No. Its impossible for a Catholic to get baptized in the Holy Spirit” ... But people were filled with the Holy Spirit anyway.” (p.15 The Coming Revival)

In 2014 Anglican Episcopal Bishop Tony Palmer (emissary of the Pope) said before numerous pastors meeting at Kenneth Copeland’s church, the “Catholic and Charismatic Renewal is the hope of the Church.”  Palmer said those words are from the Vatican before playing a video message from Pope Francis to Kenneth Copeland and Charismatic attendees,  “I have come in the Spirit of Elijah...The spirit of Elijah is the spirit of reconciliation…We know for a thousand years, there was one church called the catholic church...  He later said “Brothers and sisters, Luther’s protest is over. Is yours?” “God will sort out all our doctrines when we get upstairs.”

Which is contrary to the Bible that tells us, that we are to know our doctrine now on earth: 1 Timothy 4:16; Titus 1:9; 2:1; 2 Timothy 4:3.

The Spirit of Elijah happens to be what Branham claimed to received as he was told in 1933 when baptizing others, a voice spoke “Like John the Baptist went as a forerunner to Jesus Christ, so would this Message be the forerunning just before the coming of Jesus Christ” (53-1129E, Testimony, American Legion Hall, West Palm Beach, FL) “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Jesus Christ, so are you sent...” (An Absolute Phoenix, AZ Sunday 63-0127)

Branham wanted us to believe Elijah was now sent to America, to the church, when John was sent to the Jews. Elijah is a Jew -- William Branham was a gentile. How does that work? Nonetheless, there are others that speak of this Elijah anointing today.

The video of the Pope was played before the Pastors assembled at Copeland’s church, The Pope said, “Families that come together and families who separate themselves. We are kind of…permit me to say, separated. Separated because, it’s sin that has separated us, all our sins. The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that we all shared in. Who is to blame? We all share the blame. We have all sinned.”

Latter Rain and word faith teacher Kenneth Copeland was extremely exhilarated saying, the Pope is filled with the Spirit, and that, “Heaven is thrilled over this…You know what is so thrilling to me? When we went into the ministry 47 years ago, this was impossible.”

The Popes invite to these Pentecostals to unite would have never been welcomed back then because they had more appreciation and dedication to the word, but not any longer. The people cheered over their new found unity even though nothing changed.

What started within the Vineyard through the Kansas City Prophets: Bob Jones,  Mike Bickle, John Paul Jackson, Rick Joyner Paul Cain, is now coming into fruition. From the Vineyard to Toronto to Pensacola to Lakeland to wherever is to be the next outbreak (not outpouring), we should recognize that All roads lead to Branham.

From all the people involved Since Kansas city, The Vineyard church and Toronto, we should understand the Charismatic and the Pentecostal church are now being filled with Branhamites. Some may know their beliefs are the same, others may not. But what Branham taught is the main staple doctrine they are now learning.

Consider what Che Ahn who was involved in the “Toronto Blessing” told his friend Todd Bentley, “there is a Branham anointing on you and a double portion of it!” (Che Ahn to Todd Bentley (Lakeland Revival -April 24, 2008 - God TV).

This showed his Latter Rain involvement. Latter Rain adherents, also called third wave believe they are recipients of another Pentecost, a “spiritual second coming” of Jesus who incarnates into the body of believers (Branham believed Jesus is the Holy Spirit). These believers will have the all the gifts working fully in them, healing and all types of signs and wonders, some that have never been seen. This spiritual return of Jesus is to be birthed in the body of Christ. The Manifest Sons of God doctrine of Rom.8 is realized.

Consider what Branham taught,“The works that Jesus did is reoccurring in the Church, showing that He's coming… For years after years after years as the church come down, the power of God growing closer and closer, till now it's just about to take on the image of Jesus Christ, His Church is, in the power of His resurrection. All the signs that He did has reoccurred in the church again. We're at the end time” (59-1126, Jehovah Of Miracles, Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, Ca) 

“In these last days the true Bride Church (Christ's seed) will come to the Headstone, and she will be the super church, a super race, as she nears Him. They in the bride will be so much like Him that they will even be in His very image. This is in order to be united with Him. They will be one. They will be the very manifestation of the Word of the living God.”

“Oh, waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God (Hallelujah), when God will make Hisself known, when they’ll stop sickness, they’ll stop cancer, they’ll stop diseases.” (An Exposition of The Seven Church Ages Church Age Book) 

“Immanuel, the same Son, the same Light, the same God that come to dwell in flesh with His people at the day of Pentecost, will come in the like manner in the last days, for it shall be evening Light. What is it? There shall be a sign, an everlasting sign: God with us, God in us, God through us, man and God becomes one” (59-1227M, A Super Sign, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN)

“So the hour has come for the repeat of the Bible, and the fulfilling of the Word. Now, God promised that He was going to send a former rain and a latter rain. And He promised the former and the latter rain in the latter rain, in other words, a double portion. Like the garment of Elisha. When Elijah dropped it, Elisha picked up and had a double portion. He was a type as a type of the Church and Christ. Christ was taken up. And the same Spirit that was upon Christ is on the Church tonight, the Holy Ghost. See? " (William Branham 48-0304, The Angel Of God, Phoenix, AZ)

“The Christ that lived in the body called Jesus is the same Logos tonight, that lives in the body of the Church performing the same things, living the same ways, loving the same ways, doing the same things, the same Spirit producing the same things: the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever (57-0610, Faith Once Delivered To The Saints, Cadle Tabernacle, Indianapolis, IN)

This is what is known in the Latter Rain teaching as the Manifest sons of God. That the church is the incarnation of Christ like Jesus 

Here Branham spoke of the manifest sons of God teaching that was carried by the Latter Rain teachings of many, i.e. Paul Cain who brought it to the Vineyard churches under Wimber.

“I want you to know he's coming to the church before he comes FOR the church. He's gonna perfect the Church so the church can be the Image, and be him, and be his representation.” (Paul Cain: Nov 1988, Tape: “My Father's House”)

Bickle who was under Cain as the head prophet said. "My conviction is that one of the greatest transformations is when you begin to get the revelation that you are a Son of God . . . Son of God . . . God has conceived in His heart of a plan to make a race of men that would live like gods on the Earth. He has conceived in His heart to have Sons that would live like His Son, the Lord Jesus lived ... That we were to be on earth the extension and manifestation of God's life in heaven. (Mike Bickle, part 2The Glory and Dominion of Sonship, Reference Cannon, "Old Wine in Old Wineskins" tape)

Latter at another revival that went poof, Todd Bentley is more explicit in what he is presenting “…We’re going to go back into travail right now until Christ is formed.  God promised a day where heaven and earth must retain Him until the restoration of all things.  Heaven will hold back the coming of Jesus Christ until sons and daughters come into maturity.  It’s called the Manifestation of the sons of God. …“I’m talking about a maturity tonight – and it’s being formed in you.  Let Christ be formed in maturity.  Let the full man, let the fullness of God come forth, and let the womb open tonight… and let there be a great birthing…” (Todd Bentley Lakeland Revival, Day 57 May 28, 2008)

From Paul Cain to the Vineyard; from Paul Cain to Bentley at Lakeland (better known as lala land). 

We should not exclude that this also came through the tributary of Rodney Browne who has been taught via Hagin and spoke about this new Pentecost he was promoting, that "Eyeballs will form, legs and arms will grow out, people will leap out of wheelchairs..." (Rodney Howard Browne, The Coming Revival, p. 27)

Like Branham who said “Then if we see what the former rain produced, how much more will the latter rain produce? When God pours out His Spirit, there'll be signs and wonders take place” (56-0405, The Resurrection Of Jesus, Philadelphia Church, Chicago, Il)

“And the Bible said in this last day there come a former and latter rain together. And today across the nations, from one--east to the west, from north to south, is one constant great revival of Divine healing, the powers of God” (56-0108, God Hath A Provided Way, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville)

Nearly everyone directly associated with Branham and the Latter Rain went off on tangents, some into serious error. All this error continues through what is now called the third wave of the Spirit and it is being advertised as the move of God to come into your church.

Wherever there are Latter Rain (new age) influences, doctrine is the first casualty. This is clearly on display with Bill Johnson’s ministry. Bethel's Signs and Wonders has everything a biblical revival does not (same as Toronto did). It is all connected to the teaching, practices and experiences of the Latter Rain

As Branham said “It'll be a church that'll have Jesus Christ walking in it, manifesting Himself;.(60-1113, Condemnation By Representation, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN)

“It was God In Christ, God, in a man, the fullness of the Godhead bodily In a man. God, in a man; now, it's God in men. See? The fullness of God in the Godhead bodily in His entire Church, manifesting Himself, fullfilling His Word. (THE MIGHTY GOD UNVEILED BEFORE US p.20)

Escaping the Latter Rain to have peace and to practice real Christianity is not easy for those caught up in the hype and excitement promised them. Especially for those who have gone deep into the signs and wonder movement led by the new apostles and prophets.

The longer the Latter Rain influences are in the church the less effective we will become with the gospel and true discipleship. They say we need an apostles and prophets to make the church what it should be. Whereas the Bible teaches us to mature by the word, which can, and has always been done when we become dedicated disciples that are moved to be missionaries, plant churches and learn to give the gospel and disciple others.

Paul’s admonition is a reminder for our benefit and protection 1 Cor.4:6 "Do not exceed or go beyond what is written." To ignore His Spiritual advice is spiritual suicide and yet it is the emphasis of the Latter Rain movement of today with its new revelation, visions and dreams and spiritual manifestations never seen before.

We have a choice before us, to break from the false revivals that have been taking place which will give us the opportunity for a true revival from God or continue to drown in the fake Latter Rain of today.