The Falling Away of Christendom, Part 2

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Review

Apostasy is rebellion against God

Apostasy is final separation from God and His word

Apostasy began in the time of the apostles

5 developments of apostasy through church history

Nicolaitanism

Balaamism

Jezebel spirit

Denominationalsim

Ecumenism

First Stage - False Gospel

The seed of the wicked one was planted in the womb of the first woman

brought in by the false apostles, false prophets and false teachers

Second Stage - False Church

formed with the development of false doctrines

Third Stage - False Christ / Anti-Christ

Satan-possessed man

[SHOW ILLUSTRATION #1]

Main Points

The Ecumenical Movement

Denominational Christianity formed global councils to unite the churches

World Council of Churches

composed of 349 global, regional, sub-regional, national, and local churches

590 million christians

composed of 349 global, regional, sub-regional, national, and local churches

in 150 countries

520,000 congregations

493,000 pastors, priests, and other leaders

founded in 1948

International Council of Christian Churches

founded in 1948 by fundamentalist congregations who believed WCC was liberal

about 200 member churches

World Council of Independent Christian Churches

established 1993

formed from ICCC

World Council of Biblical Churches

created by ACCC

World Evangelical Alliance

began in 1846

became global in 1951

represents 600 million evangelicals

129 countries

WMB called them “Federation of Churches”

[Read quotes]

215 Now the church life is at the end, the normal church, the church. Now, this may stick just a little bit, but the church carnal, the Esau church, she’s come to her end. What she doing? Heading up in the federation of churches, which will finally join with Romanism, to fight Catholicism…or with Catholicism to fight communism. Pope John is calling for all the churches to come back, and they will. And they’ll unite themselves together, just exactly what THUS SAITH THE LORD.

216 You say, “Wait a minute, Brother Branham. You’re getting off the line.” If I am, God wrote His Bible off the line. You have to be Micaiah, on this case.

217 Morris Cerullo said to me the other night, said, “Where is the antichrist, Brother Branham? The Jew is the antichrist.” I said, “Morris! And you, a Jew?” He said, “They’re the greatest God-haters there is.”

218 I said, “Morris, don’t! Tell me in the Scripture where the antichrist come out of Jerusalem. The antichrist come out of Rome, not out of Palestine.” He said, “Well, look, I’m…They’re God-haters.”

219 “Yes, didn’t God say He blinded their eyes so we could have a day of seeing? But our day will be over soon.”

220 He said, “Oh, Brother Branham, I never thought of that.” See, there you are.

221 See, we’re at the end. The carnal world, the carnal church is at it, end. Watch how it’s heading up in the federation of churches. United Brethren went into them. The Pentecostal is into them. All the rest of them organize themselves. See you down, them Canaanites, all the way down through those Esau spirits, very religious, and confederated themselves with the world; not spiritual understanding, not able to overcome, not elected of God, to be called out and separated.

60-0221 - Hearing, Recognizing, Acting On The Word Of God

25 And that same old religious spirit lives right down amongst the church today, the very same thing, just as religious as it can be, and knows no more about God than the Hottentot would know about Egyptian night. You know that’s the truth. Religious spirits! Don’t think that Stalin is the antichrist. The Bible said, “The two spirits would be so close together, deceive the very Elect if possible.”

52-0900 - God's Way That's Been Made For Us

I said, “The Bible spoke of you. And on the days,” I said, “remember, our troubles my brother, sister, I’m telling you now, is not coming from communism, and the outside world, it’s right on the inside of us. The antichrist is a religious spirit. It started in seed back yonder, in Genesis, through Cain. Cain offered the same kind of a sacrifice. He knelt down and he prayed. He done everything religious that Abel done. Yes, sir. And Jesus said, “The two spirits in the last days would be so close it would deceive the very elect, if possible.” Is that right?

53-0508 - God Commissioning Moses

16 I predict that the two denominational groups, Pentecostal and the evangelical groups, will work together in a denomination, will unite themselves together and will become a member, all of them, of the Federation of the Council Churches, or the Council of Churches. They already belong to it, all of them. And there will come, through them, a forcing, or a boycott, that will stop everything but what belongs to that union of churches. That’s what a…The Bible said that there would be a boycott, even to such a way it would ’cause people to not buy or sell unless they had received this: the mark of the beast, which is Romanism; and the image of the beast, which is Protestantism. That the image…The beast had power, authority, to give the image life, to speak, and it did. And that’s the Confederation of Churches, when they confederate themselves together.

216 Now some of them said, “Oh, Russia’s the antichrist.” Never! Russia is not the antichrist. The antichrist is going to be so religious it’ll fool the very Elect if possible. Remember, God takes His man, but never His Spirit. The devil takes his man, but never his spirit. Now, there they are. Suit yourself. I’m only responsible for Truth.

53-0609A - Demonology, Religious Realm

17 Now there’s many young people here. I don’t know, Jesus may come this afternoon. He may come next year. I don’t know when He’ll be Coming. But if the…remember, if I do not live to see that Day of His Coming…Which, I hope that I will, and somehow believe I will. Now, if I do not see it, do not let this Word ever depart from your ears and your heart. See? Just remember, I speak in the Name of the Lord.

736 Now, Brother Palmer, here you are. Look back into the Roman history and you’ll find out there’s only one nation in all the world that ever sent gifts after a battle, that’s the Roman Empire. 737 That’s the reason I say that the antichrist comes out of Rome. The beast comes out of Rome, it can’t come out of Moscow. It comes from Rome, the red dragon that stood at the woman to devour her child as soon as it was borned. That devil, where was that devil? Who was it? Caesar Augustus that sent forth and killed all the children from two years old down. The red dragon, the dragon, beast means “power.” The Roman power persecuted and tried to find that Christ Child.

18 Now, I believe with all my heart, that’s the way it’ll wind up. There will be like a union, a—a boycott. All such places as this here will be closed down. And you’ll not be able to speak unless you got a—a permission, or a license from this Federation of Churches, to hold a service. It’s almost…It shows it does that now, even in the denomination. It shows where it’s at. Yes, sir. You have to have it. And that’s where it’ll wind up at. That’s my prediction, as a servant of Christ, through the understanding that I have of the Word, and the inspiration. That’s where it’ll come. The…All signs are pointing to the end. I just got through speaking on that. And it’s even to the…

57-1006 - Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3

62-0318 - The Spoken Word Is The Original Seed

429 Remember, the tares, the weeds, are to be gathered and bound in bundles. (That right?) This has come to pass. This apostate organization churches is bound tighter than they ever was bound. They are bundled together in a federation of churches, ready for the fires of God’s judgment. (I never wrote this. I feel that He did it.) Pentecostals are full of, so-called, the same as them. The wheat-Word will be gathered some day, after They leave, for the Master’s.

443 Remember, there will be such a denominational gathering pretty soon, it’ll be terrific, and they will bring themselves together into this Federation of Churches. And then this kind of a church will be put out of operation, as far as they know. It’s at that time, that Jesus will appear, and He will show which is Bride and which is not. And remember, Christian friends, I’m a man, I can make mistakes. But God, being God, cannot make a mistake. All the Words that’s been written must be fulfilled. Jesus said so. So we’ve got things here in the Scripture that must be fulfilled, and that is one of the things, this boycott to come.

444 But before this boycott can come, of the marking of the beast, there has to be a Seed sowed, for God to take a Church out of it. You understand now? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] A Seed has to be sowed. A denominational seed, and they’re to make a form or an image to the beast, the church of Rome. And there has to be a true Bride. And we understand that the so-called bride is rejected.

62-0318 - The Spoken Word Is The Original Seed

372 Look where we’re living now, in Laodicea, where the church was the worst church age they ever had. In the Bible, we find out, it was the only church age that God was on the outside of the church, knocking, trying to get back in His own building. The creeds and denominations had even put Him out of His own church. “Lo, I stand at the door and knock. If any man thirst and will open the door, I’ll come in, sup with him.” See? Here it is, in this church age. They gradually throwed Him out, until here they completely ousted Him. They don’t want nothing to do with It.

373 Now you see today where we’re going. Even when the ending of the Laodicean Church Age has got so formal, till it and Catholicism, which broke it up right in here, is coming together and uniting as one great church. With a federation of churches, it’s the same as Catholicism.

62-1014M - The Stature Of A Perfect Man

And I—I am thinking that the great enemy of the Christian society today is the organized churches. I do believe with all my heart that it’ll finally form into the mark of the beast, which I can, think I can prove that by the Bible with God’s help. I have already done it. That, it will form into the mark of the beast, in the federation of the churches. Because, God never did, at any time, ever recognize a ordained church, organized church, never. He never did do it.

65-0418E - Does God Ever Change His Mind About His Word?

Two Faces of Apostate Christianity

Apostate Christianity is the fruit of “false doctrines”

5 major doctrines manifested during the entire church ages

Apostate Christianity produces two crops

Roman CAtholicism

Protestantism or Denominationalism

Roman Catholicism

also called the Holy Roman Empire

the offshoot of the old Roman Empire

The Roman Empire is the “4th beast” in the vision of Daniel 7

Daniel 7:7 NASB95

“After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Daniel 7.

Daniel 7:23–25 NASB95

“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. ‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. ‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

Daniel 7:23 NASB95

“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.

Daniel 7.23-25

Protestantism

Also called “denominationalism”

the outcrop of Reformation movement after the reformers are gone

Mother and her daughters

Jezebel had children

Revelation 2:20–23 NASB95

‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

Revelation 2.20-223

Babylon the Great is a “mother of harlots”

Revelation 17:1–5 NASB95

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

Revelation 17.1

The Antichrist

The Antichrist is the culmination of almost two millennia of feeding on false gospel. He is the climax of apostasy.

How did WMB describe the Antichrist?

[READ QUOTES]

241 Don’t you see how religious the devil is? The devil is not no anti-, great big thing like communism, all against Christianity. That’s not. That’s of, oh, well, of the devil, sure, but it’s not the antichrist. The antichrist is very religious, very religious. It was a religious spirit that crucified Jesus. It’s always been a religious world, a religious people, that crucifies. It’s the religious people that was against the true Christ. It was the religious prophets that was against Micaiah. It’s the religious people of the day that’s against the Message of God. 54-0509 - The Invasion Of The United States

113 Now, remember, when we get in the Seals, that antichrist rides right out over those Seals. Daniel spoke of it here, “The prince that would come.” He would be cut off, Jesus would, to make reconciliations for the people. But, “That prince that would stand up, that would cause the abomination to make desolation,” that was Rome, through Titus. And this time, it’s a prince coming out of Rome, will do it. And he will be revealed in the last day, now listen, “making himself God,” as the Holy Ghost warns us in Second Thessalonians, the 2nd. 61-0730E - The Sixfold Purpose Of Gabriel's Visit To Daniel 166 Now, and in the middle of the week, the middle of this Jewish week; see, that’s three and a half years—years; the antichrist, the prince, a prince that is to come. And remember, he comes out of Rome, the prince that is to come. What is he? A pope. A prince amongst the people, that is to come, there’ll rise up a Pharaoh who doesn’t know Joseph. 61-0806 - The Seventieth Week Of Daniel Rev. William Marrion Branham

88 And the antichrist, the last days, is going to be able…That antichrist spirit that we’re studying, in denominationalism, and proven that denominationalism is antichrist. Now, beyond, any man could walk away from here like that, he, there’s something wrong, and still believe that the denominational system isn’t antichrist. When, it’s absolutely proved, from history, from everything there is, plumb through God’s Bible and everything else, it’s antichrist. And Rome is the head of it. And the daughter churches follow right along. And both of them are cast into hell. That’s right. So we see this thing, antichrist, the spirit of it. 63-0321 - The Fourth Seal

How is the Antichrist identified in the Scripture?

He is the “little horn”

Daniel 7:8 NASB95

“While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.

Daniel 7:23–26 NASB95

Daniel 7.8

Daniel 7.23-2

will come out of 4th beast, among the ten horns

will speak out against God, change time and law,

will rule for 3 and 1/2 years

will be destroyed with coming of the kingdom of God

He is the man “abomination of desolation”

Daniel 9:25–27 NASB95

“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Daniel 9.27

he will come out of the “people” who prince will destroy the city and the sanctuary

he will establish a covenant of peace for 7 years, and later cut it off in the middle

Matthew 24:15–21 NASB95

“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Matthew 24.15

He is the “man of lawlessness”

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 NASB95

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

2 Thessalonians 2.13

2 Thessalonians 2:8–9 NASB95

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2.

he will be revealed in the last days

he will exult himself above all deities

he will take his seat in the temple of God and display himself as being God

He is the “beast that comes out of the water”

Revelation 13:1–8 NASB95

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

Revelation 13.1-

this beast is personified in the Antichrist

the Antichrist will speak blasphemies against God

he is given power to overcome the [tribulation] saints

The Image of the Beast

Conclusion

We are living in “critical times” because Christianity is no longer what it used to be.

Christianity is no longer what it used to be.

Christ is outside the church

Revelation 3:20 NASB95

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Revelation 3:19 NASB95

‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Churches are falling into the enemy’s hands

holding to false doctrines

led and ruled by false anointed ones

Parallel in history

Christian history parallels the time from Adam to Enoch.

Eve was a type of the church

she was impregnated with 2 different seeds - the true seed and the seed of the serpent

she lost her place in the Garden

Cain was a type of the early apostates

he was born into Adam’s family, but never belonged to the family

he killed Abel

He formed a separate lineage

Abel was a type of the original apostles and believers

Seth was a type of Christians in the church history

His lineage comes directly from Adam

His descendants inter-married with the Cainites

His descendants were led by righteous “fathers”, but the children did not continue with their faith

Enoch was a type of the true believers in the end-time

Enoch represented the 7th generation from Adam

Enoch walked with God - the God his forefathers!

Enoch was translated!

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