William Branham: Polygamy

  • 4 years ago
Early versions of William Branham's Stage Persona did not support polygamy. Though in some cases Branham claimed that the world would be "better off" if polygamy was allowed, he voiced his opinion that polygamy was wrong. While his ministry could attract crowds in the United States, and those crowds opposed polygamy, Branham did also.

The divorce courts of America produce more divorces by our Women than all the rest of the nations. The morals in our country is lower, and divorces, than it is in France or Italy, where prostitution's on the streets so... But they're prostitutes; ours is married Women trying to live with several men, and several married men trying to live with other Women. In the nations where they have polygamy, it's a thousand times better. And yet, polygamy's wrong; we know.
Branham, William. 1961, Aug 6. Seventieth Week of Daniel

As his popularity in the United States decreased, however, and his popularity in Africa increased, Branham added provisions for polygamy in his doctrinal position. The latest version of his Stage Persona claimed that the Bible supported polygamy even though it was not legal in the United States. According to this Stage Persona, polygamy was a Covenant given by God to man:

Then when the double covenant was made by man and woman, through sex, another covenant altogether (not the original covenant, but another covenant), now what’s introduced? Polygamy, in all. Then, after the beginning, polygamy was introduced both in man and in beasts; after the beginning, the fall. God now, secondarily, sets a new nature again, by sex. God created the first without sex. Do you believe that? [Congregation says, “Amen. ”—Ed. ] Now it’s another covenant with nature, He sets it in another order, by sex. Second covenant: one male, many females; one buck deer, a whole harem of does. Is that right? One bull, a whole herd of cattle, cows; one rooster, a yardful of hens. Is that right? One David, after His Own heart, with five hundred wives; with a hundred children born to him, in one year, of different Women, a man after God’s Own heart. One Solomon, with a thousand wives. But notice now, it wasn’t so at the beginning, but now it’s “after” the beginning. The woman has done this, then she just becomes what she is now. See?.
Branham, William. 1965, Feb 21. Marriage And Divorce.

While many theologians would agree that the Old Testament included accounts of men who practiced polygamy, most theologians in the United States would also agree that polygamy is not supported by the New Testament -- regardless of the American legal system. This was not Branham's position, however. Branham's final Stage Persona claimed that polygamy was supported by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament by what he did not say

https://william-branham.org/site/topics/polygamy

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