Branhamism, a cult founded by William Branham in America, has already reached the many areas of the Philippines.  The Branhamites believe that Malachi 4:5 has reference to William Branham as "the prophet Elijah" of the last days.  Can they really prove that William Branham is the prophet mentioned in Malachi 4: 5 according to the Bible?  The Branhamites will always argue that Branham is the real prophet of Malachi 4:5 because, according to them, "he did works of the prophets and taught the apostles' doctrines."  Such is a shallow reasoning.  What particular work of a prophet had he done so that Malachi 4:5  was made to refer to him?  Is it because he prophesied or made some predictions?  In the New Testament times, there are many who were able to prophesy but Mal. 4:5 did not refer to any of them.  Even if he taught  the apostles' doctrines, Mal. 4:5 won't still refer to him.  Even the apostles themselves didn't claim to be the prophet mentioned in Mal. 4:5.  Priscilla and Aquila taught the apostles doctrine but neither any of them is the one referred to in the verse.  The members of the first century church continued in the apostles' doctrines (Acts 2:41-47), but Mal. 4:5 was not made to refer to them.  If Branham claims to be the prophet mentioned in Malachi 4:5 because he was able to prophesy and "taught the doctrine of the apostles," then what about others who prophesied and taught the apostles' doctrines?

The Bible proves that Branham is not the prophet prophesied by Malachi in Ch. 4, verse 5.  There is no Scriptural basis that Branham is the one being referred to by Malachi.  However, there are sufficient passages in the Bible that support the fact that John the Baptist is the one being referred to.  Some points are:

1.  The book of Malachi chapter 3 and 4 speaks of a man who is a messenger, one who is sent, and a prophet.  Such a man will come before God's judgment.  Mark testified that John the Baptist was a messenger (Mk. 1:2).  St. Luke called him "the Prophet" (Lk. 1:76; Mt. 21:26).  St. John believed that John the Baptist was "sent from God" (Jn. 1:6).

2.  Matthew, Mark and Luke testified that John the Baptist is the one prophesied by Isaiah and Malachi.  Matthew said, "For this is he that was spoken by the prophet Isaiah saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord..." (Mt. 3:3).  Mark said, "written in the prophets" as he speaks concerning John the Baptist (Mk. 1:2).  Since there are two prophets that prophesied about John the Baptist who will come before the great day of the Lord, Isaiah and Malachi, Mark 1:2 shows that it was John the Baptist whom Malachi was speaking of.  Is there any prophet, besides Isaiah, that prophesied of John the Baptist?  There's no one else but Malachi.

3.  Malachi 4:5 tells us that the prophet will be sent before Christ's coming and great day of judgment.  John the Baptist was sent before Christ and His great and dreadful judgment.

4.  Every prophecy concerning the Baptist, the context always include God's judgment or Christ's second coming (Isaiah 40:3-10 & Mal. 3:1-3).  The same way with Mal. 4:5.  So no one can deny the fact that John the Baptist is the one mentioned in the verse.

5.  Jesus taught his disciples that John the Baptist is "the Elijah" which was prophesied will come (Mt. 11:13-14).  The article "the" shows its definite and there's no one else for them to expect of.

6.  Jesus taught that "the Elijah" whom the Scribes speak of, has arrived already (in His time) but was not recognized by them (Mt. 17:10-13).  The Scribes used the Old Testament and they refer to Mal. 4:5 in teaching about the coming "Elijah."  Jesus said that such was already fulfilled referrring to John the Baptist.

7.  According to Mal. 4:5, this prophet will turn the hearts of the fathers unto their children.  There is no passage in the Bible that Branham will turn the hearts of the fathers unto their children, but there's a passage which speaks of John the Baptist.  Luke said that John the Baptist is "The Elijah" who will turn the hearts of the fathers unto their children (Luke 1:17).

8.  According to Luke 16:16 and Matt. 11:13, the prophets are until John the Baptist.  He (John) is the last prophet in the Old Testament and the first New Testament preacher.  He is the one being prophesied by Isaiah and Malachi.

9.  Rev. 22:18 tells us that John the Beloved is the last New Testament prophet.  No man has the right to prophesy apart from the Bible prophecy, nor make any addition to the Bible prophecy.  St. John said, "...If any man shall add unto these things (prophecies), God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book" (Rev. 22:18).  I Cor. 13:8 says, "...whether there be prophecies, they shall fail..."  The office of the prophet ceased when the Bible was completed.  I Cor. 13:10 says, "But when that perfect is come, then that which is in part shall  be done away."  The perfect refers to the "perfect Law of Liberty" (Jam. 1:25).  The Bible is complete and sufficient as instruction for righteous living, II Tim. 3:16-17.  If you believe the Bible, then you ought to believe in the testimonies of John, Malachi, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, Mark and Jesus that John the Baptist is the Elijah of Malachi 4:5 and there's no other prophet.
 
 

The Bible warns us of false prophets that are gone out into the world (I John 4:1).  The Bible tells us that such false prophets will try to deceive many people, even the elect, by means of preaching in God's name and doing miracles (Mt. 24:11,24; Mk. 13:22).  You can find more warnings in the Bible against false prophets than false teachers, because the false prophets are more deceitful due to their ability to perform miracles.  The prophet Jeremiah warned the people of God saying, "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of that shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord truly hath sent him" (Jer. 28:9).  If Branham is a true prophet, he should have no failures in his prophecies.  However, Branham prophesied that America will explode in 1977 and this  prophecy was not fulfilled (Larson's Book of Cults).  According to Deut. 13:1-3, if the prophecy of a certain prophet was fulfilled, but that prophet will bring you to strange and unbiblical beliefs, then we ought not to follow that prophet.  Some of Branham's prophecies were indeed fulfilled, but his doctrines are strange and unscriptural.  Branham claims that he is the prophet of Mal. 4:5; Branhamism teaches that Jesus was created and not eternal; It also teaches that Cain was Eve's son through sexual relation with the serpent, and not of Adam.  Branhamism also teaches that hell will soon be taken away  (Larson's Book of Cult).  In Deut. 18:22, it says that the prophet who is not sent by God yet uses God's name will die.  Branham died in an accident.  In 1965 he was hit by a car driven by a drunk man.  Branham presumed that he was sent by God because he saw an angel in the cave.  However,  the Bible warns us not to believe even if we see an angel who brings new doctrines (Gal. 1:7; II Cor. 11:13-15).  Many false prophets, like Joseph Smith and Branham, claim an angel appeared unto them giving them authority to start a new religion.
 

===Edwin Jardinel