The William Branham Historical Research Podcast investigates the life, teachings, and legacy of healing evangelist William Branham—one of the most influential and controversial figures of the 20th-century Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
Hosted by researcher John Collins, the series documents Branham's public record with verifiable sources: sermons, newspapers, archival materials, and eyewitness accounts. Each episode examines how his message evolved—from early Pentecostal roots to apocalyptic mysticism—and how his ideas shaped movements such as the Latter Rain, Deliverance revival, and today's New Apostolic Reformation.
This is not an exposé or a sermon. It's a historical investigation: one that follows the evidence wherever it leads. Whether you're a former Message believer, a student of revival history, or simply curious about how spiritual movements grow and fracture, this podcast offers a clear, factual lens into a story that continues to shape modern faith and culture.
Archive Episodes:
Revival History: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iGoljtgQcqKsw1rdee7Wd
Our Stories: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fgrEBadUWjPG8UNHDjPN3
Detangling IHOPKC: https://open.spotify.com/show/6XgqDkHqSzVbq6K3c6ytBk
Hobart Freeman Unmasked: https://open.spotify.com/show/568hJwRQkOwxwIol3uCBQR
Weird Doctrines: https://open.spotify.com/show/66kAcKN39qBuWF6KmWejib
Weaponized Religion: https://open.spotify.com/show/36QffhTd8otCDtuoqyhCNS
YWAM Deconstructed: https://open.spotify.com/show/7f8bfh69NSDFnfsxAlrkT5
Converging Apostasy: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pIHP0rJhg1bHoTLVNhkfx
Views expressed by guests or co-hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Derby Media Group LLC.
Legal: https://www.william-branham.org/site/legal
Website: https://william-branham.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeavingtheMessage
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Before Azusa Street: The Welsh Revival and the Birth of a New Era
Thursday, October 22, 2026 • Duration 57:26
John and Daniel examine the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival, questioning the familiar story that places Evan Roberts at its beginning. They discuss Joseph Jenkins, Seth Joshua, the revival's spread across Wales, Roberts' intense approach to prayer, reports of burnout, and the unusual way the movement crossed denominational lines without becoming a new denomination.
They also explore the connections between Wales and Los Angeles through figures such as Joseph Smale and Frank Bartleman, including the influence the Welsh Revival had on the religious environment surrounding Azusa Street. Along the way, John and Daniel debate what should actually qualify as a revival, how renewal differs from religious excitement, and why the Welsh Revival developed differently from many later Pentecostal and charismatic movements.
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Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
The Misinformation Problem: When the Bible Says Something It Never Said
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • Duration 52:45
John Collins and John McKinnon discuss how William Branham combined phrases from separate Bible passages into statements that were later repeated as though they were direct quotations from Scripture. They examine the frequently repeated phrase about being "born in sin, shaped in iniquity" and "coming into the world speaking lies," comparing its language with Psalm 51 and Psalm 58 and explaining why they believe the passages have different contexts and purposes.
They also explore exegesis, eisegesis, proof-texting, typology, private interpretation, and the risks of allowing a doctrinal conclusion to control how biblical passages are read. The discussion considers how repeated blended phrases can become accepted religious slogans and how those interpretations can influence later teachings about prophets, restoration, authority, and the meaning of Scripture.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
Romans 8, Manifested Sons, and Decades of End-Times Predictions
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 • Duration 01:05:43
John and Chino discuss Romans 8 and the "manifestation of the sons of God," examining how Hobart Freeman and William Branham connected biblical passages with end-times urgency, elite groups of believers, the Latter Rain movement, restoration theology, and expectations that major prophetic events were about to occur. They revisit Freeman's teaching about the mark of the beast and Social Security numbers, his expectations surrounding Israel and 1967, and his repeated emphasis on preparation for manifestation.
They also examine the recurring pattern of interpreting current events through biblical prophecy, including rapture predictions, Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Eisenhower and Khrushchev, and claims surrounding iron and clay. Chino explains how Freeman understood Romans 8 and why he ultimately concluded that the passage does not identify a special group of believers as the ones responsible for delivering creation from corruption.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
Did Pentecostalism Begin as a Doomsday Movement?
Monday, October 19, 2026 • Duration 55:58
John examines the recurring doomsday and apocalyptic themes he sees running through Pentecostal, Latter Rain, healing revival, charismatic, and New Apostolic Reformation history. He discusses failed predictions, end-times fixation, special revelation, unquestionable leadership, information control, and the repeated cycle of prophecy followed by reinterpretation, drawing connections among figures and movements discussed throughout the historical record presented here.
The discussion follows those themes from early influences such as Frank Sanford, Charles Fox Parham, John Alexander Dowie, William Miller, Edward Irving, and John Nelson Darby through William Branham, Gordon Lindsay, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, Pat Robertson, and later charismatic networks. John argues that repeated emphasis on imminent catastrophe can create a culture of fear and urgency, and closes by contrasting that mindset with a life focused on loving others, caring for family, and building a healthier future.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
Faith After UPCI: Anita on Grace, Fear, and Freedom
Friday, October 16, 2026 • Duration 57:15
John and Anita discuss Anita's experience leaving the United Pentecostal Church after growing up as a third-generation member. Anita reflects on a sheltered upbringing, expectations surrounding hair and clothing, and the freedom to make everyday choices without feeling that each decision puts her faith in question. Together, they explore what "going wild" can mean for people raised with strict religious rules.
The conversation also examines Anita's accounts of loneliness, strained relationships, and the challenges of finding a welcoming church community for herself and her daughter. John shares experiences from his own former religious group as they discuss grace, salvation, pastoral authority, and reading Scripture in context. Anita emphasizes valuing people beyond outward appearances, offering practical support, and making newcomers feel included.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
When Church Leaders Fall: The Side Nobody Wants to Talk About
Thursday, October 15, 2026 • Duration 59:00
John and Bob discuss the complicated dynamics behind church scandals, arguing that accountability cannot stop with exposing fallen leaders. They examine how hero status, unchecked authority, proximity, personal insecurity, ambition, and the absence of meaningful restraints can create environments where broken leaders and broken congregations collide.
Drawing from Bob's decades of counseling experience and John's historical examination of Pentecostal, Latter Rain, charismatic, and New Apostolic Reformation movements, they explore the "man of God" model, megachurch structures, apostles and prophets, Mike Bickle, Kansas City Fellowship, IHOP, and the dangers of creating religious figures who are treated as being beyond meaningful accountability.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
From Serpent Seed to Lizard People: When Prophecy Becomes Conspiracy
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 • Duration 53:42
John and Daniel trace a strange historical path connecting Christian Identity, William Branham, the Latter Rain movement, spiritual warfare, the New Apostolic Reformation, the Seven Mountains mandate, and the modern movement they refer to as "R Unknown." They discuss figures and movements mentioned throughout this history, including Gordon Lindsay, Lauren Cunningham, Ern Baxter, Lance Wallnau, Johnny Enloe, Dutch Sheets, Cindy Jacobs, Sid Roth, Praying Medic, Joseph Smith, and the Full Gospel Businessmen.
The conversation broadens into the relationship between religion and political power, ancient religious worldviews, Constantine, the early church, Gnosticism, Christian nationalism, and the development of exaggerated spiritual narratives. John and Daniel ultimately contrast highly symbolic language about conquering mountains, invisible enemies, and spiritual warfare with a simpler vision of Christian life centered on family, community, work, faith, and communicating in language ordinary people can understand.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
Chuck Smith to Hobart Freeman: How Latter Rain Theology Kept Changing
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 • Duration 01:01:52
John and Chino examine the history and theology behind the "former rain" and "latter rain," asking when Pentecostal and charismatic teachers believed these periods actually began. They discuss interpretations connecting Pentecost, early twentieth-century Pentecostalism, the postwar revival, and later expectations of a manifestation of the sons of God, while highlighting how those timelines shifted between teachers and even within the teaching of Hobart Freeman.
They also examine Joel 2, the agricultural setting of the former and latter rains, the later promise of the Spirit, and the way these passages became connected to restoration theology and end-times expectations. The discussion considers Hobart Freeman, Chuck Smith, Derek Prince, Israel and Jerusalem, date-setting, the fivefold ministry, supernatural expectations, and the broader question of what "last days" means within different biblical contexts.
The NAR Revolving Door: How Re-Victimization Happens
Monday, October 12, 2026 • Duration 01:00:29
John and Pia discuss how leaving an unhealthy religious environment does not necessarily mean leaving behind the beliefs, expectations, and authority structures that made the environment possible. Pia recounts her years after Harvest Rock Church, her experience in a more word-based evangelical church, her gradual return to NAR conferences, and how she eventually found herself attending another NAR church from 2020 to 2024.
Their conversation examines re-victimization, critical thinking, prophetic authority, charismatic leadership, accountability, financial transparency, and why people may identify one unhealthy leader without questioning the larger system surrounding that leader. Pia describes the experiences that finally caused her to reconsider the structure itself, while John argues that lasting change requires recognizing the patterns that repeatedly elevate unaccountable leaders.
______________________
Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K
______________________
- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
- Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
Her Family Followed Branham. She Chose Jesus
Friday, October 9, 2026 • Duration 49:00
John invites Vonda to share what it was like growing up in a William Branham-believing family while refusing to accept Branham's teachings. She describes childhood rejection, fear-based warnings, strained family relationships, restrictions placed on women, and the emotional impact of being treated as an outsider while remaining committed to Jesus Christ.
John and Vonda examine how Branham's recorded sermons shaped their understanding of Scripture, healing, gender, salvation, and religious authority. They also discuss overcoming indoctrination, rebuilding faith, reconnecting with family members, and separating devotion to Christ from loyalty to a religious leader.