Leaving the Message 8 - With Signs Following

One of the key phrases of loaded language to watch for in a religious cult is the phrase “with signs following”. Cult leaders who use this loaded language are overloading the passage from the ending of the book of Mark, verses 17 and 18: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”

Most scholars who examine the history of the Bible agree that the ending which included this phrase did not exist in the earliest manuscripts,[1] and that the passage was added later to satisfy the reader due to the unusual ending of the book of Mark. Whether it was or not, cult leaders who overload this phrase give it greater emphasis than the rest of the pages of the book. Some go so far as to say that this is the Gospel, distracting members of their congregation from the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is described in the book. The danger lies within the context of this loaded language and its application.

Cult leaders who abuse this passage attempt to “challenge God” by testing its accuracy. Some churches indoctrinate their members to drink poison or handle snakes during services. William Branham used this phrase throughout his ministry. When touring with Roy Davis, Branham claimed that he and Davis collected testimony confirming Davis drinking poison and converting many people to the “gospel”. Branham asked people to accept “divine healing” for the gift of the Holy Spirit.[2]

The danger comes whenever a victim faces the sudden realization that God does not honor this “challenge”. John Alexander Dowie, who used this phrase to build his faith-healing sect, convinced people not to accept proper medical care. Hundreds of people died in his “healing homes”, many of which he moved to the morgue under the cover of darkness. Dowie was the prototype for modern “faith healers”, such as William Branham, who touted the “Gospel of Divine Healing”.[3] When leaders in his movement began to realize that people being “healed” were dying,[4] it became evident that challenging God had very little to do with the Gospel or salvation; the sole purpose of this challenge was to convince people of the healing power of the man on the platform instead of the God being challenged.