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Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:

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Come Out of Her My People Vol II:

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John and Charles discuss the rise and collapse of one of the most extreme offshoots of the William Branham sect: the Thunders movement. Beginning with Branham’s cryptic references to the “seven thunders,” they explain how the mystery cult mentality embedded in the message led followers to seek hidden meanings and secret paths to “rapturing faith.” Joseph Coleman emerged as the main figure who claimed to have revealed this mystery, tying the seven thunders to the “stature of a perfect man” sermon and promoting a diagram that became central to Thunders churches. His doctrine evolved into a highly structured system involving echoes, ecstatic worship, and bizarre interpretations of Old Testament passages to set prophetic timelines. His methods drew thousands of followers across North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and especially Africa, where figures like Apostle Roscoe continued expanding the movement.

They also detail key figures such as Bob Lambert, who may have originated some Thunders concepts before being murdered in 1973 under mysterious circumstances. The conversation turns to the rise and eventual downfall of Joseph Coleman, touching on financial scandals, failed prophetic timelines, and the authoritarian control exercised by church leaders. As Coleman’s health declined and chaos unfolded—including a scandal involving a cocaine-addicted successor and the imposition of fasting and sleeplessness on church members—the movement fractured. The story concludes with reflections on how the Thunders group followed a long historical pattern of British Israelite prophecy, arbitrary biblical interpretation, and repeated failed predictions, leading to harm, disillusionment, and a cycle of theological recycling that continues today.