Posted on 02/18/2007 7:30:33 PM PST by freedomdefender
A retired Air Force officer who now spends his days authoring books on Christianity has posted an online collection of recordings he believes captures voices and music of God's angels in heaven.
Angelic statue in Lommel, Belgium (photo: Jan Schiphorst, used with permission)
"I have four specific recordings of angels singing in church settings," Jim Bramlett of Lake Mary, Fla., told WND. "It happened supernaturally. There's no other explanation. It's either from God or from the devil, and I don't think the devil is in the business of worshipping Jesus. That is not in his job description."
Bramlett, 76, collected the tapes from various sources in recent years, and has now put them on his ChoicesForLiving website, where readers can click on several links to listen to three recordings made in the U.S., and one from China.
The Feb. 6, 1996, recording at the Greater Grace World Outreach Church in Baltimore, Md., starts off with a woman playing a piano, and gradually, accompanying voices are heard in the background. Bramlett described them as "beautiful voices of beings who were not in the service."
Jim Bramlett
"I have the full tape with the pastor discussing the situation with the congregation, and about 25 people gave testimony to hearing the voices. They were all in awe at what had happened."
Another recording took place at the Carpenter's Home Church in Lakeland, Fla., and features a 10-minute, sustained sound after a call to praise by a minister.
"They seem to lift the praise of the congregation to a totally new and awesome level, and it just goes on and on. The intensity and consistency are clearly supernatural and beyond the ability of the congregation," explains Bramlett, a former vice president at the Christian Broadcasting Network where he spent nine years.
(Story continues below)
A woman who says she and her husband were at the Lakeland service wrote Bramlett to vouch for the authenticity of what took place:
"The tape of the Florida meeting was exactly like the way it sounds. Glenn and I were there during those meetings, and if it wasn't this one then there is another tape of a meeting where [the phenomenon] happened again. The one we were in went on and on and stopped abruptly. Silence for about a minute then a male voice sang out 'Glooooory' and several women's voices from different directions echoed 'Gloooooory' in perfect harmony, and the praise and worship started up all over again."
Perhaps the most stunning of all the recordings is thought to be from a church in Kansas City, where there is not only an audible chorus of "Hallelujah" – meaning "praise God" – but also the voice of a male soloist who purportedly was not present. The lyrics of the mysterious solo were transcribed as follows:
Hallelujah, breathe it all across the land Everybody's singing at the Lord's command All the saints and the angels up in glory wait to hear the news of Jesus and his children as they're coming through. Though he doesn't have it on tape, Wayne Warmack of Greater Works Ministries in Rogers, Ark., says he and his wife, Sandy, personally heard angelic voices during a Passover celebration last April at a lakeside retreat center near Marianna, Fla.
"I began to distinctly hear wordless voices in perfect harmony with us, that were clearly not coming from me or Sandy, or the other 20 or so people present in the room. They sort of drifted in and out of my hearing while I struggled to maintain my composure and continue the song," Warmack said. "If you've ever heard that sound, it leaves you a different person than when you came in. I can't describe it. There's just no way to describe it. It is definitely heard with more than just the physical ears."
But not everyone is joining the chorus of hallelujahs.
Steven Novella
Dr. Steven Novella, a neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine and president of the New England Skeptical Society, analyzed the electronic voice phenomenon, or EVP, at WND's request.
"The fatal problem with this entire type of evidence is that there is no way to validate or invalidate the source of sound on a recording. Therefore it has no discriminating value," Novella said. "Personal testimony is not reliable as evidence and is not acceptable scientifically. Choosing to have faith in the persons making the angel-voice claims is no different than just having faith in angels in the first place, so the recordings don't get you anywhere."
Novella discussed some of the specific claims made by Bramlett and others who suggest the source of the sound is supernatural:
"There seems to be no doubt they are angelic voices." They sound like human voices to me. This is just a bold assertion without supporting argument or evidence.
" ... about 25 people gave testimony to hearing the voices. They were all in awe at what had happened." Not uncommon for a congregation of believers sharing a common belief and being swept into an emotional fervor by an experienced preacher. Not exactly dispassionate testimony.
"I have had this tape for several years but I recently found a cleaner version of it on the Internet, preceded by an explanation. I do not know the identity of the narrator." This reminds of the "Jesus in the clouds" picture that keeps cropping up. When the same piece of evidence keeps coming up in different contexts and situations, that strongly suggests fraud. Also, the angels in this recording were playing bass guitar and horn, and at one point broke into a pretty funky beat. It's actually pretty laughable. Also, it was noted that the angel voices were not noticed until the recording was played back, so nothing was heard during the recording. This is a red flag for a recording artifact. The simplest explanation is that the recording was made over a prior recording of a choir singing with accompanying music, and they heard the two recordings superimposed when they played it back.
So, bottom line, these are all worthless as evidence. They are being offered uncritically by people who already believe, are not questioning the angel claims, and who are committing some logical fallacies.
"I think his explanations are nonsense," responded Bramlett.
"Over the years, I have found there are negative skeptics and cynics out there on every subject. It is easy to find them. They are so predictable, and they typically reject anything supernatural. They have to, because to admit it would be tantamount to admitting to a God to whom they are accountable. They cannot permit that. It is as simple as that. Biblically speaking, you could say they are spiritually dead and they think everything must have a natural, material explanation."
The concept of supernatural beings called angels has a strong basis in Scripture. In the King James Version of the Bible, the word "angel" is found 201 times in 192 verses, while "angels" occurs 94 times in 92 verses.
At least two are named – Michael and Gabriel – and the New Testament describes a galactic conflict involving angels at war with each other.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels (Revelation 12:7)
The Bible also records numerous instances of angels appearing to humans and even having discussions with them.
The angel Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary in 1898's 'The Annunciation' by Pennsylvania artist Henry Ossawa Tanner
The 19th chapter of Genesis indicates two angels helped rescue Lot and his family from the ancient city of Sodom; Luke 1:26 shows the angel Gabriel being dispatched by God to the town of Nazareth to inform Mary she would miraculously become pregnant with Jesus; and Hebrews 13:2 reminds people to "entertain strangers," since some strangers might actually be angels.
Bramlett believes angels are still making appearances in our modern day, and he documents several purported instances on his website.
"Some say that true reality is spiritual, not physical," he said. "The supernatural breaks through [into our dimension], and it's exciting when it does."
Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" can be heard often at today's United Methodist and Presbyterian services. The words are different, of course.
The werewolves who come out here at FR to bash decent music in favor of stuff from the 17th century amaze me as well.
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I admit there are a few modern songs I like. I like "Shout to the Lord," too. I'm not good with titles, though. And yes, there are some of the old hymns that are incredibly boring. But a huge part of the excitement value of any song is in its arrangement, and there's a tendency to arrange the older hymns with a tiresome piano arrangement.
Bach and Handel and Buxtehude aren't boring, though. Mozart isn't boring; listen to the "Vesperae Solonnes de Confessore" and you will be thrilled. As a Protestant I must admit with regret that some of the most beautiful and holy music was written for the Catholic Church.
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Happily, He accepts that which is sung with a giving heart, whether or not perfect voices or beautiful songs are involved.
And I have to remind myself of that when I hear seemingly endless repetition or incomprehensible lyrics from any denomination's music.
I have a potato chip with the visage of Mary. I know this because I saw her likeness on a piece of french toast being sold on eBay.
Oh please! Find something real to be upset about at church besides how other people are worshiping the Lord!
All you'll care about in Heaven is about worshipping God - and if that's singing old time hymns, then belt it out with vigor, and if all that comes to mind is this new stuff, then sing it with gusto - but the point of worship is supposed to be God centered, not self-centeredness.
At our church we have one service with the good old hymns, and the second service with the newer stuff. I hear the choir and get to belt out an old hymn at the first service, and sing countless (boring!) refrains of the newer music at the second service - but at least the kids in church (and most of the adults including my wife) enjoy it. Once in awhile a newer song will touch my soul.
Amen! Reminds me of the lyrics to one of my favorite contemporary worship songs:
"I'm coming back to the heart of worship.
And it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus.
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it.
When it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus.
from "The Heart of Worship"
Great songs such as Victory in Jesus, How Great Thou Art, The Old Rugged Cross are sorely missed these days.
Give me the Bells of St. Agnes ... or Handel's Hornpipe Symphony.
I once met a missionary who went to indigenous peoples and recorded their worship services. At one particular place...very remote...they had no access to organs or any other instruments...instead they improvised with a tin can and a stick that was beat upon it. The people sang their praises to the Lord with an anointing that was tremendous. The Spirit of the Lord was in their songs.
God is in heaven looking down at these people and listening to their praise and worship of him....there was nothing fancy...no doleful organ music...no electic guitars...just worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth....with a stick and a tin can..
Do you think God would think this as muck? I don't think he would. They worshiped in their own style...just as your style is with traditional hymns...others like the modern sound....worship is from the heart...it is not the instruments played...God honors heartfelt worship no matter what form it takes.
Just for a second..sit back and picture the Lord in heaven looking down on earth listening closely as the worship of his body rises up to meet His ears. It is not just one song..it is many songs with many styles...it is a symphony of voices, instruments and sounds coming up at once...filling the ears of our Lord...it is even a stick banging on a tin can. All beautiful to him.
I would say to you...you better loosen up your knickers...because heaven is going to be a noisy place....so get ready.... all who enter will worship in spirit and in truth.
Don't forget Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)!
I like that one too -I think a lot of worship leaders have been almost hit on the chin with that one.
I go to a fabulous EV Free church after years in the Calvary Chapel churches. There is an amazing blend of hymns and contemporary. I'm excited that my daughter will get to hear old school songs, maybe a little more upbeat than how I learned them, but to have our generations "Gaither" style worship too.
(And I LOVE the saxaphone in our worship) and can't wait to hear the worship when we do arrive in heaven.
I just like the sermons as well.
Angels certainly exist, but if they do join us in singing, they would not sound like ordinary human beings.
I am somewhat skeptical here.
There are some great modern praise songs.
Some not so good ones as well.
For me personally, I attend a church that only sings the OT Psalms.
It is different, but I love it more than my old hymn-singing church.
The Psalms are so beautiful. But, that doesn't mean I don't sing a hymn sometimes. :)
Thank you leenie.
Also, If I may interject something here. Most of us believe that we have Guardian Angels (and, no - not the one's wearing red berets) around us. Some even think that we each have our own personal Guardian. A very learned Christian gentleman once said that if a person living in faith invokes the name of the Lord - whether in music or spoken word - then the Angels must act on your behalf. In Psalm 91:11-12 it says:
"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
So all the more reason it makes sense that when Angels hear us praising God with such fervor, they would naturally join in. Because they worsip Hiom as much (if not more) than we do.
And I'm sure the style of music doesnt much matter to them. In the Kansas City recording I heard a bass and drums.
Thank you for that post... beautiful, informative and uplifting.
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