Is There a Real Life Historical Case Like This?
1) Direct answer
Yes. The Bible gives real historical cases that show exactly this principle.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Michal and David: Michal was David’s lawful wife. Saul later gave her to another man (Paltiel) while David still lived (1 Samuel 18:27; 25:44). When David demanded her, she was returned to him and the second union ended (2 Samuel 3:14–16). This shows the first marriage remained binding, and the later union had to cease.
- Sarah and Abimelech: Sarah was taken into Abimelech’s house under a mistaken assumption, but God said, “She is a man’s wife… restore the man his wife” (Genesis 20:2–7). Even in ignorance, God upheld the first covenant.
- Herod and Herodias: John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife” (Mark 6:17–18). While the first husband lived, the second relationship was condemned as unlawful.
- The rule stated: “If, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress… but if her husband be dead, she is free” (Romans 7:2–3).
3) Simple clarifying logic
Now notice: in every case, the living first covenant governed the outcome. Mistake, time, or a second union did not dissolve it. Restoration to the original covenant—or separation from the unlawful union—was required.
4) Short reinforcing statement
You see, the Bible’s history and its doctrine match: the first bond stands while he lives.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Testimony
53-0902 §25
...ing away them crutches, and get up and start off. God's with you. If He's anointed you, He'll give it to you. That's right. Be anointed with the Holy Spirit. And then, when this woman, she jerked me like that. And I almost come off of my feet. And I threw my foot like that and caught her right across the breast like this. I caught ... and it pulled my hand out of hers. Well, I ran back towards the steps again. He said, "I told you, Brother Branham." And she started making a real funny noise, going "Hee-hee, hmm-hmm...
Leadership
65-1207 §46
the life... Sure, the stalk back here carried the life. Certainly it did. But, you see, when it become the stalk and it was finished (the organization), the life went right on into Wesley, come right out, like... And watch each one of them. One ... a big blade don't look like the grain. But when the little pollen comes---like on the shuck ... or, on the stalk---the pollen of the tassel, it looks a whole lot like the grain. But when it comes down to that shuck, it's almost there. Didn't Jesus say in the last days [M...
A testimony on the sea
62-0720 §62
...en the most hideous sight I ever seen. I was down at Clifton's Cafeteria, and I was waiting for Brother Arganbright to come up. And here come a woman. I never seen anything like it in my life. She had green in here, and red, and all different colors. Might have been a nice looking woman. But the way she had one of them waterhead haircuts, like the first lady, you know, and all that nonsense! And there she was standing there. And I'm a missionary. I've seen pellagra; I've seen leprosy. I never seen anything like tha...
Shalom
64-0119 §12
Now, it looks like the time is, you can't see that real stand out, like men ought to be. I ... even in taking it back from the spiritual now to the natural, I ... it seems to me that men wearing velvet pink shoes, and all kinds of things like that, it just seems like they become more like women. And women smoking cigarettes (now they've got cigars), and they just cut their hair like men, and it seems like it's ... the dainty, lady, feminish something is gone. And the real masculine man is gone. All he seems to thin...
Christ is the mystery of God revealed
63-0728 §218
...all the children that you can bring forth is that---because you're a prisoner. You can't commit adultery, you're already pregnated. Glory! He can't take ahold. The womb of life is closed to anything else. You're already His by predestination. That seed has come to life. No world can get in. Oh! Oh, how we'd like to stay on this for about an hour! I'm sure you understand. Christ and His alone. Already finished; the seed was there. The seed was already... When was it put there? Before the foundation of the world, ha...