Branham's doctrine was similar to the anti-Catholic rhetoric of classical Pentecostalism and Protestantism, which commonly associated the mark of the beast with Catholicism. Branham, though, uniquely associated the image of the beast with Protestant denominations. In his later years, he came to believe all denominations were "synagogues of Satan". A key teaching of Branham's message was a command to true Christians to "come out" of the denominations and accept the message of the Laodicean messenger, who had the "message of the hour". He argued that continued allegiance to a denomination was an acceptance of the mark of the beast, which would mean missing the rapture.