In the time of John the Baptist, the entire denominational world did not know the time they were living in. Neither did they recognize the fulfillment of prophecies concerning their day. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots and all the other denominations at the time of John the Baptist failed to recognize their day and its message.

There had been a prophecy in Malachi 3:1 and its fulfillment in Matthew 17:12,13; Luke 1:17; Mark 1:2,3 and John 1:23 of a forerunner before the first coming of the Lord, and quite strangely not one denominational church received John as a forerunner nor his message though John fitted perfectly into the scriptures. Man always believes in the past and claims to believe in what is to come but always fails to recognize his day.

It is strange that Bible scholars and the religious groups of that day refused the messenger but desired to wait for the Messiah Himself. No wonder why when the Messiah came, they did not receive Him also. If you reject the messenger and his ministry, which is the appearing of the Lord, you will surely reject the coming of the Lord too because you will not be able to recognize His coming.

It is a pity that history has repeated itself and again the religious denominations of today have failed to recognize the day and its message. Once again they look at the scriptures through their denominational lenses and fail to receive the simple Word of God devoid of denominational interpretation.

The same prophet, Malachi, who prophesied about the ministry of Elijah to forun the first coming of the Lord also prophesied in Malachi 4:5,6 of the ministry of Elijah that will forerun the second coming of the Lord. It is quite strange that the denominational churches today attribute that ministry to John the Baptist. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, the nominal churches are expecting a coming Messiah without expecting His forerunner with a message to prepare His coming.

 Malachi 4:1 points out clearly the end of the world and how it will burn. 2nd Peter 3:10-12 confirms that. This event is not identified with the first coming of the Lord. After the first coming of the Lord, the world did not burn. Clearly, this speaks of the second coming of the Lord which is preceded by Elijah’s ministry as described in the 6th verse of Malachi chapter 4. Verse 5 of the same chapter reads, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord”. The dreadful day is what is described in verse 1. Before this dreadful day, comes Elijah the prophet in verse 5, whose ministry takes place in verse 6 of Malachi chapter 4; Revelation 10:7; Zachariah 14:7 and many other scriptures in the Bible.

It was in June 1933, in this Ohio River that the Pillar Of Fire appeared over William Branham while he was baptising 500 people as thousands witnessed. On the 17th person, an audible Voice spoke, "As John the Baptist foreran the first coming of Christ, you will forerun His second coming."

The first coming of the Lord, though was great, was not dreadful. He came as a peaceful Lamb to take away the sins of the world. The second coming of the Lord is great and dreadful. It is however amazing how even Bible scholars in the footnote to Malachi 4:5,6 attributed that scripture to John the Baptist. This is a confirmation that God's Word does not come to the academic world but to His prophets (Amos 3:7). That is God’s unbroken pattern.

Because this end-time prophet comes in the spirit of Elijah as did John the Baptist, he will not conform to the religious order of his day as did John the Baptist. He will give the Word as has been given to him by God and his sermons, as an axe, will be laid to the roots of the trees, uprooting denominational doctrines that do not conform to the Word. Denominations will hate him for that but the elect will love him. Because of this, many will accuse him of wrong doctrine as they accused our Lord Jesus of wrong doctrine. They will say some of his doctrines are strange and radical because they will look through their denominational lenses to judge his word instead of looking at the Word to judge his word. His critics have proven to be half- baked students of the Bible, or stack ignorant about the things of God.

At the time when the Lord Jesus Christ was in flesh, His accusers were the religious priests of His day. It took the demon-possessed rather to identify His ministry. History once again has repeated itself.

It must be noted that the ministry of Elijah comes 5 times before Israel is saved. Elijah appeared first in 1Kings 17:1.

When he was raptured, his ministry did not end. It continued in another prophet, Elisha, for Elisha had a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2:11-15). That was Elijah’s second ministry.

The third coming of Elijah’s ministry was in another prophet, John the Baptist, (Matthew 17:12,13, Luke 1:17, Malachi 3:1).

The forth coming of Elijah’s ministry was again in another prophet identified in the following scriptures Malachi 4:5,6; Matthew 17:11; Revelation 10:7; Luke 17:30; Acts 3:21, etc).

At his fifth ministry, Elijah comes with Moses as the two olive trees to preach Jesus Christ to the Jews, after our rapture, to open the understanding of the 144,000 Jews during the 3 ½ years of the great tribulation (Revelation 11). The Jews are blinded during the Gentile dispensation for God to have a Gentile Bride (Romans 11:25).

At the fullness of the Gentile dispensation, the Gospel will return to the Jews for the salvation of the 144,000 Jews who will be servants to the Gentile Bride and her Groom, Christ Jesus.

Without a shadow of doubt, the forth coming of Elijah’s ministry which is also the ministry of the seventh church age messenger (Revelation 10:7) was fulfilled in the humble ministry of Prophet William Marrion Branham, whose sermons have been captured on this website under the topic AUDIO SERMONS.

From the beginning of creation, there hasn’t been a ministry as Word-vindicated as that of William M. Branham's. His ministry was to restore the Word as we had it in the time of Apostle Paul and even go beyond to reveal things Paul could not reveal for Paul saw through glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). The Lord Jesus Christ so powerfully manifested Himself in the ministry of William Branham than any other ministry known to man. This was to attract the world to the message he was sent with.

As history will like to repeat itself, it was when he began to preach the mysteries of God, he lost many friends and gained many critics. However, those that have been ordained to eternal life believed his message (Act:13:48). Like the believers in the household of Noah, they disregarded the churches' popular opinions and stuck to ‘Thus Saith The Lord’  and God’s provided way which never fail. God has once again, according to His Word, made a provided way by way of a prophet with an end-time infallible message as a way of escape from the on-coming judgment.

You are either on God’s side or you are against Him. You are either married to the Word or you are married to the church system which is the image unto the beast. Popular public opinion has never been God’s majority. God’s majority has always been His Word and that is what carries the vote. Let every man’s word be a lie and let God’s Word be true every time.

The reason why I have spent time on this end-time ministry is to attract genuine and honest believers of the Bible to the message William Branham brought. A message that prepares a Word-borne Bride for her Lord. There is no man in the world that has lifted the name of Jesus Christ so high and manifested the Lord Jesus as the same yesterday, today and forever than William Branham has.

Before we continue on this amazing, Bible-promised ministry of this humble man of God, let me introduce you to a biographer, Owen Jogernson who wrote the biography of William M. Branham and what he has to say.

After 44 Years of Believing William Branham’s Message, Here Is Why I’m Staying With It!

Brother Branham said his Message was: Come into Christ. I became a Christian in 1968 when I was 16, and I first heard William Branham’s message when I was 18. Listening to his sermons brought me closer to Jesus Christ—and they continue to encourage me in the Lord to this day. Here are some of the wonderful things His Message has done for me.

This supernatural Cloud  was formed by the wings of seven Angels who had ascended after speaking with Brother William Branham about the opening of the Seven Seals. The great Cloud was over 26 miles high and 30 miles wide, when photographed over Flagstaff, Arizona, at sunset on February 28, 1963. This photograph was first printed in Life magazine on May 17, 1963.

First of all, William Branham elevated Jesus Christ higher than anyone else I have ever heard (outside of The Message). Oh, the other Christians say “Jesus is Lord” and they hail Him as “God in flesh”, and give him other fancy titles; but if you listen to them for a while, eventually they demote Jesus to some lesser position, like “the second person” or some other such thing. William Branham taught me that Jesus Christ is “Supreme Deity.” There is no one higher. You might ask, “But what about God the Father?” Brother Branham taught me that God (the Father) is Spirit, and Jesus (the Son) is that Spirit become human. (John 1:18; 4:24; 14:8-10, and many other scriptures). That makes Jesus fully God, and fully human.

William Branham taught me how Jesus is human. God the Spirit created a human egg and sperm inside the womb of Mary when she was still a virgin. These connected. From that point on, Jesus developed naturally like every other human embryo. But there is more to this equation. How did Jesus recognize His uniqueness even at the age of 12, whereas the rest of us are still floundering at that age? Each son and daughter of God has a spiritual representation in the mind of God, which Brother Branham called a theophany, or spiritual body. When you and I were born, we by-passed our theophany, so we have had to struggle to see God. But Jesus was born with His theophany united to his physical body, so by the time He turned 12 he knew who He was. Understanding that distinction has helped me as I try to live for Christ, and sometimes fail Him.

Brother Branham was not “Oneness” or “Jesus Only”. He taught me that there is a difference between “The Father” and “The Son”. The New Testament often refers to this difference, which many people have misconstrued into a “Two-in-One” or a “Three-in-One” doctrine of God. But there is only one God. Remember the first commandment is, “Hear O Israel the Lord our God is One Lord (Mark 12:29).” Brother Branham clarified this for me. He told me that God is a Spirit, and since we don’t know exactly what a spirit is, none of us can know God in His Spirit form. Therefore God became a man, so we could know Him. (John 1: “No man has seen God AT ANY TIME, but the only begotten Son… he hath declared Him.” Thomas said to Jesus, “Show us the Father… Jesus answered Thomas, “When you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. John 14:8-10.) In John 21:21 Thomas called Jesus, “My Lord and my God.”

Before I heard of William Branham, I had already accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. But Brother Branham showed me exactly who Jesus is. What greater gift could any minister give to people? And if that wasn’t enough, he then showed me the attributes of Jesus Christ—everything from holiness to the real nature of sin. He said there is only one basic sin, and that is—disbelieving God’s Word. Every other bad thing we do is just manifesting different aspects of unbelief.

He taught me why there is evil in the world. God had attributes that He wanted to express—attributes like “healer”, “ comforter” and “savior”. He created this world so He could express those attributes. He did not create evil—no, He could not do that, because He is all good. But he created a man and a woman with this amazing ability we call “free will”; and then God allowed a situation to occur knowing that Adam and Eve would fail. It wasn’t eating a piece of fruit that caused their fall. God is not that arbitrary. No, it was adultery, which God still considers a sin today. Once I understood that the serpent was at first a mammal similar to man, then the Garden of Eden story changed from an allegorical fairy tale to one rooted in our modern understanding of genetics. Knowing that the serpent left a genetic imprint in mankind’s genetic code helped me to understand the animal-like brutality of human history and the conflicts I see on the nightly news.

I have not yet mentioned the decades of miracles that Jesus did through Brother Branham’s ministry—hundreds of thousands of miracles, some that boggle my mind because they are so utterly fantastic—and many of these miracles are recorded, originally on magnetic tape and now in digital formats. I listen to his prayer-lines with awe—and my faith rises as I contemplate the power of this great Christ whom I serve. More than any other minister of our day, William demonstrated the Gospel, bringing the reality of Jesus Christ visibly before us.

Furthermore, God gave Brother Branham a glimpse of paradise, which he called “beyond the curtain of time”. I have never heard anything more beautiful than his description of that sublime place. To me it was the spiritual equivalent of Joshua and Caleb bringing back giant grapes from the Promised Land and saying to the Israelites, “See, Moses was telling us the truth. Canaan is a good land--and God said we could live there if we only believe Him and persevere.”

Brother Branham did not teach me about grace. I already understood that I am saved by my faith in Jesus Christ alone, and not by my works (Ephesians 2:8) But his message has strengthened my faith immeasurably.

I was so relieved when I learned that hell was not eternal. It’s right there in the book of Revelation—hell is thrown into the Lake of Fire and destroyed (Revelation 20:14)—but until I heard Brother Branham, I thought hell was eternal because that’s what other Christians told me. I’ll tell you why learning this fact meant so much to me. Christians would say, “God is love; but if you don’t return that love, God is going to roast you for eternity!” Huh? That didn’t sound like love to me. But God is love. He is also merciful and just. There will be a judgment day when the deeds and motives of men will be examined. Many will receive His mercy, and the rest… well, hell was not created for man, but for the devil and his demons. However, if people don’t want God, then hell is the only place they can go because it’s the only place devoid of God’s presence. How long they will be there, the Bible doesn’t say—but they won’t live there for eternity. There is only one form of eternal life, and that is in Jesus Christ (John11:25). Brother Branham helped me understand that God truly is love.

I could go on and on... but I want to keep this short.

Let me briefly address the criticisms leveled at William Branham. I spent approximately 12,000 hours researching and writing a biography of him, called Supernatural: The Life of William Branham (available on my website supernaturalchristianbooks.com.) I dare say few people have looked into his life as thoroughly as I have. Certainly he was not perfect. And yet, William Branham was as honorable and sincere a Christian as I have ever heard of. His dedication to helping people went far above and beyond the call of duty. Consider his 1947 faith-healing campaign in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where he prayed for a solid line of people for eight straight days and nights, stopping now and then to eat a sandwich or to nap for ten minutes on the platform, while the next patient waited for him to wake and pray for him or her. In the history of the world, I have never heard of anything like this ever being done before. And that’s just one example. He usually fasted and prayed for several days before starting a faith-healing campaign in a city. His heart’s desire was to help people see Jesus Christ. He could have been a multi-millionaire, but he turned down riches, taking just a small weekly salary for himself and putting the rest of the money that came in towards missions, under the name Branham Campaigns. He always acknowledged Jesus Christ as the healer.

He always dealt with people in a Christ-like manner; and yet people (even some Christian people today) still criticize him. Interestingly, every criticism that is directed at William Branham could also be said of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, if one had a mind to criticize. For example, some people say William Branham was a liar; or at least stretched the truth, so you can’t really believe him. The critic of Christianity can say Luke was lying when he said Herod killed hundreds of babies in Bethlehem because he wanted to be sure of killing the baby Jesus. After all, there are no records of such an atrocity in secular history (and we know a lot about the reign of Herod the Great of Judea.) A critic of Christianity could also say Jesus lied in John 7:2-10. He told his brothers he wasn’t going to go to the feast, and then he went. You and I know there is more to the story—but that doesn’t matter to the critics. As far as they are concerned, Jesus lied to his brothers. And how about Paul the Apostle? He can’t seem to get his facts straight. When Jesus speaks to him on his road to Damascus, Acts 9:7 says the men with him heard the voice, but Acts 22:9 says those same men did not hear the voice. The critic can even accuse Jesus of being a false prophet. How is that, you wonder? While standing in the temple at Jerusalem, Jesus said “If you tear this temple down, I’ll build it again in 3 days.”(John 2:19) The Roman army tore that temple down in 70 A.D. and it has never been rebuilt since. We would challenge the critic by saying “Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body.” But the critic would point out that Jesus never said that—John said that Jesus referred to his body; so we are just making excuses (John 2:21).

And then there is doctrine… Jesus put forth a doctrine so repugnant to the Jews that 70 of his closest followers left him over it. Jesus said they had to eat his body and drink his blood to have eternal life. The Old Testament law forbids Jews to eat any meat that still has the blood in it. At this point Jesus didn’t explain the deeper meaning behind his words—he just said it and left it at that—and these 70 men thought, “This guy can’t be a prophet if he preaches unscriptural stuff like that.” After they left, Jesus asked the 12 remaining disciples if they would leave also. Peter, speaking for the group (and for me) said, “Master, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 5:51-69)

None of these criticisms of Christianity shake me, because I’ve met the Lord Jesus personally—so I know He is real and His Word is true, even though I can’t explain every mysterious detail. I could answer most of the criticisms of Brother Branham one by one, but that wouldn’t satisfy a critic, unless he or she had an honest and open heart, and was really desiring to find the truth.

In Brother Branham’s sermon “Deep Calleth to the Deep,” (which is one of the few movies taken of his faith-healing campaigns) Brother Branham said to his audience, “If you came here to criticize, then the devil will give you something to criticize. If you came here to see God, then you’ll see God. It all depends on what you’re looking for.” There were plenty of critics of Jesus when he walked on this earth—and ever since then too. So it doesn’t surprise me that William Branham is criticized, since he walked so close to Jesus that some people even mistook him for being God. It is easy to criticize; it’s much harder to build something of value. Brother Branham didn’t build a denomination. He worked hard to bring people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

I am one of those people he helped. I am staying with “The Message” because it is a beacon of truth and clarity shinning through the fog of men’s ideas. It has guided me to the genuine Jesus Christ, and in Him I have found love, joy, peace and safety. I have come into Christ, and I am staying put.

Witnesses

Following are a number of comments made by men who were witnesses of Bro. Branham's remarkable ministry.

Pastor Chris on William Branham's Prophecy

Apostle Joshua Selman on William Branham

Oral Roberts – "A humble devout man of God". (Healing Waters, July 1948)

Gordon Lindsay – "Never had we known of any preacher calling deaf, mutes and blind people to pray for, and then to see those people delivered on the spot... a ministry that was beyond any that we had before witnessed" (The House the Lord Built)

Jack Moore – "The most gifted of all the evangelists".(All Things Are Possible by David Edwin Harrel.Jr.)

F.F. Bosworth – "When the gift is operating, Bro. Branham is the most sensitive person to the presence and working of the Holy Spirit and to spiritual realities of any person I have ever known." (A Prophet Visits South Africa by Julius stadsklev).

Tommy Osborn – " God has chosen diverse and mysterious ways to reveal Himself to His servants, especially those called for dispensational purposes as was Bro. Branham's call." ( William Branham's Memorial Service).

"In short, the man we know as William Branham was sent to demonstrate God again in the flesh." (William Branham's Memorial Service).

" So, He (God) sent forth a particular human vessel surrounded by supernatural signs to attract attention to make this wayward generation stop and look and ponder and search and think. "Thus the halo of light that appeared at his birth, the star, the angel, the discernment, the gifts, all of these for that purpose. What for!? To show us God again. To repeat what He showed us in Christ Jesus when He came in the form of flesh. To remind us one final time. Like Jesus, Bro. Branham redemonstrated the very things which made men believe that the true Messiah had come." (William Branham's Memorial Service).

George Ekeroth – " God calleth this humble man.... and anointed his ministry to a degree that within a few short years his name was known in the most remote jungle outstation. Whenever you would go in this world you would find that the name of this messenger had preceded you." (In the introduction of Morris Cerullo's Book- Wind over the 20th Century).

David Edwin Harrel Jr. – "Most of the participants of the healing revival (that erupted in 1947) looked upon Branham as its initiator.... William Branham became a prophet to a generation..... Night after night, before thousands of awed believers, he discerned the diseases of the sick and pronounced them healed." (All Things Are Possible).

"The power of a Branham service.... remains a legend unparalleled in the history of the charismatic movement. ( All Things Are Possible).

James Morris – "It was Branham, more than any other evangelist, who started the post-World War II fundamentalist faith-healing revival following his encounter with an angel on May 7,1946." (The Preachers).

"Word radiated in every direction that all manner of diseases and afflictions were healed instantly by the little Indiana preacher. Even cases of raising the dead were published. (The Preachers).

Thomas R. Nickel – " In Bible days, there were men of God who were prophets and seers. But in all the Sacred Records, none of these had a greater ministry than that of William Branham, a Prophet and Seer of God, whose photographs appear on the front cover of this issue of Full Gospel Men's Voice. Branham has been used by God, in the Name of Jesus, to raise the dead." (Full Gospel Men's Voice, Feb. 1964).

Joseph Mattson-Boze – " Sometimes I was scared because of the deep sense of holiness that penetrated the meeting, but I never failed to see the gift of God in operation through His servant to feel the warmth of love that flowed through the meetings.

Pearry Green –" After a lapse of centuries, God has once again visited the people of this generation through a prophet, He has sent a prophet chosen from his mother's womb, and has ordained this man's life from childhood, molding him as He did the other men of God in the Scriptures". (Acts of the Prophet).

Brother Charlie Mitchell Testimony on William Branham

Brother Branham Remembered by Brother Earl Williams

How Did William Branham Do It?

Answering the Big Question His Critics Ignore.

 

Brian Tracy, a famous motivational speaker, said of human nature: “Your beliefs act as a set of filters that screen out information that is inconsistent with them. You do not necessarily believe what you see, but rather you see what you already believe. You reject information that contradicts what you have already decided to believe, whether or not your beliefs, your prejudices, are based on fact or fantasy.”

How true that is. It takes an honest effort to be objective. The easy path for people is to filter out any facts that contradict their theories, and then they will always feel they are right. I think this is one reason people reject Brother Branham’s message.

One could go many directions with explaining William Branham’s unusal life, including how he fits into dozens of Scriptures. But here I would like to present one very basic idea. Nicodemus said to Jesus, “We know you are a teacher come from God because no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2) If that was true for Jesus, why wouldn’t it be true for someone else who did similar signs in Jesus’ name?

Consider William Branham’s gift of discernment, so strikingly similar to Jesus’ gift of discernment. (John 1:47-48 and 4:16-19) I will pick one particular case for this example because it happened to Minnie Peterson, who is a personal friend of mine. She was a stranger to Brother Branham when she stood before him in a prayer line in 1955. He told her seven things: (1) You are standing here for someone else; (2) It’s your half-sister (3) who is ill with rheumatic fever; (4) And your daughter is sick (5) with a fever; (6) And your son is sick; (7) And your teeth need healing. (You can hear what Brother Branham said to Minnie on his sermon “Doctor Moses.” (Go to Branham.org/ Search Message and reference sermon 55-0114, E-55.)

Minnie Peterson told me that every one of those things was true. “But wait,” the critic might say, “Branham was wrong when he said, ‘you are standing here for someone else,’ because she wanted prayer for her own teeth.” No, his discernment was correct. Minnie told me that her teeth had been hurting her earlier in the week, and she had prayed about it earlier in the week… but when she stood in that prayer line, she wasn’t thinking about her teeth because she was so worried about her nine-year-old half-sister, who had suddenly become paralyzed due to a high fever.

That’s my first point... his critics don’t know all the facts. No one knows all the facts. Some of Jesus’ critics said he couldn’t be the Christ because he came from Galilee, and the Scriptures said the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (John 7:40-43). They made their erroneous judgment based on incomplete information.

But my second point is stronger. What are the odds of a man telling a stranger seven facts about her life, and that man being correct on all seven points? The statistical odds against him doing that are so astronomically high as to be practically zero. Brother Branham had never seen Minnie before, or heard of her. How did he know she had a sister, let alone a half-sister? How did he know she had children? And how did he know she had prayed about her teeth earlier that week? But this did happen. He knew.

This, then, is the first important question a skeptic should ask about William Branham’s amazing ministry—how did he do it? How did he discern secrets hidden inside the human psyche? How did he know those seven facts about Minnie Peterson’s life? This is a serious question that calls for an honest investigation. What possible explanation could there be for such a fantastic thing to happen? Here are the choices as I see them…

Theory #1: He made a lucky guess.

My response: Once or twice, maybe, but he displayed this accurate discernment tens of thousands of times. So, the ‘lucky guess’ theory is statistically impossible.

Theory #2: He could read minds.

My response: Scientists have done many experiments trying to find out if there is such a thing as extra-sensory perception, and all such experiments have failed to prove ESP exists. Exactly how would mind reading work anyway? I mean, what would be the science behind it? No, Brother Branham couldn’t read minds. No one can.

Theory #3: It was all a scam. He planted people, maybe even paying them to lie.

My response: Over 17 years Brother Branham prayed for upward to 100,000 people personally all around the world; and in all that time no one ever came forward and said they were paid to fake it, or anything like that. He discerned the problems of people holding prayer cards and he discerned the problems of people without prayer cards. Many times he would tell strangers their names and addresses. He had a number of different campaign managers over the years. None of them cried foul. There were no tricks involved. Remember that in the 1950’s microphones and speakers were primitive by today’s standards. You couldn’t hide a speaker in your ear back then like you can today. No, it was not a scam. Minnie Peterson was certainly genuine. As far as I can tell, that rules out the natural possibilities, leaving us with only supernatural theories to consider.

Theory #4: Perhaps he got his “gift of discernment” directly from Satan.

My response: Brother Branham used his gift of discernment to raise the faith of people high enough to accept Jesus Christ as their healer. He gave all the credit to Jesus Christ. This is not something Satan would sanction. (Matthew 12:26-28) When Jesus was on earth, the demons that he came near cried out, asking him to leave them alone. There is no example in the Bible of a demon-inspired person using a gift of discernment in conjunction with divine healing. None. In contrast, Jesus definitely had the gift of discernment and the gift of divine healing. Therefore it would be an error to attribute Brother Branham’s gift to satanic forces when there is no Bible references to support such a claim.

Theory #5: Brother Branham was one of the false prophets Jesus warned us against. Jesus said, “For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:24)

My Response: What Jesus said is true… beware because false prophets are out there and they are busy deceiving. But notice, Jesus didn’t tell us what those great signs and wonders would be. Why would those “signs and wonders” be “discernment and healing”—which are the same things Jesus did when he walked the earth? Why would “discernment and healing” be good 2000 years ago, but bad now? It wouldn’t, of course. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is same today as he was yesterday. So Brother Branham does not fit the false prophets of Matthew 24:24. Besides, if you read on to verse 27, it takes you right into the prophecy of the “coming of the Son of Man,” which is Jesus in his prophetic form, coming in the end time as visible as lightning. William Branham’s ministry was open to the world—and still is. There is an Old Testament account of a false prophet giving a prophecy that came true. The story of Balaam is found in Deuteronomy 22 through 24. But Balaam wanted riches (Jude 1:11.) William Branham, on the other hand, refused to profit from his incredible gift. He lived in a modest house, drove a modest car, wore ordinary clothes and took a modest weekly salary from his home church. He once refused a gift of 1.5 million dollars from a man whose wife was healed of cancer after Brother Branham prayed for her. He explained, “I didn’t heal her; Jesus Christ healed her. So how could I take money for something I didn’t do?” That sounds more like Elisha turning down Namaan’s gold after the Syrian general was healed of leprosy. (2 Kings 5) No false prophet there. Nevertheless, some critics say William Branham taught false doctrine, and that’s what makes him a false prophet. I’ll respond to that accusation with this question: What did William Branham teach that would harm someone’s soul? Answer: Nothing he taught would hurt anyone. He taught that people should repent and get baptized in Jesus name, and then God would give them the Holy Spirit, which is eternal life. (Hmm… that’s the same thing Peter preached in Acts 2:38.) Brother Branham taught that we should love one another, and forgive each other, and do good things for everyone we can. (Are there any complaints about that?) Yes, he said some things that offended some people. So did Elijah, and Elisha, and John the Baptist; and so did Jesus, for that matter. Brother Branham is in good company there.

 “Wait a minute,” the critic says. “William Branham taught against the Holy Trinity. That right there makes him a false prophet.”

My response: That’s not exactly true. Brother Branham believed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but not as “one god in three persons” the way it is so often taught. (Look, even proponents of that one-in-three doctrine admit it doesn’t make any sense.) Brother Branham taught that God the Father is a spirit (the Holy Spirit) and we can’t know a spirit. So God became flesh and dwelt among us for a while. That was Jesus Christ, who we call the Son of God. (That is exactly what John chapter 1 says. No false doctrine there.) After Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected, he returned to the Father, and then He sent back His Spirit to indwell His children. There you have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—just like the New Testament teaches. Besides, where in the Bible does it say you have to believe in “the Trinity” to be saved? It doesn’t say that. The New Testament says you have to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved. And surprise… that’s what Brother Branham taught also.

Theory #5: Maybe His gift of discernment and healing came from God, but William Branham went wrong when he taught doctrine. If he had just prayed for the sick, he would have been all right. My response: Have you thought that idea through? Are you saying that God was shortsighted and picked the wrong man to give such a monumental supernatural gift to? Or are you saying that God purposely gave William Branham this gift knowing he would end up teaching wrong? What would be the purpose in that? Neither of these responses matches the omniscient God of the Bible. What you really might be saying is, “He didn’t teach what I believe, so he must be a wrong.” (Remember Brian Tracy’s comment about human nature.) Well, if we we’re all so correct in our doctrine, God wouldn’t have needed to send a prophet at all, would he? But Jesus said, “Elijah shall first come and restore all things,” so apparently Elijah must show up sometime, somewhere, and do some restoring. (Matthew 17:11) If you were God, how would you vindicate such a prophet to our modern world?

Theory #6: William Branham’s amazing gift of discernment came from God for the purpose of vindicating him as a true servant of Jesus Christ. My response: This is the only theory that matches all the facts: physical, spiritual and biblical. That’s why I believe it this way.

Brother Branham never said he had the spirit of Elijah—but he did point out many of the Scriptures this end time Elijah would fulfill—and guess what, Brother Branham’s life matched all those Scriptures. I’ll tell you at least one thing he restored—he restored visible proof that Jesus Christ is real. Jesus said, “He who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father.” (John 14:11) No one has fulfilled this Scripture more fully than humble little William Branham.

Before you reject William Branham’s message, answer this question: How did he do it? Don’t skip this question. You need to think it through until you come up with an honest, sensible answer. If you come to the same conclusion I came to, then your next question should be: What does this mean to me?

One of my favorite spots in researching Brother Branham’s life was when I heard him say to a woman who was sitting in the audience during one of his 1957 meetings in Edmonton, Canada. He said, "Here, there hangs that Light over a woman. She's suffering with high blood pressure. Stand to your feet. Her name is Mrs. Fishbrook. You're from this city. You live on 125th Street. The number of your house is 13104. That's exactly right. If that's right, raise your hand. All right, go home. You are healed, lady. Jesus Christ makes you well." (From his sermon “God Projecting His Love,” 57-0806, E-52)

Honestly, what are the statistical odds of William Branham guessing that? Owen Jorgensen, 2014

Before we procede to explain the Public appearance of the Pillar of fire in June of 1933 to give Brother Branham his 'second commission', let's briefly lay a Scriptural foundation to show that God has in Scripture, Publicly (visibly and audibly) revealed Himself to the sight and hearing of man.

It is not unusual that God would in various ways, manifest His Presence publicly for the people to see. The Bible contains numerous accounts of public appearances of God, vindicating His Prophets or just to confirm His Presence with the people. Believing that God is "The same yesterday, today and forever", (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) then WHY should we think it strange for God to publicly appear before the people in the Twentieth Century to vindicate His Prophet to the Gentiles, and also to confirm His Presence with us according to Luke 17:30?

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed

Since the beginning of time, God has publicly shown Himself to man in different forms and ways. In Creation he was identified as "Spirit", even the Holy Spirit speaking forth the thoughts of God. John in chapter one of his Gospel said, "In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God.....In Him was Life and the Life was the LIGHT of Men." When the Word (Logos) was made flesh He said, "I AM the LIGHT of the world". Again it is written, "God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all."

It is written in the book of Genesis that God came down in the cool of the day to fellowship with Adam and Eve. We are not told what form God was revealed in but we are told that He was there in a form that could be seen and heard (Genesis 4:8). In the Progressive self-Revelation of Himself in His Word, we learn that God appeared as a "Burning Lamp", (LIGHT) to Abraham, passing between the pieces of Abraham's sacrifices (Genesis 15:17). To Moses, God appeared as a "Pillar of Fire" in the bush that was not consumed. From henceforth, the "Pillar of fire" would become a manifestation of the "attribute of the Fullness of God", vindicating His Prophet(s) and His Presence with the people.

In the Book of Exodus it is recorded that God, was revealed in the form of the "Pillar of Fire", by night and" A cloud", by day, leading the Israelites through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22). This manifestation was there for all to see. They didn't have to take Moses Word for it - All saw it. In Exodus 14:19-20 when Israel was seemingly trapped on the shores of the Red Sea, the "Pillar of Fire" moved between the Camp of Israel and the Egyptian Army. All that night the "Pillar of Fire" gave Light to the Israelites, and it was a "cloud and darkness" to the Egyptians. Even so, today, the manifestation of the "Pillar of Fire" in this Age is Light (Revelation) for the True Believer to walk by, but it is a "cloud and darkness" to the make-believer and unbeliever.

In the wilderness, Moses had established a "Tabernacle of the Congregation". All who desired to inquire of the Lord went out to the Tabernacle of the Congregation. It was here that the Lord came down publicly in the form of the 'Cloudy Pillar' and communed with His Prophet, Moses. Notice what the Scriptures say in Exodus 33:7.

33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, [that] every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which [was] without the camp. 

33:8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, [that] all the people rose up, and stood every man [at] his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
33:9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood [at] the door of the tabernacle, and [the LORD] talked with Moses.

33:10 And all the people "saw" the cloudy pillar stand [at] the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man [in] his tent door.

33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. The People stood in fear and worshipped.

Let God come down in the form of the "Cloudy Pillar" today and show Himself Publicly before People, even allow science to take a picture of Him, and the people just brush it off as fanaticism, a cult or a false prophet. Such is the unbelief of this Age, insomuch that Jesus said, "When the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

WHY is that so? Because the people are more "tuned in" to the church (denominational and non-denominational alike) than they are to the Word of God. They "Hear" the Voice of the Church but they can't "Hear" the Voice of the Word speaking in this Age. If "That Voice" doesn't speak according to the Voice of "Traditional Christianity" then the majority of the people refuse to "hear" what the Voice is saying - no matter what God would do to vindicate that Voice, THEY WILL NOT Believe - though one rose from the dead THEY WILL NOT Believe.

In the New Testament when Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Paul (on the Road to Damascus), He was a 'Blinding Light', a "Pillar of Fire". Paul, recognizing the "attribute of the Fullness of God", cried out, "WHO are you, Lord?" The "VOICE" spoke back saying, "I Am Jesus, whom you PERSECUTE".
Therefore, the True Believers were not stumbled in this Age when God Revealed Himself in the form of a Pillar of Fire to vindicate His servant, the Prophet and to confirm that He had come down to interpret His Word by bringing It to pass. The unbeliever and the make-believer continues to stumble over what God has done.

MOST WILL NOT accept any sign or voice unless it speaks the same as that of "Traditional Christianity", failing to realize the absolute possibility that much of what "Traditional Christianity" taught over the years has been wrong and God winked at it till this Age (Acts 17:30) .

Off course most are persuaded that if the "Voice of the Sign" doesn't say what 'traditional Christianity' says then 'the Voice' is a false prophet. The Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus' day felt the same way. But in spite of the unbelief of the people, God, by His Grace has shown Himself publicly to this generation.

God Shows Himself Publicly In This Age

The First public appearance of the Pillar of Fire in this Age was on April the 6th 1909, in a little log cabin, when a young woman gave birth to a boy destined to fulfill the ministry of a prophet. Only a few were present at this event to witness the appearance of the Pillar of Fire as It came in through a window opening in the cabin, moved along the wall and stopped over the baby. That baby was named William Marrion Branham.

The Second Public Appearance of the Pillar of Fire was on June 11, 1933. The location was on the shores of the Ohio River, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The circumstances surrounding this appearance was an Open-Air Gospel meeting which was concluded with a Water Baptismal service. Approximately 4000 people had gathered for this service. The Preacher, the one baptising the converts was William M. Branham. The Lord was about to commission His prophet, giving him further insight into his peculiar ministry.

As he was about to baptize the seventeenth convert, he heard "a Voice" saying , "Look Up!" Looking up, Wiliam Branham saw a strange Light, like a star, whirling down toward him, coming to a stop just above him. The witnesses standing on the bank of the River were over-whelmed by this unexplainable phenomenon. Some ran for fear; others fell to their knees and worshipped. Many pondered the meaning of this remarkable occurrence.

In the Old Testament a "Voice" spoke from the Pillar of Fire (Cloudy Pillar) to Moses. In the New Testament a "Voice" spoke again from the Pillar of Fire to Paul. So also a "Voice" spoke to William Branham saying:

"As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the First Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, so are you sent to forerun His Second Coming..."

If people can believe that God revealed Himself to Moses, and Israel, and Paul in a Pillar of Fire, WHAT HINDERS THEM FROM HAVING FAITH to believe that God could, and did, do it again in the Twentieth Century? YET even among those who were used of God (through the gift of tongues and interpretation) to "Confirm the Message" given to William Branham on the Ohio River, there are many among them who will now deny what they spoke under the anointing, and deny that Brother Branham was the forerunner of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please! Seriously, Ponder this thought:
If God sent this man with the Spirit of Elijah and kept His Word to this man (Malachi 4:5-6).....
If God did let none of his words fall to the ground, but backed them up (1st. Samuel 3:19).....
If God stood behind him and vindicated what he said (Numbers 12:6-8).....
If when he spoke "Thus Saith The Lord", it NEVER failed (Deut. 18:21-22).....
If in the discerning of the thoughts and intents (past, present and future) of the hearts of men and women, he was always 100% correct (John 4:16-19).....
If God appeared to him in the form of the Pillar of Fire as He did to Moses and others in the Scriptures (Exodus 4:2; 33:9).....
If God sent Angels to give him his commission as He did to other prophets in the Scriptures (Exodus 4:2; Joshua 5:13-15; Judges 6:11-12).....
If the Word of the Lord Comes to the Prophet, (Jeremiah 1:1-2; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1), then tell me, WHY? WHY? WHY can't the people believe the doctrine that this man brought, to correct those things which had gone off into tradition and error, straying from the Word of God? (Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:3-9);

The answer lies in Revelation 3:14-22. The churches (people) in this Age fail to recognize their true spiritual condition; And blinded by the traditions of  man-made churches and religious programs, they understand so little about God, His Pattern, and His Prophets. Paul, considering 'the blindness' of the people in his day said, "But if our Gospel be hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost" (2nd. Cor. 4:3). It is a sad scenario but it is stark reality.

This incident of the Pillar of Fire appearing publicly, which took place on the Ohio River in 1933 also found its way into a Canadian Newspaper with the heading of "Mysterious Light Appears Over Baptist Preacher". God didn't do these things in a corner. He didn't just commune with His Servant in secret - He publicly showed Himself before the people. William Branham had only been on the national and international scene for about four years when God came on the scene again to Vindicate His Servant. This time He would allow science, through the eye of a camera to catch It on film.

It was January 1950. The place was the Sam Houston Colosseum in Houston, Texas. The Circumstances surrounding this "Public Appearance" of the Pillar of Fire was a "Challenge for A Public Debate" over the issue of "Divine Healing through The Atonement". During a 'Branham Campaign' in Houston, this challenge was issued by a certain denominational preacher who opposed the teaching on Divine healing in the Atonement. Rev. F.F. Bosworth, after consulting with Bro. Branham, accepted the challenge, and the whole matter was given front page publicity in the Houston Newspapers. Headlines advertising the "debate" stated, "Ecclesiastical Fur Will Fly".
On the evening appointed, as the meeting got under way, it was quite apparent that the sympathy of the vast audience was almost entirely on the side of the Bro. Bosworth and Bro. Branham. Large numbers of people who were of the same denomination as the opposing minister, stood to their feet to testify that they believed in Divine Healing and had in fact been healed.

To record this event on film, the opposing clergyman had secured the services of Mr. James Ayers and Mr. Ted Kipperman, professional photographers who were to take a series of pictures of him while he was speaking. Nearing the end of the debate, the opposing clergy began making calls for the "Divine healer" to come forward. Brother Bosworth acknowledged that Brother Branham was in the building but didn't know if he would come forward. Brother Branham was sitting in the balcony with his wife and brother. His brother had cautioned him not to move.

BUT THEN, something happened - Brother Branham quickly stood to his feet. His brother tried to get him to sit down but his wife KNEW that something supernatural was moving her husband. She motioned to her brother-in-law that it was alright. Brother Branham later stated that as he sat there, he heard that sound again - like a 'whistling, rushing wind'. A voice spoke and said, "Stand on your feet!" He stood, and obeying the Voice, he made his way to the platform. As he began to move down the isles, the people began to reach out, just to touch his clothes. It was a moving sight indeed and people were reminded again of Bible Days when the people thronged around the Prophet of Galilee, just to touch Him or the shadow of Paul healed the sick.

Moving to the pulpit, Brother Branham spoke quietly, apologizing for the confusion which had been stirred up because of his ministry in Houston. He spoke only briefly - It was cut short when the Supernatural moved on the scene again. Standing behind the podium, Brother Branham heard "that whistling wind-like sound" come down into the building again. With these words, "The Lord has spoken, I'll say no more", he turned and walked off the platform, exiting through a back door. Just before he turned to leave the platform, one of the photographers took "One" picture of Brother Branham.
When Mr. Ayers, one of the photographers, went that same night to the darkroom of his studio, he decided to develop the negatives that had been exposed. To his surprise every one of the negatives turned out to be" absolutely blank" with the exception of the one which had been taken of Brother Branham. His surprise turned to amazement when he noticed that on this negative, immediately over the head of William Branham, was apparently a supernatural halo of Light.

When informed about the picture, Brother Branham stated that he was not greatly surprised. A number of times previous, similar things had happened in his ministry. In Camden, Arkansas, a photographer had taken a picture of him when he was praying for the sick. When the filmed was developed it was found that a strange Light encircled his head. In the photo at left, a halo of light encircles Bro. Branham's head.
To verify what Brother Branham already knew was genuine, Rev. Gordon Lindsay, after consulting with Brother Branham, submitted the negative to Mr. George J. Lacy, Examiner of Questioned Documents for the FBI. He was considered the greatest authority on questioned documents in the area. The results of extensive testing is recorded in his "Report and Opinion" link.

Once again God had shown Himself 'alive' to an unbelieving Twentieth Century Church. Some believed while others doubted. But there would be more to come. During the next fifteen years of Brother Branham's ministry, God would again SHOW HIMSELF to the natural eyes of man and the scientific eye of the camera. Over the years many Believers have reported seeing the "Pillar of Fire" over Brother Branham as he prayed for the sick. Others have reported seeing other phenomena.

To witness again the appearing of the "Pillar of Fire" we go to Lausanne, Switzerland. The year was 1955 and Brother Branham was addressing a group of Ministers of the Gospel. During the course of his message, a photographer took a number of pictures. Four of the pictures (below) show the "Pillar of Fire" descending until it stops directly behind Brother Branham's head.

In 1957, God again set the stage for a photograph of His Supernatural Light at the Lakeport, California Fairground. A photographer with excellent equipment took two color shots of Brother Branham while he was preaching. The first picture was normal as shown at left. BUT the other photo was quite different in its appearance - a definite manifestation of the supernatural.

The second picture, from the same location, also contained the details seen in the first, but it was not a normal picture. This picture contains much additional detail that was not seen by those present. Behind Brother Branham, and looking down over him is a perfect profile of a face that can only be described as that of Jesus Christ. A supernatural altar and the seven licks of fire which are spoken of in Revelation as the "seven Spirits of God" which are "before the throne" are also present in the picture. The lilies which appeared normal in the first picture, now, seem to have grown to a large size; they now extend above Brother Branham's head in the picture (Christ, the Lily of the valley). The Angel of the Lord is also seen in the picture with a train of fire proceeding from Him. This "train of fire" seems to envelop Brother Branham. The Angel has licks of fire protruding from His fingertips.

A Careful examination reveals that the Angel resembles Brother Branham. (Later, when the constellation of seven Angels appeared in 1963, Brother Branham commented that the Angel on the lower left of the 'cloud picture' was the one that always appeared to him, for he seemed to recognize this one. Not so unusual when you consider that these seven messengers, seven spirits, seven stars, being the seven church age messengers would naturally resemble the men to whom each was sent.) In Ezekiel 1:26-28, we find an exact description of what we see in the second picture - "The appearance of fire from his loins downward and the appearance of fire from his loins upward, even as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain - the likeness of the glory of the Lord." A tremendous vindication by God of His servant and prophet.

In this generation, we don't have to merely take someone's word that they saw it, for God has provided color photographs for us, to bear witness that God is indeed, Light. And it is the same Pillar of fire that was with God's prophet of this generation and his Message as it was with Moses and his message.

In March 1964, at the rear door of The Soul's Harbor Temple, in Dallas, Texas, the Lord again shows a manifestation His Presence with His servant the prophet. Brother Branham had just completed a series of five meetings and a prayer line. He exited the building through the back door where he was met by a photographer who requested permission to take a picture. To accommodate the gentleman, Brother Branham stood against the door. When this photo was processed, a streak of Light was seen on the prophet's right shoulder. Later, when shown the photograph, Brother Branham said, "Put it on the shelf - they don't believe the others and neither will they believe this one."
Not the last or the least manifestation of the supernatural, vindicating the ministry of William Branham, was in 1961, in Branham Tabernacle. When Brother Branham had concluded his series on The Seven Church Ages, the Pillar of Fire came into the Tabernacle and drew a picture of the "Seven Church Ages" on the wall, exactly as His prophet had it drawn on the blackboard. There were about 300 Saints in the Tabernacle at the time, to witness this event. God did not vindicate His servant in a corner or in the secret place - it was before witnesses.

Whether they believe or not, this generation is without excuse. God has shown Himself alive through ALL Manner of signs and wonders. Jesus Christ has been revealed in the Life and Ministry of William Branham, unlike any other Ministry besides the Lord’s in His corporal body. NO WONDER, Professor David Edwin Harrell Jr., in his story of the "Healing Revivals of Modern America", referred to William Branham as an "Unlikely Leader" and "A Giant" in the "Great Signs, Wonders and Healing movement" that swept around the world during the 1940's and 50's.

This page does not even scratch the surface of the supernatural manifested in William Branham's Life and Ministry. There are countless events, vindicating that William Branham was commissioned by God to call a backslidden church world to repentance. But only the 'few' predestinated, Elected Seed of God will believe. For the others - "though one rose from the dead, they will not believe."

Copies of the pictures shown in this page may be obtained from The Voice Of God Recordings in Jeffersonville, Indiana; or Believers International in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

If God gave William Branham the gift of knowing the secret of the human heart (a gift no one had apart from the Lord Jesus Christ), to attract the world to the Message He sent William Branham with, then it is with ABSOLUTE NECESSITY you hear the Message and believe It, for It was sent to prepare you for the coming of the Lord. 99.9% truth of the Word will not do it this time because the entire Word of God has been revealed after the breaking of the Seven Seals. You need 100% TRUTH. There is no margin of error in Jesus Christ and His Word.