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PART 2 – THE END TIME MESSENGER …………………………....…..13
The Life Story Of William Marrion Branham* Childhood Days* The Commission From God* Visitation Of An Angel* The Pillar Of Fire* Two Vindicated Signs* Worldwide Ministry* Prophetic Ministry* Seven Sealed Book Revealed* The Mystery Cloud* Hebrews 13:8* Seven Visions* Witnesses To The Branham Ministry* William Branham Resources*

The End Time Messenger

Chapter Two

INTRODUCTION

We find that in the sacred Scriptures all the way through, that just at the ending of the old age and a new one’s coming in, God sends His messenger.

God's law is to receive a vindicated servant. John 13:20 states, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receives whosoever I send receives me; and he that receives me receives him that sent me.”

We can only serve God as we do and believe the servants that God sends. You can only serve God on earth as God's servants that's sent on earth by Divine inspiration interprets the Word to you. In I Corinthians 14:16. Paul said, "You follow me as I follow Christ." Jesus said in Luke 10:16, “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despises you despises me; and he that despises me despises him that sent me.” That just proves that God speaks His message through His servants. He always has.

And as always, every time that a messenger comes, it's always a call back to the Word. Remember that the Bible is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ. There cannot be nothing added to It or taken away from It (Rev 22:18-19). The Bible is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ. And the only way that we can ever be sure on whether a message is right or wrong, is by comparing it with the Bible, which is God’s Urim Thummin of today. If it is contrary to Biblical revelation, then it’s wrong. It must be back to the Word, and always a calling back to the full Word.

THE WORD COMES TO THE PROPHET

Amos 3:7 states, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” The reason that God sends prophets is because they have the Word of the Lord. The Word of the Lord comes to the prophets. A prophet himself is a sign. When God sends a prophet, look out, for judgment follows it. It always has, and it always will. And a true prophet never fails to stay right with “Thus Saith the Lord”. Moses stayed with the Word of the Lord. He was a sign to Israel that their day of deliverance was at hand. He was also a sign to Egypt that their end was coming.

All prophets are predestinated. We know that gifts and callings are without repentance. God said to Jeremiah, "before you were even conceived in your mother's wombs, I knew you, and sanctified you and ordained you as a prophet to the nations." Jesus Christ was the woman's seed as spoken from the garden of Eden. John the Baptist, seven hundred and twelve years before he was born, Isaiah saw him and said, "He's the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord." Gifts and callings ain't laying hands on one another. Born from birth, those gifts are right in them when they're born.

God said, "If there be one among you, a prophet or spiritual, I'll speak to him, and what he says comes to pass then hear it." That's the way the Bible. In the Old Testament, God said, "If they speak not according to the law and the prophets, it's because they have no Light in them.” That's right. They have to speak according to the law and the prophets.

Prophecy, or anything else, must always be according to the Word. If it isn't, then it's wrong. In order to be a prophet, Moses had to meet God face to face and talk with Him. And another thing, what he said must come to pass or no one else would have believed him. So no man has a right to call himself a prophet until he has talked face to face with God himself.

God always deals with an individual messenger. He did in the days of Noah. He did in the days of Moses. He did in the days of Joshua. It's always been an individual, because two men are not alike. Everybody didn't have to be Moses. They just followed God’s vindicated servant for their age. So it must be today.

God’s end-time promise of the day has arrived. “As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man”. Malachi 4 states, "The righteous shall walk upon the ashes of the wicked.” Yet before such things take place, we have a promise in Malachi 4:5-6 that says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH

Malachi 3 spoke of John the Baptist coming, as Jesus referred to him as "My messenger." But remember, there’s another one coming in Malachi 4 where God said He'd burn the earth with heat, and the righteous would walk out upon the ashes of the wicked. We know that wasn't John because the burning never happened when John came. But that Elijah is prophesied to come in the end time.

The first Elijah of Malachi (John) was to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children which was referring to the old Jewish Orthodox church being introduced to the new Gospel Message of grace at Pentecost. But there’s a conjunction to tie the verse together, “and” the hearts of the children back to the fathers. This portion refers to the Elijah that was to come in the last days who will take the hearts of the children (new generation believers) back to the fathers (which is back to the Original Apostolic Faith Message of Pentecost again, as it started).

Jesus clearly spoke of John the Baptist as “Elijah” in Matthew 17:12-13, “ But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” But Jesus also made mention of another Elijah who was to restore all things as stated in Matthew 17:11-” And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” John never restored anything but only introduced repentance and water baptism, which is the first step to the New Birth (Acts 2:38). True restoration will

only come through the ministry of the seventh angel-messenger of Revelation 10:7 when all the mysteries of God “should be finished”. This seventh messenger will be an earthly prophet who is set to appear during the seventh church age of Laodicea.

When that seventh angel sounds out every mystery, it's over. All those things, like Rome being the whore, and all the Protestant churches denominating after her has become her harlots, and all those mysteries that the prophets spoke of will be revealed right here in the true trumpet. And because his teachings will be contrary to denominational creeds and traditions, nominal Christians won't believe it. But it'll be an inspired prophet from God. Men are still trying to figure out the trinity and go gray-headed. People still believe that Eve ate an apple. Truly, no one can explain these mysteries in the Bible except for God’s vindicated prophet. It will have to be a Divine-led prophet who will be able to straighten these teachings for the Word of the Lord comes to him with the true interpretation thereof.

Once more God has revealed the truth of the Bible to us today as He did to Paul.

In the days of the seventh messenger, in the days of the Laodicean Age, its messenger will reveal the mysteries of God as revealed to Paul. He will speak out, and those who receive that prophet in his own name will receive the beneficent effect of that prophet's ministry.

And they that hear him will be blessed and become part of that Bride of the last day who are mentioned in Revelation 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride say come." The corn of wheat (the Bride Wheat) that fell into the ground at Nicaea has come back to original Word Grain again. Listen to this authenticated prophet of God who appears in this last age. What he says from God, the Bride will say. The Spirit and the prophet and the Bride will be saying the same thing. And what they will say will have already been said in the Word. They are saying it now, "Come out from among her (harlot system) now and be ye separate." The cry has gone out. The cry is going out. How long will the voice cry? We do not know, but one thing we do know, it won't be long, for this is the last age. The church today has received its last sign before the whole world and the Gentile kingdoms are destroyed by fire and by the wrath of God. A prophet is a sign of judgment.

A TWENTIETH CENTURY PROPHET

William Marrion Branham was one of the most influential Bible ministers of our time, considered by many to be the initiator of healing and charismatic revival that began in 1947. End-time believers believe him to be God’s seventh angel-messenger to the Laodicean church age and God’s endtime Elijah who was to restore the hearts of the children back to the faith of the Pentecostal fathers.

From 1947 until the time of his passing in 1965, the powerful ministry of William Branham was well known and considered unparalleled in the history of gospel meetings.

The impact of the supernatural ministry of this one man was felt not only in North America, but also around the world.

Untold thousands of verified cases of all manner of healing were manifested in the U.S.A., Canada, Africa, and all around the world through the prayers of William Branham. The blind received their sight, cancer patients were made well, the maimed, the crippled, and the halt were made fully whole. No disease stood in the way as God proved to millions, that He is still God today, the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) in the ministry of His end-time messenger to our age.

But most significant of all, William Branham brought us an End Time Message which restored all the loose-ends of the Bible which, even if all the Bible scholars in the world were combined, would never be able to unveil to us. These teachings include the Mystery of the Godhead, the Truth on Water Baptism, the Original Sin, the mystery of Predestination, the Revelation of the Seven Seals, the New Birth, the Mark of the Beast, Mystery Babylon, and more. These truths have now been restored to the church today in order to prepare the Bride of Jesus Christ from every nation to make ready for the Rapture, which is the Second Coming of the Lord.

THE LIFESTORY OF WILLIAM BRANHAM

The world knew him as Reverend William Marrion Branham. Those who loved him call him “Brother Branham”. As far as being a prophet - judge for yourself. God didn’t vindicate His servant in a closet, or some “secret chamber”, but the world saw the proof, yet perceived it not. Newspapers and magazines around the world had proclaimed it, but not with understanding. Hundreds of thousands of eyewitnesses around the world bear record of who he was, though few realized the meaning of the evidence before their eyes.

CHILDHOOD DAYS

William Branham was born in the hills of Kentucky in a crude log cabin, April 6, 1906. Those present witnessed a strange hazy light hovering over him, although it was before daylight.

When he was 3 years old, he told his mother he heard a voice speak to him out of the woods, saying, “You will live near a town called New Albany.” His mother laughed. But amazingly, over a year later, his family moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana, a town that’s a few miles away from New Albany.

His first vision occured when he was seven. While playing on the banks of the Ohio River, he suddenly beheld a bridge rise up and form across the water, as if under construction. As he watched, 16 men fell from that bridge and died in the river. Twenty-two years later, a bridge was built in that exact spot and 16 men fell from it, losing their lives during the construction.

There was no form of religion at all in the Branham family. William’s early life was filled with much hardship and poverty because his father drank heavily. His father also bootlegged whiskey during the Prohibition. One time, he made his son carry water to his still.

As William was passing under a poplar tree, he heard the sound of a wind. It puzzled him for the day was calm. Looking up, he saw a strange whirlwind in the branches and a voice spoke out of the whirlwind and said, “Don’t ever drink, smoke or defile your body in any way, for when you get older there’s work for you to do.” It terrified him, and he never forgot that incident.

Several years later, his father called him sissy because he wouldn’t take a drink. Determined to prove himself a “man”, he raised the bottle of whiskey to his lips, but he heard that whirlwind again. Fear gripped him. He dropped the bottle and ran. In like manner, several years later, his friends called him a “sissy” because he wouldn’t smoke. Angered, he grabbed the cigarette, but again that whirlwind stopped him short.

Yet, despite these and many more similar experiences, he has not yet known God intimately. While working for the gas company at the age of twenty, he was overcome with gas, became very ill, and had to have an operation. As he lay in the hospital, near death, he had a vision. He saw himself in the vision standing in a forest, and far away he heard the sound of wind rustling leaves - coming closer, and closer. He thought it was death. Then that voice said again, “Never drink, smoke or defile your body in any way. I called you and you wouldn’t go” (as in Jonah 1:1-3). “Lord,” cried William, “if that is You, let me go back to earth again and I’ll preach your Gospel from the house tops and street corners.” The vision then faded. Miraculously, William recovered.

He made a promise and he set out to keep it. Yet he knew nothing about finding God. Realizing that God dwelt in nature, he wrote a note and tacked it to a tree so God would read it. When that didn’t work, he entered a woodshed and, weeping for his sins, he prayed desperately, “God, I’m no good! Help me!” A cross of light appeared before him then. As he realized that his forgiveness lay in the Blood of Jesus Christ shed upon the cross, the joy of salvation flooded his soul.

THE COMMISSION FROM GOD

Because he was aware of a strange call on his life, he went into the ministry by preaching the Gospel. It was a hot day, June 11, 1933. He had just held his first revival and was down in Ohio River baptizing some 130 people in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As he came to the 17th person, a blazing light appeared in the sky above him and a voice spoke to him from heaven saying, “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Jesus Christ, so are you sent to forerun His Second Coming.” There were 4,000 amazed, frightened witnesses to bear record of this.

Not even Brother Branham understood then what it meant. Nor could he yet understand his peculiar life. All the ministers he knew told him the visions he so frequently saw were of the devil. However, when they were of a future event, the visions never failed to be fulfilled exactly the way he saw them and they always glorified God by helping God’s children. To make things more confusing, every time William Branham came in contact with a devil-possessed person, such as astrologers or fortune tellers, they would tell him that they see a light following him, that he was born under a sign, and that there was a divine gift in his possession. These incidents troubled him greatly.

On May 7, 1946, as he was coming home from work, a mighty wind started in the top of a maple tree and came rushing down, nearly knocking Brother Branham over.

Desperation struck him and he said to his wife, “For over 20 years, I’ve not been able to understand this ministry or myself. I can’t go on like this. Is this of God? Honey, I’m going to go into the woods and seek God with my Bible and prayer and find out, or never come back!”

VISITATION OF AN ANGEL

In a cave in the woods, he cast himself down and cried all his heart out to God. At about 11 o’ clock that night, a star of Light filled the cave. Fear gripped William’s heart. He heard footsteps. A man, clothed in white, walked out of the Light and said, “Fear not, I am sent from the presence of the Almighty God to tell you that your strange life and misunderstood ways have been to indicate that God has sent you take a gift of Divine Healing to the people of the world. If you will be sincere and can get the people to believe you, nothing shall stand before your prayer, not even cancer.”

For half an hour, this angel explained to Brother Branham about the past and told him of his future. He explained why the ministers couldn’t recognize a gift of God in William’s life, yet the devil could. It was the same in Jesus’ day: the religious leaders said Jesus had a devil, yet the devils at Gadara recognized Him (Mark 3:22; John 7:20). The angel also told

Brother Branham that, even as Moses was given two signs to prove he was sent from God (Exodus 4:1-8), so he would be given two signs also. First, he would be able to diagnose diseases by their vibrations, which would cause his hand to swell. If the swelling went down after he prayed upon the person, he could say, “Thus saith the Lord, you are healed.” The angel said that time would come when Brother Branham would be able to discern the very secrets of men’s hearts (Heb 4:12; John 2:24-25).

Millions of people bear record that the words of the angel were fulfilled exactly (as in Acts 27:21-25). As the sign in his hand was manifested, which when seen would raise the people’s faith to be healed, his ministry grew nationwide, then worldwide. Then it came to where the Spirit of Christ would reveal to him the very thoughts of men’s hearts, reveal their needs; reveal unconfessed sins that were not cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ; reveal things about their lives that Brother Branham himself couldn’t possibly know.

Not mindreading or psychology, but rather he would see a vision of it - the things actually enacted before his open eyes (Joel 2:28). And when he spoke under the anointing, out of hundreds of thousands of times all over the world, the words spoken to total strangers never failed to be exactly the truth. And the prophesies — of healing, of future events, small to great, thousands and thousands and thousands of times - not once was one even partly wrong! It was a literal, “THUS SAITH THE LORD!”

THE PILLAR OF FIRE

The photograph at the left with the PILLAR OF FIRE above Brother Branham’s head was photographed at Houston, Texas, in January of 1950. This Light had accompanied Brother Branham since his birth in 1909. And during a 1933 baptismal service at the Ohio River at Jeffersonville, Indiana, this SUPERNATURAL BEING appeared before hundreds of people saying to him, “As John the Baptist foreran the first coming of Christ, you will forerun His second Coming.” This picture is displayed today at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and was examined and certified as genuine by Mr. George Lacy, a federal examiner of Questioned Documents in the U.S., to be the only authentic documentation of the supernatural in this generation.

TWO VINDICATED SIGNS

The angel also told Brother Branham that, even as Moses was given two signs to prove he was sent from God (Exodus 4:1-8), so he would be given two signs also. First, he would be able to diagnose diseases by their vibrations, which would cause his hand to swell. If the swelling went down after he prayed upon the person, he could say, “Thus saith the Lord, you are healed.” The angel said that time would come when Brother Branham would be able to discern the very secrets of men’s hearts (Heb 4:12; John 2:24-25).

Over the next ten years Brother Branham circled the globe seven times, holding some of the largest meetings in history. Some 100,000 people heard him in Durban, South Africa. Seven truckloads of crutches, wheelchairs, canes, etc.. were hauled away after the healing services. Many individuals of public influence, including Congressman Upshaw of the U.S.A. and King George VI of England, were healed as a result of his prayers.

WORLDWIDE MINISTRY

Over the next ten years Brother Branham circled the globe seven times, holding some of the largest meetings in history. Some 100,000 people heard him in Durban, South Africa. Seven truckloads of crutches, wheelchairs, canes, etc.. were hauled away after the healing services. One healed was a poor deformed beggar, who had never in his life been able to walk erect, but walk all bent over on both hands and feet. This beggar was widely known, because those who cared for him exhibited him as a curiosity, putting a collar and chain on him and having him dance like an animal in the streets. Brother Branham saw a vision of this man standing upright, so he challenged the people and they agreed that if this man was healed in Jesus’ Name, Jesus was indeed God. As soon as Brother Branham prayed, the man stood erect, (as in Luke 13:11-13). Is it any wonder that 30,000 people surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ that night?

Once, God showed Brother Branham a vision of a little boy being raised from the dead. Brother Branham told the vision to 2,000 of people, describing the scenes, and telling them to write it down for it was “Thus saith the LORD!” Two years later, while they were on a campaign in Finland, they came a across a car accident in the mountains. And a little boy lay on the road, crushed, bloody, having been dead for half an hour. It was the boy of the vision. Brother Branham faced the crowd standing around and said, “ If that little boy isn’t on his feet in five minutes, you can run me out of Finland as a false prophet. But if he is, you owe me your lives to the Lord Jesus Christ!” As he prayed, life came back into that dead boy (as in Luke 7:11-16).

While preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Portland, Oregon, a huge, demon possessed man strode to the platform, calling Brother Branham a fake, an imposter, a deceiver, threatening to break every bone in his body. As the man drew near to execute his threats, Brother Branham said softly, “Satan, because you have challenged the servant of God - in the Name of Jesus Christ, you shall fall at my feet.” The powerful man struggled to come nearer, but couldn’t. He sank to the floor and had to be carried out by ushers because he fell on his face in front of God’s vindicated servant.

In Bombay, India, where some 400,000 came to hear the Gospel, there was a blind beggar brought before Brother Branham for prayer. In a vision, Brother Branham saw who this beggar was, where he lived, and that he had become blind by staring at the sun, which he worshipped as God. Then Brother Branham challenged the various heathen Indian priests in turn saying, “If your god be God, then come up here at the platform and have him open this man’s eyes and we’ll fall down and worship your god.” None moved. “But if my God, the Lord Jesus Christ, be God and opens this man’s eyes, will you forsake your powerless gods and accept Jesus as your Saviour?” To this they agreed. The reason for this prophet’s fearless confidence was because he had already seen the man healed in a vision, and these visions never failed him. When the beggar’s eyes came open that he could already see all the people in that meeting, pandemonium broke loose as those poor people strove just to touch Brother Branham to be healed.

It was in Mexico that the simple faith of a woman caused God to work a mighty miracle. The doctor wrote out a sworn statement that her baby had died at 9:00 in the morning of pneumonia, but because she had seen God give a blind man back his sight in Brother Branham’s meetings the night before, she carried her dead baby around all day, believing that if she could just get it to Brother Branham, God would raise it up. That night, where Brother Branham was having a meeting, he saw a vision of a Mexican baby being cuddled by her mother, alive. There he prayed in Jesus’ Name and laid hands on the baby.

Immediately the infant began to cry and was restored back to life. The news packed the article and the doctor who issued the death certificate could not believe what had transpired.

There was a time when Brother Branham stopped his sermon, looked at a man in a wheelchair and said, “Sir, I perceive you have faith to be healed. Rise up and walk,” (as in Acts 3:2-10). And Congressman Upshaw who had been confined to a wheelchair for over 60 years, rose up and walked down the aisle praising Jesus Christ. Returning to Washington, D.C., Congressman Upshaw was not ashamed to declare William Branham to be a prophet of God to the 20th century.

PROPHETIC MINISTRY

These are but a few (and by no means the most outstanding) of the miracles God used to vindicate His servant. Space fails us to record the hundreds of thousands of times that “THUS SAITH THE LORD” has been manifested in our generation without one flaw! Did not Jesus say that, “if you can’t believe Me simply because the Words I speak are the truth, then believe Me for the very works’ sake, because they testify of who I am.” (John 10:37-38). The same is true of every prophet of God. Is not the same true of William Branham? He had to be sent of God, “for no man can do these miracles except God be with him” (John 3:2).

Why then is not William Branham widely acclaimed today? No true prophet was ever accepted by the majority of people in their day. Yet a true prophet strikes against the corruption of their day, and people don’t like to change from their carnal ways. Only a few will know and believe, just as it was in the days of John the Baptist.

Notice this: as long as Jesus Christ (who was the God-Prophet) was healing the sick, multitudes swarmed to Him. But when he began to bring forth strong doctrine, rebuking the Sadducees and Pharisees, the Bible records: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him,” (John 6:48-68). Likewise, as long as God used Brother Branham to heal the sick and afflicted, millions followed his ministry. But when God through His prophet began to restore the WORD, most people loved the miracles but hated the Word. Howbeit, that the Word had to be restored before Jesus Christ could take His Bride, for she must be a pure Word Bride, and the true meaning of the Word of God has been so distorted down through the centuries until today; as Jesus said, “In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men ... making the Word of God of none effect through your traditions” (Mark 7:6,7,13).

SEVEN-SEALED BOOK REVEALED

On December 22, 1962, Brother Branham had a vision where he was standing near Tucson, Arizona, picking a sand burr out of his pants leg, when a tremendous explosion occurred. He told this vision to his congregation in Jeffersonville, Indiana on the 31st of December (the sermon was tape recorded).

Then he moved to Tucson, Arizona. Over a month later, on February 28, 1963, while out hunting, he noticed a sand burr in his trouser. As he reached to pull it off, a tremendous blast rocked the mountainside. Looking up, he saw seven angels in the form of a pyramid sweeping towards him, and for a time he seemed to be caught up in their midst. These seven angels represents the Seven Messengers to the Seven Church Ages as written in Revelations Chapter 2 and 3. Then a voice cried out, “Go back east,” and Brother Branham knew it was time for the opening of the mysteries of the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation (Daniel 12:4,8-9; Rev. 5,6 & 8).

The angels returned into the sky and formed a cloud some 50 miles long and 30 miles wide, which was visible for hundreds of miles around. Many pictures were taken of this peculiar Cloud, some appearing in Life Magazine (May 17, 1963 issue); some in Science Magazine (April 19,1963 issue), along with a scientific report of how it was scientifically impossible for such a cloud to exist. The highest clouds form at about 10 miles, but this phenomenal cloud was 26 miles up, at which altitude water vapour does not exist.

THE MYSTERIOUS CLOUD

The original glossy prints of the Cloud reveal the full face of the Lord Jesus Christ as the picture is viewed from the right side angle “like unto the Son of Man, His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow” (Rev.1:14).

Brother Branham returned to Jeffersonville, Indiana wherein for seven days, as he waited on God, the voice of God spoke out the Pillar of Fire, revealing the exact Truth of the Mysteries sealed up in Revelations 5 through 8; which revelation was contrary to what everyone (including Brother Branham) had previously supposed, yet was perfectly in line with the rest of God’s Word.

As Brother Branham preached seven consecutive nights on these Seals (March 17-24, 1963) his sermons were tape-recorded: Thus the Scripture is fulfilled in our day saying, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to His servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7).

William Branham died in December of 1965 when his car was hit by a drunken driver. It was a death which he had already anticipated by a vision. But the MESSAGE God used him to bring lives on and cannot die. There are over 1,100 different tape-recorded sermons of Brother Branham today and most of these have been printed out in book form circulating around the globe today, crying out against perversion, warning souls that Jesus Christ is coming very soon, mapping out the truth through God’s Word, and preparing a Bride for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is the “voice of the seventh messenger” and the final Word-Message to our age.

HEBREWS 13:8

Think not that these things exalt a man, CHRIST ALONE IS EXALTED!

Brother Branham of himself could do nothing (John 3:27). It was Jesus Christ performing (through a humble prophet) the same works he did when He walked in human flesh upon this earth (Heb. 13:8). So look not at the man, but at the Message which he brought forth, for that Message will point you to the pure Jesus Christ, free from all denominational creeds and traditions. Did not the apostle Paul say, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,” (1 Cor. 11:1; 4:16).

When you obey Paul, you are not following a man, but the Holy Spirit speaking through him. “And today,” as one man wrote, “this man, William Branham, has had literally thousands of manifested vindications from God, and with his life containing all the other factors that make up the prophetic office, he ought to be received for what he is - he must be received for what he is. “Thus saith the Lord” in his mouth by the Holy Ghost, is absolutely no different from the “Thus saith the Lord” in the mouth of Paul, for it is the same Holy Ghost.”

But would you have recognized Paul had you lived in his day? Or if you had lived in the days of Noah? Or Elijah? or Jeremiah? Would you have recognized them as prophets and heeded their Message? How about if you had lived in a remote part of Palestine and heard reports about somebody called Jesus who was performing mighty miracles? Would you have recognized Him for who He was, or would you have been like the Pharisees, who believed what God did in the past, but could not accept what God was doing in their own day! They even called Jesus “Beelzebub, the prince of devils”. “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,” cried Jesus, “hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets, wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets!” (Matt. 23:29-31).

So God has once again visited this last generation with a mighty prophet. A humble man, who desired neither fame nor wealth, who never failed to give every bit of the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Briefly this essay have sketched his life, and briefly his vindication. Yet, this has not even touched yet on the Message which he brought forth, even though it is that Message that is most important. Now it is up to you to dig on these treasures. Books and tapes are available upon request, but you must be sincere to check it out, weigh the evidence, examine the Word, and then pray it through. If it is the Truth, God requires you to believe it.

SEVEN VISIONS

In the year 1933, God gave Brother Branham a continuous vision of seven major things that must transpire before the Lord Jesus Christ would come again.

The first (1) vision was that he saw a dictator rising up in Italy that would invade Ethiopia. He saw Mussolini and his shameful end where the people turned on him, before it ever transpired in actual event.

The second (2) vision was shown to him by God where he saw a young Austrian named Adolf Hitler who would gain power in Germany and would lead the world into war, but that Germany would be defeated and Hitler would come to a mysterious end.

In the third (3) vision, he saw three great ISM’s in the world: Fascism, Nazism and Communism: but that the first two would be swallowed up into the third one -Communism.

Then on the fourth (4) vision, he beheld the tremendous advances in science that would follow World War II. He saw an automobile looking like an egg that’s being run not by humans but by remote control.

The fifth (5) vision showed him the horrible moral decay of the world, centering mostly around women. He saw women cutting her hair, smoking cigarettes, drinking, wearing pants and indecent clothing. (Remember these five things were shown to him in 1933, years before they occured).

In the sixth (6) vision, he saw a beautiful, yet cruel woman rise in America, dominating the land with authority.

And in the last (7) vision, he saw the land of America in smoldering ruins. As far as the eye could see there was no life, only craters and smoking piles of debris. He also saw Los Angeles, California sank beneath the ocean caused by a major earthquake. Then these visions faded away.

Brother Branham testifies of his ministry in the following quotations:

“Not for one moment do I bring a message to the people that they may follow me, or join my church, or start some fellowship and organization. I have never done that and will not do that now. I have no interest in those things, but I do have an interest in the things of God and people, and if I can accomplish just one thing I will be satisfied. That one thing is to see established a true spiritual relationship between God and men, wherein men become new creations in Christ, filled with His Spirit and live according to His Word. I would invite, plead and warn all to hear His voice at this time, and yield your lives completely to Him, even as I trust my heart that I have given my all to Him. God bless you, and may His Coming rejoice your heart.” -(381-3 RESUME.OF.THE.AGES - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.10)

“I know there's a lot of fanaticism in the world. I'm not responsible for other men's testimonies. I only have to answer for mine. I'm on the witness stand in a defence for God and His Word, that I know it's true. And His Word... When I heard Him tell me that, I would not have believed it if He hadn't showed me in the Bible that it's promised for this day.” (COURT TRIAL. BIRMINGHAM.AL 64-0412)

“I was called when I was just a little boy. And in this was a visible, audible sign given me: a--a Pillar of Fire hanging in a bush, at seven years old, right here on the Utica Pike.

My father was working for Mr. O. H. Wathen, that just recently died. And you've read the book; you know the story. And from that time... Down on the river then, It appeared visibly before the people, and now... It's had the picture taken many times, and it hangs in the Washington, D.C. as a copyright in the Religious Hall of Art as the only supernatural being that was ever scientifically proven to be photographed: same Pillar of Fire, exactly in the same look and every way, that brought Israel out of Egypt. I believe it’s Jesus Christ in Spirit form in the Sonship of God.” (MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. JEFF.IN V-3 N-13 65-0221M)

“Scientific world testifies of it. That George J. Lacy said, "I often said it was psychology myself, Mr. Branham." But said, "I've had it under ultra-ray and every kind of infrared and everything that I could find. The light struck the lens, and this lens won't take psychology." So if I live or die, it's true anyhow. The church knows it's true. Science knows it's true. Now, what about you? Remember, it's not me; it's Him. It's not me. I'm nobody but just one of you all. It's Him. He has to get somebody. Nobody's worthy of it, but somebody has to do it. Remember, it's not a easy job. But it's a glorious job to know that your Lord is here, and you can tell your brethren the truth. But it's hard when they won't believe it. But that, we all have to confront that.” (COURT.TRIAL BIRMINGHAM.AL 64-0412)

“That great Angel of the Covenant, that One Who was with Moses in the wilderness, that One Who come to Paul on the road to Damascus, that same One permitted His picture to be taken with us; the same One that was in the picture in the "Life" magazine the other day, the same Word by the same God, through the same channels, by the same way, by the same promise: "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in their midst." Then He's here. The Angels of God are encamped about those who fear Him, that hangs only to His Word.” (CHRIST IS.THE.MYSTERY. JEFF.IN V-3 N-7 63-0728)

“Oh, and I remember when He swept down there in that big Light, standing yonder at the bottom of the river, 1933, in June, when He said, "As--as John the Baptist was sent forth and forerun the first coming of Christ, I send you with a Message to the world to forerun the second coming of Christ." And around the world she's went, when revival fires had been built for fifteen years on nearly every mountain...?... Divine healing across the nations, and the power, and restoration... And now, I believe she's ready to strike that final climax yonder to bring forth a faith that'll rapture the Church into glory (It's the truth.), and She's laying in the Messages. We're really at the end time.” (ABSOLUTE, THE. JEFF.IN V-3 N-18 62-1230M)

“We’re at the end, friends. Soon it shall be time run out. Millions will lose their lives.

Millions that now believe they are saved will be counted fodder for the atomic age. We are living at the last hour. By the grace of God, by His help we speak to His people that they might look forward to the soon appearing of Christ.” (SEVENTH.SEAL.THE. JEFF.IN 63-0324E)

“People has called me a prophet. I don't call myself no prophet, because I'd be daresn't to say that. But I have say--I can say this, that the Lord has let me foresee things, tell things that has happened, will happen, is happening; and not one time has it ever failed in the tens of thousands of times. Everything that He said would happen, happened. We all know that. If there's a person in this visible audience this morning or anywhere could say one time it failed, you're at liberty to stand up and say so. But if everybody knows that every time, of the thousands of times it's been perfectly right, say, "Amen." [Congregation replies, "Amen."--Ed.] (MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. JEFF.IN V-3 N-13 65-0221M)

“Now, look at today, brethren. See, we have a--we know we have a move of God. We know it's performing miracles. It's healing the sick. It's even raising the dead. It's casting out devils. It speaks with tongues and interprets tongues. It sends forth prophecies; they happen. He showed us dreams, interpretations, perfect, strictly. Then isn't it a strange thing that great leaders would say we was a bunch of crazy people when they're the leaders of the nation, the leaders of churches? That's a marvellous thing. What is it? It's still jealousy. The Spirit and power and Word of God in these last days is showing up their dogmas and creeds (that's all there is to it) that they got men blinded by.” (TAKING SIDES.WITH.JESUS. JEFF.IN COD 62-0601)

“And so there He spoke to me and said, "The Seven Seals will be opened. The seven mysteries, sevenfold mystery of the Bible that's been closed up since the foundation of the world will be revealed." And we, yet a humble little group compared with all the world, we've enjoyed these blessings and hearing those mysteries: Marriage, Divorce, Serpent's Seed. All those different questions has been completely revealed to us, not by man but by God Himself, that's opened those seven mysteries of what the church was, how it was in Christ at the beginning, and how it would be revealed in the last day.” (RISING.OF.THE.SUN. JEFF.IN V-3 N-12 65-0418M)

“I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only standing there when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and foretells these things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's near when He does it. I was only a voice that He used to say it. It wasn't what I knew; it's what I just surrendered myself to, that He spoke through. It isn't me. It wasn't the seventh angel, oh, no; it was a manifestation of the Son of man. It wasn't the angel, his Message; it was the mystery that God unfolded. It's not a man; it's God. The angel was not the Son of man; he was a messenger from the Son of man. The Son of man is Christ. He's the One that you're feeding on. You're not feeding on a man. A man, his words will fail, but you're feeding on the unfailing Body-Word of the Son of man.” (ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME. JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)

“I'm not here for popularity. If I would, I'd have radio programs and television, have all this on televised and everything. They had to beg the people for their money and things like that; I don't want that stuff. I want favor with my God; that's all. I want to be, where if He sends me to where there's only five people in a church, and says, "Stay there for six months," I'll stay right there. I have nothing to tie me. That's right. If He sends me overseas to a hundred million people, I'd be right there. Some way He'll take care of it; He always has and He will.” (SUPER.SIGN. GRASS.VALLEY.CA JJ 141 62-0708)

“When the Lord spoke to me down on the river that day, it spearheaded that revival around the world, from there come every one of those great evangelists. They went right back with their brethren (See?), those denominations in which they come out of. They come out here and hold this meeting, mixed up with the denominations, and go right back into them again. They got a lot of favor, big names on radio, papers, and everything. Everybody speaks well of them. But all men has forsaken me because I've took a true Word, and stood by the Word. I've stayed right here to what He said to me, preached the Word, not a denominational philosophy. "Preach the Word," that was my commission; "stay with the Word." And, brethren who's listening to this on tape, I was a great guy when I come among you just healing the sick, speaking of visions, and showing things. But when I went to tell you the Truth about the Word, what did you turn your back on me for? Do you realize it's just fulfilling what the Scripture said? Yeah, it does that way.” (PRESENT.STAGE.OF.MY.MINISTRY. JEFF.IN V-11 N-2 62-0908)

“And some people have said, "You condemn organization." No, I don't. I--I condemn the system of organization, not the people in there, the group of people that makes the organization, you know; but the system they're governed by, that's what I condemn, Catholic and Protestant the same. And them people, a Catholic, or Jew or whatever it is, they're a human being off the same tree that we come from. See? That's right. They are--they are a people who love, and eat, and drink, and sleep and- just like anybody else. And so we mustn't never condemn individuals, no, no one. We mustn't condemn individuals, but as a minister, I have to strike that serpent out there that's biting into those people. But if a Catholic, Jew, or whatever he was, come here... If he was a Mohammedan, Greek, or orthodox, or whatever he might be, if he come here to be prayed for, I would pray just as sincerely for him as I would for my own. That's right. Certainly, because it's a human being. I've prayed for Buddhists, and Sikhs, Jains, Mohammedans, and--and every kind (You see?), like that. And I don't ask them no questions; I just pray for them because they're somebody, a human being, that wants to get well, and try to make life a little easier along the road for them.” (FIFTH.SEAL.THE JEFF.IN 63-0322)

WITNESSES TO THE BRANHAM MINISTRY

The following are certified testimonies from well-known preachers and evangelists from around the world concerning the ministry of William Marrion Branham:

JAMES MORRIS - “It was Branham, more than any other evangelist, who started the post- World War-II fundamentalist healing revival following his encounter with an angel on May 7, 1946. 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)

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 that the Lord Built)

TOMMY OSBORN - “ God has chosen diverse and mysterious ways to reveal Himself to His servants especially those called for dispensational purposes as was Brother Branham’s call. In short, the man we know as William Branham was sent to demonstrate God again in flesh. (-William Branham Memorial Service)

JACK MOORE - “The most gifted of all the evangelists.” (-All Thingsare Possible by David Harell, Jr.)

ORAL ROBERTS - “A humble devout man of God.” (-Healing Waters, July 1948)

F.F. BOSWORTH - “When the gift is operating, Brother Branham is the most sensitive person to the presence and working of the Holy Spirit and to spiritual realities of any person I have known.” (-A Prophet Visits South Africa)

GEORGE EKEROTH - “God called 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. Wherever you would go in this world you would find that the name of this messenger has preceded you.” (-Introduction of Morris Cerullo’s Book, Wind Over the 20th Century)

DAVID EDWIN HARRELL 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. The power of a Branham service remains a legend unparalleled in the history of the Charismatic Movement.” (-All ThingsAre Possible)

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 photograph appears 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 Magazine, February 1961)

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 and feel the warmth of love that flowed through his ministry.” (-The Herald of Faith, February 1966)