The Vision of the Meetings in South Africa

The Vision of the African Meeting - Another Failed Prophecy?.

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Quotes

EARLY.SPIRITUAL.EXPERIENCES_ HAMMOND.IN SUNDAY_ 52-0713A

Then just then, He taken me out in the Spirit. Listen, Brother Jackson, you never heard this, none of the rest have. And He set me down at Durban, South Africa, in that same booth, standing there before those tens of thousands, and thousands of people there. And I looked and I seen all that meeting gather together, and fade off to my right. Geographically, I was standing this way. And it faded to the left going this way, turning blue. And then right before me, stood blocked off streets like that, with people standing there, with their hands up praising God. Then He turned me to the east, and looked that way. And I seen people standing there with clouts, like on, like the Indians wear. And there were thousands of them, and they had their hands up air, just a praising God and screaming and praising God. And I couldn't even see the end of them. And just about that time, come a great Angel from heaven, and stood be--over the top of me here, with a big Light. And that Light like on the end of one of these here operating lights on the front of a--of a big locomotive, and begin to throw. And the hillsides were sitting black and standing with people for a mile away nearly.

And I said, "Oh, are they all black people?" Then He turned my face here in front of me, to Durban again, and there was beautiful white men and women, standing with their hands up in the air, praising God. Then He turned me back again, and the great Light started going way back over the hills and showing. Then the Angel drew near. And I heard Him scream with a Voice, that shook me from the vision. Said, "There'll be three hundred thousand of them in that meeting. THUS SAITH THE LORD mark it in your book." I come out of it. I said, "My Lord and my God. Thanks be to You. I appreciate the stripes and the whipping that You give me for disobeying You. But from this on, Lord, knowingly, if I ever know again, I will never tie myself up with a bunch of nobody else preachers, managers, or no one else, but what I will be free to do what You say do. And I will go just where You say go, and do just what You say do the rest of my life. And I will always try to do just as You say do." And about that time, here He come again. And I seen my Bible rise off the table, and come over to me like this. It was turned over to the place where Paul, in the storm, said, "You should have listened to Me, and not have loosed from Crete, but nevertheless, the Angel of the Lord Who stood by me, and so forth..."

...And I said, "Sister Broy, the Angel of the Lord has appeared to me and told me, 'Forget about the ameba. It's going to be all right. And I'm going to have a meeting that's going to consist of three hundred thousand people.' And God," I said, "my ministry is just now beginning." I said, "I want to base it; I want to tear that thing out from where it was, and get rid of all these here leeches, and things a hanging on, so I can get to the people and tell them what's the truth." And that's right. I said, "I'm tired of this and the man-made stuff anyhow. And I'm going to be where God can use me. I'm going to live right in that channel, as long as I live."

GOD.TESTIFYING.OF.HIS.GIFTS HAMMOND.IN 52-0713E

Now, and I thank you from the depths of my soul for your offering. I will do all that I can to glorify God. I'm trying my best now to get back to... I'm sure by... I told you the vision this afternoon, and there will be a meeting that I will hold somewhere, and I believe it's in India, near Bombay, that there'll be three hundred thousand people, and I don't know how many converts there will be in that meeting, probably run up to a hundred and fifty, two hundred thousand people, converted. And the little fragments that's left over this afternoon and tonight, will go for that purpose.

FAITH.IN.THE.SON.OF.GOD HAMMOND.IN 52-0715

Now, it's my lot to do the preaching; Brother Baxter and them does the preaching; I pray for the sick. And I trust that God will make Hisself known to you tonight in a great marvelous way. Now, we just have a few nights left in this meeting, this campaign. The good Lord willing, Monday, we leave for Zion, Illinois. And just from there, I--I'm just kind of going on impressions, the way that He seems to be leading me. I had one meeting that I'm going to. I know where that meeting is. That meeting is in--in one of them in South Africa, the other one is in India. And that's going to be a real meeting. That's going to be where God makes Hisself known to three hundred thousand people.

AFRICA JOHANNESBURG.SOUTH.AFRICA 65-0527

Brother William Marrion Branham expressed his desire to take the Message to Africa in this statement on Thursday evening, May 27, 1965, outside of a house in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an interpreter translated it into Afrikaans. He spoke about this Africa trip in his next Message, Ashamed, July 11, 1965. Due to its brevity (3 minutes, 40 seconds), it is placed here at the end of "Ashamed."--Ed.]

This is one of the highest moments of my life. I have waited fifteen years for this time. My heart has longed to see you again, ever since I left you. I have prayed very much, to get to come back. And a few weeks ago, I was under great anticipation, believing that I would get to come and have a meeting. But when I got the visa, "restricted," I almost had a heart attack. I wanted to come so bad!

But I still believe that, through God, I will minister again, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, among the people of Africa. God has promised to give us the desire of our heart, and that's one of the desires of my heart.

ASHAMED JEFF.IN 65-0711

I had planned on, so hard, coming back; burdened in the heart. I just returned from Africa, as you all know. And when I got over there, I had a restricted visa, and wouldn't let me, wouldn't let me preach because it gathers too many together. They're expecting an uprise there at any time, and--and they--they wouldn't let me preach because of that gathering too many people together. The only way I could, would to have some organization that's represented by the government, in the government, to invite me over, then that would automatically let the government send out a militia for protection. See, they're just... There is just going to be an uprise, and that's all there is to it. It's just right in hand, see. That government man said, "The last time he was here, he had about a quarter of a million people together." And he said, "Then, you see, that would just be the very thing that communism is looking for, for an uprise." So, I couldn't preach.

And so I, when I started to go over, I'm telling you, I never had so much trouble in all my life, of trying to get there. And then at the very last minute, very last minute to go, here was wrote across my visa, "Cannot anticipate in any kind of religious service; can only come hunting." Well, then, it was rank.

But I said, "I don't care what the Devil does, I--I can't... I can't voucher for what Brother Jackson said about yellow-mane lion, and this, that, or the other. I--I can't vouch it. But I do know God told me to 'see Sidney Jackson, and go hunting.'"And I said, "I'm going." And sometime... And I had one of the greatest trips.

I found out what the trouble was. Now I think, about October, the Lord willing, I can go back and have a meeting and everything, full cooperation, everything else, see, in Africa now. I got to the bottom of it and found out where it was at, what caused it. Up here, writing, this one has got this to say, and something's got something to say, and this one there. The best thing to do, is go find out, yourself. And I know where the trouble was, and what the reason of it was; it was because of so many people gathering together, the government wouldn't let me have it.

Video Transcript

In 1952, William Branham related a vision that he had:

…Then just then, He taken me out in the Spirit. Listen, Brother Jackson, you never heard this, none of the rest have. And He set me down at Durban, South Africa, in that same booth, standing there before those tens of thousands, and thousands of people there.

Then the Angel drew near. And I heard Him scream with a Voice, that shook me from the vision. Said, "There'll be three hundred thousand of them in that meeting. THUS SAITH THE LORD mark it in your book." EARLY.SPIRITUAL.EXPERIENCES_ HAMMOND.IN SUNDAY_ 52-0713A

He referred to the vision many times over the years, patiently waiting for its fulfillment…

Mark my word; write it in the pages of your Bible, for it's THUS SAITH THE LORD… By a vision that He said, "There's three hundred thousand of them in there." And you see if that isn't right. QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_ JEFF.IN SATURDAY_ 54-0515

I just got my telegram back this morning from Durban, South Africa. The vision where three hundred thousand people will be gathered pretty soon for a meeting which is coming up right away... JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.YESTERDAY.TODAY.AND.FOREVER_ MIDDLETOWN.OH SUNDAY_ 58-0323

And now I'm certainly soliciting the prayers of the people out in the radio land, as well as here. After I leave this meeting, I'm going to Europe, down into Africa and around, on meetings. And this is going by a vision, so it's going to be a great meeting there, I'm sure. And I felt for years that the Lord has wanted me to come back. ONE IN A MILLION LA.CA V-18 N-1 SATURDAY_ 65-0424

And I--I'm going to South Africa after this. For, oh, my, you know how it is down there where you can't even talk to the people. And there'd be... We're at least expecting three hundred thousand, one single meeting. So you just believe! DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND_ LA.CA V-18 N-4 TUESDAY_ 65-0427

But in his 1965 visit, the government of South Africa only permitted Bro. Branham to enter the country on a restricted visa, prohibiting him from preaching. So he believed that the vision was yet to be fulfilled…

I have waited fifteen years for this time… And a few weeks ago, I was under great anticipation, believing that I would get to come and have a meeting. But when I got the visa, "restricted," I almost had a heart attack. I wanted to come so bad!

But I still believe that... I will minister again... among the people of Africa. AFRICA JOHANNESBURG.SOUTH.AFRICA THURSDAY_ 65-0527

Like the other day on this trip to Africa, I was so sure that I was moving in the will of God… Lord, it may be You are driving us to that tent, to make that vision fulfill. ASHAMED_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-9 SUNDAY_ 65-0711

Bro. Branham never mentioned his vision of the service with 300,000 people again and presumably was still looking for its fulfillment when he passed away.

How can a vision that was predicted to happen under “Thus Saith The Lord” not come to pass?

You may be wondering among yourselves, “How can we tell the difference, whether it was God who spoke or not?” Here’s how: If what the prophet spoke in God’s name doesn’t happen, then obviously God wasn’t behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him. (Deuteronomy 18:21–22 - The Message)