William Branham told about a series of eight prophetic visions he experienced in June 1933. In the seventh vision, a woman rose to great power in America. William Branham was not sure whether the "Woman" in this vision was a physical woman, or a religious power such as the Catholic Church.
1958 retelling of the 1933 prophecy
<mediaplayer height= 50>Why Are We Not A Denomination, 1958|woman rising 58-0927.mp3</mediaplayer>
- And I said, "Remember, in that day, before the end time comes, before the end time comes, that a woman... Now, you all keep this wrote down. There'll be a great powerful woman raise up, either be President, or dictator, or some great powerful woman in this United States. And she'll sink under the influence of women. Now, you remember; that's THUS SAITH THE LORD. (See the sermon Why Are We Not A Denomination for the full text of this prophecy.)
Problems with the prophecy
In the Laodicean Church Age book, William Branham says, “Now let me say this. Can anyone prove any of those visions wrong? Were they not all fulfilled?” Almost 80 years after 1933, we now have the benefit of hindsight in our ability to confirm the accuracy of these prophecies.
Changes in the prophecy over time
The prophecy was written down, so each retelling of it should have been consistent. However, William Branham's statement that a woman would rise to the American Presidency later changed to women voting in a Catholic president. The great woman became beautiful and cruel, and William Branham claimed this was fulfilled with the election of JFK. Later, the woman was dressed in purple. In one sermon this was to be followed immediately by the destruction of America. William Branham omitted JFK from the fulfillment of this prophecy after the President was assassinated in November 1963.
- 1955: A woman will rise to power in America as a president. [1]
- 1960: Women will vote in the wrong person (Kennedy), and a great woman beautiful and great would rise in the U.S. (perhaps the Catholic Church). [2]
- 1960: A great woman, beautiful and cruel, will stand up in the United States as a president (perhaps the Catholic church) [3]
- 1960: The vision showed Kennedy being elected. A great woman, beautiful and cruel, rising in the USA (perhaps the Catholic Church) caused by the women’s vote. Followed immediately by the destruction of America. [4]
- 1961: The women’s vote will elect the wrong man, causing a great, beautiful, and cruel woman to rise to power (a church) [5]
- 1961: Voting women would elect the wrong man (Kennedy). A great woman would rise in the US dressed in purple clothes (perhaps a ruler or the Catholic Church). [6]
- 1964: A great queen rising in the US, beautiful and wicked. [7]
- Church Age Book: Voting is connected with the decline in morals and the rise of a beautiful, cruel woman in America, possibly the Catholic Church. [8]
The Prophecy Was Fulfilled?
In 1961, William Branham stated the following:
- Now, that brings us then to the election of President Kennedy, and this car coming on the--on the scene, bringing five things out of the seven that has happened exactly. (Sermon: The Seventieth Week of Daniel, August 6, 1961, Jeffersonville, IN)
Why did he state that this vision was fulfilled?
Women’s vote vs. a rigged vote
William Branham first blamed John F. Kennedy’s election on the women’s vote, then on a rigged voting system. William Branham said:
- November 13, 1960: Women, given the right to vote, elected President-elect Kennedy--with the woman's vote, the wrong man.
- October 14, 1962: When, they proved that the machines across the nation was set up, that they elected Mr. Kennedy by a false vote. Don't the Bible say that he would come in by deceit? Certainly, a falsehood.
Preach against those you don’t like
William Branham did not respect Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, voting women, Jacqueline Kennedy, or the Catholic Church. It is no surprise that these people made their way from his sermons into his prophecies. In the United States, women were given a right to vote in 1920. William Branham called this an “evil thing”, which he claimed he had the right to do because he had “Thus Saith The Lord”.
Rise of a Woman in America
In 1933, Frances Perkins became the first female member of the United States Cabinet, and the original film version of King Kong, starring Fay Wray, premiered in New York City. Between 1933 and 2008, women have increased their presence in blue collar jobs, broke the corporate glass ceiling, and shattered the stained-glass ceiling of most religions in America.
- In 1984 Geraldine Ferraro ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic nominee for Vice President.
- In 2006, Nancy Pelosi became the first speaker of the house of Congress, and second in the line of Presidential succession after the Vice President.
- Hillary Clinton (the next U.S. Secretary of State) campaigned to become the first woman Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the 2008 presidential election.
- On August 29, 2008 Republican Presidential nominee John McCain presented Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.
The Catholic Church in America
April 2008
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Pope Benedict XVI receives an unprecidented welcome to the United States during his visit from April 15 - 20, 2008.
" I don't think there's any question about it, [George Bush] is much more Catholic than Kennedy. "
Rick Santorum, Catholic and Former Pennsylvania Senator. [1]
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In 1783, at the end of the American Revolution, less than 1% of Americans were Catholic. As Protestant America opened its arms to immigrants from all corners of the world, it also accepted their religions. By 1910, as the result of huge number of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, French Canadian, and Eastern European immigrants, 14.6 Million Americans (16.4% of the population) were Catholic. [9] In 1850, New York Archbishop John Hughes made the following statement:
- Everybody should know that we have for our mission to convert the world- including the inhabitants of the United States- the people of the cities, and the people of the country, the Officers of the Navy and the Marines, commander of the Army, the legislatures, the Senate, the Cabinet, the President and all. [10]
In 1926, one million Catholics gathered in Chicago for the 28th International Eucharist Congress; it was seen as a "kind of formal debut for the American Church" [11] The running of Catholic governor Al Smith for President in 1928 sparked a sense of alarm among Protestants, and his defeat to Herbert Hoover was widely seen as a rejection of his religion.
Condolezza Rice meets Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Vatican City, February 8, 2005.
The 1940's saw an abundance of positive Catholic images coming out of Hollywood. Movies regularly featured strong, sensitive priests or nuns directly involved in the lives of ordinary people. The most popular U.S. television show in the mid-1950's was Life Is Worth Living, a 30 minute lecture by the charismatic Bishop Fulton Sheen. It quickly took the number one spot from the Texaco Comedy Hour, which aired at the same time. At the height of his career, Sheen had a regular audience of 30 million.
In 1960, the first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy, was elected. Still, Kennedy sought to distance himself from the Catholic church to assure Protestant voters that his religion would not influence his political decisions. By 2008 President George Bush had eclipsed Kennedy's association with Rome, evidenced by his enthusiastic welcomed of Pope Benedict XVI onto U.S. soil. In an article entitled A Catholic Wind in the White House, the Washington Post discussed the extent of Catholic influence on America policy, concluding that Bush has wedded Catholic intellectualism with evangelical political savvy to forge a powerful electoral coalition and that the key to understanding Bush's domestic policy is to view it through the lense of Rome.[2]
By 2006, 69.1 Million Americans (23% of the population) were Catholic. [12] In contrast, the largest Protestant Denomination in the United States, the Southern Baptist Convention, claims to have 16.3 Million members. Catholics in the U.S. are about 6% of the church's total worldwide membership.
References
- ↑ Before the end time comes, there'll be a woman, that'll be a great ruler in this nation. She will either be president or something on that order, some great woman. (May 1, 1955, Chicago, Illinois)
- ↑ It shall--also has been an evil thing done in this country; they have permitted women to vote. This is a woman's nation, and she will pollute this nation as Eve did Eden. Now, you see why I'm hammering the way I do. I got, THUS SAITH THE LORD. In her voting she will elect the wrong person. …Then when these women help elect the wrong person, then I seen a great woman rise up in the United States, well-dressed and beautiful, but cruel in heart. She will either guide or lead this nation to ruination. (I've got in parenthesis "perhaps Catholic church.")…It will be near the end. (Then I've got in parenthesis: "I predict that this will take place." Now, remember, the Lord ne... That's what the Lord showed, but "I predict this will take place before 1977.") … Women, given the right to vote, elected President-elect Kennedy--with the woman's vote, the wrong man, which will finally be to full control of the Catholic church in the United States; then the bomb comes that explodes her. (November 13, 1960, Jeffersonville, Indiana)
- ↑ And I said, "It will come to pass before the end time comes that there will be a great woman stand up in the United States, because the United States is marked woman. Her number is thirteen, and she'll rise up, either be president, or (I put it in parentheses) perhaps the woman being beautiful and attractive will be the Catholic church but cruel at heart, and she'll lead the nation to pollution. (November 25, 1960, Shreveport, Louisiana)
- ↑ How many remembers that vision, here in the church? Sure. Said that, how that even Kennedy would be elected in this last election. How that women would be permitted to vote. … Now, and it said in there, "At that time, there'd be a great woman stand up in the United States." And she was dressed and beautiful, but she was cruel in heart. And I got in parenthesis on the vision, even yellow paper, said, "perhaps the Catholic church." And the women being permitted to vote would help elect the wrong person for this nation. And that's what they done. Exactly. Now, said, "That would be the beginning." Now another thing it said, that... Then immediately after that, I saw this nation become as a smolder, just blowed to bits. (December 5, 1960, Jeffersonville, Indiana) and “Now, so then I said, "There will be in that time, during that time the women will be permitted to vote, and they'll elect the wrong person." They did it on this last election. That's right. "Which will start the stronghold. During that time it'll come to pass that--that there'll be a great woman rise up in the United States, she'll be beautifully dressed," and I got in parenthesis: "(perhaps the Catholic church)." See? "That'll take rulership over the power, overpower the others in the United States. She'll be beautiful to look at, but she'll be cruel-hearted as she can be." (December 8, 1960, Jeffersonville, Indiana) and I said, "Then I seen a... They're going to permit women and are permitting women to vote. And by voting, they'll elect the wrong man some of these days." And you did at the last election. It was the woman's votes that elected Kennedy. We know that, see, between the crooked machines and things fixed up, that FBI exposed. And how could anybody... Why don't they do something about it? Why ain't something said? Hah! Afraid somebody'd lose their job. You see, it's just a bunch of politics, rotten to the core. That's all. Sure!...But there'll be a powerful woman! Now, remember! This is on tape, too. A powerful woman, great woman, she'll either be President, or it'll be a woman representing the Catholic church (which I think it is) will take over here someday and she'll rule this country. This nation is a woman's nation. Flag was made by a woman, it's number thirteen. She started out, thirteen stars, thirteen stripes, thirteen colonies. Everything's thirteen, thirteen, thirteen, right on down. Thirteen stars on her silver dollar now. Everything's a thirteen. It's number thirteen, and appears in the 13th chapter of Revelation. Completely thirteen! Everything is "woman, woman, woman, woman, woman," right on down. And she took over all the offices. She's took over Hollywood. She's took over the nations. She's took over the offices. She's took over everything there is; equal rights with the man, votes with the man, cusses like a man, drinks like a man, anything else. And just bait for the Catholic church, for the worship of a woman! They're already worshipping a woman, anyhow. (December 11, 1960, Jeffersonville, Indiana)
- ↑ I said, "Another thing, the nation has permitted women to vote, one of the most horrible disgraces they've done." And I said, "In voting they'll elect the wrong man.”…And I said, "Then I seen some great powerful woman rise in the United States." 'Cause this is a woman's nation: woman's picture on the money; everything is woman here. That's right. She's a goddess. Not you Christian women. I'm talking about...And I seen a great woman rise up, beautiful to look at, but a cruel wicked heart. And that will be a church. And she's on her road now. (March 12, 1961, Richmond, Virginia)
- ↑ And then I said, "The women has been permitted to vote. Which is a--absolutely a disgrace upon the nation. And in voting, someday they'll elect the wrong man." And they did that in this last election. My, my…Now, that brings us then to the election of President Kennedy…Now, I predicted and said, "I saw a great woman stand up, beautiful looking, dressed in real highly royals like purple, and I got little parenthesis down here, "She was a great ruler in the United States, perhaps the Catholic church." A woman, some woman... I don't know her to be the Catholic church. I don't know. I can't say. Only thing I seen, I seen the woman; that was all. (August 6, 1961, Jeffersonville Indiana)
- ↑ Then I said, "I seen a woman stand in the United States, like a great queen or something. And she was beautiful to look at, but wicked in her heart. And she made the nation step, go at her step." (July 26, 1964, Jeffersonville, Indiana)
- ↑ God showed me that women began to be out of their place with the granting of the vote…Then in the sixth vision there arose up in America a most beautiful, but cruel woman. She held the people in her complete power. I believed that this was the rise of the Roman Catholic Church, though I knew it could possibly be a vision of some woman rising in great power in America due to a popular vote by women. (Church Age Book, Chapter 9)
- ↑ http://www.earthhealing.info/catholicstats.pdf
- ↑ Dagger John, Shaw, 1977, p. 344)
- ↑ (American Catholic, Morris, 1997, p.137).
- ↑ Official Catholic Directory 2006, (New Providence, N.J.: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 2005), p.2003.)
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