Is Joseph Branham a prophet?
Did William Branham prophesy that his son, Joseph, would be a prophet?
The dedication of Joseph Branham
At the dedication of his son, Joseph, William Branham prayed the following prayer:
- In a little closet, way yonder in the north lands You promised this child to me. Father, may Your blessings rest upon Him. Joseph, my boy, I give you to God, and may your life be a blessing. May you be a prophet, Joseph; may God's grace rest on you. May the God of your father, the Lord Jesus Christ ever bless you and make your life a blessing to others. In Jesus Christ's Name I bless this child. Amen.[1]
There is no prophecy contained in this prayer. It is simply a request by a father that God would allow his son to be a prophet. It should be noted that by this emphasis, William Branham clearly believes that the prophet is the highest office in the church.
William Branham's flawed memory of the dedication
Two years later, William Branham recalls the dedication prayer as follows:
- Somehow, when I was in our church. Many of you sprinkle them in baptism, infant baptism; that's all right. We try to follow the Bible. Jesus picked up little children and blessed them. We dedicate them. And in dedication of the little boy at the altar, somehow, I was inspired to say, "Joseph, thou art God's prophet." And maybe when I leave, I pray that a double portion of the Spirit will come upon Joseph for the age to come, if there is one.[2]
William Branham's stories often differed radically from the truth and this is another perfect example of this.
Conclusion
It is obvious from the above transcripts that William Branham never prophesied that Joseph Branham would be a prophet. This is another example of William Branham's constant changing of stories from what actually happened to what he wanted to have happened. And another perfect example of why you should not believe anything that William Branham said. We also are aware of no known prophecies by Joseph Branham, who certainly did not receive a double-portion of his father's visions.