The Death of Florence Shakarian
In 1963 Demos Shakarian's sister, Florence, was diagnosed with cancer. Although she was only 39, the cancer had advanced to a stage where her doctors couldn't stop it.
William Branham tells a story of how he foretold that Florence Shakarian would die from her illness and not be healed. This prophecy was given in advance and appears to be the only prophecy that we are aware of that can be proved to have been made before the fact.
Problems with the prophecy
William Branham only made this prophecy after her doctors told her that she would die from terminal inoperable cancer. This is not a very bold prophecy.
However, William Branham is also specifically vague in that he left an "out" (a possibility that his prophecy might not come to pass) when he said:
- And I said, "Pray, just pray. You know there's... A prophet one time was told to go tell a king put his house in order. And he prayed, and He spared his life, fifteen years longer." I said, "Pray."
So William Branham certainly covered all possible bases with this prophecy, which simply confirmed her doctor's statement.
Quotes
Then I had to come to that family, with THUS SAITH THE LORD, their daughter is going to die, too. Florence, I saw her in a vision, saw her go. And I know she is going. And I said, "Pray, just pray. You know there's... A prophet one time was told to go tell a king put his house in order. And he prayed, and He spared his life, fifteen years longer." I said, "Pray."[1]
- Good morning, friends. I am... This of the Shakarian family, Brother Williams and Sister Williams and many of them here know about it. I saw that in a vision, about two to three years before she got sick, and it happened.
- And last year when we were here, I believe it was in January, at the convention, it was the time that that priest (what's his name? I forget his name now) was here. [Someone says, "Stanley."--Ed.] Stanley, Bishop Stanley, from the Catholic church. You remember when he brought me the Bible, you know, and he said to me.
- It was several prophesying, "My daughter, you are healed."
- And he knew that the vision had said that she would not get well. "She would die between two and three o'clock in the morning." Remember that? [Someone says, "Yes."--Ed.] So, two or three o'clock.
- And I couldn't tell Demos. And yet I told her stepmother, right over in the room, right across the place here. I said, "She isn't going to get well."
- Mrs. Shakarian said, "Well, everybody is prophesying."
- I said, "Course, I could be wrong, myself, but I said it. She isn't going to get well." I told many of them, about three years ago, "I saw her running for her life, and she went into a bed. And she raised her hands and screamed to me, like that. And I--I couldn't even reach her. And then I seen her die. And I looked, and there was something, there was a clock, and it said it's something between two and three o'clock."
- ...We are certainly sorry. I feel the church has lost a great person, in Sister Florence Shakarian. But, she was a great singer, she was a Spirit-filled woman.
- I was with her mother; her mother was one of the first contacts I had on the West Coast, when her mother was healed. When the doctors... She was in a coma, and all swollen up. And so the--the doctor that was there told me, said, "Now be real quiet when you pray. Don't make much noise. The woman is dying."
- I said, "Yes, sir."
- And he said, then, just kept on telling me. And, well, I didn't even have a chance to open my mouth, like.
- So, it was Brother Demos told me to go ahead and go up and see her.
- So, I went upstairs. And Florence was kneeling on the floor, then a beautiful little girl, and some more women. And went over and prayed for her, and told it. And she was unconscious. And told her she would get up again. And she did. A couple years later, she died. And now God answers our prayers.
- And we know that, we believe that we all have come here by the will of God, and we believe the same way. One by one, we'll each one cross that portal. And that's why we're here this morning, gathered together in this Christian Business Men's Fellowship, is to speak of these things, and prepare for them, 'cause we know they are sure to come.
- Now Sister Florence is a young woman, forty-two years old, Brother Williams just told me, and very young. But before they, she knew that she had this disease, why, I saw a vision of her and told me her outcome. Then, it would be. God knows all about it, and her seeing Jesus in the room before she left. We just don't want to pray for her, because we've done that so much. We just want to thank God for a life that was among us, that inspired us all, as Sister Shakarian.
- And we want to pray for Brother Demos and Sister Rose. And remember, they've had an awful hard hit in their life, in the last... it's his father, and his sister now in his... the last years. [Somebody speaks to Brother Branham--Ed.] But, and, yeah, less than, less, ten months; and sister, Sister Edna, also...
- And, Father, we are grateful to You this morning, for the life of one who stood with us, less than a year ago, singing Your praises; Sister Florence Shakarian, as we knew her...
- We are certainly sorry. I feel the church has lost a great person, in Sister Florence Shakarian. But, she was a great singer, she was a Spirit-filled woman.[2]