William Branham: Difference between revisions

The summer of 1935 was a whirlwind of events.   

William Branham’s brother Charles died in an accident on August 5, 1935.  Then Hope Branham’s mother remarried to John Cardwell on August 22, 1935.  Soon after, Billy Paul Branham was born to William and Hope on September 13, 1935.  The 1935 and 1937 city directory listed William Branham is pastor of the Pentecostal Tabernacle, and residing with his wife Hope at 430 Graham Street in Jeffersonville.  <ref> http://searchingforvindication.com/timeline.html </ref>

In 1936 William Branham said he was pressured by his mother-in-law not to accept invitations from Pentecostal Churches.  How William Branham agreed to follow his mother-in-law’s advice is a mystery, because he was the pastor of a Pentecostal church at the time.  What he did do was begin to refuse invitations from Oneness, colored and mixed-race Pentecostal Churches.  <ref> http://searchingforvindication.com/2013/06/20/Preaching-At-Pentecostal-Churches/ </ref>  

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The Ohio River flood lasted from January 5 to February 5, 1937.  William Branham tells a story of how he left his Bible on the pulpit during the flood, and when he came back they found out that the pulpit had floated up during the flood, and rested on the same spot with the Bible still open and dry.  <ref> William Branham, September 1, 1957 in a sermon called “Hebrews, Chapter Three” </ref> The newspapers, however, packed a story of the pews and pulpit rising and falling to a crest of 15 feet during the Ohio River flood in the First Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville, because the wooden floor had loosed from the side walls.  <ref> http://searchingforvindication.com/2013/04/02/Church-Escapes-In-Freak-Stunt/ </ref>   

William Branham tells how he lost contact with Hope during the flood, and found her dying in a hospital with a hole in her side to collapse her lungs.  He dies the story of Hope’s death so closely to the flood, that he makes is sound as if she died in February of 1937.  <ref>William Branham,  April 15, 1951 in a sermon called “Life Story”</ref>  But Hope fought pneumonia for a number of months before passing away on July 21, 1937.  Sharon Rose Branham also passed away from disease a few days later on July 26, 1937. <ref> http://searchingforvindication.com/timeline.html </ref> William Branham blamed the death of Hope and Sharon Rose on his decision to respect his mother-in-law’s request not to associate with Pentecostals.  <ref> http://searchingforvindication.com/2013/06/19/Where-My-Sorrow-Started/ </ref>

William Branham wrote that he received a commission for his healing ministry in March 1945 when he saw a vision of birds that would not eat from a small pile of white bread. A voice told him “That is your Tabernacle and they won't eat the bread of life anymore. I am sending you…westward.” William Branham was then shown a large tent with a platform at the front. Behind the tent was a great pile of the same white bread, and he was told to feed a white-robed audience that had gathered from everywhere. The following day, William Branham explained the vision to his church.   

William Branham left Jeffersonville on June 14, 1945 and headed directly west with his wife, son, and Rev. Daugherty to St. Louis, Missouri. The testimonies from the tent meetings in St. Louis were compiled in a tract called “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” and distributed at subsequent revival meetings.  The tract describes that the group that left from Jeffersonville carpooled, as gas rationing was in effect.  Gas rationing in the United States ended August 15, 1945. <ref> http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Tract:_Heavenly_Vision </ref>

William Branham said the Angel gave him his commission at Green’s Mill in an old cabin.<ref> William Branham, September 23, 1951 in a sermon called “Principles of Divine Healing.” </ref>  He also said the Angel gave him his commission at Green’s Mill in a secret cave.  <ref> William Branham, May 9, 1953 in a sermon called “The Pillar of Fire” </ref>  In a video called “Twentieth Century Prophet” William Branham said that he was 37 years old when a tall angel with olive complexion walked into his room at home, and told him “Fear not, I am sent from the Presence of God to tell you that you're to pray for sick people. Great signs and wonders will be following your ministry, and you'll be praying for kings and monarchs... As Moses was given two signs of confirmation of his ministry, that I would be given two signs. One would be the praying for the sick, the miracles, and the other would be you'd know the very secrets of the people's heart.”   

William Branham also met with Avak Hagopian in Florida in 1948, a renown “faith healer” from Armenia who was featured in the May 19, 1947 edition of LIFE magazine.  Avak was tall, of olive complexion, had long shoulder-length hair and wore flowing robes – eerily similar to the description of William Branham’s angel.     

William Branham’s early work in faith healing attracted attention, and as stories began to spread of his healing gift, local pastors came to ask Branham to minister to their congregations and pray for the sick. When local churches could not accommodate the crowds, Branham's meetings were moved to larger auditoriums or stadiums for united campaigns in major cities in North America. His success soon took him to minister in countries around the world. According to one Pentecostal historian, "Branham filled the largest stadiums and meeting halls in the world."