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William Branham's Travels

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William Branham talked a lot about going overseas but most of the trips he planned were canceled. He stated that he had been around the world seven times but we have been unable to confirm this. The only time he actually could have gone around the world was when he visited India in 1954. However, he went to India via Europe and Egypt and stated he returned home the same route.

The Facts

Here are the facts that we have been able to confirm:

  1. In 1951, William Branham stated he had been overseas once and was getting ready for his second trip.
  2. He appears to have gone overseas a total of 5 times.
    1. 1950 (April) - Trip to Europe (England & Finland)
    2. 1951 (September) - Trip to South Africa
    3. 1954 (September) - Travelled to India via Lisbon, Rome, and Egypt
    4. 1955 (June) - Travelled to Switzerland
    5. 1955 (August) - Travelled to Switzerland and Germany
    6. 1965 (May) - Trip to South Africa (no meetings held)[1]
  3. He never actually went around the world even once.
  4. He was never in Australia or New Zealand and the trip to India was his only trip to Asia.
  5. He was in Africa twice.
  6. He was in Europe three times, one of which was on his trip to India.

it appears that William Branham considered a trip across the Atlantic Ocean to be a trip "around the world".

Conclusion: William Branham never did travel around the world. However, he did make six overseas trips.

Quotes of William Branham about his travels

1951

And many times, a few years ago, going up and down the street here, as a little lad, I—I never thought that I would have the opportunity to travel for our Lord. But He has so blessed the services till, well, we went internationally now around the world. And this is my second trip across, and I—I trust it’ll—this time will mean more than the other.[2]

1953

I've sailed the seven seas three times around the world...[3]
I've visit the grave of most all the founders of a religions; the Mohammedan, and also to—to the grave of Buddha, and Confucius, and many of the philosophers.[4]

1954

I've sailed the seven seas traveled around the world three times...[5]

1955

Well, my contention is, here in Georgia, as it has been three times around the world now...[6]

1956

Ten years, now, of worldwide evangelism; five times around the world, and have seen tens of thousands of people come and be healed. [7]

1958

In the Mohammedan religion (which I have had the privilege of visiting the country near the grave of Mohammed) and at his grave has been a white horse, has been standing there for two thousand years. Every four hours (I think it is.) they change the guard, and a white horse saddled and waiting for the resurrection of Mohammed… And they say that he will raise from the dead, get on the horse, and conquer the world.[8]
You ought heard what Morris Reidhead said about that when that Mohammedan had his education and going back. Said, "Why don't you take a resurrected Jesus with you and instead of a dead prophet, Mohammed." And I've been to Mohammed's grave. They have a white horse change every four hours. And they've been there for two thousand years, expecting Mohammed to raise from the dead.[9]
Here sometime ago, noticing at the grave of Mohammed, at Mohammed's grave there's a white horse that stands there. It's been there for two thousand years. They change the guards about every four hours. What are they doing? They are expecting Mohammed to raise someday and get on this white horse and ride the world and conquer it.[10]

1959

Oh, I feel like a holy-roller. Amen. I feel like shouting. If it takes that to serve God, then let me do it. I've sailed the seven seas, traveled the world six times around...[11]

1960

How would He send me out on the field, seven times around the world? [12]

1962

Now, I've been to Egypt, and in those pyramids…[13]

1964

I've been seven times around the world...[14]

1965

I've been to the grave where the white horse is changed every four hours. Where, Mohammed, a great priest and—and leader right after Christ, was supposingly to be a prophet, and, I don't doubt but what he was, right after the Maccabee brothers. [15]

Video Transcript

William Branham considered himself a world traveler.

I've seen them carry on in the heathen fields. I've been seven times around the world, in all... in all kinds of heathens and around hundreds of thousand, as many as 150,000 people and, yeah or 50,000 people gather at one time.

This is a clear exaggeration as he only made five overseas trips and never went around the world. Not Even once. Ron Spencer, a message minister in Virginia, explains this as follows:

And when Brother Branham was even here in Harrisonburg, just like he was all over the world seven times... the miles that he traveled is why they say it's seven times.

That’s a great excuse… But William Branham never used it himself. Ron Spencer simply made it up and there is nothing factual to back up his claim. Now, I do understand that this claim in and of itself, might not be that big of a deal. You wouldn’t want to hang a lot on one wild exaggeration.

But there’s another, related statement William Branham made that I would like a message minister to explain:

I've visit the grave of most all the founders of a religions, the Mohammedan, and also to the grave of Buddha, and Confucius, and many other philosophers.

While perhaps not obvious at first, this statement cannot possibly be true. When William Branham made this statement in 1953, he had only been overseas twice, once to Finland in 1950 and then to South Africa in 1951. He had not yet been to India where Buddha was cremated. There is no grave as Buddha’s ashes were distributed to various sites across India.

The tomb of Confucius is at Qufu in Shandong Province, China. William Branham never visited China. Ever. In his book, Supernatural, Owen Jorgensen states that William Branham landed in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on his way to India in 1954. While in Saudi Arabia, William Branham stated several times that he visited the grave of Muhammad, the founder of Islam:

Here sometime ago, noticing at the grave of Mohammed, at Mohammed's grave there's a white horse that stands there. It's been there for two thousand years. They change the guards about every four hours. What are they doing? They are expecting Mohammed to raise someday and get on this white horse and ride the world and conquer it.[16]
I've been to the grave where the white horse is changed every four hours. Where, Mohammed, a great priest and—and leader right after Christ, was supposingly to be a prophet, and, I don't doubt but what he was…[17]

The grave of Muhammad, the Green Dome, is in Medina, over a 500-mile drive from Riyadh. It is true that Islam teaches that their prophet, Muhammad, rode to heaven on a white horse. But there is no white horse at the Green Dome. And they do not teach that their prophet will rise from the dead and jump on a white horse. They do not have a white horse waiting for him. And they never did. William Branham made up this story. He was never in Medina, and he never visited the Green Dome. Just as he never visited the grave of Confucius or Buddha.

For followers of William Branham, anyone else making up such a story would be accused of lying. But they just can’t accept that their prophet was less than honest.

Can someone in the message please explain why William Branham made up stories like this?


Footnotes

  1. ↑ These overseas trips are based on Owen Jorgenson's fictionalized biography of William Branham and our own research of William Branham's recorded sermons.
  2. ↑ William Branham, 51-0923 - The Principles Of Divine Healing, para. 5
  3. ↑ William Branham, 53-1129A - The Faith That Was Once Delivered To The Saints, para. 113
  4. ↑ William Branham, 53-0405S - Go, Tell My Disciples, para. 8
  5. ↑ William Branham, 54-1206 - Expectation, para. 40
  6. ↑ William Branham, 55-0608 - Abrahamn, para. 74
  7. ↑ William Branham, 56-0902 - The Handwriting On The Wall, para. 227
  8. ↑ William Branham, 58-0128 - The Oneness Of Unity, para. 18
  9. ↑ William Branham, 58-0612 - We Would See Jesus, para. 20
  10. ↑ William Branham, 58-0326 - United Under One Head, para. 28
  11. ↑ William Branham, 59-0708E - Be Certain Of God, para. 75
  12. ↑ William Branham, 60-0804 - As The Eagle Stirreth Up Her Nest, para. 81
  13. ↑ William Branham, 60-0804 - As The Eagle Stirreth Up Her Nest, para. 52
  14. ↑ William Branham, 64-0410 - Scriptural Signs Of The Time, para. 37
  15. ↑ William Branham, 65-0220 - God's Chosen Place Of Worship, para. 18
  16. ↑ 58-0326, para. 28
  17. ↑ 65-0220, para. 18


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