1933 Ohio River Experience

In his book, Twentieth Century Prophet, Lee Vayle writes:

It was during June of 1933 that as he was baptizing the converts in the Ohio River that a most amazing and well documented phenomenon occurred. As he was baptizing the seventeenth person before a crowd estimated at about 4000 there appeared a blazing whirling star out of heaven with the sound of rushing wind audible to all, and it came and hovered over him. As many ran in fear, and others knelt in prayer, a voice spoke out of the pillar of fire to him and said...

"As John the Baptist was the forerunner of the first coming of Christ, so your message is the forerunner of the second coming of Christ."

Of course he alone heard the words though others heard the sound. This is exactly as it was when Paul was blinded by God and heard His voice. Others heard a sound but not the actual voice or the words of the voice.

Concerns with the experience

Based on William Branham's retelling of the story and the story of the experience as related by Lee Vayle, a number of questions present themselves"

1. Why did the early stories make no reference to the voice speaking? Wasn't this the most important part of the story?

2. The third time he relates the story (1951) he says that a voice spoke and that “many asked me what it meant. And I said, "I do not know.” If Bro. Branham did not know what it meant in 1951, why then does he know exactly what it means in 1952? (see quotes below).

3. Which story do we believe? Which story is most likely to be true?

a. That no voice spoke (as in the first stories)?

b. That a voice spoke only to William Branham but he did not know what it meant (as in 1951)?

c. That he was just inaccurate in the early stories but the later stories are the accurate ones?

4. Why has no one, when asked, been able to produce a single copy of a newspaper clipping relating to this story when the article was supposedly printed in newspapers “all the way into Canada, got on the Canada press”? We have searched numerous newspaper online archives and have been unable to find any such newspaper article. If we can't find any such articles and no one can produce one for us, don't we have to assume that there never were any newspaper stories reporting this event?

Quotes

The following are a few of the quotes of William Branham relating to his experience:

1950

But It appeared down there on the Ohio River before nearly ten thousand people while I was baptizing in August. I was baptizing some fi--five hundred, I guess, that afternoon. Hundreds of them was standing, and the choir singing, On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand. Was about two o'clock. We hadn't had rain for about two weeks.

I had my seventeenth candidate I was taking out in the water. And I raised up, and I asked him if he believed. He had. He would been repented at the meeting? Yes. I raised up my hand, I said, "Father, as I baptize this boy with water, may You baptize him with the Holy Spirit."

And as I started, Something went, whew [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.] I looked up. I heard a Voice. Said, "Look up." Thousands standing all over the bank on the Ohio River facing Louisville. Paper carried a big article of it.

And I looked, coming right down out of the heavens, out of a place about as big as this platform, where the blue skies churning like waters... Coming right down out of there came a big thing, like a star, whirling around, going, whew [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.], coming right down visibly before the eyes. Moved right down, looked like a star at a distance. When it got close, It looked like a milling fire of Light, moving right down and stood over where I was. Then went right back up into the heavens again. The waters let up.

I've often wondered if that wasn't the Angel that was on the waters (See?)...?... Bethesda, you know. Went away...

And papers carried a big article, "Mysterious Star Appears Over Minister While Baptizing." And on down, It kept coming. GOD.REVEALING.HIMSELF.TO.HIS.PEOPLE_ CLEVELAND.OH SUNDAY_ 50-0813E

When I was baptizing hundreds down at the Ohio River at the foot of Spring Street in Jeffersonville, where thousands were blacked on the bank... At right at two o'clock in the afternoon, I was baptizing the seventeenth person. I started to pray, and thousands standing there looking. And down from the heavens came that green, whirling down like a big star in the distance. When It got close, It was that Light, a Pillar of Fire.

I think It's the same One that led the children of Israel in the days that went before Moses. And It's in the church today. It's here tonight, the same Pillar of Fire.

When He told me, He said, "As Moses was given two signs to vindicate his ministry, so will you be given two signs. And by these signs, that people will believe." And there It is. I believe It's the same Angel of the covenant.

And He came down when hundreds and hundreds standing there, people fainted, and fell, and everything. The papers carried a great article, "Mystic star appears over minister at two o'clock in the afternoon while baptizing." There It was.

Friends, settle yourself down. The hour has come. There's been a lot of "playing religion." There's been a lot of playing church. But the hour has come where God's calling out His people. That's right. And He's vindicating it by signs and wonders. And that's it.

And here's the statement. Anyone's welcome to read it. It's here any time, and for anybody. And look at it. BELIEVE.YE.THAT.I.AM.ABLE.TO.DO.THIS_ CLEVELAND.OH SUNDAY_ 50-0820E

1951

About twelve years ago, I was baptizing my first group after my--one of my revivals at Jeffersonville, Indiana, where I lived at this time--my home is, rather. And standing on the banks of the Ohio River where [Blank spot on tape--Ed.] had gathered out. And while I was baptizing... It was two o'clock in the evening, on June. And the seventeenth candidate, I was baptizing in water at the Ohio River at the foot of Spring Street. And I heard Something speak, and I felt Something take a hold of me. And I looked up. And when I did, coming down from glory came this whirl coming down where I was at.

"Courier Journal Newspaper" packed an article of it, said, "A mystic star appears over a local Baptist pastor while baptizing in the river." They couldn't make out. Oh, up to probably ten thousand people saw It as It moved down where I was at, and went back up in the skies. Come right where I was and went back up into the sky. Well I... Many asked me what It meant. And I said, "I do not know." MY.COMMISSION_ LA.CA SATURDAY_ 51-0505

But I have seen times where whole audiences of thousands, ten thousand at one time seen Him coming right down at two o'clock in the afternoon and standing over where I was at, when the newspapers flashed it everywhere. TESTIMONY_ LA.CA WEDNESDAY_ 51-0509

1952

Recently when I was baptizing on the river at Jeffersonville, when all the local newspapers packed It, two o'clock in the afternoon when I was praying, here It come right down out of the heavens, right at two o'clock in the evening, June, or in the afternoon, rather, in June, about the middle of June, hung right over where I was, and a Voice from It, saying, "As John the Baptist was sent to warn the people of the first coming of Christ, so is this Message to warn the people of the second coming."

Right back up into the heavens, when people screamed, fainted. What is it? God, getting the Church ready. You don't need no new doctrine. You don't need no new theories. You need real true hearts to Almighty God, to believe on God, and His Son, Christ Jesus. Have fellowship with everybody, all the Christians, by the Holy Spirit. Amen. DO.YOU.NOW.BELIEVE_ BATTLE.CREEK.MI SUNDAY_ 52-0817E

1954

Just the same thing He said when I baptized right down here on the Ohio River, many of you was standing there, twenty-three years ago, right on the Ohio River that Light, Angel, come right down to where we was at, and said, "As John the Baptist was sent for a forerunner of the first coming of Jesus Christ, your Message will bring the second coming of Jesus Christ." And it's done it. It's... He hasn't come yet, but look what it's done; it's swept the world around. See? And today now, just thinking, the--the effort that's went forth, there's been literally millions...

Even the Catholic "Sunday Visitor" spoke of it, of how many millions that come in around, just of the effort.

Others hear and they say, "That's the Truth. I'm ready to sell out right now to these things of the world and go preach the real Gospel." QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_ JEFF.IN SATURDAY_ 54-0515

1955

So then I--then I was getting too critical on speaking with tongues, you see. But one day, then, how God vindicated that to me!

I was baptizing down on the river, my first converts, at the Ohio River, and the seventeenth person I was baptizing, as I started to baptize, then I said, "Father, as I baptize him with water, You baptize him with the Holy Spirit." I started to--to put him under the water.

And just then a whirl come from the heavens above, and here come that Light, shining down. Hundreds and hundreds of people on the bank, right at two o'clock in the afternoon, in June. And It hung right over where I was at. A Voice spoke from there, and said, "As John the Baptist was sent for the forerunner of the first coming of Christ, you've got a... have a Message that will bring forth the forerunning of the Second Coming of Christ." And it liked to scared me to death.

And I went back, and all the people there, the--the foundry men and all them, the druggist, and all of them on the bank. I had baptized about two or three hundred that afternoon. And when they taken me out, pulled me out of the water, the deacons and so forth went up, they asked me, said, "What did that Light mean?"

A big group of colored people from the--the Gilt Edge Baptist church and the Lone Star church down there, and many of those was down there, they begin screaming when they saw that happen, people fainted. HOW.THE.ANGEL.CAME.TO.ME.AND.HIS.COMMISSION_ CHICAGO.IL FOOTPRINT.BOOK MONDAY_ 55-0117