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1933 Ohio River Experience: Difference between revisions
→Concerns with the experience
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Did this event ever take place? Watch the video and read the details below to make up your own mind. | |||
<div style="border-bottom:2px #B87333 solid; text-align:left; padding:1px; margin:1px;"><font color='#800000' size='+1'>'''The Voice on the Ohio River'''.</font> </div> | |||
<youtube>http://youtu.be/Zcx7KVwizew</youtube> | |||
[[Image:Image-rs-038 - Br Br baptizing in Ohio River.jpg|thumb|right|250px|William Branham baptising on the Ohio River]] | [[Image:Image-rs-038 - Br Br baptizing in Ohio River.jpg|thumb|right|250px|William Branham baptising on the Ohio River]] | ||
=What William Branham and his followers believe= | |||
In the Tract, [[Life Story Tract|''"Jesus Christ the Same, Yesterday, Today and Forever"'']], William Branham first tells of a light appearing on the Ohio River in 1933: | In the Tract, [[Life Story Tract|''"Jesus Christ the Same, Yesterday, Today and Forever"'']], William Branham first tells of a light appearing on the Ohio River in 1933: | ||
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In his book, Twentieth Century Prophet, Lee Vayle writes: | 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...'' | :''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."'' | ::''"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. '' | :'''''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= | |||
==The testimony of eyewitnesses== | |||
There are numerous recorded accounts of people sharing their testimonies of William Branham’s ministry. Several of these relate the 1933 baptismal story quite differently than William Branham did. This lead a former message minister to speak with every single person in his fellowship who was acquainted with William Branham while he was still living. On the topic of the baptism, he asked them if they knew eyewitnesses of the 1933 baptisms, and asked for them to relate the story of the baptism they heard from the eye witnesses. | |||
To his great surprise, he was only able to identify three people who were an actual eye witness to the baptism besides William Branham | |||
The first person, who many people knew, was named Fannie Wilson. She was a resident of Jeffersonville who died in the 1970s. She was referred to on a tape by William Branham as a witness of the baptism: | |||
:''And I suppose, besides my wife, there’s people here tonight, from thirty years ago, that was standing close when That come down. Is there anybody in the audience now that was there when the Angel of the Lord, that come down on the river the first time, before people? Raise up your hands. Yes, there they are. See? Now, I see Mrs. Wilson raise up her hand. She was standing there. My wife, there, she was there. And I don’t know who some of the rest of them is, that was standing on the bank here, before many, many people, when I was baptizing at two o’clock in the afternoon. (William Branham, Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?, December 30, 1962 (62-1230E) | |||
According to everyone who recalled her eyewitness testimony, she never saw a light or a heard a voice the day William Branham was baptizing in June 1933. It never happened. Her testimony was that on the day of the baptism there was a loud frightening noise, like thunder or sonic boom, that happened during the baptismal service, but that was all. | |||
The second eyewitness known to the old timers was William Branham’s brother, Doc Branham. According to the old timers, Doc Branham’s version of the baptismal story matched Fannie Wilson’s. He saw no light and heard no voice, but there was some type of an explosive noise like dynamite that happened during the baptismal service. | |||
The third, and most interesting eyewitness was Graham Snelling. | |||
Snelling had been a founding member of the Branham Tabernacle and assistant pastor of the Branham Tabernacle in the 1950s when William Branham began to tour away from the church frequently. Snelling went on to open his own church outside of Jeffersonville in later years and remained in contact with several of the old times up until his death in the 1980s. According to several of the old timers, Snelling had confronted William Branham during the early 1950s over the baptismal story. Snelling, who had been a witness of the baptism, was upset that William Branham had exaggerated the story to his audiences. Shortly after the confrontation, William Branham had a vision that indicated Snelling had committed adultery and Snelling and his family subsequently left the Branham Tabernacle. | |||
In light of this last testimony, one of William Branham’s statements is of interest: | |||
:''My pastor said to me, he said, “Billy, what kind of a dream did you have? Why, you know you didn’t see…” I said, “There were hundreds standing there, witnessed It.” And they’d come down, said, “Oh, that’s a mental delusion.”<ref>A Trial preached in Louisville, Mississippi on April 5, 1964</ref> | |||
According to William Branham’s own words, he was confronted by other eye witnesses of the baptism who insisted to him that his account of what happened was a mental delusion. | |||
It is initially surprising that there were no known eyewitness testimonies that matched William Branham’s version of the story. Most message followers have concluded (as Lee Vayle did) that William Branham must have been the only person who saw the light or heard the voice, similar to the experience of the Apostle Paul on the Damascus Road, or the voice of God speaking in John 12:29. | |||
However, it is troubling to know Fannie Wilson on tape served a witness, but privately shared a very different story. It seems like people would agree to anything when put on the spot. If anyone had an incentive to be a witness to William Branham’s version of the story, surely it was Doc Branham, but even he was upfront telling a different version of the story. More troubling was the aspect that Rev. Graham Snelling was so concerned about the way William Branham told the story he felt the need to confront him over it. And most troubling of all, we must ask the question: Did William Branham purposefully defame Graham Snelling to silence him? | |||
Some of these things are impossible to ever find the answer too, as all the living witnesses are dead and record keeping seems to have been very thin. One thing is certain though, there is something seriously wrong with William Branham’s 1933 baptismal story. | |||
== | ==Some things stay the same, and some things change== | ||
William Branham retells this story many times. Each time he tells the story, a light always appears when the 17th person is being baptised, and a voice says "Look up". However, there are some important differences in each retelling. | |||
== | ==How many people attended the baptism?== | ||
Originally, in the first retelling, 130 people came to be baptized in August 1933 while 3,000 people watched. In later retellings, 500 people came to be baptized in June 1933 while 10,000 people watched. | |||
According to the video of Bruce Hall, Graham Snelling and others stated that there were less than 100 people present. We also understand from the report in the local newspaper that only 14 people came forward for salvation in the tent meetings which were held in May 1933. Presumably, some or all of these were the ones who were baptized. | |||
== | ==Was there a voice that spoke?== | ||
==Quotes | And the critical "prophecy" that all message followers focus on was not told by William Branham until August 1952, which was after Gordon Lindsay published his book. William Branham, in his first telling of the voice which spoke, says that it said the following: | ||
:''"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."<ref>52-0817E - Do You Now Believe?</ref> | |||
Both Gordon Lindsay's book, ''''A Man Sent From God'''', and Julius Stadsklev's book, ''''A Prophet Visits South Africa'''' record the light appearing during the baptism, but omit the voice. '''It is obvious that they both received this information directly from William Branham without any checking of the facts.''' | |||
However, Gordon Lindsay's book does include the following similar prophecy: | |||
:''The next incident was a stirring message given in the Spirit and interpreted, almost identical to two others which were to be given in other Branham meetings in different places, a sure testimony of the authenticity of this anointed ministry. It was uttered with such rousing force that it almost seemed unearthly, and this was the gist of the message… that '''as John the Baptist was sent as a forerunner of the Lord’s first coming''', so was He sending forth '''this evangelist and others like him''' to move the people and prepare them for His second coming. Months later we heard this same message interpreted amidst a large crowd of people attending the Branham meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by '''Sister Anna Schrader''' whom we later learned to appreciate deeply. Truly, these words penetrated our hearts.” (Gordon Lindsay, A Man Sent From God) | |||
This provides witnesses to the prophecy of Jesus' return. However, the prophecy as retold by Gordon Lindsay refers to "this evangelist and others like him", while the prophecy as retold by William Branham only refers to himself. | |||
It is also interesting to note that the person that gave the prophecy, [[Hagin Prophecy#Kenneth Hagin's Account of Anna Schrader's Prophecies|Anna Schrader, also prophesied William Branham's death]] in 1965. | |||
One must conclude that since the voice was not mentioned in William Branham's own early retelling of the story that it never occurred and that he simply used the language from the Lindsay book. | |||
==William Branham initially said he didn't know what it meant!== | |||
The third time William Branham relates this 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 August 1952? (see quotes below). | |||
==What was reported in the newspapers== | |||
[[File:19330506Davis.jpg|right|thumb|300px| Jeffersonville Evening News, June 2, 1933]] | |||
Here is '''what William Branham said''' about the event: | |||
*The event occurred in 1933 when Brother Branham was baptizing converts in the Ohio river at the foot of Spring Street. | |||
*Different dates are given for the event, but he most consistently states this occurred sometime in June, 1933. | |||
*The event occurred before Brother Branham and Hope were married in June, 1934. | |||
*This was his first revival, or first group of converts. | |||
*Roy Davis was still his pastor when this revival was held. He had just recently been ordained as a Baptist minister. | |||
*There were a lot of people in attendance; between several hundred to thousands. Brother Branham baptized around 500 people. | |||
*As he was baptizing, he heard a voice tell him to “look up”. | |||
*A light appeared and a voice spoke something to the effect of “As John the Baptist was sent forth to forerun the first coming of Christ, you have the Message that’ll now forerun the second Coming of Christ.” | |||
*All the local papers packed the article of it. The Louisville Herald, or Herald Post ran a front page story with a headline similar to “A mystery Light hangs over a local Baptist minister while baptizing at the foot of Spring Street in Jeffersonville, Indiana.” | |||
*The associated press picked up the story and it was carried in papers around the US and Canada. | |||
*William Branham said that the story was carried by a paper (1950), the "Courier Journal" (1951), the "Sunday Visitor" (1954), the "Louisville Herald", and the "Associated Press" (1961). <br> | |||
[[Image:14Converted.jpg|left|thumb|300px| Jeffersonville Evening News, May 6, 1933]] | |||
Here is '''what we know''' about the event from conducted numerous searches in online newspaper archives and from microfiche sources in Indiana: | |||
*There is an advertisement which appeared in the Jeffersonville Evening News on May 6, 1933 for a series of meetings (see photograph on the left). | |||
*There was a similar advertisement which appeared in the Jeffersonville Evening News on May 27, 1933 (not reproduced). | |||
*There are no references to William Branham in 1933 other than an article from the Jeffersonville Evening News on June 2, 1933. It should be noted that this article does not mention a light or the Ohio River and casts serious doubt on the number of people that William Branham claims to have baptized. | |||
It is also interesting to note that the article says absolutely nothing about people being baptized. | |||
We must reasonably conclude that the story of the light appearing on the Ohio River was never reported in any newspaper. We must also conclude that William Branham estimates of numbers were wildly exaggerated. | |||
==How long would it take to baptize 500 people?== | |||
Assuming a very short period of time per baptism, say 1 minute per person, it would have taken 500 minutes or '''over 8 hours''' to baptize 500 people. Of course, it is almost impossible to baptize one person every 60 seconds if you are going to say even a very simple prayer before they were baptized. | |||
Was William Branham exaggerating the number of people being baptized? What else did he exaggerate? | |||
{| style="width:200px; border:1px solid #E8B399;background-color:#F0DCC8;vertical-align:top; float:right; text-align:center; padding: 0.3em;margin-left:15px" | |||
|'''[[Italian]]''' <br> CI FU UNA VOCE NEL FIUME OHIO NEL 1933? | |||
|- | |||
|} | |||
=Quotes= | |||
The following are a few of the quotes of William Branham relating to his experience: | The following are a few of the quotes of William Branham relating to his experience: | ||
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''' | ''' | ||
==Video Transcript== | |||
Followers of the message believe that Bro. Branham was anointed with the spirit of Elijah as prophesied in Malachi 4, verse 5. | |||
But where does this belief come from? | |||
Believers will most often point to a light that appeared on the Ohio River in August 1933 and a voice that spoke from this light saying "As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, your Message will forerun the second Coming." | |||
Let’s look at the progression of this testimony over the years from William Branham’s own words to see how this mystery unfolded. | |||
The story was first told in three published documents. | |||
In a tract that was written and distributed by William Branham entitled “''Jesus Christ the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever''”, | |||
In Julius Stadsklev’s book, “''A Prophet Visits South Africa''” | |||
And in Gordon Lindsay’s book “''A Man Sent From God''”. | |||
None of these reports mention a voice speaking as we just mentioned. | |||
In 1951, Bro. Branham told the story of what happened: | |||
:''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 Los Angeles, CA 51-0505 | |||
So in 1951, Bro. Branham said that he didn’t know what the event meant. But by1952 he said that he knew exactly what it meant… | |||
:''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."'' DO YOU NOW BELIEVE BATTLE CREEK, MI 52-0817E | |||
Lee Vayle states in his book “''Twentieth Century Prophet''” that William Branham was the only one that heard the words that were spoken. And while William Branham indicates that Lee Vayle read of the event in a newspaper, Lee Vayle makes no mention of this in his book. | |||
We have also been unable to locate any newspaper stories that relate to this event. | |||
In the Book “''A Man Sent from God''”, Gordon Lindsay mentions a message interpreted in a service by Anna Schrader. He wrote that the gist of this message was “''that as John the Baptist was sent as a forerunner of the Lord’s first coming, so was He sending forth this evangelist and others like him to move the people and prepare them for His second coming''.” | |||
In 1962, William Branham welcomed Sister Schrader over the pulpit, and recalled her interpretation… albeit slightly differently: | |||
:“''...you gave the interpretation, and said the very same thing that the Light did, when it come down over me down there, when I first was a Baptist preacher. Said, “As John the Baptist was sent forth to forerun the first coming of Christ, you’re sent forth, and your message will forerun the second coming.''” The Way Back, November 23, 1962, Par. 203 | |||
So what can we conclude from this? | |||
{{ | First, William Branham never mentioned a voice referring to “John the Baptist” until 1952, and neither Gordon Lindsay nor Julius Stadsklev refers to the voice in their books. | ||
Second, William Branham was the only one who heard the voice. | |||
Third, Gordon Lindsay recorded a different interpretation given by Anna Schrader than the one that William Branham remembered years later. It is interesting that Anna Schrader’s interpretation is the first reference to a message like that of John the Baptist’s, but it covers not only William Branham but also the other evangelists associated with the healing revival. | |||
Is this the voice that William Branham actually heard? | |||
Another problem is that there do not appear to be any newspaper stories in existence that reported on the story told by William Branham. | |||
These changes to the story over time are very significant, and don’t agree with the earliest records of the story. Isn’t that a little suspect? | |||
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[[Category:Honesty and Credibility]] | |||
[[Category:Supernatural vindication]] | |||