The Cause of the Cloud: Difference between revisions

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<div style="float:left;width:19%;padding:.3em 0;margin:2px 2px 0; background-color:#cedff2">[[Prophecy of the Cloud|The Prophecy]]</div>

<div style="float:left;width:19%;font-weight:bold; background-color:#cedff2; color:#000; padding:.3em 0; border:2px solid #B8C7D9; border-bottom:0; font-size:130%">[[The Cause of the Cloud|The Cause]]</div>

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<mediaplayer width='800' height='500'>http://youtu.be/ne_eJ9osvnc</mediaplayer>

[[Image:Cloud-Large.jpg|370px|right|thumb|Page 112 of the May 1963 edition of Life Magazine]] 

At around sunset on February 28, 1963, a cloud (referred to in this article as the "Cloud") appeared in the vicinity of Flagstaff, AZ and remained sunlit for 28 minutes after sunset.  It was highlighted in the [[Life Magazine May1963 (Page 112)|May 1963 edition of Life Magazine]].  In addition to Life Magazine, various articles written appeared in [http://www.spokenwordchurch.com/themessageresourcelibrary/Articles/Cloud%20Article%20-%20Science%20Magazine%20Cloud%20Article%20April%201963.pdf Science Magazine (April 19, 1963)], [http://www.spokenwordchurch.com/themessageresourcelibrary/Articles/Cloud%20Article%20-%20Dr%20McDonalds%20Cloud%20Investigation%20Supplement%201963.pdf an independent report issued May 31, 1963], and in [http://www.spokenwordchurch.com/themessageresourcelibrary/Articles/Cloud%20Article%20-%20Weather%20Wise%20Magazine%20Cloud%20Article%20June%201963.pdf Weatherwise Magazine (June 1963)].

The cloud was very unusual and puzzled scientists at the time, who could not find a conclusive explanation for the cloud.  The height of the cloud was initially estimated by James E. McDonald from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona, Tucson, as being approximately 35 kilometers but was later revised by him to be at approximately 43 kilometers (141,000 feet).

On February 28, 1963, a thrust assisted Thor rocket was launched from pad 75-3-5 at Vandenburg Air Force base in California carrying a Keyhole 4 military surveillance satellite.<ref>http://www.astronautix.com/thisday/febary28.htm</ref>  The rocket started to veer off course and was intentionally destroyed<ref>http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/mwade/lvs/tatgenad.htm</ref> at an altitude of 44 kilometers (144,000 feet) at 1:52pm.<ref>McDonald, Dr. James E, Cloud-Ring in the Upper Stratosphere, ''Weatherwise'', June 1963, Page 100</ref>

 

The cloud was investigated by by Dr. James F. MacDonald in a number of published scientific reports.  Dr. MacDonald is most famous for his investigations of UFO's.  McDonald was senior physicist at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics and professor in the Department of Meteorology, University of Arizona, Tucson.

#The wind speed recorded by scientists was, according to Dr. Macdonald, "tantalizingly close" to the required wind speed.

Dr. McDonald reports that the cloud appeared in the Mesosphere, but that clouds cannot form at this height. <ref> http://www.spokenwordchurch.com/themessageresourcelibrary/Articles/Cloud%20Article%20-%20Dr%20McDonalds%20Cloud%20Investigation%20Supplement%201963.pdf </ref>  However, '''Dr. McDonald has subsequently been proven wrong''' - visible exhaust clouds can reach into the Mesosphere. <ref>http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/rktr1j.htm </ref>  More recently, NASA has been testing wind currents at high altitudes by creating extremely high clouds with chemicals.  Some of these appear shapes similar to the February 28, 1963 photograph published in Life Magazine and exist without an “exhaust trail” back to the launch site. <ref>http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/pictures/120327-nasa-rockets-clouds-wallops-jet-stream-edge-space-science/#/nasa-rocket-launch-strange-clouds-blue_50490_600x450.jpg</ref>   

This was confirmed in other scientific journals shortly after the Cloud appeared.  For example:

:'''Abstract''' - Measurement of the filamentary noctilucent cloud of 2 November 1963 yields a height of 56 km. Study of the motion and orientation of the cloud confirms the hypothesis that these unusual clouds appearing in the southwestern states are produced by the launching of rocket vehicles from the Pacific Missile Range.<ref>Science 3 January 1964: Vol. 143 no. 3601 pp. 38-39 DOI:0.1126/science.143.3601.38, Low-Latitude Noctilucent Cloud of 2 November 1963, Aden B. Meinel, Carolyn P. Meinel</ref>

Questions have also been raised as to why was the cloud not seen prior to appearing over Flagstaff.  However, as the cloud was similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_cloud noctilucent cloud], it would not be visible until the sky began to darken at sunset.  Dr. MacDonald made no mention of the noctilucent cloud phenomena in his report.

Those who judge William Branham to be a prophet will spiritualize these discrepancies, rather than admitting that he made an error.  Some of these spiritual interpretations include:

#The southern tip of the cloud was 10 miles north of Flagstaff when the picture in Life magazine was taken.<ref> http://www.spokenwordchurch.com/themessageresourcelibrary/Articles/Cloud%20Article%20-%20Dr%20McDonalds%20Cloud%20Investigation%20Supplement%201963.pdf </ref>  10 miles north of Flagstaff there is a mountain called “Sunset Crater” that is a cone-shaped volcano without a peak. <ref> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Crater </ref>

#Junior Jackson told William Branham a dream in 1962 <ref> Reproach for the Cause of the Word, 12-23-62</ref> of William Branham taking the top off of a pyramid mountain and exposing white rock.  William Branham often relays this dream when speaking about the Angels coming to meet him. Sunset Peak, which looks like a pyramid from the east, is located on the east ridge of the Galiuro Mountains in the Coronado National Forest.  

#In the book of Daniel, the Angel Gabriel was caught for 21 days fighting with the Prince of Persia before he appeared to Daniel.  Perhaps these angels were caught for a few days between Flagstaff and Sunset.

#In 1955, William Branham said that based on his personal vision of Jesus Christ, that Hofmann’s head of “Christ at thirty-three” was the most accurate painting of Jesus that he had ever seen. <ref> In the sermon “How the Angel Came to Me” (January 17, 1955)</ref> Nelson Rockerfeller, the son of the man who had purchased this painting of Jesus from Hofmann, appears on the front cover of the May 1963 Life Magazine. #William Branham discovered that the inverse of this picture fits into the circle of the cloud <ref>“Rising of the Sun” (April 18, 1965)</ref> like white wig over a judge.  Behind the picture of the cloud in the May issue of Life Magazine was a picture of a moon rainbow.  When held to the light, it is reminiscent of Revelation 10:1 which says, And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head” 

=References=

 

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