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<div style="border-bottom:2px #B87333 solid; text-align:left; padding:1px; margin:1px;"><font color='#800000' size='+1'>'''The Vision of the African Meeting - Another Failed Prophecy?'''.</font>  </div>
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[[Image:WPCbranhamdurban.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The 1951 Durban meetings]]
{{Failed Visions}}
=The Vision of the African Meeting=


<mediaplayer width='800' height='600'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbAwGJFSAg</mediaplayer>
<mediaplayer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbAwGJFSAg</mediaplayer>


=The Vision of the Meeting with 300,000 People=
=The Facts Relating to the Vision=


=The Explanation of the Failed Vision=
In '''1951''' William Branham held a series of successful meetings in Durban, South Africa.
 
In '''1952''', William Branham related a vision of a meeting in Durban, South Africa and stated publicly that "''I'm going to have a meeting that's going to consist of three hundred thousand people''."  He also said that the vision was "'''''THUS SAITH THE LORD mark it in your book.'''''"
 
As with most of his visions, it rapidly became confused and soon began to include India as well as Africa.
 
William Branham '''visited India in September, 1954'''.  He clearly thought that the vision would be fulfilled during that trip, but later admitted, in his own words, that it wasn't fulfilled:
 
:''...as many of you might know, the Indian trip wasn't the success that it should've been, because I failed to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and never recognized it after He give me a vision to go to Africa first and then to India.
 
In January '''1958''', he reinterpreted the vision to having him going to India first and then to Africa.  In March 1958, he started preparing to go to Africa again and thought that the vision would be fulfilled there:
 
:''I just got my telegram back this morning from Durban, South Africa. The vision where three hundred thousand people will be gathered pretty soon for a meeting which is coming up right away...
 
However, the plans for this trip fell through and the vision remained unfulfilled.  In '''1965''', plans were again made to go to Africa and again the fulfillment of the vision was clearly anticipated:
 
:''And I--I'm going to South Africa after this. For, oh, my, you know how it is down there where you can't even talk to the people. And there'd be... We're at least expecting three hundred thousand, one single meeting.
 
But on this final trip the vision again failed to materialized.  William Branham's visa was restricted in a way that prohibited him from holding any meetings.
 
'''William Branham died just prior to the end of 1965 with the vision remaining unfulfilled.'''
 
=Explanations for the Failed Vision=


People who believe that William Branham is a true prophet explain away this vision in the following ways.   
People who believe that William Branham is a true prophet explain away this vision in the following ways.   
#Some claim that he will rise from the dead to fulfill this vision.   
#Some claim that he will rise from the dead to fulfill this vision.   
#Others defend William Branham by saying that a failed prophecy has a Biblical precedent in the prophet Jonah, because God told him to prophecy the destruction of Nineveh and it never came to pass.   
#Others defend William Branham by saying that a failed prophecy has a Biblical precedent in the prophet Jonah, because God told him to prophecy the destruction of Nineveh and it never came to pass.   
#A third group believes that William Branham’s disobedience resulted in the vision not being fulfilled.  
#Some believe that William Branham’s disobedience resulted in the vision not being fulfilled.
#Lastly, there is a group that will ask, "What vision?".  This group is the 'faithful' group whose pastors have just never preached on this vision (and likely never will).   
#There are others that believe that the vision was fulfilled in India (even though William Branham himself did not believe this).
#Lastly, there is a group that will ask, "What vision?".  This group is the 'faithful' group whose pastors have just never mentioned this vision (and likely never will).   


There are a few problems with these explanations:
There are a few problems with these explanations:


First: William Branham died in 1965, and a large stone pyramid now sits on top of his grave in Indiana. He is not raising from the dead to travel to South Africa to hold meetings and fulfill the other unfulfilled meetings (see ''[[The Brown Bear Vision]]''). 
==William Branham will return to fulfill this vision==


Second: ''“God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon”'' the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10) because they repented.  Applying this scripture to William Branham’s life might make sense in the context of the vision of the destruction of Los Angeles (although there was no mass-repentance in L.A. as there was in Nineveh).  However, this scripture does not work in the context of a vision of holding meetings in South Africa, as the meetings were to be held to allow people to repent.   
William Branham died in 1965, and a large stone pyramid now sits on top of his grave in Indiana.  However, followers of the [[The Returned Ministry Sect|the Returned Ministry sect]] believe that William Branham will raise from the dead to travel to South Africa to hold meetings and accomplish the other unfulfilled visions (such as ''[[The Brown Bear Vision]]'').
 
This is not only a foolish concept but also completely unscriptural.
 
==William Branham's failed vision was no different from Jonah's failed prophecy==
 
''“God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon”'' the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10) because they repented.  Applying this scripture to William Branham’s life might make sense in the context of the vision of the destruction of Los Angeles (although there was no mass-repentance in L.A. as there was in Nineveh).  However, this scripture does not work in the context of a vision of holding meetings in South Africa, as the meetings were to be held to allow people to repent.   


Years before the Jonah went to Nineveh, the prophet Jeremiah said that God would withhold his judgement to a Nation that would repent.  ''"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it."''  (Jeremiah 18:7-8)  There is no scriptural precident that says God will relent of a vision that involves the holding of meetings to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   
Years before the Jonah went to Nineveh, the prophet Jeremiah said that God would withhold his judgement to a Nation that would repent.  ''"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it."''  (Jeremiah 18:7-8)  There is no scriptural precident that says God will relent of a vision that involves the holding of meetings to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   


Third: '''''“Thus Saith The Lord”''''' should be stronger than an individual’s lack of obedience.  Does God permit a prophet to say, ''"I did something wrong personally and that is why the vision did not come to pass"''?  There is no example in scripture that suggests that this is the case.  There is only one exception for a prophesy not to be fulfilled – and this involves repentance by the person (or nation) being judged.  If it was acceptable for one prophet to say "Oops! I made a personal mistake, and that’s why the vision was not fulfilled," then every false prophet would claim this easy-out excuse.  For this reason, the Word of God only permits one explanation for a failed vision, because repentance satisfies the wrath of God.  That is why Ezekiel says, ''“Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”'' (Ezekiel 18:30)
==William Branham was disobedient==
 
'''''“Thus Saith The Lord”''''' should be stronger than an individual’s lack of obedience.   
 
Does God permit a prophet to say, ''"I did something wrong personally and that is why the vision did not come to pass"''?  There is no example in scripture that suggests that this is the case.  It certainly was not the case with Jonah.
 
There is only one exception for a prophesy not to be fulfilled – and this involves repentance by the person (or nation) being judged.  If it was acceptable for one prophet to say "Oops! I made a personal mistake, and that’s why the vision was not fulfilled," then every false prophet would claim this easy-out excuse.  For this reason, the Word of God only permits one explanation for a failed vision, because repentance satisfies the wrath of God.  That is why Ezekiel says, ''“Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”'' (Ezekiel 18:30)
 
==The vision was fulfilled==
 
Owen Jorgensen in Book Four of his series, ''[[Supernatural: The Life of William Branham]]'' effectively states that the vision was fulfilled in William Branham's trip to India in September 1954.
 
However, this is unacceptable for the following reasons:
 
#William Branham did not believe that the vision had been fulfilled; and
#There is no support for this outside of William Branham's own statements (which as indicated support the fact that the vision was not fulfilled);
#William Branham was known to wildly exaggerate the number of people attending his meetings.
 
=Conclusion=


So what will you do with this failed vision?  Will you succumb to [[Cognitive Dissonance|cognitive dissonance]] and trivialize an obvious wrong?
So what will you do with this failed vision?  Will you succumb to [[Cognitive Dissonance|cognitive dissonance]] and trivialize a vision that even William Branham thought was unfulfilled? Look at the facts and make up your own mind.


=Quotes=
=Quotes=
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:''Then He came again, and I seen an Angel, which speaks to me, stands by my right side, and I was setting in Africa, at Durban, the same place, right where I left off and failed the Lord. He was sending me right back again to begin.
:''Then He came again, and I seen an Angel, which speaks to me, stands by my right side, and I was setting in Africa, at Durban, the same place, right where I left off and failed the Lord. He was sending me right back again to begin.
:''I saw great throngs of people, but the meeting raised into the air, and faded away as a shadow. I looked back and saw again; there was many people setting, even greater than the first meeting. Then the Angel which was speaking to me, turned me to the east, which would be that way. And there was so many people, that I couldn't even numerate. They went over hills, and an Angel, smaller than the One which was standing by me, came from the--above with a light, a oscillating light, and it showed over the hills at the people. And they looked like Indians, half dressed. They were rejoicing and praising God as I spoke to them. And I heard the Angel, which was above me, say to the Angel standing by my side, '''"There are three hundred thousand of those in that Branham meeting."''' And see if that's right or not.
:''I saw great throngs of people, but the meeting raised into the air, and faded away as a shadow. I looked back and saw again; there was many people setting, even greater than the first meeting. Then the Angel which was speaking to me, turned me to the east, which would be that way. And there was so many people, that I couldn't even numerate. They went over hills, and an Angel, smaller than the One which was standing by me, came from the--above with a light, a oscillating light, and it showed over the hills at the people. And they looked like Indians, half dressed. They were rejoicing and praising God as I spoke to them. And I heard the Angel, which was above me, say to the Angel standing by my side, '''"There are three hundred thousand of those in that Branham meeting."''' And see if that's right or not.
:''..."Why," I said, "Why?" And the man was gone. And I went into the other room, and asked if they had seen anything like it; wife hadn't let him into the house; he... No one knowed nothing about him. And then that night, after the house was empty, I went in and was laying down along about one o'clock in the morning, and I dreamed that I shouldn't go over to Africa till--or India until September. I come in, woke up my wife, and told her. We set there a little while, I went back in again and dreamed the same dream again. And we said, "Maybe it's the Lord, don't want me to go over." And I went in, I said, "Lord, then I accept the vision as being You warning me, and the two dreams also not to go till September." I went to sleep and slept like a baby. So we go in September in the Name of Jesus Christ. Watch what happens. I know our Lord will be good to us. He promised it.
:''..."Why," I said, "Why?" And the man was gone. And I went into the other room, and asked if they had seen anything like it; wife hadn't let him into the house; he... No one knowed nothing about him. And then that night, after the house was empty, I went in and was laying down along about one o'clock in the morning, and I dreamed that I shouldn't go over to Africa till--or India until September. I come in, woke up my wife, and told her. We set there a little while, I went back in again and dreamed the same dream again. And we said, "Maybe it's the Lord, don't want me to go over." And I went in, I said, "Lord, then I accept the vision as being You warning me, and the two dreams also not to go till September." I went to sleep and slept like a baby. So we go in September in the Name of Jesus Christ. Watch what happens. I know our Lord will be good to us. He promised it.


Line 132: Line 181:
:''And oh, my, the people just like ocean waves, and I couldn't see the end of them. And I heard Him looking up this way, talking to someone else. And I looked, and here come a smaller man than him, and He had a big oscillating light in His hand. And He had this light, and He turned this light on, and it begin to oscillate, throwing over the crowd.
:''And oh, my, the people just like ocean waves, and I couldn't see the end of them. And I heard Him looking up this way, talking to someone else. And I looked, and here come a smaller man than him, and He had a big oscillating light in His hand. And He had this light, and He turned this light on, and it begin to oscillate, throwing over the crowd.
:''And then I heard this Angel here, speak to this Angel here, saying, "There's three hundred thousand of those in that Branham meeting. And the man, I looked at them; they was rejoicing and shouting. But they didn't look like African people, short, heavy people. They were thin people, and looked like they'd had, looked like a sheet around them, then it just picked it up and stuffed it down in their clothes like this, just like a, oh, just a sheet wrapped around them like this. And I recognized it to be Indians.
:''And then I heard this Angel here, speak to this Angel here, saying, "There's three hundred thousand of those in that Branham meeting. And the man, I looked at them; they was rejoicing and shouting. But they didn't look like African people, short, heavy people. They were thin people, and looked like they'd had, looked like a sheet around them, then it just picked it up and stuffed it down in their clothes like this, just like a, oh, just a sheet wrapped around them like this. And I recognized it to be Indians.
:''And I told him the story. I said, "The Angel of the Lord appeared to me last night. He forgive my sin for listening to them preachers and not God." I said, "My sins are forgiven. '''And I'm going to return back to Africa and India and around again.'''"


THE.WORD.BECAME.FLESH.INDIA.TRIP.REPORT  JEFF.IN  54-1003M
THE.WORD.BECAME.FLESH.INDIA.TRIP.REPORT  JEFF.IN  54-1003M
:''There's a woman, went over there, Mrs. Dowd. I don't know whether you ever heard of her or not. Oh, such a disgrace that was in India. That's the reason we couldn't even have our meetings in the open air.
:''There's a woman, went over there, Mrs. Dowd. I don't know whether you ever heard of her or not. Oh, such a disgrace that was in India. '''That's the reason we couldn't even have our meetings in the open air.'''


==1957==
==1957==
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:''...Well, I went on. He told me to go on up to India, which I did. And then when I come back thinking, for four years now, that I disobeyed the Lord. And when I... Looking on that vision wrote out, which I've read it hundreds of times. The vision said that I would go to India first, and then back to Africa. But He told me to go to Africa first and then to India, showing that God knew that I would fail Him, but His Word, what He said, can't fail. The vision actually reads that I would go to Africa first, or to India first and then back to Africa. That's where I'm on my road to now, just as soon as I can get through with about twenty or thirty meetings I got between now and July, and we go to Africa. Brother, our dear Brother David duPlessis there, has been over, and talking to the brethren and so forth, to get together.
:''...Well, I went on. He told me to go on up to India, which I did. And then when I come back thinking, for four years now, that I disobeyed the Lord. And when I... Looking on that vision wrote out, which I've read it hundreds of times. The vision said that I would go to India first, and then back to Africa. But He told me to go to Africa first and then to India, showing that God knew that I would fail Him, but His Word, what He said, can't fail. The vision actually reads that I would go to Africa first, or to India first and then back to Africa. That's where I'm on my road to now, just as soon as I can get through with about twenty or thirty meetings I got between now and July, and we go to Africa. Brother, our dear Brother David duPlessis there, has been over, and talking to the brethren and so forth, to get together.
:'' In India, I'd like to quote the meeting though, just how--what taken place. When we went in there, there was no unity, brethren all separated. One church had sponsored me, and the rest of them wouldn't come in with it 'cause they didn't like that church. See, there you are.
:'' In India, I'd like to quote the meeting though, just how--what taken place. When we went in there, there was no unity, brethren all separated. One church had sponsored me, and the rest of them wouldn't come in with it 'cause they didn't like that church. See, there you are.
:''...In that meeting that night when they started, there was Rajahs on pillows, and there was the Mohammedans, and the Buddhas, and it taken me better than two and a half hours to even get to the stand where I was going to preach. The mayor estimated that if I stayed the three days, or the five days I was supposed to stay, that it to be five hundred thousand outside people in Bombay. They'd heard; they'd come.
:''...In that meeting that night when they started, there was Rajahs on pillows, and there was the Mohammedans, and the Buddhas, and it taken me better than two and a half hours to even get to the stand where I was going to preach. '''The mayor estimated that if I stayed the three days, or the five days I was supposed to stay, that it to be five hundred thousand outside people in Bombay. They'd heard; they'd come.'''
:''And I thought, "Well, if these preachers don't want to cooperate, let them alone then." But I made a mistake. I should've turned and come back till I got cooperation. Because that night when we went to the meeting... You couldn't give out prayer cards; there's no way of doing it. So we had the militia to kind of bring up one at a time.
:''And I thought, "Well, if these preachers don't want to cooperate, let them alone then." But I made a mistake. I should've turned and come back till I got cooperation. Because that night when we went to the meeting... You couldn't give out prayer cards; there's no way of doing it. So we had the militia to kind of bring up one at a time.


Line 191: Line 241:


AFRICA  JOHANNESBURG.SOUTH.AFRICA    65-0527
AFRICA  JOHANNESBURG.SOUTH.AFRICA    65-0527
:''Brother William Marrion Branham expressed his desire to take the Message to Africa in this statement on Thursday evening, May 27, 1965, outside of a house in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an interpreter translated it into Afrikaans. He spoke about this Africa trip in his next Message, Ashamed, July 11, 1965.  Due to its brevity (3 minutes, 40 seconds), it is placed here at the end of "Ashamed."--Ed.]
:Brother William Marrion Branham expressed his desire to take the Message to Africa in this statement on Thursday evening, May 27, 1965, outside of a house in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an interpreter translated it into Afrikaans. He spoke about this Africa trip in his next Message, Ashamed, July 11, 1965.  Due to its brevity (3 minutes, 40 seconds), it is placed here at the end of "Ashamed."--Ed.
:''This is one of the highest moments of my life. I have waited fifteen years for this time. My heart has longed to see you again, ever since I left you. I have prayed very much, to get to come back. And a few weeks ago, I was under great anticipation, believing that I would get to come and have a meeting. But when I got the visa, "restricted," I almost had a heart attack. I wanted to come so bad!
:''This is one of the highest moments of my life. I have waited fifteen years for this time. My heart has longed to see you again, ever since I left you. I have prayed very much, to get to come back. And a few weeks ago, I was under great anticipation, believing that I would get to come and have a meeting. But when I got the visa, "restricted," I almost had a heart attack. I wanted to come so bad!
:''But I still believe that, through God, I will minister again, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, among the people of Africa. God has promised to give us the desire of our heart, and that's one of the desires of my heart.
:''But I still believe that, through God, I will minister again, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, among the people of Africa. God has promised to give us the desire of our heart, and that's one of the desires of my heart.
Line 201: Line 251:
:''But I said, "I don't care what the Devil does, I--I can't... I can't voucher for what Brother Jackson said about yellow-mane lion, and this, that, or the other. I--I can't vouch it. But I do know God told me to 'see Sidney Jackson, and go hunting.'"And I said, "I'm going." And sometime... And I had one of the greatest trips.
:''But I said, "I don't care what the Devil does, I--I can't... I can't voucher for what Brother Jackson said about yellow-mane lion, and this, that, or the other. I--I can't vouch it. But I do know God told me to 'see Sidney Jackson, and go hunting.'"And I said, "I'm going." And sometime... And I had one of the greatest trips.
:''I found out what the trouble was. Now I think, about October, the Lord willing, I can go back and have a meeting and everything, full cooperation, everything else, see, in Africa now. I got to the bottom of it and found out where it was at, what caused it. Up here, writing, this one has got this to say, and something's got something to say, and this one there. The best thing to do, is go find out, yourself. And I know where the trouble was, and what the reason of it was; it was because of so many people gathering together, the government wouldn't let me have it.
:''I found out what the trouble was. Now I think, about October, the Lord willing, I can go back and have a meeting and everything, full cooperation, everything else, see, in Africa now. I got to the bottom of it and found out where it was at, what caused it. Up here, writing, this one has got this to say, and something's got something to say, and this one there. The best thing to do, is go find out, yourself. And I know where the trouble was, and what the reason of it was; it was because of so many people gathering together, the government wouldn't let me have it.
THIRST  TUCSON.AZ  65-0919
:''I had an experience with that just recently on the road to Africa. If I ever had any time that the Devil ever did press at me, was to go to Africa this last time. It become one of the--the finest meetings and times that I ever went overseas. I


=Video Transcript=
=Video Transcript=
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You may be wondering among yourselves, “How can we tell the difference, whether it was God who spoke or not?” Here’s how: If what the prophet spoke in God’s name doesn’t happen, then obviously God wasn’t behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him. (Deuteronomy 18:21–22 - The Message)
You may be wondering among yourselves, “How can we tell the difference, whether it was God who spoke or not?” Here’s how: If what the prophet spoke in God’s name doesn’t happen, then obviously God wasn’t behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him. (Deuteronomy 18:21–22 - The Message)
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[[Category: Visions]]
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