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The Vision of the Meetings in South Africa: Difference between revisions
The Vision of the Meetings in South Africa (view source)
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[[Image:WPCbranhamdurban.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The 1951 Durban meetings]] | |||
{{Failed Visions}} | |||
=The Vision of the African Meeting= | |||
<mediaplayer | <mediaplayer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbAwGJFSAg</mediaplayer> | ||
=The Facts Relating to the Vision= | =The Facts Relating to the Vision= | ||
In 1952, William Branham | 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. | As with most of his visions, it rapidly became confused and soon began to include India as well as Africa. | ||
William Branham clearly thought that the vision would be fulfilled | 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. | :''...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: | 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... | :''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: | 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. | :''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. | 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= | =Explanations for the Failed Vision= | ||
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'''''“Thus Saith The Lord”''''' should be stronger than an individual’s lack of obedience. | '''''“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. | 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) | 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) | ||
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#William Branham was known to wildly exaggerate the number of people attending his meetings. | #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 a vision that even William Branham thought was unfulfilled? | 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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:''...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. | ||
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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:Prophecies and Visions]] | |||
[[Category:Prophecies]] | |||
[[Category: Visions]] | |||