William Branham (we call him Brother Branham) began his life in the Spring of 1909. He was born into the poorest of families, deep in the hills of southern Kentucky. Within minutes of his birth in a tiny one-room cabin, a strange Light entered the room and hovered over the bed where he was laying. It was the beginning of a supernatural life that would change the face of the modern Christian world.
With an alcoholic father and little to no religion at home, he didn’t have much of a chance. Yet, against all odds, Brother Branham grew up to be a mighty man of God. At about 38 years old, he was praying in a small trapping cabin just north of his home in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was then, late into the night, that the Angel of the Lord visited him and gave him the commission to pray for the sick.
Among other things, the Angel told him:
“If you get the people to believe you, and be sincere when you pray, nothing shall stand before your prayers, not even cancer.”
All the doubts were gone. Brother Branham now had his commission and boldly stepped forward. A world-wide healing revival had begun.
As certain as John the Baptist was the Elijah at the first coming of Christ it is certain that the promise remains about the coming of Elijah before the great and dreadful day will be. Through his ministry all things will be put into the right order and place. This promise was fulfilled in our time. Because of the many deviations a total return to the original teachings and Bible practices had to take place. The Church of Jesus Christ at the end must be the same in teaching and life as she was at the beginning. God Himself promised the times of the spiritual refreshing that would come from His presence. In his second sermon after Pentecost the Apostle Peter spoke about the time of refreshing in view of the return of Christ, "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the time began.« (Acts 3:19-21). That is "Thus saith the Lord" in His Word Who watches over It to let it happen as soon as time is fulfilled.
Every time when something pertaining to the plan of salvation took place it was accompanied by the supernatural. The birth of John the Baptist and, of course the birth of our Lord was announced by the Angel Gabriel (Lk. 1 + 2). When Saul was called and commissioned the Lord appeared to him like in the times of Moses in the supernatural light, as recorded in Acts 9, 22 and 26. We therefore should not be astonished that the same has happened in our time. In the contrary, it only confirms that the ever-true God is the One Who reveals Himself and Who acts in all things pertaining to the plan of salvation even now at the end-time.
It truly happened on 11th June 1933 at about 2.00 PM in the presence of approximately 4,000 people when the supernatural light broke through the clouds descending over the young preacher William M. Branham. At the moment he was about to baptize the seventeenth person in the Ohio River. The voice from this light spoke to him, "As John the Baptist was send to forerun the first coming of Christ, the message that is given you will be a forerunner of the second coming of Christ." In the ministry of William Branham we are dealing with a divine commission, the fulfilment of the Elijah prophecy.
William Branham also referred to the experience he had on the evening of 7th May 1946 when the supernatural light illuminated the room and the Angel of the Lord who he described precisely stood before him, saying, "Fear not, I am sent to you from the presence of God to tell you of your commission …"As true as every calling has been which we find recorded in the Bible this one is also true because it is a direct fulfilment of the promise God made. We believe the testimony of this man of God firstly, because we accept it to be true, secondly, because it is the fulfilment of a scriptural promise.
So that no one will have excuse in this generation the following has happened: On 24th January 1950 the supernatural light descended during a meeting in the Collisseum in Houston, Texas, where about 8,000 people were gathered to hear William Branham preach. The press photographers Mr. Ayers and Mr. Kippermann took many photos. As Mr. Ayers was developing the film in the Douglas Studio he noticed that only one picture had come out with the supernatural light about the head of Rev. Branham. After a debate took place between Dr. Best who denied any supernatural to take place in our time and the co-worker of Rev. Branham Rev. F. F. Bosworth it happened. At the moment William Branham come to the pulpit and he said, "I do not need to defend myself. He that called and commissioned me will also confirm it." Mr. Ayer pressed the button of his camera. The official expert of FBI for questioned documents Dr. George J. Lacy confirmed on 29th January 1950 that the negative was absolutely genuine and the light had to be there in order for the camera to catch it. In this age of technical inventions God permitted unbelievers to confirm His presence among believers.
Brother Branham’s ministry marked the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit since the day of Pentecost. Hundreds of thousands attended the Branham campaigns. Thousands were healed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Other evangelists such as Oral Roberts, T.L. Osborne, and A.A. Allen soon followed Brother Branham and started their own healing revivals. The Lord rained down His blessings like never before. The healing hand of Jesus Christ had once again touched His people.
Brother Branham’s ministry had no equal. He proved that Jesus Christ is as alive today as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee. Like the apostle Paul, Brother Branham showed that the Gospel is not in word only, but also in power! Revelation of the hidden mysteries and the manifested power of God had come together in one, very special ministry. Notably, as the scribes recorded the sermons of the biblical prophets, his sermons were recorded onto magnetic tape. Today, we cherish those recordings.
Brother Branham passed away as a result of a tragic car crash in December, 1965. God took His servant home, but He left us with those precious recordings that we hold so dear to our hearts.
You can read more about Brother Branham’s life at this link: WHO IS WILLIAM BRANHAM?
Or, you can listen to him give his own life story by downloading this sermon: LIFE STORY.
