Lettre Audio A Lee Vayle
E-1 [This text was transcribed off an audio "tape letter" from Brother Branham to Lee Vayle concerning the manuscript for the "Twentieth Century Prophet" book. It was recorded in Brother Fred Sothmann's house starting on a Wednesday afternoon, and finishing (starting at paragraph E-17), on a Thursday morning--Ed.]
In here that we're studying this afternoon the--the tape or the manuscript here that you give us. You'll notice on page... (What is that page?) On page six, there'll be a number one there. And all through this we'll... what we find that could be injected... Now, you don't have to do it, but just saying it could be done.
That number one here on page six, you'll notice the little number one underscored out to one side. You're speaking here of the... It said that the--the Scripture alone could not support the--the--the doctrine that we're trying to inject here, but it taken history with Scripture.
E-2 Would it be, you think, advisable in here, to say that God then, in order to--to proclaim this, has to send a prophet in order to i--inject this, make this real again, show the people the hour we're living in? Because if they only see it in the hour past, then there's no hope for the church. The church must see it in the present tense. So God sends His prophet to manifest, present tense of it. You see? And then, after it's over, then history is.
Now, you might inject that, Brother Lee. I don't know whether that's any good or not, but it's just--just a thought right here.
Thanks a lot. (What page?) Uh...
E-3 Brother Lee, here on page ten, I noticed on the, I believe, it's the third church age there; You never--you never placed any name. I had given that to Martin. And also your letter asked about Mar--about who this was and where we'd find it--about his writing.
Now, Martin is found in the--the book on the Nicaea. And the--the early fathers of--of the--at the Nicaea coun--council's writing. I have it at home in my study. I don't have it here. The best of my memory that Martin was not recognized. It--it isn't recognized, rather. I know that to be sure, that he being canonized as a saint.
But yet, following his writings and what he did... I forget who wrote of him right now. But it... I read it in the... I don't know what number the Nicaea it is. I might be able to send it to you and you could read it if you wish to.
It's the--the writings of Saint Martin, or who wrote of Saint Martin, rather. But he was such a--a gallant man, and stood for the things that was--was right.
E-4 Have you got that little book, or--of "How It Happened"? I forget who just wrote it at this time. It's "How It Happened." It's kinda the gleanings of--of history. I think that this lady writer (I forget her name.), she--she wrote of it. I've got that also at home in my study.
But he stood for the things, the principles, like the--the early Ephesus--Ephesian church, rather, stood for, what Paul stood for. And he was a great man.
You remember his--his father was a, I believe, a soldier. And it was really, he had to follow his father's steps. I believe he was a Frenchman, and from Tours, I believe it is--Tours or Torra, France. And how his conversion was when them people was laying there, or going in and out of the gate...
E-5 One day there was a bum, it was, laying at the gate. And he was dying, freezing to death. And nobody would help him. And Martin cut his coat half in two and give part of it to the bum. And that night in a vision, when he woke up in the room, He seen Jesus standing there wrapped in that old piece of coat that he had--he had wrapped this a bum in.
And he was such a gallant man, humble, till I--I chose him in my thinking of the--of the church ages, that he would be the messenger in that age.
Now, if you... I forget the lady's name that wrote it (She's a historian.), of "How It Happened." And if you can find that there in--in Dallas or Beaumont, wherever you are there, if you can find that book, "How It Happened"... Well, you--you can get it right there if you don't get the--the--his writings. It's somebody wrote of him.
And I don't know what book it was now. Is it... Nicaea--was "The Nicaea Fathers." And the--they were all included in there. And so it's--it's the early fathers.
And you might find that and then you could write. And if you don't, however, let me know. I'll be going home in about three weeks now, and I'll mail it to you.
Okay, and thank you, Brother Lee.
E-6 Brother Vayle, page thirty-two and the marker on the side, number three...
Do you think this would be good to add at this place here, that we might draw the attention to the people, being that they... you said here they do ninety percent of it, and leave off?
Would it be good to inject here that we find that in the garden of Eden, it was just about one word in Genesis, one word that was misinterpreted to Eve by Satan. And that caused all this trouble that we're in now, and all this trouble that we have had. Just one word caused the Son of God to have to come to the earth to die to redeem the human race again.
And then we find out... That's in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. And in Revelations, the last book of the Bible, "Whosoever shall take a word away or add (See?) to it." See, ninety percent won't do it. It must be a hundred percent of the Word.
E-7 And notice again now, that's the first of the Bible and the last of the Bible. The Bible starts off with a--a sin, being brought on earth, and wrong, and death, and everything by a misinterpreting a Word of the Bible. And in the Genesis... That's in Genesis.
Now, we find also that in Revelations, the last of the Bible, Jesus looking back to Genesis, said, "Who shall take away or add to this." See? Not ninety percent of it's right. It's all must be right, every word, "Precept upon precept, line upon line." That's Isaiah, I believe about 28:19, or along in there somewhere we find it. And you know where to look for it at. And that the precept must be upon precept and line upon line (See?), not ninety percent, but a hundred percent.
Thank you, Brother Vayle.
E-8 Brother Lee, injection four here on page... (What page is it?) On page thirty-eight and number four. Don't you think it would be a good thing right here where that you're speaking about Abraham, the--the... God Himself being, revealing what Sarah was thinking in the tent behind--behind Him, that it would be good here to place the Scripture there?
I believe it's found in Hebrews the 4th chapter and the 12th verse, "For the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword and discerns the thoughts of the heart," showing that this was the Word of God manifested.
That would show there, then, that He was the Word manifested. See, He... God Himself is the Word. And it's the Word that discerns the thought that's in the heart. And that's how Jesus, being in the beginning, being God... And God was the Word, the Word made manifest.
You see, that's the reason He could--that He could know the thoughts in their heart, because He is the Word. You get it now?
And then, the portion of the Word that's allotted to this day, which is a prophet, also will know the thoughts in the heart; because it will be the Word made manifest in a man that can know the thoughts that's in their heart.
Thank you, Brother Lee.
E-9 Brother Vayle, on page... (What was that number, now? I forgot it.) forty-one--page forty-one. And this is number five on the side.
Very beautiful, this is here. I really like this. And I like all of it. And this is really outstanding here. When Moses, speaking here, about raising up a--a--a--a... the Lord would raise him up a prophet. See, God had spoke to him Hisself out of a fire upon the mountain. And He promised them here that He will not do that no more, but He will always speak to them through a prophet. See? "The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet."
See, you might emphasize that a little bit (See?), that God promises here, that, from henceforth when He speaks, it'll be through a prophet. Not no more will He speak out audibly with His own voice through the fire and so forth like that, but it'll be through a prophet.
Thank you, Brother Vayle.
E-10 Brother Lee, page forty-seven, number six, insert the little number at the side. We find here that the--that the... (Let's see. What was the thought there, Brother Fred as you'd read it?)
See, each group had separated over interpretation of the Word.
Now, that's the same thing that Jesus found when He come here. They had left the Word and made the Word of no effect by their traditions. And that's what the groups has done today--making the real full promise of God, the real promise, of no effect by their traditions.
I thought, maybe, it might... you want... might want to add this right here. You see? That it would come in very, very good as we're both thinking and enjoying this as we're reading it.
Thank you, Brother Lee.
E-11 Brother Lee, I noticed something here. I was following you as you went through on your interpretation here of Jesus saying that about John here being a--a prophet that was to come.
But let's turn back now. You have to go back here to page--page forty-four, and insert seven on page forty-four. See? Page forty-four, insert seven. I have to back up here behind six to get this.
I believe if... You think it would be good here to let the public know that this wasn't the John of Malachi 4? This is John of Malachi 3, for in Matthew 11, you might quote it like this. See, Matthew 11:9, we put it.
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he, whom it is written, Behold I send My messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
E-12 Now, that's Malachi 3, not Malachi 4. The Malachi 4 prophet is to come in this day, when the Lord is going to burn the Gentile world just--or the whole Gentile world up like He did at Sodom. You see? It's going to be Malachi 4 when He did that, not Malachi 3. Malachi 3 was John the Baptist also in the spirit of Elijah. But Malachi 4 here is John-or--or Elijah returning again just before the great and terrible day of the Lord, to turn the hearts of the children.
John did it when he come, and this prophet will do the same thing in the--in the Malachi 4. See, there's two different times. And Jesus refers to it here as Malachi 3. "Behold, I send My messenger before My face." Jesus referring to John here... And Matthew 11 refers to it as Malachi 3. "My messenger before My face," not before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come.
I thought you might inject that there and let the public know that Malachi 3 Elijah, and Malachi 4 Elijah, are two different prophets altogether.
Thank you, Brother Lee.
E-13 Brother Lee, over on page forty-eight, insert number eight out to one side. Could you add in there somewhere, or get in there if you haven't over further... I'm just reading down, now.
But if you haven't, it might be good to place in here, also, that there--how Jesus' ministry, being a vind--a vindicated prophet that was to come.
Of course we know that John was a prophet, but not in the sense that this great prophet was that was to come. And the Bible had spoke of this great one coming.
And we find out here that four hundred years had elapsed since a prophet. And it would be a strange thing for Israel again, after being off into traditions and things as they were, to fi--to know that--that this man was a prophet, because they didn't even hardly believe in any more prophets.
E-14 Same as they did in Moses' time. See, it had been four hundred, yeah, four hundred years again since Moses. You see? From--from Abraham--or from the last prophet, Israel had been four hundred years in bondage. And four hundred years had blinded their eyes to a man being a prophet, it had to be a supernatural vindication of the Word to show that he was the prophet.
Likewise, when Jesus came, He was absolutely had to be a vindicated prophet, for it had been four hundred years again since a prophet. You get what I mean there? Four hundred years, and the people didn't want to believe Him. You see? And in the Gentile age, we haven't had a prophet since Paul. And it's so hard for them to see it.
I just thought I'd pass this comment, and you give it a way--ever way that you want to place it in there, I... It might be just a little material for you. You understand, Brother Lee, what I'm trying to mean?
We're enjoying this so much as we read it, and we think it's wonderful.
Thank you very much, Brother Lee.
E-15 Brother Lee, page forty--forty-nine, injection nine. See? We are... number nine I should call it--number nine, and forty-nine.
Now, if you notice, I would... It might be good to place in there that Moses, being a prophet, would not have recognized any kind of a sign 'less it would been a Scriptural sign.
It must be a Scriptural sign, because the voice that spoke to him was a Scriptural voice that spoke the sign. I meant to say, a Scriptural voice. The voice that spoke was... said, "I remember My promise." See? It was a Scriptural voice that attracted the attention of the prophet. See? The sign was to attract the attention of the prophet, then the Scriptural voice, the promise for that age. See?
Moses was to be the deliverer of that age. So the voice had to be a Scriptural voice or Moses would've never believed it. But it was God's promise that He was going to do that in that age.
He told Abraham that they would sojourn so many years. You know? And then at four hundred years be a stranger, and then that He'd bring them out with a mighty vo--or mighty signs and things. And here was this voice speaking to Moses, which Moses recognized to be a Scriptural voice sign. See, the sign that was showing him was a Scriptural voice coming from Him.
E-16 You know what I'm getting at there--placing the background that the--the sign must not be just a regular old routine sign of the clergy, or something or other. It must be a Scriptural voice for that day.
And Moses knew the time was there at hand. And here was the voice that was Scriptural. Therefore, he had faith to know what he was going to do. That's why he could hold steady in--in the face of all the impersonators down there. He could still hold steady. Because no matter how much they could impersonate like him, and do things like him, Jambres and Jannes, he still stayed, because the voice that spoke to him was Scripture. And heavens and earth will pass away, but this Scripture cannot fail.
Thank you, Brother Lee.
E-17 Brother Lee, this is Thursday morning now. I had to quit yesterday afternoon and be called out on some business, and calls, and things. And now we're back here in Brother Sothmann's house on this Thursday morning, and I'm making this.
Now, I got... I got your--your little card from Billy that said you wanted me to call you and talk to you an hour by phone. But Lee, I--I believe it's best we get it to you by tape. Now, you can study it (You See?), instead of me on the phone and you asking me back and forth. This way you can study the tape. Now, I--I--I've just read the conclusion here of what you wrote on India.
E-18 Now, there was... Now--now look, Lee. Any of these things that I have injected here... We think the book is wonderful. So if--if it doesn't fit in, you think it would be unfitting for a man to read it in this way I've got it fixed out here, then omit it. It's your book, and I want you to write it. It's your opinion of being in the meetings and--and what you've seen, and by tapes what you've heard, and so forth. And I think it's a going to make a grand masterpiece for the meetings. I think it will be one of the greatest assets that we've had since I've been in the field, this book will be. And I--I'd like for it to be just as dandy as could be.
Now, these things that I'm saying, my--my brother, is not to try to let you think that I know more about something than you do. But it's just in the--the spirit of--of better understanding, and--and fellowship, and... You know what I mean?
E-19 Now, I noticed over here in your--your conclusion, in there you'd mentioned about Billy Graham and Oral Roberts, in which, that is true. I believe that. And did you notice that the... it's... I thought if you could maybe bring that out a little clearer and say something like this, that...
Now, we find the ministry of these two Angels that went down into Sodom, the world... See? They went down there, and they--they... The works that they did was so much different, it was--to the Angel that waited with Abraham.
The--the works of those Angels when they went down there, were to preach. They were real preachers and warners to come out. And you see, they were down there and had to get cooperation with Lot, and all the rest of them, to have their meeting, because Lot had become kind of a judge, It says, I believe, in--in the city. And you see what they had to do and the message they preached.
E-20 But not... Neither one of them did the things that this first Angel did that was up there with Abraham. See, He'd discerned the thoughts that were in their heart--in the heart of Sarah. And He spoke to Abraham, told him what his name was. It'd just been changed from Abram to Abraham, called not Sarai yet, but Sarah. And He'd give them the names that the Lord had just a day or two before that, had changed their names. Yet He knew it.
And it's to prove there, as Jesus said in--in Saint Luke, "When the Son of man is being revealed," is to prove here that the Son of man... That was that Son of man.
And the reason that Abraham could recognize it, because He could discern the thoughts that was in Sarah's heart, which was in the tent behind Him. That's the reason Abraham then called Him, Elohim, Lord, capital L-o-r-d.
And you know as a scholar yourself, that... All the scholars will agree. When this is wrote, the Bible, with a capital "L," that means Elohim, like in the beginning, God, Elohim (See?), the Creator, all sufficient One, self existing One, and so forth.
E-21 Now, and another thing. If you'll notice, G-r-a-h-a-m is six letters. A-b-r-a-h-a-m is seven letters, and so is B-r-a-h-a-m seven letters. Now, if you're going to make that in conclusion, it might be a good thing.
Now, Brother Lee, here is another thing that I would like to inject to you, that you--you might want to use it in some of the--in some of your material.
Have you noticed that Jesus came in the Name of three sons (See?): Son of man, Son of God, and Son of David.
Now, when He first arrived, He came in the Name of the Son of man. And "son of man" in the Bible means, "a prophet." That will fulfill the Scripture, because He was to be a prophet.
Moses said in Deuteronomy (I believe) 18:15, or somewhere along there, that--that, "The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet unto you." Therefore, the Scriptures cannot be broke, so He had to come as Son of man.
E-22 We find in Ezekiel the 2nd chapter and the 1st verse (I believe it is), that Jehovah Himself called Ezekiel, "son of man." And other prophets were referred to as "son of man." So to make the Scriptures perfect, He had to come a prophet: Son of man.
And now we find that through the church ages, He has been "Son of God." Like God the Spirit, He's in the Holy Spirit; Son of God to the churches. The Laodicea age, He's put out. Then, according to Luke, there He's to reveal Himself again as "Son of man." When the Son of man is revealed (See?), revealing Himself as Son of man again, not Son of God. Son of God was the Holy Spirit, and they grieved It from the Church, put It out, put the Holy Spirit out of their organizations, denominations. And there He is on the outside of the church in Revelations 3, the Laodicea age. Son of God has been put out, and now reveals Hisself back, "Son of man."
You've got some real good words on that in your--in your--already in your manuscript here.
E-23 Now, and in the millennium, He will be Son of David, Son of David, 'cause He will set on the throne of His Father, David.
And then in there, this writing that you said, "No one..." You want to say it in there that you'd heard me say this, why, all right. See? And then God, as I told you, being the Eternal, and His attributes being displayed, how that...
In there, like when Jesus was on earth here, He said... The blind Bartimaeus called to Him, "Thou Son of David." And that's what He will be in the millennium, the Son of David. Not, "Thou Son of man," what He claimed to be, "Thou Son of David."
Well, that's what He will be in the millennium to these Jews, of course. Now, we find out he got his request.
But when this Syrophenician woman cried to Him, "Thou Son of David," she had no claims on Him as Son of David. But when she said, "Lord," which is Son of God, then she got what she asked for. See? But it's the self same person all the time.
E-24 Just like my wife. She has claims on me as husband. My daughter, another woman, female, has no claims on me as husband. I am father to her. And then my grandson has no claims on me as father, or as husband, he's my--he has claims on me as grandfather. But I'm the same person all the time.
And He come revealed Himself as Son of man. That would be God, the Word that comes to the prophet, and He was, revealing the Word of the age to--by Son of man. In the--the church age He's revealed Hisself as Son of God, the Holy Spirit through revelation, revelation as to reveal.
E-25 Now, in the last day, It has to come back again to the Word promise. See, in the church age, there's not very much promise, only the reformers. You never see it in the church ages there where anything but just the reformers, and so forth, which comes by revelation.
But when all these seven thunders mysteries is to be made known, He has to come again as Son of man. That is the same Holy Spirit back into human flesh perfectly paralleling Sodom when God was manifested in a human being. See? And if He come then to the natural seed, Abraham, He comes now to the royal seed, Abraham, who is also waiting for the royal promised Son, not the natural, Isaac, but the royal promised Son.
And that's why there can be nothing else but prophetic, as you have well explained it, a prophet for these last days.
And now, you might add this. If you...
E-26 Now--now remember, destroy this tape. Erase it out or send it back to me. See? Now, I don't... I'm talking to you just some things that I--that you can draw your conclusion on. See?
Now, you might say something like this. Though, as all prophets in all ages... See, what I'm confessing to you, Lee, is you know that I understand and you understand this position. But I can't tell it to the people. See? And now, you can just make this if you want to use this. Make this as a--yourself talking.
All prophets is always rejected and never known until the elected is call it--called. And usually they put the prophets to death. Didn't Jesus say Himself, "Which one of the prophets did not your fathers stone, the just that were sent to them? You garnish their tombs, and you was the one that put them in there."
Just even think of down to--even to Saint Patrick, down to Joan of Arc, how that woman being spiritual and seeing visions, and they burned her as a witch at the stake. They didn't know it for hundreds of years that the girl was spiritual. See, the Catholic church rejected it when she was sent to them.
And the Catholic church, like any other denomination... The Protestant church is doing the same thing, and it'll probably end up practically the same way. See? It--it must be that way, Brother Lee.
E-27 Now, you might add this in saying that this Brother Branham has been rejected. He's been called anything from a--from a soothsayer, or a Simon the sorcerer, or a regular Beelzebub. But that's exactly what Jesus said would take place.
But just like when Moses was... When he was before Pharaoh, Pharaoh tried to make his sign... In that great intellectual age that they lived in Pharaoh tried to make his sign as some kind of a cheap magician trick. He said, "Well, we got magicians here that does the same thing." So they went and got the Jambres and Jannes. And they--and they could do the same sign.
But Moses, knowing that his voice, the voice that was with his sign, was Scriptural, so he held steady. And you might say, it's been the same thing. Though there's been many raise up and calling this brother a Divine healer. And there's been many mock healings come up, and mock healers as we'd call it, impersonations. But it never shook him a bit. He stayed right with the Scripture, because he knew the voice was the--was supposed to happen in this day. It's a Scriptural voice. It's a Scriptural sign. So he held steady. And we see the way the--the ways that...?... You see how many of them, how it's turned out. See?
E-28 And we would... If you might, I believe I've already told you about referring to G-r-a-h-a-m being six letters, which means man, or world. B-r-a-n-h-a-m is seven, which is perfected, perfection. And it went... The message never went to Billy Graham's group. It went to the elected group, the group that is elected.
Now, you don't have to use this. I just dropping it in. And no matter what people say, that we...
Just like in Martin Luther, it was said that it wasn't so much to see He could protest the Catholic church and get by with it, but to hold his head above all the fanaticism that followed his revival. And the same thing when he said this, that, the other, and all kinds of things, yet, held steady; because it knowed it was Scripture. And God, not at any time, has failed.
E-29 And you might say this, that the--the things that has been told, of even the happenings, of wars, and places, and times, and things that would happen, been too numerous to put in a book of most any size, couldn't be--could be sold as one book. It would have made volumes of books that Jesus Christ has done with the brother. See?
And when he told us these things, and never one time has it ever failed--to be wrong. Exactly to... Like the certain people of--important people in the world, when they would be... what they would do, and how they would die, and how that wars would come, and which way they'd go, and--and--and all kinds of events of that type, floods, earthquakes. Like the '37 flood, predicted exactly how much water would be there months before it happened.
E-30 This earthquake here when the... I'm saying something now I oughtn't to be saying. But like up there on the mountain the other day when we was up there. And that rock, went in the air come down and started the whirlwind, little did they know that went straight on that way, going north and went right there and struck. That's what caused that place, that to happen in Alaska here not long ago. And there's three claps of it, and there's three things to happen, the rocks, the place, and up there against the wall, and then on into Alaska. And that ended it, because it was a judgment saying. See?
And many times, people don't get the... They just come say... It's just... It--it's just... You just have to follow It. You have to... You have to be with It to watch the thing, and to see the infallibility of it: perfect, not the man, but the work that's done. See?
E-31 And then, say again you wanted me to tell you about... Now, if you don't want to use this, Lee, this is just some supernatural things that's happened. And you might add to there, saying they... It would be volumes of books to be written of the infallible proofs of It, that shows that we're again at the end of the church age.
And you might say, brethren, remember, there's not very much promised to the ending up of the church age. See? Not very much, only the sending of a prophet, who would bring back the hearts of the people to the original apostolic fathers. There's not much wrote about in them two pages of Revelations, of... from 2 and 3 of the age of the church, wrote concerning the church, only for this prophet to arrive, the phenomena like this in the last days and shake back the Word.
And I really thought you did that real nice the way you said that the revelation had to be in the Word. And that's exactly what it was. That's what I've got on the tapes up there, you know, for that--for the seals.
E-32 Now, you wanted me to say something (I--I've just asked the boys how much time I got on this tape. And I got quite a little bit.) about the--my birth and the peculiar things.
Now, Lee, you glean this now, 'cause, you know, you're quite an intellectual person yourself. And you know what will attract the attention of the intellectual people. And now, if it sounds good, you put it in.
Now, when I was borned up there on April the sixth at 1909 at five o'clock in the morning, we didn't even have a--a door or a window--glass window. We had a little door like that opened up for a window. And they said this light come in the room and stood over the little straw bed that I was borned on--made out of straw in a straw tick.
E-33 And then at the age of about three years old, I remember... The first thing that I can remember happening. I was in the back yard of the little log cabin I was borned in. And my little brother, being ele--eleven months older... I was eleven months older than he, Edward.
And I remember of looking into a large tree there where there was a bird there that attracted my attention. And the bird was just jumping up and singing, and going on. Something... I think it was a robin the best of my memory now. I wouldn't say it was a robin. It seemed like it was that.
And when this bird flew away, there was a voice that spoke to me there, and said, "You'll spend a great deal of your life near a city called New Albany." And I went and told my mother.
Years later, about two years later, we moved into Indiana (not knowing then that we'd be coming or anything), moved into the city near New Albany, to Jeffersonville near New Albany.
E-34 At the age of about seven, again in a bush (See?), in a bush, a tree...
You remember, Lee, these things has been since I was a kid, knowed nothing about this. I'm not saying this. I spoke this, and mother and all of them knowed this since a little boy. And many years ago, it's on papers and books here.
See, it was in a bush, like Moses was, in a bush. And this voice that came from this bush that day, while packing that water, said to me, "Don't never drink, or smoke, or defile your body in any way. There's a work for you to do when you get older." You can read that in my life story, these things. See?
And then, Lee, from that then, you know the story as you read it there about the phenomena along life of how that... You've got... probably got the book there with you.
But then if we want to put some of these things in... I don't know whether you do or not.
E-35 For instance, like the death of Marilyn Monroe, how that I seen that before it happened, and can say yet today, the girl died in a heart attack.
And like these two fighters there in New York, you know, the... It's a year nearly when they was arguing. I'd see them in the... in the barrooms, or wherever it was, pool rooms and different places, with their different--separated from one another, and saying what was going to do to one another, and seen one kill the other.
And the--the Siegfried Line in Germany, seen that built eleven years before it was ever thought of being formed, and how that the Americans and the war would be, and how at the end how it would come out, these many things that's been said and done. It's predicted it right up to the day that where we're living. And that was in 1933.
E-36 And then again, you might mention and say, for instance, here standing in the room that morning before these Seven Seals. About ten o'clock in the morning, my little son, Joseph, was in the room with me. And all at once, a vision came upon me.
And I was out here at Tucson, Arizona. And in this, then I was picking in one of these here sand burrs off of the cuff of my trouser leg. And I was looking towards--down towards Tucson, which was southwest of where I was standing. And then a great explosion like taken place. And I saw seven Angels come down in the form of a--a "V" like, like a pyramid. And I was taken up into them. And the voice told me to come on to Tucson.
Coming to Tucson, thinking myself that I was to be killed here at Tucson, and making arrangements. See? I didn't know what was going to happen.
And then... But Brother Sothmann and Brother Norman... Out there that morning... The day before, the Holy Spirit came down in the camp there and--and some great things was revealed. And I said, "Something's fixing to happen."
E-37 And when I went up into the mountain the next day... And them brothers... about a mile from me around, I was watching for game. And I was setting, and happened to look down at the little... Sun had come up about eight o'clock at morning, something like that, or nine.
I picked a--was picking one of those sand burrs off of my trouser leg, when all at once, I remembered it. Now, I was just exactly in the position where this was supposed to take place.
E-38 And then about a month prior to that, thinking (Stopping my subject here just a minute.), thinking that I was coming here to be killed, I... One morning I went up here in the Sabino Canyon to--to--to Sabino Canyon to pray. And along about ten o'clock in the day, I had my hands up in the air praying to God, way up on top of those mountains in them rocks. And asking the Lord to help me and to prepare me if I must go.
And--and all at once, something struck my hand. And I looked in my hand, and I had a--a sword. And it was--had pearl handle, and a guard over it, it was a hand guard, and a--a blade that looked like--like real silver, or it was brighter than that, just glistening in the sun. And it was a sword. Hold it in my hand. And I didn't know what this meant.
And a voice spoke to me in the canyon walls, and said, "This is the sword of the Lord," the sword of the Lord.
Well then, I couldn't... "The sword of the King," it was. Not a king, the sword of a king--of the King. And then it left and the--and the thing went out of my hand.
E-39 And later, I--I was standing there, I thought, "What is this?"
And then the voice of the Lord spoke to me, and said... I was thinking of a king knighting a knight with the sword. But it's a... It was a reminded. It was the Word of the Lord. It was like a sword (See?) in Revelation, or I mean in Hebrews 4. "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword," (See?) Hebrews 4th chapter.
And that's what It was: The Word placed in my right hand. And the visions, which would be innumerous of what I could tell you, of what it's always been the Word, the Word, the Word. All the time, every vision nearly, pertains to hold that Word.
E-40 And then, back to my story now. I was up in the... setting there with that cocklebur, or that sand burr in my hand. And I remembered that.
And I seen some game. And so I was trying to get Brother Fred Sothmann to where these javelina hogs was. And I run over the hill real quick, and started where I could find him. He was about a mile from me. And I thought maybe I could find him and get him up there.
And as I run over the hill... (I had on a black hat.) Got to the other side, down in a canyon, started up over a little game trail. That blast went off. Rocks rolled from the mountain. That was predicted six months before it happened. And rocks rolled off the mountain. And--and like the--like a breaker from an airplane, or something, and like the sound breaker, that what it was, only fifty times as loud. There's no planes or nothing. Even the paper said there were no planes up that day at all to break that sound, like that. And as it went off like that, I thought somebody had shot me. And then with this black hat on, which is the color of the hogs...
E-41 And I waited just a few seconds there to kinda get to myself. And there came the Angels of the Lord, to return back east, that these mysteries was to be made known.
And later, I... about a half hour later, I was running and trying to find my brethren. And here they were trying to find me. And both of them knew what had happened. And that was it.
Now, and then I come east. And there, not knowing... And day by day this revelation of the Word was revealed, which absolutely completed the complete Bible, these mysteries would be known in--in these last days.
And you see, it has to be a prophet, 'cause the Word can only come to a prophet, Lee. And see, the Word back there... The reason those reformers didn't find it, they was not prophets. They wasn't predicted prophets. They wasn't called prophets, as you said, from Paul till this time. It is... The Word is revealed to prophets, and that alone. And that makes again, Luke 17 there exactly, that... Perfectly on--on the--on the mark, just exactly.
E-42 Now, we could speak of that. And then how that this great... after these Angels descending and--and ascended back, there was a light in the skies. you know, about that the... The science can't even figure out. They don't know where to go. It's still in the same shape that those Angels was, just in a three cornered, like a pyramid, ascended up, went miles high, went plumb back into... way back across the country.
And they took the pictures of it out of the States, and everything. Got it in, I believe it's "Life" magazine," or "Look," one. It was "Life" magazine I believe, May the seventeenth, about 40... 1940 or--or 63. May the seventeenth, I think that's the one packed the article. You... I'm sure you know about it.
And well, Lee, there's just so many things that could be said right here. I'm going to stop just for a minute to try to think of something that would--would be a help to you.
E-43 Lee, I just happened to think of another one that... See, I'm trying to think of something that there's men living right here that was present, can see it, and all about it.
And about a--a year before this happened, and about... Before my--my mother went away, you know, I was given a vision one day of being a hunter, you know, and hunting for game. And I--I seen an animal I'd--I'd never hunted before. It looked like a deer, only it was many times bigger. And I went to get that animal.
And there was a man with me that--a couple of little fellows that had a... One of them had on a green checked shirt.
And so I thought I'll--I'll go get that animal. It's a marvelous animal. So I started after it. And on the road, I--I met a--a female and a little baby one of the same type of animal. Only, it looked like a deer. But I--I'd never seen a deer like that. And I've hunted all my life.
And I went over and got the... and shot the animal. And was real close to it, got real close to it and shot it. And when I did, I seen a little hand measure the horns. And it was exactly forty-two inches, exactly, forty-two inches.
E-44 On my road back, bringing my trophy out, I met a--a great silver-tipped grizzly bear. And this bear, I shot with one shot and killed it. And I was studying about my rifle being too small before I shot it, because it's just a .270. It was a hundred and thirty grain bullet. So I shot this animal, and--and this bear, and skinned him out.
And--and so then about a... And the vision left me. And about a--a month after that, I was down in Kentucky, and Brother Arganbright called me and wanted to give me a hunting trip to Alaska, and said if I go up there for the Businessmen and have a meeting...
I told him I had a vision of killing a big grizzly bear.
He said, "Well, I've got it all fixed up to take you on a grizzly bear hunt." He said... And so I... "And also moose hunting."
And I said, "The thing that I got wasn't moose," I said, "because a moose has paneled horns. And this had horns like a deer." And so it... not panels. So... but in spikes...
So I--I said, "Well, it sounds very good. But let me pray first."
E-45 And that afternoon, into the woods I went, and prayed. And it looked like all the time that it'd get farther away from me.
So then about a--a month after that, Billy Paul handed me a letter from a friend by the name of Harvey Southwick. He's called Bud Southwick. S-o-u-t-h-w-i-c-k, Southwick. And he's a class-A guide on the Alaskan highway around Muncho Lake. His home is in Fort Saint John.
And the spring before that, I'd been up there on a hunting trip with a Christian brother named Eddie Byskal, which is a great man influenced... great influence in the Canadian ministerial group.
And we'd been up there. He was a... Eddie was his--this man's pastor. And on the road back in, the waters got us cut off back there, and we couldn't get in to hunt. So, we just had to lay in the--the tent.
And it was at the time of year that the midnight sun is about shining that high up. It's right on the Yukon. And it would hardly would get dark at night, just a little gloomy looking, and then be day again.
E-46 And the waters got so terrific we couldn't go any farther, so we had to head back. And during this time, this man, Bud, had not received the Holy Spirit as yet. He'd just been a believer. So, Eddie was telling him about my ministry, about visions and so forth.
He said, "Oh, my. I've got a brother that's got epilepsy." He said, "If I could only get him with that, I... with that boy."
And so then, I come into the tent. I'd been out looking around, glassing, late in the afternoon. And so Eddie asked me. He thought if they ever get a chance that we could get the boy into one of the meetings, and maybe the Lord would show a vision what to do for him. Well, he kept talking about it, constantly.
Well, I was trying to relax from such. So I just went away and didn't say anymore about it. And Bud kept constantly asking Eddie, wondering if the Lord would help him with his brother.
So, on the... About the third day, we started out. And one of the horses got down in some mesquite. And then I... We helped get him out. And I was riding what we called the drag. That was behind the... all the whole trail of horses. And the horses are not tied together, so they'd went out into the woods. And I'd help chase them back in line again.
E-47 And I saw a vision of this young boy. So I spurred up my horse and went up in front, around the string, that is the string of horses. And I got up there and said to Bud, the brother of the man that had epilepsy; I said, "Mr. Southwick, the Lord Jesus has showed me a--a vision of your brother. Now, this brother has had this epilepsy since he was a little boy."
"That's right."
And then, I said, "Your brother looks such and such. A young man with..."
"Yes, that's exactly right."
"Now," I said, "now, you send and get him. And don't doubt this. You send and get him down at Fort Saint John, bring him up here. And--and when he falls into one of those epileptic spells, jerk his shirt off of his back and throw it in the stove, and say--in the fire, and say this, 'I do this in the Name of the Lord, according to what Brother Branham has told me to do.' And it's THUS SAITH THE LORD, the spell will leave him."
E-48 And so Bud anxiously sent and got his brother and brought him up. And he'd have maybe five or six of those seizures a day. And so Bud was out of the house at the time when his brother arrived. And his wife, Bud's wife, is a very fine Christian woman and filled with the Spirit of God, a little woman, mother of five children. And so this boy fell in one of his seizures in--in the little old sh--shack they were staying in.
Well, he usually gets violent when he'd do that. And the little woman would run, 'cause she was afraid of him. But her being a Christian and believed the Word, and believed It was prophecy just the way it should be done, she just straddled him and jerked his shirt off his back. And there was a old salamander there, burning. And she threw it into the fire, crying, and said, "Brother Branham said to do this in the Name of the Lord."
And the spirit left him and had never come back on him yet. And that was over a year after that. He never had one spell afterwards.
E-49 And then, I got a letter from him (Now, to my story.) after I'd come back from Kentucky, that it, they invited me to come hunting. So when I prayed over that, looked like I kept getting closer to go up there to see Bud.
And then when I... We went up there to--to go on this hunting trip, Brother Fred Sothmann went with me. And I'd drawed on the windshield exactly how long them horns would be, and had told it, and how big the bear would be and what kind it would be, told it before hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people, and drawed it out on paper, just the way it would be, how the animal would be in a panoramic, and I'd have to go over some snow to get to it. And there'd be more with me. But I'd be the one that got the animal with the forty-two inch horns. And on my road back, I'd kill this silver-tip grizzly bear.
So when I got up there, I... We're way from the cities now. We're around five hundred miles from any city up on the Alaskan highway. The closest real city is Fort Saint John, which is very small. There's a little place in between there, called Fort Nelson. But it's just kinda a wide place in the road. And it's a few little buildings, the Hudson Bay. And perhaps you've been there yourself, Lee.
E-50 And but when I met this Bud, way up there from nowhere, I told he and his wife that vision that night.
"Well," he said, "such an animal, we don't have here. And we don't have very many deer. They're very scarce." Said, "maybe it was a caribou. Did you ever hunt caribou?"
I said, "No. But doesn't a caribou have panels?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Well, this didn't have any panels. It looked like a deer."
"Well," he said, "the first place," said, "we're not... we're going to hunt sheep. So we won't be in any bear country, nor..." and said, "We're going up high, too high for that."
I said, "Well, it may be some other trip. But it's going to happen, because the Lord never has showed me anything that's ever failed yet."
So about three days back, we were walk on the mountains spotting for some sheep. And we found some. And on the road back down... So we'd have to go the next morning to find to where the sheep was. They was too far away for us for that day. So we a...
E-51 And on the road back, little Eddie Byskal fell in the--the river and got wet--a little creek we was crossing.
And by the way, that's down there at the camp that there... at the Southwick trailer, there was nobody had a green shirt. Eddie didn't have one. I didn't have one. And Blain, that's Brother Bud's oldest boy, who is a guide too. He didn't have one, nor Bud didn't have one. Nobody had a green checkered shirt.
And I said, "It'll have to be a green checkered shirt, or the vision will not be complete. It'll be some other time, or somewhere else."
And so Eddie fell in the water that night, come back and got wet. He had to change clothes.
Early the next morning, way before day, we went to the top of the mountain, and on... to find the--the sheep. On the road up, we passed... Me seeing my first time, a wild caribou cow and calf. I should've knowed the vision right then. But I didn't.
E-52 We got off the top of the mountain. There was no sheep there. We stayed there and--and looked up over the mountains. And being Christians, we talked about, wondered if it would be that way in the great millennium to come.
And--and so Eddie had tipped over the other side of the hill, and he had found a bull caribou. And he shot it. And we heard the gun go off. And so we went over there. And he shot it, and we butchered out the caribou. But it had right nice webbed paneled horns on it.
So then we had our lunch. And we went on up to kinda the top of the hill, which was about a couple, three city blocks. And we'd butchered the caribou down by a little spring like, that was running down by the side of the mountain there. And we got some--some water to drink after eating our--our meal.
We went to pick up our saddle horses. And when we did, the... Bud said to me; he said, "Brother Branham, them sheep might've went over this mountain." Said, "You like to climb; would you like to climb over it?" Said, "We'll get back about ten or eleven o'clock tonight to the base camp." Said, "If you feel like climbing."
I said, "Oh, I love to do it, Bud."
E-53 So we was going to go over the mountain. And while I was standing there looking, and he was instructing the boys to take my saddle horse and his saddle horse and pack Eddie's caribou meat on it, and go on back to the camp. And we'd--we'd come back over to see if the sheep was over in that... in the other ravine, or other side of the mountain, and then come back down that night. We had to go up through some snow.
And while I looking around, I picked up my glasses. And believe it or not, exactly around that panoramic and looking right at me was that animal laying on the bank, about a mile from me.
And I said, "Bud, here, take these glasses. What is that animal laying over there?"
He said, "Oh, Brother Branham, it's a big old caribou looking this a way."
And I said, "Bud, look at his horns."
He said, "Yeah, he's an odd one."
I said, "That's exactly the way... And here's exactly the panoramic and snow, and just the way the animal is supposed to lay."
Now, he said, "Well, the Lord has give it to you."
I said, "Yes."
"Only thing," he said, "but wasn't there to be a bear too?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "What about a man with a green shirt on?"
E-54 And none of us had noticed, but Eddie, and his wife packing up his clothes, had put a shirt in the--in his duffel bag. And there was Eddie standing, getting wet the day before, changing his clothes, had put on a green checkered shirt that he didn't know he had.
And I said, "Looky here. What does Eddie got on?"
And they all begin weeping and shouting because of seeing that.
I said, "All right, go on down. Take the boys." They went on down.
They said, "No, we're going to wait here."
And Bud said, "Well, Brother Branham, it'll be almost totally impossible to get to that caribou, 'cause he's looking right this way. And we're way up to summit of the mountains where there's no trees or nothing, just simply caribou moss and that's all." The highest thing there, would be a blueberry bush, which would be about four inches high, or five at the most--of inches. And so they're just a little patches on the mountain. And so he said, "He's bound to see you."
And I said, "But Brother Bud, the Lord Jesus has give the animal to me."
He said, "Well, he's an odd one. I never seen one like that."
So we took off. He said, "Well, can I go with you?"
I said, "Sure."
And we walked right up to that caribou, within about thirty-five yards, and I shot the caribou. And there was three of them laying there. The rest of them had big panels, and this one had them freak looking horns.
Well then, we looked back with the glasses. And the boys were--had their arms up waving to us that they had seen me get the caribou. So they went on down to pack the horses and come out at the bottom of the hill. We got into small timber again, about two miles below the mountain--or down the mountain.
E-55 So while we were skinning him out, Bud said, "You know, Brother Branham, you said these horns was how long?"
I said, "Forty-two inches."
He said, "In my saddle bag, I've got a tape measure." He said, "They look to me like they're about ninety."
I said, "No, they're--they'll be forty..."
He said, "Now, according to what you told me, before we get back to that boy with that green shirt on, on your road back, you're going to kill a nine foot silver tipped grizzly."
I said, "That's THUS SAITH THE LORD."
He said, "Brother Branham, I can see every inch of the mountain from here down and all around. (You can see for miles in there.) And there's not a spot of anything nowhere. Where's that bear coming from?"
I said, "That's not for me to question, Bud. That's the Lord's Word." I said, "Remember, He's--He's always God, and the... He keeps His Word."
E-56 So when we got the--the trophy off of the--the--the cape, and the horns and things from the caribou, then we started down the mountain. I'd packed my gun awhile, and then Brother Bud would pack the horns. And--and the horns would just about reach from our shoulders down to the ground, and the--with the head of the caribou made it weigh about, over a hundred, a hundred and fifty pounds. And we had an awful time, both of us small men, trying to get it down the mountain, just kinda slide down easy as we went down.
Now then, wait just a minute Lee. How much time have we got Terry? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Okay Lee, we changed this, swapped the tape over now, 'cause it was about to run out.
So, on the road down, we got all within about, oh, I guess a thousand yards of where that the timber started. The little scrub timber, the little... Oh, I guess it's spruce, little spruce trees run about two or three foot tall. And then some of them would get up around five or six foot tall, just little patches.
And Bud stopped. He said, "Brother Branham, if we're going to get that bear, he'd better be showing up, hadn't he?"
I said, "Bud, I believe you doubt that."
He said, "Brother Branham, how could I doubt it? This has been a full year, more than a year since my brother, you told me what to do about him. And he hasn't had an epileptic fit from that time to this."
And I said, "He never will unless he starts to unbelieving, or starts back into the world again." And then, course, "Go and sin no more or a worse thing will come upon you."
E-57 So he said, "I... What I'm trying to think about, Brother Branham, I can see five miles, every spot that there is. And with these glasses, I can see beyond that. And there's no bear nowhere, or no place for one to come to."
I said, "Brother Bud, have you forgotten, my precious brother, that He's still Jehovah-jireh? Remember the ram that come into existence when Abraham had need for one, because it was the Word of the Lord? This is still the Word of the Lord. See? When God told me I'll kill a silver tipped grizzly bear before we get back there, I will get that bear, THUS SAITH THE LORD."
Said, "Brother Branham, that--that's faith."
I said, "No, it ain't faith. It's believing just what God says. It never has failed, and it ain't going to fail."
So he said, "Remember, we're only about a thousand yards from that boy with the green shirt on now. We can't see them yet, but they're down in that hole there. And we... when we get down there."
Said, "No matter how far it is away Bud, or how long it is, God can create a bear. He created the first one. And He's still the great Creator, Jehovah-jireh."
E-58 And we went on about another hundred yards, two hundred yards, maybe a little more, and set down again to rest. And this time, I'd been packing the rifle. Now, it's a little .270, very small rifle for bear hunting, so then--with a little hundred and thirty grain bullet.
So we set down to rest. And then we was something about three or five hundred yards, something like that, from where we would meet these fellows there in that timber.
We looked around again. We'd been talking as we'd been coming down.
Said, "Brother Branham, that old bear had better be showing up, hadn't it?"
I said, "Bud, why would you question that?"
He said, "I'm not questioning it, Brother Branham." He said, "But, you know, you know." Said, "I... Maybe I don't live in the cycle you--you live in." He said, "I--I just can't hardly understand how it would be."
E-59 And just then, I turned to look over on the hill. I said, "Bud..." He had the glasses around his neck, because I was going to pack the horns. And--and he was going to pack the rifle. And I said, "What's that sticking right up there in--on the hill?" He turned his glasses and looked. It was getting along about six o'clock, or five o'clock in the afternoon then, the sun getting low.
He said, "Oh, Brother Branham. So help me, it's the biggest silver tip I ever seen in my life. It's about a half a mile up the mountain from where we come." He said, "Brother Branham, where did he come from?"
I said, "I don't know."
He said, "I've watched that mountain everywhere, both of us. And there sets a..." He said, "He's a silver tip. I'm looking right at him. And that's..." Said, "His big silver tips a blowing like that, the hair on him, blowing across his back. And that..." He said, "It looks like a big cow setting there, or something."
And I said, "He doesn't see us, does he?"
He said, "No."
I said, "Well..."
He said, "Brother Branham, I don't believe you have to get any closer to him. Just shoot him from here. The Lord's done give him to you." He was half a mile away.
I said, "No. According to the--to the vision, I shot him close to--pretty close to me."
E-60 So we started--laid the horns down and started up the mountain. Well, we climbed over a little coolies and so forth till we... That's little ditches and things, until we were within about, oh, somewhere between three and five hundred yards. And that was the last one.
The first at about--at about seven or eight hundred yards, Bud said, "Brother Branham, can you get him from here?"
I said, "I was closer than this, Bud."
He said, "I'm afraid he's going to see us, and he will charge right down the hill."
And I said, "Well, Bud, I have--I have seen it. I--I seen him in the vision; it's the same bear." And I said, "Hey, hey, I'm going to get him."
"But," he said, "Brother Branham, don't you think that that little .270, that hundred and thirty grain bullet is kinda small?" Said, "I've seen them run right in on a--a big Weatherby magnum, smash them right in the chest, and they just keep on coming."
I said, "Bud, the Lord gave me the bear." Said, "If I had a BB gun, I'd still get him. See?" I said, "'Cause the Lord has give him to me."
E-61 He said, "Well, Brother Branham, did you ever shoot a grizzly before?"
I said, "I've shot many bear, but not a grizzly. I've shot brown, and black, so forth, but not a grizzly."
He said, "Brother Branham, you shoot him right in the back and break his back so that he can't get up. Well, that's the way you shoot a grizzly. That's the way we shoot them up here."
So I said, "Bud, according to the vision, I shot him in the heart."
Said, "Oh, Brother Branham, he's right straight up the hill." Said, "He will just come right down the hill. Even if you blow his heart out of him, it wouldn't stop him."
I said, "But Lord... But according to the Word of the Lord, I shot him in the heart. I remember shooting him in the heart."
Said, "Well, Brother Branham, if the vision said you shot him in the heart and you got him," said, "I'll stand by your side." But said, "I'll tell you, if it wasn't that vision, I sure wouldn't stand."
I said, "Well, you stay here if you want to."
Said, "No, I--I'm going along."
E-62 So when we got within about three hundred yards, or something like that, I said, "We'll raise our head up over the hill." I said, "There he is." And I put a shell up in the chamber then. I said, "All right, Bud."
And so when I raised up, the grizzly saw me. And he started to make a charge. And when he did, I shot him right smack in the heart. And before I could get another shell in the gun, the grizzly, charging towards us so hard, within about fifty yards, turned end over end stone dead.
So Brother Bud looked at me and his face, and had it's white around the mouth. He said, "Brother Branham, I didn't want him on my lap."
And I said, "Neither did I, 'cause he'd be rough company."
And we went over there. He got up and I kept him covered. Throwed blocks on the bear and it was dead. And we went over there: perfect, exactly the way the vision.
He said, "Now, Brother Branham, when we got down to where them boys are, and if these caribou horns measure forty-two inches, I'm going to have a screaming fit."
I said, "Well, you might as well have it right now, Bud, because that's exactly what it is."
E-63 So we went on down to the... to there. And I said, "Then when Eddie..." He was standing there screaming, and shouting, and crying. And Blain was running towards us, a shouting also.
And when we got down there to where it was, I never said a word about it. And Bud just walked over to his--his horse and pulled out of the saddle bags, pulled out his tape measure.
And I said to Eddie in a small still voice, or a small voice, I--I said, "Watch. Blain will put his hands right around the horns, 'cause in the vision a little hand was holding the tape on the horn, as I told you down at the camps last night, and--a few nights ago."
And he got the measure. He said, "Come here, Blain. Now, hold this tape."
And he held it. And right exactly, point blank, exactly forty-two inches on the horns.
He said, "Brother Branham," said, "where will I be a year from now?"
And I said, "Bud, I can't tell you that." I said, "We who see visions, and are honest with it, can only say just as He tells us to say. And only thing I know, He said this would happen."
E-64 Now, that information, you could ask Harvey Southwick, class-A guide on the Alaskan highway, mile 442 if you... The information could come right from him, or either his son, or Reverend Eddie Byskal. And you--you... I... Lee, I believe you know Eddie Byskal. Now, that was another thing.
Now, I'm going to stop just a minute to wait and see if something else...
E-65 Lee, this might be a little strong. It's about the squirrels. See? You know the story of it. I don't know whether to... It's... You wanted the supernatural. So that was supernatural. You know the story. And Brother Banks Wood, and I believe Brother Fred Sothmann, I believe it was (Was you, Fred?), they was on the hunting trip with me.
And it was in the woods. And it was cold, and no squirrels or nothing. You know the story. I think you know this, Lee, by the way. But I might just brief it to you.
And it was late in the fall, the leaves all off the trees. And I'd been hunting in the same woods for two days without seeing one squirrel. It was up about nine-thirty in the morning. Squirrels cut real early. And there wasn't one squirrel nowhere. And I was in a sycamore and locust thicket, which squirrels do not hang on sycamore or locust.
And now, always that Scripture of Mark 11:23, had always baffled me, when Jesus said, "Say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt (See?) and it shall come to pass."
E-66 So I was kinda chilly. It was getting late in September. I was fixing to leave on an antelope hunt. I had to have a little meeting, and then go on an antelope hunt. And that's coming back for my winter season.
So I just kinda got down, hunkered between a couple of three trees standing together, and was trying to get warm. And I was going on down and pick up Banks and Fred at their post where they was hunting in another woods.
And I hadn't seen a thing or heard a thing all morning, been in there before daylight. And that's second morning I'd been in there, I think, second or third morning without being anything--seeing anything in the woods.
It's too late. Squirrels had... Most all the traveling squirrels had done left the country. And the others was in hibernation, or getting into the--their dens and things for the winter. And then real bare on the ground, the leaves real deep. You couldn't see them to begin with.
But I wanted a mess of squirrels before the season closed. And that was two days... No, that was the closing day of the hunting season here. 'Cause from the Kentucky hunt was five days later. And so I think that was the closing day.
E-67 And I was setting there, and disappointed. I had no squirrel. And was setting there in the--in the little tree. And I thought, "Well..." I thought I'd go to sleep. I said, "No, if I take a little nap, I might sleep a little long, and Fred and them be waiting on me. And they might be a little worried about me, him and Banks."
So I--I just setting there, waiting. I got to studying about that Scripture. I never would preach on that, 'cause I couldn't... I didn't have the clear meaning in it.
Lee, you know yourself. Unless you know what you're talking about, and you're fully convinced, better leave it alone.
And I always thought... See, if there--there's not, "If I say to this mountain," but "If ye say to this mountain, 'Be moved.'" Now, I couldn't make out where that was. I taught everything in the atonement. And I just said, "Well, that was before the atonement was made. Jesus just give that Scripture to the disciples."
E-68 And so when I was setting there, all at once, a voice begin to speak to me. Said, "Well, where do you think that your visions come from?" See? "Were they included by the atonement?" See?
And I begin to answer back, not thinking. And all at once, I kindy come to myself that I was talking to Somebody there in the woods. There was nobody around me. And I thought, "What was that?"
And then just a few minutes I thought, "Well, I'm not sure. I'm not beside myself."
In a few minutes, here it was again, talking to me. It said, "You have been given power for this." See?
And Lee, you don't have to put this. It was leading up to the third pull. You see? So you know what I mean.
So but, It--It said, "You've been given power for this. This is bringing the third pull."
And I--I said, "Well, there's no sick people here." See?
And so He said, "But you're hunting, and you're in need of a--of squirrels." He said, "Just say where they'll be, and which a way they'll come, and they'll be there."
So I thought, "My." I studied a little bit.
E-69 You know, Lee, even though you think about standing in front of a--a person like that, and talking to me in that way out here. No, you think that, but you don't. See, you--you don't control your own self. See, you can't think at all. That's the reason you have to get your own thoughts away so He can--He can think--put His thinking through you. See? You've got to have your own thoughts gone. It just registers on your own mind. You understand, Lee?
So It said, "You need squirrels now." And I thought... And He said, "Ask. Just say it. Don't ask it, say it."
Well, I thought, "I'd better not say too many. The limit's five. But really three makes just a mess." I said, "I will get three young fox squirrels. That's the best. Three young fox squirrels, that'll make us a mess."
E-70 And just then, that voice said, "Which a way will they come? Where will they be?"
And I--I rubbed my face two or three times. I said, "I know I'm not asleep. Here sets my rifle. Here I am in the woods. And this is me. And I--I know I'm here. But there's Somebody here talking to me, and I can't see them, and yet their voice is here."
So I--I said, "Well, It's always been God. And I know this has never happened. But now, it's always been God, and It's never failed. So It can't fail this time."
And I picked out a place where it seemed like it was ridiculous. I looked all over the trees, an old stump of a tree, snag in a old sycamore snag.
Now, squirrels don't be around sycamore at all. See? And but this was an old sycamore snag, old dead tree, the limbs hanging out. I looked all over it. There's nothing.
I said... I pointed my finger. I said, "The first one will be right out on the end of that limb, right there," like that, pointed my finger. And when I did, before I could move my finger, there sets the squirrel. Lee, where he come from, I don't know.
So I... Th--there he was, setting with his head turned, just exactly was a eye shot, which I always like to do.
E-71 Well, I--I put my head down. I rubbed my face. I looked back, and it's still setting there. Well, I thought, "I don't want to shoot at a vision. So that must be a squirrel setting there really."
So I raised up my rifle, put my telescope on it, drawed the squirrel close to me, of course, through the telescope. And there he was. Young red squirrel setting right on the end of that limb where I'd search it.
Been setting there for hours looking at--right at it. Or, well, I guess right on a... I say "hours," I don't mean that. Maybe I'd been there twenty minutes or thirty, looking right in them trees, right there wasn't nothing. And there he was, setting there.
So I put a shell up in the barrel, leveled down right at the squirrel, and shot it. And the squirrel dropped. Well, I felt real kinda numb all over. So I--I went over there. I'd never seen this exactly before. So I went over there and picked up the squirrel. And--and it was bleeding. I knowed a vision didn't bleed. So I said it was a real squirrel.
So I said, "Well, thank You, Lord. I never seen this before. You're the great Creator. So I know You've created this, and brought this squirrel into creation." So I said, "Well, I suppose that'll be..." I said, "Thank You, Lord." And I started to walk away.
E-72 He said... That voice spoke again. "But," said, "you said you would get three. You said it. (See?) Now, where's the next one coming from?"
So I hunted out a place down farther in the woods that was a--an old locust tree with poison ivy all around it, making it about twice its size. Probably the tree itself, it'd been about eight inches in diameter. And this snag, which a--a tree burr up in the... stuck up about thirty, forty feet. And it was about another eight inches, making about sixteen inches of just old poison oak vines growing around it.
Well, I said, "They ain't going to get in that poison oak. I know that." See? But I said, "The squirrel will be... The next one will be setting right there." And I pointed my finger. And honest, Lee, looking me right in the face set another young red squirrel, setting there looking at me, about fifty yards from me.
I got so numb, I couldn't hardly do nothing. I picked up the--the gun and looked at it. And there it was, looking right at me. So I aimed, shot, the squirrel dropped. I went over and picked it up. Another red squirrel, young one, just like I said it was.
E-73 So then the voice said, "Where will the third one come from?"
Well, by that time, there's been some farmers come down there picking corn. And it was right under the hill. So I--I thought I will make this one really ridiculous. I said, "The squirrel will come up here in the woods, and come down through the woods, come up to this old tree, and go out on the limb and look out there, and look down at them farmers. And then it'll turn around and look right sideways from me where I'll get an eye shot at it."
And Lee, at that time, I heard a... the leaves rattling. Here come the squirrel, come down through the woods, went right up the tree, went off and looked at the farmers, and turned right around the way I was setting. And I shot it: Three squirrels, just exactly to what I had said.
E-74 About two months after that... There's another story goes with it, you know, down in Kentucky. But I don't think it'd be necessary to put that one in. Lee, you know about it.
But I was setting at a farmer's house where there was a little afflicted girl. And this farmer is George Wright. And his daughter named Hattie, I married her to her husband about, oh, eighteen years ago or maybe twenty. And I... They'd had two boys. And the father got killed on a tractor. So the widow was there at the house, very, very poor people. And her brother...
The Wright family had three children. One of them was an afflicted child with infantile paralysis from a little girl. And--and so the Lord had been good to her. And we'd prayed for her. And she went out of her suffering. She hadn't suffered no more. But she wasn't able to walk.
And so the--the boy was a... He was then a man about my age, and about fifty years old. And the father was about seventy-five or eighty, which had been healed, you know, Lee, by a vision, which the four doctors passed him one afternoon. He was going to die. And then I had THUS SAITH THE LORD...?...
E-75 And those people was laughing at him, that was--church that he come out of, Church of Christ. And I... And they was speaking, "Where's your divine healer now?"
And I went and prayed for him, down there two days, couldn't see no vision praying for him. And went home, saw a vision. And these Church of Christ preachers laughing at him about it.
I said, "You'll dig the grave of the man that laughed and said, 'Where is your divine healer?'" And he did, dug the grave of the man that laughed.
And there he was, setting there in the house. Yet, we were all concerned about his daughter being healed.
So we'd been invited to stay at dinner. Brother Banks Wood and I had been down there to see him about some communion wine. They made the communion wine. And we were setting there. And so they said, "Well, just stay for dinner."
E-76 So we set down at the table. And the subject come up about the squirrels, about a couple of months before that, of the creation.
I said... And I said, "Brother Shelby..." which is George Wright's boy. And Brother Wright and Brother Wood--all of them, professional hunters. I said, "Did any of you brethren ever find a squirrel in a locust tree? or in a--in a--in a--a... (I'm trying to think of the name of the tree now, that he was in. The... Oh, for goodness sakes.) There, well, was setting in a sycamore trees in Indiana--a sycamore tree?"
They said, "No, we never did."
So while setting there, talking, I said, "The only thing that I know, that Abraham needed a ram instead of his son. And Jehovah-jireh brought this ram into existence in--in the 22nd chapter of Genesis that there was Abraham...
E-77 They was back, maybe a hundred miles from his camp. He went three day's journey. He could at least walk twenty-five miles a day. And then looked up and seen a far off the mountain. And then up on top of the mountain, back there and those wild beasts, and on top of the mountain where there's no water or grass, or nothing...
And he picked up the rocks all around there to make the altar. And there was no ram there. But God provided Himself a ram. And it wasn't a vision that he killed either, 'cause it bled. The blood run out of it. God spoke that ram into existence, and it was taken out of existence the next minute. See?
And I said, "The only thing that I know, that He who could speak a ram into existence..."
I'm saying this, Lee, where if you put it in, you can speak Scripturally. See?
"And if He could speak a ram in existence, could also speak a squirrel into existence, 'cause He's the creator of both."
E-78 And Hattie now, a little quiet woman, she said just the right thing. And Lee, you know, like the Syrophenician woman, when you say the right thing, it brings the Spirit of the Lord. And now, this thing had never happened on human beings before. And she--she said, "Brother Branham, that is nothing but the truth."
And when she said that, the Holy Spirit was in the room so densely, till everybody started crying. And then I looked and I saw a vision. And the Lord said to me in this vision, "Give her what she asks for."
Now, Lee, there's at least fifteen witnesses to this setting present. And I said, "Sister Hattie, you have found favor in the sight of the Lord." A little old widow working up there on the hill, two little old boys, and they'd become regular Rickys, you know, and went modern. And oh, my. She couldn't do nothing with them. One of them about eighteen years old, another one about sixteen years old, and oh, my, you talk about being regular renegades, they were.
And so they--they were setting there. And so Sister Hattie said...
E-79 I said, "Now, Sister Hattie, here's the way to find out whether this is truth or not. Now, the Holy Spirit tells me to give you whatever you want. Whatever I say... Whatever you ask, I'll say it, and it'll be in existence just like those squirrels."
Well, she said, "Brother Branham," (everybody crying), she said, "what can I ask?"
I said, "Well, Sister Hattie, the first place, I've got twenty dollars here in my pocket to give you, that I seen you made a pledge. And your income a year, you don't net over a hundred and fifty dollars on that little farm with these two children--just your living and a hundred and fifty dollars. And now, Meda give me the twenty dollars to get groceries with this morning; I was going to give it back to you.
Now, you're a widow woman with these two children. And you're setting up there with nothing and work every day on the farm out there as hard as you can work. And the... And your income is very small. Ask for enough money to build you a new home, or buy you a new farm."
"Why," I said, "here sets your father and mother, which is old. Ask for them, what their desire is." I said, "Here setting at the table is your little afflicted sister that has been afflicted all these years. Ask for her healing, or whatever is on your heart to ask. And if it doesn't happen right now, then don't never believe me being a servant of Christ any longer."
E-80 And Brother Banks Wood started crying, everybody. She said, "Well, Brother Branham..."
I said, "Well, what do you think, Hattie? What's the greatest thing on your mind? What would you rather have than anything else? Think of it. Take your time. Think of it. Because what you ask me, then I'm going to say it, and then it'll happen right then. Just think it now. What's the greatest thing that you could think could happen to you that you want?"
She looked all around the room. And her boys were over there snickering and laughing. See? She said, "Brother Branham, the greatest thing I think could happened in my life would be the salvation of my two sons."
I want you to watch what a wisdom that was. And Lee, the reason I'm telling you this, if you see what the vision does, not only to material (See?), but also to salvation.
She said, "The salvation of my two boys."
I said, "Sister Hattie, by the command of God, I give you your two boys as saved people in the Name of Jesus Christ."
And both of them fell across their mother's lap, screaming at top of their voice. There that's been about three or four years ago. They're humble, sweet, neat Christian boys yet to this day.
E-81 See, look at the wisdom. God knew that's what she was going to ask. Her little sister setting there, though afflicted, could have been healed at that moment. But her little sister had been saved. See? She asked (see?), she asked for something that's going to be all the way into eternity. See? The salvation of those boys goes on into eternity.
A healing, she'd have asked for money, it would've finally perished. She'd asked for something for her parents, it'd probably been the same way. Her sister would have finally had to die anyhow (See?), in someday. But she asked for the great thing, and it was given to her.
Thank you, Lee.
E-82 Brother Lee, again. Ah, ah, this was actually the third time that the new ministry in the supernatural of... This not discerning the thoughts and the visions that's been told. You can put that in and say it's just--it's just innumerable of the things that's happening. And not one time has it failed. See?
But this is something new, you know. It's just happening. I'm telling it in the--so that the people that's right here on earth now that was there and know it happened (You see?), and can testify to it.
And last... About fifteen years ago, I was in California when I... The people would lay their hands upon me, and I could feel from... you know, and tell the people, which He said to Moses, you know, "You have two signs." And He said back there when He was talked to me, "As Moses..." When He said that night at Green's Mill when the Angel of the Lord met me, He said, "As Moses was given two signs, go down to deliver the children of Israel, so are you given two signs." One of them...
E-83 When I was just a local Baptist preacher, and was up there praying for God to take that away from me, 'cause my brethren had told me It was of the devil. And then when this Angel of the Lord met me up there... (Which, you get that out of the book if you want it, and get something on that.) And the Angel of the Lord met me up there that night, and told me about this, and commissioned me to go do this, and said that's the reason I was spoke to when I was a boy; that's the reason my peculiar birth and misunderstood life. I was to pray for sick people and they'd... And these things that been said were true. Many...
And I told Him, I said, "Well, why is it that these people--ministers call It the devil?"
And He referred to it the same thing, that when our Lord was on earth. And said, "The ministers called Him a devil--Beelzebub," and everything like that, and said He was possessed of the devil.
But the devil himself knew that He was the Son of God. "Why comest Thou to torment us before our time comes? We know who Thee are, who Thou art, the holy One of Israel." See? And so the devils knew it.
And this Angel referred to those things. As Paul and Barnabas... or, Paul and Silas, it was, up there cast out a devil out of a little girl.
E-84 You see, all them ministers up there said, "This man is a... These men turn the world up-side-down." This Paul that you're referring to here in this book. "These men turn the world up-side-down."
But this little old fortuneteller out there, said, "They're man of God who tell us the way of life." See?
And how much different. And this Angel referred to this. And He told me that my first gift would be to put my hands upon the people and it would be told me what was wrong with them. Then it would come that I'd know the very secret of their heart.
And then, that's when the Angel referred back to that. Was the Word of God, 'cause Jesus was the Word. The Angel claimed that Jesus was the Word. And He... And He discerned the thoughts, because It is the Word. The Word does discern, as we see in--in Hebrew 4:12. And It discerning also... And the other Scriptures and down through the Word came to the prophets, and they were called gods, you know, because they were representatives of god--of God, the One true God. And they were acting as gods.
E-85 Like, Lee, I might tell you this little... this little thing here which somebody said to me. This little thing... (I think I've got plenty of time, haven't I, Terry?)
Someone said the other day, said, "Brother Branham, upon a ministry like this..." I--I'm holding my point about meeting them. But now, said...
You can tell how this tape's bumbled up. You know it's me, Lee. It's the only way I talk.
E-86 And so someone said the other day, he said, "Brother Branham," said, "the people make a god out of you."
And so he was a Baptist that's down here trying to discuss with me that--that the one faith, one baptism is water baptism; and--and that when you believe, you receive the Holy Ghost. So you know how long he lasted.
So he was... First, he was trying to get next to me, you know. He said, "Well, people make a god out of you in doing those things." He said, "Frankly," he said, "if--if you're a vindicated like that by your ministry," he said, "would not you have the same authority to write another Bible even, if that be so." Said, "You could write another Bible. Because a man with that vindication, in the days the Bible was made up with that kinda a vindication, his words were made up to the Bible."
I said, "Sir, you see, you don't understand. A true prophet knows that nothing can be added or taken away from the Word." So that floored him there, you know.
So then he said, "Well, you've become a god to the people." Then he got rashal. He said, "You've become a god to the people."
I said, "Well, is that anything too far out of Scripture?" Just to let him know, you know.
E-87 And he said, "Well," he said, "why, you could make a god out of you."
I said, "Didn't Jesus say that the prophets were called gods? 'You call them gods who the Word of God came to.' Didn't He call them gods?" And I said, "You see, sir, God, on--on the mountain that time, blasted out from the Mount Sinai, and they said, 'Don't let God speak. Let Moses speak.' And He said, 'I'll send them prophets.' See, a prophet. And so He speaks through... And that prophet becomes the voice of God to the people." And I said, "Everybody can't break out into that supernatural."
So I said, "Then, just like a man." I said, "Now, you're an intellectual man. And now, just out of the--out of the Baptist seminary." And I said, "Now, what if you were going to Mexico, you said, to do some missionary work. Well, that poor old ignorant Mexican there can't even, don't even know which is right and left hand, can't read or write, and he wants to get saved, what do you do? You become kinda like god to him. You direct him... If you direct him off of that Word, then you're--you're antichrist. But if you put him with that Word, just read the Word to him, you can read, and he can't, you become instead of God to him. See?" And I said, "See, those things are true."
E-88 I said, "We can't... And these people who come to me for these things, is because they don't see out in that other sense, or that other realm. And they want to know. And they come." I said, "That's exactly what they did. Look at the--the sons of Jesse who come to Samuel the prophet to find out where the mules was. See?" I said, "You seem to not understand."
I said, "By the way, it reminds me of a little story."
And this is a little cute, Lee. You might get a kick out of this.
I said, "I remember a story one time where there was a Christian home. And--and one night, there come up a storm. They had a little boy there. And this little boy was kinda a--a scared of the storm. His mama said to him, said, 'Junior, go on upstairs and go to bed now.' And so the little fellow kinda went up the steps kinda easy, and kinda scared of the lightening flashing, and thunders a roaring. After while, he hollered, 'Oh, mama.' She said, 'What do you want, Johnny?' Said, 'Come up here and sleep with me.' So she thought she'd go up and console him. So she went up and laid down on the bed with him. She said, 'Johnny, now you mustn't be afraid. Now, we are a Christian family. We know that God is ever present to protect us. We believe that.' And said... Johnny said, 'Yes, mama. I believe that too. But when that lightening is hitting that close, I want a God that's got skin on it.'"
So I... so I... You know, I think that was... that kinda... that... We adults kinda get that way too, you know, Brother Lee. I can hear you chuckle over that one up there. "I want a God that's got skin on it."
I said, "After all, did not God have skin on Him when He was manifested in Jesus Christ? Did not the prophets was called god with skin on it? Sure they are." I said, "You see, you don't understand."
E-89 So now, so much for that little chuckle, Lee. Kind of... I know this tape will bore you. But I thought I would give you this little chuckle.
Now, in California, one night I was... A fellow by the name of Paul Maliken had brought his wife down, something wrong with her, and they couldn't find out what it was. She just give birth to a child, and about a month before that.
And I took a hold of her hand, and I said, "It's milk leg."
Well, she said she had no thoughts of milk leg.
I said, "That's what it is."
And she said, "Isn't that strange?" Said, "How... I don't understand that."
I said, "Neither do I."
But about three weeks after that, they had her in the hospital with milk leg. So it was just the same. See?
So then she said, "How's that?"
I said, "Well, now here..." Now, Brother John Sharritt was with me. And a--and so I--I said, "Here's my wife." We're going to Catalina Islands the next day, right after the meeting. I said, "Now, there's nothing wrong with my wife. Lay your hand on mine, honey." And as soon as she put it on there, it struck. I said, "Honey, you have a cyst on the left ovary."
Well, she knowed nothing about it. Becky was a little baby, about two years old. Two years after that, Sarah was born, caesarean. I said, "Check the wife for a cyst on the left ovary."
The doctor looked in and said when he did, said, "Well, I'll have to hurry, Brother Branham. It's got it all open like that, and the womb open and everything else." Said, "I--I'll have to hurry." But said, "I will take a look."
So after the operation, the baby was born. And I said, "See anything, doc?"
Said, "Nope."
E-90 Four years from then, Joseph came on the scene. Every time I'd pick her hand up, there it was again. And I said, "Check for a cyst on the left ovary."
Joseph was born, he said, "Nope. No cyst."
Well then, about two years ago, when we first come to here, I was all nervous and thinking I was going to be killed, and everything. So I--I went out there to the--was talking to Meda. And Joseph done something he oughtn't to have done. And he needed a licking. But...
And Meda. said, "Bill..." And Meda's right in the time of menopause now, you know, Lee, so it's just she's forty-five years old. So... and in real nervous.
So Joe done something. He really needed a licking. And so she said, "Bill, give him a licking for that."
And Joe come put his arms around me, and said, "Daddy, I'm sorry. Don't give me a licking, please." Said, "I'm sorry."
I said, "Oh, well. Okay, Joe, I'll take your word for it now. Don't do it no more."
And it made Meda's dandruff get up. She--she never did this before in her life. We'd never had a cross word. And it... She said, "Did you ever give him a whipping?"
I said, "Honey, him repenting like that, I couldn't do it."
E-91 And she was real nervous. And she slammed the door right in my face. And she said, "Then you ought to stay home some of the time and have to take care of them." Said, "You won't give them a licking or nothing when they come home, and when you come home. And they know they can get by with it for you. Oh, he tells me that too, but he goes right back and does it the same anyway." Whammy, she slammed the door right in my face.
Well, poor little fellow. I--I... You know, Lee, what she is. She's--she's to me the queen of the earth, as far as it is to me. So I thought, "Well, poor little fellow. She couldn't... She's just nervous." And I went on, and sent Joe on out to school. And I... And then I went out to wash my car. And when I started to wash my car, there come a voice right beside that bush, and said, "Go tell her to read..." I think it's Chronicles, II Chronicles. I don't know just the chapter. Anyhow, it's where Miriam made fun of Moses. "Go read that chapter."
Well, I thought it was just kinda... And again It spoke. Well, I thought, maybe...
You know how it is, Lee. I just... You can get imagination sometime. And we don't... That's what's the matter with people today. They get... take imagination instead of really be sure it's the Word of the Lord.
E-92 And then It spoke real plain the third time. Well, I went in. And I picked up the Bible and read it first. It's where Miriam was mocking Moses, you know. And Miriam, remember, was a prophetess. And she was the one who nurtured Moses and found Pharaoh's daughter, you know. So...?... And her a prophetess. And she was jawing him about marrying that--that Ethiopian girl.
And so it displeased God. And Miriam was stricken with leprosy. And said... told... said, "It would be better that her daddy would have spit in her face when she was born than to have done a thing like that."
So he called... they called... Moses called God down. The Pillar of Fire stood in the tabernacle. And God said to Moses, "Go call Miriam and Aaron, bring them in."
And there was... there was Miriam, white with leprosy. And said... And God said such, "If there be one among you who's spiritual or a prophet, I the Lord will make Myself known to him by a vision and will speak to him in dreams," or however it reads there. And said, "But for My servant, Moses, there's none like him in the land. (See?) Did not you fear God?" God said to--to Miriam.
Now, remember, that's her own brother, and her a prophetess. And Moses pleaded for her life, and she was healed.
E-93 Now, I got scared then. And I went to Meda, and I said, "Meda, let me in." She had the door locked. She was setting at her sowing machine. I said, "Let me in, honey."
She said, "What do you want!"
And I said, "Sweetheart, let me in. I have a Word from the Lord for you." And so she let me in. Kindy sobered her up a little. And I said, "Meda, I was out there washing my car," and I told her the story. She got scared.
And I got down and took her by the hand. And I said, "Lord God, please, don't let nothing happen."
About two days after that, she took a severe hurting in her side, her left side. When we went for an examination at the doctor at home for it, he found out there was a cyst about the size of a lemon on the left ovary. See, I'd told him that fifteen, sixteen years before. It was there all the time. See?
The doctor said, I don't what to do about it, doc. He said, "It should come out, Brother Branham." And he said, "It starts growing, it'll have to come out, it'll turn malignant."
And I said, "Well, doc, let--let it alone just a little bit."
E-94 So we went a little... about two or three months later, went back, it got the size of an orange. He said, "Brother Branham, it has to come out."
I said, "Doc, I've... She don't want it take out." I said...
He said, "Well, I'm going to send..." See, he's getting me off his hand then. Doctor Arthur Sheene, in New Albany--in Louisville. He sent me up to a female specialist. And he examined it. He said... And he wrote a letter, and... to him up there and told him what about the case. And so they drawed the diagram and how it growed.
So this female specialist examined her, and there it was. He said, "Yes." Said, "Mrs. Branham, that should come out."
"Well," said, "Well, we're leaving for Tucson, Arizona," figured we'd going back out there.
Said, "Well," he said, "I've got a--a lady's specialist out there, one of the best there is in the land." This famous doctor at Louisville said, "I'll--I'll send you to him."
E-95 So he wrote a little letter. And we looked inside. He sealed it, but we looked in through the light. And it said in there, "Mrs. Branham and Mr. Branham. He's a missionary, a very fine man, a Divine healer. And he's trusting his faith against this--this cyst, and it's growing." Said, "Yet, they wanted to try a little longer." Said... called the doctor by ha... by name. Said, like John, or Johneth, or whatever it was. Said, "That--that should be operated. Mrs. Branham must be operated on. So her husband's a fine man. But he's a Divine healer, and he's testing his faith against this growing tumor."
So--so we went to the doctor out here and took him the note. And he examined it, and it got about the size of a grapefruit then. See? So he had all the papers and things on it the other doctor had sent him, about the size of a grapefruit. He said, "Has to come out."
Well, I was going to Canada, and I said, "Well, don't--don't take it out now, doctor."
And so then we come home, and she examined him again. He said, "It's got to come out."
So then I was calling east for a meeting. And on the road back, I said, "Well..."
And Meda called me. And it got so bad that she couldn't hardly raise her left leg. She just barely pumping along as she went along, holding her left leg up.
E-96 So then... And I wanted to take her home for Christmas, this last Christmas, and before the operation. And she was going the next morning for examination. And I was at home then. I'd stayed two days there by myself, was resting up, and then going on to Shreveport with Brother Jack's meeting. I'd come down from up Brother Boze, up in New York.
And so I called her that morning--that night. And she said, "Bill, I'm going in the morning."
(Am I running too late here now? You make a motion when I am. I'm talking to the boys that's taking the tape, Lee.)
E-97 And so I--I said, "Well, I'm going in the morning to Shreveport, so I'd better call Meda tonight. I'm leaving Jeffersonville." Now, she's in Tucson at this time. You see?
And her and Sister Norman was going over for the examination the next morning. Had been gone about three weeks, and the doctor said it's just growing by leaps and bounds.
And I called her. And the poor little fellow, she said, "Bill, I've just been laying down nearly all this week." Said, "I just can't move. It's swelled way up about two inches high out of my side. I've got my dress pushed out."
I said, "Oh, honey. He--he will want to take that out." And I said, "Sweetheart, do you want to--to chance it, to come home for Christmas?" I said, "It just be about--about three or four weeks, and we'll be home and back. And you make the operation home for Christmas. Then right after Christmas, you'll have it taken out."
And she said, "If he will stand still for that."
Well, I said, "I sure hope he does, honey." And I said, "You go over and see him. And then you--and you come and, you know... And then... and then I'll call you after I get down to Shreveport. I'll be two days on the road, and then I'll call you." And she was going the next morning. And--and I said...
She said, "All right."
E-98 So the next morning I got up, and I went to the chair there were we always, me and my family, kneel together when I go out on the meeting. And we always pray right there in the front of that picture of Jesus, the--the Hoffman's head of Christ at thirty-three.
And I knelt there to pray. And when I was praying, I said, "Lord, remember her today." I said, "God, let the doctor be able to put the operation off," I said, "'cause if anything would happen to her, and then--then I'd... It'd turn malignant, and me holding it off like this..." I said, "We prayed and cried, and--and done everything." And I said, "She's confessed that hundreds of times. She didn't mean to say that that morning, Lord. She--she didn't mean to get back at me." I said, "She was just nervous, Lord. She's--she's stood between me and the public. And the poor little thing's been cut in two or three times," I said, "with these babies." And I said, "She dreads the operation." I said, "May it linger until we can come home and come back, and let her see home again." I said, "Lord, if it's going to be malignant, oh then, let the doctor go ahead and take it out." I said, "I--I--I just pray, God, that You'll help her in that manner."
E-99 And about that time, there in the room was that Pillar of Fire. Said, "Stand on your feet." I stood up. He said, "Whatever you say, that's the way it'll be to her."
And I couldn't get my breath, hardly, for a moment, knowing I was standing in the Presence of God. And I said, "Well, when she goes for the examination today, the hand of God shall be there. Before the doctor's hand can touch her, that big malignancy, or tumor, or whatever it is, will be gone." And that's all of that.
And I got in the car, went to Shreveport. And so I said that's the way it'll be.
So when we got ready the next morning then, the morning after that, to call her... or, the night after that, rather. I had traveled all that day and that night. And the next night when I called her, I said... And Loyce and Billy, you know, really got around me. And I said... I said, "Now, you listen and see if--if it didn't happen. The doctor can't... wouldn't be able to find it."
So I called her. I Said, "How are you, honey."
She said, "Oh, I'm feeling fine." Now, she said, "Bill, I want to tell you."
I said, "Yes, the tumor was gone."
She said, "How did you know?" And I just... And he said... She said, "Honey, I could hardly get over there."
E-100 Our Sister Norman here, a very fine woman, went with her. And they put a gown on her, and they called the... When the doctor come in, the nurse got her ready. And when... She could hardly get up on the table.
And he said, "Mrs. Branham, how you been feeling this week?"
Said, "Well, doctor, I've been worse than I've ever had." Said, "My side swelled up."
Said, "Yes, Mrs. Branham. We're going to have to take that out."
So just as he started to put his hand down on her side, under this gown and sheet that was over her, started to put her hand on her side, she said a real cold strange feeling happened. And oh, everything was gone.
And the doctor pressed and mashed. He said, "Mrs. Branham, that was on the left side, wasn't it?" He got out his diagrams of how much it'd growed. Said, "Yes." So he went up through another examination, took some X-rays that he had, looked at them, put another X-ray on. He said, "Mrs. Branham, I can't explain it. But you haven't got any cyst." Said, "There--there's none of it there no more. It's gone."
E-101 See, Lee, just as it was said, that's the way it was. See? Just as it was said. See, it was said. She had the cyst. Years passed. The cyst was there. She did something wrong. And then He told me just to say the word. And that's the way it would be.
And now, then there's a little something goes in between this, Lee. I might bring it to you. Of course, that was at fifth time. See? That's the thing.
Now, the fourth time, I might as well get that to you on the... on the pull since this is the third ministry. And Lee, I can never tell nobody that. See? But you're a Scriptural man. You can see by what happened up there with the squirrels, and so forth, what it is. See?
E-102 And so I was in Colorado. Now, this is before this ever took place, before this--this vision now of her healing taken place.
And you know, Lee, when I married her, I didn't have no money. I was saving my money in a baking powder can. And I couldn't take her on a honeymoon and go hunting too, so I just took her on--on a hunting trip for the honeymoon. And so... And the little fellow, she was a little bitty old woman anyhow. So I--I took her up there were I had killed the bear.
And I was lifting her over them logs and things. And I got her picture standing up there. And I got up... That was up in the Adirondack mountains in New York.
So then when I got back to this Colorado... I've never been home on one of our anniversaries. See, it's on October the twenty-third. And that's just when hunting season is in Colorado. And ever since that time, I've never been home with her on our anniversary.
E-103 So this time, I thought, "Well, I'd go up there." And I'd shot my deer. So I said, "Well, I... It's our anniversary time.
So it's so dry and everything up there. Oh, it's been a great bunch of hunters up there, about, I guess about a hundred and fifty hunters, everywhere back there. And I kinda stayed in a little bit, 'cause I'd already shot the deer that I was going to get. And I just waiting with the rest of the brethren.
And so many years ago, you know, when I killed a big bunch of game... I think I killed sixteen head of game in one year for them Christian Businessmen. Kinda got next to me. So I promised the Lord I wouldn't do that no more.
So I was just going with these brothers and letting them...
Fred, was you there... No, you wasn't on that trip. No.
It was... Oh, I think there's about eight or ten ministers was with me up there.
Well, you was supposed to be there, Lee. You was supposed to come with... And I was expecting you to be there with John and--and--and... What's that other boy's name? Martin, John Martin, and the little Martin, and--and Brother... What's that little preacher's name, with Assembly of God, you know, that's got that--that always sends me a suit of clothes every other year, that little church down there, you know. What's his name? Palmer, Brother Palmer, he was there. And oh, there was about five or six different ones from Methodist ministers and so forth from Indiana there. And I thought you were going to be there too, Lee.
E-104 So and they said you didn't come. So then I... You know, you said you wanted to come just for the fellowship, to set around. Well, I would... You want to talk awhile. That's what I was going to do. But somehow, you didn't come with the Martins, as you was supposed to.
And so then, nearly all of them had got deer. But the... And it'd been so dry. Oh, it was awful dry. They hadn't had a rain since way back in the spring. And the leaves were dry and everything.
So we got a--a warning that there was a blizzard came--a coming. It was supposed to dump twenty foot of snow in them mountains that night or the next morning.
Well, John Martin and them, they could get two deer apiece. So they wanted to go out, 'cause they just had a straight transmission. So we come... They come up to the camp that night. And--and so David and them had killed some little old does around there. So we give them what deers we had, 'cause they wanted to stay, so they--the boys up at my camp. But John and them wanted to get out with that straight transmission.
And we had... I had Fred's truck, which is a four-speed transmission. And--and--and the other brother had a four-speed transmission. So we could get out.
E-105 And the... everybody begin to scram out of there. Boy, there wasn't a hunter left in the country. Everybody went out but us. But they wanted some trophies, so they wanted to stay a little longer.
And I had a meeting in Tucson down here the following week. And it was around about Wednesday then, Tuesday or Wednesday. And I know I'd have to get out of there on Monday, or either I'd--I'd miss this meeting here. So I went and called--went into the city and called Meda, and called Mrs. Evans and had... I couldn't get Meda on the phone. I had her to tell Mrs.--to tell Mrs. Evans to tell Meda., if I wasn't there on Sunday to have Tony to get somebody else to hold that meeting.
So then when I went up into the--the--the mountain that day, started up. Billy was going with me. So we was going up a--a--along the side of the trail and...
And then, so I--I said to these brethren, I said, "Now, look..." The next morning, the... Oh, my. The clouds was a coming through, and black. I said, "Boy, when I've... I've been caught here in a blizzard." I said, "You can die within a few minutes." See? I said, "It's just in less... within one to one and a half minutes, you can't see your hand before you, and the wind twisting."
Well, they were... I said, "Don't you... If you go out, don't you go very far off." See, and the coyotes a howling everywhere. I said, "See, it's going to change the weather." And I said, "Now, there's a big blizzard coming."
E-106 And Tom Simpson at the same time was coming down out of Canada. And he got a warning not to go through Colorado: predicted twenty foot of snow. So he had to turn and go some other way.
And so everybody getting ready. And all the hunters out, because if they stay in there, boy, you can stay in there the winter, as far as that's concerned.
But I knowed I could make me some snow shoes and walk out, you know, and get some help to come in, or let a helicopter to come in and get them if they got stranded so bad.
So they wanted to take a chance on getting some trophies. So they... the...
I said, "Now, you all get right on the bottom of this hill. I'm going up to the top of the hill. And if there's any game stirring now, they'll be stirring this morning 'cause they'll be yarding, them deers will, getting ready for that... getting ready."
There'd been so much shooting and everything, they're kinda spooked out. And then all them cheechakers in there, you know, from all over the country, shooting and banging. About four or five hundred shots a day around there, and shooting does and fawns, and running them around over the country, killing game by chance also.
E-107 (And I hope you hear then, Lee. I had to stoop down to scratch my foot.) So there's so many shooting around the country that it was a--it was a kinda got the game spooked.
So I said, "Now, at the first drop of rain that falls, or the first snow, take for the tent as hard as you can. Don't shoot. Just set a bee-line, 'cause you--you'll probably have a hard time getting there. Just come right... Don't go on no mountain. Don't cross nothing. Come right straight down. And you won't be over about a half a mile from the camp." And I said, "I'll go up to the top, 'cause I know I can follow the hog-back, and come right straight down till I hit the creek, and come right into the camp."
Well then, and boy, them clouds were twisting. Well, they just went a little bitty piece, all of them did. And I went up over the hill and rolling rocks over the hill trying to run some deer out to them. And so I got up, way up kinda high.
And David had fixed me a sandwich that morning. And he'd got even with me for fixing his daddy that onion and honey that morning, I think. And he fixed me some kinda a meat sandwich. And I'm telling you, he had that mustard on there for a family. And I had it in my shirt.
E-108 So I walked on up. And all at once when I got way up, I kept getting farther up, farther up, till I got to what's called the saddle. That's about a mile and a half, or two miles from the ground, from the bottom up there.
So I'd got up in there. And then all at once, here come a shower of rain. I said, "Boy, them guys is headed back for camp." Here started the sleet. The wind started blowing. I said, "Well, off the hill I go." The coyotes hollering everywhere.
So I started down the mountain, running, 'cause I knowed if I get off that little hog-back of the mountain, the ridge, I'd be lost too. And I was raised in that country. See, but I know what it is.
E-109 Boy, that wind twisting and sleeting. Lee, you couldn't... I could see about, I guess about ten or fifteen feet in front of me then. And I was running. And I was kinda waiting and catching my breath a little bit. Had my rifle over my back, "Old blondie," you know. And so I--I was resting a little bit. I'd reached in and got this sandwich and eat it.
And no, just before that, there's a voice said to me, "Stop." I stopped. It said, "Go back where you come from."
Oh, man. How could I believe that, Lee? Well, I'd be walking to my own death. See?
Said, "Go back where you come from."
Well, I picked... It made me so nervous. I--I--I knowed I had to obey It. But, boy, the storm getting harder and harder all the time. And how am I going back? I'm walking around here in my own death. That'd be... I was about a half a mile or more, maybe three quarters of a mile down the mountain now, and walk right back in that blizzard, up in there? Well, man, that'd be going to my own death. See?
I thought, "Man, I don't know... go about that." I thought, "But I--I'd better." And I'd eat that sandwich, tried to. So I said, "Well, I'm already fifty-four years old. And if this is the end, I've trusted God all my life. So ever since a little boy, that voice has never told me anything wrong. And I'm certainly not going to disobey it now. If it's dying, this is where I'm to be. Always said, 'Sometime I'd like to set old blondie... (I'm talking to Fred now.) set old blondie against a tree and let Joseph find it, you know, and take a walk like Enoch did.'" I thought maybe the morning has arrived.
E-110 So I turned, went on back up to the saddle. And I set down. The trees was blowing so hard, Lee, twisting so hard till I got in behind one of the trees, like that. And limbs a falling, that snow twisting and blowing. Man, you couldn't see ten feet in front of you.
Well, all I could do was just stand there. And I got behind the tree. The wind just a blowing, that blizzard a ripping the very hide off of your skin, nearly, that high on that mountain. And I knowed I said, "Boy, I hope all them boys got in. Now, they'll be scared to death about me, me not coming in." See? And I said, "Well..." More than anything I knew.
I took off my hat. And I said, "Lord, here I am." See? So nothing answered me. Well, I thought, "Well, I'll go on back. He said come up here, and now, I've come up. Now, I'll go back."
I thought, "I'd better not do that. He didn't send me up here just to see me run up the hill (See?), put me in a death trap like this." See? No.
E-111 So I set down by the side of a tree and I got to thinking. I took my gun and put up here so the scope wouldn't get so wet, you know, that snow...?... that blow. That snow water would blow right through it. See?
Great big drops of snow, and sleet mixed with it, you know. And oh, man. It's already then about three inches on the ground, I guess. That's how fast it snowed in about fifteen minutes there.
So I said, "Well, I guess I'll just a set down here and wait. So just then I heard, like something, a voice."
(See if that's somebody at your door up here. Was that someone. Oh, the tape moving.) A...
E-112 I said, "I just set down here."
And when I did, I heard a--a voice saying, "Stand upon your feet."
And I thought, "Well now, I'm getting delirious." See?
I was scared. I'm going to admit, Lee, I was scared. And I was scared why I had to come back up there. 'Cause you know, Lee, I've--I kindy been a woodsman all my life. And I--I know what that is, to walk into something like that. And I was scared.
Said, "Stand up on your feet."
And I raised up, and jerked my hat off real quick, and set my gun against a tree, and stood up.
Said, "I am the Lord God that created the heavens and earth. And I make the winds to cease upon a mighty sea." And I knowed then, that was Scripture. You see? Jesus stopping the wind. "I'm the same yesterday, today, and for ever." Quoting them Scriptures, that voice.
E-113 Lee, me standing there looking, I couldn't see a thing but... And I knowed it ain't that wind making a--a sound of a voice. The wind was blowing, woo, woo, woo [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.], like that. But it--it couldn't make them distinctions and quote that Scripture, that wind couldn't. There had to be something there saying that.
I said, "Yes, my Lord."
And He said, "I'm the same yesterday, today, and forever. Speak to the wind; it'll still obey My voice. The storms will cease now as it did then."
And I said, "Yes, my Lord. I know that what You say."
You said, "I commissioned you to say. What you say, that's what'll happen." Now that, Lee, you can imagine how I felt.
Well, I--I raised my head up. And I said, "Thank You, Lord God. I shall obey." I said, "Wind, storm, I command you to cease. And let the sun shine, and let the sun shine continually for four days till all these boys get their game and get out of the mountain. I command that the sun rise normally, and shine normally for four days, and this wind and storm cease at this time."
And Lee, it was like that somebody turned an umbrella over you. That sleet, and hail, and--and rain, and snow falling like that, it just quit. It ceased. And standing there, and I thought... And all at once, the wind was coming from the west, which the--the radio (We had a radio down at camp, and in our cars and things.), had said that which way it would come. And...