In the year 1945, an era came to an end.
Smith Wigglesworth, Charles S. Price and others had just died — all within a few weeks of each other. Others who had been mightily used in supernatural ministry had retired from the field, and it appeared that the original divine outpouring that had its inception at the turn of the century had become a thing of the past, yet we were persuaded that God had something more in store for His church. We were certain that another revival was yet to come. Dr. Price who had conducted great revivals in the decades past, spoke of future outpouring of the Spirit in the following words:
"Yesterday we sang, 'Showers of Blessing,' but now we are waiting for the deluge! It is coming and nothing can stop it. Like every previous outpouring, this glorious experience which is about to burst upon the world will not be the product of any established system. Established systems may experience it and enjoy it and flow along in the pure stream of its beautiful, onward flowing. Even then they may not do it as systems, but only as the multiplied thousands within their borders, who are hungry for God and are spiritually conscious of the fact that there is more to follow. You have thought, have you not, that you have been in some glorious healing services? Perhaps you have, and for them we praise the Lord. But wait a little while. I declare unto you that God is going to do better in your tomorrows than He has ever done in the past."
In the providence of God, Brother Jack Moore and myself, were brought in contact with the ministry of William Branham early in 1947. Although Brother Branham was a Baptist minister, we realized that God had reached outside the Full Gospel ranks and had anointed a man with an unusual ministry of the supernatural. Believing that we were moving in the will of God, we made arrangements to introduce the ministry of William Branham to the larger cities of America. Over a period of some five years, some of the most unusual campaigns in the history of the nation took place. These revivals had several important developments. They brought to the knowledge of the people of America the ministry of divine healing. They resulted in many other evangelists receiving inspiration to enter a deliverance ministry. But more than this, the revival after taking root in America, flowed over into other nations of the world. The miracles of healing occurring in these overseas revivals brought vast audiences together to hear the gospel. Out of these campaigns many tens of thousands have been converted to Christ. From this great move of God the WINNING THE NATIONS CRUSADE was born a crusade whose object is to send and sponsor deliverance teams abroad and follow up the revivals with the erection of revival centers and "shelters" in the cities and villages of the nations.
Brother Branham has played a key role in spearheading this great move. It is the belief of many that his ministry will in the future play an even more important part. On this page is the dramatic story of his meeting with the angel of the Lord.
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William Branham Tells of
Visitation of an Angel
I shall never forget the time, May 7, 1946, a very beautiful season of the year in Indiana, where I was still working as a game warden. I had come home for lunch, and was just going around the house taking off my gun, when a very dear friend of mine, Prod Wiseman, a brother to my piano player in the church, approached me and asked me to go to Madison with him that afternoon. I told him it was impossible as I had to patrol, and while walking around the house under a maple tree, it seemed that the whole top of the tree "let loose." It seemed that something came down through that tree like a great rushing wind ... they ran to me ... My wife came from the house frightened, and asked me what was wrong. Trying to get hold of myself, I sat down and told her that after all these twenty odd years of being conscious of this strange feeling, the time had come when I had to find out what it was all about. The crisis had come! I told her and my child good-bye, and warned her that if I did not come back in a few days, perhaps I might never return.
That afternoon I went away to a secret place to pray and read the Bible. I became deep in prayer; it seemed that my whole soul would tear from me. I cried before God. I laid my face to the ground. I looked up to God and cried. "If you will forgive me for the way that I have done, I'll try to do better... I'm sorry that I've been so neglectful all these years in doing the work you wanted me to do. ... Will you speak to me some way, God? If you don't help me, I can't go on."
Then along in the night, I had stopped praying and was sitting up when I noticed a light flickering in the room. Thinking someone was coming with a flashlight, I looked out of the window, but there was no one, and when I looked back, the light was spreading out on the floor, becoming wider. Now I know this seems very strange to you, as it did to me also. As the light was spreading, of course I became excited and started from the chair, but as I looked up, there hung a great star. However, it did not have five points like a star, but looked more like a ball of fire or light shining down upon the floor. Just then I heard someone walking across the floor, which startled me again, as I knew of no one who would be coming there besides myself.
Now, through the light I saw the feet of a man coming toward me, as naturally as you would walk to me. He appeared to be a man who, in human weight, would weigh about two hundred pounds, clothed in a white robe. He had a smooth face, no beard, dark hair down to his shoulders, rather dark-complexioned, with a very pleasant countenance, and coming closer, his eyes caught mine. Seeing how fearful I was, he began to speak: "Fear not. I am sent from the presence of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar life and your misunderstood ways have been to indicate that God sent you to take a gift of divine healing to the peoples of the world. IF YOU BE SINCERE, AND CAN GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE, NOTHING SHALL STAND BEFORE YOUR PRAYER, NOT EVEN
CANCER." Words cannot express how I felt. He told me many things which I do not have the space to record here. He told me how I would be able to detect disease. He went away, but I have seen him several times since then. He has appeared to me perhaps once or twice within the space of six months and has spoken with me. A few times he has appeared visibly in the presence of others. I do not know who he is. I only know that he is the messenger of God to me.
Needless to say, I started praying for the sick people. I do not claim to take the place of a doctor. I know that doctors are able to assist nature, but they are only men, but God is Almighty. The great things which have taken place during these months are too innumerable to ever be recorded, but God has confirmed the angel's words time after time. Deaf, dumb, blind, all manners of diseases have been healed, and thousands of testimonies are on record to date. I do not have any power of my own to do this. ...I am a helpless human until I feel His presence. Many people who have attended these meetings know that their diseases and sins have been told them right from the platform. Dear reader, please do not misunderstand my poor way of trying to convey all this to you. I say it that you might have a clearer understanding of how to take advantage of God's gift. He told men to be sincere and get the people to believe, and that is what I am trying to do. God always has something or someone to work through, and I am only an instrument used by Him. No mortal can take credit for performing a miracle, and I am just a mortal. I do not know how much longer God will permit me to do this, but by His grace, I intend to serve Him the best way that I know how by serving His people as long as He allows me to live.