Accident – the vision fulfilled
Two years ago in America, Branham saw a vision that was published in a local paper: A little 8-10 year-old boy, who has light brown hair, dies in an accident. He bends down over the child and prays in the vision for him, and after a moment, the life comes back. After this vision came known, Branham was taken into the back of a tent in a great tent revival to see a little boy lying there, who had drowned. The parents asked that Brother Branham would pray for the child. Maybe their son was the one who would rise from the dead? Brother Branham looked at the child and shook his head; no, this was not the same child which he had seen in the vision. He had consoled the parent and encouraged them to bear their great sorrow.
When they were coming back from Puijo, two boys were playing together beside the road, 8-year-old Kari Holma and 9-year-old Matti Väätänen. For some incomprehensible reason they suddenly ran in front of a passing car. Its bumper threw one of the boys into the slope of the road, the other on the pavement. According to the papers they both were badly injured.
The next car that got to the site took the Matti-boy to a hospital. At the same time came the car driven by Brother Soininen, and there were also Brothers Branham, Lindsay and Moore, and Sister Isaacson. Other brothers sat next to Brother Soininen, except Branham and Sister Isaacson, into whose lap Kari was lifted. His body was entirely stiff.
Brother Branham kneeled next to Kari and tried his pulse, which did not seem to beat anymore. He tested his breathing from the front of his mouth, but it did not appear to have any living signs. Then he drew the head of the boy next to his heart and started to pray, “O Lord, let this little boy’s spirit come back. Raise him back to life!” About five minutes later the boy became alive and Branham felt a short set of anxious heartbeats. After a moment the heart started again and started in its normal rhythm. When they got to the gates of the hospital, the little boy started to cry.
In the evening meeting, Brother Branham told about the incident and said that a little while earlier he had met with the Angel who often appears to him. The Angel had reminded him of the vision he had had two years prior and that now had been fulfilled. Branham was certain of a full recovery of the boy and asked that his parents would come to meet him the next day in the hotel. And that did happen. He told them what had been told to him of this child two years earlier. Brother Branham also prayed for Matti and later got a vision of him, although he was a long time between life and death. Now he lives as well.
Kari’s father had shown his son one of the Branham books where was his picture and said, “You would be dead now if it wasn’t for this man.” Kari had replied, “Tell my greetings to uncle Branham!”
Picture top: Visitors being photographed in the Puijo tower. Brother Branham is third from right in the front.
Picture bottom: Brother Lindsay came down from the tower before others and took a picture of the rest.
On Friday April 21st in Kuopio, we got a most welcomed break and went to Puijo to admire the land of a thousand lakes with Brothers Branham, Lindsay and Moore, plus some fellow believers. The weather was sunny and clear. Our guests were delighted with the scenery from up on the tower. Lindsay and Branham took pictures of the landscape and looked through binoculars at the surroundings of Kuopio. Everyone was doing their own thing. I took snapshots of different people and groups. Among other things I took a picture of Brother Branham while he was taking a picture from the top of the tower. When he noticed that he was caught by a surprise, I got a sweet smile.
We wanted to sing few songs in minor. Branham who himself had suffered a lot, is also tuned in minor and our songs made a breaking impression on him. Sister Isaacson interpreted the words of the songs and they brought tears into our brother’s eyes. After a while we prayed, and I wonder if there has ever been such a happy crowd at Puijo.
When coming down, Sister Isaacson told that Branham has said that he had promised to God that he wanted to be better person than before.
In the restaurant at Puijo there was a long coffee table arranged for the guests. When we went there we met with some businessmen, one of them was a very known and wealthy man. They asked us to sing them another song. They had heard us singing in the tower and it had also touched their hearts. Standing at the door they listened when we sang, “Why are you staying at the paths of the world...”
When the rest of us sat around the table, Brother Manninen went to greet them and urged them to seek the salvation. “The same salvation is for the rich as it is for the poor,” he said.
“What is wealth, just rubbish! I have to leave all of it here when I leave,” one of the men said. May the Kingdom of Heaven reach these yearning souls!
We talked on many subjects. I asked Brother Branham how was the visit to the court of England. Had he yet been there? No, no he hadn’t been there yet. About eight months ago he got an invitation from the King to arrive to the court, not just because of him, but for many others that needed help, but he hadn’t yet responded to the invitation. “Maybe on our way back to America this visit will happen,” Branham said.
Someone was talking about the perpetual motion machine; another told that the big cake on the table was from a couple that had received help in the meeting the previous night. We picked out postcards and gave to our guests little silver plates as a souvenir from Puijo. We were like any other little group. Suddenly Branham starts to talk, quietly and with warmth, and burning of the Spirit he’s characterized with:
“When we sit around this table, it brings to my mind the day when everything is over. We will then sit at the wedding supper of the Lamb, and the King will step forward and wipe all the tears from our eyes. Then we will not remember our sorrows that pressed us here below. We will all speak the same language. Let us live for that day!”
In a shorter time than what it takes to tell about it, we were moved into a heavenly atmosphere and waited for him to continue. We wanted to sit and listen for so long, for Branham is a man who’s surrounded with a special feeling of holiness and purity. Although he was like one of us, he always wanted to give precedence to others and was gladly silent when others spoke.
Brother Branham loves singing and music. When we sat around the table we sang “Let the sea of life roar.” Sister Isaacson got to interpret again. We could tell that Branham enjoyed the beautiful melody and words. “The shore of peace is dimly seen before our eyes. There I yearn...” Those were words that found a response in our brother’s heart. There he’ll always yearn. “I love Jesus,” he said often. “I want to get to Heaven. There are already so many relatives to whom I want to go.”
I told him that this beautiful song was written by a preacher “who is already there.” The brother nodded and listened to the song, his eyes filling with tears. He’s a very sensitive and emotional man.
Brother Soininen spoke for all of us: “We will never forget this afternoon. God sent you, dear brethren, to us. A great mercy has come to this city.”
Unto Kunnas