Chapter 9 – An Angel From The Presence of God

The remarkable angelic visit received by Brother Branham has caused no little wonder among many of the people of God as well as the un-saved. While a few reject the ministry of the supernatural, even as some did in the days of Christ, the overwhelming majority of the people who attend the Branham meetings are fully convinced of the reality of the angelic visitation.

It so happens that God has chosen diverse and sometimes very mysterious ways in which to reveal Himself to His servants specially called for some important service. To Moses, deliverer of Israel, He appeared in the Burning Bush. To the children of Israel He was found in the Pillar of Fire by night and the Cloud by day. Samuel heard Him as a Voice calling in the night. To Elijah He was the Still Small Voice. To Abraham He appeared in the Theophany or in human form, and Paul saw Him in His resurrection glory as also did John, the Beloved. Perhaps, however, the most usual supernatural visitation in Biblical times was by an angelic visitor. Thus angels appeared to Abraham, to Moses, to Joshua, to Gideon, to David, to the prophets, to Zechariah, to Mary, to the shepherds, to the apostles, and others. In most cases supernatural visitations were not mere visions, but were an actual appearing of an angelic being. Thus the story of the angel’s appearance to William Branham is not without full Bible precedent.

Indeed the truth of angelic ministration to mortals is quite in line with the Word of God. It has been recognized generally that at least to some extent the gifts of the Spirit have been restored to the church. But what about the gift of discerning of spirits? Many have assumed that this gift includes only the discerning of evil spirits. Although the gift must certainly involve the detection of evil powers, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MORE GOOD SPIRITS THAN BAD. What about the angels? In what realm do they minister? The answer is given in Heb. 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

Angels Minister To God’s People
Though ordinarily we cannot see angels, it is evident from the Scriptures that they are in the company of the children of God much of the time. No doubt, if we fully realized that there were heavenly persons in our vicinity who are daily watching our conduct and perhaps our thoughts, it would have a profound effect upon our lives. Yet such must be the case (Matt. 18:10); also Psa. 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” We could cite the great number of Scriptures which deal with the earthly ministry of angels, but that is not necessary. The fact is that practically all Bible teachers believe and teach the actuality of such ministry. Why then are not angels seen more often? Evidently we need the operation of this above-mentioned gift to enable our dull human senses to peer beyond the veil and perceive such highly refined beings as angels. Elisha apparently had this gift and we have the record of his prayer in which he requested that his servant’s eyes might be opened that he, too, might be able to see the heavenly host of the Lord.

“And Elijah prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he might see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (II Kings 6:17)

There are numerous cases on record where people just before their passing from this world, have witnessed attending angels. Apparently from the words of Jesus, it is one of the duties of angelic beings to transport the human spirit, when it leaves its crumbling tenement of clay, into Paradise (Luke 16:22). It appears that when the grosser human senses fail, the senses of the spirit become quickened and are able to witness things that ordinary mortals cannot.

The Angel’s Message To Brother Branham
The angel conversed with Brother Branham during the first visitation for perhaps half an hour. We are coming into Bible days again, and no doubt there will be more such supernatural revelations as time goes on. Concerning such visitations there is one point that is fundamental. An angel of the Lord will never reveal anything but what agrees strictly with the Scriptures. Indeed we are enjoined to place the Word of God above the revelations of angels, as Satan has been known to appear as an angel of light. But a false spirit is quickly detected by the spiritually minded. Satan is the father of falsehood, a habitual liar, and he cannot long show himself without telling a lie or making statements that twist, distort, deny, take away or add to the Scriptures. His first conversation with a member of the human race, Eve, involved his telling an outright lie. However, the results of the angelic visitation to William Branham have been a steadily rising tide of revival that has sounded out throughout the world, and the end is not yet. We shall now let Brother Branham tell the story in his own words of how the angel met him, talked to him, and told him things concerning the work that God had called him to do:

*****

I must tell you of the angel and the coming of the Gift. 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 someway, God? If you don’t help me, I can’t go on.”

Then along in the night, at about the eleventh hour, I had quit 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 that 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, coming 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 with 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 has sent you to take a gift of divine healing to the peoples of the world. IF YOU WILL BE SINCERE, AND CAN GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU, 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 space to record here. He told me how I would be able to detect diseases by vibrations on my hand. 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… 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, illiterate 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 me 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 that I know how by serving His people as long as He allows me to live.

*****

There were some other things that the angel told Brother Branham during this remarkable visitation which have been related from time to time in his preaching. One of those things concerned the two signs that were to be given him. As has already been mentioned, the first sign, not for healing was to be a gift in his left band; by the power of God, with this gift he would discern or detect the diseases that the people had. This supernatural sign would result in the building up of the faith of the entire congregation. Then there was to be given a second sign, so that if they did not believe the first, they would believe the second. This reminds us of the story of Moses, who also was given two signs, so that if the people did not believe the first, they would believe the second. (Exod. 4:1-8)

Now this second sign, according to the angel, would be a gift that would allow Brother Branham to discern the thoughts and deeds in the past life of the individual. Sometimes the revelation would come of some incident in the person’s life that only the individual himself knew about, and the revealing of which would greatly strengthen the person’s faith. We might add that any sin that is under the Blood is never revealed, but in case the thing was covered over and un-confessed, it would be brought to light through this gift, thus usually bringing the person to an immediate repentance. We have watched the operation of these two signs, and may say with great assurance that the manifestation of these gifts are as perfect as any ever exercised by a human being. The first sign was given immediately after the visitation. The second sign has been manifest in the ministry of Brother Branham only comparatively recently.

In connection with this sign, the angel made this significant statement–that the thoughts of men speak louder in heaven than do their words on earth. How solemn an admonition this is, and how urgent it is that all of us be absolutely sincere before God, and live a sober, honest life in the fear of God.

Still another thing that the angel said was that Jesus was coming very soon, and that this commission was one of the signs of the nearness of His coming; that if Brother Branham would be faithful to this call, the results of it would reach out to the whole world and would shake the nations. Finally, the angel indicated that by these signs God was calling all His people together into the unity of the Spirit, that they should be with one heart and of one accord.

More will be said concerning this angelic visitation and its aftermath in the following chapter, as we listen to the testimony which comes from the people of Brother Branham’s own congregation.