His first trip out west in 1927 was an attempt to run from God. But the Lord caught up with him and brought him back East again. There, after his conversion, The Lord began laying the foundation for a ministry that would take William Branham around the world. In 1935, shortly after the birth of his son Billy Paul, a Brother Ryan stood and prophesied over a young William Branham. In the living room of Brother Branham's home he stood up, spoke in tongues and walking directly to Brother Branham, laid his hand on his shoulder and said, "Brother Billy, you're just a lad now; there's a lot of youth to you yet. But someday that's going settle down, and Almighty God is going to use you to stir the nations."

In his youth he wasn't like the others. He was different. Sometimes it was difficult for the people to understand just exactly what made him different. His attitude, his nature and his character set him apart from the others. In his "Life Story" we find that it was difficult for young William Branham to 'fit in'. Indeed from his 'birth' he was ordained to fulfill a Commission and Ministry that would also set him apart from all other ministering brethren. We believe it can be said of William Branham what was said of the Prophet Jeremiah in the Bible...

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the nations."

Little by little his ministry began to blossom. In 1933 the Pillar of Fire publicly apppears and Commissions William Branham, identifying the work he was to do. His disobedience in 1937 did set back the ministry for a season. During The Ohio Flood he suffered much because of that disobedience. But finally his ministry came back in line with the will of God.

In 1946 The Angel personally reveals himself to the Prophet and guides him through to the fulfillment and conclusion of his Commission and Ministry, Which was to unfold in "Three Phases or Pulls". The last half of 1962 and the first half of 1963 would witness a transition from the Second Pull to the Third and final phase of Bro. Branham's Commission and Ministry. During the First and Second Pull of the Ministry, Brother Branham operated out of Jeffersonville, Indiana, but for this Third Pull he was instructed to go West.

The year 1962 was a tremenduous "turning point" in Brother Branham's life. The Commission he was ordained to fulfill was about to reach it's climax. God began to deal with him through a particular vision (seen in 1958) and six dreams seen by six different Believers over the course a few months in 1961-62. Towards the latter part of the year 1962, the vision and the dreams all came into focus. The fulfillment of that vision would be a "sign" to the prophet that it was time to move west. In fact the Vision ended with these words, "When this comes to pass, go West". All six dreams spoke of Brother Branham going West for a special reason.

Everything was pointing to a major change in the 'focus' of the Minsitry. Previously the ministry had focused on 'signs, wonders and healing' but NOW major prophecies concerning this Age were becoming a reality in the "Present Tense". God sends His Prophets to manifest "Present Tense".

According to the 'The Vision Plus Six Dreams' it was important that Brother Branham move West. God was going to do something somewhere in the West and His Prophet had to be there. The vision seen by Brother Branham in 1958 came to pass in December 1962. A few days before he left Jeffersonville to go West, Brother Branham was given a Major Vision concering Seven Angels coming to him. And even in that Vision he was standing out West.

After 35 years the "call of the West" in Bro. Branham's heart would be fulfilled in an unexpected way.

< One day, coming down five years ago from Brother Norman's, I was driving down the road. And I just had a meeting up there, and the Lord God appeared to me in a vision. And I was sitting in front of my gate, up here at my house. And it seemed to be bad weather.

Many of you people will remember the vision. It is wrote in my book of visions. I put them down so that I will be sure that I don't forget them.

And in this vision I saw, there was something that had come through the lane (where I lived in Jeffersonville), and there was stones lying all over my yard. And there was graders and scrapers up and down the lane, and trees had been cut down and rooted up. And I started to turn into the gate, and it was all blocked off with stones. And I got out to say to the man, "Why this?" and he got very hostile. Shoved me backwards and said, "That's the way with you preachers."

I said, "I only ask you, why do you do this? you're coming over on my side of the street, here. Why did you do this?" And he just almost slapped me, and shoved me back.

And I thought, "I am just going to tell him that he doesn't know what he is talking about," and a voice spoke, said, "Don't do that. You are a minister."

I turned around (in the vision) , and to my right, sitting in front of the gate, was an old prairie schooner. You know... a covered wagon, with horses hitched to it. And sitting opposite the driver's side was my wife. I looked back in the back, and my children was sitting back there. I climbed up on the wagon. I said to my wife, "Honey, I have stood all l can stand."

And I picked up the lines, and pulled the lead horse, and started heading westward. And a voice said to me, "When this comes to pass, then go westward."

One day in December 1962 Brother Branham came home to find a stake driven down right next to the stone wall in front of his property. The City of Jeffersonville made plans to widen sections of the street where he was living. To do this they would have to take in part of his property. The stones he saw in the vison thrown all over his driveway was the stone wall in front of his property which had to be broken down.

Seeing this, it brought to rememberance the vision he had five years previous.

On December 30, 1962 (PM) Brother Branham preached a tremenduous Message entitled "Sirs, Is This The Sign Of The End?" In this Message Brother Branham updated the people on the events which were taking place in his ministry regarding the Dreams and the major vision mention above. Still not sure of exactly what God was doing, he informed his congregation that, in obedience to the vison he had five years previous, he was moving out West. On January 4th. 1963 Brother Branham and his family arrived in Tucson, Arizona. Within a week of his arrival, God called His Servant into the Wilderness and placed in his hand "The Sword Of 'The' King". Almost two months later Seven Mighty Angels Commissions Brother Branham to return to his Tabernacle in Jeffersonville for the Opening of the Seven Seals of Revelation chapters 5,6,8 and 10:1-7.

In the Message entitled "The Seventh Seal" Brother Branham said, "That's the reason I had to go West to connect with these Angel's message to come back here to reveal it (the Mystery of the Seven Seals) to the church."

For a detailed account of what took place between God and His Prophet in the mountains I refer you to the page entitled Wilderness Experiences Of A Prophet. May the GRACE of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST be with your spirit and quicken these things to your heart, even the 'unfailing realities of the living God' made manifest in this Age.

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