Again we, the editors of the William Branham Home Page, have found it necessary to 'update' this report concerning healing experienced by Brother Branham personally. Following is Vision VI and VII in which Bro. Branham is assured of God's protection, sustaining Grace thoughout his sickness, and his eventual deliverance. God also confirms this to his mother, through a dream. These visions and dream took place in 1949.
The 'update' concerns Vision VIII which Brother Branham had in November 1965 which absolutely confirmed for the prophet that 'he would NEVER again suffer with the affliction which had troubled him since he was Seven years old. Vision VIII parallels Vision VII with one exception - the final outcome. Again we we encourgae you to continue on to the "Surprising Conclusion" to the whole matter.
From here Bro. Branham himself picks up the narration concerning Vision VI and VII, his sickness, and his mother's dream:
Another vision which has meant much to me and which concerns the marvelous healing that I was to receive, came to me shortly after the vision I had of Christ. It seemed to me that I was very happy, as if I had just been converted. I was tripping along, rejoicing and sort of shadow boxing, as I was going out to the road. It was dark and as I was going along, suddenly it seemed that a big black dog ran out to me. I thought it was going to bite me, and I kicked at it and shouted, "Get away, dog."
When I did this, it raised up and I saw it was a big, tall, dark-looking man, dressed in black. He said, "You called me a dog did you?" I answered, "I am very sorry. I thought it was a dog because you were down on your hands and knees." He snarled, "You called me a dog; I'm going to kill you." And from under his belt he drew a long saber blade. I pleaded "Please understand me, sir. I didn't know you were a man; I thought you were a dog." As he got closer to me, he seemed to look like a demon. He backed me right up against a culvert, and growled, "I'll teach you. I'll kill you." I replied, "Sir, I am not afraid to die, for I have received Jesus in my heart. He's my helper and my strength. Only I want you to understand that it was a mistake that I said that." But he still said, "I'll kill you." I was standing helpless against the wall and he drew back his hand to stab me.
I cried out, but just at that moment, I heard a noise coming from heaven, and down out of the skies right by my side came a mighty angel, and he just looked with a stern gaze at that man with the great knife in his hand. The man moved back, dropped his knife, and ran as hard as he could. Then the angel looked at me and smiled. Pulling his robe around him, he went up into Heaven again. This angel appeared to be the same one that visited me later on. I cried for joy, as I realized God had sent his angel for my protection.
I truly believe that this vision was fulfilled about two years ago, when the devil had me backed up in the corner, with that hideous nervousness that was about to take my life. When it seemed the end had come, then God sent His angel on the scene and delivered me.
Gradually I got weaker and weaker, but struggled to continue. Finally, after the campaigns in Tacoma and Eugene, I told my brethren that were with me that I would have to cancel all campaigns that had been scheduled and take a long rest. In fact, my nervous energy was so far gone that in my own mind I wondered if I could ever return to the field again.
I went back to my home in Jeffersonville, but it seemed that I couldn't get my strength back. I thought I was going to die. One day one of my deacons, Curtis Hooper, came down and asked, "Aren't you any better?" I replied, "No, I am not. It seems that I cannot get hold of myself." He said, "Brother Branham, I have a job to do down at the flying field. Come with me, it will do you good." When I got down to the field, I felt so bad I thought I would not even get home again. I went out to the hangar shed and began to pray. I cried, "Oh God. I know I have made mistakes. I ask you to forgive me. People want me to do different things. I am all confused. Only You can help me. Lord I can't stand any more." Somehow I got back to the house.
About this time I went to the Mayo Clinic to have a checkup just to see what was really wrong with me. So in the middle of the August heat, I was in Rochester, Minnesota five days. The doctors were fine men and they did their best to find what was wrong with me, as they put me through every kind of examination.
During this time I was praying. I told the Lord that people with every kind of a nervous breakdown had come into my meetings and He healed them. Also that He had shown me wonderful visions of the healings of others and they were delivered. I prayed, "Lord, You have never shown me a vision of my own deliverance over this terrible nervousness." My strength was so far gone that it didn't seem that I could get a hold of myself to believe God's Word. The next day was to be the final day of the examination.
On this morning I woke up and said to myself that in a couple of hours I would go over and get a report of what was wrong with me. I will always be grateful to God for what happened next. Suddenly I was in a vision. The first thing I saw was a little boy about seven years of age. He looked just like I did at that age. I was standing by him teaching him to hunt. Nearby was an old snag of a tree, and I said to the boy that he should not go near the tree because a dangerous beast lived there. I picked up stick and rapped on the side of the tree. Suddenly, out on a limb ran a little animal about six inches long. It seemed to be a weasel, and it had tiny, black, sharp-looking eyes. Oh, he was a sly little creature!
Next I saw he was going to attack us. I didn't have any gun; all that I had was a small hunting knife. I knew I was helpless with that knife. I thought to put the boy behind me to protect him, but it seemed at this time he had disappeared. Quick as lightning the beast made a dive at me. But just before he made the dive I heard the angel of the Lord speak on my right side, saying, "Remember, it's only six inches long. "
When the vision had left, I looked over and saw my little girl, Becky, and my wife lying in the bed asleep. I knew that the vision referred to my stomach trouble and nervousness. At that time nothing would stay on my stomach, and my weight had gone down to about a hundred pounds. Then I recalled that the angel had said, "Remember, it is only six inches long." I prayed, "Oh God, help me to understand the interpretation of the vision." I began to consider. MAYBE that saying meant I would have the nervousness six months, That didn't seem right. Then I thought MAYBE it referred to six years, but that didn't seem to be the answer.
Up till that time I had never thought of how many times I had had these nervous spells. Just then it seemed that my lips spoke of themselves. I seemed to say, "Maybe this means that I am to have them six times." Just at that time, I felt the Holy Spirit come over me with great power. Then a great baptism of the Spirit swept over me again. Then three times, four times, five times, 'six' times. I began to count the number of times I had had the nervousness. The first time had been when I was about seven years of age. At that time I was crying because things had gone wrong in our family - my dad drank very heavily, and I became melancholy and very nervous. About every seven years this nervousness had returned. I counted and this was exactly the sixth time. I rejoiced, for at once I became convinced that the Lord by the vision had shown me that this would be the last time of the nervousness.
I had thought to myself that the doctors will want to operate and cut some of those nerves to the stomach. But the doctor's knife was the little knife in the vision. It was helpless.
I went over to the clinic to get the report. When the doctors came together they began to ask me questions. I answered them as best I could. Then one of the leading doctors spoke, "Young man, I am sorry to announce this to you, but your condition is something that you have inherited from your father. Your father drank before you were born. You will never be well. Your nerves affect your stomach and this causes your food to be thrown back. There is no cure for this, and there is nothing we can do; you are finished for the rest of your life!" Just think, the best doctors in the world had told me that I was finished for the rest of my life! But praise God, just before they had said that, the Lord had spoken to me through the vision, and said that this was the last of the terrible thing!
I went home. My mother met me and remarked, "Son I have had a dream about you. Son, the other night" (the same night as the time I had the vision) "I was asleep and alone in the room. In the dream I was working and I saw you lying on a bed on the porch almost dead. I was expecting you to go at any time. Then I heard a peculiar sound, as of the cooing of doves. I ran over to where you were, and I saw coming down out of heaven, six white doves in the form of an 'S.' They lit upon your bosom one at a time. The doves were the whitest I had ever seen and they were saying, 'coo, coo, coo.' They seemed to act as if they were so sorry. Then you said, 'Praise the Lord.' After this the doves bowed their little heads, and again formed the letter 'S', and went back to heaven, cooing as they went. Next I saw you rise up and you were in perfect health." Oh how encouraged I was!
From here we let Bro. Branham pick up the story again, as he related it in 1965, about fifteen years after the 'first vision' concerning the little six inch squirrel:
Coming up the road just as happy as I could be, all of a sudden it struck me; a year later before I entered the field again, just killed me. But since a little boy, though I didn't know what a vision was, I always said, "If I'd only fall in one of those trance, and see that, I'd get well." That time - I always wanted to go to Mayo's to find out what was wrong.
My stomach gets sour; Brother Jack's helped me around the house many times. I walk right around the house; and just a hot greasy water like, flying out of my mouth. And walk to the pulpit, and pray for people that was twice that bad, and be healed. I've had them lay my hands on a man with a cancer on his face, and the cancer left his face, standing there; and I was so sick I couldn't stand up.
And you don't know what I've suffered; just mental oppression. Every seven years it's come, all my life. That's where I'm at now, seven eights.
(The prophet was now 56 years old (7 x 8 = 56) - Editor's note.)
I was so distressed; I cried, I begged, I pleaded. And I remember (August 1949) when I finally thought I had enough money to go to Mayo's for an examination; Wife and I, and Becky back there, and Sarah (she was a little, bitty fellow) - And we took off to Mayo's. I had just entered my healing ministry.
I went through the clinic. And they put me through every kind of examination. I was to receive the final examination the next morning. On this morning I just woke up and was setting there on the bed looking around. And I looked out in front of me, and there was a little boy, looked just like me, about seven years old; and looked at it, and it was me. And he was standing by an old snag tree.
And I was seeing there where that squirrel had been, and I thought, "What kind of squirrel is that?" and I rubbed it. And when I did, I looked over and it was me then about thirty-eight years old, the little boy was gone. So I rubbed that limb, and out of the hollow log, pole, come a little squirrel about that long, dark, almost black, and looked like little currents flying from him; little bitty beady eyes, the wickedest looking thing that I ever seen, looked like a weasel more than a squirrel.
And he looked right at me. And I opened my mouth to say, "Well..." And when I did - Before you could've batted your eye, he flew right into my mouth, went down into my stomach, and just tearing me to pieces. And as I come out of the vision, with my hands up, looking, I went a-screaming, "O God, have mercy! It's killing me!"
I heard a Voice way down in the room, say, "Remember, it's only six inches long." Well, on and on it went, suffering just the same. Mayo Brothers, the next day (in August 1949), examined me. Said, "Your father was an Irishman, he drank. Your mother being a half Indian, that makes you almost a half-breed. So you're just such a nervous wreck until you'll never be out of it." Said, "Otherwise, you're healthy." They said, "The old-timers used to call it `had the blues,' it wouldn't leave them." Said, "When that hits you, your stomach sours; you're just upset." Said, "You'll always have it." Oh, what a discouraging thing!
But the words, "Remember, it's only six inches long," that's hung with me, as my dear wife back there can tell you. Year after year, I've thought of that.
And then, before going overseas (Africa) this last time (July 1965) - Well, I was back home, and I was on a squirrel-hunting trip. I jumped out of the car with Brother Banks Wood, and I started to run up the hill, and looked like my heart would jump out of me. So it happened again in the next year, and I went and took the cardiogram. He said, "Nothing wrong with your heart," said, "you're just nervous." It started coming on then.
Well, another doctor said to me, a good friend of mine, said, "That's your heart, boy," said "you better be careful." That's the year (1964) I called Brother Moore and he got somebody to preach in my stead, when I went on that ram hunt with Brother Fred. I'd go up over mountains just like I did when I was sixteen years old, mile after mile, running; never bothered me a bit. And I come back and told Sam. He said, "Well, there's something wrong, you better be careful."
Then I saw a vision of an old-fashioned doctor standing with those stethoscopes over his arm. He was standing in front of me (in the vision) one day, he said, "Don't let them tell you `that's your heart,' that's your stomach." So, I thought, "Well, I will just take that word, 'cause it was a vision. Come on."
I started to Africa (July 1965); to get some shots, and I had to take a bunch of shots before going to Africa, that's the law. So, when I was getting these shots, the Doctor said, "Why, I can't find one thing wrong with you." I said, "Thank you." So I got a physical test, to take my health certificate to the board.
So, he said, "Is there anything you know about it?"
I said, "Nothing but persistent souring in the stomach all the time. I've been to Mayo Brothers, and everywhere."
He said, "But wait a minute. I know an old doctor up here that's found an instrument, they got it now; they can put you to sleep with a little sodium pentothal, put a tube in your throat, and they just actually look down in your stomach and see what's wrong. He's your type of people, he's a Christian. Why don't you go see him."
I took his name: Dr. Van Ravensworth. So, when I come back (from Africa), I went up to see the old doctor. Oh, he's a fine old man from Dutch East Indies, out of a big line of missionaries. And he had heard of me and read my book, and oh, he just shook my hand, he said, "Brother Branham, I'd be glad to check your stomach for you." He told me to report to the Hospital the following week.
And then the next morning, I raised up in the bed and looked around, I looked over in the twin bed; my wife over there, she hadn't woke up yet. And I was looking out the window towards the great Catalina Mountains there where I live, and I looked up there where the Angel of the Lord put that Sword in my hand, where the seven Angels that you see in the picture appeared, great things taken place. And as I looked, there (in a vision) I was standing by that tree again, right where that squirrel was. I looked up there, I thought, "That's that squirrel's den." And I thought (in the vision), "Wonder if he's still up there?" I raked the side of the tree, out he come. And before I could even bat my eye (you'll have to know my ministry to know these symbols and things), he jumped at me but he missed me, He missed my mouth, hit on my chest and fell off. And as soon as he did, I heard Something said, "Go to the Catalina Mountains."
So I turned around, I said, "Meda, are you awake, Honey?" And I woke her up. She said, "What's the matter?" About five o'clock in the morning. I said, "I was looking out here, and I saw that squirrel again, Honey."
"What squirrel?"
I said, "The one I seen up there at Mayo's." (1949). I said, "You know what? He missed my mouth this time, he never hit me, he went out on my chest." I said, "Praise be to God! I've looked, oh, since a little boy, I have longed to see that happen. If I could ever see that happen, then I said, `I'd be all right. Whatever that told me, that's what I'd be.' And for forty years I've looked for that, and there it happened."
Before, when I was at Mayo's(1949), the same time I was up there when they give me that message, and I saw the vision - my mother had a dream. My ol' mother's gone on to Glory now - she was a very odd woman. She had about three or four dreams in her life, and they were always true.
Now notice. When I come back from Mayo's Clinic she said, "Billy, come here, son, and set down." She said, "I had a strange dream. I dreamed that I seen you a-laying sick, just about to die, with your stomach as usual. You were building a house upon a hill. And I seen six white doves come down from heaven, cooing, in a letter `S' and they set upon your chest. And you was looking, and the one in front was trying to tell you something." Said, "They was real glossy, white doves. And they took their little heads and put against your cheek, and going, `coo, coo, coo'. In the dream, I said, "Oh, I see it, praise the Lord!" And said, "They formed their letter `S' again and went back up into the skies, going `coo, coo, coo, coo,' going back home."
That morning, I got up after seeing this vision; I obeyed the Lord. I took my little boy, Joseph, to school (he's listening to me now, in Tucson). I took him to school, and told Meda I didn't know when I'd be back. And I took off up into Catalina, up into the foothills, and went up into the place where the Angel of the Lord put the Sword in my hand. Real early; and started climbing up the mountain.
Well, instead of going up in the peaks this way I turned to my right; Something said, "Turn to your right." I went way into the peaks; I went around, and I was going around those great huge rocks. And along about eleven o'clock, I was going into a little cove, over a little deer trail. And so I turned in there, and as I turned into that little cove, I felt the presence of the Lord. I jerked off my hat and looked around. I thought, "He's here somewhere. I know He's here." I thought, "What is it?" I made a few more steps. I said, "Lord, You're here somewhere."
And I looked laying on the path, and there laid that little squirrel; had jumped at something and missed it, and it hit a bunch of cholla (that's jumping cactus). It rammed through his head, chest, stomach, and he was dead. That odd-looking little squirrel, he had missed my mouth and hit that cholla. And the Voice of the Lord said, "Your enemy is dead." I stood there, and I trembled.
I went back around, set there and cried a while, and prayed; looking down over Tucson, miles below me. I turned back around and come back, it still laid there. When I entered that cove the Spirit of God come on me again. I went on around, went down the mountain. Went in and told my wife, I said, "Honey, I don't know how, but I'm going to get over this."
As planned, I went to see Dr. Ravensworth. And after his examination, he said, "It's totally impossible for you to be well." he said, "Reverend, your stomach walls are even so hard, they're dried up.". And I would've been a discouraged boy if it hadn't been for the vision of the Lord.
And the next day, after seeing the Doctor something said, "Go back to the mountain." And that day instead of going one way, I was led to go another way. And I was standing there; and looking, setting in the front of me, and there set that seventh little, white dove, looking right at me. I rubbed my eyes, I said, "Surely, it's a vision; surely, it is." I looked, and I said, "Little dove, where do you come from?" Just as pretty and white, could've been a pigeon, whatever it was, a-way in that wilderness.
God Almighty, Who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, Whose servant I am, and His Word laying here open before me, know that I tell the truth and lie not.
There set the dove, setting there looking at me. I walked around, I thought, "Surely, it's a vision." I turned my head, I looked back, and there he set there; them little, white wings, just as snowy as he could be; his little, yellow feet; and little, yellow beak; setting there looking at me. He was watching right straight westward. I walked around him like that, I wouldn't touch him for nothing. I walked on up the trail; looked back, and there he still set watching me.
Brother, as a son of Abraham, I consider not what the doctor told me, I'm going to be well, anyhow! Somehow, I know. I will tell you before it happens. The doctor's a good doctor, no doubt; I think he's a fine man. But I know I'm going to be over it. It's done! It's finished, and I'm going to be well!
And I was thinking as Ernie sang that song a few moments ago, 'On the Wings of a Dove'. I understand Ernie made two verses of that. I'm going to make you a third verse:
We marvel at the power, goodness and Grace of God manifested in the life of William Branham. But we are also caused to marvel at the Mystery of God's dealings with His Servant. Like Jacob over Joseph's dreams; and Mary over the words of Simeon and Anna in the Temple, we are caused to ponder over these visions concerning the Prophet's healing.
Every seven years, throughout his life, he had suffered with "souring in his stomach". Through his ministry, many were healed of worse diseases. Even the dead was raised up. But yet, personal healing for William Branham remained as elusive as ever. In 1949 after Bro. Branham was forced to leave the Evangelistic field for badly needed rest, he called on God more than ever for deliverance from his affliction. In response to his call, God gave him two visions. For further encouragement the Lord gave Bro. Branham's mother a dream concerning his eventual healing.
Still the years passed and the "seven year cycle" of suffering continued. Then during the fall of 1965, he "saw Again" the same vision of the squirrel he had seen in 1949 BUT this time when the squirrel jumped at him, it missed his mouth and was killed on the cactus. In the vision a Voice spoke and said, "Your enemy is dead".
What William Branham had waited all his life to hear finally sounded in his ears - "Your enemy is dead". He was Healed! Never to suffer again. But, Oh, how far reaching those words were. On that night (Nov. 28, 1965) when he spoke those things in Shreve porte, NO ONE (except maybe Bro. Branham) was prepared for what was to happen exactly three weeks from that night. On December 18th. 1965 a drunken soldier, driving on the wrong side of the road, smashed head on into a car being driven by Bro. Branham. Exactly "six" days after the accident, that which William Branham had often mentioned now came to past - He went Home to be with the Lord.
On April 10, 1965, in a message entitled "The Easter Seal" , he said, "What a hope for an old man like me, knowing that I see my end time right out yonder soon, at fifty-'six' years old." On December 5, in a Message entitled, "Things That Are To Be", he said, "...I'm beginning to get old and know that 'my days' are numbered." In that same message, encouraging the people to think straight and honest, he placed the possibilities before them saying, "Dear God, I may be killed tonight in an accident. I may die in an heart attack..." On December 7, 1965, in a message entitled, "Leadership", he said, "I'm an old man, I haven't got much longer to stay." Indeed, God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform!