Special leadings and experiences, of course, are only of significance to the one who lived through them. After Paul had experienced his conversion and received his calling and commission, the ever-true God sent His servant Ananias to him to confirm the calling: “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14). What Ananias said to Paul was of no consequence to anyone else on earth. Likewise, many things that Brother Branham told me are only of importance to me personally. When we shook hands for the first time in August 1955, without knowing who I was, he said, “You are a minister of the Gospel.” In December 1962 he even asked me to preach in his stead at a meeting of the Full Gospel Businessmen in Los Angeles, arranged by Demos Shakarian. He also gave me the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of brothers living in California, USA, and in Edmonton, Canada, whom I did not know at that time, in order for me to get in contact with them.

It was of great significance for me when Brother Branham said, “Brother Frank, there is no curse upon Germany because of the millions of Jews that were murdered during World War II. God will only judge those that are guilty, not the whole nation.” When it became known what had actually happened in the Holocaust, special prayer meetings were held in all the congregations of believers; we wept, repented, and asked God to take that curse from us, which we thought had come upon the German people on account of the sin committed against His people Israel. The words Brother Branham spoke were not only the answer I needed, but they lifted a great burden from my heart.

It came as quite a surprise when he once told me, without being prompted, “Brother Frank, you should not worry about the journey of Paul to Jerusalem. It was in the Will of God.” This had been weighing on my mind because I simply could not understand why the Apostle Paul took a vow in the temple according to the Jewish law and even paid for his purification, although he already had experienced and was preaching the grace of God (Acts 21).

When I was troubled by the question whether I also had the right to pray for the sick, I once more received my answer through Brother Branham: “Brother Frank, the Lord has called you to preach His Word, and everyone that is called to preach the Gospel is also called to pray for the sick.” Afterward Brother Branham prayed for me.

With reference to the storing up of the food, he said, “Brother Frank, the food you are to put in store is the promised Word of God for this day and is kept in the sermons which are being taped.” Then he continued — and this was of vital importance to me as well, “… wait with the giving out of the food until you get the rest of it.” Notice, how precisely God speaks and works: Brother Branham was only given the commission to store up the food, but not a single time was he told to give it out. Everything has its divine order. When I came to know that Brother Branham had gone home to glory and I received his final sermon from December 12, I knew the time had come to give out the food as the Lord had commanded me to do on April 2, 1962.

In any case, I am not simply claiming this, but it is thus saith the Lord: My ministry was foreordained to be directly connected to the ministry of Brother Branham. On December 24, 1965, just after 11 PM, I saw Brother Branham being taken up on a cloud. I did not understand it at the time, until I later found out that it had been the very moment when he was taken to glory. Lest anyone should sin wilfully, I must now mention that we shall also be taken up on the clouds (1. Ths. 4:17). The two prophets of Rev. 11 will likewise ascend up to heaven in a cloud (v. 12). The following is written of our Lord: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9). “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him …” (Rev. 1:7).

During a prayer meeting on December 31, 1965, these words were addressed to me through a prophecy: “My servant, I have placed My Sword into thy hand …” Initially I could not understand it, for I knew that the Sword of the King had been placed into Brother Branham’s hand. Although I had seen him ascend, I still did not know at that time that Brother Branham had really been taken to glory on December 24, 1965.

When the Lord told me, “… I will send you to other cities to preach My Word …,” I was unaware of the actual magnitude of the commission. At the beginning of the 1970s, the Lord again urged me to proclaim His Word when he spoke to me in Marseille, France, and commanded, “Rise and read 2. Tim. 4 …” Connected thereto is the Thus saith the Lord that only those things which are written in the Word of God may be preached. At the same time, I received a direct answer regarding the seven thunders: “What the voices of the seven thunders in Revelation 10 had uttered was not written in God’s Word; therefore, it cannot and will not ever be preached.”

All these experiences have a lasting significance for me, even more so because they are directly linked to the most important ministry — the proclamation of the biblical end-time message that is now going forth as a forerunner to the second coming of Christ. I am very grateful to God Almighty for all the extraordinary experiences, for His speaking to me and for all the commands He has given me throughout the years. The fact remains that I may and will preach only the Word.

With godly respect we accept the unique ministry of Brother Bran-ham. He preached more than 1,000 sermons, wherein the thus saith the Lord came forth from his lips a total of 1,615 times. Each of those times he was shown a vision and connected thereto was the Thus saith the Lord. Never before had there been such a ministry on earth, which can only be compared to the one of the Son of man, Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:19-20). That was not the man William Branham, it was God’s supernatural doing through a human vessel in our time here on earth, which I personally witnessed. The fact of the matter, however, is that the bearer of the Word is not the actual authority — as Brother Branham was regrettably being portrayed by certain people — but the Word Itself is both, the seed and the divine authority.

Brother Branham was the promised prophet; he carried out his ministry, revealed all the mysteries of the Word from Genesis to Revelation, and proclaimed the biblical teachings anew, but he never went beyond God’s Word. He accepted the Word as his only and final authority in doctrine and in faith. He lifted up his Bible and said, “This is my absolute!”

Nevertheless, Brother Branham still had the right to be a human being. He was not only a prophet, he was also an evangelist and a preacher. For instance, on August 7, 1962, he expressed a desire of his heart, “I’m waiting for that great time when I will go to Israel to bring the Gospel to them.” (Supersign). After he had already arrived in Cairo, the Lord had to correct him and tell him that the time for Israel had not yet come. According to Zech. 4 and Rev. 11, two prophets will appear on the scene in Jerusalem at the appointed time.

I also know what he said about the seven thunders, about the 3^rd pull, about the year 1977, about the 70 weeks of Daniel, about the tent vision, about the seventh seal, etc., but none of it would have caused any confusion if some of the brothers had not taken certain quotes out of context and then misused them to invent their own doctrines. I want to reiterate it once more: Only what is written in the Bible is biblical, and only if there is a promise in God’s Word can there be a subsequent fulfilment. Even Brother Branham, who had an extraordinary, infallible prophetic ministry, must be granted the right to remain a human being and, as such, express his expectations and hopes. The Apostle Paul, for example, voiced his opinion as well, in 1. Cor. 7:8-9, “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows …” In the verses 10 and 11, he emphasised the thus saith the Lord, “… And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord …” And in verse 12, speaking as a man again, Paul gave some good advice, “… but to the rest speak I, not the Lord …”

God allowed it that things were said which are difficult to comprehend, but He gave us understanding for them as well. Amen. No man may be glorified, let alone deified and thus considered to be infallible. That is how idolatry begins. God does not share His Glory with anyone. Only He and His Word remain infallible for all eternity.

By God’s grace, I did not misunderstand any of the delicate statements Brother Branham made, nor did I misconceive any of the difficult passages in the Bible. I only discern the divine harmony in all of them. When someone stirs up unsubstantiated hopes by reason of Brother Branham’s various statements and, as a result, even expects Brother Branham’s return, that person thereby diverts from the Return of Jesus Christ, bypasses what God is presently doing and, sadly, leads other believers astray.

The Word excludes the interpretations and the interpretations deny the Word. As light is separated from darkness, so is the truth separated from the lie. Whoever believes the Word of Truth rejects the lie; whoever believes the lie denies the Word of Truth. To all those people, even preachers, God shall send strong delusions that they should believe the lie (2. Ths. 2:10-12). One’s decision for the truth should not be delayed any longer, otherwise it could soon be for ever too late.

Special leadings and experiences, of course, are only of significance to the one who lived through them. After Paul had experienced his conversion and received his calling and commission, the ever-true God sent His servant Ananias to him to confirm the calling: “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14). What Ananias said to Paul was of no consequence to anyone else on earth. Likewise, many things that Brother Branham told me are only of importance to me personally. When we shook hands for the first time in August 1955, without knowing who I was, he said, “You are a minister of the Gospel.” In December 1962 he even asked me to preach in his stead at a meeting of the Full Gospel Businessmen in Los Angeles, arranged by Demos Shakarian. He also gave me the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of brothers living in California, USA, and in Edmonton, Canada, whom I did not know at that time, in order for me to get in contact with them. 

It was of great significance for me when Brother Branham said, “Brother Frank, there is no curse upon Germany because of the millions of Jews that were murdered during World War II. God will only judge those that are guilty, not the whole nation.” When it became known what had actually happened in the Holocaust, special prayer meetings were held in all the congregations of believers; we wept, repented, and asked God to take that curse from us, which we thought had come upon the German people on account of the sin committed against His people Israel. The words Brother Branham spoke were not only the answer I needed, but they lifted a great burden from my heart. 

It came as quite a surprise when he once told me, without being prompted, “Brother Frank, you should not worry about the journey of Paul to Jerusalem. It was in the Will of God.” This had been weighing on my mind because I simply could not understand why the Apostle Paul took a vow in the temple according to the Jewish law and even paid for his purification, although he already had experienced and was preaching the grace of God (Acts 21).

When I was troubled by the question whether I also had the right to pray for the sick, I once more received my answer through Brother Branham: “Brother Frank, the Lord has called you to preach His Word, and everyone that is called to preach the Gospel is also called to pray for the sick.” Afterward Brother Branham prayed for me.

With reference to the storing up of the food, he said, “Brother Frank, the food you are to put in store is the promised Word of God for this day and is kept in the sermons which are being taped.” Then he continued — and this was of vital importance to me as well, “… wait with the giving out of the food until you get the rest of it.” Notice, how precisely God speaks and works: Brother Branham was only given the commission to store up the food, but not a single time was he told to give it out. Everything has its divine order. When I came to know that Brother Branham had gone home to glory and I received his final sermon from December 12, I knew the time had come to give out the food as the Lord had commanded me to do on April 2, 1962.

In any case, I am not simply claiming this, but it is thus saith the Lord: My ministry was foreordained to be directly connected to the ministry of Brother Branham. On December 24, 1965, just after 11 PM, I saw Brother Branham being taken up on a cloud. I did not understand it at the time, until I later found out that it had been the very moment when he was taken to glory. Lest anyone should sin wilfully, I must now mention that we shall also be taken up on the clouds (1. Ths. 4:17). The two prophets of Rev. 11 will likewise ascend up to heaven in a cloud (v. 12). The following is written of our Lord: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9). “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him …” (Rev. 1:7).

During a prayer meeting on December 31, 1965, these words were addressed to me through a prophecy: “My servant, I have placed My Sword into thy hand …” Initially I could not understand it, for I knew that the Sword of the King had been placed into Brother Branham’s hand. Although I had seen him ascend, I still did not know at that time that Brother Branham had really been taken to glory on December 24, 1965. 

When the Lord told me, “… I will send you to other cities to preach My Word …,” I was unaware of the actual magnitude of the commission. At the beginning of the 1970s, the Lord again urged me to proclaim His Word when he spoke to me in Marseille, France, and commanded, “Rise and read 2. Tim. 4 …” Connected thereto is the Thus saith the Lord that only those things which are written in the Word of God may be preached. At the same time, I received a direct answer regarding the seven thunders: “What the voices of the seven thunders in Revelation 10 had uttered was not written in God’s Word; therefore, it cannot and will not ever be preached.” 

All these experiences have a lasting significance for me, even more so because they are directly linked to the most important ministry — the proclamation of the biblical end-time message that is now going forth as a forerunner to the second coming of Christ. I am very grateful to God Almighty for all the extraordinary experiences, for His speaking to me and for all the commands He has given me throughout the years. The fact remains that I may and will preach only the Word.

With godly respect we accept the unique ministry of Brother Bran-ham. He preached more than 1,000 sermons, wherein the thus saith the Lord came forth from his lips a total of 1,615 times. Each of those times he was shown a vision and connected thereto was the Thus saith the Lord. Never before had there been such a ministry on earth, which can only be compared to the one of the Son of man, Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:19-20). That was not the man William Branham, it was God’s supernatural doing through a human vessel in our time here on earth, which I personally witnessed. The fact of the matter, however, is that the bearer of the Word is not the actual authority — as Brother Branham was regrettably being portrayed by certain people — but the Word Itself is both, the seed and the divine authority.

Brother Branham was the promised prophet; he carried out his ministry, revealed all the mysteries of the Word from Genesis to Revelation, and proclaimed the biblical teachings anew, but he never went beyond God’s Word. He accepted the Word as his only and final authority in doctrine and in faith. He lifted up his Bible and said, “This is my absolute!”

Nevertheless, Brother Branham still had the right to be a human being. He was not only a prophet, he was also an evangelist and a preacher. For instance, on August 7, 1962, he expressed a desire of his heart, “I’m waiting for that great time when I will go to Israel to bring the Gospel to them.” (Supersign). After he had already arrived in Cairo, the Lord had to correct him and tell him that the time for Israel had not yet come. According to Zech. 4 and Rev. 11, two prophets will appear on the scene in Jerusalem at the appointed time. 

I also know what he said about the seven thunders, about the 3rd pull, about the year 1977, about the 70 weeks of Daniel, about the tent vision, about the seventh seal, etc., but none of it would have caused any confusion if some of the brothers had not taken certain quotes out of context and then misused them to invent their own doctrines. I want to reiterate it once more: Only what is written in the Bible is biblical, and only if there is a promise in God’s Word can there be a subsequent fulfilment. Even Brother Branham, who had an extraordinary, infallible prophetic ministry, must be granted the right to remain a human being and, as such, express his expectations and hopes. The Apostle Paul, for example, voiced his opinion as well, in 1. Cor. 7:8-9, “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows …” In the verses 10 and 11, he emphasised the thus saith the Lord, “… And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord …” And in verse 12, speaking as a man again, Paul gave some good advice, “… but to the rest speak I, not the Lord …” 

God allowed it that things were said which are difficult to comprehend, but He gave us understanding for them as well. Amen. No man may be glorified, let alone deified and thus considered to be infallible. That is how idolatry begins. God does not share His Glory with anyone. Only He and His Word remain infallible for all eternity.

By God’s grace, I did not misunderstand any of the delicate statements Brother Branham made, nor did I misconceive any of the difficult passages in the Bible. I only discern the divine harmony in all of them. When someone stirs up unsubstantiated hopes by reason of Brother Branham’s various statements and, as a result, even expects Brother Branham’s return, that person thereby diverts from the Return of Jesus Christ, bypasses what God is presently doing and, sadly, leads other believers astray. 

The Word excludes the interpretations and the interpretations deny the Word. As light is separated from darkness, so is the truth separated from the lie. Whoever believes the Word of Truth rejects the lie; whoever believes the lie denies the Word of Truth. To all those people, even preachers, God shall send strong delusions that they should believe the lie (2. Ths. 2:10-12). One’s decision for the truth should not be delayed any longer, otherwise it could soon be for ever too late.