Billy Paul Branham era el hijo mayor de William Branham. Nació en 1935 y vivió en el sur de Indiana durante la mayor parte de su vida antes de fallecer en 2023.
En 1946, su padre comenzó campañas de sanación en varias partes del país y del mundo. En ese momento, Billy Paul lo apoyaba vendiendo libros y folletos antes de que comenzaran los servicios religiosos.
Una noche después de un servicio religioso de ese año en Vandalia, Illinois, Billy, de 11 años, supuestamente vio al Ángel del Señor en una habitación de hotel en la que se alojaba con su padre y el hermano de su padre, Donny.
Billy Paul y su padre luego proporcionaron varios relatos del supuesto evento sobrenatural, que son significativamente conflictivos entre sí.
A continuación se encuentran extractos de los testimonios de ambos hombres que son totalmente inconsistentes y contrarios entre sí. Sus relatos completos pueden ser leídos en las páginas siguientes.
Billy Paul a los 11 años con su padre, William Branham, en 1946
"Billy Paul ve al Ángel del Señor"
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
- William Branham -
William Branham said that he had his brother wake up Billy Paul:
“I picked up a pillow, and threw it over on the bed, and it woke up my brother. He said, “What do you want?”
I said, “Wake up Billy.”
And he said, “Billy, your dad wants you.” “Expectation” (51-0714).
However, thirteen days later, William Branham changed his story to say that he was the one who woke Billy Paul up:
“Now, you remember that night in Vandalia, Illinois, when you were laying, sleeping on the bed? And the Angel of the Lord was standing over me there. And I throwed a pillow over, and woke you up, and said, “Look.” And you come, screaming, running over to me.” “The Church Of The Living God” (51-0727)
- Billy Paul Branham -
Billy Paul said that it was his father who who woke him up:
“It was very early in the morning, before dawn, when Dad nudged me awake. He was holding a pillow up next to my face, and when he was sure I was fully awake, he began to speak to me in a low voice.”
“The Angel by Billy Paul Branham” Only Believe, Vol. 6, No. 2, June 1993 (pp. 3-4).
“He woke me up and he had a pillow across my face. And he shook me, and he said, “Paul?” “Billy Paul Branham - Testimony (William Branham)”, Cloverdale Bibleway Church Dedication, British Columbia, July 15, 1989. (YouTube).
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
“El carácter de la Iglesia en Éfeso es un buen bosquejo del Período de la Iglesia desde
70 d. C. a 170 d . C. (pág. 20)
“Después de su muerte, se nos dice que San Pablo—o San Juan el Divino se convirtió en el pastor de la iglesia y la llevó hasta esta era, y la era de la iglesia llegó a 170 .
William Branham's full accounts of Billy Paul seeing the Angel of the Lord:
17 I went to the hotel that night, my brother Donny and my little son, Billy. They went in the hotel. It was about two o'clock in the morning. And I was lying down sleeping, had just went to sleep, which I don't sleep very much at night, always in prayer.
Nighttime, when all demon powers shut down towards morning. When they're not roaming, that's the time the Holy Spirit moves in and talks to me. Go early if you want to pray; rise up early. Most all the... workers is gone... demons... demons... And places are closing up. That causes strange things... You know what I mean by that.
18 Notice. And I was laying there. I--I was woke--wakened up all at once. And I looked, and I thought, "My, it's daylight already." I said, "Looky there. It's daylight there in the..." Looked out and I thought, "Wait a minute. The window's back here. That's the side of the wall."
And I looked again; it was a white cloud, milling like this. I said, "Oh, I see." It was the Angel of the Lord coming in the room.
Many times demons has followed me in the room. I've felt their flesh rubbing me, and bells and things, when haunt at me half the night nearly.
19 Then I--I got out of the bed, and I knelt down. I knowed It was a Spirit, but I had to find out just what It was first. And I kept waiting. I felt It come around the bed. It come; you could feeled It. I say I'm talking to you from my heart. It's just like...
Now, I--I do not feel It now. Sometimes I feel It, and It's standing right over here; I can tell it; if It's standing right down here, you can tell it. It's just like a pressure in the air that's against you, like that. You just... You feel it.
Then when It comes close, when a patient comes up to be prayed for, you can feel Him going... [Brother Branham illustrates.] Flows down over you. Then you don't talk yourself; you just be still. It does the talking, talks Itself. Then It'll [Brother Branham illustrates.] let up. And then maybe you stop; and you feel It coming back again.
20 Then watch, and I see a patient standing here; and right in there, looks like above them, and I can see the things you hear Him tell. You've heard it been told of everything they done in their life. Is that right? Heard Him even repeat the prayer over that they said to God. Isn't that right? And all kinds of sins and things that they've done, revealed, it's been perfect every time. Is that right? Never fails...
What does that? I just talking just exactly what I'm seeing taking place. Just what I see, that's what I say. Sometimes I look out over the audience; I can feel something pulling. I'll watch real close. Then it cuts off; it's somebody else on the other side is healed. Maybe this way and that way. Maybe I can be real quiet, and single out a certain person, where it is. First thing, if I can get that channel, look like I get the rest of them somewhere else, not... To look, you know, looking on, then it--it'll start... You can see a vision rise up then and start like that. Then...
21 Now, when I looked and seen that, I got down on the floor and started praying. And as It got closer, I knew It was--It was the Angel of God. And I could feel what It was.
And I said, "What does the Lord want me to do?" Never said a thing. Just--just long time was standing right near the foot of the bed, and I was kneeling like this. And I said, "O heavenly Father, what have You sent Your Angel to Your servant for?" And I said, "Your servant is listening." And I waited.
I knew It was still there, but I didn't know why... Waited I guess five minutes passed. I felt It moving closer to me. And when It did, I just heard that Voice sound like way back. I could not impersonate the Voice if I had to. But I heard It just as plain and audible as my voice is to you. Said, "You're confining too much of that gift of healing to perform miracles. It will come to pass that people will not believe you unless there's a miracle performed."
I said, "I shall never do that again, so help me, God." Went out of the room...
22 I raised up. I laid down on the bed, and there It was, just above the bed, milling around, like a whole lot of colors in a rainbow, milling around. And I looked at It, and I laid there a little while. I felt relief, felt that my sin was forgiven me.
And I said, "Does my Lord care if my little boy see You?"
Nothing made any noise. We had just twin bed. We had to... every place was taken up for miles around, and my... on... And we had twin beds in the room. And my brother and my little boy was sleeping on the bed next to me, the twin bed. And I said, "Billy, Billy." He didn't answer. I said, "Donny." He didn't answer. And I took my pillow, watching that. And I knew, by not answering, I knew it was all right. Never said yes. And I threw my pillow like that, and it hit my brother, Donny. And I said, "Donny."
He said, "Yes."
And I said, "Call Billy."
Billy said... Or Donny said, "Billy, your dad wants you."
Just then the... I said, "Billy, look."
He looked, said, "What do you want, Daddy?"
About that time, Donny jumped out of the bed screaming, "Oh."
Billy said, "Oh, daddy, daddy, daddy." He jumped out of the bed, and jumped over, said, "Don't let that get me. Don't let that get me."
And I said, "Honey, that won't hurt you."
23 I said many times... I was single five years. And I been father and mother both to him, and just pack his little bottles of milk in my pocket, and at nighttime lay it under my head to keep it warm, so I could give it to him at night. His mother died when he's only eighteen months old. And I just had to raise him, been both father and mother. I said many times when I'm going be, specially flying, he said, "Daddy, I'm so afraid you're going to go away and never come back to me again."
I said, "No, honey, I'll--I'll be back."
And I said, "Now, honey, that's the reason daddy goes. That's the Angel of the Lord that leads daddy. He was just in the room talking to me, and I asked Him if you could see, so you won't worry about daddy, and know that that's the Angel that leads daddy. That's where that Pillar..." Was about like that, mingling with colors... and... went on.
Donny, he didn't know hardly what to think, my other brother.
And then It milled around like that, went, whew [Brother Branham illustrates]... Then He told...
24 And I want you to get to you people something here, that I believe that you people in Cleveland know this... You know, many of you gets the wrong conception of Divine healing. Now, this is not a gift to perform miracles. Miracles is a separate and different gift from healing. Did you know that? The Bible said, "Do all have the gift of healing? Do all have the gift of miracles?" See? But miracles are performed. That's right. It's a miracle every time somebody, a--a vision that happens and tells people what's wrong with them. That's a miracle. It's Supernatural. That's a miracle. But healing...
“The Angel And The Commission” (50-0821).
I never will forget the first time the boy ever seen the Angel of the Lord at Vandalia, Illinois. And I’d had a meeting, and I made a challenge to the people, “Just bring me anybody you want to, and let me have enough time with them. They’ll--they’ll be healed.” And they brought me a blind boy, was born blind. And I stayed with that boy about an hour and forty minutes. And he walked off the platform with his sight.
And he came back, and he picked up my tie so speak. . . He said, “Mother, is that what you. . .What color you call that?” And the boy was born blind. And he was just so enthused, and the people screaming and going on.
E-10 And when I went home that night, we was in the hotel. And I was been praying, and I was almost asleep. And I woke up, and I knew He was in the room. I couldn’t tell from where He was coming.
But I waited a few minutes, and I knew It was coming over this a way, coming across towards the bed.
I got out of the bed. My brother and my little boy was next to me in another bed. And I felt It coming, and I got out, and I knelt down in the floor, and started praying. He got real close. I never heard no voice nor nothing. I waited a little bit. It got closer. And I kept speaking, “What would the Lord have me to know?”
And a voice begin to speak in the room and told me not to do that, not to do that. And just . . . My commission was to pray for the sick, and not to do that. And then when I opened my eyes, there He was, just above the bed whirling around and around.
And I said, “Do--do You mind if my brother and little son could see You?”
And He never made any answer back. It was done leaving me, the anointing. I seen It right off from me. And I kept my eye on Him, and He never answered me, so I thought maybe He didn’t care.
I picked up a pillow, and threw it over on the bed, and it woke up my brother. He said, “What do you want?”
I said, “Wake up Billy.”
And he said, “Billy, your dad wants you.”
And as soon as he looked back, he let out a scream. He saw It.
He begin screaming. And my little boy jumped over in the bed with me, and begin hugging me around the neck, saying, “Daddy, daddy, don’t let that get me. Don’t let that get me.”
I said, “Why, honey, that ain’t what . . . That won’t hurt you.”
I said, “That’s the Angel of the Lord that leads daddy.”
E-11 Billy’s an orphan. His mother died when he was just about eighteen months old. And he’s a little orphan child. And I been daddy and mother both to him. And sometimes in going away, the little fellow used to stand at the airport and cry and go on.
He said, “Daddy, don’t leave me.” Said, “What have I got on earth but you?”
Said, “Mother’s gone and everything.” And said, “If--if something happens to you, what will happen to me?”
So that’s not easy to leave your children like that. But Jesus said, “Whosoever will not forsake his^everything and follow Me, not worthy to be called My disciple.” No matter what we do, we’ll never be worthy to be that. But we like to do our part.
… So after that night, the little boy was consoled then when he got to see the Angel of the Lord for the first time. He never worried no more when I left.
“Expectation” (51-0714).
75 Now watch when I put the lady's hand on here, watch what takes place. See what I mean?
Now, you remember that night in Vandalia, Illinois, when you were laying, sleeping on the bed? And the Angel of the Lord was standing over me there. And I throwed a pillow over, and woke you up, and said, “Look.” And you come, screaming, running over to me. That's the same Angel of God that's testifying here. It's the same Angel of God. That is the first time Billy ever seen it.
All right, now lay your hand back. I want to hold your hand there just a moment. And I want you to see, sister, it's not positionally, see. Now see it? I want you to watch it just a moment. Now there they come in a wave, see, see here. Little white, like little white warts. You can see it from the audience. Watch them. Now here they come, there they come. See them running over there. Now watch, there they go away. Here they come again. There they are. Now what is that? That's the life of that cancer. Excited, the spirit of it.
“The Church Of The Living God” (51-0727)
Billy Paul Branham - Testimony (William Branham),
Cloverdale Bibleway Church Dedication, British Columbia – July 15, 1989
As a little boy, I begin to travel with my daddy. I wasn't much bigger than this little boy is intensely looking at me right now. And a brother asked me at the table today, he said, “Brother Billy, would tell about when you first saw the Angel of the Lord?” I know you've probably heard it a thousand times, but it just blesses my heart that I can share it with you tonight.
We was staying in a little hotel up in Vandalia, Illinois. My daddy had always told me about Jesus...like I tried to tell you in the first half an hour in my testimony here...that I saw that light of Jesus that I read about in the Bible manifested through him.
I didn't understand, but I saw It. He told me about the Angel of the Lord and what he looked like and believed in my daddy because he told me nothing but the truth. We was in a little hotel room and I don't mean this in the way it sounds, but daddy didn't like big things. He wanted to keep it simple. I believe it was God hidden and revealed in simplicity.
And we was staying in a little hotel. We didn't even have a bathtub. We didn't even have a...we didn't even have a restroom. All we had was a little sink. You probably stayed in those little places. My dad's brother, Donnie, and I was there asleep.
About two or three o'clock in the morning, I'll never forget it. He woke me up and he had a pillow across my face. And he shook me, and he said, “Paul?” And I said, “Yes daddy.” He said, “You know that one that daddy talk about...that Angel?” And I said, “Sure.” He said, “He visited me tonight.” And he says, “He's here in the room with me.” He says...and I asked Him if I could wake up you and my brother, Donny...that they could see you. And I don't say this because I'm nothing, but he says, the Angel of the Lord said, “You can wake up Billy.”
And I asked daddy one time. I said, “Why daddy did that happen?” He said, “Because God called you to work with me son.”
He says, “When daddy takes the pillow from your face...” He said, “You know where the wash basin is?” I said, “Sure.” He said, “You look over in the corner, He'll be standing there.”
I was just about this boy's size right here. And I ashamed to say what I'm going to say, but I want to be honest with you. I was thinking of an angel something with wings, you know, flying around because I hadn't listened close enough. But I'm a witness to you here in British Columbia tonight.
And when he took that pillow from my face, there stood a man, just like that man standing right there, with his arms folded just like that man standing there. He looked at me like that and it scared me to death and I grabbed my daddy and he says, “He won't bother you.” He said, “He won't bother you son.” But I'm a witness to you tonight that it went from a form like that man there to a mist and went out of the room.
From that time on, God bear me witness tonight. I could always tell you when he come into the meetings. You heard Brother Branham said, “He's here.” And I don't mean...not me, you understand...you understand it Brother Eddie. It's not me, but I'm a witness and I can tell even before Brother Branham spoke it. Not ahead of him. Don't misunderstand me, but I just knew that presence when it come down.
It's the same yesterday, today and forever. I could be out working in the prayer lines or whatever. I could still feel it and I knew when it was there. And I thank God for that privilege tonight. That...did he said, I'm an eyewitness to it tonight and I declare to you that it's the truth from the bottom of my heart.
Bro. Billy Paul Branham Testimony – Happy Valley Church of Jesus Christ – 1995
And we was staying in this little hotel there in Vandalia, Illinois. It only had one bed in the room. It didn’t have no bathroom. The bathroom was down the hall in this little hotel.
I'd hear daddy say about the Angel of the Lord, you know, but you know sometimes it just don't ring. But just believe what he said.
About two o'clock in the morning or three I was there with my dad's brother Donnie.
We'd been selling the little books, “Jesus Christ the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever” and “I was Not Disobedient to the Heavenly Vision.” Man, I thought I was something. Had a little nail apron on, had my orders down in there and I'd go up and down the aisle, you know. And so, anyway, we was selling these little books in the tent.
Daddy woke me up about two or three o'clock the morning and I'll never forget this.
And he had a pillow over my face and he said, “Billy?”
I said, “Yes sir.”
He said, “You know the Angel that daddy talks to you about?”
I said, “Yes sir.” He said, “He's here in the room.”
He said, “You want to see him?”
I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “I asked him if he'd let me wake Donny up (that was his brother) and wake you up” He said, the Angel said, “You can wake up Billy.”
That doesn't make me any great thing, I'm just giving you my testimony.
I asked Daddy one time, I said, “Why Daddy, did God grant me that privilege?”
He said, “Because God called you to work with me, son.”
Anyways, “So when I take this pillow up from your eyes.” He said, “You know where this little wash basin is over there?” And I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “You look over there.” He said, “There'll be that Angel.”
I never speak about him, brother Andrews, unless I can feel that presence come down. That's what you feel right now.
I ain't nothin' but that's what you feel right now. When He comes back and says, “That’s welcome.” You understand what I mean, Brother Donny?
I said...He said, “Take that pillow.”
And I thought an angel would be something just flying around. You know, I didn't know. Daddy said an angel talked to him.
But I'm a witness to you here tonight, that when he took that pillow from my face, over at that old wash basin stood a man, dressed in solid white, hair down to his shoulders about two hundred pounds, just like Brother Branham described him. He stood with his arms folded like this, and he looked at me. I was about as big as this little girl right here. It scared me to death. I grabbed a hold of my daddy, and he grabbed a hold of me and he said, “Son”, he said, “He won't hurt you.” He said, “He's sent from the presence of almighty God. He said, “'Cause God called you to work with me, Billy.” But I'll tell you that, from that day on til this night tonight, I can tell you when that Angel come in the presence. And I believe he's not far from here tonight. I believe he's the same yesterday, today and forever.
A Testimony From Brother Billy Paul. (William Marrion Branham)
@BranhamOrgUpdate
And when I was just a little boy, I was about twelve years old. We was over in a little old town called Vandalia, Illinois and Brother Branham was having a tent meeting. And we stayed in a little cheap hotel.
And I say that to go with my testimony here and I know you probably heard me give this testimony, but maybe just one more time I want to share it with you because it is one of the greatest experiences of my life.
And in this room, it didn't even have a bathroom. The bathroom was down the hall. And we just had a wash basin, right where the camera is here. And it was just a little wash basin and a little pitcher and that's what we'd wash our hands and things. But we had to take a shower, take a bath, we'd go down to the end of the hall.
I used to sell...in the meetings...I had a little apron and I'd go down and sell the little books. There was three books Brother Branham had, "Jesus Christ, the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever,", "I Was Not Disobedient to the Heavenly Vision", "Divine Healing in the Campaigns" and I thought I was something...get down there and sell those books.
And Daddy would always...And I'd see the Lord move in the meetings. As a kid, he'd tell us about these things and how the Angel would meet him.
And I remember one night, in this hotel room, we was setting there, and my dad's brother was working with us at that time. He was driving the truck and his name was Donnie and he was the youngest of the brothers. And he and I and dad were sleeping in the same room.
And I don't remember...I know dad says on tape that he...that he took a pillow and throwed it over and woke me up. All I remember...I woke up and there was a pillow across my face.
And he had this pillow across my face and he says, “Paul.”
And I said, “Yes sir.” And it was about two o'clock in the morning.
And he says, “You know the Angel that daddy talks about?”
I said, “Yes sir.”
And he said, “He visited me tonight and was telling me some things and about the meetings and how to conduct the meetings and what was going to happen.
And I said, “Yes sir.”
And he still had the pillow across my face.
And he says, “And I asked Him. Could I wake you up and could I wake up my brother, Donnie?”
And he said the Angel said, “You can wake up Billy.”
And he says and he says, “Can he see you?”
And the Angel said, “Yes.”
He...excuse me...he says, “When dad takes this pillow from your face...you know where that wash basin is over there?”
And I said, “Yes sir.”
He'll be standing there and you can see Him.
And I said, “Okay.”
You remember, I was just twelve years old.
And he took the pillow from my face and I thought it would be an angel with wings flying around, but it wasn't like that.
There stood a man in that room dressed in pure white and he had his arms folded like this, hair down to his shoulders. He just stood there.
One thing it reminded...that was so outstanding to me...
He never spoke a word, but he would look around the room, but his eyes was totally focused on my dad. Every move was watching my dad.
And I could see those...I could see them yet now.
Them eyes just going around the room.
He'd look at me and he'd look over at my uncle and he would look back around like that. He'd move his head a little bit, but his eyes never left daddy's eyes and I grabbed daddy because I didn't know...it was a man standing in the room by the window.
And he...and he...I never forget daddy told me.
He said, “Don't be scared son.”
He said, “He's sent from the presence of Almighty God.”
And he says, “He won't harm you.”
He says, “He will be a blessing.”
And I watched and he just held [unintelligible] and daddy held me.
And he went from that being of a man...just as Brother Branham describes Him...into...I'm not going to say a Pillar of Fire. It was like a mist, a light, a vapor. He just kinda vanished and went out the window, right out the room like that.
And when he left, a rainbow came right in the same window and hung in the room for hours...at midnight...two o'clock in the morning...dark room, but He stood there and that Pillar of...oh excuse me...that rainbow was standing in the room. And I felt a presence.
And I asked my dad later. I said, “Why did that happen?”
And he says, he said “Because I wanted you to see Him.”
He said, “God called you to work with me Billy and I want you to see Him and to know what daddy was telling you was the truth.”
Not that I doubted, but it was just such an experience, such a wonderful experience.
Here is “The Angel by Billy Paul Branham” from Only Believe, Vol. 6, No. 2, June 1993 (pp. 3-4):
