ProveTheClaims - "William Branham's Birth"

“His Birth”

To show that he was chosen by God for a special purpose, William Branham often told stories about supernatural events occurring throughout his life. According to him, God began appearing in his life in the form of a Light from the time he was born.

He specifically claimed that he was born in a little cabin in the mountains of Kentucky on April 6, 1909 at five o'clock in the morning and immediately thereafter a “Light” appeared over him,

“And the morning when I was born, April the sixth, 1909, at five o’clock in the morning, there was no doctor; they had a mid-wife. And when I was born, I only weighed five pounds: very small.

And mother wanted to see what I looked like. The little candle light didn’t—didn’t give enough light, so they opened up the little window over the bed. It was daylight, and when they opened the window, that Light of Fire sailed in. They all started weeping. They didn’t know what that meant. It was right over where I was at.” “My Life Story” (55-0626A).

“I was born April the 6th, 1909, in a little cabin up in the eastern Kentucky mountains.” “Blind Bartimaeus” (56-0407).

“And—and that Angel of God, at five o’clock in the morning, April 6, 1909, at five o’clock in the morning, come right in and stood over that little bed where I was laying.” “Lamb And Dove” (60-0805).

“But one morning in a little log cabin down in Kentucky, so said my mother and the midwife, on April the 6th, five o’clock in the morning, 1909, when the Lord God brought me into the earth, there was a Light standing at the little window. And when they opened the window back, mother laying on a little shuck bed, to find out what kind of a baby she had, a Light come whirling in.” “The Trial” (64-0419).

In direct contradiction of his claims that he was born on “April 6, 1909 at five o'clock in the morning”, William Branham stated that both his mother and he did not know exactly when he was born and there were no records of his birth date, as follows,

“Best I know, I was born in Kentucky where they don't have a birth records. And you know what my birth mark is, birth record in Kentucky? The year the old stump blowed away up over on the hill. And that's all they knowed.
They say, "When was that child born?"
"Tomato picking time."
"What tomato picking time? When was this one born?"
"Corn cutting time."
"What corn cutting time?"
Now, that--that was the birth record up in the mountains of Kentucky. So I don't know how old I am, but anyhow, I--I'm--I'm ever bit of that. So then, a--so then when... That's what my mother told me, and I think she'd be pretty close to right.” “Jehovah-Jireh 3” (60-0803).

From where then did his unfounded claims of being born on “April 6, 1909 at five o'clock in the morning” originate?

They apparently originated with an “astrologist” who told him on a bus that he was born then,

“And one day while I was a game warden, I was going up on the bus. And I got on the bus. Was always seemed to be subject to spirits. I was standing there, and this sailor was standing behind me. And I was going up to patrol, and I was going up to the Henryville Forestry, was on a bus. I kept feeling some strange something. I looked around there, and there was a--a great big heavyset woman setting there, nicely dressed. She said, "How do you do?"
Said, "How do you do."
I thought it was just a woman, you know, talking, so I just kept... She said, "I'd like to talk to you a minute."
I said, "Yes, ma'am?" And I turned around.
She said, "Did you know you were born under a sign?"
I thought, "Another one of them funny women." So I just looked on out. And so I never said a word, just kept...
She said, "Could I speak to you a minute?" And I just kept... She said, "Don't act like that."
I just kept looking forward. I thought, "That isn't gentleman-like."
She said, "I'd like to speak to you just a moment."

I just kept looking forward, and I wouldn't pay any attention to her. Directly I thought, "I believe I'll see if she says like the rest of them." I turned around; I thought, "Oh, my." That quivered me; I know; 'cause I hated to think that. Turned around.
She said, "Maybe I'd better explain myself." She said, "I'm an astrologist."
I said, "I thought you was something like that."
She said, "I'm on my way to Chicago to see my boy who's a Baptist minister."
And I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "Anybody ever tell you you were born under a sign?"
I said, "No, ma'am." Now, I lied to her there (See?), and I said--just wanted to see what she was going to say. And she said... I said, "No, ma'am."
And she said, "Doesn't... Hasn't ministers ever told you?"
I said, "I don't have nothing to do with ministers."
And she said, "Uh-huh."
And I said... She--she said to me... I said, "Well..."
She said, "If I tell you just exactly when you was born, will you believe me?"
I said, "No, ma'am."
And she said, "Well, I can tell you when you were born."
I said, "I don't believe it."
And she said, "You were born on April the 6th, 1909, at five o'clock in the morning."
I said, "That's right." I said, "How do you know that?" I said, "Tell this sailor here when he was born."
Said, "I can't."
And I said, "Why? How do you know?"

Said, "Look, sir." She said, when she begin to talk about this astronomy now, and she said, "Every so many years..." Said, "You remember when the morning star come, that led the wise men to Jesus Christ?" “How The Angel Came To Me, and His Commission” (55-0117).

In his claims about the “astrologist”, he also said that she told him that he was born when the planets crossed just as they did when Jesus Christ was born,

“And she said, "Now, those planets, heavenly planets, as they move around..." Said, "They separated. They've never been on the earth since, known." But said, "Every so many hundred years, they cross their cycles like this."
If there happen to be an astronomer here, he might know what she was talking about; I don't. “So when she was talk... Said, "They cross like that." And said, "In commemoration of the greatest gift that was ever given to mankind, when God gave His Son. When these planets cross themselves again, why," said, "He sends another gift to the earth." And said, "You were born on the crossing of that time. And I said, 'That's the reason I knew it.'"Well, then I said, "Lady, the first place, I don't believe anything about it. I'm not religious, and I don't want to hear no more about it." Walked away. And so I cut her off pretty short. So I went on out.” Ibid.

It is evident that William Branham did not initially accept or believe the “astrologist's” claim that he was “born on April the 6th, 1909” to be true because he declared his date of birth to be April 8, 1908 on his first marriage license in 1934 (not long after his encounter with the “astrologist” and becoming a Christian minister in 1933).[1] On that license, which can be viewed here, he attested that he had “personal knowledge” of his date of birth and that it

was true.

Even though he initially rejected the “astrologist's” claim that he was “born on April the 6th, 1909” and instead declared “April 8, 1908” to be his true birth date, he apparently changed his mind and declared his date of birth to be April 6, 1909 on his second marriage license. On the license, which can be viewed here, he also attested that he had “personal knowledge” of his birth date and that it was true.

Why did William Branham reject April 8, 1908 as his birth date and ultimately accept April 6, 1909 from the astrologist and declare it to be true instead?
Did the planets actually cross when both he and Jesus were born, as he claimed the “astrologist” told him?
Was his birth as special as the birth of the Son of God?

Unquestionably, such a “crossing” of planets would have been momentous to astrologists and astronomers (i.e. “star gazers”) around the world and not just to the “astrologist” who William Branham spoke with on the bus. Because planets travel slowly, the “star gazers” would have been able to recognize and identify in advance when such a rare and unusual “crossing” of planets was going to occur.

All of the planetary events that were expected to occur in April, 1909 were, in fact, known and identified by astronomers months before. In turn, they were published in February, 1909 by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in a three-page article entitled, “Planetary Phenomena for March and April, 1909”, which can be read here.[2]

As is evident in the article, there is no indication that a significant and unusual “crossing” of planets was expected to happen in April, 1909, let alone one that was so rare that it occurred only “every so many hundred years”, as William Branham said the “astrologist” told him. In fact, all of the planetary events that the article identified as expected for both March and April of that year are not particularly noteworthy and unusual from an astrological standpoint.

Although the article mentions that a few planetary “conjunctions” were expected in March and April, 1909 (i.e. a few planets would appear to be close together in the sky) none of them would have occurred on April 6, 1909, the date on which William Branham later claimed he

was born.

As indicated therein, Mars was expected to be in “conjunction” with Uranus on March 26, 1909 and “near together” for only “a day or two before and after” their conjunction. Mercury also was expected to be “in close conjunction with Saturn on April 13th and with Venus on April 19th, but “then too near the Sun for naked-eye view.” In addition, there is no indication that the aforesaid “conjunctions” were anything more than common and ordinary “conjunctions”, which frequently occur, like the ones listed here.

Not only did astronomers not expect a significant and unusual “crossing” of planets in April, 1909, but there is also no evidence to support the notion that such an event occurred during that month.

Despite the completely unverified and unfounded nature of the alleged event, William Branham declared it to be “a supernatural thing, that God did”,

“...this astronomer tonight was trying to tell that it actually was a natural thing. I—I don’t—I don’t accept that. I believe it was a supernatural thing, that God did. He, things is supernatural with God. He is Supernatural.” “God's Gifts Always Find Their Places” (63-1222).

Footnotes:

[1] Because William Branham identified his encounter with the “astrologist” on the bus as taking place before he was a Christian in his statements below, it could have only happened before his ministry began in 1933 and he was first married in 1934.

“'Well,' I said, “lady, I am not a Christian. I have nothing to do with preachers. I have nothing to do with what you… I don’t know nothing about the stars. All I know that I’m the game warden of Indiana. I’m doing the best that I can. Thank you.'” And went on, like that.” “Early Spiritual Experiences” ( 52-0713A).

[2] McNeill, Malcolm, “Planetary Phenomena for March and April, 1909”, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 21, No. 124, p.25., Feb. 1909.

It is questionable whether the an “astrologist” on a bus could have actually known when William Branham was born.

Although he claimed that an “astrologist” on a bus told him that he was “born on April the 6th, 1909, at five o'clock in the morning”, there are several questionable aspects of his story,

Could an “astrologist” have known both the date and time he was born without ever meeting him before and knowing anything about him?
How would an “astrologist” have been able to determine when he was born without using any of the methods or techniques that astrologists use?
How could an “astrologist” have recognized that he was born under a certain “sign” and when planets “crossed” without knowing anything about him before?

From a brief look at the practice of “astrologists”, it is apparent that they rely on information that they first gather from people to determine where the planets and stars were when they

born in order to make predictions about their futures.

It is also apparent that “astrologists” cannot know or determine an unknown “birth time” of person without first learning information about significant events in his/her life. As one astrologist states in that regard,

“If you don’t know your birth time, I need to know dates of some milestone events in your life to determine your birth time. For example; date of your wedding, a surgery, birth date of a child, death of a family member, date of a change in carrier or date of moving out to an other city) With the help of these important dates in your life, I can determine your birth time in 3 hours margin of error.”[3]

It is actually very difficult for “astrologists” to determine the “birth time” of people like William Branham, who did not know when he was born. To do so, they use a procedure called “rectification”,

“Birth time rectification is a procedure that is used in order to determine what time a person was born, when the birth time is unknown or uncertain.

Rectification is important and sometimes necessary because without a birth time, you cannot accurately calculate a person’s birth chart.

By comparing important dates and facts about a person’s life with the different potential birth charts, we can infer the probable time of birth.”[4]

“Rectification is often regarded as one of the most difficult things to do in astrology, since it is essentially an investigative process that involves taking into account many variables.”[5]

Thus, it is evident that an “astrologist” on a bus could not have determined or known that William Branham was born at “five o'clock in the morning” on “April 6, 1909” without first learning about significant events, facts and dates in his life and carrying out the “rectification” process.

And without “rectification” first being done to determine his “time of birth” an “astrologist” on a bus could not have known where the planets were when he was born,

“You might be wondering why your birth time is so important anyway. A natal chart (or birth chart) in astrology looks at the position of the planets at the exact moment that you were born. Without your time of birth, it is impossible to know the precise positions of the planets – and because some planets move more quickly than others, casting a chart based on a birth time that is even an hour off can greatly affect the outcome of the chart, rendering many of the results inaccurate.”[6]

Consequently, there would have also been no way for an “astrologist” on a bus to have known that there was a momentous “crossing” of planets when he was born.

Footnotes:

[3] Source: https://www.yildizgunlugum.com/consultancy

[4] Source: http://www.chrisbrennanastrologer.com/astrological-consultations/birth-time-rectification/

[5] Source: http://theastrologypodcast.com/2018/08/27/rectification-using-astrology-to-find-your-birth-time/

[6] Source: https://astrologyanswers.com/article/birth-chart-faq-i-dont-know-my-birth-time-now-what/

William Branham's contradictory claims about his birth are additionally problematic.

William Branham apparently was not even born on “April 6, 1909 at five o'clock in the morning”, as he led people to believe. In fact, the stories he told about his birth do not support, but contradict, his claims that he was born at that time.

It could not have been daylight at five o'clock in the morning when he was born, as he claimed below, because sunrise on April 6, 1909 in Kentucky was at 5:26 a.m.

“And the morning when I was born, April the sixth, 1909, at five o’clock in the morning, there was no doctor; they had a mid-wife. And when I was born, I only weighed five pounds: very small.

The sun also was not “peeping across the mountains” at five o'clock in the morning (about a half hour before sunrise), as he claimed,

“April the 6th, 1909, when the sun begin to peep up over a little Kentucky hill, a little old mother setting there, fourteen years old, in a little old crude made bed, no floor but the earth. All the stuff, a little table, a little old straw tick laying there to lay on, a little old shuck pillow for her to lay their head on... My daddy with his pair of overalls on, standing at the foot of the bed... But God permitted me to come into the earth. As the morning star was peeping across the mountains, coming circling into the window, came a supernatural Being whirling into the room when the mountain people standing begin to cry. Oh, my.” “Show us the Father and it will suffice us” (50-0819).

Even though sunrise on April 6, 1909 was not until 5:26 a.m., he claimed that the “midwife opened up the window, so the light could shine in to show” what he looked like to his mama and papa,

“I lived in a little old log cabin. The picture hangs in my house today, that a person painted for me, in California, of the little old log cabin. And in there, in this little log cabin, that morning on April the 6th, when the midwife opened up the window, so the light could shine in to show ... let mama see what I looked like, and papa. When they looked in the ... in there was light come whirling through the window, about the size of a pillow. And it circled around where I was, and went down on the bed.” “Early Spiritual Experiences” (52-0713A).

He directly contradicted those claims by stating there was not enough light to let mama see what he looked like,

“The light, that early in the morning, wouldn’t show enough light to let mama see what I was, or looked like. And they opened this little window on the side towards the East, for some robins was setting in the bushes out there, singing, as it breaking day at five o’clock.” “A Trial” (64-0427).

He contradicted himself further by saying that the sun was not up,

“At the year of about ... something a little over two years old, the first vision taken place.

Well, they had told around in the mountains there that this light came in. So they tried to figure it up. Some of them said it must have been the sunlight reflecting on a mirror in the house. But there was no mirror in there. And the sun wasn't up, so it was too early, five o'clock. And then, oh, they just passed it by. And when I was about ... supposed to be near three years old....” “My Life Story” (59-0419A).

In addition, he contradicted all of his claims that he was born at “five o'clock in the morning” on April 6, 1909” by claiming that he was born at six o'clock in the morning,

“And my people, of course, formerly, the beginning, are Catholic. We…They emigrated from Ireland and come here. And then, but my father and mother didn’t go to any church at all. And they was raised up in the mountains; my father, a logger. And when that Light come in that morning at six o’clock on April the fifth, or, April the sixth, 1909, and that Light hung over that little crib bed there, a little trundle bed…” “Abraham” (55-0608).

He contradicted himself yet again by claiming that the “Light” appeared when he was “laying” in the bed and claiming that the “Light” appeared when his mother was holding him in her arms,

That morning up there in the mountains when they opened up the cabin door, little old door… It wasn’t a window; it was a little door you push out. It didn’t have any glass in it, pushed it out. A Light, about so big around, come whirling in and went down on the bed where mother was holding me in her arms. “The Pillar Of Fire” (53-0509).