“India Prophecy”
William Branham made many claims that he saw a prophetic “vision” in which the Lord told him he would have a meeting in India with 300,000 people in attendance. He gave full assurance that the prophecy would come to pass because it was “Thus Saith the Lord.”
However, it is apparent below that the prophecy was not from the Lord because it never came to pass and William Branham admitted that he “failed” and caused his trip to India to
be unsuccessful.
Specifics of the Prophecy
William Branham's first recorded claims about the prophecy were made in his sermon “Early Spiritual Experiences”, which he preached on July 13, 1952. Therein, he portrayed the prophecy, in part, as follows,
“I was laying there one morning about three o'clock in the morning. And I was thinking, "Oh, what will be my future? What will be the outcome?" And while I was laying there,
I fell into a trance. And here come One walking to me.
. . .
And as I went that time, I seen Him walk to me, He said, "You've been fearing about that ameba condition."
I said, "Yes. Will it ever leave me and bother me any more?"
He said, "Never no more." That settled it.
. . .
And I seen people standing there with clouts, like on, like the Indians wear. And there were thousands of them, and they had their hands up air, just a praising God and screaming and praising God. And I couldn't even see the end of them.
And just about that time, come a great Angel from heaven, and stood be–over the top of me here, with a big Light. And that Light like on the end of one of these here operating lights on the front of a–of a big locomotive, and begin to throw.
. . .
Then He turned me back again, and the great Light started going way back over the hills and showing. Then the Angel drew near. And I heard Him scream with a Voice, that shook me from the vision. Said, "There'll be three hundred thousand of them in that meeting. THUS SAITH THE LORD mark it in your book." I come out of it.
. . .
We went on out to breakfast, and here come my mother-in-law, very staunch Christian. She said, "What's happened up here this morning?" Said, "I got up and started to wash the dishes," and said, "a Voice spoke to me and said, 'Go up to Billy's right away.'"
And I said, "Sister Broy, the Angel of the Lord has appeared to me and told me, 'Forget about the ameba. It's going to be all right. And I'm going to have a meeting that's going to consist of three hundred thousand people.' And God," I said, "my ministry is just now beginning."” “Early Spiritual Experiences” (52-0713A).
After making those initial claims of the prophecy in 1952, William Branham went on to make many more claims about it over time. The many different claims he made about it can be
read here.
“Thus Saith the Lord” Proclamations
In the aforesaid sermon that William Branham preached on July 13, 1952, William Branham alleged that the “Great angel from heaven” told him, “There'll be three hundred thousand of them in that meeting. THUS SAITH THE LORD mark it in your book.”
On March 7 and May 15, 1954, William Branham made his own proclamations that the prophetic vision was “Thus Saith the Lord” and will come to pass in India, as follows,
“I heard Him tell this One standing by me, and the Voice was so strong that it broke me out of the vision, said, "There's three hundred thousand of those in that meeting."
Mark that down, for it's THUS SAITH THE LORD. His Word comes to pass.
When the archbishop of India came to my place, recently, and received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, Archbishop Palai, he said, "Brother Branham, the way they're looking for you there, so that meant converts." Said, "I'll assure you, there'll be anywhere from a half to a million people in your congregation." He said, "All India's awaiting."
And with this vision to back it up, watch what our Lord will do. See? I'm expecting a half a million converts in my journey. We go to Africa, to India, to Palestine, to Luxembourg, and Frankfurt, back to London, and then back home; and then down in South--Australia, New Zealand, and down in there.” “Do You Now Believe” (54-0307E).
“Mark my word; write it in the pages of your Bible, for it's THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'Remember, when we land in India, you're going to hear of tens of thousands times thousands being saved.' The Holy Spirit has said it; I've wrote it here in my Bible; it's wrote in tens of thousands of Bibles right here, like the resurrection of the little boy.
By a vision that He said, 'There's three hundred thousand of them in there.' And you see if that isn't right. There's how the Gospel's going to be preached just overnight. She'll just sweep like that from place to place.” “Questions and Answers” (54-0515).
William Branham further affirms that the prophecy will come to pass in India.
William Branham further affirmed that the prophecy will come to pass in India, as follows,
“Recently when we was talking to a missionary from India, where God has told me to go to, where I will have a crowd of three hundred thousand people in one meeting...”
“Do You Now Believe” (52-0817E)
“I had one meeting that I'm going to. I know where that meeting is. That meeting is in--in one of them in South Africa, the other one is in India. And that's going to be a real meeting. That's going to be where God makes Hisself known to three hundred thousand people.” “Faith In The Son Of God” (52-0715)
“And as soon as our Lord tells me the hour, the time to move, I'm going into Africa, and from there to India, where I will fulfill a vision that God has given me of three hundred thousand people. And you remember to keep that in mind. And you'll see it appear in different places. And now, you remember, that is the truth. God has spoken that, and it will be so.” “Who Has Believed Our Report” (52-0720E).
William Branham did not actually know where the prophecy would be fulfilled.
Despite proclaiming “Thus Saith the Lord” and further affirming that the prophecy would come to pass in India, William Branham did not actually know where it would be fulfilled, as is evident from his “I don't know where” and “I believe it will be in India” statements below,
“I trust to God, there'll be three hundred thousand won to Christ at that day. But it's a coming. It must be. I don't know where. I don't know when, but I know it will be. And you people setting here in this audience tonight, will hear of the meeting. Where it'll be,
I believe it'll be in India. It looked like Indians to me. I could see them, and I was at the Durban meeting. I seen it going away into history, turning blue. I looked in front of me and there was still more people, thousands, greater than the first crowd was there. I believe I will be at Durban again. Then He turned to the left and I looked, and there was so many people, innumerable.
Now remember, keep that on your mind. Write it on a piece of paper; lay it in your Bible; put it on the flyleaf somewhere. You'll hear through the magazine: "Brother Branham had a meeting," (somewhere in Orients, or down in India, I believe, or Africa, somewhere), "where three hundred thousand people attended the meeting."” “Thou Knowest All Things” (52-0716).
“I told you the vision this afternoon, and there will be a meeting that I will hold somewhere, and I believe it's in India, near Bombay, that there'll be three hundred thousand people, and I don't know how many converts there will be in that meeting, probably run up to a hundred and fifty, two hundred thousand people, converted.”
“God Testifying of His Gifts” (52-0713E).
“I came to myself. I heard His number. Remember, I'm going to hold a meeting somewhere east of Durban, I believe in India, that'll consist of three hundred thousand people. That's before it comes to pass, that you might know.” “Faith Africa Trip Report” (52-0725).
Did the “Thus Saith the Lord” prophecy ever come to pass?
William Branham's “Thus Saith the Lord” prophecy of India did not come to pass but failed,
as is evident by these statements he made on January 26, 1957 when giving a report of his India trip to his church,
“And yet, as many of you might know, the Indian trip wasn't the success that it should've been, because I failed to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and never recognized it after He give me a vision to go to Africa first and then to India. And—and some of the brethren said, "Oh, just... We can't get Africa together, so... Brother Roberts has just been down there, so take off to India." And under the influence of my brethren, well maybe taught... But no matter what someone influences you, if God has told you something different... And now, judge it by the Word (See?), by the Word, and then go.” “India Trip Report” (57-0126B).
On January 7, 1958, William Branham further acknowledged that he failed and was the reason why the prophecy did not come to pass in his sermon entitled, “Queen of Sheba”, as follows,
“Now, in that... Here sometime ago a vision came and told me about going to Africa.
And I thought that it meant go to Africa first, then to India. And the Lord spoke to me and told me to go to Africa first, and then to India. Well I thought that compared with the vision.
And then I forgot about it and went to India first and then He condemned me at Portuguese, as you know the story. And said, "I thought I said to you 'Go to Africa first.'" And then I was condemned. And I thought all the time, and now it just comes up, the revelation begins to push me for Africa, and I read in the vision, and the vision really said, "Go to India first and back to Africa." It's just exactly the way it's going to happen.
Now, see, the Lord spoke to me, knowing that I would fail, but the vision can't fail. It's what God has already said and it cannot fail. The vision, I've got it wrote in an flyleaf of my Bible. I will bring it down maybe and let you see it. How that it really reads that I will go to India first and then back to Africa; but He told me to go to Africa first and then to India, knowing that I would fail, but the vision can never fail. God has spoke it. It's got to be that way.” “The Queen Of Sheba” (58-0107).
On December 8, 1957, he similarly acknowledged that he failed and was the reason why the prophecy did not come to pass in his sermon entitled, “I Stand At The Door and Knock” ,
as follows,
“Only last night on the fly leaf of my Bible, when it was sometime ago, in a vision that the Lord had given me and I spoke it to the church... And then He said to me, "Go to Africa then back to India."
I said, "Yes, Lord." And when Mr. Baxter told me in Canada, or in Chicago, said, "Let's go to India. Let them Afrikaans alone. They won't cooperate with us right."
"All right," I said. I forgot it. When I went home, the Angel of the Lord met me between the two rooms, a Pillar of Fire, a Light, the same One there. And He said, "You go to Africa like I said go."
And a year later they talked me into it again and I forgot it. I didn't write it down. And I was with my boy there in Portuguese, Lisbon, Portuguese. And I was stricken down sick all night. And the next morning I was going into the bathtub to take a little shower. And on my road in there, there stood the Angel of the Lord, said, "I thought I told you to go to Africa first."
Then not only till a few days ago, when I made arrangements for Africa this year... They're over there making it now. And last night I was reading in the vision. And God knew that I would fail that. And in the vision... I never seen it till last night, and I called Brother Sothmann, Leo, and all of them around. The vision said "You'll go to India first and then back to Africa." See, I--I wrote it myself. I wrote the thing myself.” “I Stand At The Door and Knock” (57-1208).
William Branham maintained that his
“Thus Saith the Lord” visions have never failed.
Despite his prophecy of India failing, he later claimed repeatedly that his use of “Thus saith the Lord” and his visions have never failed,
“But when you speak, "THUS SAITH THE LORD," it's not you. Watch on the platform. Have you ever seen it fail? THUS SAITH THE LORD is perfect, never has failed. And as long as it is THUS SAITH THE LORD, it can't fail.” “Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?” (62-1230E).
“A vision has never failed. Now I'm going to tell you, Jean, it's THUS SAITH THE LORD! See?” “The Evening Messenger” (63-0116).
“Now, I'm an old man now, and I've--I have never one time, and can call the world to a--to a standstill, and ask them, "Put your finger on one thing that He ever told me as THUS SAITH THE LORD, in the Name of the Lord, but what was absolutely the truth and fact, and come to pass," out of the thousands times thousands of things.'” “Spirit of Truth” (63-0118).
“And you remember I preached the sermon, "Sirs, What Time Is It?" You remember that? I said that I seen that, I said, "Before it comes to pass, remember, THUS SAITH THE LORD, something's going to happen." You've probably got the tapes in your library of tape now. And there I said, "You remember now the visions that never fails. Something's going to happen. Remember."” “Trying to Do God a Service Without Being the Will of God” (65-1127B).
“Now, those things are not mythical. In contact with the Holy Spirit, I'm an illiterate person. That's true. There's nothing to me. But when I come under His anointing, and He takes me away and shows me things, I just got perfect confidence that it's just exactly right, 'cause it's never failed. And He will never say one thing outside what's written in this Bible. That's right. You watch it. Through the years, He's never said one thing at any time, unless it was absolutely Scripturally based on the Bible, THUS SAITH THE LORD.” “Shepherd of the Sheepfold” (56-040).
“Many, many years before it happened perfectly on the dot... And it's never failed, and it won't fail, because it's THUS SAITH THE LORD. And it's not contrary to these Bible. It's got to be.” “Once More” (63-1117).
“I prayed for a woman at the platform who had a horrible stomach disorder and could not eat nothing. And the Holy Spirit told her, "THUS SAITH THE LORD ..." You have your record here, if you want to see what He says. Said, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, you're healed of that stomach trouble."
When you hear that come forth, brother, I lay my life right there, it's going to be just that way. I'm forty-five years old, seen visions since I was a baby, and have never seen one time or challenge anybody to mention one time that it never spoke in that way, that it did not come to pass just exactly the way He said it. That's right. Just ask anywhere; take any recordings you want to and find out. When you hear Him speak out like that, it's not exactly exactly that way. “Divine Healing” (54-0620E).
The Prophecy Remained Unfulfilled.
Before William Branham was killed in a car crash on December 24, 1965, he never returned to India and held a meeting with three hundred thousand people in attendance. Therefore, the prophecy remains a failed and false prophecy to this day.
Here is a video that demonstrates how William Branham's “India prophecy” is contradicted by his “Africa prophecy”: